Given the pervasive nature of the nationwide gender pay gap, perhaps it should come as little surprise that the situation for America’s older women is even worse. Nonetheless, I was saddened to see that a new report from the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee shows that in 2009, women over age 50 working full-time made an average of just 68 cents on the dollar compared to men in the same age group.
Given the pervasive nature of the nationwide gender pay gap, perhaps it should come as little surprise that the situation for America’s older women is even worse. Nonetheless, I was saddened to see that a new report from the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee shows that in 2009, women over age 50 working full-time made an average of just 68 cents on the dollar compared to men in the same age group.
Moreover, more and more women are heading towards retirement without being able to rely upon a spouse’s income. The report points out that in 2009, the labor force included 5.7 million older women without spouses. This number is likely to increase.
Our nation’s population is aging, the recession is dragging on, and families of all ages depend on women’s income: in 2009, 40 percent of women were the primary breadwinners for their families. A career of lower earnings is likely to severely impact a woman’s retirement security. This new report underscores, once again, the insidiousness of pay discrimination and the importance of the fight for equal pay.