U.S. family-leave policies are not as generous as those in many other countries, where mothers often can take more paid time off after giving birth, she said. And many U.S. sector jobs have been slow to accommodate working moms. While there has been progress in some professional sectors — namely medicine and academia — it remains difficult for women in other industries to have families and advance their careers, Percheski said. Consulting and finance, as well as most working-class jobs, remain behind the times, she said.