The Emotional Cost of Underemployment Among Low-Income Breadwinning Mothers in Urban Malaysia

In Malaysia, many low-income mothers shoulder significant financial responsibilities within their households, yet their roles as breadwinners often go unacknowledged in both policy and societal discourse. Existing research has largely focused on employment instability or joblessness. As a consequence, the emotional toll of being trapped in stable yet unfulfilling roles is frequently overlooked. This study explores the lived experiences of urban low-income breadwinning mothers in Malaysia. It focuses on the psychological and occupational challenges they face in the context of constrained job choice. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, data were collected through seven-day diaries and semi-structured interviews with eight full-time working mothers residing in the Klang Valley. Findings revealed that while participants did not overtly identify as breadwinners, they bore the financial burdens of that role and were trapped under the conditions of underemployment. Many worked in roles that were misaligned with their talents and aspirations. Yet, they felt compelled to remain due to economic necessity and caregiving responsibilities. The group experiential theme, ‘beggars can’t be choosers,’ resonates with the trade-offs these working mothers had to make. They prioritized job security, which came at the expense of job satisfaction and well-being. The study sheds light on the subjective dimensions of underemployment and argues that employment policy must move beyond quantitative metrics such as salary amount and job precarity. There is a critical need to address the invisible psychological costs borne by low-income mothers who are sustaining their families.