ES 3.4

SECURE PARENTAL LABOR FORCE ATTACHMENT:
PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN WITH AT LEAST ONE
FULLY EMPLOYED (Full-time, Full-year) RESIDENT PARENT

Parents' full-time employment over the course of an entire year indicates a secure attachment to the labor force and produces a degree of financial security for their children. As shown in Table ES 3.4, the percentage of children in families with at least one securely attached parent increased from 69 percent to 74 percent over the parental attachment to the labor force by racial and ethnic groups, poverty status, age of children, and family structure.

Differences by Race and Ethnicity. The parents of children in white families consistently have the highest rates of secure attachment to the labor force. Throughout the entire 1984-1995 period, more than 70 percent of white children had at least one parent with a secure labor force attachment. In 1995, the rate for white children was 78 percent (see Figure ES 3.4). In contrast only about half of black children and about 60 percent of Hispanic children lived in families with at least one parent who was securely attached to the labor force. In 1995 the rate for black children was 53 percent, and the rate for Hispanic children was 61 percent.

Differences by Poverty Status. Secure parental labor force attachment is associated with escaping poverty (see Figure ES 3.4). In 1995, only 25 percent of poor families with children had at least one parent with a secure labor force attachment while 86 percent of nonpoor families had at least one securely attached parent. The percentage of poor families with at least one parent securely attached to the labor force has increased over the period from 20 percent in 1984 to 25 percent in 1995.

Differences by Age of Children. Secure parental labor force attachment is more common among families with older children. In 1995, 78 percent of families with children ages 12 through 17 had at least one parent who was securely attached to the labor force, compared to 69 percent of families with children younger than age six (see Figure ES 3.4).

Differences by Family Structure. Married-couple families are far more likely than other family types to have at least one parent securely attached to the labor force. In 1995, 87 percent of married-couple families had at least one securely attached parent. In contract, only 38 percent of the single-mother families and 67 percent of the single-father families had a securely attached parent (see Figure ES 3.4).