Companies must pay more to attract and hire women from diverse backgrounds because there are few qualified female and nonwhite candidates – and because these candidates are highly sought by employers.

Myth or reality?, asks Deborah Ashton of Novant Health.

Myth: American women earned significantly less than men, so it is unlikely that diverse women enjoy a salary advantage over men.

In fact, women in the U.S. earned $0.82 for every $1.00 earned by American men in 2013, up from $0.79 the year before, according to the 2012 Bureau of Labor Statistics earnings survey.

More education may not result in higher or even equitable salaries for African-American, white, and Hispanic women: The gender pay gap actually increases as when these women complete higher education levels.
In fact, workers with the least education actually experienced the least pay gap, but they are rewarded with “equal opportunity poverty.”

Men, regardless of race or ethnicity, earn more than women of any race when education level is held constant, except for Asian women with at least a Bachelor’s degree, who earned more than African-American men – the lowest-earning group of men.

These data and related studies reviewed by Claremont Graduate University’s Daryl G. Smith, Nana Osei-Kofi of Oregon State University, Azusa Pacific University’s Sandra Richards Mayo,  and Caroline S. Turner of Arizona State University, do not support claims that most diverse female candidates are paid more than men.

Likewise, Patricia E. White of the U.S. National Science Foundation, found no evidence for “bidding wars” to attract, hire and retain diverse women job candidates.

The gap in pay equity continues, and affects women across all ethnic and racial categories, with particularly adverse impact on Hispanic and African-American women.

-*How frequently have you encountered the myth of salary premiums to attract qualified diverse women and men job candidates?

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