Employment of June 1956 Women College Graduates

NEARLY ALL OF THE WOMEN who graduated from college in June 1956 and who wanted a job had found employment by the winter of 1956-57; only 3 percent were still looking for work, according to a survey by the National Vocational Guidance Association in cooperation with the Women's Bureau of the U. S. Department of Labor.1 About one-sixth of the graduates were neither working nor looking for work; half of these were continuing their education on a full-time basis and most of the others were married and did not consider themselves in the labor market. Nearly seven-tenths of the married graduates were working, however, as were over four-fifths of those whose husbands were attending school. The effect of the favorable labor market prevailing in the winter of 1956-57 was also evident in the fact that the 1956 graduates had started work at salaries averaging 10 percent above those obtained by their 1955 counterparts.2

Two other findings of the survey are also significant for manpower analysis and planning. In most instances, the 1956 graduates were working in jobs that were related to their major subject in college. This was particularly evident among education majors, nearly nine-tenths of whom had become teachers. But more than half of the graduates were planning to leave the labor market when marriage or family responsibilities intervened.

Coverage

The survey of June 1956 women college graduates was conducted by mail questionnaire in the winter of 1956-57 by the Women's Section of the National Vocational Guidance Association and tabulated by the Women's Bureau. A sample group of graduates were questioned concerning the following: age, marital status, college major, plans for further study, employment status, job-locating source, earnings, and value of college education. Approximately 2 out of 3 of those queried supplied information about their current employment status and related activities. Altogether, a total of 5,411 women graduates and 126 colleges and universities participated in this survey. The sample was considered to be representative of 87,000 women who were graduated in June 1956 from women's and

coeducational universities and colleges whic granted baccalaureate degrees. (This evaluatio is based on the assumption that nonrespondent to the questionnaire were engaged in activitie similar to those of respondents.) The 87,000 Jun 1956 graduates compares with 81,000 wome graduates a year earlier an increase of almos 8 percent.

Characteristics of Respondents

The typical woman graduate of the class o June 1956 was 22 years old, single, and employed when surveyed in the winter of 1956-57. In thes respects, she bore a strong resemblance to th June 1955 graduate surveyed a year earlier.

The percentages of married and mature women were slightly higher this year compared to last Those who were 25 years of age and over equaled 14 percent of the 1956 class and 12 percent of the 1955 class. Similarly, married women were 37 percent of the recent graduates but 34 percent of the earlier ones. Whether the slightly larger proportion of married women in the class of 1956 reflects the age difference or indicates a further increase in the trend toward earlier marriage is difficult to determine. In the group of graduates 30 years of age and over (9 percent), a majority of women had returned to college for teacher training and held teaching jobs in the winter of

1 College Women Go to Work: Report on Women Graduates Class of 1956, Women's Bureau Bull. 264, 1958.

See Employment of June 1955 Women College Graduates (in Monthly Labor Review, September 1956, pp. 1057-1061).

The sample was selected on a random basis from graduates of representative schools, chosen by size, type, and region. The exclusion of women who received their degrees in some month other than June and who graduated from so-called "men's schools" accounts for the fact that the size of this group is smaller than the 112,000 women college graduates reported by the U. S. Office of Education for the school year 1955-56.

Refers only to graduates who reported education as their major; does not include about 25 percent of the graduates with a subject matter major who were also qualified to teach.

more in physical education. The humanities, including art, foreign languages, music, and speech, accounted for 18 percent of the majors. The social sciences, including history, psychology, 1 sociology, and other social sciences, were a relatively large group, with 17 percent of the majors. The home economics majors amounted to 9 percent, and the English majors-8 percent. Relatively few women graduates (7 percent) had majored in the natural sciences, and fewer than 1 percent of the graduates had received degrees in law or engineering.

Nearly one-fifth of the graduates reported that they were continuing their education: 9 of every 100 were attending school full time, and 10, part time. Education led the list as the principal subject of postgraduate study for both the fulland part-time students, but for only about half as many full-time students (17 percent) as part-time ones (38 percent). Other fields pursued by 5 percent or more of the full-time students were: health, business and commerce, sociology and social work, home economics, English, and music. Fairly high percentages of the physical science majors (31 percent) and biological science majors (28 percent) reported continuing their education full time. So did relatively large percentages of the majors in music (25 percent), psychology (20 percent), and foreign languages (18 percent). On the other hand, less than 5 percent of the students › who had majored in nursing, business and commerce, and education were doing full-time postgraduate work.

About three-fifths of the full-time postgraduate students were candidates for a master's degree and a few (6 percent), for a doctorate. Most of the others were studying for a certificate in health services or teaching. Almost 30 percent of the full-time women graduate students received scholarships-averaging about $950 a year. Approximately half as many (16 percent) were graduate assistants and earned $1,200 on the average. Two-fifths of the part-time students were working toward a master's degree and almost one-fifth toward a teaching or other certificate; most of the remainder indicated they were not candidates for any degree or certificate.

Includes advertising and editorial assistants, bookkeepers, accounting clerks, library assistants, sales clerks and miscellaneous retail workers, secretaries, stenographers, and typists, as well as "miscellaneous clerical workers."

The types of jobs secured by the 1956 women graduates were similar to those reported a year earlier by the 1955 graduates. The same five occupations accounted for at least three-fourths of the employed graduates in both years surveyed. The leading occupation-traditionally the favorite with college women-was teaching; this accounted in 1956 for 59 percent of the employed graduates. The increase in the number of graduates entering the teaching field in 1956 over 1955 may be accounted for by the increased size in the graduating class. The four other significant occupations were: secretaries and stenographers (6 percent), nurses (5 percent), biological technicians (3 percent), and social and welfare workers (2 percent). Occupations reported by the remaining 25 percent of the employed graduates included such unusual jobs for women as patent attorney trainee, hydraulic engineer, policewoman, assistant account executive (advertising), loftsman, and foreign business specialist in a bank.

Almost half of the 1956 graduates who were employed listed "direct application on own" as their primary job source. Approximately threetenths of the 1956 graduates named their school

placement bureau. Other help in locating jobs came from their family or friends. A private or public employment service or an advertisement in a newspaper or magazine was the source for most clerical jobs.

When questioned about the relationship between undergraduate field of specialization and first job, four-fifths of the graduates reported employment in fields for which they had been trained. Teaching, the predominant occupation, attracted almost nine-tenths of the education majors who were employed. (See table 1.) Also engaged in teaching were a majority of the employed graduates who had majored in physical education, music, English, history, foreign languages, home economics, and mathematics; and one-third or more of those in art, speech and dramatic art, and psychology and "other" social sciences.

A few other groups of employed graduates reported a strong relationship between their aca

demic education and vocational pursuits. Among the employed graduates, 99 percent of the nursing majors became nurses; about 50 percent of both the health majors and biological science majors became biological technicians, and another 35 percent of the health majors became therapists; 33 percent of the physical science majors were employed as chemists and 31 percent as biological technicians. In addition, 47 percent of the journalism majors became editors, copywriters, or reporters; and 44 percent of the business and commerce majors became secretaries or stenographers.

When questioned concerning their future employment plans, most of the 1956 graduates indicated they were thinking in terms of work but only 22 percent were planning to have a career. Another 20 percent expected they might work indefinitely or when necessary but had no interest in a career. Fully 55 percent were planning to

leave the labor market when marriage or family responsibilities intervened: 5 percent when they became married, 16 percent a short while after marriage, and 34 percent when they had children.

Teaching. Three-fifths of the graduates had teaching certificates and approximately three-fourths of these certificate holders were teaching in the winter of 1956-57. About 11 percent of those holding certificates accepted jobs other than teaching, and 5 percent were not in the labor market. The remainder were either attending school or seeking work. A relatively higher proportion of those trained in elementary education were employed in the teaching profession than those trained in secondary education. About three-fifths of the certificate holders were entitled to teach in the elementary schools and one-half, in secondary schools."

Subjects which the June 1956 secondary school eachers were teaching and percentages reporting each subject were: English-31 percent, home economics-23 percent, fine arts-17 percent, physical education and social sciences-each 13

These figures include graduates who held certificates for both types of chools.

7 Refers only to degree-holding nurses.

NOTE: Because of rounding, sums of individual items do not necessarily equal 100.

percent, natural sciences-12 percent, mathematics-11 percent, history and business education-each 9 percent, and languages-6 percent. Annual Earnings

Starting salaries averaged $3,446 a year for the June 1956 women college graduates who were employed full time. A year earlier, the average for women graduates was $3,141 per year. More than one-fifth of the 1956 graduates had salaries of at least $4,000 a year, and one-fifth, under $3,000 (table 2). In addition to the relatively well-paid women chemists and the women mathematicians and statisticians, other groups whose average salaries were high included the research workers, home economists, therapists, nurses,' and recreation workers. Although the first-year earnings for teachers were below these groups, they compared favorably with those for social and welfare workers, dietitians, librarians, and editors, copywriters, and reporters. Those averaging less than $3,000 a year were: sales clerks and miscellaneous retail workers, typists, library assistants, and religious workers.

In half the occupational groups reported, the average starting salaries of the 1956 women

graduates were between $208 and $367 a year more than in 1955. Above average increases were recorded for chemists, mathematicians, statisticians, and biological technicians. Jobs for which starting salaries increased relatively little were those of sales clerks and miscellaneous retail workers; editors, copywriters, and reporters; and recreation, religious, social, and welfare workers.

In terms of undergraduate major, college women who had majored in the science and health fields tended to receive the best starting salaries. Highest annual averages, in descending order, were reported by those who had majored in:

physical sciences, mathematics, health field nursing, psychology, education, and biologic: sciences. Among these groups, salary increas over last year were above average for the physic: and biological science majors, and mathematic and psychology majors. Other groups with salar increases exceeding 10 percent included many whic had the lowest rates the previous year; namely art, foreign languages, English, speech an dramatic art, music, and history.

-JEAN A. WELL

Women's Burea

Date Aug. 18-22.

Place

Hamilton, N. Y.

Sept. 7-11...

Sept. 7-12...

Commissions.

Sept. 14-19..

Pasadena, Calif.