A new analysis report of U.S. Census Bureau data, conducted by the National Partnership for Women & Families, revealed troubling information on the state of pay equality in Maryland. The report showed that the gender-based wage gap affects women in every corner of the state. In fact, in every district in Maryland, there is a gap between the wages of women and men.
This is the first-ever analysis of these data by congressional district, providing a unique opportunity for Maryland’s women, families and lawmakers to consider the local impact of disparities in pay.
“It is stunning and deeply troubling to learn that the wage gap affects women in nearly every congressional district in the country. Women and their families are losing critical income for food, gas, rent, health insurance and more due to a punishing gender-based wage gap that has plagued this country for decades,” Debra L. Ness, president of the National Partnership, said. “This new data should be a clear and resounding wake-up call for all lawmakers who have the power to pass legislation that would help close the gap and promote economic security for the women and families in their districts.”
According to the analysis the median pay for a woman working full time, year round is $48,748 per year, while the median yearly pay for a man is $56,708. This means that women are paid 86 cents for every dollar paid to men, amounting to a yearly gap of $7,960 between full-time working men and women in the state.
The Paycheck Fairness Act would close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act and establish stronger workplace protections for women. In the last two Congresses, the U.S. House of Representatives passed it, but it fell two votes short of moving forward in the Senate in 2010. It was reintroduced in the current Congress but blocked by a procedural vote in June of this year.
“The wage gap is taking a tremendous toll on women and their families throughout the country,” Ness added. “The gap persists across industries, education levels and, as these data make clear, it spans the geography of our country. It’s time for all members of Congress to take a hard look at the damage being done in their districts and commit to promoting fair wages by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act.”
The full report can be found here.