A new study from Congress's Joint Economic Committee says in Nevada, men make almost 15 percent more money than women. But that's actually somewhat good news considering the national pay gap is 21 percent.
Noreen Farrell is executive director of the nonprofit group Equal Rights Advocates. She suggests the Silver State follow the lead of neighboring California and pass a law protecting workers who compare salaries.
"Nevada does not prohibit retaliation against workers who talk about pay," Farrell explains, "and what we've found is that pay secrecy is really one of the main reasons why pay discrimination can fester."
The Women's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor also reports that pay secrecy policies perpetuate income disparities between men and women.
Farrell says the pay gap has barely moved in the past decade for women overall, and it has worsened for women of color.