Among the findings:
- Women are significantly more likely than men to live in poverty or economic insecurity – in large part because they have primary responsibility for the care of minor children.
- 43% of VT women who work full-time do not make enough to cover basic living expenses as defined by VT’s Joint Fiscal Office.
- The poverty rate for families headed by single women is 37.5% – nine times the poverty rate of married couples.
- Women who work full-time are disproportionately employed in low-wage jobs – in every age group, at every level of education.
- VT women are especially vulnerable in their senior years, when their median annual income from Social Security ($10,000) is half that of men ($20,000).
The data in this report was collected and analyzed by Flint Springs Associates, a Vermont-based consulting firm; principal researchers were Joy Livingston and Vicki Hart.