Twenty-five years ago, America was recovering from the double-dip recession of the 1980s and womens' roles in the labour force was beginning a multi-decade-long period of expansion. Today, as our nation's economy continues down the road to recovery from the Great Recession, women are poised to be the engine of future economic growth. Women comprise half of all U.S. workers and well over half of all American women are in the labour force. This book provides a comprehensive overview of women's economic progress over the last twenty-five years and highlights the additional challenges for the future. The role of women in the American economy is of indisputable importance and the future of the American economy depends on women's work, both inside and outside the home.