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In 2005, 70.5 percent of women with children
under 18 years of age were in the labor force (employed
or looking for work). Of mothers with children younger than
6 years, 62.8 percent were in the labor force and 58.5 percent
were employed. Of women with children aged 6 to 17 years,
76.5 percent were in the labor force and over 73 percent
were employed.
Employed mothers with children aged 6
to 17 years were more likely than women with younger children
to be employed full-time (77.0 versus 70.9 percent). Married
mothers with a spouse present were less likely than never-married,
divorced, separated, and widowed women to be in the labor
force (68.2 versus 76.1 percent); however, married mothers
in the labor force were more likely to be employed than
women in other marital situations.The unemployment rate
among married mothers was only 3.6 percent, compared to
a rate of 9.2 percent among mothers in other marital situations.
In 2005, 40 percent of children under
6 years did not require nonparental child care, while 60
percent required at least one child care arrangement. Overall,
60 percent of children with at least one child care arrangement
received center-based care, 22 percent received care from
a nonrelative, and 35 percent received care from a relative
other than a parent. Nonparental child care was more common
among older than younger children. Among children who received
child care, older children were more likely than young children
to receive center-based care.
> Line
Chart: Mothers in the Work Force: 1975-2005
> Bar
Chart: Weekly Child Care Arrangements for Children
Aged 5 Years and Younger, by Age: 2005
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