Research & data
Grounded in data, we drive solutions to advance gender equity and move Western New York forward.
Pathways to Progress
The Pathways to Progress reports of the WNY Women's Foundation are compilations of research from numerous sources. They are snapshots in time; the breadth and depth of research on issues surrounding women and girls are growing every day.
Child Care
From 1999 to 2022, the annual cost of infant center-based child care in Erie County more than doubled from $7,800 to $17,680.
NYS OCFS, 2022 (OCFS is the Office of Child and Family Services)
Poverty
In NYS, women constitute 63% of the low-paid workforce, and 15% of them live in poverty.
Tucker et al., 2023
Leadership
Women comprise 47% of the labor force yet hold only 33% of chief executive positions.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024
EDUCATION
Since 1999, the share of women aged 25+ in Buffalo with at least a bachelor's degree rose from 18% to 31%, surpassing men.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022
OCCUPATIONAL SEGREGATION
Nationwide, in occupations that pay less than $30,000 per year, 2 out of every 3 full-time workers are women.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023b
PAY GAP
In 2023, women earned 83 cents for every dollar paid to men—women of color earned as little as 58 cents compared to white, non-Hispanic men.
(Hegewisch et al., 2024)