U.S. Gender Wage Gap Widens for First Time in 20 Years

The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on women's employment has reversed progress in closing the wage gap, with full-time female workers earning 83 cents for every dollar earned by men.

The gender wage gap increased in 2023, marking the first significant widening since 2003, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Women returning to full-time work in low-wage sectors post-pandemic contributed to the widening gap, despite overall wage increases.
Hispanic women saw a slight narrowing of their wage gap compared to white men, yet they remain among the lowest-paid workers.
The pandemic disproportionately affected Latina workers, who faced high unemployment rates and slow recovery in stable employment.
Political disagreements have stalled policy solutions to address structural causes of the gender pay gap, such as the Paycheck Fairness Act.