discloses that this factor accounts for part of the salary difference between these two groups of employees. It may be recalled that among the groups of nonblack minorities whose average salary was compared to that for all professionals, a difference existed for only the nonblack minority males in the Field. Standardizing for length of service, the difference in the average salary of nonblack minority male professionals and all male professionals in the Field is 2 percent. This is smaller than the 4 percent disparity which exists if length of service 17/ (Table 6, p. 247; Tables 10-12, is not considered. pp. 428-29). Women Length of service could represent an especially important explanatory factor of the underutilization of women. The absence of sufficient work experience as a result of time taken off to have children is often held to 17/ The underutilization discussed here applies only to that found Department-wide in the Field. This analysis does not attempt to explain the greater amount of underutilization that is found by examining the status of nonblack minorities in each administration in the Field. account for the lower status of women. The average length of service for female professionals, 13 years, is somewhat below the average for all professionals, 131⁄2 years. This disparity is slightly larger in the National Office than in the Field. Thus, women professionals have only slightly less civilian government experience. Examining the service of women professionals by GS grade discloses that they have about one or two more years of service in grades GS 5-11, but have less service in the higher grades. GS grade increases with service for female professionals in nearly the same manner as for all professionals. Female professionals also have nearly the same DOL service, 7.8 years, as all professionals, 8.4 years. The disparity occurs in the Field, as these groups of employees have the same DOL service in the National Office. Overall, it does not appear that women professionals suffer from having substantially less government experience than all employees. (Chart 15, p. 49; Tables 1-3, pp. 424-25 ). The difference in the average salary of women professionals compared to all professionals with equal service is nearly as large as a straight comparison that ignores service. The disparity in average salary between women and all professionals is 18 percent standardizing for length not considered. of service as compared to 19 percent when this factor is This pattern also applies to black female professionals who earn 14 percent below the average of all black professionals whether or not length of service is taken into account. The relationships between length of service and the status of women described above occur in both the National Office and the Field. 18 (Table 6, p. 247; The educational data used in this analysis was collected by means of a sample of DOL employees. Although educational attainment represents an important determinant of an employee's status, the computerized personnel system did not include any such information. As a result, the Task Force conducted a survey to investigate educational attain ment among DOL employees. 19/ 18/ The pattern just described for government service also holds for DOL service. Data on DOL service are available in the EEO Office. 19/ See Appendix A-2, p. 220 for a detailed description of the survey. Blacks The survey disclosed that black professionals have a lower level of education than all professionals. A larger segment of black professionals, 38 percent, have attained a high school degree or less compared to 26 percent of all About half of both all professionals and professionals. black professionals have attained undergraduate but not advanced degrees. The significant difference in the educational achievement of black and all professionals is in the attainment of graduate degrees. Eight percent of black professionals hold graduate degrees while 21 percent of all professionals have attained graduate degrees. (Chart 16, p. 58). An additional comparison which can be made is between the average salaries of white and black professionals with comparable levels of education. This comparison discloses that the average earnings of black professionals are 10 percent below that of all professionals. This disparity is smaller than that which exists if education is not con sidered, 15 percent. The lower education of black pro fessionals appears to account for part of their lower status, |