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There is a widespread belief that women will likely leave the “career track” for the “mommy track” during their childbearing years. This belief has been blamed for, among other things, women not being chosen for management/leadership positions and not being paid as much as men.
But is it true? It was not clear until just recently. An American Sociological Review study now tells us the percentage of professional women born since 1956 that have left the workforce for a year or more during their prime childbearing years. But what would you guess?
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8%
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18%
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28%
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38%
Remember, this percentage is for leaving anytime during their entire childbearing years. What’s your final answer? It’s not 38%. That’s the percentage of mothers (born from 1966 to 1975) with young children working full time. Contrast that with only 6% for the generation of women born from 1926 to 1935. Many more mothers are working full time now.
The real percent of professional women born since 1956 that have left the workforce for a year or more during their prime childbearing years is 8%. Not enough to warrant the disparate treatment seen in some organizations.
Posted on: July 16, 2008 10:25 PM |
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