America’s gender wage gap grew slightly larger last year
Last year, US men and women both saw their respective paychecks get fatter, on average – but the wage gap between genders also widened for the first time in over two decades, per new Census Bureau figures published this week.
Let’s break it down: Census data shows median earnings for US men rose at an annual rate of 3% last year, compared to 1.5% for women. Overall, the median woman working full-time in 2023 made $55,240, compared to a salary of $66,790 for the median man (or 83% as much).
- This ratio is above pre-pandemic levels, but down slightly from 84% in 2022.
- When it comes to all earners, including those in part-time/seasonal roles, the median female worker made 75% as much compared to the median male last year.
Driving the trend
Analysts widely attribute America’s existing – and growing – gender wage gap to two main factors:
- Many women juggle the dual responsibilities of work and child care. As such, they tend to occupy jobs that accommodate this schedule, which are typically lower-paid roles. It also means women are more likely to take time off from work due to child care, which further depresses their average wages. Overall, men worked ~3 hours/week more than women on average in 2022.
- The composition of America’s female workforce is slowly shifting. There was an influx of Hispanic women joining the labor force in 2023, as well as younger women and/or those new to the labor market – all of whom tend to earn less than the average female employee.
Bottom line: America’s gender wage gap doesn't mean women earn less than men for the same occupation (though that does happen). Instead, it serves as an indicator of broader trends in the labor market and US society as a whole.
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Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that if America wants to close the wage gap, it’ll take a full-court press from the government, employers, unions, managers, opinion makers, and popular culture to produce more high-profile role models for couples with equal family responsibilities.
- Others contend that until America reconciles its cultural ambivalence toward working mothers and decides to emphasize more freedom from familial responsibilities for women, the gender wage gap will likely persist for the foreseeable future.
- “Closing the gender gap isn’t simple” –Jennifer Rubin, WaPo
- “The Gender Pay Gap Is a Culture Problem” –Jessica Grose, NY Times
- “Closing the gender pay gap one job offer at a time” –Rebecca Powers and Sharee Miller, WaPo
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that the difference in median wages between American men and women is the natural consequence of choices that members of each gender freely make, like working longer hours and/or selecting higher-paying college majors and occupations.
- Others contend that America’s gender wage gap is typically overstated by pundits and activists, since when salaries for men and women are controlled for job title, experience, industry and hours worked, the pay gap nearly disappears.
- “The ‘Gender Pay Gap’ Is a Myth That Won’t Go Away” –Phil Gramm and John Early, WSJ
- “Are pay gaps 'sexist'? Democrats want more laws, but that could harm, not help, women.” –Ingrid Jacques, USA Today
- “Research shows women get paid less because mothers want flexibility” –Timothy P. Carney, Washington Examiner
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