Full text of Facts on Women Workers : May 31, 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. May 31, 1951 EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN APRIL 1251 There were nearly 300,000 more women in nonagricultural employment in April 1951 than in April 1950. Employment of women on farms fell somewhat, due to unfavorable weather conditions. Unemployment fell substantially. Between March and April 1951 women in the civilian labor force decreased by more than 1/3 million. This was chiefly due to withdrawal from the labor force of women who had worked during the Easter season. Unemployment of women was considerably less in April than in March. Increases in farm employment were slight, and nonagricultural employment fell. ___ __________ April 1951 _________________ Number of Percent women Change since Change since women of all persons March 1951 April 1950 Civilian population (14 years and over) Civilian labor force Employed In agriculture In nonagricultural industries Unemployed Nonworkers 56,899,000 18,607,000 17,890,000 840,000 52.3 30.1 29.3 12.6 ♦ 43,000 — 339,000 — 187,000 ♦ 86,000 ♦ ♦ ♦ - 663,000 544,000 714,000 83,000 17,051,000 716,000 38,293,000 31.9 41.1 31.3 — 271,000 - 154,000 ♦ 334,000 ♦ ♦ 798,000 171,000 120,000 (U. 3. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census) LIBRARY A. A M. COLLEGE OF TEXAS Washington State has now completed the revision of its minimum-wage orders, the final one being the order for women and minors in the telephone and telegraph industry. Effective May 1, 1951, this order establishes 65 cents as the basic hourly minimum for experienced workers, 50 cents for inexperienced (160 hours), but excepts (1) persons employed as learners, apprentices, messengers or handicapped workers under certificates Issued by Federal Wage and Hour Administrator, (2) workers employed for a certain period during specified hours of the night to whom suitable sleeping facilities are furnished. For the latter group, the order establishes a minimum wage of (2 per 10-hour shift and allows pro-rating. MINIMUM WAGE 33/. 4~ SPECIALIZED EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM FOR OLDER WORKERS A new program providing specialised counseling and Job finding assistance to older workers seeking employment through local public employment offices was ♦ announced recently by the U. S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Employment Security. The purpose is to promote maziiium use of older workers in the defense program and to assist older men and women to find jobs for which they are fitted. The U. S. Employment Service plans to send to local employment offices a program guide outlining policies and procedures for use in providing specialised counseling and placement assistance to men and women whose age pre sents special Job problems. This guide is based on the findings of a 5-State survey of the job problems of 342,000 older workers. AIR LINE HOSTESSES PLAN UNION CONVENTION The first convention of the Air Line Stewards and Stewardesses Assoelation,AFL, will be held in June, in Chicago. Formed in 1946, the Association has, in the past 5 years, won representation rights for flight attendants from practically all the large U. S. scheduled air lines. The Association now bargains for the employment agreements of more than 3,500 stewardesses, hostesses, flight agents, flight stewards, and flight pursers. Since 1946, working conditions have greatly Improved, according to the AFL Weekly News Service; monthly flying hours have been reduced, so that it is rare to find cabin personnel flying more than 85 hours in a month. In 1946 starting wages for flight attendants were about $125 per month) now beginning pay is closer to $200 a month. MARITAL STATUS OF WOMEN WORKERS, 1950 In March 1950, about two-thirds of all the women in the Halted States were married, one-fifth were single, and a little less than one-seventh were widowed or divorced, according to a report just released by the U. S. Census Bureau. About 25 percent of all married women were in the labor foroe, compared with 17 percent in 1940. Numbers of married women in the labor force have steadily increased since the 1940 census period) by 1949, there were more married women workers than single women workers. In 1950 the trend toward increasing employment of married women was even more strikingly apparent) of nearly 18 million women in the labor foroe in March 1950, 32 percent were single, 52 percent were married, and 16 •percent widowed or divorced. rs s iSSf-S ocicnsr-aeens?as cai jus Women 14 lears Old and Over in the Labor Foroe Percent of Number (in thousands) March 1950 Tbtal Single Married Widowed or divorced Peroent woman population March 1940 Maroh 1950 March 1940 Maroh 1950 March 1940 17,793,000 13,840,000 31.4 27.4 100.0 100.0 5,621,000 9,273,000 6,710,000 $,040,000 50.5 24.8 48.1 16.7 31.6 52.1 48.$ 36.4 2,901,000 2,090,000 36.0 32.0 16.3 15.1 (v. a. Oapwtwnt i Commeroe, Bureau of the Census) MAJOR OCCTPATIOMS 07 WOMB, ITKIL 1951 The greatest increases in women's employment between April 1950 and April 1951 were among operatives (chiefly in faotories) and women office workers. These gains probably result from the defense program which requires both production and clerical workers. The greatest decline was among saleswomen. Because Easter was two weeks earlier in 1951 than in 1950, women who had taken temporary jobs for the season had left the labor market or taken other work. The increase among women household workers is somewhat counter to recent trends. Member All occupations Clerical and kindred workers Operatives and kindred workers Service workers, except private household Private household workers Professional, technical, and kindred workers Sales workers Managers, officials, and proprietors, except farm farm laborers and foremen Craftsmen, foremen, and kindred workers Farmers and farm managers Laborers, except farm and mine Employed women, April 1951 Changes since Percent Percent of April 1950 distribution all workers 17.890.COO 100,0 29.8 ♦ 714.000 4,931,000 27.6 65.1 ♦ 392,000 3,737,000 20.9 29.7 ♦ 522,000 2,143,000 1,872,COO 12.0 10.5 47.4 97.4 - 25,000 ♦ 101,000 1,784,000 1,264,000 10.0 7.1 $7.4 34.9 - 78,000 - 252,000 1,039,000 608,000 5.® 3.4 16.6 26.0 ♦ - 98,000 55,000 211,000 205,000 1.2 1.1 2.5 4.9 ♦ - 30,000 48,000 97,000 .5 2.5 ♦ 29,000 (U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census) HAcraarca or oot^^qk toqsw im bdsimess amp XMPQsng Secretarial jobs led all others among placements of inexperienced college women in business and industry in 1950, according to an annual survey of placements of college graduates made at northwestern Qhiversity. Asports were received from 150 business and industrial concerns, 60 of which reported on employment of women. Mext to secretarial jobs, placements in merchandising, chemistry, accounting, market research, engineering, advertising, personnel, and physios were most numerous, in that order. PULITZER PRIZE Two women were among the 1950 Pulitser prise winners I Marguerite Higgins for international reporting, and Margaret Louise Colt for a biography of John C. Calhoun. UN COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN MEETS The Fifth Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Woman met at Lake Success from April 30 through May 14* The 15 nations currently represented on the Commission are Australia, China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, France, Greece, Haiti, India, Lebanon, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Mae. LeFaucheux of France vas re elected chairman, and the Uhited States was represented for the second year by Mrs. Olive Remington Goldman of Illinois. The only resolution passed unanimously vas one urging greater participation of women in the work of the Uhited Nations. An equal pay resolution, noting the valuable work done by the International Labor Organization and requesting a resolution by the Economic and Social Council which would urge nonmembers of the ILO to take comparable action, was enacted 12 to 2. The status of nurses was discussed by the Commission and a resolution adopted asking wider recognition for, and legal protection of, the professional status of nurses. On the political status of women, the Commission urged ECOSOC and the General Assembly to enact a Convention that would promote the political rights of women throughout the world entitling them to vote in all public elections, and to qualify for membership in publicly elected bodies established by national law, and for all public offices and public functions. In addition, a resolution was passed calling on the Secretary General to issue a brochure designed to aid women in the exercise of their political rights. WOMEN IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE President Truman this month appointed Frances E. Willis, legation councilor at Helsinki, Finland, for promotion to Glass I in the diplomatic service. She is the first American woman to reach that rank as a professional diplomat. Only the permanent rank of career minister is higher. Mss Willis has served with the State Department for over 20 years and has held posts in Europe and Latin America. ♦ WOMEN IN DENMARK Helga Pedersen, for some years a judge in the Danish court, is now the head of the Danish Ministry of Justice. According to newspaper reports, she is the only woman in the Danish Cabinet and the first and only woman in Europe to hold such a position. H A V E Y 0 U H E A D CAREERS IN CHEMISTRI AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING. A collection of articles reprinted from Chemical and Engineering News, July 3, 1950 through December 25, 1950 . 94 PP* |1.00. American Chemical Society, 1155 - 16th St., N.W., Washington 6, D.C,(Includes reprint of article, The Woman Chemist.) FILIPINO WOMEN, THEIR ROLE IN THE PROGRESS OF THEIR NATION. 9 pp. 1951. U. S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN AN EMERGENCY PERIOD. 14 pp. 1951. U. S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. SUMMARY REPORT BY THE UNITED STATES DELEGATES TO THE FIRST REGIONAL SMNAR OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN. 11 pp. 1951. U. S. Department of labor, Woman's Bureau. "What Mining Officials Think About Women Workers,® In ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, January 1951. (The printing of this publication has been approved by the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, March 9, 1950. )