By Ruth Serven Smith
Women in Alabama are part of a powerhouse of post-COVID job creation in Alabama, but still must fight for equal pay and access to work, according to a new report.
According to the newest report from the Women’s Foundation of Alabama, female workers in the state generate $43 billion annually, accounting for one out of every three dollars earned.
“Main Street is lined with hiring signs,” said Melanie Bridgeforth, president and CEO of the organization. “What we are really thinking about is what happens when women get into those jobs, and how do we keep them there?”
But while jobs may be increasing, Bridgeforth said Alabama communities and businesses need to think hard about whether opportunities are increasing equally for everyone.
Alabama women are paid less than their male counterparts in every occupation and have the lowest workforce participation rate in the South, according to the report.
Researchers found that Alabama women are paid less than men in every occupation, ranging from the highest-paying (architecture and engineering, where women earn $75,061 annually to men earning $82,651) to the lowest-paying (food preparation and service, where women earn $12,916 annually to men earning $13,568). Women were also more likely to work for minimum wage than men.
Education doesn’t fix the issues. Women with graduate degrees are paid only 88 cents for every dollar paid to men, researchers found. Women with a high school diploma or less make just 73 to 75 cents for every dollar earned by similarly educated men.
“Women bore the brunt of COVID where you ask them in Alabama,” said Allen Fryer of Peregrine Strategies, who helped conduct the research. “They were typically in frontline occupations during the pandemic phase. And we know that when women bear the brunt they’re also the ones who frequently had to leave the workforce in order to be at home to care for the children who are in schools that were closed.”
The organization recommends Alabama leaders:
- Close the gender pay gap. Women are paid on average 67 cents for every dollar a man is paid; the gap is wider for Black and Hispanic women. The gap is worse than the national and regional average.
- Increase the number of women in higher-paying jobs by expanding workforce development options.
- Remove barriers that stop women from participating in the workforce, like expensive or low-quality childcare.
- Increase options for women to participate in long-term wealth-building, such as homeownership.
During the 2022 legislative session, the organization focused on its equal pay initiatives, and worked with Rep. Adeline Clark, D-Mobile, to create a taskforce that will study the issue. Bridgeforth said they will pay attention to its findings and continue to work with state leaders on next steps.
“We know there are tangible benefits for women, men and our state as a whole to widen the frame of opportunity for women in the workforce, but until that happens, until women are paid equally, any progress will remain uneven,” she said. “This is particularly true when 74% of Alabama women are breadwinners.”
Researchers who worked with the foundation noted that drivers of inequality are complex and often date back years.
“Solutions are available, they are outlined in this report, but it takes our state leaders and our business community to brush past the surface and invest in deep, systemic changes that improve the economy and opportunity for all Alabamians.”