Employment gaps and work and career satisfactions of managerial and professional women

Examines the relationship of employment gaps to measures of work outcomes and emotional wellbeing. Data were collected from a diverse sample of 792 managerial and professional women using questionnaires completed anonymously. Managerial women with more employment gaps were older, more likely married, had more children if married, earned less income and worked fewer hours and extra hours per week. Women with more employment gaps also reported less job and career satisfaction, less job involvement and less optimistic career prospects. Employment gaps were not related to psychological wellbeing, however. Women reporting more employment gaps still earned less income and were less satisfied with their careers, when other factors were controlled.