Participation
of women in the workforce has increased from 43.3 percent of women in 1970
to 59.8 percent in 1998. In the same time men's participation in the workforce
decreased from 79.7 percent to 74.9 percent. (6)
The number of
males in the labor force has steadily decreased since the end of World
War II. In 1948 89.5 percent of men between the ages of 55-64 worked.
Almost 50 years later, the number dropped down to 67 percent. (25)
African-American
women in 2001 participated in the labor force at a slightly higher rate
(62 percent) than their non-Hispanic white counterparts (60 percent). On
the other hand, African-American men were somewhat less likely than non-Hispanic
white males to participate in the labor force, 68 percent versus 73 percent.
(20)
The
employment of married women has almost doubled between 1960-1998 from 31.9
percent to 61.2 percent. (7)
The
employment of single women in the same time increase about 10 percent from
58.6 to 68.5 percent. (7)
The
employment of widowed, divorced and separated women in the same time also
increased from 41.6 to 48.8 percent. (7)
Location for work:
About 54 percent
of employees who worked from home in 1997 were women, compared to 46 percent
of non-home workers and 43 percent of mixed place workers. (24)
Women made up
43 percent of employees worked at home and at the office in 1997. (24)
Occupational choices:
73 percent of
women 16 years old and older worked in March 2002 in four occupational
groups: administrative support, including clerical (23 percent), professional
specialty (19 percent), service workers (except private household, 17 percent)
and executive, administrative and managerial (15 percent). In comparison,
more than half of men (59 percent) in the age group worked in four occupational
groups: precision production, craft and repair (18 percent), executive,
administrators and managerial (16 percent), professional specialty (14
percent) and sales (11 percent). (17)
For African-American
men, the most common occupational category was operator, fabricator and
laborer, in which 28 percent were employed. About 19 percent each worked
in three other occupational categories: technical, sales and administrative
support jobs; service occupations; and managerial and professional specialty
jobs. (20)
Among African-American
women, 36 percent worked in technical, sales and administrative support
jobs and about 27 percent each in managerial and professional specialty
jobs and in service occupations. (20)
Employment and family:
The
percent of married women who have children aged 6 to 17 years old and work
increased from 39 percent in 1960 to about 77 percent in 1998. (10)
The
percent of married women who have children under age 6 and work increased
from about 19 percent to about 64 percent. (10)
About
64 percent of married couples with children under 18 years old in 1998
had both parents working. (11)
About
29 percent of married couples with children under 18 years old in 1998
only the husband works. (11)
About 4 percent
of married couples with children under 18 years old in 1998 only the mother
works. (11)
New motherhood and employment
The percent of
women aged 30 to 44 years old who had a child in the previous year and
works increased from 37 percent in 1980 to 61 percent in 1995. (1)
The percent of
women aged 18 to 29 years old who had a child in the previous year and
works increased from 38 percent in 1980 to 51 percent in 1995. (1)
The percent of
women aged from 18 to 44 years old who had a child in the previous year
and works increased from 38 percent in 1980 to 59 percent in 1998. (1)
Business travel:
Men
take more business trips a year than women do-an average of seven business
trips compared to four for women. Thus, women are less likely than men
to be frequent business travelers.
Sixty-five
percent of women took only one or two business trips in the past year,
compared to 50% of their male counterparts. On the other hand, 19 percent
of men took ten or more business trips, compared to just six percent of
women.
The
income of women business traveler remains lower than that of their male
counterparts ($69,700 vs. $80,200). The incomes of both groups increased
at comparable rates since 1996.
Men
are more likely to be married, between the ages of 18 to 34, and to work
in "heavy industry" (agriculture/forestry/fishing/mining/construction or
manu-facturing). Although the proportion of women business travelers has
remained stable over time in most industry groups, growth has been most
dramatic in the finance/banking/real estate sector, where the proportion
of women has increased from 34 percnet in 1994 to 41 percent currently.
Women
are more likely than men to travel for a meeting, convention, or trade
show, though slightly less so during this survey period (when 53 percent
of women traveled for this purpose) than two years ago (when 58 percent
of women traveled for this purpose).
A
higher percentage of men traveled by air on their last trip (32 percent
men vs. 25 percent women). Further, upon reaching their destination, men
are more likely to rent cars (22 percent) than are women (16 percent).
Time away from work:
Data show women
spend more time away from work. For all men, only 1.6 percent of all potential
work years were spent away from work. For women, this figure is 14.7 percent
of all potential work years. (16)
Maternity leave:
About 48 percent
of women aged 30 to 44 years old with a recent child birth took maternity
leave in 1995. (2)
About 41 percent
of women aged 25 to 29 years old with a recent child birth took maternity
leave in 1995. (2)
About 30 percent
of women aged 20 to 24 years old with a recent child birth took maternity
leave in 1995. (2)
No more than 1.3
percent of women aged 20 to 44 years old were not offered maternity leave
in 1995 for a recent birth. (2)
Unions:
About
11 percent of women are members of unions, compared to about 16 percent
of men. (9)
Women represented
by unions in 1994 earned weekly wages that were 35 percent higher than
women in non organized workplaces. (13).
Union women earned
weekly wages that were higher than those of women who were not represented
by unions. (13)
Tenure:
Women receive
tenure from their employer in about the same time men receive it. (12)
About 29 percent
of women received tenure in 12 months or less, compared to 27 percent of
men. (12)
About 5 percent
of women and men received tenure in two years. (12)
About 16 percent
of women and men received tenure in three to four years. (12)
About 18 percent
of women and 17 percent of men received tenure in five to nine years. (12)
About 11 percent
of woman and men received tenure in 10 to 14 years. (12)
About 6 percent
of women and men received tenure in 15 to 19 years. (12)
It took about
7 percent of women and 11 percent of men to received tenure in 20 years
or more. (12)
Pension Plan Coverage:
Men and women
are just as likely to have pension plans. (3)
About 40 percent
of all women have pension plans, compared to 42 percent of all men. (3)
About 22 percent
of women 65 years old and older have pension plans, compared to about 24
percent of 65 years old and older men. (3)
About 51 percent
of women 45 to 64 years old have pension plans, compared to about 56 percent
of 45 to 64 years old men. (3)
About 44 percent
of women 25 to 44 years old have pension plans, compared to about 48 percent
of men 25 to 44 years old. (3)
About 11 percent
of women 15 to 24 years old have pension plans, compared to about 13 percent
of men 15 to 24 years old. (3)
Comparing white
and black of both genders have about the same chance (about 40 percent)
of having pension plans. (3)
Hispanics have
a lower chance of having pension plans, 26.9 percent of women and 25.7
percent of men. (3)
Working multiple jobs:
About six percent
of men and women work more than one job. (4)
Top reasons why women hold multiple jobs (5):
1. meet regular household expenses (32.7 percent)
2. various reasons (17.6 percent)
3. enjoys the works (12.8 percent)
4. pay off debt (10.7 percent)
5. save to buy something special (8.5 percent)
6. get experience or build up business (7 percent)
7. save for the future (6.9 percent)
8. help out a friend or relative (3.7 percent)
Top reasons why men hold multiple jobs (5):
1. meet regular household expenses (29.4 percent)
2. enjoys the works (15.9 percent)
3. various reasons (15.7 percent)
4. pay off debt (10.4 percent)
5. save for the future (10.1 percent)
6. get experience or build up business (8.4 percent)
7. save to buy something special (7.4 percent)
8. help out a friend or relative (2.8 percent)
Injury in the workplace:
Women are 33.2
percent of all workplace violence victims. (8)
Men made up 66
percent of employees with injuries and illnesses in the workplace during
1997. (18)
Women made up
61 percent of neurotic reaction to work stress in the workplace during
1997 (18)
Wage differences:
Women earn 100
percent or more of men's salaries in 8.5 percent of the major fields, representing
2 percent of women's employment. (14)
In about half
of the employment fields, accounting for 48 percent of women's employment,
women earned at least 87 percent of men's salaries. (14)
In the informational
technology consulting industry, current earnings for women are equal to
those of men, according to Advanced Technology, a staffing firm. (15)
In 1992, women
earned 104 percent of the median weekly salary earned by men employed in
nursing, where women constituted 93.5 percent of all nurses. (15)
Women mechanics
also earn 105.4 percent of men's salary, although they constituted only
3.3 percent of the profession in 1992. (15)
Women in academia
earn income comparable to men. Women full-time professors earn on average
88 percent of their male counterpart. Women associate professors earn on
average 94 percent of their male counterpart. Female instructors earn on
average 96 percent of their male counterpart. (22)
Childless women
earn 90 percent of their male counterparts, while mothers earn only 73
percent. (19)
A Rand Corporation
study shows that a first child reduces a woman's lifetime earnings by 13
percent and a second child reduces earnings by 19 percent. (19)
15 percent of
women earned at least $5,000 more than their husbands annually in March
2000. (21)
In unmarried-partner
households, 22 percent of the woman in the household earns more than the
man. (21)
Please note: people 16 years old and older were counted in U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.
Sources:
1- U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, P20-482.
2- U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, Advance Data from Vital and Health Statistics, No. 182.
3- U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Demographics Survey, March Supplement, Oct. 13, 1998.
4- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Earnings, monthly, January 1999 issue.
5- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1997.
6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Earnings, monthly, January issues, Monthly Labor Reviews, November 1997.
7. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bulletin 2307.
8. U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Workplace Violence, 1992-1996.
9. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Earnings, monthly, January 1999 issue.
10- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bulletin 2307.
11- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, News, USDL97-195, June 16, 1997.
12- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, News, USDL 98-387, Sept. 23, 1998.
13- U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, "Worth More Than We Earn: Fair Pay for Working Women."
14- U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, "Equal Paul: A Thirty-Five Year Perspective," citing Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monthly Labor Review Online, March 1998, Vol. 121, No. 3, Daniel E. Hecker, "Earnings of College Graduates: Women Compared with Men."
15- Ms. magazine, November/December 1997, p. 30.
16- Department of Labor, Facts on Working Women, Earnings Difference Between Women and Men; Copley News Service, June 12, 1998.
17- U.S. Census Bureau, Women and Men in the United States," March 2002.
18- Bureau of Labor Statistics as published in the New York Times, Dec. 1, 1999, G1.
19- "Have a Child, and Experience the Wage Gap," Sylvia Ann Hewlett, New York Times, May 16, 2002, A23.
20- U.S. Census Bureau, "The Black Population in the United States," March 2002.
21- U.S. Census Bureau, "America's Families and Living Arrangements," March 2000.
22- American Association of University Professors as printed in the New York Times, April 21, 1999, B10.
23- http://www.tia.org/travel/businesstravel.asp.
24- Home-Based Workers in the United States: 1997, U.S. Census Bureau, Dec. 2001, http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/p70-78.pdf.
25- U.S. Census Bureau website, www.census.gov.
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