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  • Title: An analysis of women's labor force participation in France: cross-section estimates and time-series evidence.
    Author: Riboud M.
    Journal: J Labor Econ; 1985 Jan; 3(1 Pt 2):S177-200. PubMed ID: 12267647.
    Abstract:
    This paper examines the labor force participation of women in France and its evolution over time. Women's labor force participation was high in France at the beginning of the century even among nonagricultural households, and after a decline in the 1920s it remained fairly stable until the 1950s. After 1968 significant changes are observed--a fast increase in participation due to the change in married women's behavior, the decrease in fertility, and, lately, an increase in family instability. An analysis of married women's labor force participation based on cross sectional data shows that: 1) the level of education, the amount of work experience, and the continuity of the latter are important variables for explaining differences in wages among women; 2) changes in male and female earnings and unemployment rates explain much of the trend in participation; and 3) changes in participation are closely related to wage and employment opportunities even for earleir periods--after a low participation rate during the 1920s, a return to high participation rates occurred only when the increase in education level had produced its effect. As in other countries, marital status is an important variable, although among the variables likely to be related to participation behavior, earnings and education are the most important. A decision about participation implies weighing the benefits and costs of working in the market to alternative activities at home. Results of the empirical analysis suggest that: 1) discontinuity of market experience is frequent among married women, 2) while 1 year of additional labor force experience contributes to a 1.7% per year wage increase, 1 year out of the labor force results in more tha 2% wage decrease, and 3) there is no evidence that the presence of children has any effect on human capital accumulation and earnings beyond its effect on work experience. Overall, the time series analysis provides an explanation of the changes that is similar to the 1 given by the previous cross section analysis; both stress the importance of wage and imcome effects. The same model of decision making, based on a comparison between the value of home time and earnings potential in the labor market, explains both earlier and recent historical trends.
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