Dive Brief:

• Workplace pay inequality is a very hot topic – but the problem may be more deeply entrenched than some realize, according to a new survey from CareerBuilder. 20% of HR managers admitted that women do not make the same wages as their male counterparts for the same work at their organizations.  
• The survey of 3,200 workers and more than 220 HR managers in the private sector across industries nationwide found that a majority of participants (55%) do not believe men and women are paid equally for the same job. A similar proportion of participants (51%) do not feel men and women are given the same career advancement opportunities.
• The survey results also confirm that women feel inequality to a greater extent than men — only 35% of women believe there's equal pay, compared to 56% of men, and only 39% of women say there are equal opportunities for advancement, compared to 60% of men.

Dive Insight:

Regarding pay comparisons, men were nearly three times (15% vs. 4%) as likely to report earning six figures and nearly twice as likely to earn $50,000 or more. In turnn, women were twice as likely (47%) to report earning less than $35,000 than men (23%).

Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer for CareerBuilder, said it's critical that employers strive to equal the playing field for all employees, regardless of their gender, and understand that not every employee fits the same mold or career path.

Workers polled do agree on one thing: job satisfaction. Sixty four percent of women say they're "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their job overall, and nearly the same proportion of men (63%) say the same.