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Labor force participation rate was 73.9 percent for mothers and 93.7 percent for fathers in 2025

May 01, 2026

The labor force participation rate (the percentage of the population working or looking for work) for all mothers with children under age 18 was 73.9 percent in 2025, little changed from the prior year. The participation rate for fathers with children under age 18 was also little changed at 93.7 percent in 2025.

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Chart Data

Labor force participation rate by sex and age of children, 1995–2025
Year	With own children under 18			With own children 6 to 17, none younger			With own children under 6
Year	Total	Men	Women	Total	Men	Women	Total	Men	Women
1995	80.3	94.1	69.8	83.7	93.0	76.6	76.6	95.5	62.3
1996	81.1	94.5	70.8	84.5	93.5	77.5	77.2	95.6	63.2
1997	81.8	94.6	71.9	84.7	93.6	77.9	78.3	95.8	64.8
1998	81.8	94.6	71.8	84.5	93.5	77.6	78.6	96.1	64.9
1999	82.0	94.6	72.2	84.8	93.4	78.2	78.5	96.1	64.8
2000	82.1	94.7	72.3	85.1	93.5	78.7	78.4	96.1	64.6
2001	81.9	94.6	72.1	85.0	93.6	78.3	78.1	95.8	64.3
2002	81.6	94.3	71.8	84.8	93.3	78.2	77.7	95.5	63.7
2003	81.2	94.1	71.1	84.5	93.1	77.8	77.2	95.4	62.8
2004	80.7	94.1	70.4	84.1	93.1	77.3	76.5	95.4	61.8
2005	80.7	94.1	70.5	83.7	93.0	76.5	77.0	95.4	62.8
2006	81.0	94.1	70.9	83.8	93.1	76.7	77.5	95.4	63.5
2007	81.4	94.3	71.0	84.3	93.2	77.2	77.8	95.7	63.3
2008	81.5	94.1	71.4	84.3	93.1	77.3	77.9	95.4	64.0
2009	81.3	93.8	71.4	84.2	92.7	77.3	77.8	95.1	64.2
2010	80.9	93.7	70.8	83.7	92.8	76.5	77.5	94.7	63.9
2011	80.6	93.5	70.6	83.3	92.6	76.1	77.4	94.5	63.9
2012	80.4	93.1	70.3	82.6	92.2	75.1	77.7	94.2	64.6
2013	80.0	92.8	69.9	82.3	91.9	74.7	77.2	93.9	63.9
2014	80.1	92.8	70.1	82.2	91.6	74.7	77.5	94.2	64.2
2015	80.0	92.7	69.9	82.1	91.8	74.4	77.4	93.9	64.2
2016	80.4	92.8	70.5	82.5	91.9	75.0	77.8	94.0	64.7
2017	80.8	92.8	71.1	82.8	91.7	75.7	78.2	94.1	65.1
2018	81.3	93.3	71.5	83.4	92.2	76.4	78.5	94.5	65.1
2019	81.8	93.4	72.3	83.6	92.0	76.8	79.4	95.0	66.4
2020	80.7	92.3	71.2	82.5	91.4	75.4	78.4	93.4	65.8
2021	80.8	92.5	71.2	82.6	91.5	75.5	78.5	93.9	65.6
2022	81.9	92.9	72.9	83.5	91.8	76.7	79.9	94.4	67.9
2023	82.8	93.4	74.0	84.4	92.4	77.8	80.7	94.6	68.9
2024	82.8	93.5	74.0	84.5	92.5	78.0	80.5	94.9	68.3
2025	82.9	93.7	73.9	84.6	92.5	78.2	80.5	95.3	68.0
Note: Annual estimates for 2025 are 11-month averages that exclude October. Data for October 2025 were not collected due to the federal government shutdown. Beginning with 2012, estimates reflect improved methodology that provides more accurate estimates of mothers and fathers. Data for earlier years are not strictly comparable.

Mothers of younger children remained less likely to participate in the labor force than mothers with older children. In 2025, 68.0 percent of mothers with children under age 6 participated in the labor force compared with 78.2 percent of mothers whose youngest child was ages 6 to 17. Conversely, fathers with children under age 6 were more likely to participate in the labor force than those whose youngest child was ages 6 to 17 (95.3 percent versus 92.5 percent).

These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see "Employment Characteristics of Families — 2025." Parents are people with biological, step-, or adopted children who are under age 18 and living in the household. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, other related and unrelated children, and children not living in the household.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Labor force participation rate was 73.9 percent for mothers and 93.7 percent for fathers in 2025 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/labor-force-participation-rate-was-73-9-percent-for-mothers-and-93-7-percent-for-fathers-in-2025.htm (visited May 02, 2026).

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