Family structure and income inequality in families with children, 1976 to 2000.
Using 24 years of data from the March supplements to the Current Population Survey and detailed categories of family structure, including cohabiting unions, I assess the contribution of changes in family structure to the dramatic rise in family income inequality. Between 1976 and 2000, family structure shifts explain 41% of the increase in inequality, but the influence of family structure change is not uniform within this period or across racial-ethnic groups. In general, the estimated role of family structure change is inversely related to the magnitude of the changes in inequality. Furthermore, by including cohabitation, I find lower levels of total inequality and a weaker role for demographic shifts in family structure for trends in income inequality.
Martin
Molly A
MA
The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Sociology, 414 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA 16802, USA. mmartin@pop.psu.edu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000639:trends; D012923:Social Class; D014481:United States; D044465:White People