We’re annoyed that workplace inequality is still A Thing, but as long as it persists, we need to keep talking about it. As you’re well aware, the wage gap is alive and well—and unlikely to close anytime soon. It’s also commonly known that some areas of the U.S. are much worse than others when it comes to circumstances for working women. A new study from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research took to ranking each state based on four equally-weighted criteria, including “the median annual earnings for full-time women workers, the gender earnings ratios among such workers, workforce participation and their share of higher-paying professional and managerial jobs,” to ascertain an accurate picture of women’s working conditions across the country.
You can already view the rankings of specific companies in terms of workplace equality. Now, thanks to this map from the Washington Post, you can see how states compare with each other in similar terms. Unsurprisingly (particularly to this Georgia-bred writer), many of the lowest ranking states are in the South—Louisiana, Arkansas, West Virginia—while the highest ranking ones are mostly found in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. D.C. places above all fifty states; congratulations to our federal capital for being more accommodating to women than our federal government!
So if you’re looking to move to a new state anytime soon, maybe it’ll be a good idea to consult the map. You know, just so you know what to expect.
