Women make 78 cents in Connecticut for every dollar a man makes, according to a new study. Connecticut is ranked 25th in the nation when it comes to pay disparity and fares one percent better than the national average of 77 cents.
The study, compiled by the American Association of University Women, is intended to raise awareness about the income gap. The median male salary in Connecticut is $60,705 for men and $47,476 for women when factoring in the total labor force of full-time workers for each gender.
“Next year, we’ll mark the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act. Too many Americans think that the landmark legislation took care of the problem,” said Linda D. Hallman, executive director of the association. “Unfortunately, it has not. AAUW will not be deterred, and we will continue to push for change until the women of America are paid fairly.”
The study acknowledges that life choices do explain some – but not all – of the pay disparity. A previous report found a 10 percent pay gap between male and female college graduates, partly because women were more likely to become teachers, which pays less than some other fields.
However, according to the study, “After accounting for college major, occupation, industry, sector, hours worked, workplace flexibility, experience, educational attainment, enrollment status, GPA, institution selectivity, age, race/ethnicity, region, marital status, and number of children, a 5 percent difference in the earnings of male and female college graduates one year after graduation was still unexplained.”
