Equal Pay Act turns 50, but women’s wages still lag

On the fiftieth anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, we are still a long way from seeing workplace equality for women and minorities.

When the Equal Pay Act was signed into law, American women on average earned 59 cents for every dollar that American men earned.  In the five decades since the bill was passed, that gap has decreased by only 18 cents. Currently, American women make approximately 77 cents for every dollar earned by their male coworkers.

The Obama’s administration has made several strides toward bringing about equality for women in the workforce. The first bill signed by the President was the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which resets the statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay case each time a new discriminatory paycheck is issued. The President’s administration also launched a National Equal Pay Force.

Yet there is so much more to be done.

According to the National Women’s Law Center, Latina women earn only 55 cents and African American women earn only 64 cents for every dollar earned by men.

Watch a video about the 1963 Equal Pay Act.

To learn more about the wage gap and ways to take action, visit National Women’s Law Center’s My Wage Gap site.