[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 14 (Monday, April 6, 1998)]
[Pages 561-562]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7077--National Equal Pay Day, 1998

April 2, 1998

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    Americans have always believed in the value of work and that, if you 
work hard, you should be able to provide for yourself and your family 
with dignity. Today, with more jobs, low unemployment, and real wages 
rising, America's workers are prospering. Yet, there are many women in 
the workforce whose work is not being fully valued.
    This year, National Equal Pay Day falls on April 3, the day on which 
the typical woman's 1998 earnings, when added to her 1997 wages, will 
finally equal what the typical man earned in 1997 alone. In other words, 
the typical woman who works full-time earns just 74 cents for each 
dollar that the typical man earns. For women of color, the wage gap is 
even wider--African American women earn only 63 cents for each dollar 
earned by white men, and Hispanic women earn only 53 cents. While women 
now hold almost half of all executive and managerial jobs, their wages 
are only 70 percent of the average pay

[[Page 562]]

of their male counterparts. And, according to the Department of Labor's 
Glass Ceiling Commission report, women in management jobs generally 
remain at entry-level and mid-level positions. In part, these 
differences in treatment exist because of differing levels of 
experience, education, and skill. But study after study shows that, even 
after legitimate differences are accounted for, a significant pay gap 
still persists between men and women in similar jobs.
    Equal pay not only treats women fairly, it benefits us all--
particularly our Nation's families. It empowers women to become more 
self-sufficient, reducing the dependence of many families on government 
assistance. It also raises women's purchasing power, increases their 
pensions, and improves their capacity to save, all of which help to 
strengthen our economy.
    During the past three decades, our Nation has made a strong 
commitment to ensuring that every American is treated with dignity and 
equality in the workplace. Legislation such as the Equal Pay Act and 
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act has helped us make progress in 
correcting discriminatory practices. But we still have a long way to go 
before the wage gap between men and women is eliminated. This year, I 
proposed an additional $43 million for the Equal Employment Opportunity 
Commission (EEOC) and the Department of Labor in order to strengthen 
enforcement of the laws that prohibit discrimination, including wage 
discrimination; to encourage mediation; and to help the EEOC reduce the 
average time it takes to resolve private sector complaints. This 
additional funding will help all victims of discrimination, including 
wage discrimination, obtain relief in a more timely manner. And the 
Women's Bureau at the Department of Labor will continue to make 
resources available through the Fair Pay Clearinghouse to highlight 
model pay practices and educate employers about the practical benefits 
of assuring equal pay for their employees.
    As we observe National Equal Pay Day, I urge businesses and State 
and local governments across our Nation to make a solemn commitment to 
recognize the value of women's contributions to the workplace and to 
reward them appropriately. By doing so, we will help provide opportunity 
and promote equality and justice for all.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the 
Constitution and laws of the United States of America, do hereby 
proclaim April 3, 1998, as National Equal Pay Day. I call upon 
Government officials, law enforcement agencies, business leaders, 
educators, and the American people to recognize the full value of the 
skills and contributions of women in the labor force. I urge all 
employers to review their wage practices and to ensure that all their 
employees, including women, are paid equitably for their work.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of 
April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, and of 
the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
twenty-second.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., April 3, 
1998]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on April 
6.