Equal Pay Act of 1963
The act passed largely due to Congress recognizing the changing workforce in the United States. Male-supported households were becoming obsolete as more women entered the workforce. Higher divorce rates meant more female-supported households. But in the 1960s women earned only 60 cents for every dollar paid to male workers. The Equal Pay Act was intended as part of the solution to unequal pay. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII, added more to the Equal Pay Act by making it unlawful to discriminate based on race or sex. Title VII also added White-collar worker to the Act.