increasing divorce rates, to increasing numbers of out-of-wedlock births, or simply to changing family values - the catch phrase for conservatives in the 1990's? These are the reasons most commonly cited to explain the growth in female-headed households. But another underlying cause is the transformation of the economy from a manufacturing based economy to a service based economy. This change was especially significant in cities of the Northeast and Midwest and led to employment dislocation or widespread increases in unemployment and underemployment in those areas.According to Wilson (1987), the restructuring of the U.S. economy in the 1970's had a tremendous impact on life in urban areas, especially for the urban underclass. In particular, male joblessness, especially for blacks, is a leading cause in the growth of female-headed families. Women are likely to delay marriage or to never marry instead of marrying an unemployed male (Wilson 1987). Using data from the Urban Underclass Database developed by Kasarda (1992), a set of longitudinal data for the top 100 cities by population size in the United States, this study builds upon the ideas of Wilson to explore the potential impact changes in the economy have had on changing family structure. The focus is on the role the transforming economy and subsequent employment dislocation play in family structure changes, specifically the growth of female-headed families. It is hypothesized that:1. The transformation of the economy in the 1970's and 1980's led to employment dislocation or increased unemployment in urban areas.2. By 1980, employment dislocation was an important source of growth in female-headed families.Figure 1 illustrates the general model of family structure change that the hypotheses follow.Return to Table of ContentsTransforming EconomyThe economic and industrial structure of U.S. cities changed dramatically in the 1970's. Cities in the Northeast and Midwest lost many of their...
