Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

A Rise in Stay-at-Home Mothers Reverses a Long Trend

A rising share of mothers (29% in 2012) do not work outside the home, a trend that reverses decades of decline in stay-at-home motherhood, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of government data. The turnaround appears to be driven by a mix of demographic, economic and societal factors.

The report also includes demographic analysis showing that stay-at-home mothers generally are less educated and less well off than working mothers. It explores time use data and public opinion data about working and stay-at-home mothers.

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