FEMALE EMPLOYMENT AND INFANT-MORTALITY - SOME EVIDENCE FROM BRITISH TOWNS, 1911, 1931 AND 1951

During the latter part of the nineteenth century, and for much of the twentieth, many commentators were critical of female employment since it was their belief that infant life suffered as a result. Using bivariate and multivariate techniques on datasets for 51 British towns for the years 1911, 1931 and 1951, the author explores this hypothesized relationship. Although there was a significant positive correlation between female employment and infant mortality in 1911 and 1951, and a positive, though insignificant, association in 1931, other variables, such as general mortality, fertility and social class, were found to be influencing the relationship.