The Center for American Progress released an economic snapshot by  Heather Boushey and  Liz Weiss that reflects a serious economic reality for unmarried women:

New data released last week by the Labor Department shows the continuing consequences of the Great Recession for unmarried women. This group continues to experience high and extended unemployment as well as underemployment, and this underscores the urgent need for Congress and the administration to continue to focus on job creation and policies to spur demand and assist the unemployed.

High unemployment poses enormous challenges for all kinds of workers, but it can be a tragedy for unmarried women. Unmarried women already face higher-than-average poverty, many are responsible for family members including children and elders, and they frequently do not have a partner to rely on during times of economic distress.

Last month, 10.8 percent of unmarried women (age 16 and over) were unemployed (data by marital status is not seasonally adjusted). Of unmarried women who had jobs, 8.1 percent were working part time but said that they wanted to work full time. Nationally, unemployment was at 9.9 percent and 6.6 percent of workers worked part time but would prefer full-time work (part-time data is not seasonally adjusted). Women who head a household without a spouse (with a child, parent, or other dependent household member) faced a slightly higher unemployment rate than other unmarried women, at 11.0 percent in April.

Once unmarried women have lost a job they are having an especially tough time finding a new one, like workers in general. The typical unemployed unmarried woman who is widowed, divorced, or separated has spent 25.4 weeks actively looking for work. The typical never-married unemployed woman has spent 21.2 weeks seeking a new job.

Many unmarried women are struggling with unemployment spells lasting longer than six months. More than 4 in 10 (43.2 percent) never-married unemployed women have been out of work and searching for a new job for at least six months, while nearly half (46.5 percent) of previously married women are among these “long-term unemployed” (see figure).

...

But while young workers and never-married women have higher levels of unemployment than unmarried women more generally, they also tend to be unemployed for a shorter period of time. Older workers and previously married women who have lower overall unemployment rates and are slightly more likely to be out of work for six months or more.

Long-term unemployment compounds older workers’ economic uncertainty. Older workers and divorced, widowed, or separated women may face their own set of challenges in their job searches. Older workers may have developed more on-the-job skills over their careers and seek employment that matches these skill sets. They are also likely to own a home and have deep ties in a community, making it harder for them to pick up and move for work. And women who were previously married may be returning to the workforce after the end of a marriage—and time out of the workforce—and re-entering the labor market in this economy may be especially challenging.

Go to the Center for American Progress for the complete snapshot.