Over 50% of Women Earn More Than Their Husbands in the US
The landscape of earning is changing in the 21st century. More women are breaking the glass ceiling as they earn more than their husbands.
A new report from the Pew Research Center has found that more than 50% of women in the US now earn higher than their partners.
In addition, 55% of opposite-sex partnerships have a husband who is the primary breadwinner. This record was reduced from 85% 50 years ago.
While this fact sets an important shift from traditional gender roles in the past, the report also shows that the division of household chores has hardly changed.
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A certified financial planner and CEO of Francis Financial New York, Stacy Francis, said, “The reality is, the majority of traditional marriages still adhere to traditional gender roles.”
Women still tend to do the majority of household responsibilities and caregiving. This is even though they are earning more and getting higher levels of education.
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Pew’s senior researcher Richard Fry said, “Even though there may be more egalitarian marriages, their duties at home have not been equalized.”
He continued, “The gender imbalance in time spent on caregiving persists, even in marriages where wives are the breadwinners.”
NEW: The share of married women in the U.S. who earn as much as or significantly more than their husband has roughly tripled over the past 50 years. https://t.co/85FvJn0b9T
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) April 13, 2023
How can couples address and balance home workloads?
The disparity in household chores can create additional stress for women already balancing careers and home responsibilities. However, there is still hope for the better.
Couples can have open conversations about balance in responsibilities. They can also create plans to tackle them together. This way, couples can better acknowledge and balance the workloads at home.
It’s evident that there’s progress in terms of women’s earning potential. But there’s still a long way to go to achieve equality at home.
Furthermore, there’s a better future for everyone by progressing to have open communication and action toward an equal distribution of house labor.
