Wife's employment and family expenditures

Abstract

Data from the 1980–81 Consumer Expenditure Survey were used to examine the influence of wife's employment on spending on non‐durable goods and time‐saving services. Multiple regression analysis indicated that, except for personal care services, expenditure levels differed between working‐wife and non‐working‐wife families. Other independent variables, however, were more influential in determining expenditure than was wife's employment status.