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. 点击查看更多双语新闻 (AFP)

据媒体报道，目前美国大多数女性处于单身状态，这种情况在美国历史上还是首次出现。 《纽约时报》对人口普查的结果进行分析后得出，2005年，美国的单身女性比例达到51%，而1950年和2000年的这一比例分别为35%和49%。 《纽约时报》称，“2005年美国的已婚人群首次成为美国的少数群体，这一趋势最终会对各种社会和劳工政策产生影响，其中包括政府和雇主如何发放福利。” 据该报道分析，造成这一变化的因素有多种，其中包括：晚婚女性增多，同居女性增多、时间变长；此外，离婚女性再婚的时间延迟，选择单身的较多。 据人口普查数据，黑人女性的已婚比例只有30%左右，西班牙女性为49%，而非西班牙裔白人女性和亚洲女性的已婚比例则分别为55%和60%。 （英语点津姗姗编辑）