'We Have To Close The Gap': Biden, On Down, Observe Equal Pay Day

Latina women won't pass their Equal Pay Day until December 8

The White House, members of Congress and others observed “Equal Pay Day” Tuesday: the day day that represents how far into a new year the average American woman has to work--in addition to her work in the previous year--to earn what the average man did in the previous year alone.

That day came a little earlier this year.

White House economist Heather Boushey posted an excellent breakdown explaining the background and where Equal Pay Day comes from. (Full disclosure: This reporter attended Hampshire College with Boushey in the late 1980s).

Heather Boushey @hboushey46

In 1960, the average woman working full-time, year-round, earned 61 cents for every dollar earned by a man. While the gap has narrowed in the decades since, it remains substantial. In 2020, the average woman earned 83 cents for every dollar earned by a man – a 17% pay gap. 2/

The pay gap between men and women has narrowed over time, since 1960 — but, in 2020, the average woman earned 83 cents for every dollar earned by a man, or a 17-percent pay gap.

“Although the US has made a great deal of progress in reducing its gender pay gap, most other [Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development] countries have a smaller gap. In recent years, the pay gap in the US was larger than in all but four OECD countries where data are available (Korea, Israel, Japan, and Latvia),” Boushey said.

And the gap is actually larger for many women, she explained.

Heather Boushey @hboushey46

The gap varies for different groups of women. The average white woman earned 79 cents for every dollar earned by a white man, while the average Black woman earned 64 cents, the average Native American woman earned 60 cents*, and the average Hispanic woman earned 57 cents. 6/

“The gap varies for different groups of women. The average white woman earned 79 cents for every dollar earned by a white man, while the average Black woman earned 64 cents, the average Native American woman earned 60 cents*, and the average Hispanic woman earned 57 cents,” she tweeted.

President Biden and others observed Women's Pay Day Tuesday

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris each delivered remarks on Equal Pay Day and Women's History Month Tuesday, and the White House released a fact sheet detailing what the Biden administration intends to do to tackle the issue.

A number of other Democrats, including Rep Ruben Gallegos, of Arizona, also observed the day.

Ruben Gallego @RepRubenGallego

#EqualPayDay occurring sooner this year is a step in the right direction, but true equality means closing the #WageGap so there's no Equal Pay Day at all. That means fighting for Latina Women, whose Equal Pay Day won't pass until Dec. 8. We have to close the gap.

“#EqualPayDay occurring sooner this year is a step in the right direction, but true equality means closing the #WageGap so there's no Equal Pay Day at all. That means fighting for Latina Women, whose Equal Pay Day won't pass until Dec. 8. We have to close the gap,” the congressman tweeted.

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