Inequities in Today's Workforce

INEQUITIES IN TODAY'S WORKFORCE -- (House of Representatives - July 19, 2005)

(Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, today on the anniversary of the first Women's Rights Convention, I want to address the inequities that still exist in today's workforce.

In 1996 when we destroyed the safety net for women and children by ending welfare, women have become even more reliant upon work for mere survival. Yet the lack of resources like child care, sick leave and disproportionate pay all conspire against most working women. As a matter of fact, the 9 to 5 National Organization of Working Women reported that women earned 76 cents for every dollar that men earned in 2004. Over a lifetime what that means is a 25-year-old woman who works until age 65 will earn over a half million dollars less than the average working male.

The playing field for women is uneven because 40 percent of single working mothers pay at least half of their cash income for child care, and half the States have cut child care availability. Far too many women are forced to cobble together part-time jobs in order to survive, and 70 percent of the workers who hold two or more jobs are women.

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