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LISA NAPOLI: The best places to do business if you’re a woman? D.C., Maryland and Massachusetts. Hillary Wicai looks at a new study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

HILLARY WICAI: Women have made big gains in the past five years in education and business ownership. And a higher proportion of women work in professional and managerial jobs than men.

Still, women didn’t close the wage gap. In fact, women saw that gap get bigger in 15 states.

Economist Heidi Hartman says women may be increasing their credentials but their wages aren’t keeping pace. In other words ladies, we’re running faster to stay in place.

HEIDI HARTMAN: This is a bad sign. It indicates trouble ahead for pay parity for women in my view. Coupled with the increases in women’s college education that we’re also seeing, it indicates a deepening of discrimination of women in the labor market.

At the present rate it’ll take 50 years for women to achieve pay parity with men.

In Washington, I’m Hillary Wicai for Marketplace.