Schakowsky Statement on Equal Pay Day 2018

Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky issued the following statement to mark Equal Pay Day and bring attention to the stark gender pay gap that exists in the United States today. Equal Pay Day marks the date on which the average woman finally earns the same yearly salary as her male counterpart:

“More than three months into 2018, the average American woman is finally catching up to the average American man’s wages from 2017. For African American women, Equal Pay Day will not come until August of this year and for Latinas it will be in November. The gender pay gap in our country is completely unacceptable but, unless we act now, it won’t go away anytime soon. At the rate we’re going, American women will continue to under-earn men for another 100 years. That is a disaster for America’s women, families, and our economy. Equal pay can’t wait another day.

“Last year on Equal Pay Day, Democrats in the House and Senate rallied around the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would build on the progress of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to remedy many of the discriminatory practices that employers use to pay women less. A year has passed, and yet the Republican Congress has remained silent in the face of this crisis. American women, their families, and our economy deserve a better deal.

“Simply put, when working women earn the good wages they deserve, America moves forward. Let’s work to ensure a future in which our daughters won’t have to recognize Equal Pay Day.”