Catherwood LibraryILR School

The Census Bureau reported last week that middle class incomes have risen to their highest level ever recorded, with some women making slight inroads into the national pay gap – not necessarily due to increased raises, but due to male wage stagnation. White and Asian women were the primary beneficiaries of income growth, while wages for Hispanic women remained stationary, and pay actually decreased for African American women. Median pay for women saw a 2.7 increase – with a 7.2 percent increase for women-led households, including single mothers. Males experienced only a 1.5 percent increase, however. The stagnation of men’s wages can be partly attributed to a steep decline in male-dominated industries such as agriculture, mining, and manufacturing, which provided a good number of well-paying jobs to those without a college education. Union power has also waned, affecting pay outcomes for blue collar workers. Job growth remains positive in health care fields– typically a stronghold for women – and a higher number of women are enrolling in college as compared to male students. Economists at Cornell recently found that the reasons for most pay differences can be associated with career choices, with at least 30 percent being “unknown” factors – possibly due to discrimination.