What You Need to Know About Latina Equal Pay Day
Today is more than the start of a new month. November 1st marks Latina Equal Day. If you’ve been following along, we reported on Black Women’s Equal Pay Day back in August to break down the wage gap between Black women and their white female and male counterparts. In other words, Latina Equal Pay Day marks the day that all Latina women who’ve worked full-time during all of 2017 and this far into 2018, caught up with what white men earned today. Yes, the gap has forced it to be this long. To put it crystal clear: Latina women earn 53 cents for every dollar a white man earns.
That’s not even the most triggering part. In 2017, Latina women earned 54 cents for every dollar a white man makes, meaning we’re actually moving backwards. Not okay. It is the worst of the wage gaps for women.
It doesn’t end with white men either. White women make 79 cents to a white man’s dollar, and that gap is closed much earlier in the year. The most surprising thing is that no matter their level of education or previous work experience, Latinx women still won’t close that gap until nearly the end of the calendar year. So, what can we do?
We need to educate ourselves, for starters. One in three Americans are fully unaware about the pay disparity between white men and Latinx women. When it comes to the U.S. population overall, 42% of Americans are not aware of the pay gap between Latinx women and white women and hiring managers are just as unaware. Ahead, we break down some even more hard facts on the topic.
Facts + Stats
Latinx women represent 8.7% of the total U.S. population (27.9 million).
By 2060, 25% of the women in the U.S. will be Latinx.
Latinx women have 215 more years until the gap is fully closed.
A Latinx woman may lose up $1 million over the course of her working lifetime.
10.8 Million Latinx women were employed either part-time or full-time in 2016, which totals up to 7.2% of the labor force.
Median weekly earnings for Latinx women is $621, compared to $815 million for white women.
Latinx women in unions earn 48% more than their non-union counterparts.
Latinx women are paid less than their white counterparts in almost every occupation—regardless of whether occupation is traditionally held by men or women.
Latinx women are paid less at every level of education. Latinas with advanced degrees typically earn $32.50 an hour, whereas white men with 4-year degrees earn approximately $39.04 an hour.
We know that was all hard to swallow, but the facts are the facts. It’s up to us as a community to help these women close the gap a lot faster, and not in 215 years. Latinx women shouldn’t have to wait out on their great granddaughters to be the ones to get the job done. We must start now.
Photos: @weallgrowlatina, @hijadetumadre
Who to Follow
We All Grow Latina: Elevating the voices of Latinx women since 2010, We All Grow Latina is the ultimate source for Latinx-specific career development and inspiration with a growing community. You can find webinars, summits, and profiles of Latinx boss women through the network.
Phenomenal Woman: You’ve likely seen a Phenomenal Woman campaign throughout your time on the internet. The brand designs t-shirts and sweatshirts geared towards female-empowerment, and recently launched the Phenomenal Latina model. You can purchase the shirt, here.
Mujerxsrising: The Mujerxs Rising initiative revolve’s around support for migrant women. It’s dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of all migrant women, and the ability for them and their families to live and work without threats or violence.
The Mujerista: Do you want to hear more stories of Latinx women? Follow the Mujerista. You’ll learn about boss Latinx women from all walks of life, and how to continously support them.
Unidos US: This is the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization. You’ll learn about voting in favor of Latinx people, protecting healthcare, how to help migrant people, and more.
Don’t forget to spread the word about Latina Equal Pay Day today!
By: Andrea Navarro