MI HR0337

Declares April 8, 2014, as Pay Equity Day in Michigan to recognize wage disparities between men and women.

Notes that nearly 50 years after passage of the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, women and people of color continue to experience pay inequity.

Cites 2011 U.S. Census data showing Michigan women earned 74 percent of male earnings, ranking the state 45th nationally, with college-educated women earning 74 percent of male counterparts' wages.

States that wage disparities cost the average American woman and her family between $700,000 to $2 million in lost wages over a working lifetime, impacting Social Security benefits and pensions.

Urges Michigan citizens to recognize women's skills and contributions while encouraging businesses to conduct internal pay evaluations to ensure fair compensation for women.