Bureau of Labor Statistics Publishes Study on Impact of Recession on Disabled

The Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published a study entitled, "The impact of the 2007–09 recession on workers with disabilities" in its Monthly Labor Review Online. According to the abstract:

New data available from the Current Population Survey (CPS) indicate that
between October 2008 and June 2010, job losses among workers with disabilities
far exceeded those of workers without disabilities; this labor market volatility
resulted in the proportion of employed U.S. workers identified as having
disabilities declining by 9 percent.

For a copy of the report, go to: http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2010/10/art2exc.htm

Mixed News in August's Unemployment Rates for Women, Minorities and Workers with Disabilities

U.S. Department of Labor
OFCCP

While the overall unemployment rate has fallen from a high of 10.1 percent in October 2009 to 9.6 percent this August, not all groups have benefited equally. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the unemployment rate has improved little for black workers during the economic recovery to date. In August, the jobless rate for blacks was 16.3 percent, little changed from its post-recession high of 16.5 percent. However, Latino workers have had greater recent improvements with a decrease in their unemployment rate from a high of 13.1 percent last December to 12.0 percent in August. Even with these improvements there remains large disparities between the employment situation of Latinos and non-Latinos..

Full Story: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/LatestNews.htm#2

BLS Releases Women in the Workforce Data

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its 2007 report on women in the workforce. This report of historical and current labor force and earnings data for women and men is drawn from the Current Population Surveys that BLS conducted based on 2006 data. The report indicates that:

* The educational attainment of women age 25 to 64 has substantially increased since 1970: one-third of these women had college degrees in 2006; one-tenth had degrees in 1970. Approx. 8 percent were drop-outs in 2006; 34 percent were drop-outs in 1970.

* In 2006, 50.1 percent of all managers were women. The percentages of women managers, professionals and related occupations differed according to occupations, however. While 33 percent of lawyers were women, only 7 percent of engineering managers were women.

* Women who worked full time had median weekly earnings of $800, approx. 80.8 percent of the earnings of men. Women college graduates age 25 and older earned 81 percent more than women with a high school diploma. This difference increased sharply from 1979, where women college graduates earned 43 percent more than women with only a high school diploma.

- Women in the Workforce: a Databook (2007 Edition) October 24, 2007: http://www.bls.gov/cps/wlf-databook2007.htm
[To see the highlights and the entire report, go to: http://www.bls.gov/cps/wlf-intro-2007.pdf ]