Apple says it has now achieved pay equity for all genders in US

With equal pay becoming a rallying issue in the US presidential election, technology giant Apple has said that it has closed the gender wage gap for its employees in the US and continues to hire more women and minorities.

In an updated diversity report, Apple said “equal work deserves equal pay”. It said over the past year, it looked at the total compensation for US employees and closed the gaps that it found.

“We’ve achieved pay equity in the United States for similar roles and performance. Women earn one dollar for every dollar male employees earn. And underrepresented minorities earn one dollar for every dollar white employees earn,” it said.

Tim Cook-led company said it is now analysing The salaries, bonuses, and annual stock grants of all its employees worldwide and if a gap exists, the company will address it.

“And we’ll continue our work to make sure we maintain Pay equity,” the technology giant said in a statement. The report also said that Apple has been hiring more women and underrepresented minorities.

While currently the company still has a majority of men and white people, women now make up 32 per cent of Apple’s employees, and white people make up 56 per cent of employees.

According to the report, 37 per cent of Apple’s new hires are women, and 27 per cent are underrepresented minorities.  Most new hires are people of color, as 54 per cent of its new hires are minorities.

Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has made closing the gender wage gap and ensuring pay equity a signature issue of her election campaign.

“If you believe that your working mother, wife, sister, or daughter deserves equal pay, join us!” she said at the Democratic National Convention.

Her rival Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka had lauded her father for his stance on equal pay when she had addressed the Republican National Convention.