DOCUMENT RESUME ED 099 545 CE 002 631 AUTHOR Hayghe, Howard TITLE Marital and Family Characteristics of the LaborForce in March 1973. Special Labor Force Report No.164. INSTITUTION Bureau of Labor Statistics (DOL), Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 74 NOTE 43p. EDRS PRICE MF-$0.75 HC-$1.85 PLUS POSTAGE DESCRIPTORS Employment Patterns; *Employment Statistics; *Employment Trends; Heads of Households; *Labor Force; *Marital Status; Tables (Data); *Working Women ABSTRACT This Special Labor Force Report of March 1973, shows a continued decline in labor force participation rates of married men and an increase in rates of married women withyoung children. It also explores the trends of husbands' and wives' labor force participation, as well as labor force activity of othergroups, such as women heads of families and single persons. Data by race as well as by family income are presented. Most of this information is based on the annual nationwide survey of the marital and family characteristics of workers. (Appended to the reportare an explanatory note, and numerous statistical tables and charts.) (Author/HP) OF HEALTH. U S DEPARTMENT EDUCA'JN &WELFARE INSTITUTE OF Marital and NATION..I EDUCATION Pwo Family Characteristics 0MI NItin'.titI N 1,10, AN WI IVI 0 1140M MI( I I A( 1 /A IION OHIC,IN OWI,AN, PINION', of the Labor Force Ulf WI WION I., 01\,1I OH AlINC, POIN ,NAWit WI OWE AIt p Ot)Nol NI t I I Olt01 in March 1973 t A, NAItONAt NI NI Of iON ()I40l)l IC`1, I DU( A l IONl'0`,1, Special Labor Force Report 164 U.S, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Bureau of Labor Statistics 1974 SCOPE OF INTEREST NOTICE The ERIC Facility hasassigned this document for processing to: so In our judgement, this document is also of interest to the clearing- houses noted to the right. Index. mg should reflect their special points of view, Following is a list of reprints of Special Labor Force Reports which have been published in the Monthly Labor Review since February 1970. Copies may be obtained, while the supply lasts, upon request tothe Bureau of Labor Statistics or to any of its regional office. Number 115 Work Experience of the Population in 1968 116 Employment and Unemployment Developments in 1969 117 Status of Men Missed in the Census 118 The Long-Duration Unemployed 119 The U.S. Labor Force: Projections to 1985 120 Marital and Family Characteristics of the U.S. Labor Force, March 1968 and 1969 121 Employment of High School Graduates and Dropouts, October 1969 122 Education of Adult Workers: Projections to 1985 123 Multiple Jobholders, May 1969 124 Employment of SchoolAge Youth, October 1969 125 Educational Attainment of Workers, March 1969,1970 126 Vietnam War VeteransTransition of Civilian Life 127 Work Experience of the Population in 1969 128 Students and Summer Jobs, October 1969 129 Employment and Unemployment in 1970 130 Marital and Family Characteristics of Workers, March 1970 131 Employment of High School Graduates and Dropouts, October 1970 132 Young Workers and Their Earnings 133 The Labor Market 'Twist', 1964-69 134 Children of Women in the Labor Force, March 1970 135 Employment of School-Age Youth, October 1970 136 Recent Trends in Overtime Hours and Premium Pay 137 Employment Situation of Vietnam Era Veterans, 1971 138 Occupational Characteristics of Urban Workers 139 Multiple Jobholding in 1970 and 1971 140 Educational Attainment of Workers, March 1971 141 Work Experience of the Population in 1970 142 Employment and Unemployment in 1971 143 Usual Weekly Earnings of American Workers, 1971 144 Marital and Family Characteristics of the Labor Force, March 1971 145 Employment of High School Graduates and Dropouts, October 1971 146 An Analysis of Unemployment by Household Relationship 147 Employment of School-Age Youth, October 1971 148 Educational Attainment of Workers, March 1972 149 The Employment Situation of Vietnam Era Veterans, 1972 150 Jobseeking Methods Used by Unemployed Workers 151 Employment of Recent College Graduates, October 1971 152 Changes in the Employment Situation in 1972 153 Marital and Family Characteristics of the Labor Force, March 1972 154 Children of Working Mothers, March 1973 155 Employment of High School Graduates and Dropouts, October 1972 156 The U.S. Labor Force: Projections to 1990 157 Job Losers, Leavers, and Entrants: Traits and Trends 158 Young Workers; in School and Out 159 Going Back to School at 35 160 Education of Workers: Projections to 1990 161 Educational Attainment of Workers, March 1973 162 Work Experience of the Population in March !972 163 Employment and Unemployment in 1973 Marital and family Special Labor Force Report shows continued decline in characteristics of labor force participation rates of married men and increase in rates of married women with young children the labor force in HOWARD HAYGHE March 1973 MORE THANtwo decades of socioeconomic took place among men age 65 andover. Follow- change have chipped away at the numerically ing1963,the decline among men 65 and dominant labor force position of married men in over slowed markedly, and the rate of those 55 to relation to that of their wives. Since 1953, the 64 began trending downward. Therate of men 45 labor force participation rate for married men has to 54 did rot start to dec!ine toany appreciable gradually drifted downwardfrom 92 to 85 per- extent un':' the end of the sixties. cent in 1973- -while the rate for married women Aside rim the factor of voluntary retirement, has persistently risenfrom 26 to 42 percent. which has become morecommon among men Thus, in March 1973, for every two married men below age 65 and has undoubtedly contributedto in the labor force, one married woman was also the decline in labor force participationrates, there working. (See table I.) Ten years before, the ratio has been an increase in the proportion ofmen stood at 2.6 to 1, and 20 years earlier it was 3.5 to who report that theyare either limited in their ac- Declines in the labor force rates of marriedmen tivities or unable to work because ofhealth prob- 55 and over have been largely responsible for the lems. In 1969 and 1970, 21.1percent of all men 45 to husbands' downward trend,while married 64 years of age, compared with 8.4percent in ages women, even with preschool children, have be- 17 to 44. reported chronic health conditions,such as come more firmly attached to the labor force. heart disease, hypertension,emphysema, or This article explores the tren.ls of husbands' and psychological problems, which limited theiractiv- wives' labor force participation,as well as labor ity. The proportion ofmen 45 to 64 reporting force activity of other groups, such aswomen chronic health conditions whichprevented them heads of families and single person,. Data by race from carrying on their major activityrose from 4.5 as well as family income are also prevented. Most of percent in the period July 1965 -June 1967to 7.3 this information is based on the multi,' nationwide percent in 1969-70,2 while less than 2 percent of the survey of the marital and family characteristics of younger men in both periods were unable tocarry workers.' on their major activity. The increasing incidence of reported health Labor fence participation rates problems among older men is supported by other data. According to annual average data from the In March 1973, the 84.8-percent labor force Current Population Survey, 3.2 percent of allmen participation rate of married men, wife present, 55 to 64 said they were unable to work in 1963 was down somewhat from the year beforea because of mental or physical incapacity; 6.0 continuation of the downward trend extending percent gave that reason in1973. Also, the back more than 20 years, to the early post-World proportion of men 55 to 64 receiving disability War II period. (See table 2.) The decline in the benefits nearly doubled, rising from 4.4 percent in rate had concentrited among those 55 years and 1962 to 8.2 percent in 1972.3 While thesepercent- over. Before 1963, most of the decline in the rate ages are not in themselves definitive, they do indicate a connection between increases inre- ported health problemsamong older men and the Howard Hayghe is an econumi't in the Division of Labor decline in their labor force participationrates. Force Studies, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Further study is necessary to clarify this point. Front April 1974 21 Monthly Labor Review Reprinted with corrections and supplementary tables Reprint 2959 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 4 Bureauof Labor Statistics 22 MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW, APRIL 1974 I,ack of education has also been a factor in the than the rates for those, who had completed high decline in rates among men 55 to 64 years old. In school, as shown below: an economy which requires high educational and March MarchDe- skill levels on the part of workers, those who lack Years al school completed 1962 1973crease this "human capital'' are at a disadvantage in Elementary: 8 years or less...83.9 70.9 13.0 finding and holding a job and are more likely to High school: I to 3 years 89.1 79.3 9.8 be out of the labor force than better educated 4 years 90.6 84.9 5.7 College: Ito 3 years 89.1 83.9 5.2 persons. Thus, it is not surprising to find that the 4 years or more . 93.8 87.0 6.8 labor force participation rates for men aged 55 to :)4 without high school diplomas declined more Another factor in the declining labor force rapidly since 1962 (1963 data are not available) participation rate of husbands 55 to 64 years old Table 1.Employment status of persons 16 years old and over, by marital status, sex, and race, March 1972 and 1973 ( Numbers in thousands' March1972 March1973 Labor force Labor force Total Total noninsti- noninsti- Marital status, sex, and race tutional I otal I Unemployed tutional Total Unemployed popula- popula- tion tion Per- Employed Per- ! Per- Employed Per- Number cent of Number cent of Number cent of Number cent of pop u labor popu- labor I lation force lation force _ ALL PERSONS 78 4 46 Men.