Study reveals fathers earn 21% more than childless men
25/04/2016
A study has found that fathers out-earn childless men by more than a fifth, whilst the effect is reversed for mothers.
The study was commissioned by think tank IPPR for the Trade Union Centre (TUC), and was based on 17,000 people.
One of its main findings was that fathers who work full-time earn an average of 21% more than their childless male counterparts. It was also found that fathers with two children earned 9% more than those with just one.
However, female full-time workers with a child appeared to be penalised, as the study found that mothers with full-time jobs earned an average of 11% less than those without a child.
While the reasons for the “fatherhood bonus” were unclear, it was suggested that some potential factors may include positive discrimination, increased efforts and longer working hours.
Official labour figures show that on average, a male who works full-time is likely to work half an hour longer each week than a childless male.
In contrast, the study said that the same figures show that a full-time female worker with a child is likely to work around an hour less than those without children.
Additionally, the report also said that when looking at American fathers, increased effort accounted for around 16% of the “fatherhood bonus”.
Gender bias
Despite conceding that there were some explanations to the pay gap, the report said that there does appear to be a gender bias against women.
The report cited international studies that showed identical CVs were often rated higher if the person was a father, compared to a childless male. However, this effect was reversed in the same study, which showed that identical CVs were marked down when told that the person was a mother, rather than a childless female.
TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said that the study outlined British attitudes to working parents, which favoured men over women. She said: "It says much about current attitudes that men with children are seen as more committed by employers, while mothers are still often treated as liabilities."
There have been various studies that show men earn more than women on average, whilst the Office for National Statistics (ONS) claimed that as of April 2015, the gender pay gap for full time workers stood at 9.4% in favour of men.
Need financial advice?
If you have any personal finance questions related to this news article, then please contact our financial advisers. You can get in touch by asking a question online, calling us on 0800 092 1245, or by arranging a visit.
Share this..
Related stories
Russian authorities unlikely to raise base rates
Despite the fact that the Russian government recently announced the introduction of a ban on the export of grain due to the terrible drought sweeping across Russia, it is unlikely that the central bank will increase Russian base rates in the short-term. While there is obviously a major problem within Russia there are further issues around the world as the price of grain has moved ahead by 30% in t...
Read MoreDouble-dip Recession to end, as Growth is forecast
When will the recession end? This is a question that will have been on the lips of all of those doing business within the UK since 2008, and finally it looks as though there may be an answer. Reports into the state of the UK economy have revealed that we could be nearing the end of the double-dip recession that has blighted the country on and off since the second quarter of 2008. Figures relea...
Read MoreWould EU regulators have foreseen the recession?
Over the last few days we have seen an increase in regulatory powers given to the EU Commission by member states which could in certain circumstances see the EU commission overruling local governments and local regulators. While these particular changes are being put forward as a positive move for the future, would EU regulators have foreseen the ongoing recession?
The brutal fact i...
Will Alistair Darling survive the next cabinet shakeup?
While Gordon Brown takes many of the headlines as we approach the pre-budget statement it is actually Alistair Darling who has done all of the hard work over the last few weeks. However, there are grave concerns that his long-term future in the Treasury with many in the Labour Party fearing that Gordon Brown will dispose of his best friend at the next Cabinet reshuffle. While initially Alistair Da...
Read MoreEmergency budget knocks consumer confidence
Despite the fact that the UK government was effectively forced into announcing an emergency budget on 22 June, as any government would have been, it seems as though this has impacted upon consumer confidence in the short-term. A report by uSwitch confirms that 45% of people in the UK are concerned about their finances and 49% now feel worse off than ever before. So what can George Osborne do to tu...
Read More
