One-in-five stay-at-home parents in the U.S. are now dads thanks to economic and social changes.
Key Details
- An updated Pew Research study found that the number of dads staying at home and parenting kids has increased from 4% in 1989 to 23% in 2021.
- 18% of dads no longer work for pay, compared to 5% at the turn of the century.
- 80% of women who choose to stay home do so to raise their children, compared to just 23% of men.
- Men generally leave the workforce due to retirement (13%), inability to find a job (13%), academic pursuits (8%), or some form of sickness or disability (23%).
Why It’s Important
The pandemic years changed everything—from the economy, to how employees work, to how gender roles have historically functioned. Remote work has become the norm, and younger generations are seeking less validation from work to find meaning in their lives.
This is now reflected in men starting to leave the workforce in favor of focusing on fatherhood. Men now find it more socially acceptable and rewarding to stay home with their kids rather than necessarily be the breadwinner.
The change is most notable among less educated, older, and lower-class men. Stay-at-home dads are less likely to have completed a bachelor’s degree than dads who work, are more likely to live in poverty, and are more commonly over the age of 45. Stay-at-home dads also tend to be more diverse than the general population.
Notable Quote
“There is a bit of a shift among the nation’s fathers. Is it huge? No. But there seems to be some evidence that changing gender norms are contributing to the rise in stay-at-home dads. If you’re a better-educated dad, you’re less likely to be a stay-at-home father,” says Pew researcher Richard Fry to Business Insider.