WASHINGTON, March 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In AAUW’s report, The (Not So) Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap, new analysis makes clear that pay inequity is not abstract — it affects women’s earnings in every congressional district across the country and costs women, families, and the economy.
Women working full-time in the United States earn just 81 cents for every dollar earned by men, leading to an estimated $542,800 in lost earnings over a 40-year career. While the size of the gap varies, women earn less than men in nearly every congressional district. Those losses make it harder for women to pay bills, build wealth, support families, save for retirement, and achieve economic security. For women of color, mothers, LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities, the gaps are even wider.
AAUW’s research shows that the pay gap is driven by many factors, including occupational segregation, unequal access to high-quality jobs, caregiving responsibilities, and persistent discrimination. The report also highlights the role education plays in women’s economic mobility. Women with higher levels of education earn more over their lifetimes, yet pay gaps remain even among college graduates and those with advanced degrees.
“The data shows that women’s economic security depends on more than individual choices — it depends on policy choices,” said Gloria L. Blackwell, AAUW CEO. “If we want to close the pay gap, we need to protect pathways to education, enforce fair pay and anti-discrimination laws, and remove the barriers that keep too many women from being paid what they deserve.”
Equal Pay Day illustrates the gender pay gap and the reality that women, on average, are paid less than men. Additional Equal Pay Days throughout the year highlight the even deeper inequities experienced by many communities of women, including Black women, Latina women, Native women, and others.
Read The (Not So) Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap, and explore pay gap data for every state and congressional district here.
AAUW (American Association of University Women) is one of the nation’s leading organizations for equity in higher education and women’s economic empowerment. Founded in 1881 by women who defied society’s conventions by earning college degrees, AAUW has since worked to increase women’s access, opportunity, and equity in higher education through research, advocacy, and philanthropy of over $146 million, supporting thousands of women scholars. Learn more at aauw.org.
Contact: media@aauw.org
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SOURCE American Association of University Women
