PA Falls Into The Pay Gap

With the passage of the Fair Pay Act last year, there has been a good deal of discussion about pay disparity between men and women and the impact of the economic recession on unmarried women. The New York Times estimates that the pay gap between men and women is 19%, which is a record low for our country. Looking closer, however, it seems that the gap between men and unmarried women is much, much higher. In a report by the Center for American Progress,

Unmarried women fare worse than married women and all men in wages, earning on average 56 cents to the dollar of married mens' average earnings.

In some states, however, this gap extends even further. The Institute for Women's Policy Reseach, recently conducted a study that spotlighted Pennsylvania. Their goal was to measure the effects of a woman's marital status on income in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, and Pennsylvania as a whole. Their results were surprising.

According to their study, unemployment in Pennsylvania has jumped from 4.5% to 8.4%. But the unemployment rate for single mothers has nearly doubled, exceeding 11%. This is more than twice the rate for married men, who are stereotypically the breadwinners for their families. Some of this job disparity can be explained by the difficulty in finding affordable, flexible childcare. Most childcare centers are open between 6am to 6pm and it can be a challenge to find a job that has consistent working hours between these times. Especially in this competitive job market, more and more employers are expecting their workers to work mandatory overtime, nights and weekends. Hiring a babysitter to cover these times when childcare centers are closed can be very expensive and often cost more than the job's salary.

If this wasn't a large enough hurdle to overcome, recent testimony before the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee suggests new evidence that mothers and other caregivers may have been disproportionately targeted during job cuts. Most single moms will tell you that it is often the case that when a child is sick and can't attend school or day care there isn't anyone else share the responsibility. Employers frown on workers who miss days and often fire them first when the company needs to reduce the workforce.

All families who depend on a woman's earnings are losing out, but families that depend solely on a woman's paycheck are being pushed into poverty. Women often have to make hard decision when in comes to supporting their families, including putting off necessary doctors appointments and dental care in order to pay bills, and many women routinely go hungry some days of the week because they can't afford enough groceries to feed themselves and their children. And this hardship is likely to increase as federal assistance gets cut and unemployment benefits run out. According to the Food Research and Action center, the number of families in Pennsylvania who are facing severe food insecurity has increased 44%. The state has reported a 31% increase in food stamp recipients, with two thirds being women.

It seems that women, especially single women, are facing hard challenges in this economy. It is more important than ever that when our government discusses ways to create new jobs and stimulate economic growth, they don't forget about women. Women are a vital part of our communities. They are small business owners, home owners and mothers. And when single mothers experience poverty, their children experience it as well. When looking at ways to help stimulate the job market, legislators need to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and flexible and promote family friendly work practices.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a freelance writer and regular contributor to several websites and other publications, a volunteer, a full time mom and an active job seeker.