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Female Labor Force Participation in the Post-Pandemic Era


Abstract: As part of our Spotlight on Childcare and the Labor Market, a targeted effort to understand how access to childcare can affect employment and the economy, this article documents a striking change in the American labor market: The labor force participation rate for women is higher than it was prior to the pandemic. Most strikingly, women with young children at home, those most in need of childcare, have experienced the largest increases in labor force participation. In contrast, the labor force participation rate of men and the overall labor force participation rate are still below their pre-pandemic levels. Among women with young children, college-educated women have experienced the largest increases in labor market participation.

Keywords: Childcare; labor and demographic economics;

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Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Publication Date: 2024-07