Investigates changes between 1973 and 1990 in degree to which African-American and white women have participated in labor force out of economic necessity versus preference for working outside the home. Found that women's motivations for participating in labor market began to converge toward those of men. Most reported working for other than…

According to a study of 256 black married women between the ages of 26 and 60 living with their spouses, marital happiness is more common among black women than marital unhappiness. This finding is based on the secondary analysis of a sample of data collected in Detroit in 1968-1969. Variables statistically significant to the marital happiness of…

According to data from 67% of a sample of 800 employers in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, and Los Angeles, skill demands are associated with lower employment of blacks and higher employment of women. Most skill requirements had significant effects on hourly wages, accounting for some of the wage differences between black and white men. (SK)

This study investigated the relationships between the employment statuses of African American husbands and wives, and their marital happiness. Data for 234 husbands and 292 wives were obtained from the 1980-86 General Social Surveys. The data corroborated earlier findings that African American husbands indicated greater marital happiness than did…

Examined ethnic differences in prevalence, type, and outcome of sexual harassment in work and social settings in a stratified community sample of 248 African American and white American women. Almost half reported sexual harassment. Significant ethnic differences were found in prevalence and type of sexual harassment and victim characteristics in…

A strong increase in employment highlighted the nation's job situation in 1978. A record 59 percent of the working-age population were jobholders by the end of fourth quarter and the unemployment rate dropped to 5.8 percent. Women age 16 and over accounted for two-thirds of the growth in the civilian labor force. (BM)

Black women bear a heavy burden of family responsibilities, yet their economic position is marginal relative to other groups in American society. It is this imbalance between economic needs and economic resources which poses the greatest challenge to public policy. This paper examines some aspects of this imbalance. It describes the demographic…

Tried to determine whether the self-esteem of black women who worked outside the home was higher than that of black women who were homemakers exclusively. Investigated the population of black college-educated wives of professional men and found that those who worked outside the home had higher self-esteem than those who remained at home.…

Data from black and white women ages 34-44 (1968-88) showed that differences in characteristics did not explain occupational segregation by race nor the racial wage gap. During the 1980s, the gap was influenced by widening differences in access to occupations and an increase in returns to education. (SK)

Investigated differences in career experiences of African-American women in traditional (n=85) and nontraditional (n=48) professions. Results indicated marriage was more of a barrier for nontraditionals than traditionals. Nontraditionals were more likely to report barriers to career success such as racial and gender discrimination, limited…

Census data on women's earnings, occupational status, and educational attainment in the urban South in 1970 show that Black women, particularly younger ones with at least some college education, have made substantial gains in earnings and occupational status relative to equally educated White women. (Author/RW)

The Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and the Self-Directed Search (SDS) were administered to 102 Black women workers in occupational environments consistent with Holland's six vocational environments. Four scales in each test successfully differentiated the occupational groups, supporting the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for…

Used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Young Women to measure the impact of high school resources on women's educational attainment and earnings. No link emerged between education and school resources. Among white women, there was no significant connection between school resources and wages. For black women, school inputs significantly…

Investigates support from family and friends received by employed African American and Anglo mothers of young children. Supports investigated include care of sick and out-of-school children, general babysitting assistance, and help with transportation. A discouraging finding is that for every type of support, mothers below the poverty line are no…

Data on women in labor unions in 1988 reveal the following facts: (1) women are becoming an increasingly important part of membership in organized labor, as the total number of workers in unions declines; (2) in 1988, nearly 6 million of the 47.5 million employed women in the United States, or about 13 percent, were members of unions; (3) since…