The 100% Solution

Women still earn less than men. But equal pay will make us all richer

By Rana Foroohar Monday, May 23, 2011
    • Illustration by Harry Campbell for TIME

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    When they come, the gains won't be distributed equally. One of the most compelling parts of Brzezinski's book is a chapter titled "Motherhood: The Game Changer." The wage gap is largest for working moms. Research shows their earnings decrease for each child they have. In one study by Cornell University, participants were asked to evaluate the résumés of two equally qualified job candidates, one a mother, the other not. Mothers were consistently ranked as less competent and were offered on average $11,000 less in pay.

    Which amazes me, since most of the working mothers I know are among the most productive people on the planet. Forget about the Donald and his imaginary 84%; many working mothers are so grateful to be employed and so worried about the perception that they might be less than 100% committed that they overwork themselves. (A CEO once confessed to me that he loved to hire them for this very reason.) They are the ones keeping the number of useless meetings to a minimum in a relentless effort to be home for dinner. I have always been struck by how much working moms resemble Germans. They toil diligently and efficiently from 9 to 6. Then they go home. Germany, it should be noted, has higher productivity and a faster-growing economy than the U.S., proving that you don't have to be in the office 24/7 to get the job done. Perhaps rather than being the laggards described by the Donald, working moms are actually at the vanguard of a smarter way to work. Paying them what they're worth could end up making us all richer.

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