ABSTRACT

Ever since the 1960s the participation rate of women in the labour market has been increasing in The Netherlands. In 1960 only 22 per cent of the labour force consisted of women; by 1987 it was 38 per cent (Central Bureau voor de Statistiek [CBS] 1985). If we look only at married women, the increase is even more spectacular: in 1960 it was 7 per cent, in 1979, 25 per cent, and in 1987 it was 33 per cent (CBS 1985). Compared with other countries, however, the rate of married women in the labour market is still very small.