New Study Shows 53% of Women Are Breadwinners

Guess who’s bringing home the bacon? Or, um, bread?

New research from the Prudential Financial group found that over half of the women in America are primary breadwinners in their households—53%, to be exact.

A closer look shows that 40% of these women are either single or divorced and support themselves entirely, while 22% of married women earn more than their husbands.

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What’s accounting for this spike in female earning? The recession, for one: Over a third of female breadwinners credited the “challenging economy” as the reason they earn more than their male counterparts.

This figure shouldn’t come as a huge surprise—according to Bloomberg News, “During the recent recession, three men lost their jobs for every woman.” But Bloomberg also reports that 53% of America’s workers are women, including 51% of managerial positions, suggesting professional success as another driving factor for these numbers.

Unfortunately, even with this increased earning power, women still fall behind in one area: the confidence to make financial decisions. Prudential’s survey also found that only 23% of female breadwinners feel prepared to make financial decisions, compared to 45% of their male counterparts.