The wage gap is very real and starts as soon as women land their first jobs after college. Christianne Corbett, a senior researcher with the American Association of University Women, told Today.com. “Women are making progress, for sure, in education and in the workplace. But the pay gap is real. It’s still there. That’s what’s so confounding about it….There’s good reason to believe that part of that unexplained gap is due to gender discrimination, and most of it is probably unconscious.”
Income inequality between the genders can be worse in certain states with higher concentrations of certain types of businesses. Institute for Women’s Policy Research study director Ariane Hegewisch told 24/7 Wall Street that in states where more workers are blue collar, men are able to find employment in jobs such as resource collection and construction — positions that are still predominantly male and allow for bonuses and overtime and generally higher pay. In North Dakota, for example, the booming natural gas industry employs hundreds of thousands of workers.Those few women who were employed in that industry earned $46,301 less than men. All five states with the highest proportions of workers in this field are among the 10 with the highest gender wage gap.
24/7 Wall Street put together the list of the worst-paying states for women. You may want to consider this data if you find yourself looking to move to one of them.
1. Wyoming
- Difference in full-time, year-round income: $17,838
- Female full-time, year-round median income: $35,698 (24th lowest)
- Male full-time, year-round median income: $53,536 (ninth highest)
- 2011 unemployment rate: 6 percent (seventh lowest)
2. Alaska
- Difference in full-time, year-round income: $15,285
- Female full-time, year-round median income: $41,529 (11th highest)
- Male full-time, year-round median income: $56,814 (fifth highest)
- 2011 unemployment rate: 7.6 percent (22nd lowest)
3. Louisiana
- Difference in full-time, year-round income: $15,130
- Female full-time, year-round median income: $32,633 (ninth lowest)
- Male full-time, year-round median income: $47,763 (20th highest)
- 2011 unemployment rate: 7.3 percent (16th lowest)
4. Utah
- Difference in full-time, year-round income: $15,094
- Female full-time, year-round median income: $34,052 (13th lowest)
- Male full-time, year-round median income: $49,146 (19th highest)
- 2011 unemployment rate: 6.7 percent (11th lowest)
- Difference in full-time, year-round income:$13,979
- Female full-time, year-round median income: $41,817 (ninth highest)
- Male full-time, year-round median income: $55,796 (sixth highest)
- 2011 unemployment rate: 9.2 percent (16th highest)
6. Massachusetts
- Difference in full-time, year-round income: $13,924
- Female full-time, year-round median income: $47,302 (4th highest)
- Male full-time, year-round median income: $61,226 (3rd highest)
- 2011 unemployment rate: 7.4% (18th lowest)
- Difference in full-time, year-round income: $13,459
- Female full-time, year-round median income: $41,797 (10th highest)
- Male full-time, year-round median income: $55,256 (7th highest)
- 2011 unemployment rate: 6.2% (8th lowest)
- Difference in full-time, year-round income: $13,263
- Female full-time, year-round median income: $41,953 (8th highest)
- Male full-time, year-round median income: $55,216 (8th highest)
- 2011 unemployment rate: 5.4% (4th lowest)
- Difference in full-time, year-round income: $13,237
- Female full-time, year-round median income:$30,632 (2nd lowest)
- Male full-time, year-round median income: $43,869 (14th lowest)
- 2011 unemployment rate:8% (25th lowest)
- Difference in full-time, year-round income: $12,955
- Female full-time, year-round median income: $33,792 (11th lowest)
- Male full-time, year-round median income: $46,747 (25th highest)
- 2011 unemployment rate: 3.5% (the lowest)
