Record high number of American moms with kids under 6 have jobs

A new report from the Wall Street Journal has revealed that mothers with children under the age of 6 are in the workforce in record numbers, with 68.9 percent of these women holding jobs. This is up from 66.4 percent in 2019.

The report noted that remote working has altered the "kids-versus-career math," with many mothers of young children before the rise of remote working staying home to take care of their children.



Overall, women of prime working age, between 25 and 54, now hold a record 79 million jobs, and 77.9 percent of these women are employed or seeking work, up from 75.8 percent five years ago. This group hit an all-time high in May of 78.1 percent before dropping slightly in June.

The report noted that the rise in women in the workforce is, to some degree, due to "necessity and not just opportunity," citing rising costs making it hard to live on one paycheck, and the raises and other benefits that come from an extended leave.

Also noted was the fact that the US has an aging population problem, with only 2.2 Americans in prime working years for every person 65 and older, down from 3.2 in 2010. 

"One way to counter the issue of the aging population is just to get more people who are prime age working," said University of Miami economist Stefania Albanesi. Increasing women’s participation "is an excellent way to do that," she added.

While work-from-home scenarios have allowed mothers to reenter the workforce, the report noted that many mothers were saying "they are effectively working two full-time jobs: managing their households and their careers." One mother told the outlet that she felt she isn’t living up to the expectations of being a mother and an employee, while another said, "I’m more mentally exhausted than I feel like I’ve been in quite awhile."