Is Paula Abdul exit due to gender pay discrepancy?

American Idol judge, Paula Abdul announced she will not return to the program

Paula Abdul, one of the most level-headed judges on "American Idol" announced Monday on her Twitter page that she will not return to the program.

"With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return to IDOL. I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon," the statement said on Abdul’s verified Twitter account.

Abdul’s manager, David Sonenberg, was quoted by the Los Angeles Times last month saying "Very sadly, it does not appear that she’s going to be back on ‘Idol.’ " He also told the newspaper it was "unnecessarily hurtful" to Abdul that they have not received "any proposal whatsoever" from producers even though the judges will start auditioning contestants for the next season on August 6.

Rumors circulating through the blogosphere is speculating that Ms. Abdul departure is due to gender pay discrepancy.

The federal government recently released a report that show the difference between salaries for men and women in the federal work force fell over the last two decades, but an unaccounted-for pay gap persisted, according to a report from congressional investigators released Tuesday.

The gender pay gap fell from 28 cents to 11 cents on the dollar between 1988 and 2007, according to the report that was included in a Tuesday hearing, falling on Equal Pay Day, of the Joint Economic Committee about equal pay for equal work. The Government Accountability Office report indicated that the gender pay gap has declined because male and female workers have become more similar when it comes to experience, educational attainment and other characteristics.

Employment Status of Women and Men in 2008

CIVILIAN NON-INSTITUTIONAL POPULATION (persons aged 16 years or older): 233,788,000 total persons of which 120,675,000 were women and 113,113,000 were men. The three largest race/ethnic groups in the U.S. were whites, Hispanics, and blacks.

Table 1
Population, Persons 16 and over, by Race and Sex, 1998 and 2008


Racial Group	1998	2008	Percent Increase
Total Population	205,220,000	233,788,000	13.9
Women	106,462,000	120,675,000	13.4
Men	98,758,000	113,113,000	14.5
White women	88,126,000	96,814,000	9.9
White men	83,352,000	92,725,000	11.2
Hispanic women	10,335,000	15,616,000	51.1
Hispanic men	10,734,000	16,524,000	53.9
Black women	13,446,000	15,328,000	14
Black men	10,927,000	12,516,000	14.5
Asian women	Not available	5,639,000	—–
Asian men	Not available	5,112,000	—–

For persons aged 16 to 19, men represented 51 percent and women represented 49 percent; for ages 20 to 24 and 25 to 34, men and women comprised 50 percent. Men were more prevalent in the younger age groups. In the remaining major age groups (35 to 44, 45 to 54, 55 to 64, and 65 and older), women outnumbered men.
37.2 percent of persons aged 16–19 were either Hispanic; black; or Asian in 2008.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Earnings, Annual Averages 1998 and 2008.