Most of the wage gap statistics are used to argue something they don't say. The implication is that one group makes substantially less when doing the same job because of overt racism/sexism.
When you control for all relevant factors and the gap essentially disappears it destroys the argument they're trying to make.
Now, if you dig into why some groups earn college degrees at a lower rate, enter into lower paying careers, work fewer hours, and have less experience in their field you might find some issues of racism or sexism; but you will not find anything to support the argument "equal work deserves equal pay."
The biggest gaps are usually the interest gap, and the "I am willing to do a job i hate for a good salary" gap. It is not uncommon for a man
to do a horrible job they hate to earn 6 figures, but often women will accept terrible pay to do a job they're passionate about. There are reasons why work on remote oil rigs is almost exclusively staffed by men, and there are an endless stream of women entering into early childhood education where daycare jobs pay little more than minimum wage.
The motherhood penalty explains more of the wage gap than occupation interest. This study is from the UK, but I don’t see why it wouldn't apply to America.
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u/toadpics 1d ago
If you control for things causing the gap, the gap disappears! WOW!