Working Moms: Top 10 mom-friendly states-Jace Shoemaker-Galloway

Although life as a working mom can be the best job in the whole wide world, it can also be difficult, trying and overwhelming. And with the economy such as it is, many working moms are having a tough time making ends meet.

SmartMoney has released a listing of the best places to live if you are a working mom. To determine the top 10 working mom-friendly states, a wide variety of data and information was reviewed. Determining factors included unemployment figures, wage gap data, child care rankings, tax breaks, workplace flexibility and more.

Although there are both advantages and disadvantages of living in the following states, in order to make the Top 10 list, the pros far outweighed the cons.

10 Best Places to be a Working Mom:

California - Residents of California are able to take six weeks paid leave to care for or bond with their new child. The state not only offers great tax credits, but also has a narrow wage gap between men and women.
District of Columbia – Women in DC earn almost 94% as much as their male counterparts. Rigid child care regulations are also a factor.
Florida – There is plenty of affordable child care in Florida.
Hawaii –The unemployment rate for women in Hawaii is 3.6%, one of the lowest in the nation. And it’s Hawaii – ‘nuff said!
Massachusetts – Although child care in Massachusetts is one of the highest in the USA, earnings for women are also higher.
New Jersey – More than 30 precincts in the state have free pre-school programs for youngsters. The state also mandates paid family leave up to six weeks each year.
New York – Although child care in New York is pricey, wage equality for women is also high.
Oklahoma – The unemployment rate in Oklahoma is one of the lowest in the United States. They also offer free pre-k programs for three and four-year-old children.
Rhode Island – Although the unemployment rate for women is high in Rhode Island, the state offers some phenomenal benefits.
Washington – Child care is expensive in Washington but workplace flexibility for moms is high.
If a move is in your future, one of the states listed above may be a location to consider. For more information on the 10 Best Places to be a Working Mom, visit SmartMoney.