Women's earnings

Monthly Labor Review, Nov, 2004

Between 1979 and 2003, the earnings gap between women and men narrowed for most age groups. Overall, the women-to-men earnings ratio was 80 percent in 2003, up from 63 percent in 1979. The ratio of women-to-men earnings among 16- to 24-year-olds was 93.3 percent in 2003, compared with 78.5 percent in 1979; that for 25- to 34-year-olds was 87 percent in 2003, compared with 67.4 percent in 1979.

Among 35- to 44-year-olds, women earned 76.2 percent as much as men in 2003 and 58.3 percent in 1979, while among 45-to 54-year-olds, women earned 73 percent as much as men in 2003 and 56.9 percent as much in 1979. For more information, see Highlights of Women's Earnings in 2003, BLS Report 978.