Economic reasons play in role in why a growing number of single mothers live with a partner, but don’t marry the partner, according to this Times piece about a Census study. To be a marriageable mate, the father has to bring something significant to the earnings table. As a result of the education gap (and structural changes in the economy) fewer men are measuring up.
From the article:
Pamela J. Smock, director of the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan, said many people delayed marriage until they had achieved a basic level of economic security. "Economic situations really matter for people getting married," she said. "Many people say they will not get married unless they can have a wedding and a savings account, but they might have a child in a cohabiting relationship. That's become almost a mainstream way of starting a family, with less stigmatization than even 10 years ago."