Summary
CIBC Economics studies issues that affect Canada's economy and workforce. This brief Report looks at the "motherhood penalty" and provides recent data on women with children in the workforce, their income, and their unpaid care work compared to men and women without children. The data shows that while more affordable child care has helped improve employment opportunities for mothers, many still face barriers related to caregiving responsibilities and lower earnings.
Policy & Practice Implications
- Non-profit sector leaders can use these findings to advocate for strong child care and parental leave policies, family-friendly workplaces, and supports that improve women's economic participation.
- Non-profit community organizations can use the Report’s findings on ongoing barriers to design programs that support mothers’ workforce participation.
- Employers can use this research to improve flexible work options, parental leave policies, and supports for employees with caregiving responsibilities.
- Policymakers can use the data to guide decisions about child care, family supports, and workforce policies that help reduce income and employment gaps for mothers.
Image source: https://thoughtleadership.cibc.com/article/reducing-the-motherhood-penalty-some-progress-but-room-to-do-more/
