NEGRO WOMEN ... 

in the Population and 

in the Labor Force 

Y u.s. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

1m WAGE AND LABOR STANDARDS ADM I N ISTRAT ION 

~ December 1967 

/ 

7 

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NEGRO WOMEN ... 

in the Population and 

in the Labor Force 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Willard Wirtz, Secretary 

WAGE AND LABOR STANDARDS ADMINISTRATION 

Esther Peterson, Administrator 

WOMEN'S BUREAU 

Mary Dublin Keyserling, Director 

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The Negro Population • • • • • 

Education . • . . . • • • . • • 

CONTENTS 

Negro Women and Their Families • • • • • • • • • • • 

Paverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . • . 

Negro Women Workers •••••• • • • • •• • • • • 

Working Wives' Contribution to Family Income. 

Working Mothers •••••••••• • • • • • • • • • • 

Child Care Arrangements •• • • • • • • • • • • • • 

Educational Attainment and Employment Status • 

. . . . 

Occupations ••••• 

Unemployment • • • • • 

Wage or Salary Income 

Minimum Wage Coverage 

Appendix--Chart sources 

. . . . . . . . . . 

Charts 

A. Educational Attainment of the Population, by Race and Sex, 

1 

1 

3 

3 

3 

5 

6 

6 

8 

8 

9 

11 

11 

41 

March 1966 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 2 

B. Families Living in Poverty in 1965, by Type of Family and 

Color, March 1966 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4 

C. Wives' Contribution to Nonfarm Family Income in 1965, by 

Color, March 1966 •• • • • • • • • • • • 7 

D. Unemployment Rates, by Sex, Color, and Age, 1954-66 10 

E. Median Wage or Salary Income of Year-Round Full-Time Workers, 

by Sex and Color, 1939 and 1955-65 • • • • •• • • • • 12 

F. Percent Increase in the Wage or Salary Income of Year-Round 

Full-Time Workers, by Sex and Color, for Selected Periods 

From 1939 to 1965 ••••••••• • • • • • • • • • 13 

iii 

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Tables 

1. Negro Population, by Age and Sex, 1966, 1960, and 1950 • • • 15 

2. Population, by Race, Farm or Nonfarm Residence, and Metropolitan or Nonmetropolitan Area, 1966, 1960, and 1950 16 

3. Educational Attainment of the Population, by Race and Sex, 

March 1966 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 17 

4. School Enrollment of the Population, by Age, Race, and Sex, 

October 1966 . . · . . . 18 

5. School Enrollment, by Level of School, Race, and Sex, 

Oc tober 1966 . . . . . . . . . . . · . . . . . . . . . 19 

6. Marital Status of Women in the Civilian Population, by Race, 

March 1966 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 20 

7. Families, by Type of Family and Race, March 1966 • 

8. Families Living in Poverty in 1965, by Type of Family and 

Color, March 1966 • • • • • • • • • • • • 

9. Employment Status of the Civilian Population, by Sex and 

Race, March 1966 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 

10. Employment Status of the Civilian Population, by Sex and 

Color, 1960 and 1950 ••••••••••••• 

11. Women in the Civilian Labor Force, by Age and Race, 

March 1966 . . • • . ,. . • . • . • . • . • . . . • 

12. Marital Status of Negro Women in the Civilian Labor Force, 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

March 1966 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 26 

13. Negro Husband-Wife Families, by Total Family Money Income in 

1965 and Labor Force Participation of Wife, March 1966 • • 27 

14. Nonwhite Husband-Wife Couples in the Population, by Income 

of Husband in 1965 and Labor Force Participation of Wife, 

March 1966 . • • • • • • • • • • • · . . . . . . . . . 15. Wives r Contribution to Nonfarm Family Income in 1965, by 

Color, March 1966 .••••••••••••••••• 

iv 

28 

29 

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16. Mothers in the Population and Labor Force, by Marital Status, 

Ages of Children, and Color, March 1966 ••••• • • 30 

17. Child Care Arrangements of Working Mothers With Children 

Under 14 Years of Age, by Ages of Children and Color, 

February 1965 •••••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • 32 

18. Labor Force Participation Rates of Women, by Educational 

Attainment and Race, March 1966 ••••••••••• 34 

19. Median Years of School Completed, by Employment Status, Sex, 

and Color, Selected Years, 1952-66 • • • • • • • • • • • 35 

20. Major Occupational Groups of Employed Negro Women and Men, 

March 1966 . • • • • . • . . . • • • • • • • • . • • • . 36 

21. Major Occupational Groups of Employed Nonwhite Women and Men, 

1960 and 1950 • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 37 

22. Unemployment Rates, by Sex, Color, and Age, Selected Years, 

1954-66 ••••••••••••••••••••• 38 

23. Unemployment Rates, by Educational Attainment, Race, and Sex, 

March 1966 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 39 

24. Median Wage or Salary Income of Year-Round Full-Time Workers, 

by Sex and Color, 1939 and 1955-65 • • • • • • • • • • • •• 40 

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NEGRO WOMEN IN THE POPULATION 

AND IN THE LABOR FORCE 

The Negro Population 

The Negro population totaled 21,508,000 in 1966. (Table 1) 

Slightly more than half (52 percent) were females. About twothirds of both the females and males were under 35 years of age. 

The median (half above, half below) age of Negro women, however, 

was higher than that of Negro men--22 years as compared with 20 

years. In 1950 the median age was 26 years for both Negro women 

and men. 

More than 9 out of 10 Negroes in the population were nonfarm 

residents in 1966, as they were in 1960. (Table 2) In contrast, 

only about 8 out of 10 were nonfarm residents in 1950. In recent 

years the concentration of Negroes in central city areas has increased--from 43 percent in 1950 to 56 percent in 1966. The 

proportion of the Negro population living in metropolitan areas 

outside the central city remained virtually unchanged during this 

period. In contrast, the proportion of the white population living in central city areas decreased from 34 to 27 percent, while 

the proportion living in metropolitan areas outside the central 

city increased from 26 to 37 percent. 

Education 

Negro women have, on the average, slightly more schooling than 

Negro men. (Chart A and Table 3) The median years of school completed by Negro women 18 years of age and over in March 1966 was 

10.1; by Negro men, 9.4. White women and men had completed, on the 

average, 12.2 and 12.0 years of schooling, respectively. 

Relatively fewer Negro women than men had completed 8 years or 

less of schooling--40 percent as compared with 47 percent. On the 

other hand, the percentages of women and men who had completed 4 or 

more years of college were almost identical--3.2 and 3.3 percent, 

respectively. 

Recent school enrollment figures present a more favorable picture for the Negro population as a whole and particularly for Negro 

men and boys. In October 1966 the proportion of the Negro population 5 to 34 years of age who were enrolled in school was almost 

identical with that of the total population of that age group. 

Moreover, a larger proportion of Negro males than females was enrolled in school--63 percent as compared with 57 percent. (Table 4) 

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Chart A. Educational Attainment of the Population, 

by Race and Sex, March 1966 

(Persons 18 years of age and over) 

PERCENT 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

a WHITE NEGRO WHITE NEGRO 

WOMEN 

Ylncludes persons reporting no school years completed. 

MEN 

SOURCE: See Appendix. 

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l~fftfl 

COLLEGE 

(4 years or more) 

COLLEGE 

(1 to 3 years) 

HIGH 

~ SCHOOL 

(4 years) 

HIGH 

~ SCHOOL 

(1 to 3 years) 

RiA 

ELEMENTARY 

SCHOOL 

(8 years or less)1I 

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The difference was particularly marked among boys and girls 18 and 

19 years old--46 percent of the Negro boys but only 30 percent of the 

Negro girls of this age were attending school. At ages 20 to 24, Negro 

men were almost twice as likely as Negro women to be enrolled--ll and 

6 percent, respectively. 

A comparison of Negro male and female students by level of school 

attended shows an almost i.dentical distribution, with more than 7 out 

of 10 attending elementary school or kindergarten. (Table 5) A 

slightly smaller proportion of Negro girls (4 percent) than boys 

(5 percent) was enrolled in college. 

Negro Women and Their Families 

There were 6,273,000 Negro women 18 years of age and over in the 

population in March 1966. (Table 6) More than half (52 percent) were 

married and living with their husbands. About a third were widowed, 

divorced, or separated from their husbands. This was true of only a 

fifth of the white women. 

Negro families numbered 4,426,000 in !-Iarch 1966. (Table 7) 

One-fourth of these families were headed by a woman, as compared 

with less than one-tenth of white families. The average Negro 

family was larger (4.4 members) than the average white family 

(3.6 members). 

Poverty 

Nearly 4 out of 10 or 1,871,000 nonwhite families were living 

in poverty in 1965.11 (Table 8) (Comparable data for Negro families are not available.) This compares with a poverty ratio of 

about lout of 10 in white families. The likelihood of poverty is 

even greater among nonwhite families headed by a woman. In 1965, 

62 percent of the 1,132,000 nonwhite families headed by a woman 

were poor. (Chart B) Of the 3,860,000 white families headed by 

a woman, 30 percent were poor. 

Negro Women Workers 

The proportion of Negro women who are working or seeking work 

is increasing. Half of the Negro women 18 years of age and over 

were in the labor force in March 1966. (Table 9) Figures for 1950 

and 1960, while not strictly comparable since they refer to nonwhite 

1/ Based on the Social Security Administration poverty-income 

standard which tqkes into account family size, composition, and place 

of residence. The index currently used classifies as poor those households where total money income is less than $1,570 for an unrelated 

individual, $2,030 for a couple, and $3,200 for a family of four. 

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Chart B. Families Living in Poverty in 1965, 

by Type of Family and Color, March 1966 .!I 

FAMILIES WITH A MALE HEAD 

WHITE FAMILIES 

(39,636,000) 

NONWHITE FAMILIES 

(3,650,000) 

FAMILIES WITH A FEMALE HEAD 

WHITE FAMILIES 

(3,860,000) 

POOR 4im 

YPreliminary data. 

SOURCE: See Appendix. 

- l~ _ 

NONWHITE FAMILIES 

(1,132,000) 

NONPOOR &...1 _-I 

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women 18 years of age and over, show that the proportions in the labor 

force were 40 and 45 percent, respectively. (Table 10) White women 

18 years of age and over are less likely to be in the labor force than 

are Negro or nonwhite women. The labor force participation rate of 

white women rose from 29 percent in 1950 to 35 percent in 1960 and to 

39 percent in 1966. 

More than half of all Negro women 25 to 54 years of age were working or seeking work in March 1966. (Table 11) Labor force participation 

was higher for Negro women 25 to 34 years of age (50 percent) than for 

those 18 to 24 years of age (47 percent). Among all women, on the other 

hand, labor force participation was lower for those 25 to 34 years than 

for those under 25 years. It was also lower among all women for those 

25 to 34 years than for those 35 to 64 years of age. Highest labor 

force participation among Negro women was 63 percent in the 35- to 44-

year age group. But among all women, the highest labor force participation was 51 percent in the 45- to 54-year age group. 

Half of all Negro women workers 18 years of age and over were 

married and living with their husbands in March 1966. (Table 12) 

About a third (34 percent) were widowed, divorced, or separated from 

their husbands. Only 15 percent were Single. The labor force participation rate for married women (48 percent) was almost the same as for 

those who were widowed, divorced, or separated (49 percent). 

Working Wives' Contribution to Family Income 

The contribution made by Negro working wives to family income is 

substantial. Nearly half of all wives in Negro husband-wife families 

were in the paid labor _force in March 1966. (Table 13) The distribution of these families by family income shows that if the wife worked, 

the family was half as likely to have income below poverty levels II 

as when she did not--l9 percent as compared with 37 percent. Moreover, 

the wife's earnings in many instances bring the family income above 

~he level of modest adequacy (estimated at an annual income of $7,000 

or more). In 1965 more than twice as high a proportion of Negro 

husband-wife families had income~ of $7,000 or more when the wife 

worked (37 percent) than when she did not (16 percent). 

Another measure of the contribution of working wives is the number and distribution of husband-wife couples according to the income 

of the husband alone. About 1,500,000 or 42 percent of all nonwhite 

husband-wife couples would have been living in poverty in 1965 if 

they had depended solely on the husband's income which was less than 

~I In this discussion, families with incomes of less than $3,000 

a year were considered to be living in poverty. 

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$3,000 a year. (Table 14) (Data are not available for Negro couples.) 

But when the wife in Negro husband-wife families was an earner, only 

19 percent or less than 300,000 families had incomes below poverty 

levels in 1965. (Table 13) 

In nonfarm families the earnings of nonwhite wives accounted for 

a slightly larger share of family income in 1965 than did the earnings 

of white wives--25.l percent as compared with 23.6 percent. (Chart C 

and Table 15) Among nonwhite wives, 58 percent contributed 20 percent 

or more of the family income, 43 percent contributed 30 percent or more, 

and 27 percent contributed 40 percent or more. The comparable percentages for nonfarm white wives were 56 percent, 40 percent, and 24 percent, 

respectively. 

Horking Mothers 

Information is not available on the number of Negro mothers who 

are in the labor force. However, the tendency of Negro mothers to 

seek paid employment is illustrated by recent figures on nonwhite 

mothers. In March 1966, 1,460,000 nonwhite mothers with children 

under 18 years of age were in the labor force. (Table 16) They represented 48 percent of all nonwhite mothers with children of this age. 

Nonwhite mothers who are widowed, divorced, or separated are more 

likely to work than are those living with their husbands. Their labor 

force participation rates were 54 and 45 percent, respectively, in 

Harch 1966. Many nonwhite mothers with young children (under 6 years 

of age) are in the labor force. Such mothers numbered 723,000 in 

March 1966 and constituted 40 percent of all nonwhite mothers with 

young children. 

White mothers are less likely to work than are nonwhite mothers. 

Among white women with children under 18 years of age, 34 percent l-Tere 

in the labor force in March 1966; among those with children under 6, 

24 percent were working or seeking work. 

Child Care Arrangements 

Horking mothers (both white and nonwhite), most of whom work 

because of economic need, often find it difficult to secure adequate 

day care for their children. Of the 12.3 million children. under 14 

years of age in February 1965 whose mothers worked for 27 -;eeks" or 

more in 1964, the largest proportion were cared for in their own home, 

usually by their father or another relative. (Table 17) This was 

true for both the 10.1 million white children (46 percent) and the 

2.2 million nonwhite children (44 percent). Nonwhite children were 

cared for more frequently in someone else's home (22 percent) than 

were white (15 percent). About 10 percent of all nonwhite and 8 percent of all white children looked after themselves; among those 12 or 

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PERCENT 

Chart C. Wives' Contribution to Nonfarm Family Income in 1965, 

by Color, March 1966 

50.--------------------------------------------------------~ 

44.5 ~ WHITE 

V7T?';"77777.i1 4 2 .3 ~ ••• c •• c •• '.1 . .. .. f'::'::;'':::::'::::.:':::] NONWHITE 

40 t--_r/J'////.////P~\\~}\~~ ---------------------------1 

::::.:. :.::::.:.:": 

301---

26.7 

.~~~:~tt~:~:~: 24. 2 :::::::::::::::::::::~:::::::: 

~----1-5.4---1-5.0-----1-5-.9--1-6.-0----~lj~if~wa!.1.~.I.~.l.~.l.~.l.i.i.l~--~ .:.:::.::.::.::.:::.::.::.::. ... : ...... ",..... ..: ...: ..... ........ 

:.~.: ........ :... :.I. ~~~ :: .. :: .. : .. ::: ... . ::::.:.::::::.:.::: •.. : .. : •.......•...•. : •. : .•.•.. : •..: .• : •. : ...:.: ... : •. :.':'.':'. ~~~ .•... : .. : ....... :..:.: ... : ':.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:,:.:/'.' 

I ... " "... " •• ~.= ... =.~.= ... =.= ... :.~.: ... :.~.= ... :.= ... :.~.:. __ .... ; ... ~ ... ; ..... ~.. ; ..... ~.. ; ..... ~ ... ~ ... ; ..... ~.. ; ..... ~.. ; ....• ~ ... ; ..... ~ •.. ~ ... ; ... __ v /1' / / h' I'l'l' A'·:.:::·:"'~·:':·:::·". -- .... : •••• : •• :........ :.:.~.:.: ••• :.:.~.:.:::.:.~.:.:::.:.~.: •. :::.: •• ~.:.:::.:.~.:.:::.: _--I 

: ....... = ....... =.. = ....... = ....... :.. = ....... = ... = ....... = ....... = ... =.. :.:.:.:.~.: . 

... :.$.:.$.:.:.:.~ . , " . .. . :::.:.:.::.:.:.:.:: .:::::::: ..•. ::::: .. :: 

10 t---

20 I-----.V"/ /J 

:.·.:.·.·.:.·.{.·.:.·.i.·.:.·.i.·.:.·.:.·.:.·.·.:.·.:.:.:.·.{.·.:.·.i.·.:.·.:.·.· ;=:~:=~=?:.~~~~~% 1// / /-fA=·~~?~?·}M? :::::~::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

oL-~~~%d--~~~~~~~~L-~~~~~ ::::::::::::::::::: ~t~t~l~~~ ~~f.~}?{~~l~ :~;::}:::}~:::~{::::: LESS THAN 

20 PERCENT 

SOURCE: See Appendix. 

20.0 TO 29.9 

PERCENT 

30.0 TO 39.9 

PERCENT 

40 PERCENT 

OR MORE 

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13 years of age, 26 percent of the nonwhite and 20 percent of the white 

children did so. Only 2 percent of both white and nonwhite children 

were provided group care such as furnished by day care centers. 

Educational Attainment and Employment Status 

There is a direct relationship between the amount of education a 

woman has attained and the likelihood that she will be in the labor 

force. This is strikingly true of Negro women. Labor force participation rates of Negro ~~omen in ~1arch 1966 were generally higher with 

each additional level of educational achievement, from 15 percent 

among women with no schooling to 59 percent among those with a high 

school education and to 87 percent among those with 5 years or more 

of college. (Table 18) Labor force participation rates of white 

women in March 1966 varied somewhat less according to educational 

attainment, ranging from 9 percent for those with no schooling to 45 

percent among high school graduates and to 67 -percent among those with 

5 years or more of college. 

Nonwhite men and women have made significant gains in educational 

attainment since 1952. (Table 19) This is particularly true of nonwhite men and women in the labor force. (Comparable data for Negro 

men and women are not available for earlier years.) The median years 

of school completed by nomolhite lolomen 18 years of age and over in the 

civilian labor force rose from 8.1 years in 1952 to 11.2 years in 1966. 

The comparable figures for nonwhite men workers were 7.2 years in 1952 

and 10.0 years in 1966. 

The gap in the educational attainment of white and nonwhite women 

workers has narrowed significantly since 1952. Nonwhite women uorkers 

in that year averaged 4.0 years less schooling than white women workers. 

In 1966 the gap was only 1.2 years. This reflects not only the gains 

in educational achievement among nonwhite women but the increasing tendency of the better educated woman to be in the labor force. 

Occupations 

Most employed-Negro women are service workers. In March 1966,59 

percent were private household workers or service workers outside the 

home. (Table 20) In contrast, the majority of Negro men are operatives, craftsmen and foremen, or nonfarm laborers. Forty-one percent 

of Negro men employed in March 1966 were operatives or craftsmen and 

foremen; 22 percent were nonfarm laborers. 

Despite the large percentage of Negro women in service work, an 

increasing proportion of them are finding employment in white-collar 

occupations. In 1966, 13 percent were clerical or sales workers, and 

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10 percent had other kinds of white-collar jobs.11 Figures for 1950 

and 1960--although not strictly comparable since they relate to nonwhite 

workers, of whom 93 percent are Negro--show a growth in the proportion 

of women in white-collar jobs from 13 to 19 percent over the 10-year 

period. (Table 21) The proportion in clerical or sales work increased 

from 6 to 10 percent. 

More nonwhite women than men hold professional or technical jobs. 

Most of these women are working as school teachers. More than half of 

the nonwhite women, but only one-fourth of the nonwhite men, in professional and technical occupations in 1960 were employed as teachers 

(excluding college teachers). 

Unemployment 

Unemployment is more severe among Negro women than among Negro men. 

In 1966 the unemployment rates for nonwhite women and men 14 years of 

age and over were 8.8 and 6.6 percent, respectively. (Comparable data 

for Negroes are not available.) Unemployment among white workers was 

considerably less--4.3 percent among white women and 2.9 percent among 

white men. 

Unemployment is more widespread among teenagers than adults, among 

nonwhite than white teenagers, and among girls than boys. In 1966 nonwhite girls 14 to 19 years of age had the highest rate of unemployment 

(31.1 percent). (Chart D and Table 22) The unemployment rates for 

other teenagers were 21.2 percent for nonwhite boys, 11.0 percent for 

white girls, and 9.9 percent for white boys. 

Unemployment among all adult workers has declined since 1961 but 

at a more rapid rate among men than among women. Teenage unemployment 

reached a peak in 1963. Since that time unemployment among white teenagers, both boys and girls, and among nonwhite boys has declined steadily. 

On the other hand, unemployment among nonwhite girls 14 to 19 years of 

age increased from 1965 to 1966 and was almost as high in the latter year 

as it had been in 1963. 

According to the March 1966 survey of the Negro population, Negro 

women were less likely than Negro men to have suffered long periods of 

unemployment--26 percent of unemployed Negro women had been seeking 

work for 15 weeks or more as compared with 33 percent of unemployed 

Negro men. (Table 9) But in comparison with white women, Negrowomen had suffered longer periods of unemployment--only 17 percent of 

unemployed white women had been out of work for 15 weeks or more in 

March 1966. 

1/ White-collar workers incl~de professional and technical workers; 

nonfarm managers, officials, and proprietors; clerical workers; and 

sales workers. 

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Chart D. Unemployment Rates, by Sex, Color, and Age, 1954-66 

(Persons 14 years of age and over) 

PERCENT 

40 

Id TO ig YE~RS bF A~E 35 

NONWHITE GIRLS /""", 

\ / ~~-->'~ \ .",..:/ 

Kb L ~!JIo.. /. , ~ 

~ 

.,_~ V"~ ~ 

.... --:.r-r NONrlTEtOYS , 

~ I. ~ 1 I WHITE BOYS __ .... ,.. ~J--~ I I -"'~ '~"""J ........... 1 .",.1-- I \ III! 

~----~~~ .t -'), - WHITE GIRLS 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

o 

1954 1951 1960 '61 '62 '63 '64 '65 '66 

20r--'--~--1r--'---r--'---.--~--~--~--~~ 

20 YEARS OF AGE AND OVER 

15r--;--~---r--~--r-~---+--~--~--+---~~ 

~~54~~--~~~~--~~~~~~~~---'~64---'6L5---'~66 

SOURCE: See Appendix. 

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In March 1966 unemployment was higher among Negro workers than 

among white workers at each level of educational achievement except 

among Negro women with 8 years or less of school completed. (Table 23) 

Furthermore, among workers with at least 1 year of high school, unemployment rates of Negro women exceeded those of Negro men. However, 

Negro women who had completed 8 years or less of school were less likely 

to be unemployed than either Negro men, white women, or white men with 

this much education. 

Wage or Salary Income 

Among year-round full-time workers, the median wage or salary 

income of nonwhite women was consistently lower than that of all other 

workers from 1939 to 1965. (Chart E and Table 24) However, the gap 

has narrowed. The 1939 median earnings of nonwhite women who worked 

year round full time were only 38 percent of those of white women 

and 51 percent of those of nonwhite men. But between 1939 and 1965 

the median earnings of nonwhite women (in 1960 constant dollars) almost 

quadrupled, while those of nonwhite men almost tripled and those of white 

men and women somewhat more than doubled. (Chart F) In 1965 median 

earnings of nonwhite women were 71 percent of those of white women and 

66 percent of those of nonwhite men. 

Minimum Wage Coverage 

There were 5,960,000 Negroes employed in nonsupervisory jobs in 

February 1967--2,604,000 women and 3,356,000 men.!! Of these, 40 percent of the women and 82 percent of the men were subject to the 

minimum wage provisions of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act, as 

amended in 1966. The 1966 amendments substantially increased the proportion of Negro workers subject to Federal minimum wage provisions. 

Newly covered employees included 372,000 Negro women and 457,000 Negro 

men. 

Some of the remaining 1,556,000 Negro women and 594,000 Negro men 

not subject to Federal legislation were covered by State minimum wage 

legislation. However, many Negroes, and especially women, work in lowpaying occupations in States which lack minimum wage laws, or in others 

in which very low rates are in effect, or in still others in which many 

occupations are exempted. Minimum wage coverage of private household 

work is practically nonexistent. 

!! U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour and Public Contracts 

Divisions: Minimum Wage and" Naximum Hours Standards Under the Fair 

Labor Standards Act, January 1967. 

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Chart E. Median Wage or Salary Income of Year -Round 

Full-Time Workers, by Sex and Color, 1939 and 1955-65 

(Median wage or salary income in 1960 constant dollars1 

MEDIAN WAGE OR 

SALARY INCOME 

$7,000 ....-----. 

$6,000 1----1 '-' ~ 

WHIT~Vi 

V 

r' $5,000 ~---" 

.""..--

NONWHITE MEN,..... "..-1 ........... 1 I_ ~;j-o 

I I .... ~ /1 I I ~ I ~ 

$4,000 1----1 

$2,000 

F-~" WHITE WOMEN 

~ NO!WHITE WOMEN "' ....... \I,------......................... --~ ~." , ..... r.-""" 

$3,000 1------" 

1I/ 

$1,000 

o '---o...J 

1939 1955 56 57 58 '59 '60 '61 '62 '63 '64 1965 , , , 

SOURCE: See Appendix. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Chart F. Percent Increase in the Wage or Salary Income of Year-Round 

Full-Time Workers, by Sex and Color, for Selected Periods From 1939 to 1965 

(Median wage or salary income in 1960 constant dollars) 

PERCENT INCREASE 

o 100 200 300 

279 NONWHITE ff.AA~~~",,",,~~~LLU..~~LLU..~~~~~~~~~~~ 

WOMEN 

NONWHITE ~~~~~~~~""'""""""~~ .......... """":"""" ................................. 

.-. MEN w 

WHITE I++U~~~~~~""""""~ 

MEN 

WHITE ~~~~~~~~~ 

W 0 MEN 1IiIiIir'o.:..:.l 

SOURCE: See Appendix, 

~ 1939-65 

11tt:J 1955-65 

.1960-65 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
NOTE 

Data relate to persons 14 years of age and 

over in the civilian noninstitutional population unless otherwise noted. Because 

of rounding, numbers and percentages in 

statistical tables do not necessarily add 

to totals. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table l.--Negro Population, by Age and Sex, 1966, 1960, and 1950 

(Percent distribution) 

Women Men 

Age 1966 1960 1950 1/ 1966 1960 1950 17 

Number (in thousands) 11,153 9,751 7,758 10,355 9,098 7,269 

Percent !Q.2.:.Q !Q.2.:.Q 1Q.Q..& lQQ.& lQQ.& !QQ..& 

Under 5 years 13.3 13.9 12.2 14.9 15.0 13.0 

5 to 13 years 21.9 20.7 17.0 23.7 22.2 18.0 

14 to 19 years 11.5 9.4 9.8 12.0 9.9 9.9 

20 to 24 years 7.0 6.6 8.6 6.5 6.3 7.8 

25 to 29 years 5.9 6.5 8.6 5.4 6.0 8.0 

30 to 34 years 5.7 6.8 7.6 5.3 6.2 7.0 

35 to 44 years 11.6 12.6 14.3 10.7 11.8 13.7 

45 to 54 years 9.6 10.0 10.3 9.1 9.7 10.6 

55 to 64 years 6.9 7.0 5.7 6.7 6.9 6L3 

65 years and over 6.6 6.4 5.9 5.8 5.9 5.7 

Median age 22.4 24.5 26.4 19.7 22.3 25.8 

1/ Excludes Alaska and Hawaii. 

Source: U.S, Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census: Current Population Reports, P-20, No. 168, and ~950 U.S. Census of Population. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table 2.--Population, by Race, Farm or Non~arm Residence, and Metropolitan 

or Nonmetropolitan Area, 1966, 1960, and 1950 

(Percent distribution) 

1966 1960 lh950 

Type of residence 

Number (in thousands) 

Percent 

Nonfarlll 

Farm 

Percent 

~tropolitan area 

In central city 

Outside central city 

Nonmetropolitan area 

White Negro White 

170,774 21,508 158,838 

Farm or Nonfarm 

100.0 100.0 100.0 

93.9 93.4 92.5 

6.1 6.6 7.5 

Metropolitan or Nonmetropolitan Area 

100.0 100.0 100.0 

6"3 .. 8 68.8 62.6 

27.2 56.2 30.0 

36.6 12.6 32.7 

36.2 31.2 37.4 

Negro White Negro 

18,849 134,942 15,042 

100.0 !QQ..Jl !QQ..Jl 

92.1 85.4 79.0 

7.9 g/14.6 g/2l.0 

100.0 1.QQ..:Q 100.0 

64 .. 7 59.5 55.6 

51.5 33.7 42.9 

13.2 25.8 12.7 

35.3 40.5 44.4 

1/ Exc1ud.. Alaska aDd Hawaii. 2/ The •• figure I exclude urban-farm residents. (Among whites this amounted to 0.2 percent.) 

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census: Current Population RepDrts. 

P-20, Ro. 157, and 1950 and 1960 U.S. Census of Population. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table 3.--Educationa1 Attainment of the Population, !l by 

Race and Sex, March 1966 

(Persons 18 years of age and over) 

Years of school 

completed 

White 

Women Hen 

Number 

Percent 

57,973,000 52,608,000 

Elementary school: 

None 

Less than 8 years 

8 years 

High school: 

1 to 3 years 

4 years 

College: 

1 to 3 years 

4 years 

5 years or more 

Median years of school 

eompleted 

!QQd! !QQ.& 

1.3 

10.7 

13.1 

18.6 

38.4 

10.6 

5.4 

1.9 

12.2 

1.3 

12.5 

13.9 

17.8 

30.6 

11.5 

7.3 

5.0 

12.0 

11 IDclucles __ ers of the Armed Forces. 

Negro 

Women Hen 

6,335,000 

~ 

2.3 

26.6 

10.7 

27.1 

23.3 

6.7 

2.3 

.9 

10.1 

5,471,000 

100.0 

3.8 

30.7 

12.2 

23.9 

20.3 

5.8 

2.2 

1.1 

9.4 

Source: U.S. DeparbleDt of Coaaerce, Bureau of the Census: Curreut PopUlation Reports, P-20, No. 158 • 

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Table 4.--Schoo1 Enrollment of the Population, 

by Age, Race, and Sex, October 1966 y 

(Students 5 to 34 years of age) 

Girls and women Boys and men 

Age 

Total 

5 years 

6 years 

7 to 13 years 

14 to 17 years 

18 and 19 years 

20 to 24 years 

25 to 29 years 

30 to 34 years 

Total 

5 years 

6 years 

7 to 13 years 

14 to 17 years 

18 and 19 years 

20 to 24 years 

25 to 29 years 

30 to 34 years 

As percent 

of 

Number population 

Total school enrollment 

26z337z000 56.1 

1,539,000 74.1 

1,998,000 97.6 

13,756,000 99.5 

6,523,000 92.9 

1,335,000 37.7 

880,000 12.4 

214,000 3.6 

92,000 1.7 

Ne~ro school enrollment 

3z325 1000 57.2 

198,000 65.1 

294,000 98.3 

1,826,000 99.3 

810,000 90.0 

124,000 30.3 

48,000 6.0 

13,000 2.0 

12,000 2.0 

As percent 

of 

Number population 

28z7332000 64.1 

1,548,000 71.5 

2,071,000 97.7 

14,139,000 99.2 

6,770,000 94.4 

1,841,000 57.8 

1,667,000 29.2 

506,000 9.6 

191,000 3.8 

323541000 63.2 

191,000 63.9 

278,000 96.9 

1,794,000 99.1 

828,000 92.9 

162,000 46.3 

74,000 11.3 

14,000 2.6 

13,000 2.7 

Y Includes schools in regular school system· that is public h' al d ' , , paroc ~ , an private schools offering a diploma or a degree. 

Curre~~~~:u.a~i~~ ~::r~~~n~_~~, C~:.e~6;: Bureau of the Census: 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table 5.--School Enrollment, by Level of School, 

Race, and Sex, October 1966 !I 

(Students 5 to 34 years of age) 

Girls and women BOIs 

Percent 

Level of school Number distribution Number 

Total school enrollment 

Total 26,337,000 100.0 28,733.000 

Elementary school or 

kindergarten 17,425,000 66.2 18,197,000 

High school 6,574,000 25.0 6,791,000 

College 2,337,000 8.9 3,749,000 

Negro school enrollment 

Total 3,325.000 100.0 3,354,000 

Elementary school or 

kindergarten 2,390,000 71.9 2,408,000 

High school 806,000 24.2 794,000 

College 128,000 3.8 154,000 

and men 

Percent 

distribution 

100.0 

63.3 

23.6 

13.0 

100.0 

71.8 

23.7 

4.6 

!I Includes schools in regular school system; that is, public, 

parochial, and private schools offering a diploma or a degree. 

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census: 

Current Population Reports, P-20, No. 167. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table 6.--Marita1 Status of Woman in the Civilian Population, 

by Race, March 1966 

Marital status 

Total 

Single 

Married (husband present) 

Other 11 

(Women 18 years of age and over) 

White 

Percent 

Number distribution 

57.258.000 

6,968,000 

39,092,000 

11,196,000 

.lruhQ 

12.2 

68.3 

19.6 

Negro 

Percent 

Number distribution 

6,273,000 

857,000 

3,252,000 

2,164,000 

.!mkQ 

13.7 

51.8 

34.5 

11 Refers to women who are widowed, divorced. or separated, or whose husbands 

are absent for other reasons. 

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census: Current Population Reports, unpublished data. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table 7.--Families, by Type of Family and Race, 

March 1966 

Type of family White Negro 

Number 43,495,000 4,426,000 

Percent 100.0 !Q.Q..& 

Husband-wife 88.8 71.5 

Other male head 2.3 3.6 

Female head 8.9 24.9 

Average (mean) number 

of members per family 3.6 4.4 

Source: 

the Census:' 

and 168. 

u.s. Department of Commerce, Bureau of 

Current Population Report.s" P..,20t.. Nos. 157 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table 8. --Families Living in Poverty in 1965, 

by Type o~ Family and Color, March 1966 11 

Type o~ ~amily 

Total 

Male head 

Female head. 

Total 

Male head. 

Female head. 

All 

~amilies 

White 

43,496,000 

39,636,000 

3,860,000 

Nonwhite 

4,782,000 

3,650,000 

1,132,000 

11 Preliminary data. 

Poor ~amilies . As percent 

o~ 

Number all ~amilies 

4,766,000 

3,599,000 

1,167,000 

1,871,000 

1,171,000 

700,000 

11.0 

9.1 

30.2 

39.1 

32.1 

61.8 

Source: U.S. Department o~ Health, Education, and We1~are, Social Security Administration. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table 9.--Emp1oyment Status of the Civilian Population, by Sex and Race, 

March 1966 

Employment 

Population 

Civilian labor force 

Employed 

Unemployed 

Less than 15 weeks 

15 weeks or more 

Not in the labor force 

Population 

Civilian labor force 

Employed 

Unemployed 

Less than 15 weeks 

15 weeks or more 

Not in the labor force 

(Persons 18 years of age and over) 

White 

Number 

Percent 

distribution 

Women 

57,258,000 100.0 

22,255,000 38.9 

21,425,000 37.4 

830,000 1.4 

683,000 1.2 

145,000 .3 

35,003,000 61.1 

~ 

50,960,000 100.0 

::z.::ooo= 

41,709,000 81.8 

40,451,000 79.4 

1,258,000 2.5 

896,000 1.8 

363,000 .7 

9,251,000 18.2 

Negro 

Number 

6.273.000 

3.105.000 

2,896,000 

209,000 

155,000 

54,000 

3,168,000 

5,216.000 

4.229.000 

3,924,000 

305,000 

203,000 

102,000 

987,000 

Percent 

distribution 

100.0 

~ 

46.2 

3.3 

2.5 

.9 

50.5 

100.0 

=== 

.§bl 

75.2 

5.8 

3.9 

2.0 

18.9 

Source: U. S. Department of COIImerce, Bureau of the Census: Current Population Reports, P-20, No. 168, and unpublished data. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
!g 

Table lO.--Bmployment Statu. of tbe Civilian Population, by Sex and Color, 1960 and 1950 

(Persons 18 years of age and over) 

1960 1950 

Women Men Women Men 

Employment status White Nonwhite White Nonwhite White Nonwhite White Nonwhite 

Number (in thousands) 53,183 6,177 48,509 5,447 47,731 5,159 44,665 4,716 

Percent 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1,00.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 

Civilian labor force 35.3 45.3 82.6 78.1 29.3 39.6 83.4 81.2 

Employed 33.7 41.5 78.9 71.4 28.2 36.5 79.7 74.9 

Unemployed 1.7 3.8 3.7 6.7 1.1 3.1 3.8 6.3 

Not in the labor force 64.7 54.7 17.4 21.9 70.7 60.4 16.6 18.8 

Source: u.s. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Ceuau.: 1960 Ceuaua of Population, Special Report 

PC(2)--6A.J and 1950 Census of Population, Special Report P-E, lio. l-A. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
N 

VI 

Age 

Total 

18 to 24 years 

25 to 34 years 

35 to 44 years 

45 to 54 years 

55 to 64 years 

65 years and over 

Table ll.--Women in the Civilian Labor Force, by Age and Race, 

March 1966 

(Women 18 years of age and over) 

All women Negro women 

As percent 

Percent of woman Percent 

Number distribution population Number distribution 

25260~IOOO 100.0 40.0 3z10520oo 1.00.0 

5,018,000 19.6 48.6 546,000 17.6 

4,400,000 17.2 39.0 647,000 20.8 

5,715,000 22.3 46.4 805,000 25.9 

5,786,000 22.6 51.1 626,000 20.2 

3,654,000 14.3 41.3 369,000 11.9 

1.,030,000 4.0 10.4 112,000 3.6 

As percent 

of woman 

population 

49.5 

46.9 

50.3 

62.5 

59.3 

48.6 

15.5 

Source: U. S. Department of Conmerce, Bureau of the Census: Current Population Reports, unpublished data; and U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment and Earnings, 

April 1966. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table l2.--Marital Status of Negro Women in the Civilian Labor Force, 

March 1966 

(Women 18 years of age and over) 

As percent 

Percent of woman 

Marital status Number distribution population 

Total 3.105,000 100.0 49.5 

Single 478,000 15.4 55.8 

Married (husband present) 1,558,000 50.2 47.9 

Other !I 1,069,000 34.4 49.4 

11 Refers to women who are widowed, divorced, or separated, or 

whose-husbands are absent for other reasons. 

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census: 

Current Population Reports, unpublished data. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
• 

N 

"-I 

Table 13.--Negro Husband-Wife Families, by Total Family Money Income in 1965 and Labor Force 

Participation of Wife, March 1966 

Number ~in thousands) Ii Percent distribution Labor force 

Wife in Wife not in Wife in Wife not in participation 

paid paid paid paid rate of 

Family income Total labor force labor force Total labor force labor force wives 

Total 3.164 1,499 1.665 100.0 !.QQ.& .!Q.Q.&. 47.4 

Under $2,000 478 124 353 15.1 8.3 21.2 25 .. 9 

$2,000 to $2,999 421 153 266 13.3 10.2 16.0 36 0 3 

$3,000 to $4,999 832 340 491 26 0 3 22.7 29.5 40.9 

$5,000 to $6,9~9 614 319 295 19.4 21 0 3 17.7 52.0 

$7,000 to $8,999 396 229 168 12.5 15.3 10.1 57.8 

$9,000 to $9,999 120 94 27 3.8 6.3 1.6 78.3 

$10,000 and over 304 237 67 9.6 15.8 4.0 78 0 0 

Median income $4,616 $5,709 $3,785 

11 The numbers were derived from the percent distribution. 

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census: Current Population Reports,P-20, No. 168. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table 14.--Nonwhite Husband-Wife Couples in the Population, by 

Income of Husband in 1965 and Labor Force Participation of 

Wife, March 1966 

Labor force 

Income of Number Y Percent participation 

husband (in thousands) distribution rate of wives 

Total 1:./3,604 .!Q.Q.& 47.6 

Under $3,000 1,503 41.7 43.5 

$3,000 to $4,999 1,009 28.0 48.8 

$5,000 to $6,999 663 18.4 56.5 

$7,000 and over 425 11.8 49.4 

1/ The numbers were derived from the percent distr~bution. 

2/ Includes 3,476,000 husband-wife families and 128,000 married 

couples where the husband was not head of the household. 

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census: Current 

Population Reports, P-20, No. 164; U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of 

Labor Statistics: Special Labor Force Report No. 80 and unpublished data. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table lS.--Wives' Contribution to Nonfarm Family Income 

in 1965, by Color, March 1966 

(Percent distribution) 

Contribution to 

family income White Nonwhite 

Total .!QQ.& .!QQ.& 

Less than 5.0 percent 22.1 17.4 

5.0 to 9.9 percent 7.9 8.8 

10.0 to 19.9 percent 14.5 16.1 

20.0 to 29.9 percent 15.4 15.0 

30.0 to 39.9 percent 15.9 16.0 

40.0 to 49.9 percent 12.6 11.8 

50.0 to 74.9 percent 8.7 10.7 

75.0 percent and over 2.9 4.2 

Median percent 23.6 25.1 

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor 

Statistics: Special Labor Force Report No. 80. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
w 

0 

Table 16.--Mothers in the Population and Labor Force, by Marital Status, 

Ages of Children, and Color, March 1966 

(Mothers 14 years of age and over) 

Marital status and 

ages of children 

Mothers with children under 

18 years 

Married, husband present 

Other women ever married 1/ 

Number (in thousands) 

Labor 

Population force 

~ 

24.443 8,390 

22,298 7,136 

2,145 1,254 

Mothers with children 6 to 17 

(none under 6) 11.728 5.306 

Married, husband present 10,475 4,471 

Other women ever married 11 1,253 835 

Mothers with children under 6 1:/ 12.715 3.084 

Married, husband present 11,823 2,665 

Other women ever married 11 892 419 

See footnotes at end of table. 

Percent distribution 

Labor 

Population force 

100.0 100.0 

-- -- 91.2 85.1 

8.8 14.9 

~ 63.2 

42.9 53.3 

5.1 10.0 

1L.Q 36.8 

48.4 31.8 

3.6 5.0 

Percent 

in 

labor force 

34.3 

32.0 

58.5 

45.2 

42.7 

66.6 

24.3 

22.5 

47.0 

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w 

~ 

Table l6.--Mothers in the Population and Labor Force, by Marital Status, 

Ages of Children, and Color, March 1966--Continued 

(Mothers 14 years of age and over) 

Number ~in thousands} Percent distribution 

Marital status and Labor Labor 

ages of children Population force Population force 

Nonwhite 

Mothers with children under 

18 years 3,064 1.460 100.0 lQQ..J! 

- - Married, husband present 2,209 999 72.1 68.4 

Other women ever married 11 855 461 27.9 31.6 

Mothers with children 6 to 17 

(none under 6) .L.lli. ill. 41.0 i2.:.1 

Married, husband present 852 478 27.8 32.7 

Other women ever married 11 407 259 13.3 17.7 

Mothers with children under 6 '£1 ~ .ill. a.&.2. !2.a.2 

Married, husband present 1,357 521 44.3 35.7 

Other women ever married 11 448 202 14.6 13.8 

Percent 

in 

labor force 

47.7 

45.2 

53.9 

58.5 

56.1 

63.6 

40.1 

38.4 

45.1 

11 Refers to women who are widowed, divorced,or separated, or whose husbands are absentfor other reasons. 

!I Hay also have older children. 

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: Special Labor Force Report 

No. 80. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table 17 • --Child Care Arrangements of Working MotheraY With Children Under 14 Years of Age, 

by' Ages of Children and Color. February 1965 

Aa:~&i gf chlldl::en 

Total Under 6 Iears 6 to 11 Iears 12 and 13 Iears 

Type of arrangement White Nonwhite White Nonwhite White Nonwhite White Nonwhite 

Number of children 

(in thousands) 10,056 2,231 3,066 730 4,953 1,137 2,037 365 

Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 

- - - - - - - - Care in child' 8 own home by 46 !! ~ ~ 47 !!l ~ ~ 

Father 16 10 16 9 16 11 15 9 

w Other relative 19 28 15 28 22 31 21 22 

N Under 16 years 4 7 1 5 6 9 5 3 

16 to 64 years 11 19 11 20 12 20 12 17 

65 years and over 4 2 3 3 4 3 3 2 

Nonrelative who only looked 

after child 5 4 9 6 4 4 1 1 

Nonrelative who a180 did 

household chores 6 1 8 1 5 1 2 

Care in someone else's home by 12. 22 28 41 10 14 ! ! 

Relative 7 12 13 24 5 7 3 4 

Nonre1ative 8 10 15 18 5 8 1 4 

See footnote at end ot table. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
w 

w 

Table 17.--Child Care Arrangements of Working MOthers!! With Children Under 14 Years of Age, 

by Ages of Children and Color, February 1965--Continued 

Total 

Type of arrangement White Nonwhite 

Other arrangements 39 

Group care (day care 

center, etc.) 2 

Child looked after self 8 

Mother looked after child 

while working 14 

Mother worked only during 

child's school hours 15 

Other arrangements (gJ) 

!I Worked 27 weeks or more in 1964. 

g; Less than 1 percent. 

34 

2 

10 

8 

13 

1 

Under b years 

White Nonwhite 

24 15 

6 6 

1 

16 9 

1 1 

(y) 

Ages of children 

b to 11 rears 12 and 13 years 

White Nonwhite White Nonwhite 

43 39 57 60 

1 (y) (y) 1 

7 12 20 26 

14 7 11 9 

21 18 24 23 

(y) 1 1 2 

Source: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Welfare Administration, Children'S 

Bureau; and U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table 18.--Labor Force Participation Rates of 

Women, by Educational Attainment and 

Race, March 1966 

(Women 18 years of age and over) 

Years of school 

completed White Negro 

Total 38.9 49,,5 

Elementary school: 

None 9.0 15.4 

Less than 8 Years 22.0 40.1 

8 years 28.4 49.6 

High school: 

1 to 3 years 36.4 45.6 

4 years 45.3 59.3 

College: 

1 to 3 years 41.8 59.5 

4 years 49.8 89.2 

5 years or more 67.1 86.9 

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau 

of the Census: Current Population Reports, 

unpublished data. 

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I.Jt 

Table 19.--Median Years of School Completed, by Employment Status, Sex, and Color, 

Selected Years, 1952-66 

(Persons 18 years of age and over) 

Month In labor force Not in tbe labor force 

and Women Men Women Men 

year White Nonwhite White Nonwhite White Nonwhite White Nonwbite 

March 1966 12.4 11.2 12.3 10.0 12.0 9.5 9.0 

March 1965 12.3 11.1 12.2 10.0 12.0 9.0 8.9 

March 1.964 12.3 10.8 12.2 9.7 11.8 9.2 8.8 

March 1962 12.3 10.5 12.1 9.0 11.6 8.7 8.7 

March 1959 12.2 9.4 11.9 8.3 11.2 8.5 8.6 

March 1957 12.2 8.9 11.5 8.0 11.0 8.2 8.6 

October 1952 12.1 8.1 10.8 7.2 10.6 7.7 8.6 

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: Special Labor Force 

Report Nos. 83, 65, 53, 30, and 1; and U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census: 

Current Population Reports, P-50, Nos. 49 and 78. 

7.7 

7.1 

6.8 

6.4 

5.8 

4.6 

5.0 

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table 20.--Major Occupational Groups of Employed Negro Women and 

Men, March 1966 

(Persons 18 yeara of age and over) 

Major occupational group 

Total 

Professional, technical workers 

Managers, officials, proprietors 

(except farm) 

Clerical, sales workers 

Craftsmen, foremen, operatives 

Nonfarm laborers 

Service workers (including 

private household) 

Farm workers 

Total 

Professional, technical wo;kers 

Managers, officials, proprietors 

(except farm) 

Clerical, sales workers 

Craftsmen, foremen 

Oper~tives 

Nonfarm laborers 

Service workers (including 

private- household) 

Farm workers 

Number 

1/2,896.000 

246,000 

41,000 

385,000 

459,000 

28,000 

1,694,000 

43,000 

113--1-924.000 

171,000 

102,000 

309,000 

405,000 

1,217,000 

878,000 

588,000 

254,000 

1/ Civilian noninstitutional population. 

Percent 

distribution 

100.0 

8.5 

1.4 

13.3 

15.8 

1.0 

58.5 

1.5 

100.0 

4.4 

2.6 

7.9 

10.3 

31.0 

22.4 

15.0 

6.5 

Source: U.S. Department of Coamerce, Bureau of the Census: 

Current Population Reports, p-2e. No. 168. 

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Table 2l.--Major Occupational Groups of Employed Nonwhite 

Women and Hen. 1960 and 1950 

(Persons 18 years of age and over) 

Women Men 

Major occupational group 1960 1950 1960 1950 

Number 2,565,000 1,882,000 3,887,000 3,528,000 

Percent !QQ.& .!Q.Q.& .!Q.Q.& !QQ..:.Q 

Professional, technical workers 7.6 5.6 4.0 2.3 

Teachers (except college) 4.2 3.6 .9 .5 

Managers, officials, proprietors (except farm) 1.2 1.4 2.3 2.4 

Clerical, kindred workers 8.7 4.5 5.2 3.2 

Sales workers 1.7 1.4 1.4 1.2 

Craftsmen, foremen .7 .6 10.4 8.0 

Operatives 13.0 14.9 23.8 21.1 

Nonfarm laborers 1.0 1.5 19.3 23.1 

Service workers (except private 

household) 21.0 18.9 13.7 13.5 

Private household workers 33.9 40.9 .7 1.1 

Farmers, farm managers .6 1.8 4.5 13.9 

Farm laborers, foremen 2.7 6.9 6.4 8.8 

Occupation not reported 7.9 1.5 8.2 1.3 

Source: u.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census: 1960 U.S. Census 

of Population, Special Report PC(2)*-7Aj 1950 u.s. Census of Population, Special 

Report P-E, No.1-B. 

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Table 22.--Unemployment Rates, by Sex, Color, and Age, Selected Years, 1954-66 

(Persons 14 years of age and over) 

Color and age 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1957 1954 

~ 

White 

14-19 yean 11.0 12.6 13.2 13.6 11.5 13.5 11.9 9.1 9.9 

20 years and over 3.3 4.0 4.6 4.8 4.1 5.7 4.6 3.8 5.1 

Nonwhite 

14-19 years 31.1 29.8 30.6 33.1 28.2 26.6 22.7 18.9 18.4 

• 20 year. and over 6.6 7.4 9.0 9.4 9.6 10.6 8.3 6.3 8.5 

w 

00 

!!!!! 

White 

14-19 years 9.9 11.8 13.4 14.2 12.3 14.1 12.9 10.5 11.7 

20 years and over 2.2 2.9 3.4 3.9 4.0 5.1 4.2 3.2 4.4 

Nonwhite 

14-19 years 21.2 22.6 23.3 25.4 20.7 24.7 22.0 17.5 12.5 

20 years and over 4.9 6.0 7.7 9.2 10.0 11.7 9.6 7.5 9.9 

Source: Manpower Report of the President and A Report on Manpower Requirements, 

Resources, Utilisation, and Training by the U.S. Department of Labor, March 1966; and 

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: unpublished data. 

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Table 23. --Unemployment Rates, by Educational Attainment, 

Race, and Sex, March 1966 

(Persons 18 years of age and over) 

Years of scbool 

completed 

8 years or less 11 

High school, 1 to 4 years 

College, 1 year or more 

8 years or less 11 

High school, 1 to 4 years 

College, 1 year or more 

White 

4.9 

4.0 

2.1 

4.6 

2.9 

1.7 

11 Includes no scbool years completed. 

Negro 

4.4 

8.6 

4.8 

7.1 

8.4 

2.1 

Source: 

tbe Census: 

data. 

u.s. Department of Commerce, Bureau of 

Current Po.pulation Reports, unpublished 

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Table 24.--Median Wage or Salary Income of Year-Round Full-Time 

Workers, by Sex and Color, 1939 and 1955-65 

(Median wage or salary income in 1960 constant dollars) 

Consumer Median wage or sa1a!I income 

Price Index 11 Men Women 

Year (1960=100) White Nonwhite White Nonwhite 

1965 106.6 $6,289 $4,012 $3,744 $2,642 

1964 104.8 6,199 4,089 3,682 2,552 

1963 103.5 6,065 3,965 3,597 2,288 

1962 102.2 5,895 3,717 3,523 2,229 

1961 101.1 5,816 3,841 3,442 2,300 

1960 100.0 5,662 3,789 3,410 2,372 

1959 98.4 5,545 3,393 3,360 2,232 

1958 97.7 5,308 3,447 3,301 2,035 

1957 95.1 5,205 3,299 3,267 1,962 

1956 91.9 5,125 3,169 3,219 1,781 

1955 90.5 4,926 3,128 ,171 1,809 

1939 46.9 3,026 1,362 1,840 697 

1/ Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (1957-

59=100) converted to 1960 base. 

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census: 

Current Population Reports, P-60, Hos. 51, 47, 43, 41, 39, 37, 

35, 33, 27, and 23. 

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Appendix--Chart sources 

Chart A. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census: Current 

Population Reports, P-20, No. 158. 

Chart B. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Social 

Security Administration. (Preliminary unpublished data) 

Chart C. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: 

Special Labor Force Report No. 80. 

Chart D. Manpower Report of the President and A Report on Manpower 

Requirements, Resources, Utilization, and Training by 

the U.S. Department of Labor, March 1966; and U.S. 

Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, unpublished data. 

Chart E. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census: Current 

Population Reports, p-60, Nos. 51, 47, 43, 41, 39, 37, 35, 

33, 27, and 23. 

Chart F. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census: Current 

Population Reports, p-60, Nos. 51, 37, and 23. 

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U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 1968 0 " 288-557 

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