NICOLAS MARTINEZ

Politicians and policy makers alike have been discussing the “pay gap” for quite some time now. This term isn’t some imaginary political tool based on hunches. Rather, there is an imminent and pervasive problem in how we, as a society, value women and their labor in the work force.

According to a report by the National Women’s Law Center, women make 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man. That number gets even worse when you consider that Latina women make only 56 cents to the every dollar earned by their non-Hispanic male counterparts. The wage gap begins the moment women enter the labor force, with wages for 15-24 year old women being 91% of male counterparts. For those well into their careers, the gap widens to 73.6% of male counterparts.

Heritage Foundation argues that factors such as education, career choice, and workplace interruptions all affect productivity – and therefore compensation. They claim that all of these factors cloud the claim that the pay gap is blatant discrimination. And from a legal standpoint, this may be very true. However, the difference between career choices of men and women are in and of themselves a form of systemic discrimination. All too often, women are encouraged from a young age to pursue careers that are less lucrative.

They also claim that experience and education levels can affect women’s pay. However, the data show that the pay gap exists in even at different levels of education, high or low. Other factors, such as career choice, are holding down women as well. Minimum wage jobs are more often held by women and therefore they are disproportionately affected by minimum wage policy. Studies show that the minimum wage has considerably lost its real buying power over the last three decades.

It is important to note that the pay gap is indeed shrinking. Women are making significant gains in the last 30 years and we are making progress compared to previous generations. According to Pew Research Center, young women have a starting pay higher in each new generation of workers. However, the longer they stay in their careers, the lower their relative pay becomes. It seems as though women of all ages and generations are drifting towards the same level of pay, relative to their male counterparts in similar industries and educational levels. This video helps explain:

If policymakers truly cared about how to create a long term growth strategy in our economy, they would invest in the women and children that are affected by the pay gap. With two income earners, families are always better off. This isn’t only an issue of gender equality – it’s an issue of our economy and productivity.