Women in the Labor Force: A Databook (2009 Edition)

Table 25. Wives who earn more than their husbands, 1987-2007 (Numbers in thousands)
Year Families in which wives have earnings but husbands may not Families in which both wives and husbands have earnings
Married-couple families in which wife (but not necessarily husband) had earnings from work Wives who earn more than their husbands (1) Percent of wives who earn more than their husbands (1) Married-couple families in which both wife and husband had earnings from work Wives who earn more than their husbands (2) Percent of wives who earn more than their husbands (2)

1987

 32,025 7,581 23.7 29,755 5,311 17.8

1988

 32,810 7,827 23.9 30,503 5,520 18.1

1989

 33,119 8,068 24.4 30,848 5,796 18.8

1990

 33,093 8,221 24.8 30,794 5,923 19.2

1991

 33,516 8,983 26.8 30,998 6,465 20.9

1992

 33,987 9,715 28.6 31,221 6,948 22.3

1993

 34,286 10,000 29.2 31,264 6,978 22.3

1994

 35,066 10,184 29.0 32,091 7,209 22.5

1995

 34,819 9,822 28.2 32,030 7,033 22.0

1996

 35,120 10,070 28.7 32,389 7,340 22.7

1997

 35,613 10,309 28.9 32,745 7,441 22.7

1998

 35,806 10,467 29.2 32,782 7,443 22.7

1999

 36,454 10,548 28.9 33,340 7,434 22.3

2000

 37,037 11,070 29.9 33,873 7,906 23.3

2001

 36,864 11,329 30.7 33,665 8,130 24.1

2002

 36,905 11,765 31.9 33,531 8,391 25.0

2003

 36,761 11,923 32.4 33,189 8,351 25.2

2004

 36,710 11,985 32.6 33,110 8,386 25.3

2005

 37,055 12,215 33.0 33,364 8,524 25.5

2006

 37,733 12,601 33.4 33,838 8,707 25.7

2007

 37,536 12,570 33.5 33,678 8,712 25.9

Footnotes:
(1) Includes families in which husband had no earnings from work.
(2) Excludes families in which husband had no earnings from work.

NOTE: These data, collected in the Annual Social and Economic Supplement, reflect the earnings and work experience of the entire year.

 

SOURCE: Annual Social and Economic Supplements, 1988-2008, Current Population Survey, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.