A new report about the gender pay gap shows women in Montana continue to earn less than their male peers for comparable work.
The survey released Tuesday by the American Association of University Women shows women in Montana make 78 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earn - ranking 32nd among the states.
Deborah Vagins is an author on the annual Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap report. She calls the wage gap, which nationally hangs at a 20 percent difference between men and women, pernicious and ongoing.
"Sadly the wage gap has closed less than a nickel in the 21st century, so it's not moving fast enough by any means," Vagins says.
She says women face a range of discriminatory pay practices their male peers do not, from being passed over for promotions or pay raises due to pregnancy, to working in women-dominated fields that pay less, to hitting a pay ceiling at a new job based on their previous job’s salary. She says laws in Montana and at the federal level do little to ensure pay equity.
She says the impacts ripple out from the woman wage-earner herself to the economy as a whole.
"American women lose out on a staggering $500 billion each year because of the gender pay gap," Vagins says. "You can look at that huge number but in each family we're talking about, can you afford the rent, can you afford additional groceries, can you afford tuition. This is money that women have rightfully earned they're not getting paid. We're talking about equal pay for equal work."
The report also found that the wage gap is even wider for women of color. African American women are paid 61 cents for every dollar a man makes. Native American women: 58 cents. Latinas: 53 cents.
"Not only do women of color face a bigger pay gap than women overall or white women, the stats for women of have even grown slightly bigger," Vagins says.
In the wake of the #metoo movement and a record number of women running for elected office, Vagins is optimistic those numbers will start to even out.
When women lead, when women vote, when women are part of the process, they change the conversation, they change the policy," Vagins says. "I think that's very important."
She also points to a new online resource AAUW launched Tuesday. It’s called Work Smart.
"We are trying to train 10 million women by 2020 to negotiate their salaries," Vagins says.
A similar, in-person course will also be offered for free at Flathead Valley Community College November 15. “Start Smart” is open to men and women of any age in any profession.
