The Pros And Cons Of The Wage Gap

All through history, discrimination has been a constant issue; whether it is race, gender, religion, or anything that can differentiate one person from another. Women working full-time, year-round earn a median salary of $41,554 compared to men 's median salary of $51,640 (Semega). The difference is $10,086 per year and calculating forty-four years of work that amount is $443,784. The difference is almost half a million dollars over the course of their career. This reduces women’s lifetime earnings and affects their pension and social security. Even though both genders have the same experience, are equally trained, and possess the same degree the pay is not equal. Women and men are not treated equally in the workplace, even though it is the twenty-first century. Although the wage gap has existed since the 1800’s, the increased participation of women in the labor force correlates with the decrease of the wage gap. The wage gap has dwindled over the years; however, the progress has slowed down in the past two decades. “At the rate of change between 1960 and 2016, women are expected to reach pay equity with men in 2059” (AAUW). “If change continues at the slower rate seen since 2001, women will not reach pay equity with men until 2119” (AAUW). Decreasing the wage gap will boost the economy, consumer spending will increase, and employers will attract top-tier employees that will stay for the long-term. Susan B. Anthony was known in the 1800’s for promoting women’s voting rights