Equal Pay Day

When President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law in 1963, women were earning an average of 59 cents on the dollar compared to men.

Equal Pay: Women earn about 77 cents on the dollar compared to men for the same work.

While women hold nearly half of today’s jobs, and their earnings account for a significant portion of the household income that sustains the financial wellbeing of their families, they are still experiencing a gap in pay compared to men’s wages for similar work.

Today, women earn about 80 cents on the dollar compared to men — a gap that results in the loss of about $380,000 during a woman’s career.

For African-American women and Latinas, the pay gap is even greater.

Each year, National Equal Pay Day reflects how far into the current year women must work to match what men earned in the previous year. On National Equal Pay Day, we rededicate ourselves to carrying forward the fight for true economic equality for all.

For more, including tools, resources and recently announced Apps, see below:

A Guide to Women’s Equal Pay Rights (PDF)

English | French | Spanish | Chinese | Vietnamese

An Employer’s Guide to Equal Pay (PDF)

English | French | Spanish | Chinese | Vietnamese

• DOL Working For Women Accomplishments
• Highlights of Women’s Earnings by Region
• Advancing Equal Pay Enforcement: More Effective and Transparent Procedures for Investigating Pay Discrimination
• Equal Pay Enforcement Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Learn more about the Equal Pay App Challenge winners
• Read the White House Equal Pay Task Force Accomplishments Report: Fighting for Fair Pay in the Workplace (PDF)
• Read the White House Facts About Equal Pay
• Presidential Proclamation on Equal Pay Day (PDF)
• Read the Secretary’s statement on National Equal Pay Day
• Read the Secretary’s Blog Post
• Learn more about the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the very first bill President Obama signed into law