Report: FL Women Worse Off Than Decade Ago
Posted January 5, 2017 01:10 am | Public News Service
TALLAHASSEE, FL – More Florida women are starting the new year in dire economic straits than in most parts of the country, according to new report on the status of women.
The study from the Institute for Women's Policy Research
says the number of Florida women living below the
federal poverty level has risen almost 3 percent since
2004, to 15.4 percent - and the institute gives Florida
a grade of D-plus.
Report co-author Julie Anderson says paying women the
same as men for comparable work and hours would pull
more than half of those women out of poverty, and have a
ripple effect on the entire state.
"So, the wage gap is obviously a drain on individual
women, but a huge drain on the state economy, and public
assistance programs," she states. "And so that's a big,
big policy lever that would have a huge impact."
While Florida's minimum wage increased by a nickel this
week to $8.10 per hour, the study found a single adult
in the state would need to earn about $14.52 per hour to
afford basic needs.
Anderson says providing paid sick days and family leave
are other benefits that would make a big difference to
Florida women, as women typically shoulder the
responsibility when family illnesses or emergencies
arise.
"It's women who will back out of the labor force, and
that's very, very difficult to recover from," she
explains. "But paid sick days and paid family leave will
support families in keeping multiple earners in the
workforce and not dropping out because of that
impossible bind."
Anderson says the research did find two areas where
Florida has made progress in recent years - more women
in the state are getting a college education, and the
number of female owned businesses is on the rise.
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