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Title: Over the Long Haul: The Persistent Economic Consequences of Single Motherhood
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. McKeever, Matthew
Wolfinger, Nicholas H.
Over the Long Haul: The Persistent Economic Consequences of Single Motherhood
In: Economic Stress and the Family: Contemporary Perspectives in Family Research, Volume 6. S. Blair, ed. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2012: pp. 1-39
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Emerald
Keyword(s): Disadvantaged, Economically; Human Capital; Income; Motherhood; Parents, Single; Socioeconomic Status (SES)

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Purpose: This chapter examines change over time in income, human capital, and socio-demographic attributes for married, divorced, and never-married mothers.

Methodology/approach: The chapter consists of descriptive analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth’s 1979 cohort. Respondents were followed from 1979 to 2006.

Findings: The economic consequences of single motherhood are persistent. Women who have once been divorced or never-married mothers remain poorer through middle age, no matter how their family structure subsequently changes.

Social implications: A critical feature of the modern economic and demographic landscape is the intersection of individual and family characteristics. Many divorced and, especially, never-married mothers experience profound disadvantage even before they become mothers.

Bibliography Citation
McKeever, Matthew and Nicholas H. Wolfinger. "Over the Long Haul: The Persistent Economic Consequences of Single Motherhood" In: Economic Stress and the Family: Contemporary Perspectives in Family Research, Volume 6. S. Blair, ed. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2012: pp. 1-39