2015-11-03-皮尤-How_Working_Parents_Share_Parenting_and_Household_Responsibilities_23页_684kb

Summary of "Raising Kids and Running a Household: How Working Parents Share the Load"

Core Content

This report by the Pew Research Center, released in November 2015, examines the division of labor between working parents in two-parent households in the United States. It highlights the increasing trend of both mothers and fathers working full time, the challenges of balancing work and family, and the gendered perceptions of who does more at home and who earns more.

Key Findings

1. Work Participation in Two-Parent Households

• 46% of two-parent households have both parents working full time, up from 31% in 1970.
• The percentage of two-parent households where the father works full time and the mother does not has dropped from 46% to 26%.
• 56% of all working parents with children under 18 find it difficult to balance work and family responsibilities.
• 60% of working mothers and 52% of working fathers say it is difficult.

2. Work-Family Balance Challenges

• 14% of working parents say balancing work and family is very difficult.
• 41% of working mothers say being a parent has made it harder to advance in their career, compared to 20% of working fathers.
• Full-time working mothers are more likely than other groups to report that parenting interferes with career advancement.
• 4-in-10 full-time working moms say they always feel rushed, while 10% never feel rushed.

3. Division of Household and Childcare Responsibilities

• In two-parent households where both parents work full time, 59% say responsibilities are shared equally, while 31% say the mother does more and 9% say the father does more.
• 54% say the mother does more managing children's schedules and activities.
• 47% say the mother does more when children are sick.
• Mothers are more likely than fathers to report that they do more of the household work, with 41% of mothers saying they do more compared to 8% of fathers.

4. Career Focus and Earnings

• 62% of parents in two-parent households with both working full time say both are equally focused on their careers.
• 22% say the father is more focused, and 15% say the mother is.
• 59% of parents in such households say the father earns more, 17% say the mother earns more, and 23% say they earn about the same.
• 83% of parents in households where the father works full time and the mother part time or not at all say the father earns more.

5. Perceptions of Work-Family Balance

• There is a significant gender gap in how parents perceive the division of labor. Mothers are more likely to say they do more than their partner.
• Fathers are more likely to report that responsibilities are shared equally.
• Mothers with college degrees are more likely to say balancing work and family is difficult than those without (70% vs. 52%).
• White parents are more likely than non-white parents to say balancing work and family is difficult.

6. Impact on Parental Well-being

• 32% of parents who find it difficult to balance work and family say parenting is stressful all or most of the time.
• 39% of full-time working mothers say being a parent is tiring at least most of the time.
• 23% of parents who do not find it difficult say being a parent is tiring.

7. Racial and Gender Differences

• White fathers are more likely than non-white fathers to say they are more focused on their career than their spouse (39% vs. 19%).
• Non-white fathers are more likely than white fathers to say they and their partner are equally focused on their careers (69% vs. 50%).

Conclusion

The report underscores the evolving role of parents in the U.S., with both mothers and fathers increasingly working full time. Despite this shift, the division of labor at home remains largely gendered, with mothers typically taking on more childcare and household responsibilities. While many parents find it challenging to balance work and family, the impact on career advancement is not uniform across genders and education levels. Overall, the findings highlight the ongoing struggle for working parents and the need for more equitable support systems to ease this burden.