Equal Pay
When the Equal Pay Act was signed into law by President Kennedy in 1963, women were earning an average of 59 cents on the dollar compared to men. While women hold nearly half of today's jobs, and their earnings account for a significant portion of the household income that sustains the financial well-being of their families, they are still experiencing a gap in pay compared to men's wages for similar work. Today, women earn about 80 cents on the dollar compared to men — a gap that results in the loss of about $380,000 over a woman's career. For African-American women and Latinas, the pay gap is even greater.
Each year, National Equal Pay Day reflects how far into the current year women must work to match what men earned in the previous year. On National Equal Pay Day, we rededicate ourselves to carrying forward the fight for true economic equality for all.
For more on Equal Pay, including tools, resources and recently announced Apps, see below:
- Read the Secretary's statement on National Equal Pay Day
- Read the Secretary's Blog Post
- A Guide to Women's Equal Pay Rights (PDF)
- An Employer's Guide to Equal Pay (PDF)
- DOL Working For Women
- Equal Pay Enforcement Fact Sheet (PDF)
- Learn more about the Equal Pay App Challenge winners
- Presidential Proclamation on Equal Pay Day (PDF)
- Highlights of Women's Earnings by Region
- Learn more about the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the very first bill President Obama signed into law
- Read the White House Equal Pay Task Force Accomplishments Report: Fighting for Fair Pay in the Workplace (PDF)
- Read the White House Facts About Equal Pay
