Do Women Really Earn Less Than Men?
Early this past spring, the White House Council on Women and Girls released a much-anticipated report called “Women in America.” One of its conclusions: women still earn on average only about 75 cents for every dollar a man earns …
The figure is based on the average earnings of full-time, year-round (FTYR) workers, usually defined as those who work 35 hours a week or more. But consider the mischief contained in that “or more.” It makes the full-time category embrace everyone from a clerk who arrives at her desk at 9 a.m. and leaves promptly at 4 p.m. to a trial lawyer who eats dinner four nights a week — and lunch on weekends — at his desk … Full-time men work more hours than full-time women do. In 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 27 percent of male full-time workers had workweeks of 41 or more hours, compared with 15 percent of female full-time workers … Since FTYR men work more than FTYR women do, it shouldn’t be surprising that the men, on average, earn more.
Full article worth reading.
Good post. And good counter to all the propaganda.
I agree with Vicki. Good response to the whiners.
Very interesting. Glad you posted this. Full article was very worthwhile.
Thanks for sharing, this was interesting. It’s good to see a well-rounded viewpoint on the matter.
The linked article requires a subscription.
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People claiming wage disparities by sex have to cite how they get their figures, and why the following explanation is not adequate.
The Wage Gap Myth
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When women behave in the workplace as men do, the wage gap between them is small. June O’Neill, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, found that among people ages 27 to 33 who have never had a child, women’s earnings approach 98 percent of men’s. Women who hold positions and have skills and experience similar to those of men face wage disparities of less than 10 percent, and many are within a couple of points. Claims of unequal pay almost always involve comparing apples and oranges.
Women make different choices, and those choices affect how they work. Women often place more importance on their relationships than on their careers, caring for children, parents, spouses, etc. A study by the Center for Policy Alternatives and Lifetime television found that 71 percent of women prefer jobs with more flexibility and benefits than jobs with higher wages, and nearly 85 percent of women offered flexible work arrangements by their employers have taken advantage of this opportunity.
Women’s work-life patterns and their occupational preferences are significant factors in determining wages. Rather than being “funneled” into low-wage, low-prestige and part-time positions, women often choose these occupations because of the flexibility they offer. After adjusting for these factors, scholars find that the difference between men’s and women’s earnings is very narrow.
Those who still cite women’s 76 cents for every male dollar as evidence of sexism fail to take into account the underlying role of personal choice. The “wage gap” is not so much about employers discriminating against women as about women making discriminating choices in the labor market.
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There is a mystery. Activists paint business owners as cutthroat pirates who would fire their grandmothers if it would save a dollar. Supposedly, these owners routinely sacrifice their morality and personal preferences to make a buck.
But, they supposedly pay men 1/3rd more than women ($1 vs $.76) to do jobs that the woman could do just as well. What accounts for this desire to increase costs and lose money? In fact, why would they hire any man when a woman is available at such low rates?
This is thorough and comprehensive, great post.
Young women are now out earning their male counterparts. This is mostly due to the fact women are earning more college degrees than men.
Many women prefer a better work / life balance so they often seek jobs that offer a 40-hour a week schedule rather than 60 hours or more. Possibly because women are now in the workforce, men too are beginning to demand more work / life balance. When men were the sole breadwinner, it made sense to maximize earning at the expense of quality of life. Now that men have wives who work (which reduces the amount of child care wives can provide), both husbands and wives are demanding more time away from the office.
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