Discusses societal pressures, including the need for child care, that have resulted in the increased participation of women in the labor force. Outlines steps to increase women's participation in the labor movement and lists positive actions that some unions have already taken. (CH)

From 1977 to 1983, the number of sole proprietorships operated by women increased from 1.9 to 3.3 million. The number of self-employed women--the majority of whom are sole proprietors--continued to grow. In 1982 the median earnings of self-employed women were substantially lower than those of wage and salary women workers and self-employed men.…

Most women now hold full-time jobs, yet still bear heavy responsibility for the home. Ideally, postfeminist women would like a balance; in reality, they are forced to choose between the two. Women who insist on their rights to meaningful work and to a family must push for workplace changes. (Author/CH)

The author discusses women's labor market participation during this century, focusing on the current figure with 70 percent of women age 25 to 54 as labor force participants. She projects that increases will continue, although at a slower pace, between 1986 and 2000. (CH)

A study analyzed the likelihood and the meaning of a promotion among working women aged 37-48 in 1991. The study used data from the Young Women's cohort of the National Longitudinal Surveys (a sample of women who were aged 14-25 in 1968 and who have been interviewed regularly since that year). In 1991, the survey asked working women whether a…

The authors examine occupational differentiation of U.S. Catholic nuns before and since the Second Vatican Council. Data were collected from interviews with 30 sisters representing 11 congregations. The analysis relates the diversification of their careers to changes in ideology and life-style and to the changing demographic and financial status…

Alternative work schedules can help parents of young children. They are also attractive to students, older workers, handicapped persons, couples desiring to share work and home responsibilities, persons wishing to upgrade skills or switch careers through a return to school, and employers needing to serve the public outside the traditional workday,…

Implications of the dual-earner life-style as compared with other work/family types are presented. Ten work/family types are presented with predictions of future trends of each type. Suggestions are given for ways professionals can recognize the characteristics and needs of the dual-earner family. (Author/CH)

The author states that the labor force will include increasing numbers of the poor, minorities, and women. The educational system helps these individuals prepare for jobs that will require high levels of skill and education. He discusses six major reform proposals, all of which address career development needs of new labor force entrants. (CH)

This fact sheet lists 20 interpreted statistics on women workers. The facts cover the following data: number of women workers and their percentage in the labor force; length of time women are expected to stay in the labor force; racial and ethnic groups in the labor force; part-time and full-time employment; types of occupations in which women are…

The first part of this document is a fact sheet that provides information on health hazards faced by employed women. It covers the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), job-related diseases suffered by workers in female-dominated occupations, employer responsibilities under OSHA, and the lack of statistical reporting on job-related disease.…

This fact sheet addresses pay equity, that is, the goal of a fair wage-setting process that eliminates sex and race discrimination. It begins by setting forth the problem through statistics on men's and women's median annual earnings, the occupational categories represented by women workers, and median annual earnings by occupation. A glossary is…

This report contains data on the annual earnings of husbands and wives and their combined earnings as married couples. A narrative summarizing findings precedes each group of related charts and tables. Figures 1A through 1C and tables 1A through 1D classify the earnings of married couples, husbands, and wives by weeks of work and…

The booklet furnishes general information to the women of Maryland about the Equal Rights Amendment of the Maryland Constitution. One hundred and three questions and answers concerning women's rights are organized into four topics: (1) employment, including employment rights, labor laws, workmen's compensation, unemployment insurance, pregnancy…

The earnings gap is the difference between the percentage ratio of women's earnings to those of men and 100 percent. In 1988, the earnings gap for hourly earnings was 26 percent; for weekly earnings, 30 percent; and for annual earnings, 34 percent. Although the direction over the past decade is toward greater equality, the pace is extremely slow.…