October 09, 2009 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)
Labor force participation of women and mothers, 2008
Labor force participation, civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and over by sex, 1975–2008
| Year |
Percent of population |
| Women |
Men |
1975 |
46.3 |
77.9 |
1976 |
47.3 |
77.5 |
1977 |
48.4 |
77.7 |
1978 |
50.0 |
77.9 |
1979 |
50.9 |
77.8 |
1980 |
51.5 |
77.4 |
1981 |
52.1 |
77.0 |
1982 |
52.6 |
76.6 |
1983 |
52.9 |
76.4 |
1984 |
53.6 |
76.4 |
1985 |
54.5 |
76.3 |
1986 |
55.3 |
76.3 |
1987 |
56.0 |
76.2 |
1988 |
56.6 |
76.2 |
1989 |
57.4 |
76.4 |
1990 |
57.5 |
76.4 |
1991 |
57.4 |
75.8 |
1992 |
57.8 |
75.8 |
1993 |
57.9 |
75.4 |
1994 |
58.8 |
75.1 |
1995 |
58.9 |
75.0 |
1996 |
59.3 |
74.9 |
1997 |
59.8 |
75.0 |
1998 |
59.8 |
74.9 |
1999 |
60.0 |
74.7 |
2000 |
59.9 |
74.8 |
2001 |
59.8 |
74.4 |
2002 |
59.6 |
74.1 |
2003 |
59.5 |
73.5 |
2004 |
59.2 |
73.3 |
2005 |
59.3 |
73.3 |
2006 |
59.4 |
73.5 |
2007 |
59.3 |
73.2 |
2008 |
59.5 |
73.0 |
These data featured in the TED article, Labor force participation of women and mothers, 2008.
Labor force participation of women by presence and age of youngest child, March 1975–2008
| Year |
Percent of population |
| With children under age 18 |
With children ages 6 to 17, none younger |
With children under age 6 |
With children under age 3 |
With no children under age 18 |
1975 |
47.4 |
54.9 |
39.0 |
34.3 |
45.1 |
1976 |
48.8 |
56.2 |
40.1 |
34.1 |
45.7 |
1977 |
50.8 |
58.3 |
41.2 |
35.4 |
46.4 |
1978 |
53.0 |
60.0 |
44.0 |
39.4 |
47.0 |
1979 |
54.5 |
61.6 |
45.7 |
41.1 |
48.6 |
1980 |
56.6 |
64.3 |
46.8 |
41.9 |
48.1 |
1981 |
58.1 |
65.5 |
48.9 |
44.3 |
48.7 |
1982 |
58.5 |
65.8 |
49.9 |
45.6 |
48.6 |
1983 |
58.9 |
66.3 |
50.5 |
46.0 |
48.7 |
1984 |
60.5 |
68.1 |
52.1 |
47.6 |
49.3 |
1985 |
62.1 |
69.9 |
53.5 |
49.5 |
50.4 |
1986 |
62.8 |
70.4 |
54.4 |
50.8 |
50.5 |
1987 |
64.7 |
72.0 |
56.7 |
52.9 |
50.5 |
1988 |
65.1 |
73.3 |
56.1 |
52.4 |
51.2 |
1989 |
65.7 |
74.2 |
56.7 |
52.4 |
51.9 |
1990 |
66.7 |
74.7 |
58.2 |
53.6 |
52.3 |
1991 |
66.6 |
74.4 |
58.4 |
54.5 |
52.0 |
1992 |
67.2 |
75.9 |
58.0 |
54.5 |
52.3 |
1993 |
66.9 |
75.4 |
57.9 |
53.9 |
52.1 |
1994 |
68.4 |
76.0 |
60.3 |
57.1 |
53.1 |
1995 |
69.7 |
76.4 |
62.3 |
58.7 |
52.9 |
1996 |
70.2 |
77.2 |
62.3 |
59.0 |
53.0 |
1997 |
72.1 |
78.1 |
65.0 |
61.8 |
53.6 |
1998 |
72.3 |
78.4 |
65.2 |
62.2 |
54.1 |
1999 |
72.1 |
78.5 |
64.4 |
60.7 |
54.3 |
2000 |
72.9 |
79.0 |
65.3 |
61.0 |
54.8 |
2001 |
72.7 |
79.4 |
64.4 |
60.7 |
54.4 |
2002 |
72.2 |
78.6 |
64.1 |
60.5 |
54.0 |
2003 |
71.7 |
78.7 |
62.9 |
58.7 |
54.1 |
2004 |
70.7 |
77.5 |
62.2 |
57.3 |
53.8 |
2005 |
70.5 |
76.9 |
62.6 |
58.9 |
53.5 |
2006 |
70.6 |
76.9 |
63.0 |
59.9 |
53.6 |
2007 |
71.3 |
77.7 |
63.5 |
60.1 |
53.9 |
2008 |
71.2 |
77.5 |
63.6 |
59.6 |
54.3 |
These data featured in the TED article, Labor force participation of women and mothers, 2008.
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