Does paying child support impoverish fathers in the United States, Finland, and the United Kingdom?

an article by Mia Hakovirta (University of Turku, Finland), Daniel R. Meyer (University of Wisconsin – Madison, USA) and Christine Skinner (University of York, UK) published in Children and Youth Services Review Volume 10 (November 2019)

Highlights

• In the U.S., the amount of child support paid is higher than in Finland or the UK.
• In all countries unpartnered fathers are the largest group of child support payers.
• Paying support increases poverty more in the U.S. than in the other countries.
• Child support lowers poverty more among mothers than it raises it among fathers.

Abstract

The increased frequency of divorce, separation, and nonmarital childbearing over the past several decades has contributed to the rise of parents not living with their children in the same household.

These nonresident parents are typically fathers, many of whom are obligated to share the economic responsibility for their children across households by paying child support.

This study uses Luxemburg Income Study (LIS) datasets from the year 2013 to study the characteristics of fathers paying support and the relationship between child support and poverty among fathers (and mothers) in Finland, the UK, and the U.S.

Results show that characteristics of fathers paying support were generally similar across countries. The amounts paid were lowest in Finland and highest in the U.S., as expected. For the poverty effects, few child support payers fall into poverty because of the amount of child support they pay in any country, but the increase in poverty rates due to paying support is clearly higher in the U.S. than Finland or the UK.

More single mothers are drawn out of poverty by the receipt of child support in Finland than in the other countries, partly because the government guarantees child support. Finally, child support is an anti-poverty policy in all countries: the decrease in poverty among single-mother families from receiving support is larger than the increase in poverty among fathers paying support.

Full text (PDF 10pp)

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Contribution of child maintenance to lone mothers’ income in five countries

an article by Mia Hakovirta and Merita Jokela (University of Turku, Finland) published in Journal of European Social Policy Volume 29 Issue 2 (May 2019)

Abstract

This study uses the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) data from 2013 to study

1. the contribution of child maintenance to the income packages of lone mothers,
2. the proportion of lone mothers receiving child maintenance and the level of child maintenance for those receiving it and
3. the extent to which child maintenance is helping families who may need it the most (those at the low end of the income distribution), compared with families with moderate or higher incomes.

Our analysis covers data from five countries: Finland, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States.

Our results show that in all countries except the United Kingdom, labour income is an important source of income for lone mothers and less than 40 percent of income comes from social transfers. Child maintenance contributes significantly to the income of lone mothers, particularly in Spain, followed by the United States and Germany. We find the highest coverage of child maintenance receipt in Finland.

In the other countries, only one-third of lone mother households receive child maintenance. The median amounts of maintenance are the lowest in the United Kingdom and Finland, but there is great variation in the level of child maintenance within countries.

The comparison of the quintile groups reveals that in the United States, the lone mothers in lowest income quintile do not seem to benefit as much from child maintenance compared with the highest income quintiles, whereas in Finland, Germany and Spain, more lone mothers in the low-income quintiles receive maintenance.

However, amounts are quite equal across income

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Gender disparities in European labour markets: A comparison of conditions for men and women in paid employment

an article by Rosalia Castellano and Antonella Rocca (Parthenope University of Naples, Italy) published in International Labour Review Volume 157 Number 4 (December 2018)

Abstract

Although the dramatic increase in female labour force participation in recent decades has been connected to significant changes in economic opportunities for women, gender disparities in the labour market persist in many forms.

This article seeks to assess whether higher gender differentials in European labour markets are directly related to poor economic conditions.

To this end, the results of a composite indicator designed and developed by the authors in a previous study are updated and three new composite indicators are constructed for a separate analysis of female and male labour market conditions and gender gap for paid employment.

Full text (PDF 20pp)

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Austerity policies, ‘precarity’ and the nonprofit workforce: A comparative study of UK and Canada

an article by Ian Cunningham (University of Strathclyde, UK) Donna Baines (University of Sydney, Australia), John Shields (Ryerson University, Canada) and Wayne Lewchuk (McMaster University, Canada) published in Journal of Industrial Relations Volume 58 Number 4 (2016)

Abstract

Drawing on qualitative interview data from case studies in Scotland and Canada in the post 2008 era, this article explores the impact of austerity policies on the conditions and experience of employment in two nonprofit social service agencies and their shifting labour process.

Despite differences in context, the article finds a similarity of experience of austerity-compelled precarity at several levels in the agency. This precarity increased management control and evoked little resistance from employees.

These findings contribute to our understanding of austerity as articulated differently in different contexts, but experienced similarly at the front lines of care work.

Full text (PDF)

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Austerity policies, ‘precarity’ and the nonprofit workforce: A comparative study of UK and Canada

an article by Ian Cunningham (University of Strathclyde, UK), Donna Baines (University of Sydney, Australia), John Shields (Ryerson University, Canada) and Wayne Lewchuk (McMaster University, Canada) published in JIR The Journal of Industrial Relations Volume 58 Number 4 (September 2016)

Abstract

Drawing on qualitative interview data from case studies in Scotland and Canada in the post 2008 era, this article explores the impact of austerity policies on the conditions and experience of employment in two nonprofit social service agencies and their shifting labour process.

Despite differences in context, the article finds a similarity of experience of austerity-compelled precarity at several levels in the agency. This precarity increased management control and evoked little resistance from employees. These findings contribute to our understanding of austerity as articulated differently in different contexts, but experienced similarly at the front lines of care work.

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