American women 'mounting richer'

The number of American women in well paid jobs is rising more than three times faster than for men, as 30 years of increased higher education begins to pay off. According to figures from the new United States poll, in 2009 one in 18 women earned more than $100,000 (£63,000) per year, a rise of 14 per cent over two years. In the same period the number of men earning over that amount rose by just four per cent. 

The census showed that there are now three women for every two men at undergraduate and postgraduate level, while a bulk of law students are female and almost half of medical students. The area with the highest average wage for women was Washington with £34,000. The capital's educated labour force is dominated by lawyers, civil servants and academics, all fields with a strong female presence.