Stockholm university
GENPARENT - Research Project

Why Do Mothers Earn Less? A New Study Explores the Child Penalty

How does having children impact mothers’ earnings? A new study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family shed light on what drives the child penalty – the income gap that emerges after parenthood.

A young girl and two women ride bicycles on a forest trail.
Photo: MonkeyBusiness/Mostphotos

A new study by Ylva Moberg (SOFI) and Maaike van der Vleuten (NIDI) looks at three key factors: pregnancy and childbirth, the number of children in a family, and the influence of gender norms.

Their research, published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, helps us better understand what shapes the child penalty – the income gap that appears after parenthood.

Read the full paper. 

  

Theme
Gender and Equality - Theme page Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page
Research subject
Sociological Perspectives on Gender and Equality
Research project
GENPARENT

A multi-method approach to the transition to parenthood in different-sex and same-sex couples.

Zebracrossing in the colour of the rainbow
Research group
GAINS

SOFI’s gender research group GAINS (Gender Analysis and Interdisciplinary research Network, Stockholm) is a cross-disciplinary research environment that aims to facilitate social science research on issues related to gender. Our focus areas include the labor market, health, education, and family relations.

GAINS: Gender analysis & interdisciplinary research network Stockholm
Read more about

Last updated: March 3, 2025

Source: Magnus Dahl

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