| This study investigates women's labor force participation and occupational mobility. By using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics 1987--1993, women's labor force participation patterns are examined with focuses on women's childbearing and childcaring variables, occupational characteristics, and human capital characteristics. First, women's exit from the labor force is analyzed. Secondly, women's return to the labor force is analyzed. Thirdly, women's occupational mobility after intermittent employment is analyzed.; Results show that with respect to women's exit from the labor force, the number of children at home has a positive impact on women's exit from the labor force, where as childbirth itself does not have an impact. Moreover, women in a predominantly female occupation are more likely to exit from the labor force. Once women are out of the labor force; however, childbirth experience negatively affects women's return to the labor force. In contrast, once they are out of the labor force, occupational characteristics from their previous occupation do not affect women's return to the labor force. When women return to the labor force, some women experience downward occupational mobility. The factors relating to women's downward occupational mobility are occupational characteristics from their previous occupation but not their childbearing and childcaring responsibilities. |
