Women’s Labor Force Participation: Global Patterns and a U.S.–Canada Comparison

By: Margaret Gachau, The Quinnipiac University Global Economics Research Team

In today’s report on the healthcare economy:

• Approximately half of women worldwide participate in the labor force, highlighting significant variation across regions.

• A comparative analysis of female labor force participation in the United States and Canada, highlighting differences in trends and recovery patterns over time

Half of all women worldwide are participating in the labor force

Building on the previous report, which highlighted the inverse relationship between female labor force participation and fertility, this section examines how participation varies across regions. Globally, just under half of women of working age are active in the labor force, but this average mask substantial variation.

Participation is highest in Sub-Saharan Africa and tends to be relatively elevated at both ends of the income spectrum, particularly in low- and high-income economies, reflecting different drivers of labor supply. In contrast, regions such as the Middle East and North Africa and South Asia record significantly lower participation, pointing to persistent structural and institutional constraints.

Overall, while global participation appears relatively stable, regional disparities remain pronounced and are key to understanding broader labor market and demographic dynamics.

Source:   World Bank Group and own calculations.

A comparative analysis of female labor force participation in the United States and Canada

Source:   World Bank Group and own calculations.

Female labor force participation in both the United States and Canada increased in the early 2000s, though the pace and timing differed across the two countries. Canada experienced a stronger and more sustained rise, maintaining consistently higher participation rates throughout the period. As of 2025, Canada’s participation rate stands at 60.2%, compared to 56.3% in the United States, placing Canada 3.9 percentage points higher.

In contrast, U.S. participation peaked  in the early 2000s and gradually declined through the mid-2010s, with only a partial recovery following the COVID-19 shock. This divergence suggests that while both economies share similar structural characteristics, underlying policy, demographic, and labor market dynamics have led to different long-run outcomes

Additional Readings

Women's Employment