September 29, 1999 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Most hours in private sector now supplied by those with more than a high school education

In 1948, most hours worked in the private sector were supplied by individuals without a high school diploma. Educational attainment has increased so much that in 1997, most hours worked were supplied by people with over 12 years of education.

[Chart data—TXT]

Men without a high school diploma accounted for 60 percent of hours worked by all men in 1948; for women, the corresponding figure was 50 percent. By 1997, the share for men without a high school diploma was only 12 percent, while for women it was 9 percent.

The share of hours worked by men with 13 or more years of education was 15 percent in 1948 and for women the corresponding share was 11 percent. As of 1997, the share for men with post-high-school education was 53 percent while for women it was 55 percent.

The data used in this article were produced by the BLS Multifactor Productivity program. Find out more in chapter 2 of Report on the American Workforce 1999 (PDF 1,037K).