PDF《Living Beyond the Edge:》

1 2. STUDY METHODOLOGY.5 3. FINDINGS.8 Findings from the Literature.8 The Contingent Labour Market

21 The Labour Market for Single Mothers/Lone-Parent Women

24 Single Mothers and Their Employment Circumstances

28 Lived Lives: Single Mothers Speak about Living Beyond the Edge.48 Government, Service and Advocacy Respondents'

Views on Sustainable Employment for Single Mothers Living Beyond the Edge

66 Trends in Employment Patterns and Economic Circumstances of Single Mothers....67 Employment-Related Policy and Programming Needs for Single Mothers.71 4. RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY DIRECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE.78 APPENDICES.83 A: Primary Sources of Statistical Information

83 B: Additional Tables.84 BIBLIOGRAPHY.92 ENDNOTES

97 TABLES AND FIGURES Figures

1 Comparison of Employment Rates: Women, Youngest Child under Three.25

2 Comparison of Employment Rates: Women, Youngest Child Three to Five .......26 Tables

1 Distribution of Single Mothers Interviewed

6 2 Distribution of Respondents

6 3 Lone-Parent Women: Employment and Incidence of Low Income

27 4 Women with Children,

1981 to 1996.30

5 Lone-Parent Women by Age and Labour Market Activity

32 6 Employment Rates by Age, Lone-Parent Women and Women with Partners ......33

7 Lone-Parent Women by Age and Incidence of Low Income

34 8 Labour Market Characteristics of Women with Children.35

9 Labour Force Activity of Lone-Parent Women and Family Income.37

10 Aboriginal and Visible Minority Single Mothers, 1996.39

11 Aboriginal Lone-Parent Women Age Distribution Compared to Overall Lone-Parent Women, 1996.39

12 Educational Attainment,

1996 39

13 Lone-Parent Women, Education and Income

41 14 Lone-Parent Women, Occupation and Income, 1995.43

15 Location of Respondents.50

16 Age of Respondents.51

17 Number of Children.51

18 Mother'

s Age and Number of Children.51

19 Mother'

s Education.51

20 Other Training.52

21 Mother'

s Age and Education

52 22 Mother'

s Income Source.52 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS CCSD Canadian Council of Social Development CCTB Canada Child Tax Benefit EI Employment Insurance HRDC Human Resources Development Canada LICO Low Income Cut Off NCW National Council of Welfare NOC National Occupation Classification SLID Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics SSP Self-Sufficiency Project PREFACE Good public policy depends on good policy research. In recognition of this, Status of Women Canada instituted the Policy Research Fund in 1996. It supports independent policy research on issues linked to the public policy agenda and in need of gender-based analysis. Our objective is to enhance public debate on gender equality issues to enable individuals, organizations, policy makers and policy analysts to participate more effectively in the development of policy. The focus of the research may be on long-term, emerging policy issues or short-term, urgent policy issues that require an analysis of their gender implications. Funding is awarded through an open, competitive call for proposals. A non-governmental, external committee plays a key role in identifying policy research priorities, selecting research proposals for funding and evaluating the final reports. This policy research paper was proposed and developed under a call for proposals in September 2000, entitled Women'

s Access to Sustained Employment with Adequate Benefits: Public Policy Solutions. Other research projects funded by Status of Women Canada on this theme examine issues such as policy options for women in non-standard employment, improving working conditions among home day care providers, supports for single mothers and women with disabilities, and occupational health. A complete list of the research projects funded under this call for proposals is included at the end of this report. We thank all the researchers for their contribution to the public policy debate. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The primary researchers and authors of this study are Marylee Stephenson, Ph.D., president of CS/RESORS Consulting, Ltd. and team leader, and Ruth Emery, labour market economist. For the cross-Canada program of field work, we were joined by Catherine Lussier, Ph.D. (Montréal, QC), Christine Brown, M.A (Toronto, ON), Cheryl Laurie, M.A. (Winnipeg, MB), Vanessa Charles-Botting (Saskatoon, SK), Judy Lynn Archer (Edmonton, AB), Karin Milton (Wolfville, NS) and Massi Abedi (St. John'