New-York tribune., 1907-05-23
WOMEN WHO WORK.
AbeHt Fire Million Rreadzcinrlers
according to Census Report.

SeHEng
cation Of nearly 80 pages prepared under the ST.
pervisio. Of Dr. Joseph 4. Hill, and based upon
unpublished information derived from the schedules
OF the Twelfth Census. Women at work are here
classified not only by age. race. nativity, marital
status and occupation. but also by their relation
ship to the families IN which they live and
Der OF other breaGwinners, persons at work, In
those families. The latter classifcations a
feature in the treatment of the occupation data
compiled by the census For the most part, the
family unit has heretofore been ignored in the
sus statistics OF occupations and the breadwinner
Or worker has been treated an independent indi-
viduaL Yet from al economic point of view the
family group is q unit Of great significance. The
e.le-l. IS of the breadwinnor. whether man. woman
child usually form either the whole a part
Of family income. which limits the family
penditures and affects the economic welfare Of each
member OF toe family.
The term women as used ir this report gen.
orally includes all females sixteen years of age
snd over, but in some Instances. in order TO make
comparisons with the census Of 1890 the age limit
IS lowered to fifteen years.
In the United States the number of
work, returned by the census of 1900. almost
five million. In continental United States-by which
is meant the United States exclusive of Alaska,
Ha-vai an5 all other outlying territories or Dos-
sessions-the exact number 4.SS563o.
Most OF the work young women:
6S4 per cent OF them under thirty-fve years
OF age, 442 per cent were under twenty-five and
256 per cent had not reached the age of twenty
These figures in marked contrast with
those for the male sex OF the men sixteen years
of age and over reported as workers or breadwin-
ners only 147 Per cent under the age OF
twenty-five, and only 127 per cent were under
twenty-one This contrast is indicative of the fact
that large numbers of women who support them
selves and others in early life cease to be bread
winners assuming the responsibilities of mar
rlage and childbearing
DIVORCED WOMEN AT WORK.
The numoer of divorced women returned by the
IS he
divorce is always admitted. But it is sig
nifcant that Of the number reported as divorced
time Of the Twelfth Census, 55.3 cent, or
than oue-half, supporting themselves
wholly or in part by their own earnings This is q
higher percentage Of breadwiuners than was shown
fer any other marital class. 1t has
been suggested that increase Of divorce is part
j. attributable to the more independent economic
position o. women, as a result OF which wives
better able TO provide for themselves and less de-
pendent upon their husbands. The figures compiled
b. the census appear TO be consistent with this
theory. although they cannot be said to prove it.
INCREASED EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN.
The extent TO which women are engaged in
breadwinning pursuits is increasing. In the CEN
os 1850 the number OF women sixteen years of
II age and reported having gainfu occupa-
ton 25S9SS; in 1900 il 1885 $50 increase
OF 24l9642, 1853 per cent. In other words, the
number of women al work more than doubled in
this interval Of twenty years. Or the in
crease was in part the result Of the growth of
population But this for much
than one-haf OF the total increase, and il is prob
able that there were over million women engaged
in gainful occupations in 1900 who would not have
taken UP such occupations if conditions and ten
dencies had remained the same as they were
of women in industrial pursuits is Indicated by
Women sixteen Years Of age and over i6 per- cent
were al work n 1850, Is Per cent in 1880, and 206
4 Comparison with the census Of 1890 as regards
each marital class reveals very noticeable in
crease in the employment OF married women.
ners among married women is small as compared
owed and divorced Women; but It Increased from IS
n ss1 70 % n go %1ich means M tnat apProKi-
work ia 1900 as compared with one in twenty-five
tn 1890 or thar the proportion at work increased
FAMILY RELATIONSHIP
For the purposes Of this report the women az
work in the principal cities OF the United States
were classified with respect their relationship
&c the heads OF the families in which they lived.
The total number Of women included in this
classification was 1872 25S and Of this number
7sS71, GAS per cent. living home with
relatives while 43357, $50 per either
boarding living with their employers The i'm
portance Of the latter class is greatly increased
by the large number Of servants living with their
employers. TIE majority Of the widowed and di-
vorced-6a,4 per cent Of the total numbeg INCLUDED
IN this taDustion-were returned as heads OF fam
flies Naturally comparatively few single women
cent f wee - Tet1Tnsd as in e WIKI faters
1t is rather significant that 15,712, or l6l per
cent, Of the 97.44T married women included in
t5is ta6ularion we're returned heads Of families,
were living apart from their husbands IN the
census enumeration woman living with her hrs-
ly. however strong her claim TO that distinction
the q SO married women returned as living With
fathers 9r mothers or as boarding, were likewise
then study Of these figures points TO the conclu-
Of married women re3reseTTs wife dssertiol
through waich the wife is compelled to rely upon
leF OWN exc inns iigiu
Some idea Of the extent to which the wages
earned by women are supplementary 70 the earn
ings OF other members of the family, represent,
theEetoEe only part q ne totai % "a iam!ly income,
are breadwinners wiJh respect TO the number of
otaer 6teaqwlnIers IN tne family. This cass.aca,
ne Pl-e-la. % & i'.IeI -Sol
cootI-g servants sc ~altLesSes, TIE total NUM- Ger
q female bresd1SnEers included in this cassiAca-
Per cent We're living al home in families which
there were other breadwinlers: OF these z26 800
were at least three other breadwinners making a
total OF al least four breadWinners in the family.
BIZ 10 Ghose Of otseT erbers 81 me
would nevertheless contribute something TO the
total family income. either lessening the burden
resting upon other breadwinners in the family or
res which she might otherWise haTe 10 OF forego
TIE effect which the situation revealed by these
statlsucs may nave upon the wages which women
receive is Of course, interesting question but is
o's ~s1eh + no. Glscussed IN me present report
small minority Of The working are entirely
por;, and that SIN smaller number are supporting
families unassisted.
OCCUPATIONS OF WOMEN.
In the reports OF the Twelfth Census $500 the
detailed classification Of breadwnners with respect
70 the kind OF work in which they were engaged
distinguishes 303 occupations. Women are repre-
sented ia all but nine OF these occupations Nat
uiany no women were reported as United States