Is inequality in the American workplace still prominent in the 21st century? Statistics and many women say yes. On average, a woman earns 77 cents to a man's dollar when in the same occupation with the same work, race, education, and any other similarity. This gap has not budged in the past decade and reflects the lower income women earn compared to their male colleagues and co-workers. Main factors of this gap is the misconception women are not the breadwinners of the family, maternity leave/time with children, and that most jobs are catered to men and are a "man's" job, and sexual harassment.

First, you have to take into account how much the gap really is. Considering the statistical gap, it's only 23 cents, seemingly small to some. However, say a man and woman have the same job, credentials, work effort, etc. Now, the man earns an annual income of $95,000, so the woman would earn $73,150, resulting in a $21,850 difference. However, over time, if both work 30 years, the woman will have lost $655,500. That is a lot of money wasted and looks a lot more understandable when you take into account more relatable numbers, including what is lost because of this pay gap, and when taking into account race, women that are not white have an even greater gap than whites.

A misconception or argument is that since men are the "breadwinners" or the main source of income, women do not need to be paid as much. This, however, is false. As of 2013, mothers are the sole or primary income generators for 40% of families in the U.S, according to a New York Times article by Catherine Rampell. This shift of family values reflects the female emergence into the occupational spectrum that has increased significantly over the decades. Family values have adapted and changed, yet many ideals of inequality remain. This disregard for a woman's fluctuating role in the family is harmful, including when it is coupled with the amount she earns less compared to her husband or son, and single-parent families.

If women need to earn more, why don’t they apply for generally higher paying jobs as a lawyer or a scientist? Normally, the types of occupations that are applied to women are usually, education, child care, cosmetics, and normally familial jobs that do not pay as much. The problem is that many occupations are catered to men than women. Society makes it that high income jobs are not catered to women who might want to go into the field of profession, and even when they strive for degrees in science and business areas, most women do not finish these degrees and move on to different jobs or careers. You could argue that if they want to have a family they need to pick a job that is able to allow flexibility needed to raise a family, however, the father has the same responsibility as the mother with raising children and juggling a job or career. Yet, normally the full burden is placed on the mother, as seen by unpaid maternity leave, which could be argued as a strong benefactor in why women should be paid less. Although, men, in some occupations, are also given the option to take time off, they do not have their pay reduced like a woman's/mother's would.

Even when a woman gets into one of those higher paying jobs, she is still paid less, has fewer chances of job promotions, and the workplace is a big area for reported sexual harassment against females. As stated in a survey, the industries with the highest levels of sexual harassment are business, banking, finance, sales/marketing, civil service, and education. While there are a growing number of women looking for better jobs and higher positions, there is a stigmatization that culturally influences many people and genders, including reactions when this negative argument is presented in full clarity.

Not only does this affect many American women and families, it affects female teens and young adults that are going into the workforce. In order to uphold the equality the United States brags and boasts about, the government needs to correct these inequalities and mistakes before we can really be truthful in what we are establishing and fixing, which means focusing on our internal problems and conflicts just as much as the outer ones. Of course, the gender pay gap is just one section of the framework of inequalities and problems the U.S. faces, but needs to be corrected just as much so that the cultural belittlement of women ceases, especially in the workplace.