A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Indicator 16. Parents' Employment

Employment status of parents with own children under 18 years old, by type of family: 1975 to 1991

_____________________________________________________________________________________                                         |        |        |        |        |              Type of family             |  1975  |  1980  |  1985  |  1988  |  1991 ________________________________________|________|________|________|________|________                                                       Numbers in thousands      Total families .....................  55,698   59,910   63,232   65,670   66,959     Total families with own children         under 18 .......................  30,060   31,325   31,496   32,347   32,981  Married-couple families   (with own children under 18) .........  25,236   24,974   24,225   24,611   24,435   Both parents employed ................   9,358   11,925   12,844   14,271   14,342   Only father employed .................  13,441   10,975    9,227    8,365    7,857   Only mother employed .................     895      852      960    1,005    1,180   Neither parent employed ..............   1,543    1,222    1,194      968    1,058  Female-headed families (single mothers   with own children under 18)1/ ........   4,400    5,718    6,345    6,666    7,323   Mother in labor force ................   2,635    3,833    4,302    4,481    4,970     Mother employed ....................   2,306    3,412    3,741    4,019    4,431     Mother not employed ................     329      421      561      462      539  Male-headed families (single fathers   with own children under 18) ..........     424      633      926    1,070    1,223   Father in labor force ................     369      561      834      965    1,113     Father employed ....................     327      514      750      870      ---     Father not employed ................      42       47       84       95      ---                                                       Percentage distribution      Total families .....................   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0     Total families with own children         under 18 .......................    54.0     52.3     49.8     49.3     49.3  Married-couple families (with own   children under 18) ...................   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0   Both parents employed ................    37.1     47.7     53.0     58.0     58.7   Only father employed .................    53.3     43.9     38.1     34.0     32.2   Only mother employed .................     3.5      3.4      4.0      4.1      4.8   Neither parent employed ..............     6.1      4.9      4.9      3.9      4.3  Female-headed families (single mothers   with own children under 18)1/ ........   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0   Mother in labor force ................    59.9     67.0     67.8     67.2     67.9     Mother employed .....................   52.4     59.7     59.0     60.3     60.5     Mother not employed ................     7.5      7.4      8.8      6.9      7.4  Male-headed families (single fathers   with own children under 18) ..........   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0   Father in labor force ................    87.0     88.6     90.1     90.2     91.0     Father employed ....................    77.1     81.2     81.0     81.3      ---     Father not employed ................     9.9      7.4      9.1      8.9      --- _____________________________________________________________________________________ 

1/Includes mother from unmarried couples.

NOTE: Includes parents working both full-time and part-time. "Own children" in a family are sons and daughters, including stepchildren and adopted children, of the householder.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, unpublished data.