A new study finds that women in Alabama are paid significantly less than men.
The National Partnership for Women and Families report finds that women in Alabama make an average of 73 cents for every dollar made by their male counterparts. The wage gap is even greater among women of color. African-American women make an average 57 cents and Latinas make 47 cents.
Data from U.S. Census Bureau finds that the median annual pay for a woman in Alabama who holds a full-time, year-round job is $32,136 while median annual pay for a man who holds a full-time, year-round job is $44,245.
Women are the main breadwinners for nearly 285,000 Alabama households. Researchers suggest that eliminating the wage gap could provide a significant financial boost to women, their families and the state’s economy.
If the annual wage gap were eliminated, on average, a working woman in Alabama would have enough money for approximately: 99 more weeks of food for her family; 11 more months of mortgage and utilities payments, or Nearly 17 more months of rent, researchers say.