Working Parents
Employed Parents in the Labor Force
- In 2010, there were 25,317,000 married couples with children under 18 in the United States.1
- In 2009, the overall labor force participation rate of all mothers with children under 18 was 71.4%, compared to 93.8% of all fathers with children under 18. For married mothers with children under 18, the rate was 69.6%.2
- The labor force participation rate of married mothers with children under 3 years old increased from 32.7% in 1975 to 59.1% in 2008.3
Single-Parent Families
- In 2010, there were 9,924,000 single parent families with children under 18 maintained by the mother, (84.9% of all single parent families with children under 18). 65.4% of those mothers were employed.4
- There were 2,234,000 single parent families with children under 3 maintained by the mother, (91.5% of all single parent families with children under 3). 53.4% of those mothers are employed.5
- There were 1,278,000 single parent families with children under 18 maintained by the father, (10.9% of all single parent families with children under 18). 72.5% of those fathers were employed.6
- There were 207,000 single parent families with children under 3 maintained by the father, 8.4% of all single parent families with children under 3. 70.6% of those fathers were employed.7
Mothers
- According to the 2010 Benefits Survey from the Society for Human Resource Management:8
- 17% of organizations offered paid maternity leave (other than what is covered by short-term disability)
- 28% offer a lactation program or designated area
- In Fiscal Year 2010, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received 6,119 charges of pregnancy-based discrimination. 9
- The proportion of mothers with newborns in the workforce increased from 57% in 2006 to 61% in 2008.10
- In 2008, 25% of mothers with newborns were in poverty (only 6% received public assistance).11
- In 2008, 6% of mothers with newborns were looking for work.12
Fathers
- According to the 2010 Benefits Survey from the Society for Human Resource Management, 17% of organizations offered paid paternity leave.13
- A Families and Work Institute survey found that the average maximum job-guaranteed leave for men following the birth of their child decreased from 13.1 weeks in 1998 to 12.6 weeks in 2008.14
- A 2003 study found that men who took leave for birth or eldercare were rated more negatively than their male counterparts who did not take leave. The study also indicated that male evaluators were more judgmental of male leave-takers than were female evaluators.15
Family Responsibility Discrimination
- Family Responsibility Discrimination, or FRD, is a form of sex discrimination against employees due to their family-caring responsibilities for children (including during pregnancy), elderly parents, or ill relatives. Despite good performance, employees who are victims of FRD might be:16
- Passed over for a promotion or a position; 17
- Questioned about their intentions to have children; 18
- Victims of pay discrimination; 19
- Harassed; 20
- Fired;
- Experiencing a hostile work environment;21
- Failing to promote qualified employees with children in lieu of promotions to women without children or to fathers 22
- Or otherwise penalized or retaliated against. 23 24
- FRD cases have risen over 400% between 1995 and 2005. 25
* Numbers do not equal exact total due to rounding.
SOURCES
1 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Statistics, Families and Living Arrangements, "Table FG1: Married Couple Family Groups, by Labor Force Status of Both Spouses, and Race and Hispanic Origin of the Reference Person: 2010" (2010).
2 Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Characteristics of Families, "Table 5: Employment status of the population by sex, marital status, and presence and age of own children under 18, 2008-09 annual averages" (2010).
3 U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract, "Table 599: Labor Force Participation Rates for Wives, Husband Present, by Age of Own Youngest Child: 1975 to 2008" (2011).
4 U.S. Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements, "Table FG5: One-Parent Unmarried Family Groups with Own Children Under 18, by Labor Force Status of the Reference Person: 2010" (2010).
5 U.S. Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements, "Table FG5: One-Parent Unmarried Family Groups with Own Children Under 18, by Labor Force Status of the Reference Person: 2010" (2010).
6 U.S. Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements, "Table FG5: One-Parent Unmarried Family Groups with Own Children Under 18, by Labor Force Status of the Reference Person: 2010" (2010).
7 U.S. Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements, "Table FG5: One-Parent Unmarried Family Groups with Own Children Under 18, by Labor Force Status of the Reference Person: 2010" (2010).
8 Society for Human Resource Management, "Table E-1, Table F-1," 2010 Benefits Survey Report (2010).
9 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, "Pregnancy Discrimination Charges EEOC & FEPAs Combined: FY 1997 - FY 2010" (2010)
10 Jane Lawler Dye, "Fertility of American Women: 2008," U.S. Census Current Population Reports (2010).
11 Jane Lawler Dye, "Fertility of American Women: 2008," U.S. Census Current Population Reports (2010).
12 Jane Lawler Dye, "Fertility of American Women: 2008," U.S. Census Current Population Reports (2010).
13 Society for Human Resource Management, "Table E-1, Table F-1," 2010 Benefits Survey Report (2010).
14 Families and Work Institute, "Table 6: Caregiving Leaves from 1998 to 2008," 2008 National Study of Employers (2008).
15 Julie Holliday Wayne and Bryanne L. Cordeiro, "Who is a Good Organizational Citizen? Social Perception of Male and Female Employees Who Use Family Leave," Sex Roles, vol. 49 (5,6) September 2003.
16 Sloan Work and Family Research Network and Work Life Law, "Addressing Family Responsibilities Discrimination," Work-family Information for State Legislators (2008): vol. 16.
17 Sloan Work and Family Research Network and Work Life Law, "Addressing Family Responsibilities Discrimination," Work-family Information for State Legislators (2008): vol. 16.
18 Sloan Work and Family Research Network and Work Life Law, "Addressing Family Responsibilities Discrimination," Work-family Information for State Legislators (2008): vol. 16.
19 Sloan Work and Family Research Network and Work Life Law, "Addressing Family Responsibilities Discrimination," Work-family Information for State Legislators (2008): vol. 16.
20 Sloan Work and Family Research Network and Work Life Law, "Addressing Family Responsibilities Discrimination," Work-family Information for State Legislators (2008): vol. 16.
21 Sloan Work and Family Research Network and Work Life Law, "Addressing Family Responsibilities Discrimination," Work-family Information for State Legislators (2008): vol. 16.
22 Sloan Work and Family Research Network and Work Life Law, "Addressing Family Responsibilities Discrimination," Work-family Information for State Legislators (2008): vol. 16.
23 Sloan Work and Family Research Network and Work Life Law, "Addressing Family Responsibilities Discrimination," Work-family Information for State Legislators (2008): vol. 16.
24 Work Life Law, "Issue Brief: Current Law Prohibits Discrimination Based on Family Responsibilities & Gender Stereotyping" (Summer 2006).
25 Sloan Work and Family Research Network and Work Life Law, "Addressing Family Responsibilities Discrimination," Work-family Information for State Legislators (2008): vol. 16.
UPDATED: February 17, 2011
