November 30, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Working full time, year round at record high

A total of 147.5 million persons worked at some point during 1999, of which 65.9 percent were employed year round and full time. This percentage was up slightly from the 65.6 percent figure recorded in 1998.

[Chart data—TXT]

The proportion of workers employed year round, full time in 1999 was the highest in the 50 years since the series began. Year-round workers are employed for 50 to 52 weeks a year and full-time workers usually work 35 or more hours a week.

While the share of total workers working full time, year round increased between 1998 and 1999, the percentage of men working full time and year round dipped from 73.9 to 73.4 percent. This was more than offset by the percentage of women working full time and year round, however, which grew from 56.5 percent to 57.6 percent.

These data are from the March Supplement to the Current Population Survey. Learn more in "Work Experience of the Population in 1999," news release USDL 00-333.