Has the Race Penalty for Black Women Disappeared in the United States?

Abstract

This paper finds that black women earn 7 percent less than similarly skilled white women because of their race. Even within the same occupational category, black women earn 3 percent less than similarly qualified white women. Black women receive lower pay primarily due to occupational segregation and because they are rewarded with lower earnings than white women for equivalent levels of education and other human capital characteristics.

Keywords:

• Black Women
• Earnings Discrimination
• Wage Disparities