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Three Essays On Labor Force Participation Rates Among The Fifty States, With Empirical Tests Using Panel Data, John D. Groesbeck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation examined the theoretical foundations of an individual's labor force participation decision. Further, this dissertation provided empirical analysis of the impact of state tax rates, the duration of unemployment, and household size on male, female, and combined labor force participation rates of the fifty states from 1985 to 1990. Empirical tests showed that: 1) no significant relationship existed between tax variables and participation rates; 2) the duration of unemployment was positively related with participation rates while unemployment was negatively related; 3) service sector growth was positively correlated with longer durations of unemployment; and 4) household size was negatively related …