Let's discuss wage gaps...

[Finder]

I am starting a new thread since a digression in another thread was too confusing to follow.

I do believe there is still a gender wage gap in most industries. I also feel we(women)have made a lot of progress. Trying to find statistics was a chore and it was amazing to see how two sides of the issue used the same set of statistics yet came up with such different numbers--(neither set which I agree with)

I don't think problems can be solved unless they are identified. Much of the gap was filled by the EPA in 1963 through today--albeit slowly. Education, experience and the mommy gap accounted for some of it as well but still there is a gap.

What experience have you had in the workforce personally?

[redqueen]

1. Clarifications...

You said there was a law which requires that males and females cannot be paid differently. Which law is that? If there is one, I have to wonder why it's not enforced.

You also said that you thought a wage gap per actual position does not exist. What gave you that idea?

[pmbryant]

3. There are two relevant laws

The Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Both from the mid-1960s.

They are supposed to be enforced by the EEOC. The EEOC is, naturally, drastically underfunded. In practice, they are enforced almost exclusively via lawsuits. Given how expensive lawsuits can be, and how potentially destructive to one's career, most people who have suffered discrimination do not take that route.

Furthermore, due to the secrecy of salaries and wages at many institutions, many people who are paid less than they should be are not aware of it.

--Peter

[redqueen]

5. So it was never intended to do anything.

If they didn't set up any way to enforce the law, it seems like it's pretty much a bunch of feel-good bullshit.

[pmbryant]

7. It's better than that

The wage gap, while still very significant (around 20% overall), is much less than it was before 1963.

So the situation is not quite that bad.

But it is far from ideal. I believe a couple bills in Congress are meant to address many of the shortcomings in current enforcement. They are called the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Fair Pay Act.

The GOP Congress hasn't exactly been jumping to pass these bills, unfortunately.

--Peter

[Finder]

4. Equal Pay Act

http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/epa.html

[redqueen]

6. Got it... feel-good laws that aren't enforced.

How wonderful.

Now about your statement that an actual per-position wage gap didn't exist?

[Finder]

9. not sure where I said that but...

I do believe it is true in many industries. We can use McDonalds or Walmart as an example to begin with. They have pay schedules--entry level. It really depends on the position. Gov jobs are posted with salary, teaching jobs(public) are determined by school boards regardless of the gender of the teacher.

As I said before--I think the statistics need to be looked at closer to identify what industries/sectors have the largest disparities.

[pmbryant]

2. I have some detailed statistics on this

Obviously I'm not a woman so I can't relate my own experience (though my wife has some interesting, and depressing, stories).

For statistics on the gender wage gap, see these two posts from back in April at my blog:

Equal Pay Day and a popular fiction about the wage gap

The gender wage gap in stark detail

In them I have links to, and discussions of, two recent studies: one from the GAO and one from the Census Bureau.

Added on edit:

You wrote: Education, experience and the mommy gap accounted for some of it as well but still there is a gap.

The GAO study specifically addressed this. It found the remaining gap to be around 20%.

Peter

[Finder]

8. Good info and blog

The GAO study and the 2000 census is what I use as well.