In 2015, women working full time in the U.S. typically were paid just 80 percent of what men were paid. Among full-time workers in 2015, Hispanic, African American, American Indian, and other native women had lower median annual earnings compared with non-Hispanic white and Asian American women. Differences among older workers are considerably larger than gaps among younger workers. While more education is useful for increasing earnings, at every level of academic achievement, women’s median earnings are less than men’s, and in some cases, the gender pay gap is larger at higher levels of education.
In 2015, median earnings for men in Texas were $46,791 compared to $36,934 for women - a 21 percent gender pay gap, which is 1 percent higher than the national gap. On Saturday, Oct. 22, the Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women - San Antonio hosts its first-annual Equal Pay SA summit to discuss issues of equal pay and opportunity.
Why does unequal pay continue to be a pervasive issue? Are women and their families being shortchanged? What can be done to close the gap, moving forward?
Guests:
Andi Rodriguez, chair of the Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women - San Antonio
Lucy Stein, advocacy director for Progress Texas