Listen to Your Mothers

Drawing on the insights of working mothers, we collaborate with business leaders to shift culture and implement practices that retain and grow talent.

Learn More

The state of working mothers in the U.S.

24 Million mothers with children under 18 participate in the workforce; yet, their ability to continue participating is at risk.

1 in 4

mothers report changing their jobs to achieve a better balance between work and caregiving

Working Mothers Speak 2023 Report

57%

of mothers report feeling unsupported by their employers

Working Mothers Speak 2023 Report

nearly 50%

increase in mothers reporting leaving the workforce to stay at home with their children full time in the last year

2023 State of Motherhood Report

Implications for Employers

Losing mothers in the workforce comes at a significant cost to employers.

Labor Shortages

Only 71 workers for every 100 open jobs exist in the U.S., leaving huge labor shortages in key industries.

US Chamber of Commerce

Turnover Costs

Employers spend 50-200% of an employee's salary to replace them when they leave

Forbes

Impacted Results

The most gender-diverse companies are 48% more likely to have positive financial outcomes than the least gender-diverse companies

2023 Women in the Workplace Report

What Mothers are Saying

The quotes below are from our Working Mothers Speak 2023 Report.

"I have changed my profession twice to be the parent I wanted to be...I had to turn down opportunities that wouldn't allow for flexibility. My male partner has had the same job for 23 years - our child is 17."

On changing careers

"I lost much of my milk supply when i went back because i couldn't fit my pumping breaks in... I couldn't fit in mental healthcare and ended up in crisis a year later, which negatively impacted my career trajectory."

On pumping

"I have shifted positions to allow myself more time with my child. I used my sick leave and personal days for everything... I chose to work less hours for less pay in order to be available"

On making sacrifices for flexibility

"There are a lot of working moms on my immediate team... as you move higher up in the company, though, it feels less accessible to maintain the balance needed to be a working mom."

On representation and leadership positions

"I spent a lot of time figuring out all the nuances of leave...Many peers ...didn’t know [or] have the time to figure out what time they could actually take...and so lost time with their newborn they could have had."

On navigating parental leave

"It wasn't until I had enough business to form my own firm, to work for myself, that I was able to fully inhabit the role of working mom, without feeling like I was losing anything."

On opting for self employment

"When I first became a working mother, my salary barely covered the cost of childcare. I left that job to go back to school...and was able to double my salary"

On affording childcare

"I currently have enough experience, credibility and flexibility that this is not much of an issue but it has prevented me from seriously pursuing new career opportunities because I am so scared of starting over."

On career impact

Check Out the Full Report