Of those returning to work within two years after the birth of a child, an increasing majority are citing ‘financial reasons’ as their main reason for doing so. Other mothers returning to work cite ‘social interaction’ or to ‘maintain career and skills’ as their main reason.
Financial reasons could be capturing a number of different considerations including low income growth, the rise in household debt or child care costs. https://www.rba.gov.au/speeches/2019/sp-dg-2019-11-26.html  4/21  11/26/2019  Employment and Wages | Speeches | RBA  Graph 3  Research suggests the cost and quality of child care does have a significant effect on the labour supply of women.