Help us draw attention to wage disparities on Black Women’s Equal Pay Day on Tuesday, August 3. This is the day when Black women’s pay finally catches up to what white men were paid last year.
The COVID-19 pandemic and related recession have highlighted the persistent racial and gendered economic inequalities that Black women face in the labor market and exacerbated them. Black women were over-represented in many low-paying jobs recognized as “essential” during the pandemic, but dismissed as “low-skilled” before. Despite this recognition, these jobs continue to be undervalued with low wages and few benefits, and if pay trends continue, it will take Black women more than another hundred years—until 2133—to reach pay equity with white men according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.
Black women are still paid only 63 cents for every $1 paid to white men. These hard-working women are also more likely to work for employers that provide little job security, few benefits, and limited opportunity for advancement. The UFCW is committed to ensuring that Black women have the support they need to overcome these barriers they face at the intersection of sexism and racism. We must all make our voices heard and stand up for the economic security that all of these hard-working women have earned and deserve.
You can get more information about Black Women’s Equal Pay Day here.