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

Table 20. Employed persons by full- and part-time status and sex, 1970-2008 annual averages (Numbers in thousands)
Year Percent distribution by employment status
Total Usually full time (1) Usually part time (2) Percent usually full time Percent usually part time
Total, both, sexes

1970

 78,678 66,753 11,925 84.8 15.2

1971

 79,367 66,973 12,393 84.4 15.6

1972 (3)

 82,153 69,214 12,939 84.3 15.7

1973 (3)

 85,064 71,803 13,262 84.4 15.6

1974

 86,794 73,093 13,701 84.2 15.8

1975

 85,846 71,586 14,260 83.4 16.6

1976

 88,752 73,964 14,788 83.3 16.7

1977

 92,017 76,625 15,391 83.3 16.7

1978 (3)

 96,048 80,193 15,855 83.5 16.5

1979

 98,824 82,654 16,171 83.6 16.4

1980

 99,303 82,562 16,740 83.1 16.9

1981

 100,397 83,243 17,154 82.9 17.1

1982

 99,526 81,421 18,106 81.8 18.2

1983

 100,834 82,322 18,511 81.6 18.4

1984

 105,005 86,544 18,462 82.4 17.6

1985

 107,150 88,534 18,615 82.6 17.4

1986 (3)

 109,597 90,529 19,069 82.6 17.4

1987

 112,440 92,957 19,483 82.7 17.3

1988

 114,968 95,214 19,754 82.8 17.2

1989

 117,342 97,369 19,973 83.0 17.0

1990 (3)

 118,793 98,666 20,128 83.1 16.9

1991

 117,718 97,190 20,528 82.6 17.4

1992

 118,492 97,664 20,828 82.4 17.6

1993

 120,259 99,114 21,145 82.4 17.6

1994 (3)

 123,060 99,772 23,288 81.1 18.9

1995

 124,900 101,679 23,220 81.4 18.6

1996

 126,708 103,537 23,170 81.7 18.3

1997 (3)

 129,558 106,334 23,224 82.1 17.9

1998 (3)

 131,463 108,202 23,261 82.3 17.7

1999 (3)

 133,488 110,302 23,186 82.6 17.4

2000 (3)

 136,891 113,846 23,044 83.2 16.8

2001

 136,933 113,573 23,361 82.9 17.1

2002

 136,485 112,700 23,785 82.6 17.4

2003 (3)

 137,736 113,324 24,412 82.3 17.7

2004

 139,252 114,518 24,734 82.2 17.8

2005

 141,730 117,016 24,714 82.6 17.4

2006

 144,427 119,688 24,739 82.9 17.1

2007

 146,047 121,091 24,956 82.9 17.1

2008 (3)

 145,362 120,030 25,332 82.6 17.4
Women

1970

 29,688 21,929 7,758 73.9 26.1

1971

 29,976 21,950 8,026 73.2 26.8

1972 (3)

 31,257 22,842 8,416 73.1 26.9

1973 (3)

 32,715 23,960 8,756 73.2 26.8

1974

 33,769 24,714 9,055 73.2 26.8

1975

 33,989 24,598 9,391 72.4 27.6

1976

 35,615 25,814 9,799 72.5 27.5

1977

 37,289 27,076 10,213 72.6 27.4

1978 (3)

 39,569 28,912 10,658 73.1 26.9

1979

 41,217 30,227 10,990 73.3 26.7

1980

 42,117 30,845 11,270 73.2 26.8

1981

 43,000 31,337 11,664 72.9 27.1

1982

 43,256 31,086 12,170 71.9 28.1

1983

 44,047 31,679 12,367 71.9 28.1

1984

 45,915 33,473 12,441 72.9 27.1

1985

 47,259 34,672 12,587 73.4 26.6

1986 (3)

 48,706 35,845 12,862 73.6 26.4

1987

 50,334 37,210 13,124 73.9 26.1

1988

 51,696 38,398 13,298 74.3 25.7

1989

 53,027 39,484 13,544 74.5 25.5

1990 (3)

 53,689 40,165 13,524 74.8 25.2

1991

 53,496 39,783 13,713 74.4 25.6

1992

 54,052 40,301 13,751 74.6 25.4

1993

 54,910 40,991 13,919 74.7 25.3

1994 (3)

 56,610 40,940 15,670 72.3 27.7

1995

 57,523 41,743 15,779 72.6 27.4

1996

 58,501 42,776 15,725 73.1 26.9

1997 (3)

 59,873 44,076 15,797 73.6 26.4

1998 (3)

 60,771 45,014 15,757 74.1 25.9

1999 (3)

 62,042 46,372 15,670 74.7 25.3

2000 (3)

 63,586 47,916 15,670 75.4 24.6

2001

 63,737 47,950 15,788 75.2 24.8

2002

 63,582 47,494 16,088 74.7 25.3

2003 (3)

 64,404 47,946 16,459 74.4 25.6

2004

 64,728 48,073 16,654 74.3 25.7

2005

 65,757 49,158 16,598 74.8 25.2

2006

 66,925 50,380 16,545 75.3 24.7

2007

 67,792 51,056 16,736 75.3 24.7

2008 (3)

 67,876 51,178 16,698 75.4 24.6
Men

1970

 48,990 44,825 4,166 91.5 8.5

1971

 49,390 45,023 4,367 91.2 8.8

1972 (3)

 50,896 46,373 4,523 91.1 8.9

1973 (3)

 52,349 47,843 4,507 91.4 8.6

1974

 53,024 48,378 4,646 91.2 8.8

1975

 51,857 46,988 4,870 90.6 9.4

1976

 53,138 48,150 4,988 90.6 9.4

1977

 54,728 49,551 5,178 90.5 9.5

1978 (3)

 56,479 51,281 5,198 90.8 9.2

1979

 57,607 52,427 5,180 91.0 9.0

1980

 57,186 51,717 5,471 90.4 9.6

1981

 57,397 51,906 5,492 90.4 9.6

1982

 56,271 50,334 5,937 89.4 10.6

1983

 56,787 50,643 6,145 89.2 10.8

1984

 59,091 53,070 6,020 89.8 10.2

1985

 59,891 53,862 6,028 89.9 10.1

1986 (3)

 60,892 54,685 6,207 89.8 10.2

1987

 62,107 55,746 6,360 89.8 10.2

1988

 63,273 56,816 6,457 89.8 10.2

1989

 64,315 57,885 6,430 90.0 10.0

1990 (3)

 65,104 58,501 6,604 89.9 10.1

1991

 64,223 57,407 6,815 89.4 10.6

1992

 64,440 57,363 7,077 89.0 11.0

1993

 65,349 58,123 7,226 88.9 11.1

1994 (3)

 66,450 58,832 7,617 88.5 11.5

1995

 67,377 59,936 7,441 89.0 11.0

1996

 68,207 60,762 7,445 89.1 10.9

1997 (3)

 69,685 62,258 7,427 89.3 10.7

1998 (3)

 70,693 63,189 7,504 89.4 10.6

1999 (3)

 71,446 63,930 7,516 89.5 10.5

2000 (3)

 73,305 65,930 7,375 89.9 10.1

2001

 73,196 65,623 7,573 89.7 10.3

2002

 72,903 65,205 7,697 89.4 10.6

2003 (3)

 73,332 65,379 7,953 89.2 10.8

2004

 74,524 66,444 8,080 89.2 10.8

2005

 75,973 67,858 8,115 89.3 10.7

2006

 77,502 69,307 8,194 89.4 10.6

2007

 78,254 70,035 8,220 89.5 10.5

2008 (3)

 77,486 68,853 8,634 88.9 11.1

Footnotes:
(1) Prior to 1994, total includes persons who usually work part-time but who worked 35 or more hours during the reference week; for 1994 and later years, such persons were included in the part-time total. In all years, the total includes those who usually work full time but who worked less than 35 hours during the reference week for noneconomic reasons, such as illness or holiday, and those absent from work for the entire reference week who usually work full time. These groups are not shown separately.
(2) For all years, total includes those who usually work less than 35 hours a week but who were absent from work for the entire reference week and for 1994 and later years, those who worked 35 or more hours during the reference week. These groups are not shown separately.
(3) The comparability of historical labor force data has been affected at various times by methodological and conceptual changes in the Current Population Survey (CPS). For an explanation, see the Historical Comparability documentation provided at www.bls.gov/cps/eetech_methods.pdf.

SOURCE: Current Population Survey, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.