Working Women During World War Ii
Women made up 49.83% of the nation’s 132 million jobs in June of 2009; for the first time in American history, “Women are on the verge of outnumbering men in the workforce for the first time, a historic reversal caused by long-term changes in women's roles and massive job losses for men during this recession” (Cauchon). Just as the current recession has impacted the way that women exist in the workforce, so too did past national events influence women’s roles in the workplace. In the early twentieth century, it was rare for women to work outside of the home; World War II, with its incredibly high draft rate, left a labor gap in the United States that made it necessary for women to enter the workforce in record numbers. Although many women were discriminated against in various industries, especially women of non-white ethnic and racial backgrounds, the changes that occurred in the 1940s laid the groundwork for allowing women to become a vital part of the workforce.
Prior to World War II, the workforce consisted primarily of male workers. During this time, women who participated in the workforce were usually young and unmarried and held clerical and teaching positions--positions which lacked training or opportunity for advancement. As Sharpless and Rury note, approximately 80% of women in the workforce were unmarried: “the vast majority of working women were young, unmarried, and lived with their parents. Work, for all but a small minority, was a supplement to family income. It seldom went beyond a short interim period between adolescence and marriage (3-5 years average)” (324-5). When a working woman was married, she would typically leave the workforce to play the role of the homemaker, while her husband was responsible for financially supporting their household: “For nearly all working-class women, marriage and a family were seen as the most important goals in their lives. Their options for employment and, therefore, the character of their working-class
Prior to World War II, the workforce consisted primarily of male workers. During this time, women who participated in the workforce were usually young and unmarried and held clerical and teaching positions--positions which lacked training or opportunity for advancement. As Sharpless and Rury note, approximately 80% of women in the workforce were unmarried: “the vast majority of working women were young, unmarried, and lived with their parents. Work, for all but a small minority, was a supplement to family income. It seldom went beyond a short interim period between adolescence and marriage (3-5 years average)” (324-5). When a working woman was married, she would typically leave the workforce to play the role of the homemaker, while her husband was responsible for financially supporting their household: “For nearly all working-class women, marriage and a family were seen as the most important goals in their lives. Their options for employment and, therefore, the character of their working-class
Cited: Cauchon, Dennis. "Women gain as men lose jobs." USA Today (2009): n