Table 25. Wives who earn more than their husbands, 1987–2009
(Numbers in thousands)
Families in which wives have earnings
but husbands may not ¹
Year
Families in which both wives and husbands
have earnings ²
Married-couple
Married-couple
families in which
Wives who earn Percent of wives families in which Wives who earn Percent of wives
wife (but not
more than
more than
who earn more
both wife and
who earn more
necessarily
their
than their
husband had
their
than their
husband) had
husbands
husbands
earnings from
husbands
husbands
earnings from
work
work
1987…...………………..32,025
1988…...………………….
32,810
1989…...………………..33,119
7,581
7,827
8,068
23.7
23.9
24.4
29,755
30,503
30,848
5,311
5,520
5,796
17.8
18.1
18.8
1990…...…………………
33,093
1991…...…………………..
33,516
1992…...……………………
33,987
1993…...………………….
34,286
1994…...…………………
35,066
1995…...…………………..
34,819
1996…...………………. 35,120
1997……..................... 35,613
1998……........................35,806
1999……..........................
36,454
8,221
8,983
9,715
10,000
10,184
9,822
10,070
10,309
10,467
10,548
24.8
26.8
28.6
29.2
29.0
28.2
28.7
28.9
29.2
28.9
30,794
30,998
31,221
31,264
32,091
32,030
32,389
32,745
32,782
33,340
5,923
6,465
6,948
6,978
7,209
7,033
7,340
7,441
7,443
7,434
19.2
20.9
22.3
22.3
22.5
22.0
22.7
22.7
22.7
22.3
2000…….........................
37,037
2001……...................... 36,864
2002……...................... 36,905
2003……..................... 36,761
2004…………………… 36,710
2005……………….
37,055
2006……………….
37,733
2007……………….
37,536
2008……………….
37,988
2009……………….
36,858
11,070
11,329
11,765
11,923
11,985
12,215
12,601
12,570
13,104
13,903
29.9
30.7
31.9
32.4
32.6
33.0
33.4
33.5
34.5
37.7
33,873
33,665
33,531
33,189
33,110
33,364
33,838
33,678
33,905
32,280
7,906
8,130
8,391
8,351
8,386
8,524
8,707
8,712
9,020
9,326
23.3
24.1
25.0
25.2
25.3
25.5
25.7
25.9
26.6
28.9
1
2
Includes families in which husband had no earnings from work.
Excludes families in which husband had no earnings from work.
NOTE: Data reflect the earnings and work experience of the entire year.
SOURCE: Annual Social and Economic Supplements, 1988–2010, Current Population Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics
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