Despite women outnumbering men in U.S. colleges, and despite the implementation of laws such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963, wage gaps persist. Some say the pay gap persists because: • Men are more likely to earn college degrees and advanced degrees in fields that lead to better-paying careers. • Women obtain college degrees, but not necessarily in fields that pay the best wages. Discrimination remains a difficult factor to document and measure. • Women, on average, work fewer hours than men, often to care for children or other family members. The wage gap narrowed steadily in the 1980s and 1990s, but convergence slowed in the early 2000s. In 1980, women earned 60.2 cents for every dollar a man earned, which increased to 71. 6 in 1990. In 2011, women earned 77 cents for every dollar a man earned, a figure that fell to 76.5 cents in 2012. Younger women in the workforce may struggle. According to the latest data, the odds reflect that younger workers are making inroads. In 2012, women ages 15 to 24 earned 88 cents for every dollar men earned; the amount dropped to 81 cents for women aged 25 to 44 and 74 cents for women aged 45 to 64. However, analysts warn that the raw wage gap figure inadequately reflects other factors that impact the wage gap. According to them, the salary comparison fails to capture cases in which a man might negotiate for a higher salary than women, or cases in which women decide to forego salary in favor of fulfilling work and more flexible hours. Case in point: a 30-year-old web stylist, she said she experienced such discrimination early in her career. In 2007, she and her friend with similar education and experience both got website design jobs... middle of paper... oyers can continue their discriminatory behavior because workers are prohibited from discussing the remuneration between them. How can we fight against wage discrimination? Are workers unsure if they are being defrauded by their employer? Eliminating this obstacle alone will go a long way in closing the current gap. At the end of the day we can't fix what we don't know. Pay discrimination practices must be addressed quickly. Female workers who are victims of pay discrimination have a lower disposable income, so they spend and save much less than their male counterparts, which in turn affects the economy. Meanwhile employers' marginal profits have continued to increase steadily over the years, so employers are robbing us all legally, directly or indirectly, and not much has been done about it according to current data on the wage gap between male and female workers..