Most men, from their early twenties to middle sixties, are permanently wedded to the labor force--"for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer." The attachment of many women to the labor force, on the other hand, is far less permanent--perhaps reflecting a lady's right to change her mind!...

Behavior of workers and firms in the labor market has been analyzed in a number of recent studies; these studies have been concerned, however, with relatively large, industrially diversified communities. This article discusses research findings on labor market behavior in four small...