A crummy situation
On average, most women get paid 22 percent less than white men. The outlook is somewhat brighter for younger women, who start out with less of a wage-gap handicap, and make about 84.7 percent of what their male colleagues earn. Although there has been a slight narrowing of the gender wage gap, even when factors like education, job experience and professional advancement are taken into account a significant disparity exists. Many say that the reasons that women make less money than men are that women choose to go into fields that pay less than most jobs held by men and women reduce their job responsibilities to make time for starting a family and domestic responsibilities. However, often women are offered lower starting salaries than men in identical fields. Some experts feel that women may not be as likely to negotiate for a higher starting salary as men.
See "A crummy situation", Joanne Cleaver, Chicago Tribune, November 4, 2003