For all of the professional gains women have made over the past several decades, one stubborn measure of inequality'the gender wage gap'has been especially difficult to stamp out. And it's a disparity that can be traced in large part to parenthood. In nearly every country on Earth, the arrival of children tends to coincide with a lasting drop in employment and earnings for moms but not dads. Conversations about how to better support working mothers typically focus on family policy, such as subsidized child care and paid parental leave. But one significant factor affecting moms' employment remains under-discussed: the commute. This is, admittedly, not a terribly sexy topic. But a growing body of research suggests that whether a mom can hang on to her job comes down to how long it takes her to get there. Notably, the crucial role that travel time plays in shaping maternal employment has been identified not only in the United States but also in countries with far more robust family...
learn more
