State Leaders Urge Employers to Address Persisting Racial and Gender Pay Gaps

Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media(CBM) – State leaders concerned about the persisting gap between the incomes of Black and White Californians are urging the state to take steps to address the problem.On Sept. 18, International Equal Pay Day, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) released new pay and demographic data that show Black workers are more likely to be found in the lowest pay range in the state, earning, on average, $32,239 a year or less.“While I am proud that California has one of lowest gender pay gaps in the nation, pay for women and communities of color remains among the state’s lowest for paid workers,” said California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Secretary Tomiquia Moss at a news briefing in Sacramento organized to share the data. “The latest employee pay data show we still have work to do and, more importantly, shows exactly where employers can focus their efforts to realize opportunity and success for all Californians,” Moss added.The CRD research is based on data collected from large employers in 2022, covering about 8.3 million workers across the state. While the state presents some of the nation’s strongest equal pay laws and one of the smallest gender-pay...