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

Russell Heimlich  is a former web developer at Pew Research Center.