Nearly a quarter of American mothers now identify as stay-at-home parents—a sharp rise from the 15% in 2022, according to a large survey of US women conducted by Motherly, an advocacy group.
The 2023 statistic—24%—means that nine percent of mothers have given up their jobs over the past year. The survey asked respondents for a primary reason in initiating this change in their job status, if they’d made such a change. The most common motivation, shared by 24% of surveyed mothers: wanting to stay home with children.
The survey’s findings also suggest that increased flexibility at work and more affordable childcare options would help women move back in to the workplace. Almost half of all the mothers surveyed (45%) said that if they wished to work in the future, affordable childcare would be necessary. And almost two-thirds (62%) said that they would need work flexibility in order to return.
US workplaces just don’t work for mothers
As the answers suggested, many of the over 9,000 women who answered Motherly’s survey want to spend time at home with children. That doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t also want a job outside the home. The reasons people choose full-time parenting over other structures are complex, taking into account money, available childcare, specific children’s needs, and what kinds of work are available.
Up to 50% Off
Amazon Basics Overstock Sale
Their Overstock Is Your Savings
Amazon overstocked on a ton of everyday items, and they’re all up to 50% off. Whatever is on your list to grab this week, they probably have a sale.
The US has, historically, been a culture that makes few allowances for the needs of parents, and working mothers in particular. Parental leave is not mandated, work hours tend to be long, and the state doesn’t provide free or subsidised countrywide childcare, as exists in many other countries. Unpaid domestic work tends to fall disproportionately on women.
In the survey, 67% of respondents said they pay at least $1,000 a month on childcare, and almost a third pay over $2,000 a month, enough to make a large dent in most salaries. A fifth said they were dissatisfied with the childcare they did have, and of those, almost 70% said the cost was too high.
Women are significantly less satisfied at work too, according to data released last week by the Conference Board, a business research organization. And a global report on women at work released by Deloitte found that, in the US, a standout reason for that was lack of flexibility.
That dissatisfaction is also in evidence in Motherly’s parent-specific study. Answering the question “Which best describes your mentality around combining a career and motherhood under current circumstances?,” a quarter of all the women surveyed said they were “Frustrated—I want both but need a new arrangement at work to make that realistic.”
Read More
Last year saw a dramatic rise in the number of stay-at-home mothers in the United States. This phenomenon, which is largely related to the COVID-19 pandemic, has had a significant impact on American households.
The number of stay-at-home mothers in the US increased by nearly 14 percent in 2020. This figure is more than double the rise seen in previous years, due to an unprecedented level of uncertainty and difficult economic conditions in the wake of the pandemic. According to the US Census Bureau, the number of stay-at-home mothers rose from 4.6 million to 5.2 million during the course of 2020.
Stay-at-home mothers are often forced to take on a huge amount of responsibility within the household. They often have to juggle managing both working and home life, while also providing childcare and home schooling to their children. This is a significant strain on them both emotionally and physically.
The rise in stay-at-home mothers is likely to have a long-term impact on the US economy. With fewer mothers in paid employment, there is a risk of a decrease in economic productivity. This could have a significant effect on GDP, which could, in turn, impact job security and further weaken the economy.
There are also concerns about the mental and physical health of stay-at-home mothers. With many being forced to take on additional responsibilities within the household, they often lack the opportunity to take time away from their duties and can feel overwhelmed by their commitments. It is essential that these mothers are supported and given the opportunity to take time away from their responsibilities.
The rise in stay-at-home mothers is a sign of difficult times for many US households. The pandemic has had a significant impact on many families, forcing mothers to stay at home and take on additional responsibilities. It is essential that more help and support is provided to these mothers, both to ease the strain they may be feeling and to protect the economic productivity of the US.
