A Life Course Study of Racial and Ethnic Differences in Women’s Labor Market Exit Patterns

Tyson H. Brown, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
David F. Warner, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Do Black, Hispanic, and White women experience different rates of retirement, work-disability, and death? If so, what are the specific life course factors underlying racial and ethnic differences in women’s labor force exit behavior? We draw on life course themes and panel data from the HRS to examine race differences in women’s labor force exit pathways, with particular attention to the mediating effects of education, earnings, work and family patterns, wealth, and health. Findings show that women’s labor market exit pathways are diverse and vary by race and ethnicity. We find that while minority and White women have comparable retirement transition rates, Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to exit the labor market due to a work-disability. Additionally, Blacks are more likely than Whites to exit the workforce due to death. A wide array of life course factors account for these race differences in labor force exit pathways.