COMPARISON OF UNDEREMPLOYED AND NOT UNDEREMPLOYED WOMEN IN TWO-PARENT TWO-CHILD FAMILIES: AN ELEVEN-STATE RURAL-URBAN STUDY (EMPLOYMENT, HOUSEHOLD WORK, TIME USE).

摘要

This study compared wives defined as underemployed by educational mismatch with not underemployed wives on four major predictor variables--relative market work advantage; degree of competition in the female labor market; time demands from family members; and assistance with childcare and other housework. The data were from NE 113, An Interstate Comparison Urban/Rural Families' Time Use.; The population was a stratified random sample of 2,100 two-parent two-child families living in rural and urban areas in eleven states. Equal numbers of families were selected to represent five strata, based on the age of the youngest child. Demographic and time use data were collected. Time use was charted for two days--a recall day and a recording day.; Underemployed wives, as compared to not underemployed wives contributed more towards total spousal wages; faced a lower unemployment rate; spent more time on childcare and other housework; and had more help from others and from labor-saving devices, but not from their spouses. Underemployed wives were better able than their counterparts to capitalize on their education. On the average, underemployed wives earned {dollar}14.02 per hour as versus {dollar}8.73 for not underemployed wives. At the professional, technical and kindred worker level the underemployed were a select group. In the teaching field, for example, an underemployed was one who had more than a master's degree.; Logistic regression analysis identified underemployment rate as the factor which was able to best differentiate between the groups. Research, public policy and family decision making implications were discussed. It was recommended that there be further study of the psycho-social determinants of spousal underemployment.