When women can’t find child care, whether because it’s unavailable or unaffordable, some turn to jobs that may pay less but offer greater mothering flexibility, while others leave the workforce entirely, forgoing their current salary as well as future earning potential. Those factors contribute heavily to the gender wage gap, with Utah’s being one of the widest in the nation, though the figure requires some explanation. While closing the wage gap will take work on many fronts, experts say a major step would be increasing the availability, affordability and quality of child care.
No, the ‘Real Gender Wage Gap’ isn’t 51 Percent
For decades, the term “gender wage gap” has referred to the difference in median earnings between full-time working women and full-time working men. Unfortunately, the term is becoming confused again, thanks to a headline-making report released by the Institute for...
