Latina Equal Pay Day: Reaching Pay Parity in 130 Years 

Sacramento, CA (October 8, 2026) – Today marks Latina Equal Pay Day, the symbolic day when Latinas’ earnings finally “catch up” to what white, non-Hispanic men were paid the previous year.  

• Nationwide, Latinas made 53 cents for “all earners” (full-time, year-round + part-time and part-year) for every dollar made by white, non-Hispanic men 
• This gap narrows slightly, where Latinas earned 60 cents for full-time, year-round workers. 
• In California, Latinas were paid only 44 cents in 2024 according to the CA Budget & Policy Center. A National Women’s Law Center analysis found that in 2025, Latinas were paid 45 cents in California.   

“Latinas are overrepresented in industries that are undervalued and often lack basic workplace protections, such as farm work, care work, and hospitality,” said Chair of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls Dr. Rita Gallardo Good. “Latina women are the backbone of California and its future and it’s on us to find ways to provide pathways and opportunities to build economic security, equity and create a foundation for success in the workplace.”  

Despite being one of the fastest growing and most powerful groups in the state, who represent 39% of employed women in California, Latinas remain vastly underpaid and underrepresented. The wage gap costs Latina workers and their families nearly $1 million over a lifetime, creating a trickle-down impact on exacerbating poverty and limiting wealth creation.   

“At this rate, it will take Latinas about 130 years to reach pay parity. It is unacceptable to make women wait for generations before being paid what they have earned,” said Executive Director of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls Darcy Totten. “While Latinas represent a substantial portion of California’s workforce, they are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, particularly that based on immigration status or limited employment opportunities based on gender. Pay equity for Latinas means more than closing the gap to a white man’s dollar. It means stronger labor protections, fair wages, access to benefits, and pathways to economic mobility.”  

Current systemic barriers contribute to the pay disparities impacting Latinas, including: 

Unpaid Caregiving Deepens the Divide: 
Latinas are more likely to shoulder unpaid caregiving responsibilities, which further limits their earning potential and economic mobility. 

Systemic Barriers: 
Latinas face entrenched racial and gender discrimination, resulting in underrepresentation in leadership roles, higher unemployment rates, and restricted access to higher education. 

Heightened Challenges for Undocumented Latinas: 
Nearly 70% of undocumented women in California are Latinas, and this group earns the lowest wages of any demographic in the state. 

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About the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls 
For 60 years, the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls has identified and worked to eliminate inequities in state laws, practices, and conditions that affect California’s women and girls. Established as a state agency with 17 appointed commissioners in 1965, the Commission regularly assesses gender equity in health, safety, employment, education, and equal representation in the military and the media. 

About Latina Equal Pay Day 
Latina Equal Pay Day is a day that highlights how much longer Latina women must work to earn what white, non-Hispanic men earned in the previous year. It serves as a call to action to address and rectify the systemic inequalities contributing to the wage gap. Closing wage gaps is both a matter of fairness and a strategic economic imperative. When women are paid fairly, families have more spending power, small businesses grow, and communities become more resilient. Pay inequity, by contrast, suppresses tax revenue, increases reliance on public services, and limits long term economic competitiveness.