Key facts
- A Pew Research Center survey found 54% of U.S. working parents struggle to balance work and family.
- 70% of parents handle parenting tasks during work hours, and 59% handle work tasks while with children.
- Mothers report greater difficulty balancing work and family than fathers do.
- Lower-income parents have less access to crucial workplace benefits like paid leave.
- The proportion of dual-income, full-time working families has risen significantly since 1975.
A survey by the Pew Research Center reveals that a significant majority of working parents in the United States feel they are in a constant struggle to balance their professional responsibilities with their family lives.
The report, based on a survey of 2,242 working parents conducted in March 2026, found that 54% of parents find it difficult to balance work and family, with many feeling they cannot dedicate 100% to either sphere.
This struggle is particularly pronounced for mothers, with 62% reporting difficulty balancing work and family, compared to 47% of fathers. In heterosexual couples where both partners work full-time, over half of respondents indicated that the mother takes on more parenting tasks.
Parents frequently blur the lines between work and home, with 70% reporting handling parenting-related tasks while working and 59% handling work-related tasks when with their children. This constant juggling act leads many to feel they are not meeting expectations in either role.
Access to workplace benefits, such as paid time off and paid leave, varies significantly by income level. Lower-income parents are less likely to have these benefits and more likely to fear losing pay or their job if they need to miss work for family reasons.
While flexibility to work from home is highly valued, only 24% of parents who can telework report having substantial flexibility. Even for those who work from home regularly, it does not necessarily ease the burden of balancing job and family life.
The survey also highlighted a demographic shift, with the proportion of families where both parents work full-time increasing to 52% in 2025, up from 31% in 1975, underscoring the growing prevalence of the dual-income household and the associated challenges.