9
en from all sections of the country. Of
these women studied 41 % were caring
for one or more dependents, 36,% of
whom were giving their entire support.
Of the married women reporting the
number of their dependents, 3'6%> had
three or more, and 23% of the single
women had three or more to assist.
A telescoped view of 23 studies made
between 1888 and 1932 among 61,679
women wage-earners reveals that only
9.3"% of these women gave nothing to
the support of their families; 53.2%
contributed all of their wages; and
37.5% contributed part of their earh-
ings.
From 1930 censu's statistics, the
Women’s Bureau concludes that one-
tenth of the employed women in, the
United States at that time had the en
tire support of families of two or more
persons, and in many cases of families
much larger. One-tenth of the family
heads were women—2,500,000 women
— which is a minimum figure because a
man in a family is listed as the head
even though he may not be the wage-
earner. A t that time practically one-
sixth of the urban families had only
women wage earners, which does not
indicate full responsibility as more than
one woman in a famify&may be earn-
ings< but it does show "the large share
women are bearing in the financial
economy of the families in the United
States.”
Recent surveys decisively bear out,
with certain additions, the general con
clusions of earlier periods. One Women’s
Bureau investigation in two widely di
verse localities reveals that dependencies
have not decreased since 1930, as over
one-third of the families of two or
more persons were in these sections en
tirely supported by women workers.
Gladys K. Southard B The Womans
Press, organ of the YWCA, finds that
an average of surveys among working
women indicates "that at feast two
thirds of the women now working will
need to continue working after the
war . . . But as the war nears its end,
an ever increasing number of them will
find that they are in substantially the
same position as men— they need their
jobs in: order to live.”
Last summer a committee of the
American Legion Auxiliary reported on
its survey among women war workers
in. 16 states. A majority of the married
women wish to work only in their
homes after the war but at least half
of them expect to .find it necessary to
continue working. In summarizing the
results of this survey, the president of
the Auxiliary states that "married
women work not for pin money but in
order to support/themselves and others
dependent , on them. This survey bears
out the findings of a study made sev
eral years ago by the National Federa
tion of Business and Professional Wom
en’s Clubs.” I
And why is it economically necessary
for these women to work? First a single
woman must work to support herself;
secondly, she must, in many instances,
support others, totally or in part. Ap
proximately 53M of the working wom
en in 1930 were single and less than
30% of them were married. (Remain
ing percentages included widows and
those divorced Or separated from their
husbands.) The percentages of women
supporting dependents indicated that,
with less7 than 30%-:; of the working
women married, large responsibility for
dependents rests, upon the wages of
single women. The University Women’s
survey shows that over three-fourths
of the women indicating dependents
were single women.
Because more sons leave home than
daughters, the financial responsibility
for parentsand youngers brothers and
sisters, Comes to rest often upon the
unmarried daughters. Most of the de
pendents listed in the University Wom
en’s survey were adults ; only' 20% re-
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