Economic Impact of Equal Pay for Single Women without Children

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 Women (in billions)

United States

11.3%

4.9%

-56.7%

$39,495

$45,741

$6,246

15.8%

$95.2

Alabama

11.7%

4.5%

-61.8%

$34,023

$40,340

$6,317

18.6%

$1.0

Alaska

9.9%

2.3%

-77.1%

$37,442

$45,955

$8,512

22.7%

$0.3

Arizona

15.9%

6.5%

-59.0%

$36,640

$42,958

$6,318

17.2%

$2.1

Arkansas

18.6%

10.2%

-45.1%

$34,863

$40,360

$5,497

15.8%

$0.6

California

11.2%

4.5%

-59.6%

$44,471

$50,488

$6,016

13.5%

$10.1

Colorado

9.2%

3.5%

-62.4%

$39,954

$46,317

$6,363

15.9%

$2.0

Connecticut

6.0%

1.0%

-83.8%

$47,209

$53,894

$6,685

14.2%

$1.1

Delaware

9.0%

3.2%

-64.8%

$41,094

$47,937

$6,842

16.7%

$0.3

District of Columbia

4.1%

1.4%

-65.3%

$62,242

$69,501

$7,259

11.7%

$0.7

Florida

10.3%

4.5%

-55.9%

$40,324

$45,484

$5,160

12.8%

$5.1

Georgia

13.0%

6.1%

-53.0%

$37,013

$43,588

$6,575

17.8%

$3.0

Hawaii

5.6%

0.8%

-85.4%

$40,987

$44,828

$3,841

9.4%

$0.2

Idaho

20.6%

11.0%

-46.3%

$32,892

$38,274

$5,382

16.4%

$0.4

Illinois

11.2%

5.3%

-52.5%

$38,730

$45,062

$6,331

16.3%

$4.3

Indiana

11.6%

6.9%

-40.4%

$32,082

$38,031

$5,949

18.5%

$1.7

Iowa

14.3%

6.5%

-54.6%

$30,969

$36,440

$5,470

17.7%

$1.0

Kansas

12.5%

6.5%

-47.5%

$31,103

$38,686

$7,583

24.4%

$1.1

Kentucky

13.4%

5.5%

-59.1%

$34,400

$39,530

$5,130

14.9%

$1.1

Louisiana

10.6%

4.4%

-58.0%

$32,334

$39,587

$7,253

22.4%

$1.7

Maine

12.4%

5.2%

-58.2%

$33,638

$38,812

$5,174

15.4%

$0.5

Maryland

5.7%

2.1%

-62.6%

$48,056

$55,371

$7,315

15.2%

$2.1

Massachusetts

13.4%

5.7%

-57.7%

$43,449

$51,275

$7,826

18.0%

$3.0

Michigan

15.1%

7.3%

-51.9%

$33,867

$40,320

$6,452

19.1%

$3.2

Minnesota

11.4%

4.9%

-56.5%

$35,034

$42,254

$7,220

20.6%

$2.4

Mississippi

10.8%

3.8%

-64.6%

$37,604

$43,513

$5,909

15.7%

$0.5

Missouri

15.1%

5.5%

-63.9%

$33,889

$39,700

$5,811

17.1%

$1.7

Montana

12.9%

6.8%

-47.7%

$29,897

$33,711

$3,813

12.8%

$0.2

Nebraska

12.9%

5.2%

-59.7%

$33,608

$37,916

$4,309

12.8%

$0.5

Nevada

7.6%

4.0%

-47.1%

$43,185

$47,662

$4,476

10.4%

$0.6

New Hampshire

7.9%

2.8%

-64.4%

$37,622

$44,412

$6,790

18.0%

$0.5

New Jersey

8.1%

4.4%

-45.5%

$43,388

$51,508

$8,120

18.7%

$2.8

New Mexico

21.5%

7.3%

-66.2%

$31,358

$36,960

$5,602

17.9%

$0.5

New York

9.1%

3.9%

-57.0%

$47,906

$53,489

$5,583

11.7%

$5.7

North Carolina

12.0%

5.7%

-52.6%

$32,401

$37,639

$5,238

16.2%

$2.4

North Dakota

10.7%

3.6%

-66.6%

$33,593

$40,252

$6,659

19.8%

$0.3

Ohio

12.9%

5.4%

-58.4%

$31,852

$38,719

$6,867

21.6%

$4.0

Oklahoma

10.6%

2.0%

-81.5%

$34,864

$41,744

$6,880

19.7%

$1.2

Oregon

13.4%

4.9%

-63.4%

$37,760

$44,639

$6,879

18.2%

$1.3

Pennsylvania

10.7%

5.3%

-50.7%

$38,248

$44,027

$5,779

15.1%

$3.7

Rhode Island

7.2%

2.7%

-63.2%

$51,200

$57,940

$6,740

13.2%

$0.4

South Carolina

9.8%

6.5%

-34.0%

$35,775

$41,683

$5,908

16.5%

$1.2

South Dakota

14.0%

6.2%

-56.0%

$29,415

$35,458

$6,043

20.5%

$0.3

Tennessee

12.4%

5.3%

-57.0%

$34,560

$40,498

$5,938

17.2%

$2.0

Texas

12.0%

4.9%

-59.2%

$42,875

$49,074

$6,199

14.5%

$7.1

Utah

11.8%

3.4%

-70.8%

$37,913

$42,508

$4,595

12.1%

$0.4

Vermont

7.4%

2.6%

-65.0%

$36,819

$42,497

$5,679

15.4%

$0.2

Virginia

10.0%

4.5%

-55.3%

$47,668

$54,945

$7,277

15.3%

$3.1

Washington

7.4%

2.6%

-65.5%

$43,426

$51,506

$8,079

18.6%

$3.3

West Virginia

11.1%

5.2%

-53.0%

$26,536

$33,360

$6,823

25.7%

$0.5

Wisconsin

10.8%

5.4%

-50.4%

$33,865

$40,043

$6,178

18.2%

$1.9

Wyoming

15.7%

5.4%

-65.4%

$28,566

$38,318

$9,751

34.1%

$0.3

*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.*Percent earnings increase compared to earnings before the adjustment due to equal pay.