Facts cannot completely describe the challenges faced by working women. But facts are important in painting a picture of the lives of working women and informing policies and actions needed. These fact sheets provide a picture of Black, Hispanic, and Asian working women in the United States in the following areas:

-          women’s contribution to family income;

-          unemployment and the effects of the recession;

-          families in poverty;

-          educational attainment and likelihood of unemployment;

-          the impact of educational attainment on women’s pay;

-          occupational distribution and impact on pay;

-          the wage gap between men and women;

-          the real cost of the wage gap; and

-          the impact of the gender wage gap on the retirement income of older women. 

The demographic landscape of the U.S. has changed considerably in recent decades. The nation’s racial and ethnic mix has shifted, driven by high levels of immigration of Hispanics and Asians. More than half of the growth in the total U.S. population between 2000 and 2010 was attributed to the increase in the Hispanic population. (author abstract)