14.6 percent of America’s single mothers – whether divorced, separated, unmarried, or widowed – don’t have jobs. What makes the whole thing worse is that single moms are having a hard time finding the jobs while the national employment rate is creeping back up again.
Why is this happening, and why single moms in particular?
For starters, a lot of women work in the public sector. That sector is currently being skinned by the government to minimize expenses, and they are feeling it the hardest. Single mothers, on the other hand, have an extremely tough time coping because of the responsibilities as both worker and mother.
This forces them to live well below the poverty line; often depending on government programs for food and basic necessities. 2010 alone saw 42 percent of all single moms relying on food stamps compared to 25 percent of all single dads.
Then again, these women have one character trait that they can market to prospective employers: dependability.
Single mothers have children to take care of, and are often willing to fight tooth and nail just to keep hold of the paycheck for their children. That’s something not everyone can honestly say they are willing to do.