Final answer:
The correct response is A) Half, indicating that women make up nearly half of the workforce. Despite this representation, they experience a gender wage gap that has implications for their daily financial needs and long-term savings for retirement.
Step-by-step explanation:
When examining the statement, "When women, who make up nearly half the workforce, bring home less money each day, it means they have less for the everyday needs of their families, and over a lifetime of work, far less savings for retirement," the correct answer is A) Half. This reflects the reality that despite making up a significant portion of the workforce, women still face a gender wage gap, earning on average less than their male counterparts.
Factors that influence this wage gap include women bearing a larger share of household responsibilities and potentially having less job experience due to time taken off for childcare. This not only impacts their immediate financial situation but also their long-term financial stability, including savings for retirement. The impact of this gap is felt more acutely among certain groups, such as single mothers and minority women, contributing to the feminization of poverty.
It's also important to recognize terms like the "motherhood penalty" which refers to the wage and career advancement loss women often face after having children, and the "fatherhood bonus" which is the increase in earnings some men may experience upon becoming fathers.