Factors Determining the Labor-Force Participation of Married Women

Analysis of changes in the size and composition of the American labor force has generally depended on data derived from general population and labor-force surveys such as the decennial census. Data from these sources limit severely the extent to which the interrelationships among various factors influencing labor force participation can be investigated, nor do such data permit prediction of which individuals will or will not enter the labor force. This study of a sample of married women in St. Paul, Minnesota, attempted an analysis of the interrelationships among a set of variables selected because of their presumed influence on the labor-force participation of such women. Previous employment experience was found to be the single, most important predictor of labor-force participation, but was modified by such factors as age and the presence of small children in the home. (Author's abstract courtesy EBSCO.)