Fact Sheets

Still No Recovery for Women in the Manufacturing Sector: Manufacturing Employment Trends for Women and Men, 2008-2013

March 25, 2013

After decades of job losses, U.S. manufacturing has started to make a comeback—but women are not sharing in these gains.  Men gained 535,000 manufacturing jobs between January 2010 and February 2013, while women lost 18,000 manufacturing jobs over the same period. As policymakers focus on promoting manufacturing employment in the U.S., they should ensure that women share in this growth.

State by State: The Affordable Care Act and Covering More Women and Families in Medicaid

March 22, 2013

The option to cover more people through the Medicaid program is a crucial part of the health care law. Starting in 2014, 15 million uninsured Americans, including 7 million women could be newly eligible for Medicaid coverage should all states accept the federal money included in the Affordable Care Act to support this coverage. These state by state fact sheets provide useful data on how many women could be eligible for coverage and how states stand to gain by accepting the federal money.

Pregnant Workers Make Up a Small Share of the Workforce and Can Be Readily Accommodated: A State-By-State Analysis

March 21, 2013
Pregnant workers in physically demanding jobs are often terminated, forced to quit, or involuntarily placed on unpaid “medical” leave because they ask for simple, reasonable, and temporary accommodations during their pregnancy such as avoiding heavy lifting or a stool to sit on. Instead of honoring these requests, many employers jeopardize the health of women and their pregnancies by making pregnant workers choose between continuing to
work under unsafe conditions or losing their paycheck.  This fact sheet details the actual numbers of pregnant workers in the workforce, a subset of which may require accommodations at some point during their pregnancies.  

Fair Pay for Women Requires Increasing the Minimum Wage and Tipped Minimum Wage

March 20, 2013

Each year, millions of workers are paid the minimum wage and rely on these wages to support themselves and their families.  But the federal miniumum wage hasn't increased since 2007 and the tipped minimum wage hasn't increased since 1991. Increasing the federal minimum wage and the tipped minimum is vital for women who made up about two-thirds of all workers who earned minimum wage or less in 2010. 

The Ryan House Budget FY 2014: Once Again, Gutting Vital Programs for Women and Families, Giving Trillions in Tax Cuts to Millionaires and Corporations

March 20, 2013

The budget for Fiscal Year 2014 introduced by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), like his Fiscal Year 2013 budget, proposes deep funding cuts that would devastate programs especially important to women and their families: Medicaid, Medicare, child care, education, SNAP, and much more.

The FY 2014 Murray Senate Budget: A Fairer Path Forward for Women and Families

March 18, 2013

The FY 2014 budget introduced by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray (D-WA) presents a clear alternative to the plan proposed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI).

Fair Pay for Women and People of Color in New York Requires Increasing the Minimum Wage and the Tipped Minimum Wage

March 15, 2013

 This fact sheet explains how increasing the minimum wage and the tipped minimum wage in New York would especially benefit women and people of color.

Cutting Programs for Low-Income People Especially Hurts Women and Their Families

March 14, 2013

As Congress debates spending priorities and deficit reduction measures, it must protect programs for low-income families and individuals and ensure that deficit reduction does not increase poverty. 

Governors’ 2013 State of the State Addresses: Mentions of Early Care and Education

March 14, 2013

A total of 27 governors (as well as the mayor of the District of Columbia) referenced early care and education in their 2013 state of the state addresses—an increase from 22 governors in 2012 and 17 governors in 2011. These governors recognize that early care and education helps prepare young children for future educational success, provides crucial support for parents, and strengthens our nation’s economy.  

The Ryan Budget’s Catastrophic Health Cuts and their Impact on Women

March 14, 2013

Representative Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) proposed budget for fiscal year 2014 includes devastating cuts to the health care programs women and families rely on.  Ryan would repeal the Affordable Care Act, make drastic cuts to Medicaid, and convert Medicare into a voucher program. These changes would leave millions of women and their families without the financial security of high-quality health insurance, unable to access the health care services they need, and facing dramatic increases in their healthcare costs.