White House Report: Nine Facts About American Families and Work

Today, the President will host the first ever White House Summit on Working Families to spark a national conversation, keep making progress, and identify solutions that are good for both workers and employers – and that go right at the heart of the economic stresses and the emotional strains that families are going through.  In order to stay competitive and economically successful, American businesses and our country as a whole need to bring our workplace policies into the 21st century.

In advance of the Summit, the Council of Economic Advisers released a report, Nine Facts About American Families and Work, that illustrates the changes that are needed to ensure our long-term economic growth, maintain our economic competiveness, improve the well-being of Americans, and make full use of America’s talent. 

Here are the nine facts:

 Fact 1: Mothers are increasingly the household breadwinners

 Fact 2: Fathers are increasingly family caregivers

 Fact 3: Women make up nearly half of today’s labor force.

 Fact 4: Women are increasingly among our most skilled workers, attaining the majority of college degrees, and deepening their work experiences.

 Fact 5: Most children live in households where all parents work.

 Fact 6: Caregiving doesn’t end when the children are grown: eldercare is a growing
responsibility of workers.

 Fact 7: Men and women alike face challenges as they try to balance work and family

 Fact 8: Many workplaces have not kept up with the needs of 21st century workers and
families.

 Fact 9: Providing workplace flexibility and paid leave strengthens families, businesses, and our economy.

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