The gender wage gap is not a new phenomenon, nor is it occurring in any one isolated area of the United States.

That being said, how often do we actually stop to learn more about how it functions at home and in our own communities? After all, the gender wage gap is not some unfortunate thing that is happening somewhere else. It’s happening right here, right now.

So, what does that mean for us?

A Focus on Floridian Finances

While it is not as bad here as it is in some other states, here in Florida, the wage gap isn’t all sunny-side up.

“In 2019, Florida women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $759, or 85.1 percent of the $892 median usual weekly earnings of their male counterparts,” as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

That is to say, wages are still not equal. But let’s narrow the scope a little more.

According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, women of color face even greater wage disparities in the Sunshine State. Where white, non-Hispanic women make $11,186 less per year on average in comparison to men…

• Asian American women are paid $12,067 less per year on average
• Black women are paid $16,919 less per year on average
• Latina women are paid $18,057 less per year on average

And that’s only some of the minority populations.

Just Doing the Math in Jacksonville

Mad Men Marketing is headquartered in Jacksonville, FL, which is why we wanted to take a moment to focus on our own general metro area.

And statistics published by the Pew Research Center show that the gender wage gap in Jacksonville only widens with age:

• Female employees in Jacksonville between the ages of 16 and 29 “earned 94% of what men their age earned in 2019.”
• Female employees in Jacksonville between the ages of 30 and 49 “earned 82% of what men  their age earned in 2019.”
• Female employees in Jacksonville over the age of 50 “earned 73% of what men their age earned in 2019.”

But that’s not all.

Women in Jacksonville don’t only earn less than their male colleagues, but they also make less than the national average wage overall, thereby putting them at an even greater financial disadvantage.

“Workers in the Jacksonville, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area had an average (mean) hourly wage of $24.96 in May 2021, about 11 percent below the nationwide average of $28.01,” the BLS reported in 2021. “After testing for statistical significance, wages in the local area were lower than their respective national averages in 20 of the 22 major occupational groups.”

S.H.E. Matters in the Sunshine State

So, how can we work harder to close the gap here in our own home? Well, there’s no one simple answer.

That being said, the Center for American Progress (CAP) argues that “in order to advance economic security for women and families in Florida, policymakers should prioritize policies that ensure economic equality and health care access for all.”

But what do you think? And have you personally witnessed or experienced these financial obstacles yourself? If you have further thoughts, questions, or suggestions on this topic, we’d love to hear from you!

Please reach out to us or visit our S.H.E. Matters page to send in a submission for our review, and stay tuned here for more information!