The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
Financial pressures are driving the shift, and more than 8 in 10 parents say money is a reason both parents work full time.
- According to a new Pew Research Center analysis of 2025 Census Bureau data, 52% of heterosexual couples with children under 18 have both parents working full-time, up 21 points since 1975.
- Financial necessity drives this shift, as more than 8 in 10 parents cite money as the reason for dual-income arrangements, while families where only the father works full-time dropped from 42% in 1975 to 23% last year.
- Educational background shapes these dynamics, with 69% of mothers holding postgraduate degrees working full-time alongside partners; 54% of Asian mothers and 60% of Black mothers remain in dual-income households.
- Balancing work and family responsibilities remains difficult, with more than half of working parents struggling to manage these demands while raising a child costs more than $300,000 over 18 years.
- While 80% of dual-income parents report a financial boost, 22% say the arrangement negatively affects children's well-being, though Wharton School economist Corinne Low noted, "Working moms today are spending more time with their kids than stay-at-home moms when we were kids.
37 Articles
37 Articles
70% of full-time working parents juggle work and child duties simultaneously, and moms feel it most
Most mothers and fathers who work full-time say they sometimes parent while at work and vice versa. Most are upset to miss out on events with their kids, and many don’t have enough time to exercise. But moms and dads seem to have different perceptions on who does most of the chores, and mothers were more likely than fathers to say that having children made it harder to advance at work. Those are some of the findings about full-time working paren…
Associated Press News
What full-time working moms and dads want, by the numbers
Most mothers and fathers who work full-time say they sometimes parent while at work and vice versa. Most are upset to miss out on events with their kids, and many don’t have enough time to exercise.
Both Parents Working Full Time is the Majority Way - The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity
The norm in America used to be for one parent to stay home, looking after the home and children. Over time, that situation has increasingly become uncommon as economic pressure has pushed both parents to hold full-time jobs. A new report from the Pew Research Center indicates that an American family with children under 18 years old having mom, or sometimes dad, either not working or working only part time has transitioned to being the situation …
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