How Marriage Policy Affects Womens LFP

Abstract

With technological advancement coupled with the recent pandemic, perceptions of womens societal roles have undoubtedly evolved over the recent decades. Often, their social role is measured through their employment status, with rising labor force participation indicating an elevated social standing. While most of the previous research tends to link womens labor force participation with factors including wage rates, childbirth, and education, the correlation between their labor force participation and marriage has remained underexplored. Given the profound impact marriage can have on womens employment, it is crucial to adopt innovative research approaches that reflect modern shifts in womens social roles. This paper seeks to unravel the link between marriage and womens labor force participation in the U.S., focusing specifically on the influence of legal marriage age via a difference-in-difference design. The goal is to inform the government of better policy decisions, such as pushing for enhanced economic and marriage policies that could further facilitate womens role in the professional realm.