The Status of Women in North Carolina: Employment & Earnings

Publication Date: May 2018
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Women in North Carolina and across the United States have made progress over the past several decades in the area of employment and earnings. A growing share of women are in the labor force, the gender wage gap has decreased, and more women are in professional and managerial occupations. Despite this progress, women in North Carolina face disparities in their economic security across racial and ethnic groups and geographic locations, pointing to areas where further improvement is necessary. Since the publication of the Institute for Women's Policy Research's 2004 report on The Status of Women in the States, North Carolina's grade for employment and earnings has improved from a D to a C. The Status of Women in North Carolina: Employment and Earnings is the first report in a series of four publications that present data and policy recommendations to improve the status of women in North Carolina in several key areas.

 

 

Key Findings:

  • Women in North Carolina earn a median income of $36,400, and an average of $8,600 less than men.
  • The gender earnings ratio narrowed from 73.7% in 2002 to 80.9% in 2016.
  • The share of women in the labor force decreased from 2002 to 2016.
  • More than 2 in 5 (41.6%) employed women in North Carolina work in managerial or professional occupations.

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