We employ Chinese population census data to consider married, urban women's labor force participation decisions in the context of their families. We find that the presence in the household of a parent, parent-in-law, or person aged 75 or older increases prime-age women's likelihood of participating in market work. The presence of preschool-aged…

I argue that both the dominant models of the relationship between earnings and housework, economic dependence and gender display, have fundamental defects. They focus on the effect of women's earnings compared to their husbands' on their housework and ignore the possibility of an independent relationship between women's own earnings and their time…

This study examines the gender differences in job mobility in urban China. Conceptualizing China's postsocialist transition as a multi-faceted process, we argue that the emergence of labor markets, gendered role differentiation within the family, and the state's declining involvement in promoting women's rights lead to widened gender gaps in job…

The labor market and marital status experiences of women in their forties were examined using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Women, which tracked the experiences of women from ages 40 to 49 during the 1967-86 time period. Findings included the following: (1) over 85% worked at some time during their forties; (2) they averaged…

The transitions of women into and out of part-time work were studied by examining the same women over time, using data from the Young Women's cohort of the National Longitudinal Surveys. Two groups of women were studied: those who were aged 29-33 in 1978 and those who were 29-33 in 1983. The labor force transitions of the two groups were compared…

Leading explanations for ethnic disparities in U.S. women's employment derive largely from research on men. Although recent case studies of newer immigrant groups suggest that these explanations may be less applicable than previously believed, no study to date has assessed this question systematically. Using 2000 Census data, this study tests the…

The 1970s were marked by an increase in the level of education attainment of the average worker. By 1979 thirty-six per cent of all workers over 18 completed at least one year of college, and the percentage of workers not completing high school declined considerably. While the proportion of men participating in the labor force continued to fall,…

The work patterns of women with some work experience over the 1976 to 1989 period were examined as they approach retirement, using data from the Mature Women's cohort of the National Longitudinal Surveys. The data provided information on a sample of women who were between the ages of 30 and 45 in 1967 and who have been interviewed regularly since…

Marriage, childbearing, and employment patterns of women initially surveyed during their entrance to college in 1961 and subsequently surveyed in 1965, 1971, and 1974-5 were investigated. Subjects were questioned on marital status, number and timing of children in the family, employment patterns and shifts, job search patterns, preferred housework…

Provides a historical overview of private household workers and builds a demographic profile of today's domestic workers. Discusses changes in women's employment which may upgrade the status of household workers. (SK)

Examined work and family ties over 10-year period (1970-79) for women aged 35 to 59 using life-course perspective and data from Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Marital status (and marital transitions) and presence of children were related to labor force patterns over 10-year period, but with different effects for women aged 35-44 than for those…

A survey (n=306) of female employment patterns in the peripheral areas of Israel has shown that labor force participation rates differ across regions and types of settlements. Found that urban and rural women from the same region have different participation rates because of their different socioeconomic characteristics. (KS)

During the 1980s, the population of black women aged 16 years and older in the United States increased by 17.2%, and labor force participation for black women increased by 29%. In 1987, black women accounted for 50% of total black employment. The unemployment rate for black teenagers in 1990 was 30% (versus 10.8% for all black women). Labor force…