We Still Have a Wage Gap; Now's the Time to Close It

Valerie Jarrett: Paycheck Fairness Act is a good start
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 17, 2010 1:35 PM CDT
We Still Have a Wage Gap; Now's the Time to Close It
Women still make less than men in the workforce.   (Shutterstock)

The year is 2010, and women still get paid 77¢ cents for every dollar men earn. That's bad enough in and of itself, but when you consider that women are now the sole breadwinners for two-thirds of families, "equal pay is not only a matter of principle," writes Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett in a Washington Post op-ed. "It's a matter of survival." Jarrett lays out the numbers and makes a plea for the Paycheck Fairness Act now working its way through Congress.

Among other things, it would "give women the ability to determine whether their pay is fair and will encourage employers to eliminate discriminatory policies by making them more transparent and accessible." Without it, America can't move forward, says Jarrett. (For an opposing view, see this essay in the New Ledger. Or to see one group of women who buck the trend of the wage gap, click here.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X