Each year, Equal Pay Day is recognized on different days depending on the year and the country because it symbolizes how far into the year the average woman must work to earn what the average man earned in the previous year.
According to the Center for American Progress, women overall earn an estimated $407,760 less than men over the course of a 40-year career. Unfortunately, the gap only widens when you also take race and ethnicity into consideration.
- Asian American and Pacific Islander Women’s Equal Pay Day was March 9. Asian American and Pacific Islander women are paid 85 cents for every dollar paid to white men.
- All women’s Equal Pay Day is March 24. All U.S. women are paid 82 cents for every dollar paid to white men.
- Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is August 3. Black women are paid 63 cents for every dollar paid to white men.
- Native American Women’s Equal Pay Day is September 8. Native American women are paid 60 cents for every dollar paid to white men.
- Latina Equal Pay Day is October 21. Latinas are paid 55 cents for every dollar paid to white men.
It has been shown that simply belonging to a union helps women receive higher and more fair wages and better benefits, including paid family and medical leave. Overall, hourly wages for union women are 5.8% higher on average than for nonunionized women.
Unions, like the UFCW, help to narrow and hopefully one day will eliminate the gender wage gap.
