Record number of US families now have both parents working full time, survey finds

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