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…

Since 1979, the wage gap between women and men has narrowed significantly, falling by more than 10 percent overall. The closing of the wage gap has slowed considerably in the 1990's, however, with women's real wages (adjusted for inflation) stagnating in recent year and men's wages continuing to decline. The lack of growth in both women's and…

This chartbook focuses on women's economic activity including labor force trends, occupational and industrial employment patterns, unemployment, and market work of women in a family context. The 15 charts show that women play an important role in the labor market; women's participation has grown dramatically; a smaller proportion of women fill the…

Growth curve analysis was used on data from the National Longitudinal Survey (n=9,532) and Baltimore (n=3,481) to determine whether disparities in the occupational standing of white men compared to women and minorities grew with advancing age. Results indicate that disparities remained constant over the life course for all but African Americans…

A vocational follow-up study of 113 young adults with learning disabilities who graduated from a human services paraprofessional training program is reported. Findings include the following 76 percent are employed, most as paraprofessionals in education settings; 60 percent earn under $10,000; despite low salaries, most report high job…

Data collected by the March Current Population Survey were used to identify which groups of year-round, full-time civilian workers aged 16 and older were most likely to be at the top and bottom of the earnings ladder. Women, young workers, less-educated individuals, and Hispanics were most likely to earn less than $13,091 (1992 constant dollars),…

Every one of the 20 fastest-growing occupations, as listed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is in the service sector. Nearly all of the 15 million jobs that have been created since the November trough of the 1982 recession have been in the service sector. About half of these jobs pay at least $10 per hour, and those paying minimum wage or…

A study examined two models--increased opportunity and affirmative action--as proposed solutions to sex inequities in wage and occupational distribution. The Increased Opportunity Model assumes that increased economic opportunities will disproportionately benefit women and minorities because of their relative position in the labor force. The…

Studies the extent to which market and labor force characteristics, in addition to overt discrimination of employers, contribute to relative occupational position differences between blacks and whites in 25 Southern metropolitan areas. (MF)

A study of University of Illinois 1976 graduates (n=2,306) in 1977, 1981, 1986, and 1991 examined changes in salary patterns for all degree levels and majors. Results suggest women earn less than men in first full-time jobs, and gaps widen with time. Possible factors include women's breaks in full-time employment, and differences in majors,…

Statistics suggest that, despite ongoing financial difficulties, the rate of graduation from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) is improving, and students of these colleges have higher average wages than similar individuals who did not attend college or who attended non-HBCUs. (MSE)

Data from 10 Australian universities' payrolls indicate that while women constitute a majority of general staff, they are concentrated in lower-level positions. While general staff are more likely than faculty to hold permanent positions, women disproportionately hold nonpermanent jobs, even when age and length of service are controlled.…

The paper illustrates both theoretically and empirically that being married and having children have opposite effects on the wage rates of husbands and wives, and further that these diverging wage patterns are perpetuated over the length of the marriage. (Author)

In September 1988, 13.1 million people in the United States wanted jobs, a jobless rate more than twice the official unemployment rate. The official rate does not count the people who have stopped looking for work because they believe that none is available. However, joblessness is only part of the problem. Also important is the phenomenon of the…