Black Women’s Equal Pay Day falls on July 21 this year, marking how far into 2026 Black women must work to earn what white, non-Hispanic men earned by the end of 2025.

The observance comes as new data from the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) shows Black women working full-time, year-round earned 65 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men in 2024. While that figure is down from 67 cents during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers say the earlier improvement reflected disruptions in the labor market rather than lasting progress toward pay equity.

The wage gap reflects deep-rooted systemic barriers

The pay gap is driven by more than unequal wages for the same job. According to the NWLC and The Century Foundation, Black women are more likely to work in lower-paying occupations because of occupational segregation, workplace discrimination and a disproportionate share of caregiving responsibilities. Those factors can limit earnings over a lifetime while widening racial wealth gaps.

The Century Foundation argues that public policy has also played a role, pointing to the lack of affordable child care, an unchanged federal minimum wage and weak workplace protections as barriers that make it harder for many Black women to achieve economic security.

Why the pandemic briefly narrowed the gap

The pandemic appeared to narrow the wage gap, but researchers say that trend was misleading.

“The pandemic and the economic impacts from the pandemic really kind of messed with the wage gap,” Sarah Javaid, senior research analyst at the National Women’s Law Center, told Blavity.

According to Javaid, many Black women working in lower-paying jobs left the workforce during the pandemic, leaving a higher concentration of workers in better-paying occupations. That shift made average earnings appear stronger, even though many women had lost employment altogether.

“It is kind of that false reporting because the only women that were left in the workforce were higher-paid women,” she said.

Now that employment has largely recovered, wage data has returned to levels that more closely resemble pre-pandemic trends.

Advocates point to policy solutions

Researchers say narrowing the wage gap will require changes beyond individual salary negotiations.

Among the policies frequently cited by advocates are pay transparency laws, bans on employers asking applicants about their salary history, stronger enforcement of equal pay protections, higher minimum wages and expanded investments in child care and paid family leave.

Javaid said greater pay transparency can also help workers identify wage disparities that might otherwise remain hidden.

“Organizations really thrive off of pay secrecy because it allows them to continue underpaying and undervaluing, particularly Black women,” she said.

She also noted that the federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 an hour since 2009, arguing that increasing it would benefit many workers concentrated in low-wage industries.

Here’s what could narrow the gap

Research from the National Women’s Law Center also suggests unions can help reduce pay disparities. According to the organization, unionized women generally earn higher wages than nonunion workers while also receiving stronger benefits, more predictable schedules and greater workplace protections.

Javaid said those protections are especially important for women balancing work with caregiving responsibilities and expressed concern about efforts that weaken organized labor.

“The unfortunate thing is that this administration is doing even more to attack unions, which is particularly harmful to women and women of color,” she said.

While Black Women’s Equal Pay Day serves as an annual reminder of persistent wage disparities, advocates say it also highlights the need for policies that address the structural inequities shaping Black women’s economic opportunities long after they enter the workforce.