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Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of Public Affairs

OPA Press Release: Statement by Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman on the Release of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Report, "Employment Characteristics of Families in 1997." [05/21/1998]

For more information call: (202) 219-8211

Today's annual BLS report, " Employment Characteristics of Families in 1997," shows that there were gains in employment last year for families of all races, married couples and single-headed families. The percent of families that have at least one family member employed rose to 82.2 from 81.4 percent, the year before. The BLS also reported that the number of dual-worker families, where the husband and wife both worked, grew by 352,000 in 1997; and that 61.4 percent of married women with children under 6 years old were employed, up from 61 percent in 1996.

These BLS findings are another sign that our strong economy is creating job opportunities for men and women, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers. These numbers also highlight the critical importance of high-quality child care and the need to help Americans balance the demands of work and family.

Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.