Re: Equal Pay Day for Unmarried Women 1

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1 To: From: Interested Parties Page Gardner, The Celinda Lake, Re: Equal Pay Day for Unmarried 1 Date: April 14, 2015 This year on April 14 th, Equal Pay Day will mark just how far into 2015 a woman must work to earn as much as a man made in just 2014 alone. on average make 80 cents on the dollar for every dollar a man makes. This gap between men and women s pay means a working woman must work nearly 16 months to earn what a man makes in the 12 months of This gender difference in pay is even greater for unmarried woman, who must work even longer to earn as much as a married man. An unmarried woman has to work more than 19 months, to August 2015, to earn what a married man earns in just 12 months. 2 In the most recent data on 2014 available from the U.S. Census Bureau, unmarried women made just 61 cents compared to every dollar a married man earned. This is a drop of 1 cent as compared to the 2013 disparity of 62 cents to every dollar and a decrease of 2 cents from 63 cents on the dollar in Even while the economy by some measures is improving, unmarried women are being left behind. In his State of the Union address, President Obama once again pledged his support for equal pay legislation and called on Congress to act. As equal pay and the minimum wage debate continue to move to the forefront of political debate, particularly among potential 2016 contenders, the issue of pay disparity is coming into sharper focus for the American public. Despite a stronger economy and a sympathetic White House, many of the gaps in pay between men and women are growing, especially for unmarried women, women of color, and unmarried women of color. Policy advocates must take the lead in finding creative solutions to close this gap and make sure workers earn what they are worth. This is an important issue that affects the lives of many Americans, especially unmarried women, trying to raise a family. 1 These disparities have a variety of causes that we cannot control for with these data including education, industry, and comparable work. 2 The category of unmarried women includes never married, widowed, divorced, and separated women. 3 Based on median income. U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey March

2 Equal Pay Day for Unmarried Page 2 of 9 There are over 56.8 million unmarried women in America, making up approximately 25% of the U.S. adult population and 25.9% of the vote eligible population. What workers earn, and specifically what unmarried women earn, can pose real obstacles or create real opportunities to improve their lives. This pay gap not only effects how unmarried women can provide for their families, but it also has a debilitating impact on their ability to retire securely. Unmarried women making less than their married male counterparts cannot build up comparable benefits in the same allotted time, putting their secure retirement at risk. Of the 3.3 million Americans earning at or below minimum wage, 62.4% are women and 48.7% are unmarried women. 4 With more than four- in- ten births (40.6%) now to single mothers, the gender discrimination in pay between unmarried women and the other Americans will have significant implications for future generations, too. 5 Unmarried women with children under 18 make only 65 cents on the dollar compared to men and only 54 cents on the dollar when compared to married men. Child care programs will disproportionately help these unmarried mothers, and without the needed policies, the pay gap will continue to grow. Personal Earnings According to recent 2014 wage data from the Census Bureau (Figure 1), women s were 80% of men s: women s median annual in 2014 were $40,000 compared to men s $50,000. of color struggle even more with these disparities. Figure 1: Personal Earnings among Full- Time Workers, White African American Latinas Asian Unmarried with Own Median Annual Income $50,000 $40,000 $42,883 $35,000 $30,000 $45,000 $32,600 Comparative Personal Earnings $ As the economy begins to improve by some measures, there are a few signs of positive growth for among women. Though, in comparative terms, white women are still doing better than their Latina and African American counterparts. For white women, their income improved from 84 cents on the dollar in 2013, to 86 cents in 2014, while African American women remained consistent at 70 cents for every man s dollar. Latinas saw a slight increase from making 58 cents on the dollar in 2013, to 60 cents in However, this represents more of a recovery for Latinas, who were making 60 cents in 2012 and fell to 58 cents in U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 5 U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics Reports (NVSR) Births: Final Data for U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey March

3 Equal Pay Day for Unmarried Page 3 of 9 Marital Status The gap is only exacerbated when marital status is considered. Looking at marital status breakdowns, unmarried women make far less than both married and unmarried men, and also lag behind married women. Figure 2 demonstrates that in 2014, unmarried women earned $36,500, compared to unmarried men who earned $39,000. In 2014, unmarried women earned $5,500 less than married women ($42,000) and a staggering $23,500 less than married men ($60,000). While the median income has grown for both married and unmarried women, it has not kept pace with the growth in married men s median income. In 2014, unmarried women earned only 61 cents for every dollar a married man made, which is a drop from 2013, where they made 62 cents for every dollar a married man made. Interestingly, over that same time married women s have also decreased, dropping to 70 cents for every dollar a married man made in 2014 from 71 cents in Figure 2: Personal Earnings among Full- Time Workers by Marital Status, Unmarried Married Unmarried Married Median Annual Income $36,500 $42,000 $39,000 $60,000 Comparative Personal Earnings $1.00 Racial disparities are further seen among unmarried women as Figure 3 highlights. Unmarried white women make 67 cents for every dollar a married man makes, while African American unmarried women make only 55 cents and Latinas make only 50 cents. Figure 3: Personal Earnings among Full- Time Workers by Marital Status and Race, Married Total White Unmarried African American Latina Asian Median Annual Income $60,000 $36,500 $40,000 $33,000 $30,000 $42,014 Comparative Personal Earnings $ The disparity for white working class women is considerable, particularly for unmarried white working class women. White working class women make 58 cents for every dollar a married man makes, while unmarried white working class women make only 56 cents. 7 U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey March U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey March

4 Equal Pay Day for Unmarried Page 4 of 9 Figure 4: Personal Earnings among Full- Time Workers by Marital Status and Race, Married Working Class White Total Married Unmarried Median Annual Income $60,000 $35,000 $35,011 $33,780 Comparative Personal Earnings $ Single Mothers Earn Less In 2014, single moms earned about $27,400 less than married men; just 54 cents to every dollar, down from 55 cents in Unmarried women with younger children are hit even more severely, earning about $30,890 less than a married man. The gap between married and unmarried mothers is also notable. There is more than a $2,000 gap between unmarried and married moms (with children under age 18). For those with children under 6, this gap is even greater these married mothers make $5,890 more than single mothers. Having young children really depresses single mothers pay, but does not have nearly the same effect on married mothers. Figure 5: Personal Earnings by Parental Status, Unmarried Married Married Total Without Own With Own With Own Under 6 Total Without Own With Own With Own Under 6 Annual Average $60,000 $36,500 $38,601 $32,600 $29,110 $42,000 $40,000 $35,100 $35,000 Comparative Personal Earnings $ Disparities with Real Consequences This data demonstrates how unmarried women are affected by unequal pay and how one s race or parental status impact an unmarried woman s earning potential. However, the disparities go deeper than salary affecting how unmarried women are able to provide for themselves and their families. As the fight for equal pay moves to the forefront of the political landscape, elected officials and decision makers on both sides of the aisle are faced with undeniable data detailing the consequences of lower wages for unmarried women: 9 U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey March U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey March

5 Equal Pay Day for Unmarried Page 5 of 9 When asked about money worries, 57.2% of unmarried women said they did not feel good about the amount of money they have to spend, compared to 53.7% of married women, 52.2% of married men, and 54.0% of unmarried men. 11 This impacts needs as well as wants; 39.2% of unmarried women said they did not have enough money to buy the things they need, compared to just 26.4% of married women. 29.3% of all men said they did not have enough money. 12 More than two thirds (66.9%) of unmarried women say they would not be able to make a major purchase, compared to less than half (45.7%) of married women. 13 In the same year, 44% of unmarried mothers had difficulty paying their rent or mortgage. About a third of married mothers report the same challenge (31%). 14 Americans agree that equal pay and paid sick days are important issues that need to be addressed. Americans believe equal pay is a top economic issue. Roughly four- in- 10 (39%) Americans say equal pay/fair pay is the top issue facing working women in the United States, a sentiment shared by nearly the same proportions of men (37%), women (41%), and working women (42%). 15 Large majorities of voters favor paid sick days, affordable child care, and equal pay for equal work. Over 9- in- 10 (93%) of voters favor policies that ensure men and women receive equal pay for equal work. Eighty- eight percent support polices that ensure all workers earn paid sick days to care for themselves or family members. 16 With 2016 candidates already staking their positions and the President adamant about addressing economic inequality in his last two years, there is hope that the debate about pay and inequality will benefit unmarried women. A State- by- State Breakdown To see how the marriage gap and gender gap combine to affect pay for Americans at a local level, VPC analyzed pay in all 50 states. The results are startling. In Virginia, for example, unmarried women on average earn $37,800 a year, or just 63% of what men earn on average in 11 Gallup poll: telephone interviews Jan. 2- Dec. 29, 2013, on the Gallup Daily tracking survey, with a random sample of 178,527 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states & the District of Columbia. M.O.E. +/- 1.0% 12 Ibid 13 Ibid 14 Ibid 15 Gallup Poll: telephone interviews conducted Sept , 2014, with a random sample of 1,252 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.. M.O.E. +/- 4.0%. For results based on the total sample of 233 working women, M.O.E. +/- 8.0%. say- equal- pay- top- issue- working- women 16 Lake Research poll: telephone interviews conducted Jan , 2015, the survey reached a total of 800 likely 2016 general election voters nationwide. M.O.E +/- 3.5%

6 Equal Pay Day for Unmarried Page 6 of 9 Virginia. In Colorado, unmarried women earn 67% of what men earn and in California it s 71%. To check out our entire state list, please visit pay- by- state. State (all) (Married) (Unmarried) Alabama $45,000 $34,000 76% $35,100 78% $33,400 74% Alaska $58,000 $45,000 78% $50,900 88%* $35,800 62% * Arizona $47,200 $36,000 76% $46,300 98% $34,400 73% Arkansas $40,000 $35,000 88% $34,600 87%* $35,400 89% * California $50,000 $40,000 80% $43,400 87% $35,700 71% Colorado $52,000 $40,000 77% $45,800 88% $34,700 67% Connecticut $62,000 $50,000 81% $59,000 95% $42,900 69% Delaware $47,500 $40,000 84% $45,500 96%* $34,400 72% * District of Columbia $60,000 $52,000 87% $70, %* $50,000 83% * Florida $46,000 $36,600 80% $40,000 87% $34,300 75% Georgia $45,000 $38,900 86% $40,400 90% $33,500 74% Hawaii $49,500 $38,000 77% $39,600 80%* $36,800 74% * Idaho $45,000 $32,400 72% $34,400 76%* $26,400 59% * Illinois $50,000 $40,000 80% $44,300 89% $35,300 71% Indiana $49,500 $35,000 71% $38,000 77% $33,800 68%

7 Equal Pay Day for Unmarried Page 7 of 9 State (all) (Married) (Unmarried) Iowa $46,000 $36,000 78% $39,000 85% $33,800 73% Kansas $44,000 $35,000 80% $35,900 82%* $29,700 68% * Kentucky $43,400 $31,000 71% $33,900 78% $30,400 70% Louisiana $50,000 $34,700 69% $40,000 80% $26,800 54% Maine $50,000 $37,440 75% $39,700 79%* $33,800 68% * Maryland $52,000 $46,000 88% $56, % $40,600 78% Massachusetts $61,000 $45,000 74% $49,700 81% $41,000 67% Michigan $50,000 $38,000 76% $42,200 84% $32,700 65% Minnesota $52,000 $43,694 84% $44,800 86% $38,500 74% Mississippi $46,000 $32,000 70% $33,800 73%* $32,000 70% * Missouri $49,000 $38,200 78% $39,900 81% $36,700 75% Montana $40,000 $31,000 78% $33,400 84%* $29,000 73% * Nebraska $44,000 $35,000 80% $39,100 89%* $32,000 73% * Nevada $42,000 $37,000 88% $39,500 94%* $36,500 87% * New Hampshire $58,000 $45,000 78% $46,800 81%* $43,300 75% * New Jersey $56,000 $43,000 77% $46,500 83% $38,800 69% New Mexico $43,000 $35,000 81% $38,700 90%* $30,800 72% *

8 Equal Pay Day for Unmarried Page 8 of 9 State (all) (Married) (Unmarried) New York $50,000 $41,000 82% $44,200 88% $40,700 81% North Carolina $41,000 $34,000 83% $36,800 90% $29,700 72% North Dakota $45,000 $37,000 82% $39,900 89%* $33,600 75% * Ohio $45,000 $36,400 81% $38,400 85% $34,900 78% Oklahoma $44,706 $31,000 69% $33,600 75% $28,500 64% Oregon $50,000 $39,000 78% $38,000 76%* $37,500 75% * Pennsylvania $50,000 $40,000 80% $43,600 87% $35,800 72% Rhode Island $55,000 $43,000 78% $50,600 92%* $35,200 64% * South Carolina $48,000 $33,000 69% $35,600 74% $33,300 69% South Dakota $42,002 $34,000 81% $38,200 91%* $30,200 72% * Tennessee $40,000 $37,200 93% $36,600 92% $37,200 93% Texas $45,000 $35,000 78% $37,700 84% $34,700 77% Utah $50,000 $36,000 72% $39,900 80%* $33,300 67% * Vermont $48,000 $39,000 81% $40,000 83%* $37,800 79% * Virginia $60,000 $41,000 68% $44,900 75% $37,800 63% Washington $54,000 $43,000 80% $45,600 84% $40,700 75% West Virginia $45,000 $35,000 78% $38,800 86%* $30,500 68% *

9 Equal Pay Day for Unmarried Page 9 of 9 State (all) (Married) (Unmarried) Wisconsin $48,000 $40,000 83% $40,500 84% $35,200 73% Wyoming $54,000 $39,000 72% $40,600 75%* $31,300 58% * * These data should be viewed with caution because of the large error margins arising from the limited sample size.