In 1984, the United States had one of the highest prime-age (25-54) female labor-market participation rates of any developed country. But a new report has found that America is no longer a leader.

Although the many causes of prime-age female labor force participation are not well understood, some are likely to reflect broader labor market opportunities impacting both men and women, the report said.

The Recent decline in women’s labor force participation report was published late in 2017 by The Hamilton Project. The authors, whose research focus on a range of issues including gender and discrimination, labor market outcomes, and childhood poverty, are Sandra E. Black, nonresident Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, The Brookings Institution; Audrey Breitwieser, research assistant, The Hamilton Project, and Nonresident Senior Fellow Diane Whitmore.

According to the report, since 2000, women’s labor force participation has fallen by 3.5 percentage points. This pattern persists across women of varying races and ethnicities, educational backgrounds, ages, and marital statuses, and for women with and without children alike.

Strengthening and expanding the unemployment insurance system and providing worker training, as well as public jobs programs, might help both women and men stay more attached to the labor market while they are in their prime working years, the study says.

These policies, in addition to implementing paid family leave and expanded access to child care, would likely increase the labor force participation rate of prime-age women, the report said.

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