Oklahoma Has Larger Gender Earnings Gap Than U.S.; If Trends Continue, Oklahoma Women Will Not See Equal Pay Until 2076
United WE, a non-partisan nonprofit organization, held a virtual press conference today to announce findings from initial research on the Status of Women in Oklahoma. United WE commissioned the year-long study with Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business to specifically examine women’s economic status in the state and to highlight areas of possible action to economically empower women and their families.
The research illuminates important findings, implications, and policy insights as women in Oklahoma face challenges that hinder them from achieving their full economic potential. The research shows that the gender earnings gap is larger in Oklahoma than in the United States overall. Oklahoma women earned 74.5 cents for every dollar earned by a man between 2015 and 2019, compared to 80.8 cents per dollar for U.S. women. If current trends continue, women in Oklahoma will not see equal pay until 2076.
In addition, the research reveals that childcare in Oklahoma is unaffordable for many families. The average cost of childcare in Oklahoma is more expensive than a year of in-state tuition at a four-year public college. The typical married couple in Oklahoma spends about 11.7% of their income for infant care and 20.6% of their income for two children. Childcare is considered affordable if it costs 7% or less of a family‘s income.
“We have a long history of commissioning evidence based research in nearby states so we are delighted to expand our efforts into Oklahoma to better understand the challenges hindering the region’s women from achieving their full economic potential,” said Wendy Doyle, President & CEO of United WE. “It is our collective responsibility to take this research, identify innovative solutions, educate elected officials and community leaders, and unite to advance and support policies that strengthen Oklahoma women and families for the economic development of the region.”
The Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University and the Ash Grove Charitable Foundation, the philanthropic foundation of one of the largest cement companies in the United States that serves multiple regions in Oklahoma, funded the research project.
“We are delighted to partner with such a well-respected organization as United WE to explore the status of women in Oklahoma,” said Dr. Ken Eastman, Dean at Spears Business. “At Spears, we are committed to enhancing the opportunities of women and all Oklahomans and Dr. Ahlstrom’s research provides valuable insight on areas of needed improvements.”
The findings highlight areas of possible action to help economically empower women and their families. Findings from the research include the following:
Employment and Earnings
Oklahoma’s gender earnings gap is one of the highest in the country. Women in Oklahoma effectively stop getting paid on September 24 (compared to October 29 for U.S. women overall) while continuing to work for the remainder of the calendar year.
If equal pay were a reality in Oklahoma, the poverty rate for working women would be reduced by nearly 50%, and women’s earnings would increase by approximately $5.4 billion annually.
If women in the state took off one day of work, the Oklahoma GDP would lose $222.4 million.
United WE advocates for salary history bans and has established pay equity best practice guidelines to promote equal pay for equal work.
Childcare
The annual cost of childcare for an infant in Oklahoma in 2020 was $8,940, or $745 a month. The typical married family with two incomes spends about 12% of their income on infant childcare compared to 40% for the typical single-parent.
The annual cost of infant care in Oklahoma is greater than the cost of in-state tuition at a public, four-year university in the state.
United WE advocates for 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave at 100% pay for all part-time and full-time workers.
Health Care
In 2019, Oklahoma was only one of two states where the uninsured rate was higher than 14% while the U.S. national average was 9.2%. The state had the second highest number of uninsured women in the United States in 2022.
Smaller percentages of men and women in Oklahoma are enrolled in Medicaid compared to their United States peers. Among women in the United States, about 21% are enrolled in Medicaid relative to 18-19% of Oklahoma women.
Poverty and Social Insurance
Women in Oklahoma ages 25–64 have a higher poverty rate than men in Oklahoma as well as when compared to women in the United States overall.
Among women who are 65-years-old and older, the share of women in poverty in Oklahoma is lower than the percentage for women in the United States as a whole.
United WE supports policy reforms that remove barriers and leverage opportunities for women’s economic development, such as gender pay equity, which impacts retirement savings for women in the long-term.
Civic Engagement
About one-fifth of the Oklahoma legislators were women in 2021, a smaller share than the United States average.
Oklahoma women vote more than Oklahoma men, but voter turnout rates are lower in Oklahoma for both genders than for men and women in the United States overall.
United WE’s Appointments Project® facilitates the appointment of women to civic boards and commissions and addresses a critical gap in representation and leadership. The project is expanding to cities across the country including Oklahoma City. Free public training events for Oklahoma City are planned for April 27, 2022, and May 24, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. CT.
“Our research illuminates the challenges and inequities faced by women in Oklahoma while serving as a benchmark for tracking the advancement and progress of women in our state,” said Dr. Laura J. Ahlstrom, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics at Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business. “The data validates the importance of removing barriers and advocating for policies that support women, ultimately making families and communities healthier and the economy stronger.”
A full copy of the report can be viewed here.