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The Workplace Whisperer
Let’s Talk About Checks, Baby: Reducing the Racial Wage Gap
Office advice for women of color who know that leaning in doesn’t always work
In recent years, a significant amount of study has been dedicated to addressing the gender wage gap. Organizations such as the National Partnership for Women and Families frequently report on the gender wage gap by utilizing U.S. Census data to track wages and workforce participation rates. According to its most recent report, on average, women are paid 82 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men who perform similar work.
However, when this statistic is disaggregated, a much more grim picture of inequality emerges. Black women are only paid 62 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic males, and depending on what state and industry a Black woman lives and works in, she may earn as little 47 cents on the White male dollar. Native American women are paid 58 cents on the dollar, Latina women, 54 cents; White women, 79 cents; and Asian women, though they fare better than the rest of us, still only receive 90 cents on the White, non-Hispanic male dollar.
While these numbers are abysmal in the microeconomic sense, what is sometimes lost is the long-term impact of unequal pay over an entire career. The National Women’s Law Center reports that, on average, the gender wage gap means women will miss out on some $407,760 over a 40-year career span. For Black women, that number skyrockets to $944,800 and for Latina women, it’s a whopping $1,121,440. These numbers, while shocking, still don’t really convey the impact that lost wages can have on a family for multiple generations.
Think about it: Earning less means there is less money to spend on housing, food, medical care, student debt, or emergency expenses. You may not be able to afford to live in a decent school district so you buy a home in the best possible neighborhood. But you still may not be able to afford after-school child care, enrichment programs, or college tuition. In fact, you might be paying off your student debt when the time comes for your child(ren) to go to college; they end up having to take out a bunch of loans and this vicious cycle just starts all over again.
