Introduction
New economic conditions have moved major world economies, including the United States, from a major basis on manufacturing to a dependence on services that require specialized skills. As a result, it is becoming less important to discriminate against women in the workplace because an increasing number of jobs are now created that do not require excessive physical stains that characterize the manufacturing industry.
A large-scale embracement of division of labor has also made routine factory tasks easier thus breaking the barriers of entry for women to these industries. Scott, Treas and Richards (2004) state that as the rate of women employment increases and demand for specialized skill increase, more women are opting to delay marriage to cope with the increasing responsibilities facing them.
Feminine Employment
Feminine employment has significantly contributed to an increase in disposable household’s incomes of families in cases where the employed young person still lives with their parents. Employment of a young woman reduces the need for her parents to provide for her basic needs like food and transport as well as purchase of personal products.
Young women coming from economically disadvantaged families are likely to contribute to the family expenditure budget thus enabling the family to purchase more necessities and investments. Feminine employment is a major reason why most single mothers prefer to raise their children alone, however single parenthood has also been associated with child poverty as the parent is unable to compensate fully for gaps in child support that would otherwise come from the income of two parents.
As the economy creates more demand for specialized labor, people have to study and train more, leaving them with little time to pursue personal interests. In addition, rapid urbanization has created population explosion that has surpassed the rate at which infrastructure development catches up leading to chronic delays within that force individuals to allocate extra time to meet deadlines and appointments.
Time scarcity has necessitated the spending on premium goods and services that are reliable and facilitate timely engagements at work and at personal social space. It has also increased the need to have virtual engagements to compensate for distance barriers that require adequate time allocation to cover. The new expenditures necessitated by time scarcity has force individuals to reduce their spending on other items or tap more into their savings.
Time Crunch
Lack of adequate time also limits the individual’s potential of obtaining an income increase through an additional job or workload. As individuals accumulate more responsibilities, their engagement on the existing responsibilities decline and their work is no exception. Eventually, when lack of full engagement compromises work, individuals suffer income loss due to sacking or suspension.
Positive effects of time crunch on family income are in the form of the increased value of hourly based work that the time scarcity presents. Individuals working in service industries that measure productivity in relation to the time committed to a task are able to charge more for their services and thus boost their family incomes.
Delayed Marriages
Delayed marriages are economically favorable for working young people living with their parents, as they are likely to increase the disposable income of the family. However, when delayed marriage happens in cases where the young person is depending on their parents for their livelihood, the disposable income in the family depreciates.
In addition, delayed marriages caused by the need to pursue more education and training for an unemployed young person presents an increasing drain on household incomes that might lead to a depreciation of living standards (Scott, Treas, & Richards, 2004).
Reference
Scott, J. L., Treas, J., & Richards, M. (Eds.). (2004). The Blackwell companion to the sociology of families. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing Limited.