3. Gallup Poll Finds US Women Slightly More Likely to Prefer Working to Homemaking www.galluppoll.com PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY, September 4, 2007: Even if they were "free to do either," most Americans say they would prefer to work outside the home rather than stay at home to take care of their house and family. The allure of holding down the domestic fort is stronger for women than men; but, in a switch from recent years, a slight plurality of women now share men's preference for an outside job. This is according to Gallup's annual Work and Education survey, updated Aug. 13-16, 2007. Overall, 58% of Americans -- both men and women -- say they would prefer to have a job outside the home; 37% would rather do what is often considered traditional homemaking. While these responses have varied a bit in recent years, the current figures are not much different from Gallup's first measurement in 2001. Between 2001 and 2005, Gallup recorded a decline in the percentage of women preferring to work outside the home, dropping from 53% to 42%. This year, however, 50% of women say they would rather hold a job outside the home, representing a near reversal of attitudes. As in 2001, more women now say they would rather work outside the home than stay at home (50% vs. 45%).With most singles needing to provide for themselves and most couples now relying on two incomes, there are few Americans who can afford not to work. Yet even when given a hypothetical free choice between working and staying at home to take care of the hearth and family, most Americans, even those who are retired, say they would rather work. Thus, it appears people value work for more than the income it provides; or, perhaps, they are daunted by the demands of raising a family. sriniketan
