Equal Pay Act: A Case Study

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The Federal government passed the Equal Pay Act to ensure that men and women were being equally compensated for the same level of work performed. However, there is still disparity between the compensation that is provided to men versus women in the same related occupation. The Department of Labor, provided a list of facts that provides statistical data that examines the pay differentials between women and men. The top 5 statistical facts I have chosen are as follows:
”Women are projected to account for 51% of the increase in total labor force growth between 2004 and 2014”. The fact that the projected growth of women working in the workforce is estimated that to account for over 50% of the U.S workforce, provides a strong indication that
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For black and Hispanic women, it was sales and office occupations--32% and 33%, respectively. This statistical point is alarming from two viewpoints. 1. Although women are projected to dominate the workforce by their employment numbers, the percentage of women that holds management, professional and other related occupations are below average. 2. Additionally, The data that was provided the DOL would suggest that there is also racial discrimination occurring in the workforce when you examine where the blacks are Hispanics are employed.
The median weekly earnings of women who were full-time wage and salary workers was $600, or 81 percent of men’s $743. When comparing the median weekly earnings of persons aged 16 to 24, young women earned 94% of what young men earned ($395 and $418, respectively). This statistical fact, is also alarming. Women are making almost 20 percent less than what a male makes, even though woman are contributing to the workforce in higher numbers than
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They outnumbered men in such occupations as financial managers; human resource managers; education administrators; medical and health services managers; accountants and auditors; budget analysts; property, real estate, and social and community service managers; preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers; and registered nurses. Lastly, women are making up over 50 % of the high level management positions and other occupational positions. However, as the data above reflected; women are making less than their male counterpart’s. Furthermore, minority females are even more isolated based on the data that is provided by the Department of Labor.
Furthermore, the reasons why women are paid less than men on average can depend on multiple reasons. Those that I have narrowed down as far as the reasons are: difference in negotiation tactics, issues related to a “glass ceiling”, and lastly the lack of females in higher level of leadership to make an impact on the business decision; as it relates to disparity in the pay of female in the