World

Women's Wages Outpaced Men's During Recession (US)

by generaldecay | October 22, 2009 at 12:14 am

136 views | 40 Recommendations | 6 comments

The wages of the typical woman who had a job during the worst recession in decades rose faster than those of the typical man, new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show. Over the past two years, the wages of the median woman -- at the statistical middle -- rose 3.2% when adjusted for inflation. Wages of the median man rose 2%. Minority men were particularly hard hit, while minority women and highly educated women of all races did better.

This may not come as good news for menfolk but it does for womenfolk. And let's face it, these statistics do not suggest that women are now out-earning men, but rather that some women, in these recession times, are catching up with men.

The typical full-time female worker earned $657 a week in the third quarter, the BLS said. The typical man earned $812 a week.

I think this is particularly welcome news for women form minority groups (e.g. women of colour) who historically and traditionally earn much less, if they earn at all.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend Add a comment

158

at 07:24 on October 22nd, 2009

This was not expected.

It is good news for women.

generaldecay

at 10:09 on October 22nd, 2009

Agreed. It's a bizarre side-effect of the recession. At last, a positive!

Amy Judd

at 07:32 on October 22nd, 2009

Whoo hoo!

Babel-Fish

at 07:35 on October 22nd, 2009

Have to send my partner to America, lol

PIM of SPAIN

at 09:30 on October 22nd, 2009

It is realistic, since every company want to cut costs and fire first men before women. -At least in the cases both can fulfill the same job satisfactorily. Nice for women, but actually not the compliment women deserve.

generaldecay

at 10:11 on October 22nd, 2009

I'm not sure that is the case, PIM. In fact, some recent research in the UK showed that women - particularly if they were having children or of 'child-bearing' age - were much more likely to be made redundant than men in these difficult times.