Pew Finds 56% of Working Moms Say Caregiving Hurts Careers, Widening Pay Gap
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Nov 11
Pew Finds 56% of Working Moms Say Caregiving Hurts Careers, Widening Pay Gap
2 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Nov 11
Summary
More than half of full-time working mothers—56%—said parenthood made it harder to advance at work, versus 38% of full-time working fathers, according to new Pew Research.
That gap tracks with women’s larger caregiving load: women still spend more time on child care in families with small children, and 61% of Americans caring for elderly relatives are women.
Pew also found the burden persists even when women outearn their husbands, leaving many to cut hours, miss high-visibility assignments or step back from work entirely.
Those trade-offs can depress future pay, promotions and retirement savings, while many caregivers say paid family leave or standardized relief would help address the strain.