Today, the Census Bureau compiles extensive information every year about the people and the economy of the United States. That is how the authors know that in 2006 the United States is going to reach an extraordinary milestone--300 million people. In this article, the authors discuss the "now and then" of the U.S. society. The authors observed that now, women make up a greater share of the U.S. labor force than they did in 1967, but women still earn less than their male counterparts. (Contains 4 figures and 12 notes.)