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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Women's Bureau 100 Years of Working Women Women have been in the work force for more than 100 years, but in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Women’s Bureau, find the top 10 occupations women have held in each decade since 1920. This data also includes the number of women in the labor force in each decade, and the percentage of women in the top 10 occupations. 100 Years of Working Women Year Number of women in the labor force Share of women employed in top 10 occupations Top 10 occupations of employed women Number of employed women in the occupation 1920 8,179,017 52.8% Other domestic and personal service 669,491 1920 8,179,017 52.8% Teachers 622,877 1920 8,179,017 52.8% Stenographers and typewriters 567,784 1920 8,179,017 52.8% Clerks (n.e.c.) 442,753 1920 8,179,017 52.8% Farm laborers, home farm 396,625 1920 8,179,017 52.8% Launderers and laundresses 384,083 1920 8,179,017 52.8% Salesmen and saleswomen, stores 350,552 1920 8,179,017 52.8% Bookkeepers and cashiers 337,418 1920 8,179,017 52.8% Cooks 266,801 1920 8,179,017 52.8% Farmers, general farms 240,385 1930 10,500,803 66.2% Operatives (n.e.c.) 1,386,515 1930 10,500,803 66.2% Other domestic and personal service 1,056,567 1930 10,500,803 66.2% Teachers 834,686 1930 10,500,803 66.2% Stenographers and typists 720,533 1930 10,500,803 66.2% Clerks 623,131 1930 10,500,803 66.2% Salesmen or saleswomen 494,337 1930 10,500,803 66.2% Bookkeepers and cashiers 435,255 1930 10,500,803 66.2% Farm laborers, unpaid family workers 363,806 1930 10,500,803 66.2% Cooks 341,186 1930 10,500,803 66.2% Launderers and laundresses 330,241 1940 12,812,181 67.9% Operatives (n.e.c.) 1,848,824 1940 12,812,181 67.9% Private household workers (n.e.c.) 1,430,286 1940 12,812,181 67.9% Stenographers, typists, and secretaries 1,022,543 1940 12,812,181 67.9% Teachers 783,205 1940 12,812,181 67.9% Clerks (n.e.c.) 687,593 Year Number of women Share of women employed Top 10 occupations of Number of employed in the labor force in top 10 occupations employed women women in the occupation 1940 12,812,181 67.9% Salesmen and saleswomen 520,291 1940 12,812,181 67.9% Bookkeepers, accountants, and cashiers 443,570 1940 12,812,181 67.9% Waiters and waitresses 360,424 1940 12,812,181 67.9% Proprietors, managers, and officials (n.e.c.) 339,282 1940 12,812,181 67.9% Housekeepers, private family 330,497 1950 16,663,485 69.8% Operatives (n.e.c.) 2,461,939 1950 16,663,485 69.8% Stenographers, typists, and secretaries 1,558,546 1950 16,663,485 69.8% Clerks (n.e.c.) 1,508,694 1950 16,663,485 69.8% Salesmen and sales clerks 1,284,339 1950 16,663,485 69.8% Private household workers (n.e.c.) 1,140,029 1950 16,663,485 69.8% Teachers 867,229 1950 16,663,485 69.8% Nurses 604,329 1950 16,663,485 69.8% Bookkeepers 584,381 1950 16,663,485 69.8% Waiters and waitresses 568,036 1950 16,663,485 69.8% Managers, officials, and proprietors (n.e.c.) 558,545 1960 22,226,500 56.1% Clerks (n.e.c.) 1,725,420 1960 22,226,500 56.1% Salesmen and sales clerks 1,492,980 1960 22,226,500 56.1% Secretaries 1,423,660 1960 22,226,500 56.1% Operatives (n.e.c.) 1,323,320 1960 22,226,500 56.1% Private household workers (n.e.c.) 1,146,260 1960 22,226,500 56.1% Teachers 1,106,800 1960 22,226,500 56.1% Nurses 824,320 1960 22,226,500 56.1% Bookkeepers 766,040 1960 22,226,500 56.1% Waiters and waitresses 709,220 1960 22,226,500 56.1% Managers, officials, and proprietors (n.e.c.) 619,980 1970 30,688,800 42.1% Secretaries 2,625,600 1970 30,688,800 42.1% Teachers 1,823,800 1970 30,688,800 42.1% Sales clerks, retail 1,446,900 1970 30,688,800 42.1% Bookkeepers 1,265,400 1970 30,688,800 42.1% Nurses 1,042,800 Year Number of women Share of women employed Top 10 occupations of Number of employed in the labor force in top 10 occupations employed women women in the occupation 1970 30,688,800 42.1% Waiters 931,000 1970 30,688,800 42.1% Typists 915,800 1970 30,688,800 42.1% Sewers and stitchers 811,300 1970 30,688,800 42.1% Cashiers 677,800 1970 30,688,800 42.1% Maids, private household 660,500 1980 44,649,840 41.1% Secretaries 3,820,700 1980 44,649,840 41.1% Teachers 2,398,240 1980 44,649,840 41.1% Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks 1,635,320 1980 44,649,840 41.1% Nurses 1,628,020 1980 44,649,840 41.1% Cashiers 1,426,940 1980 44,649,840 41.1% Managers and administrators (n.e.c.) 1,352,680 1980 44,649,840 41.1% General office clerks 1,350,780 1980 44,649,840 41.1% Waiters and waitresses 1,194,800 1980 44,649,840 41.1% Sales workers (n.e.c.) 1,150,240 1980 44,649,840 41.1% Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants 1,136,960 1990 56,553,832 36.3% Secretaries 3,823,250 1990 56,553,832 36.3% Teachers 2,987,327 1990 56,553,832 36.3% Nurses 2,148,271 1990 56,553,832 36.3% Cashiers 1,993,017 1990 56,553,832 36.3% Bookkeepers, accounting, and auditing clerks 1,656,513 1990 56,553,832 36.3% Managers and administrators (n.e.c.) 1,615,184 1990 56,553,832 36.3% Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants 1,497,257 1990 56,553,832 36.3% General office clerks 1,158,162 1990 56,553,832 36.3% Supervisors and proprietors, sales occupations 1,157,845 1990 56,553,832 36.3% Sales workers (n.e.c.) 1,148,866 2000 64,553,954 33.6% Secretaries and administrative assistants 3,597,416 2000 64,553,954 33.6% Teachers 3,466,434 2000 64,553,954 33.6% Nurses 2,602,376 2000 64,553,954 33.6% Cashiers 2,028,267 2000 64,553,954 33.6% Retail salespersons 1,780,975 2000 64,553,954 33.6% Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks 1,523,026 Year Number of women Share of women employed Top 10 occupations of Number of employed in the labor force in top 10 occupations employed women women in the occupation 2000 64,553,954 33.6% Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides 1,465,386 2000 64,553,954 33.6% Customer service representatives 1,396,909 2000 64,553,954 33.6% Childcare workers 1,254,406 2000 64,553,954 33.6% Waiters and waitresses 1,235,786 2010 74,279,640 33.3% Teachers 3,984,836 2010 74,279,640 33.3% Secretaries and administrative assistants 3,427,510 2010 74,279,640 33.3% Nurses 3,139,854 2010 74,279,640 33.3% Cashiers 2,410,152 2010 74,279,640 33.3% Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides 1,926,489 2010 74,279,640 33.3% Retail salespersons 1,735,213 2010 74,279,640 33.3% Customer service representatives 1,504,923 2010 74,279,640 33.3% Waiters and waitresses 1,480,519 2010 74,279,640 33.3% First-line supervisors of retail sales workers 1,309,252 2010 74,279,640 33.3% Maids and housekeeping cleaners 1,269,181 2018 78,607,961 32.8% Teachers 4,239,366 2018 78,607,961 32.8% Nurses 3,910,538 2018 78,607,961 32.8% Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides 2,965,314 2018 78,607,961 32.8% Secretaries and administrative assistants 2,745,575 2018 78,607,961 32.8% Cashiers 2,419,322 2018 78,607,961 32.8% Customer service representatives 2,083,533 2018 78,607,961 32.8% Retail salespersons 1,680,220 2018 78,607,961 32.8% Waiters and waitresses 1,571,530 2018 78,607,961 32.8% First-line supervisors of retail sales workers 1,468,669 2018 78,607,961 32.8% Managers (n.e.c.) 1,428,557 Notes: Occupation estimates include women ages 16 and over in the labor force (1920) and civilian employed women ages 16 and over (1930-2018). Labor force estimates include all women ages 16 and over who are employed or unemployed. The classification of occupations changes every 10 years. As a result, some occupations increase or decline in size as a result of being combined or split out from other occupations. Individual occupation categories are not strictly comparable over time. The occupations presented are the top 10 occupations in the decade they occurred. "Operatives, n.e.c." were primarily employed in manufacturing jobs. "n.e.c." means "not elsewhere classified". Data: 1920-2000 Decennial Census and 2010 and 2018 American Community Survey public use microdata files Scroll to Top Women's Bureau An agency within the U.S. Department of Labor 200 Constitution Ave NW Washington, DC 20210 1-866-4-USA-DOL 1-866-487-2365 www.dol.gov