The Decline of Marriageable Males and Female Family Headship Revisited

The prevalence of female-headed households has remained significant over the past several decades and we are thus urged to revisit the subject of family formation. The purpose of this study is to highlight the salient role of male availability and marriageability in explaining the persistence of female family headship. In particular, we examine the structural and economic inequalities influencing the relative quantity and quality of unmarried males, as well as the ensuing marginal effects on female headship.Using data from the IPUMS-CPS spanning 1990-2009, the preliminary findings indicate that since 1990, the rise in female family headship is significantly related to the decline in relative male quantity and quality. Nevertheless, the decline in relative male quality is significantly more detrimental for blacks while relative male quantity is significantly more detrimental for whites. Policies geared at reducing male marginalization are therefore essential for allaying the prevalence of female family headship