The impact of sectoral shifts on Dutch unmarried women’s labor force participation, 1812–1929

C.A. Boter, Pieter Woltjer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

During the nineteenth century, Dutch female labor force participation (FLFP) was relatively low. Most scholars argue that social norms and rising wages were driving this development. However, their conclusions principally apply to married women. We study unmarried women’s LFP (UFLFP) and investigate a third driver: shifting sectoral employment shares. We include all three drivers in a logistic regression based on nearly 2 million marriage records from 1812 to 1929. We conclude that social norms and income levels mattered, but that shifting sectoral employment shares were driving the decline in UFLFP because sectors with low demand for female laborers expanded.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)783–817
Number of pages35
JournalEuropean Review of Economic History
Volume24
Issue number4
Early online date21 Feb 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2020

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