April 23, 2007 9:38 PM

Ladies, it's time to wake up and smell the pay gap
Posted by Diane Danielsonat 9:38 PM

Do you think the gender wage gap doesn't affect you?  Think again.  According to the newly released report by the American Association of University Women, the pay gap affects women the day they start their first job (despite having better grades in college!)  And, the news gets even worse after that.

In the report, Behind the Pay Gap, the AAUW Educational Foundation found that just one year after college graduation, women earn only 80 percent of what their male counterparts earn. Ten years after graduation, women fall further behind, earning only 69 percent of what men earn. Even after controlling for hours, occupation, parenthood, and other factors known to affect earnings, the research indicates that one-quarter of the pay gap remains unexplained and is likely due to sex discrimination. Over time, the unexplained portion of the pay gap grows.

The research also shows that ten years after graduation, college-educated men working full time have more authority in the workplace than do their female counterparts. Men are more likely to be involved in hiring and firing, supervising others, and setting pay.