A comprehensive Glassdoor study across 18 European countries and the United States reveals a stark reality: women's earnings drop by 12% in France following pregnancy. This gap raises serious questions about gender equality and fairness among women. While France's disparity stands at 12%, Ireland faces a much wider 31% divide. The most equitable nations—Belgium, Italy, and Spain—show just a 3% difference between mothers and childless women. Germany reports 23%, Norway 19%, the US 16%, the UK 14%, Austria 13%, and the Netherlands 8%.
These findings from Belgium, Italy, and Spain challenge the outdated stereotype that mothers are less committed to their careers—a justification sometimes used by employers to explain pay gaps.
The study also ranks female labor participation: Norway, Finland, and Sweden lead, with France in sixth place. Italy, Greece, and Ireland trail at the bottom. Addressing these wage disparities remains a critical priority for true workplace equality.
