Press Release Labor Labor Unions Women

Unpredictable Schedules Mean Lower Income for Mothers in the Workforce


May 07, 2024

Contact: Eleonora Piergallini, Mail_Outline

Washington, DC — Low-wage jobs often come with unpredictable schedules. Working mothers earn the lowest income when facing greater unpredictability in their schedules. That outcome is the same for women after we account for the state, industry, or job with similar socio-economic backgrounds, finds CEPR economist Julie Cai in a new analysis released today.

“In general, regardless of the intensity of frequent schedule instability, women raising children consistently make the least money, even after we account for other potential factors we know about their job and the family,” said Cai.

A monthly child allowance is one of the policies that could protect working parents in low-wage jobs with frequently unpredictable scheduling.

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