PDF《Living Beyond the Edge:》

Living Beyond the Edge: The Impact of Trends in Non-Standard Work on Single/Lone-Parent Mothers Marylee Stephenson and Ruth Emery The research and publication of this study were funded by Status of Women Canada'

s Policy Research Fund.

This document expresses the views of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official policy of Status of Women Canada or the Government of Canada. June

2003 Status of Women Canada is committed to ensuring that all research produced through the Policy Research Fund adheres to high methodological, ethical and professional standards. Specialists in the field anonymously review each paper and provide comments on: ? the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the information presented;

? the extent to which the methodology used and the data collected support the analysis and recommendations;

and ? the original contribution the report would make to existing work on this subject, and its usefulness to equality- seeking organizations, advocacy communities, government policy makers, researchers and other target audiences. Status of Women Canada thanks those who contribute to this peer-review process. National Library of Canada cataloguing in publication data Stephenson, Marylee, 1943- Living beyond the edge [electronic resource]: the impact of trends in non-standard work on single/lone parent mothers Issued also in French under title: Vivre dans l'

insécurité complète, répercussions des tendances du travail atypique sur les mères chefs de famille monoparentale. Issued by Policy Research. Issued also in print format. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-662-34088-4 Cat. no. SW21-107/2003E-IN 1. Poor single mothers C Employment C Canada. 2. Poor single mothers C Economic conditions C Canada. 3. Poor women C Employment C Canada. 4. Informal sector (Economics) C Canada. I. Emery, Ruth. II. Canada Status of Women Canada. III. Canada Status of Women Canada. Policy Research. IV. Title. HD6059.C3L58

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24 C2003-980154-3 Project Manager: Vesna Radulovic, Status of Women Canada Publishing Co-ordinator: Cathy Hallessey, Status of Women Canada Editing and Layout: PMF Editorial Services Inc. / PMF Services de rédaction inc. Translation: Linguistica Comparative Read: Christiane Ryan Translation Co-ordinator: Monique Lefebvre, Status of Women Canada Translation Quality Control: Marie-Josée Martin For more information contact: Research Directorate Status of Women Canada

123 Slater Street, 10th Floor Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1H9 Telephone: (613) 995-7835 Facsimile: (613) 957-3359 TDD: (613) 996-1322 E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT This is an empirical study of the impacts the trends in the labour force (the increased use of non-standard, contingent working patterns) have on single mothers/lone parents. The already precarious socio-economic situation of the majority of single mothers is exacerbated by these trends, and the combination of their relatively low educational rates and modest employability skills, coupled with their sole responsibility for care of their children, makes active participation in the labour force an unlikely and often impractical direction to pursue. The study draws on a combination of cross-Canada interviews with

82 single mothers participating in employability-enhancement training, interviews with

49 government respondents and service providers, an intensive labour force analysis and a review of Canadian and international literature. The authors conclude that ongoing adjustment to existing national taxation and child benefit regimes is inadequate for bringing about genuine change for the better for these most vulnerable women and their children. Rather, they call for a substantial re-orientation of national values and an innovative, flexible and integrated system of policies and programs that address the full complexity of the changing labour market and the situation of the women. Only such a comprehensive approach can result in truly effective, long-term change for the better for this important segment of our society. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLES AND FIGURES.ii ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS.iii PREFACE.iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY vi 1. CONTEXT OF THE STUDY