The Reality of the Wage Gap in Massachusetts

According to the recent “State of Women: A County By County Report on the Status of Women & Girls in Massachusetts,” women earn less than men in EVERY county in Massachusetts-an average of 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. Not only does this impact their ability to be economically self sufficient and provide for their families, but it affects women’s abilities to access education, housing, healthcare, childcare, investments, retirement, etc.

In response to this profound wage gap, the Massachusetts Coalition for Women’s Wage Equality formed as a broad based, statewide coalition of dynamic organizations and individuals committed to endorsing pay equity for women of the Commonwealth.

The Coalition’s goal is to support and advocate for equitable compensation for women who are employed in jobs that require comparable skills, efforts, responsibilities, and working conditions to those of men.

Facts and Figures: How much is the wage gap costing you?

The Wage Gap in the United States
·        A female High School graduate will lose $700,000[1] in her lifetime
·        A female college graduate loses $1.2 million, and a professional school graduate loses $2 million.[2]
·        Women who work full time and year round made 76.9% of men’s earnings in 2006.[3]
·        The wage gap has been stalled for more then a decade.

[1] WAGE Project

[2] ibid

Return to top

An Act to Authorize the Human Resources Division to Undertake a Study of the State’s Job Classification System (S1858/ H2826)
Summary of Bill:
This bill would require the state’s human resources division to establish a job analysis study of state employees of the executive branch to update the current job classification system and review class titles, job specifications, organizational relationships and job qualifications to insure that employee compensation, pensions, and benefits are free from gender and racial bias. It would also establish a Workforce Advisory Council of experts to assist the human resources division with this work.

An Act Further Defining Comparable Work (S1070/ H1869)
Summary of Bill:
This legislation would define comparable work as “solely based on whether the two positions entail comparable skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions between employees of the opposite sex.”

Click here to go to MCSW's legislative page

Return to top

Join the Coalition!

There are several ways you can get involved with the Coalition! We encourage and welcome your support at every level. Every organization committed to pay equity makes us one step closer to achieving our goals. We work to create a strong network for advancing pay equity and we encourage the broadening of ideas and knowledge through sharing with, and supporting, all coalition members. If you or your organization would like to be listed on coalition literature or you are interested in engaging in other types of support, please contact mcsw@state.ma.us or 617-626-6520.

Return to top

Links to Massachusetts Coalition for Wage Equality Members

Follow these links to learn more about the organizations that make up the Coalition: