Racial Differences in US Wages

One of the authors I work with, Lisa Johnson Mandell (Career Comeback: Repackage Yourself to Get the Job You Want), writes at Aol. Dimecrunch and recently posted this:

The latest findings show that median earnings for white men working at full-time jobs came in at $850 in the fourth quarter, while their African American counterparts made $653 per week, or 76.8 percent of what whites are bringing home. But it’s the Hispanics who really feel the pain: They take home the lowest weekly average; $547. That’s $581 for males, and $503 for females.

But at least everyone, blacks, whites, Asians, Hispanics, males and females earned more in the fourth quarter of 2009 than they did in the fourth quarter of 2008. Median weekly earnings are up 2.7 percent across the board.

Interestingly enough, racial differences in median weekly salaries are less among women than they are among men. Median earnings for black women ($610) were 89.8 percent of those for white women ($679). And it’s still Asian women who average the highest earnings, at $786, and Latinas who average the lowest, at $512.

On gender differences:

And even if poverty and race & ethnicity aren’t of interest to you, this might be: Last year around 271,000 Mexican immigrants in the United States “entered a state of poverty…

Spread the love

More Articles for You

What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About Death, Technology, and Social Change

In a world where technology seems to dominate every facet of our lives, there’s something profoundly humbling about turning back …

Spread the love

Beyond Bread: Bakers in the Family, Pan de Agua and Casabe

I can picture us. Two, little rail-thin girls with long braided hair down our backs, holding hands as we walked …

Spread the love

How to Pull Back the Curtain: Heroes, Flaws, Boundaries and Creativity

I think a lot about exposure. I guess it comes with the territory of being a writer, and a communications …

Spread the love

Curating Caribbean Heritage: A List of Must-Read Books

This is how I honor and celebrate the diversity and richness of the islands and their cultural diasporas, reflecting on …

Spread the love

On Growing up in East Harlem: Italian (Barese) and Puerto Rican Heritage

I was thrilled to chat with podcaster, and fellow author and family historian Bob Sorrentino earlier this month. During our …

Spread the love

Food Culture: The Best Podcast for “Top Chef” Fans

The food we eat, how we eat and prepare it is so intricately tied to our culture, our heritage and …

Spread the love