Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage ... - Census Bureau

and 1.9 percent for women who • Smaller than the declines in earn- 1.4 million, respectively. For female
worked full-time, year-round (from ings for the income years surround- workers with earnings, declines were
$35,609 to $36,278). 27 In 2009, the ing the recession lasting from July evident in these age groups as well,
female-to-male earnings ratio of full- 1990 to March 1991 (6.0 percent 766,000 and 1.3 million, respectively;
time, year-round workers was 0.77, decline); the January 1980 to July while the number of female worknot
statistically different from the 1980 and July 1981 to November ers 45 to 64 years old increased by
2008 ratio (Table 1 and Figure 2). 1982 combined recessions (10.1 579,000 (Table A-5). 30
Since 2007, the year before the most
recent recession, the number of workpercent
decline); and the November
1973 to March 1975 recession (6.4
percent decline).
Declines were evident in the number
of male workers with earnings
29
ing men with earnings decreased between 2007 and 2009 within the
by 2.5 million (from 84.5 million to Between 2007 and 2009, the real educational attainment categories of
81.9 million). The number of work- median earnings of full-time, year- some college, no degree (678,000
ing women with earnings decreased round male workers increased by 1.0 decline), ninth to twelfth grade, nonby
1.3 million (from 74.3 million percent (from $46,669 to $47,127); graduate (348,000 decline), and those
to 73.0 million) (Figure 3 and Table the change was not statistically with less than a ninth grade educa-
A-4). Between 2007 and 2009, the significant for full-time, year-round tion (234,000 decline). Declines were
real median earnings of male work- female workers, with a median of evident for female workers with earners
declined by 4.1 percent (from $36,278 in 2009. However, between ings within the categories high school
$37,898 to $36,331) and for female 2007 and 2009, the number of males graduate (639,000 decline) and some
workers by 2.8 percent (from $26,770 working full-time, year-round with college, no degree (646,000 decline);
to $26,030). Though the trough of earnings decreased by 6.9 million; the while female workers with an associthe
recession that began in December number of females working full-time, ate’s degree or bachelor’s degree or
2007 has not yet been defined, no year-round with earnings decreased more increased (gains of 365,000 and
other set of income years surround- by 2.4 million. Since the CPS ASEC is 514,000, respectively). 31
ing the recessions dating from 1969
to the present has experienced such
a large decline in the number of
workers, or in the percentage-point
declines in the percentage of male
and female full-time, year-round workers
(Figure 3 and Tables 2 and A-4).
In addition, 2007 to 2009 is the only
period (dating from 1969 to present)
showing a decline in women’s real
median earnings. For men, the 2007
to 2009 decline in real median earnings
is:
• Larger than the declines in earnings
for the income years surrounding
the March 2001 to November 2001
recession (2.6 percent decline) and
the December 1969 to November
1970 recession (2.2 percent
decline).
not a longitudinal survey, we cannot
determine how the loss of these
9.3 million workers (who worked
full-time, year-round in 2007 and did
not work in 2009, or who worked
full-time, year-round in 2007 and
in 2009 worked less than full-time,
year-round) affected median earnings
(Tables 2 and A-4).
Examining the change between 2007
and 2009 in the number of workers
with earnings by characteristics such
as age, educational attainment, occupation,
and class of worker shows
that, in many cases, the number of
male workers with earnings declined.
Although the same can be said for
their female counterparts, there were
The occupation groups with sta-
tistically significant declines in the
number of male workers with earnings
between 2007 and 2009 were con-
struction and extraction occupations
(1.0 million decline), transportation
and material-moving occupations
(709,000 decline), production occupa-
tions (634,000 decline), and sales and
related occupations (586,000 decline).
Statistically significant declines in the
number of female workers with earn-
ings by occupation group occurred in
management, business, and financial
operations occupations (413,000
decline); office and administrative sup-
port occupations (1.3 million decline);
and production occupations (712,000
28
some cases in which the number of
female workers increased.
30 The following differences among the
declines in number of workers were not statisti-
27 The differences among the percentage
increases in the earnings of full-time, year-round
working men compared with the increases for
Between 2007 and 2009, the number
of male workers with earnings
cally significant: the decline in the number of
men 15 to 24 compared with the declines for
men 25 to 44 and women 25 to 44, the decline
total working women and women working fulltime,
year-round were not statistically different.
The difference between the 2009 median earnings
in the age groups 15 to 24 and 25
to 44 declined by 1.3 million and
in the number of men 25 to 44 compared with
the declines for women 15 to 24 and 25 to 44,
the decline in the number of women 15 to 24
of all working men and of full-time, year-round
compared with that for women 25 to 44.
working women was not statistically significant.
31 All of the differences among the declines
28 The difference between the declines in 29 The difference between the declines in discussed in this paragraph were not statistically
earnings for the income years surrounding the earnings for income years surrounding the July significant. In addition, the differences between
March 2001 and November 2001 recession and 1990 to March 1991 recession and the the increases in the number of women with an
the December 1969 to November 1970 recession November 1973 to March 1975 recession was associate’s degree and those with a bachelor’s
was not statistically significant. not statistically significant. degree were not statistically significant.
12 Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009 U.S. Census Bureau