Is the Gender Gap More than a Myth?

Every time an employed man is paid $7.05/hour a female counterpart is paid $5.78. According to a recent Washington Post article, the median salary for full-time female workers is about 80% of men�s salary. This gap implies that women work for free 2.5 months every year. Although occupation, working hours, education level, experience and geography contribute to salary, these variables have been found to not play a significant role in the pay gap between men and women.

In the United States, 31% of women work part time, while 69% are employed full time. On the other hand, 18% of men are employed part time and 82% are employed full time. Although this could contribute to a pay gap, it is important to note that pregnant women in the United States do not have federally mandated parental leave. Policies, social norms, and the addition of new family members often affect a woman's choice to work. In addition, this article shows that working more hours did not earn women more money.  66% of women who worked 35 hours or more per week earned less than their male counterparts.

The gender gap is even more noticeable in fields dominated by men and fields dominated by women. In jobs mostly held by men, women are overwhelmingly underpaid. In dentistry, men make over 20% more than women. On the other hand, in fields primarily dominated by women such as nursing, the pay gap is smaller, yet women still earn less.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/business/women-pay-gap/?utm_term=.1b08934a93d9\