This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

An Examination of Cross-Country Differences in the Gender Gap in Labor Force Participation Rates

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Heather Antecol
Abstract

Using evidence on variation in the gender gap in labor force participation rates(LFPR) across home country groups in the United States, this paper attempts to assess the role of two factors, human capital and culture, in explaining why cross-country differences exist in these gaps. While human capital factors play a limited role, as controlling for these factors does not eliminate variation in the gender gap in LFPR across home country groups, cultural factors, such as tastes regarding family structure and women's role in market versus home work, appear to be important. In particular, for first generation immigrants, I find that over half of the overall variation in the gender gap in LFPR across home country groups within the United States can be attributed to home country LFPR. This finding suggests that there must be a permanent, portable factor, i.e. culture, that is not captured by observed human capital measures and not related to labor market institutions, that affects outcomes. As the overall variation in the unadjusted gender gap in LFPR and the role of home country LFPR are smaller for second-and-higher generation immigrants, there exists evidence of cultural assimilation as well.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://labour.ciln.mcmaster.ca/papers/cilnwp37.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by McMaster University in its series Canadian International Labour Network Working Papers with number 37.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length: 24 pages
Date of creation:
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:mcm:cilnwp:37

Contact details of provider:

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: ().

Related research
Keywords:

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Baker, Michael & Benjamin, Dwayne, 1997. "The Role of the Family in Immigrants' Labor-Market Activity: An Evaluation of Alternative Explanations," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(4), pages 705-27, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Gustafsson, Siv & Jacobsson, Roger, 1985. "Trends in Female Labor Force Participation in Sweden," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages S256-74, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. John P. Haisken-DeNew & Christoph M. Schmidt, . "Inter-Industry and Inter-Region Differentials: Mechanics and Interpretation," Working Papers 9504, SELAPO Center for Human Resources. [Downloadable!]
  4. Hernandez Iglesias, Feliciano & Riboud, Michelle, 1985. "Trends in Labor Force Participation of Spanish Women: An Interpretive Essay," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages S201-17, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Franz, Wolfgang, 1985. "An Economic Analysis of Female Work Participation, Education, and Fertility: Theory and Empirical Evidence for the Federal Republic of Germany," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages S218-34, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Colombino, Ugo & De Stavola, Bianca, 1985. "A Model of Female Labor Supply in Italy Using Cohort Data," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages S275-92, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Joshi, Heather E & Layard, Richard & Owen, Susan J, 1985. "Why Are More Women Working in Britain?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages S147-76, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Gregory, R G & McMahon, P & Whittingham, B, 1985. "Women in the Australian Labor Force: Trends, Causes, and Consequences," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages S293-309, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Carroll, Christopher D & Rhee, Byung-Kun & Rhee, Changyong, 1994. "Are There Cultural Effects on Saving? Some Cross-Sectional Evidence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 109(3), pages 685-99, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Krueger, Alan B & Summers, Lawrence H, 1988. "Efficiency Wages and the Inter-industry Wage Structure," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 56(2), pages 259-93, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Reimers, Cordelia W, 1985. "Cultural Differences in Labor Force Participation among Married Women," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(2), pages 251-55, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Francine D. Blau, 1991. "The Fertility of Immigrant Women: Evidence from High Fertility Source Countries," NBER Working Papers 3608, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  13. Amemiya, Takeshi, 1978. "A Note on a Random Coefficients Model," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 19(3), pages 793-96, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. O'Neill, June, 1985. "The Trend in the Male-Female Wage Gap in the United States," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages S91-116, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Hartog, Joop & Theeuwes, Jules, 1985. "The Emergence of the Working Wife in Holland," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages S235-55, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Shimada, Haruo & Higuchi, Yoshio, 1985. "An Analysis of Trends in Female Labor Force Participation in Japan," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages S355-74, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Long, James E, 1980. "The Effect of Americanization on Earnings: Some Evidence for Women," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 88(3), pages 620-29, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Borjas, George J. & Sueyoshi, Glenn T., 1994. "A two-stage estimator for probit models with structural group effects," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 64(1-2), pages 165-182. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  19. Smith, James P & Ward, Michael P, 1985. "Time-Series Growth in the Female Labor Force," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages S59-90, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  20. Borjas, George J, 1987. "Self-Selection and the Earnings of Immigrants," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 77(4), pages 531-53, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  21. Michael, Robert T, 1985. "Consequences of the Rise in Female Labor Force Participation Rates: Questions and Probes," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages S117-46, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  22. Mincer, Jacob, 1985. "Intercountry Comparisons of Labor Force Trends and of Related Developments: An Overview," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages S1-32, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Full references

Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? IDEAS also indexes software components.

This page was last updated on 2009-12-23.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.