Gender Pay Gap Widens
New California data shows women now earn about 81 cents for every dollar earned by men, a gap that widened for the second year — and is especially large for women of color. Analysts say the persistence of pay inequity could squeeze household budgets even among dual‑income Bay Area families. (washingtontimes.com) (davisvanguard.org)
Median earnings for full‑time, year‑round workers show men at $71,090 and women at $57,520 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 income report, with men’s median rising 3.7% from 2023 while women’s median did not change. (www2.census.gov) California’s Civil Rights Department says its 2024 pay‑data collection covers nearly 8 million workers reported by roughly 170,000 private employers and released the new statewide statistics on March 26, 2026. (calcivilrights.ca.gov) Advocates point to much larger shortfalls for women of color: Black women working full‑time, year‑round earned about 65 cents for every dollar paid to white, non‑Hispanic men in 2024, and Latina full‑time workers earned roughly 58 cents on the dollar compared with white, non‑Hispanic men. (nwlc.org) The widening gap in 2024 was driven primarily by stronger earnings growth for men — the Census found men’s median full‑time pay rose 3.7% while women’s median pay remained essentially flat, widening the female‑to‑male earnings ratio. (www2.census.gov) California’s CRD has used its pay‑data authority alongside litigation to hold firms accountable, including a roughly $54 million proposed settlement with Activision Blizzard and a $100 million consent decree with Riot Games tied to sex‑discrimination and pay claims. (calcivilrights.ca.gov) Private analyses note the gap’s persistence even where employers report pay data, and California’s annual reporting rules still require firms with 100 or more payroll employees to file pay data (reports for the 2025 reporting year are due May 13, 2026), keeping monitoring and enforcement on an active timeline. (payscale.com)
