Different work patterns explain only a portion of the wage gap between men
and women, according to a report by the General Accounting Office analyzing
why women tend to earn less than men do.
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Get Your Report Now!Women generally work less than men do and women leave the workforce for longer
periods of time, resulting in lower income, according to the report, which the
GAO prepared at the request of Congress. However, when the GAO took those factors
into consideration, it found that women still earn about 20 percent less than men do, the Associated Press reports.
The GAO said it was unable to account for the remaining difference between
men's and women's earnings. The researchers spoke with experts who offered additional
reasons for the wage gap. The experts told the GAO that discrimination could
be a factor. In addition, some women may choose jobs that offer more flexibility
to manage work and life responsibilities over jobs with more career advancement
and pay. The report noted that debate exists whether women make such choices
freely or whether they are funneled into lower-paying jobs because of stereotypes.
The report found that women work an average of 1675 hours per year, while men
work 2147 hours. On average, women have about 12 years of work experience and men
have about 16 years of work experience.
"After accounting for so many external factors, it seems that still, at
the root of it all, men get an inherent annual bonus just for being men,"
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, one of the legislators who requested the report, tells
the AP. "If this continues, the only guarantees in life will be death,
taxes and the glass ceiling. We can't let that happen."
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