The research, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, examines how an early career pregnancy decision shapes women’s financial trajectories. The project began after researchers read language in the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling that suggested reproductive autonomy does not affect women’s economic standing. Eden King of Rice University led the study with co-leader Nicola Lawrence-Thomas of the University of Sheffield.
The team used more than 40 years of national survey data that follow nearly 6,000 women from adolescence into midlife. Over a 30-year period, women who delayed motherhood earned between $495,000 and $556,000 more than women who became mothers early in their careers. This pattern held across statistical models and after controlling for age, race, marital status, education and working hours. Women who had abortions or who did not become pregnant showed similar wage trajectories and earned substantially more over time.
Researchers link the long-term wage gap mainly to disrupted career continuity: fewer opportunities for advancement, limited job mobility and slower accumulation of experience during years when earnings typically grow fastest. The analysis also finds education matters, as women who had abortions were more likely to remain in school and sustain early career momentum. The authors propose policies to support reproductive planning and working parents to protect women’s economic stability.
- Support reproductive planning and access to care.
- Support working parents with leave and child care.
Difficult words
- trajectory — path of change or development over timetrajectories
- reproductive — relating to pregnancy, birth, and having children
- autonomy — ability to make one's own decisions
- continuity — state of continuing without interruption over time
- accumulation — gradual gathering or increase of something
- momentum — force or progress that helps something continue
- advancement — process of moving forward, especially in a job
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- The authors suggest policies to support reproductive planning and working parents. Which of these policies do you think would most effectively protect women's economic stability, and why?
- How might delaying motherhood help a woman maintain early career momentum and experience accumulation?
- What practical challenges could employers or governments face when implementing supports for reproductive planning and child care?
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