Wage gap rising the most among Hispanic workers
The wage gap in the nations workforce has widened in recent years, with the pay of high-wage workers rising and the pay of low-wage workers…
As the wage gap in the nations workforce continues to rise, a new report shows the wage gap has increased the most among Hispanic workers. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
The wage gap in the nations workforce has widened in recent years, with the pay of high-wage workers rising and the pay of low-wage workers falling. But a new report by the Pew Research Center shows Hispanic workers may be feeling the biggest impact compared to other workers.
The report released Tuesday shows the wage gap between high and low earners has increased the most among Hispanics over the last few years.
The wage gap increased the most among Hispanic workers from 2007 to 2013. (Pew Research Center)
The median weekly earnings of Hispanics at the low end of the wage scale fell by 9.4 percent, from $278 to $252 between 2007 and 2013. Meanwhile, the median weekly earnings of Hispanics in the highest wage bracket during those same years increased 4.4 percent, from $1,604 to $1,675.
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The wage gap also grew among other groups of workers including whites, blacks and Asians but not as much as it did among Hispanic workers.
On average, the median weekly earnings of low-wage workers fell by 5.1 percent, from 240 to 228, and the pay of high-wage workers rose by 2.4 percent, from 1,709 to 1,750.
The Pew report cites high unemployment and a rise in part-time work as likely explanations for why low-wage Hispanics saw a drop in their earnings.
Unemployment rate among Latinos peaked at 12.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009, as the nation recovered from the latest Great Recession. Meanwhile, the share of Hispanic workers employed part-time increased from 13.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007 to 18.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013.
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