Cross country and time series data confirm that the labor force participation rate of
women varies according to the country’s stage of economic development, with several studies
and surveys showing a U-shaped relation between female labor force participation and the level
of per capita income (Mammen and Paxson 2000; Psacharapolous and Tzannatos 1989; Cagatay
and Ozler 1995). As a result, there are many studies of female labor supply in developing
countries, as well as cross-country investigations (see Psacharapolous and Tzannatos 1989 for a
survey). Empirical studies of female labor supply generally consider either the extensive margin
(the female labor force participation rate) or the intensive margin (the association between wages
and working hours). Since the contribution of women to total output is a result of both
components of labor supply, the study reported here examines both margins, and their
combination, in an empirical investigation of female labor supply in Thailand