President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law on June 10, 1963. At that time, women were paid 59 cents for every dollar men were earning. Recent statistics from the U. S. Department of Labor indicate the average woman working full time, year-round was paid just 77 percent of what the average man earned — a gap of 23 percent.
On the 50th anniversary of the signing of the act, which requires employers to give women and men equal pay for equal work, the American Association of University Women continues to advocate for economic justice.
In the state of Washington, men earn $53,046, on average, compared to women, who earn $40,993, on average — an earnings ratio of just 77 percent.
AAUW’s report, Graduating to a Pay Gap, found that women one year out of college are paid, on average, 82 cents for every dollar paid to their male peers. Women are paid 7 percent less than men, even when they major in the same field, work the same job and work the same number of hours. Women could lose up to $1 million over a 40-year career.
