CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A new report from the Pew Research Center shares that women made up 47% of the civilian labor force last year.
If you look at how gaps in women working have closed over the decades though, you'd see that growth has stayed stagnant for some time.
That's why the Pew Research Center notes an important projection from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency says it expects women to continue to make up just under half of the labor force in the coming years, through 2032.
The article says women outnumber men in the country's college-educated workforce.
It means they're now making up 51% of workers holding a degree for those in the labor force ages 25 and older. The Pew Research Center cites the data from the last quarter of 2023's current population survey.
Finally, the article addresses the gender pay gap, which refers to the difference between the median earnings of men and women. Pew says the gender pay gap has remained relatively flat in the United States over the past two decades. That's according to an analysis of hourly earnings for both full-time and part-time workers.
Back in 2022, women typically earned 82 cents for every dollar men made.
The article goes on to reference a survey asking people to identify the reason behind the discrepancy. That survey showed half of U.S. adults believe the gaps are a result of employers treating women differently. Other responses included how women make choices about balancing work and family, and working in jobs that don't pay as much as others.
Contact Kia Murray at kmurray@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.