Infographic Sheds Light on Breadwinning Moms

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Breadwinning-Moms infographic section Mothers wear a lot of hats. They can be mothers, obviously, sisters, friends, aunts, etc. And more and more, today’s business world is seeing mothers pick up yet another hat—breadwinner.

According to the infographic “Breadwinning Moms: The Rise of the Woman as the Head of Household” by citytowninfo.com, in 2010, 71 percent of working mothers in the labor force had children ages 18 and younger. That’s a 24 percent increase since 1975.

The infographic offers a ton of data on working mothers when it comes to background, wage gaps and even what the public thinks about these types of women.

Key points include:

  • More single mothers are in the labor force. While 37 percent of working mothers are married, a whopping 63 percent are single.
  • More work doesn’t equal more pay. Although women have narrowed the labor gap—in 2010, women made up 47 percent of the labor force while men made up 53 percent—they still don’t make as much money as men. In 2010, women earned $155 less weekly than men.
  • Moms want more education. Forty-four percent of mothers are enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs compared to 38 percent of fathers. In 2011, 61 percent of working mothers had a bachelor’s degree or higher and 29 percent had at least some postsecondary degree.
  • Although women want careers, parenthood still matters. When it comes to what is very important or one of the most important things in life, in 2011, 66 percent of women said a “very successful, high-paying career” while 94 percent said “being a good parent.”
  • Public opinion on breadwinner moms is mixed. Sixty-seven percent say working mothers enable families to live comfortably, yet 50 percent say working mothers make it harder to have successful marriages and 74 percent believe working mothers make it harder for parents to raise children.

Breadwinning-Moms infographic 

By Shala Marks