TREND OF FEMALE LABOR PARTICIPATION IN THE US SINCE 1970s

Abstract

Gender roles seem to direct society by telling men and women what they should be doing with their lives, making them feel like outcasts if they do not fill these roles. However, over the last 50 years, women have started to fight against these societal norms and have shown a desire to join the labor force. Women in the workplace saw an upward trend from 1970 to around 2000, where it since appears to have leveled out. As they have become more a part of the work force, there have been areas affected by their choice to not be as prominent in the home. This study will look at the journey women have taken thus far and how it has affected various aspects in their lives. Changes have been made to the gender-wage gap, lessening the gap significantly. Family units have changed, allowing women to have more of a role outside the home. While women in the work place overall have changed, differences have varied across separate ethnicities. Women have fought a hard battle, one that seems will not end any time soon.