According to a study conducted by the National Partnership for Women & Families Latinas are suffering from a pervasive gender-based wage gap in the very states where the majority of them work. Of these states, Texas and California have the largest populations of employed Latinas – and they are paid just 59 cents and 60 cents, respectively, for every dollar paid to men in the states.

In the 20 states with the largest number of Latinas who work full time, year round, the wage gap ranges from 51 and 68 cents for every dollar paid to men in those states.

Nationally, Latinas are paid just 60 cents for every dollar paid to all men. That amounts to a loss of $19,182 each year. In general, women of color fare worse than women overall, who are paid 77 cents for every dollar paid to all men – or $11,084 less per year.

According to the new analysis, eliminating the national wage gap would mean that Latinas and their families would have enough money for nearly three years’ worth of food, 5,743 gallons of gas, nearly two years of rent, more than one year of mortgage and utilities payments, or almost five years of family health insurance premiums. The loss of these basic necessities can be especially punishing during tough economic times, and it adds up over a lifetime.

The National Partnership for Women & Families is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy group dedicated to promoting fairness in the workplace, access to quality health care, and policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family.