Indicator: 44 - Gender Income Disparity

Why This Is Important

Disparities in the amount of money that women make compared to men provide disincentives for women to contribute to the labor force, and impair economic growth by not fully realizing the benefit of having productive, economic contributions from all people. Gender disparities are even greater in some particular occupations than for the state as a whole.

Where We Stand

In 2000, the median annual income of all women in Maine who worked full-time for the entire year was estimated to be $25,850, compared to a median income of $34,014 earned by men who worked full-time, full-year. This translates to an earnings ratio of 76%, placing Maine 17th among all states. Nationally, the earnings ratio was 73%.

Data Sources and Context

Data for this measure is not based on a job for- job comparison; instead it compares wages earned based on equal time worked (on average, women work fewer hours per week and fewer weeks per year, resulting in an even greater disparity in the total amount of annual income earned by men and women). The data source for this indicator is the Maine Economic Growth Council’s Measures of Growth 2003; summary and analysis for that publication (available on-line at http://mdf.org/megc)   is done by the Maine Development Foundation. Original analysis of the data on this indicator came from Status of Women in the States, produced by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.