On Tuesday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order encouraging the government to ban federal contractors from asking for information about applicants’ previous salary history. A new Labor Department directive aims to strengthen federal contractors’ obligations in auditing payrolls to guard against disparities based upon gender, race, or ethnicity.
The Office of Personnel Management is also considering a regulation that will address the use of previous salary history when setting compensation for federal employees.
Equal Pay Day is a day that aims to highlight how long women have to work in order to earn the same amount as men.
Data show that the pay gap is now at its lowest point, but the coronavirus outbreak has changed women’s participation in the labor force so that “what are we seeing is an artificial narrowing,” stated Jasmine Tucker (director of research at National Women’s Law Center).
Tucker stated that women who worked full-time and stayed in the workforce during the pandemic often earned more than those who lost low-paying work. This indicates that 2020 numbers cannot be compared to wage gap data from previous years.
According to a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the Biden administration’s efforts to combat occupational discrimination, among other issues, it wants to give women more access to high-paying jobs that are male-dominated.
The administration released a National Gender Strategy in October to promote full participation of women and girls in society.
The administration is seeking new ways to combat wage disparities this year. It also draws attention to high-profile efforts such as the $24 Million February settlement between the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team and U.S. Soccer in a dispute.
The settlement also includes a promise to equalize the pay and bonuses to match men’s teams.
Megan Rapinoe, star midfielder, said that the moment would be remembered and that it was a turning point in American soccer history that changed the game.
Biden, Vice president Kamala Harris, and other administration officials were planning to celebrate Equal Pay Day with an afternoon event for women’s soccer players.
Tucker stated that equal pay is not possible, especially after the pandemic.
In February 2022, there were 1.1 million fewer women working than in February 2020. This means that they are not looking for work or actively seeking it.
Tucker stated that there was a “special shedding” among low-paid workers. What was left were middle- and high-paid workers who were protected from the pandemic.
According to the White House, in 2020, an average woman who worked full time earned 83 cents per dollar more than a male colleague doing the same job. This gap is even greater for Black, Native American and Latina women.
Women are affected by this issue even later in their lives. A 2020 Brookings Institution study on women’s pension found that Social Security benefits for women equal 80% to those for men.
