Women Born in the Early 1900 ’ s : Employment , ’ Earnings , and Benefit Levels / by LUCY

The women who became newly entitled to rctlrement benefits in 1970 were the war workers of the 19.$0’s They pioneered the trend for large numbers of married women to work outside the home. This artzcle reports on their lzfetime work experzencecomparzng their years of covered employment, covered earrtinga, and social security benefits to men’a. As expected, thezr years of employment were fewer and leas continuous than men’s and thezr htghest annual earnings were lower. A part, but only a part, of the dinerence $12 earnings between the sexes would disappear if employment lizdories were the aame. Moreover, the difference in benefits, although already substantial, does not yet fully reflect these differences in employment and earnings.