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Women make up nearly half of the U.S. labor force and are a growing number of breadwinners in their families. More women are also working in positions and fields that have been traditionally occupied by men. When women are not paid fairly, not only do they suffer, but so do their families." /> <meta property="og:description" content="President Obama and the Administration have made significant progress to bridge the gender pay gap, but there's more to be done." /> <meta name="abstract" content="See the President's daily schedule, explore behind-the-scenes photos from inside the White House, and find out all the ways you can engage with the most interactive administration in our country's history." /> <meta name="keywords" content="President,Barack Obama,White House,United States of America,44th President,White House history,President Obama,Barck,Barek,Barak,Barrack,Barrak,Obma,Barack,Equal Pay" /> <meta property="og:type" content="website" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/node/177571" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/node/177571" /> <meta name="revisit-after" content="1 day" /> <meta property="fb:admins" content="100000095507875" /> <link rel="canonical" href="//obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/issues/equal-pay" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/default/files/css_injector_13.css?b" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/default/files/css_injector_491.css?b" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/default/files/advagg_css/css_10c7f4dd913867415feb558a6d054b34_0.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="print" href="/sites/default/files/advagg_css/css_c80a7556daefa3c9ceb02da1734dbf37_0.css" />   <script type="text/javascript" src="/sites/default/files/advagg_js/js_162a13a2cf399c850981add666f0f77a_0.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Press Articles RSS" href="/feed/press" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Blog RSS" href="/feed/blog" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Photo Gallery RSS" href="/feed/media/photo-gallery" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Video RSS" href="/feed/media/video-audio" /> </head> <body id="www-whitehouse-gov" class="whitehouse not-front not-logged-in page-node node-type-page no-sidebars" >  <noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-WLMC86" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <div class="skip"><a href="#main-content">Skip to main content</a> | <a href="#sitemap">Skip to footer site map</a> </div> <header id="header" class="layout-header"> <div id="header-bar" class="header-bar"> <div id="header-region"> <div id="block-masthead-header" class=" block block-masthead block-header block-id-masthead-header clearfix odd"> <div id="masthead-header-text" class="masthead-header-text">This is historical material “frozen in time”. 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#454545 url("/sites/default/files/equalpay/equal_pay_hero_3_0.jpg") no-repeat left top; height: 421px; padding-left: 20px; width: 956px; } /* add image breadcrumb bar styles */ #subhead-wrapper, #breadcrumb-wrapper { background: url("/sites/default/files/equalpay/equal_pay_breadcrumb_2.jpg") no-repeat scroll left top transparent !important; height: 24px; margin: 0; padding: 10px 13px; } #breadcrumb a{ color: #fff; } #breadcrumb { color: #fff !important; } .banner-title { color: #fff; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 45px; margin-left: 315px; text-shadow: 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3); padding-top: 15px; } .banner-title-bottom { color: #fff; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 72px; margin-top: -50px; margin-left: 315px; text-shadow: 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3); } .banner-text { font-family: helvetica, arial, serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; color: #fff; letter-spacing: .1em; margin-top: -8px; text-shadow: 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3); } .attribution { font-size: 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ul#submenu li { float: none; background: none; text-align: left; margin: 0.5em; } .mobile_page_content .header-tabs ul#submenu { margin: 0px } .mobile_page_content .header-tabs ul#submenu a { color: #336699; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px; } .mobile_page_content .header-tabs ul#submenu a:hover { background: none; } .mobile_page_content .header-tabs ul#submenu li.active a { color: #336699; } .mobile_page_content .header-tabs ul#submenu li.active a:hover { background: none; color: #336699; } </style><div class="head-wrap mobile-hide"> <p class="banner-title">YOUR RIGHT TO</p> <p class="banner-title-bottom">EQUAL PAY</p> </div> <div class="header-tabs"> <ul class="clearfix" id="submenu"> <li id="htab1"> <a href="/issues/equal-pay#top">Understanding the Basics</a></li> <li id="htab2"> <a href="/issues/equal-pay/rights#top">Know Your Rights</a></li> <li id="htab3"> <a href="/issues/equal-pay/resources#top">Get the Resources</a></li> <li id="htab4"> <a href="/issues/equal-pay/action#top">Take Action</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="content"> <h1 property="dc:title">Understand the Basics</h1> <p style="margin-top:-125px"><a name="top"></a></p> <p style="margin-bottom:135px"> </p> <div class="content-wrap"> <p class="lr-quote">Equal pay is a family issue. Women make up nearly half of the U.S. labor force and are a growing number of breadwinners in their families. More women are also working in positions and fields that have been traditionally occupied by men. When women are not paid fairly, not only do they suffer, but so do their families.</p> <hr /> <p>Despite passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which requires that men and women in the same work place be given equal pay for equal work, the "gender gap" in pay persists. <a alt="78 to every dollar graphic" href="/equal-pay/myth#top">In 2014, the typical woman working full-time all year in the United States earned only 79 percent of what the typical man earned working full-time all year. Phrased differently, she earned 79 cents for every dollar that he earned.</a> The pay gap is even greater for African-American and Latina women, with African-American women earning 64 cents and Latina women earning 56 cents for every dollar earned by a white non-Hispanic man. Decades of research shows that no matter how you evaluate the data, there remains a pay gap — even after factoring in the kind of work people do, or qualifications such as education and experience — and there is good evidence that discrimination contributes to the persistent pay disparity between men and women. In other words, pay discrimination is a real and persistent problem that continues to shortchange American women and their families.</p> <h2> Under the President’s leadership, this Administration has made significant progress to bridge the gender pay gap:</h2> <div class="clearfix"> <div class="grid-13"> <p style="margin-bottom: -15px; margin-top:10px;"><a href="/the-press-office/remarks-president-barack-obama-lilly-ledbetter-fair-pay-restoration-act-bill-signin"><img src="/sites/default/files/equalpay/lilly_ledbetter_image.jpg" /></a></p> <h2> <a href="/the-press-office/remarks-president-barack-obama-lilly-ledbetter-fair-pay-restoration-act-bill-signin">Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act</a></h2> <p>The very first bill that President Obama signed into law was the <a href="/the-press-office/remarks-president-barack-obama-lilly-ledbetter-fair-pay-restoration-act-bill-signin">Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act</a>, which extended the time period in which claimants can bring pay discrimination claims, enabling countless victims of pay discrimination to seek redress where they otherwise could not.</p> </div> <div class="grid-13"> <p style="margin-bottom: -15px; margin-top:10px;"><a href="/sites/default/files/equalpay/equal_pay_task_force_progress_report_june_2013_new.pdf"><img src="/sites/default/files/equalpay/task_force_image.jpg" /></a></p> <h2> <a href="/sites/default/files/equalpay/equal_pay_task_force_progress_report_june_2013_new.pdf">Equal Pay Task Force</a></h2> <p>In 2010, the President pledged to crack down on violations of equal pay laws and, that same year, established the National Equal Pay Task Force. The Task Force, which consists of professionals at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor and the Office of Personnel Management, has improved enforcement of equal pay laws and promoted efficiency and efficacy by enhancing federal interagency collaboration. To learn more about the Task Force's work, see <a href="/sites/default/files/equalpay/equal_pay_task_force_progress_report_june_2013_new.pdf">the report</a>.</p> </div> <div class="grid-13"> <p style="margin-bottom: -15px; margin-top:10px;"><a href="/issues/equal-pay/app-challenge"><img src="/sites/default/files/equalpay/app_challenge_image.jpg" /></a></p> <h2> <a href="/issues/equal-pay/app-challenge">Equal Pay App Challenge</a></h2> <p>In April of 2012, the Department of Labor announced the winners of the "<a href="http://social.dol.gov/blog/winning-apps-to-close-the-pay-gap/">Equal Pay App Challenge</a>." The Department of Labor, in conjunction with the Equal Pay Task Force, launched this challenge – inviting software developers to use publicly available data and resources to create applications that provide greater access to pay data organized by gender, race, and ethnicity; provide interactive tools for early career coaching or online mentoring; or provide data to help inform pay negotiations. </p> </div> <div class="grid-39"> <p style="margin-bottom: -15px; margin-top:10px;"> </p> <h2> <a href="/blog/2014/04/08/taking-action-honor-national-equal-pay-day">Executive Actions</a></h2> <p>In April of 2014, President Obama signed an <a href="/the-press-office/2014/04/08/executive-order-non-retaliation-disclosure-compensation-information">Executive Order</a> to prevent workplace discrimination and empower workers to take control over negotiations regarding their pay. In addition, he signed a <a href="/the-press-office/2014/04/08/presidential-memorandum-advancing-pay-equality-through-compensation-data">Presidential Memorandum</a> directing the Secretary of Labor to require federal contractors to submit data on employee compensation by race and gender, helping employers take proactive efforts to ensure fair pay for their employees.</p> </div> </div> <hr /> <p>Want to learn more about your right to equal pay and how to exercise it, and what the Administration is doing to close the gender wage gap? <a href="/issues/equal-pay/resources">Check out these resources...</a></p> </div> <hr /> <div id="wh_addthis_output" style="margin-bottom: 20px"> <div id="addthis-container"> <div id="addthis-twitter">  </div> <div id="addthis-share">  </div> <div id="addthis-plus">  </div> </div> </div> <div class="hub-footer-embed-wrap clearfix"> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> $(function(){ $('#htab1').addClass('active'); }); </script> </div> <div id="right-rail"> <div class="cp_tile "> <div id="block-nodeblock-218726" class="clear-block block block-nodeblock "> <div class="content"><div class="equal-pay-cards clearfix"> <h2 class="title" style="margin-top:20px;">Read the April 2015 Report</h2> <hr /> <p style="margin-top:5px;"> <a href="/sites/default/files/docs/equal_pay_issue_brief_final.pdf"><img src="/sites/default/files/image/image_file/ep_june_taskforce_report.jpg" /></a> </p> </div> <style type="text/css"> #right-rail .equal-pay-cards h2 { color: #880000; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-size: .917em; letter-spacing: 0.15em; margin: 15px 0 15px 0; text-indent: 0px; } .equal-pay-cards { width: 244px; } .equal-pay-cards a { float: left; } </style></div> </div> <div id="block-nodeblock-211371" class="clear-block block block-nodeblock "> <div class="content"><div class="equal-pay-cards clearfix"> <h2 class="title" style="margin-top:20px;">Share a Card</h2> <hr /> <p style="margin-top:5px;'> <a href="/equal-pay/career#top"><img src="/sites/default/files/equalpay/gender_gap_card.jpg"/></a> <a href="/equal-pay/children#top"><img src="/sites/default/files/equalpay/children_card.jpg"/></a>  </p> </div> <style type="text/css"> #right-rail .equal-pay-cards h2 { color: #880000; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-size: .917em; letter-spacing: 0.15em; margin: 15px 0 15px 0; text-indent: 0px; } .equal-pay-cards { width: 247px; } .equal-pay-cards a { float: left; } </style></div> </div> <div id="block-views-related_videos-block_33" class="clear-block block block-views "> <div class="content"><div class="view view-related-videos view-id-related_videos view-display-id-block_33 view-dom-id-1 section-intro clearfix"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"> <h2 class="title">Recent Video</h2> <ul class="related-content"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <div class="image"> <a href="/photos-and-video/video/2015/05/28/west-wing-week-052915-or-high-fives-everybody" class="imagecache imagecache-related_video_thumbnail imagecache-linked imagecache-related_video_thumbnail_linked"><img src="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/imagecache/related_video_thumbnail/audio-video/video_thumbnail/052915_www_v23_e6_thumbnail.jpg?itok=8x0KNchS" alt="West Wing Week: 05/29/15 or, "High Fives for Everybody!"" title="West Wing Week: 05/29/15 or, "High Fives for Everybody!"" width="264" height="148" class="imagecache imagecache-related_video_thumbnail"/></a></div> <div class="date-line">May 28, 2015 8:41 PM</div> <h3><a href="/photos-and-video/video/2015/05/28/west-wing-week-052915-or-high-fives-everybody">West Wing Week: 05/29/15 or, "High Fives for Everybody!"</a></h3></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="view-footer"> <div class="more-link"><a href="/video">See all videos</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <span style="position:absolute"><a name="sitemap"></a></span> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div id="footer" class="clearfix clear"> <div id="block-footer-iframe" class="clear-block block block-footer "> <div class="content"><iframe src="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/embeds/footer" scrolling="no" seamless="seamless"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script> <div id="block-nodeblock-93157" class="clear-block block block-nodeblock "> <div class="content"><script type="text/javascript"> $(document).ready(function(){ $('#block-wh_microsite-microsite_header #edit-submit-1').attr('src' , '/sites/default/themes/whitehouse/img/buttons/btn-search-blue.png'); $('#block-wh_microsite-microsite_header #edit-submit').attr('src' , '/sites/default/themes/whitehouse/img/buttons/btn-search-blue.png'); }); </script></div> </div> </body> </html>