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Statement

Moms Leader: ‘Truly Disappointing’ That Country Failed to Make Progress in Closing the Wage Gap Again This Year

September 12, 2018
Equal Pay

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO and executive director of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the U.S. Census Bureau’s wage data, released today:

“It is truly disappointing that our country once again failed to make progress in closing the gender-based wage gap this year –– a squandered opportunity to make life better for millions of struggling women and families. We learned today that the gender-based wage gap in this country remains stuck at 80 cents, and that women of color continue to experience appreciably worse wage hits – and we know that’s true for moms too. That is, quite simply, unacceptable and it hurts not only women but also families and our economy.

“The newly released U.S. Census Bureau data show that the average wage gap for a woman working full-time, year-round is virtually unchanged from last year at just 80 cents for every dollar paid to a man. African American women are paid just 61 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men; Latinas just 53 cents; and Asian-American women just 85 cents, with some Asian-American subgroups paid much less. While we do not yet have the data, we expect the wage gap for moms and Native women to be unacceptably high again this year. It is appalling that in 2018, more than 50 years after the Equal Pay Act become law, the average woman must work for 15 months to earn what men are paid in just a year.

“The wage gap across race and gender should be shrinking, not stagnating. Progress on equal pay has been much too slow and fairness remains painfully out of reach. We need Congress to move quickly to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and to advance policies that have been proven to stop wage inequalities, boost families’ financial security and strengthen our economy – like earned sick days, paid family and medical leave, affordable child care, raising the minimum wage, and closing the school-to-prison pipeline. The Trump administration must reinstate the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission pay data collection initiative that it stopped without reason last year.

“We can – and we must – do better than this. Moms are engaged and active and planning to vote in November’s election. We will keep marching and speaking out and voting until we have real equality.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.