Overview

• October 8 marks Latina Pay Equity Day, indicating how long the typical Hispanic woman must work to match what a white non‑Hispanic man earned in 2024.
• Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 642 to strengthen California’s Equal Pay Act with tougher enforcement, greater pay transparency, and stronger tools for workers to recover lost wages.
• Federal data show Latinas are overrepresented in low‑wage jobs and had the lowest median weekly earnings of any racial or ethnic group as of July 2025, despite increased labor force participation.
• Pew and AAUW report that Latinas have made educational gains yet still earn less than other women at every education level, with the median hourly pay for Hispanic women reaching $19.23 in 2023.
• California officials cite a pay gap of 49 cents on the dollar for Latinas compared with white men, translating to about $28,000 less per year and nearly $1 million in lifetime losses.