Persistent practices in the labor market deny women-except in token numbersaccess to a wide variety of profitable jobs, and maintain low pay in jobs where women predominate, even when those jobs demand skills comparable to higher paid jobs held by men. Age limits for beginning apprenticeships bar many reentry women from well-paying jobs. A second major problem faced by many midlife women who wish to enter or reenter the labor market is that they lack the skills sought by today's employers. As I recently testified before the Senate Human Resources Committee, the background and schooling of the women now in this age group has left them unprepared to cope with the rapid social changes of the past decade. Widowed or divorced women now in their upper middle years present the most poignant problems because so few had ever expected to need to support themselves or dependents in an economy where two incomes have increasingly become common. They seek reschooling and retraining opportunities in their local communities, and require appropriate supportive services if they are to enjoy any measure of success in their efforts. Increased public awareness is sorely needed concerning the necessity for growing numbers of mature women to obtain adequate employment as they find themselves in the position of being "displaced homemakers". Recently the Women's Bureau held a series of conferences across the country with low-income women, many of them at or near midlife. Based on their own assessment of needs and problems, these low-income women consistently focused on: Difficulties with delivery of Federal programs; Inadequate prepartion for the job market; Lack of information about programs and resources to improve their lives; Many midlife women who would like to enter or reenter the economic mainstream are constrained by the fact that they are often the sole "carers" not only for children but for other older family members. Some of these women need such supportive services as community centers where their elderly, but still mobile, parents can spend the day in stimulating activities with their contemporaries and receive wholesome meals. Still others seek therapy for exceptional adult relatives who have the potential of learning to cope at least in a supervised group situation and for those who are trying to make the adjustment from institutional psychiatric care to living and working in the community. A significant number of midlife women are held back, also, by the lack of alternative work schedules that would help them "ease" back into paid labor or combine home and work duties. Such schedules include staggered hours, flexible hours or flexitime, compressed workweeks, part-time employment, job-sharing, and worksharing or "leisure-sharing." Part-time employment in private industry, when it is available, often offers only very low wages and does not include ordinary fringe benefits. As a point of comparison though, I would like to note that the Administration has made major efforts to increase part-time employment in the Federal sector. A major problem faced by midlife women is the lack of recognition of the contribution they have made as homemakers. This is manifested in many ways; for example, under title II of the Social Security Act, disability only accrues to workers with earnings and not to women in their own right whose work is solely in the home. Another example is found in the private pension system, where the contributions have been deemed to be the "property" of the participants-overwhelmingly men. And if a male participant in a defined benefit plan dies even a day before he reaches the age of eligibility for a joint and survivor annuity, his widow may not be entitled to any benefits. Other women are shocked to find themselves unprotected at widowhood because the husband had specifically rejected the joint and survivor annuity. And still others may never realize the anticipated financial security of sharing a pension because the marriage is dissolved. Still another problem of midlife women is lack of recognition of their special health needs. Dr. DuBrin contributed to the compendium an excellent paper on psychological problems related to reentry and mid-career crises. Those psychological problems can lead to physical problems such as alcoholism. Recently the Senate Human Resources Committee heard testimony to the effect that women who abuse alcohol or drugs enter treatment programs very late and are in far worse shape than comparable men. They are likely to be divorced by their spouses. All too many doctors, not knowing how or choosing not to deal with the special. problems of women, simply prescribe pills. Severe psychological and physical problems at times may follow divorce or death of the husband-just at the time the wives lose their health insurance coverage. If they are forced by the dissolution of marriage to enter the labor force, very likely the only jobs available are, as I noted, in low-paying service occupations, which do not generally offer group health coverage or paid sick leave. Another problem, which was addressed by the Civil Rights Commission in its Age Discrimination Study of 1977, is that Federal grants and Federally funded programs all too often are not designed with the needs of midlife citizens in mind. As to my recommendations for solving some of the problems of midlife women, I would like to note that before my appointment by President Carter as Director of the Women's Bureau, I was national director of the Minority Women Employment Program of Recruitment and Training Program (RTP), Inc. In that position I had the opportunity to observe the dramatic changes in lives and expectations that can be accomplished through remedial and supportive services directed toward a specific group of women. I heartily applaud the Subcommittee's efforts to formulate public policy that can fill the needs of midlife women. Such efforts must have many phases. I would call your attention not only to the immediate needs of women presently in the upper range of midlife but also to the importance of overcoming the sex role stereotyping of young girls so that when their "wave" reaches middle age they will have adequate preparation to insist on equal opportunity. Women of every age should have access to educational programs adapted to their need for economic security no matter what their marital status may be. With respect to the problem of job discrimination based on sex, age, and race, last year the Administration took a major step toward more effective enforcement of the laws through the President's Reorganization Plan No. 1. The plan was designed to remedy such deficiencies as inconsistent standards of compliance and confusion on the part of workers about how and where to seek redress. Already effected is the consolidation in the Labor Department of enforcement responsibility of Executive Order 11246 for Federal contractors. On July 1, enforcement of the Equal Pay Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act will be shifted from the Labor Department to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Full implementation of the Reorganization Plan will, I am confident, result in measurable improvements for all women who seek equal opportunity for employment and advancement in their employment. The equal opportunity effort can be enhanced if adequate resources, as recommended by the President, are provided to those agencies charged with enforcing prohibition of discrimination because of sex and/or age not only in employment, but also in such areas as credit and financial assistance for education. For midlife women who cannot find work because they lack skills, linkages within local communities need to be established to overcome these barriers. A good start has already been made with new initiatives in Vocational Education and CETA reauthorization legislation, where the special educational and training needs of displaced homemakers are taken into account. The Women's Bureau and the Bureau of Occupational and Adult Education at HEW have established linkages at the national level and this month are sending a guide to assist education and training agencies in States and local communities in designing joint programs and services that can be funded under these two Acts. A copy of the guide is attached to my testimony. We perceive further need for linkages and delivery systems, along the following lines: Informational and referral capability in local areas; Counseling programs and networks in women's centers, community colleges, and Displaced Homemaker Centers are needed as are demonstration models such as Wider Opportunities for Women, and projects on nontraditional employment for women; Finally, supportive services for families of single parents as well as two-parent working families, are necessary so that women may take advantage of training programs. Through a partnership between private industry and State and local governments, before and after school child care, day care for parents of grown children who are impaired mentally or physically, flexible work and training schedules, for example, should be provided for the reentry woman. Several programs in the educational field can have an ever-increasing positive impact on midlife women. The Advisory Council on Women's Education Programs, of which I am an ex officio member, develops criteria for program priorities and advises the Commissioner of Education on policy and allocation of funds relating to educational equity for women. You will find their recommendations helpful. Further I call your attention to the excellent testimony of Dr. Mary E. Berry, Assistant Secretary for Education (HEW), presented before the Senate Human Relations Committee on January 31, 1979. In it she recommends: "Continued support should be provided, therefore, for efforts to develop innovative approaches to meeting the needs of women for educational programs and support services. Support, such as that provided by the Education Division's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) and Women's Educational Equity Act Program (WEEA) for new service delivery programs for women seeking to enter non-traditional careers represent cost effective strategies-which can be modified or replicated on State and local levels by Community colleges, vocational education programs (particularly at the postsecondary level) and CETA programs to eliminate occupational segregation and equip women for new careers. She cites programs that have been successful for women seeking to enter nontraditional careers, a new careers program to offer occupational mobility to women after 5-10 years of serial deadend jobs, education and work linkages, an internship program to propose adult women for management, electronics and computer sales, programs to increase the participation of women and minorities in educational research and development. Dr. Berry further recommends: "Before we consider the need for new legislation, therefore, we should focus our attention on ensuring better planning, coordination and cooperation among existing programs, enforcement of the equity provisions of the Vocational Education Act and CETA, along with enforcement of Title IX, and dissemination of model, innovative approaches to ending occupational segregation, such as those developed with support from the Women's Educational Equity Act, the fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, and the National Institute of Education." I concur very much with Dr. Berry's emphasis on coordination and linkages. This is particularly true with respect to CETA programs. CETA is the principal source of employment and training funds, through the Labor Department. As noted, the new CETA legislation will serve mature women through displaced homemaker programs as well as through the regular CETA programs. The Department has committed $5 million of title III money to develop programs to help meet the needs of this special group of displaced homemakers. There will be a reserve of $3.25 million for competitive bidding from CETA prime sponsors who will match the national program grants with their own title II and VI funds. The rest of the money will be used for national demonstration programs which will most likely be operated by community groups to develop, promote and evaluate projects designed to meet the employment-related needs of displaced homemakers. These very modest sums of money can be made to go much further in providing training opportunities, if local planners take initiative to draw on funds from a variety of agencies to pay for several component parts of a program. Thus in this instance my recommendation is directed primarily toward local policy makers and community based organizations. The fact of life remains that local pots of money are divided according to how pressures are applied. Midlife women as individuals and in organizations must let prime sponsors know they are concerned about the number and kinds of programs that are offered to serve their group. They can help prime sponsors by identifying their needs, offering solutions, and developing and submitting proposals for funding projects to meet those needs. The Women's Bureau will work within the Department to assure that statutory requirements on planning and execution to meet the needs of this target group are fulfilled. The Department believes that Section 308 of CETA holds great promise "for middle aged and older workers." It provides for programs to facilitate the transition of workers over 55 years of age from one occupation to another, for a a number of measures to increase the possibility of employment, upgrading, flexitime, job sharing and other innovative arrangements suited to the needs of older workers. With respect to the recognition of the value of work in the home, the need to eliminate sex discrimination under the Social Security program is primary. The choices that women in mid-life make will be greatly influenced by whatever new system is developed to assure equity to homemakers and dual career women after "retirement." Secretary of HEW Califano on February 15, 1979 transmitted a report to the Congress on this subject entitled "Social Security and the Changing Roles of Men and Women". I believe that the complex problems discussed therein merit your most serious consideration. The Labor Department is working to expand protections for women homemakers. Recently, we participated as a friend of the court in two cases involving the question of whether divorced women/mothers could receive part of their former spouses' pension payments. In both cases the Department argued that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 does not prevent these women from receiving part of their former spouses' pension payments. The Department has recently funded an important study which focuses on the role of pensions in meeting the economic security needs of women. This study will consist of three tasks: assessment and comparison of current sources of income for aged women; analysis of the determinants of income, especially of pension income for this group; and forecasts of future trends on income sources for aged women. Meanwhile the Department is supporting those sections of S. 209, which increase protection for surviving spouses of pension plan participants and which make it clear that ERISA generally does not prevent "tapping" pensions for State-ordered child support or alimony payments. Mr. Chairman, the recommendations which are critical for the economic well being of mid-life women could go on at length, but I see no need to duplicate the excellent work in the compendium nor to anticipate the words of the distinguished panelists who will follow. My final point returns to my earlier comment that the programs of all Federal agencies have an impact on women in midlife. Particularly when Federal grants or Federal financial assistance is involved, programs should be designed with a full knowledge of the special needs of particular groups who are entitled to participate or receive benefits. Thank you for this opportunity to talk with you about the needs of mid-life women who are bearing the brunt of changing expectations in this decade and the next. I look forward to continued association with this Subcommittee and with the groups presenting testimony today. STATISTICAL APPENDIX TO THE TESTIMONY OF ALEXIS HERMAN, DIRector, WOMEN'S BUREAU, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF Labor INTRODUCTION Today over half of all women between the ages of 40 and 64 years of age are working or looking for work. This is in contrast to their participation in the work -force just 20 years ago. In 1958 about two-fifths (41 percent) of the women aged 40 to 64 years were in the labor force, compared to slightly more than one-half (52 percent) in 1978. An important demographic change of the 1980's and 1990's will be the increase in the number and proportion of women in their midyears in the U.S. populationthose who were born during the post-World-War-II baby boom. The impact of this population growth upon the labor force will be multiplied by women's increased attachment to the work force. The result of both population growth and increased labor force attachment among women means that the number of women workers aged 40 years and over will increase from nearly 15.5 million in 1977 to nearly 19.5 million in 1990.1 LABOR FORCE STATUS Most women aged 40 to 64 years work for pay outside the home. In 1978, nearly 15 million women aged 40 to 64 years were in the labor force (table 1). These working women accounted for 52.2 percent of all women in their midyears. As expected, the labor force participation rate for these decreases with age, with a sharp decline among those between 60 and 64 years old. The highest participation rate, 62.5 percent, was for women aged 40 to 44 years. Just 6 years earlier, in 1972, the participation rate for women in this age group was 53.6 percent. Women aged 40 to 64 years have an unemployment rate lower than that of all women aged 16 and over, and their unemployment rate tends to decrease with increased age. Although the unemployment rate of middle-aged women is lower than that of younger women, when middle-aged women are out of work, they can anticipate a slightly longer period of unemployment (table 2). 1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. There is some evidence, however, despite an apparent high labor force participation rate and lower unemployment rate, that many more midlife women may want and need to be employed. In 1978, 305,000 women aged 25 to 59 yeras were out of the labor force (discouraged workers) because they felt that there was not a job available to them. The number of discouraged male workers in this age category was 110,000. EDUCATION Working women aged 45 to 54 years had a median education attainment of 12.5 years in March 1977 and, in conformity with the higher achievement levels of the entire population, the education level of this group is expected to rise in the future (table 3). The attainment for working women aged 25 to 34 was 12.8 years. Thus, we can anticipate a higher average attainment in 1990, when most of these younger women will be in their forties. Labor force attachment of women is positively associated with educational attainment. Among women aged 45 to 54 years, fewer than one-half of those who did not graduate from high school were in the labor force in March 1977, compared with 3 out of 5 of the women who had a high school diploma only and more than 2 of 3 of those who had college degrees (table 4). Almost without exception, black women are more likely to work than white women, regardless of years of school completed. MARITAL STATUS AND PRESENCE OF CHILDREN About 4 of 5 divorced and 3 of 4 single women aged 45 to 54 years worked outside the home in 1978 (table 5). Over half the women living with their husbands also were in the labor force. Among divorced women aged 55 to 64 years, 2 out of 3 worked, and single women were almost as likely to be in the labor force. The labor force participation rates of widows were substantially below those of divorced and single women. The impact of being married is particularly strong on labor force participation of white women. Black women aged 45 to 51 and 55 to 64 years who were living with their husbands were more likely to be in the labor force than were white women. However, white women between the ages of 45 and 64 who had never married, or were separated, widowed or divorced participated at higher rates than did minority women with the same characteristics. Yet labor force participation of wives aged 45 to 64 has increased spectacularly since 1947 (table 6). Just after World War II only 18 percent were working outside the home, but by 1977, 45 percent were in the labor force. The participation rates of single and widowed, divorced or separated women have increased, but to a lesser degree. Thirty-five percent of the women in the labor force aged 45 to 54 years had children under 18 years of age in March 1977 (table 7). Nearly all of these mothers had only older children over 6 years of age. Although older children in the family inhibit the labor force participation of mothers aged 45 to 54 years to only a small degree, young children are a major inhibitor. The labor force participation of women with older children aged 6 to 17 years was 52 percent, compared with 59 percent for those without children under 18 years of age. Only 37 percent of the 156,000 mothers aged 45 to 54 years with children under 6 years of age were in the labor force. OCCUPATIONS The occupational distribution of women aged 35 and over is somewhat different that that of younger women (table 8). Mature women were less likely to be working in professional and technical or clerical jobs in March 1978 than were younger women, raising the possibility that older women have had a more difficult time than younger women in meeting the requirements of new careers now opening to women. Women over 35 years of age were more apt to be employed as operatives and as managers and administrators, although the responsibility of these management positions may vary widely, ranging from the small office and store manager. The occupational differences by age are more pronounced for women of minority races than for white women. Only 15 percent of mature minority women but 41 percent of young minority women were clerical workers in March 1978. Among white women, 37 percent of young women and 35 percent of mature women were clerical workers. Older minority women were slightly more likely than older white women to be professional and technical workers. Minority women over 35 years of age were at least 5 times more likely to be employed in private household work than were younger minority or white women. The chances, however, of older minority women being employed as private household workers have been decreasing in recent years. In 1975, 20 percent of all employed minority women over the |