ISSUES
Gender pay gap
Figure 1: Gender pay gap
Gender pay gap--perpetual gender inequity in the workforce
The gender pay gap is the difference in average hourly earnings between working men and women. In general, women get paid less than men. Why is this happening?
Reference:
“Statistics Explained.” Statistics Explained, Mar. 2022, ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=File%3AGender_pay_gap_data2020-01.jpeg.
Reasons for the gender pay gap
1. Pay inequity due to gender discrimination
Pay inequity caused by gender discrimination is not equivalent to the gender pay gap. It is when male and female employees are paid differently for similar work they have done. As the most explicit cause of the gender pay gap, it has already been addressed in a lot of countries to some extent by the enactment and implementation of several equal pay acts, protecting against wage discrimination based on gender, such as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.
2. Wage difference among different professions
There are wage differences in occupations dominated by men and women, and men make up a substantially bigger fraction of those working in sectors that pay more. For instance, Information Technology workers (who have been predominately men) could receive more pay than Human Resources workers (traditionally female).
• IT worker average hourly wages in the United States in 2021: $38
• HR worker average hourly wages in the United States in 2021: $30
3. Having children and parental leave
Parental leaves due to giving birth to children and taking care of their kids may also give rise to the gender pay gap, especially longer leave is more likely to result in reduced wages. Moreover, due to having children, some females may not have stable work hours, which leads them to choose lower-paying jobs, such as part-time.
4. Opportunity inequity
Compared to men, women may access fewer opportunities to higher-paying jobs, usually because lacking education, promotion opportunities, and chances to collaborate on some projects.
Consequences of the gender pay gap
The gender pay gap causes a lot of negative impacts. For example, it may slow down economic growth. According to the researchers of a 2009 report for the formal Australian FaHCSIA, a reduction in the gender wage gap from 17% to 16% would result in an increase in GDP per capita of around $260, mostly due to an increase in female labor force participation. There are other negative effects such as decreased social welfare, equity issues, female mental health, etc.
两性薪酬差距 -- 工作中长期存在的性别不平等现象
两性薪酬差距是指工作男性和女性之间的平均时薪差异。一般来说，女性得到的报酬比男性少。那么为什么会出现这种情况呢？
两性薪酬差距的原因
1. 由于性别歧视造成的薪酬不平等
由性别歧视引起的薪酬不平等这一概念不等同于两性薪酬差距。它是指男性和女性雇员在做了类似的工作，但得到的报酬不同。作为性别薪酬差距最明确的原因，它已经在很多国家通过颁布和实施公平薪酬法案在一定程度上得到了解决，保护了基于性别的工资歧视，例如2009年的Lilly Ledbetter公平薪酬法案。
2. 不同职业间的工资差异
以男性为主的职业和以女性为主的职业之间也存在工资差异。在薪酬较高的部门工作的人中，男性所占的比例明显更大。例如，信息技术工人（一直以男性为主）可以比人力资源工人（传统上为女性）获得更多的报酬。
- 2021年美国信息技术工人的平均小时工资：38美元
- 2021年美国人力资源工作者平均每小时工资：30美元。
3. 生养孩子和育儿假
由于生育孩子和照顾孩子而休育儿假也可能引起性别工资差距，特别是较长的假期更可能导致工资减少。此外，由于生养孩子，一些女性可能无法保证稳定的工作时间，这导致她们选择低工资的工作，比如兼职。
4. 机会不平等
与男性相比，女性获得高薪工作的机会较少，常常是由缺乏教育、晋升机会和在一些项目上合作机会等原因导致的。
两性薪酬差距的负面影响
两性薪酬差距造成了很多负面影响。例如，它可能会减慢经济增长。根据2009年澳大利亚FaHCSIA正式报告的研究人员，如果将性别工资差距从17%减少到16%，将导致人均GDP增加约260美元，这主要是由于女性劳动力的增加。这也导致了其他后果，如社会福利的减少、公平性问题、和女性心理健康等等。