Maternal work and children’s development: A review

With the exception of the biological demands of pregnancy and breastfeeding, participation by mothers in the labor market is not physically restricted if childcare is available. Misallocation of women’s talent from market to home may impose substantial losses on economies. Yet there is also a belief that mothers working for pay may undermine the quality of care their children receive. With theoretical pathways working in both directions, it is important to examine rigorous empirical evidence on the overall effect of maternal work on child development. We summarized evidence from 61 studies that used statistical methods to explore causal relationships between maternal work and child development outcomes. Although overall effects are minimal and not statistically significant, children from poorer families appear to mostly benefit from maternal work. These results, along with income benefits of maternal work for households and economies, suggest that the net societal impact of maternal work is positive.