Table 23. Married-couple families by number and relationship of earners, 1967–2008

(Numbers in thousands)

Married-couple families

Total Husband 

only

Wife 

only

Other 

family 

member

Total

Husband 

and 

wife

Husband 

and other 

family 

member

Wife and 

other 

family 

member

Husband 

and wife 

are not 

earners

1967....... 43,292 2,943 16,490 15,429 716 345 23,859 18,888 4,639 - -

1968....... 43,842 2,888 16,375 15,310 730 335 24,579 19,743 4,522 - -

1969....... 44,436 3,022 16,268 15,133 797 339 25,145 20,327 4,517 - -

1970......... 44,832 3,252 16,117 14,931 867 320 25,464 20,510 4,622 - -

1971......... 45,939 3,471 16,847 15,502 1,004 340 25,621 20,641 4,651 - -

1972....... 46,594 3,632 16,787 15,387 1,003 398 26,175 21,279 4,553 - -

1973......... 47,185 4,027 16,080 14,547 1,110 423 27,078 22,152 4,535 - -

1974......... 47,438 4,325 15,795 14,122 1,216 457 27,319 22,451 4,442 - -

1975......... 47,878 4,943 16,217 14,343 1,394 481 26,717 22,338 3,861 - -

1976....... 48,150 4,962 15,630 13,690 1,424 516 27,559 23,104 3,829 - -

1977......... 48,131 5,177 15,119 13,153 1,456 512 27,835 23,474 3,812 - -

1978......... 48,532 5,226 14,456 12,434 1,509 513 28,850 24,655 3,609 - -

1979......... 49,132 5,559 13,912 11,934 1,499 480 29,660 25,595 3,476 - -

1980....... 49,316 5,903 13,900 11,621 1,707 573 29,513 25,557 3,380 - -

1981....... 49,669 6,213 13,832 11,524 1,680 628 29,624 25,729 3,212 - -

1982....... 49,947 6,427 14,235 11,575 2,048 613 29,285 25,387 3,149 - -

1983......... 50,134 6,549 13,692 11,100 1,944 647 29,893 26,119 2,996 - -

1984....... 50,395 6,630 12,952 10,472 1,852 628 30,814 27,035 2,891 - -

1985 50 978 6 693 12 961 10 406 1 897 658 31 324 27 787 2 764 - -

Two earners or more

Year

Total No 

earners

One earner

1985......... 50,978 6,693 12,961 10,406 1,897 658 31,324 27,787 2,764 - -

1986....... 51,574 6,731 12,565 9,984 1,917 664 32,278 28,811 2,730 - -

1987....... 51,847 6,741 12,435 9,787 1,946 702 32,671 29,369 2,576 - -

1988....... 52,149 6,754 11,876 9,463 1,777 636 33,519 30,536 2,303 532 148 

1989......... 52,385 6,812 11,748 9,212 1,840 695 33,825 30,879 2,373 435 138 

1990....... 52,241 6,770 11,630 9,107 1,826 698 33,841 30,829 2,369 479 164 

1991....... 52,549 7,091 11,523 8,873 1,993 657 33,935 31,049 2,161 527 197 

1992....... 53,254 7,256 11,977 9,114 2,145 718 34,021 31,268 1,940 624 199 

1993......... 53,248 7,282 11,842 8,745 2,411 687 34,123 31,302 2,051 614 156 

1994......... 53,929 7,227 11,774 8,719 2,374 681 34,928 32,125 2,048 603 151 

1995....... 53,621 7,278 11,739 8,821 2,253 664 34,604 32,061 1,878 539 127 

1996....... 53,654 7,148 11,556 8,671 2,214 671 34,950 32,406 1,899 522 123 

1997....... 54,362 7,289 11,728 8,792 2,302 634 35,345 32,764 1,853 569 158 

1998......... 54,829 7,257 12,279 9,198 2,419 662 35,293 32,810 1,726 616 141 

1999....... 55,352 7,163 12,328 9,093 2,595 640 35,861 33,360 1,815 519 167 

2000......... 56,643 7,463 12,717 9,515 2,601 600 36,463 33,892 1,865 566 139 

2001....... 56,798 7,666 12,907 9,621 2,698 588 36,224 33,696 1,898 501 129 

2002....... 57,362 7,803 13,487 10,109 2,818 560 36,071 33,547 1,845 558 121 

2003....... 57,767 8,043 14,051 10,469 3,026 557 35,673 33,220 1,789 548 117 

2004......... 58,045 7,996 14,352 10,821 2,991 540 35,696 33,131 1,832 610 123 

2005......... 58,225 8,017 14,292 10,603 3,096 593 35,915 33,380 1,818 597 121 

2006......... 59,050 8,091 14,545 10,693 3,261 591 36,414 33,880 1,752 639 142 

2007......... 58,490 7,914 14,264 10,392 3,265 608 36,312 33,718 1,847 597 149 

2008......... 59,137 8,078 14,606 10,552 3,434 620 36,452 33,905 1,739 650 158 

 See note at end of table.

75
Table 23. Married-couple families by number and relationship of earners, 1967–2008—Continued

(Percent distribution)

Married-couple families

Total Husband 

only

Wife 

only

Other 

family 

member

Total Husband 

and wife

Husband 

and other 

family 

member

Wife and 

other 

family 

member

Husband 

and wife 

are not 

earners

1967........ 100.0 6.8 38.1 35.6 1.7 0.8 55.1 43.6 10.7 - -

1968......... 100.0 6.6 37.4 34.9 1.7 .8 56.1 45.0 10.3 - -

1969......... 100.0 6.8 36.6 34.1 1.8 .8 56.6 45.7 10.2 - -

1970......... 100.0 7.3 35.9 33.3 1.9 .7 56.8 45.7 10.3 - -

1971......... 100.0 7.6 36.7 33.7 2.2 .7 55.8 44.9 10.1 - -

1972......... 100.0 7.8 36.0 33.0 2.2 .9 56.2 45.7 9.8 - -

1973......... 100.0 8.5 34.1 30.8 2.4 .9 57.4 46.9 9.6 - -

1974......... 100.0 9.1 33.3 29.8 2.6 1.0 57.6 47.3 9.4 - -

1975......... 100.0 10.3 33.9 30.0 2.9 1.0 55.8 46.7 8.1 - -

1976......... 100.0 10.3 32.5 28.4 3.0 1.1 57.2 48.0 8.0 - -

1977....... 100.0 10.8 31.4 27.3 3.0 1.1 57.8 48.8 7.9 - -

1978....... 100.0 10.8 29.8 25.6 3.1 1.1 59.4 50.8 7.4 - -

1979....... 100.0 11.3 28.3 24.3 3.1 1.0 60.4 52.1 7.1 - -

1980....... 100.0 12.0 28.2 23.6 3.5 1.2 59.8 51.8 6.9 - -

1981....... 100.0 12.5 27.8 23.2 3.4 1.3 59.6 51.8 6.5 - -

1982....... 100.0 12.9 28.5 23.2 4.1 1.2 58.6 50.8 6.3 - -

1983....... 100.0 13.1 27.3 22.1 3.9 1.3 59.6 52.1 6.0 - -

1984....... 100.0 13.2 25.7 20.8 3.7 1.2 61.1 53.6 5.7 - -

1985....... 100.0 13.1 25.4 20.4 3.7 1.3 61.4 54.5 5.4 - -

1986....... 100.0 13.1 24.4 19.4 3.7 1.3 62.6 55.9 5.3 - -

Year

Total No 

earners

One earner Two earners or more

1986....... 100.0 13.1 24.4 19.4 3.7 1.3 62.6 55.9 5.3 

1987....... 100.0 13.0 24.0 18.9 3.8 1.4 63.0 56.6 5.0 - -

1988....... 100.0 13.0 22.8 18.1 3.4 1.2 64.3 58.6 4.4 1.0 0.3 

1989....... 100.0 13.0 22.4 17.6 3.5 1.3 64.6 58.9 4.5 .8 .3 

1990......... 100.0 13.0 22.3 17.4 3.5 1.3 64.8 59.0 4.5 .9 .3 

1991......... 100.0 13.5 21.9 16.9 3.8 1.3 64.6 59.1 4.1 1.0 .4 

1992......... 100.0 13.6 22.5 17.1 4.0 1.3 63.9 58.7 3.6 1.2 .4 

1993......... 100.0 13.7 22.2 16.4 4.5 1.3 64.1 58.8 3.9 1.2 .3 

1994....... 100.0 13.4 21.8 16.2 4.4 1.3 64.8 59.6 3.8 1.1 .3 

1995....... 100.0 13.6 21.9 16.5 4.2 1.2 64.5 59.8 3.5 1.0 .2 

1996....... 100.0 13.3 21.5 16.2 4.1 1.3 65.1 60.4 3.5 1.0 .2 

1997....... 100.0 13.4 21.6 16.2 4.2 1.2 65.0 60.3 3.4 1.0 .3 

1998....... 100.0 13.2 22.4 16.8 4.4 1.2 64.4 59.8 3.1 1.1 .3 

1999....... 100.0 12.9 22.3 16.4 4.7 1.2 64.8 60.3 3.3 .9 .3 

2000......... 100.0 13.2 22.5 16.8 4.6 1.1 64.4 59.8 3.3 1.0 .2 

2001....... 100.0 13.5 22.7 16.9 4.8 1.0 63.8 59.3 3.3 .9 .2 

2002......... 100.0 13.6 23.5 17.6 4.9 1.0 62.9 58.5 3.2 1.0 .2 

2003....... 100.0 13.9 24.3 18.1 5.2 1.0 61.8 57.5 3.1 .9 .2 

2004......... 100.0 13.8 24.7 18.6 5.2 .9 61.5 57.1 3.2 1.0 .2 

2005......... 100.0 13.8 24.5 18.2 5.3 1.0 61.7 57.3 3.1 1.0 .2 

2006......... 100.0 13.7 24.6 18.1 5.5 1.0 61.7 57.4 3.0 1.1 .2 

2007......... 100.0 13.5 24.4 17.8 5.6 1.0 62.1 57.6 3.2 1.0 .3 

2008......... 100.0 13.7 24.7 17.8 5.8 1.0 61.6 57.3 2.9 1.1 .3 

NOTE: These data, collected in the Annual Social and Economic Supplement, reflect the earnings and work experience

of the entire year. Dash indicates data not available.

SOURCE: Annual Social and Economic Supplements, 1968–2009, Current Population Survey, U.S. Department of

Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

76