Men Earn More Than Women at Every Level and in Every Industry in NYC

(New York, N.Y.)—Today, Women Creating Change (WCC), in partnership with the New School’s Center for New York City Affairs, released the second report in a series exploring gender-related economic challenges. Unequal Ground: The Impact of Industrial and Occupational Segregation on Women’s Economic Outcomes in New York City sheds light on the nuanced ways in which gender inequity is embedded within and perpetuated by the very structure of labor markets. The findings illuminate the enduring challenges within our labor markets and reinforce the need for systemic change.

The comprehensive 46-page report, authored by L.K. Moe and Robert Noble of the Center for New York City Affairs, found that being a woman in New York City has a statistically significant negative impact on earnings, as does being a worker of color; and being a woman worker of color carries a larger pay penalty than either category alone. Holding education, experience, and industry constant, white women have a 13 percent pay penalty compared to white men, and women of color have a 23 percent pay penalty compared to white men.

WCC's ongoing partnership with the New School Center for New York City Affairs continues to prove instructive. It allows us to analyze data critically and formulate robust policy recommendations aimed at achieving pay equity and empowering women to advocate for themselves and their communities. This work is a cornerstone of WCC’s Economic Justice pillar for empowering women in New York City.

The report is divided into three parts. Part I offers a broad analysis of the women’s workforce in New York City, using seven industry categories to investigate how women are concentrated in certain sectors of the economy. Here, the report shows that, in most sectors, the pay gap does not close as women learn and earn more; and in some cases the gap widens as they climb the ladder. Part II presents a first-of-its-kind borough-level map of the female workforce, revealing where women workers live and offering a frame of analysis of how industrial and economic pay inequality impact different communities across the city. Finally, Part III digs into how women are concentrated in certain kinds of lower-paying jobs and professions and how unequal pay structures—even within women-dominated occupations—put women workers at a disadvantage.

Highlights and key findings of the report include:

• A map of New York City women workers reveals where women are over- or under-represented in seven industry categories across each borough. Lower-wage women workers are overrepresented in outer boroughs. These economic facts shape their neighborhoods and families.
• In the education and high-wage business and management sectors, there is greater earnings inequality as workers climb the income ladder. (Low-wage workers in this sector still experience gender pay disparity, only the relative difference is less.)
• Persistent within-occupation pay inequity means that men make more than women in all occupations, even those in which women make up the majority of workers.
• The slice of the women workforce employed in high-wage business and management jobs has increased significantly in the past two years, yet remains a full 10 percentage points below male representation in these occupations.
• While available census data prevents researchers for this report from capturing the experiences of gender-expansive, transgender, and gender-nonconforming people for whom gender- and race-based discrimination is equally pertinent, research suggests that trends for gender-based pay discrimination hold true and can be even more severe.

The first report in the series identified the manifold hurdles women face in and outside the workplace, including entrenched gender stereotypes, discriminatory hiring and promotion practices, insufficient support and mentorship opportunities, disproportionate caregiving responsibilities, and the uneven distribution of men and women across job types and sectors of the economy.

This new report takes a closer look at this uneven distribution and lays out policy recommendations to address the systemic gender-equity problems that saturate the City’s economy, putting women employed in all types of jobs— and of different races, ethnicities, and income levels—at a disadvantage in the workforce.

These policy recommendations include:

• Expanding and enforcing pay transparency requirements; strengthening protections against salary history questions; and ensuring public sector pay equity;
• Modernizing New York State’s temporary disability insurance (TDI) program; financing unemployment benefits on a sound basis; and enacting the Working Families Tax Credit;
• Providing education, mentorship, and career development at all ages as well as expanding policies to allow flexible work schedules, remote work, and parental leave; and
• Supporting women working in the care sector (human services and childcare) by increasing wages and protections and providing high-quality, free childcare.

Read the full report here.

About Women Creating Change:
Founded in 1915, Women Creating Change (formerly Women’s City Club of New York) is a nonprofit, non-partisan, activist organization committed to advancing women’s rights and shaping the future of New York City. Today, Women Creating Change is a diverse community that collaborates with stakeholders and organizations, with a focus on historically disenfranchised women. Our mission is to develop and strengthen the skills and resources needed for women to effectively identify and advocate for the issues that matter most to them and to New York’s most diverse communities. Our vision is a more just and equitable New York City where all women are civically engaged.

About The Center for New York City Affairs at The New School:
The Center for New York City Affairs at The New School is an applied policy research organization that works where people’s lives intersect with government and community organizations to illuminate the impact of public policy on the lives of individuals and communities. Our research focuses on rigorous analysis, practical solutions, and provides real-time feedback for policymakers, providers, and communities.

For interview requests or media inquiries, please contact Lynsey Billet at [email protected] or 347-361-8449.