Study claims women who have an early career abortion make more money.

A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology has reported that women who have abortions early in their career make about $500,000 more over their lifetime than women who give birth. The research, which comes out of the University of Sheffield, is being called "one of the first studies to examine the long-term economic consequences of abortion," but it highlights the dark truth — that society is working overtime to convince women to sacrifice their own children for limited financial profit in order to save their companies money. In reality, this research doesn't mean women should abort. It means companies need to do better for mothers.

Key Takeaways:

• A study said that women who have abortions early in their careers make about $500,000 more over their lifetime than women who give birth.

• The study followed more than 6,000 women across the U.S. over three decades.

• Mothers who also have careers outside the home are often given the "motherhood penalty," which includes lost opportunities to receive promotions and raises.

• Some companies would rather offer to pay for an abortion than to pay for health care and maternity leave.

• Additional research shows that mothers have unique skill sets that make them valued employees.

• What this research shows isn't that women need abortion to be successful, but that when the business world welcomed women into the workforce 80+ years ago, it failed them miserably and continues to do so.

The Details:

The study looked at more than 6,000 women across the U.S. over three decades to see how decisions about pregnancy and abortion shaped women's lifetime earnings. The researchers found, "Women who had an abortion early in their careers earned nearly $500,000 more over 30 years than those who became mothers, according to pioneering new research by the University of Sheffield."

More specifically, women who had an abortion earned an average $495,000 more over their careers than women who became mothers. Women who did not have a pregnancy at all early in their career earned about $556,000 more than mothers did. It also found that women who had an abortion were also more likely to continue along with their education and have a less interrupted career.

"Women stand at a cross road when faced with pregnancy," said lead author Dr. Nicola Lawrence-Thomas. "Those who pursue motherhood are often subject to the motherhood penalty. A set of disadvantages that hinder earning potential and create significant career barriers."

Mary Beth Ferrante noted in an article for Forbes, "[Mothers] experience what’s called the 'motherhood penalty', where we receive a 4% decrease in pay per child, and are 79% less likely to be hired and half as likely to get promoted, when compared to an equally qualified woman without a child. Shelley Correll, then at Cornell University, also found that mothers in the workforce are rated as significantly less competent, less intelligent, and less committed than nonmothers."

Lawrence-Thomas added, “There’s unprecedented value in policies that protect a woman's ability to plan and sustain their careers including protecting abortion and contraception, subsidised childcare and protected paid parental leave.”

There is value in policies that protect children's lives and women's dignity. Women should not be made to feel as though they must abort their babies in order to build and maintain a successful career. Rather than convincing women to delay motherhood, dedicate their lives to the success of their companies, and save their companies money in health insurance costs and maternity leave pay, companies should embrace motherhood. They should offer incentives for mothers, such as flexible work-from-home hours, on-campus child care, and breastfeeding and pumping areas to attract the best talent to their companies. Mothers have actually been found to have unique skills.

Ferrante explained, "Through her research, Amy Henderson of Tendlab, 'discovered that parenthood neurologically primes us to develop specific skills which are not only relevant but necessary, for success in the workplace of the rapidly approaching future.' Mothers bring a significant and scientifically proven set of skills to the office. For example, parenting increases emotional intelligence, which clues you into others’ feelings and provides a platform for mutual trust and understanding, which fosters the ability to collaborate well with others.  Parenting teaches you that you must accept your children for who they are and adapt to their needs and wants. We, in turn, learn how to nurture the best in others at home and the office, which is a hallmark of any great organizer/leader."

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The Bottom Line:

The potential for more money is not a reason to sacrifice a child's life. In fact, it sounds more like a bribe. Instead of seeing the good in mothers, companies often boast about offering abortion coverage to employees so that women can abort their babies and get back to work, proving that they don't care about their employees but about their bottom line.

This study proves one thing, and it's not that women need abortion to succeed. It's that when the business world welcomed women into the workforce 80+ years ago, it failed them miserably and continues to do so.