Single women are hit hard by the recession
Filed under: Career, Wealth, Recession
There have been a lot of reports about which group of people have been hit hardest by the recession. Men have definitely been hit disproportionately hard by job losses. In fact, men held 71.9% of the jobs lost since the recession began, hurt by mass layoffs in construction and manufacturing, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. I've even written about how more households are relying on female breadwinners after husbands were laid off.
But single women -- many of whom are mothers or caregivers -- who get laid off don't have a second income to rely on while they hunt for a new job.
Unmarried women who lose their jobs may be more at risk of having to give up their homes, cash out retirement accounts or even end up in homeless shelters. Many of them lack basic health care for themselves and their children and have little access to financial resources that could tide them over until they find a job..
In October 10.3% of unmarried women age 20 and up were unemployed, compared with 5.7% of married women. Single women make up 46.5% of all female workers but account for 60.8% of all women who are unemployed.
Since African-American women are more likely to be single than white women, they are seeing higher unemployment rates. Fifteen percent of African-American unmarried women were jobless in October, compared with 11.1% of unmarried Hispanic women and 9.2% of unmarried white women.
Single men can also end up financially ruined if they lose their jobs.Unmarried men have higher rates of unemployment (14.1%) than married men (6.5%), too. But unmarried men who are fathers may be less likely to live with their kids than unmarried women who are moms.
That may be reflected in the fact that an increasing number of families living in homeless shelters are headed by women. A recent government report, the 2008 Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, showed that the number of homeless families seeking shelter from 2007 to 2008 rose 9% overall, and about 56% in rural and suburban areas.
Most of those families in shelters were headed by young, single mothers with limited education and one or more children. In fact, 81% of sheltered homeless adults in families were female.
Of course single women aren't alone in being hurt by this recession. People of all ages, races and demographic groups have been devastated by job losses, foreclosures and other problems during the economic downturn. How have you been impacted by the recession?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-21-2009 @ 11:12PM
Maril said...
How bout single fathers,that have sole custody of kids and can't make enough money to pay a babysitter? They are just a likely to get laid off as single woman. Granted men usually make MORE money than women do, but not in the retail industry. Especially if you're only a working guy. Associates in most companies make a pretty equal salary, Anyway if it weren't for my husband and I our grandson would be on the street with his father. I just thank God we're able to provide a roof for them both.
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11-21-2009 @ 11:49PM
stephanie said...
Meril, research shows that since the percentage of men as custodial parents in one parent households is so low, it cant possibly fall into the catoegory of the most affected by the recession. There are a substantial amout more of single women taking care of the kids on their own than than men.
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11-22-2009 @ 9:59PM
Steve said...
a good point, but since most shelters won't take single guys, that means when I finally lose (or if I lose) my struggle to keep the house; I am on the street, period. Don't blame the shelters for making that choice, only so many beds and with children in the mix...but I do real articles like this and get the feeling that people like me don't count. well so much for that, back to rounding up work!
11-22-2009 @ 8:46AM
Beverly Hogue said...
Thank you! It's about time that the single mothers or women were noticed. My daughter graduates this year and I've been laidoff since July. Her deadbeat father and his family don't even recognize her and the courts won't do a thing except take his license for not paying anything for 6 months in a row. Whatever. The school said she won't gratuate until her fees are paid which is over $500 because she goes to a tech school to try to better her self. I don't have a degree but have 30 years experience. Can't even get my foot in the door because the market is flooded with college graduates. Why am I even here??? All those years of hard work. All the saturdays I gave instead of spending it with my daughter, along with the nights and overtime. For what? NOTHING. No insurance, barely enough unemployment to live on. Yeah that's fair....
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11-22-2009 @ 12:13AM
sherri said...
I believe you are no doubt correct when you said single women have been hit the hardest by recession. here's something else I'd like people to think about... maybe some will be able to enlighten me as to why the American people (in general) have decided that the service industry (people making and depending upon gratutity) should get a pay cut. We (servers and bartenders: male and female) have seen our tips fall over the past two years by nearly half (20% down to 10 or 12%) That was the tip percentage in the 80's!! Don't get me wrong I'm thankful to have a job, I love my job and am good at it (should be, I've been in the industry close to 30 years). but, it's difficult to balance a budget if your only source of income get slashed in half with no warning. Please consider this next time you go out to eat. Christmas is just around the corner. Thanks for your time.
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11-22-2009 @ 12:37AM
TiffinyKaye said...
That's great, Sherri. And trust me--I'm sure most people would like to tip 20% (I still do, unless the service is horrendous)...but keep in mind that with the economy the way it is and with people tightening their budgets--you're probably lucky they're even going out to eat anymore. You're probably lucky to get the 10%-12% half the time. It has nothing to do with your service--but if you're happy to even be getting a base wage, then be happy that people are still going out ot eat and leaving a smaller tip, versus staying home and cooking themselves. Christmas IS just around the corner...so I would be grateful that people are still spending money in restaurants, versus spending their money purely on their own Christmas budgets.
And please...your wage getting cut in half because of gratuity? I work in the unemployment industry. If you could only fathom not only the amount of people in other industries who are taking pay cuts just to keep their job, let alone losing their jobs completely...I'd be happy for your base and a 10%-20% tip. It'll go back up...but you just gotta suffer along with the rest of us. Consider yourself lucky to still be among the ranks of the employed.
11-22-2009 @ 3:01AM
Cookie said...
Stop thinking about yourself. If you are keeping-up with what is going on then you would already know why your tips are smaller. You can be that ignorant. Work more hours.
11-22-2009 @ 5:00AM
Christina said...
WOW, how ungreatful people can be! I deliver pizzas for a living, YES, for a LIVING because not too long ago, I'd make more money part time than most people make full time on minimum wage. People NEED to understand that I am NOT driving around this over-crowded town (Vineland, NJ) for my $4/hour rate... I work for TIPS! No one would do this job if it wasn't for tips. What would you lazy cheepskates do if delivery went into oblivion because no one can make a living off of it anymore? This is the only job that makes sense for me while I'm raising a baby and putting myself through school. Thank God that there are people out there who make this job somewhat worth it, desipte how bad it's gotten. Show some appriciation, folks, it's not asking much.
11-22-2009 @ 12:14AM
Just Me said...
And as a single mother, when I became homeless, the shelters would NOT take me in because I was NOT a drug addict. Or they were too expensive. I keep seeing Osama wants moms back in school, but will he fund daycare for us??? HELL NO
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11-22-2009 @ 3:54AM
Bopco said...
After looking at most of the other posts, I realize it is pointless to even bother commenting, but who wrote this article of Mindless Babble??? It states the obvious, but with one major problem... Any Person, regardless of sex, race, age, creed, profession, etc, who has no back up and/or has financial responsiblities, is Screwed Bad, if they lose their Income...
What exactly made this an article about the "Special Woes" of Single Females???
I'm a married male, a building architech. The firm I worked for, for the last 15 years, went under, understandably, becasue who the Hell is building new structures right now???
I'm "Lucky" becasue two of my three kids are self supporting adults and my third Girl earns her own salary and just lives with us, after her divorce, since free rent and a free Baby Sitter, was an offer she couldn't refuse, which Grandma would have let her, even if she did...
But I'm sitting here hysterical laughing, after opening up my mail and reading about this "Great Protective Package" I've been offered... Ahhh Yes, Cobra, the Salvation of Mankind... Are they kidding??? I am now an unemployed person, who they want to pay about one third of my old salary, for continued, but severely reduced "Health Care Benifits", for my Wife and Myself... I couldn't have afforded that, if I was still working and had gotten a raise??? I'll survive!!! The truth of the matter, is, like most intelligent people, I usually threw away those prescriptions for $500 a bottle worthless medications anyway and like most people today, my "Doctor" is a Mindless Ass Hole anyway... But one can't help but wonder what will happen if I should say, God Forbid, get hit by a Bus, when I'm walking my Dog??? Does the hospital just throw me back into the street, instead of working hard to kill me there now???
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11-22-2009 @ 4:10AM
joljac78 said...
you should be lucky to have a job I am sorry your tips aren't 20% but that is in the higher tip range to begin with 10 to 15 % should be enough that is what is the norm anyway
well go back to college and you won't have to wait on people and rely on gratuity for a better pay. God bless and just be thankful you have a job at all. Christmas is coming for my two children as well .I am unemployed they wont be getting any gifts either.
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11-23-2009 @ 7:53PM
richard provance said...
The recession is creating both hardship and opportunity. Those who recognize the opportunity will use this time of uncertainty and high unemployment to improve their marketability. Our collective brainpower is a huge untapped resource, especially the minority members. Perhaps with a minority President, who is well educated, other minorities will begin to do what it takes to get the education the best jobs of the future will demand. Richard Provance, thelearningbooth.com
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