Women's Labor Force Participation and Earnings: Trends and Inequalities, Exercises of Statistics

Download Women's Labor Force Participation and Earnings: Trends and Inequalities and more Exercises Statistics in PDF only on Docsity! Women at Work: A Visual Essay @ Labor force participation @ Full and part-time work =< @ Patterns @ Occupations . Ge @ Unemployment @ Earnings wi nid a i, _ © . . é ‘ d / 2 Ss 46 Monthly Labor Review October 2003 Women at Work 1. The rate of growth in women's labor force participation has slowedThe labor force participation rate for adult women rose dra- matically during the 1970s and 1980s. Since then, growth in participation has slowed sub- stantially. The participation rate for adult men has waned over time, though the decline appears to have leveled off in recent years. The long-term decline largely reflects the trend to- ward earlier retirement. Shaded areas represent recessions. SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2. The unemployment rates for adult men and women have stayed quite close since the early 1980s Shaded areas represent recessions. SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics The unemployment rates for adult men and adult women have tracked quite closely since the early 1980s. Prior to that time, the jobless rate for adult women tended to stay above that for men. The jobless rate for teenagers is much higher than that for adults, largely because they have less education and train- ing, less experience, and tend to move in and out of the job market more frequently. Percent Percent Percent Percent 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 Adult men Adult women 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 0 5 10 15 20 25 0 5 10 15 20 25 Teenagers Adult women Adult men Monthly Labor Review October 2003 49 The ratio of women’s to men’s earnings (78 percent in 2002) has risen sharply since 1979 (63 percent). The women’s-to-men’s earnings ratio for minority workers is higher than for whites. In 2002, black women earned 91 percent of what black men did; among Hispanics, the earnings ratio was 88 percent. In contrast, white women’s earnings were 78 percent of white men’s. 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 60 65 70 75 80 60 65 70 75 80 7. In the 1980s and early 1990s, women's earnings increased substantially as a percent of men's Percent Percent Earnings are median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers. SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics 8. Women continue to earn less than men in every major age group Women's earnings as a percent of men's Women's earnings as a percent of men's 16 years and older 16 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 years and older Age Earnings are median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers. SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics The women’s-to-men’s earn- ings ratio has increased in ev- ery major age group over the 1979–2002 period. The ratio is highest in the youngest age categories. Care should be taken in inter- preting these data, however, as they provide only a snapshot of earnings patterns in 2002. Older women faced a different social and economic climate at the start of their work lives than that which exists for young women today. Conse- quently, the lifetime earnings pattern of today’s older women may not be a reliable guide to the lifetime earnings pattern of today’s younger women. 1979 2002 62.5 77.9 78.6 93.4 67.5 84.7 58.2 75.5 57.0 74.6 61.3 72.2 0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100 50 Monthly Labor Review October 2003 Women at Work 9. The trend in real earnings since 1979 was more favorable for women than for men at all levels of education Percent change in real earnings, 1979–2002 Percent change in real earnings, 1979–2002 Change in median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers age 25 and older, adjusted using the CPI–U–RS. SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics 28 2 33 20 13 –3 8 –13 –7 –27 Total, 25 years and older Bachelor's degree and higher Some college or associate's degree High school graduates, no college Less than a high school diploma Overall, real earnings for women 25 years and older increased by 28 percent from 1979–2002, while men’s real earnings were little changed. Women with a high school di- ploma or more education experi- enced an increase in real earnings. For men, only college graduates saw an increase; all other educa- tion groups experienced a decline in real earnings. While women fared better than men over this time period, in part they were playing “catch up” to men. The growth in women’s earnings reflects in large part the fact that the proportion of work- ing women with a college educa- tion grew, more women moved into higher-paying managerial and professional jobs, and women began working year round in increasing numbers. -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Women Men