The Gap Between U.S. and Canadian Working Women That Keeps Growing

For neighbors with similar gender attitudes, it’s surprising to see a widening divergence in the share of women in the labor force in the U.S. and Canada.

The percentage of women in their so-called prime working years participating in the labor market declined to 74 percent in the U.S. last year, while in Canada it rose to 81 percent. The biggest shifts are a drop in participation by younger women in the U.S. and gains for older Canadians. Both countries are seeing women studying more and waiting longer to start smaller families, with Canada offering more generous parental leave benefits.



The trend is a sea change from the 1970s and 1980s when the U.S. was ahead, and economists for years have questioned the shift between major trading partners, which share similar views that encourage gender equality.

Statistics Canada on Wednesday broke out comparable data for women by age and education and found important clues on what’s happening:

* Labor market participation among older American women with some post-secondary education dropped to 76 percent last year from 81 percent in 1997. In Canada, the rate climbed to 85 percent from 78 percent

MORE...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-18/the-gap-between-u-s-and-canadian-working-women-that-keeps-growing