Millennials have supplanted the Baby Boomers as the largest generation in the U.S., and a huge portion of them are already in the workforce. With their arrival comes a host of issues close to their heart that calls into question where federal oversight will begin and end, and this is especially true with rights for workers.
Among the women in the workforce, there are some nascent needs that the majority of America agrees upon. The economy tops the list of concerns for voters nationally, and women are in a unique position to demand new rules for a more equal pay structure.
If you’re wondering where that leaves the two candidates on issues of women in the workplace, we’re here to explain:
Paid Family Leave
Unlike most developed countries, the United States does not mandate companies to offer paid maternity leave for new mothers who have positions in the workforce. The issue has become a top concern for women’s rights activists, and naturally many are looking to Clinton to take a leadership role in the fight for federal laws guaranteeing paid family leave. However, Trump also rolled out a plan several weeks ago that hinted toward an openness on the issue.
“Raising a child is now the single greatest expense for most American families — even exceeding the cost of housing in much of the country.” Trump would mandate 6 weeks of paid leave to new mothers before returning to work.
“No one should have to choose between keeping their job and taking care of a sick family member, and no parent should have to go back to work right after they welcome a newborn baby.” Clinton would mandate 12 weeks of paid leave for family and medical purposes.
Gap in Gender Pay
After the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was signed into law by President Obama, the federal government began researching ways to close the gap in pay between men and women. An “Equal Pay Day” was even created to bring awareness to the issue. Currently, females earn about 79 cents for every dollar men do, according to the Census Bureau, although the math on that is up for dispute. Another study suggests 82 percent of women make as much as men do exiting college, leaving many to ask, “What gives?”
“You can have a woman that’s much better than a man; you can have a woman that’s not as good as a man … If you start to say everybody gets equal pay, you get away from the whole American Dream.”
“We should promote pay transparency across the economy and work to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act … to give women the tools they need to fight discrimination in the workforce.”
Minimum Wage
Nationwide, nearly 6 in 10 workers earning the minimum wage in their position are women, according to the Department of Labor. It’s a concern that in an era of stagflation legislators are forced to consider whether or not their state’s minimum wage adheres to the rising prices of goods and services, and this is especially true in areas where there are many mothers. Some cities, such as Seattle, have thus passed minimum wage increases of their own accord. But the president must also consider whether or not the national $7.25 an hour wage is enough for productive workers to live on.
The federal minimum wage should be “at least $10,” although “states should really call the shots.”
“A higher minimum wage will help close the gender pay gap, lift millions of women out of poverty, and have a ripple effect across our economy.” Hillary would also “work to raise the federal minimum wage to $12.”
Debt-Free College
The graduating class of ’15 carries the most debt of all time with over $35,000 owed per student, and it appears the bubble of lending may burst any time now, leaving the next president to deal with an impending crisis. Far more than half of bachelor’s degrees are being awarded to women, leading many of them to engineer a career outside of the home — and delay things like childbearing, home buying and other traditional indicators of domestic progress. And many of them feel insecure about the amount of debt they carry, with numbers in the six figures not hard to find.
“Student debt is a tremendous problem in the United States … It’s one of the places, frankly, where our country makes money … that should not take place.” Trump is said to be working on his college affordability plan.
“By 2021, families with income up to $125,000 will pay no tuition at in-state four-year public colleges and universities. And from the beginning, every student from a family making $85,000 a year or less will be able to go to an in-state four-year public college or university without paying tuition.”