Almost one-third of women are the main breadwinners in their household, according to a survey by Grazia magazine.
The Women and Work survey polled 2,000 women about their attitudes towards work and motherhood. It found that 30% earn more than their partners and a further 19% earn the same amount. The survey said one reason for the rise of high-earning women could be that the recession has hit jobs that are usually held by men the hardest.
The study also identified an emerging battleground between mothers and workers without children.
Nine out of 10 women said child-free workers resented the flexible hours and time off that mothers have, while seven in 10 said other women were their “harshest critics in the workplace”. One-third of female directors also thought “mothers were less productive”.
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Grazia’s associate editor Victoria Harper said: “Women are getting good jobs when they graduate, and working up the career ladder faster than they have ever done. This means that there has to be more fluidity between the roles of men and women in a relationship and when they have children.
“If a couple are having a baby and it is the woman who is the highest earner, it might make more sense for the man to pick up the slack and help out with the child-rearing.”
