Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Minnesota House DFL Opposes Repeal of Pay Equity
I attended a news conference today at the Minnesota state capitol hosted by the Minnesota House DFL. (Sorry for the sound quality in the video -- amateur here!) They stand in opposition to HF 7 - a bill to repeal the Local Government Pay Equity Act. Here is a short blurb from their press release:
"Our state faces a budget deficit, a jobs deficit, and now Republicans are trying to add an equality deficit.....This proposal distracts us from the real challenges facing Minnesotans while making it harder for working women to earn a wage they deserve. It makes no sense."
"Our state faces a budget deficit, a jobs deficit, and now Republicans are trying to add an equality deficit.....This proposal distracts us from the real challenges facing Minnesotans while making it harder for working women to earn a wage they deserve. It makes no sense."
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Growing Gender Gap in Starting Salaries for Physicians--with Men Making Nearly $17,000 More Than Women in 2008
Received this in my inbox today. The trend continues. I can't figure out why anyone would assume women want more balance in their lives then men. Really?
I've included the contact information for those of you who want to follow-up with the study. In the mean time -- fighting the good pay equity fight here in Minnesota for public sector women.
Patty
______________________________________________________________________________________
February 03, 2011
12:01 AM EST
Kay Campbell
(301) 652-1558
kcampbell@burnesscommunications.com
Sue Ducat
Director of Communications
(301) 841-9962
sducat@projecthope.org
New Health Affairs Study Identifies Growing Gender Gap in Starting Salaries for Physicians--with Men Making Nearly $17,000 More Than Women in 2008
The Gap Isn't Explained by Women's Choice of Specialty, Practice Type, or Working Hours--What Causes It Isn't Known
Bethesda, MD--Newly trained physicians who are women are being paid significantly lower salaries than their male counterparts, according to a new study published in the February issue of Health Affairs. The authors identify an unexplained gender gap in starting salaries for physicians that has been growing steadily since 1999, increasing from a difference of $3,600 in 1999 to $16,819 in 2008. This gap exists even after accounting for gender differences in determinants of salary including medical specialty, hours worked, and practice type, say the authors.
The authors based their conclusions on survey data from physicians exiting training programs in New York State, which is home to more residency programs and resident physicians than any other state in the country (1,073 programs, according to data assembled by the Association of American Medical Colleges). The number of physicians in the survey sample included 4,918 men and 3,315 women.
The study findings are especially significant since women represent nearly half of all US medical students and are projected to make up about one-third of all practicing physicians at the beginning of this coming decade. Women had lower starting salaries than men in nearly all specialties, according to Anthony Lo Sasso, a professor and senior research scientist at the School of Public Health of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and his coauthors. The gap grew steadily from 1999 to 2008. In 1999, new women physicians earned $151,600 on average compared to $173,400 for men--a 12.5 percent salary difference. That difference grew to nearly 17 percent by 2008, with women starting out at $174,000 compared to $209,300 for men.
"It is not surprising to say that women physicians make less than male physicians because women traditionally choose lower-paying jobs in primary care fields or they choose to work fewer hours," says Lo Sasso. "What is surprising is that even when we account for specialty and hours and other factors, we see this growing unexplained gap in starting salary. The same gap exists for women in primary care as it does in specialty fields."
The authors contend that the differences in pay persist even when adjusting for differences in work hours, specialty choice, practice location, and numerous other factors. Potential reasons that cannot be ruled out include an increase in gender discrimination and that women are not as skilled as men at negotiating salaries.
But Lo Sasso believes that the divergence in starting salaries may have more to do with the fact that women physicians are seeking greater flexibility and family-friendly benefits, such as not being on call after certain hours. He suggests that women may be negotiating these conditions of employment at the same time that they are negotiating their starting salaries.
"It may be that lifestyle factors may be increasingly important to newer physicians," says Lo Sasso. "It could be that women in particular want to have more of a lifestyle balance in their medical careers."
Historically, women have disproportionately chosen primary care fields such as internal medicine, family practice, or pediatrics. But the percentage of women entering primary care dropped from nearly 50 percent in 1999 to just over 30 percent in 2008. Despite entering higher-paying specialties, the authors found that the widening gap in pay persisted. For example:
Female heart surgeons were paid $27,103 less on average than males.
Female otolaryngologists made $32,207 less than males.
Women specializing in pulmonary disease made $44,320 less than men.
Lo Sasso contends that physicians and specialty groups need to clearly understand what is motivating the gender gap in physician pay and address it, especially given the increased need for physicians, particularly in the primary care field. He cautions that policy makers and physician practices should reconsider how to attract providers, the structure of working arrangements, and how to pay providers.
About Health Affairs
Health Affairs, published by Project HOPE, is the leading journal of health policy. The peer-reviewed journal appears each month in print, with additional Web First papers published weekly at www.healthaffairs.org. You can also find the journal on Facebook and Twitter and download Narrative Matters on iTunes. Address inquiries to Sue Ducat at (301) 841-9962 or sducat@projecthope.org.
I've included the contact information for those of you who want to follow-up with the study. In the mean time -- fighting the good pay equity fight here in Minnesota for public sector women.
Patty
______________________________________________________________________________________
February 03, 2011
12:01 AM EST
Kay Campbell
(301) 652-1558
kcampbell@burnesscommunications.com
Sue Ducat
Director of Communications
(301) 841-9962
sducat@projecthope.org
New Health Affairs Study Identifies Growing Gender Gap in Starting Salaries for Physicians--with Men Making Nearly $17,000 More Than Women in 2008
The Gap Isn't Explained by Women's Choice of Specialty, Practice Type, or Working Hours--What Causes It Isn't Known
Bethesda, MD--Newly trained physicians who are women are being paid significantly lower salaries than their male counterparts, according to a new study published in the February issue of Health Affairs. The authors identify an unexplained gender gap in starting salaries for physicians that has been growing steadily since 1999, increasing from a difference of $3,600 in 1999 to $16,819 in 2008. This gap exists even after accounting for gender differences in determinants of salary including medical specialty, hours worked, and practice type, say the authors.
The authors based their conclusions on survey data from physicians exiting training programs in New York State, which is home to more residency programs and resident physicians than any other state in the country (1,073 programs, according to data assembled by the Association of American Medical Colleges). The number of physicians in the survey sample included 4,918 men and 3,315 women.
The study findings are especially significant since women represent nearly half of all US medical students and are projected to make up about one-third of all practicing physicians at the beginning of this coming decade. Women had lower starting salaries than men in nearly all specialties, according to Anthony Lo Sasso, a professor and senior research scientist at the School of Public Health of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and his coauthors. The gap grew steadily from 1999 to 2008. In 1999, new women physicians earned $151,600 on average compared to $173,400 for men--a 12.5 percent salary difference. That difference grew to nearly 17 percent by 2008, with women starting out at $174,000 compared to $209,300 for men.
"It is not surprising to say that women physicians make less than male physicians because women traditionally choose lower-paying jobs in primary care fields or they choose to work fewer hours," says Lo Sasso. "What is surprising is that even when we account for specialty and hours and other factors, we see this growing unexplained gap in starting salary. The same gap exists for women in primary care as it does in specialty fields."
The authors contend that the differences in pay persist even when adjusting for differences in work hours, specialty choice, practice location, and numerous other factors. Potential reasons that cannot be ruled out include an increase in gender discrimination and that women are not as skilled as men at negotiating salaries.
But Lo Sasso believes that the divergence in starting salaries may have more to do with the fact that women physicians are seeking greater flexibility and family-friendly benefits, such as not being on call after certain hours. He suggests that women may be negotiating these conditions of employment at the same time that they are negotiating their starting salaries.
"It may be that lifestyle factors may be increasingly important to newer physicians," says Lo Sasso. "It could be that women in particular want to have more of a lifestyle balance in their medical careers."
Historically, women have disproportionately chosen primary care fields such as internal medicine, family practice, or pediatrics. But the percentage of women entering primary care dropped from nearly 50 percent in 1999 to just over 30 percent in 2008. Despite entering higher-paying specialties, the authors found that the widening gap in pay persisted. For example:
Female heart surgeons were paid $27,103 less on average than males.
Female otolaryngologists made $32,207 less than males.
Women specializing in pulmonary disease made $44,320 less than men.
Lo Sasso contends that physicians and specialty groups need to clearly understand what is motivating the gender gap in physician pay and address it, especially given the increased need for physicians, particularly in the primary care field. He cautions that policy makers and physician practices should reconsider how to attract providers, the structure of working arrangements, and how to pay providers.
About Health Affairs
Health Affairs, published by Project HOPE, is the leading journal of health policy. The peer-reviewed journal appears each month in print, with additional Web First papers published weekly at www.healthaffairs.org. You can also find the journal on Facebook and Twitter and download Narrative Matters on iTunes. Address inquiries to Sue Ducat at (301) 841-9962 or sducat@projecthope.org.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Equity law leads to pay raise | BrainerdDispatch.com | Brainerd, Minnesota
Equity law leads to pay raise | BrainerdDispatch.com | Brainerd, Minnesota
The Minnesota Local Government Pay Equity Act -- eliminating unfair wages works!
The Minnesota Local Government Pay Equity Act -- eliminating unfair wages works!
Friday, January 21, 2011
New data on gender segregation and pay disparities in jobs | Remapping Debate
New data on gender segregation and pay disparities in jobs | Remapping Debate
That's why we have to compensate women for the work they do -- not the work that men do. When accountability, problem solving, and know how are taken into consideration -- women's compensation stacks up against men! Comparable worth lives!
If one examined occupations with more than 90 percent women and more than 100,000 workers, there would only be six such occupations (as compared with 35 for men). Remapping Debate used less stringent measure of occupational domination — greater than 75 percent women — to yield the 30 occupations depicted in this data visualization.
In each and every one — whether large occupations like secretaries or teachers, or smaller occupations like payroll and timekeeping clerks — median earnings of women were less than those of men, although women did have median earnings in excess of 90 percent of those of men in several occupations.
In five cases — including registered nurses and elementary and middle school teachers — median pay for women was $40,000 or more a year (compared with 20 such occupations for men).
The highest median for women is that of registered nurses ($59,499). There were four occupations with more than 100,000 workers in total that had median incomes for men that were higher (including engineering managers and construction managers).
That's why we have to compensate women for the work they do -- not the work that men do. When accountability, problem solving, and know how are taken into consideration -- women's compensation stacks up against men! Comparable worth lives!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Pay Equity Law in Minnesota Targeted for Repeal
Pay Equity Friends,
Today a bill, HF 7, was introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives to repeal the Local Government Pay Equity Act (LGPEA). Other mandates are also included in the bill.
The LGPEA of 1984 (M.S. 471.991 to 471.999) required local governments (cities, counties, school districts, etc) to “establish equitable compensation relationships” by December 31, 1991. Other common terms for “equitable compensation relationships” are “comparable worth” or “pay equity.” Jurisdictions report to the Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget every three years.
The purpose of the law is “to eliminate sex-based wage disparities in public employment in this state.” Equitable compensation relationships are achieved when “the compensation for female-dominated classes is not consistently below the compensation for male-dominated classes of comparable work value…within the political subdivision.” (Minnesota Management & Budget “Minnesota Local Government Pay Equity Compliance Report”, January 2011).
The MMB’s January, 2011 report notes various pay increases as a result of inequities found in local governments who reported in 2010. Before the inequities were corrected, the average pay for females in the examples found in the report was $16.27 per hour. After pay equity adjustments were made, the average pay for females was $17.86 per hour.
What this report tells us is that the LGPEA is of vital importance to the lives of women working public sector jobs in Minnesota and that wage discrimination is alive and well. Not to mention that women still make $.22 less than men, on average, in the state of Minnesota.
We cannot allow the Local Government Pay Equity Act to be abolished! Please pass along this information within your networks.
Today a bill, HF 7, was introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives to repeal the Local Government Pay Equity Act (LGPEA). Other mandates are also included in the bill.
The LGPEA of 1984 (M.S. 471.991 to 471.999) required local governments (cities, counties, school districts, etc) to “establish equitable compensation relationships” by December 31, 1991. Other common terms for “equitable compensation relationships” are “comparable worth” or “pay equity.” Jurisdictions report to the Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget every three years.
The purpose of the law is “to eliminate sex-based wage disparities in public employment in this state.” Equitable compensation relationships are achieved when “the compensation for female-dominated classes is not consistently below the compensation for male-dominated classes of comparable work value…within the political subdivision.” (Minnesota Management & Budget “Minnesota Local Government Pay Equity Compliance Report”, January 2011).
The MMB’s January, 2011 report notes various pay increases as a result of inequities found in local governments who reported in 2010. Before the inequities were corrected, the average pay for females in the examples found in the report was $16.27 per hour. After pay equity adjustments were made, the average pay for females was $17.86 per hour.
What this report tells us is that the LGPEA is of vital importance to the lives of women working public sector jobs in Minnesota and that wage discrimination is alive and well. Not to mention that women still make $.22 less than men, on average, in the state of Minnesota.
We cannot allow the Local Government Pay Equity Act to be abolished! Please pass along this information within your networks.
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