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This year, Latina Equal Pay Day — marked on a date symbolizing how far into the year Latinx women must work to earn what white men earned the previous year — serves as a stark reminder of the economic inequities Latinas continue to face. Despite California’s progressive track record, it holds the troubling distinction of having the worst wage gap in the country between Latinas and white men.

In California, Latinas make only 44 cents for every dollar a white man earns. This staggering gap isn’t just a number — it’s a barrier to economic security for women, their families, and communities across the state. If the current trend persists, Latinas in California won’t reach pay parity for another 130 years — well beyond the lifetimes of even today’s youngest girls.

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When Latinas thrive, so do their families, communities, and the state’s economy. But systemic racism and gender inequities have kept Latinas at the margins, forcing them into lower-paying jobs, limiting their opportunities for advancement, and compounding the challenges they face in accessing education, child care, and job stability.

Even though wages for Latinas are growing at twice the rate of white men, the gap remains vast and the structural barriers are deeply ingrained. COVID-19 magnified these challenges, disproportionately hitting sectors where Latinas are overrepresented, such as hospitality and caregiving. During the pandemic’s peak, Latinas faced some of the highest unemployment rates in the state and are still recovering slower than other workers.

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Latinas also carry a heavier burden of unpaid labor. Many work in jobs that offer little security and minimal benefits while also bearing responsibility for child care and elder care — work that is unpaid and often undervalued. This imbalance traps many Latinas in a cycle of poverty that persists across generations.

The wage gap isn’t just about pay. It is the result of interconnected systemic barriers that impact Latinas in every aspect of their lives. A new resource from the California Budget & Policy Center shows that in addition to being underpaid, Latinas hold the lowest percentage of managerial or professional positions in California and are less likely to have college degrees compared to other racial and ethnic groups.

Undocumented Latinas face even more significant challenges — they are the least-paid demographic group in the state despite their significant contributions to California’s economy. In 2022, undocumented immigrants contributed $8.5 billion in state and local taxes, yet they remain excluded from many vital programs.

In recent years, California policymakers have made some progress in tackling wage disparities with laws like the California Equal Pay Act, Pay Data Reporting Law, and Pay Transparency Act. These policies are a good start — they bring much-needed transparency to pay and hiring practices and ensure employers are held accountable for wage gaps based on gender and race.

However, these efforts alone are not enough to close the significant wage gap for Latinas. Policymakers need to go further by breaking down the barriers that block Latinas from equal opportunities in education, higher-paying jobs, and fair workplaces. This includes raising wages in industries where Latinas are overrepresented, such as child care and hospitality, expanding access to affordable child care, improving unemployment and family leave benefits, and empowering workers through stronger collective bargaining rights.

California cannot afford to wait another century for Latinas to achieve wage parity. The longer we allow these disparities to persist, the more Latinas — and their families — are pushed further into poverty, entrenching the racial and economic divides that threaten our state’s future. Focused efforts to close the wage gap now would mean a more prosperous California tomorrow, where all women, families, and communities have the opportunity to thrive.

We’ve made progress, but we must continue fighting for fair wages, access to education, and workplace equity for Latinas and all women of color.

Media Contacts

Kyra Moeller
Communications Strategist

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