HARTFORD, CT — Connecticut has been ranked the second-best state in the nation for working mothers, according to a WalletHub report released Monday.
WalletHub said it compared the attractiveness of all 50 states and the District of Columbia for working moms based on 17 key metrics.
Connecticut placed second overall, trailing only Massachusetts.
The report evaluated a variety of factors, including median salary for women, female unemployment rate, day-care quality, and parental-leave policies.
WalletHub stated, “Working moms have to carefully balance career opportunities with factors that provide a good environment for their children when deciding where to live. The best states provide equitable pay for women and the potential for career advancement, along with robust parental leave policies and high-quality child care, health care, and schools.”
Connecticut earned the second-highest overall rank.
It placed sixth for day-care quality, first for female unemployment rate, and eighth for parental-leave policy score.
WalletHub reported that Connecticut’s female unemployment rate last year was just 2.7%. The state also posted a small gender pay gap, with women earning more than 88% of what men make, the seventh-highest rate in the nation.
However, Connecticut showed average scores in some categories.
It ranked 25th for both the ratio of female to male executives and for median women’s salary after adjusting for cost of living.
Connecticut also ranked 18th in pediatricians per capita, ninth for gender pay gap, ninth for average length of a woman’s work week, and 15th for percentage of single-mom families living in poverty.
The study noted that Connecticut ranked high for day care quality and the percentage of child care centers that are nationally accredited. WalletHub also identified Connecticut as one of the best places in the country for working from home.
According to WalletHub, the ten best states for working moms are Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, District of Columbia, Maine, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin, New Jersey, and New York. The ten worst include Louisiana, Alabama, Nevada, Mississippi, and New Mexico.
