摘要：露西·伯顿表示，成为父母是导致工作场所不平等的主要原因之一。“一项项研究表明，生育孩子有助于提升男性事业（‘父亲红利’），却会阻碍女性的职业发展（母亲惩罚）。”

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节选自The Week UK - 10 May, 2025

Becoming a parent is one of the leading causes of inequality at work, says Lucy Burton. “Study after study shows that having a child boosts men’s careers (the ‘fatherhood bonus’) and hinders women’s (the ‘motherhood penalty’).”

露西·伯顿表示，成为父母是导致工作场所不平等的主要原因之一。“一项项研究表明，生育孩子有助于提升男性事业（‘父亲红利’），却会阻碍女性的职业发展（母亲惩罚）。”

Yet even working fathers are now being “crushed in high-cost Britain”. Under financial pressure “not to take their foot off the gas”, exhausted dads are “buckling”.

然而，即便是在职父亲，如今也正被高成本的英国压得喘不过气来。在经济压力下，不敢松劲，疲惫不堪的父亲们正在崩溃。

British fathers have the worst statutory paternity leave entitlement in Europe – a measly two weeks – and have fewer options than women when they return to work. “Half of new fathers who request flexible working don’t get it,” reports the TUC, rising to nearly two in three if their household income is under £40,000.

英国父亲在欧洲享有最差的法定陪产假权益——区区两周而且在重返工作岗位时的选择比女性少得多。英国贸易工会大会（TUC）报告称，一半申请灵活工作的新手爸爸都没能如愿，如果家庭年收入低于4万英镑，这一比例会升至近三分之二。

No wonder the lowest-earning men are much less likely than the highest to have kids.

难怪收入最低的男性比收入最高的男性更不可能有孩子。

Britain is desperate to increase its fertility rate – now at a record low of 1.44: well below the level needed to sustain a population. But solutions tend to focus almost entirely on women. If we are to tackle this “baby-bust”, we need to look hard at male childlessness and financial security too.

英国迫切希望提高生育率目前英国生育率已跌至1.44的历史冰点，远低于维持人口稳定的2.1基准线。但解决方案几乎完全聚焦于女性。若要应对这场婴儿荒，我们也必须认真审视男性无子以及经济保障问题。

核心词汇：

来源：启萌教育