By Godson Umejiego, Bureau Chief, The Americas

Today the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is making available a data dashboard featuring the historic, first-time collection of 2017 and 2018 pay data reported by about 70,000 private employers and certain federal contractors with 100 or more employees each year, representing over 100 million workers.

Cyber Era NG understands that the dashboard contains a unique collection of aggregated employer-level workforce demographic and pay data, reported by pay band. By aggregating this data, the EEOC is protecting the confidentiality of employees and employers.

The release of this dashboard allows industries, employers, and individuals to assess generally how their pay by sex and race compares to others in their industry, job category, or state. Overall, the data employers reported show in the aggregate that women are typically paid less than men.

“The dashboard illustrates what we have long known—that pay disparities based on sex and race persist in almost every industry both at the national level and in nearly every state. Women are paid less than men in the aggregate, and Black women and American Indian or Alaska Native women are paid the least. In addition, Black and Hispanic employees generally were in lower median pay bands than white employees in the same industries and job categories. Making this aggregated data available to the public shows how pay data collection can shine a light on the problem and potential solutions,” said EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows. “The EEOC remains dedicated to using all of our tools to combat pay discrimination and to fulfill the promise of equal opportunity in our nation’s civil rights laws.”

 Highlights from the data include:

Overall: In 2018, the national median pay band for men was one pay band higher than the median pay band for women (US$39,000 to US$49,900 compared to US$30,600 to US$38,900), and in 2017, it was two pay bands higher (US$39,000 to US$49,900 compared to US$24,400 to US$30,600).

Race and Ethnicity: In 2018, in each race and ethnicity category, women were in a lower median pay band than men of the same race or ethnicity, with Black or African American women and American Indian or Alaska Native women in the lowest median pay band of all groups (US$19,200 to US$24,400).

Chart showing median pay bands of women and men by race and ethnicity in 2018, categories ordered by percent of total workers reported.

Industries: In 2018, the median pay band for men was higher than the median pay band for women in all industries except in Accommodation and Food Services, where it was the same. In that industry, both men and women were in the lowest median pay band (US$19,200 and under). In 2017, men and women were in the same median pay band in only one other industry, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas extraction.

Chart showing median pay bands for women and men in 19 industries in 2018. One industry, Accommodation and Food Services, has women and men in the same band (the lowest band), which is circled.

Job Categories: In 2018, for all but 2 of the 10 job categories, the median pay band for men was higher than the median pay band for women, and for 6 of the job categories, the median pay band for men was two higher than the median pay band for women. Men and women in the job categories of Administrative Support Workers and Service Workers had the same median pay band.

EEOC Pay Data Dashboard – Median Pay Band by Job Category and Sex, 2018

Chart showing median pay bands for women and men in 10 job categories in 2018. The columns are ordered from job categories with the least difference in median pay band between men and women to the job categories with the greatest difference.

Geography: Hawaii was the only state in which the median pay bands for men and women were the same in 2018 and 2017 (US$30,600 to US$38,900).

In 2018, states with the greatest difference in the number of median pay bands between men and women:

Wyoming (US$49,900 to US$62,900 for men; US$19,200 to US$24,400 for women; 4 bands)

Louisiana (US$39,000 to US$49,900 for men; US$19,200 to US$24,400 for women; 3 bands)

West Virginia (US$39,000 to US$49,900for men; US$19,200 to US$24,400 for women; 3 bands)

In 2017:                                            

Wyoming (US$49,900 to US$62,900 for men; US$19,200 to US$24,400 for women; 4 bands)

Michigan (US$49,900 to US$62,900 for men; US$24,400 to US$30,600 for women; 3 bands)

Louisiana (US$39,000 to US$49,900 for men; US$19,200 to US$24,400 for women; 3 bands)

Alabama (US$39,000 to US$49,900 for men; US$19,200 to US$24,400 for women; 3 bands)

Median Pay Band by State, Sex

Members of the public may download a public use file to further explore this data collection. Additional information on accessing the dashboard and how to use the tools is available in the EEOC’s User Guide and FAQs.

The EEOC enforces the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which together prohibit pay discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, and religion.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.

·         Editor’s Note: Follow the link below for the infographics accompanying the original story: https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-releases-data-dashboard-2017-2018-pay-data-collection