CHE Seminar Series: Miscarriage and delays in childbearing - Implications for motherhood penalties
We provide new insights into the origins of the motherhood penalty by disentangling the effects of pregnancy, the transition into motherhood, and the timing of childbirth. Using administrative data from Taiwan, we compare women whose first pregnancy results in a live birth, those whose first pregnancy ends in miscarriage, and a matched sample of never-pregnant women. Event-study estimates reveal large and persistent earnings losses following first childbirth. Women who experience miscarriage also suffer earnings losses relative to never-pregnant women, although these losses are substantially smaller than those following childbirth. As the adverse effect of miscarriage on mental health appears to be short-lived, our findings suggest that part of the motherhood penalty arises even before women become mothers, reflecting the labor market consequences of pregnancy and the anticipation or preparation for motherhood, while the larger share is driven by the arrival and subsequent care of a child. We document large and persistent earnings losses following first childbirth. In contrast, women who experience miscarriage face substantially smaller declines, indicating the role of the transition into motherhood rather than pregnancy itself. Furthermore, fertility timing plays a central role. The longer women delay childbirth following a miscarriage, the smaller their long-run earnings penalties.Finally, motherhood penalties are largest among women with limited pre-pregnancy work experience, those early in their careers, and those employed in the private sector, whereas greater within-firm seniority substantially cushions these losses---underscoring the importance of career stage, job stability, and fertility timing in shaping the magnitude of motherhood penalties.
Speaker profile
Warn N. Lekfuangfu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain. Her research focuses on various dimensions of inequality, including aspirations, intergenerational mobility, child development, wellbeing, and inheritance. She is a Research Fellow at IZA, J PAL, and RFBerlin.
Weekly seminar series
As part of our Centre's vibrant research culture, we host a weekly seminar series. Visiting and invited researchers present current research relating to the economics of health and wellbeing, and the healthcare sector. Visitors are welcome to join these sessions where discussion and debate is encouraged.
For further information on our seminar series, please contact Trong-Anh.Trinh@monash.edu
Event Details
- Date:
- 7 October 2026 at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
- Venue:
- Caulfield campus, Building H, level 1, room H1.35
- Categories:
- CHE Seminar; General
Description
We provide new insights into the origins of the motherhood penalty by disentangling the effects of pregnancy, the transition into motherhood, and the timing of childbirth. Using administrative data from Taiwan, we compare women whose first pregnancy results in a live birth, those whose first pregnancy ends in miscarriage, and a matched sample of never-pregnant women. Event-study estimates reveal large and persistent earnings losses following first childbirth. Women who experience miscarriage also suffer earnings losses relative to never-pregnant women, although these losses are substantially smaller than those following childbirth. As the adverse effect of miscarriage on mental health appears to be short-lived, our findings suggest that part of the motherhood penalty arises even before women become mothers, reflecting the labor market consequences of pregnancy and the anticipation or preparation for motherhood, while the larger share is driven by the arrival and subsequent care of a child. We document large and persistent earnings losses following first childbirth. In contrast, women who experience miscarriage face substantially smaller declines, indicating the role of the transition into motherhood rather than pregnancy itself. Furthermore, fertility timing plays a central role. The longer women delay childbirth following a miscarriage, the smaller their long-run earnings penalties.Finally, motherhood penalties are largest among women with limited pre-pregnancy work experience, those early in their careers, and those employed in the private sector, whereas greater within-firm seniority substantially cushions these losses---underscoring the importance of career stage, job stability, and fertility timing in shaping the magnitude of motherhood penalties.
Speaker profile
Warn N. Lekfuangfu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain. Her research focuses on various dimensions of inequality, including aspirations, intergenerational mobility, child development, wellbeing, and inheritance. She is a Research Fellow at IZA, J PAL, and RFBerlin.
Weekly seminar series
As part of our Centre's vibrant research culture, we host a weekly seminar series. Visiting and invited researchers present current research relating to the economics of health and wellbeing, and the healthcare sector. Visitors are welcome to join these sessions where discussion and debate is encouraged.
For further information on our seminar series, please contact Trong-Anh.Trinh@monash.edu