Unemployment on the Rise for Single Mothers

The plight of single mothers has always been difficult, and now, faced with growing unemployment, this demographic has been hit hardest, reports the Grand Rapids Press. A new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that unemployment among Black and Hispanic women is the highest it’s been since December 2007. This past July, unemployment among single mothers was 13.4 percent, while overall national unemployment was 9.5 percent. Rates of unemployment among African-American women in particular climbed from 11.8 percent in June to 12.9 percent in July, while it dropped from 17.4 percent to 16.7 percent for Black men. Government cutbacks, shrinking social service resources, foreclosure and expensive child care have made it that much more challenging for single mothers.