In brief: Wage gap for women shrinks in Washington, Idaho
Women are making more money and men are earning less in both Washington and Idaho, narrowing the wage gap among full-time workers.
In Washington, the median wage in 2013 showed men earning $199 a week more than women. In Idaho, men earned $92 a week more, new estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show.
Idaho women make 87 percent of what men earn, and Washington women make 79 percent of what men earn.
Median wages for men in Washington declined 1.9 percent, to $963 a week, from 2012 to 2013, the agency said. In Idaho, men saw their pay decline 5.6 percent, to $741 a week, according to estimates released Thursday. That was the largest percentage decline of any state, dropping Idaho’s median wage for men from 41st to 49th nationally.
Meanwhile, median wages for women are on the rise: up 2.4 percent, to $764 a week, in Washington; and up 5.7 percent, to $649, in Idaho. The jump in Idaho was the sixth-largest percentage increase among the states.
The national median wage for women increased 2.2 percent from 2012 to 2013.
The estimates are based on U.S. Census Bureau household surveys.
Snapchat to debut Its own weekly series
LOS ANGELES – Snapchat isn’t just a technology startup these days. It’s also a media production company.
Today Snapchat plans to debut a weekly, five-minute show called “Literally Can’t Even.” Millennials utter that phrase when stunned into disbelief by something funny, scary or frustrating.
Snapchat’s online series will follow the lives of Sasha Spielberg and Emily Goldwyn – daughters of film producers Steven Spielberg and John Goldwyn, respectively.
On Friday, Snapchat released a new weekly series, “You’re Welcome,” made in partnership with online content studio Funny or Die.
Both series are accessible through the Discover page that was introduced on Snapchat’s app earlier this week.
American, US Airways pilots OK labor contract
DALLAS – Pilots at American Airlines and US Airways have approved a single labor contract, a step toward combining workforces at the two carriers, which merged in December 2013.
The multiyear deal gives the carriers’ 15,000 pilots a 23 percent pay raise retroactive to Dec. 2.
The Allied Pilots Association said Friday that the contract was approved 66 percent to 34 percent, with 95 percent of eligible pilots casting a vote.
The outcome could help American avoid some of the labor-integration issues that have dogged other airlines after mergers.
Jay Z bids $56 million for streaming apps
LOS ANGELES – Entertainment mogul Jay Z has bid $56 million in cash to take over the developer of two music-streaming apps that have sought to distinguish themselves by providing high-quality audio.
Project Panther Bidco Ltd., which Jay Z’s company created to handle the purchase, announced the pending deal for Oslo, Norway-based Aspiro AB on Friday.
YouTube, Spotify, Deezer, Rdio and other streaming services have surged in popularity in recent years. Jay Z is seeking to control two apps – WiMP, available throughout Europe, and Tidal, which launched in the U.S. and United Kingdom in October.
Tidal costs about $20 a month, more than double some competitors. But it produces superior audio quality, offers music videos and includes access to music industry news.