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 translated to an earnings ratio of 76%, compared
to a national earnings ratio of 73%. By 2001-2002, Maine’s ratio of 74% trailed the U.S. ratio
of 76%.

 

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). Through 2000, 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. Data for 2001-2002 is from Status
of Women in the States 2004, available online at
http://www.iwpr.org/States2004/PDFs/national.pdf .