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Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

WB Press Release: New Report Finds Asian American and Pacific Islander Women Are Active in the Workforce [08/03/1998]

For more information call: (202) 219-6611

A new report compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau shows that Asian American and Pacific Islander women participate in the workforce at about the same rate as black and white women. The new "Facts on Asian American and Pacific Islander Women" is part of the bureau's ongoing "Facts on Working Women" series.

About 51 percent of the 10.2 million Asian and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. are women. Of those, 59 percent are working. They are the least likely group of women to be unemployed. Their unemployment rate of 4.4 percent in March 1996 was lower than the national average of all working women.

The report is intended to provide information on the participation of Asian and Pacific Islander women in the labor force. The data are compiled from the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Asian and Pacific Islander women are employed in all occupational groups, with greater numbers in technical, sales and administrative support jobs. The median income for Asian and Pacific Islander women who worked full-time in 1996 was $26,313 -- 73 percent of the $35,788 earned by their male counterparts.

Many Asian and Pacific Islanders came to America in pursuit of higher education. Of the 2.9 million Asian and Pacific Islander women age 25 and older in March 1996, 80 percent had a least a high school diploma, 57 percent had attended college or received a two-year or four-year degree.

Asian and Pacific Islanders are a heterogeneous group. They differ in language, culture, and recency in immigration. Immigration is a major factor in the growth of the Asian and Pacific Islander population as a whole, with large numbers coming to the United States following the adoption of the Immigration Act of 1965.

"Facts About Asian American and Pacific Islander Women" is available on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov/wb/. Informaton can also be obtained by calling 1-800-827-5335.

Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.