The Gender Wage Gap Persists | Commission on the Status of Women

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

History of Equal Pay Day

In 1996, the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) launched the first “Equal Pay Day,” (originally recognized as “National Pay Inequity Awareness Day” and changed to Equal Pay Day in 1998) to symbolize how far into the new year women had to work to earn as much as men earned in the previous year. Typically held in April, Equal Pay Day continues to be a widely recognized public awareness day to illustrate the gap between men's and women's wages, with recent expansions to mark Equal Pay Days based on race and ethnicity.

Current Statics on Equal Pay in New York State for 2023*

Compiled by PowHer NY

This year we will be sharing "all earners" stats (calculated based on earnings data for full time year-round workers PLUS part time and part year workers) and the wage gap numbers for full-time, year-round earners alone. These numbers are based on U.S. Census Bureau 2021 earnings data released in 2022.

	New York State full-time workers only	National - full-time workers only	New York - full-time PLUS part-time workers	National - full-time PLUS part-time workers	Equal Pay Day
All Women	85.7¢	84¢	74¢	77¢	March 14
Black**	65	67	63.2	64	July 27
Latina**	58.1	57	49.3	54	October 5
Native American**	56.4	57	45.6	51	November 30
Asian American**	85.2	92	69.2	80	TBD
LGBTQAI+ persons	Coming soon	Coming soon	Coming soon	Coming soon	June 15, 2023
Mothers***		74		62	August 15
Source Note: What a woman makes for every dollar a man makes is the ratio of women’s and men’s annual median earnings (1) for full-time, year-round workers and (2) for all workers with earnings, including part-time and part-year workers. Figures for women overall by state calculated by NWLC are based on 2021 American Community Survey Data. Figures for Black women; Latinas; Asian women; Native women; Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander women; and white, non-Hispanic women calculated by NWLC are based on 2017-2021 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. For the purposes of this analysis, D.C. is considered a state. *Note:* Equal pay figures for groups of women are the only days that compare that group of women to the earnings of white, non-Hispanic men. Note: Explanation of how pay is compared can be found here: *The Simple Truth, AAUW*

March 14 is Equal Pay Day 2023**

Compiled by AAUW

Each year, this symbolic day is used to raise awareness around and combat the impact of pay inequities. Equal Pay Day 2023 is on March 14 and marks the current state of the gender pay gap: 84% for full-time workers and 77% for all workers (including part-time and seasonal).

his date is based on the latest U.S. Census figures showing that the average woman who works full time is paid on average just 84 percent of the typical man’s pay. Started by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) in 1996, the goal of Equal Pay Day is to raise awareness about the gender wage gap. Because the pay gap varies significantly among different communities, particularly for women of color, other Equal Pay Days have been added to the calendar over the years to reflect that fact that many women must work far longer into the year to catch up to men.

In 2022, the coalition made a new change to the methodology: The Equal Pay Day Calendar now encompasses a broader cross-section of women, including those who work part time or seasonally, to represent a more accurate picture of how the gender pay gap impacts diverse communities the COVID-19 pandemic pushed many women, especially women of color, into part-time or seasonal work, or out of the workforce all together. Because of this, past methods of calculating the wage gap fell short of accurately capturing the full picture. With the new inclusive methodology, we can advocate on behalf of all women in the workforce.

2023 Equal Pay Days

Equal Pay Day—representing all women—is March 14. Women working full-time, year-round are paid 84 cents and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 77 cents for every dollar paid to men.
Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Women’s Equal Pay Day is April 5. Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women working full-time, year-round are paid 92 cents and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 80 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men.
LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day is June 15. Without enough data to make calculations, this day raises awareness about the wage gap experienced by LGBTQIA+ folks.
Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is July 27. Black women working full-time, year-round are paid 67 cents and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 64 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men.
Moms’ Equal Pay Day is August 15. Moms working full-time, year-round are paid 74 cents and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 62 cents for every dollar paid to dads.
Latina’s Equal Pay Day is October 5. Latinas women working full-time, year-round are paid 57 cents and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 54 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men.
Native Women’s Equal Pay Day is November 30. Native women working full-time, year-round are paid 57 cents and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 51 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men.