Early motherhood carries wage penalty, while delaying pays off

A woman’s decision to become pregnant early in her career can shape her financial future for decades, according to new research co-led by Eden King, Lynette S. Autrey Professor of Psychology at Rice University, and Nicola Lawrence-Thomas, senior lecturer in occupational psychology at the University of Sheffield. The study, one of the first to examine long-term earnings across different early reproductive pathways, found that women who became mothers early in life earned significantly less over time than those who had an abortion or never became pregnant.