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The changing career trajectories of new parents in STEM

Author

Listed:
  • Erin A. Cech

    (Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109)

  • Mary Blair-Loy

    (Department of Sociology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093)

Abstract

The gender imbalance in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields has remained constant for decades and increases the farther up the STEM career pipeline one looks. Why does the underrepresentation of women endure? This study investigated the role of parenthood as a mechanism of gender-differentiated attrition from STEM employment. Using a nationally representative 8-year longitudinal sample of US STEM professionals, we examined the career trajectories of new parents after the birth or adoption of their first child. We found substantial attrition of new mothers: 43% of women leave full-time STEM employment after their first child. New mothers are more likely than new fathers to leave STEM, to switch to part-time work, and to exit the labor force. These gender differences hold irrespective of variation by discipline, race, and other demographic factors. However, parenthood is not just a “mother’s problem”; 23% of new fathers also leave STEM after their first child. Suggesting the difficulty of combining STEM work with caregiving responsibilities generally, new parents are more likely to leave full-time STEM jobs than otherwise similar childless peers and even new parents who remain employed full time are more likely than their childless peers to exit STEM for work elsewhere. These results have implications for policymakers and STEM workforce scholars; whereas parenthood is an important mechanism of women’s attrition, both women and men leave at surprisingly high rates after having children. Given that most people become parents during their working lives, STEM fields must do more to retain professionals with children.

Suggested Citation

  • Erin A. Cech & Mary Blair-Loy, 2019. "The changing career trajectories of new parents in STEM," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 116(10), pages 4182-4187, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nas:journl:v:116:y:2019:p:4182-4187
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Judith M. Delaney & Paul J. Devereux, 2022. "Gender Differences in STEM Persistence after Graduation," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 89(356), pages 862-883, October.
    2. Lavanya Rajendran & Namita Khandelwal & Jocelyne Feine & Effie Ioannidou, 2021. "Woman authorship in pre-print versus peer-reviewed oral health-related publications: A two-year observational study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(12), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Eunjeong Paek, 2023. "Does Overwork Attenuate the Motherhood Earnings Penalty among Full-Time Workers?," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 37(1), pages 78-96, February.
    4. Anna Matysiak & Wojciech Hardy & Lucas van der Velde, 2023. "Structural Labour Market Change and Gender Inequality in Earnings," Working Papers 2023-12, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    5. Quan-Hoang Vuong & Thanh-Hang Pham & Trung Tran & Thu-Trang Vuong & Nguyen Manh Cuong & Nguyen Phuc Khanh Linh & Viet-Phuong La & Manh Toan Ho, 2020. "STEM education and outcomes in Vietnam: Views from the social gap and gender issues," Working Papers CEB 20-003, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    6. Marcin Chlebus & Artur Nowak, 2023. "From Alchemy to Analytics: Unleashing the Potential of Technical Analysis in Predicting Noble Metal Price Movement," Working Papers 2023-13, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    7. Speer, Jamin D., 2023. "Bye bye Ms. American Sci: Women and the leaky STEM pipeline," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    8. Ho, Manh-Toan & La, Viet-Phuong & Nguyen, Minh-Hoang & Pham, Thanh-Hang & Vuong, Thu-Trang & Vuong, Ha-My & Pham, Hung-Hiep & Hoang, Anh-Duc & Vuong, Quan-Hoang, 2020. "An analytical view on STEM education and outcomes: Examples of the social gap and gender disparity in Vietnam," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    9. Hartshorn, Jessica A. & Brockerhoff, Eckehard G. & Klapwijk, Maartje J. & Marzano, Mariella & Ganley, Rebecca J. & Darr, Molly N., 2023. "Attracting and retaining women in forest entomology and forest pathology," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    10. Katie M. Lawson, 2021. "Women’s Daily Performance, Enjoyment, and Comfort in Male-Dominated Majors: The Role of Social Interactions in Classes," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 62(4), pages 478-497, June.
    11. Chris K Deak & Matthew D Hammond & Chris G Sibley & Joseph Bulbulia, 2021. "Individuals’ number of children is associated with benevolent sexism," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(5), pages 1-16, May.
    12. Raquel Fonseca & Marie Mélanie Fontaine & Catherine Haeck, 2021. "Le lien entre les compétences en numératie et les rendements sur le marché du travail au Québec," CIRANO Project Reports 2021rp-11, CIRANO.
    13. Yanping Gong & Jian Li & Julan Xie & Long Zhang & Qiuyin Lou, 2022. "Will “Green” Parents Have “Green” Children? The Relationship Between Parents’ and Early Adolescents’ Green Consumption Values," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(2), pages 369-385, August.

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