Teens may hold key to bridging gender wage gap

In April, the EEOC commemorated the 20^th Anniversary of  “Take Your Child to Work Day” by adding another item to teens’ to do list: solving the gender wage gap.

This brow-raising move appears to be the ultimate concession that grown-ups really don’t have all the answers. After all, the efforts of the adult world to bridge the gender wage gap have not garnered the desired results. A recent study by the Institute for Women's Policy Research shows that on average, women only out-earn men as bookkeepers, accountants, and auditing clerks.

So how can teens help? The EEOC believes that teens between the ages of 14 and 18 offer a unique and refreshing perspective generally – so why not have them weigh in on the wage gap conundrum? Not to mention that this age group is seen as unbiased, making them all the more likely to offer equal opportunity solutions. The EEOC plans to submit teens’ suggestions to the National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force in Washington D.C. 

 

Photo credit: Microsoft