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Working Mom Exodus of 2025 | Part 5: The Motherhood Penalty 

The Motherhood Penalty persists. Mothers earn 15% less per child under 5. They’re 6x less likely to be recommended for hire than childless women. And 8.2x less likely to be promoted.

Read those numbers again.

This isn’t about your capability—it’s about the “maternal wall” bias that assumes you can’t possibly be both a good mother and a good employee.

Women caring for parents lose $300K in lifetime earnings. But even mothers focused on childcare? Hundreds of thousands in lost earnings when you add up reduced salaries, missed promotions, career breaks, and retirement impacts.

What if you could bypass this penalty entirely—keep your demanding career, stay on the promotion track, and still be present for your kids?

In Episode 56, you’ll DISCOVER:

• ✔️ What the motherhood penalty really is (and why it persists in 2025)
• ✔️ The real cost over a lifetime (it’s staggering)
• ✔️ Why the penalty hits hardest during crucial early career years
• ✔️ The “ideal worker” model that was never built for mothers
• ✔️ 3 strategic moves mothers can make to combat it
• ✔️ 5 specific ways job sharing bypasses the penalty
• ✔️ How I kept my 24/7 media job without downshifting
• ✔️ The promotion math that changes everything

How Job Sharing Changes the Motherhood Penalty

Job sharing enabled me to keep my demanding 24/7 media sales position without downshifting or dropping out. And it didn’t just keep me in the game—it ignited my career.

Yes, I initially exchanged a percentage of my income for four days off a week. But I never gave up career steam. My partner and I were a powerhouse team.

Here’s what most people don’t understand: Job sharing isn’t working part-time in a reduced role. It’s restructuring a full-time position to fit your life.

Over 70% of job share teams are promoted together—often faster than solo workers. When your job share gets a 20% raise, that 60% salary goes from $48,000 to $57,600. Another promotion? $69,120 for part-time work with full benefits and zero burnout.

You’re not downshifting—you’re strategically advancing.

The Data Update

When we started this series, BLS showed 212K women left ❌. October data: 450,000.   The motherhood penalty is a major driver of this exodus.

What Comes Next:

• Next Episode (Part 6): Inadequate support for eldercare—my deeply personal experience as a sandwich generation caregiver
• Full Series: Every other Tuesday through Dec 30
• ICYMI Parts 1-3: RTO Mandates, Tradwife Movement & Cultural Shifts, The Childcare Crisis, Mental Load & Burnout

Featured Research:

• TIME: “How to Address the Crisis for Working Moms”
• McKinsey Report: “Women in the Workplace“
• National Alliance for Caregiving

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Job Share Academy Waitlist
• Join Work Muse Facebook Community Facebook Community
• The Work Muse Guide to Job Sharing  ✅

More From Me:

• Facing the motherhood penalty? DM me on LinkedIn
• Follow Work Muse LinkedIn

Share This Episode!

Know someone navigating the motherhood penalty? Share this episode—show them there’s a path that doesn’t require choosing.

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️New episodes drop every other Tuesday through December 30! Thanks for tuning in to Jobshare Revolution podcast.

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