The labor-force participation rate for women rose significantly during the 1970s and 1980s, thereby increasing the share of dual-earner families, but it started to plateau in the mid-1990s, according to Cornell University economist Francine D. Blau, co-author of a 2013 study that compared female labor- participation rates in OECD countries. "The United States used to be one of the leaders in female labor-force participation," she said. "But we have fallen considerably relative to other developed nations, and a key factor has been their more generous work-family policies."

Separate data from the U.S. Census offer some evidence as to what's driving the disparate rates for mothers and fathers. Looking at labor-force participation for married parents of children under 15, 32 percent of mothers were not in the labor force last year, meaning they neither maintained nor sought employment. That compared to just 5.8 percent of fathers.

Why the decision to stay out of the workforce? For 86 percent of those mothers, it was to care for family. That was the motivation cited by only 24 percent of fathers. The remaining 76 percent cited other unspecified reasons.

First « 1 2 » Next