ABSTRACT
This chapter examines empirically how local labor markets, household composition, and individual characteristics affect the labor force participation of women. The predominant approach to women’s labor force participation has been from a human capital or status attainment point of view with emphasis on characteristics that individuals bring to the labor market. The changing structure of households clearly has implications for women’s labor force participation. Mark R. Rank, for example, argues that single-parent families are at a distinct disadvantage compared with two-parent families in labor market participation. Labor market characteristics examined include economic performance, metro/nonmetro status, level of poverty, region of the country, and industrial composition. The model developed draws from both the structural and human capital approaches to dealing with labor force participation. The outcome of the full model showed that each of the three major categories of variables—labor market structure, household structure, and individual characteristics of women—had a significant impact on the log-odds of women’s full-time employment.
