What states have the smallest earnings gap between college-educated men and women? To commemorate Equal Pay Day, April 28, 2009, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) has ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia by this criterion.
The report found that in the United States, the earnings gap between college educated men and women over 25 years of age and who work full-time year round was 71%, meaning these women make 29 cents less on the dollar nationally.
Which states fared the best in terms of the earnings gap? Here are the top 10 states, followed by their earnings gap percentage (figures rounded off):
1) Vermont 87%
2) Hawaii 83%
3) Delaware 80%
4) New York 78%
5) Montana 77%
6) Wyoming 77%
7) New Mexico 77%
8) Wisconsin 76%
9) Oregon 76%
10) Nevada 75%
Which states fared the worst? Here are the bottom 10 states in terms of the earnings gap:
42) Utah 69%
43) Michigan 68%
44) Arkansas 68%
45) Iowa 68%
46) New Hampshire 68%
47) Oklahoma 67%
48) Virginia 67%
49) Mississippi 67%
50) West Virginia 67%
51) Louisiana 65%
"Our analysis is quite disturbing, especially when you consider how more and more families are depending on a woman's paycheck as the primary source of income in these tough economic times. Consequently, the issue of pay equity takes on an added sense of urgency. This is just one of the reasons why we're urging the Senate to join the House and pass the Paycheck Fairness Act," AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE, said in a press release announcing its findings.
The AAUW (www.aauw.org) report uses the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2007).
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