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Employment & Earnings

Three quarters of women and girls in Western Massachusetts are employed, and those who work earn less compared to men. The wage gap is most significant for women of color in Western Massachusetts. Black women in Franklin County earned 41 cents to each dollar earned by White men, compared to the average rate of 83 cents to the dollar for women overall in Western Massachusetts. Across all four counties, those with a high school education earned 55 to 68 cents to each dollar that men with the same education earned. The poverty rate for women and girls in Hampden County is 16%, much higher than the statewide rate of 12%. The poverty rates for women and girls of color are significantly higher; 42% among Latinx women in Hampden County and 54% among Black women in Franklin County.

Education

Across all four counties of Western MA, women and girls completed higher levels of education than men and boys.

Educational Attainment by Gender and County

Completed less than high school Completed some college or associate degree Completed high school Completed bachelor’s degree or higher

Berkshire

Men
Women
10.4%
8.1%
32.1%
27.9%
25.3%
29.8%
32.1%
34.1%

Franklin

Men
Women
8.3%
6.1%
31.4%
24.7%
26.7%
29.5%
33.7%
39.5%

Hampden

Men
Women
15.4%
13.9%
32.0%
28.6%
27.1%
30.2%
25.4%
27.3%

Hampshire

Men
Women
5.9%
5.3%
27.7%
21.6%
24.3%
24.6%
42.1%
48.6%

Source: U.S. Census, ACS, 5-Year Estimate 2013-2017

Gender Wage Cap

Academic achievement among women continues to show growth, and regionally women are completing higher levels of education than their male counterparts. However, women continue to participate in the labor force at lower rates than men, and, on average, continue to earn less than men.

Percent Participation in Labor Force by Gender and County

BerkshireFranklinHampdenHampshire
Men81%82%80%80%
Women79%78%73%77%

Source: U.S. Census, ACS, 5-Year Estimate 2013-2017

Women’s Earnings Proportional to Men’s by County

Based on past 12-month median income

Women’s Earnings Proportional to Men’s by County

Source: U.S. Census, ACS, 5-Year Estimate 2013-2017

Women’s 12-Month Earnings Ratios Compared with Every Dollar Men Earned by Educational Attainment and County

Less than high school graduate High school equivalent Some College or Associate’s Degree Bachelor’s Degree Graduate or Professional Degree
Berkshire 0.64 0.68 0.76 0.72 0.75
Franklin 0.84 0.55 0.75 0.79 0.74
Hampden 0.67 0.66 0.66 0.76 0.83
Hampshire 0.64 0.68 0.78 0.73 0.76

Source: U.S. Census, ACS, 5-Year Estimate 2013-2017

Women’s 12-Month Earnings Ratios Compared with Every Dollar White Men Earned by Race/Ethnicity and County

All Women White Asian 2+ Races Black/AA Latinx

Berkshire

Franklin

Hampden

Hampshire

Source: U.S. Census, ACS, 5-Year Estimate 2013-2017

Acknowledgements

Please visit the “About this Research” page to view acknowledgments related to this data.

Dropout Rate

Across the four counties, for the 2017-2018 school year, girls had lower rates of dropping out of school than their male counterparts. However, dropout rates varied across the region.

Dropout Rate by Gender and Region

Lower dropout rates among female students were consistent with statewide data.

Springfield Hampden County

North Adams Berkshire County

Massachusetts Statewide

Source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. 2017-2018 Dropout Rates. Available at: www.doe.mass.edu/infoservices/reports/dropout/. Accessed. April 5, 2019.

In all counties, female students were more likely to skip school because they felt unsafe.

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