Best, worst states for working mothers
A new WalletHub study shows that Vermont is the best state for employed moms this year. This state also claimed first place in the same study last year.
WalletHub evaluated each state and the District of Columbia to get the total scores and rankings — the company looked at each in terms of “Professional Opportunities,” “Child Care” and “Work-Life Balance,” along with 15 other factors.
The top states for working mothers
- 1. Vermont: 64.79
- 2. Minnesota: 61.93
- 3. Massachusetts: 58.29
- 4. District of Columbia: 57.80
- 5. Connecticut: 57.56
The worst states for working mothers
- 47. South Carolina: 34.71
- 48. Nevada: 33.94
- 49. Alabama: 32.12
- 50. Lousiana: 31.74
- 51. Idaho: 31.04
Experts weigh in: Parents at work
Potential solutions could make things easier for working parents.
Roya Ayman, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Industrial and Organizational Psychology Program at Illinois Institute of Technology, told WalletHub how employers can help employed parents with work-life balance.
“They can provide cafeteria-style benefits so employees can choose those that best fit them, and ensure that the benefits are fair. Also, allow for individual employees to have flexibility within reason to choose the time for their work. It can be flextime, short week-longer days — all these alternative work arrangements are available to HR of companies,” she told the site.
But certain jobs may not actually be as they seem.
Sarah Damaske, Associate Professor of Labor & Employment Relations, Sociology, and Women’s Studies in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at Pennsylvania State University, told WalletHub about careers as they relate to managing both employment and family.
“Surprisingly, female-dominated jobs are often the least flexible. Jobs with greater flexibility are often those dominated by men — partly because men are more likely to be found at the top of the employment ladder, where they have more of an ability to control their own schedules,” she told the site.
Click here to find a list of states ranked according to how friendly they are for working mothers.
This article originally appeared on Ladders, a publication dedicated to breaking news, opinion, analysis and advice at the cutting edge of our changing workplace. For more, sign up for Ladders' newsletter here.