The Newest Wage Gap Pits Working Moms Against Working Women

TheGrindstone.com:

Apparently it really pays to not have kids. Moms earn up to 14% less than women who don’t have children, says a recent University of New Mexico study. According to Professor Kate Krause of the University of New Mexico, this is happening because pregnant women or women with young children still face a lot of discrimination in the professional world. She told NPR:

Read the whole story: TheGrindstone.com

Comments

[Rubberfish]

09:53 PM on 02/10/2012

I don't think discrimination has to do with it, but the simple fact that women with children miss out on several years of work, and therefore job advances. Depending at what age a woman has children, children can also get in the way of a higher education, which again results in lower wages earned. You don't need to have a study to figure this out.

[EdCorey1971]

03:42 PM on 02/10/2012

This kind of flies in the face of the equal work equal pay argument. Seems to me that those who are committed to the business earn more while people that make other life choices earn less. The same can be said for the pay difference between men and women.

[tyger]

07:35 PM on 02/10/2012

It's true, women who put off childbirth have more time to climb the career ladder. Women with kids have a different priority and often just want to work and get home to the kids. I've been the woman with the small child and the woman without the small child and the latter was a lot easier. You have different priorities and can work longer hours and get extra training etc. It's not playing the two against each other, just makes sense that the woman without the kid is going to have a easier time of it.

[Ashok Hegde]

02:36 PM on 02/10/2012

What is the issue here? Working women should make more money than those with children. They can usually commit to their job more. (stay late, not be distracted, less issues with leave)

[Kymbirleigh]

04:57 PM on 02/10/2012

So, by that same token should working dad's make less money than a working man? In some households I've seen the dad be more of the caretaker than the mom.

[tyger]

07:38 PM on 02/10/2012

And I'm sure that caretaker Dad is not going to make more than the uncommitted man. Caretaker dad has to deal with babysitters, dinner and getting home to the kids. While the other guy has more time to committ to the job.

[Ashok Hegde]

03:09 AM on 02/11/2012

Yes. In general, parents cannot commit to a firm as much as non-parents. Hence, those who can commit tend to rise up faster. It's fair. If you want to go home and watch your kid pee when asked, it's your option. But, those of us who have no need for such things, and who commit and perform better at work, deserve the rewards.

[dkrypt]

01:18 PM on 02/10/2012

When women make the same economic and career decisions that men do, they actually earn more than men

[sindurrella]

07:30 PM on 02/10/2012

I'm calling B.S. on you...do you have facts to back that up? Quick Wiki check says:
women still have 20% less chance to have a job than men, on average, and they are paid 17% less than their male counterparts

[Leah Lenihan]

05:53 AM on 02/11/2012

check the survey that just came out in the UK - apparently female graduates in their 20's outearn their male counterparts