2017 Issue

40 Authors: Susan R. Madsen (Orin R. Woodbury Professor of Leadership & Ethics, Utah Valley University, madsensu@uvu.edu ) and Robbyn T. Scribner (Research Fellow, Utah Valley University). For information: www.uvu.edu/uwlp Setting the Stage Over the past half-century or so, Utah women’s partici- pation in the labor force has steadily increased at a rate of about 8% per decade. 1 According to the most recent (2015) U.S. Census Bureau estimates, women in Utah make up 43.9% of the state workforce, which is slightly lower than the U.S. women’s share of the national workforce, 47.4%. 2 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. 3 Numerous factors influence Utah women’s experiences in the labor force, including such barriers to successful employment as trouble access- ing affordable childcare and occupational segregation in lower-paying industries. This research snapshot focuses on three key areas: 1. An overview of Utah women’s labor force participa- tion, broken down by demographics, 2. An exploration of the industries and occupations where Utah women are most likely to work, and 3. A discussion of ways to increase Utah women’s success in the labor force. Demographics According to recent American Community Survey estimates for adults ages 16–65, 72.1% of Utah women worked over the previous 12 months, a slightly higher rate as compared to U.S. women (71.5%). 4 Estimates for the same time period give different numbers for the specific category of Utah women “in the labor force,” which includes those who are unemployed but looking for work, though with those data as well Utah women’s rates are higher than the national average (59.2% vs. 58.1%). 5 However, Utah women were less likely than U.S. women to work full-time, year-round: 35.7% vs. 41.8%. Utah women are also considerably less likely to work than Utah men: 87.2% of Utah men had worked in the previous 12 months, and 60.3% of them had worked full- time, year-round. 6 A recent report ranked Utah first in the nation for the percentage of employed women who worked part-time (40.2% vs. the national average of 29.4%). 7 Various factors play a role in determining Utah women’s likelihood to participate in the labor force. For example, age significantly impacts women’s employment rates. In both the U.S. and Utah, younger women are very likely to be in the labor force. According to 2015 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, Utah women participate in the labor force at a higher rate than the national average in their late teens and early 20s. Beginning at age 25, however, the national aver- age for women’s labor force participation becomes higher than Utah women’s participation rate and remains higher through age 69. Utah women’s labor force participation drops considerably below the national average from ages 25–45, the years when many women are having children. After age 45, the labor force participation rate for Utah Labor Force Participation Among Utah Women