Introduction
The wage gap has been a centre of discussion for past few decades and it seems it will remain a highly debatable topic; as the gap between males and females, and white men and females from other races is still persistent. Since 1996, the wage gap has narrowed, but women in the United States are still making only 79 cents for a dollar made by men (Kitroeff, 2016). The gap has narrowed in the last two decades as women have progressed in terms of workplace participation and education (AAUW, n.d.). In terms of races, the wage gap is greater among black women who make 64 cents and Latinas make 55 cents in comparison to white men (Key, 2013). These gaps exist between white males and females from whites and other races as there are differences in their family dynamics, the role of economic security, income, educational achievement, and health statistics.
Group Experiences of Social Classes
Family Dynamics is also another important reason as female employees tend to greater longer time off work. Maternity leave is one of the most common reasons for women to take leave from work. In one way or another, maternity leaves have a lasting impact on the career of women and provides male employees with the added advantage. Due to the doggedness of gender differences in the wage profiles, there is a clear effect of motherhood on women’s careers. Especially in the organizations where leave policies are not practiced, new mothers usually take time off or leave the labour force temporarily (Tito, 2016). The result is seen in their wages in the long term, as women make less than male employees in different industries.
The wage gap is clearly related to the economic security of American families. In 2012, around 63.3% of mothers were reported to be primary, sole, or co-breadwinners in their households. In comparison to white families, the proportion of female breadwinners is greater in Latina and Black families. When these breadwinning women are not paid in fair terms, it puts women’s economic security at risk and ensures that their families also miss out on the added wages (Holmes & Corley, 2016). The end result is sustained wage gap between males and females that increases when you add females from other races not getting paid fairly.
Income is another factor that plays an important role in creating a wage gap between males and females. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2013, the weekly median income of white males was around $896 and white females made around $728. But, the same numbers were lower in Blacks and Hispanics as Black women could only muster $621 and Hispanic women made only $531 (Ashton, 2014). Another important thing to notice is the difference of income between white females and colored women. Therefore, adding the median income made by colored women tends to further enhance the wage gap between men and women.
Educational Achievement is one of the main reasons for the wage gap differences between males and females. Despite matching men and even beating males in terms of education in several fields, women are given lower wages. The educational gap is greater in females from other races as the proportion of coloured women attending college is lower than males or white females. There is a clear wage gap between newly graduates males and females, even after taking other factors such as majors, grades, and other supporting factors into consideration. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, women are virtually making less in all other jobs and fields. Some of the employment fields where these the disparity is the greatest are manufacturing, mining, finance, construction, and agriculture (Think Progress, 2014).
Income is also a strong indicator of individual health outcomes, including their mental health; the lower individual income gets the greater the size of the risk gets. Working women spend much more time on domestic tasks than men, which adds burden leading to depression and anxiety. In the United States, women are twice more likely to develop anxiety or depression than men. Due to anxiety and depression the work performances are female workers are affected and they tend to struggle to match their male counterparts. Many females who match or overperform their male counterparts also report high levels of anxiety and depression (Keyes, 2016).
Conclusion
The wage gap between male and female diminished over the past few decades, but it still remains prevalent as women are making only 79 on the dollar in comparison to men. When the statistics of colored women are added to the dimension, the gap is further enhanced as colored women are not even making the anywhere near the white women. There are certain group’s experiences that highlight the presence and prevalence of the wage gap in the United States of America. Some of the experiences are best understood through the differences in income, economic security, family dynamics, health statistics, and educational achievement. In combination, these experiences help in the development of the wage gap and ensure that the wage gap would remain intact between male and females in the society.
References
AAUW. (n.d.). The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap (Spring 2016). Retrieved 3 September 2016 from, http://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/
Ashton., D. (2014, 10 June). Does Race or Gender Matter More to Your Paycheck?. Retrieved 3 September 2016 from, https://hbr.org/2014/06/does-race-or-gender-matter-more-to-your-paycheck
Holmes., K & Corley., D. (2016, 12 April). The Top 10 Facts About the Gender Wage Gap.
Retrieved 3 September 2016 from, https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/report/2016/04/12/135260/the-top-10-facts-about-the-gender-wage-gap/
Key., K. (2013, 20 March). The Other Pay Gap: Why Minorities Are Still Behind. Retrieved 3 September 2016 from, http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2013/03/20/the-other-pay-gap-why-minorities-are-still-behind/#cd840742039c
Keyes., K. (2016, 5 January).Wage Gap May Help Explain Why More Women Are Anxious and Depressed Than Men. Retrieved 3 September 2016 from, https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/wage-gap-may-help-explain-why-more-women-are-anxious-and-depressed-men
Kitroeff., N. (2016, 12 April). The gender pay gap: Three reasons women earn less than men.
Retrieved 3 September 2016 from, http://www.kansascity.com/news/business/workplace/article71414172.html#storylink=cpy
Think Progress. (2014, 8 April). Here’s Why We Know The Gender Wage Gap Really Does Exist. Retrieved 3 September 2016 from, https://thinkprogress.org/heres-why-we-know-the-gender-wage-gap-really-does-exist-c1ed7bbadb6a#.ecg8aiylm
Tito., M.D. (2016, 17 August). Maternity Leave and the Gender Wage Gap: An Analysis of New Jersey Family Leave Insurance. Retrieved 3 September 2016 from, https://www.federalreserve.gov/econresdata/notes/feds-notes/2016/maternity-leave-and-the-gender-wage-gap-an-analysis-of-new-jersey-family-leave-insurance-20160817.html
