A new update of its report The Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap was recently released by the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the AAUW calculated that in 2021 women were paid just 84 cents for every dollar paid to men when comparing full-time, year-round workers. However, when the calculation included all workers, the earnings discrepancy is substantially larger: Women took home only 77 cents for every dollar men did.
In 2021, women made up a larger proportion of the part-time workforce than men — 59 percent compared to 41 percent. In addition, only 17 percent of working men aged 16 and older were part-time, versus 28 percent of women aged 16 and older. The AAUW notes too that part-time workers are three times as likely as full-time workers to be paid the federal minimum wage or less. Part-time workers also have reduced access to benefits like paid leave and paid sick days compared to their full-time counterparts.
The AAUW recommends that Congress should pass comprehensive paid leave, such as the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act, which would create a national paid family and medical leave insurance program for all workers, and the Healthy Families Act, which would guarantee paid sick leave. Congress should also make it easier for families to afford child care by funding early-childhood education programs and improving access to high-quality, inexpensive child care.