PayJoy Report Reveals How Mexico's Working Mothers Leverage Mobile Finance

92% of working mothers credit smartphones as employment enablers

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- PayJoy, the top financial service provider to the underserved in emerging markets, today released its latest report "Unlocking Economic Mobility: Smartphone Finance and the Rise of Mexico's Working Mother Micro-Entrepreneurs." Drawing insights from over 1,100 working mothers in Mexico who have received a PayJoy smartphone loan, the report looks at how access to smartphones impacts their work, family life, and financial stability. Ninety-two percent of working mothers in Mexico reported that smartphone financing has unlocked their ability to maintain their current employment.

According to PayJoy data, smartphones are crucial for working mothers in Mexico, with 95% of mothers working outside the home crediting smartphone ownership as enabling their employment, and 94% of working mothers reporting that smartphones help them work at home and manage remote work effectively.

In Mexico, working mothers navigate a challenging economic landscape marked by a 32% gender gap in labor participation while simultaneously managing 40 hours per week of unpaid caregiving and household duties (twice the time men spend on similar responsibilities). Smartphone financing emerges as a critical enabler for these women, offering flexible economic opportunities that allow them to balance domestic responsibilities with income generation through accessible mobile financial tools that support entrepreneurship, remote work, and micro-business management.

"Smartphones are more than devices—they're gateways to financial inclusion for Mexico's working mothers," said Priscila Barrantes, PayJoy's Mexico Country Manager. "From managing customer relationships to accessing mobile payments and gig work platforms, smartphones are transforming how women participate in the economy. It's no surprise that more than half (55%) report that their income has increased because they now have access to a smartphone."

Mexico's workforce is increasingly shaped by working mother micro-entrepreneurs, defined as mothers balancing caregiving responsibilities, household duties, and employment to supplement family income. Many of these women participate in the informal economy - economic activities like street vending, domestic work, and gig work - taking on multiple jobs and becoming micro-entrepreneurs in pursuit of better economic futures for themselves and their families.

Sixty-five percent of PayJoy's female customers in Mexico operate in this informal economy, with 75% of this group working over seven hours per day, and 24% working more than ten hours per day. 

Out of PayJoy's female customers surveyed, 67% are working mothers and 73% report that their smartphones are extremely important to them.

Ninety-five percent of mothers report that their phone allows them to balance work and home responsibilities, underscoring how smartphone finance supports micro-entrepreneurship and economic mobility. This ability to combine work and family duties is essential to working mothers: 96% say both caregiving and the ability to work are equally important to them.

"We're committed to supporting the women who are often overlooked by traditional financial services," continued Barrantes. "We believe that real impact comes from offering everyone the chance to access tools that can make a meaningful difference in their lives."

To view the report and explore the full findings visit: https://www.payjoy.com/blog/unlocking-economic-mobility

Survey methodology:
In October 2024, PayJoy conducted a survey of 1,146 working mothers in Mexico who are also PayJoy customers. All personal data is provided on an opt-in, completely voluntary basis while safeguarding data privacy.

About PayJoy
PayJoy is a mission-first financial service provider dedicated to helping under-served customers in emerging markets to achieve financial stability and success. We lend through our patented technology that turns a smartphone into digital collateral, and our cutting-edge machine learning, data science, and anti-fraud AI allow us to offer the lowest cost and qualify the most customers in the industry. As of 2024 we have brought billions of dollars in credit to 13 million customers, doubling in the last two years while remaining strongly profitable and sustainable for the long term.

For more information, visit https://www.payjoy.com/.