Mother's Day: 6 interesting facts about motherhood in the US

Mother’s Day is on Sunday 10 May

Interesting facts about what it means to be a mother in the US (Stock)

This weekend, people across the US will celebrate their mothers on Mother’s Day.

Since it was established as a holiday in 1914, Mother’s Day in America has taken place on the second Sunday of May and is typically marked with flowers, gifts and breakfast in bed.

While this year’s celebration on Sunday 10 May may look slightly different as a result of social distancing precautions, with Zoom expected to replace brunch, the opportunity to celebrate mothers is more important than ever as they take on the roles of teachers and daycare workers amid lockdown.

On Mother’s Day, these are some interesting facts to know about mothers in the US.

Nearly one-in-four mothers are raising their children on their own

According to the Pew Research Center, 24 per cent of US mothers are single parents, with research finding “about 9m mothers are living with a child younger than 18 without a spouse or partner”.

Single motherhood is most common among black mothers, accounting for 56 per cent, while 26 per cent of Hispanic mothers, 17 per cent of white mothers and nine per cent of Asian mothers are solo parents.

Alternatively, only seven per cent of fathers are raising a child without a spouse or partner.

In 2018, mothers in the US gave birth to 3,791,712 children

The same year, the mean age of mothers at first birth was 26.9 years, according to the CDC’s National Vital Statistics Report.

The majority of women aged 40 to 44 who have earned a PhD have also given birth

In 2014, 80 per cent of women aged 40 to 44 with a PhD or professional degree had given birth, according to the Pew Research Center, up from 65 per cent in 1994.

Mothers are spending more time in the workforce – and on childcare duties

In 2016, mothers spent roughly 25 hours a week on paid work, up from nine hours in 1965, Pew researchers found.

During the same time, mothers spent 14 hours a week on child care – up from 10 hours a week in 1965.

Mothers are the primary breadwinners in four-in-10 US families

In 1960, only 11 per cent of households were led by breadwinner moms, according to Pew researchers.

Of the 13.7m mothers who were found to be their household’s primary breadwinner in 2011, 8.6m were single women while 5.1m were married and made more than their husbands.

In 2015, Pew researchers found that in 46 per cent of households with a mother and father, both parents were employed full time – up from 31 per cent in 1970.

Even when working full-time, mothers make only 71 cents for every dollar paid to fathers

According to a National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) analysis of Census data in 2918, mothers in the workforce lose $16,000 annually because of the motherhood wage gap – which exists in every state.