A Matter of Facts

Just in time for Labor Day 2020, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) released its “Same Gap, Different Year” report. The analysis by the IWPR shows that women are almost 40 years from reaching pay equity with men if trends continue at the current pace. The recent earnings data showed persistent pay inequity is particularly pernicious for Hispanic and Black women:

• The average Hispanic woman working full-time year-round earned only 55.4 cents for every dollar earned by a white man in 2019, amounting to $29,100 less last year • Black women’s median full-time, year-round earnings were $24,100 less than white men’s, or 63.0 cents for every dollar they earn. While the pre-COVID economy meant that women’s earnings saw an increase, the median earnings of Hispanic and Black women in 2019 leave a family of an adult and two children in near-poverty, according to the official Census definition.

“Each year the wage gap persists, women fall further behind men,” said IWPR president and chief executive officer C. Nicole Mason, Ph.D. “If we want to avoid further stagnation or even widening of the wage gap, immediate measures must be taken to boost recovery in womenconcentrated service sector jobs, overhaul the collapsed childcare infrastructure, and address disproportionate hardships for women of color and single working mothers.”

Closing the wage gap is not a zero-sum game—gains for one gender do not require losses for the other, the IWPR said in its report. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the federal minimum hourly wage is just $7.25, and Congress has not increased it since 2009. Low wages hurt all workers and are particularly harmful to Black workers and other workers of color, especially women of color, who make up a disproportionate share of severely underpaid workers. The Raise the Wage Act of 2021 would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 and narrow racial and gender pay gaps. The benefits of slowly phasing in a $15 minimum wage by 2025 would be farreaching, lifting pay for tens of millions of workers and helping reverse decades of growing pay inequality. Essential and front-line workers make up most of those who would benefit from a $15 minimum wage. The median pay is well under $15 an hour for many essential and front-line jobs; examples include substitute teachers ($13.84), nursing assistants ($14.26), and home health aides ($12.15). More than one-third (35 percent) of those working in residential or nursing care facilities would see their pay increase, in addition to home health aides and other health care support workers. One in three retailsector workers (36 percent) would get a raise, including 42 percent of grocery store workers. More than four in 10 (43 percent) janitors, housekeepers, and other cleaning workers would benefit. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of servers, cooks, and other food preparation workers would see their earnings rise by $5,800 on a year-round basis. Ten million workers in health care, education, construction, and manufacturing would see a raise— representing nearly one-third (31 percent) of the workers who would see a raise. Growing numbers of business owners and organizations have backed a $15 minimum wage. In states that have already approved $15 minimum wages, business organizations representing thousands of small businesses have endorsed a $15 minimum wage. Business groups that have supported a $15 minimum wage include Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, the American Sustainable Business Council, the Patriotic Millionaires, the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, and the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce. Growing numbers of employers have responded to pressure from workers and raised their starting pay scales to $15 or higher. These include retail giants Amazon, Whole Foods (owned by Amazon), Target, Walmart, Wayfair, Costco, Hobby Lobby, and Best Buy. 

Full-Time, Year-Round Workers

2010 $43,347 $56,347 2011 $42,284 $54,911 2012 $42,158 $55,106 2013 $43,044 $55,000 2014 $42,829 $54,462 2015 $43,965 $55,263 2016 $44,270 $55,015 2017 $44,449 $54,427 2018 $45,914 $56,293 2019 $47,299 $57,456

Source: The Gender Wage Ratio and Real Earnings, 1960-2019, Full-Time Workers, IWPR, SAME GAP, DIFFERENT YEAR, The Gender Wage Gap: 2019, Earnings Differences by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity

The most significant changes have been influenced by those who lead by example. In the STEM education community, those influencers come in the form of our volunteers who dedicate their time to showcasing the many STEM careers and opportunities available. For some, the spark to pursue a STEM career begins with watching a plane or rocket soaring through the sky. For others, it starts by witnessing someone who looks like them making the impossible possible. We caught up with three past Women of Color honorees, all Community Service Award winners in their respective industries. We asked them how they began giving back in their communities, memorable moments they witnessed, the impact of their work, how future leaders can become involved in their communities, and what volunteering looks like in a COVID-19 pandemic world.

Systems Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics / Lockheed Martin Corporation Demetria Hall is a systems engineer for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and was on the design team that built the F-35 jet fighter currently flying for our military. Her primary role was working on the Wind Tunnel Research and Development team. Hall is very passionate about exposing students to engineering and now leads a diverse group of volunteer engineers that promote STEM at local schools and national events.

Hall’s journey to volunteerism began in college when she joined the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, which at the time required a lifetime commitment and oath to public service. Through this organization, she participated in youth programs to help students shape their future and career choices. During her work, she discovered that many of the students did not know about engineering. She saw an opportunity to be a role model and mentor for them and to get them excited about a possible future in engineering and STEM. Currently, Hall is an active member of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics NSBE Professionals. She serves on the executive board, focusing on the Pre-College Initiative (PCI) Committee, and helps lead the College Prep Day, impacting over 400 area high school students. Additionally, she leads a project called Flight Simulation & STEM. This program takes F-35 simulators and other STEM activities to local schools to get students excited about learning a hands-on approach to engineering while showcasing what Lockheed Martin Corporation does. “I ended up taking over the program about five years ago,” recalls Hall. “The project grew so much it eventually became an official project for Lockheed Martin. This program partners with internal partner organizations and brings hands-on STEM activities, workshops, and financial aid and scholarships to local high school students.”

The Flight Simulation team also partners with SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers). Hall is a member of the Trinity (TX) Chapter of The Links,