REVEALED: The US States With The Largest And Smallest Gender Pay Gap – And The Unlikely Place Where Women Are Paid The Most With An Average Weekly Salary Of $1,565

The US states with the largest and smallest gender pay gap have been revealed, along with the states where women earn the most in the country.

Census Bureau figures revealed a total of nine different categories that measure how women fare in the workplace — including which states offer the highest salaries and most opportunities for women.

According to Census figures, Rhode Island has the best gender pay gap in the country, with women earning an average of 92 percent of what a man earns. This is followed by Delaware, where women are paid 91 percent, Wisconsin where they are paid 89 percent, and Nevada and Kentucky where the average is 88 percent.

The last-placed states for pay equality were Utah and Wyoming, where women earn an average of 75 percent of what men earn, followed by Michigan, New Hampshire and West Virginia, where women earn 76 percent.

At the national level, the gender pay gap will shrink to its lowest level ever by 2023. dollars in 1979 – when the agency first started tracking the data.

The Census Bureau divided its study by state into nine categories, including the wage gap rate, the change in the wage gap from 2016-2021, the number of women employed and income per week.

It also tracked the rate of pay increases from 2016-2021, the change in earnings per week from 2016-2021, the percentage share of women in all jobs, women’s job growth from 2016-2021, and women’s versus men’s pay increases.

In terms of weekly earnings, Washington DC actually topped every state in the union with women taking home an average of $1,565 per week. The District of Columbia also had the highest percentage of female jobs at 50 percent. Massachusetts ($1,157) and Maryland ($1,134) led among the de facto states.

The lowest-earning state for women per week was Mississippi at $722, then Oklahoma at $738, and South Carolina and West Virginia at $756, well below the national average of $912.

Surprisingly, some states with progressive political leaders were on the lower end of closing the wage gap.

California women under high-profile Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom rank only ninth in weekly earnings ($1,020), while New Jersey women under Phil Murphy ranked 39th in the gender pay gap (women earn 80 percent of what men earn), but fifth overall for weekly pay ($1,075). The Golden State also employed the most women: 5.6 million in 2021.

Despite having the collectively largest wage gap, Utah saw the highest female job growth from 2016 to 2021 at 23 percent, followed by Arizona at 18 percent and Idaho at 17 percent.

In Republican-led Florida, women earn 86 percent of what men earn, ranking 14th. But the state’s median weekly earnings for women is $818, ranking the state 39th nationally.

Similarly, women in Texas make up 86 percent of men, but take home just $869 a week, ranking only 26th.

In terms of weekly earnings, Washington DC actually topped every state in the union with women taking home an average of $1,565 per week. Massachusetts ($1,157) and Maryland ($1,134) led among the de facto states

Between 2016 and 2021 — when the Census Bureau tracked its data — Wisconsin narrowed its gender pay gap by 11 percent — more than any other state.

The fewest contractions came in New Mexico, where the gap even widened by seven points.

In all 50 states, women received pay increases in the past five years, with women’s salaries in D.C. increasing 40 percent from 2016. The lowest were West Virginia and South Carolina at 10 percent.

Wisconsin led the nation in women increasing their pay relative to men over the past five years, with men getting higher pay raises by 16 percentage points. New Mexico finished last, trailing by 10 points.

Finally, the Census Bureau ranked each state by combining all nine categories to find the best state for gender pay gap performance.

Connecticut, Washington, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Nevada were considered the top five states, averaging nine different categories, including pay gap rate, number of women employed, and total wages.

The bottom five consisted of Alaska, New Mexico, Indiana, West Virginia and Minnesota, according to the OC Sign in.

The numbers come at the end of a period in which women have closed the gender pay gap more than ever, reportedly driven by several factors, including women with older children and more women entering historically male-dominated fields.

Researchers added that the shift to working from home – sparked by the pandemic – has also empowered women to excel in the workplace.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the gender pay gap in America has shrunk to its lowest level ever

The trend is reportedly driven by several factors, including women delaying having children and more women entering historically male-dominated fields

Overall, federal data shows that the pay gap has shrunk by 22 percent since 1979, with the average American woman now earning $1,001 a week, compared to $1,185 for men.

Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, shared CBS news: ‘Women get more education and have children later, so they focus more on their careers.

“Norms are changing, more fathers are participating in childcare and women are increasingly entering male-dominated fields such as construction and computer-related fields.”

She added that the shift to working from home had made it easier for female workers to hold high-performance positions while balancing their childcare duties.

In addition, female-heavy careers, such as nursing, pharmaceutical and health care managers, had seen pay increases in recent years, Pollak said.

Separately, Ruth Thomas, a pay equity analyst at PayScale, said women’s wages have been bolstered by new transparency laws in some states that mandate full pay ranges in job descriptions.

Such laws have been passed in a minority of states – including California, Colorado, Connecticut and New York – although many more are considering them.

told Thomas CNBC“By requiring disclosures upfront, women can know whether or not a job offer is fair, and they can target workplaces that truly support equal pay.”

She added: “We are making slow progress on pay transparency and childcare, but what else needs to be resolved to close the pay gap? That’s the point employers seem to struggle with.’

The data goes against predictions of a so-called “she-cession” that were widespread during the pandemic.

Women lost their jobs en masse at the start of the lockdown, largely because they worked in industries hardest hit by restrictions, such as hospitality and retail.

And the sudden closure of childcare facilities meant that some women were forced to give up their jobs to care for their children.

Women lost their jobs en masse at the start of the pandemic, but figures show that they recovered quickly from the crisis

In November 2020, women had 5.3 million fewer jobs than before the pandemic broke out in February of the same year.

But this is widely seen as a short-term phenomenon – with women’s employment quickly picking up again.

In June this year, according to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the labor force participation of women in their best working years – between 25 and 54 – was the highest ever recorded.

It comes after it was revealed that US wages across the board are finally starting to outpace inflation.

Average U.S. hourly wages shot up 1.2 percent in the year to June, when the numbers are adjusted for inflation.

The labor market has also remained extremely strong – despite broader economic tensions such as rampant inflation and continued rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

In early July, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell to a two-month low of 228,000.

Meanwhile, new jobless claims fell by 9,000 from 237,000 the previous week.

Some 1.7 million new jobs were added in the first half of the year.