from that used in past years. See the section entitled "Changes in the Educational Attainment Item," for an explanation of the change and brief discussion of the form of the new question.

The progress that Black adults made in attaining a high school diploma in the 1980s was notable. In 1980, 51 percent of Blacks 25 years old and over had attained at least a high school diploma; by 1992, the proportion had increased to 68 percent (table C). The corresponding percentages for Whites were 71 and 81 percent, respectively.

The proportions of Black males and of Black females 25 years old and over with at least a high school diploma both increased between 1980 and 1992. The percentage of Black males who were high school graduates increased from 51 percent in 1980 to 67 percent in 1992. The increase for Black females was from 51 to 68 percent. There was no statistical difference in the proportion of Black males and females completing at least high school or in their gains since 1980.

In 1980, 8 percent of Black adults (25 years old and over) had a bachelor's degree or more. By 1992 this proportion had increased to 12 percent.12 The corresponding percentages for Whites were 18 and 22 percent, respectively (figure 2).

12 Prior to January 1992, educational attainment in the CPS was measured by a question asking about completed years of schooling. In this context, persons completing 4 or more years of college were assumed to hold a bachelor's degree. Research conducted during the 1980s showed this assumption was sometimes not correct. In January 1992, a new question was introduced which asks about the specific highest degree earned beyond the high school level.

Improvements were noted in college completion rates for Black males and females. The proportion of both Black males and Black females 25 years old and over with at least a bachelor's degree increased from 8 percent in 1980 to 12 percent in 1992.

The proportions of White males and females completing at least a bachelor's degree increased between 1980 and 1992, from 22 to 25 percent for males and from 14 to 19 percent for females. In 1992, the proportion of White males completing college (25 percent) remained larger than that for White females (19 percent).

Among Black persons 25 to 34 years old in 1992, a similar proportion of males and females (82 percent) had completed at least 4 years of high school (table C). A slightly larger proportion of White females (88 percent) than males (86 percent) had completed high school.

In both 1980 and 1992, the proportion of Black young adults (25 to 34 years old) who had attained a bachelor's degree or higher was 12 percent.

ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS

Labor force. In 1992, 13.9 million Blacks 16 years old and over were in the labor force. Of these, 11.9 million were employed and 2.0 million were unemployed. Blacks made up 11 percent of the total labor force, 10 percent of employed persons and 21 percent of the unemployed (table 2). Blacks comprised twice the proportion of the unemployed as they did of the employed.

Black men had an annual average labor force participation rate of 70 percent, compared to 58 percent for Black women in 1992 (table F). The annual average labor force participation rate for Black men in 1992 (70 percent) was somewhat lower than in 1980 (71 percent). For the same period, the annual average labor force participation rate for White men experienced a similar decline from 78 to 76 percent. However, their 1992 participation rate remained higher than that for Black men (figure 3).

The 1992 annual average labor force participation rates of Black (58 percent) and White women (58 percent) were similar. Civilian labor force participation rates for both Black and White women were higher in 1992 than in 1980 (table F). In 1980, Black women had a higher labor force participation rate (53 percent) than White women (51 percent).

Unemployment. In both 1992 and 1980, the unemployment rate for Blacks was more than twice that for Whites (14 versus 6 percent for both time periods).

Between 1980 and 1992, the unemployment rate for Blacks and Whites changed along with the economic conditions of the Nation. The unemployment rate for Blacks fluctuated from 14 percent in 1980 to a high of 20 percent in 1983 (just after the end of the 1981-to1982 recession). It then dropped to 12 percent in 1988 and 11 percent in 1989 before increasing again to 14 percent in 1992.13 During the 1980s, the unemployment rate for Whites also fluctuated, from a high of 9 percent in 1982 to a low of 4 percent in 1989. In 1992, 6 percent of all White civilians were unemployed.

Occupation.14 Noticeable differences existed between occupational distributions of employed Black men and women. In 1992, there were more Black women than men in the civilian labor force. A higher proportion of Black women than men were employed in the managerial and professional specialty jobs (20 compared to 14 percent) and in service occupations (28 compared to 19 percent). The proportion of Black women employed in technical, sales, and administrative support jobs (38 percent) was more than twice that for Black men (17 percent). Conversely, the proportion of Black men employed in precision production, craft, and repair jobs (15 percent) was seven times that of Black women (2 percent). Also, the proportion of Black men employed as operators, fabricators, and laborers (31 percent) was two and one-half times that of Black women (12 percent).

13The unemployment rate for Blacks in 1988 (12 percent) is not statistically different from the 1989 rate (11 percent).

14Occupation data shown in this report are annual averages for civilian noninstitutional persons from the "Employment and Earnings", Vol. 40, No. 1, January 1993, Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The occupational distribution of employed Black males differs from that of White males (table 2 and figure 4). In 1992, the proportion of White males (27 percent) in the managerial and professional specialty occupations was twice that of Black males (14 percent). A larger percentage of White than Black males were also employed in the technical, sales, and administrative support occupations (21 and 17 percent, respectively) and precision production, craft, and repair jobs (20 and 15 percent, respectively). On the other hand, Black males were twice as likely as White males to work in service occupations (19 compared to 9 percent), and more than one and one-half times as likely (31 compared to 19 percent) to be operators, fabricators, and laborers.15

A higher proportion of White than Black females were employed in managerial and professional specialty jobs (29 and 20 percent, respectively), and in technical, sales, and administrative support jobs (45 and 38 percent, respectively). On the other hand, Black females (28 percent) were more highly represented than White females (17 percent) in service occupations, and as operators, fabricators, and laborers (12 and 7 percent, respectively). Similar proportions of Black and White females were employed in precision production, craft, and repair jobs (2 percent).16

Money Income

Per capita income. In 1991, the per capita income of the Black population ($9,170) was about 60 percent of the White population's ($15,510) (table 2). The ratio (0.59) of Black-to-White per capita income was similar in both 1979 and 1989. Unemployment, as well as occupational, educational, work experience, and earnings differentials, all contribute to these ratios.

Families. The income levels of families are related to a number of factors such as family composition (including the increase in the proportion of families maintained by women), the number of earners in the family and their educational attainment levels, as well as the economic conditions of the Nation.

Black median family income was $21,550 in 1991, 57 percent of that for White families ($37,780) (table G). After adjusting for inflation, neither the ratio (0.57) nor the median family income for Black and White families in 1991 differed from their 1979 levels ($21,300 and

15There is no statistical difference in the proportion of Black men in managerial and professional specialty jobs (14 percent) compared to those in precision production, craft, and repair jobs (15 percent). Also, there is no statistical difference in the proportion of Black men in service occupations (19 percent), White men in precision production, craft, and repair jobs (20 percent), and White men employed as operators, fabricators, and laborers (19 percent).

16 There is no statistical difference in the proportion of Black females in service occupations (28 percent) and White females in managerial and professional specialty jobs (29 percent).

$37,620, respectively). However, income levels were not stagnant during this entire period, but fluctuated with the economic conditions of the Nation. Real median money income declined from 1979 to 1982 for both Black (down 9 percent) and White (down 7 percent) families. Black median family income then increased by 11 percent and White median family income by 8 percent between 1982 and 1991 (table G).17

The declines in Black (9 percent) and White (7 percent) median family income between 1979 and 1982, and the increases between 1982 and 1991 (11 percent and 8 percent, respectively) were statistically similar.

Median family incomes differ considerably by family type. Income levels are lower in families maintained by women with no spouse present. In 1991, the median income of Black female householder families with no spouse present was only $11,410 (table G and figure 5). The real median family incomes of both Black and White female householder families declined from 1979 to 1991. For such Black families, the decline was 10

17 Changes in real money income refer to comparisons after adjusting for inflation. The percentage change in prices between 1979 and 1991 was computed by dividing the annual average Consumer Price Index (CPI-U-X1) for 1991 by the annual average value for 1979 and 1982. For a detailed discussion, see Current Population Reports, Series P-60, No.180, Money Income of Households, Families, and Persons in the United States: 1991.

percent, from $12,640 to $11,410. White female householders with no spouse present showed a similar 7-percent loss in real income from 1979 to 1991 ($21,040 to $19,550). The ratio of Black-to-White median family income for female householders with no spouse present was 0.58 in 1991, and did not statistically differ from the 1979 ratio of 0.60. The apparent change in the comparable ratio for male householder families, from 0.70 in 1979 to 0.85 in 1991, is not statistically significant.

The real median money income of Black marriedcouple families increased from $30,920 in 1979 to $33,310 in 1991. However, the median income ratio of Black and White married-couple families was similar in 1991 (0.80) and 1979 (0.77) (table G and figure 5).

The median income in 1991 of Black families living in the North and West ($24,010) was 19 percent higher than in the South ($20,120) (table 10). It was also higher outside ($38,300) than inside ($29,890) the South for married-couple families. The median income of Black female householder families was similar in both the South and North and West combined ($11,000).

White families in the North and West combined ($39,140) also had a higher median income than those in the South ($35,230) in 1991. The regional difference in family income for Whites (11 percent) was similar to that for Blacks (19 percent). There was no difference in the ratio of Black-to-White median family income in 1991 in either the North and West (0.61) or in the South (0.57) (table 10).