EXPLAINING THE BLACK-WHITE GAP IN LABOR-FORCE PARTICIPATION AMONG WOMEN HEADING HOUSEHOLDS

For the first time in this century, Black women are participating in t he labor force at lower rates than are White women. The Black-White ga p in female labor force participation is driven by those in the severe st need of income-women heading households. I compare three explanatio ns of the Black-White gap in labor force participation among female ho usehold heads-lack of human capital, lack of opportunities resulting f rom industrial restructuring, and disarticulation from mainstream inst itutions as described by theories of the ''underclass.'' Using a repre sentative national sample from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, I f ind that lower rates of labor force participation among Black women he ading households are determined by Black-White differences in human ca pital as well as by characteristics associated with a breakdown in the processes linking Black women to the labor market. Overall, the large st impediments to labor force participation among women heading househ olds are dropping out of high school, having a child under the age of six in the household, and being a long-term welfare recipient.