---
title: "The Harried Life of the Working Mother"
description: "Four-in-ten working mothers (40%) say they always feel rushed."
date: "2012-05-08"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2012/05/08/the-harried-life-of-the-working-mother/"
---

# The Harried Life of the Working Mother

Working mothers now comprise half the US workforce,.and many of these women feel there aren’t enough hours in the day. Four-in-ten (40%) say they always feel rushed, compared with 25% of stay-at-home moms and 25% of working dads. But despite these pressures and conflicts, working moms, overall, are as likely as at-home moms and working dads to say they’re happy with their lives.

Working mothers are ambivalent about whether full-time work is the best thing for them or their children; they feel the tug of family much more acutely than do working fathers. As a result, most working mothers find themselves in a situation that they say is less than ideal.

A majority of Americans (75%) reject the idea that women should return to traditional roles in society, and most believe that men and women should contribute to family income. A majority (61%) of working moms surveyed said they would prefer to work part time; 79% of working dads say they prefer full-time work. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2009/10/01/the-harried-life-of-the-working-mother/)