Today is Equal Pay Day—the point in 2016 that symbolizes how much longer a woman must work to earn what a man earned in 2015. That is because on average, women earn only 79 cents for every dollar earned by a man. Women of color have to work even longer into 2016 to catch up with men. A new report by New York City Public Advocate Letitia James points out that Hispanic, African-American, and Asian women in New York City experience a 54, 45, and 37 percent wage cap, respectively, relative to while men in the Big Apple. Those numbers are even worse than the national average.
While there is plenty to bemoan about Equal Pay Day, this year women in New York have new tools to help them uncover and challenge unfair pay practices. On January 19th, New York’s Achieve Pay Equity Act went into effect. The new provisions tighten exceptions in existing law, expand the geographic area for comparing workers being paid unequally, protect workers who share salary information, and increase damages for willful violations. Check out our fact sheet to learn more.
