New York City becomes first to ban employers from seeking or using job applicants' salary history

Good news for jobseekers looking to work in New York City: employers are now officially banned from asking an applicant for their salary history. This is the first law of its kind to take effect. Forbes explains:

The new law was introduced by Public Advocate Letitia James in August 2016, due in part to the findings of a gender pay gap analysis conducted earlier that year. As James put it, “We want to end...discrimination, and banning questions about salary history is a critical first step.” The New York City law is intended to help reduce the differences that women and minorities earn relative to their male and Caucasian counterparts.

While supporters don’t expect the law to fix wage inequality entirely, local officials are hopeful about the changes this will bring.

[Forbes] spoke to New York City’s First Lady, Chirlane McCray and Commissioner of the NYC Commission on Human Rights, Carmelyn Malalis about the new law and how much they expect it will change. McCray told me she thought the law would do a great deal for women and people of color. “It gives them more power, more ability to negotiate. This is really a milestone in the fight to close the pay gap.” She continued by explaining that “the long-term consequence of a low salary sets up you to make a low salary for the rest of your life.” And of course, as she pointed out, women tend to live longer than men.

Fortunately, folks in other areas will get a chance at this, too. A few other states and cities (California, Delaware, Oregon, Massachusetts, Philadelphia) will be implementing similar laws of their own soon.