A Decade of Stagnation: Gender Wage Gap 2011 unchanged at 23 percent

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A fact sheet released today by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, shows that the gender wage gap has not narrowed during the last decade. This is in stark contrast to previous decades. During the 1990s the wage gap narrowed by four percentage points and during the 1980s by over ten percentage points.

"Women earned 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man in 2001, and they earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man now, even though during the decade women have outpaced men in terms of educational attainment," says Heidi Hartmann, Ph.D., IWPR's president.

"We seem to have reached a plateau," says Ariane Hegewisch, a study director at IWPR. "To move us beyond this plateau we need a combination of policies, including investments in childcare so that families are no longer tripped up by unaffordable care and so that care providers can make a living wage; better career advice for young women to challenge occupational segregation; and proactive enforcement to address discrimination in recruitment and rewards. "

The Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women and their families, promote public dialogue, and strengthen communities and societies. IWPR is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that also works in affiliation with the women's studies, public policy, and public administration programs at The George Washington University.

SOURCE Institute for Women's Policy Research

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