Anne Roberts Brody

The United States Department of Labor estimates that women comprise nearly half of the nation’s workforce and that women with children participate at a higher rate than women without children.^* Meanwhile, women are compensated 21 percent less than their male counterparts.

To promote workplace gender parity and encourage greater workforce participation for this key demographic, several ingredients are necessary. States that excel in creating environments inclusive of working mothers feature ample daycare systems, low childcare costs, opportunities for professional advancement and a low gender wage gap.

WalletHub, a personal finance website, recently compared state dynamics across 13 key metrics to understand how working mothers fare in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. According to their findings, Tennessee is the best SLC member state for working mothers, ranking 13th overall. Key factors in Tennessee’s high ranking include low childcare costs and low gender pay gaps.

Ranking of SLC Member States for Working Mothers

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	‘Child Care’ Rank	‘Professional Opportunities’ Rank	‘Work-Life Balance’ Rank
13	Tennessee	52.48	11	9	36
14	Virginia	52.06	6	7	48
16	Kentucky	51.09	4	45	32
30	North Carolina	47.64	21	25	35
31	Arkansas	47.02	26	20	31
33	Texas	45.7	17	38	42
34	Missouri	44.87	27	29	38
36	Oklahoma	44.68	25	39	37
40	Florida	41.41	37	24	44
41	West Virginia	40.84	42	42	28
43	Georgia	40.43	31	32	49
45	Mississippi	39.59	38	44	41
48	Louisiana	36.97	48	47	24
49	South Carolina	36.88	43	48	39
50	Alabama	35.94	39	51	40