Money Wellness
A working mum participates in an online meeting while looking after two children
category iconcost of living
calendar icon06 Nov 2023

More than one in ten mums quit work due to lack of childcare support

Nearly 250,000 mums in the UK have left a job due to childcare pressures, according to a new report.

The research from Totaljobs and the Fawcett Society – a charity campaigning for gender equality – found 11% of working mums with kids aged four or under have left work because they couldn’t balance their job with looking after their child. This figure rises to 13% among single mothers.

Other findings

  • One in five (19%) working mums have considered leaving their job due to the challenges of trying to balance work with childcare.
  • Over two fifths (41%) of working mothers have turned down a promotion due to childcare pressures. This rises to 49% among single mothers.
  • Working mums are 1.4 times (35% vs 25%) more likely to feel the financial burden of childcare costs compared to working fathers
  • Less than a third (31%) of working mums have access to the flexible working arrangement they need. Women are less likely to have flexible working requests granted than men (39% vs 43%). 69% of women don’t have a flexible working arrangement during their transition back to work.
  • When looking for jobs, 85% of mothers struggle to find a job that accommodates their childcare needs.

Employers making incorrect assumptions

A third of employers wrongly assume that pregnant women and mothers are less interested in career progression. In reality, 76% of women say they are just as ambitious after having a child and 44% are more ambitious.

Outdated prejudices

Jemima Olchawski, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, said:

“Too often, outdated prejudices and assumptions mean that women face unnecessary and harmful attitudes that hold them back. This results in many women stuck in roles that are below their capabilities.”

She added:

“It isn’t good enough to have supportive policies on paper, businesses need to make those a reality in the workplace and create genuinely family-friendly cultures.”

Avatar of Rebecca Routledge

Rebecca Routledge

A qualified journalist for over 15 years with a background in financial services. Rebecca is Money Wellness’s consumer champion, helping you improve your financial wellbeing by providing information on everything from income maximisation to budgeting and saving tips.

Related posts

cost of living

07 Dec 2023

TV licence fee to rise next year

The TV licence will increase by £10.50 from next April. find out what it means for you

cost of living

05 Dec 2023

Help for families who can’t afford Christmas presents for the kids

Millions of households will struggle to afford Christmas presents this year. Here's a list of the charities and organisations who help make sure every child wakes up to a gift from Santa

cost of living

05 Dec 2023

Households buying less veg because of cost of living pressures

Low-income families can’t afford to buy fresh vegetables due to huge price increases. Find out how to get cheap or free fruit and veg

cost of living

05 Dec 2023

Inflation-linked TV licence fee increase could be blocked

£15 increase to the TV licence fee may be reduced due to cost-of-living squeeze

Average Customer Rating:
4.9/5
Independent Service Rating based on 4013 verified reviews. Read all reviews