Researchers from the University of Akron and Penn State University in America examined data on 2,540 women who became mothers between 1978 and 1995.
They found that mothers who returned to work full-time after having children reported better mental and physical health at age 40 than stay-at-home mothers, those who worked part-time or were repeatedly unemployed.
Professor Adrianne Frech, one of the authors of the study, claims that working full-time has countless benefits, while part-time work offers lower pay, poorer chances of promotion, less job security and fewer benefits, and mothers who stay at home face greater social isolation.
However, she says that a recently identified group ‘persistently unemployed’ deserve further attention as they appear to be the least healthy at age 40 as struggling to hold on to a job or constantly searching for employment wears on their health, mentally and physically.
Ms Frech advises that women build a solid work history and delay their first birth until they are married and finished with their education, or not wait a long time before returning to the workforce after having children.
She also suggests that offering childcare and transport to single mothers could result in better employment options.