Gender and the Wage Gap in New York City

In recent generations, American women have made tremendous strides toward greater equality in the workforce. In 1900, fewer than 20 percent of women worked outside the home. By 1960, that number had grown to 40 percent, and by 2000, nearly 80 percent.

Alongside that growth in labor force participation has been a narrowing of the wage gap between women and men. When the Equal Pay Act was passed a half-century ago, American women earned an average of 59 cents on the dollar compared to men.

That said, there is still a long way to go. While the Equal Pay Act has had a profound effect on wage equity, the average woman working full-time in New York City today still earns only 82 percent of the average man. In the rest of the country, the gap is even greater.