Abortion bans are a weapon to keep people in poverty, economists say

For Republican lawmakers, pro-life advocacy usually goes along with the territory, and yet it’s never a surprise when said politicians are exposed to have been personally involved with an abortion.

In a recent report from the Economic Policy Institute, analysts offer an explanation for anti-abortion rhetoric—Republican economics. EPI’s report, “The economics of abortion bans,” walks through the fiscal implications of abortion bans and how policy isn’t necessarily driven by religious beliefs but rather a form of economic subjugation. 

The author of the report, Asha Banerjee, suggests that by restricting or fully banning abortion, states are disempowering the workforce. “Abortion has long been framed as a cultural, religious, or personal issue rather than a material ‘bread and butter’ economic concern,” says Banerjee. “In reality, abortion rights and economic progress are fundamentally intertwined, and the loss of abortion rights means the loss of economic security, independence, and mobility for millions of people.”

Here is what the report uncovers about states with partial or total bans on abortion:

Preventing economic mobility. Abortion bans are part of a larger effort to hold back the working class from climbing up the socioeconomic ladder or out of poverty. The report notes that abortion bans happen in states where people already earn less. In abortion-protected states, the minimum wage is $11.92 compared to states with no abortion protection, where the minimum wage is $8.17 on average. 
Economic subjugation. The right to an abortion is part of workers’ autonomy over their own bodies, like calling in sick or choosing health benefits. Unfortunately, workers’ protections aren’t guaranteed, especially in anti-abortion states where unionization levels are half as high as the abortion-protected states.
Economic disenfranchisement. While anti-abortion policies severely impact lower-income individuals, the bans are especially harmful to people of color. Abortion bans can be seen as an extension of institutional racism, similar to the cycle of incarceration. In states with partial or full bans, the incarceration rate is 1.5 times higher than in states with protections. 

In addition to instating laws to protect abortion access, EPI suggests that policymakers raise the federal minimum wage and expand Medicaid coverage in order to address negative impacts to the labor market and deliberate attempts to prevent upward mobility.