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Why has the female unemployment rate fallen so much in Britain?

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  • Phil Evans

Abstract

A decrease in female unemployment wholly accounts for the fall in total UK unemployment between its 1984 and 1993 peaks. This fall is associated with a fall in the female inflow rate, is concentrated among women with young children, and is equally evident for all skill groups. These trends cannot be explained by cyclical factors, rather, it is argued that improvements in the provision of workplace childcare have made it easier for mothers with young children to return to work. This reduction in labour market frictions could mean that the natural rate of unemployment has fallen.

Suggested Citation

  • Phil Evans, 1998. "Why has the female unemployment rate fallen so much in Britain?," Bank of England working papers 87, Bank of England.
    • Handle: RePEc:boe:boeewp:87
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    File URL: http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/archive/Documents/historicpubs/workingpapers/1998/wp87.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Burgess, Simon & Rees, Hedley, 1997. "Transient Jobs and Lifetime Jobs: Dualism in the British Labour Market," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 59(3), pages 309-328, August.
    2. Brian P. McCall, 1988. "Occupational Matching: A Test of Sorts," Working Papers 617, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..
    3. J.E. Haskel, 1995. "The Decline in Unskilled Employment in UK Manufacturing," Working Papers 344, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    4. Nickell, Stephen & Bell, Brian, 1995. "The Collapse in Demand for the Unskilled and Unemployment across the OECD," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 11(1), pages 40-62, Spring.
    5. Machin, Steve, 1994. "Changes in the Relative Demand for Skills in the UK Labour Market," CEPR Discussion Papers 952, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Burda, Michael & Wyplosz, Charles, 1994. "Gross worker and job flows in Europe," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 1287-1315, June.
    7. McCall, Brian P, 1990. "Occupational Matching: A Test of Sorts," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(1), pages 45-69, February.
    8. Peter Robinson, 1997. "The Myth of Parity of Esteem: Earnings and Qualifications," CEP Discussion Papers dp0354, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
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    Cited by:

    1. David Campbell & Alan Carruth & Andrew Dickerson & Francis Green, 2007. "Job insecurity and wages," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 117(518), pages 544-566, March.
    2. Maria Guti'rrez-DomSnech & Brian Bell, 2004. "Female labour force participation in the United Kingdom: evolving characteristics or changing behaviour?," Bank of England working papers 221, Bank of England.
    3. Stephen P Millard, 2000. "The effects of increased labour market flexibility in the United Kingdom: theory and practice," Bank of England working papers 109, Bank of England.

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