April 30, 2002 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

One in 7 work evening, night, other shifts

In May 2001, about 14.5 million full-time wage and salary workers, 14.5 percent of the total, usually worked an alternate shift. The proportion on alternate shift schedules had fallen from 18.0 percent in May 1991.

[Chart data—TXT]

By type of shift, 4.8 percent of the total worked evening shifts, 3.3 percent worked night shifts, 2.8 percent worked employer-arranged irregular schedules, and 2.3 percent worked rotating shifts. 

Men were more likely than women to work an alternate shift (16.4 percent and 12.1 percent, respectively). Blacks were more likely than either whites or Hispanics to work such shifts. 

These data were collected in a May 2001 supplement to the Current Population Survey. Learn more about flexible work schedules in "Workers on Flexible and Shift Schedules in 2001," USDL news release 02-225.