US gender pay gap narrows 

The rate of female participation in the US labor market remains lower compared to that of males, An Nahar reported on Saturday. The gender pay gap, however, has been significantly reduced in the period between 1980 and 2018, according to a study published on Thursday by the independent Pew Research Center. The author of the report pointed out that improvements women made in their wages resulted from the rapid growth in jobs that require social skills and female specialization in the areas of guidance, counseling, trade and therapy. In less than 40 years, the average hourly wage of women jumped from USD 15 to USD 22 (that is 45%) against USD 23 to USD 26 (only 14%) for men, the report said. In conclusion, the researcher associated the gender pay gap with multiple factors, that can be measured like professional skills, educational achievement, professional membership in unions and working hours. Other factors which cannot be measured, include discrimination, network of professional relationships and maternity and household responsibilities. (An Nahar, January 31, 2020)