Women still paid less according to survey

CHICAGO, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- While some may say the "glass ceiling"
in the office is being shattered, according to a new survey from
CareerBuilder.com, the Battle of the Sexes continues in the workplace.
Employers are increasingly introducing programs to promote equality, yet
more than one-third (34 percent) of female workers say they feel they are
paid less than their counterparts of the opposite sex with the same skills
and qualifications -- relatively unchanged from 35 percent in 2006. Eleven
percent of men say they feel they are paid less than their female
counterparts. The CareerBuilder.com survey, "Workplace Equality," included
4,328 male workers and 3,632 female workers nationwide.

Comparing salaries, 40 percent of men surveyed reported they make
$50,000 or more, compared to 21 percent of women surveyed. Nineteen percent
of men earn $75,000 or more, compared to 7 percent of women. On the other
end of the pay scale, 47 percent of women reported they make $35,000 or
less compared to 28 percent of men.

Pay isn't the only area where women say they are feeling
discrimination. More than a quarter (26 percent) of female workers say they
have fewer career advancement opportunities than their counterparts of the
opposite sex with the same skills and qualifications, 18 percent say they
do not get the same amount of training and learning opportunities and 17
percent say they do not have the same amount of workplace flexibility.

"The number of women reporting that they receive less pay than their
male counterparts has changed little over the last two years," said
Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com.
"While companies have taken great strides to address equality in the
workplace, there is still a lot of work ahead. Companies understand the
value of having a diverse workforce and many are scrutinizing and improving
their recruitment, compensation and promotion practices."

By Industry

When it comes to specific industries, women who work in healthcare (22
percent), hospitality (22 percent) and education (30 percent) are less
likely to feel they are paid less than their male counterparts. Women who
work in IT (33 percent) and banking and financial services (33 percent) are
near the national average. Women in manufacturing (44 percent), retail (41
percent) and professional and business services (38 percent) are more
likely to report pay discrimination. On the flip side, 21 percent of men in
hospitality and 16 percent of men in banking and financial services say
they are paid less than their female counterparts with similar credentials.

Perceptions of Discrimination

When asked to what they attribute getting paid less and/or having fewer
career advancement opportunities than their male counterparts, nearly half
(48 percent) of women say management tends to show favoritism to members of
the opposite sex; 34 percent say men tend to schmooze more with the boss.
Thirty-two percent of women say men are perceived as needing to have more
money to support their families, 30 percent say men tend to get better or
more high profile projects and 23 percent say men tend to be more
aggressive in their compensation negotiations.