BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : MAY 22, 2000 ISSUE
SOCIAL ISSUES Women: Not So Secure CAREGIVER PENALTY Benefits are calculated based on the top 35 years of a worker's earnings, but most women take an average of 11 years out of the workforce to care for children or other sick relatives. Those years are counted as zero. POOR EARNINGS Even women who work 35 years are more likely to hold lower-paying jobs than men and are more likely to have part-time jobs, accumulating a smaller account. DIVORCE A woman must be married 10 consecutive years to the same man to receive a spousal benefit. And she has to wait to collect it if the divorce takes place less than two years before she turns 62 and her ex-husband is still working. WIDOWHOOD When a husband dies, household Social Security benefits can drop precipitously. Depending on whether or not she was drawing her own benefits, a widow receives a benefit that is two-thirds or one-half of the couple's combined benefit. DATA: BUSINESS WEEK _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _					RELATED ITEMS Commentary: Making Social Security More Women-Friendly TABLE: Women: Not So Secure CHART: Where the Elderly Get Their Money INTERACT E-Mail to Business Week Online

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