Working moms are a significant driver of the U.S. economy.
According to personal finance site WalletHub, women not only account for more than half the U.S. workforce, but upwards of 70 percent of American mothers with kids under the age of 18 hold jobs.
A study by the Center for American Progress found that 42 percent of mothers in the U.S. were the sole or majority financial providers for their families by the end of 2016, and another 22.4 percent provided at least a quarter of the household income. And yet, as of 2015, women earned just 83 percent of what their male counterparts brought home.
In advance of Mother's Day, WalletHub took a look at the states providing the best — and worst — conditions for working moms, evaluating each state across a series of 13 different criteria.
Factors included child care quality and costs, quality of the public school system, gender pay gap, median women's salary and availability of paid parental leave.
Take a look at the states that fared the best:
10. Illinois
Childcare rank: 10
Professional opportunities rank: 12
Work-life balance rank: 18
9. New York
Childcare rank: 23
Professional opportunities rank: 11
Work-life balance rank: 6
8. Rhode Island
Childcare rank: 26
Professional opportunities rank: 42
Work-life balance rank: 2
7. Maine
Childcare rank: 12
Professional opportunities rank: 14
Work-life balance rank: 11
6. Massachusetts
Childcare rank: 4
Professional opportunities rank: 21
Work-life balance rank: 16
5. Connecticut
Childcare rank: 6
Professional opportunities rank: 44
Work-life balance rank: 3
4. Delaware
Childcare rank: 1
Professional opportunities rank: 1
Work-life balance rank: 33
3. New Jersey
Childcare rank: 2
Professional opportunities rank: 20
Work-life balance rank: 10
2. Minnesota
Childcare rank: 5
Professional opportunities rank: 3
Work-life balance rank: 9
1. Vermont
Childcare rank: 3
Professional opportunities rank: 7
Work-life balance rank: 5
At the other end of the spectrum, Alabama, Louisiana and Nevada claim the unfortunate first, second and third place spots among states where conditions are the worst for working moms.
Alabama and Louisiana both offer some of the poorest day care systems and highest gender pay gaps, while Nevada has among the highest cost childcare in the country.
