A recent Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data found that a record 52% of different-sex couples with children under age 18 had both parents working full time in 2025. This marks the first time a majority of such families have dual full-time earners, up from 31% in 1975 and 46% a decade ago.

Shift in Family Dynamics

The share of families with a full-time working father and a mother not employed fell to 23% from 42% over the same period. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2025, both spouses were employed in 49.1% of all married-couple families, down slightly from 49.6% the prior year.

Among married-couple families with children, the figure for both parents being employed is higher, at 66.3%. The traditional single-earner model, where the father works full-time and the mother is not employed, dominated in the mid-20th century but has declined sharply, according to Pew Research analysis.

Changing Marriage Rates and Family Structures

Marriage rates have also fallen, with fewer than half of U.S. households (47%) being married-couple households in 2025, down from 66% 50 years earlier, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The marriage rate stood at 6.1 per 1,000 population in recent CDC data.

Lower marriage rates mean that the two-parent families that still form today are more likely to be dual-earner households, according to the Brookings Institution. Married couples, especially those with higher incomes and college degrees, are more likely to have both parents working full time.

Rising costs for housing, childcare, and education have pushed many families toward two full-time incomes. Pew found that 83% of dual full-time parents said the arrangement benefits their family’s finances.

Women’s labor force participation has increased significantly since the 1970s, driven by expanded opportunities in service and professional sectors, higher education attainment, and changing social norms. Employed mothers are more likely to work full-time today than in previous decades.

Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.