Daily Digit: The gender pay gap is worse than previously thought

Daily Digit is the story behind the numbers that make our world work. Today we’re looking at the gender pay gap. Women’s income is 51% less than men’s, according to a new study of women’s income from 2001-2015. It was previously believed that women earned roughly 80 cents for every dollar a man made, but it’s actually less than that. The study notes that women are more likely than men to take time off from work to care for children or sick family members. But women end up making 39% less than men when taking a year off from work. The study notes that paid family and medical leave and affordable child care can help lessen the gap and encourage men to spend more time on family care.