Pregnancy is on the rise in the United States, with 3,622,673 births recorded in 2024, up 1% from the year prior. At the same time, women remain nearly half the workforce, making up 47% of U.S. employees and more than 55 million full-time workers. Yet despite their indispensable contribution to both the economy and society, women, particularly pregnant women, continue to face discrimination in the workplace.
A new analysis from High Rise Financial reveals that while laws like the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) exist to safeguard women, many employers are failing to comply. The result: expectant mothers are routinely denied promotions, forced out of jobs, or left without basic accommodations, all while their male peers face no such barriers.
A Widespread Problem, Often Unreported
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received 2,729 pregnancy discrimination complaints in 2024, but advocates stress that the true number is far higher. Surveys show that 1 in 5 mothers experience workplace discrimination tied to pregnancy, yet many cases go unreported out of fear of retaliation or lack of awareness about legal protections.
Discrimination often begins in the hiring process, where employers may quietly overlook pregnant candidates. It also manifests as reduced hours, reassignments to less desirable duties, or outright termination. Some women even report hiding their pregnancies for as long as possible to avoid backlash, a choice that can carry health risks for both mother and child.
Racial Disparities Make Matters Worse
The burden of pregnancy discrimination is not shared equally. Black and Latina women, who already face higher barriers to promotion and respect in the workplace, are more likely to encounter unfair treatment when pregnant.
In 2024, Black women had the highest labor force participation rate (61%), followed by Hispanic women (58.7%). Yet these groups also face some of the sharpest inequities. Black women gave birth to 472,756 babies in 2024, and Hispanic women to 982,253, all while disproportionately working in industries with poor accommodations and limited flexibility.
The result is a double penalty: women of color are more likely to work while pregnant and more likely to face discrimination for doing so.
The Financial Penalty of Motherhood
For many women, pregnancy brings not only personal joy but professional setbacks. In 2024, women without children earned 83¢ for every $1 earned by men. For mothers, the gap widened to 75¢ per dollar. Women of color fared even worse, facing compounded racial and gender wage disparities.
Research also shows:
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Mothers’ earnings decline by 17% during the year of childbirth compared to their peers.
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Over ten years, mothers earn 40% less than fathers.
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61% of women believe motherhood harms their careers, while men often see their careers accelerate after fatherhood.
These inequities lead many mothers to exit the workforce, switch jobs, or accept lower pay — all of which hurt long-term earning potential and career growth.
Industries Where Pregnancy Discrimination Runs High
Pregnancy discrimination is especially pronounced in physically demanding or inflexible industries, including:
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Healthcare & Social Assistance – long hours, lack of breaks, physically taxing duties.
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Accommodation & Food Services – extended standing, rigid scheduling, low pay.
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Retail Trade – inadequate seating, poor schedule flexibility, and little medical leave.
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Transportation, Warehousing, Manufacturing, and Utilities – male-dominated sectors with high physical demands and systemic biases.
These industries consistently generate the highest rates of discrimination charges, according to the UMass Center for Employment Equity.
The U.S. Lags on Paid Leave
Pregnancy discrimination also intersects with America’s lack of paid family leave. The U.S. remains the only wealthy nation without a national paid maternity leave policy. Nearly 25% of mothers return to work within 10 days of giving birth, and 18% switch employers within a year due to inadequate support.
The lack of leave has dire consequences: the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate among wealthy nations, and nearly 1 in 5 new mothers experiences postpartum depression. Paid leave programs in other nations have been linked to lower maternal mortality, improved infant health, and reduced workplace attrition — benefits the U.S. is failing to capture.
A Call for Change
“Pregnancy discrimination is not just illegal, it’s immoral,” said a spokesperson from High Rise Financial. “Women are too often forced to choose between their health and their paycheck. This is especially true for women of color, who face additional layers of bias. Until employers, lawmakers, and communities take stronger action, pregnancy will remain a financial and professional penalty for far too many women.”
Final Word
The data paints a stark picture: while American women are essential to both the labor force and the nation’s future, they continue to face widespread discrimination during pregnancy. Legal protections are not enough if they are not enforced.
Protecting mothers means more than avoiding lawsuits; it means protecting the health, careers, and financial stability of millions of families. From expanding access to paid family leave, to strengthening anti-discrimination enforcement to changing workplace cultures, urgent action is needed to ensure pregnancy is never treated as a liability.
High Rise Financial stands committed to advocating for working mothers and supporting women who believe they’ve been wrongfully dismissed or discriminated against due to pregnancy.
