The gender pay gap is a complicated issue that persists despite the Equal Pay Act of 1963 which promised equal pay for equal work. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010, women earned an average of 81 cents for every dollar earned by men, creating concern among scholars, politicians, and the press, and lingering questions about the causes (2011). Although the wage gap has narrowed considerably in the nearly 50 years since the Equal Pay Act of 1963 was passed, many argue that the gap has not closed quickly or enough. Although a full understanding of all necessary and sufficient causes remains elusive, a number of causes and contributing factors are observable, including the demand-side problem of occupational discrimination, the supply-side problem of occupational segregation, and the cultural pervasiveness of traditional gender policies. roles that place much of the burden of family responsibilities on women. Occupational Discrimination Although women make up a significant portion of the workforce, few women reach the top of the professional food chain. Noted leadership scholar Peter Northouse (2010) notes that women make up 46.7% of the workforce, hold 50.8% of managerial and professional positions, and have earned more bachelor's degrees than men, accounting for 57 .5% of all degrees awarded (p. 305). However, only 3% of all Fortune 500 companies have women as CEOs, only 15.2% hold seats on the boards of these same companies, and only 16.8% are members of the US Congress (Northouse, 2010). The discrepancy is indicative of a glass ceiling that prevents women from achieving the same professional growth as men, indicating some form of professional discrimination. for each activity, daily averages by sex, annual averages 2010. In atus.pdf (ed.). Washington DC: Bureau of Labor Statistics. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2011). Median weekly earnings of full-time salaried and salaried workers by detailed occupation and gender. In cpsaat39.pdf (ed.). Washington DC: Bureau of Labor Statistics.US Census Bureau. (2009). HINC-05 Table. Percentage distribution of households, by selected characteristics within income quintile and top 5% in 2009. In new05_000.htm (ed.). Washington DC: US ​​Census Bureau. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2011a). Federal Laws Preventing Employment Discrimination: Questions and Answers Retrieved July 23, 2011, from http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.htmlU.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2011b). Overview Retrieved July 23, 2011, from http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/index.cfm