The National Partnership for Women & Families today said women in California get paid 84 cents for every dollar men make here, on average.

Sad and true but … California's gender wage gap is way better than the national average, which is 77 cents on the dollar — more than $10,000 a year worth.

In fact, the Golden State …

… ranks number two in the union in terms of the smallest wage gap. (Vermont had the smallest gap. See a PDF list of states here).

Still, on the eve of Equal Pay Day, tomorrow, the Partnership wants you to know that the money women lose to the gap in California could pay for:

-1.2 years of groceries.

-Four months of house payments (plus utilities).

-Seven months of rent.

-1,914 gallons of gas.

The gap is even larger for African American women (85 cents on the dollar) and Latinas (a whopping 57 cents on the dollar).

The group wants you to support the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would require employers to give women raises to create equal pay among genders.

National Partnership president Debra L. Ness:

The Equal Pay Act was enacted 49 years ago and women are still paid 23 cents less than men on the dollar. Today, the wage gap causes enormous harm to women and families. It spans industries and persists regardless of education level. America's women and families urgently need lawmakers to do much more to promote fair wages. Congress must not wait any longer. Passing the Paycheck Fairness Act must be a priority now.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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