Thanks for Nothing: The Economics of Single Motherhood since 1980
Document Type
Book
Role
Author
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Publication Date
2024
Abstract
In Thanks for Nothing, Nicholas H. Wolfinger and Matthew McKeever explore the contradictions that lie at the heart of single motherhood. Drawing on forty years of data from two large national surveys, they find that the mystery of single mothers' economic stagnation can be explained by changes in the kind of women most likely to become single mothers. In 1980, most single mothers were divorced women; forty years later, the majority are mothers who gave birth out of wedlock. On paper, divorced women look a lot like their married contemporaries, but with one income instead of two. Never-married mothers are a completely different population--they have less education, work less, and receive lower economic returns on their educational credentials when they do work. They're also far more likely to have grown up in underprivileged families. Ultimately, Wolfinger and McKeever find that some single mothers are doing better even as others have fallen through the cracks.
Suggested Citation
Wolfinger, N.H., & McKeever, M. (2024). Thanks for Nothing: The Economics of Single Motherhood since 1980. Oxford University Press.
