Labour force participation and family situation of married women
Abstract
In this article we shall primarily discuss relationships between the labour force participation of married women and their family situation. The analysis is based on a theory of choice approach and the framework of such a theory on this approach is outlined. We indicate some special theoretical problems in the analysis of the labour force participation of married women, and comment upon some main types of variables which are assumed to influence this participation. It is customary to assume that the size and composition of the household are important factors in determining the labour force participation of married women. This is confirmed both in the theoretical discussion and in some preliminary observation results from the Norwegian Labour Force Sample Surveys. In the empirical part of this article only one background variable at a time is taken into account; this represents a limitation since it must be assumed that there is an interaction among the different variables included. In the final section we discuss briefly some of the problems concerning the simultaneous treatment of labour force status and number of children.
