What % of full-time working women would desire to leave the workforce if they new it

[Tabrett]

Just curious?

 

edited to say

 

.....would not cause financial hardship?

 

Sorry about that. It didn't post the entire question.

Edited October 26, 2010 by Tabrett

[Renee in NC]

What do you mean?

[Tabrett]

What do you mean?

 

Just fixed the question. Sorry about that. It didn't post the entire question. :blushing:

[Wheres Toto]

Hard to say. I worked full time for 20 years. I would have switched to part time work (working while my dd was in school) but not quit completely. From conversations I've had over the years I think the majority of women with babies and very young children would probably like to be home but many women do not want to be full time housewives while their kids are in school all day. I saw many women who were eager to go to work once their kids were in school.

 

I would think homeschoolers would be much more inclined to say that most women would want to stay home because that is how they feel about it. But, the majority of people don't homeschool or have any desire to.

[Julie in Austin]

There's data on this:

 

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1360/working-women-conflicted-but-few-favor-return-to-traditional-roles

[LibraryLover]

Are you no longer asking about 'working extras' as you did towards the end of the other thread? Vacations, eating in restuarants etc? The needs but not the wants? What is the criteria for 'financial hardship'? Would a Y membership or music lesson need to be dropped? Here, I found the original question:

 

New question? What % of full-time working women would desire to leave the workforce if they new it would not cause financial hardship to their family?

By hardship I meant, needs would be taken care of but not all wants.

Wants being expensive clothes, expensive cars, pedicures, eating out regularly, ect...

Edited October 26, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Wheres Toto]

There's data on this:

 

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1360/working-women-conflicted-but-few-favor-return-to-traditional-roles

 

Interesting and leads me to another question. What percentage of women would want to continue working full time if the housework was taken care of? No need to come home and put in another 3 hours cooking dinner, grocery shopping, cleaning, doing laundry, etc. That was the biggest complaint I saw with women I worked with. Not the working itself, the need to get all the other crap done AFTER working all day. Those with husbands who really helped out with housework were much happier with their situation.

 

The other hard part being what to do when the kids are sick. Those with back-up care and/or a nanny found it much more enjoyable to work.

Edited October 26, 2010 by dottieanna29

[freethinkermama]

Hard to say, but I can surely tell you my situation.

 

I'm going to have to go back to work so that I can make sure we have enough money for retirement. Believe you me, we'll still be living Very Modestly (right now we're on food stamps, so I hope not THAT modestly). But considering the years we spent in religious work for a pittance, now we're so behind on saving for retirement that I have no choice.

 

No, I won't be buying expensive cars or expensive clothes, because all the money that would go to frivolities will go into tiding us over in our later years. I wonder how many women working full time will be doing so with that consideration.

[Rivka]

There's data on this:

 

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1360/working-women-conflicted-but-few-favor-return-to-traditional-roles

 

Thanks for the link.

 

I think it's kind of strange that they start out talking about women, but then most of the data is about mothers. Women without kids (and women with grown kids) work too, and presumably they were included in the original "what if" thread, given that it didn't specify "mothers."

 

Also: it makes me completely furious that they're using the phrase "children raised in daycare centers." Last I checked, unless we're talking about orphanages, children are raised in families who use daycare centers for childcare.

[Mejane]

I know a lot of "working women" who would love to stay home if they could. I also know women who wouldn't stay home on a bet. I don't know about percentages, but in my circle more would stay at home than work.

[elegantlion]

I don't know. many of the women I know work by choice. If I wasn't homeschooling I'd probably be working full time. With one child who just turned 13, I'm kind of passed (past?) the age of wanting to hang out at the playground with parents of toddlers. It was great when ds was that age, but it's was a season of my life. I'm not a go have lunch with the girls and chat type of person either.

[mcconnellboys]

I'm not sure. I wonder what percentage of men would like to leave the workforce under the same conditions? (I know my husband would....)

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

I don't know. many of the women I know work by choice. If I wasn't homeschooling I'd probably be working full time. With one child who just turned 13, I'm kind of passed (past?) the age of wanting to hang out at the playground with parents of toddlers. It was great when ds was that age, but it's was a season of my life. I'm not a go have lunch with the girls and chat type of person either.

 

I'm right where you are and keep trying to make time to update my resume and looking forward to joining the workforce. I've want to make some extra money to help these boys get through college (just help them; not pay for all of it).

 

However, my hubby would rather I stay home, so he won't have to take up more housework.:glare: I've got to work on that....

 

K

[Dmmetler]

Well, I'd planned to stay home, and ended up going back to work part time when my DD was 8 months old. Not because we needed the money (there's a reason why "poorly paid" and "adjunct professor" usually go together in a sentence), but because I needed that outlet. I teach two classes at the local college a week, during times DH is home. It makes a MAJOR difference in how I feel.

[justamouse]

Well, many of the women I know work outside the home and love it--they would just like to work less. Say 35-40 hours instead of 50-60 (though they hate the home /work taking care of the home conflict). And, though I look like a SAHM, I work at home and wouldn't give that up for the world. I love it.

[Danestress]

If they knew it would cause no financial hardship, I wonder how many fathers would like to be spending their days differently?

[Tabrett]

There's data on this:

 

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1360/working-women-conflicted-but-few-favor-return-to-traditional-roles

 

Thanks!

[hsbaby]

My husband would definitely stay home if he could! With my friends it's 50/50. I know several that would live the opportunity to stay home and others that work even though it isn't financially necessary. I worked for a while after my second was born (necessity). I would have done anything to stay home. Well, honestly, I did. We moved out of CA to a state we could afford so I could stay home!

[elegantlion]

If they knew it would cause no financial hardship, I wonder how many fathers would like to be spending their days differently?

 

My dh would love to stay and pursue some of the things he'd like to do as hobby income. He loves woodworking and has the talent to do some magnificent things, he just doesn't have the time and money at the same time.

[kalanamak]

This is such an individual question. I have been working full time or in school full time (and when I was in school, I was studying or working every break) for 36 years. Most of these was over 40 hours a week. I would retire tomorrow without a blink of regret, either over working or over retiring.

 

My back aches today. If my back weren't aching, I might well say I wouldn't retire. :)

[Mrs Mungo]

Among married women who are not in the "working poor" category, those who REALLY want to stay home already do.

[HRAAB]

When I worked (insurance company - underwriting and claims/legal, college educated) most of the women I knew were always complaining that if they could afford it, they would quit. When I quit, I can't thing of any woman who didn't say they were jealous of me. Now, maybe they were just saying that for my benefit. Maybe, they constantly complained about wanting to be home because the grass is always greener. I don't know. That is my personal experience. Personally, I would choose what I'm doing now any day over what I did before, and that is in spite of the fact that I enjoyed my work, it was mentally challenging, I enjoyed the adult conversation, having knowledge that I was contributing financially to our family. Our income dropped by more than 50% when I quit. I've never regretted it.

[regentrude]

I would not. I love my job. I was a SAHM for several years when the kids were little and I ended up severely depressed. i can not imagine not working outside the house (even though we could live on DH's salary).

Working part time, I have the best of both worlds and even get to homeschool my children.

None of my female friends would want to give up their profession - most of them are in academia and passionate about their work. None of them do it for the money. IN fact, my older colleague must be at least 72 or so and could have retired very comfortably years ago - but she loves her work.