The Pay Gap for Moms is Even Worse Than Women In General
It's common knowledge that there tends to be a bias toward moms in the working world. To some, birthing a child can "put you behind" on the career journey or impact whether you get a promotion or not. Apparently, it also means you get paid less than dads.
The wage gap for women in the United States is 20 cents - this we know. But for moms, it's 29 cents, meaning that for every dollar a dad makes, that mom only brings in 71 cents. That means that moms are making an average of $16,000 less per year, according to a study released by the National Women's Law Center that looked at national census data.
"It's a big number - especially when you take into account that this is comparing moms who work full time year-round to dads who work full time year-round," Emily Martin, NWLC vice president for workplace justice, told the Chicago Tribune. "It's not, 'Oh, well moms are more willing to work part-time, so you would expect their wages to be lower.' No, it's even taking into account that difference."
Depending on which state you live in, you may be luckier than others. Delaware, for example, is the best (of the worst?), with moms making 83 cents to every dollar dads make. Utah and Louisiana, however, are the worst offenders - mothers in those states only make 58 cents for every dollar fathers make, resulting in a 42 percent wage gap. (You can use this infographic to check the pay gap in your state.)
The NWLC released the study on May 23, which is Mothers' Equal Pay Day. The date signifies the amount of time a mom would have to work to make the same as a dad does in one year - meaning they have to work an additional five months to bring in the cash.
"It really demonstrates that women are being shortchanged, that moms are still being shortchanged in a way that harms not just the economic security of women, but the families that are depending on their paychecks," Martin said.
[h/t The Chicago Tribune]
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