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Pay Gap Inequality

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Why the Pay Gap Exists The initial scapegoat that comes to mind for wage inequality is discrimination instigated by men. Though this is far from nonexistent, it is not the primary reason. Additionally, the “factors other than gender” (Equal Pay Act, 1963) clause of the Equal Pay Act does contribute to cases of wage discrimination, which the Paycheck Fairness Act aims to address. But the most significant factor is need for what Goldin (2015) dubs “temporal flexibility,” the differences in job requirements that women with children look for, such as “the ability to work flexible hours, or maybe work at home some days, maybe complete a project outside the typical corporate schedule” (p. 26).
Even today, women are expected to settle down, marry, …show more content…
Female workers tend to be attracted to jobs which “offer childcare, more flexible work hours, or an opportunity to work from home,” (Levanon, England, & Allison, 2009, p. 869), at the cost of higher wages. However, regardless of flexibility, wage gaps are consistently smaller in occupations that pay proportionately based on hours, such as those related to science and technology ‒ working twice as many hours pays twice as much; there is no added reward for working more hours (Goldin, 2015, pp. 29-30). If careers could become more individual-oriented, and pay proportionately whether an employee works part-time or full-time, there would be a decrease in earning disparities between men and women. Mothers (and fathers) would be able to take time off to care for their children without penalty, and more women would choose their careers on factors other than temporal flexibility. Though one of the more achievable solutions for many fields, it is not entirely possible for a large number of careers. Those who work more hours expect to benefit from their additional effort, leading to disproportionate pay. Furthermore, not all individuals are be replaceable, and sometimes a group must be reliant on each other, so not all jobs can provide environments in which increased flexibility is

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