CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming will study why its women earn less than two-thirds as much as men, a statistic that could be caused by discrimination or possibly the state's abundance of higher-paying, male-dominated jobs in the energy industry.
Wyoming ranks behind all U.S. states and Washington, D.C., for its wide gap between the incomes of women and men. Women in Wyoming who work full-time and year-round earn 64 percent as much as men, according to the National Partnership for Women and Families.
Last winter, Wyoming lawmakers approved a bill directing the state Department of Workforce Services to study the issue. A report is due by October 2018.
The bill was sponsored by two women, Democratic Rep. Cathy Connolly of Laramie and Republican Rep. Marti Halverson of Etna, on opposing sides of the issue, the Casper Star-Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/2nYYgKF).
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One theory for Wyoming's wide wage gap is more men than women work in the state's high-paying jobs in the oil, natural gas and coal extraction industries.
Twelve-hour shifts in mines make it nearly impossible for women to accept natural resources jobs if they have children, Connolly said.
"I would argue that is the illusion of choice. That isn't a real choice," said Connolly, a gender studies professor at the University of Wyoming.
There are many reasons why women in Wyoming earn less, including their career choices, Halverson said in support of the bill last winter.
Halverson said the study is needed because Wyoming's reputation as a place where women earn less than men could hold the state back. The study will update a 2003 report and break down the gender-pay gap by county, industry and position.
New York, Delaware and Florida have the nation's smallest gaps between men's and women's pay.
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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com
