There has been a rapid increase in Mississippi women's participation in the labor force, but female participation still lags behind male participation. The 1960s witnessed dramatic increases in younger women's participation. The trend is expected to continue into the late 1970s. Annual 1977 averages showed women made up almost 40% of Mississippi's labor force. The 1977 unemployment insurance data reveals most women claimants are between twenty-two and thirty-nine. Less than one in four was hard core (fifteen weeks or longer) unemployed. Two pieces of legislation have addressed women's employment rights: the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which created the Equal Employment Commission to establish sex discrimination guidelines and the 1963 Equal Pay Act to prohibit pay discrimination because of sex. Despite Affirmative Action programs, most women have remained in traditional occupational categories (e.g., clerical and service work). There will be over 466,000 available openings in Mississippi during the 1975-1985 period. White-collar jobs will account for about 42% of openings, blue-collar occupations 38%, service workers 14%, and farm workers 5%. The projected needs of the following occupations have been analyzed: professional, technical, managers/administrators, sales workers, clerical, crafts, operatives, service workers, laborers, and farmers/farm workers. (CSS)