Women and the Economyuses the tools of contemporary economics to examine different aspects of womenrs"s lives, from the labor market to family policy and structure. Economic theory is blended with empirical research and policy issues to explore the changes in the lives of American women in the twenty-first century. Women and the Economy-Introduction; Economics Tools and Economic Thinking; Marriage and the Family-An Economic Approach; Marriage and the Family-Economic Issues and Applications; The Economics of Fertility; Nonmarital and Teen Fertility; Women at Work; Womenrs"s Earnings, Occupation, and Education-An Overview; The Gender Gap in Earnings: Explanations; The Gender Gap in Earnings: Methods and Evidence; Women's Employment and Earnings: Policy; Poverty, Welfare, and Women; Women, Taxes, and Social Security; Family Policy; Women in Developing Countries. For all readers interested in the effects of rising wages for women, the economic impacts of divorce, the child quantity-quality distinction, marriage subsidies, and the childcare market.