Since that time, black women have edged ahead with a participation rate of 63.5 percent in 1999. White and Hispanic women participated at 59.6 and 55.9 percent , respectively. Hispanic origin women are gradually narrowing the participation gap between themselves and their white counterparts. Women's share of the labor force reached 46 percent in 1994 and has remained at this level. By 2008, women are projected to comprise 48 percent of the labor force.
Educational attainment is a reliable predictor of labor force participation.
The higher the level of education, the more likely the person is to be in the labor force. The largest share of employed women worked in technical, sales, and administrative support occupations . Nearly one out of every five employed women worked in one of these occupations. Many women choose the armed forces as an employer. Self-employment is also an occupational option for many women.