Empirical Evidence of Women Labour Force Participation in Nigeria

This study analyses the determinants of women labour force participation in each geopolitical zone and investigated the factors that account for difference in hours supplied by women in formal and informal sectors of employment in Nigeria. A multi- stage sampling procedure was used to select 3000 women, 500 in each of the six states, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country. The analysis was carried out with the use of descriptive and regression analyses. Using econometric analysis, three dimensions of labour supply were examined, namely, the determinants of women labour force participation, hours worked and sector of participation of working women in Nigeria. The result of our econometric analysis show clearly that the variables that determine labour force participation rates for married women are age, marriage type, education, ethnic origin, household type, husbands? education, husbands? income, home ownership and own income. Out of the six zonal variables, only North West and South East significantly affect the participation in the labour force and the residents in South East are more likely to be in labour force than all other zones for all women.