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3 1 3 - 8
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Linking Em ploym ent Problem s
to Econom ic Status
U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
August 1987
Bulletin 2282
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21988
Linking Em ploym ent Problem s
to Econom ic Status, 1985 Survey
U.S. Department of Labor
William E. Brock, Secretary
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Janet L. Norwood, Commissioner
August 1987
Bulletin 2282
For sa le by th e S u p erintendent o f D ocum ents, U .S. G overnm ent P rintin g Office, W ashington, D.C. 20402
P re fa c e
This bulletin contains information on the employmentrelated problems faced by American workers in 1985 and
the impact of these problems on the economic status of their
families and households. The bulletin is based largely on data
from the March 1986 Current Population Survey ( c p s ) ,
which relate to the year 1985. Three employment problems
are covered: Unemployment, involuntary part-time employ
ment, and low earnings among year-round full-time workers.
Statistics for persons with these problems are linked with
data on family and household income. The poverty status
is then determined using the Federal Government’s official
poverty measures. In addition, the analysis is extended to
cover multiple employment problems of workers during
1985. In the final section, additional data on income and par
ticipation in government assistance programs are used to sup
plement the analysis of employment problems. These data
are from the Survey of Income and Program Participation
(SIPP) conducted by the Bureau of the Census.
This bulletin was prepared by Bruce W. Klein of the Of
fice of Employment and Unemployment Statistics, Division
of Labor Force Statistics, under the direction of Philip L.
Rones. Other office staff members contributing to its prepara
tion were Bernard R. Altschuler, Gloria Peterson Green,
Robert J. Mclntire, and Jeannette S. Montgomery. Norma
J. Wilson processed the text.
Material in this publication is in the public domain and,
with appropriate credit, may be reproduced without
permission.
Contents
Page
Introduction......................................................................................................................................................................
Summary o f fin d in g s...................................................................................................................................................
Data from the Current Population S u r v e y ...........................................................................................................
Employment problems and family incom e in 1985 .....................................................................................
Trends since 1979 ....................................................................................................................................................
Multiple labor market p r o b le m s .........................................................................................................................
Data from the Survey o f Income and Program Participation.......................................................................
Source o f d ata.............................................................................................................................................................
Employment problems during January-July1985 ..........................................................................................
Tables: Current Population Survey (CPS)— 1985:
1. Persons with unemployment by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, and extent
o f labor force e x p e r ie n c e ..............................................................................................................................
2. Persons with unemployment and median weeks o f unemployment by family status,
race, and Hispanic o rg in ................................................................................................................................
3. Percent o f unemployed workers below the poverty level by family status, race,
Hispanic origin, and weeks o f u n em p lo y m en t......................................................................................
4. Median family incom e o f persons in the labor force by occurrence o f unemployment,
family status, race, and Hispanic o r ig in ...................................................................................................
5. Persons with part-time employment by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, and reason
for working part t i m e .......................................................................................................................................
6. Persons with part-time employment by family status, race, Hispanic origin,
and reason for working part time .............................................................................................................
7. Persons with involuntary part-time employment by reason, family status, race,
Hispanic origin, and weeks o f involuntary part-time em p lo y m en t................................................
8. Percent o f persons with part-time employment below the poverty level by family status,
race, Hispanic origin, and reason for working part time ................................................................
9. Earnings distribution o f year-round full-time workers by sex, race, and Hispanic origin . . .
10. Earnings distribution o f year-round full-time workers by age, sex, race,
and Hispanic o r ig in ..........................................................................................................................................
11. Number o f year-round full-time workers, percent earning less than $6,7 0 0 ,
and median earnings by family status, race, and Hispanic origin ................................................
12. Incidence o f poverty among year-round full-time workers by family status, earnings,
race, and Hispanic o r ig in ..............................................................................................................................
13. Year-round full-time workers earning less than $ 6 ,700 by family incom e, family status,
race, and Hispanic o r ig in ..............................................................................................................................
1
2
2
2
4
4
4
4
5
7
9
10
11
12
14
15
17
18
18
19
20
21
1983-85:
14. Incidence o f unemployment among persons with labor force experience and percent
in fam ilies below the poverty level by sex, race, Hispanic origin, and family s t a t u s .......... 22
15. Incidence o f involuntary part-time employment among persons working part time
and percent in fam ilies below the poverty level by sex, race, Hispanic origin,
and family s ta tu s............................................................................................................................................... 23
Contents—Continued
Page
16. Incidence o f low earnings among year-round full-time workers and percent
in fam ilies below the poverty level by sex, race, Hispanic origin, and family s t a t u s .......... 24
1985:
17. Persons with labor market problems by number and type o f problems: Unem ploym ent
or involuntary part-time employment or low earn in gs........................................................................ 25
18. Persons with labor market problems by number and type o f problems: 5 w eeks or more
o f unemployment or involuntary part-time employment or low earnings .................................. 25
19. Persons with labor market problems by number and type o f problems: 15 weeks or more
o f unemployment or involuntary part-time employm ent or low earnings .................................. 26
Tables: Survey o f Income and Program Participation
between January and July 1985:
(S IP P )—
4-month periods
20. Persons with som e unemployment, som e involuntary part-time work, or both, by the
number o f weeks these problems were experienced.............................................................................
21. Persons with labor force activity by family relationship and size and type o f employm ent
prob lem s.................................................................................................................................................................
22. Persons who had weeks o f labor force inactivity, but who wanted and could have taken
a job during those w eeks, by family relationship and the reason they did not look
for w o r k ................................................................................................................................................................
23. Persons in the civilian noninstitutional population by receipt and type o f cash or in-kind
assistance and type o f employment p ro b lem ...........................................................................................
24. Average monthly assistance payments for recipients o f cash assistance by type o f
assistance and type o f employment problem and discouragem ent..................................................
25. Persons with employment problems or with periods o f discouragement who received
cash or in-kind assistance by family s i z e ................................................................................................
26
27
28
29
31
31
Appendixes:
A. Explanatory n o t e s ................................................................................................................................................ 32
B. Supplementary tables from the Current Population S u rv ey ................................................................. 38
C. Som e comparisons o f SIPP and C PS d a t a ..................................................................................................... 53
vi
Linking Employment Problems
to Economic Status
Introduction
Still, many families have only one earner, and in these
fam ilies employment problems may have the most severe
effect. For exam ple, there has been a large increase in the
proportion o f fam ilies maintained by single wom en. Nearly
3 out o f 4 black wom en who maintained families alone and
were unemployed for any length o f time during 1985 had
family income below the poverty level.
The concepts, definitions, and sources o f the data underly
O f the 125.9 million persons who were in the labor force
at some time during 1985 (they worked or looked for work),
about 21 million were unemployed for at least a week during
the year. About 14.3 million, though preferring to work full
time, had to work part time at least part o f the year; and
4.1 million, though working full time year round had annual
earnings below the minimum-wage equivalent o f $6,700 (the
amount which would have been earned by som eone work
ing 2 ,000 hours—50 weeks at 40 hours per w eek—at the
Federal minimum w age o f $3.35 an hour). Because many
persons experienced a combination o f these three problems
over the course o f the year (for exam ple, both som e unem
ployment and involuntary part-time em ploym ent), the total
affected—32.8 m illion—was significantly less than would
have been obtained through the simple aggregation o f the
totals in each o f the three categories. (See the section on
multiple employment problems beginning on page 4.)
The 1985 figures represent a slight improvement over
1984. The number o f persons experiencing some unemploy
ment fell from the 1984 level by 550,000. The number o f
persons who were involuntarily limited to part-time work
for at least part o f the year fell by only 120,000. The largest
proportional decline among these three measures o f hard
ship occurred for workers whose earnings from year-round
full-time work were below the minimum-wage equivalent—a
level that has remained fixed at $6,700 since 1981. Their
numbers dropped by 9 .4 percent to 4.1 m illion, 4 2 5,000
below the 1984 level.
W hile indicative o f the prevalence o f employment prob
lem s, these data do not, by them selves, reveal the impact o f
these problems on the econom ic w ell-being o f the workers
and their families. In order to determine how unemployment
and other labor market problems affect the fam ily, several
additional factors need to be considered: The earnings lost
by the worker in question, the presence o f other earners in
the family, the level o f their earnings, and the availability
o f income other than earnings.
In many fam ilies, the econom ic setbacks which may be
encountered by one member are often cushioned by the earn
ings o f other members. And, with the rapid increase in labor
force participation o f wom en, dual-earner fam ilies have
becom e the rule rather than the exception. Income transfer
programs also shield family incom e from the full conse
quences o f unemployment and other labor market problems.
ing this analysis o f employment problems and econom ic
status are described below.
Unemployment. Persons with unemployment are those
reported as having looked for work w hile not em ployed, or
as having been on layoff for at least 1 w eek during the year.
Involuntary part-time employment. The persons in this
category are those who wanted to work full time but who,
because o f economic reasons, had to work less than 35 hours
in som e w eeks during the year. This may have occurred
either because o f reductions in hours due to slack work or
material shortages, or because a part-time job was all that
could be found.
Low annual earnings among year-round full-time workers.
Low annual earnings from a full year o f full-time work are
those falling below $ 6 ,7 0 0 , corresponding to 50 w eeks o f
40 hours o f work at the minimum w age, which was $3.35
in 1985. Full-time, year-round workers are those who usually
worked 35 hours or more per week and who were employed
for 50 weeks or more during the year.
Income and poverty. Income levels and poverty status are
determined on the basis o f total money incom e for 1985,
before personal income taxes and payroll deductions, as
reported in the March Current Population Survey. The value
o f noncash incom e such as food stamps, subsidized
housing, and certain fringe benefits is not taken into account
in computing total family incom e. Poverty status is deter
mined by the relationship o f family incom e to measures o f
poverty—poverty thresholds—as defined by the Federal
G overnm ent.1 The poverty lines are adjusted each year to
reflect the changes in the Consumer Price Index for All
1 For inform ation on these m easures o f poverty, see Money Income and
Poverty Status o f Families and Persons in the United States: 1 9 8 5 (Advance
Data From the March 1986 Current Population Survey), Current Popula
tion R eports, Series P -60, N o. 154 (Bureau o f the C ensus, A ugust 1986).
1
1 out o f 5 o f these persons were members o f fam ilies living
in poverty.
• About 4.1 m illion year-round full-tim e workers had
total 1985 earnings below the m inim um -wage equivalent o f
$ 6,700. Many o f these workers were either self-em ployed
or held jobs exempt from coverage under the minimum \Vage
law. C lose to one-third o f the 4.1 m illion lived in fam ilies
with incom es below the poverty line.
• A total o f 3 2 .8 m illion persons experienced one or
Urban Consumers (C P I -U ). They are defined for fam ilies o f
various sizes as w ell as for individuals living alone or with
unrelated individuals. For a family o f four, the poverty line
was $10,989 in 1985; for a single individual under 65, it
was $5,593.
Source of data. This report is the seventh in an annual
series.2 It is based primarily on data obtained from the March
1986 supplement to the Current Population Survey (C P S ).
H owever, for the second tim e, som e data from the Survey
o f Income and Program Participation (S I P P ), conducted by
the Bureau o f the Census, are also used. (See page 4 .)
The March supplement to the CPS provides extensive data
on the work experience o f the entire population o f working
age (16 years and over) over the course o f the previous
calendar year, including the number o f weeks worked and
the number o f weeks spent looking for work. Data are also
more o f the three above-mentioned em ploym ent problems,
with 6 .5 m illion having encountered two or m ore—m ost
frequently unemployment and involuntary part-time work—
and, on rare occasions, all three.4 O f the 3 2 .8 m illion, 1 out
o f 5 were members o f fam ilies w hose total incom e for 1985
fell below the federally designated poverty thresholds.
• By comparison, in 1984, the total number o f persons
with employment problems was 33.7 m illion, 810,000 more
than in 1985. Persons with unemployment in 1985 were less
likely to live in poverty than were similarly situated persons
in 1984. H ow ever, the incidence o f poverty rose slightly
among persons who were involuntary part-time workers.
• According to the Survey o f Income and Program
Participation, a total o f 24.1 million persons experienced em
ployment problems in an average 4-month span in the first
half o f 1985. Over 40 percent o f these persons received cash
and in-kind government benefits. The most often cited forms
o f payments were children’s subsidized school lunches and
unemployment compensation.
gathered on the annual earnings o f workers and on the total
incom e o f their fam ilies.3
The SIPP is a panel survey in which the respondents are
interviewed every 4 months over a 2 1/2 year period. The
survey’s principal focus is on incom e and participation in
government assistance programs; in this context, informa
tion is also obtained on employment status and other
characteristics.
W hile the labor force activity concepts used in the SIPP
are similar to those used in the C P S , the estimates from the
two surveys o f persons with em ploym ent problems vary
significantly. These differences are due to the widely
dissimilar reference periods and to differences in survey
procedures and methods. Comparisons o f SIPP and C PS data
and som e o f the reasons for divergences between them are
discussed in appendix C.
Data from the Current Population Survey
Employment problems end family income in 1985
Unemployment and poverty. The 21 million persons 16 years
and older who were unem ployed at som e time during 1985
(on the basis o f data from the March 1986 C P S ) represented
16.7 percent o f the 125.9 million individuals with some labor
force activity over the course o f the year. This was more
than double the annual average unemployment rate o f 7 .2
percent, and reflects the fact that the count o f persons who
encounter unemployment over an entire year is always much
larger than the level for any month or the annual average
o f the monthly levels.
The incidence o f unemployment among full-year labor
force participants was about the same for men and wom en.
Students and others who are in the labor force only part o f
the year had a much higher incidence o f unemployment.
Summary of Findings
The recent data on employment problems and their effect
on the econom ic status o f fam ilies may be summarized as
follows:
• Over 21 million persons experienced some unemploy
ment during 1985. Although the vast majority o f these
persons worked for som e part o f the year, 1 out o f 5 lived
in fam ilies with incom es below the poverty level.
• Slightly more than 14 m illion persons worked part
time for at least a part o f the year either because their hours
were reduced or they could not find full-time work. Alm ost
2 Data for 1979-84 w ere published as follow s: 1984, Bulletin 2270; 1983,
B ulletin 2222; 1982, Bulletin 2201; 1981, Bulletin 2 1 6 9 ; 1980, National
T echnical Inform ation S ervice ( n t is ) P B 8 3 115345; and 1979, Bulletin
2123.
4
It m ay not seem p ossib le that a person could encounter three em p loy
m ent problem s during the sam e year—that is, be unem ployed for a period,
w ork part tim e for econ om ic reasons for another period, and also b e a yearround full-tim e w orker with lo w earnings. Y et it is p ossib le. Y ear-round
full-tim e em ploym ent is defined as 5 0 w eek s or m ore o f em ploym ent w hich
is usually full-tim e, but w hich m ay include som e w eek s o f part-tim e w ork,
as w ell as 1 or 2 w eeks o f unem ploym ent. This pattern o f em ploym ent could
also con ceivab ly produce less than the $ 6 ,7 0 0 m inim um -w age equivalent
in annual earnings.
3 M ore detailed inform ation from the M arch supplem ent is presented in
the Current Population R eports, S eries P -60 o f the Bureau o f the C ensus.
In addition, w ork exp erien ce data are available from bls in new s releases,
Monthly Labor Review articles, and unpublished tabulations w hich are
provided upon request.
2
About one-fourth o f all persons under age 25, many o f whom
were entering or reentering the labor force, encountered some
unemployment during 1985 (table 1). Persons 25 to 54 years,
indicated in table 4, the median family income o f persons
with som e unemployment in 1985 was nearly 40 percent
lower than it was for those without any unemployment. O f
course, the 40-percent gap cannot be attributed entirely to
unemployment. It also reflects the fact that persons who
experience unemployment are also more likely to hold lower
paying jobs when they are em ployed.
The disparity in family income between those with and
without unemployment was particularly large for blacks,
partly because, on average, blacks experienced longer spells
o f unemployment than did other jobseekers. Median family
incom e o f blacks with unemployment was 46 percent lower
than for those with no unemployment; for Hispanics, 43
percent low er, and for whites, 37 percent lower.
who make up the majority o f the labor force, had an unem
ployment incidence o f 16 percent, w hile workers 55 years
and over had by far the lowest incidence o f unemployment—
below 10 percent.
Alm ost 30 percent o f persons with som e unemployment
during the year were classified, within a family context, as
“ other” members, generally the sons and daughters in
families (table 2). Another 25 percent were husbands, 20
percent were w ives, and almost 10 percent were men or
wom en (mostly wom en) who maintained families. The
remainder were single persons or those living with unrelated
individuals.
For women and men who maintained their own fam ilies,
the likelihood o f encountering some unemployment was rela
tively high—about 20 percent. On the other hand, husbands
and w ives experienced the low est incidence o f unem ploy
ment, about 13 percent.
O f the persons unemployed at som e time in 1985, 21
percent lived in families with incomes below the poverty level
(table 3). About one-fourth, or 5.3 million, were unemployed
for a total o f less than 5 weeks during the year. The finan
cial impact o f a short spell o f unemployment was often not
very severe, particularly if there were other earners in their
fam ilies. Only 15 percent o f persons with short spells of
unemployment lived in fam ilies with incom es below the
poverty level (table B -l). O f course, the longer the duration
o f unemployment, the greater the reduction in incom e and
the probability o f falling into poverty. For exam ple, among
those unemployed for more than half the year, over one-third
reported family income below the poverty line. On the other
hand, just under one-half o f all workers with unemployment
in 1985 were members o f fam ilies in which annual income
exceeded $20,000 (table B -l).
Often, when a family member encounters unemployment,
other family members sustain the flow o f family income. For
exam ple, in 1985, the median incom e in married-couple
fam ilies was about $21,000 when the husband encountered
some unemployment; it was $25,800 when the wife had some
unemployment; and it was $38,000 when som e “ other”
family member had a period o f joblessness (table 4). The
last figure is so high largely because the parents in a family
containing a son or daughter o f working age tend to be som e
what older and w ell established in their jobs and careers.
Fam ilies with the advantage o f multiple workers typically
had a relatively low incidence o f poverty. In contrast, women
maintaining their own families are less likely to have other
working family members, and their unemployment is often
accompanied by income below the poverty line. The poverty
rate for families maintained by women who were unemployed
during 1985 was 60 percent.
Although unemployment may not, by itself, result in a
fam ily’s income falling below the poverty level, it may still
cause a considerable reduction in the standard o f living. As
Involuntary part-time employment and poverty. Some 44 .0
m illion persons worked part time for at least 1 w eek during
1985. About one-third (14.3 million) did so involuntarily
because their hours were cut, or because they could not find
full-time work. The number o f involuntary part-time workers
changed little from 1984. Over three-fifths o f these workers
had reduced hours because o f slack work or material short
ages; the rest could not find full-time work (table 5).
Among men, almost 70 percent o f those with some
involuntary part-time work during 1985 had been on short
schedules because o f slack work or material shortages. By
comparison, wom en with involuntary part-time work were
more equally divided between those whose hours had been
cut back at least temporarily and those who had worked part
time because they were unable to find full-time work. As
with unemployment, a higher proportion o f black and
Hispanic-origin workers were employed part time involun
tarily than whites.
Alm ost one-half o f husbands who worked part time did
so involuntarily, as did about one-half o f men and women
who maintained their own fam ilies. On the other hand, only
about one-fourth o f the w ives who worked part time in 1985
had done so involuntarily (table 6).
The duration o f involuntary part-time work during 1985
was much shorter for those who reported “ slack work” than
for persons indicating that they could not find a full-time job.
Only 25 percent o f those working part time because o f
reduced workweeks did so for 15 weeks or more, compared
with 56 percent o f those who could only find part-time work
(table 7).
The poverty rate among persons with some involuntary
part-time work in 1985 was 19 percent, compared with 9
percent for those working part time by choice (table 8).
Am ong the persons with involuntary part-time work, those
who could not find a full-time job had about double the inci
dence o f poverty o f those affected by slack work (27 per
cent and 14 percent, respectively).
About 1 in 3 blacks and 1 in 4 Hispanics who worked part
time involuntarily in 1985 lived in a poor family, in con
trast to about 1 in 6 whites. The incidence o f poverty was
over 60 percent for black wom en who maintained families
3
alone and had som e involuntary part-time work.
Low earnings and poverty. O f all year-round full-time
workers, 4 m illion, or 6 percent, had earnings o f less than
$6 ,7 0 0 in 1985, a decline o f 4 2 5 ,000 from 1984.5 Although
the majority o f these low earners were wage and salary
workers, a substantial number were self-em ployed in enter
prises such as farms or small businesses. Many o f these
workers, therefore, were exempt from the minimum wage
provisions o f the Fair Labor Standards Act. A lso, since yearround employment is defined as employment o f 50 weeks
or more, and full-time status is based on “ usual” hours o f
work, earnings o f som e persons could fall below $ 6 ,700
merely because o f “ unusual” weeks o f part-time hours or
a w eek or two without work. In fact, 650 ,0 0 0 persons
classified as low earners with year-round work did have some
brief spells o f unemployment or part-time work during the
year.
The 4.1 m illion low earners were divided almost equally
between men and wom en, and almost 9 out o f 10 were white
(tables 9 and 10). About 6 percent o f both white and black
year-round full-time workers were low earners; for
Hispanics, the proportion was 8 percent.
Low earnings from a full year’s work were most often
reported for teenagers and workers 65 years and over (table
10). About one-third o f 16- to 19-year-olds and about onefifth o f those age 65 and over earned less than $ 6 ,7 0 0 in
1985. Overall, the incidence o f low earnings among full-year
workers was much higher for wom en than for men, 7 per
cent compared to 5 percent. The highest incidence was among
Hispanic wom en (10.9 percent), and the low est was among
white men (4.6 percent).
Table 11 shows the incidence o f low earnings among yearround full-time workers by marital and family status.
Between 9 and 13 percent o f young persons, generally
classified as “ others” in a family context, had low earnings,
depending upon the type o f family in which they lived. Only
4 percent o f husbands and 8 percent o f w ives fell in the lowearnings category.
Nearly 1 in 3 o f the 4 m illion workers with low earnings
lived in fam ilies with total incom e below their specific
poverty line (table 12). A s in past years, the incidence o f
poverty associated with low earnings was higher than that
associated with either unemployment or involuntary part-time
work.
perienced unemployment or involuntary part-time em ploy
ment have generally follow ed the overall cyclical pattern o f
the econom y. W hile the number o f workers with low earn
ings rose slightly in 1980 and 1981, the trend since then has
been downward. This is because a general rise in nominal
earnings has occurred while the minimum w age (on which
the low-earnings level is based) has not changed since 1981.
Although the number o f persons experiencing labor market
problems declined after 1982, the proportion o f such persons
living in fam ilies below the poverty level stayed about the
same.
Multiple employment problems
When the number o f persons experiencing either unem
ploym ent, involuntary part-time em ploym ent, or low earn
ings in 1985 is added up, the total com es to 3 9 .4 m illion.
H ow ever, this figure overestimates the total number o f
separate individuals having employment problems over the
year because many persons encountered more than one o f
these labor market difficulties. About 6 .5 m illion individu
als experienced a combination o f these problems; thus, the
unduplicated count o f persons with one or more o f these
difficulties was about 3 2 .8 m illion. This figure was about
8 1 0,000 lower than the comparable total for 1984.
O f the 6 .5 m illion persons with more than one em ploy
ment problem in 1985, the most com m on combination o f
difficulties was unemployment and involuntary part-time
work. M ore than 5 .8 m illion persons experienced both, and
close to one-fourth were in families below the poverty level.
It should be emphasized that among the 3 2 .8 m illion per
sons with employm ent problems as defined here, many had
only short spells o f 1 or 2 weeks o f unemployment or
involuntary part-time work. Not surprisingly, the total
number o f persons with these problems decreases when more
restrictive definitions are used. If only those with a m ini
mum o f 5 weeks o f unemployment or involuntary part-time
work are counted, the total would be low ered to 26.1 m il
lion for 1985 (table 18). If the definition is restricted to 15
w eeks or more, the number would decline to 17.3 m illion,
as shown in table 19. The application o f these more restric
tive definitions also affects the incidence o f poverty. For
example, for those with labor market problems for 15 weeks
or more, the incidence o f poverty was 27 percent, as
opposed to 21 percent for those having employment problems
o f 1 w eek or more.
Trends since 1979
Since 1979, the econom y has experienced two recessions,
in 1980 and, to a greater extent, in 1981-82. As shown in
text table 1, the changes in the number o f persons who ex
Data from the Survey of Income and
Program Participation
Source of data
5 T he low -earnings line w as set at $ 5 ,8 0 0 in 1979 (2 ,0 0 0 hours x $ 2 .9 0
an hour), $ 6 ,2 0 0 in 1980 (2 ,0 0 0 hours x $ 3 .1 0 an hour), and $ 6 ,7 0 0 in
1981-85 (2 ,0 0 0 hours x $ 3 .3 5 an hour). T hese hourly w age rates represent
the Federal m inim um w age rate in these years.
The Survey o f Income and Program Participation ( s ip p ) , a
relatively new longitudinal survey conducted by the Bureau
Text table 1. Persons with employment problems, 1979-85
(Numbers in thousands)
Persons with one or more
labor market problems
In families below
the poverty line
Year
Total1
Total
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
......................
......................
......................
......................
......................
......................
..............
Persons with
unemployment
(2)
32,342
35,924
39,040
35,797
32,657
32,849
(2)
5,626
6,717
7,800
7,796
7,063
6,831
Percent
of
total
(2)
17.4
18.7
20.0
21.8
21.0
20.8
Percent in
families
below the
poverty
line
Total
18,468
21,410
23,382
26.493
23,762
21,535
20,984
14.3
17.5
19.1
20.5
23.0
22.0
21.4
1 These figures represent an unduplicated count of persons who experienced
one or more employment problems: thus, they are significantly lower than the
figures that would be obtained by summing the persons in each of the three
categories shown.
Total
11,455
13,033
14,627
16,064
14,869
14,429
14,311
Persons with
low earnings
Percent in
families
below the
poverty
line
13.4
15.4
16.7
18.0
19.3
17.7
18.7
Total
4,922
5,199
5,202
4,608
4,463
4,492
4,069
Percent in
families
below the
poverty
line
22.4
24.4
26.5
29.8
30.7
31.2
31:3 ■ l
2 Not available,
worked full time at an average wage below the Federal mini
mum. Altogether, there were 24.1 million persons who ex
perienced one of these problems or a combination of them
for the 4-month periods. This was 1.7 million less than for
the same period in 1984 and represented 20 percent of those
with labor force activity. An additional 1.6 million, 26
percent less than during the same period in 1984, had some;
periods of inactivity which they attributed to discouragement,
over job prospects. These estimates are compared to the CPS
estimates in appendix C.
of the Census, provides additional insight into the economic
situation of persons with employment problems, as it yields
very detailed data on income and on participation in both
cash and noncash government assistance programs.6
The SIPP data in this bulletin are from the sixth wave of
the 1984 SIPP panel.7 In this wave, households were inter
viewed about their labor force situation and income received
during the previous 4 months. Four rotation groups were
interviewed in May through August; thus, the reference
months overlapped. The data presented are the average of
the four rotation groups.
Given the relatively new and complex nature of the SIPP
data, the analysis presented in this report should be viewed
as exploratory. Future SIPP data will allow the examination
of more than 4 months of data for each of the rotation groups,
since the households in the sample are interviewed at 4-month
intervals for 2 1/2 years. The linkage of the 4-month files
will provide the potential for a longer range view of those
who receive assistance payments and for assessing the rela
tionship between changes in employment status and the
receipt of assistance.
Receipt of cash and in-kind benefits by persons with employ
ment problems. Government benefits lessen the burden
caused by loss of earnings. Of the 24.1 million persons with,
employment problems, 9.8 million (41 percent) received
some type of cash or in-kind benefits, and very often both
types (table 23). Understandably, the most common type of
cash benefits for these persons was unemployment compen
sation. The primary form of in-kind aid was free or reducedprice school lunches received by children in households who
had members with employment problems. Food stamps—a
major assistance program—were the second most common
in-kind aid.
., . .....
About one-sixth of all recipients of government benefits
were persons with employment problems. But among the par
ticipants in some specific programs, the proportion with such problems was much higher—nearly one-third among the
recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children
( a f d c ) and over two-fifths among the recipients of general
assistance (State welfare for the needy not covered under
other programs). Among the recipients of food stamps, about
one-third had employment problems, as did about one-fifth
of those receiving a housing subsidy (table 23).
The highest average monthly cash benefits for persons with
employment problems came from State unemployment com
Employment problems during January-July 1985
On the basis of the SIPP data, 1 4 . 4 million persons ex
perienced periods of unemployment lasting 1 week or more
during an average 4-month period between January and July
1985. In addition, 6.5 million persons spent a week or more
working part time involuntarily, and 5.0 million persons
6 For more information, see D . N elson, D .B . M cM illen, and D . Kasprzyk,
“ An O verview o f the Survey o f Incom e and Program Participation, U p
date 1, ” S IP P W orking P a p e r S e ries N o. 8401 (Bureau o f the Census, 1985).
7 A w ave in the sippis, in general, one c y cle o f four interview s, one in
terview with each rotation group. A panel com posed o f four rotation groups
is sampled over tim e.
Persons with
involuntary
part-time
employment
5
pensation ($403) and Social Security ($399). The lowest aver
age amount ($165) came from general assistance (table 24).
Although almost one-third of the persons with labor force
activity in families of six members or more had employment
problems, only 16 percent of these persons received govern
ment benefits because many of these members were teenagers
who do not qualify for benefits (table 25). Among the per
sons with employment problems who lived in families with
two to five members, the proportion receiving government
benefits varied from 13 to 21 percent.
6
Table 1. Persons with unemployment by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, and extent of labor force experience,
1985
(Numbers in thousands)
Persons
with
labor
force
experience
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
T o ta l...................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ...............................
20 to 2 4 ...............................
25 to 5 4 ...............................
55 to 6 4 ..............................
65 and o v e r........................
125,890
20,984
16.7
13,991
14.6
3,616
26.5
3,378
20.4
9,301
16,990
82,050
13,365
4,185
2,404
4,405
12,692
1,239
245
25.8
25.9
15.5
9.3
5.9
792
2,712
9,386
949
151
27.7
24.0
13.7
36.0
39.3
24.8
12.4
4.4
1 ,0 1 0
2 1 .2
6.5
602
955
1,864
164
31
737
1,442
126
63
22.5
23.8
9.7
5.4
M en...................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ...............................
20 to 2 4 ...............................
25 to 5 4 ...............................
55 to 6 4 ...............................
65 and over ........................
68,270
11,754
17.2
8,893
15.7
1,664
30.4
1,198
19.1
4,846
8,720
44,544
7,603
2,558
1,298
2,410
7,181
732
133
26.8
27.6
16.1
9.6
5.2
464
1,695
6,045
597
92
30.3
27.2
14.8
9.2
6.3
292
455
829
73
15
37.0
42.3
31.1
13.0
3.9
542
260
307
62
26
21.5
18.5
27.6
57,620
9,230
16.0
5,098
13.0
1,952
23.9
2,180
2 1 .2
4,455
8,270
37,506
5,762
1,627
1,106
1,995
5,511
507
24.8
24.1
14.7
24.8
6 .8
5.2
468
477
1,135
64
37
25.5
23.0
8.3
6.9
311
500
1,036
91
15
35.1
36.9
21.3
112
328
1,018
3,340
352
60
T o ta l...................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ...............................
20 to 2 4 ...............................
25 to 5 4 ...............................
55 to 6 4 ...............................
65 and o v e r........................
109,060
17,054
15.6
11,509
13.9
3,014
25.2
2,531
17.8
8,049
14,599
70,664
11,926
3,823
1,943
3,517
10,319
1,049
226
24.1
24.1
14.6
26.5
2 ,2 1 2
2 2 .6
5.9
13.1
8.3
6.7
34.5
37.5
23.3
4.6
761
514
1,097
104
55
18.8
19.2
7,692
800
143
520
791
1,529
145
28
M en...................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ..............................
20 to 2 4 ...............................
25 to 5 4 ...............................
55 to 6 4 ..............................
65 and o v e r........................
59,924
9,718
16.2
7,427
14.9
1,377
28.8
915
17.0
4,205
7,543
38,938
6,883
2,355
1,053
1,971
5,959
607
130
25.0
26.1
15.3
393
1,416
5,038
491
29.5
25.9
14.1
8.3
88
35.1
40.1
29.6
12.9
4.2
409
186
243
50
26
19.0
16.1
26.3
5.5
251
368
677
65
15
49,136
7.336
14.9
4,082
12.3
1,637
1,616
18.3
3,844
7,056
31,726
5,042
1,468
890
1,547
4,360
442
96
23.2
21.9
13.7
270
796
2,654
309
54
23.0
18.3
11.5
8.4
6.9
269
423
852
80
14
352
328
854
53
29
18.7
21.5
19.9
7.6
7.0
Characteristic
Persons with unemployment and percent with labor force experience
50 to 52 weeks
Total
27 to 49 weeks
Number
Percent
1
to 26 weeks
Number
Percent
Total, 16 years and over
W om en..............................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ...............................
20 to 2 4 ...............................
25 to 5 4 ...............................
55 to 6 4 ..............................
65 and o v e r........................
8 .8
8 .8
2 0 .2
1 2 .1
8.3
1 2 .0
1 1 .8
3.7
2 0 .8
8 .1
White
W om en..............................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ...............................
20 to 2 4 ...............................
25 to 5 4 ...............................
55 to 6 4 ...............................
65 and o v e r........................
662
8 .8
8 .8
8 .8
6 .6
See footnotes at end of table.
7
6 .6
1 2 .6
2 2 .8
33.9
35.4
19.9
12.4
5.1
2 1 .0
8 .8
5.1
1 0 .6
4.0
Table 1. Persons with unemployment by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, and extent of labor force experience,
1985—Continued
(Numbers in thousands)
Persons
wim
labor
force
experience
Number
Percent
T o ta l...................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ...............................
2 0 to 2 4 ...............................
25 to 5 4 ...............................
55 to 6 4 ...............................
65 and o v e r........................
13,297
3,321
25.0
2,099
2 0 .8
1,019
1,972
8,856
1,148
302
399
798
1,961
147
17
39.1
40.5
2 2 .1
114
454
1,414
39.5
37.0
18.8
5.7
7
4.1
2
3.9
M en....................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ...............................
20 to 2 4 ...............................
25 to 5 4 ...............................
55 to 6 4 ...............................
65 and o v e r........................
6,504
1,685
25.9
1,215
23.1
226
529
956
4,286
569
164
390
985
98
61
251
820
82
36.6
39.0
2
39.7
40.7
23.0
17.3
1.3
2
6,793
1,636
24.1
490
1,015
4,570
579
139
189
408
976
49
15
38.5
40.2
21.4
8.4
8,252
Characteristic
Persons with unemployment and percent with labor force experience
50 to 52 weeks
Total
Number
Percent
27 to 49 weeks
Number
Percent
1
to 26 weeks
Number
Percent
Black
Women..............................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ...............................
20 to 2 4 ...............................
25 to 5 4 ...............................
55 to 6 4 ...............................
65 and o v e r........................
487
37.5
735
38.9
68
54.6
54.3
36.6
217
204
284
1 0 .2
22
8
35.7
41.7
45.3
24.2
10.7
43.1
244
34.2
58.3
60.1
43.3
9.7
-
117
64
51
17.0
(’)
32
75
114
5
-
-
37.9
34.0
35.7
29.8
-
885
18.3
261
33.7
491
41.8
43.4
34.9
16.4
36
65
149
2
51.7
48.8
32.8
10.4
7.5
100
1 1 .0
54
203
594
29
5
8
33.4
46.6
48.1
19.9
19.7
1,865
2 2 .6
1,282
2 0 .6
296
33.1
287
25.5
602
1,512
5,466
531
141
176
452
1,144
73
19
29.3
29.9
20.9
13.8
13.8
69
279
858
60
16
34.5
26.7
19.2
13.7
18.7
29
96
162
1
34.4
49.7
29.8
15.8
(’)
78
77
124
5
3
24.7
27.8
27.3
12.9
7.3
4,891
1,194
24.4
934
23.1
162
38.7
98
22.7
350
906
3,222
324
89
113
291
726
48
16
32.4
32.1
22.5
14.9
17.8
50
208
624
41
38.2
30.2
14
55
2 1 .6
86
50
28
16
3
28.1
23.9
16.9
(')
12.5
3,361
670
19.9
347
252
606
2,245
207
52
63
161
417
25
4
25.1
26.6
18.6
19
71
234
19
4
210
1 2 .8
110
1 2 .1
2 1 .1
140
263
14
6 .6
10
7.3
12
140
233
10
Hispanic origin
T o ta l....................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ...............................
20 to 2 4 ...............................
25 to 5 4 ...............................
55 to 6 4 ...............................
65 and over ........................
M en...................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ...............................
20 to 2 4 ...............................
25 to 5 4 ...............................
55 to 6 4 ...............................
65 and o v e r........................
W om en..............................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ...............................
20 to 2 4 ...............................
25 to 5 4 ...............................
55 to 6 4 ...............................
65 and o v e r........................
12
1 2 .1
0
Data not shown where base is less than 75,000.
NOTE: Dash represents zero or rounds to zero. Detail for the
above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because
14.5
7
2 1 .2
1
32.3
54.0
36.0
26.9
10.7
15.8
134
28.2
189
27.3
27.6
16
41
76
36.4
45.0
24.9
O
-
28
49
107
5
20.3
30.7
30.2
19.9
2 0 .0
14.8
1 2 .2
13.4
1
-
1
data for the other races group are not presented and Hispanics are
included in both the white and black population groups,
1
8
■ _ „■t-'.'
8
' 3 »:srtw V'Vorte ioa sts-:
nr’t
!■•; i-r ; ,
Table 2. Persons with unemployment and median weeks of unemployment by family status, race, and Hispanic origin,
1985
Characteristic
Persons with
labor force
experience
(thousands)
Persons with unemployment
Number
(thousands)
Percent
Median
weeks
unemployed
Total, 16 years and over
T o ta l.....................................................................
Husbands ...................................................................
W ives..........................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies............................
125,890
40,825
31,278
15,926
20,984
5,028
4,093
3,838
16.7
12.3
13.1
24.1
13
13
Women who maintain fam ilies.................................
Others in families maintained by women.................
6,766
6,436
1,505
1,951
2 2 .2
12
30.3
14
Men who maintain families.......................................
Others in families maintained by m en......................
1 ,8 8 8
1,726
345
427
18.3
24.8
15
All other men1 ............................................................
All other women’ .......................................................
11,590
9,455
2,370
1,427
20.4
15.1
T o ta l.....................................................................
Husbands.............................................................. ....
W ives.........................................................................
Others in married-couple families.............................
109,060
36,901
27,819
13,996
17,054
4,369
3,505
3,220
15.6
12
1 1 .8
13
1 2 .6
10
23.0
12
Women who maintain fam ilies.................................
Others in families maintained by women.................
4,768
4,513
948
1,248
19.9
27.6
13
Men who maintain fam ilies.......................................
Others in families maintained by m en......................
1,545
1,374
267
314
17.3
22.9
16
16
All other men1 ............................................................
All other women1 .......................................................
9,912
8,231
1,948
1,235
19.6
15.0
13
T o ta l.....................................................................
Husbands ...................................................................
W ives.........................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies.............................
13,297
2,860
2,464
1,389
3,321
497
449
508
25.0
17.4
18.2
36.6
17
Women who maintain fam ilies.................................
Others in families maintained by women.................
1,851
1,772
529
670
28.5
37.8
21
Men who maintain fam ilies.......................................
Others in families maintained by m en......................
262
267
64
88
24.3
33.1
(*)
13
All other men1 ............................................................
All other women1 .......................................................
1,418
1,013
356
160
25.1
15.8
23
16
T o ta l.....................................................................
Husbands ...................................................................
W ives..........................................................................
Others in married-couple families.............................
8,252
2,557
1,710
1,073
1,865
536
305
298
2 2 .6
17.9
27.8
14
15
13
Women who maintain families .................................
Others in families maintained by women.................
527
635
138
204
26.2
32.1
12
Men who maintain fam ilies.......................................
Others in families maintained by m en......................
219
257
43
51
19.5
19.7
(*)
(*)
All other men1 ............................................................
All other women1 .......................................................
857
416
218
71
25.4
17.2
(*)
11
12
17
13
12
White
10
11
Black
16
14
14
17
Hispanic origin
’ Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies.
2 Data not shown where base is less than 75,000.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not
2 1 .0
13
17
17
sum to totals because data for the other races group are not presented
and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.
9
Table 3. Percent of unemployed workers below the poverty level by family status, race, Hispanic origin, and weeks of
unemployment, 1985
Characteristic
Total
1 to 4
weeks
5 to 14
weeks
15 to 26
weeks
27 to 52
weeks
15.6
22.7
37.4
39.9
20.3
5.3
15.1
13.4
7.8
4.5
Total, 16 years and over
Total below poverty le ve l...................................
Husbands ...................................................................
W ives..........................................................................
Others in married-couple families.............................
21.4
19.8
10.3
Women who maintain fam ilies..................................
Others in families maintained by women.................
58.7
24.9
54.2
25.4
48.6
18.5
58.9
24.1
78.6
31.3
Men who maintain fam ilies.......................................
Others in families maintained by m en......................
30.6
14.0
ft
ft
14.9
13.8
26.6
6.5
61.4
All other men12 ............................................................
All other women2 ........................................................
31.6
39.1
18.9
33.3
19.1
24.8
31.1
47.2
67.5
67.1
Total below poverty le ve l....................................
Husbands ...................................................................
W ives..........................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies.............................
18.2
18.8
9.1
5.0
13.1
7.7
6.7
3.1
13.1
12.5
7.4
3.6
19.4
21.5
9.1
7.0
33.8
39.1
17.8
7.9
Women who maintain families ..................................
Others in families maintained by women.................
49.1
17.9
44.7
18.2
41.9
14.3
47.3
16.5
74.6
23.3
Men who maintain fam ilies.......................................
Others in families maintained by m en......................
31.2
9.4
ft
ft
15.7
ft
3.6
ft
ft
All other men2 ............................................................
All other women2 ........................................................
28.5
36.9
2 0 .2
33.9
18.2
23.2
26.0
43.2
63.9
64.0
26.5
16.1
1 1 .1
38.7
23.7
15.7
9.5
47.5
40.7
26.3
9.1
8 .6
8 .0
6 .1
2 2 .0
9.8
7.6
8 .1
2 1 .6
White
6 .1
Black
Total below poverty le ve l...................................
Husbands ...................................................................
W ives..........................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies.............................
36.9
24.3
17.5
1 1 .8
32.9
12.7
17.9
17.8
Women who maintain fam ilies..................................
Others in families maintained by women.................
76.6
37.6
79.5
46.7
65.0
26.6
76.6
39.6
84.4
39.9
Men who maintain fam ilies.......................................
Others in families maintained by m en......................
29.3
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
All other men2 ............................................................
All other women2 ........................................................
50.8
52.5
ft
ft
28.7
ft
55.1
ft
76.9
ft
Total below poverty le ve l...................................
Husbands ...................................................................
W ives..........................................................................
Others in married-couple families.............................
32.6
35.5
15.2
19.9
27.7
25.2
1 0 .0
29.1
28.6
17.5
ft
2 0 .8
30.8
38.8
ft
ft
44.8
50.1
ft
ft
Women who maintain families .................................
Others in families maintained by women.................
66.3
29.1
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
Men who maintain fam ilies.......................................
Others in families maintained by m en......................
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
All other men2 ............................................................
All other women2 ........................................................
45.5
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
0
1 1 .8
Hispanic origin
0
1 Data not shown where base is less than 75,000.
2 Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not
sum to totals because data for the other races group are not presented
and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.
10
Table 4. Median family income of persons in the labor force by occurrence of unemployment, family status,
race, and Hispanic origin, 1985
Characteristic
Persons
with no
unemployment
Persons
with some
unemployment
Percent
difference
in income
Total, 16 years and over
Total ..........................................................................
Husbands .........................................................................
W ives...............................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies..................................
$32,652
36,670
37,182
46,141
$19,753
21,106
25,813
37,973
-39.5
-42.4
-30.6
-17.7
Women who maintain fam ilies.......................................
Others in families maintained by wom en.......................
19,402
26,833
7,126
17,349
-63.3
-35.3
Men who maintain fam ilies.............................................
Others in families maintained by m en............................
27,370
35,527
13,710
23,070
-49.9
-35.1
All other men ..................................................................
All other wom en'.............................................................
19,789
15,570
8,927
7,305
-54.9
-53.1
T o ta l.............................................................. ............
Husbands ........................................................................
W ive s...............................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies..................................
33,465
37,092
37,587
46,800
21,175
21,682
26,998
39,497
-36.7
-41.5
-28.2
-15.6
Women who maintain families .......................................
Others in families maintained by wom en.......................
20,679
27,729
8,567
19,822
-58.6
-28.5
Men who maintain fam ilies.............................................
Others in families maintained by m en............................
28,590
36,275
14,096
26,074
-50.7
-28.1
All other m e n '..................................................................
All other women’ .............................................................
20,397
15,795
9,856
7,596
-51.7
-51.9
T o ta l..........................................................................
Husbands .........................................................................
W ives...............................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies..................................
24,883
30,759
32,635
39,175
13,553
16,757
20,894
29,339
-45.5
-45.5
-36.0
-25.1
Women who maintain families .......................................
Others in families maintained by wom en.......................
15,971
23,305
5,204
14,096
-67.4
-39.5
Men who maintain fam ilies.............................................
Others in families maintained by m en ............................
20,091
32,541
(2)
15,444
l2)
-52.5
All other m e n '........... ......................................................
All other women1 .............................................................
16,335
13,088
5,483
6,255
-66.4
-52.2
T o ta l...........................................................................
Husbands .........................................................................
W ives...............................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies..................................
24,936
26,227
29,546
34,973
14,315
15,266
18,915
26,044
-42.6
-41.8
-36.0
-25.5
Women who maintain families .......................................
Others in families maintained by wom en.......................
15,737
2 2 ,2 0 0
6,779
14,731
-56.9
-33.6
Men who maintain fam ilies.............................................
Others in families maintained by m en............................
23,251
28,072
l2)
6
(2)
(2)
All other m e n '..................................................................
All other women’ ........................................... ..................
15,731
12,234
White
Black
Hispanic origin
6,282
l2)
-60.1
l2)
1 Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies. will not sum to totals because data for the other races group
For persons not in families, income data refer to personal income.
are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white
J Data not shown where base is less than 75,000.
and black population groups.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups
11
Table 5. Persons with part-time employment by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, and reason for working part time,
1985
(In thousands)
Involuntary part-time employment
Characteristic
Total
Total
Slack work or
material shortage
Could only find
part-time work
Voluntary:
Wanted or could
only work part time
Other
reasons
T o tal, 16 ye a rs and o v er
44,015
14,311
9,122
5,189
21,818
7,885
7,092
7,815
22,730
3,796
2,581
1,296
2,950
8,693
1,107
266
447
1,608
6,079
793
195
849
1,342
2,613
314
71
5,146
3,681
8,946
1,976
2,069
650
1,184
5,092
714
246
M e n ...............................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ..........................................
20 to 2 4 ..........................................
25 to 5 4 ..........................................
55 to 6 4 ..........................................
65 and over ..................................
19,223
7,717
5,631
2,086
7,079
4,428
3,560
3,754
8,927
1,506
1,477
718
1,570
4,692
589
147
279
1,009
3,755
471
117
439
561
937
118
29
2,481
1,512
1,414
502
1,170
361
672
2,820
414
160
W o m e n .........................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ..........................................
20 to 2 4 ..........................................
25 to 5 4 ..........................................
55 to 6 4 ..........................................
65 and o v e r ..................................
24,791
6,594
3,491
3,103
14,739
3,458
3,532
4,061
13,803
2,291
1,105
578
1,380
4,000
517
120
168
599
2,324
322
78
410
781
1,676
195
42
2,665
2,170
7,532
1,474
899
289
512
2,271
299
86
T o ta l...............................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ..........................................
20 to 2 4 ..........................................
25 to 5 4 ..........................................
55 to 6 4 ..........................................
65 and over ..................................
38,602
12,033
7,906
4,127
19,750
6,819
6,243
6,716
19,910
3,382
2,351
1,072
2,427
7,359
932
242
395
1,394
5,252
687
177
677
1,033
2,107
246
65
4,592
3,256
8,206
1,803
1,893
579
1,033
4,345
647
216
M e n ................................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ..........................................
20 to 2 4 ..........................................
25 to 5 4 ..........................................
55 to 6 4 ..........................................
65 and over ..................................
16,757
6,602
4,932
1,670
6,294
3,861
3,150
3,215
7,695
1,341
1,356
608
1,314
4,036
510
135
252
875
3,287
411
107
356
439
749
99
27
2,220
1,319
1,229
452
1,074
322
583
2,430
379
147
W o m e n .........................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ..........................................
20 to 2 4 ..........................................
25 to 5 4 ..........................................
55 to 6 4 ..........................................
65 and over ..................................
21,845
5,431
2,974
2,457
13,456
2,958
3,093
3,500
12,215
2,041
996
464
1,114
3,323
423
108
144
519
1,965
276
70
321
594
1,357
147
38
2,372
1,937
6,977
1,351
819
256
450
1,915
268
69
T o ta l................................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ..........................................
20 to 2 4 ..........................................
25 to 5 4 ..........................................
55 to 6 4 ..........................................
65 and over ..................................
W hite
S ee footnotes at end of table.
12
Table 5. Persons with part-time employment by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, and reason for working part time,
1985—Continued
(In thousands)
Involuntary part-time employment
Characteristic
Total
t
Total
Slack work or
material shortage
Could only find
part-time work
Voluntary:
Wanted or could
only work part time
Other
reasons
Black
4,311
1,956
1,027
929
1,486
869
682
903
2,204
333
190
199
459
1,134
148
16
45
178
707
88
10
154
281
427
60
6
424
312
473
133
145
59
131
598
52
29
M e n ...............................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ..........................................
20 to 2 4 ..........................................
25 to 5 4 ..........................................
55 to 6 4 ..........................................
65 and over ..................................
1,984
943
586
357
576
466
332
442
973
137
101
95
224
549
67
7
24
113
393
51
5
71
111
156
16
2
204
138
109
43
82
32
80
315
26
12
W o m e n .........................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ..........................................
20 to 2 4 ..........................................
25 to 5 4 ..........................................
55 to 6 4 ..........................................
65 and o v e r ..................................
2,327
1,014
441
572
910
403
350
461
1,231
195
89
104
235
585
80
9
21
65
314
37
5
83
170
271
44
4
219
174
364
89
63
27
51
282
26
17
T o ta l...............................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ..........................................
20 to 2 4 ..........................................
25 to 5 4 ..........................................
55 to 6 4 ..........................................
65 and o v e r ..................................
2,750
1,310
839
471
935
506
393
628
1,523
136
71
115
318
802
63
11
50
173
571
39
6
66
145
231
24
5
227
230
377
43
57
50
80
343
29
3
M e n ...............................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ..........................................
20 to 2 4 ..........................................
25 to 5 4 ..........................................
55 to 6 4 ..........................................
65 and over ..................................
1,479
803
574
229
342
334
212
377
785
67
38
63
213
490
32
4
34
128
393
17
2
29
85
98
15
2
118
107
72
15
31
31
58
223
20
3
W o m e n .........................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ..........................................
20 to 2 4 ..........................................
25 to 5 4 ..........................................
55 to 6 4 ..........................................
65 and over ..................................
1,271
507
265
242
593
171
181
250
737
69
33
52
105
312
31
6
16
45
179
22
4
36
60
133
9
3
110
123
305
28
27
19
22
120
10
-
T o ta l...............................................
Age:
16 to 1 9 ..........................................
20 to 2 4 ..........................................
25 to 5 4 ..........................................
55 to 6 4 ..........................................
65 and o v e r ..................................
Hispanic origin
NOTE: Dash represents zero or rounds to zero. Detail for the above
race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for
the other races group are not presented and Hispanics are included in
both the white and black population groups.
Table 6. Persons with part-time employment by family status, race, Hispanic origin, and reason for working part time,
1985
(In thousands)
Involuntary part-time employment
Characteristic
Total
Slack work or
material
shortage
Total
Could only find
part-time work
Voluntary:
W anted or could
only work part time
Other
reasons
T o tal, 16 ye a rs and o v er
T o ta l................................................................................
Husbands .............................................................................
W iv e s .....................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s .................................
44,015
8,252
13,570
8,998
14,311
3,746
3,135
2,254
9,122
3,140
1,876
1,015
5,189
605
1,259
1,239
21,818
2,104
8,547
5,776
7,885
2,402
1,888
967
Women who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ....................
2,299
2,971
1,008
1,135
499
515
509
620
825
1,460
466
376
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .............................................
Others in families maintained by m e n .........................
506
676
247
275
196
171
51
104
139
301
120
100
All other men1 ......................................................................
All other wom en1 ................................................................
3,556
3,188
1,422
1,089
■ 1,094
616
329
473
1,157
1,509
976
589
T o ta l................................................................................
H u s b a n d s ............................................ :...............................
W iv e s .....................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s .................................
38,602
7,464
12,554
8,028
12,033
3,337
2,783
1,917
7,906
2,829
1,681
891
4,127
508
1,102
1,026
19,750
1,963
8,063
5,228
6,819
2,164
1,708
884
Women who maintain families .......................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ....................
1,664
2,156
681
763
364
378
318
385
659
1,137
324
256
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .............................................
Others in families maintained by m e n .........................
404
547
193
217
154
136
39
81
106
252
104
78
All other men1 ......................................................................
All other wom en1 ................................................................
3,013
2,772
1,212
929
945
528
267
401
985
1,358
816
485
T o ta l................................................................................
Husbands .............................................................................
W iv e s .....................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s .................................
4,311
617
705
692
1,956
340
278
272
1,027
261
153
94
929
78
125
178
1,486
101
300
355
869
177
128
65
W om en who maintain families .......................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ....................
586
750
311
349
128
125
183
224
148
295
127
106
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .............................................
Others in families maintained by m e n .........................
79
90
41
42
34
24
8
18
27
27
11
20
All other m en1 ......................................................................
All other wom en1 ................................................................
450
343
186
137
132
76
54
61
117
117
146
89
T o ta l................................................................................
Husbands .............................................................................
W iv e s .....................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s .................................
2,750
646
630
524
1,310
405
253
199
839
324
145
108
471
80
108
91
935
72
283
258
506
170
94
67
Women who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ....................
157
261
90
136
47
55
42
81
48
94
19
32
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .............................................
Others in families maintained by m e n .........................
57
72
27
31
20
25
7
6
19
34
11
6
All other m en1 ......................................................................
All other wom en1 ................................................................
262
141
130
40
95
20
35
20
53
72
79
28
•
W hite
Black
H ispanic origin
' Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will
not sum to totals because data for the other races group are not
presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black
population groups,
14
Table 7. Persons with involuntary part-time employment by reason, family status, race, Hispanic origin, and
weeks of involuntary part-time employment, 1985
(In thousands)
Total
Characteristic
1 to 4
weeks
5 to 14
weeks
15 to 26
weeks
27 weeks
or more
To tal, 16 ye ars and o v er
Total with involuntary part-time em ploym ent...................................................
Husbands .......................................................................................................................
W iv e s ..................................................................................................... .........................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s ...........................................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies.................................................................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ..............................................................
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n ...................................................................
All other men1 ...............................................................................................................
All other wom en1 ..........................................................................................................
14,311
3,746
3,135
2,254
1,008
1,135
247
275
1,422
1,089
4,139
1,374
835
557
233
265
80
89
433
274
4,791
1,372
875
791
327
415
101
88
516
307
2,675
602
618
432
179
230
42
47
265
261
2,705
399
807
475
269
225
23
52
209
247
Total with slack w o rk ..............................................................................................
Husbands .......................................................................................................................
W iv e s ....................................................................... ......................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s ...........................................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies.................................................................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ..............................................................
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n ...................................................................
All other m en1 ...............................................................................................................
All other women1 ..........................................................................................................
9,122
3,140
1,876
1,015
499
515
196
171
1,094
616
3,455
1,268
694
396
170
162
69
77
394
225
3,352
1,205
614
386
194
193
89
54
424
194
1,427
456
315
139
67
112
26
29
158
125
888
211
254
94
67
48
13
11
118
72
Total who could only find part-time w o rk .........................................................
Husbands .......................................................................................................................
W iv e s ........................................................................................... ...................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s ...........................................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies..................................................................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ..............................................................
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n ...................................................................
All other men1 ...............................................................................................................
All other women1 ..........................................................................................................
5,189
605
1,259
1,239
509
620
51
104
329
473
684
105
142
161
62
103
12
12
39
48
1,439
166
261
405
133
223
13
34
92
113
1,248
146
303
293
112
118
16
17
107
136
1,818
188
553
381
202
177
10
41
91
175
Total with involuntary part-time em ploym ent...................................................
Husbands .......................................................................................................................
W iv e s ...................................................................................................... .
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s ...........................................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies.................................................................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ..............................................................
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n ...................................................................
All other men1 ...............................................................................................................
All other women1 ..........................................................................................................
12,033
3,337
2,783
1,917
681
763
193
217
1,212
929
3,610
1,256
738
492
172
191
65
74
385
236
4,006
1,228
781
667
224
267
73
65
449
251
2,230
523
551
365
111
166
34
38
207
235
2,187
330
712
393
174
139
21
41
171
206
Total with slack w o rk .................................... .........................................................
Husbands ........................................
W iv e s .............. ......................................................
............
..........
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s ...........................................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies..................................................................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ..............................................................
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n ...................................................................
All other m en1 ...............................................................................................................
All other wom en1 .................................. .......................................................................
7,906
2,829
1,681
891
364
378
154
136
945
528
3,047
1,168
607
354
129
125
54
64
348
197
2,914
1,090
558
339
141
141
65
42
378
159
1,200
393
283
117
44
80
22
22
125
114
745
179
232
81
49
32
13
7
94
58
Total who could only find part-time w o rk .........................................................
Husbands .......................................................................................................................
W iv e s ...............................................................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s ...........................................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies.................................................................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ..............................................................
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n ...................................................................
All other men1 ...............................................................................................................
All other women1 ..........................................................................................................
4,127
508
1,102
1,026
318
385
39
81
267
401
563
88
131
139
43
66
11
10
37
39
1,092
139
223
328
83
126
8
23
71
92
1,031
130
268
248
68
86
12
15
82
122
1,442
152
480
312
125
107
8
34
77
148
W hite
S e e footnotes at end of table.
15
Table 7. Persons with involuntary part-time employment by reason, family status, race, Hispanic origin, and
weeks of involuntary part-time employment, 1985—Continued
(In thousands)
Characteristic
Total
1 to 4
weeks
5 to 14
weeks
15 to 26
weeks
27 weeks
or more
Black
Total with involuntary part-time em ploym ent...................................................
Husbands .......................................................................................................................
W iv e s ...............................................................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s ...........................................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies..................................................................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ..............................................................
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n ...................................................................
All other m en1 ................................................................................................................
All other women1 ..........................................................................................................
1,956
340
278
272
311
349
41
42
186
137
423
97
76
45
54
65
9
12
39
28
702
125
80
104
100
i4 2
22
19
57
52
391
69
43
60
65
62
9
6
54
22
440
49
79
64
91
79
2
6
36
35
Total with slack w o rk ..............................................................................................
Husbands .......................................................................................................................
W iv e s ...............................................................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s ...........................................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies..................................................................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ..............................................................
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n ...................................................................
All other men1 ................................................................................................................
All other women1 ..........................................................................................................
1,027
261
153
94
128
125
34
24
132
76
329
83
66
29
40
32
9
10
37
23
385
101
45
39
50
47
21
9
40
32
200
54
25
20
23
32
4
4
30
10
113
24
17
7
14
14
-
Total who could only find part-time w o rk .........................................................
Husbands .......................................................................................................................
W iv e s ...............................................................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s ...........................................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies..................................................................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ..............................................................
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n ...................................................................
All other men1 ................................................................................................................
All other wom en1 ..........................................................................................................
929
78
125
178
183
224
8
18
54
61
94
14
10
16
14
33
1
1
5
317
24
35
65
50
95
1
10
17
20
191
15
18
40
43
31
5
2
25
12
327
25
62
57
77
65
2
5
11
23
i
-
1
25
12
H ispanic origin
Total with involuntary part-time em ploym ent...................................................
Husbands .......................................................................................................................
W iv e s ...............................................................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s ...........................................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies..................................................................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ..............................................................
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n ...................................................................
All other men1 ................................................................................................................
All other wom en1 ..........................................................................................................
1,310
405
253
199
90
136
27
31
130
40
365
120
57
49
19
34
9
20
54
3
475
160
85
84
32
50
9
6
42
8
200
56
41
28
19
22
7
4
12
12
269
69
69
38
20
30
3
1
22
17
Total with slack w o rk ..............................................................................................
Husbands .......................................................................................................................
W iv e s ...............................................................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s ...........................................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies..................................................................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ..............................................................
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n ...................................................................
All other m en1 ............ ...................................................................................................
All other women1 ..........................................................................................................
839
324
145
108
47
55
20
25
95
20
309
111
47
36
15
19
7
19
52
3
331
136
60
47
17
20
9
4
31
7
111
40
18
16
11
13
3
1
4
6
87
37
20
8
4
3
1
1
8
5
Total who could only find part-time w o rk .........................................................
Husbands .......................................................................................................................
W iv e s ...............................................................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s ...........................................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies..................................................................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ..............................................................
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n ...................................................................
All other m en1 ...............................................................................................................
All other wom en1 ..........................................................................................................
471
80
108
91
42
81
7
6
35
20
56
9
11
13
3
14
2
1
2
144
24
25
37
15
30
89
16
24
12
8
9
3
3
8
6
182
32
49
30
16
27
2
1 Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies.
NOTE: Dash represents zero or rounds to zero. Detail for the
above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals
“
-
2
11
1
-
14
13
because data for the other races group are not presented and
Hispanics are included in both the white and black population
groups.
16
Table 8. Percent of persons with part-time employment below the poverty level by family status, race, Hispanic origin, and
reason for working part time, 1985
Involuntary part-time employment
Characteristic
Total
Slack work or
material
shortage
Total
Voluntary:
Wanted or could
only work part
Could only find
time
part-time work
Other
reasons
T o tal, 16 ye ars and o v er
Total below poverty le v e l.........................................
Husbands .............................................................................
W iv e s .....................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s .................................
12.5
11.9
5.6
4.2
18.7
16.7
10.1
5.8
14.1
13.4
7.3
6.1
26.6
33.6
14.3
5.6
9.2
6.9
4.2
3.5
10.6
9.0
4.4
4.7
Women who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ....................
39.0
18.2
46.0
25.7
33.6
21.3
58.2
29.3
34.9
13.3
31.3
14.8
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .............................................
Others in families maintained by m e n .........................
17.1
7.3
22.1
10.7
13.6
8.3
0
14.6
12.8
5.0
11.6
4.9
All other men2 .....................................................................
All other women2 ................................................................
24.1
30.1
26.9
34.5
19.7
21.9
50.7
50.9
29.5
29.6
13.8
23.4
Total below poverty le v e l.........................................
Husbands .............................................................................
W iv e s .....................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s .................................
10.8
11.0
5.1
3.5
16.2
15.4
9.4
5.4
12.7
12.5
7.4
5.9
22.8
32.0
12.5
5.0
8.2
6.4
3.8
2.9
8.9
8.3
4.2
3.3
Women who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ....................
33.0
13.5
38.3
19.4
28.9
18.1
49.0
20.6
31.2
10.3
25.5
9.9
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .............................................
Others in families maintained by m e n .........................
15.0
5.5
19.3
8.9
12.6
7.0
0
12.1
9.9
4.3
12.4
-
All other men2 .....................................................................
All other women2 ................................................................
22.5
29.1
24.5
32.3
17.5
20.2
49.4
48.2
29.0
29.4
11.8
22.0
Total below poverty le v e l.........................................
Husbands .............................................................................
W iv e s .....................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s .................................
28.1
21.9
14.3
10.3
33.5
26.1
16.5
8.7
25.1
23.3
6.3
9.4
42.9
35.6
29.1
8.3
22.7
15.8
15.0
9.2
24.8
17.3
8.1
Women who maintain fa m ilie s ......................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ....................
56.9
32.4
63.1
39.9
46.9
30.8
74.4
45.0
54.4
25.0
44.7
28.3
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .............................................
Others in families maintained by m e n .........................
24.6
16.1
0
0
(’)
0
O
0
0
0
0
0
All other men2 .....................................................................
All other women2 ................................................................
33.8
40.7
41.2
48.6
33.4
35.4
0
(')
33.3
36.0
24.8
34.9
Total below poverty le v e l.............. ..........................
Husbands .............................................................................
W iv e s .....................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s .................................
23.3
26.2
13.5
14.5
28.8
32.6
18.4
21.0
24.9
26.3
16.1
19.3
35.7
58.3
21.5
23.0
19.5
16.1
16.9
7.5
Women who maintain families .......................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ....................
45.3
30.4
43.1
30.1
0
(')
O
27.7
O
34.5
0
0
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .............................................
Others in families maintained by m e n .........................
0
(')
(')
(')
(’)
0
0
0
0
(')
0
0
All other men2 .....................................................................
All other women2 ................................................................
30.5
45.7
37.1
29.5
0
0
0
(')
0
16.1
0
W hite
Black
0
H ispanic origin
Data not shown where base is less than 75,000.
2 Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not
0
11.2
10.1
O
0
sum to totals because data for the other races group are not presented
and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.
17
Table 9. Earnings distribution of year-round full-time workers by sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 1985
(Numbers in thousands)
With earnings of —
Characteristic
Total
T o ta l................................. .
M e n .................................
W o m e n ...........................
Median
earnings
Under
$6,700
$6,700$9,999
$10,000$14,999
$15,000$19,999
$20,000$24,999
$25,000
and over
72,422
44,952
27,470
4,069
2,059
2,011
5,681
2,344
3,337
13,399
5,872
7,527
12,547
6,621
5,926
10,511
6 ’425
4,085
26,215
21 '631
4,584
$20,204
24^215
15,508
W h it e .................................
M e n .................................
W o m e n ..........................
63,202
40,045
23,157
3,503
1,850
1,654
4.531
1,859
2,672
11,181
4,861
6,319
10,657
5,630
5,027
9,273
5,744
3,529
24,058
20,102
3,956
20,782
24,813
15,661
B la c k ..................................
M e n .................................
W o m e n ...................... .
7,199
3,769
3,430
450
164
285
968
407
561
1,818
834
984
1,562
834
728
951
534
418
1,450
995
455
15,821
17,741
14,411
Hispanic orig in.................
M e n .................................
W o m e n ...........................
4,461
2,900
1,561
360
191
170
668
369
299
1,070
641
430
856
516
340
558
388
169
948
794
154
15,624
17,246
13,219
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not
sum to totals because data for the other races group are not
presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black
population groups.1
Table 10. Earnings distribution of year-round full-time workers by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin,
1985
Men
Characteristic
Women
Percent distribution
Total
(thou
sands)
Total
Under
$6,700
44,952
100.0
4.6
5.2
408
3,929
34,115
5,664
837
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
33.2
9.6
3.2
5.4
18.7
40,045
100.0
360
3,514
30,204
5,194
773
Percent distribution
Median
earnings
Total
(thou
sands)
Total
Under
$6,700
90.2
$24,215
27,470
100.0
7.3
12.1
80.5
$15,508
24.7
16.3
3.9
3.8
8.1
42.1
74.1
93.0
90.8
73.1
8,600
13,791
25,388
25,911
19,630
335
3,135
20,591
3,062
346
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
38.8
11.0
5.9
8.5
18.2
26.6
22.3
10.4
11.6
15.8
34.5
66.7
83.7
79.9
66.0
8,199
11,720
16,549
15,307
13,506
4.6
4.6
90.7
24,813
23,157
100.0
7.1
11.5
81.3
15,661
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
33.9
9.4
3.2
5.4
19.3
25.8
15.0
3.3
3.4
6.7
40.3
75.6
93.5
91.2
74.0
8,474
14,022
26,027
26,732
20,570
309
2,764
17,106
2,664
315
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
37.3
9.7
5.8
8.0
18.0
27.3
22.0
9.6
10.9
15.4
35.4
68.2
84.6
81.1
66.6
8,336
11,839
16,877
15,433
13,581
3,769
100.0
4.4
10.8
84.8
17,741
3,430
100.0
8.3
16.4
75.3
14,411
45
337
2,973
365
49
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
0
12.8
2.9
4.3
0
29.5
8.5
8.9
(’)
57.7
88.6
86.8
(')
10,844
18,732
18,859
0
26.7
15.2
16.4
0
51.9
78.9
71.5
(')
10,209
15,031
14,347
0
0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
0
21.3
5.9
12.1
(’)
25
289
2,755
331
30
0
0
0
2,900
100.0
6.6
12.7
80.7
17,246
1,561
100.0
10.9
19.1
70.0
13,219
44
410
2,200
223
23
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
0
14.3
4.7
5.2
O
25.5
10.5
8.6
0
60.1
84.8
86.2
0
10,971
18,928
17,941
(’)
24.9
16.9
24.9
0
59.2
74.2
57.7
O
11,271
14,672
11,343
0
0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
0
15.9
8.9
17.4
0
21
234
1,176
120
10
0
O
O
$6,700$9,999
$10,000
and over
$6,700$9,999
$10,000
and over
Median
earnings
T o tal, 16 ye ars
and o v er
T o ta l...................
Age:
16 to 1 9 .................
20 to 2 4 .................
25 to 5 4 .................
55 to 6 4 .................
65 and over .........
W hite
T o ta l...................
Age:
16 to 1 9 .................
20 to 2 4 .................
25 to 5 4 .................
55 to 6 4 .................
65 and over .........
Black
T o ta l...................
Age:
16 to 1 9 .................
20 to 2 4 .................
25 to 5 4 .................
55 to 6 4 .................
65 and over .........
0
(')
Hispanic origin
T o ta l...................
Age:
16 to 1 9 .................
20 to 2 4 .................
25 to 5 4 .................
55 to 6 4 .................
65 and over .........
0
1 Data not shown where base is less than 75,000.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will
not sum to totals because data for the other races group are not
0
presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black
population groups,
18
Table 11. Number of year-round full-time workers, percent earning less than $6,700, and median earnings
by family status, race, and Hispanic origin, 1985
Characteristic
Number
(thousands)
Percent earning
less than $6,700
Median earnings
Total, 16 years and over
5.6
3.6
7.5
$20,204
26,214
15,646
12,834
T o ta l..........................................................................
Husbands ........................................................................
W ives...............................................................................
Others in married-couple families..................................
72,422
31,752
14,899
4,481
Women who maintain families .......................................
Others in families maintained by wom en.......................
3,746
2,306
5.7
9.8
15,672
13,456
Men who maintain fam ilies.............................................
Others in families maintained by m en............................
1,307
765
5.1
11.7
21,874
14,844
All other m e n '..................................................................
Ail other women1 .............................................................
7,328
5,836
4.5
5.6
21,280
17,105
T o ta l......................................... .................................
Husbands .........................................................................
W ives...............................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies..................................
63,202
28,867
12,936
3,895
5.5
3.6
7.6
12.5
20,782
26,933
15^688
12,777
Women who maintain families .......................................
Others in families maintained by wom en.......................
2,710
1,679
5.3
8.9
16,212
14,328
Men who maintain fam ilies.............................................
Others in families maintained by m en............................
1,085
623
5.1
12.4
22,830
15,472
All other men1 ..................................................................
All other women1 .............................................................
6,350
5,057
4.5
5.3
21,742
17,303
T o ta l..........................................................................
Husbands ........................................................................
W ives...............................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies..................................
7,199
2,092
1,418
419
6 .2
15,821
19,444
15,318
12,832
Women who maintain families .......................
Others in families maintained by women.......................
950
562
Men who maintain fam ilies.............................................
Others in families maintained by m en............................
112
1 0 .0
16,247
12^654
All other men1 ........................................... ......................
All other women1 .............................................................
841
641
3.4
8.3
18,650
14,948
8 .1
15,624
19,160
13,962
11,768
1 2 .6
White
Black
162
3.2
5.9
15.3
6.7
1 2 .1
6 .6
14,502
11,574
Hispanic origin
T o ta l..........................................................................
Husbands........................................................................
W ive s...............................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies..................................
4,461
1,765
825
357
Women who maintain families .......................................
Others in families maintained by women ........................
251
224
1 2 .8
Men who maintain fam ilies.............................................
Others in families maintained by m en............................
142
146
29.7
All other men1 ..................................................................
All other women1 .............................................................
521
229
1 2 .1
1 Includes
a small number of members of unrelated
subfamilies.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups
3.9
1 0 .0
12.9
8.4
6 .2
6.4
13,353
12,374
18,927
10,712
16,735
14,010
will not sum to totals because data for the other races group
are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white
and black population groups.
19
Table 12. Incidence of poverty among year-round full-time workers by family status, earnings, race, and Hispanic origin,
1985
Total
Characteristic
Number
(thousands)
With earnings of —
Percent in
families
below poverty
level
Under
$6,700
Number
(thousands)
$6,700
or more
Percent in
families
below poverty
level
Number
(thousands)
Percent in
families
below poverty
level
To tal, 16 ye ars and o v er
T o ta l...........................................................................
Husbands .........................................................................
W ives...............................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies..................................
Women who maintain families .......................................
Others in families maintained by women.......................
Men who maintain fam ilies.............................................
Others in families maintained by m en............................
All other men12 ..................................................................
All other women2 .............................................................
72,422
31,752
14,899
4,481
3,746
2,306
1,307
765
7,328
5,836
2.7
30
1.5
1.9
4,069
1,136
1,123
563
63,202
28,867
12,936
3,895
2,710
1,679
1,085
623
6,350
5,057
2.5
2.9
1.4
7,199
2,092
1,418
419
950
562
162
4.5
3.9
1.7
1.4
11.9
4.3
450
67
83
64
64
0
886
8 .2
68
0
1 1 .6
11
0
494
151
2.3
7.6
31.3
47.0
13.8
8 .6
48.7
17.6
6 .1
212
2.5
3.8
226
.8
89
328
326
4.7
60.1
51.3
3,503
1,044
989
487
144
149
56
77
289
269
30.7
46.8
13.4
8.4
42.0
16.2
2 .8
3.0
66
0
68,353
30,616
13,776
3,918
3,534
2,081
1,241
676
7,000
5,510
1 .0
1.4
.5
.9
3.5
.9
1.9
.3
.1
.1
W hite
T o ta l...........................................................................
Husbands .........................................................................
W ives...............................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies..................................
Women who maintain families .......................................
Others in families maintained by women.......................
Men who maintain fam ilies.............................................
Others in families maintained by m en............................
All other men2 ..................................................................
All other women2 .............................................................
1 .8
4.0
1 .8
2.9
.6
2.7
2 .8
0
4.1
58.7
50.1
59,699
27,823
11,947
3,409
2,566
1,530
1,029
546
6,061
4,788
.8
1.3
.4
.9
1.9
.4
1 .1
.1
-
.1
Black
T o ta l...........................................................................
Husbands .........................................................................
W ives...............................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies...................................
Women who maintain families .......................................
Others in families maintained by wom en.......................
Men who mair.tain fam ilies.............................................
Others in families maintained by m en............................
All other men2 ..................................................................
All other women2 .............................................................
1.9
2.9
5.1
112
841
641
35.1
0
9.6
0
6,749
2,026
1,335
355
2.5
2.4
1 .2
1 .1
11
0
101
1 .2
29
53
0
812
588
-
0
.3
Hispanic origin
T o ta l...........................................................................
Husbands .........................................................................
W ives...............................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies..................................
Women who maintain families .......................................
Others in families maintained by wom en.......................
Men who maintain fam ilies.............................................
Others in families maintained by m en............................
All other men2 ..................................................................
All other women2 .............................................................
4,461
1,765
825
357
251
224
142
146
521
229
360
8 .8
68
0
2 .2
83
46
14.5
21
0
5.0
13.0
5.4
7.2
2 .1
4.7
8 .8
Data not shown where base is less than 75,000.
Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies.
NOTE: Dash represents zero or rounds to zero. Detail for the above
29
9
44
33
28
32.6
0
0
0
0
0
0
4,100
1,697
742
311
230
196
133
103
487
202
4.3
7.2
.9
2.9
1 1 .1
1.5
5.1
.7
.5
-
race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for
the other races group are not presented and Hispanics are included in
both the white and black population groups.
1
2
6 .6
20
Table 13. Year-round full-time workers earning less than $6,700 by family income, family status, race, and Hispanic
origin, 1985
With family income of —
Characteristic
Total
Under
$5,000
$5,000$9,999
$ 1 0 ,0 0 0 $14,999
$15,000$19,999
$2 0 ,0 0 0 $24,999
$25,000
and over
T o tal, 16 ye ars and o v er
Total earning less than $6,700 (thousands) ........................
Percent distribution................................................................
Husbands ......................................................................................
W ives.............................................................................................
Others in married-couple families................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies.....................................................
Others in families maintained by women ...................................
Men who maintain families..........................................................
Others in families maintained by men ........................................
All other men2 ...............................................................................
All other women2 ..........................................................................
4,069
1 0 0 .0
704
17.3
578
14.2
423
10.4
17.7
12.5
10.9
19.7
18.4
(’)
13.0
1 2 .1
344
8.5
1,205
29.6
8.7
14.0
46.6
65.0
1 0 0 .0
0
22.3
7.5
3.6
44.7
15.8
(')
1 0 0 .0
2.3
47.6
33.2
38.0
53.6
1 0 .1
13.9
1.9
1 0 .2
1 .8
627
17.9
651
18.6
495
14.1
359
10.3
26.2
7.8
21.5
16.5
12.3
8 .8
6 .8
1 2 .2
1 2 .2
3.1
41.8
10.5
23.3
12.5
9.2
3.9
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
25.3
7.7
1.7
13.1
3.8
815
2 0 .0
8 .0
13.0
9.6
9.6
15.5
0
1 2 .6
9.1
2 .8
1 0 .0
10.4
O
21.5
.5
.7
36.0
0
41.3
2 .0
.4
White
Total earning less than $6,700 (thousands) ........................
Percent distribution................................................................
Husbands ......................................................................................
W ives.............................................................................................
Others ir married-couple families................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies....................................................
Others in families maintained by women ...................................
Men who maintain families..........................................................
Others in families maintained by men ........................................
All other men2 ...............................................................................
All other women2 ..........................................................................
3,503
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
2 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 2 .1
1 0 0 .0
1 2 .8
2 0 .6
1 0 0 .0
4.5
O
9.8
9.6
13.9
0
0
0
1 0 0 .0
2 .6
46.8
33.8
15.0
11.4
12.4
13.4
1 0 0 .0
9.3
36.8
50.2
139
30.8
73
16.2
48
10.7
O
16.1
O
O
2 1 .0
1 0 0 .0
2 .2
2 .2
307
8 .8
1 2 .0
O
24.9
.5
.9
1,064
30.4
14.8
48.5
65.5
9.3
36.1
0
34.6
2 .2
.5
Black
Total earning less than $6,700 (thousands) ........................
Percent distribution................................................................
Husbands ......................................................................................
W ives.............................................................................................
Others in married-couple families................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies....................................................
Others in familk s maintained by women ...................................
Men who maintain families....................... ...................................
Others in families maintained by men ........................................
All other men2 ...............................................................................
All other women2 ..........................................................................
450
55
1 0 0 .0
1 2 .2
1 0 0 .0
0
1 0 0 .0
.6
29
6.5
106
23.6
2 0 .6
O
14.5
O
27.1
1 0 0 .0
O
0
0
O
0
0
1 0 0 .0
0
0
0
0
(’)
0
1 0 0 .0
0
0
0
(’)
0
0
1 0 0 .0
0
0
O
0
0
0
1 0 0 .0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
(1)
(’)
0
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
0
0
(’)
0
0
0
37
10.3
78
21.7
(')
15.0
27.0
0
Hispanic origin
Total earning less than $6,700 (thousands) ........................
Percent distribution................................................................
Husbands ......................................................................................
W ives.............................................................................................
Others in married-couple families................................................
Women who maintain fam ilies....................................................
Others in families maintained by women ...................................
Men who maintain families..........................................................
Others in families maintained by men ........................................
All other men2 ...............................................................................
A ll other women2 ..........................................................................
40
88
1 0 0 .0
360
1 1 .2
24.5
82
22.7
1 0 0 .0
0
O
13.7
O
26.7
0
0
1 0 0 .0
0
O
O
0
17.3
O
(’)
(’)
100.0
(1)
0
0
0
0
0
1 0 0 .0
0
0
0
0
0
(')
1 0 0 .0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1 0 0 .0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1 0 0 .0
.2
1 0 0 .0
0
0
0
1 0 0 .0
(1)
0
’ Data not shown where base is less than 75,000.
Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies. For
persons not in families, income data refer to personal income.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not
0
0
0
0
0
0
sum to totals because data for the other races group are not
presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black
population groups.
2
35
9.6
21
Table 14. Incidence of unemployment among persons with labor force experience and percent in families below the poverty
level by sex, race, Hispanic origin, and family status, 1983-85
(N um bers in th o u san d s)
1983
1984
With unemployment
Characteristic
Persons
Percent
with
in
labor
fami
force
lies
Number Percent
experi
below
ence
the
poverty
level
1985
With unemployment
Persons
with
labor
force
eiperience
Percent
in
fami
lies
Number Percent
below
the
poverty
level
124,117
67,234
56,883
21,535
12,174
9,361
17.4
18.1
16.5
107,749
59,144
48,605
17,461
10,008
7,454
43.7
38.7
49.7
12,994
6,297
6,697
24.7
26.3
22.4
31.4
30.6
32.6
6,431
4,371
4,532
15.9
14.6
28.0
19.5
1 2 .6
6 ,0 2 0
1,550
2,129
24.0
35.4
Men who maintain families..........
Others in such fam ilies...............
1,602
1,446
297
470
All other men1 ..............................
10,468
All other women1 .........................
8,842
Total ..............
Men ...........
W omen.......
121,503
66,350
55,153
23,762
13,919
9,842
19.6
23.0
2 1 .0
2 1 .0
17.8
25.9
W h ite .............
Men ............
W omen.......
105,870
58,520
47,351
19,549
11,614
7,935
18.5
19.8
16.8
19.0
17.8
2 0 .8
Black..............
Men ............
Women.......
12,560
6,234
6,326
3,640
1,992
1,648
29.0
32.0
26.0
Hispanic origin
Men ............
Women.......
7,409
4,378
3,030
1,830
1,151
680
Husbands .....................................
W ives............................................
Others in married-couple families
40,477
29,991
16,199
Women who maintain fam ilies....
Others in such fam ilies...............
6,458
Persons
with
labor
force
experi
ence
Percent
in
fami
lies
Number Percent
below
the
poverty
level
23.2
125,890
68,270
57,620
20,984
11,754
9,230
16.7
17.2
16.0
21.4
19.8
23.5
16.2
16.9
15.3
18.1
18.0
18.4
109,060
59,924
49,136
17,054
9,718
7,336
15.6
16.2
14.9
18.2
17.8
18.9
3,473
1,847
1,626
26.7
29.3
24.3
40.0
35.7
44.9
13,297
6,504
6,793
3,321
1,685
1,636
25.0
25.9
24.1
36.9
29.8
44.2
7,795
4,567
3,228
1,778
1,144
634
2 2 .8
33.3
34.5
31.0
8,252
4,891
3,361
1,865
1,194
670
2 2 .6
25.0
19.7
24.4
19.9
32.6
33.9
30.3
40,532
30,724
16,098
5,231
4,145
4,000
12.9
13.5
24.8
19.0
10.5
40,825
31,278
15,926
5,028
4,093
3,838
12.3
13.1
24.1
19.8
10.3
61.1
30.0
6,687
6,454
1,439
2,029
21.5
31.4
57.5
26.4
6,766
6,436
1,505
1,951
2 2 .2
30.3
58.7
24.9
18.5
32.5
31.8
1 0 .8
1,767
1,624
342
504
19.4
31.1
30.5
14.7
1,726
345
427
18.3
24.8
30.6
14.0
2,481
23.7
35.0
11,027
2,411
21.9
35.8
11,590
2,370
20.4
31.6
1,501
17.0
45.1
9,205
1,431
15.5
40 9
9,455
1,427
15.1
39.1
8 .6
Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not
2 2 .0
2 1 .1
8 .1
1 ,8 8 8
6 .1
sun to totals because data for the other races group are not presented
and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.
1
With unemployment
22
Table 15. Incidence of involuntary )art-tlme employment among persons working part time and percent in families below the
poverty level by sex, race, Hispanic origin, and family status, 1983-85
(N um bers in th o u san d s)
1984
1983
With involuntary parttime work
With involuntary parttime work
Characteristic
Persons
with partPercent
time
of
Number
work
parttime
workers
1985
With involuntary parttime work
Percent
Percent
Percent
Persons
Persons
in
in
in
with partPercent
Percent
with partfami
fami
fami
time
time
of
of
lies
lies
lies
work
Number
Number
work
partpartbelow
below
below
time
time
the
the
the
workers
workers
poverty
poverty
poverty
level
level
level
T o ta l................................................... 42,795
Men .................................................. 19,152
W omen............................................. 23,642
14,869
8,328
6,542
34.7
43.5
27.7
19.3
18.5
20.3
43,877
19,204
24,673
14,429
7,954
6,476
32.9
41.4
26.2
17.7
17.0
18.7
44,015
19,223
24,791
14,311
7,717
6,594
32.5
40.1
26.6
2 0 .1
W h ite ................................................... 37,834
Men .................................................. 16,858
W omen............................................. 20,975
12,530
7,162
5,368
33.1
42.5
25.6
16.5
16.3
16.8
38,523
16,749
21,773
12,077
6,734
5,343
31.4
40.2
24.5
15.0
14.5
15.7
38,602
16,757
21,845
12,033
6,602
5,431
31.2
39.4
24.9
16.2
15.7
16.7
18.7
17.4
Black...................................................
Men ..................................................
Women.............................................
4,056
1,906
2,150
2,046
1,023
1,023
50.4
53.7
47.6
36.0
33.2
38.8
4,344
1,992
2,352
2,016
1,042
974
46.4
52.3
41.4
32.5
30.7
34.5
4,311
1,984
2,327
1,956
943
1,014
45.4
47.5
43.6
33.5
28.5
38.2
Hispanic origin....................................
Men ..................................................
W omen.............................................
2,512
1,323
1,189
1,164
716
448
46.3
54.1
37.7
28.1
29.7
25.6
2,655
1,365
1,290
1,194
767
427
45.0
56.2
33.1
26.7
26.6
26.8
2,750
1,479
1,271
1,310
803
507
47.6
54.3
39.9
28.8
31.7
24.2
Husbands................................ ...........
W ives..................................................
Others in married-couple families......
8,498
13,032
9,045
4,136
3,158
2,513
48.7
24.2
27.8
16.4
3,658
3,039
2,382
26.4
14.4
9.2
6.3
8,252
13,570
8,998
3,746
3,135
2,254
45.4
23.1
25.1
1 0 .1
7.2
8,242
13,332
9,034
44.4
1 0 .1
Women who maintain families..........
Others in such fam ilies......................
2,131
2,771
1 ,0 2 1
47.9
38.9
48.2
22.7
2,188
3,177
920
1,300
42.1
40.9
44.7
1,077
2 1 .8
2,299
2,971
1,008
1,135
43.8
38.2
46.0
25.7
Men who maintain families................
Others in such fam ilies......................
436
591
218
269
50.1
45.5
23.2
14.9
438
712
219
315
50.0
44.2
23.1
9.6
506
676
247
275
48.8
40.6
2 2 .1
All other men1 ....................................
3,332
1,514
45.4
32.8
3,533
1,565
44.3
31.9
3,556
1,422
40.0
26.9
All other women1 ...............................
2,958
963
32.6
38.4
3,221
1,032
32.0
31.9
3,188
1,089
34.2
34.5
Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not
16.7
5.8
10.7
sum to totals because data for the other races group are not presented
and Hispanics are Included in both the white and black population groups.
1
2 2 .8
23
Table 16. Incidence of low earnings among year-round full-time workers and percent in families below the poverty level by
sex, race, Hispanic origin, and family status, 1983-85
(Numbers in thousands)
Characteristic
Yearround
full
time
workers
1983
1984
1985
Low earners
(under $6,700)
Low earners
(under $6,700)
Low earners
(under $6,700)
Percent
Percent
in
of
fami
yearlies
Number round
below
full
the
time
poverty
workers
level
Total ....................................................
Men ..................................................
W omen.............................................
66,744
41,469
25,275
4,463
2,239
2,224
6.7
5.4
30.7
41.3
8 .8
W h ite ...................................................
Men ..................................................
W omen.............................................
58,683
37,163
21,521
3,859
1,957
1,902
6 .6
Black....................................................
Men ..................................................
W omen.............................................
6,303
3,284
3,019
464
217
247
6 .6
Hispanic origin....................................
Men ..................................................
W omen.............................................
3,908
2,524
1,384
Husbands ............................................
W ives...................................................
Others in married-couple families......
Yearround
full
time
workers
Percent
of
yearNumber round
full
time
workers
Percent
in
fami
lies
below
the
poverty
level
Yearround
full
time
workers
72,422
44,952
27,470
4,069
2,059
4,492
2,356
2,136
6.4
5.4
2 0 .0
70,419
43,833
26,585
8 .0
31.2
38.7
23.0
29.9
41.0
18.5
61,679
39,226
22,453
3,886
2,077
1,809
6.3
5.3
30.5
38.7
8 .1
2 1 .2
6,769
3,453
3,316
450
206
245
6.7
8 .2
32.7
39.1
27.1
354
180
173
9.0
7.1
12.5
32.9
41.3
24.2
4,177
2,709
1,468
348
184
165
30,152
13,931
4,190
1,294
1,278
558
4.3
9.2
13.3
47.7
13.3
5.1
31,327
14,517
4,506
1,272
1,279
606
Women who maintain families...........
Others in such fam ilies......................
3,526
1,934
234
261
6 .6
13.5
50.4
9.6
3,777
2,209
233
261
1 1 .8
Men who maintain families................
Others in such fam ilies......................
1,087
568
40
42
3.7
7.3
1,235
638
65
74
1 1 .6
All other men12 .....................................
6,279
407
6.5
57.5
6,883
401
5.8
All other women2 ................................
5,077
350
6.9
40.3
5,326
303
5.7
5.3
8 .8
7.4
0
0
Data not shown where base is less than 75,000.
Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not
2 ,0 1 1
5.6
4.6
7.3
31.3
40.1
22.3
63,202
40,045
23,157
3,503
1,850
1,654
5.5
4.6
7.1
30.7
39.7
37.2
38.1
36.4
7,199
3,769
3,430
450
164
285
6 .2
4.4
8.3
35.1
42.6
30.8
30.7
33.9
27.1
4,461
2,900
1,561
360
191
170
8 .8
44.7
12.7
13.4
1 0 .8
31,752
14,899
4,481
1,136
1,123
563
6 .2
55.5
22.4
6 .0
7.4
8.3
6 .8
1 1 .2
4.1
5.2
2 0 .6
10.9
32.6
36.5
28.2
3.6
7.5
47.0
13.8
8 .1
6 .6
1 2 .6
48.7
17.6
3,746
2,306
212
1,307
765
66
89
5.1
11.7
55.3
7,328
328
4.5
60.1
49.6
5,836
326
5.6
51.3
0
0
226
5.7
9.8
8 .6
0
4.7
sum to totals because data for the other races group are not presented
and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.
1
2
Percent
Percent
in
of
fami
yearlies
Number round
below
full
the
time
poverty
workers
level
24
Table 17. Persons with labor market problems by number and type of problems: Unemployment or involuntary part-time
employment or low earnings, 1985
(In th o u san d s)
Persons with
labor market
problems
Labor market problem
Total
Workers employed year round, full tim e ................................................
One problem only:
Low earnings...................................................................................
Unemployment................................................................................
Involuntary part-time employment..................................................
Two problems:
Low earnings, unemployment........................................................
Low earnings, involuntary part-time employment..........................
Unemployment, involuntary part-time employment.......................
Three problems:
Low earnings, unemployment, involuntary part-time employment
Persons with
labor market
problems
living in
“ poor” families
32,849
6,831
8,055
1,391
3,423
564
3,219
1,045
29
600
203
11
96
6
219
8
18
Workers employed less than year round, full tim e........
One problem only:
Unemployment........................................................
Involuntary part-time employment..........................
Two problems:
Unemployment, involuntary part-time employment
Nonworkers who looked for work
22,369
4,312
12,098
4,623
1,972
977
5,648
1,364
2,424
1,127
Table 18. Persons with labor market problems by number and type of problems: 5 weeks or more of unemployment or
involuntary part-time employment or low earnings, 1985
(In thousands)
Persons with
labor market
problems
Labor market problem
Total
Workers employed year round, full tim e ....................................................
One problem only:
Low earnings.......................................................................................
Involuntary part-time employment, 5 weeks or m ore .......................
Two problems:
Low earnings; involuntary part-time employment, 5 weeks or more
Workers employed less than year round, full tim e ....................................................................
One problem only:
Unemployment, 5 weeks or m ore......................................................................................
Involuntary part-time employment, 5 weeks or m ore ........................................................
Two problems:
Unemployment, 5 weeks or more; involuntary part-time employment, 5 weeks or more
Nonworkers who looked for work, 5 weeks or more
25
Persons with
labor market
problems
living in
"poor" families
26,085
5,954
5,905
1,347
3,623
1,836
1,112
447
164
18,419
3,733
10,529
4,544
1,916
948
3,345
868
1,761
875
71
Table 19. Persons with labor market problems by number and type of problems: 15 weeks or more of unemployment or
involuntary part-time employment or low earnings, 1985
(In th o u san d s)
Persons with
labor market
problems
Labor market problem
T o t a l.................................................................................................................................................................
Workers employed year round, full tim e ................................................................................... .................. .
One problem only:
Low earn ing s...............................................................................................................................................
Involuntary part-time employment, 15 weeks or m o r e ...................................................................
Two problems:
Low earnings: involuntary part-time employment, 15 weeks or more .......................................
Workers employed less than year round, full tim e ....................................................................................
One problem only:
Unemployment, 15 weeks or m o re .......................................................................................................
Involuntary part-time employment, 15 weeks or m o r e ...................................................................
Two problems:
Unemployment, 15 weeks or more; involuntary part-time employment, 15 weeks or more
Nonworkers who looked for work, 15 weeks or m o re .............................................................................
Persons with
labor market
problems
living in
“poor" families
17,328
4,764
4,513
1,302
3,893
444
1,208
27
177
67
11,592
2,833
6,832
3,859
1,728
811
901
294
1,222
629
Table 20. Persons with some unemployment, some Involuntary part-time work, or both, by the number of weeks these
problems were experienced, during 4-month periods between January and July 1985
Percent distribution by cumulative duration of probiem(s)
Labor market problem
Total
(in
thousands)
Total
Less than
5 weeks
5 to 8
weeks
9 to 13
weeks
More than 13
weeks, but
less than the
entire period
The entire
period
T o t a l.................................................................................
Some unem ploym ent......................................................
Some involuntary part-time w o rk .................................
B o th ......................................................................................
19,251
12,786
4,902
1,563
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
26.0
28.4
25.6
6.9
14.4
15.0
12.2
15.6
13.6
15.0
9.2
15.8
6.8
6.0
8.0
9.4
39.3
35.5
45.0
52.3
In the labor force the entire 4 m o n th s .........................
Some unemployment .......................................................
Some involuntary part-time w o rk .................................
B o th ......................................................................................
15,483
9,814
4,284
1,385
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
18.0
17.6
23.1
5.6
12.5
13.3
10.1
13.9
13.1
15.5
7.5
13.2
7.6
7.4
7.8
8.3
48.8
46.2
51.5
59.0
In the labor force for only part of the 4 m o n th s ........
Some unem ploym ent......................................................
Some involuntary part-time w o rk .................................
B o th ......................................................................................
3,768
2,972
618
178
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
58.5
64.3
42.9
22.1
20.7
26.5
15.7
13.4
20.9
3.7
1.6
9.7
0
0
0
“
reference periods between January and July 1985. The four periods are
January through April, February through May, March through June, and
April through July.
1 Data not shown where base is less than 250,000.
NOTE: These estimates are derived from the Survey of Income and
Program Participation and are averages of four overlapping 4-month
(’)
_
26
Table 21. Persons with labor force activity by family relationship and size and type of employment problems, during 4-month
periods between January and July 1985
Persons with employment problems
Family relationship and size
Total
Total
Some
unemployment
Some involuntary
part-time work
Low earners
Numbers (in thousands)
Total .......................................................................................
119,464
24,056
14,349
6,465
5,030
Persons in fa m ilie s ....................................................................
H usbands.................
W iv e s ..........................................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies.................
101,146
39,808
29,028
16,173
20,748
5,180
4,980
5,320
12,622
2,676
2,679
3,659
5,455
1,482
1,309
1,359
4,238
1,432
1,380
673
Women who maintain fa m ilie s ............................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ...................... .
6,532
6,522
1,682
2,748
1,058
1,987
486
612
287
347
Men who maintain fa m ilies...................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n ..............................
1,715
1,367
301
537
188
374
61
146
65
53
two members ............................................... .................
three m em b ers............................................
four m e m b e rs ........................... .....................................
five members ................................................................
six members or m o r e ...................................................
26,844
25,977
26,849
12,424
9,053
4,914
5,011
5,332
2,683
2,808
2,525
3,144
3,395
1,688
1,870
1,343
1,309
1,386
751
666
1,379
889
1,051
477
442
Persons not in families' ............................................................
Men ............ .............................................................. ..............
W o m e n ......................................................................................
18,318
10,099
8,219
3,308
1,894
1,414
1,727
1,081
646
1,010
543
467
792
415
378
Total .......................................................................................
100.0
20.1
12.0
5.4
4.2
Persons in fa m ilie s ....................................................................
H usbands.................................................................................
W iv e s ..........................................................................................
Others in married-couple fam ilies.......................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
20.5
13.0
17.2
32.9
12.5
6.7
9.2
22.6
5.4
3.7
4.5
8.4
42
3.6
4.8
4.2
Women who maintain fa m ilie s ............................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ........................
100.0
100.0
25.7
42.1
16.2
30.5
7.4
9.4
4.4
5.3
Men who maintain fa m ilies..................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n ..............................
100.0
100.0
17.6
39.3
11.0
27.4
3.5
10.7
3.8
3.9
With
With
With
With
With
two members .................................................................
three m em b ers...............................................................
four m e m b ers.................................................................
five members .................................................................
six members or m o r e ...................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
18.3
19.3
19.9
21.6
31.0
9.4
12.1
12.6
13.6
20.7
5.0
5.0
5.2
6.0
7.4
5.1
3.4
3.9
3.8
4.9
Persons not in families' ...........................................................
Men ............................................................................................
W o m e n .......................................................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
18.1
18.8
17.2
9.4
10.7
7.9
5.5
5.4
5.7
4.3
4.1
4.6
With
With
With
With
With
Percent distribution
See footnotes at end of table.
27
Table 21. Persons with labor force activity by family relationship and size and type of employment problems, during 4-month
periods between January and July 1985—Continued
Persons with employment problems
Family relationship and size
Total
Some
unemployment
Total
Some involuntary
part-time work
Low earners
Percent distribution
Total ............................................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Persons in fam ilies...........................................................
Husbands ........................................................................
W ives...............................................................................
Others in married-couple families..................................
84.7
33.3
24.3
13.5
86.2
21.5
20.7
22.1
88.0
18.7
18.7
25.5
84.4
22.9
20.3
21.0
84.2
28.5
27.4
13.4
Women who maintain fam ilies......................................
Others in families maintained by w om en.....................
5.5
5.5
7.0
11.4
7.4
13.8
7.5
9.5
5.7
6.9
Men who maintain families............................................
Others in families maintained by m e n .................... .....
1.4
1.1
1.3
2.2
1.3
2.6
.9
2.3
1.3
1.1
two members ........................................................
three members.......................................................
four members........................................................
five members ...............................................
six members or m ore............................................
22.5
21.7
22.5
10.4
7.6
20.4
20.8
22.2
11.2
11.7
17.6
21.9
23.7
11.8
13.0
20.8
20.3
21.4
11.6
10.3
27.4
17.7
20.9
9.5
8.8
Persons not in families1 ....................................................
Men ................................................................................
W omen............................................................................
15.3
8.5
6.9
13.8
7.9
5.9
12.0
7.5
4.5
15.6
8.4
7.2
15.8
8.2
7.5
With
With
With
With
With
1 Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies.
NOTE: These estimates are derived from the Survey of Income and
Program Participation and are averages of four overlapping 4-month
reference periods between January and July 1985. The four periods are
January through April, February through May, March through June, and
April through July.
Table 22. Persons who had weeks of labor force inactivity, but who wanted and could have taken a job during those weeks,
by family relationship and the reason they did not look for work, during 4-month periods between January and July 1985
(Percent distribution)
Family relationship
Total
Discouragement over job prospects Child care
or other
family
JobPersonal
responsi
market
Total
factors
bilities
factors
In school
or other
training
III health,
physical
disa
bility
Other
Total, in thousands......................................................................
P e rc e n t.........................................................................................
5,033
100.0
1,603
100.0
1,167
100.0
436
100.0
878
100.0
1,130
100.0
436
100.0
985
100.0
Persons in fa m ilie s ..........................................................................
Husbands .......................................................................................
Wives ...............................................................................................
Others in married-couple fa m ilie s ...........................................
89.2
8.1
23.6
27.7
86.7
9.9
23.0
24.6
86.3
9.6
26.7
21.6
87.6
10.7
12.9
32.6
96.3
1.0
53.8
10.8
97.1
2.4
1.5
60.9
66.8
15.5
17.0
6.4
88.0
14.6
25.9
19.2
Women who maintain families .................................................
Others in families maintained by w o m e n ..............................
11.9
14.1
10.5
13.9
12.7
12.0
4.9
18.9
24.0
4.6
3.3
22.7
14.6
12.0
12.3
13.7
Men who maintain fa m ilie s .......................................................
Others in families maintained by m e n .................................. .
.5
3.3
.3
4.5
.5
3.2
1.8
.4
.6
5.7
_
_
7.7
Persons not in families1 .................................................................
M e n ..................................................................................................
Women ............................................................................................
10.8
4.0
6.8
13.3
5.8
7.6
13.7
5.8
7.9
12.4
5.7
6.7
3.7
.7
3.1
2.9
1.1
1.8
1.4
2.2
33.2
10.0
23.2
12.0
4.6
7.4
reference periods between January and July 1985. The four periods are
January through April, February through May, March through June, and
April through July.
1 Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies.
NOTE: These estimates are derived from the Survey of Income and
Program Participation and are averages of four overlapping 4-month
_
28
Table 23. Persons in the civilian nonlnstitutional population by receipt and type of cash or In-kind assistance and type of
employment problem, during 4-month periods between January and July 1985
Persons with employment problems
Receipt and type of assistance
Total
Total with
labor force
activity
Total
Some
unemployment
Some
involuntary
part-time work
Low earners
Persons with
labor force
inactivity due
to discourage
ment
Numbers (in thousands)
Total ...................................................................................
178,526
119,464
24,056
14,349
6,465
5,030
1,603
Total who received cash or in-kind a s s is ta n c e .............
58,517
21,365
9,790
7,458
2,178
1,048
812
Received cash assistance................................................
State unemployment com pensation...........................
Supplemental unemployment be n efits.......................
Other unemployment com pensation..........................
Workers’ com pensation.................................................
General assistance..........................................................
Other w e lfa r e ............... ....................................................
Aid to Families with Dependent C hildren..................
Federal Supplemental Security In c o m e .....................
Social Security b e n e fits ..................................................
42,459
3,923
123
102
964
951
296
3,107
3,587
32,156
10,580
3,793
110
96
724
397
122
1,234
242
4,303
5,796
3,393
110
58
128
332
67
974
99
967
4,878
3,160
110
44
86
319
54
885
77
469
1,048
683
30
10
29
23
97
16
213
449
35
5
13
7
14
34
6
338
435
54
79
121
58
149
Received in-kind assistance.............................................
Food s ta m p s .....................................................................
Special Supplemental Food Program for Women,
Infants, and C hildren................................................
M e dicaid..............................................................................
M e d ic a re .............................................................................
Housing subsidy................................................................
Energy a s s is ta n c e ............................................................
School lunch .....................................................................
50,582
11,048
16,576
4,905
6,767
3,258
4,793
2,584
1,516
657
952
270
709
392
1,543
10,303
28,811
5,636
4,312
12,742
708
2,953
3,308
2,548
1,818
8,001
384
2,038
626
958
1,019
3,471
255
1,767
217
652
787
2,667
110
274
130
210
222
676
52
94
304
173
64
327
47
372
79
114
Total who received no such assistanc e..........................
120,009
98,099
14,265
6,891
4,287
3,982
791
Total ...................................................................................
100.0
66.9
13.5
8.0
3.6
2.8
0.9
Total who received cash or in-kind as sistan c e.............
100.0
36.5
16.7
12.7
3.7
1.8
1.4
Received cash assistance................................................
State unemployment com pensation...........................
Supplemental unemployment be n efits.......................
Other unemployment com pensation..........................
Workers' com pensation.................................................
General assistance..........................................................
Other w e lfa r e ....................................................................
Aid to Families with Dependent C hildren..................
Federal Supplemental Security In c o m e .....................
Social Security b e n e fits ..................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
24.9
96.7
13.7
86.5
11.5
80.6
2.5
17.4
1.1
1.0
1.4
O
0
75.1
41.7
41.4
39.7
6.8
13.4
O
O
13.2
34.9
22.8
31.3
2.8
3.0
0
8.9
33.5
18.2
28.5
2.1
1.5
O
O
3.0
2.4
3.1
.4
.7
Received in-kind assistance.............................................
Food s ta m p s .....................................................................
Special Supplemental Food Program for Women,
Infants, and C hildren ................................................
M e dica id..............................................................................
M e d ic a re .............................................................................
Housing subsidy................................................................
Energy assistance ...........................................................
School lu n c h .....................................................................
100.0
100.0
32.8
44.4
13.4
29.5
9.5
23.4
3.0
5.9
1.9
2.4
1.4
3.6
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
45.8
28.7
11.5
45.2
42.2
62.8
24.9
19.8
2.2
17.0
23.6
27.2
16.5
17.1
.8
11.6
18.2
20.9
7.1
2.7
.4
3.7
5.1
5.3
3.4
1.1
3.1
1.5
2.6
3.1
3.6
.3
2.0
2.3
2.5
Total who received no such as sistan c e..........................
100.0
81.7
11.9
5.7
3.6
3.3
.7
99
325
Percent distribution
See footnotes at end of table.
29
(')
.9
0
0
0
0
1.4
.7
4.6
1.1
.2
1.1
.9
-
8.4
3.9
1.6
.5
Table 23. Persons in the civilian noninstltutional population by receipt and type of cash or in-klnd assistance and type o
employment problem, during 4-month periods between January and July 1985—Continued
Persons with employment problems
Receipt and type of assistance
Total
Total with
labor force
activity
Total
Some
unemployment
Some
involuntary
part-time work
Low earners
Persons with
labor force
inactivity due
to discourage
ment
Percent distribution
Total ....................................................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Total who received cash or in-kind a s s is ta n c e .............
32.8
17.9
40.7
52.0
33.7
20.8
50.7
Received cash assistance.................................................
State unemployment com pensation............................
Supplemental unemployment b e nefits.......................
Other unemployment com pensation...........................
W orkers’ com p ensatio n..................................................
General assistance...........................................................
Other welfare ....................................................................
Aid to Families with Dependent C hildren..................
Federal Supplemental Security In c o m e .....................
Social Security b e n e fits ..................................................
23.8
2.2
.1
.1
.5
.5
.2
1.7
20
18.0
3.9
3.2
.1
.1
.6
.3
.1
1.0
.2
3.6
24.1
14.1
.5
.2
.5
1.4
.3
4.0
.4
4.0
34.0
22.0
.8
.3
.6
2.2
.4
6.2
.5
3.3
16.2
1C.6
*
8.9
.7
-
27.2
3.4
.!
.3
.7
.1
6.7
5.0
1.5
.2
3.3
7.5
3.6
9.3
Received in-kind assistance.............................................
Food s ta m p s ......................................................................
Special Supplemental Food Program for Women,
Infants, and C hildren.................................................
M edicaid..............................................................................
M e d ic a re .............................................................................
Housinq subsidy................................................................
Energy assistance ...........................................................
School iunch ......................................................................
28.3
6.2
13.9
4.1
28.1
13.5
33.4
18.0
23.4
10.2
18.9
5.4
44.2
24.5
.9
5.8
16.1
3.2
2.4
7.1
.6
2.5
2.8
2.1
1.5
6.7
1.6
8.5
2.6
4.0
4.2
14.4
1.8
12.3
1.5
4.5
5.5
18.6
1.7
4.2
2.0
3.3
3.4
10.5
1.0
1.9
6.0
3.4
1.3
6.5
3.0
23.2
5.0
7.1
6.2
20.3
Total who received no such as sistan c e...........................
67.2
82.1
59.3
48.0
66.3
79.2
49.3
1 Data not shown where base is less than 250,000.
NOTE: These estimates are derived from the Survey of Income and
Program Participation and are averages of four overlapping 4-month
.4
.3
reference periods between January and July 1985. The four p e r i o a r e
January through April, February through May, March through June, and
April through July.
30
Table 24. Average monthly assistance payments for recipients of cash assistance by type of assistance and type of
employment problem and discouragement, during 4-month periods between January and July 1985
Average monthly assistance payments for:
Recipients with empluyment problems
Type of assistance
Total
recipients
State unemployment co m p ensatio n...................................
Supplemental unemployment b e n e fits ...............................
Other unemployment com pensation...................................
Workers’ com pensation..........................................................
General a s s is ta n c e ........................... ......................................
Other w e lfa r e .............................................................................
Aid to Families with Dependent Children .........................
Federal Supplemental Security In c o m e .............................
Social Security be n e fits ..........................................................
Recipients
with labor
force
activity
$397
$395
0
0
1,019
197
194
315
217
423
0
(1)
899
178
(1)
304
0
443
Some
unemployment
Total
$403
o
0
0
165
0
319
o
399
Some
involuntary
part-time work
Low earners
o
$328
(1)
$409
0
(')
O
329
0
0
0
0
0
$434
0
0
o
0
357
0
(’)
0
0
0
0
168
Recipients
with labor
force inactivity
due to
discourage
ment
_
(')
(')
o
0
April through July. The average monthly payments were calculated per
receipt month, per recipient, for each type of assistance; that is, for each
type of assistance, an average was calculated across receipt months for
each recipient and those monthly averages were then averaged across all
recipients.
1 Data not shown where base is less than 250,000.
NOTE: These estimates are derived from the Survey of Income and
Program Participation and are averages of four overlapping 4-month
reference periods between January and July 1985. The four periods are
January through April, February through May, March through June, and
Table 25. Persons with employment problems or with periods of discouragement who received cash or in-kind assistance by
family size, during 4-month periods between January and July 1985
Percent distribution by family size
Labor market problem or discouragement
Total
(in
thousands)
Persons in families
Total
Total
Persons with employment p ro b le m s ....
Some unemployment ....................
Some involuntary part-time w o r k ..........
Low e a rn e rs ..........................
Persons with some discouragem ent....
With three
members
With four
members
With five
members
With six
members
or more
Persons
not in
families1
9,790
7,458
2,178
1,048
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
87.9
88.7
86.9
86.7
20.1
18.0
25.3
28.9
19.0
19.5
15.1
20.9
20.2
21.9
17.9
14.4
12.5
13 3
13.1
7.4
16 1
16 0
15.4
15.0
121
11 3
13 1
13.3
812
100.0
86.4
27.4
14.1
15.8
10.1
19.0
13.6
Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies.
NOTE: These estimates are derived from the Survey of Income and
Program Participation and are averages of four overlapping 4-month
With two
members
reference periods between January and July 1985. The four periods are
January through April, February through May, March through June, and
April through July.
31
Appendix A. Explanatory Notes
Current Population Survey
employed operations); Social Security or Railroad Retire
ment benefits; public assistance or welfare payments;
Supplemental Security Income; dividends, interest, and rents;
unemployment, veterans’, and workers’ compensation;
government and private employee pensions; alimony, child
support, or regular contributions from persons not living in
the household; and other periodic income. In the March 1986
C P S, income did not include one-time payments, such as
capital gains; nonmoney transfers, such as food stamps; sub
sidized housing; goods produced on a farm or in a home;
and employer-financed fringe benefits like retirement, educa
tional expenses, stock options, or health and life insurance.
For more information on the income concept, see Money
Income of Households, Families, and Persons in the United
States: 1985, Current Population Reports, Series P-60, No.
156 (Bureau of the Census, 1987).
(c p s )
(Tables 1-19 and B-l to B-3)
The source, coverage, concepts, definitions, and limita
tions of the data presented in this bulletin are described
below.
Source of data
The primary source of data is the supplement to the March
1986 C P S. The data refer to calendar year 1985.
Population coverage
During March 1986, trained interviewers collected infor
mation from about 59,500 households in 729 areas in 1,973
counties and independent cities in each State and the
District of Columbia. Estimates are for persons 16 years of
age and over in the civilian noninstitutional population during
the week ending March 24, 1986. The civilian noninstitu
tional population excludes all members of the Armed Forces
and inmates of institutions such as homes for the aged and
correctional institutions.
No information was obtained on persons who might have
been in the civilian labor force during 1985 but were not in
the civilian noninstitutional population as of the March date.
Similarly, no data on persons who died in 1985 or in 1986
before the survey date are included. Persons who reached
age 16 during January, February, or March 1986, however,
are included.
Poverty statistics
presented in this bulletin are based on definitions developed
by the Social Security Administration in 1964 and revised
by Federal interagency committees in 1969 and 1980. These
definitions are based on the Department of Agriculture’s
Economy Food Plan and reflect the different consumption
requirements of families based on their size, and age and
number of children under 18 years. In this bulletin, the term
“ family” includes households consisting of individuals liv
ing alone or with unrelated persons. Unrelated individuals
are differentiated by age.
In 1985, the average poverty threshold for a family of four
was $10,989; for a family of nine persons or more, the
threshold was $22,083; and for an unrelated individual age
65 and over, $5,156. The poverty thresholds are updated each
year to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index for All
Urban Consumers (C P I-U ). For more information, see Money
Income and Poverty Status of Families and Persons in the
United States: 1985 (.Advance Data from the March 1986
Current Population Survey), Current Population Reports,
Series P-60, No. 154 (Bureau of the Census, August 1986.)
Poverty (low-income) classification.
Concepts and definitions
Work experience. Persons with work experience are those
who worked as civilians at any time during the year at fiillor part-time jobs. Respondents are asked how many hours
they usually worked per week during the year. They are
classified as having worked at full-time jobs if they worked
35 hours or more per week in a majority of the weeks
employed during the year; respondents are classified as hav
ing worked at part-time jobs if they worked 1 to 34 hours
per week in a majority of the weeks employed during the
year.
Civilian labor force. The civilian labor force comprises all
civilians 16 years and older classified as employed or un
employed sometime during the year.
Income. Data on income are limited to money income
Employed. Employed persons are all civilians who worked
received before personal income taxes and payroll deduc
tions. Money income is the sum of the amounts received from
earnings (hourly wages, salaries, or profits or losses of self
for pay or profit (including paid vacations and sick leave)
or worked without pay on a family-operated farm or business.
32
Reliability of the estimates
Year-round, full-time work. Year-round, full-time work is
employment of 50 to 52 weeks during the year, usually at
a full-time job.
Estimating procedure. The estimating procedure used in this
survey inflates sample results to independent estimates of the
civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, race, and
Hispanic origin. These independent estimates are based on
statistics from the 1980 census and other data on births,
deaths, immigration, emigration, and size of the Armed
Forces.
Since the C PS estimates are based on a sample, they may
differ somewhat from the figures that would have been ob
tained if a complete census had been taken using the same
questionnaires, instructions, and enumerators. There are two
types of errors possible in an estimate based on a sample
survey: Sampling and nonsampling. The standard errors that
may be obtained from use of the formulas given later in this
appendix primarily indicate the magnitude of the sampling
error. They also partially measure the effect of some non
sampling errors in response and enumeration, but do not
measure any systematic biases in the data. The full extent
of nonsampling error is unknown. Consequently, particular
care should be exercised in the interpretation of figures based
on a relatively small number of cases or on small differences
between estimates.
Unemployed. Unemployed persons are those who were look
ing for work while not employed or were on layoff for at
least 1 week during the year. The number of weeks unem
ployed is accumulated over the entire year.
Involuntary part-time employment. Persons who worked less
than 35 hours for at least 1 week during the year because
of slack work or material shortages, or because they could
not find part-time work.
Median. The median is the value which divides a distribu
tion into two equal parts, one part having values above the
median and the other having values below the median.
Median earnings in this bulletin are based on a distribution
which includes zero values. The median is estimated by linear
interpolation within the distribution. The precision of the
estimates depends on the size of the interval which contains
the median.
Earnings. Earnings are all money income from hourly wages,
salaries, tips, and profits or losses from self-employment.
Sampling Variability. The standard error is primarily a
measure of sampling variability; that is, of the variation that
occurs by chance because a sample rather than the entire
population is surveyed. The sample estimate and its standard
error enable one to construct confidence intervals—ranges
that would include the average result of all possible samples
with a known probability. For example, if all possible sam
ples were selected, each of these surveyed under essentially
the same general conditions and using the same sample
design, and an estimate and its estimated standard error were
calculated from each sample then:
1. Approximately 68 percent of the intervals from one
standard error below the estimate to one standard
error above the estimate would include the average
result of all possible samples.
2. Approximately 90 percent of the intervals from 1.6
standard errors below the estimate to 1.6 standard
errors above the estimate would include the average
result of all possible samples.
3. Approximately 95 percent of the intervals from two
standard errors below the estimate to two standard
errors above the estimate would include the average
result of all possible samples.
The average estimate derived from all possible samples
may not be contained in any particular computed interval.
However, for a particular sample, one can say with a speci
fied confidence that the average estimate derived from all
possible samples is included in the confidence interval.
Race and Hispanic origin. White, black, and other are terms
used to describe the race of workers. Included in the ‘‘other’’
group are American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Asians
and Pacific Islanders. All tables in this publication which con
tain racial data present data for the black population group.
Because of their relatively small sample size, data for
“ other” races are not published.
Hispanic origin refers to persons who identify themselves
in the enumeration process as Mexican, Puerto Rican living
on the mainland, Cuban, Central or South American, or of
other Hispanic origin or descent. Persons of Hispanic
origin may be of any race; thus, they are included in both
the white and black population groups.
Family. A family is a group of two persons or more resid
ing together who are related by birth, marriage, or adop
tion. All such persons are considered as members of one
family even though they may include a “ subfamily,” that
is, a married couple or a parent and child sharing the living
quarters of the married couple or person maintaining the
household. Family status is that at the time of the March
interview, which may be different from that of the previous
year.
Family income. In this bulletin, this term refers to family
income for persons in families and personal income for
unrelated individuals.
Standard errors for data based on the CPS. Because of the
large number of estimates that are produced from the C P S,
33
it is not feasible to give a standard error for each of the
estimates. Instead, generalized standard error tables and
adjustment factors for different types of estimates are
provided by the Bureau of the Census.
Table A-1. Parameters for direct computation of standard
errors of estimated numbers and percentages of
households, families, unrelated individuals, and persons,
1985
Parameters
Characteristic
Standard errors of estimated numbers and estimated
percentages. Standard errors of estimated numbers and es
timated percentages can be computed directly with formu
las (1) and (2) respectively:
a
b
Number of households, families,
and unrelated individuals:
All races or white.............................
Black and/or other races................
Hispanic origin.................................
-0.000010
-.000081
-.000165
1,896
2,067
2,067
Number of persons:
All races or white......................
Black and/or other races................
Hispanic origin.................................
-.000011
-.000092
-.000189
2,077
2,374
2,374
Families below poverty level:
All races or white.............................
Black and/or other races................
Hispanic origin.................................
.000084
.000084
.000084
2,067
2,067
2,067
Here x is the size of the subclass of the population which
is the base of the percentage, p is the percentage
(0 < p < 100), and b is the parameter associated with the
characteristic.
Persons below poverty level:
All races or white.............................
Black and/or other races................
Hispanic origin.................................
-.000052
-.000375
-.000768
9,628
9,628
9,628
Table A-l provides the values of the a and b parameters
that are used in formulas (1) and (2) to create standard
errors of estimated numbers and estimated percentages of
households, families, unrelated individuals, and persons.
numbers are relatively large. These smaller estimates are
provided, however, so that data users may use them in com
bination with other categories.
(0
O = yj ax2 + bx
Here x is the size of the estimate and a and b are the
parameters associated with the estimate’s demographic
characteristic.
(2)
q,„ =
J
^(p <100-p>)
Other limitations of the data
Standard error of a difference. The formula for approximate
standard errors of the difference between two estimates, x
and y, is given by:
(3)
q
Besides errors that result directly from sampling variation,
the C PS is known to have other limitations which affect
results of the survey. Foremost, the income estimates
reported in the CPS are lower than amounts reported by other
independent sources, such as the Bureau of Economic
Analysis and the Social Security Administration. These
differences are termed “ underreporting” and occur for a
variety of reasons, among them: Overlooking small amounts
of income, lack of information on money-income-producing
activities of family members not present during the inter
view, and reluctance to reveal certain types of income such
as dividends or alimony. More generally, the C PS is
affected by recall problems—inability to recall completely
or accurately events which took place during the previous
year. Other errors can occur in conducting or processing
interviews, such as misstating or misunderstanding interview
questions.
In the March 1986 C P S , no interview was obtained for
approximately 5 percent of the households in the sample for
reasons such as “ no one home,” “ temporarily absent,” or
“ refusals.” In order to account for these households, the
weights assigned to households in which interviews were
obtained have been increased slightly. The “ noninterview”
adjustment procedure alters the weights of interviewed house
holds according to the householder’s race and geographic
location. Nonresponse is a serious problem in most house
hold surveys and is especially troublesome for household in
. =Jo 2 + o ?- 2 Po o
where q and Oy are the standard errors of the estimates x
and y, and P represents the correlation between the two
estimates.
For the year-to-year comparisons of income and poverty
estimates, the correlation coefficients, P, are contained in
the detailed reports in the Current Population Reports, P-60
series. For other comparisons, assume P equals zero.
Making this assumption will result in accurate estimates of
the difference between two estimates of the same characteris
tics in two different areas, or for the difference between
separate and uncorrelated characteristics in the same area.
If, however, there is a high positive (negative)
correlation between the two characteristics, the formula will
overestimate (underestimate) the true standard error.
Note when using small estimates. Summary measures (such
as means, medians, and percent distributions) are shown in
this bulletin only when the base is 75,000 or greater. Be
cause of the large standard errors involved, there is little
chance that summary measures would reveal useful infor
mation when computed on a smaller base. Estimates are
shown, however, even though the standard errors of these
34
come surveys. In many cases, even though an interview is
obtained, complete information for the income questions is
not available, unknown, or not divulged. Missing income
items are filled with values of other respondents with like
economic and demographic characteristics.1
Source of data
practice, or farm. A business is defined as an activity that
involves the use of machinery or equip it i vhich money
has been invested or an activity requiring an office, “ place
of business,” or advertising. Payment may be in the form
of profits or fees.
The C PS, the official source of labor force statistics for the
Nation, uses the same definitions for a job or business. The
term “ with a job,’’however, should not be confused with
the term “ employed” as used in the C P S. In s i p p , “ with a
job” includes those who were temporarily absent from a job
because of layoff and those waiting to begin a new job in
30 days; in the C PS these persons are not considered em
ployed, but are classified as “ unemployed.”
The data are from the Survey of Income and Program
Participation ( s ip p ) wave 6 of the 1984 panel. The data are
averages of 4-month overlapping reference periods between
January and July 1985. The periods are January through
April, February through May, March through June, and
April through July 1985.
With labor force activity. This term as used in this bulletin
includes all persons with a job (as defined above) and those
looking for work or on layoff from a job for at least 1 week
during a 4-month period. Conversely, those persons “ with
no labor force activity” had no job, were not on layoff from
a job, and made no -effort to find a job during the month.
Population coverage
Lookingfor work. Persons who “looked for work” in a given
month are those who were 16 years old or over and (a) were
without a job during at least 1 week during the reference
period, (b) tried to get work or establish a business or profes
sion in that week, and (c) were available to accept a job.
Examples of jobseeking activities are (1) registering at a
public or private employment office, (2) meeting with
prospective employers, (3) investigating possibilities for start
ing a professional practice or opening a business, (4) plac
ing or answering advertisements, (5) writing letters of
application, (6) being on a professional register, and (7) ask
ing friends or relatives.
Survey of Income and Program Participation
( s ip p )
(Tables 20-25)
The source, coverage, and concepts and definitions of the
data presented in this bulletin are described below.
s ip p
During each month in 1985 a personal interview was con
ducted for about one-fourth of the 18,000 active sample
households in 174 areas comprising 450 counties and in
dependent cities in 44 States and the District of Columbia.
. imates are for persons in the civilian noninstitutional popultiaon who were 16 years of age and over as of April 1986.
(Persons who would have 16 years old as of April 1986 and
were at least 15 years old during all four reference periods
in whic i data were collected in 1985 are included.) The
civiliar loninstitutional population excludes members of the
Armed Forces in barracks and inmates of institutions such
as hon 's for the aged and detention centers. Only persons
who re. ained in the civilian nonistitutional population for
the 4 months of the survey period are included in the esti
mates. Excluded are persons who died or became institu
tionalized during the period.
Concepts and definitions
With a job. Persons are classified as “ with a job” during
the reference period if they were 16 years or older and either
(a) worked as paid employees or worked in their own busi
ness or profession or on their own farm or worked without
pay in a family business or farm or (b) were
temporarily absent from work either with or without pay.
In general, the word “job” implies an arrangement for regu
lar work for pay where payment is in cash wages or salar
ies, at piece rates, in tips, by commission, or in kind (meals,
living quarters, supplies received). In this bulletin, “job”
also includes self-employment at a business, professional
1 For more information, see Money Income o f Households, Families, and
Persons in the United States: 1985, Current Population Reports, Series P-60,
N o. 156 (Bureau o f the C ensus, 1987).
35
Layoff. In general, the word “ layoff” means release from
a job because of slack work, material shortages, inventory
taking, plant remodeling, installation of machinery, or other
similar reasons; the released workers anticipate recall at some
future date, either specified or not. For this survey, persons
were also on “ layoff” who did not have a job but respond
ed that they had spent at least 1 week on layoff from a job
and that they were available to accept a job.
In addition, persons were on “ layoff” during the refer
ence period if they were “ with a job” but “ absent without
pay” from that job for at least 1 full week and they responded
that their main reason for being absent from their job or bus
iness was “ layoff.” In this bulletin, the figures for persons
“ on layoff” also include a small number of persons who
responded that they were waiting to report to a new wage
and salary job that was to begin within 30 days.
Some unemployment. Persons with some unemployment are
those who were looking for work while not employed or were
on layoff for at least 1 week during a 4-month period. The
number of weeks with some unemployment is the total dur
ing the 4-month period.
sons enrolled in the Medicare program, regardless of whether
they actually utilized any Medicare-covered health care serv
ices during the survey reference period.
Some involuntary part-time employment. This includes per
sons who worked less than 35 hours per week during the
4-month period a) because of slack work or material short
ages, or b) because they could not find part-time work.
Table A-2. Incom e sources included in cash income
Low earners. These are persons who worked full time dur
ing the entire 4-month period whose earnings were less than
$2,233—-approximately the equivalent of earning the mini
mum hourly wage of $3.35 for 40 hours of work per week
for 4 months.
Earnings from em ploym ent
W ages and salaries
N onfarm self-em ploym en t incom e
Farm self-em ploym en t incom e
Incom e from assets (property incom e)
R egular/passbook savings accounts in a bank,
Discouraged workers. These are persons who reported no
labor force activity in 1 week or more and didn’t look for
work during this time because they felt they lacked certain
personal qualifications, believed no jobs were available, or
believed they could not find a job.
savings and loan, or credit union
M oney market deposit accounts
C ertificates o f deposit or other savings certificates
now . Super now , or other interest-earning checking accounts
M oney market funds
U .S . G overnm ent securities
M unicipal or corporate bonds
Cash income. The cash income concept includes the sum of
all income received from any of the sources listed in table
A-2. Excluded are rebates,, refunds, loans, and capital gains
or losses from the sale of assets; interhousehold transfers
of cash such as allowances; and accrued interest on Individual
Retirement Accounts; Keough retirement plans; and U.S.
Savings Bonds. This definition differs somewhat from that
used in the annual income reports based on the March CPS
income supplement questionnaire. The data in those reports,
published in the Consumer Income Series, P-60, are based
only on income received in a regular or periodic manner and,
therefore, exclude lump-sum or one-time payments, such as
inheritances or insurance settlements. The March CPS income
definition also excludes those same income sources
excluded by s i p p .
The income amounts represent amounts actually received
before deductions for income and payroll taxes, union dues,
Part B Medicare premiums, etc.
The s i p p income definition includes three types of earn
ings: Wages and salaries, nonfarm self-employment income,
and farm self-employment income. The definition of selfemployment income is based on salary and other income
received from the business by the owner of the business or
farm during the 4-month period; it is not based on the net
difference between gross receipts or sales and operating
expenses, depreciation, etc. Earnings from all jobs and selfemployment are included.
Other interest-earning assets
Stocks or mutual fund shares
Rental property
M ortgages
R oyalties
Other financial investm ents
Other incom e sources
Social Security
U .S . G overnm ent Railroad R etirem ent
Federal Supplem ental Security Incom e
State-A dm inistered Supplem ental Security Incom e
State unem ploym ent com pensation
Supplem ental unem ploym ent benefits
Other unem ploym ent com pensation (Trade A djust
ment A ct b enefits, strike pay, other)
V eterans’ com pensation or pensions
Black-lung paym ents
W orkers’ com pensation
State temporary sickn ess or disability benefits
Paym ents from a sick n ess, accident, or disability
insurance policy purchased on your ow n
A id to F am ilies w ith D ependent Children ( afdc )
G eneral assistance or general r e lief
Indian, C uban, or R efu gee A ssistan ce
Foster child care paym ents
Other w elfare
C hild support paym ents
A lim ony paym ents
P ensions from a com pany or union
Federal C ivil Service or other Federal civilian em p loyee pensions
U .S . m ilitary retirem ent
N ational Guard or R eserve F orces retirem ent
State governm ent pensions
Means-tested benefits. This term refers to programs that re
quire that the income or assets (resources) of the individual
or family be below specified guidelines in order to qualify
for benefits. These programs provide cash and noncash as
sistance to the low-income population. The major sources
of means-tested cash and noncash assistance are shown in
table A-3.
Local governm ent pensions
Incom e from paid-up life insurance p olicies or annuities
Estates and trusts
Other paym ents for retirem ent, disab ility, or survivors
G .I. B ill/V etera n s’ Education A ssistan ce Program
Incom e assistance from a charitable group
M oney from relatives or friends outside the household
Lum p-sum paym ents
Incom e from room ers or boarders
N ational Guard or R eserve pay
Medicare is the Federal Health Insurance Program for the Aged
and Disabled as provided for by Title XVII of the Social
Security Act. The phrase “Medicare covered’’ refers to per
Incidental or casual earnings
Other cash incom e not included elsew h ere
36
Table A-3. Sources of means-tested benefits covered in sipp
Medicaid is the Federal-State program of medical assistance
for low-income individuals and their families as provided for
by Title XIX of the Social Security Act. Persons are consi
dered recipients if they are enrolled in the Medicaid program,
regardless of whether they actually used any Medicaid-covered
health care services during the survey reference period.
C ash benefits
Federal Supplem ental Security Incom e
State-A dm inistered Supplem ental Security Incom e
V eterans’ pensions
Aid to Families with Dependent Children (afdc )
General assistance or general relief
Unemployment compensation is the cash benefits paid to
unemployed workers through a State or local unemployment
agency. It includes all benefits paid under the Federal-State un
employment insurance program as established under the
Social Security Act, as well as those benefits paid to State and
local government employees, Federal civilian employees, and
veterans.
Indian, Cuban, or Refiigee Assistance
Other welfare
Noncash benefits
Food stamps
Special Supplemental Food Program for W omen,
Infants, and Children (wic)
Low-incom e home energy assistance
Medicaid
Free or reduced-price school lunches
Low-income home energy assistance benefits are provided by
the federally funded program authorized by Title XXVI of the
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, or comparable
assistance provided through State-funded assistance programs.
The assistance may be received in the form of direct payment
to the household as reimbursement for heating or cooling ex
penses or paid directly to the fuel dealer or landlord.
Free or reduced-price school breakfasts
Public or subsidized rental housing
data, see Current Population Reports, Series P-70, No. 3,
Economic Characteristics of Households in the United States:
First Quarter 1984 (Bureau of the Census, 1985), and No. 6
in this series for the fourth quarter of 1984.
Nonsampling errors arise from such factors as the possible
misinterpretation of questions, unwillingness on the part of some
respondents to answer some or all of the questions, problems
of recall, the provision of incorrect information, mistakes in
data processing and coding, and in the allocation for missing
data values. Unlike sampling errors, the magnitude of which
can be estimated, nonsampling errors cannot be quantified un
less data on the same topic are available from other sources,
such as administrative records.
Comparisons of the s i p p data with those from other sources
have been made with regard to some items, particularly in
come. The data on income are known to be subject to under
reporting (a problem which also affects the data from the c p s );
that is, other data sources indicate that there are more recipients
of certain types of income and more dollars received than
indicated by the SIPP findings. Comparisons of SIPP data with
other sources, including the C PS, may be found in the reports
cited above.
Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants,
and Children (wic). Benefits from this program are received
in the form of voucher's that are redeemed at retail stores
for specific supplemental nutritious foods. Eligible lowincome recipients are infants and children up to age five,
and pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women.
Average monthly cash benefit payments. For each type of cash
benefit, an average benefit payment was calculated per receipt
month, per recipient. That is, an average was calculated across
receipt months for each recipient and these monthly averages
were then averaged across all recipients.
Reliability of the estimates
Since the s i p p data are produced from a sample, they a r e
subject to both sampling and nonsampling errors. Sampling
errors can be quantified and are estimated in the same way
as the sampling errors associated with the data from the CPS.
For comprehensive information on sampling errors in the SIPP
37
Appendix B. Supplementary Tables from the Current
P o p u la tio n S u r v e y
Table B-1. Persons with unemployment by family status, family Income, poverty status, and weeks of unemployment,
1985
(Numbers in thousands)
Characteristic
Fersonr.
with
labor force
experience
Without
unem
ployment
Total
with
unem
ployment
1 to 4
weeks
5 to 14
weeks
15 to 26
weeks
27 to 51
weeks
Weeks of unemployment
52 weeks
Total, 16 years and over
T o ta l.................................... ...... .......................
125,890
104,906
20,984
5,348
6,680
4,774
3,495
687
i-amily income:
Under $5,000 ........................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999.................... .........................
$15,000 to $19,999 ..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
4,836
8,365
11,239
12,049
12,536
76,866
2,571
5,248
8,338
9,738
10,471
68,539
2,264
3,116
2,901
2,311
2,065
8,327
370
614
671
538
559
2,597
457
872
961
806
698
2,885
537
854
647
543
459
1,734
678
636
520
373
296
992
223
140
101
51
54
119
Below poverty level:
T ota l................................................................ .....
Percent..................................... ...........................
10,135
8.1
5,642
5.4
4,493
21.4
834
15.6
1,009
15.1
1,085
22.7
1,204
34.5
362
52.7
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T otal................... ..................................................
Percent.................................................................
14,017
11.1
8,204
7.8
5.814
27.7
1,079
20.2
1,365
20.4
1,454
30.5
1,491
42.7
424
61.7
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T otal............................................... ......................
Percent.................................................................
19,023
15.1
11,732
11.2
7,290
34.7
1,389
26.0
1,851
27.7
1,816
38.0
1,768
50.6
467
68.0
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent...................................... ..........................
29,622
23.5
19,841
18.9
9,781
46.6
1,968
36.8
2,669
40.0
2,408
50.4
2,203
63.0
533
77.7
Median family income.............................................
$30,640
$32,652
$19,753
$24,390
$21,640
$17,963
$14,195
$9,128
T o ta l................... ...............................................
40,825
35,797
5,028
1,128
1,664
1,214
864
158
-amily income:
Under $5,000 ........................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999 ......
$15,000 to $19,999..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999 ..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r....................... .......................
694
1,495
2,632
3,320
3,922
28,761
421
866
1,842
2,656
* 3,306
26,705
273
630
789
664
615
2,056
22
53
140
129
152
632
45
149
220
240
216
794
56
191
211
185
152
419
103
193
179
105
86
198
47
43
40
5
9
13
Below poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
2,311
5.7
1,317
3.7
994
19.8
97
8.6
223
13.4
267
22.0
307
35.5
101
63.8
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
3,400
8.3
2,059
5.8
1,341
26.7
149
13.2
320
19.2
372
30.7
384
44.5
117
73.8
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
4,808
11.8
3,135
8.8
1,673
33.3
201
17.8
428
25.7
460
37.9
458
53.0
127
80.2
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T ota l.......................................................
Percent.................................................................
7,958
19.5
5,648
15.8
2,310
45.9
312
27.7
619
37.2
652
53.7
589
68.2
137
87.0
Median family income.............................................
$34,671
$36,670
$21,106
$27,224
$23,993
$18,726
$13,678
$8,109
Husbands
See footnotes at end of table.
38
Table B-1. Persons with unemployment by family status, family income, poverty status, and weeks of unemployment,
1985—Continued
(Numbers in thousands)
Persons
with
labor force
experience
Without
unem
ployment
Total
with
unem
ployment
1 to 4
weeks
5 to 14
weeks
T o ta l..................................................................
31,278
27,185
4,093
1,267
1,329
833
579
84
Family income:
Under $5,000 .......................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999..............................................
$15,000 to $19,999..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999 ..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
440
913
1,790
2,477
3,062
22,596
323
624
1,298
1,931
2,549
20,460
117
289
492
546
512
2,136
20
30
71
165
182
174
707
19
78
83
108
435
37
64
83
78
63
254
12
62
146
164
159
717
9
23
Below poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
1,342
4.3
919
3.4
422
10.3
102
8.0
104
7.8
82
9.8
104
18.0
30
35.9
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
2,027
6.5
1,412
5.2
615
15.0
149
11.7
158
11.9
130
15.6
142
24.5
36
42.4
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
2,967
9.5
2,087
7.7
880
21.5
230
18.1
241
18.1
175
21.1
192
33.1
42
49.6
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
5,212
16.7
3,844
14.1
1,368
33.4
390
30.7
407
30.7
258
31.0
255
44.0
58
68.5
Median family income.............................................
$35,617
$37,182
$25,813
$28,104
$26,213
$25,957
$22,696
$15,354
15,926
12,087
3,838
1,091
1,158
840
648
100
143
46
89
256
298
274
2,876
20
886
74
930
13
28
55
77
65
603
396
14
9
61
64
7.6
55
8.5
5
5.3
Characteristic
Weeks of unemployment
15 to 26
weeks
27 to 51
weeks
52 weeks
Wives
110
14
15
12
Others In married-couple families
T o ta l..................................................................
Family income:
Under $5,000 ...................................... .................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999 ..............................................
$15,000 to $19,999 ..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999 ..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
620
724
927
13,290
97
133
364
427
653
10,414
Below poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
643
4.0
408
3.4
235
6.1
58
5.3
53
4.5
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
945
5.9
581
4.8
364
9.5
85
7.8
76
94
6.6
11.2
99
15.2
9
9.4
1,404
850
7.0
554
14.4
135
12.4
115
9.9
141
16.8
147
22.7
15
15.2
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
222
8.8
5
9
22
20
64
55
60
61
66
16
64
86
66
-
4
12
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
2,486
15.6
1,550
12.8
936
24.4
205
18.8
223
19.3
238
28.4
231
35.6
38
37.9
Median family income.............................................
$44,250
$46,141
$37,973
$41,732
$41,057
$36,206
$31,608
$27,206
See footnotes at end of table.
39
Table B-1. Persons with unemployment by family status, family Income, poverty status, and weeks of Unemployment,
1985—Continued
(Numbers in thousands)
Persons
with
labor force
experience
Without
unem
ployment
Total
with
unem
ployment
T o ta l............................................................................
6,766
5,261
1,505
400
465
316
248
75
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 .........................................................
$10,000 to $ 1 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$15,000 to $19,999 .....................................................
$20,000 to $24,999 .....................................................
$25,000 and o v e r ........................................................
792
1,147
1,097
999
858
1,874
310
662
878
886
762
1,764
482
484
219
114
96
110
100
128
68
25
28
52
114
139
82
52
41
38
111
110
42
23
18
12
113
89
22
11
4
8
45
19
5
2
5
-
Below poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,715
25.3
832
15.8
883
58.7
217
54.2
226
48.6
186
58.9
189
76.0
66
87.2
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
2,155
31.9
1,138
21.6
1,017
67.6
244
61.1
263
56.6
229
72.5
212
85.5
68
91.0
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
2,651
39.2
1,526
29.0
1,125
74.7
270
67.4
301
64.7
256
81.1
226
91.0
72
96.0
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
3,481
51.4
2,223
42.2
1,258
83.6
312
78.0
361
77.6
278
87.9
234
94.2
73
97.6
Median family in co m e....................................................
$16,728
$19,402
$7,126
$8,066
$9,02$
$6,617
$5,565
$4,515
T o ta l............................................................................
6,436
4,486
1,951
441
549
396
464
101
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..........................................................
$10,000 to $14,999 .....................................................
$15,000 to $19,999 .....................................................
$20,000 to $24,999 .....................................................
$25,000 and o v e r ........................................................
238
738
810
761
874
3,015
106
356
474
520
608
2,421
26
89
45
54
60
167
20
70
99
80
74
207
30
88
63
43
56
118
45
105
110
58
56
89
12
30
21
6
19
13
Below poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
951
14.8
465
10.4
486
24.9
112
25.4
101
18.5
96
24.1
140
30.2
37
36.6
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,287
20.0
648
14.4
639
32.8
131
29.7
121
22.1
138
34.8
193
41.5
57
56.4
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,671
26.0
869
19.4
803
41.1
152
34.5
164
29.9
172
43.4
245
52.8
69
68.9
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
2,410
37.5
1,343
29.9
1,068
54.7
202
45.8
244
44.5
223
56.3
324
69.9
Median family in co m e....................................................
$23,889
$26,833
$17,349
$20,708
$20,422
$16,540
$13,662
Characteristic
W eeks of unemployment
1 to 4
weeks
5 to 14
weeks
15 to 26
weeks
27 to 51
weeks
52 weeks
W om en w h o m aintain fam ilies
O th ers in fam ilies m aintained by w o m en
S e e fo o tn o tes a t e n d of table.
40
132
382
336
241’
265
594
"
75
74.3
$11,608 ’•
Table B-1. Persons with unemployment by family status, family income, poverty status, and weeks of unemployment,
1985—Continued
(Numbers in thousands)
Persons
with
labor force
experience
Without
unem
ployment
T o ta l............................................................................
1,888
1,542
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 .........................................................
$10,000 to $ 1 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$15,000 to $ 1 9 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$20,000 to $ 2 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$25,000 and o v e r ........................................................
96
164
199
240
259
930
Below poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
Characteristic
Total
with
unem
ployment
W eeks of unemployment
1 to 4
Vfouno
5 to 14
weeks
345
56
102
88
66
34
35
88
155
187
214
864
61
77
44
53
45
66
6
4
2
8
12
24
8
11
23
24
9
27
8
29
12
9
18
13
28
20
6
5
3
4
11
13
2
6
2
-
186
9.9
81
5.2
106
30.6
6
0
15
14.9
23
26.6
0
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
271
14.4
138
8.9
134
38.7
0
19
19.0
28
31.7
0
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
365
19.3
198
12.8
167
48.3
0
32
31.5
42
47.7
0
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
537
28.4
335
21.7
201
58.3
0
48
47.0
53
60.0
0
0
Median family in com e....................................................
$24,470
$27,370
$13,710
0
$15,904
$12,632
0
0
T o ta l............................................................................
1,726
1,299
427
70
148
119
75
16
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 .........................................................
$10,000 to $ 1 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$15,000 to $19,999 .....................................................
$20,00 0 to $ 2 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$25,000 and o v e r ........................................................
51
98
106
174
193
1,104
14
61
56
114
144
909
37
36
50
60
50
195
8
1
9
7
8'
37
9
18
16
17
19
69
7
8
15
13
13
63
9
7
8
18
10
23
4
2
2
5
Below poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
101
5.9
41
3.2
60
14.0
0)
20
13.8
8
6.5
15
20.4
0
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
167
9.7
94
7.2
73
17.0
0
24
16.1
12
9.7
17
23.2
0
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
233
13.5
125
9.6
108
25.3
0
22
18.8
19
25.7
0
Below 2-00 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
358
20.8
201
15.5
157
36.7
0
54
36.5
32
26.8
34
46.2
0
Median family in c o m e ....................................................
$32,254
$35,527
$23,070
0
$23,372
$26,382
$17,482
0
15 to 26
weeks
27 to 51
weeks
52 weeks
M en w h o m aintain fam ilies
10
11
12
41
21
0
48
28
0
53
28
0
59
30
O th e rs in fam ilies m aintained by m en
See footnotes at end of table.
41
12
14
16
24
43
29.2
*
-
3
4
6
8
13
Table B-1. Persons with unemployment by family status, family Income, poverty status, and weeks of unemployment,
1985—Continued
(Numbers in thousands)
Persons
with
labor force
experience
Without
unem
ployment
Total
with
unem
ployment
T o ta l............................................................................
11,590
9,220
2,370
476
825
606
383
81
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................................................
$5 ,000 to $9,999 ..........................................................
$10,00 0 to $ 1 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$15,000 to $ 1 9 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$20,000 to $24,999 .....................................................
$25,000 and o v e r ........................................................
1,250
1,738
1,936
1,740
1,323
3,604
591
1,112
1,488
1,485
1,175
3,369
659
625
448
254
148
236
74
117
107
69
45
63
129
233
187
112
71
93
160
181
119
63
22
59
226
92
30
10
8
69
2
5
Below poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,483
12.8
734
8.0
749
31.6
90
18.9
157
19.1
188
31.1
244
63.7
69
85.7
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,918
16.5
974
10.6
944
39.8
131
27.5
219
26.5
254
41.9
268
70.0
72
89.6
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
2,480
21.4
1,338
14.5
1,142
48.2
170
35.7
301
36.5
309
51.1
290
75.7
72
89.6
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
3,582
30.9
2,143
23.2
1,439
60.7
230
48.3
428
51.9
379
62.5
329
85.8
74
91.8
Median family in co m e....................................................
$17,511
$19,789
$8,927
$11,869
$11,096
$8,327
$4,116
$2,078
T o ta l............................................................................
9,455
8,028
1,427
419
439
363
168
38
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 .........................................................
$10,000 to $ 1 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$15,000 to $ 1 9 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$20,000 to $ 2 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$25,000 and o v e r ........................................................
1,132
1,850
2,049
1,614
1,119
1,691
675
1,346
1,783
1,532
1,058
1,633
457
504
266
82
61
58
111
137
90
26
35
19
94
161
109
34
19
22
134
142
48
20
7
12
95
51
18
1
23
12
Below poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,402
14.8
844
10.5
558
39.1
139
33.3
109
24.8
171
47.2
110
65.3
0
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................:...............................................
1,847
19.5
1,160
14.4
687
48.2
166
39.7
165
37.6
199
54.7
127
75.8
0
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
2,443
25.8
1,605
20.0
838
58.8
204
48.8
226
51.3
238
65.4
138
81.8
0
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t........................................................................'...
3,599
38.1
2,554
31.8
1,044
73.2
281
67.1
284
64.6
296
81.6
148
88.0
0
Median family in c o m e ....................................................
$14,078
$15,570
$7,305
$8,860
$8,444
$6,315
$4,316
0
Characteristic
W eeks of unemployment
1 to 4
weeks
5 to 14
weeks
15 to 26
weeks
27 to 51
weeks
52 weeks
All o th e r m en1
2
-
All o th e r w o m e n 2
1 Data not shown where base is less than 75,000.
2 Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies.
42
-
-
-
3
persons not in families, income data refer to personal income.
NOTE: Dash represents zero or rounds to zero.
For
-
2
29
30
34
36
Table B-2. Persons with part-time employment by family status, family income, poverty status, and reason for working part
time, 1985
(N um bers in th o u san d s)
R ea so n for working part time
Characteristic
Total
Voluntary:
Wanted or could
only work part time
Involuntary:
Slack work or could only find part-time work
Total
1 to 4
weeks
5 to 14
weeks
15 to 26
weeks
27 weeks
or more
Other
reasons
To tal, 16 years and over
T o ta l............................................................................
44,015
21,818
14,311
4,139
4,791
2,675
2,705
7,885
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 .........................................................
$10,000 to $ 1 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$15,000 to $ 1 9 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$20,000 to $ 2 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$25,000 and o v e r ........................................................
2,747
4,610
4,707
4,542
4,430
22,979
1,095
1,795
1,818
1,951
1,963
13,196
1,242
2,105
2,025
1,748
1,567
5,624
269
520
596
520
474
1,759
360
687
713
590
515
1,925
316
445
353
330
287
945
296
453
363
308
290
995
410
709
864
843
900
4,159
Below poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
5,515
12.5
2,008
9.2
2,669
18.7
617
14.9
852
17.8
605
22.6
594
21.9
838
10.6
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
7,539
17.1
2,822
12.9
3,565
24.9
850
20.5
1,145
23.9
789
29.5
781
28.9
1,152
14.6
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
9,973
22.7
3,790
17.4
4,632
32.4
1,159
28.0
1,501
31.3
980
36.6
992
36.7
1,551
19.7
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
14,574
33.1
5,788
26.5
6,452
45.1
1,687
40.7
2,134
44.5
1,331
49.7
1,300
48.1
2,334
29.6
Median family in co m e....................................................
$26,063
$30,860
$20,104
$21,522
$20,380
$18,280
$18,800
$26,281
T o ta l............................................................................
8,252
2,104
3,746
1,374
1,372
602
399
2,402
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 .........................................................
$10,000 to $ 1 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$15,000 to $19,999 .....................................................
$20,000 to $24,999 .....................................................
$25,000 and o v e r ........................................................
282
721
1,032
1,172
1,051
3,995
50
150
262
337
262
1,042
172
441
518
553
490
1,571
36
108
165
204
167
694
59
167
188
195
195
568
42
90
87
98
78
207
36
76
78
56
49
102
60
129
251
281
299
1,382
Below poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
985
11.9
145
6.9
624
16.7
153
11.1
221
16.1
131
21.7
120
30.1
216
9.0
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,372
16.6
197
9.4
866
23.1
233
16.9
302
22.0
178
29.6
153
38.4
308
12.8
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,868
22.6
284
13.5
1,143
30.5
331
24.1
402
29.3
219
36.4
192
48.1
440
18.3
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
2,811
34.1
496
23.6
1,639
43.8
505
36.7
602
43.9
302
50.2
230
57.8
676
28.1
Median family in c o m e ...................... .............................
$24,260
$24,772
$21,605
$24,952
$21,665
$19,160
$15,632
$27,954
Husbands
S e e fo o tn o tes a t en d of table.
43
Table B-2. Persons with part-time employment by family status, family income, poverty status, and reason for working part
time, 1985—Continued
(Numbers in thousands)
Reason for working part time
Characteristic
Total
Voluntary:
W anted or could
only work part time
Involuntary:
Slack work or could only find part-time work
Total
1 to 4
weeks
5 to 14
weeks
15 to 26
weeks
27 weeks
or more
Other
reasons
W ives
T o ta l............................................................................
13,570
8,547
3,135
835
875
618
807
1,888
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................................................
$5 000 to $9 999
$10,000 to $ 1 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$15,000 to $ 1 9 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$20,000 to $ 2 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$25,000 and o v e r ........................................................
257
557
1,009
1,358
1,553
8,835
136
271
521
760
887
5,973
90
?25
355
446
453
1,566
24
46
98
113
129
426
11
55
101
113
127
468
25
57
63
103
86
283
29
68
93
116
111
389
32
61
133
153
213
1,296
Below poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
762
5.6
362
4.2
317
10.1
84
10.1
72
8.3
75
12.2
85
10.5
83
4.4
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,165
8.6
560
6.5
468
14.9
123
14.8
113
12.9
106
17.2
125
15.5
138
7.3
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,713
12.6
857
10.0
655
20.9
177
21.2
159
18.2
145
23.4
174
21.6
201
10.6
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
2,985
22.0
1,592
18.6
1,042
33.3
283
33.9
267 '
30.5
225
36.4
268
33.2
350
18.5
Median family in co m e....................................................
$31,472
$33,775
$24,978
$25,303
$26,191
$23,500
$24,487
$32,703
T o ta l............................................................................
8,998
5,776
2,254
557
791
432
475
967
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 .........................................................
$10,000 to $14,999 .....................................................
$15,000 to $19,999 .....................................................
$20,000 to $24,999 .....................................................
$25,000 and o v e r ........................................................
88
133
360
469
587
7,360
54
57
182
252
307
4,924
22
57
143
170
205
1,657
3
23
41
25
48
418
11
18
49
80
62
571
7
2
21
34
47
321
2
14
32
3?
47
348
12
19
35
47
75
779
Below poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
377
4.2
200
3.5
131
5.8
33
5.9
49
6.2
22
5.0
28
5.9
46
4.7
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
564
6.3
295
5.1
196
8.7
51
9.1
72
9.1
36
8.4
37
7.8
73
7.6
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
864
9.6
446
7.7
326
14.5
83
14.8
122
15.5
67
15.4
55
11.5
92
9.5
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,562
17.4
825
14.3
574
25.4
139
24.9
210
26.6
109
25.2
116
24.4
164
16.9
Median family in co m e....................................................
$42,727
$45,144
$36,741
$38,403
$36,256
$35,115
$36,660
$41,079
O th ers in m arried -co up le fam ilies
S e e fo o tn o tes a t e n d of table.
44
Table B-2. Persons with part-time employment by family status, family income, poverty status, and reason for working part
time, 1985—Continued
(N um bers in th o u san d s)
R e a s o n * o r w o r k i n g p a r t t im e
Characteristic
Total
Voluntary:
Wanted or could
only work part time
Involuntary:
Slack work or could only find part-time work
Total
1 to 4
weeks
5 to 14
weeks
15 to 26
weeks
27 weeks
or more
Olher
reasons
W om en w h o m aintain fam ilies
T o ta l............................................................................
2,299
825
1,008
233
327
179
269
466
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 .........................................................
$10,000 to $14,999 .....................................................
$15,000 to $ 1 9 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$20,000 to $24,999 ............................................
$25,000 and o v e r ........................................................
414
608
435
270
195
376
116
200
163
98
88
160
229
318
185
99
62
116
48
6C
41
26
24
32
68
115
55
26
24
40
58
53
34
14
5
14
55
87
55
34
9
29
69
90
87
73
45
101
Below poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
897
39.0
288
34.9
464
46.0
92
39.5
147
44.9
100
55.7
125
46.5
146
31.3
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,116
48.5
354
42.9
584
58.0
115
49.4
190
58.2
119
66.8
159
59.2
177
38.1
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,330
57.8
427
51.7
684
67.9
140
60.2
225
68.8
139
77.5
181
67.1
218
46.9
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,575
68.5
518
62.7
780
77.4
163
69.9
257
78.5
154
85.9
207
76.8
277
59.4
Median family in com e....................................................
$10,984
$12,621
$8,961
$10,576
$8,711
$7,576
$8,990
$14,372
T o ta l............................................................................
2,971
1,460
1,135
265
415
230
225
376
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 .........................................................
$10,000 to $ 1 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$15,000 to $19,999 .....................................................
$20,000 to $24,999 .....................................................
$25,000 and o v e r ........................................................
125
454
409
358
448
1,178
40
181
168
187
235
649
65
230
209
133
155
342
23
60
40
34
37
71
11
94
88
42
45
135
19
48
43
25
33
62
13
28
37
32
41
73
19
43
32
37
58
186
Below poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
540
18.2
194
13.3
291
25.7
72
27.3
108
25.9
71
30.8
40
18.0
56
14.8
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
Percent ...........................................................................
721
24.3
282
19.3
370
32.6
93
35.2
136
32.9
83
36.2
57
25.1
69
18.5
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
927
31.2
367
25.1
471
41.5
119
44.7
181
43.5
98
42.8
73
32.6
90
23.9
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T o ta l................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
1,284
43.2
523
35.8
624
55.0
152
57.4
236
56.8
130
56.7
106
47.3
137
36.3
Median family in com e....................................................
$21,760
$23,289
$16,989
$15,675
$17,187
$15,560
$20,306
$25,389
O th ers In fam ilies m aintained by w o m en
S e e fo o tn o tes a t e n d of table.
45
Table B-2. Persons with part-time employment by family status, family Income, poverty status, and reason for working part
time, 1985—Continued
(N um bers in th o u san d s)
R e a so n for working p art tim e
Characteristic
Total
Voluntary:
W anted or could
only work part time
Involuntary:
Slack work or could only find part-time work
Total
1 to 4
weeks
5 to 14
weeks
15 to 26
weeks
27 weeks
or more
Other
reasons
M en w h o m aintain fam ilies
T o ta l............................................................................
506
139
247
80
101
42
23
120
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 .........................................................
$10,000 to $14,999 .....................................................
$15,000 to $19,999 .....................................................
$20,000 to $ 2 4 ,9 9 9 .....................................................
$25,000 and o v e r ........................................................
39
89
74
82
80
141
8
27
14
30
19
41
28
41
44
35
41
57
6
11
15
7
20
20
9
15
20
16
15
27
10
12
4
7
3
7
4
3
5
5
3
4
4
21
16
16
20
42
Below poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
86
17.1
18
12.8
55
22.1
12
14.5
21
20.5
5
0
14
11.6
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
132
26.0
32
23.3
74
29.9
19
24.1
24
23.9
7
0
26
21.3
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
164
32.4
40
28.4
88
35.5
25
31.3
30
29.8
9
0
36
30.4
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
229
45.3
56
40.6
125
50.8
35
43.2
51
49.9
13
0
O
48
39.7
Median family in co m e....................................................
$17,865
$18,079
$16,340
$20,073
$18,110
0
0
$20,858
T o ta l............................................................................
676
301
275
89
88
47
52
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 .........................................................
$10,000 to $14,999 .....................................................
$15,000 to $19,999 .....................................................
$20,000 to $ 2 4 ,9 9 9 .................................................
$25,000 and o v e r ........................................................
27
60
36
67
89
397
9
26
17
22
34
193
19
25
15
29
37
150
8
5
8
11
10
46
3
10
7
10
7
51
1
3
7
6
1
2
9
27
-
Below poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
49
7.3
15
5.0
29
10.7
11
12.4
5
6.2
11
5
4.9
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
87
12.9
38
12.5
36
13.0
11
12.4
12
13.3
11
0
14
13.8
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
111
16.4
45
14.9
49
18.0
13
14.9
19
21.6
13
0
17
16.5
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T o ta l.................................................................................
P e rc e n t...........................................................................
163
24.1
70
23.3
68
24.9
23
26.4
25
28.5
14
0
0
24
24.3
Median family in co m e....................................................
$29,242
$33,928
$27,475
$27,432
$27,039
0
0
$26,366
'
17
0
23
0
23
O
27
O th e rs In fam ilies m aintained by m en
S e e fo o tn o tes a t e n d of table.
46
-
6
10
26
2
(')
0
2
0
4
0
7
100
8
4
17
18
54
Table B-2. Persons with part-time employment by family status, family income, poverty status, and reason for working part
time, 1985—Continued
(N um bers in th o u san d s)
Reason for working part time
Characteristic
Total
Voluntary:
Wanted or could
only work part time
Involuntary:
Slack work or could only find part-time work
Total
1 to 4
weeks
5 to 14
weeks
15 to 26
weeks
27 weeks
or more
Other
reasons
All other men1
2
T ota l..................................................................
3,556
1,157
1,422
433
516
265
209
976
Family income:
Under $5,000 ......................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999..............................................
$15,000 to $19,999 ..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999 ..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
716
913
698
457
263
510
294
340
193
121
64
146
315
387
314
197
89
121
72
95
125
78
25
37
103
127
125
77
29
55
79
82
45
30
19
10
61
83
18
11
17
19
107
186
191
139
110
243
Below poverty level:
T otal.....................................................................
Percent.................................................................
858
24.1
341
29.5
382
26.9
97
22.4
124
24.1
88
33.1
73
35.0
135
13.8
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
1,114
31.3
451
38.9
491
34.5
117
27.1
162
31.5
107
40.5
104
49.6
173
17.7
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
1,398
39.3
549
47.5
608
42.8
148
34.2
197
38.3
131
49.5
132
63.0
240
24.6
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
1,871
52.6
700
60.5
811
57.0
206
47.5
272
52.8
181
68.5
151
72.3
361
37.0
Median family income............................................. $10,804
$9,169
$10,130
$11,846
$10,985
$8,426
$7,029
$15,104
All other women2
T ota l..................................................................
3,188
1,509
1,089
274
307
261
247
589
Family income:
Under $5,000 .......................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999..............................................
$15,000 to $19,999 ..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999 .............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
799
1,076
653
309
163
187
389
544
299
142
66
69
303
381
242
86
34
42
51
109
64
22
14
14
86
87
80
33
11
9
76
97
55
12
6
15
90
88
43
19
3
4
107
152
113
80
62
75
Below poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
960
30.1
447
29.6
375
34.5
64
23.3
105
34.2
100
38.3
106
43.0
138
23.4
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
1,268
39.8
612
40.6
481
44.2
87
32.0
133
43.3
134
51.1
127
51.5
175
29.6
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
1,599
50.1
776
51.4
606
55.6
124
45.2
165
53.8
155
59.1
163
65.8
216
36.7
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
2,094
65.7
1,009
66.8
788
72.3
182
66.4
214
69.8
196
74.9
196
79.1
298
50.5
Median family income.............................................
$8,568
$8,223
$7,894
$9,221
$8,116
$6,865
$6,888
$11,436
1 Data not shown where base is less than 75,000.
2 Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies.
persons not in families, income data refer to personal income.
NOTE: Dash represents zero or rounds to zero.
For
47
Tabie B-3. Earnings distribution of year-round fuii-time workers by family status, family income, and poverty status,
1965
(Numbers in thousands)
With personal earnings of —
Charactenstic
Under
$6,700
Total
Total
Under
$3,000
$3,000
to
$6,699
$6,700
to
$9,999
$10,000
to
$14,999
$15,000
and
over
Median
personal
earnings'
Total, 16 years and over
T o ta l..................................................................
72,422
4,069
1,553
2,516
5,681
13,399
49,272
$20,204
Family income:
Under $5,000 ........................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999 ..............................................
$15,000 to $19,999 ..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
715
2,318
5,353
6,712
7,438
49,887
704
815
578
423
344
1,205
510
173
231
133
106
401
194
643
347
290
238
004
5
1,482
732
745
698
2,020
4
10
4,013
1,438
1,559
6,375
2
11
30
4,106
4,838
40,287
143
7,473
11,578
15,647
18,988
25,296
Below poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
1.972
2.7
1,276
31.3
664
42.8
611
24.3
433
7.6
238
1.8
26
.1
5,108
-
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent...............................................................
3,296
4.f~
1,676
41.2
762
49.0
915
36.4
812
14.3
674
5.0
132
.3
6,661
-
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
5,291
7.3
1,919
47.2
847
54.5
1,072
42.6
1,596
28.1
1,282
9.6
494
1.0
7,987
-
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
10,345
14.3
2,405
59.1
1,009
65.0
1,396
55.5
2,751
48.4
3,310
24.7
1,678
3.8
10,014
-
Median family income............................................. $34,061
$14,366
$12,079
$16,197
$19,191
$23,887
$39,810
-
Husbands
T o ta l........................................ ..........................
31,752
1,136
593
543
1,027
3,245
26,344-
26,214
Family income:
Under $5,000 ........................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999 ..............................................
$15,000 to $19,999 ..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999 ..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
292
512
1,336
2,087
2,845
24,681
287
253
201
137
93
160
246
80
98
48
38
84
41
173
103
89
60
76
1
253
220
219
164
170
2
3
910
618
622
1,090
1
3
6
1,960
23,262
-1,534
6,829
10,954
15,186
18,582
30,774
Below poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
950
3.0
534
47.0
327
55.1
207
38.1
230
22.4
173
5.3
13
.0
6,041
-
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
1,539
4.8
615
54.1
370
62.4
245
45.1
345
33.6
480
14.8
96
.4
8,225
-
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
2,370
7.5
676
59.5
391
65.9
285
52.5
486
47.3
797
24.5
412
1.6
10,096
-
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
4,523
14.2
827
72.8
459
77.3
369
67.9
646
62.9
1,443
44.5
1,607
6.1
12,630
-
Mec! an family income............................................. $38,010
$10,6-3
$7,733
$12,644
$15,764
$20,681
$41,984
S e e fo o tn o tes at en d of table.
48
1 ,1 1 2
-
Table B-3. Earnings distribution of year-round full-time workers by family status, family income, and poverty status,
1985—Continued
(Numbers in thousands)
With personal earnings of
Characteristic
Under
$6,700
Total
Total
Under
$3,000
$3,000
to
$6,699
$6,700
to
$9,999
$10,000
to
$14,999
$15,000
and
over
Median
personal
earnings1
Wives
T o ta l..................................................................
14,899
1,123
466
657
1,719
3,973
8,084
$15,646
Family income:
Under $5,000 .......................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999 ..............................................
$15,000 to $19,999 ..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999 ..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
88
139
417
755
1,174
12,327
86
84
141
146
142
524
76
40
56
47
35
212
10
44
85
99
107
312
45
123
299
302
949
1
5
144
218
516
3,090
1
5
10
91
214
7,764
1
5,322
8,236
9,289
10,861
17,330
Below poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
221
1.5
155
13.8
103
22.0
52
8.0
35
2.0
23
.6
8
.1
3,227
-
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
383
2.6
218
19.4
131
28.1
87
13.3
78
4.6
67
1.7
20
.2
5,479
-
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
591
4.0
273
24.3
156
33.5
117
17.8
160
9.3
128
3.2
30
.4
7,228
-
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
1,225
8.2
428
38.2
208
44.6
221
33.6
389
22.6
329
8.3
79
1.0
8,224
-
Median family income............................................. $41,308
$23,484
$21,357
$23,962
$26,567
$33,657
$50,773
-
Others In married-couple families
T o ta l..................................................................
4,481
563
162
401
786
1,436
1,696
12,834
Family income:
Under $5,000 .......................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999..............................................
$15,000 to $19,999 ..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
13
33
105
128
190
4,013
10
20
62
54
51
366
10
14
30
23
19
67
-
3
7
26
45
72
633
-
-
7
32
32
32
299
2
15
25
58
1,337
3
2
5
9
1,677
(*)
(2)
6,285
7,667
8,396
13,592
Below poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
85
1.9
48
8.6
34
20.8
15
3.6
26
3.3
6
.4
.3
135
72
12.8
43
26.7
29
7.2
42
5.4
15
1.0
6
.4
6,484
3.0
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
223
5.0
117
20.7
65
40.2
52
12.9
64
8.2
32
2.3
9
.6
6,587
-
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
400
8.9
179
31.8
86
53.0
93
23.3
121
15.4
81
5.7
19
1.1
7,176
-
Median family income............................................. $49,075
$33,136
$22,425
$37,478
$39,984
$47,022
$61,496
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
S e e fo o tn o tes a t e n d of table.
49
5
5,397
-
-
-
Table B-3. Earnings distribution of year-round full-time workers by family status, family income, and poverty status,
1985—Continued
(Numbers in thousands)
With personal earnings of —
Characteristic
Under
$6,700
Total
Total
Under
$3,000
$3,000
to
$6,699
$6,700
to
$9,999
$10,000
to
$14,999
$15,000
and
over
Median
personal
earnings’
Women who maintain families
T ota l..................................................................
3,746
212
26
186
448
1,059
2,027
$15,672
Family income:
Under $5,000 .......................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999 ..............................................
$15,000 to $19,999..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999 ..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
28
299
631
682
626
1,480
28
95
42
20
6
21
10
3
9
4
18
92
33
20
6
18
204
109
47
45
42
480
233
130
216
381
445
1,201
ft
7,571
11,186
15,288
18,496
22,356
Below poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
227
6.1
103
48.7
13
ft
90
48.4
99
22.1
25
2.3
-
7,024
-
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
425
11.3
130
61.4
14
ft
117
62.7
210
46.8
78
7.3
7
.3
7,936
-
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
701
18.7
152
71.5
17
ft
135
72.4
273
60.9
251
23.7
26
1.3
9,153
-
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
1,248
33.3
177
83.6
22
ft
155
83.2
361
80.5
587
55.5
122
6.0
10,525
-
Median family income............................................. $21,879
$8,574
ft
$8,492
$10,798
$16,120
$27,380
-
Others in families maintained by women
T o ta l..................................................................
2,306
226
69
157
422
707
952
13,456
Family income:
Under $5,000 ........................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999 ..............................................
$15,000 to $19,999 ..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999 ..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
9
55
189
244
294
1,516
9
36
42
35
24
81
6
14
12
7
11
19
3
22
29
28
13
63
19
110
69
66
157
36
114
139
419
-
ft
ft
7,858
10,367
11,776
15,991
Below poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
58
2.5
40
17.6
21
ft
19
11.9
15
3.7
2
.3
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
112
4.9
57
25.2
0
29
18.5
46
11.0
7
1.1
.2
6,555
-
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
191
8.3
79
35.0
32
ft
47
29.9
87
20.6
20
2.9
5
.5
7,173
-
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
407
17.6
120
53.0
36
ft
83
53.1
179
42.3
97
13.7
12
1.2
7,834
-
Median family income............................................. $31,531
$18,799
ft
$19,254
$20,779
$28,631
$40,194
28
S e e fo o tn o tes a t e n d of table.
50
2
26
65
859
-
ft
-
-
2
-
Table 8-3. Earnings distribution of year-round full-time workers by family status, family income, and poverty status,
1985—Continued
(Numbers in thousands)
With personal earnings of
Characteristic
Under
$6,700
Total
$6,700
to
$9,999
Total
Under
$3,000
$3,000
to
$6,699
1,307
66
26
40
98
18
55
18
8
10
21
6
15
7
3
-
34
$1 0 , 0 0 0
to
$14,999
$15,000
and
over
Median
personal
earnings'
Men who maintain families
T ota l..................................................................
Family income:
Under $5,000 .......................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999..............................................
$15,000 to $19,999..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
121
13
6
139
187
787
6
3
Below poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
50
3.8
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
6 .8
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
-
9
3
27
l2)
37
$21,874
33
45
95
138
723
ft
ft
11,508
16,165
20,228
28,932
-
20
88
17
16
21
10
16
16.4
7
3.8
-
ft
20
35
35.4
18
9.6
-
7,612
-
28
46
46.6
33
17.9
.8
8,388
-
10,168
-
ft
16
956
15
12
ft
89
6
187
0
ft
1 0 .1
46
ft
ft
239
18.3
ft
ft
ft
62
63.3
97
52.2
25
2.7
Median family income............................................. $29,128
ft
ft
ft
$14,197
$16,345
$34,832
108
191
377
14,844
-
-
ft
ft
ft
ft
10,070
16,906
132
ft
18
54
ft
33
21
8
-
Others in families maintained by men
T o ta l..................................................................
765
89
3
2
2
7
1
Family income:
Under $5,000 .......................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999..............................................
$15,000 to $19,999..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
568
Below poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
.8
4
4.7
ft
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
30
3.9
16
17.8
ft
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
40
5.3
2 1 .8
ft
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
11.4
32
36.4
ft
Median family income............................................. $36,626
$22,936
ft
11
-
1
6
35
64
12
3
12
1
11
86
19
37
1
8
18
29
6
88
9
3
1
ft
4
19
12
2
9
5
24
2
9
21
22
140
344
5
-
ft
-
ft
8 .0
2 .8
14
12.7
2 .8
ft
31
28.6
18
9.4
1.7
ft
$22,997
$35,516
$46,787
15
ft
7
51
3
16
18
23
47
1 .8
ft
4
See footnotes at end of table.
73
16
26
5
2
ft
.4
6
8,044
-
Table B-3. Earnings distribution of year-round full-time workers by family status, family income, and poverty status,
1985—Continued
(Numbers in thousands)
With personal earnings of —
Characteristic
Under
$6,700
Total
Total
Under
$3,000
$3,000
to
$6,699
$6,700
to
$9,999
Median
personal
earnings'
$1 0 , 0 0 0
to
$14,999
$15,000
and
over
1,172
5,327
$21,280
1,229
1,046
3,047
1,760
7,918
12,473
17,379
21,894
31,970
-
3,137
-
-
4,581
-
All other men3
T o ta l..................................................................
7,328
328
126
Family income:
Under $5,000 ................................... ....................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999 ..............................................
$15,000 to $19,999 ..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
157
571
1,165
1,300
1,063
3,071
156
125
33
94
6
3
202
501
11
62
114
12
21
447
42
3
8
-
3
1
1,084
57
13
16
6
2
2
6
4
2
2
2 .8
197
60.1
94
74.4
104
51.3
4
.9
.1
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
293
4.0
263
80.4
97
76.8
167
82.5
28
5.5
.2
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
513
7.0
281
85.6
102
81.0
179
88.5
229
45.7
.2
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
1,060
14.5
296
90.4
106
84.5
190
94.1
470
93.7
290
24.7
.1
Median family income............................................. $22,077
$5,119
$532
$5,693
$8,712
$12,894
$26,559
Below poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
202
1
2
2
1
6,363
-
4
8,448
*-
-
-
All other women3
T o ta l..................................................................
5,836
326
69
257
571
1,430
3,509
17,105
Family income:
Under $5,000 ........................................................
$5,000 to $9,999 ..................................................
$10,000 to $14,999 ..............................................
$15,000 to $19,999 ..............................................
$20,000 to $24,999..............................................
$25,000 and o v e r.................................................
108
642
1,353
1,314
974
1,444
108
175
33
58
4
4
51
171
29
5
468
-
1
1
1,251
128
26
24
1,158
939
1,410
2,305
8,015
12,305
16,977
21,619
29,510
Below poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
173
3.0
167
51.3
58
(*)
-
-
3,839
-
Below 1.25 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
290
5.0
268
82.2
0
-
5,281
-
Below 1.50 poverty level:
T ota l......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
530
9.1
276
84.7
Below 2.00 poverty level:
T otal......................................................................
Percent.................................................................
1,156
19.8
291
89.1
Median family income............................................. $18,053
$5,698
6
1
-
2
109
42.4
6
9
6
1 .0
2
81.4
19
3.4
.2
0
215
83.4
237
41.6
1 .0
.1
64
(*)
226
87.9
494
86.4
368
25.7
.1
$6,069
$9,037
$12,855
$22,984
58
61
0
1 Earnings are defined as all money income from wages, salaries, and
profits or losses from self-employment.
2 Data not shown where base is less than 75,000.
2
-
66
22
210
2
14
2
4
6,625
-
8,832
-
3 Includes a small number of members of unrelated subfamilies.
persons not in families, income data refer to personal income.
NOTE: Dash represents zero or rounds to zero.
52
For
Appendix C. Some Comparisons
of SIPP and CPS Data
4-month reference period. In this regard, the SIPP is similar
to the March CPS supplement, which obtains information on
the work experience of the population during each week in the
previous calendar year.
As indicated in appendix A, the labor force activity concepts
used in the SIPP are similar to those used in the CPS. The result
ing estimates, however, vary significantly due to the widely
dissimilar reference periods and to differences in survey proce
dures and collection methods.1 While the estimates from the
two surveys cannot be reconciled, it is useful to compare these
estimates, where possible, in order to gain additional insight
into the number of persons experiencing employment problems.
Table C-l below compares data from the SIPP with monthly
and annual data from the C PS. A discussion of some differ
ences and the reasons for them follows.
Involuntary part-time work. During the January-July 1985
period, the average monthly count of persons on part-time
schedules who wanted M-time jobs was 5.6 million in the CPS.
During the 4-month SIPP reference periods, an average of 6.5
million persons spent some weeks working part time involun
tarily, while, for all of 1985, the C PS March supplement
recorded 14.3 million such persons. The reasons for the pat
tern are the same as those for unemployment, as cited above.
Table C-1. Comparison of selected data from the SIPP with
monthly and annual data from the CPS, 1985
Low earners. The SIPP indicates more low earners—persons
working full time with earnings below the minimum-wage
equivalent over a 4-month period—than the CPS reported for
the whole year (5 million vs. 4.1 million). The higher SIPP
estimate may reflect, in part, the fact that persons can ex
perience temporary fluctuations in their earnings which may
bring them below the minimum-wage equivalent for parts of
the year, as measured by SIPP, although they might exceed such
a standard for the entire year as measured by the annual C PS.
Also, there is some evidence that wage and salary earnings as
reported in the SIPP are lower than in the CPS.
(In thousands)
Persons with—
Involuntary
part-time
work
Low
earnings
Discour
agement
Data source
Unemploy
ment
Monthly CPS..............
4-month SIPP data . . .
Annual March
supplement to the
CPS..........................
8,404
14,349
5,616
6,465
(1)
5,030
1,221
1,603
20,984
14,311
4,069
(1)
1 Not available. .
Unemployment. As measured in the C PS, average monthly
unemployment in the period January through July 1985 was
8.4 million. This compares with a SIPP 4-month average esti
mate of 14.3 million persons and with a CPS “work ex
perience” total of 21 million persons for the entire calendar
year of 1985, as measured in the annual March supplement.
Because of the longer reference period, more people who
were jobseeking or on layoff are reflected in the SIPP than in
the monthly estimates from the C PS. In the monthly C PS, per
sons are classified into three separate but distinct categories—the
employed, the unemployed, and not in the labor force. The
SIPP concept, however, permits multiple labor force statuses,
and persons are counted in each status over the course of the
1 See Paul M . R yscavage and John E. B regger, “ N ew household survey
and the CPS: a lo o k at labor force differences, " 'M on th ly L a b o r R e v e iw ,
Septem ber 1985, p p .3-12.
53
Discouragement. In the SIPP, an average of 1.6 million per
sons reported 1 week or more of inactivity due to discourage
ment over job prospects. In contrast, the average monthly
number of discouraged workers as measured in the CPS was
1.2 million. Although the definitions used in the two surveys
may also play a role, this difference may reflect the longer s ip p
reference period. As noted earlier, the CPS data indicate how
many persons, on average, were “discouraged” at any one
point in time, while the SIPP data are a cumulative count of
all discouraged persons over a 4-month period.,
For the most part, the SIPP estimates for the 4-month refer
ence periods compare reasonably well with both monthly and
annual CPS data. The directions and general magnitude of the
differences that can be seen in table C-l are consistent with
what can be expected based on the varying lengths of the
reference periods and the inherent character of the types of
experiences being measured. For unemployment, involuntary
part-time work, and discouragement, the longer the reference
period, the greater the probability that more people will have
experienced these statuses. Estimates of low earners, however,
for the whole year. On the other hand, a person with a period
of unemployment during part of the year will be classified as
having been unemployed at some time during that year regard
less of the labor force status during the balance of that year.
need not be higher when the reference period is a year than
when it is a part of a year. A person who experiences low earn
ings during part of a year has a chance to realize higher
earnings during the rest of the year and not be a low earner
54
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