SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) and its community partners are recognizing December 8th as Latina Equal Pay Day, a day acknowledging the pay disparity between Latinx American women and white men. On average, Latina workers in the United States are paid 49 cents for every dollar earned by a white, non-Hispanic man.

Latina Equal Pay Day is the final equal pay day of the year as Latinas face the largest wage gaps among women workers and all major race, ethnicity, and gender groups. The day marks how far into the next year Latinas must work to earn what white men earned in 2021; said another way, it takes Latinas nearly 24 months to earn what a white man earns in 12 months.

"Women continue to comprise a large percentage of the American workforce, and yet make less than their male counterparts," said Illinois Department of Labor Director Jane Flanagan. "This day should be marked to honor the contributions of Latina women to Illinois' economy, and to recognize the disparities they face in the workplace. The Department of Labor works every day to end these disparities, and to make these workers aware of their rights."

This year IDOL has partnered with Women Employed, Arise Chicago, Man-Tra-Con Corp., Shriver Center on Poverty Law, and YWCA of the Quad Cities to raise awareness about pay equity rights with a particular focus on low-income women of color through a multi-faceted media and outreach campaign made possible by a Fostering Access, Rights and Equity (FARE) grant from the Women's Bureau of the United States Department of Labor.