The American workforce is a matriarchy

In an op-ed for Salon, Sara Estep argues that insufficient access to high-quality, affordable child care is the real career killer for American mothers.

Building an Economy for All, Child Care, Economic Justice, Women’s Economic Security +1 More

Media Contact

Christian Unkenholz

Senior Director, Political and Broadcast Media

[email protected]

Government Affairs

Madeline Shepherd

Managing Director, Government Affairs

[email protected]

Women with young kids are more likely to be in the workforce than ever before, a shift due in part to the country’s cost-of-living crisis. This phenomenon of having more employed women than men also reflects a gradual shift in the labor market: The industry composition is moving away from traditionally male-dominated blue-collar occupations and more toward healthcare work. Many experts are also pointing to childcare access and telework options as important factors for women’s labor force participation.

But despite what some may suggest, I don’t think telework plays a significant factor in the current labor market story. As a labor economist who spends most of my time crunching numbers about how gender interacts with the labor market, I think the data suggests that women are charging ahead in part thanks to childcare support that became more readily available during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The above excerpt was originally published in Salon. Click here to read the full article.

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.

AUTHOR

Sara Estep

Economist

Team

A subway train pulls into the Flushing Avenue station in Brooklyn.

Economic Policy

We are focused on building an inclusive economy by expanding worker power, investing in families, and advancing a social compact that encourages sustainable and equitable growth.