WOMEN NARROW PAY GAP, BUT STILL LAG BEHIND MEN

From The New York Times:

When it comes to the advancement of women in the workplace, progress is almost never sudden. But often it is steady. And so it is with women’s wages.

In 1979, women working full time made only 63 percent as much pay as men, according to data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Now working women make 81 percent as much as men.

Yes, that’s an improvement, but it still means that median weekly earnings were $600 for women last year, compared with $743 for men.

What is the reason for the disparity? Discrimination? Choices that women and men have made? That is not entirely clear.

What is clear is that wage differences vary by age group. Among workers aged 45 to 64, women made 73 percent as much as men. But in the 25-to-34 group, the number rises to 88 percent.