Womenstake

Now Will You PLEASE Pass an Adequate Jobs Bill and Jobless Aid Extensions??

by Valerie Norton, Public Policy Fellow,
National Women's Law Center

As if we needed any more evidence of the continuing economic crisis and slow recovery, today’s unemployment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics further illustrates the persistent difficulties facing families and the absolute necessity of Senate action on economic recovery legislation.

In June, the economy shed 125,000 jobs—mostly driven by the loss of temporary Census jobs—and the overall unemployment rate declined from 9.7 percent to 9.5 percent. Similarly, unemployment for women declined from 8.1 percent to 7.8 percent. However, the declines in both unemployment rates are a result of an increase in the number of people exiting the labor force rather than an increase in the number of people with jobs. The number of people who exited the labor force increased by roughly 842,000 last month, and 61 percent of them were women. Unemployment among women who head families rose from 11.6 percent to 12.1 percent, edging above 12 percent for the first time in five months. 14.6 million Americans remain unemployed, 45.5 percent of whom have been unemployed for six months or more.

There simply aren’t enough jobs available or being created for a sustained economic recovery, and families continue to suffer. Because a minority of Senators continues to block unemployment benefit extensions, over 2 million long-term jobless workers will have lost these vital benefits by the time Congress returns from recess, and 3.23 million will have by the end of July. Never before has Congress cut off benefits when unemployment was so high.

Senate Committee on Aging Turns Its Attention to Lifetime Income

By Jessica Heaven, Fellow,
National Women’s Law Center

On Wednesday, Senator Kohl and the Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing to gather information about how the federal government can help to ensure that retirees’ savings last as long as retirees do.  As we’ve noted before, women are less likely to be financially secure in retirement than men are, in part because women earn less over their lifetimes and therefore save less, and in part because women live longer and therefore need their smaller pots of retirement savings to stretch out over more years.

Social Security is a critical resource for many women. It provides benefits that can’t be outlived and are adjusted annually for inflation. For nearly half of single women 65 and older, Social Security provides nearly all (90 percent or more) of their retirement income. But Social Security benefits are modest, and traditional pensions—which provide income for life—are disappearing fast. To achieve an adequate retirement income, private savings, often accumulated through employer-sponsored retirement plans such as 401(k)s, must make up the difference. 

The ABCs of This Economy: Able Bodied and Child Careless

by Helen Blank, Director, Leadership and Public Policy, 
National Women's Law Center 

It is a simple message: if there is no one to care for their children, parents cannot go to work. A New York Times article recently highlighted the difficult choice many mothers in America are facing. As the recession persists and states make steep budget cuts, child care assistance programs may be among the many crucial programs affected.

Without help in paying for child care, many women—ready and very willing to work—may have no choice but to turn to welfare. Yet welfare is not always a viable option either, given that changes made to the welfare program in 1996 set a lifetime limit of five years for welfare. Those 1996 welfare changes also came with a promise that if women tried to move from welfare to work, they would receive the supports, including child care, they needed to achieve that goal. This promise remains unfulfilled for many women. For those lucky to have found jobs, their paychecks are often smaller than their child care bills. And with states pulling back funding, it is a frightening financial lottery for families needing help with their child care costs.

President Calls on Senate to Update Fair Pay Laws

By Naeema Hernandez, Intern,
National Women's Law Center

Yesterday, June 10, 2010, the National Women’s Law Center celebrated the 47th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act. In doing so, it’s important that we also recognize the many obstacles that continue to hinder equal pay for women. The Equal Pay Act prohibits discrimination based on sex in the payment of wages by employers. Although enforcement of the Equal Pay Act has helped to narrow the wage gap, women on average still earn less than men. Today, the average women is paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to men.

It is in our country’s interest that women and men have the opportunity to achieve financial security. Closing the wage gap would significantly improve families’ finances given the importance of women’s earnings to family economic security; especially in the difficult economic climate that we are facing today.

Yesterday, President Obama recognized that more work needs to be done to eliminate sex discrimination in the workplace. Specifically, in his Statement on the Anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, the President voiced the Administration’s continued commitment to closing the wage gap between men and women and discussed recent efforts targeted to eliminate sex discrimination. He importantly called on the Senate to "modernize and strengthen the Equal Pay Act by closing loopholes, providing incentives for compliance, and barring certain types of retaliation against workers by employers." The Paycheck Fairness Act would do all of those things.  Time for the Senate to move!

Happy Anniversary, Equal Pay Act! Our Gift to You? Paycheck Fairness!

by Val Vilott, Outreach Associate
National Women’s Law Center

On June 10, 1963, Congress passed the Equal Pay Act. At the time, women made just 59 cents to every dollar a man made.

Exactly 47 seven years later, wage discrimination persists, with women making only 77 cents to every dollar a man makes. Now Congress has it in their power to give the Equal Pay Act, and women everywhere, a really great anniversary gift: paycheck fairness!

Passed by the House last year, the Paycheck Fairness Act would deter wage discrimination by closing loopholes in the Equal Pay Act and bar retaliation against workers who disclose their wages to coworkers. The Paycheck Fairness Act is in the Senate’s court now, and we need your help. Tell your Senators that the time has come to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and to finally end wage discrimination against women.

A few weeks ago, we asked you to imagine what a world without the $10,622 disparity in median annual earnings between women and men would look like. Check out our photo slideshow showcasing what a difference that extra money could make!

Give the Public What it Wants—Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act

by Fatima Goss Graves, Vice President for Education and Employment,
National Women's Law Center

President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law on June 10, 1963, making it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who perform substantially equal work. At the time, women made only 59 cents on the dollar. 47 years later, the wage gap persists—women make only 77 cents for every dollar made by men, and for women of color, the numbers are even worse. The persistent wage gap, coupled with the egregious conduct highlighted by recent high profile law suits, make clear that the current laws to prevent discrimination in the workplace are not up to adequately addressing pay discrimination.

Turns out, the public agrees. 

In a nationwide poll released today, 84 percent said they supported "a new law that would provide women more tools to get fair pay in the workplace." Participants were told that the "law will also make it harder for employers to justify paying different wages for the same work and ensure that businesses that break the law compensate women fairly." And 72 percent of respondents strongly supported such a law.

New Data Show Senate Must Act to Protect Jobs for Women (Not Tax Loopholes for Investment Managers)

by Joan Entmacher, Vice President for Family Economic Security,
National Women's Law Center

Today’s data on the employment situation show the urgent need for the Senate to act quickly on jobs legislation.

In May, fifteen million Americans were unemployed, including 6.8 million who have been unemployed for six months or more. The overall unemployment rate was 9.7 percent—and unemployment rates were even higher for several groups of women. Unemployment among women who head families was 11.6 percent; among Black women, 12.4 percent; and among Hispanic women, 10.3 percent.

The economy added 431,000 jobs in May—but 411,000 of those jobs were temporary Census jobs. There was a small increase in private sector employment—41,000—but in the women-dominated state and local government sector, 22,000 jobs were lost. With many states in economic crisis and Recovery Act funding set to expire, many more jobs will lost—unless Congress acts.

Barb the Builder

by Jesse Krohn, Intern,
National Women's Law Center

Yesterday the Washington Post ran an article about women in a construction training program. The women featured came to the construction class from traditionally "female" occupations, mostly domestic and caregiving work, because they knew that electricians, carpenters, plumbers and builders make significantly higher wages than medical assistants and hairdressers. The women featured in the article quickly realized that they could learn to excel in non-traditional fields, underscoring the fact that the constant rhetoric that construction is "men’s work," that women aren't strong enough or are inherently unable to do the job is just puffery that keeps women in lower-paying, "pink collar" jobs. 

Looking Back on Ledbetter, Looking Ahead

by Jesse Krohn, Intern,
National Women's Law Center

It’s been three years since the Supreme Court handed down the Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. decision, which held that employers cannot be sued under Title VII for race or gender pay discrimination if the claims are based on decisions made by the employer 180 days or more in the past. The decision made it extremely difficult for plaintiffs to bring pay discrimination claims at all, as pay discrimination is rarely immediately obvious. Often the discrepancies start small and incrementally expand, and it’s unusual for employees to know how their compensation compares to that of their colleagues.

It’s been a year and a half since President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law, restoring the law to where it was before the Ledbetter decision and making it so that every discriminatory paycheck a plaintiff receives opens a 180-day window, not just the original decision to discriminate. The effect of the Ledbetter Act has been meaningful:  Many workers whose claims were dismissed after the Ledbetter decision have had them restored and gone on to recover. You can read more about the implementation of the Ledbetter act here. But the Ledbetter Act only put us right where we were three years ago. It’s time to move forward.

Congress Leaves for Memorial Day without Getting Help to Families and States in Crisis

by Joan Entmacher, Vice President for Family Economic Security,
National Women's Law Center

The House just passed a bill that’s still called “The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act.” But, with Blue Dog Democrats threatening to join House Republicans in voting against the stronger bill we urged the House to pass at the beginning of the week, some critical provisions to protect jobs and vital services were dropped. And the Senate has left town without taking up the bill ― so unemployment insurance benefits will expire ― again.

The House bill does extend enhanced unemployment benefits for long-term jobless workers, at least through November. It also extends funding for the TANF Emergency Fund, which states are using to create jobs and help families in crisis, and provides funding for summer jobs.

But additional Medicaid assistance to states ― urgently needed to protect health care services for low-income women and their families and ease the pressure on state budgets, preserving jobs and other vital services ― was dropped. Funding to extend COBRA subsidies to help workers who lose their jobs hang on to health care coverage was eliminated.