The gender wage gap is not a new concept. In 2018, the Census Bureau found that women made 82 cents for every made $1 by a man, and the wage gap is even greater for women of color (Bleiweis). The gender wage gap is seen in every industry. Women who have the same education level and amount of experience as their male counterparts continue to get paid less for the same job. The White House is no exception. To summarize the last two presidencies, Carrazana stated "In the 2020 Trump White House, women earned 69 cents on men’s $1. In Trump’s first year in office, 2016, women earned just 63 cents to men’s $1. Biden’s gap is also narrower than other Democratic presidents. In the Obama White House, women earned between about 84 and 89 cents on the dollar." However, a surprising change in pattern has occurred with the Biden Administration. Not only has is the Biden administration placed more women in White House staff positions, but the women in these positions also earn 99 cents for every $1 earned by a man. The Biden administration has also increased diversity among its staff in comparison to past president's administrations. Hopefully this will set the standard for diversity and a narrower wage gap across all industries and future presidencies.
Article by Chabeli Carrazana for More Information on White House Wage Gap:
https://19thnews.org/2021/07/women-in-the-biden-white-house-earn-99-cents-for-every-1-earned-by-men/
Article by Robin Bleiweis for More General Information on the Wage Gap:
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2020/03/24/482141/quick-facts-gender-wage-gap/
Hi Shelby! This is a fascinating topic--I knew the wage gap was pervasive, but I never considered it in terms of the White House. The fact that the gap has been visible at such a high level is proof that it is a data-supported issue that should not be ignored for a moment longer. The statistics you mentioned made me visualize a line graph, and it's startling that the line would have a steep drop-off between the Obama and Trump administrations. This is definitely an instance where we should only be accepting of forward progress, so it is encouraging to see that the Biden administration has taken significant steps to end the wage gap in the White House entirely. I hope they will make efforts to reduce the gap in society as well!
ReplyDeletehello! I really enjoyed your post. I already knew that there was pay disparity between men and women but I never expected the gap to be so large in the White House. These men and women perform the the exact same jobs as representatives for their states. I don't think the pat disparity will go away without legislation that outlaws the action. I find it unlikely that companies would imitation this change as it seems the government doesn't even believe that men and women should be paid the same wages.
ReplyDelete