34 percent of working American moms sole breadwinners

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WASHINGTON, May 8 (UPI) -- More than one-third of working mothers in the United States say they are the only breadwinners in their households, a survey released Thursday found.

The poll by the employment website CareerBuilder found that 12 percent of working mothers said their jobs have had a negative effect on their relationships with spouses or other partners. An even larger group, 17 percent, said their jobs had hurt relationships with their children.

While 39 percent of working fathers report being the only breadwinner, almost as many working mothers, 34 percent, say the same thing.

CareerBuilder said 30 percent of respondents who have had a child in the past three years said they took less maternity leave than their company's full allotment.

"The household dynamic has changed over the years with women reshaping traditional roles," said Rosemary Haefner, a working mother who serves as vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "Women account for more than half of the U.S. workforce and are often the breadwinners for their households. While many women successfully manage careers and families, the quest for more quality time at home will always be top of mind."

Harris Interactiv conducted the online survey between Feb. 11 and March 6. The respondents included 411 working mothers and 420 working fathers, all with children under 18 in their households.