A new study revealed women from Utah and other states who earned bachelor's degrees within the past seven years made an average of 18% less than similarly educated men.
Research from the National Association of Colleges and Employers found segregated work environments are the main reason for the disparity.
Mary Gatta, director of research and public policy for the National Association of Colleges and Employers, said the problem is so prevalent, job analysts gave it a formal title.
"Some of that, as we see in our survey, is attributed to men and women working in different industries and different types of work," said Gatta. "We called it 'occupational sex segregation.'"
The Early Career Talent Survey interviewed 1,400 professionals who graduated between 2017 and 2023, including about 500 men and 900 women.
It found the gap brings financial challenges for women, who are more likely to have student loans but are less confident of their ability to repay them.
Despite financial disparities, career satisfaction was similar between genders among early-career professionals.
Read more at upr.org.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.