Women Still Shortchanged At Work

In fact, looking at how much women get paid in comparison to their male counterparts, women make approximately 77cents to the dollar. However, that wage gap does not factor in differences in education, experience, talent, tenure and industry -- all of which influence a worker's salary. 

Median earnings for women of color generally are even worse. In 2007, the average income for African-American women was 68.7 percent of men's earnings, and Latina income were 59 percent of men's. 

The wide gap is not just a women's concern. Identical pay for women raises total family earnings, which in turn will profit the entire family. Annually, American working families lose $200 billion and at this rate, the wage difference will be here for 50 or more years. 

Many researchers believe that feminine qualities may be the reason that women make less money. Males may be more proactive with salary negotiations or push harder for sales. 

There are several signs of progress though: the first bill Barack Obama signed into law as President was aimed at U.S. pay gap, and the Senate is deliberating over a bill that is intended at addressing underlying discrimination.