We investigate how material well-being has changed over time for single mother–headed families — the primary group affected by welfare reform and other policy changes of the 1990s. We focus on consumption as well as other indicators including components of consumption, measures of housing quality, and health insurance coverage. The results provide strong evidence that the material circumstances of single mothers improved in the decades following welfare reform. The consumption of the most disadvantaged single mother–headed families — those with low consumption or low education — rose noticeably over time and at a faster rate than for those in comparison groups.

中文翻译：

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福利改革25年后单亲家庭的消费、收入和幸福感

我们调查了单身母亲为户主的家庭的物质福利如何随着时间的推移而发生变化——这是受 1990 年代福利改革和其他政策变化影响的主要群体。我们关注消费以及其他指标，包括消费构成、住房质量衡量标准和医疗保险覆盖率。结果提供了强有力的证据，表明在福利改革后的几十年里，单身母亲的物质条件有所改善。最弱势的单身母亲为户主的家庭——那些低消费或低教育的家庭——的消费随着时间的推移而显着上升，而且增长速度比对照组的更快。