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Women in the United States labor force from 1945 to 1950 facts for kids

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World War II changed many things, including how women participated in the workforce. Before the war, most women, especially those who were married, were not expected to work outside the home. But during the war, with so many men away fighting, women stepped up to fill important jobs. After the war, even though many men returned to their old jobs, women's involvement in the workforce continued to grow, especially for those with more education. This change was also helped by new types of jobs, more part-time work, and better household technologies.

Women at Work Before WWII

Before World War II, it was hard for women to get many jobs. There was a lot of unfair treatment against women workers. Most women who worked outside the home were often from poorer families or minority groups. They usually had jobs like receptionists, secretaries, or store clerks.

Many people believed that women from middle and upper-class families should not work outside the home. They thought it was "beneath them." Because of this, there were even laws that stopped married women from working in certain jobs. During the Great Depression, when many people didn't have jobs, some thought men should get jobs first so they could support their families.

American culture encouraged women to work before they got married. But once they married, their main job was to take care of their home and family. Important laws like the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which aimed to ensure equal pay for equal work, didn't exist yet. In 1940, only about 28% of women over 14 worked, while about 96% of men over 10 worked.

Women's Role During WWII

World War II caused a huge change in America. About 16 million American men joined the military. This meant there were many jobs that needed to be filled. In 1945, about 37% of women were working. The government even used posters and films to encourage women to join the workforce. They wanted women to help the country by taking over jobs that men used to do.

By 1945, nearly one in four married women were working outside the home. Many women took on higher-paying jobs, which meant fewer people wanted lower-paying jobs like those in restaurants or laundromats. During the war, almost 6 million women joined the workforce. They worked in factories making steel, in lumber yards, in offices, and even as construction workers. Some women even became non-combat pilots!

Women often worked long hours for less pay than men and sometimes faced unfair treatment. By 1945, the number of women in office jobs had increased by 89% since before the war. The number of women working in factories went up by 112%. The aviation (airplane) industry saw the biggest increase in female workers. By 1943, 65% of all workers in the US Aircraft Industry were women. Before the war, it was only 1%!

About 350,000 women also joined the United States Armed Forces. The Women’s Army Corps had over 100,000 members. They did more than 200 different non-combat jobs in the US. The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) were the first female pilots to fly military planes. They transported supplies and helped with training missions. Over 1,000 women served as WASP pilots, and 38 of them died during the war.

Working women also had to deal with housework and finding childcare. Many women still spent hours doing laundry at home because it was hard to find people to work in laundromats. Some women left their children at home alone, with older siblings, or with relatives. Only about 5% of American women used daycare centers early in the war. To help, the government started funding childcare and welfare programs so more women could work.

Even though women's wages increased more than men's during the war, their actual buying power didn't go up much because of higher wartime taxes. Jobs that were once only for men became open to women. However, some groups, like African American women, who already worked a lot, saw less change.

After WWII: Lasting Changes

After World War II ended, many people wondered how much women's roles in the workplace had truly changed. Some thought the war was a huge turning point that changed how people viewed women working. However, women also worked during World War I, and attitudes didn't change as much then.

By 1950, the total number of women in the workforce went down a little to 32%. But a big change was that many more married women were working than ever before. For most age groups, married women's participation in the workforce increased by 10 percentage points, which was a huge jump.

Many experts believe that the increase of women in the workforce during and after the war was part of bigger, longer-term trends. Other important reasons for more women working included:

  • Growth of the service industry: More jobs became available in areas like offices and services.
  • More part-time jobs: These jobs offered more flexibility, which helped women balance work and family.
  • New household technologies: Things like washing machines and vacuum cleaners saved time on housework.
  • Better education: More women were going to high school and college, which prepared them for better jobs.
  • End of "marriage bar" laws: These laws used to stop married women from working in certain government and office jobs. They were mostly removed in the early 1940s.

It also became more acceptable for a wife to work, and people started to think less that a husband's worth was lower if his wife worked. Working was no longer just a short phase in a woman's life before marriage. Women began to take on roles as both mothers and workers. This meant that middle-class mothers, as well as poorer women, often had to manage both a job and their home duties.

Women mostly worked in jobs that were seen as "women's jobs." While many still worked in textile factories and as domestic servants, the number of jobs in offices and services grew a lot. These "service sector" jobs were often seen as more socially acceptable, and many more educated women entered them. However, wages for women were still low, usually about 60% of what men earned, and there wasn't much chance for them to move up to higher positions.

Occupation 1940 1950 Increase Percentage of Total Increase
Professional, technical 1,608 2,007 399 6.84%
Managers, officials, proprietors 414 700 286 4.90
Clerical 2,700 4,502 1,802 30.88%
Sales 925 1,418 493 8.45%
Manual 2,720 3,685 965 16.54%
Craftswomen, forewomen 135 253 118 2.02%
Operatives 2,452 3,287 835 14.31%
Laborers 133 145 12 0.21%
Service Workers 2,699 3,532 833 14.27%
Farm Workers 508 601 93 1.59%
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Women in the United States labor force from 1945 to 1950 Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.