III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. CON. RES. 21 

Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the disparity in wages paid 

to Latina women in comparison to men. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 4, 2023 

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself, Mr. LUJA ́N, Mr. PADILLA, Mr. MENENDEZ, 

Ms. ROSEN, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. BROWN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. 

HICKENLOOPER, Mr. FETTERMAN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms. WARREN, Mr. 

BOOKER, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. HEINRICH, Mr. BENNET, Ms. DUCKWORTH, 

Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. KAINE, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. WYDEN, 

Ms. HIRONO, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, and Mr. KELLY) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the disparity 

in wages paid to Latina women in comparison to men. 

Whereas October 5, 2023, is Latina Equal Pay Day to observe the pay gap between Latina women and White, 

non-Hispanic men; 

Whereas Latina women make up the second-largest group of 

women workers in the United States, after White women; 

Whereas there are 13,900,000 Hispanic women in the labor 

force, representing slightly more than 10 percent of all 

women in the labor force today; 


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•SCON 21 IS 

Whereas section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 

1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(d)(1)) prohibits discrimination in 

wages on the basis of sex for equal work; 

Whereas title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 

2000e et seq.) prohibits discrimination in compensation 

because of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex; 

Whereas despite the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 

(29 U.S.C. 206 note) more than six decades ago, which 

establishes that employers shall not discriminate in wages 

on the basis of sex, but shall provide equal pay for equal 

work, Bureau of the Census data show that Latina 

women working full-time and year-round are paid 57 

cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men, 

while the average wage differential for all Latina women 

with reported earnings working full-time, part-time and 

part-year is 52 cents for every dollar paid to White, nonHispanic men; 

Whereas the National Women’s Law Center has calculated 

that, on average, Latina women lose over $1,200,000 in 

potential earnings over a 40-year career to the wage gap; 

Whereas, at the rate observed in 2023, Latinas will not reach 

equal pay with White non-Hispanic men for 183 years, 

or until 2206; 

Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of 

the Census reported the median annual pay for all Latina 

women in the United States working full-time, part-time, 

and part-year was $31,600 in 2022, compared to the median annual pay of $60,830 for White, non-Hispanic 

men; 

Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of 

the Census reported the median annual pay for all Latina 


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•SCON 21 IS 

women working full-time and part-time is $26,485, placing a working mother of two on the brink of poverty; 

Whereas job loss during the COVID–19 pandemic distorted 

measurements of average wages as women with lower 

earnings in sectors such as leisure, hospitality, and retail 

were more likely to experience job loss and leave the labor 

force; 

Whereas lost wages mean Latina women have less money to 

support themselves and their families, save and invest for 

the future, and spend on goods and services; 

Whereas approximately 51 percent of Latina women are unable to earn sick days through their jobs; 

Whereas the lack of access to affordable, quality child care, 

paid family and medical leave, and other family friendly 

workplace policies forces many Latina women to choose 

between their paycheck or job and getting quality care 

for themselves or their family members, a dynamic that 

contributes to the wage gap and was further exacerbated 

by the COVID–19 pandemic, especially as Latina women 

disproportionately work in essential jobs that put them at 

greater risk of exposure to COVID–19; 

Whereas if the annual wage gap were eliminated, on average, 

a Latina woman working full-time and year-round would 

have enough money to pay for nearly three years of 

childcare, to pay for 38 months of food, or more than 22 

months of rent; 

Whereas women face disproportionate sexual harassment in 

the workplace and data shows that women filed 78.2 percent of the 27,291 sexual harassment charges filed with 

the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission between 

fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2021; 


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•SCON 21 IS 

Whereas workplace harassment forces many women to leave 

their occupation or industry—targets of harassment were 

6.5 times as likely as nontargets to change jobs—or pass 

up opportunities for advancement, and this contributes to 

the gender wage gap; 

Whereas there is a high-personal cost for women who have 

been sexually harassed, including unemployment, underemployment, and financial stress resulting from changing 

jobs, which lead to long-term consequences for earnings 

and career attainment; 

Whereas more than two-thirds of workers paid the minimum 

wage or less in 2022 are women, and there is a disproportionate concentration of women of color in lowwage and tipped jobs; 

Whereas the pay disparity Latina women face is part of a 

wider set of disparities Latina women face in homeownership, unemployment, poverty, access to childcare, and the 

ability to build wealth; 

Whereas the underpayment of Latina women workers causes 

businesses and the economy to suffer; 

Whereas true pay equity requires a multifaceted strategy that 

addresses the gender and racial injustices that Latina 

women face daily; and 

Whereas many national organizations have designated October 5, 2023, as Latina Equal Pay Day to recognize the 

additional time that Latina women must work into the 

next calendar year to receive the earnings of White, nonHispanic men in the prior Census year: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That Congress— 


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•SCON 21 IS 

1 (1) recognizes the disparity in wages paid to 

2 Latina women and its impact on women, families, 

3 the economy, and our entire country; and 

4 (2) reaffirms its support for ensuring equal pay 

5 and closing the gender wage gap. 

Æ 


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