It’s no secret that women in the American workforce earn significantly less money than their male counterparts. Despite ongoing legislation efforts and movements such as “Equal Pay Day” to create equity between all workers, the Department of Labor still estimates that the average woman earns just 81% of what a man doing the same job is paid.
A new study from the independent anti-poverty group Oxfam paints an even more dire picture of wage inequality in the U.S. According to the group’s calculations, roughly one-third of all American workers are currently earning less than $15 an hour. And women — Black and Hispanic women in particular — are much more likely to fall within that group than their white, male counterparts.
Inside the Report
To compile its report, Oxfam analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent 5-year American Community Survey along with its ongoing Current Population Survey. The organization then used that information to create a model showing average wage rates across the country by various populations.
