About Equal Pay Day
About Equal Pay Day
Equal Pay Day is an attempt to raise awareness about the raw wage gap, the figure that shows that women, on average, earn about 80 cents for every dollar men earn. The date moves earlier each year as the wage gap closes, as women’s average wages rise faster than men’s.
“Equal Pay Day was originated by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) in 1996 as a public awareness event to illustrate the gap between men's and women's wages. (It was originally called ‘National Pay Inequity Awareness Day’ and changed to Equal Pay Day in 1998.)
“Since Census statistics showing the latest wage figures will not be available until late August or September, NCPE leadership decided years ago to select a Tuesday in April as Equal Pay Day. (Tuesday was selected to represent how far into the next work week women must work to earn what men earned the previous week.) The date also is selected to avoid religious holidays and other significant events.
“Because women earn less, on average than men, they must work longer for the same amount of pay. The wage gap is even greater for most women of color.”
According to 2018 data from the United States Census Bureau, women earn 81.6 cents to every dollar earned by men, a figure that has remained stagnant two years later as observed in Payscale’s more recent 2020 data of 81 cents per dollar.
To celebrate National Equal Pay Day, transparency is key. Share your story with friends or by a timely post on social media to spread awareness. Within your sphere, you could even strike up what might be an uncomfortable conversation and discover where you stand in relation to those working alongside you.
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