Barriers to Workforce Re-Entry among Single Mothers: Insights from Urban Areas in Sarawak, Malaysia

Life can be challenging for single mothers unable to secure employment. However, little is known about the barriers that hinder single mothers’ re-entry into the workforce, more so in the context of urban areas in developing countries, the landscape of which differs from that of rural areas and developed countries. To address this gap, a study was conducted to investigate the barriers that single mothers encounter when re-entering the workforce in urban areas in developing countries, using a survey of 373 single mothers in urban Sarawak, Malaysia, as a case. The findings suggest that single mothers in urban areas considered family reasons as the main barrier to workforce re-entry, followed by work-life balance, personal, and workplace reasons, which remained true regardless of whether single mothers intend or do not intend to return to the workforce. Implications for theory and practice, limitations, and future research directions conclude the article