Does rising income inequality fuel female employment?

Small town Alabama rocked my priors. “People here are very judgemental, they look down on you based on wealth, your house, your car or if you’re working in consumer-facing retail”, explained Hannah (a young waitress). Wait a minute. Social judgement based on wealth? I expected social conservativism, not competitive consumerism. When I went to family barbecues, no one gossiped about impropriety. They were far more interested in prosperity. All the couples were dual earners, driving mighty SUVs. Cars are a major status signal: portable displays of wealth and affluence, often heavily bought on credit, to keep up with the Joneses. I wonder, does rising income inequality fuel female employment? Might this explain US-European differences?