Women as family breadwinner on the rise, study says, By Catherine Rampell, May 29, 2013, New York Times: “Women are not only more likely to be the primary caregivers in a family. Increasingly, they are primary breadwinners, too. Four in 10 households with children under age 18 now include a mother who is either the sole or primary earner for her family, according to a Pew Research Center report released Wednesday. This share, the highest on record, has quadrupled since 1960. The shift reflects evolving family dynamics…”
Nearly 40 percent of mothers are now the family breadwinners, report says, By Brigid Schulte, May 28, 2013, Washington Post: “In a trend accelerated by the recent recession and an increase in births to single mothers, nearly four in 10 families with children under the age of 18 are now headed by women who are the sole or primary breadwinners for their families, according to a report released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center…”
More U.S. women than ever are breadwinners, Pew study finds, By Emily Alpert, May 28, 2013, Los Angeles Times: “Mothers are breadwinners for a record share of American families, as more women bring up children on their own and more married mothers outearn their husbands, an analysis of census data shows. The new reality is a dramatic shift from decades ago, the Pew Research Center found in a study released Wednesday. Two years ago, more than 40% of American households with children relied on a mother as their biggest or only source of income — a massive jump from 11% of families in 1960…”
More than 3 in 5 new young mothers unwed in 2011, Census says, By Frank Bass, May 1, 2013, Bloomberg News: “More than 60 percent of new mothers in their early 20s aren’t married, the U.S. government said today in a report that underscores concern about the well-being of the nation’s young children. The total number of births to unwed mothers increased to 36 percent in 2011 from 31 percent in 2005, the earliest year for which data are available, the U.S. Census Bureau said in the report. The bureau said 4.1 million women reported that they had given birth in the year covered by the survey…”
Single motherhood in U.S. increases sharply, By Carol Morello, May 1, 2013, Washington Post: “More than six out of 10 women who give birth in their early 20s are unmarried, the Census Bureau said Wednesday in a report that shows sharp discrepancies in single mothers related to income, education and race. Census demographers said that single motherhood, while on a steady uptick since the 1940s, has accelerated in recent years…”
Experts say births outside marriage grow out of changing norms, class divide, By Taya Flores and David Smith, January 27, 2013, Lafayette Journal and Courier: “Kionni Sheldon, a 22-year-old Lafayette single mom, is frank when discussing her decision to have a baby on her own rather than seek a long-term relationship with the child’s father. The McCutcheon High School graduate said she dated her baby’s father for about four months when she learned of her pregnancy, which was unplanned. She ended the relationship soon after, she said. ‘He got very controlling,’ Sheldon said. And while she agreed that being married is the ‘proper’ way to begin parenting, ‘you shouldn’t have to do it that way…'”
Fragile families challenge parents, children and support agencies, By Taya Flores and David Smith, January 27, 2013, Lafayette Journal and Courier: “As a young girl, Treecee Arnett says, she dreamed of her wedding day. She envisioned a fairy tale event in a large church adorned with ice sculptures and royal blue and cream decorations. She would wear an open back dress with a tiara. Arnett has yet to realize that dream. ‘I haven’t found the right one,’ the Lafayette woman said. ‘Some of them do have the potential to be great husbands, but they are caught up in that ‘thug’ life.’ As marriage plans failed to materialize, motherhood did not wait. Arnett’s first child came when she was 16. Now 35, she’s a single mother of and sole provider for three teens. Her children have three different fathers, none of whom is involved in his kids’ lives. ‘I do have a child support order on them, but they are not paying support,’ she said. Arnett’s family situation — and the pressures it brings to bear on providing everything from food and clothing to making sure her children get a good education — is more common than many might realize…”
