For many working parents, the line between work and home has become increasingly blurred, with majorities reporting that parenting responsibilities regularly spill into the workday and work obligations often follow them home, according to a new Pew Research Center report.
The report, released Tuesday, found that 70% of full-time working parents say they handle parenting-related tasks while at work, while 59% say they take care of work-related tasks while spending time with their children. More than half, 54%, said balancing work and family responsibilities is difficult. The findings are based on a survey of 2,242 U.S. working parents conducted in March.
Researchers found working mothers face particularly acute challenges. Among full-time working moms, 62% said balancing work and family responsibilities is difficult, compared with 47% of fathers. Mothers were also more likely to say they felt unable to give 100% at home or at work because they were juggling competing responsibilities.
The survey found that 52% of full-time working parents believe their job makes it harder to be a good parent, while 45% said being a parent makes it harder to advance professionally. Six in 10 parents said they spend too little time with their children, largely because of work obligations. Nearly half reported missing school events, sporting activities or other milestones due to work responsibilities.
Workplace flexibility emerged as one of the biggest concerns. More than 70% of working parents said flexibility to work from home when needed or choose their work hours would be highly helpful, yet only about one-quarter said they have significant access to either option. Paid family leave also remains out of reach for many workers, particularly those with lower incomes.
Income played a major role in parents’ experiences. Lower-income working parents were far less likely than higher-income parents to have access to health insurance, paid time off, paid family leave or remote work options. They were also much more likely to worry about losing pay or even losing their job if they needed time off to care for a sick child or address childcare issues.
The report also found that mothers continue to shoulder more responsibilities at home. Among households where both parents work full time, 52% said mothers handle more day-to-day parenting tasks, while 43% said mothers perform more household chores. Only 39% of parents said childcare duties are shared equally.
Childcare costs remain another major challenge. Nearly half of working parents with children age 5 or younger said finding affordable childcare that meets their needs is difficult. Parents across income levels identified cost as the single biggest obstacle, while many also cited difficulties finding care with suitable hours, locations and educational opportunities.
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