Fact check: Gender wage gap from the 1900s to present

1. Summary of the results

The gender wage gap in the United States has shown a consistent pattern of gradual improvement from the 1900s to present, though significant disparities remain. Multiple sources confirm that women currently earn between 82-85 cents for every dollar earned by men ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

The most recent data from 2024 shows women earning 85% of what men earned, representing an improvement from 81% in 2003 ^[1]. This indicates the gap has narrowed by approximately 4 percentage points over the past two decades. The Economic Policy Institute found women are paid 18.0% less than men on an hourly basis after controlling for education and experience ^[4].

Age demographics reveal important variations: younger workers aged 25-34 show a much smaller gap, with women earning 95 cents for every dollar earned by men in this age group ^[1]. However, the wage gap increases with wage level, with women at the 90th percentile earning 18.6% less than men ^[4].

Racial disparities compound the gender gap significantly: Black and Hispanic women experience the largest wage gaps compared to men ^[5]. The Center for American Progress confirms the gap is larger for most women of color ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original query lacks several crucial contextual elements that emerge from the analyses:

• Historical trajectory: While the query asks about trends from the 1900s, the sources primarily focus on recent decades, with significant strides noted since the 1960s ^[2]. Janet L. Yellen's analysis highlights the broader history of women's work and wages, noting substantial progress in women's labor market participation ^[6].
• Structural barriers: The analyses reveal that workplace rules fail to support reasonable work-life balance, preventing many women from achieving their career goals ^[6]. This suggests the gap isn't solely about direct discrimination but involves systemic workplace structures.
• Long-term economic consequences: CNBC's analysis emphasizes the significant wealth gap that results from persistent pay disparities, with a researcher stating that "women are never, ever going to catch up" ^[5]. This highlights the compounding effect of wage gaps over time.
• Projection timelines: Qualtrics predicts pay parity may not be reached until 2056 ^[7], indicating the extremely slow pace of progress despite decades of awareness and policy efforts.

Organizations and researchers who benefit from highlighting persistent wage gaps include advocacy groups, policy institutes like the Center for American Progress and Economic Policy Institute, and politicians who can leverage these statistics for legislative agendas. Conversely, employers and business organizations may benefit from emphasizing progress made and factors beyond direct discrimination.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement itself is neutral and factual as a research query, but potential biases could emerge in how the data is interpreted:

• Oversimplification risk: The query doesn't acknowledge the complexity of factors contributing to wage gaps, including education, experience, industry choice, and work-life balance considerations that the analyses reveal are controlled for in rigorous studies ^[4].
• Missing intersectionality: The original query doesn't address how race intersects with gender to create compounded disadvantages for women of color ^{[3] [5]}.
• Progress narrative bias: Depending on interpretation, the data could be used to either minimize the problem by emphasizing improvement or maximize urgency by highlighting persistent disparities. The Economic Policy Institute notes the gap "remains too large" despite reaching "historic lows" ^[4].
• Methodological considerations: The analyses show different percentage figures (82-85%), indicating that measurement methodology matters significantly in how the gap is calculated and presented.