Combined, this all has a notable effect on the choices women can make for their own employment. “It’s a broader issue for the entire economy and for economic growth and our ability to flourish as a nation,” says Heggeness. “The fact is that we continue to stifle people’s – predominantly women’s – ability to engage to their fullest extent in the labour market.”
The search for a solution
Despite these facts, some mums are still finding a silver lining to self-employment. Nnamani says she’s been able to spend more time with her children and continue to exclusively breastfeed her youngest. For income, she’s formed a company around breastfeeding education; she consults for hospital systems on a freelance basis, and recently published a children’s book on the subject.
“I do miss being in the office and seeing those kiddos,” says the former paediatrician. “What I do love is the flexibility of my time and the freedom I have. But I absolutely miss those relationships with my patients.”
Yet, says Heggeness, even this benefit of flexibility may have underlying drawbacks. “We’re seeing a greater proportion of women in occupations where there’s this type of flexibility to pick and choose when and how you work,” she says. Studies show women prefer remote work, for instance, at a higher rate than men do, “But the negative side … is that sometimes we are steering people into types of work that put them in vulnerable situations.”
For instance, she explains, self-employed people are much less likely to have health insurance coverage or a retirement-savings plan, two benefits anchored by largely full-time employment in the US. “There’s benefits that come along with being an employee in an established firm,” she says.
There are additional vulnerabilities that may come with striking out on one’s own, she adds. The median income of self-employed people is more than $6,000 lower than those working for an employer, and initial investments and business start-up costs mean a self-employment income can take several years to build. This figure also doesn’t account for the monetary value that employer benefits provide only full-time employees.
Nnamani has felt these effects, despite the professional progress she’s made in self-employment. “Something I actually miss a lot is just that regular income and sense of security,” she says. “I was the higher earner in the family, so that definitely was a big blow to our finances. I’ve since had to make a lot of adjustment, like we’re having to think twice before making certain decisions. We used to have a budget for the kids’ college funds and for stocks. We pretty much had to put a hold on a lot of those things. It has been a huge sacrifice.”
Overall, Cai says the simplest solution for keeping women from turning to involuntary self-employment is for employers to provide stability in the form of both more predictable hours and childcare programmes. This, she adds, can be particularly important for women with lower incomes or less education.
And, ultimately, while self-employment offers benefits to women who found traditional employment unsustainable, asking women to work – even if it’s for themselves – and simultaneously parent still leaves mothers unable to reach their full working potential.
“Self-employment and flexible work options are not going to be enough for women with children,” says Heggeness. “It’s really difficult to work, even if you’re teleworking, and even if you’re self-employed, while your children are still in your household.”
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