The pay gap between males and females doing the same job has been an issue for years – an issue that some companies refuse to address. But while those companies hide their heads in the sand, many employers are making significant effort to change these numbers.

April 14 th is known as “Equal Pay Day” – the day that marks how far into the new year American women would have to work to earn what the average American man did in the previous year. It seems ridiculous that we still have this disparity, right? In the 1980’s, women who worked full-time typically earned only 77% of what their male counterparts earned for similar jobs.

The Pew Research Center recently completed a study on this issue, finding that 77% of women and 63% of men believe companies need to continue making changes to narrow the pay gap. The study also found reasons for some exiting pay gap, mostly because women are more likely to have career “interruptions” to care for their family. Interviews with working mothers showed that almost 40% have taken a significant amount of time off from work or reduced their work hours to meet the demands of family schedules. Only 24% of men claimed to have taken off significant time to care for their families. Several research studies have shown that these types of interruptions directly affect women’s earnings.

While the facts don’t seem fair, there is some good news. The millennial work force is narrowing the gap, with women researching expected compensation ranges and demanding equal pay. While we haven’t quite reached true equality, millennial women now earn 93% of what the same-aged male counterparts earn.

For guidance on your current compensation, or questions about how to improve your career trajectory, contact us. With 27 years experience recruiting and placing professionals in the DMV, we would love to help you!