The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday, removing nearly 50 years of federal protections for abortions and giving states the right to make the procedure illegal within their jurisdictions.
The ruling doesn’t just change who in the U.S. can get an abortion and where — it affects when, how and under what circumstances people become parents, which could have long-term impacts on their personal lives and careers.
“This decision will completely undermine women’s capacities to participate in the economy,” says Akila Ka Ma’at, an assistant professor of communication, women, gender and African American studies at George Mason University.
Women’s labor force participation rate could plummet
Abortion legalization has had a direct impact on women’s labor force participation rate: Before the Roe decision in 1973, about 40% of women were working or actively seeking a job. This share increased dramatically through the 1980s and remained steady in the years following. Nationally, women’s labor force participation rate is now close to 60%.
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