Pritzker signs law barring employers from asking applicants’ pay history

CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker signed a new law intended to help women in the workforce and close the gender pay gap Wednesday at the Chicago Women’s Park and Gardens.

Pay discrimination based on sex has been banned since the early 1960s in the U.S., but on average women still earn considerably less than men. The new law tries to address that by banning employers from asking job applicants how much they made in previous roles.

“We are declaring that one’s history should not dictate one’s future,” Pritzker sad Wednesday. “It’s no longer acceptable to ring quality work out of capable women at a discounted rate.”

Pritzker signs law barring employers from asking applicants’ pay history