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BACKGROUND FACTS ON WOMEN WORKERS IN THE UNITED STATES U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR W. Willard Wirtz, Secretary WOMEN'S BUREAU Mary Dublin Kcyserling, Director September 1965 September 19^5 BACKGROUND FACTS ON WOMEN WORKERS IN THE UNITED STATES Labor Force Status and P a r t i c i p a t i o n In June 1965^ there were 27*3 m i l l i o n women i h years of age and over i n the labor force. (Table l ) They represented 35 percent o f a l l workers. A t o t a l of h2.9 m i l l i o n women were not i n the labor f o r c e . The median age (half older^ h a l f younger) of women i n the labor f o r c e i n was years. Almost 2 m i l l i o n women, or 7.2 percent of a l l women workers, were seeking work i n June 1965. By age group, the unemployment rate i n 1964 was highest among teenagers. (Table 2) More than 1 out of 7 g i r l s i h t o 19 years o l d i n the l a b o r force was l o o k i n g f o r a job. Of a l l women i n the popiilation, 38.9 percent were i n the labor force i n J\me 1965. Labor f o r c e p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n 196^1 was greatest among women to years of age; more than h a l f of t h i s group were e i t h e r working or seeking work. (Table 2) Among women I 8 t o 6k years o l d , percent were i n the labor f o r c e . Industries and Occupations The l a r g e s t nvmiber of women work i n service i n d u s t r i e s . (Table 3) In March 1964, they numbered more than 10 m i l l i o n and accounted f o r more than t w o - f i f t h s of a l l women workers. Numerically, the service i n d u s t r i e s were followed by manufacturing (4.7 m i l l i o n women) and r e t a i l trade (4.3 m i l l i o n women). Women's employment i n the remaining i n d u s t r i e s t o t a l e d h . J m i l l i o n . In January I965, women were more than h a l f of a l l employees I n the apparel and r e l a t e d products industry, telephone communicat i o n s , general merchandise stores, apparel and accessories stores, eating and d r i n k i n g places, banking, laundries and cleaning p l a n t s , and h o s p i t a l s . (Table 4) Women are employed i n a great v a r i e t y of occupations, but i n 1964 the l a r g e s t number (7.5 m i l l i o n ) had c l e r i c a l j o b s . (Table 5) Women service workers (outside of households) t o t a l e d 3*7 m i l l i o n ; women operatives^ 3.6 m i l l i o n . The 3 . I m i l l i o n women p r o f e s s i o n a l and t e c h n i c a l workers represented 1 out of 8 of a l l employed women. T h i s was about the same r a t i o as men p r o f e s s i o n a l and t e c h n i c a l workers were of a l l employed men. Women predominated i n the teaching and nursing professions and a l s o i n c l e r i c a l and service work. Almost three-fouirths of a l l women workers were on f u l l - t i m e schedules i n June 1965^ as compared w i t h nine-tenths of a l l men workers. (Table 6) The women who worked part time d i d so p r i m a r i l y f o r personal reasons. Work Experience Almost one-half o f a l l women i n the population worked at some time during I963. (Table 7) By m a r i t a l s t a t u s , the proportions w i t h work experience ranged from 45 percent f o r married women w i t h husband present t o 54 percent f o r s i n g l e women. Women who worked f u l l time the year round c o n s t i t u t e d 35 percent of both s i n g l e and married women (h\isband present) and 46 percent of those w i t h other m a r i t a l s t a t u s . M a r i t a l and Family Statxis Married women (husband present) accounted f o r 57 percent o f a l l women workers i n March 196h; s i n g l e women, 23 percent; widows, 9 percent; and divorced and married women (husband absent), 6 and 5 percent, r e s p e c t i v e l y . (Table 8) One-third of a l l mothers w i t h c h i l d r e n under l 8 years of age were i n the labor f o r c e i n March (Table 9) These mothers numbered 9.5 m i l l i o n . Nearly 3.6 m i l l i o n mothers w i t h c h i l d r e n under 6 years of age were working—about one-fourth of a l l mothers w i t h c h i l d r e n of t h i s age group • Two m i l l i o n mothers w i t h c h i l d r e n under 3 years o f age were workers—about o n e - f i f t h of a l l mothers i n t h i s group • Income The median ( h a l f above, h a l f below) income of year-rotmd f u l l - t i m e women workers was $3,710 i n 196^1. (Table 10) This was only t h r e e - f i f t h s of the median income ($6,283) of year-round f u l l - t i m e men workers. Only 28 percent of a l l women w i t h i n come i n the population were year-round f u l l - t i m e workers. F o r t y percent o f the than $2,000. Seventy-two l e s s than $3,000. A t the but 57 percent o f men had women had l e s s then $1,000 income, and 59 percent had l e s s percent of the women but only 3^ percent of the men had upper end of the income s c a l e , only 17 percent of wcxnen income over $4,000. Among women employed year round f u l l time, highest incomes were received by p r o f e s s i o n a l and t e c h n i c a l workers ($5,192), managers, o f f i c i a l s , and proprietors ($4,183), and c l e r i c a l workers ($4,117)(Table l l ) Educational Attainment Women i n the l a b o r f o r c e i n March 1964 generally had more education than a l l women i n the popxaation. (Table 12) The median years of school completed by women 18 years o f age and over i n the l a b o r f o r c e was 12.3 years; f o r a l l women of that age group i n the population, i t was 12.1 years. These l e v e l s of educational a t t a i n ment were s l i g h t l y higher than those achieved by men. Of wcxnen i n the l a b o r f o r c e , about 1 out of 10 had l e s s than 8 years of schooling, 6 out o f 10 had graduated from high school, and 2 out of 10 had some c o l l e g e education. The highest educational l e v e l s o f employed women were found among p r o f e s s i o n a l and t e c h n i c a l workers, f o l l o w e d by c l e r i c a l workers, managers and o f f i c i a l s , and sales workers. (Table I 3 ) Women private-household workers and operatives had the l e a s t schooling on the average. College Enrollments In the f a l l o f 1964, I . 9 m i l l i o n women were e n r o l l e d i n c o l l e g e . (Table l 4 ) This was 1.1 m i l l i o n l e s s than the number of men. However, the proportion o f women emong a l l c o l l e g e students rose from 35 percent i n 1957 t o 39 percent i n 1964. - 2- Table 1.—Women i n the Labor Force, June I965 {ik years of age and over) Women As percent of t o t a l men and wOTien Labor f o r c e statvis Nmber Population l / 70,156,000 52.6 C i v i l i a n labor force 27,257,000 3^.9 25,28^,000 1,972,000 3^.3 k2,899,000 77.3 Zfaployed Unemployed Not i n the l a b o r force Unemployment r a t e (Not seasonally adjiisted) h6.0 Total Women Men 5.5 7.2 h.6 1/ Excludes women i n the Armed Forces, who numbered about 30,000, Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor S t a t i s t i c s : and Earnings, Jyily 19^5• NOTE Because of rounding, percentages i n s t a t i s t i c a l tables do not n e c e s s a r i l y add t o 100. - 3- Employment Table 2.—Labor Force P a r t i c i p a t i o n and Untii?)lc3y»ent Rates o f Wcmen, by 1965 1/ and 1964 y (Women i k years of age and over) Women vorkers as percent o f vonan population 1964 1965 Age group Percent o f unemployed wanen i n the labor f o r c e 1964 1965 3T.5 37.4 6.0 6.2 114-19 years 20-24 years 25-34 years 35-44 years 45-54 years 55-64 years 65 years and over 26.2 49.3 38.3 46.0 50.7 41.3 10.2 28.2 49.4 37.2 45.0 51.4 40.2 10.1 17.5 7.8 6.0 4.7 3.3 3.2 3.1 15.0 8.6 6.3 5.0 3.9 3.5 3.4 18-64 years 45.0 44.7 A l l vonen vorkers — 2 j Average f o r f i r s t 6 months. ^ 12-inonth average. Source: U.S. Depaartment o f Labor, Bureau of Labor S t a t i s t i c s : Employment and ]SamingSj Janviary I965 t o J u l y 19^5. - k - — Table 3*—Major Industry Groups o f Hnployed Women, March 1964 (Vanen i k years of age and over) Bnployed vocien Percent Number distribution Ind\istry group Total Services P r o f e s s i o n a l and r e l a t e d Personal Business Entertainment and r e c r e a t i o n Manufacturing R e t a i l trade Finance, insurance, r e a l estate P u b l i c administration Transportation, communications Agriculture Wholesale trade Cons t n i c t ion Mining 23,786.000 100.0 10,128,000 5,700,000 3,839,000 1+26,000 163,000 4,667,000 4,327,000 1,551,000 1,048,000 753,000 597,000 473,000 217,000 25,000 42.6 24.0 16.1 1.8 0.7 19.6 18.2 6.5 4.4 3.2 2.5 2.0 0.9 0.1 Source: U.S. Department o f Coinmerce, Bureau o f the Census: P o p i a a t i o n Report P-60, No. - 5- Current Table Indus t r i e s Enploying 250,000 or More Women, Januaiy I965 (Women I h years o f age and over) Women Indixstry Number Manufacturing E l e c t r i c a l equipment and supplies Food and kindred products T e x t i l e m i l l products Apparel and r e l a t e d products Men's and boys* furnishings Women's, misses', and j u n i o r s ' outerwear P r i n t i n g , p u b l i s h i n g , and a l l i e d i n d u s t r i e s Transportation and p u b l i c u t i l i t i e s Communication Telephone camm\uiication Wholesale and r e t a i l trade Wholesale trade R e t a i l trade General merchandise stores Department stores Food stores Grocery, meat, and vegetable stores Apparel and accessories stores E a t i n g and d r i n k i n g places Other r e t a i l trade Finance, Insurance, and r e a l estate Banking Insurance c a r r i e r s Service and miscellaneous Hotels and l o d g i n g places H o t e l s , t o u r i s t courts, and motels Personal services Laundries, cleaning and dyeing p l a n t s Medical services Hospitals k,5^5,000 600,400 380,600 39^^700 1,039,200 291,100 325,900 276,600 1*22,600 391,200 4,603,000 708,000 3^895,000 1,233,1^00 766^ 500 ^77,000 379^100 ^13,500 989,300 666,200 1,466,000 461,700 1^28,700 26 38 23 kh 79 85 82 29 55 37 22 69 69 33 30 65 56 22 50 60 48 256,500 hi 358,500 67 1,117,700 81 Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor S t a t i s t i c s : and Earnings^ May I965. - 6 - As percent of t o t a l i n industry Enplpyment Table 5 . " O c c u p a t i o n s of Baployed Women, 1964 (WoEien Ik years of age and over) Bnplpyed vocien Occupation Number Total W h i t e - c o l l a r workers P r o f e s s i o n a l , t e c h n i c a l workers M e d i c a l , other h e a l t h workers Teachers (except c o l l e g e ) Other p r o f e s s i o n a l , t e c h n i c a l workers Managers, o f f i c i a l s , proprietors S a l a r i e d workers Self-employed workers ( r e t a i l trade) Self-employed workers (except r e t a i l trade) C l e r i c a l workers Stenographers, t y p i s t s . secretaries Other c l e r i c a l workers Sales workers Percent distribution 21^,218.000 100.0 . 3,110,000 83lf,000 1,330,000 12.8 Service workers Private-household workers Service workers (except p r i v a t e household) Waitresses, cooks, and bartenders Other s e r v i c e workers Farm workers Fanners, farm managers F a m l a b o r e r s and foremen 36.1^ 59.U 70.8 1,109,000 637,000 2.6 18.0 14.9 14.8 307,000 1.3 20.8 165,000 7,1^53,000 0.7 30.8 9.8 69.9 2,651,000 1^,802,000 1,749,000 10.9 19.8 7.2 97.9 60.3 39.3 250,000 3,6^9,000 91,000 1.0 15.1 O.lf 2.8 26.2 2.5 2,259,000 9.3 97.3 3,729,000 1,377,000 2,307,000 15.4 5.7 9.5 53.8 72.1 55.8 132,000 689,000 0.5 2.8 5.7 32.4 9h6,000 B l u e - c o l l a r workers Craftsmen Operatives Nonfarm l a b o r e r s 5.5 As percent of t o t a l enjoyed 3.9 k.6 i j 12-month average f o r 1964. Soiirce: U.S. Department o f Labor, Bureau of Labor S t a t i s t i c s : Earnings, Januaiy I965. - 7 - Bnployment and Table 6 . ~ F u l l - T l m e and Part-Time Job Status of Women and Men Workers, June 1965 (Persons 14 years of age and over) Women at work Job status Men at work T o t a l at work: 1/ 22,302,000 100.0 42,029,000 100.0 On f u l l - t i m e schedule 2/ 74.6 91.2 On part-time schedule 3/ 25.4 8.9 4.4 3.0 1.6 2.8 1.4 1.6 21.0 5.9 Number Percent For economic reasons Usually work f u l l time Usually work part time For other reasons (usually work part time) 1/ 2/ 3/ Excludes workers i n a g r i c u l t u r a l industries• Refers to 35 hours or more a week. Refers to less than 35 hours a week. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor S t a t i s t i c s : and Earnings, J u l y 1965. - 8 - Employment Table 7.—Work Experience of Women In 1963, by M a r i t a l Status (Women 14 years of age and over) Nuoiber of women In population w i t h work experience Percent of women i n population w i t h work experience Total Single M a r i t a l status Married (husband present) 32.i88.000 7.398,000 18,985.000 5.805.000 53.7 45.1 45.5 46.9 Other Percent 4 i s t r i b u t l o n T o t a l w i t h work experience 100.0 100.0 100.0 100,0 36.9 15.2 15.9 34.9 10.5 16.4 34.9 16.3 16.8 45.8 17.5 12.5 32.0 38.2 32.1 24.2 On f u l l - t i m e jobs 1/ 50-52 weeks 27-49 weeks 1-26 weeks On part-time jobs 1} 1/ Tj Refers to work of 35 hours or more a week, Refers to work of l e s s than 35 hours a week. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor S t a t i s t i c s : Force Report No. 48. - 9 - S p e c i a l Labor Table 8 . — M a r i t a l Status of Women Workers, March 1964 (Women 14 years of age and over) Women workers Percent distribution As percent of a l l women 25,399,000 100.0 36.5 5,781,000 14,461,000 1/1,329,000 2,355,000 1,473,000 22.8 56.9 5.2 9.3 5.8 40.9 34.4 49.1 27.6 70.7 M a r i t a l status Number Total Single Married, husband present Married, husband absent Widowed Divorced 1/ Includes 102,000 wives whose husbands were absent i n the Armed Forces, Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor S t a t i s t i c s : Labor Force Report No, 50. - 10 - Special Table 9.~Ijabor Fbrce Status of Mothers, March 196k (Women years of age and over) Presence and age of children l?umber of wcmen Population Labor force Ever-married vonen, t o t a l 55,371.000 Mothers with children under I 8 years With children 6-17 years only With children under 6 years With some under 3 years With none under 3 years Women without children under I8 years 19,618,000 35.'^ 27,609,000 9,527,000 12,952,000 14,657,000 5,93^^,000 3,593,000 45.8 2U.5 9,366,000 5>291,000 2,01^3,000 1,550,000 21.8 29-3 27,762,000 10,091,000 36.3 Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor S t a t i s t i c s : Force Report No. 50. percent of population i n labor force - 11 - Special Labor Table 10.—Licome o f Women and Men, 1964 (Persons llj- years of age and over) Wcmen Men TOTAL INCOME RECIPIENTS Nimber ( v i t h Income) Percent of population v i t h Income Median income 59.7 58,533,000 91.4 $4,647 Percent d i s t r i b u t i o n 100.0 Inccoie range 100.0 40.0 Under $1,000 $1,000 t o $1,999 ^,000 to ^,999 $3,000 t o $3,999 $4,000 t o $4,999 $5,000 and over 13.3 14.2 10.9 8.9 7.6 9.7 9.8 46.8 28.2 59.5 $6,283 18.8 10.6 YEAR-ROUND FULL-TIME WORKERS Percent of t o t a l income r e c i p i e n t s Median income $3,710 Women's income as percent of men's 59.0 Source: U.S. Department o f Commerce, Bureau of the Census: Current P o p u l a t i o n Report P-60, No. 44. - 12 - Table I I , — M e d i a n Income of Employed Women and Men^ 1964 (Persons i k years of age and over) Occupational group Professional^ t e c h n i c a l , and kindred workers C l e r i c a l and kindred workers Managers, o f f i c i a l s , p r o p r i e tors (except farm) Craftsmen, foremen, kindred workers Operatives and kindred workers Sales workers Service workers (except private-household) Private-household workers A l l employed Women Men $4,417 3,507 2,758 1;911 1,626 659 Qnployed year round f u l l time Women Men $7,950 5,719 $5,192 4,117 $8,655 6,225 7,463 4,183 7,793 6,268 5,130 5,761^ 3,288 2,740 6,613 5,738 6,948 4,065 (1/) 2,585 1,265 4,861 (1/) 1/ Median not shown f o r occupational groups w i t h fewer than 200^000 workers. Soiu'ce: U^S. Department of Camnerce, Bureau of the Census: Report P-60, No. hh. - 13 - Current Population Table 12.—Years of School Completed by Women and Men i n the Population and Labor Force, March 1964 (Persons l 8 years of age and over) Population Women 1/ Men Labor force Men Vcmen 61,883,000 55,118,000 24,326,000 1^5,600,000 100.0 1.3 100.0 1.7 100.0 O.lf 100.0 0.7 Elementary school: 1 to years 5 t o T yeaTB 8 yeai's 3.9 9.4 13.8 5.1 10. lk.6 2.0 6.9 10.9 3.7 9.0 13.6 High school: 1 t o 3 years k years 19.2 36.0 18.8 U0'.9 19.h 28.1 Number Percent Ho school years completed College: 1 t o 3 years k years 5 years or more Median years of school ccmpleted 31.1 9.8 U.9 1.6 10.8 6.1 10.6 6.6 2.9 10.6 6.8 5.3 12.1 12.0 12.3 12.1 i j Refers t o the c i v i l i a n n o n i n s t i t u t i o n a l population. Source: U.S. Departanent of Labor, Bureau of Labor S t a t i s t i c s : Force Report No. 53- -llf . Special Labor Table 13,—Years of School Completed by Employed Women and Men, by Selected Occupational Group, March 1964 (Persons 18 years of age and over) Median years of school completed Occupational group Women A l l occupational groups P r o f e s s i o n a l , t e c h n i c a l , kindred workers Managers, o f f i c i a l s , p r o p r i e t o r s (except farm) C l e r i c a l workers Sales workers Craftsmen, foremen, kindred workers Operatives and kindred workers Service workers (except p r i v a t e household) Private-household workers 1/ Men 12.3 12.1 16.2 16.4 12.4 12.5 12.2 12.6 12.5 12.7 11.5 10.7 11.2 8.8 1/ 10.6 11.2 10.0 Includes private-household workers. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor S t a t i s t i c s : S p e c i a l Labor Force Report No« 53. - 15 . tmm Table iJf .—Opening ( F a l l ) College Enrolments Year Women Men 19Sk 1,936,106 1,738,989 1,603,600 1,339,367 1,064,993 3,051,761 2,789,527 2,603,072 2,270,640 2,003,1(24 1963 1965 i960 1957 Women as percent of t o t a l 39 38 38 37 35 Source: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office of Education: Opening ( F a l l ) Enrollment i n Higher Education, 1964. - 16. Labor D.C. (66-90)