Equal Pay Day

Today, April 20, is equal pay day; the first day of 2010, according to the National Women's Law Center, in which the average woman's wages catch up to her male counterpart's salary in 2009. That's 110 extra days of work.

With the recession this inequality has hit families harder than ever. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in July 2009 the total unemployment was at 9.4 percent for the total population. Men were unemployed at a rate of 9.8 percent while the women's unemployment rate was 7.5 percent. Families which consist of a male and female head of household where the male was the primary wage earner and is now unemployed have more economic issues simply because a woman brings home less money. I would posit, although I have no data to back this up, that employers are more willing to hire women in this economy simply because they can pay them less.

I am writing my senators the week to urge them to support the Paycheck Fairness Act which was passed by the House in January 2009 and is now headed to the Senate. I urge you to contact your senators and tell them you support equal pay.