In the market for a toy scooter, disposable razors or new jeans? Go with the men’s version if you can.
A new report from the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs finds that on those and hundreds of other items there’s a higher costs of the female version of the product than for the male.
Related: 5 Charts That Explain the Gender Pay Gap
The study found that women pay more for products 48 percent of the time, and men are charged more for 18 percent of items. Overall, after controlling for quality, women’s products cost 7 percent more than those designed for men, according to the report.
Broken down by category, women pay 7 percent more for toys and accessories, 4 percent more for children’s clothing, 8 percent more for adult clothing, 13 percent more for personal care products and 8 percent more for home health care products.
In one example cited in the report, a pink toy scooter by Radio Flyer, for example, was selling for $49.99, while the same red scooter had a sale price of $24.99.
“While DCA’s study does not estimate an annual financial impact, its findings suggest women are paying thousands of dollars more over the course of their lives to purchase the same or similar products as men,” DCA Commissioner Julie Menin wrote in a Daily News op-ed announcing the report. “Not only are women being paid less than men, on average, they are also being charged more for basic goods and have to pay for these goods with the lesser salary.”
