Who is the primary breadwinner in the United States?

Women are not only more likely to be the primary caregivers in a family. Increasingly, they are primary breadwinners, too. Four in 10 American households with children under age 18 now include a mother who is either the sole or primary earner for her family, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census and polling data released Wednesday.

Who are the primary caregivers in a family?

Women are not only more likely to be the primary caregivers in a family. Four in 10 American households with children under age 18 now include a mother who is either the sole or primary earner for her family, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census and polling data released Wednesday. The shift reflects evolving family dynamics.

Is it good for women to be primary breadwinners?

It would be really great for women to be open about how wonderful it is to be the primary breadwinner and how their husbands take care of the kids. Once women have achieved a certain level, it’s almost incumbent upon them to try to be as honest as possible about their situation in order to break as many stereotypes as possible.

Why are women on the rise as family breadwinner?

This share, the highest on record, has quadrupled since 1960. The shift reflects evolving family dynamics. For one, it has become more acceptable and expected for married women to join the work force. It is also more common for single women to raise children on their own.

Why is it important to have a primary caregiver policy?

Primary-caregiver policies are holdovers from the days when maternity leave was available to birth mothers only, with partners and adoptive parents left out in the cold. Such policies reflect the assumption that families will have one primary caregiver, supported by a partner with few, or no, caregiving responsibilities.

Why are primary caregiver policies counterproductive for employers?

Primary-caregiver policies are also counterproductive to employer efforts to recruit and retain women, who leave industries like tech at twice the rate of their male counterparts. Research shows that the more parental leave fathers take, the more likely mothers are to return to work full-time.

Do you have to be a primary caregiver for maternity leave?

The most common misstep is making paid leave contingent on employees identifying as “primary caregivers.” Primary-caregiver policies are holdovers from the days when maternity leave was available to birth mothers only, with partners and adoptive parents left out in the cold.

What’s the old fashioned model of a breadwinner?

It’s the old-fashioned homemaker/breadwinner model clothed in a tissue-thin veneer of gender neutrality.