San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer has made his intentions clear to study wage equity and diversity among the workforce. Kyle Elser, the Interim City Auditor, was the first to suggest the study earlier this month and his office found the city’s data was inadequate. He suggested that we should be analyzing pay gaps at least every three years.
Faulconer said, “It’s not right to pay women and minorities less for the same work. This study is an opportunity to examine the root causes of pay gaps and make institutional changes that will level the playing field, so all employees are treated equally and receive fair compensation for the work they do.”
Elser’s study found that full-time working women were making approximately 83% of what full-time working men were earning. Out of all the minority groups, black women were suffering the most. According to Elser’s study, they were earning $0.61 for every dollar a working white male made. However, the study also clearly states that the pay gap could be due to a difference in jobs and seniority levels between black women and white men. Overtime work also played a massive part in the pay disparity.
This is the first time the city has shown that they want to conduct regular studies of wages and the relevant diversity factors. In March, the city recommended creating a group of people to spotlight “the city’s disparities for women in education, wages, participation on local boards and commissions and support for working parents.” The Committee to Advance Women and Girls is set to take over for the Commission on the Status of Women. Faulconer plans to ask each one of the nine city council members to recommend people for the Committee.
Faulconer has done exceptionally well in addressing this topic and has shown his interest in improving the wage gap moving forward.
