Study finds women in Erie County make almost $5,700 less per year than men

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- A study commissioned by Erie County and conducted by Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations published this month found that pay gaps between men and women persist throughout the county, among other disparities.

The study used both quantitative and qualitative data by taking information from the U.S. Census Bureau and leading five focus groups with 24 women working in different key industries in Erie County.

In the county, women make up 49.3% of the workforce, 51.3% of the population, and are concentrated in industries that receive lower pay, including education, healthcare, and food services.

Wage gap disparities — after the study controlled for factors of education, experience, occupation and industry — include a $2.74 average hourly wage gap, equaling out to be an almost $5,700 annual pay gap for each full-time female worker.

Women with graduate or professional degrees also make $3.68 less per hour than equally qualified men, which is almost $7,700 less per year, the study said.

Women working in the healthcare industry in Erie County were found to be facing the biggest wage gap, making $5.90 less than men per hour, or almost $12,300 less per year. The smallest gap was in transportation and material moving occupations, where women make $1.04 less per hour.

The study found that there are gender pay gaps within nearly every racial and ethnic category. A woman in Erie County earns about 88 cents for every dollar a white man makes.

In terms of pay gaps between women of different races and ethnicities, the following groups are listed in order of highest to lowest average hourly wages: Hispanic or Latinx ($24.09), Black or African American ($23.87), white ($23.54), Asian or Pacific Islander ($22.87), other or multiple racial-ethnic identities ($20.83).

In households where both parents have jobs, mothers make $3.18 less per hour than fathers, which the study said is reflective of national trends. This amounts to about $6,000 less per year.

"Focus group participants described shouldering both professional workloads and unpaid household responsibilities, often being the primary parent while also managing finances, child-rearing, and domestic tasks," the study said.

The study also focused on women in political and economic positions throughout the county. Findings showed that women comprise 27.3% of county legislature seats and 30% of Buffalo's business and civic leaders.

In the five focus groups, Erie County women overall spoke of widespread gender discrimination, which includes lower pay, being overlooked for promotions, and facing assumptions that men better fit leadership roles.

"In male-dominated environments, women described having to 'prove' their competence repeatedly, often working harder than male colleagues for equal recognition," the study said.

The study concluded by listing steps Erie County could take to decrease wage disparities between men and women, including increasing childcare support, promoting pay transparency, and increasing female leadership in politics and business.