September 24, 1999 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Change in percent of persons working full-time year round varies by sex and education

From 1969 to 1997, the percent of persons age 25 to 54 working full-time year round increased from 53.0 percent to 62.6 percent, with changes varying by sex and educational attainment level.

[Chart data—TXT]

In 1969, a total of 27.5 percent of women age 25 to 54 worked full-time year round; by 1997, that percentage increased to 50.2 percent. By educational attainment, all groups of women experienced a rise in the percent working full-time year round. However, those women with a college degree or higher reported the smallest increase among the groups shown in the chart at 18.9 percentage points.

The percentage of men working full-time year round decreased from 80.6 percent in 1969 to 75.4 percent in 1997. By educational attainment, all groups of men experienced a decline in the percent working full-time year round; the largest decrease among the groups in the chart was for men with a high school diploma, down 10.5 percentage points.

These data are a product of the Current Population Survey program. Find out more in Chapter 3 of Report on the American Workforce 1999 (PDF 1,037K).