Description:
This study aims to contribute to the discussion on policies to address the persistent low female labor force participation in the Philippines by providing labor market intelligence on economically inactive women in the country. It identifies trends in female economic inactivity and describes the profile of females out of the labor force across key sociodemographic characteristics using data from the Labor Force Survey (LFS) from 1988 to 2020. It also provides econometric estimates of the determinants of female labor force participation in the Philippines by utilizing logistic regression analysis and repeated cross-sectional data from the merged LFS and Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) datasets for 2003, 2006, 2008, 2012, and 2015. In view of the persistence of low labor participation of women across their life cycle, and household and family responsibilities as a key driver of this, addressing low female labor force participation would require a comprehensive set of interventions which supports women’s choice and expands their freedom whether to work or not. This is to help women have positive outcomes whether they want to work or not, or whether they have voluntary/involuntary labor market attachment/detachment, so that they will have smoother transitions in and out of the labor force.

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Title: Trends on Female Economic Inactivity and Determinants of Female Labor Force Participation in the Philippines

Researchers: Paulina Kim C. Pacete