The share of mothers who are working fell due to COVID-19, regardless of the age of the children % of U.S mothers and fathers with children at home who are employed and at work, by age of youngest child Age of youngest childat home
The downturn did increase unemployment across the board. Among mothers, the share of the working-age population, ages 16 and older, that was not employed increased from 2.2% in September 2019 to 4.7% in September 2020. Fathers saw a similar rise in the share not employed, from 1.7% to 4.5%.
Among mothers, those with children ages 3 and older experienced a slightly greater decrease in the share employed and at work; among fathers, the decrease in this share was greater among those with children younger than 3. Reflecting the gender gap in childcare, mothers with children younger than 3 are less likely to be at work. In September 2020, 53.9% of these mothers were employed and at work, compared with 70.4% of mothers whose youngest child was 14 to 17 years old. These shares have dropped since September 2019 for all groups of mothers, with the decrease among mothers with children ages 3 to 5 or ages 6 to 13 (6.7 percentage points each) being greater than among other mothers.
Among fathers with children younger than 3, the share who were working fell from 91.9% in September 2019 to 85.0% in September 2020. The decrease in workplace activity was more modest among fathers with older children. For example, among fathers with children ages 14 to 17, the overall share who were at work fell from 87.5%% in September 2019 to 85.1% in September 2020.
The share of mothers who are working fell due to  | COVID-19, regardless of the age of the children  | % of U.S mothers and fathers with children at home who are employed and  | at work, by age of youngest child  | Mothers  | Fathers  | Age of youngest childat home  | Younger Sept. 2020  | 53 9%  | 85.0  | Sept. 2020  | Younger than 3 Sept. 2019  | Sept. 2019  | 57.3  | 91.9  | 61.1  | 88.6  | 3-5  | 67.8  | 92.3  | 67.1  | 84.7  | 6-13  | 73.8  | 90.2  | 70.4  | 85.1  | 14-17  | 75.4  | 87.5  | Note: Estimates refer to women and men ages 16 and older with children younger than 18  | at home and who were either the reference person in the survey or their partner,  | nonseasonally adjusted.  | Source: Pew Research Center analysis of 2019 and 2020 Current Population Survey data,  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 