Abstract
As opportunities have opened for women, they have made strides in many societal domains. However, women remain more financially insecure than men by many measures. The greater likelihood of living in poverty and lower incomes creates insecurity not only for women, but for an increasingly large share of families that depend on their incomes. Texas is one of the largest states in the United States with a population of over 26 million. Analyzing Census and state agency data, the article identifies four “building blocks” of economic security for women: child care as a work support, education as a pathway to greater opportunities, health insurance as a critical protection, and housing as a financial anchor. Educational attainment and health insurance rates have improved for women, while housing and child care continue to be financial challenges. The analysis points to areas of investment that can help communities strengthen the economic security of women, and by extension, their families.
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Notes
- 1.
Hispanics may be of any race.
- 2.
Earnings are defined as the sum of wages, salary income and net income from self-employment.
- 3.
Averages include all amounts greater than zero.
- 4.
Compares full-time, year-round workers ages 25 and over.
- 5.
Averages include all amounts greater than zero.
- 6.
A “typical” median rate was derived by weighting rates for the age of child, full/part-day care and type of child care facility, by representation in the state. Yearly cost is based on child care needs for 250 days per year.
- 7.
Subsidy eligibility varies by workforce board. To estimate statewide subsidy receipt, the average monthly number of children receiving subsidies for early care was compared to the number of children under 5 living at less than 185 percent of the federal poverty guidelines (FPG). Out of the 28 workforce boards, 24 set their basic eligibility higher than 185% FPG, three set eligibility at 185% FPG, and one set eligibility lower than 185% FPG. Therefore, this is a conservative state estimate.
- 8.
See footnote 7 above. TEA estimates the percentage of eligible pre-K students not served by comparing enrolled, low-income kindergartners to pre-kindergartners.
- 9.
Housing costs for homeowners include mortgage payments, real estate taxes, various insurances, utilities, fuels, mobile home costs, and condominium fees.
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Lee, J., Deviney, F. (2017). Economic Issues for Women in Texas. In: Holden, M., Phillips, R., Stevens, C. (eds) Community Quality-of-Life Indicators: Best Cases VII. Community Quality-of-Life and Well-Being. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54618-6_9
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