Does your employment involve commuting time? Sure (as long
as you’re not working at home). A University of Chicago study found labor force
participation rates of married women correlate negatively with commuting time. Why
did the study focus on married women? Because they are the most likely
population to have child-rearing duties.
Common sense validates the study. How many men pass on a job
because it has travel, some of it involving long commutes or time from home?
Some, certainly. But for moms and moms-in-planning, that’s more problematical.
The study concluded: “married women’s labor force
participation decisions appear to be very responsive to commuting times. There
is a strong empirical evidence across three decades that demonstrates that
labor force participation rates of married women are negatively correlated with
commuting time.”
Meghan Walsh’s interesting article, “Commuting: The Real
Reason Women Don’t Lean In,” offers good anecdotal evidence to support the
Chicago study. She writes: “Commuting disproportionately limits and stresses
out women compared to men. From restricting job prospects to requiring aviationlike
coordinate plotting, daily travel pressures are wearing women down.”
Could employers improve on this? Maybe. An employer who
wants to employ the best female talent might develop some way to allow women to
be honest about this fact-of-life, and find solutions that address this
interest. Relatedly, an employer might allow a market based solution by paying
a premium for employees who choose assignments that involve travel. This would
be tricky because it would tend to lower female pay relative to males—but given
that young men today are seeking work-life balance more than 30 years ago, it
might be worth a try as more men opt for the same choice as women.
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