Housing insecurity and employment stability: An investigation of working mothers

Abstract

Little evidence informs the relationship between housing insecurity and employment for working mothers. The present study aimed to identify variation in work schedules and supports, as well as the link from housing insecurity to employment experiences in a sample of at-risk mothers. Latent class analysis identified subtypes of employment stability; multinomial logistic regression estimated links from housing insecurity to class membership. Three subtypes of employment stability emerged, “Full-Time and Stable,” “Full-Time and Unstable,” and “Part-Time Weekend.” Housing insecurity increased risk for being in the “Unstable” class relative to the other classes such that these mothers experienced stressful work schedules that offered little support or flexibility for family and child needs. Identifying and intervening on housing insecurity can promote stable employment. Increased workplace supports such as paid leave, flexible schedules, and antidiscrimination training can better enable mothers to juggle the competing demands of motherhood and work.