GOV. MALLOY, LT. GOV. WYMAN ON EQUAL PAY DAY

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman released the following statements on Equal Pay Day:

"Right here in Connecticut, women earn less than 76 cents to every dollar a man earns-for doing the same job. This wage inequity is discrimination, and it damages our economy as well as putting an added burden on households across the state," said Governor Malloy. "On January 23, I directed Commissioners Smith and Palmer to study the factors that contribute to the gender wage gap in Connecticut's workforce and make recommendations for actions that will eliminate the wage disparity. While this is a complex situation, we must address discrimination against women in all its forms."

"A lifetime of earning less pay not only means a smaller paycheck, but also means a retirement with less security for a woman and her family," Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman said. "That is a fundamental economic disadvantage that is clearly unfair and needs to be dealt with so women can better support their families today and retire on equal footing with men."

According to a study by the Institute for Women's Policy Research, the weekly earnings of female full-time wage and salary workers compared to those of their male colleagues were 81 percent nationally and only 75.8 percent in Connecticut. While attempts are frequently made to explain the gender gap based on factors such as choice of occupation, industry, experience or education, studies that control for these measures estimate that discrimination is responsible for about 40 percent of the disparity.

The Governor has asked the commissioners to make recommendations to address the gender wage gap by October 2013.