More Women Primary Breadwinners in Marriages

Harvard University’s professor of economics Claudia Goldin says “I don’t think it’s that odd anymore.” when asked about the growing numbers of women who outearn their husbands.

In 2007, 25.9 percent of wives were earning more than their husbands in households where both spouses work, according to the most recent data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s up from 17.8 percent two decades earlier.

Among all married couples, including those where the husband isn’t necessarily working, 33.5 percent of women were making more than their husbands, according to the 2007 data.

MSNBC continues in Increasingly, wives earn more than than husbands, the recession has only made the trend stronger. Seventy-five percent of the 7 million people unemployed by the recession are men.

Information from The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation indicates that 65.3 percent of women and 61.2 percent of men agreed that they are comfortable with women earning more than men.

“The fact that women are working and women are breadwinners is something that both men and women are accepting,” said Boushey, who was involved in the A Woman’s Nation project. “They’re just struggling with how to deal with it.” via MSNBC