Women still earn less after birth of first child

Despite recent progress, women in the Netherlands still experience a significant decline in earnings following the birth of their first child, although the gap has narrowed over the last two decades. While two-thirds of couples with children express a desire for an equal division of caregiving responsibilities, this is only achieved by 40 percent of households. In most cases, women continue to shoulder the majority of childcare duties, which often conflicts with the ideal balance many couples strive for in their daily lives. Furthermore, there is a notable discrepancy between preferred and actual working hours. Most parents prefer a work-life balance involving 20 to 35 hours per week for both mothers and fathers, yet a large majority of men continue to work full-time. Additionally, research indicates that younger women are increasingly entering disability benefit programs. Although the exact reasons remain under investigation, experts point to potential links between the transition to motherhood and higher rates of work-related absences compared to men.