Unpaid Family Care Continues to Suppress Women’s Earnings

Posted by Urban Institute on June 20, 2023

It has been 60 years since the Equal Pay Act of 1963 was signed into law. The Urban Institute looks at whether unpaid family work is one of the large reasons the gender pay gap still exists. Experts at the Pew Research Center have looked at education levels as a potential cause for the continued gap – but while women have achieved greater education, holding 42 percent of bachelor’s degrees compared to 36 percent of men, there is still stagnation. Caregiving takes up a significant amount of women’s time and is often the deciding factor for women on issues such as where to work. Compared to 47 percent of men, 65 percent of women live in a household with dependents or adults with care needs and spend more time providing this unpaid care. Adding another layer to the discussion, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that married mothers spend significantly more time caring for children than married fathers regardless of employment.

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