Sociology Commons^™

Mothers On The Market: Employer Hiring Practices And Motherhood Penalties, Elizabeth Kiester

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

While gender inequity in wages is often discussed in the media by politicians, the motherhood wage penalty receives substantially less attention. This distinct wage penalty suggests that women with children suffer a wage penalty separate from women without children. In addition, there is an employment gap between mothers and nonmothers indicating that mothers are less likely to be employed. While some argue that this is a matter of choice, I contend that mothers may face unique barriers that deny them access to the labor market. I tested this theory in two ways and in two states; Utah and California. First, …