Mothers are back at work. Here’s why we shouldn’t be too quick to celebrate
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Mothers' return to the workforce is good news for the economy, but it doesn't protect their families from precarity. The article tells the story of a mother named Akari who returned to work after her fiancé died suddenly. She had to find a part-time job in retail that paid less than $10 an hour and added two more jobs to make ends meet. Despite working three jobs, she is worse off financially than when she was on welfare because she now makes just a bit too much to qualify for programs like food stamps and subsidized housing and childcare. The article argues that the lack of a sturdy social safety net forces women, especially mothers, into low-wage, no-benefit jobs. It calls for investing in a social safety net that offers universal paid family leave and sick leave, universal childcare and healthcare, decent welfare benefits without punitive work requirements, subsidies for families with dependents, and a robust minimum wage to support mothers in the workforce.

#Mothers #Workforce #Economy #Precarity #SocialSafetyNet #LowwageJobs

https://fortune.com/2024/06/21/mothers-back-work-celebrate-labor-jobs-women-economy/