The Employer Perspective: Jobs Held by the Milwaukee County Single Parent Population: January 1996-March 1997

Abstract

The Employment and Training Institute examined data files of welfare records of single parents receiving AFDC as matched against quarterly wage reports submitted by Wisconsin employers to the state (from January 1996 through March 1997). Quarterly wage reports are required from most private employers, nonprofits, and government agencies. All 42, 120 jobs held by single parent case heads in the study population were tracked over five quarters to identify job retention and employment patterns over time. Employment was heavily concentrated in the retail and service sectors which made up 80 percent of employment episodes and 67 percent of all company hiring (among non-temp agencies). Jobs were concentrated in eating and drinking establishments, nursing homes, department stores, building maintenance, and grocery stores. These types of establishments typically show large numbers of job openings, high turnover, and heavy reliance upon part-time workers.