Women of Color in the Private Sector: Their Employment in the Private Sector

Abstract

[Excerpt] This examination of the employment status of minority women or women of color relies primarily on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC’s) EEO-1 report. Characteristics of employment are examined from five different perspectives: total employment, employment by job group, employment of officials and managers, the movement of women from white collar to management positions and per capita charge rates by industry. The report seeks to capture these measures using the most recent EEO-1 data from 2001 and by examining recent trends from 1990. It also utilizes charge receipt data. The annual EEO-1 report indicates the composition of an employer’s workforces by sex and by race/ethnic category. The EEO-1 collects data on nine major job categories: (1) officials and managers, (2) professionals, (3) technicians, (4) sales workers, (5) office and clerical workers, (6) craft workers, (7) operatives, (8) laborers and (9) service workers. Race/ethnic designations used are White (not of Hispanic origin), Black (not of Hispanic origin), Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander (Asian), American Indian or Alaskan Native (Native American). In addition to the workforce data provided by the employer, information about each establishment is added to the database. This includes the establishment’s North American Industrial Classification System code and, in early years, added the Standard Industrial Classification code.