Social Policy Trends- Labour Force Participation Rate of Women with Young Children

• Main Authors: Margarita (Gres) Wilkins, Ronald D. Kneebone
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Calgary 2017-11-01
• Series: The School of Public Policy Publications
• Online Access: https://www.policyschool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Social-Policy-Trends-Womens-LF-Participation.pdf

LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATE OF WOMEN WITH YOUNG CHILDREN In Alberta, the percentage of women with young children and an employed spouse, who are active in the workforce has remained unchanged since the early 1990s. The labour force participation rate is a measure of the percentage of a well-defined group of individuals that is an active participant in the labour force. That is to say, they are either employed or actively seeking employment. The graph shows the labour force participation rate, in Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario, of women with an employed spouse and at least one child under the age of 6 years. Data is shown for each year since 1976. In Quebec in 1976, only 30% of women with an employed spouse and a young child were actively engaged in the work force. The percentage was higher in Alberta (37%) and Ontario (40%), but still well-below what we observe today. Between 1976 and the mid- 1990s, the participation rates were increasing by similar amounts in all three provinces. Since that time, the participation rate of women with at least one young child has continued to increase in Quebec and, to a lesser extent Ontario, but it had stagnated in Alberta.