Pew Survey Reveals Widespread Struggle for Working Parents Balancing Work and Family

Balancing Act: The Struggle of Working Parents

A new survey from the Pew Research Center reveals that a majority of working parents find it difficult to balance their jobs and family responsibilities.

"There's just no way to be two things at once and give 100% at both."
— Amber Petersen, Legal Assistant

Two-thirds of working mothers report they cannot give 100% at home.
Just over half of working mothers say they cannot give their all at work.

Half of working fathers report they cannot give 100% at home.
About a third of working fathers say they cannot give their all at work.

The survey focused on families with both parents working full time.

A Generational Shift in Family Dynamics

The structure of the American family has changed dramatically over the last 50 years:

• The share of families with both parents working full time rose from 31% in 1975 to 52% in 2025.
• The share of families with fathers working full time and mothers not working dropped from 42% in 1975 to 23% in 2025.

Worry and Economic Pressure

Financial precarity adds a layer of stress, particularly for certain groups:

• More than half of parents with lower incomes, and single mothers in particular, report high worry about losing pay if they unexpectedly leave work for family issues.
• Black and Hispanic parents worry more about this than white and Asian parents.

The Support Gap: Childcare and Remote Work

Many parents lack the structural support needed to manage both roles:

• Nearly half of working parents needing care for school-aged children had difficulty finding summer arrangements.
• Roughly three-quarters of surveyed parents do not have the option to work from home.

Among the minority who do work from home all or nearly all the time, the lines are blurred:

• Close to 40% frequently take care of parenting tasks while working.
• About a third frequently deal with work matters while with their children.

One Family's Reality

Amber Petersen, a legal assistant in Mason City, Iowa, described the challenge. She cited paid sick leave and affordable childcare as policies that would help. Her employer allows flexibility for family emergencies, but she has no paid sick leave and only works paid hours.

Petersen pays $180 per week for childcare for her 4-year-old son. She and her husband would like a fourth child, but she says they cannot afford one due to the rising costs of health insurance, groceries, and gas.

Source: Survey of 2,242 working parents conducted by Pew Research Center.