Lone parents in London Quantitative analysis of differences in paid work
In-House Report No. 136
By Stephen McKay
Over the last decade there has been a considerable growth in part-time employment among lone mothers in the UK. However, there has not been a corresponding growth of lone mother employment in London. The net effect of this disparity is that London's lone mothers are now less likely to work than those in other regions of the UK. In 1991, the rate of lone mother employment (whether full-time or part-time) in the UK was 41%, with the rate in London in line with the national average. However, by 2002, the UK rate had risen to 50% whilst the rates of working in Inner London and Outer London stood at 37% and 41% respectively.
This Report presents an analysis of a range of compositional and structural factors that may account for the differences in the rate of lone mother employment in London compared to the rest of the UK. .
The main areas of study in the Report include:
Differences in the characteristics of lone parents living in London compared
to those living elsewhere.
The different patterns of work of lone parents with paid jobs, including
their weekly working hours and their occupations and industries.
The extent to which the employment differences between lone mothers in London
compared to elsewhere may be explained by differences in their individual
characteristics.
An outline of potential explanations for lower rates of employment in London
A comparative assessment with regard to lone fathers.
January 2004
ISBN 1 84388 269 8 Paperback
Read the report - Lone parents
in London Quantitative analysis of differences in paid work 