Half of working moms believe doing so has held them back professionally

More than half of working mothers, regardless of income, believe that being a working mom has held them back in their careers, a new study from the University of Phoenix Career Institute and Motherly found.

”Motherhood presents unique, significant challenges to the career journey,” said Ruth Veloria, chief strategy and customer officer for the university. “The moment a mother leaves the workplace, her ‘second shift’ begins — a shift whose pandemic-fueled overlap with the professional workday remains, for many, still a fresh trauma. Economic barriers compound such challenges by adding external pressures, like finances and child care costs.”

Although lower-income mothers exhibit the same desire for career growth as middle- and higher-income tiers, they often face significant hurdles that stymie career progression. Those hurdles include multiple external pressures, such as daily financial burdens, that middle- and higher-income tiers don’t experience as acutely.

At the same time, the study reveals that lower-income moms lack important supports, such as role models to emulate or seek out for mentoring. They also lack relative job stability, and they work in professions less likely to form a career or vocational calling. These barriers combine to leave many low-income mothers with a sense of disenchantment around their career paths. Bearing their collective burdens with too little professional or personal support, they see work simply as a job. By contrast, middle- and higher-income mothers report burnout and overwork from their roles, factors that are a luxury for their lower-income peers.

Among other key findings:

• Two-thirds of low-income moms say they aren’t earning enough to meet their financial needs, compared to 43% of middle- and higher-income moms.
• Working moms cite family or caregiving responsibilities as the top reason they have missed out on potential employment opportunities (43% lower-income vs. 35% mid-high income).
• More than half of lower-income moms believe further education and professional development would enhance career prospects.
• Fifty-three percent of lower-income mothers say they don’t have a lot of role models with careers, compared to 38% of middle- and higher-income mothers.
• More mid- and high-income moms report being burned out at work (49%) vs. low-income moms (32%).
• Mid- and high-income moms also were more likely to say they work too much, affecting the time they can spend with their family (49% vs. 32% of low-income earners).

“For the lower-income mom, holistic wraparound services are necessary to ensure a path through the entire career journey toward self-sufficiency,” researchers said, suggesting that employers recognize the skills these women bring to the workplace and connect them with mentors, role models and continuing education opportunities.

Read more: Flexible childcare benefits offer a critical competitive advantage

“I’d argue that lower-income mothers have some of the strongest tenacity among any employees,” Veloria said. “If we can address their disproportionate barriers with innovative new solutions, partnerships and support, that tenacity can form a hard-won asset for lasting career growth.”