Starbucks says it's achieved pay equity in the US
Starbucks said it has achieved pay equity for its U.S. workers.
The company is hoping to achieve the same goal with its global workforce.
Starbucks SBUX announced on Wednesday that it has achieved 100 percent pay equity for women and men, and employees of all races in the U.S. The company said it is now looking to achieve pay equity for employees globally.
"The gender pay gap is real and Starbucks is committed to not only talking about it but addressing it," said Lucy Helm, Starbucks executive vice president and chief partner officer, speaking at the company's annual shareholder meeting in Seattle. Her announcement was met with thunderous applause from the audience.
"We believe it is important, as company of our scale, to help bring more attention to this critical issue," Helm said.
The coffee chain said hitting this milestone was the result of years of work and commitment. Starbucks has long made employee benefits a priority, offering comprehensive parental leave and sick time benefits.
"Starbucks has consistently outperformed our industry in terms of pay equity, but it is incumbent upon us to do more," Helm said.
In 2016, U.S. women working full time were typically paid 80 percent of what men were paid, according to Census Bureau estimates.
More From CNBC
