---
title: "There’s more to the story of the shrinking pay gap"
description: "While women have narrowed their pay gap with men over the past 30 years, many have also seen their progress slow, and even reverse, over the course of their careers. "
date: "2014-01-09"
authors:
  - name: "Rakesh Kochhar"
    job_title: "Former Senior Researcher"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/rakesh-kochhar/"
  - name: "Andrea Caumont"
    job_title: "Associate Director, Digital Outreach"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/andrea-caumont/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/01/09/theres-more-to-the-story-of-the-shrinking-pay-gap/"
categories:
  - "Business & Workplace"
---

# There’s more to the story of the shrinking pay gap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfD7C49v5Vg

The [hourly pay gap between working women and men has narrowed](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2013/12/11/on-pay-gap-millennial-women-near-parity-for-now/) to 16 cents today, compared with 36 cents in 1980. But progress has slowed in recent years and even reversed for many women over the course of their careers. Our new video takes a closer look at the nuances behind the pay gap and examines in new detail how different groups of young women entering the workforce since the 1980s have fared over time. One interesting finding is that many women have moved towards a larger pay gap as they've aged and dealt with the responsibilities of parenthood and family.

Today’s youngest group of working women is the first in modern history to start their working lives at near parity with men. But will the gap remain this close as these women age? That remains to be seen. We look at why the pay gap has narrowed and why it has persisted over time in this video produced by researchers Rakesh Kochhar, Kim Parker, D'Vera Cohn and Eileen Patten; informational designer Jessica Tennant and art director Diana Yoo; digital producer Andrea Caumont and digital editor Sara Goo.

### More on women, men and the workplace:

[On Pay Gap, Millennial Women Near Parity – For Now](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2013/12/11/on-pay-gap-millennial-women-near-parity-for-now/)

[Why It's Great to Be the Boss](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2014/01/09/why-its-great-to-be-the-boss/)

[10 findings about women in the workplace](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2013/12/11/10-findings-about-women-in-the-workplace/)

[How Pew Research measured the gender pay gap](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2013/12/11/how-pew-research-measured-the-gender-pay-gap/)

[Who men and women prefer as their coworkers](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2013/12/16/who-men-and-women-prefer-as-their-co-workers/)

[Who's the boss? In U.S. business, it's mostly men](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2013/12/11/whos-the-boss-in-u-s-business-its-mostly-men/)