Reply #10: To get to the scope of the problem, [View All]

[Yupster]

I read the debunk site you provided and copied this.

"Recent studies show that between one-quarter and one-half of the gender wage gap remains unexplained even after taking such human capital differences into account."

So therefore, half to three-quarters of the gap is pretty easily explained. Since this site is to show how big a problem the gap is, then I'd assume it would err on the side of making the gap appear biggest, so I'd assume the "explained" part of the gap is at least 75 % if not more.

I worked as a teacher, and for years was on the TCTA salary committee. We'd look at the numbers every year and sure enough the average male 30 year old teacher made significantly more (2-3,000) per year than the average female 30 year old teacher. And the gap got bigger as the teachers got older.

How could this be said I? We're all paid on the same salary schedule.

Well, the answer was that women were more likely to take time off from their careers. Overwhelmingly this was to take care of their kids when they were young. Not every woman did of course, but enough did to throw off the averages significantly.

My own family is an example of this. My wife and I each have master's in education degrees. She quit teaching 6 years ago when our kid was born and hasn't gone back to work yet. If she goes back to work when our kid reaches age 12, she will be about the lowest paid 47 year old with a masters in the school district but it wouldn't be because of discrimination.

Taking years off doesn't just hurt you on the salary schedule either. People move ahead of you in seniority for promotions and such.

I'm no longer a teacher. Now I'm a stockbroker working off a commission schedule. It's the same for men and women. Yet men still make more money. Why? I haven't looked into it as much as teaching, but my guess would be it's the same thing. My job means working almost every night and being away from my family. Basically the more nights I work the more money I make, and I make what most people consider a real lot of money. Maybe more women are willing to trade making a real lot of money for just making a lot of money and spending their nights with their families.

Anyway, to answer your question that you ended your post with. The quickest way to close the gap (or the at least half of it that is explainable) would be for women to stop taking time off and interrupting their careers for their families. Personally, I don't think that would necessarily make life better, but to each his own.