Table 20. Employed persons by full- and part-time status and sex, 1970-2008 annual averages 

(Numbers in thousands)

Total employed Usually full time 1 Usually part time 2 Percent usually

full time

Percent usually

part time

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

 See footnotes at end of table.

Year

Total, both sexes

69
Table 20. Employed persons by full- and part-time status and sex, 1970-2008 annual 

averages―Continued 

(Numbers in thousands)

Total employed Usually full time 1 Usually part time 2 Percent usually

full time

Percent usually

part time

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 

 See footnotes at end of table.

Year

Women

70
Table 20. Employed persons by full- and part-time status and sex, 1970-2008 annual 

averages―Continued 

(Numbers in thousands)

Total employed Usually full time 1 Usually part time 2 Percent usually

full time

Percent usually

part time

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

 See footnotes at end of table.

Year

Men

71
Table 20. Employed persons by full- and part-time status and sex, 1970-2008 annual 

averages―Continued 

(Numbers in thousands)

Total employed Usually full time 1 Usually part time 2 Percent usually

full time

Percent usually

part time

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

Year

Men

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 

http://www.bls.gov/cps/eetech_methods.pdf.

SOURCE: Current Population Survey, U.S.

Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

72