Is There Really A Gender Gap?

IS THERE REALLY A GENDER GAP? MAN VS WOMAN * YOU DECIDE! * THE GENDER GAP 95 77 cents per cents per dollar dollar The Washington Post reported that women, on But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, average, earn 95 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make. women, on average, earn 77 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make. Is that cents-able? Where's the cents in that? President Obama quoted the Bureau of Labor Statistics figures when talking about equal pay for men and women in the workplace. Those figures are based on average wages for all men and women who work over 35 hours per week, regardless of occupation. The Washington Post claims that when you account for differences in occupations, positions, education, job tenure and hours worked per week, the wage gap narrows from 77 cents to the dollar to 95 cents to the dollar. Should we be focused on the Bureau of Labor Statistics figures,or would that be misleading? EDUCATION Women surpass men for the first time in completion of associ- ates degrees. 40% of college edu - cated women were married to a man Women earn more masters' degree than men. without a degree. 1977-78 1981-82 1987-88 2005-06 2014- In 1960, 80% of cou- ples were equally educated. Today it is 60%. Women earn more Women surpass men for the first time in doctorate degrees completion of bache- lors' degrees. than men. CURRENTLY • 56% of students in the top 10 percent of their graduating classes are female. • 59% of students graduating with an A+ GPA are female. • High school females graduate with an overall GPA of 3.44 compared to males at 3.30. • Females represent more than half of SAT test takers, yet score 27 points below the average male. Female Average SAT Score - 1496, Male Average SAT Score - 1523. • High school females represent the majority of AP/honors science classes with 56%. If there's a major pay gap, why are women making the grade but not getting paid? CAREER Highest Earning College Majors Lowest Earning College Majors Petroleum Engineering Counseling Psychology 87% Male / 13% Female 26% Male / 74% Female Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration Early Childhood Education 3% Male / 97% Female 48% Male / 52% Female Theology and Religious Vocations Mathematics and Computer Science 66% Male / 34% Female 67% Male /33% Female Human Services and Com- Aerospace Engineering munity Organization 88% Male / 12% Female 19% Male / 81% Female Chemical Engineering Social Work 72% Male / 28% Female 12% Male / 88% Female According to The Washington Post, when you compare unmarried women to unmarried men using the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, you see that women earn 96 cents for every dollar men make, narrowing the gap even further. Part of the wage gap can also be explained by a greater percentage of women than men leaving the full-time work force for childbirth, child care and elder care. Women also tend to value flexible workplace policies and occupations more than men in order to maintain a work/family balance. Do you agree with The Washington Post or the Bureau of Labor Statistics? Do you feel that women are pressured by society into lower-paying jobs? Are men not making room for women in the higher-paying career fields? Is all of this adding up to you or do you feel we need some change? AND THE WINNER IS... Wait, you want us to tell you who won? You should decide and throw in your two cents on the matter. Leave a comment below or at CollegeAtlas.org. Explain and defend your position. Then, when you're done taking your stance, share the info- graphic with your friends to see what they think. However you feel about the difference in pay between men and women, you can take matters into your own hands by getting your degree. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that a bachelor's degree holder earns about 70% more per year than someone with only a high school diploma. ADVANCE YOUR CAREER. GET YOUR DEGREE. VISIT www.COLLEGEATLAS.ORG O 2004 - 2014 COLLEGEATLAS.ORG ALL RIGHTS RESERVED