Imagine going to the grocery store and seeing different prices for men and women. What if there were different prices at the gas pump? Everyone would be outraged. Women continue to be underpaid in the workplace. They accomplish the same tasks, perform the same jobs, yet are not compensated the same as their male counterparts.

To attract and keep our workforce, Pennsylvania must ensure we are competitive with our neighbors. According to the US Dept. of Labor, in 2023, women in Pennsylvania were paid an average of 80.9% of what men were paid.[1] This means our Commonwealth’s pay gap trails behind not only the US average, but also behind five out of our six neighboring states.[2]

The pay gap leads to less income for women to support their families. It also means women experience higher rates of poverty, lower financial earnings over a lifetime, and less money saved for retirement than their male colleagues. If Pennsylvania’s women were given equal pay for equal work, it is projected that the number of working women and single mothers living in poverty in our Commonwealth could be reduced by nearly 40%.[3]

This legislation will prohibit employers from paying workers less because of their gender, race, or ethnicity and protect employees from retaliation in any wage discrimination matters. Additionally, the bill will curtail the practice by prospective employers of using salary history in pay-setting decisions for new employment, as this has been shown to negatively affect pay as workers move from job to job.

It’s past time that our Commonwealth ensures all Pennsylvania workers receive equal pay for equal work. I ask you to join me in co-sponsoring this legislation.

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[1] https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/data/State-Gender-Earnings-Gaps. US Dept of Labor, Women’s Bureau, State Gender Earnings Gaps data and statistics for full-time, year-round workers in Pennsylvania, 2023.
[2] https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/data/State-Gender-Earnings-Gaps. US Dept of Labor, Women’s Bureau, State Gender Earnings Gaps data and statistics for full-time, year-round workers in 2023. US 81.9%, PA 80.9%, OH 82.8%, NJ 82.7%, DE 87.0%, MD 86.0%, WV 78.2%, NY 87.4%.
[3] https://iwpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Economic-Impact-of-Equal-Pay-by-State_FINAL.pdf. Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Policy Brief #R653. Narrow the Gender Pay Gap, Reduce Poverty for Families: the Economic Impact of Equal Pay by State, May 2021.

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 0767: P.L.1913, No.694