Minnesota thrives when women are paid equally for their work.

Yet, we know that women do not always receive equal pay for equal work. Black women, Indigenous women, Hmong women, and Latinas are still paid substantially less than men in Minnesota. 

Every year we mark how far into the current year women would have to work in order to earn the same amount as men did in the previous year through Equal Pay Days. 

Today, October 29, is Latina Equal Pay Day, meaning Latinas must work nearly 23 months to earn what white men earned in 12 months. 

Being paid equally for work means being treated with dignity. 

So on this Latina Equal Pay Day and every day, we proclaim that pay discrimination has no business in Minnesota. 

At the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, we are dedicated to building a future in which women are paid based on their skills, experience, responsibilities of the position, market research, and education. 

The gender pay gap is the result of many factors including access to education and affordable health care, bias against working moms, occupational segregation, racial bias, transphobia, ableism, and sexism. It also spans occupations and educational levels. 

Pay discrimination makes it difficult to pay for housing, afford quality health care, and save for retirement. 

To build a thriving Minnesota, we must continue to tackle the discriminatory gender and racial pay gap. 

If you have you experienced discrimination, contact the Discrimination Helpline by calling 1-833-454-0148 or report discrimination online.