A Pulse Check of Women Across Care, Work, Health, and Money

We partnered with Pivotal Ventures to hear directly from ~150 women across racial identities from urban, suburban, and rural geographies nationwide about how they’re faring in this moment: what’s working, what’s broken, and what’s next across care, work, health, and money. 64% identified as caregivers, 36% made $50-$100K per year, and 50% were between the ages of 30 and 49. Check out Pivotal’s coverage on the study and its findings.

Data was generated through a Remesh Live study, which is a scalable qualitative research method that uses artificial intelligence to facilitate and analyze real-time, text-based discussions with a large audience.

Some questions asked participants for their opinions. For these, Remesh uses a collaborative-filtering model to infer each participant’s preference based on their voting activity. These stats are marked with a *.

Here are six themes we found about women’s needs and the changing economy.

influence

Women aren’t just consumers, they drive adoption. Women are often early adopters as well as powerful recommenders.

early adopters

60%

of women surveyed say they like to try  new products early. Nearly half (43%) say switching to a  new product or service provider usually pays off, even if it takes extra time or effort – showing willingness to  experiment and seek better solutions.

powerful recommenders

55%

say they have recommended a health provider or service in the past six months. 48% have recommended a financial services product/app

Women drive household decisions across categories, with their influence extending deeply into everyday and major purchases. Among those surveyed, 68% are the primary decision-maker for their family’s groceries and another 25% share that responsibility with a partner. When it comes to major purchases, 46.5% take the lead on car purchases or leases, and 29% make those decisions jointly. Women are equally central in health and financial matters:

healthcare decisions

64%

choose their family’s healthcare providers and 62% lead decisions on health insurance, often in partnership with a spouse or partner.

financial influence

66%

are the primary decision makers for their family’s banking and digital financial services, with 28% sharing those choices.

health

Women are expanding their personal health systems, turning to doctors, apps, and increasingly AI, with mixed but generally positive results. As primary decision-makers for their families, they’re willing to take action—and even switch or pay more—for care that reflects and respects them. What they want most is healthcare that truly “gets” them, while still being affordable.

Women’s personal health systems now include AI

Women are engaging with an increasingly diverse ecosystem of health providers and tools. Sixty percent include doctors in their network, 26% use at least one app, and 19% are turning to AI. Nearly half report that these resources work very well for them, while others say they meet basic needs (33%), feel disconnected (14%), or lack access altogether (3%).

Women drive family healthcare decisions and are willing to take action

Women are central decision-makers and influencers in healthcare. 63% identify as the primary decision maker in choosing providers for their families, with an average monthly spend of $80. More than half (55%) have recommended a health provider or service in the past six months, and 87% say they would switch providers for care that truly understands and reflects them, with ~33% willing to pay at least 10% more than their current costs.

Care that values women’s whole selves and budgets matters most

~65% of women share the sentiment that care that centers their experiences—like making them feel valued, acknowledging their racial identity, and connecting physical and mental health—would make their healthcare experience great*. Affordability is equally critical, with ~65% citing it as a top factor in their sense of care quality*.

Nearly Two thirds of women want care that makes them feel understood, valued, and connected—and equally prioritize affordability.

technology

Artificial intelligence is firmly embedded in women’s daily lives, with many wanting to use AI for saving, spending, and starting up a business.

70%

of women across demographics use AI weekly, and about four in ten use it every day. Comfort with the technology is high and growing—only 10% of women say they avoid or don’t trust it. Those already using AI for are using it for applications, such as...

symptom checking/health needs (35%)
job search/resume help (30%)
mental health (30%)
family management (11%)
budgeting/bill negotiation (9%)

Women see clear value in AI’s practical applications:

85%

are comfortable with AI explaining an insurance bill, 77% are open to using it to manage their spending and saving, and 75% would turn to it for starting or running a business.

62%

trust it to suggest next medical steps, while more than half are comfortable with AI matching them to caregivers (56%) or coordinating family logistics (54%) – suggesting many are open to AIs role in personal care.

money

Women have strong financial goals.

Even amid economic pressure, women are focused on progress. In the next year, nearly seven in ten (69%) aim to increase their savings and investments. Many also plan to boost their income through a new job or promotion (46%), pay down debt (43%), and strengthen their credit scores (33%). Together, these goals reflect a forward-looking mindset oriented around long-term security.

Everyday costs are a source of financial strain.

In the past year, 40% of women faced an unexpected car repair, 27% experienced a rent increase, and 23% said medical and dental expenses went unmet. Looking forward, 70% share the sentiment that a car repair could be their next financial emergency*, and 70% share the sentiment that a hospital bill or medical emergency could be their next financial emergency*.

Women are seeking better financial tools.

64% of women share the sentiment that tools to better budget, invest, and track their finances would make it easier for them to improve their finances in the next three months*, reflecting a desire for financial stability and agency.

Women are meeting financial insecurity with financial ingenuity. They are responding to financial instability with creativity and control, actively building new paths to stability.

financial insecurity

51%

feel a level of financial insecurity, with ~59% saying they would not cover a $400 emergency with their savings, and 50% not meeting their savings goals in the past 12 months.

building stability

35%

plan to expand their income in the coming year through business ventures or freelance work.

comfortable with ai

77%

are comfortable using AI to manage their spending and saving, signaling growing openness to digital tools that streamline financial management.

caregiving discounts

44%

want discounts connected to their caregiving responsibilities, underscoring how closely their financial well-being is tied to the cost of care.

Work

Women are scaling back from work to meet care demands highlighting the persistent tension between professional and personal obligations. Jobs with flexibility is what will bring women back to work —underscoring the opportunity for employers to design work that aligns with women’s real lives to unlock this talent pool.

scaling back

63%

of women with caregiving responsibilities have stepped back from work (e.g., left a job, reduced hours, switched to gig work) in the past year due to caregiving responsibilities

flexible workforce

78%

of women not currently employed (e.g. unemployed, stay-at-home parent, student) agree with the sentiment that they would re-enter the workforce if they had access to jobs that fit their lifestyle and schedules.*

Caregiving

WOMEN TAKE ON SIGNIFICANT UNPAID CARE RESPONSIBILITIES

73%

of women with caregiving responsibilities spend over 11 hours per week on unpaid work. This includes supporting children, partners, relatives, and households  without compensation.

WONDER WHAT WOMEN WORRY ABOUT? NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF MOM

73%

of women agree with the sentiment that they are worried about their role in paying for the cost of care for their aging parents*, with 77% expected to provide financial  support to their aging parent in the next 5-10 years.

Care costs money and career momentum.

41%

of caregivers selected discounts related to their care responsibilities as something that would help them in the next 12 months. Caregiving has clear financial consequences with 60% of caregivers for older adults and 52% of caregivers for children paying $100-$1,999 per month on care.

Many also report making trade-offs due to caregiving demands, such as...

Turning down an education or upskilling opportunity (27%)
Declining overtime or extra shifts (20%)
Shifting to gig or contract work (21%)
Reducing their work hours (19%)

Time is a critical resource to women with care responsibilities.

1 in 3

caregivers say they would pay more than $20 to reclaim just one hour of their time, compared to 17% of women without caregiving duties. However, caregiving often takes precedence: 18% of women with care responsibilities have delayed care for themselves in the past month due to a conflict with a child or older adult’s needs.

When asked how they would use extra time, women said they would...

Prioritize their own health (30%)
Take meaningful rest (22%)
Reducing their work hours (19%)

Women are embracing innovation with confidence and curiosity

Nearly half the women surveyed (44%) say they try new technologies or digital services sooner than most of their friends, family, or coworkers, a signal that women are not just adapting to emerging tools like AI, but actively leading their adoption.

Source: A national survey with n=2485 respondents to understand household willingness to pay for products and services that reduce the time spent on household management tasks. Conducted in April 2021 by McKinsey & Co.