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Path to Poverty Alleviation: Marriage or Postsecondary Education?

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Abstract

We examined the role of human capital in determining economic well-being and marital status of mothers with children. We analyzed 1996 data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), a nationally representative survey of 36,700 American households conducted by the Census Bureau. The results indicate that among the human capital variables postsecondary education significantly improves the economic well-being of mothers irrespective of their marital status. Also, educated mothers are more likely to be married. These findings are especially relevant as we debate the importance of marriage in poverty alleviation.

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Notes

  1. Analysis not included in this article but available from the authors upon request.

  2. Comparison statistics not included in this article but available from the authors on request.

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Correspondence to Shanta Pandey.

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Pandey, S., Kim, Jh. Path to Poverty Alleviation: Marriage or Postsecondary Education?. J Fam Econ Iss 29, 166–184 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-007-9088-1

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