EMBARGOED UNTIL: 10 A.M. EDT, SEPTEMBER 24, 1996 (TUESDAY) Please note our new policy: NO BROADCAST OR PRINT BEFORE 10 A.M. EDT Public Information Office CB96-155 301-457-3030/301-456-3670 (fax) 301-457-4067 (TDD) e-mail: pio@census.gov Enrique Lamas 301-763-8375 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT LINKED TO LOW-WAGE WORKERS, CENSUS BUREAU REPORTS Among the nation's adult male population with 4 years of college or more, 9 percent held jobs that paid less than $5.70 per hour for at least one month during a 28-month period overlapping 1992 and 1993, compared to 30 percent for adult men with a high school education or less. The comparable rates for women aged 25-54 were, 17 percent and 42 percent, respectively. These findings are contained in a report released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau entitled Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Labor Force, 1992-93," P70-57. "The data tend to confirm the fact that educational attainment plays a pivotal role in the incidence and duration of low-wage employment. Between 1983-85 and 1992-93, such employment increased among workers with a high school education or less, and also among the college-educated, but the incidence and frequency of low-wage employment was far lower for college graduates than for those who had not attended college," Census Bureau analyst Enrique Lamas says. The report provides a comprehensive look at low-wage employment and how many workers held low-wage jobs over the 28-months occurring primarily in 1992 and 1993. The information was collected in the bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), which surveys approximately 20,000 households nationwide. Because SIPP follows the same persons over nearly two and one-half years, it provides a panoramic view of individuals' earnings experiences across time. The report shows an increase in the rate of low-wage employment among adult men aged 25 to 54--from 17.1 percent in the 1983-85 period to 20.2 percent in the 1992-93 period. And a significant increase occurred for women aged 25-54 with low-wage employment of 13 months or more--5.8 percent to 7.1 percent. (The increases in the incidence were not significantly different between men and women 25-54 years of age.) Other highlights from the 28-month survey period include: - About six in 10 persons earning less than $5.70 per hour for at least one month were in low-paying jobs one to six months, while two in 10 were in low-wage jobs for 13 months or more during the 1992-93 period. - Among adult women, 31 percent were in low-paying jobs for a month or more, and of these women, 23 percent had a job paying less than $5.70 per hour for over a year. While 20 percent of adult men had a month or more in a low-wage job, 18 percent of these men did so for over one year. As in all surveys, the data in this report are subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. A fax copy of the report may be obtained by calling the Public Information Office's 24-hour Fax-On-Demand line (301-457-4178) and requesting document number 1180.-X-The Census Bureau--preeminent collector and provider of timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the United States. In over 100 surveys annually and 20 censuses a decade, evolving from the first census in 1790, the Census Bureau provides continuous, official information about America's people, businesses, and industries.
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