Washington, D.C. — An analysis released by the Center for American Progress shows that Arizona mothers are the primary or co-breadwinners in nearly 6 in 10—or 59.3 percent—of Arizona families. Moreover, more than 6 in 10 Arizona women are in the labor force.
However, despite the critical role Arizona women play in the economic security of their families and the state’s economy, many Arizona women face unique challenges at work and at home that can undermine their ability to thrive in the workforce and provide for their families.
In Arizona and across the United States, many workers lack access to common-sense work-family policies such as paid sick days and paid family and medical leave—putting a singular burden on women, who still bear the lion’s share of responsibility for unpaid work at home. Furthermore, despite their role as family breadwinners, Arizona women earn just 83.5 cents for every dollar that Arizona men earn. The wage gap is even larger for black women and Latinas in Arizona, who earn 67.1 cents and 54.2 cents for every dollar that white men earn, respectively.
Meanwhile, many Arizona families lack access to affordable high-quality child care options. Fifty-nine percent of Arizona children younger than age 6 have all available parents in the workforce, which makes access to affordable, high-quality child care a necessity. However, for an Arizona family with one infant and one 4-year-old, child care costs an average of $17,838 per year—nearly one-third of the median income for an Arizona family with children.
“Like many women throughout the United States, far too many Arizona women encounter obstacles that make it extremely difficult for them to thrive in the workplace while also caring for their families,” said Danielle Corley, Research Assistant for Women’s Economic Policy at the Center for American Progress. “Common-sense policies such as expanding affordable child care, providing paid family and medical leave, and ensuring workers the right to earn paid sick days would go a long way toward helping families balance the demands of work and family.”
As CAP’s analysis demonstrates, the right policies can go a long way toward helping all Arizona women gain economic security. In order to promote women’s economic security, policies should address the needs of working mothers and reflect the roles that women are playing to provide for their families.
Providing access to paid sick days; expanding paid family and medical leave; ensuring equal pay; expanding quality, affordable child care; increasing the minimum wage; guaranteeing access to quality health care; and promoting women’s political leadership are all areas in which policymakers and advocates can help women bolster their families’ economic security.
Read the fact sheet: Fast Facts: Economic Security for Arizona Families by Ryan Erickson and Danielle Corley
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, contact Chelsea Kiene at [email protected] or 202.478.5328.
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