The gender wage gap in Orange County is wider than that of the state average — particularly for women of color, according to a recent report by the N.C. Justice Center.
At the state level, women overall earn 86 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make, the report said. While Asian-American women make 78 cents on the dollar, African-American and Native American women make 64 and 58 cents on the dollar, respectively. The contrast is most significant for Latina women, who make 48 cents for every dollar.
In Orange County, white women make 80 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make, while black women make 52 cents and Latina women make 37 cents.
Marion Johnson, the author of the study, said she is not surprised that the gap is higher in Orange County.
“The variance was just so sharp, and I would say that was the only surprising thing because honestly you’ve been seeing this reality reflected in so many different ways,” she said.
Orange County's small size could be a factor causing the gap, said Gloria Thomas, director of the Carolina Women's Center.
“When you can have a diversified work force, then you're more likely to have a higher rate of salaries and earning," she said. "We're not exactly living in the Research Triangle. If you look at some of the other counties that are neighboring, they have higher salaries."
Thomas said low pay for black and Latina women brings down the overall average for women — especially in Orange County.
"It's abysmal," she said. "I mean significantly different. It's significantly lower."