The Gender Pay Gap by Race and Ethnicity

Jane Farrell and Sarah Jane Glynn explore the question of whether there is more gender equality among minority men and women than among whites.

Building an Economy for All, Women’s Economic Security, Worker Rights

On average, white women earn 81 percent of what white men make. At first glance it may appear that there is more gender equality among minority men and women than among whites. Hispanic or Latina women make 88 percent of what Latinos do and African American women make 90 percent of what their male counterparts make.

But when we add race to gender, these pay gaps become a veritable chasm. African American women earn 36 percent less than white men and Latinas a mere 45 percent. Interestingly, the gap between the earnings of Asian women and white men is smaller, just 12 percent, but that mounts up over a lifetime, and Asian American women earn just 73 percent of what Asian American men make.

The above excerpt was originally published in Council on Contemporary Families. Click here to view the full article.

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