Record number of US families now have both parents working full time, survey finds [View all]
Source: Scripps News
Posted 3:27 PM, Jun 17, 2026
A record share of American families now have both parents working full time. According to a new Pew Research Center study, 52% of two-parent households with children under the age of 18 are full-time dual-income earners — an increase of 21 points since 1975.
Meanwhile, the share of families where the father works full time and the mother isn't employed has dropped from 42% in 1975 to 23% last year, according to the survey. More than 8 in 10 parents cite finances as a reason for why both parents work full time, but less than half say it's had a positive impact on their children's well-being, and 22% say the effect has been negative.
It comes as the days of households earning $100,000 per year being considered upper-middle class appear to be coming to an end in some parts of the country.
According to a recent report by MoneyLion, a household income of $100,000 would put families in 12 states into the lower-middle class — defined as households making anywhere from two-thirds to twice the annual median income.
Read more: https://www.scrippsnews.com/business/jobs-employment/record-number-of-us-families-now-have-both-parents-working-full-time-survey-finds
Link to Pew Research Center REPORT - How family work arrangements have changed over time
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