Wyoming marks Equal Pay Day
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed an Equal Pay Day proclamation Monday, dedicated to raising awareness of the gender pay gap and the economic impact it has on women and communities.
The day was officially observed on June 10, which marks how far into the year women must work in order to earn what men earned in the previous year. The date differs from year to year as the gender gap widens or shrinks. It also varies based on race and ethnicity, since not all groups of women earn the same.
“This is the 20th year of the Wyoming Women’s Foundation, and the wage gap has existed since before then,” said Rebekah Smith, the director of the Foundation. “We have committed to a renewed effort to closing that gap, and we are grateful for your support.”
Smith said Wyoming’s wage gap does not exist solely because of the industries that operate in the state.
In Wyoming, women earn 70.6 cents for every $1 men earn. A 2018 report by the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services found that 13 cents of Wyoming’s wage gap could not be explained by industry and other factors.
