1. More moms are staying home
The share of mothers who do not work outside the home has risen over the past decade.
2. Stay-at-home moms are more likely to be impoverished
34% of stay-at-home mothers are poor, compared with 12% of working mothers. They are also less likely to be white and more likely to be immigrants.
3. Stay-at-home moms in poverty have doubled since 1970
While more stay-at-home moms are in poverty — those with working husbands generally are better off than those without. However, stay-at-home moms with working husbands are not as well off financially as married mothers who work outside the home.
4. Home by choice or obligation?
- Married stay-at-home mothers with working husbands are more likely to say caring for family is their primary reason for being home.
- Single and cohabiting stay-at-home mothers are more likely to say they are ill or disabled, unable to find a job, or enrolled in school
Overall, a growing share of stay-at-home mothers say they are home because they cannot find a job: 6% in 2012, versus 1% in 2000.
More Research Findings
1. Majority of Stay-at-Home Moms Consider Going Back to Work
Research firm Reach Advisors conducted a study that found 57% of moms think about going back to work someday.
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