During the pandemic, all of us became working moms (many with two, three or more jobs when you count homeschooling kids!). According to a new study by WalletHub, NJ ranked number 8 in the nation when it comes to the best states for working moms.
“Women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, and nearly 66% of moms with children under age 18 were working in 2020,” said the study authors. “That’s naturally been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, though. Mothers were initially disproportionately impacted by job losses compared to fathers, and while they have also regained jobs at faster rates, unemployment has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.”
Of course women still face an uphill battle in the workplace. To find out where women are doing the best, WalletHub compared the attractiveness of each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia to see how well working moms faired based on 17 key metrics. The data looked at the median women’s salary to the female unemployment rate in each state to the quality of day care available.
Here are the top 10 states in the US for working moms:
- Massachusetts
- District of Columbia
- Connecticut
- Vermont
- Minnesota
- Rhode Island
- Wisconsin
- New Jersey
- New York
- Washington
Here’s a look at life as a working mom in the Garden State (with 1 = Best; 25= Average). NJ is:
- 16th in day care quality
- 26th in child-care costs
- 14th for pediatrician per capita
- 24th for median women’s salary
- 5th for parental leave policies
- 21st for average length of women’s work week in hours
- 8th in percent of single mom families in poverty
According to the study, red states came out as friendly to working moms than blue states. But in the end, having a supportive work environment and a supportive family (plus many behind-the-scenes helpers including grandparents and babysitters) can really make or break a workday for a busy mom. With lower child care costs and smaller pay gaps, working moms can and will succeed at home and in the workplace.
