The decision to participate in the workforce after having a child can be difficult for any mom, even those who are married, college educated and only have one child.
A survey conducted by parent resource app Winnie and online talent marketplace The Mom Project found 81% of women questioned say child-care factors such as cost, availability, flexibility and trust made a relatively strong or critical difference in their decision to be in the workforce.
Winnie is an online database that helps parents find local child-care providers, and The Mom Project is a digital talent marketplace that connects mothers with employers. The organizations surveyed 546 moms primarily between the ages of 25 and 44, 88% with a bachelor’s degree or higher and 79% employed either full- or part-time. The majority of the participants were married, and half had only one child.
The top three factors the survey found affecting a mother’s decision to participate in the workforce included how family-friendly their schedules would be, their desire to stay at home with their children and how cost effective working would be compared to pricey child-care bills.
“One of the most interesting takeaways from the research is that none of the mothers felt like they had it figured out when it came to the work and child-care equation,” said Colleen Curtis, head of community at The Mom Project. “Everyone is weighing the high cost of child care with the financial and opportunity cost of leaving the workforce.”
The top factor — a lack of family-friendly work schedules — was a “significantly strong” influence for mothers who work part-time (81%) and those who are not currently working but are looking (75%). Some survey participants additionally cited commute time, travel and the general work environment as major concerns.
Some participants stressed that not working isn’t an option, because they’re either single, need dual income or because their spouses do not contribute.