Originally Posted by sixto (Post 3031090)

I've read statistics that say women are paid only 72% of what men are paid for the comparable jobs. In what fields or industries is this so pervasively the case? Upper management and executive positions come to mind but are there states with a gender specific minimum wage? Are there unions or government institutions that pay women less? There has to be a massive population of women making only half what men make to average out the women in jobs with pay parity. What am I missing?

Sixto
87 300D

Originally Posted by sixto (Post 3031090)

I've read statistics that say women are paid only 72% of what men are paid for the comparable jobs. In what fields or industries is this so pervasively the case? Upper management and executive positions come to mind but are there states with a gender specific minimum wage? Are there unions or government institutions that pay women less? There has to be a massive population of women making only half what men make to average out the women in jobs with pay parity. What am I missing?

Sixto
87 300D

Originally Posted by Benzasaurus (Post 3031250)

So I wanted to give you some data that should help answer these questions.

Here is a Department of Labor page that shows the difference in median pay between women and men in particular job sectors, that is, comparable jobs. This could reflect 1) women and men having the exact same job title and women getting paid less or 2) men getting promoted and women not getting promoted across all sectors (glass ceiling) or 3) both of those things at once.

Here is a case where women working in the same company and doing the same jobs as men (like the hourly wage jobs) were/are not getting paid the same wage, so it answers that question much more specifically. And Table 7 shows the glass ceiling at work where women aren't getting promoted through the ranks at Walmart.

I think the average is now women making 77% of what men make instead of 72%. And I think it's a combo of women not getting promoted to higher paying roles and also not getting paid as much in any given role as a man would. This is also appears to be true in the science, technology, engineering and math sector too.

Women and Men both earn more with more education, but women have had to have a PhD to earn as much as a man with a BA over a lifetime of employment. And this is what all that money is in material terms.

And here is a really cool chart that I love. It breaks down average wages earned by gender and ethnicity. I hope these help answer your questions. I hope you enjoy these. Personally, I think charts are absolutely the best way to present information.

Originally Posted by Air&Road (Post 3031157)

I firmly believe that if a woman is doing the same work at the same competency level for the same number of hours per week, she deserves the same pay as a man!

That said, I don't want the GOVERNMENT meddling in such things. It's not a political issue, it is a workplace issue and one that does not involve the kinds of issues that laws should be passed that concern it.

For GOVERNMENT employees, then of course, the government is obliged to see that they are not discriminating in their pay structure and pay properly themselves. Otherwise they need to stay out of it.

Originally Posted by Benzasaurus (Post 3031259)

I think the question of which industries are the worst for equal pay is really interesting. The study I linked to above as "glass ceiling" shows at the end that there are the fewest women at the top in Construction, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting and Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services. That could also be tied up with job segregation though—careers or industries thought of as very male so women either aren't entering (because they're socialized to be girly) or they're not being admitted. Here is a breakdown of pay by "feminine" vs. "masculine" jobs.

EDIT: Just noticed that last one shows how for exact some job descriptions maids are paid less than janitors and hairdressers are paid less than barbers. Ruh roh!

Originally Posted by MS Fowler (Post 3031306)

There are actual differences in the physicality of men and women. Women are generally not as suited for jobs requiring great physical strength--i.e. construction, etc. Not necessarily "discriminating, but more or less natural selection.

Originally Posted by MS Fowler (Post 3031306)

You fail to point out the lack of women in Major League Baseball, the NFL, and the NBA.

Originally Posted by Benzasaurus (Post 3031336)

So this is what I said, one more time: "The study I linked to above as "glass ceiling" shows at the end that there are the fewest women at the top in Construction, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting and Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services." So, not sure why you're attacking something I didn't say.



Are you talking about the players or the corporations?

Originally Posted by Air&Road (Post 3031341)

It would seem natural that there would not be as many women at the top of these organizations, because there are not as many women IN these organizations. You're doing great with your research and presentation of statistics, but don't leave common sense out of the equation.:)

Originally Posted by Benzasaurus (Post 3031345)

I'm not sure it follows that there are few women at the top because there are few women throughout. What physical practice with hammering nails or gutting fish do CFOs need in order to know how to balance the books?