Spring Newsletter: Equal Pay Day 2020, Campus Poster Contest, Why the Census Matters

Montana Department of Commerce sent this bulletin at 04/22/2020 10:10 AM MDT
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SPRING NEWSLETTER

When the Governor’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Montana Task Force began its work in 2013, Montana women earned 68.4 percent of the median earnings of their male coworkers. Today, that gap has narrowed to 73.2 percent. The task force has taken steps to narrow the gender wage gap through wage negotiation trainings, business outreach, and championing policies that can lead to shrinking the pay gap.

“Equal pay for equal work is about putting more money in the pockets of Montana families. When both the bread winners of a household earn more money, that money is dispersed throughout the entire Montana economy—creating better jobs and economic opportunity. Equal pay for equal work will ensure that our state continues to have a strong and fair economy for all Montanans.”

STEVE BULLOCK

Governor
Day 31

EQUAL PAY DAY 2020

Equal Pay Day was recognized on March 31, symbolizing how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned the previous year.

When the Governor’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Montana Task Force began its work in 2013, Montana women earned 68.4 percent of the median earnings of their male coworkers. Today, that gap has narrowed to 73.2 percent.
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CAMPUS POSTER CONTEST

The Equal Pay for Equal Work Campus Poster Contest was a huge success. A group of 14 outstanding participants included four men and ten women, representing five campuses across the state and seven unique majors. Nearly 120 votes were counted to determine the finalists and the Task Force members selected the grand prize winner.
Poster Contest Results
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Why the Census Matters for Women and Girls

  • Census data help guide the distribution of over $1.5 trillion each year in federal funds—including funding for programs that serve tens of millions of women and girls, particularly with low incomes. Montana receives more than $2 billion each year as a result of Census data.
  • A fair and accurate count will help ensure the quality of census-derived data and research on women’s and girls’ economic security, while also ensuring that women and girls receive their fair share of political representation.
  • Many women and girls fall into one or more “hard to count” groups and require intentional outreach to ensure a fair and accurate count.

The 2020 Census is now live and available to fill out online at my2020census.gov.

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