Biden moving to narrow gender pay gap for federal workers

The White House is marking Equal Pay Day by taking new steps aimed at ending the gender pay gap for federal workers and contractors.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday is signing an executive order that encourages the government to consider banning federal contractors from seeking information about job applicants' prior salary history. And a new Labor Department directive is aimed at strengthening federal contractors' obligations to audit payrolls to help guard against pay disparities based on gender, race or ethnicity.

The Office of Personnel Management also is considering a regulation to address the use of prior salary history in hiring and setting compensation for federal workers.