Data: U.S. Census; Note: Includes women ages 16 to 50; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios
A greater share of DSM metro-area women who recently gave birth remain part of the workforce as compared to U.S. overall percentages, per new Census data.
State of play: Motherhood can knock women out of the labor force, at least temporarily — slowing careers and contributing to gender pay gaps.
By the numbers: Almost 74% of DSM women who gave birth in the previous 12 months were in the labor force as of 2022, per the latest American Community Survey.
That's down three percentage points from the previous year.
Meanwhile, the U.S. percentage last year was 66.6%, a national decade-plus high-water mark.