NYC government pays women of color less than white, male coworkers, report finds

Published Apr 29, 2024 at 2:55 p.m. ET

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Published Apr 29, 2024 at 2:55 p.m. ET

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People of color who work for the New York City government make 16 cents less on average for every $1 their white counterparts make — and the gap is even wider for women of color — according to a new report from the City Council.

The report finds that city employees who are Asian, Black, Latino or otherwise non-white earn an average of 84 cents for every $1 that white city employees earn. It also finds significant disparities related to gender. For every $1 that white male city workers make, all other city workers make just 82 cents on average.

“These findings demonstrate a long-standing trend of women, and non-white employees, being undervalued and underpaid,” said Councilmember Carmen de La Rosa, who chairs the Council’s women’s caucus, during a hearing on the issue on Thursday.

Women of color account for more than two-thirds of the overall racial pay gap among municipal employees, with men of color accounting for about one-third, according to the report, which covers wage data up to 2021. From fiscal year 2018 to fiscal year 2021, women of color recorded the smallest improvements in their pay gaps with white male workers, notching increases of 3.8% or less.

“In contrast, white female employees, Black or African American male employees, and male employees who identify as Other race/ethnicity saw the largest reduction of their pay gap over this period,” the report states. “Hispanic or Latino male employees came the closest to eliminating the pay gap with white male employees in 2021 ($0.95 on the dollar), followed by white female employees ($0.91 on the dollar) and Asian male employees ($0.90 on the dollar).”

A chart from the City Council's pay disparity report showing gaps in wage improvements based on gender and race.

The report attributes the wage disparities to the bulk of higher-paid jobs, including senior and managerial roles, being predominantly held by white men. It comes more than halfway through the tenure of Mayor Eric Adams, the city’s second Black mayor, who has appointed a number of women and people of color to top positions, such as deputy mayors and commissioners.

The report is based on data the city has been collecting on its employees salaries since the passage of the Pay Equity Law in 2019. To address the disparities, Councilmembers Crystal Hudson, Farah Louis and de La Rosa — all women of color — are proposing legislation to provide career counseling, advertise jobs and survey “workplace culture” across city agencies.

Adams administration officials said at the hearing last week that the city has already been making strides to level the playing field among its workers.

“Since we last testified on this matter, the city has made significant progress to diversity our talent pools, increase equity and access and remove barriers to municipal employment,” said Katrina Porter, deputy commissioner and chief human capital officer at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services.

The mayor’s office did not immediately respond on Monday to requests for comment on the report. Last month, the city’s Equal Employment Practices Commission published an audit showing women and people of color are overrepresented in lower-paying municipal positions.

In January, Adams announced a $43 million initiative dubbed “Women Forward NYC” to support programs geared toward making the city “a national leader on gender equity,” including career development opportunities and access to financial resources.

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Giulia Heyward is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers politics and breaking news. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-715-1458.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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