Idaho women-to-men wage ratio rises

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports Idaho women had weekly earnings about 77.8 percent of their male counterparts. Based on 2017 statistics, Idaho women earned $695 for the same job a man was paid $893.

Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Richard Holden said that the 2017 ratio in Idaho was up 1.3 percent from 2016.

Nationwide, women earned $770 per week, or 81.8 percent of the $941 median for men.

In Idaho, the Bureau said the ratio of women’s wages to men’s earnings has ranged from a low of 71.2 percent in 1998 to a high of 87.6 percent in 2013. The ratio increased in 2017 after declining each of the three prior years. The ratio was lowest in Utah and Wyoming, which were both 74.9 percent or lower.

The women-men earnings ratio in Idaho ranked 43rd highest in the nation out of the 50 states and District of Columbia.

Idaho women’s earnings, overall, were 41st in the nation while men’s wages ranked 35th.

Men’s earnings in New Mexico were lowest in the nation at $771, but at least, the women’s to men’s ration was the highest in the country at 90.9 percent.

The Department of Labor said the differences among states reflect, in part, a variation in the types of occupations and industries in each state.