HR Compliance Library, ¶21,015, Benchmark: GAO study on gender pay differences among low-wage workers

摘要

In general, women have surpassed men in education over the last three decades, but on average, women withrna high school degree or less earned lower hourly wages than men with the same level of education, accordingrnto a report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO estimated that in 2010, lesseducatedrnwomen earned 86 cents — compared with 81 cents in 2000 — for every dollar men earned, afterrnadjusting for available factors that may affect pay. Among the GAO’s findings:rn1. Among these less-educated workers, women tended to work in industries and occupations that hadrnlower wages than those in which men worked, such as health care and social assistance.rn2. Even when less-educated women and men were in the same broad industry or occupation category,rnthese women’s average hourly wage was lower than men’s.