A study released this week shows that more than a quarter of American households are headed by a single parent, a figure that continues to rise, according to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.
The U.S. had the largest percentage of single moms and dads among 27 industrialized countries studied, followed by Ireland and New Zealand, at 24.3 and 23.7 percent, respectively. Greece had one of the lowest percentages of single parents, at barely more than 5 percent.
Single parents in the United States were more likely to be employed but they also had higher rates of poverty, the report found.
The report also found that the U.S. lacks family care policies for employees such as child care at work, and paid parental leave, which is a standard benefit in other countries.
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