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Why Some People Don’t Believe in the Pay Gap
Podcast

Why Some People Don’t Believe in the Pay Gap

The Pay Check Podcast

Bloomberg, 2018

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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Concrete Examples
  • Insider's Take

Recommendation

Some claim that the gender pay gap is explainable. On this episode of Bloomberg’s Pay Check podcast, reporter Jordyn Holman investigates whether these explanations check out. The episode could use more examples to illustrate the impact of race and gender on people’s income, but managers and CEOs should tune in to learn what they need to know to confront pay bias in their workplaces.

Summary

On average, US women make 20% less money than US men, but skeptics claim the disparity vanishes after accounting for women’s choices. They say women tend to work lower-paying jobs and prioritize family at some point in their careers. However, one study which controlled for job title, company and industry showed that men still earned 5.4% more.

While male and female career beginners earn similar wages, women suffer a “motherhood penalty.” They lose 4% of their income for every child they have. Men, on the other hand, enjoy a 6% boost when they become dads. Society expects fathers to work harder than before...

About the Podcast

In Bloomberg’s six-episode podcast The Pay Check, reporters Francesca Levy, Rebecca Greenfield, Jordyn Holman and Max Abelson take a close look at the reasons and manifestations of the gender gap.