EVALUATING THE PIN MONEY HYPOTHESIS - THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WOMENSLABOR-MARKET ACTIVITY, FAMILY INCOME AND POVERTY IN BRITAIN

In this paper we evaluate the hypothesis that the over-representation of women amongst the low paid is of little importance because women's earnings account for only a small proportion of total family income, D ata from the General Household Survey (GHS), together with attitudinal evidence from three cross-sectional data sources, indicate that women 's earnings are in fact an important and growing component of family i ncome. The majority of the growth in the share of women's earnings occ urs as a result of changing family labour structures; women's earnings are playing an increasingly important role in keeping their families out of poverty.