NASHVILLE (AP) — Mayor Megan Barry says the city of Nashville has dropped the salary history section on its job applications in an effort to address the gender pay gap.

In a news release, Barry said that questions about previous salaries are no longer including on applications for prospective Metro employees as of July.

Barry says the change means that women and people of color will be on a more equal footing for pay when they work with the city.

Earlier this year, Councilmember Colby Sledge and members of Barry's administration began looking into deleting the salary history section.

Sledge says that if someone can do the job, it shouldn't matter what that person was paid in a previous job.