The pay gap between mothers and fathers has grown by 93p per hour since 2020
DATE: 7th March 2024; New analysis of the hourly earnings of mothers and fathers commissioned by Pregnant Then screwed has found evidence that mothers are earning 43% less than fathers in their weekly earnings.
The new data, which calculates the median hourly earnings discrepancy between mothers and fathers, has found evidence of a £4.44 motherhood pay penalty per hour, with mothers of dependent children earning 24% less per hour than fathers in 2023.
Furthermore, the analysis has uncovered that the pay gap for median hourly pay between mothers and fathers has grown by a staggering 93p per hour since 2020.
Based on median weekly earnings, mothers earned 43% less than fathers (£442 vs £769) between January – March 2023. This difference could be partly due to more mothers working reduced or part-time hours, although for many mothers this is not a choice but a necessity due to unaffordable childcare.
Joeli Brearley, CEO and founder of Pregnant then Screwed, comments, “The motherhood penalty accounts for almost all of the gender pay gap. It is a serious issue which ensures women have less power and autonomy than men. It also contributes to rising child poverty; afterall, children aren’t poor by themselves, they are poor because their mothers are poor.
Reducing the motherhood penalty would mean the UK is effectively utilizing the skills and talents of its citizens. It would give our economy a much needed boost whilst enabling families to dig themselves out of poverty. Without access to affordable childcare, properly paid paternity leave and high quality flexible working the motherhood penalty will continue to wreak havoc on women, families and our economy.’
Pregnant Then Screwed is calling for:
- 6 weeks paternity leave paid at 90% of salary.
- All parental leave to be paid at the national living wage
- Childcare to cost no more than 10% of household income and for funding to be accessible to all parents
- All jobs to be advertised as flexible unless there is a good business reason not to do so
ENDS
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About Pregnant Then Screwed:
Pregnant Then Screwed exists to end the motherhood penalty. We are the voice of working mothers in the UK. We have a strong and deep connection with our beneficiaries. We provide world-class advice and support to mothers to help them improve their confidence and wellbeing, to give them the tools they need to challenge discrimination in the workplace and to support them to find work that works for them. We advocate for change and raise awareness of the specific challenges faced by working mothers. We challenge deeply entrenched stereotypes about the role of mothers in society. We work with employers, politicians, women and men to make change happen. We publish compelling research to educate, inform and lead the debate.
About This Research
*The analysis compares ONS data from January – March 2023 to the same period in 2020.
For parents with dependent children in 2023 the median hourly pay was £14.04 for mothers vs £18.48 for fathers. In 2020 this was £11.96 for mothers vs £15.47 for fathers
