Mayor Todd Gloria released San Diego's first pay equity study Tuesday, finding city employees of color made an average of 20.8% less than white employees and female city employees earned an average of 17.6% less than male employees in 2019.
The study, conducted by a local, independent data analytics firm, Analytica Consulting, identifies some of the issues behind the gender and racial and ethnic pay gaps among San Diego employees and provides recommendations intended to address these issues.
"My administration is working toward creating a more equitable place for our dedicated, diverse workforce," Gloria said. "Understanding the city's challenges with pay equity is the first step and it won't be our last. I've long been committed to ensuring equal pay for equal work and I intend to make sure the city lives up to this value."
While the gender pay gap has narrowed slightly in the internal data analyzed from 2011 to 2019 — from 18.8% to 17.6% — the racial and ethnic pay gap has grown — from 17.0% to 20.8%.
These findings do not provide direct evidence of deliberate gender or racial bias in the city, according to the report. The analysis concludes that 90% of the pay gaps are explained by factors such as occupation, whether an employee has children and overtime.
Members of the city's Performance and Analytics Department will share findings from the 2020 Pay Equity Study during Monday's City Council meeting.
"This landmark study gives us additional insight on pay discrepancies and actionable steps to lead us to a future that is fair, equitable, and representative of the community we serve," said Kirby Brady, chief innovation officer and director of the Performance and Analytics Department.
A citywide pay equity study is set to be conducted every three years.
