An analysis of census data shows that while more Idaho women are starting businesses, the gap between Gem State men’s and women’s wages is widening.
An American Association of University Women analysis of census data shows Idaho women make 75 percent of what male workers make, lower than the national average of 80 percent, and it leaves Idaho 46th in a ranking of states. It’s also a slight backslide from last year’s state figure of 76.5 percent.
In 2013, women in Idaho made about 85 percent of what men earned. The Idaho Department of Labor says the number of women in the state labor force has also dropped slightly, with just 45 percent of the state labor force composed of female workers.
Prior to 2017, men and women were evenly split in the workforce. However, women’s wages have actually grown by some measures. Between 2009 and 2016, median earnings for female workers in Idaho increased 11 percent, men’s median earnings increased only 7 percent. The department notes that the occupations dominated by females are lower-paying ones.
The top five occupations where women outnumber men in Idaho are office clerks, retail salespersons, registered nurses, cashiers, and customer service representatives – nearly all of which have average earnings close to minimum wage. Though an equal amount of men and women in Idaho are paid on an hourly basis, almost three times as many women as men report earning minimum wage or below.
Increasingly, women are starting their own companies, as an American Express study released last month named Idaho 18th in the nation for growth in the number of female-owned businesses. (Idaho Statesman, AP)
