Photo by The Jopwell Collection on Unsplash In case it slipped under your radar, October 5th marked Latina Equal Pay Day! Did you know that Latinas make 52 cents for every dollar a white non-Hispanic man makes? Throughout the day, numerous social justice organizations joined forces in a social media storm, shining a spotlight on this staggering gender pay gap. We heard a multitude of stories backed by statistics of wage disparity and discrimination. The median annual pay for a Latina in the United States is $31,600, while the median yearly income for a white, non-Hispanic man is $60,830. At this rate, Latina women quite literally must work twice as hard to get half as far. Given this near $30,000 difference, in conjunction with over half of all Bay Area residents experiencing trouble with covering basic household expenses, the impact of paying women equitably is real. The consequences of not doing so are just as palpable. Employment discrimination and inequality cost the Bay Area approximately $5 billion in unrealized Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2020 alone.
As stark as these statistics are, it’s important to remember that real people are behind them. $30,000 is thirty-eight months’ worth of groceries. It’s three years of childcare or two years of rent. That $30,000 is a completed associate’s degree. This is life-changing money. And if we are going to ReWork the Bay Area into a place where everyone can live full lives with dignity in their work, we will have to take life-changing action. We can use these numbers to tell the stories of the people behind them in an honest and compelling way.
In a unique collaboration, our cross-sector Equity at Work Council, in partnership with the Bay Area Equity Atlas, took decades of experiences and data from Bay Area workers and crafted a narrative that provides a comprehensive view of how workers are faring in the region. It’s a meaningful exploration beyond numbers, delving into the everyday stories that shape our workforce.
We are thrilled to present the first-ever State of Bay Area Workers Data Tool. There, you will find a well-rounded picture of work and workers in each Bay Area county and the Region as a whole. With the data tool, you will learn more about where we are and, in turn, help get us to where we want to be.
In Community,
Briana, Janelle, + Rob
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