Research Making the News

In 25 Years, the Pay Gap Has Shrunk by Just 8 Cents

Are there jobs where women are better paid than men? Not according to C. Nicole Mason, president of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. When men enter female-dominated sectors like nursing or education, the job begins paying more, she explained. But the inverse is not true: “When women enter male-dominated spaces, they don’t get paid more than men.” In a year of devastating job loss, especially for women — hence the talk of a “she-cession” — the Institute for Women’s Policy Research also released a piece of research that seemed, on its face, like good news. In 2020, it found the weekly gender wage gap for full-time workers shrunk to 17.7 percent from 18.5 percent. Seems positive, right? Not so fast. This manifests as an overall rise in women’s wages. And that’s what happened here. But underneath the top-line number, Dr. Mason pointed out, many, many lower-paid female workers are struggling.

Citing: The Gender Wage Gap By Occupation, Race, and Ethnicity 2020 by Ariane Hegewisch and Eve Mefferd at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research

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Citing: The Weekly Gender Wage Gap By Race and Ethnicity: 2020 by Ariane Hegewisch and Eve Mefferd at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research

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Why Increasing the Minimum Wage Could Help Close the Gender Wage Gap

That wage gap grows even wider for women of color and Latinas with Black women earning 63 cents and Latinas earning just 55 cents for every dollar earned by a white man, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. In addition, women earn less in almost all occupations, whether they work in predominantly male, predominantly female, or more integrated occupations, Ariane Hegewisch says. For instance, in the lowest paid of the largest 20 occupations for women—maids and housekeepers, earning an average of $503 per week—women are nine-in-ten workers (and face a wage gap of 10.6 percent); in the highest paid of the largest 20 occupations for men—chief executives, earning an average of $2,402 per week—women are fewer than one-in-three workers (and face a wage gap of 24.4 percent), according to new data from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

Citing: The Gender Wage Gap By Occupation, Race, and Ethnicity 2020 by Ariane Hegewisch and Eve Mefferd at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research

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Study shows parents, kids in virtual learning suffered more stress 

Parents and children who attended school in person in the fall reported significantly less stress and anxiety than those who learned either online or in a combined setting, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. The report found both parents and children who primarily learned through virtual means reported worse outcomes in 11 of 17 indicators of stress and physical and mental well-being than parents and children who primarily learned in person over the same stretch. Parents reported more stressors in their own lives, too. Parents of virtual learners were more likely to report having lost work, having experienced emotional distress and even difficulty sleeping.

Citing: Association of Children’s Mode of School Instruction with Child and Parent Experiences and Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic – COVID Experience Survey, United States, October 8 – November 13, 2020 by Jorge V. Verlenden, Sanjana Pampati, Catherine N. Rasberry, Nicole Liddon, Marci Hertz, Greta Kilmer, Melissa Heim Viox, Sarah Lee, Neha K. Cramer, Lisa Barrios, and Kathleen A. Ethier at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (March 19, 2021)

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Women-owned businesses struggle to recover from pandemic setbacks

Recovering from the pandemic’s setbacks is taking women-owned businesses three times longer, on average, than businesses owned by men, according to a recent study by Freshbooks. [...] According to the survey, almost 60% of women say it’ll take longer than 6 months for their business to return to pre-pandemic levels while about 47% of men said this. Women also have been more pessimistic than men about the economy’s turnaround. Business owners said they’re seeing late payments or no payment at all (13%), clients canceling retainers or projects (12%), or lost revenue due to canceled events (6%). About 16% of business owners said clients have had budget or affordability issues, 12% said social distancing was the main reason for revenue loss and 3% lowered their rates to keep clients.

Citing: Women-Owned Businesses In The U.S. Facing Slower Recovery by FreshBooks (March 2021)

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One in three women are subjected to violence – WHO

One in three women globally, around 736 million, have been subjected to physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes, according to new analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO). The new report suggests that, although the number of women affected by violence has remained largely unchanged since the last global WHO study in 2013, this violence starts at a young age. One in four women aged between 15 and 24 years will have already experienced violence by an intimate partner by the time they reach their mid-twenties. The WHO says this is the largest study ever done of its kind, updating previous estimates released in 2013. The organization analyzed data from existing surveys in 161 countries between the years 2000 and 2018 to produce these new estimations. The study does not include data from the Covid-19 pandemic. Intimate partner violence was found to be the most widespread global form of abuse reported, with around 641 million women saying they had experienced it. However, 6% of women globally said they had been assaulted by someone other than their husband or partner.

Citing: Violence Against Women Prevalence Estimates, 2018 by the World Health Organization (March 9, 2021)

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Alabama workers suffer during COVID-19 due to state’s systemic failures 

The Adelante Alabama Worker Center published “Working on the Edge: A Survey of Low-Wage Workers in the Birmingham Area Amid a Global Pandemic” in February. The report found that the COVID-19 crisis exposed and exacerbated longstanding inequalities faced by low-wage Black and Latinx workers in Birmingham, and that state officials are failing to protect the health, safety, and survival of these communities. Front-line workers reported to Adelante that they were forced to ignore health and safety guidelines to perform their jobs—49% said social distancing was neglected, 37% said the use of PPE was neglected, 30% said they were unable to abide by stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders, and 19% reported they were unable to seek medical attention for COVID-19 symptoms. Workers who complained of these conditions were threatened with various forms of abuse and retaliation, including phone calls to the police or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Citing: Working on the Edge: A Survey of Low-Wage Workers in the Birmingham Area Amid a Global Pandemic by Resha Swanson at Adelante Alabama Worker Center (February 2021)

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Low wages are just the start of the problems for millions of U.S. workers during COVID-19 – here’s why 

New research suggests that lower-paying jobs are also more likely to have poorer working conditions, which compounds issues facing U.S. workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The three researchers analyzed labor violations reported to a federal agency from 2000 to 2019 published in a database compiled by Good Jobs First, a non-profit organization. They also leverage U.S. Census Bureau data to analyze the number of workers in a given industry and pay. The researchers estimate that within local industries “a 10% increase in the average wage is associated with a 0.15% decrease in the number of violations per employee and a 4% decrease in fines per dollar of pay.” It also suggests that unionized workers with collective bargaining power as well as workers in highly competitive industries are more likely to receive higher wages and better working conditions.

Citing: Wage Inequality and Labor Rights Violations by Ioana Marinescu, Yue Qiu, and Aaron Sojourner at the National Bureau of Economic Research (February 2021)

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New Research Reports

Busy With Purpose: Lessons for Education and Policy Leaders from Returning Student Patents

IWPR | Susana Contreras-Mendez and Lindsey Reichlin Cruse | March 16, 2021

This report summarizes findings from analysis of data from the 2012-2017 Beginning Postsecondary Student (BPS) Longitudinal Survey describing student parents who leave college before completing a degree or certificate within six years of first enrolling, as well as from a series of 11 interviews conducted with student parents who took a break of at least one year from their postsecondary journeys. Guided by student parents’ own voices, the report shares insight into their postsecondary experiences, including the decision to leave school before graduating and later reengage to continue their pursuit of college credentials. Helping student parents who want to reenroll in college do so successfully requires providing support so that they can balance all the variables in their lives and their finances. Thoughtful, proactive guidance from institutions, adequate assistance to cover the costs of college and family, and access to supportive services that are tailored to student parents’ needs as adult learners and caregivers can help maintain that fragile balance and increase their chances of educational attainment.

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Here To Stay: Black, Latina, and Afro-Latina Women in Construction Trades Apprenticeships and Employment

IWPR | Chandra Childers and Ariane Hegewisch | March 9, 2021

This brief talks about what it is like for Black women and Latinas to work in the trades as they navigate working in a male-dominated industry, and what can be done to support their recruitment, retention, and success. It draws on seven focus groups with unionized Black, Latina, and Afro-Latina tradeswomen from across the country who were selected to represent the new generation of trades workers, having completed at least two years of an apprenticeship but no more than three years as a fully qualified journey-level worker. Latinas and Black women are joining the construction trades in growing numbers, yet, because women’s numbers in the trades remain very low—just 3.5 percent of construction workers are women—Latinas have about a 1-in-100 chance to work with another Latina, and Black women have less than a 1-in-100 chance to work with another Black woman in the trades. Latinas and Black women say that they work in the trades because registered apprenticeships and jobs in construction provide good wages with benefits like health insurance, and because they love the work and can be a role model for others.

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Estimating benefits: Proposed national paid family and medical leave programs

Contemporary Economic Policy | Heidi Hartmann and Jeffrey Hayes | March 4, 2021

Using a sophisticated simulation model to estimate worker leave access, eligibility, and usage behaviors, this study examines the distributional impact of program design elements across four programs that could provide paid family and medical leave insurance to American workers. Overall, paid family and medical leave benefits are well targeted to low wage workers, compared with moderate and higher wage workers, under all potential national programs whose effects are simulated here. Workers at all earnings and income levels would gain access to new leave benefits.

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Racism and Discrimination Contribute to Housing Instability for Black Families During the Pandemic

Child Trends | Chrishana M. Lloyd, Sara Shaw, Marta Alvira-Hammond, Ashley M. Hazelwood, and Alex DeMand | March 18, 2021

Given that Black families are more likely to be disproportionately impacted by discriminatory housing practices and policies, they are also more likely to experience housing instability. Therefore, it is critical to understand their housing needs in order to ensure equitable access to stable housing. The findings in this brief are drawn from two data sources. Data from the South Ward in Newark, New Jersey, a predominantly Black community, provide a more nuanced picture of housing needs for Black families during the pandemic. These data suggest that federal, state, and local policies and programs to support renters are not always sufficient, even in New Jersey, which has more generous policies than other states. This results in extremely high rates of homelessness and housing instability, both before and during the pandemic. Additionally, discrimination based on race, ethnicity, family size, income, and criminal history further impacts families’ ability to find stable, affordable living accommodations.

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Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025 would lift the pay of 32 million workers

Economic Policy Institute | David Cooper, Zane Mokhiber, and Ben Zipperer | March 9, 2021

In 2025, the Raise the Wage Act would raise the wages of 32.2 million workers. Those affected workers represent 21% of the projected workforce of 151.7 million in 2025. The average age of workers who would see a pay increase under the Raise the Wage Act is 35 years old. About 90% of those with increased wages would be adults age 20 or older. Most of the workers who would benefit are women (59%) even though men are a majority of the workforce. More than half of those who would have higher pay work full time (59%). Past research shows that these workers are often the primary earners for their families, producing the majority of their family’s total income. Additionally, while the raise would increase wages for less than one out of five (18.4%) white workers, about one in three (31.3%) Black workers and one in four (26.0%) Hispanic workers would receive a pay increase. Because they are particularly underpaid, women of color would disproportionately benefit from the Raise the Wage Act: 22.9% of those who would receive pay increases are Black or Hispanic women.

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Essential Workers: Middle-Tier Health Care Jobs in New York City

Opportunity America | Preston Cooper and Tamar Jacoby | March 2021

The current moment, as Covid vaccines are distributed and the post-pandemic economy comes into view, raises important questions about these essential workers. How have they fared during the pandemic and the labor market disruption it triggered? What does the future hold—how is health care changing, and what will this mean for the health care labor market? Finally, what is the proper role for policymakers and education and training providers in addressing demand for workers to fill middle-tier health care jobs? This report begins to answer those questions. The pace of economic change has quickened dramatically during the pandemic, creating some uncertainty about pre-pandemic labor market information and projections. So our analysis draws on long-term projections from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the New York State Department of Labor but supplements them with real-time job postings data from Burning Glass Technologies. We also sought the views of New York City health care employers through roundtables and individual interviews. 

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