Data collected during the National Longitudinal Surveys were used to examine the labor force behavior of black and white women from fourteen to twenty-four and thirty to forty-four years of age. Focus is on racial convergence in labor force participation rates (the percentage of the population group either working or looking for work) over this 1967 to 1972 period. The findings include the following: for the most part, labor force participation rates for white women of all ages and marital statuses increased while declining patterns of participation were noted for most of the black groups; for white older women (35 to 44 years old), the most notable increases in work participation were among women who were either separated or divorced while the sharpest declines for black women were also for this same marital category; and overall, participation of black women in the work force is lessening in comparison to white women but those black women who continue to work appear to be relatively successful. The data suggests that there is a large pool of nonworkers who are willing to work (1) if the proper conditions for employment exist, (2) if appropriate guidance, skill training, and other assistance are made available, and (3) if jobs become available. (EM)
