Survey Shows That Generation Y Moms Don't Plan to Permanently Opt-Out of Workforce

As part of Lifetime Television's year- long survey of of Gen Y women (aged 18-29) by painting a complex picture of a highly ambitious generation seeking to achieve career success at a rapid pace, but expecting greater control and wanting more flexibility.

Main findings include:

Gen Y Women Are Opting-In

-- 85% of Gen Y women plan to be in the workforce after having children. Of those who already have children and are currently not working, 71% plan to return to work.

-- Among working Gen Y Moms, 73% took off six months or less when they had their child.

-- 78% of Gen Y women would choose to work, regardless of their current work or financial situation.

-- 72% said that they believed they would face setbacks if they took a few years off.

-- Among many benefits, healthcare coverage was the #1 work incentive by far.

Gen Y Women Want and Will Work Hard for Promotion, but They Don't Want It to Take Long

-- 69% of women surveyed said that they are willing to sacrifice to reach the top of their field.

-- Gen Y women have no qualms about leaving a job for something better or different. 67% said that they expect to stay in their current job for five years or less (18% less than one year, 26% one-two years, 23% three-five years).

-- Half expect to be promoted in two years or less.

Ultimate Career Goals Focus on Control and Flexibility

-- When asked their ultimate career goals, Gen Y's two most stated goals were starting their own businesses and being considered one of the top people in their field. (30% and 29% respectively). Another 23% said that achieving flexibility with respect to where and when they work was the top goal.

-- Young women already in the workforce more than five years were much more apt to want to start their own businesses (34% vs. 22%).

-- Entrepreneurship is also a bigger goal for African-American women - 43% defined their ultimate goal as starting their own business vs. 25% of Caucasians and 27% of Latinas.

Work is Important but It's Not Everything: New Gen Y Emphasis on Equilibrium

-- "Personal" goals of getting married, having children or owning a home trump "professional" goals of becoming a manager, earning a certain salary or starting a business. (63% vs. 23%).

-- The Gen Y "American Dream" is not monolithic; it's highly individualized, depending on race and whether the woman lives in rural, suburban or urban communities.

"There appears to be a shift in this generation of women in that they want to be ringmasters vs. jugglers - planning to work very hard but also planning to have more control in how and when they will balance career and family. This will have important ramifications for employers as they seek to put into place policies to recruit and retain the next generation, as well as plan for women's possible temporary exits from the workforce." said Meredith Wagner, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, Lifetime Networks