Senate Concurrent Resolution
No. 73
CHAPTER 118
Relative to Latina Equal Pay Day.
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Filed with
Secretary of State
July 11, 2023.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 73, Gonzalez.
Latina Equal Pay Day.
This measure would proclaim October 5, 2023, as Latina Equal Pay Day in California, in recognition of the need to eliminate the gender gap in earnings by women and to promote policies to ensure equal pay for all.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee:
NO WHEREAS, More than 50 years after the passing of the federal Equal Pay Act, women, especially women of color, continue to suffer the consequences of unequal pay; and
WHEREAS, According to the United States Census Bureau, Latinas make 57 cents for every dollar a White male is paid; and
WHEREAS, Latinas are the fastest growing demographic, with 30,600,000 Latinas making up 9.4 percent of the total United States population; and
WHEREAS, Twelve million two hundred thousand Latinas make up 7.4 percent of the United States’ labor force and are projected to represent 9.3 percent of the labor force from 2019 to 2029, inclusive; and
WHEREAS, Nearly 4 in 10 mothers are the primary breadwinners in their households, and nearly two-thirds of mothers are the primary or significant earners, making pay equity critical to the economic security of their families; and
WHEREAS, A lifetime of lower pay means women have less income to save for retirement and less income counted in a Social Security or pension benefit formula; and
WHEREAS, One in five people in the State of California is Latina; and
WHEREAS, Latinas earn 42 cents on the dollar compared to their White non-Hispanic male peers in California; and
WHEREAS, Latinas in California would have to work until 116 years of age to earn what a White non-Hispanic male earns by 60 years of age due to the wage gap; and
WHEREAS, The lifetime cost of the wage gap over a 40-year career for the average Latina in California is $1,930,120 compared to their White non-Hispanic male peers; and
WHEREAS, In California, Latinas are typically paid $39,301 less than White non-Hispanic men; and
WHEREAS, If the gender wage gap were eliminated, on average, a Latina working in California would be able to pay for 32 months of premiums for employer-provided health insurance, 3.2 years of childcare, and pay off student loans in 0.9 years; and
WHEREAS, According to the National Women’s Law Center, California’s Latina wage gap is ranked the highest at number 50 in the country, with a 44-cent gap; and
WHEREAS, Latinas face barriers in the workforce exacerbating the effect of the wage gap, such as overrepresentation in low-wage service occupations, discrimination, and limited access to health, leave, and retirement benefits; and
WHEREAS, The wage gap harms Latinas, their families, and the economy, and fair pay in California would strengthen the security of individuals and families today, regardless of education or socioeconomic status, while enhancing our statewide economy; and
WHEREAS, October 5 symbolizes the day in 2023 Latina Equal Pay Day is recognized nationwide; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature proclaims October 5, 2023, as Latina Equal Pay Day in California, in recognition of the need to eliminate the gender gap in earnings by women and to promote policies to ensure equal pay for all; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.