Women’s Pay Remains Stagnant Compared to Men’s

New Census Report Shows Women Still Make Average of 77 Cents to the Dollar

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) released the following statement today on a new Census Bureau report showing women still earn just an average of 77 cents for every dollar men make.

"When a woman is paid less than a male colleague for the same job, it means more than a smaller paycheck. It means less money for her child's college tuition. Less money to feed her family. Less money for her to rely upon in retirement. And less money put back into the overall economy.

"That is why I, and my Democratic colleagues, have introduced an economic agenda to address these serious financial pressures on women and their families. Because when women succeed, America succeeds and equal pay is a crucial part of that. Speaker Boehner needs to bring the Paycheck Fairness Act for a vote before the House of Representatives and today's report is further evidence of why we so badly need to see that bill become law. We can no longer pretend that pay equity does not make a difference. It does and those who refuse to confront it are doing a grave disserve to American women."

Almost half of all workers are women and 40 percent of working women are the primary breadwinners in their families. More than one in seven women--nearly 17.8 million--lived in poverty last year, the highest rate in two decades.