A press release this morning reports on new research published in the June issue of the American Sociological Review, which conclude that steep employment gains for women disprove the idea that more women are ‘opting out’ of full-time employment in favor of staying home.
Sociologist Christine Percheski studied employment trends among college-educated women, born between 1906 and 1975. She found that women’s employment levels had sharply increased and has especially changed for mothers with young children and women employed in traditionally male fields. She also concludes that the gap between childless women and mothers has diminished over time.
And debunking the ‘opting out’ myth…
“Despite anecdotal reports of successful working women returning to the home to assume child care responsibilities, less than 8 percent of professional women born since 1956 leave the workforce for a year or more during their prime childbearing years, according to the study.”
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As I write in my “Opting Out - Opting In” blog on the Hybrid Mom site, I know so many moms like me (late 30’s / early 40’s) who are neither opting out OR in. They are choosing to work part time and be with their kids part time. Some started their own businesses; some do job shares; some are freelancers or independent contractors. I think women and employers need to be much more aware these in-between options are out there - that a mom doesn’t have to define herself as simply “in” or “out” - and miss out on the other side of the equation.
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