Young mums are being pushed into insecure, low-paid work as researchers warn the labour market is ‘systematically failing’ them
A new study by Close the Gap and Save the Children reveals that mums aged 16 to 25 face severe barriers to work, such as poverty, childcare, occupational segregation and inflexible hours.
While young mothers see work and learning as routes to higher incomes, independence, and better futures for their children, experts warn that existing systems can restrict those ambitions, leaving them trapped in low-wage roles or locked out of the workforce.
Mums who took part in the study say it can feel like an impossible choice between working and caring for young children.STV News
At 23, Natalie was pregnant with her daughter, homeless and sleeping in her car. Even after moving into temporary accommodation, she struggled to make ends meet.
She now has a permanent home and works part-time, though she said she initially ended up in debt trying to afford household bills.
“With the house, you’ve got all the bills that come with it. If you’re not working or you work part-time due to childcare, it really is a struggle to balance it all.
“I did get a food bank when my daughter was first born, but I don’t receive that anymore because I’m working.
“It’s been a tough time.”
Natalie says one of the biggest barriers mums face is getting time off when their children are unwell and don’t have anyone to care for them.
“That’s a big problem for people I know. You face getting disciplined at work or losing your job. There are still issues like that in the workplace.
“Single mums don’t need to be facing this when you’re trying to survive.”
Children in households where the mother is under 25 experience the highest poverty rate of all Scottish Government priority family groups, at 55%.
Around 42% of young mothers experience in-work poverty.
Natalie says taking part in the JustRight study has helped her meet other mums facing similar experiences.
“It’s been eye-opening to see situations that people can be in and how to come out of them, all the struggles people have with work and childcare. I realised I wasn’t alone.”
Experts warn that simply being in paid work is not enough to lift families out of poverty. Work needs to be secure, adequately paid and flexible enough to fit around caring responsibilities.
Young mums taking part in the research described navigating trade-offs involving childcare costs, eating into wages, having to prioritise immediate income over further study, lack of workplace flexibility, reducing opportunities for progression, and higher income from additional working hours, potentially reducing financial support available to them.
These barriers can combine to leave young mothers with limited choices about the work and learning opportunities available to them.
Many young mothers experience heightened barriers to care and support. These challenges are often magnified for lone mothers, disabled people, care-experienced youths, survivors of domestic abuse, and racially-minoritised or migrant mothers.