This special edition will focus on Equal Pay Day 2024, which was this past Tuesday, March 12.
Thank you for your continued support of the Social Work Policy Network.
What is Equal Pay Day?
"This date (March 12th) symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year.
"Equal Pay Day was originated by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) in 1996 as a public awareness event to illustrate the gap between men's and women's wages. (It was originally called “National Pay Inequity Awareness Day” and changed to Equal Pay Day in 1998.)
"Since Census statistics showing the latest wage figures will not be available until late August or September, NCPE leadership decided years ago to select a Tuesday...as Equal Pay Day. (Tuesday was selected to represent how far into the next work week women must work to earn what men earned the previous week.) Because women earn less, on average, than men, they must work longer for the same amount of pay.
Pay Differences Across Race and Parental Status
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has developed their Equal Pay Day Calendar to observe how race and ethnicity impact wages. It encompasses a cross-section of women, including those who work part-time or seasonally, to represent a more accurate picture of how the gender pay gap impacts diverse communities. Taking a more inclusive approach ensures that we can advocate on behalf of all women in the workforce.
All Women's Equal Pay Day – March 12
Asian American Women’s Equal Pay Day – April 3
Asian American women working full-time, year-round are paid 99 cents and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 89 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men.
White women working full-time, year-round are paid 80 cents and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 74 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men.
LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day – June 13
LGBTQIA+ people*: The U.S. Census Bureau does not current collect the necessary information to provide specific data. AAUW supports improving data collection on LGBTQIA+ communities through the American Community Survey.
Black Women’s Equal Pay Day – July 9
Black women working full-time, year-round are paid 69 cents and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 66 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men.
Moms’ Equal Pay Day – August 7
Moms working full-time, year-round are paid 71 cents and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 63 cents for every dollar paid to dads.
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) Women’s Equal Pay Day – August 28
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) women working full-time, year-round are paid 66 cents and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 60 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men.
Latina Equal Pay Day – October 3
Latinas working full-time, year-round are paid 57 cents and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 52 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men.
Native Women’s Equal Pay Day – November 21
Native women working full-time, year-round are paid 59 cents and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 55 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men.
New Jersey's Wage Gap: By the Numbers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022, New Jersey women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $1,072, or 83.5 percent of the $1,284 median usual weekly earnings of their male counterparts. The women’s-to-men’s earnings ratio has ranged from a low of 74.3 percent in 2004 to a high of 84.8 percent in 2010. (Data for the states began in 1997.)
Lets take a look at how the wage gap across racial status looks in NJ according to the National Women's Law Center (based on 2022 data)
New Jersey's rank among all 50 states and Washington DC based on full-time, year-round workers’ gender wage gap (1 is the smallest gap, 51 is the largest gap):
- 17th overall, women average 83 cents for every 1 dollar men make
- 8th for Asian women, who make 92 cents for every 1 dollar men make (of the 45 states that provided sufficient data)
- 36th for White non-Hispanic women, who make 77 cents for every 1 dollar men make (all states and DC provided sufficient data)
- 36th for Black women, who make 57 cents for every 1 dollar men make (of the 41 states that provided sufficient data)
- 49th for Latina women, who make 46 cents for every 1 dollar men make (of the 49 states that provided sufficient data)
- 39th for Native women, who make 44 cents for every 1 dollar men make (of the 39 states that provided sufficient data)
- Unknown rank for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women, only 7 states provided sufficient data
Closing the Wage Gap: National and State Policy Goals
According to the Center for American Progress, the wage gap is at its lowest point as of 2022! But, based on the data we've presented here, there is a significant amount of room to improve. Here are some federal and state-level policy recommendations that would aid in further closing the gap:
Federal Policy:
- Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act
- Increase the minimum wage and eliminate the tipped minimum wage through the Raise the Wage Act
- Increase pathways into high-paid occupations by implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act
- Improve enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, including the Equal Pay Act
- Invest in the care economy by passing national paid family and medical leave and sustained public investments in child and elder care
- Enhance collective bargaining by passing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act
State Policy:
- Enact salary range transparency laws (Jersey City is the only mandated part of the state to pass wage transparency laws)
- Enact salary history bans (NJ banned salary histories for state employees in 2020)
- Eliminate the tipped minimum wage: only 7 states have acted to increase the wage from the federal minimum of $2.13 hourly (NJ's rate is $5.26)
- Increase state minimum wages: 19 states still adhere to the federally mandated $7.25 minimum wage and tipped wage set in 2009 (NJ's minimum wage is $15.13)
Demand Rutgers Social Work Students are Paid for their Labor!
"The national issue of unpaid placements is compounded by major national issues such as income inequality, inflation, and the student debt crisis. Therefore, it is imperative that students are monetarily compensated for their labor. [Rutgers Payment4Placements is] asking Rutgers School of Social Work to promptly address this issue by properly compensating practicum students. Dignity and worth of the person is a core value in the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics- students deserve to be treated as such by being compensated for their labor.
"Rutgers Master of Social Work students are required to complete 1125 hours of work at their practicum placement, significantly more than the Council on Social Work Education’s national requirement of 900 hours to sit for the social work licensure exam. Traditional full-time students spend between 15-22.5 hours per week outside of classes working at human service agencies in order to graduate. Duties are the same, or largely similar to, those of paid agency employees. These range from all types of social worker responsibilities such as case management, group therapy, classroom support, and other critical human services. Working at a placement for 2-3 days a week and attending classes 1-2 days leaves minimal time for students to spend with their families, engage in self-care, complete readings and assignments, and work an alternate job(s) to pay for basic living expenses."
To learn more, follow the Rutgers Payment4Placements chapter and the Payment4Placements movement on Instagram: @rutgersp4p @p4pnational
You're Invited! Social Work Policy Practice Survey
The Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis invites you to participate in a collaborative international study on social work and policy practice engagement. You are receiving this invitation due to your connection to social work practice and/or membership to a social work organization.
The study purpose is to learn about social worker involvement in influencing policy through their work. All practitioner perspectives are important, so we want to hear from you regardless of your previous or current policy involvement!
The online survey takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. Your participation is completely anonymous, and we will not ask for, collect, or store any identifying information. There are no direct risks or benefits attached to the study, but we hope that the information gathered through responses will benefit Social Work practice and policy education.
Participate in the survey through this link: https://wustl.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cw5cYEDFM7ON5gq
If you have any questions about this project, please reach out to María Gandarilla Ocampo at mgandarillaocampo@wustl.edu.
