The so-called, “gender pay gap” has become a hot topic for feminists over the past few years. “Women earn seventy five cents to every dollar a man earns,” is a phrase commonly heard nowadays, and yes, it is indeed a proven fact that, on average, men earn more money than women, but I tend to think that there are factors that cause this difference that go unnoticed. It seems to me that the media, feminist organizations, and even the government don’t focus on why there is a difference in earnings, only that there is one, and that it’s automatically unfair to women.
When I first heard about the “gender pay gap”, I automatically began searching for reasons to justify it in my mind. Maybe men work more hours? Maybe men also care more about money? Maybe it’s simply because men choose higher paying careers? Well, guess what? All of these things are true.
Men Work More Than Women
According to the Bureau Of Labor Statistics , on average, in 2010 employed men worked 41 minutes more than employed women on days that they worked. In a five day work week, this would add up to a difference of about 3.4 hours, which is certainly significant. Also, more women work part-time than men. A report from the U.S. Department Of Labor states, ” In 2010, 26.6 percent of women worked part time compared to just 13.4 percent of men.” I know these stats are based on data collected over a year ago, but I highly doubt that the figures have changed that much, if at all. Obviously, if you work less, you’ll get paid less.
Men Value Money More Than Women
According to an article on forbes.com written by Warren Farrell, a former member of the board of directors of the National Organization for Women, “A 2001 survey of business owners with M.B.A.s conducted by the Rochester Institute of Technology found that money was the primary motivator for only 29% of women, versus 76% of men. Women prioritized flexibility, fulfillment, autonomy and safety.”
Men Choose Higher Paying Jobs Than Women
A 2009 report prepared by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Economics and Statistics Department, the Executive Office of the President, and the Office of Management and Budget, reveals that, ” In 2009, only 7 percent of female professionals were employed in the relatively high paying computer ($1,253 median weekly earnings) and engineering fields ($1,266 median weekly earnings), compared to 38 percent of male professionals.” This same report also states that only 14 percent of women professionals worked in management, business, and finance jobs.
As you can see, when you take time to dig deep into the facts and data, it is clear that the supposed “gender wage gap” has nothing to so with discrimination based on sex, and everything to do with the choices that many women make. In fact, an article in The New York Times , written by Sam Roberts states, “The analysis was prepared by Andrew A. Beveridge, a demographer at Queens College , who first reported his findings in Gotham Gazette, published online by the Citizens Union Foundation. It shows that women of all educational levels from 21 to 30 living in New York City and working full time made 117 percent of men’s wages, and even more in Dallas, 120 percent.” If I were to complain about this little known fact, I would most likely be labeled a sexist, but outspoken feminists are parading around demanding “equal pay”, and the public sees them as courageous trailblazers.
Here is a quote from a report prepared by the CONSAD Research Corporation for the U.S. Department of Labor, titled Reasons for the Disparity in Wages Between Men and Women : ” …the raw wage gap continues to be used in misleading ways to advance public policy agendas without fully explaining the reasons behind the gap.” This quote was taken from the foreword of the report, which was written by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics: American Time Use Survey Summary
U.S. Department of Labor Special Reports: Women’s Employment During the Recovery
Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being