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The Wage Gap Between White And Black Americans Keeps Widening

It's wider now than it was in 1979.
Posted at 6:20 PM, Sep 21, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-21 18:20:00-04

The wage gap between black people and white people has stretched a lot over the past 40 years.

The wage gap is at 26.7 percent. And a new study says that's with all things equal, including education, experience and location.

In 1979, the gap was just 18 percent. When you adjust for inflation, black people were making $16.07 an hour while their white counterparts took home $19.62.

The primary reason? Racial discrimination in the job market. For example, studies show people with black sounding names are less likely to get a call back than people without them. 

And wage inequality continues to build over time. So if a black woman got a job in the '80s and was already making less than a white woman, that disadvantage will keep on building.