The Feminization of Poverty: The Demographic Factor And The Composition of Economic Growth

Abstract

The concept of the feminization of poverty in the United States is examined from a demographic perspective, in particular by a comparative analysis of poverty among female-headed and other-headed households. The author concludes that the growth of female-headed households has been an important factor in the feminization of poverty and that the gap in relative affluence between female-headed and other households is increasing. She also notes that female-headed households suffer most from economic downturns because of sex segregation in the work force.