Gender, the labour market, and multiculturalism: demographic emphasis

This paper analyses the patterns and determinants of female labour force participation from a socio-demographic perspective. Using a more recent database, the present analysis updates the existing knowledge and evaluates prior research regarding the market employment of women, particularly in the multiethnic and multicultural context. The analysis is based on a research conducted in Australia, holding a substantial proportion of European-ancestry populations. The paper also provides some cross-national comparisons with other multicultural settings. The results of this paper are based on logistic regression analysis. The results suggest that human capital and family formation appear to play as the most fundamental determinants in women's market employment. The results also suggest that while native-born women are generally more benefited in the labour market, the native foreigner differentials regarding the employment patterns and determinants tend to be mainly associated with ethnic origin and length of residence in the destination country