Worst States for Working Moms
Working moms make up a large sector of the workforce. As of 2022, almost half of the workforce in the United States was made up of women, 73% of whom had at least one child younger than 18 years old, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Being a working mom can be very challenging. As if having to balance all the life responsibilities with work responsibilities wasn’t challenging enough, working moms earn 82% of what their male counterparts earned in 2022, the Pew Research Center reports.
These challenges can be even more pronounced in certain states that are, generally, considered to be “unfriendly” to working moms. Below is a list of the “top” 10 worst states for working moms.
How the List Was Compiled
WalletHub conducted a recent study on the best and worst states in the U.S. for working moms. They broke down their analysis into three major areas — child care, professional opportunities and work-life balance. Each state was given a ranking based on these areas to give them a final score.
One of the experts who was cited in the report, David Rothwell from Oregon State University, said that whether a state was good or bad for working moms depends on its housing cost, policies regarding sick leave and paid family leave, and the cost of and access to daycare.
So, without further ado, here are the 10 worst states for working moms, according to the WalletHub study.
1. Louisiana
The Bayou State found itself at the bottom of the WalletHub list — or the top of our list — as the worst state in the country for working moms. It had an overall score of 29.14, which is significantly below Massachusetts, which ranked as the top state for working moms with a total score of 66.20.
Louisiana ranked dead last in the categories of child care and professional opportunities, and 38th for work-life balance.
2. South Carolina
Next up is the Palmetto State, with an overall score of 30.20. That score came from the fact that South Carolina ranked 48th for child care, and 45th for both professional opportunities and work-life balance.
3. Alabama
The Cotton State ranked as the third-worst state for working moms, according to the WalletHub study, with an overall score of 31.04. Alabama ranked 46th for child care, 47th for professional opportunities and 43rd for work-life balance.
4. Mississippi
The Magnolia State is the fourth-worst state for working moms, as it garnered an overall score of 32.17. That’s because Mississippi ranked 44th for child care and professional opportunities and 49th for work-life balance.
5. West Virginia
The Mountain State is up next, with an overall score of 32.31. West Virginia was ranked 47th for child care, 51st for professional opportunities and 32nd for work-life balance.
6. Idaho
The Gem State landed as the sixth-worst state for working moms, with an overall score of 35.07. Idaho ranked 51st for child care, 36th for professional opportunities and 17th for work-life balance.
7. New Mexico
The Land of Enchantment found itself seventh on this dubious list, with an overall score of 35.99. It ranked 42nd for child care, 48th for professional opportunities and 28th for work-life balance.
8. Oklahoma
The Sooner State ranks eighth on the list of the worst states for working moms, with an overall score of 36.31. Oklahoma ranked 32nd for child care, 49th for professional opportunities and 40th for work-life balance.
9. Nevada
The Silver State is ninth on the list, with an overall score of 36.89. Nevada ranks 45th for child care, 12 for professional opportunities and 46th for work-life balance.
10. Arizona
Rounding out the top 10 worst states for working moms is The Grand Canyon State, with an overall score of 38.07. Arizona ranked 43rd for child care, 33rd for professional opportunities and 34th for work-life balance.
Be Friendly for Working Moms with the Help of Beckham Insurance Group
No matter what state your company is based in, you can make sure you are friendly to working moms. One of the best ways to do this is to offer an employee benefits package that caters to moms at your office.
If you’re located in the coastal Southeast region, you should work with Beckham Insurance Group to make this happen. Our team of experienced professionals has years of experience helping companies just like yours create employee benefits packages that help to support working moms.
To find out more, contact us today.
