Today is Equal Pay Day

April 8.

That’s how much time into the year, on average, women would have to work from the beginning of the year to earn the same as men did in the previous year. But Equal Pay Day is much more than a symbolic gesture—it’s a statement on the gender pay gap that continues to be a reality in Minnesota and across the country. More than half a century after President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law, women still find themselves coming up short on the payroll.

So how big is the gap, anyway? According to the National Women’s Law Center, women make up more than half of the labor force, yet make 77 cents for every dollar paid to men, amounting to a yearly gap of more than $11,000. Right here in Minnesota, women make 79.8 cents for every dollar paid to men. What’s more? That gap hasn’t budged in a decade, and it gets even bigger for women of color. And that’s just not right. 

When it comes to equal pay for women, we have to do better. The wage gap starts as soon as women enter the labor force—and it grows with age. When you think about it, it’s really like a domino effect—the less money women earn is less money they have to spend on paying down student loans, supporting their families and saving for retirement. And that’s less money women have to spend in the local economy. In other words, it’s bad for business.

Time and time again, Al has stood with women to fight pay discrimination in the workplace. While the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act restored the right of female workers to challenge unfair pay practices, the Paycheck Fairness Act would move the needle even further by closing loopholes in the Equal Pay Gap and requiring employers to prove that pay disparity is based on an actual business reason—not gender.

“When women earn equal pay for equal work our families are stronger, our communities are stronger, and our economy is stronger.”

Help us make sure Al can keep fighting for equality in the workplace—sign up to volunteer today.

The post Today is Equal Pay Day appeared first on U.S. Senator Al Franken, Minnesota -- Official Campaign Website.