February 1, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Nearly two-thirds of workers are employed year round, full time

Of the 144.8 million persons who worked at some point in 1998, 65.6 percent were employed year round and full time. This was up from 64.2 percent in 1997.

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The proportion of workers who were employed both year round and full time in 1998 was the highest it has been in the nearly 50 years in which the data have been collected. Year-round workers are employed for 50 to 52 weeks a year and full-time workers usually work 35 or more hours a week.

Among men who worked in 1998, close to three-quarters—73.9 percent—were employed year round and full time, compared to 71.7 percent in 1997. Among women workers, 56.5 percent were employed year round and full time in 1998, compared to 55.8 percent in the previous year.

These data are from the March Supplement to the Current Population Survey. Learn more in "Work Experience of the Population in 1998," news release USDL 00-22.