Women’s Likelihood of Working Outside the Home

In 1990, only five developed countries had a higher proportion of working women than the United States. But now, 11 more countries have overtaken us. Economists from the National Bureau of Economic Research think the better parental leave and day care policies of many European countries explain some of the change, but note that a higher proportion of women in the United States have managerial and professional jobs. A higher proportion of U.S. women work fulltime, too.