Increases in Female Labour Force Participation in Europe: Similarities and Differences

Authors: Jan Vlasblom¹; Joop Schippers²

Source: European Journal of Population/ Revue europenne de Dmographie, Volume 20, Number 4, December 2004 , pp. 375-392(18)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Low educational levels and the effect of children are recognized as the most important factors for low female participation rates. Over the last decades female labour supply in Europe has shown a large increase. This may be related to changes in the level of education or fertility. It is also possible that it is due to changes in behaviour, as influenced by the social and institutional context. Our results show that increases in the participation rates cannot be explained by changes in either educational level nor in the number and timing of children. Female labour supply increases at all educational levels for women with and without children. In other words, it is mainly changes in behaviour that drive the increase in participation rates over the last decades.

Keywords: decomposition analysis; family formation; female labour supply; institutions

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10680-004-5302-0

Affiliations: 1: Utrecht School of Economics, Utrecht University, Vredenburg 138, NL – 3511 BG, Utrecht, The Netherlands, Email: j.vlasblom@econ.uu.nl 2: Utrecht School of Economics, Utrecht University, Vredenburg 138, NL – 3511 BG, Utrecht, The Netherlands,

Publication date: 2004-12-01