Economic and Human Capital Factors in the Future Work Plans of Young Widows

Authors

Martha N. Ozawa, Washington University, St. Louis
Susan Whitelaw Downs, Washington University, St. Louis

Abstract

This study examines the future work plans of nonremarried widows under age 55 who have dependent children at home (N=2,599). All families in this study were receiving survivor benefits from social security in 1978. Human capital resources of the widow, economic need, her age, and family situational variables were included in multiple regression analyses as possible predictors of future work plans. The results support the importance of human capital resources and age of the widow, support the importance of economic need only for widows already working, and suggest that family situational variables are less significant in predicting widows' future work plans. The source of data for this study is the 1978 Survey of Survivor Families with Children conducted by the Social Security Administration.

Recommended Citation

Ozawa, Martha N. and Downs, Susan Whitelaw (1984) "Economic and Human Capital Factors in the Future Work Plans of Young Widows," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 11: Iss. 1, Article 8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.1642
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol11/iss1/8