WASHINGTON, DC — The Institute for Women’s Policy Research today trotted out the same, tired arguments about the so-called “gap” between the average wages of working men and working women. As usual, the report promotes statistics that fail to account for important information like the number of years spent out of the workforce and education level.
“These dependency divas are once again using misleading statistics to convince women they are victims in order to advance their big government agenda,” says Carrie Lukas, director of policy at IWF. “They are comparing apples to oranges. Women on average take about a decade out of the workforce to care for children and elderly parents. It is hardly a surprise that men who continue working on average make more than women who take time out of the workforce to balance work and family,” she added.
The report cites the statistic that a woman working full-time will on average make only 76.2 percent of the average man’s wage. But while the report does acknowledge “many factors help explain the difference between women’s and men’s wages,” it still calls for government action to address the issue.
“The Institute for Women’s Policy Research at least acknowledges that much of this difference in wages is caused by the different choices women make,” says Lukas. “However, they still call for massive government action to address the problem.”
Policy recommendations in the report include a higher minimum wage, paid parental leave policies, and greater government oversight of how employers set wages.
“These initiatives have unintended consequences for women,” said Lukas. “They raise the cost of employing workers which means fewer jobs will be available for women. The regulations they support could make it more difficult for women to negotiate flexible work arrangements with employers — this is exactly the opposite of women’s interests.”
The Independent Women’s Forum supports policies such as reductions in the tax rate and deregulation of business that will create more job opportunities and higher take home pay for women and men.