The evolution of welfare participation among Canadian lone mothers, 1973-1991

Canadian lone mothers under age 35 exhibited an increasing reliance on welf are income along with stagnant wages and declining levels of market work an d earnings between 1973 and 1991. In contrast, lone mothers age 35 and over exhibited a decreasing reliance on welfare income along with rising levels of market work, wages and earnings. A key factor accounting for rising wel fare use among younger lone mothers was a decline in wages relative to welf are benefits accompanied by a mixed pattern of demographic change (falling family size offset by growing proportions of lone mothers who are never mar ried.) Much of the declining welfare use among older lone mothers can be ex plained by decreasing family size and increasing education accompanied by m arket wages that grew at the same rate as welfare benefits.