💰 Does tech drive wage gaps?

Washington’s Wage Gap Second Largest in Nation

Washington has the second largest gap in earnings between men and women in the country, according to a report from the National Partnership for Women and Families (NPWF). The report says women earned a median income of $18,545 less than men. The gap had lessened in 2023 to $17,400, but the latest data from 2024 suggests it has gotten wider. [Washington State Standard]

• 85 more days: The study was released on Equal Pay Day, which is the 85th day of the year, and the amount of time it would take women to earn the same as men from the previous year.
• Tech hires more men: One reason for this discrepancy is that tech hires more men. In 2024, women accounted for 31.6% of Microsoft’s workforce, with an average increase of 0.4 percentage points according to its Global Diversity & Inclusion Report. Microsoft decided not to publish a report this year, instead focusing on telling its stories through “more dynamic and accessible formats” like videos. In 2020, 69% of Amazon’s employees were men. In late 2024, Amazon rolled back its efforts for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.
• What would bridging the gap do? According to the NPWF, closing the wage gap for one year would mean women could pay 10 more months of rent, 13 more months of insurance premiums, over a year of childcare, and pay off 2 years of average student loan debt. [NPWF]

🧊 Federal Agents Still Masked: As of March 19, Washington prohibits law enforcement from wearing face masks, which results from a bill signed by Governor Bob Ferguson during the legislative session. This ban includes federal agents, but last week, ICE agents were seen making arrests while masked. The AG’s office is asking the public to send any evidence of federal agents wearing masks to [email protected]. [KING5]

🚌 Light Rail Changes Bus Schedules: On Saturday, light rail started service across Lake Washington. (Our team was there for the media ride last week and gave us all the deets on Friday’s podcast.) The Seattle Times reports on the changes coming to buses, as lines are shifting to bring more riders to the light rail. There will be schedule changes on 27 routes, and more bus trips on the Eastside and in South King County. King County Metro has a useful service change page that allows you to look at individual routes. [Seattle Times]

🐝 New Bees in WA: Dozens of species not previously seen in the state have turned up in Washington, WA’s first-ever bee statewide survey, as well as several species that haven’t been observed in decades. The Washington Department of Agriculture is looking for more volunteers to join its Bee Atlas project to help document bees. [KUOW]