Full text of Facts on Women Workers : June 30, 1951

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FACTS

on Women Workers
U. S. Department of Labor

Maurice J. Tobin,

Secretary

Women's Bureau

Frieda S. Miller,

Director

WASHINGTON 25, D. C.
June 30, 1951

EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN MAY 1951
The number of women in the civilian labor force increased by 4/5 million between
May 1950 and May 1951; and a million more women were employed, almost entirely in
nonagricultural industries.
The number of working women in May 1951 represented a
larger increase during the past year than could be expected on the basis of popu­
lation growth alone.

About 3A million more women were employed in May than in April 1951•

Some of these

were drawn from the unemployed, but most had been nonworkers,
half a million women
were added to the unpaid farm workers, a seasonal trend.
Many of these farm women
had undoubtedly been keeping house before but were not in the labor force.

Number of
women

Civilian population
(l4 years and over)
Civilian labor force
Employed
In agriculture
In nonagricultural
industries
Unemployed
Nonworkers

May 1951
Change since
Percent women
i
April 1951
of all persons

56,949,000
19,294,000
18,635,000
1,478,000

52.3
30.7
30.5
19.9

17,157,000
659,000
37,654,000

31.9
41.0
81.8

Change since
May 1950

4 50,000
+ 687,000

+ 671,000
+ 822,000

+ 745,000
+ 638,000

+3,090,000
+5,000

+- 106,000

+3/385,000
- 268,000

57,000
- 639,000

- 152,000

(U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census)

MI NIMUM WAGE CONFERENCE HELD IN WASHINGTON
The l6th Annual Conference of State Minimum Wage Administrators was held by the
Women’s Bureau in Washington on May 24 and 25; 1951*
Officials from 13 States and
one territory attended: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia,
Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Wisconsin and Puerto Rico.
In welcoming the delegates, Under Secretary of Labor
Michael J. Galvin emphasized the importance of minimum-wage programs in the defense
effort in helping to attract new recruits to the labor market and in keeping es­
sential civilian industries functioning effectively.
He also stressed the need
for vigilance against the attempts to relax or waive employment standards contained
in various State laws.
He warned that to do so would lead to lowered production.
The Conference agenda included: (l) discussion of current developments in each
State represented in minimum wage and other legislation for women; (2) State mini­
mum-wage administration in a stabilized defense economy; (3) equal pay policy and
program; and (4) policies as to relaxation of State labor laws for women.
Copies

. of a brief summary of the Conference may be obtained from the Bureau.

33/.



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A, & M. COLLEGE OF TEXAS

NEW MINIMUM WAGE ORDERS

Connecticut1s revised laundry order, effective April 17, 1951, extends protection
to men and establishes 70 cents as the basic minimum hourly rate for females,
minors under 18, and adult males -who are employed in "production work," as this
term is- defined in the order.
For hours worked in excess of W a week, time and
a half must be paid.
(Maximum hours for women and minors in this industry are
9 a day, 48 a week, except in cases of emergency or seasonal or peak demand.)
Oregon revised its orders of I9U7 and 1941, applicable to women and minors em­

ployed in laundry, cleaning and dyeing establishments, and hospitals, sanitariums,
convalescent and old people’s homes, respectively.
The laundry order sets 60
cents and the hospital order, 65 cents as the minimum for an 8-hour day, 44-hour
week (the laundry order providing also for a 5^-day week).
The hospital order
sets an 8-hour (instead of 9-hour) day as the maximum-for the women and minors

covered and eliminates the 7-hour day, 7-day week option allowed the employer un­
der the old order.
Both orders provide for overtime in emergencies, if lj the

employee’s regular rate is paid.
Hie laundry, cleaning and dyeing order requires
that employers obtain a special permit for such overtime and the hospital order
makes the hour regulations inapplicable "in the event of disaster within the
community. ’’
Rhode Island’s revised minimum-wage order for the laundry and dry cleaning in­
dustries, effective June 1, 1951, increases the minimum rate for experienced
workers from 30 to 70 cents an hour, with 65 cents established for inexperienced
workers. Except for driver salesmen and driver saleswomen, $1.05 must be paid to
all workers for each hour worked in excess of 45 a week; maximum hours for women
and minors are 48.

MATERNITY BENEFITS LEGISLATION

By amendment, Rhode Island’s Cash Sickness Act reduces benefits for unemployment
resulting from pregnancy to 12 consecutive calendar weeks in any benefit year, be­
ginning with the sixth week prior to the week in which childbirth is expected and
terminating not more than six weeks following such childbirth.
EMERGENCY RELAXATIONS OF STATE LABOR LAWS

California amended its Defense Production Act of 1950 and extended it until 1953As amended, exemptions for female employees relate only to hours, whereas ori­
ginally exemption from types and conditions of work were included.
The Governor
is now empowered, in certain cases of extreme emergency, to issue immediate
temporary permits pending processing of the regular permit, normally a 20-day
procedure.
Maine has provided that employment of women up to 10 hours a day shall not be pro­
hibited in manufacturing establishments. Agreements to work more than 10 hours, but
not in excess of 56 hours a week, are permitted if approved by the Commissioner.
New York’s Defense Emergency Act, similar to its World War II emergency legisla­
tion > empowers the Industrial Commissioner to grant dispensation from labor laws
to employers engaged in defense production.
In announcing the policies and procedures Tdiich will govern granting of dispensations, the Commissioner said the
law "must not be made an instrument to break down the protective labor legislation
of which New York State has so much right to be proud."




“

As of June 15 a total of 15 equal pay bills have been introduced into the Congress
Mrs. Kelly, of New York, introduced a new bill, H.R. 4101, which supersedes her
earlier bill, reported in the April issue of Facts on Women Workers.
Other
sponsors are: Senators Murray, Mont, and Morse, Ore.; Representatives Rodino,
N. J.; Anfuso, N. Y.; Addonizio, N. J.; Havenner, Calif.; Fine, N. Y.; Howell,
N. J.; Klein, N. Y.; Multer, N. Y.; Kennedy, Mass.; Doyle, Calif.; Holifield,
Calif.; Heller, N. Y.; and Dempsey, N. Mex.

TRENDS IN THE WOMAN LABOR FORCE
Women will account for nearly one-half of the expected labor force increase be­
tween 1950 and 1975, according to a paper presented by Harold Wool, a Labor De­
partment economist, before the annual Conference on Research in Income and Wealth
in New York City last month.
The greatest relative growth is expected among women
between 35 and 54 years, at ages when relatively few women are responsible for
care of young children.
By 1975 the total labor force is expected to be nearly
90 million men and women, about 25 million higher than the actual 1950 figure.

WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
A total of 471,073 women were working for the executive branch of the Federal

Government within the continental United States in December 1950, according to
figures released by the U. S . Civil Service Commission.
They were 23 percent of
the 2,024,3^7 persons so employed.
Among the 9 executive departments of the
Government, the Labor Department had the highest percentage (49 percent) of
women employees, State Department was next, with 44 percent, followed by Treasury,
43; Justice, 32; Commerce, 31; Agriculture, 25; Defense, 23; Interior, 21; Post
Office Department, 9»
Nine percent of all women employees in the entire executive branch (executive
departments, independent agencies, and executive office of the President) were
veterans.
Of all male, employees, 60 percent were veterans.

WOMEN IN EDUCATION

Over the past 25 years, there appears to have been little progress made in the
number of women holding administrative positions in education, according to a
study released recently by the National Education Association.
In 1925, eight
of the State superintendents of education were women.
Today there are five.
The woman membership in the American Association of School Administrators and
the NEA Department of Elementary School Principals was less in 1950 than in 1925;
the percentage of women members of the National Association of Secondary School
Principals increased over the same period only from 7«7 to 9*4.
Fifty years
ago, in 1900, 7*5 percent of the public high-school principals were women.
The
increase since then has been extremely small; women are today only 7-9 percent
of all public high-school principals.

As recently as 1939, 46 of the city superintendents of schools were women.
there are 8 in 1,583 cities with over 2,500 population and only one in 3^0

cities with over 30,000 population.




Today

WOMEN IN MEDICINE
The June graduating class of Georgetown University, Washington, D. C., included
the first women students ever admitted to the University's School of Medicine.
Of the entire class of 103 (98 men and 5 women), the top-ranking graduate was a

woman—Sister Frederic Niedfield.
She was graduated magna cum laude, with the
highest average in the class for the four years, and she delivered the vale­
dictory address.
After completing her internship at St. Michael’s Hospital in
Newark, N. J., she plans to work as a medical missionary.

WOMEN’S ORGANIZATION LEADERS RETURN FROM GERMANY
■A panel of 11 women delegates from national non-Governmental organizations this
month completed a 6-week period of work and consultation in Germany with German
women’s organizations.
The American and German women exchanged ideas on the
participation of women in civic affairs, and the objectives and functions of
women’s organizations.
Many of the educational, welfare, and civic projects
sponsored by German women’s organizations were visited.
Travel to and from
Germany was financed by the participating organizations, which included the
League of Women Voters, Congress of Industrial Organizations, Associated Country
Women of the World, Young Women’s Christian Association, United Council of Church
Women, National Council of Negro Women, American Federation of Labor, National
Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc., American Associa­
tion of University Women, National Council of Jewish Women, Nationa.1 Council of
Catholic Women.

WOMEN HELP EXTEND U. S. "KNOW-HOW" TO OTHER COUNTRIES
A number of women have recently been sent abroad by the Government on missions
to help other countries develop their economies and improve social and living
conditions. During June three women specialists in public health left to work
abroad under the Point Four program.
One will help establish a public health
mission in Iran and teach nurses there; another will go to Brazil as a child
welfare consultant; the third will aid in reorganizing the School of Social Work
at the University of Panama. Earlier, a woman expert on social security was
sent with her husband, also a specialist in this field, to Egypt at the request
of the Egyptian Government, to work there with the Ministry of Social Affairs.
They will help to develop an in-service training program for personnel selected
to administer the new social security program in Egypt.
A few women from other countries have been among the teams of specialists
brought to the United States under the technical assistance program of the Eco­
nomic Cooperation Administration.
One of the most recent groups to arrive, a *
French team studying modern methods of rehabilitating the physically handicapped,
includes three women and nine men.
The women are a technical adviser, French
Social Security Administration; chief of the medical social section, Social
Security Administration; and a physiotherapist.
All are from Paris.

TIE; OUTLOOK FOR WOMEN IN SOCIAL CASE WORK WITH CHILDREN, Bulletin 235-3; ana
THE OUTLOOK FOR WOMEN IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION IN SOCIAL WORK, Bulletin 235-5.
U. S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau.
1951*
THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE AMERICAN FAMILY. U. S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bure*®.
27 pp1951.
"Part-time Work—a Sampling from the AAUW Questionnaires," by Eva Vom Baur Hansl,
in .JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN, Vol. 44. No. 3.

Spring 1951.



(The printing of this publication has been approved by the
Director of the Bureau of the Budget, March 9, 1950.)