# Presentation: 924531

**Shinae Chun ****Director **
**Contact:  **_[Chun.Shinae@dol.gov](mailto:Chun.Shinae@dol.gov)_
- _[www.dol.gov/wb](http://www.dol.gov/wb)_
**Work-Life Balance in the United States**
**Presentation for the **
**International Symposium on Measures for Society with Decreasing Birthrate**
**Japan**
**October 1-4, 2008**

** **

**U.S. Department of Labor****        Women's Bureau**

## Women as a Percent of the Total U.S. Labor Force, 1974-2016

- Source:  Bureau of Labor Statistics

## Women’s Labor Force Participation Rates, 1950-2020

**(Percent)**

***Women***

- Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

## Labor Force Participation of Women with Children

- Source:  Bureau of Labor Statistics

## Number Of Women Employed Full-Time And Part-Time In The United States: 1970-2007

- (Thousands of people)

- Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

## 2007 American Time Use Survey

_**Household Activities**_**	****	**_**Women**_**	****  **_**Men**_
- Housework, for example,
- cleaning and laundry		   52%	    20%
- Food preparation or cleanup	  	   64%	    37%
- Childcare per day in households
- with youngest child under age 6 	   9.3 hrs.           5.5 hrs.

- Source:  Bureau of Labor Statistics

##  Generation X
 1965-1977 – 51 million

First generation where large numbers of mothers entered the workforce.

Embrace technology

Want workplace flexibility

** ****1965-1977 – 51 million**
- First generation where large numbers of mothers entered the workforce.
- Embrace technology
- Want workplace flexibility

** ****Generation Y**
-  **1978-2000 – 76 million**
- The Internet Generation
- Most high-performing, high-maintenance workforce
- Want marriage and family and lots of workplace flexibility

## Listening Sessions  for Generation X Women

- Women’s Bureau funded
- Question:  What do you want/need most between now and 2020?
- “Flexibility is our most important issue.”

## Percentage of Full-Time Workers with Flexible Schedules, 2004

- Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

- Source:  Bureau of Labor Statistics

## WB Flex-Options Program

*Flextime*

*Compressed *
*Workweeks*

*Part-Time*

*Job Sharing*

*Telecommuting*

*Informal and Ad Hoc Flexibility*

***Flex-Options***

***Enhance and Improve***

## Flex-Options

**Project Goal**
- To encourage business owners to develop workplace flexibility policies and procedures, such as telecommuting, job sharing, and compressed work-weeks.
- Corporate executives and workplace flexibility experts establish one-on-one mentoring relationships with business owners to teach them how to develop flexible work policies.

**www.flexoptions.org**

- Women Entrepreneurs Inc. manages Web site

- Best practices are shared online and via teleconference calls featuring experienced professionals and leaders in the flexible workplace field.

## Businesses Reap Bottom Line Benefits 

## Challenges and Opportunity Meet

- Gas prices are escalating
- Expectations of Gen Xers and Yers
- Traffic congestion
- Elder and child care needs
- Health and wellness priorities

## WB Flex in the City 

***Flex in the City, Houston, Texas***
***May 13, 2008***
- The WB and the City of Houston Mayor’s Office  hosted a conference.

***Flex in the City, Atlanta,  Georgia***
***Launched***
*** ******April 2008***
- The WB, City of Atlanta
- Mayor’s Office, and Governor’s Clean Air Campaign are hosting the Atlanta Flex-Options Initiative.

## Employer Recognition Programs	

- 	**Working Mother Magazine’s**
** ****10 Best Employers for Working Mothers**
- 	1.  Baptist Health South Florida
- 	2.  Booz Allen Hamilton
- 	3.  Ernst & Young
-   	4.  General Mills
- 	5.  IBM
- 	6.  KPMG
- 	7.  The McGraw-Hill Companies
- 	8.  PricewaterhouseCoopers
- 	9.  UBS
- 	10.Wachovia