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Research Shows That Single Mothers Are the Majority Among Head of Households, but Still Suffer Wage Inequality in the Labor Market.
Single mothers face one of the greatest inequalities in the labor market in Brazil. A study based on data from the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (Pnad) revealed that these women earn, on average, up to 40% less than married fathers.
The research was conducted by researcher Mariene Ramos from the Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea), and analyzes the reality of women who are heads of households and raise children without the presence of a partner.
The survey analyzes data from 2022 and shows that Brazil had more than 10.9 million single mothers responsible for households.
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These women face structural difficulties in the labor market, including lower income, less formalization, and a higher concentration in low-wage jobs.
In addition, experts point out that the lack of adequate public policies further exacerbates wage inequality and limits the opportunities of these workers.
Single Mothers Are the Majority Among Head of Households in Brazil
The female presence in the leadership of Brazilian families has significantly increased in recent years.
Since 2022, women have represented 52% of those responsible for households in the country.
Among single-parent households—those where only one adult lives with the children—female predominance is even greater.
According to data from the Inter-Union Department of Statistical and Socioeconomic Studies (Dieese), 92% of these households are headed by women.
This scenario reinforces the importance of discussing the role of single mothers in the labor market, as they accumulate economic and family responsibilities.
Wage Inequality Marks the Reality of Single Mothers
The data shows that wage inequality among different family structures is significant.
In 2022, single mothers had an average income of R$ 2,322, the lowest among all family groups analyzed. This amount is nearly 40% lower than the average income of fathers with a spouse, who earn around R$ 3,869.
Income is also 11.5% lower than the average of mothers with a spouse, who still have the partner’s income to supplement the family income.
According to Mariene Ramos, the inequality is not limited to salary.
“Single mothers do not only suffer penalties in terms of income; they also experience issues of job precariousness”, observes Mariene.
The occupation rate for this group was 50.2%, compared to 81% for fathers with a spouse, and also below that of mothers with partners.
Precarization of the Labor Market Affects Single Mothers
Another relevant factor is the low formalization of employment among single mothers.
Contributions to social security reach only 28.3% of these workers, while among fathers with a spouse the rate reaches 54.8%.
This difference indicates long-term vulnerability.
“This low coverage of social security represents a long-term vulnerability for single mothers, compromising social security in old age or in situations of incapacity”, highlights the researcher.
Additionally, many of these women end up concentrated in historically undervalued sectors.
The study points out that 21.9% of single mothers work in domestic service, a percentage almost 27 times higher than that recorded among fathers with spouses.
“This reinforces the hypothesis that single mothers are confined to sectors with lower wages”, claims Mariene.
Education and Discrimination Also Influence Opportunities
Education is one of the factors that help explain the difficulties of insertion of single mothers in the labor market.
More than 55% of these women have at most incomplete high school, while only 13.7% have completed higher education.
However, the researcher states that educational level is not the only obstacle.
“Often, the employer assumes that the person will have less availability, less flexibility, and will yield less”, observes Mariene.
“So, she ends up not being able to hold higher positions or ends up taking those with somewhat lower salaries.”
Triple Burden: Children, Work, and Elder Care
Another challenge faced by single mothers is the so-called “sandwich generation”, a situation where women need to simultaneously care for children and elderly family members.
About 33.5% of these women live in households with people over 60 years old, which can mean both support and more responsibilities.
“These elderly individuals can represent a support network, but they may also need help from this mother, so many of them live a double caregiving burden, or a triple burden”, says the researcher.
This domestic workload also contributes to increasing wage inequality in the country.
Lack of Daycare and Public Policies Worsens Difficulties
Experts believe that expanding public policies aimed at child care is essential for improving the insertion of these women into the labor market.
A study by the NGO Todos pela Educação showed that only 41.2% of children up to 3 years old were enrolled in daycare in 2024, below the 50% target set by the National Education Plan.
Additionally, about 2.3 million children are still out of daycare due to lack of vacancies or difficulty in access.
Without this support, many single mothers face difficulties in studying or working.
Professional Qualification Can Reduce Wage Inequality
Therefore, according to Mariene Ramos, expanding professional qualification is also essential to transform the reality of these women.
She states that strengthening public policies and creating opportunities in the labor market can benefit not only the mothers but the entire economy.
“We need to look at these women—this majority of women in household leadership, these 11 million single mothers. This is no longer a marginal group, but a structural transformation of the country”, she affirms.
“When the market and public policies adjust to this reality, the entire economy benefits.”
See more at: The Researcher Studying Single Mothers in Brazil: ‘They Earn 40% Less Than Married Fathers’ – BBC News Brazil
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