One limitation in interpreting findings on the motherhood pay gap is that I.V.F. pregnancies are planned, while over 40 percent of pregnancies in the United States are unplanned. Women pursuing I.V.F. may be better set up to handle a career interruption compared to those with surprise pregnancies. This complicates previous research on the child gap. In the U.S., where gender norms are less progressive and the cost of I.V.F. is high, the motherhood pay gap is much less promising than in Denmark.
Research in the U.S. has found “surprisingly robust” motherhood penalties, even in scenarios where the penalty would be expected to be slim, such as in female-breadwinner families. Women in these families experience a 60 percent drop in earnings after childbirth relative to their lower-earning male partners. This pattern is opposite to that seen in Sweden. There was no difference for mothers in female-led companies or those with a majority of female employees. This discouraging data highlights the ongoing issue of the motherhood penalty in the United States.
Cecilia Machado, an economist, summarized the state of the motherhood penalty in the U.S. and discussed potential ways to address it. She noted that public and workplace policies encouraging both men and women to take paid parental leave could help reduce the pay gap. Creating political conditions for involved fatherhood in a child’s first year could also establish egalitarian patterns. Machado highlighted the importance of culture and gender norm changes in addressing the motherhood penalty.
The U.S. is experiencing contradictory and evolving cultural norms surrounding motherhood. Despite a record high percentage of women with young children working, there is still a significant portion of the population that believes society would be better off if mothers did not work. This suggests that societal attitudes towards motherhood are complex and may be contributing to the ongoing motherhood pay gap issue. Efforts to address this gap will need to consider both policy changes and broader cultural shifts.
Overall, research on the motherhood pay gap in the U.S. highlights the challenges faced by women in balancing work and family responsibilities. The high cost of I.V.F., limited public policies supporting parental leave, and entrenched gender norms all contribute to the persistence of this gap. Addressing these issues will require a multifaceted approach that includes policy changes, cultural shifts, and ongoing research to better understand the complexities of the motherhood pay gap.
