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Everything you need to know about the gender wage gap
The often-cited 78 percent figure, which comes from Census data, is the broadest measure and measures annual income for all full-time year-round workers. However, a Labor Department measure of weekly wages finds that women make 82 percent of what men make.
The differences between these two figures are important to keep in mind. The 77-percent figure not only measures annual wages, but it includes self-employed workers, whereas the Labor Department figure does not. However, the Labor Department includes some workers who do not work year-round, like construction workers.
Another popular measure, based on hourly wages, complicates matters further. In a December 2013 report, the Pew Research Center found that full-time working women make 84 percent of what men make on an hourly basis. This differs slightly from the weekly figure (which was 81 percent at the time) because women tend to work fewer hours than men.
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What is the best measure of the wage gap?
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Do women make less than men in all jobs?
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Is the gender wage gap shrinking?
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Is the gender wage gap the only type of wage gap?
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Do childless women have a smaller wage gap?
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Do some states have bigger gender pay gaps?
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How does the US wage gap compare to other countries?