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Here are five things you need to know this week to make your life better at work and at home:

Women's work

Women in the U.S. make 79 cents on the dollar compared to men. But skeptics of the gender pay gap often claim that the discrepancy isn’t actually evidence of discrimination — men and women just choose different careers. A new report from the Economic Policy Institute shows why career choices are themselves affected by gender bias and discrimination at every level and why we can’t blame women for pay inequality.

Discrimination can appear in surprising, and insidious, ways. Women who are injured at work may receive smaller workers’ compensation benefits than men. Vocational training — a new area of focus at many public schools — helps boys much more than girls.

Want to fight the pay gap? The White House recently unveiled seven new apps from their Hack the Pay Gap initiative that can help you discover your personal pay gap, practice negotiating your salary, and more.

 Why work-life balance is good for your career

Americans are taking fewer vacation days than we used to, and more than half of workers don’t use all their vacation days. If you’re one of them, it’s a good idea to reconsider: a new report from Project: Time Off finds that taking more vacation days makes you much more likely to get a raise or bonus.  

Need more incentive to take time off? For those over 40, working more than 25 hours per week can reduce cognitive abilities, a new study finds. Another study finds that stressed-out employees experience higher rates of stroke, heart attacks, and depression. And stress can actually shrink your brain.

But we know finding balance can be hard. To get you started, here are strategies for freelancers seeking work-life balance and a psychoanalyst’s perspective on dealing with burnout.    

The mystery of child care costs

Why are child care costs so high, and climbing? The short answer is that we don’t know — according to a Bloomberg analysis, neither caregiver pay, rising demand, government regulation, nor a range of other factors can really explain why child care is so expensive. What is clear, however, is that the child care landscape is complex and often dysfunctional. We need a major investment in high-quality early education and care, argues former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, for the sake of children, families, and the economy as a whole.

In the meantime, working parents need help. This podcast series (featuring Anne-Marie Slaughter) profiles two women who created an app to help working moms get everything done and climb the career ladder. Within the workplace, employers need to think about practice, not just policy, to support parents and families.

Women in academia: leaky pipelines and unpaid work

Despite efforts to encourage women in STEM, many are being harassed out of science. That leaky pipeline is one likely reason why women hold so few patents compared to men. Though gender discrimination may be most visible in the sciences, women in the humanities feel it, too: many women’s and gender studies programs are underfunded, forcing professors to volunteer their time to keep them going — like so many other women who do unpaid work. 

Global Gender Parity Initiative: What We’re Reading

The International Monetary Fund just unveiled a new study and database on gender budgeting — using fiscal policy to promote gender equality — and its promising effects on girls and women worldwide. The surprising circumstances when African women gain political power: in countries emerging from conflict. What Hillary Clinton’s nomination means for women around the world. How to encourage female entrepreneurs. The home in south Punjab where Qandeel Baloch grew up.

That's a wrap for this week! We'll look forward to seeing your inbox again soon. Have a great week! 

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About New America

New America is dedicated to the renewal of American politics, prosperity, and purpose in the Digital Age. Our hallmarks are big ideas, pragmatic policy solutions, technological innovation, and creative engagement with broad audiences. Read the rest of our story, or see what we've been doing recently in our latest Annual Report.

About the Better Life Lab

New America’s Breadwinning & Caregiving Program is thrilled to unveil a new name, the Better Life Lab, and an updated agenda to transform policy and culture so that people and families have the opportunity to live their best lives at work and at home. As a “lab,” we are dedicated to disruptive experiments, collaborative work, and innovative thinking.

“Your Life, Better: News From the Better Life Lab” will be our way to keep you in the know, featuring the best of what we’re reading and writing about gender equity, the evolution of work, and social policies that support 21st-century families. We will be a clear signal amid the noise to share what’s fresh and crucial to an inclusive vision of work-life, gender, and income equity issues.

Meet the Better Life Lab Team

Better Life Lab

Real choices. Real parity. All people.