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The Effect of Household Appliances on Female Labor Force Participation: Evidence from Micro Data

Author

Listed:
  • Steven Lugauer

    (University of Pittsburgh)

  • Alexis Leon

    (Carnegie Mellon University)

  • Daniele Coen-Pirani

    (Carnegie Mellon University)

Abstract

We estimate the effect of household appliance ownership on the labor force participation rate of married women using micro-level data from the 1960 and 1970 U.S. Censuses. In order to identify the causal effect of home appliance ownership on married women's labor force participation rates, our empirical strategy exploits both time-series and cross-sectional variation in these two variables. To control for endogeneity, we instrument a married woman's ownership of an appliance by the average ownership rate for that appliance among single women living in the same U.S. state. Single women's labor force participation rates did not increase between 1960 and 1970. We find evidence in support of the hypothesis that the diffusion of household appliances contributed to the increase in married women's labor force participation rates during the 1960's.
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Suggested Citation

  • Steven Lugauer & Alexis Leon & Daniele Coen-Pirani, 2008. "The Effect of Household Appliances on Female Labor Force Participation: Evidence from Micro Data," 2008 Meeting Papers 541, Society for Economic Dynamics.
  • Handle: RePEc:red:sed008:541
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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