New study finds young women in Naples make more money than their male counterparts

Young women are outearning their male counterparts in Naples. The city was one of the top ten metro areas in the U.S. where young women are narrowing the competition.

There’s been a pay gap between men and women for what feels like forever, but a new study by the Pew Research Center says that is starting to change.

The change is not happening everywhere, and not for all women but in Naples, for women 25 to 34, women on average make more than men.

“Um about time,” said Ariel Minshew, a retail store manager for Naples Soap Company. “I feel like it’s definitely a better thing overall, men work hard, women work just as hard.”

Minshew is originally from Mississippi. Southwest Florida caught her interest so she made it her home. “I’ve definitely seen a little more women out there than men. At least being every day going to like Walmart and Target, everyday kids of thing. I’ve definitely seen a lot more women. Especially younger women working too which is nice to see,” said Minshew.

Morgan Brooks, a sales associate at Acquamarina, believes the increase comes as an incentive. “I think that even here we have raised our wage to $20 an hour and we still can’t find people and I think businesses too are just paying more because they can’t find people in general,” said Brooks.

Christine Wright Isak is a professor at FGCU. She says the cities that made the top list unique. “The first thing I noticed was, where there are clusters of schools and cultures that are a little more exposed to cultures outside of the U.S. like coasts because people come in and out of those cities all the time,” said Wright.

Wright says the cities on the list are areas home to big universities, open-minded communities, and lots of job availability for young professionals.