According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women still make 82 cents for every dollar earned by a man. The gap is even wider for women of color. Black women were paid 63% of what non-Hispanic white men were paid in 2019. It takes a Black woman 19 months to earn what the average white man takes home in 12 months.

Renowned economic historian, Claudia Goldin, in her new book, Career and Family, traces women’s journey to close the gender wage gap and highlights today’s continued struggles for equality. A hundred years ago, a woman with a college degree would either have a career or have a family, rarely both. Today, there are more women graduates than ever eager for work and eager for a rich family life, as well. Goldin shows how generations of women have responded to this problem of balancing work and family. Pouring over data, including employment surveys, census records, and more, Goldin notes that even today, equity between dual career couples is just out of reach.

Claudia Goldin is the Henry Lee Professor of Economics at Harvard University. Her books include Women Working Longer, The Race Between Education and Technology, The Defining Moment, and Understanding the Gender Gap.

Kiana Scott leads fundraising and communications for CareerWork$, a workforce development nonprofit. She is on the board of the National Women’s Political Caucus of Washington, helping women win elected office.

Presented by Town Hall Seattle. https://townhallseattle.org/event/claudia-goldin/