America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers

The “opt out” revolution of high-earning women exiting the labor force to have babies, widely publicized in the early 2000s, may have been overstated.

This phenomenon of opting out is actually not widespread. In fact, recently released historical fertility tables show an increase in labor force participation rates in the last decade among women ages 16 to 50 who gave birth within the last 12 months.

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The increase in labor force participation of women with a recent birth may be explained by trends in educational attainment: a growing share of women who have completed four or more years of college and people who are highly educated are more likely to be in the labor force.

Using data from the 2017 American Community Survey (ACS), the figure below explores the relationship between education and labor force participation among women with a recent birth. Continue Reading...

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About America Counts

America Counts tells the stories behind the numbers in a new inviting way. It features stories on various topics such as families, housing, employment, business, education, the economy, emergency preparedness, and population. Contact our Public Information Office for media inquiries or interviews.