Since the late 1960s, the increased work participation of married women and mothers has changed the workplace in California and contributed significantly to the growth of the state's economy, according to a recent study by the Public Policy Institute of California. Less than half of working-age California women held jobs in the late 1960s, while more than 70 percent of working-age women are now active members of the labor market. Although women in California still earn only 80 cents per dollar earned by men, their earnings have been the main source of growth in family income in the last few decades.
The growing participation of women in the work force has had social implications, however. With more women working full-time, state and local officials are challenged to replace the services traditionally provided by wives and mothers, including quality child and nursing home care.