Over the past half-century or so, Utah women’s participation in the labor force has steadily increased at a rate of about 8% per decade (Utah Women & Leadership Project, 2019). According to the most recent (2017) U.S. Census Bureau estimates, women in Utah make up 45% of the state workforce, which is slightly lower than the U.S. women’s share of the national workforce, 47.8% (United States Census Bureau, 2017a). In general, Utah women are about as likely to be employed as U.S. women, but Utah women are less likely to work full-time year-round (Department of Work-force Services, 2014). Numerous factors influence Utah women’s experiences in the labor force, including such barriers to successful employment such as trouble accessing affordable childcare and occupational segregation in lower-paying industries. Since solid employment is a key aspect of financial health, as well as a contributor to intellectual and social well-being, understanding labor force issues is critical. This research snapshot focuses on three key areas: 1. An overview of Utah women’s labor force participation, broken down by demographics, 2. An exploration of the industries and occupations in which Utah women are most likely to work, and 3. A discussion of ways to increase Utah women’s success in the labor force.
Article
Labor Force Participation Among Utah Women
The Utah Women's Health Review
Document Type
Article
Publisher
University of Utah
Publication Date
12-19-2019
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0
Disciplines
Abstract
Citation Information
Madsen, S. R., & Scribner, R. T. (2019). Labor force participation among Utah women. The Utah women’s Health Review, 1(1), 137-144.