A new report from the Rutgers Center for Women and Work finds that Latinas in New Jersey face one of the highest wage gaps in the country. According to the study, New Jersey ranks 49th out of 50 states. Latinas fill about 9% of some of the state’s most essential and frontline jobs, but the research shows many are struggling to get by on earnings of $27,000 to $30,000 a year. That’s about 45 cents for every dollar a non-Hispanic white man earns. The study finds the disparities are worse for Latina immigrants.
Glenda Gracia-Rivera, director of professional development and training at Rutgers University Center for Women and Work, said it’s important to have organizations like the Hispanic Women’s Resource Center, which give Latinas the tools they need to succeed.
“A lot of the women we saw … talked about English proficiency being a barrier. Access to childcare is a really large barrier. And the one thing that did surprise was transportation was also a barrier that was cited. So we see that these women are clustered in low-wage sectors; that’s creating conditions to make the wage gap that much bigger,” Gracia-Rivera said.
