US mothers lose money and jobs – level 2
07-07-2025 07:00
A study showed that mothers in the US make 11% less money than women without children and 42% less than fathers. This is called the “motherhood penalty.”
Many mothers said having kids hurt their jobs. Some stopped working because childcare was too expensive. Others had to work part-time. They lost money and job benefits. Some couldn’t save for retirement. One woman said she lost 750,000 dollars. Some mothers said men at work got more often higher positions. Others said their husbands made more money, and they had to stay home. Most mothers said they love their children and don’t regret being moms, but they didn’t know it would cost so much. They feel it is not fair.
Difficult words: motherhood (being a mother), penalty (something what hurts you because of a problem or weakness), retirement (when you stop working because of age), regret (to feel sad or sorry about something you did or didn’t do).
You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.
What reasons did mothers give for stopping work or reducing their hours after having children?
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