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U.S. Mothers in the Workforce - 2/19/16

Some working mothers may feel a sense of guilt because they end up spending less time with their children than they would if they gave up their employment.  But from a financial perspective, that guilt appears to be unjustified.  According to new findings from a Harvard Business School study, daughters of working mothers grow up to be more successful in the workplace than their peers.  They earn more and are more likely to be bosses. 

Specifically, daughters of working mothers earn twenty three percent more than daughters of stay-at-home moms.  The study was based on an analysis of fifty thousand people from twenty four countries.  As reported by CNNMoney, the Harvard study comes at a time when American mothers have been dropping out of the workforce. 

The share of mothers who did not have a job in the U.S. expanded from twenty three percent in nineteen ninety nine to twenty nine percent in twenty twelve according to a Pew study.  While daughters of working moms experience the largest tangible financial gains, sons of working moms are also impacted.  Adult men who grew up with working months spend nearly eight hours more on childcare per week.  They also do more household chores and are more likely to have wives who are also employed.

Anirban Basu, Chariman Chief Executive Officer of Sage Policy Group (SPG), is one of the Mid-Atlantic region's leading economic consultants. Prior to founding SPG he was Chairman and CEO of Optimal Solutions Group, a company he co-founded and which continues to operate. Anirban has also served as Director of Applied Economics and Senior Economist for RESI, where he used his extensive knowledge of the Mid-Atlantic region to support numerous clients in their strategic decision-making processes. Clients have included the Maryland Department of Transportation, St. Paul Companies, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Players Committee and the Martin O'Malley mayoral campaign.