[originaltext] Workers are dropping out of the labor force in droves, and th

Workers are dropping out of the labor force in droves, and they are mostly women. In fact, many are young women.(23)But they are not dropping out forever: instead, these young women seem to be postponing their working lives to get more education. There are now—for the first time in three decades— more young women in school than in the work force.(24)Many economists initially thought that the shrinking labor force was caused primarily by discouraged older workers giving up on the job market. Now, as was the case then, one sex is the primary beneficiary. Though young women in their late teens and early 20’s view today’s economic lull as an opportunity to upgrade their skills, their male counterparts are more likely to take whatever job they can find.(25)The longer-term consequences, economists say, are that the next generation of women may have a significant advantage over their male counterparts, whose career options are already becoming constrained. "Almost everyone in my program is female," said Ms. Baker, who hopes a master’s degree will help her get a job running communications at a nonprofit group. "That’s partly because of the program, but also because as women we feel we have to be more educated to be able to compete in really any field." Women still earn significantly less than men. And in the two and a half years since the recovery officially began, men aged 16 to 24 have gained 178 000 jobs, while their female counterparts have lost 255 000 positions, according to the Labor Department.
23. Why are some women dropping out of the labor force?
24. What’s the actual reason for the decrease of the labor force?
25. What do economists say about women and their counterparts in employment?