Unemployed African American Single Moms Not an Average Statistic in 2010 Economic Recovery

On the average the typical unemployed person is a man. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) most recent release gives the unemployment rate for men at 10% of the male workforce who are 20 years old or over. It is 7.9 % for women of a similar description. In December 2007 both men and women had the same 4.4% rate of unemployment. The overall average rate of unemployment now stands at 9.7% of the American work force age 20 and over.

There is a subgroup hidden within the data. Single women with children at 11.6% are twice as likely to be unemployed as married women with a spouse in the home at 6.1%. The proportion has remained the same for a decade but now collectively the rates are 68% higher than before the recession.

The results are exacerbated during difficult economic times. On average a woman earns 77% of that earned by the average man. Children as well are disproportionately affected. Families headed by a single mother have 20% of the nation’s children.

Demographically unmarried men and women tend to be less educated and younger and diverse ethnically than their married counterparts. There is a discrepancy between the college graduates with an unemployment rate of 5% and the opposite end of the education spectrum with an unemployment rate of 15.6%.

The racial divide is as stark. At one point in 2010 15% of African Americans were unemployed vs. 8.8% of White Americans.

The effects of unemployment on Single African American Mothers have been described as cascading. There is no one to baby sit while they are seeking other jobs. They loose benefits not only for themselves but also for their children. There is less margin in money available to provide for school supplies and extra-curricular activities. The safety net has been shredded. They are much more likely to end up homeless. There is no savings cushion to see them through. The effects of unemployment hit their families immediately.

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