On 20th November 2019, the US observes Latina Equal Pay Day. Today’s date highlights the fact that Latinas had to work all of 2018 and up until this day in 2019 to catch up with what white men were paid in 2018 alone.
No matter what their job, where they live, or how much education or experience they have, Latinas are still paid less than white men, according to the latest research from Lean In and Survey Monkey. This year, actress, producer, director, philanthropist and Time’s Up Co-founder, Eva Longoria fronts the #LatinaEqualPayDay campaign to highlight the Latina Pay Gap.
LATINA PAY GAP
On average, Latinas in the US make 55 cents for every dollar earned by non-Hispanic white men, says Longoria. “That means they have to work twice as hard or twice as long to take home the same pay cheque. Nearly 1 in 3 Americans don’t know this gap exists.”
Longoria points out that Latinas are paid on average 46% less than white men and 31% less than white women. Latina nurses only earn 70% of what white male nurses earn. “It’s not because Latinas don’t know how to negotiate,” she stresses. “They negotiate for raises as often as white men, but they are not getting the same results.”
But what’s most shocking (as the chart below demonstrates) the pay gap actually widens for Latina women with higher education levels. “Latinas potentially lose out on $1m dollars during the course of their careers because of gender and racial bias,” Longoria says.
CORPORATE ACTION REQUIRED
Longoria advises companies to take action to close the Latina Pay Gap: “For starters, firms should audit compensation data regularly and review it by both gender and race to highlight and address pay gaps. Companies should also ensure hiring and promotions are fair by setting clear and consistent evaluation criteria.”
She suggests companies help managers to make objective decisions through bias training. “After all, it’s important to ensure that employees doing the same work are being paid the same. Join the fight for equal pay, because we are worth the whole dollar,” she concludes.
Click here for more information about the #equalpay campaign.
Sign up for our newsletter
