80 percent of single-parent families are headed by single mothers

About 4 out 10 children were born to unwed mothers. 1 Nearly two-thirds were born to mothers under the age of 30. 2 Today 1 in 6 children under the age of 18 — a total of about 12.7 million — are being raised without a father. 3

Around half (52.3%) of single mothers have never married, almost a third (29.3%) are divorced, 18.4% are either separated or widowed. 6 Half have one child, 30% have two. At any one time, about two thirds of single mothers are working outside the home, a slightly greater share than the share of married mothers who are also working outside the home.

However, only half were employed full-time all year long, a quarter (25.9%) were jobless the entire year. 7 Among those who were laid off or looking for work, less than a quarter (22.4%) received unemployment benefits.

If a single mother is able to work, her earning power still lags significantly compared with men’s, about 82¢ to a $1 for the same job — leaving a wage gap of 18¢ on the dollar. 8

The wage disparities are even greater for women of color — African-American women earn only 64¢, while Hispanic and Latinas fare worse, being paid just 56¢ on the dollar.

Durga Foundation empowers women to fight for what they believe in and we will stand up for women's rights to equal pay.