Minorities in the United States usually earn less than a typical white heterosexual male. Yet there’s one minority group that defies this in both the United States and the wider world: lesbians. The Economist took a look at why:

• Since men usually earn more than women, lesbians might be working longer to compensate for the lost income of a male partner. Longer hours mean more experience which means promotions and higher wages.
• It might also be because lesbian couples share more childcare and housework responsibilities, freeing them to focus on their careers.
• Perhaps employers are promoting lesbians over other candidates because they’re less likely to take maternity leave.
• Or maybe having to deal with all of the discriminations that result from being a sexual minority make lesbians more competitive.

The full article provides more details and points out potential problems with the data. It’s worth a read here.

Source: The Economist