The Girl With The Draggin’ W-2

By theglasshammer team

Wells Fargo Securities’ Economics Department recently released a report entitled, The Girl with the Draggin’ W-2, which explores the complexities of the gender pay gap. Following publication, we received many questions from interested readers. Diane Schumaker-Krieg, Global Head of Research, Economics, & Strategy for Wells Fargo Securities, responds to these questions below.

• What were the most surprising results of the study?

Despite huge advances in technology and the ability to work remotely, the highest paying jobs continue to reward those who can work the longest and least flexible hours. Physically showing up at the office (or wherever you’re required to be) is still a prerequisite for getting ahead. And that puts primary caregivers — usually working moms — at a disadvantage.

• Why haven’t we closed the gender gap? Why has progress stalled? Because society hasn’t fully accepted that fixing the problem for women means we also have to fix the problem for men. Both men and women need greater flexibility in their lives. Yet, it is still difficult for men to tell their employers they need time off to take their child to the doctor or to tell new acquaintances at a barbecue that they’re stay-at-home dads. Until these evolving realities are more socially accepted, the costs/burdens will fall on women. Some of the most successful women in our Research division have spouses that are full-time dads. In fact, Jodi Kantor of The New York Times wrote an insightful piece a couple of years ago, “Wall Street Mothers, Stay- Home Fathers” that features three senior women in my department.
• Given that female enrollment in college is surpassing that of men, why aren’t we seeing increased pay parity?

Actually we are. The wage gap would be six percent higher if women were not out-achieving men educationally. But women are more likely than men to major in fields that pay less upon graduation — for example, education and social work versus computer science and engineering.

• Talk about the role that cultural and societal expectations play. Is part of the problem that women don’t advocate for themselves or seek out sponsors? What remains unexplained about the gender pay gap?

Not advocating for oneself forcefully enough is certainly a factor. A well-known Carnegie Mellon study showed that men are four times more likely than women to ask for a raise and when women do ask, they typically request 30 percent less than men. This may be rational because women are viewed more negatively for asking! Of course, if you don’t ask, the answer is always “no.”

• Another factor is women’s tolerance for risk and failure. There are many studies showing that men will apply for a job if they meet just 60 percent of the qualifications, while women feel they need to be 100 percent qualified. This fear of failure is a big factor holding women back.

And women tend to be over-mentored and under-sponsored. Mentors can be great sounding boards, but their influence on one’s career trajectory often ends with advice. On the other hand, sponsors tend to be senior executives who can publically advocate on behalf of their protégés and accelerate their advancement. Women are 50 percent less likely than men to have a sponsor.

Finally, women often don’t get the benefit of honest performance feedback because male managers are reluctant to provide it, fearing an “emotional response” or risk to their own careers.

• Are there specific industries that perpetuate stereotypes and gender barriers?

I I have worked on Wall Street for most of my career, and it has certainly gotten a lot better, especially on the trading floor. But overall, hard-charging occupations like investment banking, private equity, venture capital and M&A are more difficult for anyone, not just women, who need more flexibility. One of the advantages of working in Research is that while there is a great deal of travel and frequent client dinners, there is no penalty for writing a research report at your kitchen table at 3 A.M. So even within hard-charging occupations, there are opportunities for flexibility.

• What is the economic reasoning behind closing the gender gap?

Greater labor force participation — many women are now on the sidelines because after factoring in the cost of childcare (which has grown more than twice as fast as median household income), for many, it doesn’t pay to work. A McKinsey Global Institute study indicated that full gender equality could add 11% to 26% to global GDP by 2025 — a staggering $12 to $28 trillion. One positive factor is women returning to the workforce and working late into their 60’s and even 70’s. Nearly 30 percent of women aged 65-69 are working (up from 15 percent in the late 80’s).

• How can businesses benefit from closing the gender pay gap? Do you think corporations are realizing this?

For businesses, closing the gender pay gap would not only attract more women but just as importantly help businesses retain the high-caliber women they already have by making it more economical for working moms to stay in the game. And of course there are countless studies showing that more diverse companies simply perform better — higher ROE, higher sales growth and stronger corporate oversight. That’s because they’re tapping into a deeper pool of talent that mirrors the diversity of their customers and discourages groupthink.

• Are there any policy solutions — either in the legislative or private sector that would help to move the needle forward?

On the legislative front, I think it’s very interesting that the state of Massachusetts now makes it illegal to ask a job applicant about their prior compensation. This could be a huge step forward, since women are generally paid less and asking for prior compensation perpetuates the wage gap.

In the UK, companies with 250 or more employees must publish their gender pay gaps within the next year under a new legal requirement and will be encouraged to detail an action plan to address inequities.

In the private sector, shareholders can and should hold companies accountable. In fact, nine tech companies were asked by shareholders to study compensation and commit to closing the pay gap. Several of them publicly made commitments to do so. Amazon, Apple and Intel have reported that they’re near 100 percent pay parity.⁸

^{Diane Schumaker-Krieg is Global Head of Research, Economics and Strategy and leads all fundamental research across all sectors and asset classes for Wells Fargo.}