Factors relating to female work force participation in three central Javanese communities

This Study investigates the determinants of female work force participation according to selected demographic and socio-economic factors, and explores the relationship between these factors and female employment. The data are taken from the 1979 Indonesian Asian Marriage Survey which studied 1587 ever married women in three Javanese communities in Central Java. The methods of analysis used include the comparison of employment rates among sub-populations and the examination of the extent of differentials among the employed women. Demographic factors studied include age, number of children ever born and number of young children (0-4 years) in the household. Other individual characteristics examined include current residence, years of schooling, past work experience and husband's education and primary occupation. Although the study does not isolate the relative impact of each individual variable on the participation of women in the work force, several factors emerge as important influences. Age and geographical area are consistent factors in the explanation of different rates of current work participation. The participation of women in the work force seems to be influenced by the intensity of conflict between maternal and work force roles. The hypothesized associations of other factors such as education and husband's education and primary occupation (often associated with income) with the employment of women are not well explained by the analysis. Evidence shows that past work experience (based on retrospective questions) is an important factor associated with current work. Work status in one interval is a useful predictor of subsequent work participation