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Poverty & Single Women

According to University of Michigan's National Center on Poverty, 28.4 percent of households headed by single women in 2004 were in poverty, compared with 13.5 percent of households headed by single men and 5.5 percent of married-couple households. Families headed by single black or Hispanic women were particularly vulnerable to poverty. Factors contributing to single women in poverty include education levels, unequal pay, employment in lower-earning industries and the responsibilities of parenthood, as well as domestic violence.

  1. Education Levels

    • Educational levels directly affect women's likelihood of poverty, including single women, according to the University of Michigan's National Center on Poverty. Women completing a four-year college degree decreased their chances of poverty, from 16.7 to 1.6 percent. Higher education for women is particularly important for income, as a study in 2001 showed. Women who earned a two-year associate's degree earned, on average, $2,000 per year less in 2001 than men with a high school diploma. For single women heading their own households, educational levels affecting earnings may be particularly critical, as there are no additional incomes from domestic partners.

    Unequal Pay

    • According to the Center for American Progress, women working full time earn 77 percent of what men do with the same hours and the same qualifications. In 2007, women age 25 to 32 with a bachelor's degree earned 14 percent less than their male counterparts. This discrepancy is particularly important for single women, as they cannot rely on the income of domestic partners. Relying on a job that provides unequal (lower) pay may leave them more vulnerable to poverty.

    Lower-Paying Jobs

    • Women are more likely to be employed in industries that offer lower pay than men. These lower-paying fields include teaching, child care, nursing, cleaning, and waitressing. In 2007, 29.6 million employed American women were in at least one of 20 occupational categories that, considered together, had annual median earnings of $27,383. Once again, single women are particularly vulnerable to these conditions, especially if they are the only wage earners in their households. Having to depend on lower-paying jobs leaves women more susceptible to poverty.

    Responsibilities of Parenthood

    • Half of all single moms are below the poverty level and rely on public assistance programs. Eight out of 10 custodial parents are women, and custodial women are twice as likely to be poor as custodial men, according to Americans for Progress. Pregnancy affects work and educational opportunities, and women are more likely to cover the costs of child care.

      The responsibilities of parenthood make single mothers more likely to work part-time jobs, but part-time jobs often pay less and rarely offer benefits, according to Equal Rights Advocates. Full-time jobs may place demands on a single mother that she cannot meet without proper child care and benefits packages. These factors, combined with unequal pay and lower-paying industries, leave single mothers more vulnerable to poverty than many other groups in the United States.

    Domestic Violence

    • Domestic and sexual violence can push women into a cycle of poverty, which leads to job loss, poor health and homelessness, according to Americans for Progress. The U.S. Conference of Mayors surveyed city mayors on several issues of poverty. According to half of survey respondents, domestic violence was the primary cause of homelessness. When women leave abusive partnerships, becoming single women, they may be particularly vulnerable to poverty and violence because of psychological issues, lack of resources and fear of being seen by their former partners.

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