CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — Not all states are equal when it comes to opportunities for career moms. A recent study found the best and worst states for working mothers.
WalletHub’s study compared states across 17 key metrics in three categories, including child care, professional opportunities and work-life balance.
According to the main findings of the study, Massachusetts ranked No. 1 overall out of the 50 states and Washington D.C. The nation’s capital ranked No. 2. Rounding out the top five were Connecticut, Vermont and Minnesota, respectively.
Ranking worst at No. 51 was Louisiana. Alabama, Idaho, Mississippi and South Carolina comprised the bottom five states.
The study found that nearly 66% of mothers with children under the age of 18 are active in the workforce in 2020.
The best day-care systems were in New York, Washington, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas. The worst systems included Alabama, Louisiana, California, Nebraska and Idaho.
The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected the unemployment numbers of mothers when compared to their male counterparts, but they have rebounded at a faster rate, although not to pre-pandemic levels.
Even prior to the pandemic, the average working mom made just 85% of what men make, and they make up only 6% of CEOs at S&P 500 companies.
The study also showed that, based on the 2020 presidential election, red states scored slightly higher for friendliness to working moms than blue states.