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Recent Trends in U.S. Male Work and Wage Patterns: An Overview

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  • Lawrence Buron
  • Robert Haveman
  • Owen O'Donnell

Abstract

This paper brings together figures on recent trends in the labor market activity and wages of working-age men in the United States over the 1967-1992 period. The data, which come from Current Population Surveys, reveal several important developments. Year-long joblessness, the percentage of men failing to participate in the labor force, and the proportion who were unemployed rose throughout the period. Part-time employment as a percentage of all forms of employment was also higher at the end of the period than at the beginning, and the average hours worked by full-time workers increased slightly. Finally, median and mean wages fell. None of the trends was due to changes in the racial, educational, and age composition of the male work force; in fact, if the racial/educational/age composition had remained the same over the period, labor market activity would have declined even further.
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Suggested Citation

  • Lawrence Buron & Robert Haveman & Owen O'Donnell, 1994. "Recent Trends in U.S. Male Work and Wage Patterns: An Overview," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_122, Levy Economics Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:lev:wrkpap:wp_122
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    1. L. Buron & R. Haveman & O. O'Donnell, "undated". "The Utilization of U.S. male labor, 1975-1992: Estimates of foregone work hours," Institute for Research on Poverty Discussion Papers 1059-95, University of Wisconsin Institute for Research on Poverty.

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