Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP303
Authors: John F. Ermisch; Robert E. Wright
Abstract: We model duration of lone parenthood among previously married British mothers. Using a proportional hazards model and demographic and employment history data from the 1980 Women and Employment Survey we investigate how the duration of lone parenthood varies with a number of characteristics of a woman and her family. In particular, we find that lone mothers with a job are likely to remain lone parents longer, as are women who worked in a manual job before becoming a mother. In contrast, being employed in the year prior to marital dissolution has the opposite effect. There is no evidence that higher welfare benefits prolong the length of lone parenthood.
Keywords: lone parent; duration; welfare
JEL Codes: J12; J13
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| employment status (J63) | duration of lone parenthood (J12) |
| prior job type (J63) | duration of lone parenthood (J12) |
| recent employment (J68) | duration of lone parenthood (J12) |
| welfare benefits (I38) | duration of lone parenthood (J12) |
| age at marital dissolution (J12) | duration of lone parenthood (J12) |