A recent report by the New York City Council Data Team has unveiled stark disparities in pay between women of color and their white and male counterparts within the city’s workforce.
The findings shed light on significant wage gaps persisting within various government agencies, prompting calls for legislative action and raising concerns about workplace culture and leadership.
The report reveals that women of color employed by the city earn, on average, 84 cents for every dollar earned by their white colleagues.
Additionally, when compared to white male employees, women of color earn only 82 cents on the dollar. These discrepancies are particularly concerning as women of color constitute over two-thirds of the overall racial pay gap among city government employees.
Moreover, the data indicates that between the fiscal years 2018 and 2021, women of color experienced the smallest reduction in their pay gaps with white male workers, with an increase of only 3.8% or less.
Conversely, other demographic groups, such as white female employees, Black or African American male employees, and male employees of other race/ethnicities, saw more significant reductions in their pay gaps over the same period.
The report highlights specific government agencies with the largest racial and ethnic pay gaps, including the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).
DCAS leads with a pay gap of $28,065.16 between Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, and Other Race/Ethnicity (ABHLO) employees and their white counterparts, followed closely by the NYPD and FDNY.
Additionally, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) were identified as agencies with significant racial pay disparities, with differences of $16,089.52 and $15,716.20, respectively.
In response to these findings, councilmembers Crystal Hudson, Farah Louis, and Carmen de La Rosa, all women of color, are proposing legislation aimed at addressing these inequities. The proposed measures include providing career counseling, promoting job advertisements, and conducting surveys to assess workplace culture within city agencies.
Carmen de La Rosa, chair of the Council’s women’s caucus, emphasized the need to address the long-standing trend of undervaluing and underpaying women and non-white employees.
However, the administration under Mayor Eric Adams has indicated that they will review the report’s findings.
While Mayor Adams has appointed women and people of color to key positions and implemented initiatives to address gender disparities, recent developments have raised questions about his leadership style and commitment to empowering women of color.
The unexpected departures of Judge Sylvia Hinds-Radix and Civilian Complaint Review Board interim chair Arva Rice have drawn scrutiny, with concerns raised about the mayor’s ability to delegate and foster an inclusive work environment.
Stakeholders are calling for continued efforts to close the gender and racial pay gaps and promote equitable workplaces for all employees.
