Report: Most Working Women in Michigan Earn Less; Have Fewer Sick Days

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In most Michigan families, mothers are the sole, primary, or co-breadwinner, yet, less than half  — 47 percent — don’t have paid sick days, and earn 77 cents for every dollar a man makes, says a report by The Center for American Progress Action Fund, a progressive advocacy organization.

“In Michigan and across the country, policies are needed that promote economic security for women and families,” says Sarah Jane Glynn, a co-author of the report. “Working families need higher livable wages, women need and deserve equal pay for equal work, and parents need to be able to maintain good jobs and raise their children simultaneously.”

The report finds 1.6 million workers in Michigan do not have paid sick days. Glynn says the 77 cents for every dollar a man makes is lower than the national average. The wage gap is larger for black and Latina women in Michigan, who earn 65 cents and 54 cents, respectively, for every dollar that white men earn.

Additionally, the report says childcare in Michigan costs an average of about $17,700 a year, “which is just less than one-third of the median income for a Michigan family with children.” Glynn says the state should expand paid family and medical leave, expand access to affordable childcare, and increase the minimum wage.