在過去十年中,勞動力中未婚單身女性的數(shù)量增長速度是整體勞動力數(shù)量增長速度的三倍。
如今,女性單身的時間越來越長,其中許多人推遲結(jié)婚或者成家,而另一些人則選擇永久單身。休斯頓大學(xué)(University of Houston)的人類學(xué)副教授黛娜·漢納福德表示,這是一個全球趨勢。美國人口普查局(Census Bureau)的數(shù)據(jù)顯示,美國女性初婚年齡中值已經(jīng)從1956年20.1歲的低點升至2022年的28.2歲。
Wells Fargo Economics最近的一份報告顯示,截至2021年,超過一半(52%)的女性未婚或者分居。該報告指出:“隨著女性一生中大部分時間作為單個經(jīng)濟單位為經(jīng)濟發(fā)展做貢獻,她們與勞動力市場的關(guān)系正在發(fā)生變化?!?/p>
盡管推遲或者不結(jié)婚背后的原因各不相同,但正如數(shù)據(jù)所顯示的那樣,事業(yè)在其中扮演了很重要的角色。事實證明,未婚單身女性是勞動力中迅速增長的群體,在所有女性中,她們的參與率最高。例如,根據(jù)克利夫蘭聯(lián)邦儲備銀行(Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland)的研究,已婚女性的參與率比單身女性低約7個百分點。根據(jù)富國銀行(Wells Fargo)的研究,未婚單身女性目前占職場人士的16%,高于2012年的13.9%。
未婚女性在勞動力中所占的比例不斷增加,這不僅是因為她們的人口數(shù)量不斷增長,還因為她們往往需要通過工作來維持生計。單身女性,尤其是那些從未結(jié)婚的女性,通常只能依靠自己的收入,就更有必要堅守工作崗位。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn),在過去十年里,未婚女性的勞動參與率上升了1.9個百分點——高于未婚男性的比率。
未婚女性勞動參與率的上升與美國勞動參與率總體穩(wěn)步下降形成了鮮明的對比(甚至在新冠疫情爆發(fā)之前)。報告稱:“在過去十年里,美國單身女性數(shù)量的增加為美國勞動力提供了急需的支持。”
三年前新冠疫情期間,有1,360萬女性失去了工作。職業(yè)女性(25歲至54歲)的勞動參與率終于全面反彈。今年2月,77.2%的適齡女性在工作或者積極尋找工作,與新冠疫情爆發(fā)前的77%持平。
但在美國,由于諸多不利因素,女性——甚至是未婚單身女性——的就業(yè)率仍然低于男性,這些不利因素包括缺乏兒童保育服務(wù)、工資差距、稅收政策,甚至是政府福利。最新數(shù)據(jù)顯示,男性的勞動參與率仍然比女性高出約12個百分點。
因此,盡管未婚單身女性成為勞動力中一支不可忽視的力量——尤其是在雇主盡力招聘人才的情況下——但要想看到未婚單身女性的財務(wù)和經(jīng)濟狀況得到持續(xù)改善,仍然需要克服諸多挑戰(zhàn)。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
在過去十年中,勞動力中未婚單身女性的數(shù)量增長速度是整體勞動力數(shù)量增長速度的三倍。
如今,女性單身的時間越來越長,其中許多人推遲結(jié)婚或者成家,而另一些人則選擇永久單身。休斯頓大學(xué)(University of Houston)的人類學(xué)副教授黛娜·漢納福德表示,這是一個全球趨勢。美國人口普查局(Census Bureau)的數(shù)據(jù)顯示,美國女性初婚年齡中值已經(jīng)從1956年20.1歲的低點升至2022年的28.2歲。
Wells Fargo Economics最近的一份報告顯示,截至2021年,超過一半(52%)的女性未婚或者分居。該報告指出:“隨著女性一生中大部分時間作為單個經(jīng)濟單位為經(jīng)濟發(fā)展做貢獻,她們與勞動力市場的關(guān)系正在發(fā)生變化?!?/p>
盡管推遲或者不結(jié)婚背后的原因各不相同,但正如數(shù)據(jù)所顯示的那樣,事業(yè)在其中扮演了很重要的角色。事實證明,未婚單身女性是勞動力中迅速增長的群體,在所有女性中,她們的參與率最高。例如,根據(jù)克利夫蘭聯(lián)邦儲備銀行(Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland)的研究,已婚女性的參與率比單身女性低約7個百分點。根據(jù)富國銀行(Wells Fargo)的研究,未婚單身女性目前占職場人士的16%,高于2012年的13.9%。
未婚女性在勞動力中所占的比例不斷增加,這不僅是因為她們的人口數(shù)量不斷增長,還因為她們往往需要通過工作來維持生計。單身女性,尤其是那些從未結(jié)婚的女性,通常只能依靠自己的收入,就更有必要堅守工作崗位。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn),在過去十年里,未婚女性的勞動參與率上升了1.9個百分點——高于未婚男性的比率。
未婚女性勞動參與率的上升與美國勞動參與率總體穩(wěn)步下降形成了鮮明的對比(甚至在新冠疫情爆發(fā)之前)。報告稱:“在過去十年里,美國單身女性數(shù)量的增加為美國勞動力提供了急需的支持。”
三年前新冠疫情期間,有1,360萬女性失去了工作。職業(yè)女性(25歲至54歲)的勞動參與率終于全面反彈。今年2月,77.2%的適齡女性在工作或者積極尋找工作,與新冠疫情爆發(fā)前的77%持平。
但在美國,由于諸多不利因素,女性——甚至是未婚單身女性——的就業(yè)率仍然低于男性,這些不利因素包括缺乏兒童保育服務(wù)、工資差距、稅收政策,甚至是政府福利。最新數(shù)據(jù)顯示,男性的勞動參與率仍然比女性高出約12個百分點。
因此,盡管未婚單身女性成為勞動力中一支不可忽視的力量——尤其是在雇主盡力招聘人才的情況下——但要想看到未婚單身女性的財務(wù)和經(jīng)濟狀況得到持續(xù)改善,仍然需要克服諸多挑戰(zhàn)。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
The number of single, unmarried women in the workforce has grown three times faster than the overall pool of workers in the past decade.
Women today are spending a larger portion of their lives single, many of whom are waiting longer to marry or start families, while others are opting to remain permanently unattached. It’s a global trend, according to Dinah Hannaford, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Houston. In the U.S., the median age of first marriage for women has risen from a low of 20.1 in 1956 to an estimated age of 28.2 in 2022, according to the Census Bureau.
More than half (52%) of women are unmarried or separated as of 2021, according to a recent report from Wells Fargo Economics. “As women spend a greater portion of their lives as a single economic unit, it is ushering in changes to their relationship with the labor market,” the report notes.
Although the reasons behind delaying or skipping marriage vary, careers play a large role—as the numbers show. Single, unmarried women, as it turns out, are a rapidly growing segment of the labor force, holding the highest participation rate of all women. The participation rate for married women, for example, is about 7 percentage points lower than that for single women, according to research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Unmarried single women now account for 16% of workers, up from 13.9% in 2012, according to the Wells Fargo research.
These unmarried women are increasing their share of the labor force not only because of their growing population numbers, but also because they tend to have a greater financial need for work. Single women, particularly those who have never married, usually only have their own earnings to rely on, creating more of an imperative to hold down employment. Researchers found that the labor force participation rate of never-married women has increased 1.9 percentage points over the last 10 years—higher than the rate of never-married men.
The growing labor force participation rate among unmarried women also stands in contrast to an overall steady decline in the total U.S. participation rate (even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic). “The rising number of single women in the United States has thus provided some much-needed support to the U.S. labor force over the past decade,” the report says.
The labor force participation rate of working women (ages 25 to 54) has finally, fully rebounded after 13.6 million women lost their jobs during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic three years ago. In February, 77.2% of prime-age women?were working or actively looking for a job, on par with the pre-pandemic rate of 77%.
But women—even single unmarried women—are still employed at lower rates in the U.S. than men due to a number of headwinds, including a lack of childcare, wage disparities, tax policies, and even government benefits. The latest data shows men’s workforce participation is still roughly 12 points higher than women.
So while single women who have never married are increasingly a critical labor source—particularly as employers continue to struggle with recruiting—there are still challenges to overcome to see continued financial and economic improvement for this sector of the population.