Majority of US families now have both parents working full-time

For the first time in US history, more than half (52%) of two-parent families now have both parents working full time.

The numbers are up from 46% a decade ago and 31% in 1975, according to a Pew Research Center study.

Another 14% of working parents are unmarried or live without a partner.

The survey of 2,242 working parents reveals shifting trends over the last 25 years.

Education was a key factor in mothers’ workforce participation: 69% of those with advanced degrees worked full time, compared with 56% of mothers holding bachelor’s degrees and 43% of those with less education.

Balancing work and childcare has become the norm, with 70% of parents managing both. About 81% of mothers and 62% of fathers report handling parenting responsibilities during work hours, while 63% of mothers and 57% of fathers say they attend to work tasks during family time.

Additionally, 58% struggle to find time to exercise, affecting 65% of moms and 52% of dads.

Financially, 83% of dual-income couples see a positive impact, though only 49% see it as beneficial for their children’s well-being. Around 33% of Americans cite high living costs as their main financial issue, up from 3% in 2020.

LendingTree’s recent analysis found that raising a child until age 18 now costs over $300,000, compared to $165,630 roughly 25 years ago.

To afford childcare under federal affordability guidelines, a family with two children would need to earn more than $400,000 a year. For most households, that remains out of reach. At the same time, women continue to shoulder nearly two-thirds of caregiving responsibilities—unpaid work valued at $683 billion, according to the National Partnership for Women & Families.