Dept. Of Labor: Women Lag Behind Men In Salary, Retirement Benefits

By ABC-7 News Anchor/Reporter Maria Garcia

EL PASO — Labor Dayis seen as a time to honor the American workforce, but thereis still a group ofworkers that is lagging behind in support.

Despite great advancesmade during the last several decades, the fact still remains that women get paid much less than men.

According to reports from the Department of Labor, women earn just 78 cents for every dollar a man earns. Government officials say this can translate to millions of dollars over a lifetime.

Donna Romero, a pet groomer, says she hasn’t had to deal with pay discrimination yet. However, she did say she’s completely aware women everywhere have to face tough challenges.

Hilda Solis, the Secretary of State, said she is completely aware of the disparaging trend.

“Countless women are losing thousands of dollars in salary, income and retirement savings over the course of a lifetime,” Solis said. “As a result, women often must work longer or harder to make ends meet.”

Monday, Congressman Silvestre Reyes said thetrend has to stop. “This is the 21st century. We’ve got women in combat and we’ve got women flying in outer space,” said Reyes. “I think it’s long overdue that we recognize that it doesn’t make any difference what your gender is, it’s whether you can do the job right.”