Women in the Labor Force: A Databook (2009 Edition)

Table 9. Percent distribution of the civilian labor force 25 to 64 years of age by educational attainment and sex, 1970-2008
Year Civilian
labor force
(thousands)		 Percent distribution Civilian
labor force
(thousands)		 Percent distribution
Total High school College Total Less
than
a high
school
diploma		 High
school
graduates,
no
college (2)		 Some
college,
no degree,
or
associate
degree		 College
graduates (3)
Less than
4 years		 4 years,
no
college		 1 to 3
years		 4 years
or
more
Total, both sexes

1970 (1)

 61,765 100.0 36.1 38.1 11.8 14.1

1971

 62,344 100.0 34.5 38.4 12.3 14.8

1972

 63,704 100.0 33.3 38.8 12.4 15.5

1973

 64,775 100.0 30.9 39.7 13.0 16.4

1974

 66,527 100.0 29.3 39.5 13.7 17.5

1975

 67,774 100.0 27.5 39.7 14.4 18.3

1976

 69,243 100.0 25.8 39.6 15.2 19.4

1977

 71,324 100.0 24.9 39.2 15.7 20.2

1978

 73,504 100.0 23.7 39.2 16.5 20.6

1979

 75,781 100.0 21.8 39.5 17.3 21.3

1980

 78,010 100.0 20.6 39.8 17.6 22.0

1981

 80,273 100.0 19.7 40.6 17.7 22.0

1982

 81,516 100.0 18.8 40.8 17.3 23.1

1983

 83,615 100.0 17.8 39.9 18.1 24.2

1984

 86,001 100.0 16.7 40.2 18.4 24.7

1985

 88,424 100.0 15.9 40.2 19.0 24.9

1986

 90,500 100.0 15.5 40.2 19.5 24.8

1987

 92,966 100.0 14.9 40.2 19.7 25.3

1988

 94,870 100.0 14.7 39.9 19.7 25.7

1989

 97,318 100.0 14.0 39.6 20.0 26.4

1990

 99,175 100.0 13.4 39.5 20.7 26.4

1991

 100,480 100.0 13.0 39.4 21.1 26.5

1992 (4)

 103,018 100.0 12.1 35.7 25.6 26.6

1993

 104,237 100.0 11.3 35.1 26.6 27.0

1994

 105,610 100.0 10.8 33.9 27.7 27.6

1995

 107,032 100.0 10.4 33.2 28.1 28.3

1996

 108,932 100.0 10.6 32.9 27.8 28.7

1997

 110,945 100.0 10.6 32.9 27.5 29.0

1998

 111,932 100.0 10.5 32.4 27.4 29.8

1999

 113,095 100.0 10.0 31.8 27.6 30.5

2000

 115,750 100.0 10.1 31.4 27.8 30.7

2001

 116,893 100.0 10.1 30.9 28.0 31.0

2002

 118,028 100.0 10.0 30.7 27.7 31.6

2003

 119,621 100.0 9.9 30.3 27.6 32.1

2004

 120,135 100.0 9.7 30.1 27.7 32.4

2005

 121,752 100.0 9.8 29.9 27.8 32.5

2006

 123,550 100.0 9.7 29.6 27.7 33.0

2007

 125,104 100.0 9.3 29.2 27.7 33.8

2008

 126,011 100.0 9.0 28.8 28.0 34.2
Women

1970 (1)

 22,462 100.0 33.5 44.3 10.9 11.2

1971

 22,804 100.0 32.2 44.2 11.9 11.8

1972

 23,606 100.0 30.7 45.1 11.8 12.4

1973

 24,158 100.0 28.4 45.9 12.4 13.3

1974

 25,203 100.0 26.7 45.3 13.4 14.6

1975

 26,146 100.0 26.5 45.5 13.9 14.1

1976

 27,166 100.0 24.0 45.1 14.7 16.2

1977

 28,369 100.0 22.8 45.1 15.2 16.9

1978

 29,738 100.0 22.0 44.9 16.1 17.0

1979

 31,151 100.0 20.1 45.0 17.1 17.8

1980

 32,593 100.0 18.4 45.4 17.4 18.7

1981

 33,910 100.0 17.4 46.1 17.9 18.6

1982

 34,870 100.0 16.6 45.6 18.3 19.5

1983

 35,712 100.0 15.6 44.8 18.8 20.9

1984

 37,234 100.0 14.5 44.9 18.9 21.7

1985

 38,779 100.0 13.7 44.4 19.9 22.0

1986

 39,767 100.0 13.2 44.3 20.3 22.2

1987

 41,105 100.0 12.5 44.0 20.7 22.8

1988

 42,254 100.0 12.4 43.3 21.2 23.1

1989

 43,650 100.0 11.9 42.9 20.9 24.3

1990

 44,699 100.0 11.3 42.4 21.9 24.5

1991

 45,315 100.0 10.9 41.6 22.2 25.2

1992 (4)

 46,589 100.0 10.3 37.4 27.3 25.0

1993

 47,245 100.0 9.3 36.6 28.4 25.7

1994

 48,405 100.0 9.0 35.0 29.8 26.2

1995

 49,247 100.0 8.8 34.1 30.2 26.9

1996

 50,240 100.0 8.8 33.6 29.9 27.8

1997

 51,261 100.0 8.7 33.5 29.4 28.4

1998

 51,678 100.0 8.8 32.7 29.4 29.2

1999

 52,525 100.0 8.5 32.1 29.5 29.9

2000

 53,749 100.0 8.5 31.6 29.8 30.1

2001

 54,229 100.0 8.4 31.0 30.2 30.4

2002

 54,710 100.0 8.1 30.6 29.9 31.3

2003

 55,596 100.0 7.9 30.0 29.9 32.2

2004

 55,616 100.0 7.7 29.4 30.2 32.6

2005

 56,322 100.0 7.7 28.7 30.2 33.3

2006

 57,201 100.0 7.6 28.3 30.2 33.9

2007

 57,791 100.0 7.1 27.9 30.1 34.9

2008

 58,465 100.0 6.9 27.2 30.4 35.6
Men

1970 (1)

 39,303 100.0 37.5 34.5 12.2 15.7

1971

 39,539 100.0 35.9 35.1 12.5 16.5

1972

 40,098 100.0 34.8 35.1 12.8 17.3

1973

 40,617 100.0 32.4 36.0 13.4 18.2

1974

 41,344 100.0 30.8 36.0 13.9 19.3

1975

 41,628 100.0 28.9 36.1 14.8 20.2

1976

 42,077 100.0 27.0 36.0 15.5 21.5

1977

 42,954 100.0 26.3 35.3 16.1 22.3

1978

 43,766 100.0 24.8 35.3 16.9 23.0

1979

 44,630 100.0 23.0 35.7 17.5 23.8

1980

 45,417 100.0 22.2 35.7 17.7 24.3

1981

 46,363 100.0 21.5 36.5 17.4 24.6

1982

 47,144 100.0 20.3 36.8 17.5 25.5

1983

 47,903 100.0 19.4 36.3 17.7 26.6

1984

 48,767 100.0 18.4 36.7 18.0 26.9

1985

 49,647 100.0 17.7 36.9 18.3 27.1

1986

 50,733 100.0 17.2 37.0 18.9 26.9

1987

 51,860 100.0 16.8 37.1 18.9 27.2

1988

 52,616 100.0 16.5 37.3 18.5 27.8

1989

 53,668 100.0 15.7 36.9 19.2 28.2

1990

 54,476 100.0 15.1 37.2 19.7 28.0

1991

 55,165 100.0 14.7 37.5 20.2 27.6

1992 (4)

 56,428 100.0 13.7 34.2 24.3 27.8

1993

 56,992 100.0 12.9 33.9 25.1 28.1

1994

 57,205 100.0 12.4 33.0 25.9 28.8

1995

 57,784 100.0 11.8 32.4 26.3 29.4

1996

 58,692 100.0 12.2 32.3 26.1 29.4

1997

 59,684 100.0 12.2 32.4 25.9 29.6

1998

 60,255 100.0 12.0 32.1 25.6 30.3

1999

 60,570 100.0 11.4 31.6 26.0 31.0

2000

 62,001 100.0 11.5 31.2 26.1 31.2

2001

 62,664 100.0 11.5 30.9 26.2 31.4

2002

 63,318 100.0 11.6 30.8 25.8 31.8

2003

 64,025 100.0 11.7 30.6 25.6 32.1

2004

 64,519 100.0 11.5 30.7 25.6 32.3

2005

 65,430 100.0 11.5 30.9 25.7 31.9

2006

 66,350 100.0 11.5 30.6 25.5 32.3

2007

 67,313 100.0 11.2 30.4 25.6 32.9

2008

 67,546 100.0 10.9 30.2 25.9 33.0

Footnotes:
(1) Data from 1970-1991 are based on the March Current Population Survey.
(2) Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
(3) Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.
(4) Beginning in 1992, data on educational attainment are annual averages and are based on the highest diploma or degree received rather than the number of years of school completed.

SOURCE: Current Population Survey, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.