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Work and Poverty in the United States

See also Work and Poverty in Illinois and Work and Poverty in Chicago.

The U.S. Department of Labor

DOL is made up of several bureaus (see http://www.dol.gov/dol/public/agencies/agency.htm for a list). Two of these are listed below.

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) homepage has a search button allowing you to search all sub-pages on this site or specific sub-pages. There are also tips for conducting an effective search.

  The BLS Data page includes data reports, news releases, data sets, and an FTP site for more complicated data. There is a brief introduction and a help button for each type of information/data offered at this site.

• On the Women's Bureau (WB) homepage, a search button lets you search the entire site or specific pages and files. Help on how to conduct an effective search is available.

The U.S. Census Bureau

• The U.S. Census Bureau homepage offers several options: a user manual, a search function, and a subject index. On-line help is available at every step, explaining how to start a search, how to search more effectively, and what tools are available.

• The Current Population Survey (CPS) is "a monthly survey of about 50,000 households conducted by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This survey has been conducted for more than 50 years.

  "Estimates obtained from the CPS include employment, unemployment, earnings, hours of work, and other indicators. They are available by a variety of demographic characteristics including age, sex, race, marital status, and educational attainment. They are also available by occupation, industry, and class of worker. Supplemental questions to produce estimates on a variety of topics including school enrollment, income, previous work experience, health, employee benefits, and work schedules are also often added to the regular CPS questionnaire."

  The CPS page includes a search button that offers several different ways to search the site. The options are explained, and help is provided for each.

Women's Participation in the Labor Market

• Analytical research and data publications (some gender information; no regional information).
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/pubanlys.htm

• Detailed Tables About People's Annual Work Experience; includes information on gender, race/ethnicity.
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/pubanwex.htm

• Employment Data links to several data sets, with information on gender, age, and ethnicity/race, including employment status, characteristics of the employed, union affiliation data, and employee absences data.
  http://ferret.bls.census.gov/macro/171996/empearn/toc.htm

• Employment Characteristics of Families: 1996 (rel. June 1997)
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/famee_0697.htm

• College Enrollment and Work Activity of 1995 High School Graduates
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/hsgec_1095.htm

• Non-Traditional and Contingent Workers; includes information on gender, age, ethnicity/race, and full-time/part-time status.
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/conemp_0294.htm

• Participation in Union/Organized Labor; includes information on gender, age, ethnicity/race, and employment status
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/pubunion.htm

• Worker Displacement During the Early 1990's (revised October 1996); includes info on gender, age, ethnicity/race.
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/disp_0294.htm

• Employee Tenure in the Mid 1990's (rel. January 1997); includes information on gender and age.
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/tenure_0296.htm

• Women's Jobs 1964-1996: More Than 30 Years of Progress
  http://www.dol.gov/dol/wb/public/jobs6496.htm

• 20 Leading Occupations for Women in 1997 (updated 2-26-98)
  http://www.dol.gov/dol/wb/public/wb_pubs/20lead97.htm

• Nontraditional Occupations for Women in 1997 (updated 3-4-98)
  http://www.dol.gov/dol/wb/public/wb_pubs/nontra97.htm

Women Entrepreneurs

Office of Small Business Programs
http://www.dol.gov/dol/osbp/

• Text-only site
  http://www.dol.gov/dol/osbp/welcome_txt.htm

• Search engine
  http://www.dol.gov/dol/osbp/public/search/schall.htm

• Commission on the Future of Worker-Management Relations: "Fact Finding Report" (May 1994): Executive Summary
  http://www2.dol.gov/dol/osbp/public/pubs/execsumf.htm

National Foundation for Women Business Owners
http://www.nfwbo.org/
The National Foundation for Women Business Owners (NFWBO) is a nonprofit research and leadership development foundation. NFWBO is recognized as the premier source of information and intelligence on women business owners and their enterprises by corporations, policy makers, financial institutions and the media. Below are listed some of their press releases. (Full reports must be bought from NFWBO.)

• "Minority Women-Owned Firms Thriving"
• "Women Entrepreneurs Embrace the Internet and Information Technology"
• "Women Business Owners Give Priority to Retirement Plans"

U.S. Small Business Administration
Office of Advocacy - Women in Business
http://citrus.sbaonline.sba.gov:80/ADVO/stats/wib.html

Careers/Compensation

Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration
http://www.dol.gov/dol/pwba/

• QDROs: The Division of Pensions through Qualified Domestic Relations Orders
  http://www.dol.gov/dol/pwba/public/pubs/qdro.htm

• Women and Pensions: What Women Need to Know and Do
  http://www.dol.gov/dol/pwba/public/pubs/women/women.htm

Employment and Training Administration
http://www.doleta.gov/

Women's Bureau Fair Pay Clearing House
Fact sheets on women in the workplace
http://www.dol.gov/dol/wb/public/labor_data/main.htm

• Child Care Workers
• Hiring Someone to Work in your Home
• Outlook On Women Veterans
• Hot Jobs For The 21st Century
• 20 Leading Occupations for Women in 1996
• Nontraditional Occupations for Women in 1996
• Black Women in the Labor Force
• 20 Facts on Women Workers
• Women of Hispanic Origin in the Labor Force
• Earnings Differences Between Women and Men
• Women Who Maintain Families

Current Population Survey
http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/cpsmain.htm

• Census Data on Employment and Earnings
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/pubearn.htm

• Employment and Earnings Characteristics of Families: Fourth Quarter 1993 (some gender information)
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/famee_1293.htm

• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers: Second Quarter (1996 earnings by ethnicity/race and gender)
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/wkyeng_2q96.htm

• Employment and Earnings Data
  http://ferret.bls.census.gov/macro/171996/empearn/toc.htm
  Links to several data sets with information on gender, age, ethnicity/race, and age, including:
• Employment status
• Characteristics of the Employed
• Characteristics of the Unemployed
• Persons Not in the Labor Force
• Weekly Earnings Data
• Union Affiliation Data
• Employee Absences Data

Detailed Tables on Health Insurance Coverage (includes information on gender, age, ethnicity/race, and education)
http://ferret.bls.census.gov/macro/031996/health/toc.htm

Women's Earnings as Percent of Men's, 1979-1997
http://www.dol.gov/dol/wb/public/wb_pubs/7996.htm

Women as a proportion of employed scientists and engineers, by sector of employment: 1995
http://www.nsf.gov:80/sbe/srs/seind98/c3/fig03-07.htm
From the National Science Foundation.

Proportion of women in the Science and Engineering workforce, by broad occupation: 1995
http://www.nsf.gov:80/sbe/srs/seind98/c3/fig03-06.htm
From the National Science Foundation.

Work and Child Care

"What Works!: The Final Working Women Count Honor Roll Report"
http://www.dol.gov/dol/wb/honor.htm
"Reflects the commitment of organizations across the United States who have heard what working women say they need - better pay and benefits, balance between work and family responsibilities, and more respect and opportunity on the job - and responded!"

Care Around the Clock: Developing Child Care Resources Before 9 and After 5
http://www.dol.gov/dol/wb/public/media/reports/care.htm
Directory of Non-Traditional Training and Employment Programs Serving Women

Welfare/Poverty

The U.S. Census Poverty Page will point you in a number of directions, including statistics, tables, general information, and a search tool to further specify your search interests.

Current Population Survey (CPS) Publications
http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/pubtopic.htm

• Poverty general page on poverty in the U.S.
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/pubpov.htm

• Regional, state, and area trends (no gender data)
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/pubarea.htm

• Analytical research and data publications (some info on gender, not region)
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/pubanlys.htm

• Employment and Earnings Data
  http://ferret.bls.census.gov/macro/171996/empearn/toc.htm
  Links to several data sets, including information on gender, age, and ethnicity/race; includes characteristics of the unemployed, persons not in the labor force.

• Detailed Tables on Poverty for 1996 include information on gender, age, ethnicity/race, and household relationship.
  http://ferret.bls.census.gov/macro/031997/pov/toc.htm

• Detailed Tables on Poverty for 1995 include information on gender, age, ethnicity/race, and household relationship.
  http://ferret.bls.census.gov/macro/031996/pov/toc.htm

• Detailed Tables on Poverty for 1994 include information on gender, age, ethnicity/race, and household relationship.
  http://ferret.bls.census.gov/macro/031995/pov/toc.htm

• Press Release on 1996 Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Estimates (Rel. September 1997)
  http://ferret.bls.census.gov/macro/031995/pov/toc.htm

• Employment Characteristics of Families: 1996 (Rel. June 1997)
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/famee_0697.htm

• College Enrollment and Work Activity of 1995 High School Graduates
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/hsgec_1095.htm

• Detailed Tables on Family Income for 1994 - 1996 include info on gender, age, ethnicity/race, type of family, and location.
  http://ferret.bls.census.gov/macro/031997/faminc/toc.htm

• Detailed Person Income Tables for 1994 - 1996 include info on gender, age, ethnicity/race
  http://ferret.bls.census.gov/macro/031997/perinc/toc.htm

• Detailed Tables About People's Annual Work Experience includes info on gender, race/ethnicity
  http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/pubanwex.htm

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
http://stats.bls.gov/datahome.htm

• Employment and Unemployment some info on gender
  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm#OEUS

• Employment Characteristics of Families: 1996 some info on gender
  http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/famee.toc.htm

Children's Defense Fund report "Welfare to What?" http://www.childrensdefense.org/fairstart_welfare2what.html
CDF and the National Coalition for the Homeless have released a joint report showing that, although more families are moving from welfare to work, many of them are faring worse than before. Many former recipients lack food, needed medical care, and stable housing. Among recipients who find jobs, 71 percent earn below the three-person poverty level ($250 per week). The 67-page report, titled Welfare to What?: Early Findings on Family Hardship and Well-Being compiles more than 30 state and local studies and presents new national and local findings. While highlighting many positive state programs, the report also catalogs troubling state practices that cause families to move from welfare to worse.

Economic Research Service Report -- Changes in the Social and Economic Status of Women by Metro - Nonmetro Residence
http://www.econ.ag.gov:80/epubs/pdf/aib732/

Policy

United States Department of Labor: Laws and Regulations
http://www.dol.gov/dol/public/regs/main.htm
Laws, regulations and statutes concerning labor.

Organizations for General Information

OSHA Workplace Injury and Illness Statistics
http://www.osha.gov/oshstats/bls/work.html
Occupational Safety and Health Administration data on workplace injuries and illnesses. Some reports are in Adobe Acrobat .pdf files. (NOTE: You may need to download and install Adobe Acrobat to be able to access some documents.)