Italy: Mothers Leaving Work – Stats & Challenges
- In Italy, balancing work and family, especially after childbirth, remains a significant challenge for women.
- According to the ninth edition of the Save the Children report, "Le Equilibri," one in five working parents in Italy leaves their job after the birth of their...
- In 2022, among 61,391 validated voluntary resignations from parents with children aged 0-3, a staggering 72.8% (44,699 cases) were women, compared to just 27.2% of men.
italian mothers face a stark reality: Many are leaving the workforce after childbirth, and a significant gender gap in resignations persists. This stems from a combination of factors,including inadequate childcare services and inflexible work arrangements,as revealed by a recent Save the Children report. Data shows nearly three-quarters of parental resignations involve women, underscoring the deep challenges of balancing work and family life in Italy, creating a critical need for improved support. News Directory 3 brings you the latest on the statistics.Dive into the details and discover why Italian women are disproportionately affected. Discover what’s next for work-life balance policies.
Italian Women Disproportionately Leave Jobs After Childbirth
Updated June 6, 2025
In Italy, balancing work and family, especially after childbirth, remains a significant challenge for women. A new report reveals that women still shoulder most of the responsibilities for managing households and caring for children or other family members.
According to the ninth edition of the Save the Children report, “Le Equilibri,” one in five working parents in Italy leaves their job after the birth of their first child. The data further indicates that women account for nearly 73% of parental resignations.
Gender Gap in Resignations
In 2022, among 61,391 validated voluntary resignations from parents with children aged 0-3, a staggering 72.8% (44,699 cases) were women, compared to just 27.2% of men. The primary reason cited for these resignations is the difficulty in reconciling work and childcare.
The report highlights that 41.7% of women attribute this difficulty to the lack of adequate assistance services, while 21.9% point to inflexible work arrangements. childcare-related challenges account for 63.6% of the reasons provided by resigning mothers. Men, on the other hand, tend to cite professional motivations as their primary reason for leaving a job.
What’s next
The findings underscore the urgent need for improved work-life balance policies and increased support for working mothers in Italy to address the gender gap in employment and ensure equal opportunities.