Women make up nearly half of the U.S. labor force. And many of those are working moms. In fact, nearly 68% of moms with children under age 18 were working in 2021. But working mom’s can face an uphill battle in the workplace. It’s well documented and talked about that their average hourly wage is only 84% of what men make. On top of that only, 6.2% of S&P 500 companies’ chief executives are women. Many women also feel that society makes them choose between career and family. Things that can impact whether or not a woman makes that choice include parental leave, availability of affordable childcare, and other indicators. WalletHub compared state dynamics across 17 key metrics to identify the Best & Worst States for women. And North Carolina ranked in the bottom half of states for working moms.
Below are the states ranked best to worst. Read on to find out where North Carolina ranks for working moms, our overall score, and our rankings for child care, professional opportunities, and work-life balance.
1. Massachusetts
Total Score: 62.99
Child Care: 4
Professional Opportunities: 22
Work-Life Balance: 1
2. Connecticut
Total Score: 62.95
Child Care: 5
Professional Opportunities: 1
Work-Life Balance: 5
3. Rhode Island
Total Score: 61.99
Child Care: 7
Professional Opportunities: 9
Work-Life Balance: 2
4. Minnesota
Total Score: 59.79
Child Care: 1
Professional Opportunities: 3
Work-Life Balance: 15
5. Wisconsin
Total Score: 57.57
Child Care: 6
Professional Opportunities: 5
Work-Life Balance: 10
10. New Hampshire
Total Score: 52.19
Child Care: 34
Professional Opportunities: 20
Work-Life Balance: 3
15. Oregon
Total Score: 48.89
Child Care: 39
Professional Opportunities: 18
Work-Life Balance: 4
20. Virginia
Total Score: 47.11
Child Care: 12
Professional Opportunities: 12
Work-Life Balance: 44
25. Montana
Total Score: 45.32
Child Care: 30
Professional Opportunities: 37
Work-Life Balance: 11
30. Ohio
Total Score: 42.82
Child Care: 38
Professional Opportunities: 14
Work-Life Balance: 22
35. Colorado
Total Score: 40.89
Child Care: 35
Professional Opportunities: 25
Work-Life Balance: 30
40. Alaska
Total Score: 38.62
Child Care: 41
Professional Opportunities: 34
Work-Life Balance:23
45. West Virginia
Total Score: 35.33
Child Care: 46
Professional Opportunities: 40
Work-Life Balance: 32
