Times-Mirror File Photo

Published in the Loudon Times-Mirror. 

Virginia women looking for more gender equality in the workplace might set their sights on Hawaii.

A recent WalletHub study lists the state as the eighth worst in country when it comes to women’s equality — 43rd out of the 50 states. Hawaii took tops.

It’s a comparative step up from last year, when Virginia placed fourth worst in the country, the study found.

The U.S. fell short of the top 10 of the World Economic Forum’s most gender-equal countries list of 2014, lagging behind some developing countries.

Women hold 14.6 percent of executive officer positions, make up 8.1 percent of the top earners and fill 4.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEO spots, according to the Center for American Progress.

Ranked 62nd globally in the gender gap in health and survival and 54 in the political empowerment gender divide, the U.S. could be doing better, the study pointed out.

The study looked at workplace environment, education and political empowerment in its scoring, comparing the differences between men and women in 11 areas total within each of the three dimensions, like median workly earnings, math test scores and percentage of female lawmakers in various levels of government.

A score of one within each category is best, with 25 being the average state score. Here’s how Virginia did:

Virginia’s scores in five WalletHub categories determined the state’s ranking in the overall study.Times-Mirror/Anna Harris

Loudouners are a part of those numbers.

Women make up 50.2 percent of Loudoun’s population yet make 56 percent of what men make — $48,733 as the average yearly salary compared to $86,454 that men make — compared to women making 72 percent of their male counterparts nationally, according to the U.S. Census.

The WalletHub study comes out on cue with Women’s Equality Day around the corner on Aug. 26, which celebrates the 19th Amendment’s passing into law, granting women the right to vote in the country.