Regional variations in labor force behavior of women in Japan

This study uses cross-sectional data to investigate regional differences in women's participation in the labor market. Women's participation is high in the northern coastal region of Japan. This high rate of participation is caused by the fact that married women with children participate as regular full-time employees. Supply and demand factors explain part of the differences, but regional effects remain even after controlling for them. I attribute the high participation in the northern coastal region to long-standing norms regarding women's work.