Wage Gaps, Equity and Economic Growth

"Equity at work is about justice, fairness and living up to the values of our nation. In 1963, when the Equal Pay Act became law in the United States, women working full-time, year-round made 59 cents on average for every dollar earned by men. Today, that gap has shrunk, and women make 84 cents on the dollar. That’s progress, but it’s not enough.

The wage gap for many women of color is much larger.  We know that Black women, for example, lose around $3.9 billion dollars each year due to wages lost while on leave. Families where women are the primary breadwinners are disproportionately impacted when women’s work is undervalued. And there are so many benefits to eliminating wage gaps: Equity means greater equality in opportunities, more widespread protection against economic shocks, and a more inclusive, resilient economy generally.

And true workplace equity involves more than just fair pay. It’s about making sure everyone benefits from the laws and policies that protect workers. It means making sure all people can access the services they’re entitled to and ensuring that everyone can get good jobs.

We’re proud to support policies and programs that advance the interests of working women and their families. Here are a few ways the U.S. Department of Labor is embracing equity at work.

Gathering Data to Make Smarter Decisions

In 2020, our Women’s Bureau worked with the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the gender wage gap. Among other things, the data showed that outdated attitudes toward “women’s work” and “men’s work” result in certain occupations being undervalued and undercompensated – and that women are often paid less on average than men in the same job.

More recently, we released the National Database of Childcare Prices, which shows that childcare is so expensive, relative to family income, that it prices many families out of paid childcare – and that mothers’ employment drops in areas with more expensive childcare.  

And in 2022, our Office of Disability Employment Policy produced an accessible, interactive map that allows users to explore disability employment statistics on median annual earnings by state and sex for people with disabilities. The data show that, across states, women with disabilities have lower median wages than disabled men.

We’ve also funded research to help us better understand the impact of our work and create more equitable programs and policies.

By gathering this data and making it publicly available, we’re not just improving the quality of our own work, we’re helping policymakers make informed decisions around the country..."
Wage Gaps and Equity