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True cost of becoming a mum highlighted in new data on pay

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True cost of becoming a mum highlighted in new data on pay


Femilola Miller A woman wearing glasses and a green jumper sits on a sofa and stares into the camera, with cushions around her and a plain wall behind.Femilola Miller

Femilola Miller says the motherhood penalty is “engrained in society”

Mums in England face a “substantial and long-lasting reduction” in earnings after having children, according to new findings from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Five years after having their first child, mums’ earnings drop by an average of £1,051 a month compared with their salary one year before having a child.

Mums’ earnings continue to be affected after the births of second and third children.

Rachel Grocott, chief executive of campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, called the findings “completely abhorrent” and said the impact of the motherhood penalty is “not just unfair – it’s avoidable”.

In the first dataset of its kind, the ONS has looked at the earnings and employment status of mums after having a first, second and third child over an eight-year period from April 2014 to December 2022.

Mums earn £313 a month less on average five years after the birth of their second child, and £689 a month less five years after their third child. Each figure is compared to their salary one year before each birth.

Mums suffer “maximum losses” in the first year after their children are born, when they are more likely to take extended parental leave than dads.

When compared with a mum’s earnings in the year before the birth of a child, the total loss in earnings over five years was:

  • £65,618 for a first child
  • £26,317 for a second child
  • £32,456 for a third child

Femilola Miller, from London, has three children aged seven, five and three.

Before starting a family, she and her husband David had similar salaries, but he now earns £55,000 a year more than her.

Both she and her husband took several months off work after the birth of each child, “but every time my husband went back to work, he got a promotion”.

“Mothers are not compensated even if they return to work full time and are dedicated to their career.”

She believes the motherhood penalty is “engrained in society” and some people enforce the stereotypes “without even realising”, she says, remembering several comments people had made to her about whether she would return to work after having children.

“It was not even a question about what was going to happen to David’s career,” she says.

“I had a career before I had children and I want to carry on working full-time.”

Femilola Miller Three children turned away from the camera look into a pool at the aquarium. They are each wearing coats and have their hands pressed up against the glass, which has blue-green water on the other side.Femilola Miller

Femilola has three children aged seven, five and three

Although the gender pay gap is slowly reducing in the UK, women working full time still earn 7% less than men.

Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said the motherhood penalty was “a perfect storm of bias, outdated legislation and cultural norms”.

She added “the vast majority” of the gender pay gap is linked to the motherhood penalty, which can be attributed to a number of factors, including:

  • unaffordable childcare costs for some families
  • an unbalanced parental leave system
  • some jobs not offering flexible and part-time working hours
  • pregnancy and maternity discrimination

The government has introduced 30 hours a week of funded childcare for working parents and is undertaking a review of parental leave.

New laws also came into force in England, Wales and Scotland last year which give women greater protection against redundancy while pregnant or on maternity leave.

But, according to research from Pregnant then Screwed and Women in Data, up to 74,000 new or expectant mums lose their jobs each year due to pregnancy and maternity discrimination.

Evie Jay A woman in a green dress sits in front of a window smiling. She is sat in the corner with a stone wall beside her, while a window looks out on to the street behind her.Evie Jay

Evie says mums often feel like they “can’t win” in the juggle between work and parenthood

Evie, 33, from Newcastle, says she feels as though her career is “on hold” until her daughter goes to school.

Evie initially reduced her hours at work when three-year-old Ellie was born, but now works 35 hours a week in the NHS.

She wants to retrain as a therapist, but doing so would mean she could no longer work from home, which isn’t compatible with her childcare arrangements.

She described becoming a mum as “the best thing that’s happened to me, but career-wise, it has been a punishment”.

“You’re expected to be a parent like you don’t work, but work like you haven’t got kids. You can’t win.”

Emma Potts, manager of Market Place Cafe in Stoke-on-Trent, says it is “a really difficult balance” for small businesses like hers to accommodate flexible working, part-time hours or maternity cover.

“We always try to be as supportive as possible, but the reality is that in a small team, flexibility is much harder to manage.”

If staff members were to reduce their hours to part-time, “it would cause real issues”, she says.

“Ultimately, smaller businesses like ours don’t have the luxury of large teams or spare capacity.

“Every shift matters, every deadline matters, and every absence makes a difference.”

Katie Guild, co-founder of Nugget Savings, a business that helps new and expectant parents with financial planning, says the impact of having children can be “shocking” on finances, but there are a number of things parents can do.

This includes checking which benefits you are entitled to and ensuring your employer still contributes to your pension based on your salary as it was before maternity leave.

“Unfortunately, a lot of what we deal with is mothers having difficult situations with their employers and not knowing whether they have a leg to stand on legally,” she says.

“Knowing your rights is really crucial.”



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Asia stocks fall for third day, oil edges up as markets track Iran war

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Asia stocks fall for third day, oil edges up as markets track Iran war



The conflict in the Middle East has rattled financial markets and global energy prices have soared.



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Petrol, Diesel Fresh Prices Announced: Check Rates In Your City On March 4

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Petrol, Diesel Fresh Prices Announced: Check Rates In Your City On March 4


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Petrol, Diesel Price On March 4: Check City-Wise Rates Across India Including In Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.

Petrol, Diesel Prices On March 4.

Petrol, Diesel Prices On March 4.

Petrol and Diesel Prices on March 4, 2026: OMCs update petrol and diesel prices daily at 6 AM, aligning them with fluctuations in global crude oil prices and currency exchange rates. This daily revision promotes transparency and ensures consumers have access to the most up-to-date and accurate fuel prices.

Petrol Diesel Price Today In India

Check city-wise petrol and diesel prices on March 4:

City Petrol (₹/L) Diesel (₹/L)
New Delhi 94.72 87.62
Mumbai 104.21 92.15
Kolkata 103.94 90.76
Chennai 100.75 92.34
Ahmedabad 94.49 90.17
Bengaluru 102.92 89.02
Hyderabad 107.46 95.70
Jaipur 104.72 90.21
Lucknow 94.69 87.80
Pune 104.04 90.57
Chandigarh 94.30 82.45
Indore 106.48 91.88
Patna 105.58 93.80
Surat 95.00 89.00
Nashik 95.50 89.50

Key Factors Behind Petrol and Diesel Rates

Petrol and diesel prices in India have remained unchanged since May 2022, following tax reductions by the central and several state governments.

Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) update fuel prices daily at 6 am, adjusting for fluctuations in global crude oil markets. While these rates are technically market-linked, they are also influenced by regulatory measures such as excise duties, base pricing frameworks, and informal price caps.

Key Factors Influencing Fuel Prices in India

  • Crude Oil Prices: Global crude oil prices are a primary driver of fuel prices, as crude is the main input in petrol and diesel production.

  • Exchange Rate: Since India relies heavily on crude oil imports, the value of the Indian rupee against the US dollar significantly affects fuel costs. A weaker rupee typically translates to higher prices.

  • Taxes: Central and state-level taxes constitute a major portion of retail fuel prices. Tax rates vary across states, leading to regional price differences.

  • Refining Costs: The cost of processing crude oil into usable fuel impacts retail prices. These costs can fluctuate depending on crude quality and refinery efficiency.

  • Demand-Supply Dynamics: Market demand also influences fuel pricing. Higher demand can push prices up as supply adjusts to consumption trends.

How to Check Petrol and Diesel Prices via SMS

You can easily check the latest petrol and diesel prices in your city through SMS. For Indian Oil customers, text the city code followed by “RSP” to 9224992249. BPCL customers can send “RSP” to 9223112222, and HPCL customers can text “HP Price” to 9222201122 to receive the current fuel prices.

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Gold Prices: Gold retreats on strong dollar after four-day rally – The Times of India

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Gold Prices: Gold retreats on strong dollar after four-day rally – The Times of India


Gold slumped more than 5%, ending a four-day rally on Tuesday. The metal was weighed down by a stronger dollar and fading prospects of an interest rate cut as inflation concerns intensified against the backdrop of a potentially prolonged conflict in West Asia. Spot gold was down 5.6% at $5,029.59 an ounce whereas prices had hit an over four-week high in the previous session. US gold futures lost 5.1% to $5,041.50.The US dollar, a competing safe-haven asset, rose to an over one-month peak, making dollar-priced bullion less affordable for holders of other currencies. US Treasury yields rose for a second consecutive session.Indian bullion traders and associations are speculating that gold could attain Rs 2 lakh per 10 gm and silver may well scale Rs 3.5 lakh per kg if the conflict does not abate swiftly.Spot silver fell 11.2% to $79.42 an ounce after climbing to a more than four-week high on Monday. As the Iran conflict entered its fourth day, crude oil benchmarks jumped over 8% in response.



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