How Labor Force Participation Has Diverged Across Genders

Avaradi, Greeshma; Hornstein, Andreas; Kim, Taerin; Kudlyak, Marianna

Journal Article

How Labor Force Participation Has Diverged Across Genders

Abstract: U.S. labor force participation rose for decades until the mid-1990s but has fallen steadily since then. This general pattern masks different paths for men and women in the workforce. Aging and rising education explain much of the long-run changes but do not account for the divergence by gender. Men’s trend participation has fallen steadily since the late 1970s, while women’s participation rose through 2000 before flattening. The difference mainly reflects younger male cohorts participating less than earlier ones, whereas younger female cohorts—especially those with more education—have higher participation.