Overview
- Equal Pay Day, which fell Thursday, reflects Census data showing women working full-time, year-round earn 81 cents for every dollar paid to men, marking a second straight year of a wider gap.
- Payscale’s 2026 report finds an overall or “uncontrolled” gap of 82 cents on the dollar and a much smaller 99-cent “controlled” gap for similar jobs, with parents, especially mothers, facing the steepest penalties.
- AAUW reports a pay gap in nearly every U.S. congressional district and estimates $542,800 in lost earnings for the typical woman over a 40‑year career.
- Colorado reports show women earn 80.9 cents on the dollar in the state and that a record number left jobs in 2025, citing burnout, caregiving demands, costly childcare, and limited flexibility.
- Employers face rising legal scrutiny through new pay‑equity, transparency, and pay‑data reporting laws, with CU Boulder’s $4.5 million settlement underscoring the risk of unequal pay practices.