The level of frustration of women across age groups through the United States (U.S.) is palpable since their educational level increases and their wages decrease at an alarming rate.
Over 30 years have passed and the Women’s Rights Movement has made major headway. The number of women in the U.S. with college degrees and accolades has dramatically increased. However, the wage discrepancy that should correspond with such degrees is exponential. According to a report by the National Women’s Law Center, women make up to two-thirds of the nearly 20 million workers in low-wage jobs.
“I am supposed to get paid at least $20 to $25 an hour,” said America Arias, graphic designer, and store manager for a home interiors store in Miami.
“I start my day preparing the estimates I had pending the day before, check the schedule to see what customers I have to go to visit, do measurements to see the clients, check my co-worker’s work, prepare estimates, talk to vendors and do it all over again…I do a lot of things, believe me,” she said.
Underpaid and overworked, the young millennial explained how managing her time to have all tasks completed and pursue a degree in nursing, she barely has any time to sleep. A recent study by BMJ Journal states that women who worked 45 or more hours a week —were 63 percent more likely to develop type-2 diabetes than those who worked 35 to 40 hours a week.
Arias has worked for her current employer for three years full-time with a salary of $12 per hour (it has recently been increased to $15 per hour) and no health benefits. She said that often struggles to cover all of her expenses which include her parents’ utilities as well as her home and transportation. The 28-year-old is pursuing a degree in nursing to become a registered nurse (R.N.) to increase her income.
“Women need a bachelor’s degree to avoid being overrepresented in low-wage jobs—while men only need to finish high school,” stated the National Women’s Law Center’s report.
Women of all ages are affected by the number of low wage workplaces. In Florida alone, 815,500 women out of the total population of 1,242,900 women in the Sunshine State are underpaid. It’s for this reason that many women need two or more jobs to cover all their expenses. A study conducted by the U.S. Census in 2013 and then in 2017 states that women were more likely to have a second job than men.
“I need two jobs because I need to pay my car, my student loan, my mortgage,” said Tamara Soler, a certified nursing assistant (C.N.A) in Miami. “My son lives with me, he stays in FIU (Florida International University) and he needs help from me still,” she continued.
Many underpaid single mothers like Soler want a better life for their children and despite the challenges, it’s important for them that their children graduate college.
Soller work at a hospital and a senior center in Miami, working 12 hours and 8-hour shifts between them. She is in her early 50s and a single parent originally from Cuba who is also studying to become an R.N. Once the degree is completed, she believes that her income will increase and will be able to leave one of her jobs.
“That’s why I am studying R.N. so I can increase my salary,” said Soller.
On a day to day basis, she often struggles to cover all of her and her son’s expenses. Beginning her day at 5:30 a.m. and ending around 11:00 p.m. between school and her two jobs, the assistant nurse is close to exhaustion. However, as a woman in her age group, the possibility of retirement seems far away.
More than one-quarter of women in low-paying jobs are age 50 and older; about the same share of the female low-wage workforce as women age 16 to 24, explained in the National Women’s Law Center’s report.
“I have been working for over 20 years as a teacher and obviously what I would like to do is retire, but the reality right now is that teachers are not well paid,” said Dr. Gryselle Rivas. “Most companies don’t offer any benefits, no health plan, no 401k, so I don’t see myself retiring anytime soon,” she said.
Similarly to Soler, Dr. Rivas has more than one job; she starts her day in her first job as a middle-high school teacher, then has a night job as an English teacher in a language school in Miami. Rivas also has a third job one a week as a university English professor in Miami Lakes.
Originally from Puerto Rico, Dr. Rivas’ extensive resume and layers of degrees have not assured her an increase of income nor benefits by any of her employers. In fact, despite having an Ed.D. (Doctorate degree in Education), she has never received a raise.
“I have a student loan that is around $90,000, I have a mortgage in Puerto Rico and I have to pay rent here. I have credit cards, a car and the regular bills that everyone has to pay, and yes, it’s very hard to pay,” said Rivas.
Women with degrees are underrepresented in the spectrum of underpaid women in the U.S; most of which struggle to make ends meet. As this report states, “Nearly one in five is poor, and more than one in three live in families with incomes below $25,000 a year.”
The number of women in low- paying jobs has increased in recent years, especially since the recession in 2007, and is likely to continue. “The share of women workers who hold low-wage jobs increased by more than six percent between 2007, the year before the recession, and 2012,” stated in the above report.
Many contributing factors are affecting the situation like the student loan crisis, public policies on health care and the growing inflation versus the current minimum wage. This report suggests some possible solutions like:
- Strengthening unemployment insurance and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
- Affordable, comprehensive health insurance and access to reproductive health care.
- Nutrition and housing assistance.
- Have policies and lawmakers address issues such as Retirement security, Work scheduling practices, Improving Social Security benefits and many more.
However, the possibility of any of these being implemented any time soon is not likely. At the rate, this trend is growing women in Florida will achieve equal pay and benefits by the year 2038 a study says.
VLF Media 