Labor force participation rate of mothers, 1975-2007
January 08, 2009
From March 1975 to March 2000, the labor force participation rate of mothers with children under age 18 rose from 47 percent to a peak of 73 percent.
By 2004, the rate for these mothers had receded to 71 percent, where it remained through 2007.
In general, mothers with older children (6 to 17 years of age, none younger) are more likely to participate in the labor force than mothers with younger children (under 6 years of age).
These data are from the Current Population Survey and were collected in the March CPS. To find out more, see BLS Report 1011, Women in the Labor Force: A Databook (2008 Edition).
SUGGESTED CITATION
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Labor force participation rate of mothers, 1975-2007 on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2009/jan/wk1/art04.htm (visited September 25, 2017).
OF INTEREST
Recent editions of Spotlight on Statistics
-
Expenditures on Admissions to the Arts, Movies, Sporting Events, and Other Entertainment
A look at consumer spending and attendance at arts, sports, and entertainment events. -
Profile of the labor force by educational attainment
A look at the educational attainment of the U.S. labor force and how it has changed over time. -
Women in the workforce before, during, and after the Great Recession
A look at trends and projections in the labor force participation of women from the 1950s to 2024. -
Employer-sponsored healthcare coverage across wage groups
A look at the relationship between employee wages and access to, participation in, and costs of employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision care benefit plans.
