Racial pay gap in the United States

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In the United States, despite the efforts of equality proponents, income inequality persists among races[1] and ethnicities. Asian Americans have the highest median income, followed by White Americans, Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Native Americans.[2] A variety of explanations for these differences have been proposed—such as differing access to education,[3] two parent home family structure (70% of African American children are born to parents who are not legally married), high school dropout rates and experience of discrimination and deep-seated and systemic anti-Black racism—and the topic is highly controversial.

When the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, it became illegal for employers to discriminate based on race;[4] however, income disparities have not flattened out.[5][6][7] After the passage of the act, the wage gap for minority groups narrowed, both in absolute difference with white wages and as a percentage of white wages, until the mid-1970s; at this time, progress for many racial minorities slowed, stopped, or reversed.[6] As of 2009, the median weekly wage for African American and Hispanic workers was about 65 percent and 61 percent that of white workers, respectively. Asian workers' median wage was about 110 percent that of white workers.[8] Overall, minority women's wages in comparison to those of white women are better than minority men's wages when compared to those of white men.[6]

Income by race and ethnicity and Asian American groups 2024 (Household and Per Capita)

Wages from the labor market are the primary source of income for most families in America,[6] and income is a socio-demographic status indicator that is important in understanding the building of wealth.[7]

  1. ^ Darity Jr., William A. (1982). "The Human Capital Approach to Black-White Earnings Inequality: Some Unsettled Questions". The Journal of Human Resources. 17 (1): 72–93. doi:10.2307/145525. JSTOR 145525.
  2. ^ "Real Median Household Income by Race and Hispanic Origin: 1967 to 2017" (PDF). American Community Survey. United States Census Bureau. 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  3. ^ Zeng, Zhen (2004). "Asian-Americans' Earnings Disadvantage Reexamined: The Role of Place of Education". American Journal of Sociology. 109 (5): 1075–1108. doi:10.1086/381914. S2CID 1643487. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  4. ^ Coleman, Major G. (2003). "Job Skill and Black Male Wage Discrimination". Social Science Quarterly. 84 (4): 892–906. doi:10.1046/j.0038-4941.2003.08404007.x.
  5. ^ Council of Economic Advisers for the President's Initiative on Race (2009). "Economic Report of the President: Changing America Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being by Race and Hispanic Origin: Changing America's Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being by Race and Hispanic Origin". GPO Access. Archived from the original on January 28, 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d Waters, Mary C.; Eschbach, Karl (1995). "Immigration and Ethnic and Racial Inequality in the United States" (PDF). Annual Review of Sociology. 21 (1): 419–46. doi:10.1146/annurev.so.21.080195.002223.
  7. ^ a b Campbell, L.; Kaufman, R. (2006). "Racial Differences in Household Wealth: Beyond Black and White". Research in Social Stratification and Mobility. 24 (2): 131–52. doi:10.1016/j.rssm.2005.06.001.
  8. ^ "Table 701. Median Income of People in Constant (2009) Dollars by Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1990 to 2009" (PDF). Retrieved January 17, 2018.