Assignment #1

Audience Analysis Memo:

MEMORANDUM
To: Audience to whom it may concern
From: Areli Garcia
Date: September 4, 2016
Subject: Wage Inequality
With the recent presidential campaigns several issues have been brought up including
wage inequality. The gap for wage inequality seems to be growing more and more each year,
seen between the wages of men and women, young and old, and in racial and ethnic groups, this
affects everyone. Some people may argue that there is discrimination by employers, others say
that their education led them to be paid less, but through statistics and facts the issue will be
regarded.
Information for this issue can be traced back to a very long time ago but it has
significantly increased since the 1970s. There are several ways to close this wage inequality that
is in the United States, not only have both political parties gotten the facts of wage inequality but
the people will as well. The way to understand how wage inequality has impacted the lives of
Unites States citizens is to have the following four questions answered:
1.
2.
3.
4.

What is wage inequality?

What are the causes of the gender pay gap?
How do people reduce the wage gap?
How can closing the gender pay gap help the economy?
Wage inequality cannot be defined with income distributed in an uneven manner but how,

why, and who it involves because this will help determine how we can reduce it and how it will
benefit society overall.

Reference A
The Wage Gap: The Who, How, Why, and What To Do - NWLC. (2016, April 1). Retrieved from
https://nwlc.org/resources/the-wage-gap-the-who-how-why-and-what-to-do/
Summary:
It explains the who, how, why, and what to do in regards to the wage gap in the United States for
the year 2016.
Evaluation:
This website provides statistics of what closing the wage gap would do for this year and it ends
with suggestions on how to close the gap and achieve equal pay. This website also offers much
more information in regards to equality.
Direct Quotes:
This gap in earnings translates into $10,762 less per year in median earnings, leaving women
and their families shortchanged (para. 4).

Reference B
Gould, E. (2016, March 10). Wage inequality continued its 35-year rise in 2015. Retrieved from
http://www.epi.org/publication/wage-inequality-continued-its-35-year-rise-in-2015/
Summary:
The article explains how the wage inequality gap has remained in existence over 35 years and
how it is seen in different groups, such as men and women, and race and ethnicity.
Evaluation:
This website shows graphs of statistics over the years from 2008 through 2016. It also shows
where in the United States has the wage gap remained the same and where it has been able to
move closer together.

Direct Quotes:
Regardless of race or ethnicity, within-group inequality has risen since 2000,
with stronger growth at the top than at the bottom (para. 2).

Reference C
Measuring wage inequality within and across U.S. metropolitan areas, 200313 : Monthly Labor
Review: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015, September). Retrieved from
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2015/article/measuring-wage-inequality-within-and-acrossmetropolitan-areas-2003-13.htm
Summary:
This article measures the wage inequality within the United States from 2003 to 2013. In the
latest year it shows an increase in the gap despite the years of economic rise but it also brings up
how it varies according to location.
Evaluation:
This website offers graphs that show statistics that are familiar with the current year 2016
depicting how the United States has not progressed in closing the inequality wage gap.
Direct Quotes:
Larger areas, especially in the Northeast and on the West Coast, typically have greater wage
inequality, while smaller areas, many of which are in the South and Midwest, have less
inequality (para. 1).

Reference D

Hill, C. (2016). The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap (Spring 2016). Retrieved from
http://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/
Summary:
This article mentions how wage inequality is different within each state in the United States and
then the factors of the young and old, men and women, race and ethnicity are to be considered.
Evaluation:
This website through the use of charts and graphs depicts how each of the factors of being young
or old, a man or a woman, and race or ethnicity contribute to the wage people earn, giving
percentages that are still relevant considering how long it has been brought up.
Direct Quotes:
The pay gap has barely budges in a decade. At the current rate, the gap wont close for more
than 100 years (para. 7).