Why Many American Working Moms Have Lost Interest in Their Jobs

Inside: Wondering the top reasons why employees leave their jobs in 2020, 2021, and currently? This post will tell you what happens when good employees stop caring about their job and what causes employee turnover.

The expansive effect of the gender gap was a constant situation during the “Great Resignation.” According to The Guardian, during the pandemic, the level of labor participation in black men was 63.6 percent, while in black women, it was 58.4 percent. In white men, the employment rate rises to 68.1 percent, and in white women, it is 55.4 percent. These are some interesting statistics to consider. 

Changes in the economy and society have significantly altered the work culture in the United States. Today, Americans don’t view their jobs the same way they did five years ago. Instead, the preferences, methods, and conditions are entirely different. Read this article to understand why this dynamic arose and how to adapt to your current work status.

Powerful Reasons That Force Workers to Quit

According to experts, the factors below are why many Americans are leaving their jobs. In addition to economic factors, there are family, personal, and social reasons. These explain the top reasons for employee turnover, especially in moms.

Lack of Adequate Childcare

Families, especially working women, are looking for efficient child care services for their children. However, high prices and a lack of qualified personnel drive parents to leave their jobs to care for their little ones themselves. As a result, many have decided to start working as freelancers doing jobs like software development, so they can still earn an income while being home with their children.

In many cases, moms choose to leave their careers behind and pick up the slack in childcare. Between daycares closing down and schools going remote, moms found themselves performing the double shift of mother and caregiver and distance learning teacher while also attempting to continue working from home and meeting project deadlines. We all felt this time was challenging. However, many found this infinitely impossible and chose to leave their jobs to care for children at home. 

Concerns About COVID-19

The collective fear of the coronavirus is a social issue that continues to affect the job market in the United States. In jobs with a lot of contact between people in enclosed spaces, the risk of contracting the virus is greater. This situation motivates many people to seek remote work or migrate to jobs with little or no group activity.

Many working moms are also leaving their jobs now as companies require employees to return to the office entirely in person. These women have succeeded at keeping projects moving and clients happy over the past two years from home and prefer to continue working remotely both for health and safety and to have more time for responsibilities at home. 

Some Sympathy With a Growing Anti-Work Movement

Media such as The Guardian suggest the growth of an anti-work movement in the United States. The feeling of socioeconomic comfort generated in the population by the federal government’s subsidy policy is part of the strength of this tenure. Millions of Americans began to exist and cover their expenses with public checks. 

Thus, the massive trend of being financially supported living with federal aid rather than earned income is now a new norm for many people. The anti-work movement also caused another phenomenon. Many Americans left their public and private sector jobs to start their entrepreneurial projects or businesses.

Self-Employment

According to The Wall Street Journal surveys, Americans are now seeking more job flexibility and want to “escape the corporate bureaucracy.” For that reason, employees discovered their inner entrepreneurs and their drive to become self-employed. In other words, more than 100,000 people in the country left their traditional jobs to work on their own as consultants, retailers, and freelancers with gigs in the computer science field.

Higher Pay

According to the US Department of Labor, wages increased 1.5 percent in the third quarter of 2021, representing a strong increase of 0.9 percent compared to the second quarter of last year. In addition, American workers’ earnings rose 0.9 percent in the July-September quarter, more than double from the previous three months. This economic advantage motivated many people to look for higher-paying jobs.

 

Should You Quit Your Job? Reflect on These Three Factors Before Making a Decision

Understand the Reasons You’re Unhappy: Identify the problems, uncomfortable situations, or poor conditions that make you feel unsatisfied with your job. Then, evaluate better changes for your long-term well-being.

Write Down the Pros and Cons of Staying in Your Job: Make a list of the advantages, disadvantages, and what would affect you if you decide to keep your job.

Be Aware That There Are No Guarantees in Life: If you decide to accept a new job offer or change your career path, you must be realistic in any scenario. Remember that no car is a guarantee of success or long-term stability. Those factors will depend on your effort and ability to perform your duties effectively.

Conclusion

The decision to leave a job or replace it with a better one involves many factors. Therefore, it is best to try to find a balance between several things: your knowledge, finances, family, time, and career goals. Analyzing all of these will be an appropriate strategy to ensure your stability.