Female workers continue to make less than male workers in northeast Indiana, despite achieving the same and sometimes higher levels of education, according to the April Labor Market Information Report issued by Northeast Indiana Works.

The findings are similar to those reported nationally, including a recent report by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research that concluded men earn significantly more than women with equal schooling.

The northeast Indiana report was compiled for Northeast Indiana Works by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and included data from two U.S. Census Bureau sources: the American Community Survey and Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics.

Census Bureau data tracking educational attainment for northeast Indiana residents 25 and older between 2009 and 2013 showed roughly the same percentage of women (13.4 percent) as men (13.5 percent) had earned bachelor’s degrees, while women earning associates degrees (9.4 percent) topped men (7.8 percent). The percentage of women earning master’s degrees also exceeded men: 6.2 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, Census Bureau data for northeast Indiana residents 14 to 99 years old show females generally gaining no ground in job earnings compared to men since the start of the 21st century. In fact, females lost ground in average monthly earnings between the second quarter of 2010 and the second quarter of 2014. During that time, the gap in average monthly earnings between males and females across all industry sectors rose from $1,310 to $1,395.

Those earnings included both full and part-time work. That may explain some of the difference in earnings; 34 percent of women 16 to 64 years old working in northeast Indiana between 2009-2013 worked part-time, according to the Census Bureau, while 16 percent of men worked part-time.

However, full-time-only job data tied to specific occupational categories also show earnings gaps. Among the examples provided via the Census Bureau are these median earnings for working northeast Indiana residents 16 and older in 2013:

• Computer and mathematical occupations: Males, $64,312; females, $51,104.
• Architecture and engineering occupations: Males, $66,952; females, $45,775.
• Life, physical and social science occupations: Males, $37,240; females, $33,147.
• Health technologists and technicians: Males, $41,272; females, $37,926.
• Protective service occupations: Males, $49,166; females, $34,894.
• Food preparation and serving-related occupations: Males, $21,415; females, $20,332.
• Transportation occupations: Males, $46,916; females, $29,814.

A similar pattern exists for industry sectors in northeast Indiana. Males’ average monthly earnings in the health care and social assistance sector surpassed females’ earnings by $2,806 in the second quarter of 2014, according to the Census Bureau. On average, males also earned more per month in manufacturing (by $1,278) and administrative and support services (by $293).

About Northeast Indiana Works: Northeast Indiana Works, the region’s workforce investment board, provides public and private financial and employment resources to businesses and individuals for education and skills training to meet the needs of regional industries. The nonprofit sets policy for how public and private funds are utilized to support talent development. It also operates and staffs the 11 county-based WorkOne Northeast career centers in the region. Individuals and companies may access resources and services by visiting or calling WorkOne in their county. To find your local WorkOne, log on to www.workoneworks.com

Source: Northeast Indiana Works; Inside INdiana Business