Employment, Work Conditions, and the Home Environment in Single-Mother Families

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of employment status and work conditions on the quality of the home environment provided by single mothers of preschool-age children. Multivariate analyses were conducted using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. The results indicate that employment status is not a significant predictor of the quality of the home environment among single mothers of young children when family size and welfare use are controlled. Among single working mothers, several job conditions were related to the quality of the home environment. Single mothers who were employed part-time and in low-wage jobs had significantly poorer home environments. Single mothers who work nonstandard hours generally have poorer home environments, with the exception of rotating shifts. These findings highlight the importance of examining the effects of employment status and job conditions on within-group differences in the quality of the home environment among single-mother families.