Over the past fifty years, women have made incredible gains in the workforce in California. They have fully moved into a wide variety of industries. Many families stake their financial futures on the income that a woman brings in. But this importance has not entirely ended the gender wage gap. Instead, this gap has doggedly exploited women for decades in nearly all countries and situations.
What is the wage gap?
The wage gap in gender is one of the most relevant wage and hour issues faced by lawyers, human resources departments, and public policy planners. It is the gap between what men and women are paid at their jobs. Several factors can explain this gap. The relatively recent entry of women into the workforce means that women do not have the generational networking and employment connections that men do. Sexism leads to them being valued less by companies and offered fewer raises and promotions. In addition, women are conditioned to not be aggressive when asking for a raise and to accept lower wage rates than men, a tendency that ends up leading to substantial differences in pay.
Trends and analysis
The wage gap has been decreasing somewhat in the United States. It is down substantially from its peak and continues to decrease at a steady rate. Now, the gap is less than 20% and is even smaller than that in many professions. Women are steadily being given more opportunities and treated more equally when granted new positions and raises.
But this trend is not equal around the world or for some groups. The gender gap is still pronounced for nonbinary and trans workers. It still helps perpetuate a racial wage gap for women of color as well. Businesses and government agencies have a long way to go if they hope to end the problem of the wage gap in society entirely.