Education and Action Center

Times have changed over the years. Even in a weak economy, mothers are working.

In 2013, among mothers with school-age children (ages 6 – 17), 74.7 percent were working.
In 2013, among mothers with children under age 6, 63.9 percent were working.
In 2013, among mothers with infants under a year old, 57.3 percent were working.

Among married couples in 2013, in only 19 percent of couples did the father go to work and the mother stay home compared to 36 percent of couples in 1967. Today, mothers are the primary wage earner in 40 percent of families with children under the age of 18.

If Ozzie and Harriet or Leave it to Beaver were filmed today, both Harriet Nelson and June Cleaver would likely be working. But, in 1960, only 35 percent of women worked.

Today's Reality

Today, it’s pretty much all hands on deck to make ends meet. However, employment alone does not guarantee an income above poverty. More than two-thirds of poor children lived in families where one or more parents worked.

What does it take to address the needs of working families? There are many challenges for families with children today, but for starters, check out M.I.T.'s Living Wage Calculator (you can search it by state, by county).

How can we ensure that the next generation is ready to succeed and lead?

It’s no secret that today’s economy is increasingly fueled by information and innovation, which require an educated workforce.

Studies show:

Improving high school dropout rates can save as much as $11 billion annually in welfare, food stamps, and housing assistance.
A high school degree is worth about $569,000 more over a lifetime than being a high school dropout.

Throughout the United States, the link between education and jobs is clear:

64 percent of all jobs (2.8 million jobs) will require some postsecondary training beyond high school by 2018.

It’s time to look at every possible way to improve student performance and increase high school graduation and college and career readiness – particularly among minorities and students from low income families – those with the highest high school dropout rates.