Salary History Bans Help Combat the Race ...

Salary History Bans Help Combat the Race and Gender Pay Gap.

Jul 20, 2020

The national outrage that erupted in reaction to Black Americans' police shootings sparked critical conversations not only about the epidemic of police brutality against Black and Brown communities but also about the larger mechanisms of racial injustice that hold off people of color in many other ways. And one critical area where systemic inequality is especially pronounced is that of pay, also, you can use Salary calculator for your salary prediction.

In this region, the persistent gender wage gap is well known, which demands a heavy toll on women and their families' economic security. The wage gap is most prominent for Black, Latinx, Native / Indigenous, and other AAPI women's groups, who also face paying inequality due to race as well as gender.

Therefore, it is important that our public policy reacts to the unique challenges faced by women and people of color in achieving fair pay and workplace advancement.

New research reveals that emerging state legislation banning employer investigation into job applicants' previous wages or new hires not only resulted in salary rises for both women and Black workers but also improved salary accountability, which is crucial to narrowing gender and race-based wage disparities.

Such regulations, also referred to as prohibitions on wage records have been enacted in an increasing number of states and cities to interrupt the gender gap and race-based pay inequalities in the US. And analysis shows they work. Generally, women in the U.S. work full-time, year-round, for every dollar charged to men are charged 82 cents. The economic picture is even grimmer when race and ethnicity are factored in: Black women are paid 62 cents in total, Native women 57 cents and Latinas only 54 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.

Generally, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up 90 cents for every dollar paid to white people, but different ethnic groups within the AAPI population face far greater income disparities.

Overall, U.S. women lose a total of $916 billion annually due to such gender and race-based pay gaps — which take a significant toll not just on women but also on the families they help and their wider communities. If the wage gap is narrowed, the average working woman would be able to pay for food worth more than a year, 13 additional months of childcare, or almost 10 additional months of rent per year.

Additionally, unequal wages lead to the overall gender wealth gap, which is even greater than the wage gap, especially for women of color.

Unlike income, wealth reflects the total net worth of an individual and the capital that they have at their disposal for potential use — for example, to use in an emergency, to pay for education or retirement, to buy a home or company, or to pass on to their children. Although the income of a person is necessary to meet everyday needs, wealth is critical to ensuring long-term and sustainable economic stability.

Although overall women earn an average of 82 cents per dollar as opposed to men (the payor income gap), they own just 32 cents per dollar. The wealth disparity is especially pronounced for colored women, who own only pennies to the dollar relative to white women and men. The inequalities in gender and race-based income build long-term, intergenerational economic disparity.

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