The Impact of Having Children on Careers

A report from the Survey on Employment and Skills

This report presents the results of survey questions asking Canadians age 18 to 44 who are in the labour force about their expectations and experiences relating to having children and its impact on their careers. The findings address two related issues. The first concerns the penalties women face when they become mothers, notably loss of employment income and diminished career opportunities. The second is the concern that younger adults in Canada today may be less interested than previous generations were in having children.

A plurality of Canadians age 18 to 44 in the labour force who do not have children say that having children in the future would have no impact on their career. However, one in four expect that it would have a negative impact. Women are more likely than men to expect that having children would have a negative impact on their career. And women are twice as likely to anticipate a negative impact as they are to expect a positive one.

Among women, the proportion expecting a negative career impact from having children is highest for those who work in professional occupations or as an executive, manager or business owner, compared to other occupations. Women with a university degree are also more likely to expect that having children would negatively affect their career.

Read the complete report

For more information please contact the Environics Institute or Dr. Andrew Parkin.

The Survey on Employment and Skills is conducted by the Environics Institute for Survey Research, in partnership with the Future Skills Centre and the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University. The findings in this report are based on Wave 7 of the Survey, conducted between May 30 and July 4, 2024. The survey had a total sample of 5,855 adult Canadians, of which 4,043 were currently employed.

The Survey on Employment and Skills is funded primarily by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Centre / Le sondage sur l’emploi et les compétences est financé principalement par le Centre des Compétences futures du gouvernement du Canada.