By 2005, 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 lower the unemployment rate. The presence and age of children also affects the participation rate of women. Mothers with teenagers are more likely to be in the labor force than those with younger children.
Many women choose the armed forces as an employer.
There were 193,000 women in the active military as of January 31, 1999-14 percent of the military. Self-employment is also an occupational option for many women. There were 3.5 million self-employed women working in nonagricultural industries in 1998. Women continue to earn less than men. In other words, women earned only 76 percent of what men earned.