Stay-at-home fathers are on the rise

A four-fold increase since 1989

New research states the number of dads staying home has nearly doubled since 1989, reaching its peak just after the official end of the Great Recession.

While 23 percent of men staying home say they do so because they cannot find a job, 21 percent say they stay home primarily to take care of their home or family.

That number is up considerably from 1989, when only 5 percent of fathers said they stayed home to be a caregiver.

Despite the increase, research suggests people are typically more supportive of mothers staying at home with the kids than their fathers. A 2013 Pew Research Center survey found 51 percent of respondents said children are better off with a stay-at-home mom, compared to 8 percent who said children are better off with a stay-at-home dad.