Shift in Family Work Arrangements in America
According to a study released by the Pew Research Center on Monday, families with stay-at-home dads are now a minority in the United States.
Analyzing U.S. Census data, the study reveals a significant decrease in families where fathers work full-time and mothers stay at home—from 42% in 1975 to just 23% in 2025. Interestingly, the proportion of families where both parents are employed full-time has risen to 52%, up from 31% in 1975, making this the most common arrangement in American households.
Pew noted that families where both parents work—at least part-time—tend to experience greater economic advantages compared to those with a full-time working father and a stay-at-home mother. Conversely, families with full-time working fathers and unemployed mothers generally view their situation positively concerning their children’s well-being.
The report also mentioned that parents across all work arrangements reported more positive than negative effects on their relationships. However, parents in families where the father works full-time and the mother either works part-time or is unemployed tend to express a more favorable perspective.
Additionally, the study highlighted educational disparities. Mothers who self-identified as having “some college education or less” were much less likely to hold full-time jobs; 43% of these mothers were in households with two full-time working parents. In contrast, those with some form of higher education showed higher full-time employment rates—56% of mothers with bachelor’s degrees and 69% of those with graduate degrees were fully employed.
The findings also indicated differences based on education and racial backgrounds. Since 2000, the percentage of households with two full-time parents has increased for both white and Asian families. About 60% of black households have both parents working full-time, a trend that has remained steady since 2000. For Hispanic families, the figures have remained relatively stable, with 44% of households having two full-time parents in 2025, compared to 45% in 2000.
