Displaced Homemaker

A homemaker is a person who maintains the upkeep of his or her residence, especially one who is not employed outside the home.

A displaced homemaker describes someone who has been out of the paid workforce for years, usually raising a family and managing a household and its chores, without pay, during those years. The homemaker becomes displaced when for some reason – most often divorce, a spouse’s death or a reduction in household income – she must find other means of support, likely including re-entering the workforce. Most were women, as traditional roles meant more women stayed out of the workforce to do the unpaid family work. Many of these women were middle-aged and older, facing age as well as sex discrimination, and many had no job training, as they had not expected to be employed outside the home, and many had ended their education early to conform to traditional norms or to focus on raising children.

The term Displaced Homemaker is described in the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 as a person who has been providing unpaid services to family members in the home and is now no longer supported by a family member and is underemployed or unemployed and having a difficult time finding an upgrade on his employment status.

Also, according to 29 USCS § 2801 [Title 29. Labor; Chapter 30. Workforce Investment Systems; Workforce Investment Definitions], the term “displaced homemaker” means “an individual who has been providing unpaid services to family members in the home and who-

• has been dependent on the income of another family member but is no longer supported by that income; and
• is unemployed or underemployed and is experiencing difficulty in obtaining or upgrading employment.”

In general, a displaced homemaker is a person who fulfils the typical following criteria:

• is at least 30-35 years old,
• is unemployed and has not worked as an employee for a substantial number of years but has worked in his or her home providing unpaid services for family members,
• has been dependent on the income of another family member but is no longer being supported by that income,
• has been receiving public welfare assistance for having dependent children,
• is underemployed and finding it difficult to upgrade employment.

This term may also refer to: a woman recently divorced, separated, or widowed after many years as a homemaker.

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