A new study links falling fertility in the United States to a portion of the narrowing gender pay gap. The authors estimate that eight percent of the reduction in the gap resulted from women having fewer children. The analysis used a large national dataset that follows American workers' family sizes and earnings over time, and it was published in Social Forces with partial support from the National Institutes of Health.
The study documents a change in family size: average children per working adult fell from about 2.4 in the mid-1980s to about 1.8 by 2000, the most recent year in the analysis. Over the same period, women's hourly pay rose from about 65% of men's pay to roughly 85%.
The researchers explain part of the effect by changes in work patterns. Becoming a mother often leads to wage losses, largely because many mothers take time out of the labour force or move to part-time work, while becoming a father is associated with increased earnings. The authors say delaying or foregoing children allowed some women to secure continuous, higher-skill employment, and they warn this structural change has major economic implications for future generations.
They recommend policies to reduce the motherhood wage penalty, including public investment in affordable, high-quality child care and measures that help fathers share caregiving and reduce very long work hours.
Difficult words
- fertility — average number of children born to a person
- narrow — to become smaller or less widenarrowing
- dataset — a collection of related information for analysis
- labour force — people who are working or looking for work
- continuous — without stopping or with no long breaks
- motherhood wage penalty — pay loss that women experience after becoming mothers
- child care — care and education services for young children
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think affordable, high-quality child care would help reduce pay differences between men and women in your country? Why or why not?
- How could fathers sharing caregiving change work patterns for parents? Give one or two examples.
- What other policies might reduce the wage losses that mothers face? Describe one idea and why it could help.
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