Occupational Outlook Handbook: a review of 50 years of change - career services of the Bureau of Labor Statistics - Statistical Data Included

Monthly Labor Review, May, 1999 by Michael J. Pilot

Exhibit 2. References to employment of women in selected occupations, 1972-73 through 1978-79 Occupational Outlook Handbooks

                 Edition
Occupation       of OOH        Reference to employment of women

Accountant       1972-73   "About 2 percent of the CPA'S and less
                           than 20 percent of all accountants are
                           women" (p. 30).
                 1974-75   "About 3 percent of the CPA'S and less
                           than 22 percent of all accountants are
                           women" (p. 128).
                 1976-77   "About 4 percent of the CPA'S and more
                           than 24 percent of all accountants are
                           women. Since the early 1960's, employment
                           of women accountants has increased more
                           rapidly than that of men, and there is
                           every indication that women will continue
                           to play an increasingly active role in
                           the occupation (p. 124).
                 1978-79   Dropped.
College          1972-73   "Men predominate in college teaching and
and university             hold more than nine-tenths of the
teacher                    positions in engineering, the physical
                           sciences, agriculture, and law. However,
                           most teachers in nursing, home economics,
                           and library science are women" (p. 217).
                 1974-75   "[A]bout one-fourth...were women. Women
                           worked more frequently in 2-year colleges
                           than in 4-year colleges...and were more
                           likely to teach certain subjects such as
                           nursing, home economics, and library
                           science" (p. 209).
                 1976-77   "About one-fourth...are women" (p. 210).
                           References to subjects taught were
                           dropped.
                 1978-79   Dropped.
Lawyers          1972-73   None.
                 1974-75   "...most of them men..."(p. 142).
                 1976-77   "Although the majority were men, increas-
                           ing numbers of women are choosing careers
                           in law. In 1974, for example, about 1 of
                           every 5 students in American Bar
                           Association (ABA) approved law schools
                           was a woman" (p. 139).
                 1978-79   Dropped.
Physicians       1972-73   "...7 percent were women" (p. 78).
                 1974-75   "More than 7 percent were women"
                           (p. 479).
                 1976-77   "[A]bout 7 percent...were women. The
                           recent increase in female enrollment in
                           medical schools points to a larger number
                           of women doctors in the future" (p. 448).
                 1978-79   Dropped.