Women’s Employment and Commuting: Explaining the Links

Abstract

This article reviews recent research on the link between women’s commuting and labor force participation and identifies five key themes in the literature. Women’s shorter work trips have been explained in terms of women’s low wages, the need to coordinate dual roles as mothers and wage earners, and as a reflection of a more even distribution of jobs that traditionally hire women. Short work trips may also reflect spatial entrapment in highly localized labor markets. Finally, shorter work trips may reflect a spatial mismatch between low-income and minority women’s residential locations and entry-level jobs; thus, employment may entail much longer commutes for inner-city residents. This article evaluates research within each theme, identifies future research needs, and explores the implications for current policy debates over welfare reform.