America’s Working Women: A College Degree Still Makes All the Difference
New data reveals a growing divide in work opportunities between college-educated mothers and those without degrees.
In recent years, American women with college degrees—particularly mothers—have made significant progress in the workplace. However, the story is vastly different for women without a college education.
Women with degrees are more likely to secure jobs that offer paid leave and flexibility, enabling them to balance childcare and paid work—responsibilities they are statistically more likely to bear. In contrast, women without degrees often find themselves in low-wage service jobs with inconsistent schedules that clash with family responsibilities.
According to an analysis by the Third Way think tank, the percentage of college-educated women aged 25 to 44 working full-time rose from 64% to 73% over the past two decades. Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate for women without college degrees remained mostly stagnant, rising just one percentage point to 53% in the same period.
Mothers with degrees are leading this progress. In 2024, 68% of them worked full-time, up from 57% in 2004. However, for mothers without a degree, the rate has barely changed.
Remote Work Helps Some Women—but Leaves Many Behind
The rise of remote work has been particularly transformative for women. It has allowed them to stay in the workforce while managing childcare tasks like doctor’s appointments and school drop-offs.
For men without college degrees, the situation appears even more dire—their participation in the labor force has been declining for years, not merely stagnating.
Unlike other advanced economies, the United States does not offer national paid family leave or sick leave. These benefits are left up to private employers. As a result, only about half of college-educated working women receive paid family leave, allowing them to take time off for childbirth while remaining employed.
By contrast, only 38% of women without a college degree have access to this benefit. They also tend to have less financial flexibility to afford childcare—or may be unable to find care during night or weekend shifts.
“It’s hard to say the U.S. is making real progress in supporting working women—especially when the only ones benefiting are those with college degrees,” said Kuran Maxwegan, Deputy Director of Economic Programs at Third Way, who co-led the data analysis.
