Report on Gender Disparities in Minnesota’s Labor Force: An Analysis Through the Lens of Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

An analysis of Minnesota’s labor force reveals significant gender-based disparities, particularly affecting mothers. These trends present considerable challenges to the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). This report examines the statistical evidence of declining maternal labor force participation and identifies key structural barriers, such as child care costs and the gender pay gap, that impede progress toward these global goals.

Labor Force Disparities and the Impact on SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Recent data from Minnesota illustrates a concerning trend that directly conflicts with the objectives of SDG 8, which calls for full and productive employment and decent work for all. The disparity in labor force participation between mothers and fathers undermines economic growth and productivity.

1. Maternal Participation Decline: The labor force participation rate for mothers in Minnesota fell from 82.33% in January 2025 to 75.32% in June, a significant decrease of 7 percentage points.
2. Paternal Participation Stability: In contrast, the rate for fathers showed minimal change, declining only 0.29 percentage points from 94.02% to 93.73% over the same period.
3. Economic Contribution: The economic potential lost is substantial. A 2023 analysis indicated that the inclusion of 5 million more women in the national workforce would generate an additional $775 billion in economic activity annually, highlighting the importance of female labor participation for achieving the robust economic growth targeted by SDG 8.

Structural Barriers to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

The decline in maternal employment is not arbitrary but is driven by systemic issues that perpetuate gender inequality, directly hindering progress on SDG 5 and SDG 10. These barriers disproportionately place the burden of unpaid care work on women and reinforce economic disparities.

• Unaffordable Child Care: The high cost of child care is a primary barrier. This challenge is central to SDG 5.4, which calls for the recognition and valuation of unpaid care and domestic work.
  • Labor force participation for mothers with children under 5 was 68.3% in 2024, but increased to 78.0% for mothers of school-aged children (6-17), demonstrating the impact of accessible and affordable care.
  • Minnesota’s child care costs rank as the third-highest in the nation, disproportionately affecting low-income mothers and exacerbating conditions targeted by SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
• The Gender Pay Gap: The persistent wage gap undermines women’s economic standing and influences household decisions regarding employment. This is a direct challenge to SDG 8.5 (equal pay for work of equal value) and a core component of SDG 5.
  • In Minnesota, women earn approximately 80 cents for every dollar a man earns.
  • This economic disparity often results in women, as the lower earners in heterosexual couples, leaving the workforce to manage child care, thereby perpetuating a cycle of economic inequality.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article directly addresses gender equality by focusing on the disparities between men and women in the labor force. It highlights how mothers are disproportionately affected by childcare costs and cultural gender roles, leading to lower labor force participation and perpetuating economic inequality compared to fathers.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  This goal is relevant as the article discusses labor force participation rates, the economic contributions of women to the GDP, and the gender pay gap. It emphasizes that increasing women’s participation in the workforce would generate significant additional economic activity, linking decent work for women directly to overall economic growth.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article touches upon reducing inequalities by pointing out how high childcare costs disproportionately affect low-income mothers and how the gender pay gap forces a choice that perpetuates a “large-scale pattern that perpetuates economic inequality.”

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  While not the primary focus, SDG 4 is connected through the issue of childcare. The article notes a significant increase in mothers’ labor force participation when children turn five and become eligible for “affordable or free child care in the form of school,” linking the availability of early childhood care and education to women’s economic empowerment.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies.

   The article implies this target by discussing how the burden of unaffordable childcare often falls on mothers, forcing them to leave the workforce to perform unpaid care work at home. The problem’s description points to a lack of social protection policies (like affordable childcare) that would value this work and enable mothers to participate in the paid labor force.

2. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in political, economic and public life.

   This target is directly relevant as the article’s central theme is the reduced labor force participation of mothers. The 7-percentage-point drop for mothers in Minnesota, compared to a 0.29-point drop for fathers, clearly shows that women do not have full and effective participation in economic life.

3. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value.

   The article explicitly addresses this target by citing the gender pay gap in Minnesota, where “women earning on average 80 cents for every dollar a man earns.” This pay disparity influences the decision for the lower earner (often the woman) to stay home, hindering the achievement of full employment and equal pay.

4. Target 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.

   This target is connected through the article’s emphasis on childcare. The lack of “affordable or free child care” for children under five is presented as a primary barrier to mothers’ employment. The data showing a nearly 10-percentage-point jump in mothers’ labor participation once children reach school age underscores the critical role of accessible early childhood care.

5. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… sex…

   The article highlights the economic exclusion of mothers due to systemic issues like high childcare costs and the gender pay gap. It notes that “low-income mothers are disproportionately affected,” pointing directly to a failure of economic inclusion for a specific demographic based on sex and income level.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Targets 5.5 and 8.5: Labor Force Participation Rate

  The article provides specific data points that can be used as indicators: “the labor force participation rate of mothers was 82.33% in January 2025, but 75.32% in June,” while for fathers it was “94.02% in January to 93.73% in June.” The disparity between these rates for men and women is a direct measure of inequality in economic participation.

• Indicator for Target 8.5: Gender Pay Gap

  The article explicitly states an indicator for the gender pay gap: “women earning on average 80 cents for every dollar a man earns in Minnesota.” This ratio is a standard indicator used to measure progress toward equal pay for work of equal value.

• Indicator for Targets 4.2 and 5.4: Impact of Childcare Costs on Maternal Employment

  The article provides data that serves as an indicator of the impact of childcare availability. The labor force participation rate for mothers of children under 5 was 68.3%, while for mothers of children aged 6-17, it was 78.0%. This nearly 10-point difference acts as a proxy indicator for the barrier that a lack of affordable childcare presents.

• Indicator for Target 4.2: Childcare Affordability

  The article mentions that in “Minnesota, child care costs have recently climbed to the third-highest in the nation.” This ranking serves as a qualitative and comparative indicator of the lack of affordable childcare, which is a key component of Target 4.2.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: startribune.com