For the first time, employment conditions have deteriorated across all Italian regions, and only 58.2% of mothers with small children are employed. This is according to the 11th edition of the report “The Tightrope Walkers – Motherhood in Italy 2026”, released ahead of Mother’s Day. The picture depicts a huge disadvantage for women, estimated at 33%, with careers stagnating or ending and increasing difficulty re-entering the labor market. Despite an overall increase in work, including among women, mothers are not profiting from this trend: among women aged 25 to 54 with at least one young child, employment climbed by only 0.1%, compared to 0.9% among males in similar circumstances. In the private sector, 25% of women under 35 leave the workforce permanently in the year they have their first child, while this proportion lowers to 12% for women over 35. The discrepancy in inactivity levels remains significant: among parents aged 20 to 29, 59.8% of mothers are inactive, rising to 70% with two or more children, compared to only 6.2% for fathers.
News Source: 9Colonne
