Orange County Labor Attorney

Q: What is the Equal Pay Act of 1963?

A: The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) is a federal law that amends the Fair Labor Standards Act. Its goal is to abolish wage differentials based on workers’ sex. The EPA was said to be “the first step towards an adjustment of balance in pay for women.” Since the enactment, women currently earn about 80% of what men earn in comparable positions, up from 62% of men’s earnings in 1970. However, the equal pay goals of the law have still not been achieved.