The Gap That Isn't Talked About: The Motherhood Penalty
By Katelynn Shimanski
While the gender wage gap is often discussed, many people are unfamiliar with wage gaps between different groups of women. On average, women who choose to have children in their 20’s or 30’s face wage penalties of five to ten percent per child, with these rates changing based on income levels (Anderson, Binder, & Krause, 2003; Bush, 2002; Budig & England, 2001). The stereotype behind this wage gap is that women who have children are more likely to take time off of work and devote less effort to work than women who do not have children. While the exact causes of this wage gap aren’t as well researched as the wage gap between men and women, it is thought that mothers earn less due to loss of job experience, decreased productivity at work, discrimination by employers, or a change in employment from a higher paying job to something that is more mother-friendly (Budig & England, 2001).
This supposed decrease in productivity and achievement translates into decreased wages (Baum, 2002). While having a child can decrease the amount of time that can be dedicated to things such as work or education for any parent, wage gaps are not seen between men who do and do not have children. It’s for this reason that this wage gap is often referred to as the motherhood penalty.
While it’s argued that decreased wages can be attributed to the time women take off of work after having children, studies show that for most women, the time between giving birth and returning home is relatively short, with 1/3 only lasting two months (Baum, 2002). Since young women who have multiple children are considered more likely to take time off of work, they suffer greater consequences than women who have fewer children or have children at an older age. Even though time off is associated with mothers, studies have found no significant differences between mothers and non-mothers concerning time off (Baum, 2002). Often times, women may seek jobs that are more compatible with their schedules even if it means taking a pay cut. Other problems with seeking new employment is that women take larger pay cuts over a larger periods of time when starting new employment after returning from maternity leave.
Discrimination against mothers is another reason for the pay gap between mothers and childless women. This is different from sex discrimination, which is based on the idea that most women have or will eventually have children. Promoting women less, decreased pay, and less rewarding jobs are some of the many examples of discrimination against mothers in the workplace (Budig & England, 2001).
With every issue, we ask ourselves, “why should I care?” The motherhood penalty relates back to larger inequality issues. While women often take care of children, they should not bear the price of parenthood. Fathers do not face the same wage gaps that their female counterparts do, gaps that not only have short term impacts, but can result in lower lifetime earnings for women. Any penalty that men do not face along with women further increases gender inequality. With single mothers, the motherhood penalty contributes further to wage gaps between single and multi-income families. Just like the wage gap between men and women, the motherhood penalty needs to be recognized and resolved.
References
Anderson, D. J., Binder, M., & Krause, K. (2003). The motherhood wage penalty revisited: Experience, heterogeneity, work effort, and work-schedule flexibility. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 56(2), 273-294. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.mnsu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.mnsu.edu/docview/60470109?accountid=12259
Baum, C. L. (2002). The effect of work interruptions on women's wages. Labour, 16(1), 1-36. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.mnsu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.mnsu.edu/docview/60442045?accountid=12259
Budig, M. J., & England, P. (2001). The wage penalty for motherhood. American Sociological Review, 66(2), 204-225. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.mnsu.edu/10.2307/2657415