Women Are Working More & Still the Default Caregivers

A new Pew Research Center study highlights a persistent reality: women are working more, yet are still widely expected to serve as family caregivers. Is that financially sustainable—let alone emotionally?

The study, which examines women’s employment, earnings, and caregiving responsibilities across different stages of family life, shows how these roles intersect in 2026. It also highlights the heavy burdens women face, including, for some Latina women, supporting multiple generations in one household or family members living in another country.

Pew’s report finds that 74 percent of women with children under 18 were working or looking for work in 2025, compared with 94 percent of men with children. These figures reflect a shift away from the prevalence of stay-at-home mothers in past decades. Despite this, women earned about 86 cents for every dollar men earned. The gap narrowed from the 1980s to the 2000s and has remained steady since.

Women also tend to take on more caregiving responsibilities. Among adults with an older parent, spouse, or partner, women were more likely than men to report providing care. In addition, 59 percent of parents with adult children ages 18–34 provided them with financial assistance in 2025. As a result, women may care for children from a young age, support them into adulthood, and later care for aging parents.

The report also shows how women’s career trajectories diverge from men’s as they age, as family caregiving becomes a greater priority. Pew points to a concerning trend: even when spouses earn about the same—or when the wife is the sole or primary breadwinner (16 percent)—the division of labor at home may not reflect their shared financial contributions.

Overall, the research suggests that women bear the greatest financial and career costs when they become default caregivers while maintaining steady employment. These responsibilities can shape women’s long-term economic trajectories relative to men’s. They may become financially unsustainable at certain life stages, such as early postpartum and infant-care years, or when women care for children and aging parents at the same time.