Trends in Employment and Earnings
Women’s status in the area of employment and earnings has improved on two indicators since the publication of IWPR’s last national report on the status of women, the 2004 Status of Women in the States, and remained unchanged or declined on two others. Women’s median annual earnings for full-time, year-round work in 2013 ($39,157) were nearly identical to their earnings for similar work in 2002 ($39,108 when adjusted to 2013 dollars). The gender earnings ratio improved during this time from 76.6 to 78.3 percent, narrowing the gender wage gap by 1.7 percentage points, and the share of women working in professional or managerial occupations grew from 33.2 to 39.9 percent. Women’s labor force participation rate, however, declined from 59.6 in 2002 to 57.0 percent in 2014.
Food Stamps and AFDC: A Double Life-Line for Low-income Working Single Mothers
The Food Stamp Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in partnership with state and local governments, is the largest food assistance program in the United States.
Are Mommies Dropping Out of the Labor Force? No!
Despite a spate of recent news articles reporting a slow down and even reversal of the long-term growth in women’s labor force participation– articles that assume the reversal is led by mothers anxious to stay at home with their children– the data show that most mothers are continuing to increase their participation in the labor force, even during the current recession. More women are working than ever before. Married mothers and mothers of very young children have increased their labor force participation most.
Affirmative Action in Employment: An Overview
An IWPR briefing paper providing a review of the employment and wages of white women, black men, and black women relative o white men after implementation of affirmative action policies.
