Research Approach
A research-driven grant-maker, the Eleanor Foundation invests our resources in studies that inform our investments, as well as in others' efforts to advance working women and their families.
Malcolm Bush, Ph.D.
Malcolm Bush is a Senior Research Fellow at The University of Chicago's Chapin Hall. A highly respected economic development expert, he previously led the Woodstock Institute and its research and policy projects that informed community reinvestment strategies nationwide. His policy and research writings include Families in Distress: Public, Private, and Civic Responses, published by the University of California Press.
The Local Picture, A Similar Story
Working Women in the Chicago Area
July 13, 2009
The portrait of working female-headed households in Chicago developed by the Eleanor Foundation's research in many respects parallels the national trends. But the picture in Chicago shows some unique characteristics. The regional research conducted by Dr. Malcolm Bush was based on population estimates derived from the US Census Bureau's ongoing American Community Survey for 2005-07, and focused on working single mothers in the nine-county Chicago metropolitan region who earn between $10,000 and $30,000.
Earlier Foundation-sponsored research based on 2000 US Census data found that roughly 300,000 female heads-of-households earn less than $30,000 in the Chicago region. Dr. Bush's research, focused on the subset of these households that are raising children under 18, found that the number of single mothers earning between $10,000 and $30,000 increased by 44% from 2000 to 2007. The number of children being raised by these mothers has also increased by 44%.
Working Mothers in Chicago: Who They Are
Women become single mothers for various reasons: 25% are divorced, 14% are separated, and 50% have never been married. Almost 10% have an unmarried partner in the household. White mothers are more likely to have been divorced than black mothers, the majority of whom have never been married. Twenty percent of Latina mothers have an unmarried partner living in the home.
Where They Live
Working single mothers live in all parts of the Chicago region, with 47% in the city and 53% in the suburbs. Many of these women anchor their communities and workplaces. The largest numbers of these women live on the south side of Chicago, but the southwest side and western and southern suburbs have seen substantial increases in this population. Increases on the southwest side are primarily among Latina mothers, while gains in the western and southern suburbs are primarily among black single mothers. Some of these communities have far fewer supports than are available in the city.
Working Conditions
The average income among this group is $19,000 - barely half of the amount needed to cover basic living expenses in the Chicago market. But working mothers are not in this financial condition for lack of trying. Fully 80% of them work more than 35 hours a week, and more than two-thirds work 40 or more. Fewer than 5% receive public assistance.
Getting to work is a challenge. Women who live on the south side or in southern suburbs spend an hour or more commuting. Those without cars have even longer commutes. This challenge is further compounded by these women's limited access to safe and reliable childcare. Cook County, for example, has fewer than 10,000 infant and toddler slots for potentially 84,000 needy children.
In the US, education correlates to economic success. College graduates, for instance, earn three times as much as high school dropouts. While over 80% of black and white females graduated from high school, only 63% of Latinas had a high school diploma in 2005. In the same year, 28% of white females were college graduates, compared to 19% black females and 14% Latinas. This does not mean a college degree is essential to economic security. An Urban Institute analysis shows that 45% of all job openings in the next few years will require middle-level skills, providing better wages than low-skilled jobs. Providing access to post-secondary, skills-based training that lead to higher incomes and livable wages can therefore improve the economic condition of single working mothers.
Housing Conditions
The financial stress faced by working female heads-of-households in Chicago is starkly demonstrated by the amount they spend on housing costs. More than half (53%) spent 50% or more of their income on housing costs in 2007, a percentage most likely higher now in light of increasing unemployment and the housing market crisis of 2008. These “housing distressed” households spend 33% less on food, 42% less on healthcare and 60% less on clothing than those who live in affordable housing. These households also spend 74% less on transit, meaning that many lack access to cars and are therefore excluded from job markets that lack public transportation.
Policy Recommendations
Dr. Bush's report concludes with the following recommendations, largely paralleling those offered by Dr. Gary Orfield:
- Increase access to education and job skills training that lead to higher wages
- Expand access to childcare subsidies and the Child Tax Credit
- Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit
- Increase housing subsidies
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