The Employment Discontinuity of Married Women in Taiwan

Abstract

This article studies the determination of married women's employment discontinuity in Taiwan. Many studies have demonstrated that a high proportion of married women leave their jobs because of marriage, pregnancy, or childbirth (MPB). This article suggests the concept of labour market segmentation be brought back into the study of women's employment stability. Using nationwide sampling data from the 2001 Taiwan Social Change Survey, the article analyses how job status and sociocultural factors affect women's various decisions to quit their job. By using multinomial logistic analysis of over 900 married women, the author discovers that job status of both wives and husbands, husbands' ethnic background and gender-role attitudes have significant impacts on women's reasons to quit. Labour market segmentation by gender significantly affects the employment stability of married women. The results indicate a complex decision-making process when married women struggle to hold onto their jobs in this East Asian society.

Examining gender differences in predictors of financial satisfaction: Evidence from Taiwan

“…This further speaks to the importance of culture in driving men's focus on their own income in determining their financial satisfaction, which aligns with past research on the importance of paid work for men in Taiwan (Chen, 2019). In line with work showing the importance of the breadwinner role for men in Taiwanese marriages (Chang, 2006; Chen, 2019), these findings suggest that income may be more important to men in Taiwan than women.…”

“…As in other Confucian societies with traditional gender roles, Taiwanese men are expected to be the breadwinner of the family (Chen, 2019; Liu, 2017) and Taiwanese women continue to prefer husbands with greater economic resources (Cheng, 2014). Despite gains in Taiwanese women's workforce participation over recent decades (from 38% employment in 1978 to 51% in 2015; Yu, 2015), a high proportion of women in Taiwan leave their jobs following marriage or childbirth (Chang, 2006). For example, in a nationally representative survey of married women in Taiwan, Yu (2005) found 42% exited the workforce around the time of their marriage.…”

“…Confuciansim, which emphasizes the importance of order and hierarchy to achieve harmony in human relationships (with men having more status than women; Xu & Lai, 2004), is argued to influence values related to breadwinner and homemaker gender roles. Men in Taiwan are expected to be the breadwinner (Chen, 2019) and women are expected to be the main caretaker of children and the home (Chang, 2006). Confucian family values remain stronger in Taiwan than in other Chinese societies like Hong Kong (which has been influenced by its connection with Britain) or mainland China (that has been influenced by political pressure towards gender equality), and this is an ideal context for studying the influence of these traditional gender values and gender roles (Xu & Lai, 2004).…”

Birth Trends among Female Physicians in Taiwan: A Nationwide Survey from 1996 to 2013

“…Also, data on births in foreign countries or deliveries which were not covered by the NHI program were not included in the database. Data regarding certain demographic factors, such as individuals’ socioeconomic situations, which may affect women’s choices regarding pregnancy, were not considered in the study under the rationale that a substantial amount of women discontinue employment after marriage or pregnancy [ 33 ]. We could not identify their professional occupations other than medical personnel, either.…”