Wage differential between the sexes has been trending toward equality for 3 decades. And yet, feminists and women's advocates insist that we are still stuck in the 70's and girls only make 75 cents for every dollar a boy makes.

We passed that point in many respects years ago. And now, according to this new study, women have actually pulled ahead on some areas.

The Wall Street Journal:

Feminist hand-wringing about the wage gap relies on the assumption that the differences in average earnings stem from discrimination. Thus the mantra that women make only 77% of what men earn for equal work. But even a cursory review of the data proves this assumption false.

The Department of Labor's Time Use survey shows that full-time working women spend an average of 8.01 hours per day on the job, compared to 8.75 hours for full-time working men. One would expect that someone who works 9% more would also earn more. This one fact alone accounts for more than a third of the wage gap.

Choice of occupation also plays an important role in earnings. While feminists suggest that women are coerced into lower-paying job sectors, most women know that something else is often at work. Women gravitate toward jobs with fewer risks, more comfortable conditions, regular hours, more personal fulfillment and greater flexibility. Simply put, many women-not all, but enough to have a big impact on the statistics-are willing to trade higher pay for other desirable job characteristics.

Bottom line:

A study of single, childless urban workers between the ages of 22 and 30 found that women earned 8% more than men.

There may still be a glass ceiling - but even that is showing signs of serious cracks. Other factors play a role in unequal pay, as the Wall Street Journal article points out, and it's not always discriminatory policies.