The Fact
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics historical data show that the labor-force participation rate for women ages 25–54 rose from 47.9% in 1968 to 64.0% in 1980.
What This Means
That is a 16.1-percentage-point shift in just twelve years, concentrated squarely in the period when much of Generation X was being born and raised. A large share of adult women’s labor moved into the market during one generation’s childhood.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey. Labor force participation rate, women 25 to 54 years (series LNS11300062). Accessed October 2, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS11300062