Over 90% of stay-at-home moms face obstacles re-entering workforce, survey says
Indeed economists calculated that 854,000 moms were unemployed in 2022
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A majority of stay-at-home moms are facing challenges when trying to re-enter the workforce, according to recent data. It comes at a time when financial pressures are mounting.
According to the data from Indeed, 93% of stay-at-home moms have experienced or are anticipating challenges when trying to re-enter the workforce. The data also showed that more than 50% of stay-at-home moms hope to re-enter the workforce within the next 12 months, with the biggest driver being macroeconomic uncertainties.
About 73% have already faced bias while undergoing the hiring process because they are a stay-at-home mom, according to the survey. In fact, nearly 60% of those surveyed said one of the biggest challenges to re-enter the workforce is that their current role as a stay-at-home mom is seen as a resume or employment gap by an employer.
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As many as 53% said they also feel undervalued in experience. However, Indeed's survey showed how stay-at-home moms acquire skills that are highly transferable and valued in the workplace. For instance, a majority of stay-at-home moms said they have mastered multitasking and managing their household budgets, according to the results.
A woman uses her laptop and reviews paperwork while working from home. (iStock / iStock)
Kristen Shah, Indeed's career trend expert, told FOX Business that "stay-at-home moms are a massively underutilized part of the labor force, with extremely desirable skills."
This comes at a time when employers are struggling to navigate the tight labor market, according to Shah.
"This is worrisome because as employers are struggling to fill jobs, moms are struggling to find interviews and employers who are receptive to them," Shah added. "There needs to be harmony between both players."
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Given the flexible work policies, there's even a better opportunity for moms to "position their skills in a way that will resonate with employers and help fill those hiring gaps," Shah added.
Employers 253,000 jobs in April, the Labor Department said in its monthly payroll report. That easily beat the 180,000 jobs forecast by Refinitiv economists. The unemployment rate ticked lower to 3.4%, a historically low level, as more workers left the labor force.
A woman working from a home office. (iStock / iStock)
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"Despite all these positive indicators, the economy is not working for moms," she said.
Shah pointed to the fact that there is still a significant number of unemployed moms in the U.S. Using data from the Labor Department, Indeed economists calculated that 854,000 moms were unemployed in 2022.
Shah is encouraging businesses to rethink their approach.
"Are you rejecting skilled candidates simply because of a resume gap? Resume gaps are not skills gaps, and mom skills are work skills," she added.
FOX Business' Megan Henney and the Associated Press contributed to this report.