© 2024 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace
Buffalo, NY 14202

Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
WBFO Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Your NPR Station
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

State equal pay for equal work measure advances

It has been talked about for a while -- how asking job candidates about their past salary can influence how much future employers will pay. Now Gov. Andrew Cuomo is taking more action on it.

Advocates of equal pay for equal work say asking about previous salaries unfairly keep women, in particular, from achieving equal pay with men.

For Equal Pay Day, Apr. 10, Cuomo proposed a measure that would prohibit all employers from asking job applicants about their prior salary history. The measure would apply to the private and public sector.

It is one of the recommendations from a state report on the gap in compensation given to men and women doing the same type of work.

Right now, women in New York State make 89 cents for every $1 made by a man in a similar position. Nationally, women make only 80 cents for every $1 made by a man in the same position.

Cuomo signed an executive order last year barring the state from asking job seekers about wage history.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
Related Content