Women in the Workforce 1940-Today

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Women in the Workforce 1940-Today

Activity Description

hh-9-160

Students will examine graphs on education, earnings, and workforce participation for men and women between 1940 and today. Specifically, students will study a graph of the percentages of managers who were women from 1940 to 2009 to understand the connection between the increase in these percentages and the feminist movement of the 1960s.

Suggested Grade Level

9-12

Approximate Time Required

60-120 minutes

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to analyze and compare data in graphs to understand the differences in education, earnings, and workforce statistics for men and for women between 1940 and today.
  • Students will be able to make connections between historical movements of the 20th century and changes in women’s levels of education, earnings, and workforce participation.

Materials Required

  • The student version of this activity, 18 pages
  • Teacher computer with Internet access and a projector to display web sites

Activity Items

The following items are part of this activity. Items, their sources, and any relevant instructions for viewing them online appear at the end of this teacher version.

  • Percent of Population 25 Years and Over with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher by Sex: 1947-2021
  • Percent of Population 25 to 29 Years Old with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher by Sex: 1947-2021
  • Percentage of Managers Who Are Women: 1940-2023
  • Female-to-Male Earnings Ratio and Median Earnings of Full-Time, Year-Round Workers by Sex: 1960 to 2023
  • Total and Full-Time, Year-Round Workers 15 Years and Older With Earnings by Sex: 1967–2023
  • Mean Usual Hours Worked for Workers by Sex: 2010-2023
  • Percentage of Women-Owned Businesses: 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012
  • Women-Owned Employer Businesses in the United States: 2022
  • Educational Attainment of Owners of Respondent Firms by Sex: 2021
  • Average Hours Worked Per Week by Owners of Respondent Firms by Sex: 2021
  • Women’s Earnings as a Percentage of Men’s Earnings of Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in the Past 12 Months by Selected Occupations: 2022
  • Percent Employed by Occupation (Civilian, employed population ages 16+): 2018

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Teacher Notes

Blooms Taxonomy

Analyzing
Blooms Taxonomy

Students will analyze and compare education, earnings, and workforce statistics for men and for women from 1940 and today.

Subject

High School History

Topics

  • Earnings
  • Educational attainment
  • Post-World War II America
  • Women in the workforce

Skills Taught

  • Analyzing visual data
  • Making inferences
  • Using data to support conclusions
Page Last Revised - December 9, 2025