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Shinae Chun

Director Contact:  Chun.Shinae@dol.gov

www.dol.gov/wb

Work-Life Balance in the United States

Presentation for the International Symposium on Measures for Society with Decreasing Birthrate

JapanOctober 1-4, 2008

U.S. Department of LaborU.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau Women's Bureau

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Women as a Percent of the Total U.S. Labor Force, 1974-2016

39%44% 46% 46% 47%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1974 1984 1994 2007 2016

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Women’s Labor Force Participation Rates, 1950-2020

(Percent)

Women

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Labor Force Participation of Women with Children

39%

54%

62% 63%

34%

50%

59% 60%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

1975 1985 1995 2007

Children under 6 Children under 3

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Number Of Women Employed Full-Time And Part-Time In The United States:

1970-2007

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

Jan

-70

Jan

-73

Jan

-76

Jan

-79

Jan

-82

Jan

-85

Jan

-88

Jan

-91

Jan

-94

Jan

-97

Jan

-00

Jan

-03

Jan

-06

Full-Time

Part-Time

(Thousands of people)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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2007 American Time Use Survey

Household Activities Women Men

Housework, for example, cleaning and laundry 52% 20%

Food preparation or cleanup 64% 37% Childcare per day in householdswith youngest child under age 6 9.3 hrs. 5.5 hrs.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Generation X 1965-1977 – 51 million

First generation where large numbers of mothers entered the workforce.

Embrace technology

Want workplace flexibility

Generation Y 1978-2000 – 76 million

The Internet Generation

Most high-performing, high-maintenance workforce

Want marriage and family and lots of workplace flexibility

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Listening Sessions for Generation X Women

Women’s Bureau funded

Question: What do you want/need most between now and 2020?

“Flexibility is our most important issue.”

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Percentage of Full-Time Workers with Flexible Schedules, 2004

• Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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WB Flex-Options Program

Flextime

Compressed Workweeks

Part-Time

Job Sharing

Telecommuting

Informal and Ad Hoc Flexibility

Flex-Options

Recruitment

Retention

Productivity

Performance

Morale

Commitment

Job Satisfaction

Attendance

Enhance and Improve

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Flex-OptionsProject Goal

To encourage business owners to develop workplace flexibility policies and procedures, such as telecommuting, job sharing, and compressed work-weeks.

Corporate executives and workplace flexibility experts establish one-on-one mentoring relationships with business owners to teach them how to develop flexible work policies.

www.flexoptions.orgWomen Entrepreneurs Inc. manages Web site

Best practices are shared online and via teleconference calls featuring experienced professionals and leaders in the flexible workplace field.

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Businesses Reap Bottom Line Benefits

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Challenges and Opportunity Meet

Gas prices are escalating

Expectations of Gen Xers and Yers

Traffic congestion

Elder and child care needs

Health and wellness priorities

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WB Flex in the City

Flex in the City, Houston, TexasMay 13, 2008

The WB and the City of Houston Mayor’s

Office hosted a conference.

Flex in the City, Atlanta, Georgia

Launched April 2008

The WB, City of AtlantaMayor’s Office, and

Governor’s Clean Air Campaign are hosting

the Atlanta Flex-Options Initiative.

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Employer Recognition Programs

Working Mother Magazine’s 10 Best Employers for Working Mothers

1. Baptist Health South Florida2. Booz Allen Hamilton3. Ernst & Young

4. General Mills5. IBM 6. KPMG 7. The McGraw-Hill Companies8. PricewaterhouseCoopers 9. UBS10.Wachovia