PAGE 14, WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY,'MARCH 11, 1987 Men's, women's wage gap is smaller The image is familiar - across the country millions of women heading out each morning for a long day at the factory, store or office. Yet at the end of the week, their pay paquets are significantly lower than that of male workers. Why does this gap exist and how is it changing? Results from a new Statistics Canada study, provide some in- teresting insights into this phenomenon. Clearily, this "ear- nings gap" is still a fact of life in Canada but it is growing smaller. Between 1967 and 1984, the ear- nings of women working full time al year as a percentage of the ear- nings of men went from 58 per cent to about 66 per cent. This earnings ratio varies across the country, ranging from a low of 61 per cent in Nova Scotia to a high of 8 per cent in Prince Edward Island. Ontario and Quebec were in the middle ranks with 64 percent and 67 per- cent respectively. The factors affecting on these figures are the subject of much debate. There is no simple reason for differences in earnings between man and women. Earnings may differ because of varying occupations, the. level and nature of education, the length of time in the work force, the number of hours worked, basic descrimination against women or any combination of such factors. A Statistics Canada study en- titled Earnings of Men and Women, 1984 indicates how certain factors affect the "earnings gap." For example, women who are better educated fare better against their male counterparts. Full time female workers with eight years of less of school earned just 57 per cent. of corresponding male' ear- nings but for those with a university degree the ratio rose to over 68 per cent. The impact of marriage and child bearing seems to be very significant. Single women reached 89 per cent of the earnings of single men while the ratio for married women was only 61 per cent. These differences by marital status were evident across various age groips and levels of education. One ex- planation that has been put forward for these differences is the loss of working experience suffered by the many married women who leave the work force to have and raise children. Younger women also seem to fare better in comparison to their male counterparts. In the 15 to 19 age group, female earnings reached 83 per cent of male ear- nings but the ratio dropped to 61 per cent in the 45-54 age group. Men and women are not propor- tionately represented iri various occupations and incomes vary significantly by occupation. The earnings of men working full time throughout the year were highest in medicine and health occupations ($42,338) while among women who worked full time all year, earnings were highest among teachers ($27,701). However, even in teaching, full time female workers earned only 75 per cent as much as their male colleagues. The "earnings gap" was a bit narrower among part time workers, with women earning almost 70 per cent as much as part- time workers who were men. In the Canadian economy, part time em- ployment has increased more rapidly than full time employment over the last few years. Finally, the important role of women in the labour force can be seen by the fact that in 1984, a full 63 per cent of husband/wife familles reported earnings by both spouses. In fact in 22 per cent of such familles, the wife earned at least as much if not more than her husband. The picture that emerges from this Statistics Canada study is that female workers who are young, single an. well educated tend to have earnings much closer to that of their male counterparts then do older, married and less educated women. Whether the "earnings gap" will continue to shrink as many of these women grow older, get married and have children, is a key $1 BILLION SPECIAL CANADIAN GRAINS PROGRAMN You Onily Have UnfiJ March 31sf bo Act R ecently, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced the $1 Billion Special Canadian Grains Program. This will help farmers hurt by low world grain and oilseed prices caused by the trade war between the European Community and the United States. Details are as follows: 1 Farmers who have a recently received a federal corn, soybean or winter wheat stabilization payment have had applications mailed to them. That form must be completed and returned by pick one up from: • Offices of Members of Parliament • Feed mills • Farm Credit Corporation Offices, Agriculture Canada offices and research stations' • Elevators mixed grain, grain corn, soy- beans, canola, flax and sunflower seeds for crushing. Pedigreed seed, high moisture corn, high moisture barley and farm fed grain (except silage) are also covered. For more information contact: The Administrator Special Canadian Grains Program Agriculture Canada Ottawa, Ontario K1 A 1J3 Phone (613) 957-7078 APPLICATION DEADLINE IS MARCH 31 st, 1987. Government Gouvernement of Canada du Canada question. Students get sticky fingers at Purple, Woods With the arrivai of spring weather in Durham Region, thousands of local school children are visiting Purple Woods Conser- vation Area to learn about maple syrup. Students learn about Indian, pioneer and modern methods of syrup production during their hour- long tour of the sugarbush. Each pupil attending the demonstration receives a 50 ml sample bottle of maple syrup. These visits are part of the authority's conservation area community program. Most of the classes which attend are Gr. 2 level, since basic Canadian history is tauht at this stage. The aim of the tours is to give the students a first-hand 'feel' for life back in the Indian and pioneer days. Maple syrup serves as a con- venient theme to focus the children's attention on a number of historical topics. Approximately 6,000 students will visit the conser- vation area between March 9 and April 10. Mst of these tours are already booked. However teachers- who wish to inquire about a reservation can telephone the authority office at 579-0411. A fee of $1 per student is charged, payable in advance. The public can visit the sugar- bush on the weekends of March 14- and 15, March 21 and 22, and March 28 and 29, and during the week of March 16 to 20. Tours will be given at 10.a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The authority will hold its annual pancake weekend on April 4 and 5, between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., in conjunction with the Durham A.M. Kiwanis Club. Purple Woods Conservation Area is located north of Oshawa at the intersection of Simcoe Street and the 10th Concession Road. 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