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Women in a Bind:The Decline of Marriage, Markets and the

State

Mimi Abramovitz

Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter,City University of New York &The Graduate Center, CUNY

July 19. 2013

The Cabell Brand Center & the Shephard Program at Washington & Lee

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The Three Pillars of Women’s Economic Security

1. Marriage

2. The Market (Labor Market)3. The State (The Welfare State)

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Decline of Marriage Adults Married (18 yrs. +) 1960: 72% 2010: 51%

Proportion of Age 18-29: Married1960: 59% 2010: 20%

Proportion of Population: Married 1972: 10.8 per 1000 pop 2000: 8.3 per 1000 pop2011: 6.8 per 1000 pop

Source: U.S. Census (2010) America’s Families and Living Arrangements, Historical Tables Marital Status of the Population, 15 Years and Older by Sex and Race, 1950 to Present

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Fewer Marriages

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Households Headed by Married Couples

2010: 48% 2005: 51% 2000: 53%1995: 54% 1990: 56%1980: 60%1970: 70%1960: 74%

1950: 78%

Source: Census Bureau, CPS, Social & Economic Supplements

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More and More Men and Women Postpone Marriage

Median Age At First Marriage:

Year Men Women 1950 24.8 22.5

1960 22.8 20.31980 24.7 22.01990 26.1 23.92000 26.8 25.12010 29.0 26.0

Source: US Census,CPS, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2010 and earlier ; US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Public Health Service, Vital Statistics of the United States, 1950

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MARITAL STATUS of Women by Race

1960 2012

Black Women 60% 26%

White Women 67% 51%

SOURCE: US Census, American Families and Living Arrangements, Detailed Tables for Current Population Report, P20-537 T.A1 2000, 2009

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Men in the Labor Force (20 years +)

1948: 88.2%1960: 85.6%

1965: 84.1%

1970: 82.9%

1975: 80.4%1980: 79.4%

1985: 78.1%1990: 78.4%1995: 77.0%

2000: 76.9%

2005:75.6%

2010: 74.3% 2013: 72.7%

Source; U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statists, Household Data . Table A-1. . :

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Declining Male Wages and Purchasing Power

Median Weekly Wage

(Male 16 yrs. +)

Year ( Current 2012) (Inflation adjusted )

1979 $ 299 $393 2012 $ 868 $376

Source: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistic

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Dual Earner Couples

1970 2011

Percent of Dual Earner Couples

46% 60%

Wives % of Family Income

27% 40%

Wives Earned More Than Husband

18% (1987) 29%

Source: US Dept .of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Women’s Bureau,Women in the Labor

Force: A Data Book 2012.

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Women in the Labor Force(1948-2013)

1948: 31.1% 1960: 36.3.%1970: 43.4%1975: 45.9 %1980: 51.2%1985: 54.8%1990: 58.0%1995: 59.2 %2000: 60.8% ( peak)2005: 60.1%2010: 60.5%2013 58.7.3:

• Source: US Dept of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,, Labor Force Statistics From The Current Population Survey. Labor Force Statistics From The Current Population Survey.1948-2013.

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Job Loss Among WomenDuring the Economic Recovery

2009- 20135.8 million jobs

added to the private sector

Gains by GenderWomen gained 2.2 jobs

Men gained 3.6 Jobs

Source : National Women’s Law Center

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Declining Values of Women’s Wages and Purchasing Power

Median Weekly Wage (Female 16 yrs. +)

Year (Current) (Inflation adjusted )

1979 $ 185 $251 2012 $ 693 $301

Source: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistic

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June 10, 1963 -President John F. KennedySigns the Equal Pay Act Into Law

Source: Brunner, Borgna, The Wage Gap :A history of Pay Inequity and the Equal pay Act.

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/equalpayact1.html

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Gender Wage Gap: Female to Male Wage Ratio (Full time workers)

Year F/M Earnings Ratio

1960 60.71965 59.9

1970 59.41975 58.8

1980 60.21985 64.61990 71.61995 71.42000 73.7

2005 77.02010 77.4

Source: Institute for Women’s Policy Research, #F350 (2012)

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Causes of Gender Wage Gap

• Wage Discrimination•

Women’s Near Exclusive Responsibit for Care Work in the Home

•Concentration of Women in Low-Paid

Women’s Jobs

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Wages vs Productivity 1950-2010

Source: Economic Policy Institute ,2012

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Poverty Rate for Women1966-2011

1966: 16.3%1970: 14.0%

1973: 12.5% ( low)1980: 14.7%1985: 15.6%1990: 15.2%1995: 15.4%2000 :12.6%2005: 14.1%2011: 16.3%

Source: US, Census Historical Poverty Tables

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1970s: Slowed Economic Growth Blamed On

“Big Government”: especially the welfare state spending viewed as undercutting Private investment & increasing the debt, deficit and interest rates.

Victories of Social Movements: Empowered workers, women and persons of color which led to increased labor costs.

“Personal Irresponsibility”: Welfare State programs uncut the work ethic, heterosexual marriage and family formation.Source: Abramovitz, M. (2004)

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The U- Turn in Public Pollcy

Beginning in the mid -1970s the main or overriding goal goal of U.S social

welfare policy has been to> Redistribute income upward from the have

nots ( the 99%) to the haves ( the 1%) The era of cuts backs began with President Reagan in 1980 (Reaganomics) and has persisted in varying degrees furing every Presidential Administration since then/

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Main Cutback Tactics-Tax Cuts

-Reduced Social Spending

-Privatization of Public Services

-Shift Federal Responsibility for social Welfare to the State

-Weaken Social Movements-Penalize “Personally Irresponsible

Behavior”Source: Abramovitz, M (2004)

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Spending Cuts : #1

Entitlement Spending ( % of GDP)

1983: 9.5% of GDP ( high)

2012: 8.4% of GDP

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Spending Cuts: #2 Discretionary Spending ( Non Defense)

Share of all Federal Spending 1962: 68% 2012: 36%

Share of GDP 1962-2012Average: 3.9%

Never Below 3.2%Projected for 2022: 2.8%

( 14% lower than lowest point in last 50 yrs)

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Discretionary( non Defense) Spending Levels as a Share of GDP. 1962-2022

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Wider Impact of Shrinking the State Strategy

• Higher Poverty Rates• Relationship Between wages & profits • Increased Inequality

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Higher Poverty Rates for Women 1966-2011

1966: 16.3%1970: 14.0%1973: 12.5% ( low)1980: 14.7%1985: 15.6%1990: 15.2%1995: 15.4%2000 :12.6%2005: 14.1%2011: 16.3% ( same as in 1966)

Source: US, Census Historical Poverty Tables

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Wages & Profits: Percentage of National Income• Year Wages Wages /Benefits Profits• 1932 59.5% 60.6% -0.4%• 1950 55.7% 58.7% 13.6%• 1965 55.7% 61.1% 13.4%• 1970 59.3% 66.3% 9.0%• 1975 56.4% 65. 6% 9.3%• 1980 56.5% 67.7% 8.2%• 1985 53.6% 65.2% 8.9%• 1990 54.1% 65.6% 8.6%• 1995 53.2% 65.0% 10.8%• 2000 54.9% 65.7% 9.3%• 2005 52.4% 65.0% 12.3%• 2010 49.8 % 62.2% 12.9%• Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. & The Economist

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Wages and Profits: Share of National Income 1957-2009

Source: Dept of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Affairs

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Income Inequality: 1967-2012

YearLowest Fifth

Second Fifth

Third Fifth

Fourth Fifth

Highest Fifth Top 5 %

2011 3.2 8.4 14.3 23 49.7 21.72005 3.4 8.6 14.6 23 50.5 22.22000 3.6 8.9 14.8 23 49.8 22.11995 3.7 9.1 15.2 23.3 48.7 211990 3.8 9.6 15.9 24 46.6 18.51985 3.9 9.8 16.2 24.4 45.6 17.61980 4.2 10.2 16.8 24.7 44.1 16.51975 4.3 10.4 17 24.7 43.6 16.51970 4.1 10.8 17.4 24.5 43.3 16.61967 4 10.8 17.3 24.2 43.6 17.2

Source : US Census

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Tripple Jeopardy

Women are the majority of those

1. who use government program 2. who work in government jobs

3. belong to public sector unins

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Women as Public Sector Workers: 2011

•Women as a % Government Workers All Government: 48%

• Federal: 43.0% State: 51.7% Local: 61.4%

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Job Loss by Women in Public Sector2009-2013

Jobs lost in public sector: 737,000 Jobs lost by women: 435,000*Jobs lost by men: 305, 000**

* wiped out 20% of women’s private sector job gains** wipes out 8.4% of men’s private sector job gains

• Source: National Women’s Law Center

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Union Membership(% of of all employed)

Public and Private Private Public 1954 :35% ( peak) 1983: 20.1% -- -- 1985: 18.0% -- -- 1990: 16.0% -- -- 1995: 14.9% -- -- 2000: 13.4% 9.0% 36.9% 2005: 12.5% 7.8% 36.5% 2010: 11.9% 6.9% 36.2%2012: 10.5% 6.6% 35.9%

Source : Bureau of Labor Statistics

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“First they Ignore you.

Then they laugh at you.

Then they fight you

Then you win.”

….Mahatma Ghandi 1869-1948