In addition to the fact that feminization contributes to growth, when there is a sharp slowdown, such as occurred in the second and third quarters of 2009 or the early months of 2010 in some countries, and male unemployment is higher, the response of the female labour supply is positive. If this result is found to hold true over the long term, it could provide corroboration for the theory advanced by Erturk and Cagatay (1995) regarding the relationship between a high rate of feminization and long per capita income levels. Thus, the participation gap is narrowing and the feminization rate is climbing, which is in keeping with the result of the model. However, the unemployment gap widened in 2007 and 2008, which means that the rise in participation has not been balanced out by employment.