New data from the Census Bureau has researchers and economists confused about who is earning what in the United States.

The Census released its "Current Population Survey" March 28. The report gives detailed statistics ranging from educational attainment by region of the country to the proportion of men and women enrolled in college. But the aspect of the report that has caused the most conversation is its section on income by gender and race.

The report found the average white woman with a bachelor's degree made $37,739 in 2003. This number is below the average earnings for black and Asian women — $41,066 and $43,656, respectively — with the same level of education.

Mike Bergman, spokesman for the Census Bureau, said the numbers were compiled based on a survey of 55,000 to 85,000 households that occurs every month. He said the study is conducted to help the Bureau of Labor Statistics from unemployment statistics.

But the bureau's statistics that show black women earning more than their white counterparts are misleading, according to Avis Jones-DeWeever, study director with the Institute for Women's Policy Research.

She said, based on this data, people "tried to imply that black women were being overpaid."

"What's going on here is not at all that black women are being paid more than white women for the same amount of work," Jones-DeWeever said. "On average, black women work over 200 hours more per year than their white counterparts."

Black women may be working more — and consequently earning more — for a number of reasons. Jones-DeWeever said these women have grown up with mothers who worked and are less likely than white women to see working as unusual or neglectful to their children.

Another reason for black women working more is how important their individual earnings are to the household income, she said.

"All men make more than all women in all racial categories, but white men make the most," she said. "Black women are most likely to be married to black men who make less than their male counterparts."

The numbers have befuddled economists because they have yet to verify if there are reasons other than the amount of hours worked that black women might be earning more than white women.

Charles Breeden, associate professor of economics, said there are some occupations that might be willing to pay minority women more.

"Academics, for example," Breeden said. "We're dying to hire women, No. 1, and we're dying to hire minorities, No. 2."

Though Jones-DeWeever said affirmative action was not responsible for black women earning more, Brian C. Brush, professor of economics, said he is not sure whether it plays a role. He said he initially found the data "surprising" and intends to look into it further.

While the true relationship between black and white women workers remains uncertain, the Census' data makes one point clear: women of all races lag behind men of all races in earnings.

According to the report, a white man with a bachelor's degree made an average of $65,264 in 2003, while black men made $45,635 and Asian men made $52,508.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on April 7 2005.