Pay discrimination and inequality persist in Manitoba, with women earning on average 71 per cent of what men earn. Pay inequity is a long-standing issue that has been amplified by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic hit women workers hard: women lost jobs at a higher rate than men and were slower to re-enter the labour force. During the pandemic, racialized workers were over-represented in the three industries that accounted for 80 per cent of job losses in Canada: accommodation and food services; information, culture and recreation; and wholesale and retail trade.1 As the economy recovers from COVID-19, it is essential that women gain stronger economic footing and not be left behind. A feminist recovery from COVID-19 must include reducing the gendered and racialized pay gap. It is important to understand the pay gap and how it may be eliminated to strengthen women’s and racialized people’s economic status. While the pay gap existed before the pandemic, the last three years have highlighted the urgency of this issue.
Read the Manitoba Pay Equity details in this report above! Also see report Summary below.