Report: 1 in 5 Oregon moms stay home

The number of stay-at-home parents in Oregon is on the rise. A new report released Wednesday finds that one in five mothers is staying home to care for family while with fathers, it’s one in 100.

Oregon’s Office of Economic Analysis focused on the state’s working population, those between the ages of 25 and 54.

The report finds that while mothers account for the vast majority of Oregon’s stay-at-home parents, the share of fathers staying at home has doubled in the past decade.

Josh Lehner, the state economist who authored the report, said a parent’s choice to stay at home is both an economic and a social decision.

“Economists tend to think of parents and households making the choices that are in their best interest,” Lehner said. “So what is the best financial decision on top of how best to raise your children?”

The report also found that mothers with bachelor’s degrees are more likely to stay home than those with associate’s degrees or graduate degrees, though less likely than those with a high school education or less.