A majority of American women are living without a spouse, media reported. For the first time, a majority of American women are living without a spouse, media reported. The New York Times, which based its report on an analysis of census results, said 51 percent of women in 2005 reported living without a spouse, up from 35 percent in 1950 and 49 percent in 2000. "Coupled with the fact that in 2005 married couples became a minority of all American households for the first time, the trend could ultimately shape social and workplace policies, including the ways government and employers distribute benefits," the newspaper said. It said that several factors are behind the shift including women marrying at a later age and living with partners for more often and for longer periods. Women are also living longer as widows and once divorced, often opt to stay single, the report said. According to the Census figures, only about 30 percent of black women are living with a spouse, compared with 49 percent of Hispanic women, 55 percent of non-Hispanic white women and more than 60 percent of Asian women. 點擊查看更多雙語新聞 (AFP)

據媒體報道，目前美國大多數女性處于單身狀態，這種情況在美國歷史上還是首次出現。 《紐約時報》對人口普查的結果進行分析后得出，2005年，美國的單身女性比例達到51%，而1950年和2000年的這一比例分別為35%和49%。 《紐約時報》稱，“2005年美國的已婚人群首次成為美國的少數群體，這一趨勢最終會對各種社會和勞工政策產生影響，其中包括政府和雇主如何發放福利。” 據該報道分析，造成這一變化的因素有多種，其中包括：晚婚女性增多，同居女性增多、時間變長；此外，離婚女性再婚的時間延遲，選擇單身的較多。 據人口普查數據，黑人女性的已婚比例只有30%左右，西班牙女性為49%，而非西班牙裔白人女性和亞洲女性的已婚比例則分別為55%和60%。 （英語點津姍姍編輯）