Working Moms Have It Hardest In These 7 States, New Study Finds

ulza / AdobeStock

Mom working at home

ulza / AdobeStock

Fairygodboss
Fairygodboss
Women make up nearly half of today’s U.S. workforce, and more than 70 percent of them are mothers with children under the age of 18. But with America’s lack of mandated paid maternity leave, exorbitant childcare costs, and the generally higher value placed on men’s work, we still have a long way to go until our country’s working mothers are truly enfranchised.
That’s what analysts at WalletHub confirmed in their new study, “2017’s Best and Worst States for Working Moms,” published on Monday. Comparing data across all 50 states and the District of Columbia using 13 key metrics — like childcare costs, gender pay gap rates, and the number of women in executive positions — they determined which states actually prioritize the rights of working moms, and which ones definitely don’t. 
Check out their findings below: 

Source: WalletHub
Overall, the seven BEST states for working moms, according to WalletHub’s findings, are:
  1. Vermont
  2. Minnesota
  3. New Jersey
  4. Delaware
  5. Connecticut
  6. Massachusetts
  7. Maine
The seven WORST states for working moms are:
  1.  Alabama
  2. Louisiana
  3. Nevada
  4.  Arizona
  5.  Alaska
  6. Mississippi
  7. Idaho
WalletHub also ranked states according to the individual metrics used in the study. Looking at child care, for instance, the states with the best day-care systems are: New York, Washington, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas; the states with the poorest quality day care, on the other hand, are: Idaho, Nebraska, California, Louisiana, and Alabama. However, the most affordable childcare can be found Mississippi, while the priciest is in New York (go figure).
Also interesting is their breakdown of the state-by-state gender pay gap. Hawaii ranked as having the smallest pay gap, while Alaska was found to have the largest.
You can check out the study’s full findings here and join the conversation about your state’s treatment of working moms on our discussion board here.

 

Fairygodboss

Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.
Share us with women you respect!