FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2024

MEDIA CONTACT:  
comms@latinafutures.org

New Report Highlights Persistent Earnings Gap for Latinas, Calling for Equal Pay

Today, the Latina Futures 2050 Lab released a new report detailing the ongoing wage disparity faced by Latinas across the United States. Latinas would need to work an additional 24 hours of work per week to reach parity with non-Hispanic white male peers. The gap is widest for Latina workers who are college educated, with those workers earning just 64 cents for every dollar earned by similarly educated white men based on median hourly earnings. 

Using just released PUMS 1-year data from the 2023 American Community Survey, the report found Latinas still earn only 62 cents for every dollar earned by non-Hispanic white men based on median hourly earnings. The report, authored by Latina Futures co-founders Sonja Diaz and Veronica Terriquez with Jonathan Ong, found that as Latinas’ U.S. workforce participation grows and they contribute more significantly to household incomes and economic productivity as primary breadwinners, the wage gap is set to become an even greater threat to economic growth.

California State Senator and Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus Lena Gonzalez underscored the urgency for addressing the gap, saying: “Equal pay is not just about fairness – it’s about survival for millions of Latinas and their families. As lawmakers, we must advance policies that create more equitable workplaces, support working mothers and create pathways to better jobs for all Latinas, and indeed all women.”

Additional key findings of the report include:

• Latinas make up 18% of the U.S. female workforce and their presence is growing, particularly among younger generations entering the workforce, making them critical to the United States’ future prosperity.
• Latinas were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, causing many to exit the workforce to care for their families, exacerbating financial strains of persistent wage disparities.
• In 2023, Latinas in the labor force would have had to work 64 hours – 24 hours beyond the typical work week – to reach parity with the weekly earnings of non-Hispanic white men.
• For Latinas, as their educational attainment increases, the hourly earnings gap widens instead of narrows. Latinas with a college degree or higher earned $0.36 less per hour than a non-Hispanic white male with the same level of education. 

Latinas face systemic barriers to economic equity such as occupational segregation, discrimination, limited access to affordable child care, and a lack of family-supportive workplace policies, compounding significant hourly earnings disparities. Recognizing this impact, the report calls for comprehensive policy changes to improve the economic status of Latinas, including expanding family care support, providing pathways to citizenship for undocumented workers, and strengthening protections against gender discrimination.

“Union membership has proven to be one of the most effective tools in leveling the playing field for Latina workers,” said California State Senator María Elena Durazo. “Through collective bargaining, we’ve secured fair wages and better working conditions. Yet, many Latinas remain in non-unionized, low-paying jobs. Non-unionized Latinas earn, on average, 64 cents per dollar. With a Union contract, Latinas earn, on average, 76 cents per dollar.”

“Latinas are the backbone of their households and are critical economic and political actors,” said Sonja Diaz, co-founder of the Latina Futures 2050 Lab. “This pay disparity doesn’t just hurt Latinas – it stifles the nation’s economy by limiting social mobility for youthful and growing communities of color in their most productive years. Closing the wage gap means stronger families, healthier communities, and shared prosperity for all Americans. It’s time for policymakers, employers, and communities to act.”

In the 2024 presidential election, Latinas’ voting power will be crucial in battleground states like Arizona and Nevada, where economic concerns, including the gender wage gap – which two-thirds of Latinas consider a major problem – are shaping their political decision-making.

Read the full report here.