More and more families headed by single mothers are living in poverty in Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Census figures from 1990 and 2000 paint a picture of growing poverty for single mothers in Forks, Port Angeles, Port Townsend and Sequim, as well as unincorporated communities.
United Way of Clallam County Executive Director Patty Hannah says the results are not surprising.
“Family wage jobs are leaving the county,”‘ she said Friday, noting single mothers are forced to work part-time positions, often at lower wages and without benefits.
Census figures show 10.9 percent of Jefferson County and 12.3 percent of Clallam County families headed by a single mother lived in poverty in 1990.
Those percentages skyrocketed to 28 percent in Jefferson County and 31.2 percent in Clallam County by 2000, census figures show.
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