Recently published by the U.S. Dept. of Labor, this Working Mothers Issue Brief presents statistics and information on working mothers. It highlights their employment characteristics, the changing structure of families, the poverty status of working mothers and their families, mothers as sole or primary earners, and unpaid caregiving and household responsibilities. The final section of the issue brief shares some policies and workplace supports for working parents and their families.
A few highlights:
- While mothers make important contributions to their family’s income in married-couple families, the percentage of mother-only families underscores mothers’ critical role as economic providers.
- Even when the mother worked full-time and year-round, 14.0 percent of mother-only families with children under age 18 were living in poverty.
- Many working parents lack access to even the most basic workplace supports, such as job-protected paid parental leave, earned sick days, or quality and affordable child care.
Read the full brief.