Equal education, unequal pay: Why is there still a gender pay gap in 2024?

Not even education can close the pay gap that persists between women and men, according to a recent U.S. Census report. Whether women earn a post-secondary certificate or graduate from a top-tier university, they still make about 71 cents on the dollar compared with men at the same education level, Census research found. That difference is coming into stark view on Equal Pay Day, and in spite of the fact that women comprise more than half of college-educated workers and participate in the labor force at record rates. Uneven child care and household responsibilities, falling college wage premiums, and additional ground to make up in leadership and high paying industries all contribute to the gender wage gap, which has remained fairly steady for two decades.