Who opts out?
An interesting study will soon be published by the Census Bureau specifically assessing the demographics of women who opt out of their careers after having children. A preview of the findings, published in the Wall Street Journal, shows that most women return to work within a year of having a baby.
Not surprisingly, economic need drives the decision to return to work. Women whose annual incomes were greater than $200,000 and/or whose spouses incomes were high, were less likely to return to work and may “opt-out” and become stay-at-home moms. Those with the lowest incomes (less than $50,000 per year) were also likely to opt out as their incomes did not meet their child care expenses.
As co-founder of MyWorkButterfly.com, a soc network to help moms return to work, everyday we have moms coming into our community who no longer have the luxury to stay home. What’s happening in the economy has changed the course of our culture and create what I see as more of a movement of moms who must find a way to make it work, regardless of income. In fact, we launched a National Moms Survey, and while the average HHI was $200,000+, most moms needed to return to the workforce for financial stability. I hope these moms know that we have created a place for them to gain free resources and help them on their journey.