Originally published in the May/June 2015 print issue of Kids Today Forty-five years ago, a little more than half of mothers, 53%, worked outside the home for pay. By the year 1999, the percentage of working moms had risen by twenty-four percentage points to 77%. The balance of mothers, 23% in 1999, was stay-at-home moms, according to the Pew Research Center's study of Census Bureau data. This date is significant in the analysis of mother work rates because it represents a modern-era low for stay-at-home moms. Pew defines a stay-at-home mother as a woman between the ages of 18 and 69, living with her own children who are younger than 18. These women are home to care for their families because they cannot find work, are disabled or are enrolled in school. As economic uncertainty began to rear its ugly head over the last decade, the share of moms staying home increased. In 2012, the share hit 29%, three percentage points higher than its rate of 26% in 2008, at the height of the Great Recession. The data presented in this report comes from the Pew Research Center. *2 pages* This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of Progressive Business Media.