Race and Marital Status Differences in the Labor Force Behavior of Female Family Heads: The Effect of Household Structure

Abstract

This study examines the effects of household structure on the labor force status of female heads of families with minor children. Previous research has produced mixed results; some studies report that an extended living arrangement facilitates the labor market activity of female heads while others find no relationship between these variables. Logistic regression analysis of the March 1985 US Current Population Survey suggests that these inconsistencies may have occurred because the impact of household structure depends on which racial and marital group of females heads is observed. Results of this study show that an extended family 1) has no effect on the labor force behavior of white previously married mothers 2) increases the likelihood of employed black and white never-married mothers 3) conditions the impact of preschool-aged children for black mothers only; the effect is negative for never-married black women and positive for formerly married blacks. Findings reported here suggest that models of labor force behavior are misspecified if females heads of families are not analyzed separately by race and marital status. (authors)