Economic Impact of Equal Pay for Single Mothers

Impact on Poverty Impact on Earnings

Current Poverty Rate

Poverty Rate After Pay Adjustment

Amount the poverty rate would be reduced

Current Annual Earnings

Earnings After Pay Adjustment

Average Increase

Percent Increase*

Earnings Increase Added Up for All Working Single Mothers (in billions)

United States

29.3%

15.8%

-46.0%

$31,840

$38,436

$6,596

20.7%

$46.0

Alabama

29.9%

16.2%

-46.0%

$26,754

$32,489

$5,735

21.4%

$0.7

Alaska

25.8%

16.9%

-34.5%

$32,783

$40,347

$7,564

23.1%

$0.1

Arizona

34.5%

23.1%

-33.0%

$28,087

$33,076

$4,989

17.8%

$0.7

Arkansas

33.9%

17.9%

-47.1%

$29,382

$35,385

$6,002

20.4%

$0.5

California

28.0%

15.8%

-43.4%

$33,085

$39,722

$6,637

20.1%

$4.6

Colorado

24.7%

14.6%

-41.0%

$35,130

$41,922

$6,792

19.3%

$0.7

Connecticut

24.4%

14.6%

-40.4%

$36,855

$44,349

$7,494

20.3%

$0.5

Delaware

28.3%

12.9%

-54.4%

$32,823

$40,189

$7,366

22.4%

$0.2

District of Columbia

25.7%

17.3%

-32.8%

$33,495

$40,470

$6,975

20.8%

$0.1

Florida

23.1%

9.5%

-58.8%

$34,231

$40,197

$5,966

17.4%

$2.5

Georgia

31.5%

17.8%

-43.6%

$34,164

$40,000

$5,835

17.1%

$1.6

Hawaii

27.6%

15.7%

-43.0%

$37,596

$42,321

$4,725

12.6%

$0.1

Idaho

27.3%

13.9%

-49.2%

$30,905

$37,757

$6,852

22.2%

$0.2

Illinois

33.4%

19.1%

-42.8%

$32,494

$39,077

$6,584

20.3%

$2.0

Indiana

29.9%

19.4%

-35.2%

$30,415

$36,449

$6,034

19.8%

$1.0

Iowa

27.2%

11.6%

-57.3%

$29,138

$35,904

$6,767

23.2%

$0.5

Kansas

26.6%

18.5%

-30.4%

$27,599

$34,652

$7,053

25.6%

$0.5

Kentucky

41.5%

25.0%

-39.7%

$24,262

$29,912

$5,650

23.3%

$0.6

Louisiana

43.5%

16.8%

-61.3%

$26,966

$36,477

$9,511

35.3%

$1.3

Maine

33.0%

20.3%

-38.3%

$25,445

$32,599

$7,154

28.1%

$0.2

Maryland

14.7%

7.3%

-50.7%

$43,675

$50,457

$6,782

15.5%

$0.9

Massachusetts

24.6%

13.1%

-46.8%

$33,852

$42,283

$8,430

24.9%

$1.1

Michigan

34.7%

15.2%

-56.2%

$29,419

$35,812

$6,394

21.7%

$1.4

Minnesota

23.4%

11.1%

-52.6%

$33,002

$40,365

$7,363

22.3%

$0.8

Mississippi

38.2%

25.8%

-32.5%

$22,482

$28,382

$5,901

26.2%

$0.5

Missouri

30.9%

18.4%

-40.5%

$30,453

$36,809

$6,355

20.9%

$0.9

Montana

28.4%

17.5%

-38.3%

$27,002

$33,206

$6,204

23.0%

$0.1

Nebraska

30.7%

17.5%

-43.0%

$26,331

$31,591

$5,260

20.0%

$0.2

Nevada

30.0%

19.1%

-36.3%

$29,882

$35,057

$5,176

17.3%

$0.4

New Hampshire

21.9%

12.4%

-43.5%

$36,281

$44,768

$8,486

23.4%

$0.2

New Jersey

17.9%

8.2%

-54.3%

$39,001

$46,225

$7,224

18.5%

$1.1

New Mexico

34.8%

17.8%

-48.8%

$47,756

$54,184

$6,428

13.5%

$0.3

New York

25.3%

12.2%

-51.7%

$35,017

$41,663

$6,647

19.0%

$2.9

North Carolina

30.6%

19.4%

-36.6%

$26,845

$32,441

$5,596

20.8%

$1.5

North Dakota

21.7%

12.8%

-41.1%

$35,608

$41,377

$5,769

16.2%

$0.1

Ohio

29.1%

19.3%

-33.9%

$27,657

$33,690

$6,034

21.8%

$1.7

Oklahoma

33.7%

23.3%

-30.8%

$27,667

$33,039

$5,373

19.4%

$0.5

Oregon

29.5%

17.9%

-39.5%

$28,591

$35,714

$7,123

24.9%

$0.5

Pennsylvania

29.3%

12.2%

-58.3%

$32,004

$39,046

$7,041

22.0%

$1.8

Rhode Island

25.6%

16.1%

-37.1%

$32,095

$38,565

$6,470

20.2%

$0.2

South Carolina

24.6%

10.1%

-59.1%

$29,094

$35,483

$6,389

22.0%

$0.8

South Dakota

33.0%

19.4%

-41.2%

$32,530

$38,660

$6,130

18.8%

$0.1

Tennessee

37.3%

26.0%

-30.2%

$25,891

$30,634

$4,744

18.3%

$0.7

Texas

34.0%

15.9%

-53.3%

$28,844

$36,049

$7,205

25.0%

$4.9

Utah

27.8%

18.3%

-34.1%

$29,079

$36,350

$7,272

25.0%

$0.4

Vermont

22.3%

10.7%

-51.8%

$46,239

$52,170

$5,931

12.8%

$0.1

Virginia

15.9%

6.5%

-58.8%

$39,652

$49,238

$9,586

24.2%

$1.6

Washington

31.2%

14.6%

-53.3%

$40,860

$47,783

$6,924

16.9%

$1.0

West Virginia

30.6%

20.7%

-32.4%

$38,782

$45,572

$6,789

17.5%

$0.2

Wisconsin

34.1%

22.0%

-35.6%

$32,417

$38,550

$6,133

18.9%

$0.8

Wyoming

23.6%

10.5%

-55.4%

$32,980

$40,464

$7,485

22.7%

$0.1

*Percent earnings increase compared to earnings before the adjustment due to equal pay. Includes zeros for women who currently earn more than if they were paid the same as men. The analysis compares working women with comparable men (men who are of the same age, have the same level of education, work the same number of hours, and have the same urban/rural status).

Source: IWPR calculations based on the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic supplements based on Flood et al., 2013–2015 (for calendar years 2012–2014), Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, Version 4.0.