African-American U.S. Occupational Data
O ccupations
Occupations in the U.S., 1890–20001 | |||||
Black | |||||
Year | Occupations | Total | Both sexes | Male | Female |
1890 | All occupations | 22,735,661 | 3,073,161 | 2,101,379 | 971,782 |
Agriculture, fisheries & mining | 9,013,336 | 1,757,403 | 1,329,594 | 427,809 | |
Professional services | 944,333 | 33,991 | 25,170 | 8,821 | |
Domestic & personal services | 4,360,577 | 963,080 | 457,091 | 505,989 | |
Trade & transportation | 3,326,122 | 145,717 | 143,371 | 2,346 | |
Manufacturing & mech. industries | 5,091,293 | 172,970 | 146,153 | 582,001 | |
1900 | All occupations | 29,287,070 | 3,992,337 | 2,675,497 | 1,316,840 |
Agriculture, fisheries & mining | 10,438,219 | 2,143,154 | 1,561,153 | 582,001 | |
Professional services | 1,264,536 | 47,219 | 31,625 | 15,594 | |
Domestic & personal services | 5,693,778 | 1,317,859 | 635,933 | 681,926 | |
Trade & transportation | 4,778,233 | 208,989 | 204,852 | 4,137 | |
Manufacturing & mech. industries | 7,112,304 | 275,116 | 241,934 | 33,182 | |
1910 | All occupations | 28,167,336 | 5,192,535 | 3,178,554 | 2,013,981 |
Agriculture, forestry & husbandry | 12,659,203 | 3,893,375 | 1,842,238 | 1,051,137 | |
Extraction of minerals | 964,824 | 61,629 | 61,048 | 81 | |
Manufacturing & mech. industries | 10,658,881 | 631,377 | 563,410 | 67,967 | |
Transportation | 2,637,671 | 255,969 | 254,683 | 1,286 | |
Trade | 3,614,670 | 119,491 | 112,464 | 7,027 | |
Public service (N.E.C)* | 459,291 | 22,382 | 22,033 | 349 | |
Professional service | 1,663,569 | 67,245 | 37,600 | 29,645 | |
Domestic & personal service | 3,772,194 | 1,122,231 | 268,874 | 853,357 | |
Clerical occupation | 1,737,053 | 19,336 | 16,204 | 3,132 | |
1920 | All occupations | 41,617,248 | 4,824,151 | 3,252,862 | 1,571,289 |
Agriculture, forestry & husbandry | 10,953,158 | 2,178,888 | 1,566,627 | 612,261 | |
Extraction of minerals | 1,090,223 | 73,229 | 72,892 | 337 | |
Manufacturing & mech. industries | 12,818,524 | 886,810 | 781,827 | 104,983 | |
Transportation | 3,063,582 | 312,421 | 308,896 | 3,525 | |
Trade | 4,242,979 | 140,467 | 129,309 | 11,158 | |
Public service (N.E.C.)* | 770,460 | 50,552 | 49,586 | 966 | |
Professional service | 2,143,889 | 80,183 | 41,056 | 39,127 | |
Domestic & personal service | 3,404,892 | 1,064,590 | 273,959 | 790,631 | |
Clerical occupation | 3,126,541 | 37,011 | 28,710 | 8,301 | |
1930 | All occupations | 48,829,920 | 5,503,535 | 3,662,893 | 1,840,642 |
Agriculture | 10,471,998 | 1,987,839 | 1,492,555 | 1,840,642 | |
Forestry & fishing | 250,469 | 31,732 | 31,652 | 80 | |
Extraction of minerals | 984,323 | 74,972 | 74,919 | 53 | |
Manufacturing & mech. industries | 14,110,652 | 1,024,656 | 923,586 | 101,070 | |
Transportation & communication | 3,843,147 | 397,645 | 395,437 | 2,208 | |
Trade | 6,081,467 | 183,809 | 169,241 | 14,568 | |
Public service (N.E.C.)* | 856,205 | 50,203 | 49,273 | 930 | |
Professional service | 3,253,884 | 135,925 | 72,898 | 63,027 | |
Domestic & professional service | 4,952,451 | 1,576,205 | 423,645 | 1,152,560 | |
Clerical occupation | 4,025,324 | 40,529 | 29,687 | 10,862 |
1940 | All occupations** | 44,000,963 | 4,479,068 | 2,936,795 | 1,542,273 |
Professional & semi-pro workers | 3,345,048 | 119,200 | 53,312 | 65,888 | |
Farmers & farm managers | 5,143,614 | 666,695 | 620,479 | 46,216 | |
Proprietors, managers, & officials, except farm | 3,749,287 | 48,154 | 37,240 | 10,914 | |
Clerical, sales & kindred workers | 7,517,630 | 79,332 | 58,557 | 20,765 | |
Craftsmen, foremen & kindred workers | 5,055,722 | 132,110 | 129,736 | 2,374 | |
Operatives and kindred workers | 8,252,277 | 464,195 | 368,005 | 96,190 | |
Domestic service workers | 2,111,314 | 1,003,508 | 85,566 | 917,942 | |
Service workers, except domestic | 3,458,334 | 522,229 | 362,424 | 159,805 | |
Farm laborers & foremen | 1,924,890 | 780,312 | 581,763 | 198,549 | |
Laborers, except farm and mine | 3,064,128 | 636,600 | 623,641 | 12,959 | |
Occupation not reported | 378,719 | 26,743 | 16,072 | 10,671 | |
1950 | All occupations | 56,225,340 | 5,832,450 | 3,787,560 | 2,044,890 |
Prof., tech., & kindred workers | 4,909,241 | 179,370 | 75,090 | 104,280 | |
Farmers and farm managers | 4,306,253 | 503,970 | 471,180 | 32,790 | |
Managers, officials, & proprietors, except farm | 5,017,465 | 97,080 | 71,130 | 25,950 | |
Clerical & kindred workers | 6,894,374 | 197,610 | 116,760 | 80,850 | |
Sales workers | 3,926,510 | 68,460 | 42,030 | 26,430 | |
Craftsmen, foremen & kindred workers | 7,772,560 | 310,830 | 297,540 | 13,290 | |
Operatives & kindred workers | 11,146,220 | 1,092,750 | 792,060 | 300,690 | |
Private household workers (PHW) | 1,407,466 | 571,950 | 38,700 | 533,250 | |
Service workers, except PHW | 4,287,703 | 877,440 | 498,180 | 379,260 | |
Farm laborers & foremen | 2,399,794 | 529,920 | 377,460 | 152,460 | |
Laborers, except farm and mine | 3,417,232 | 936,120 | 904,230 | 31,890 | |
Occupations not reported | 740,522 | 166,950 | 103,200 | 63,750 | |
1960 | All occupations*** | 64,646,563 | 6,622,658 | 4,004,770 | 2,617,888 |
Prof., tech., & kindred workers | 7,223,241 | 352,298 | 155,774 | 196,524 | |
Farmers & farm managers | 2,508,172 | ||||
Managers, officials & proprietors, including farm | 5,407,890 | 315,152 | 267,855 | 196,524 | |
Clerical & kindred workers | 9,303,231 | 433,090 | 206,269 | 226,821 | |
Sales workers | 4,643,784 | 108,316 | 62,274 | 46,042 | |
Craftsmen, foremen & kindred workers | 8,753,468 | 424,817 | 407,343 | 17,474 | |
Operatives & kindred workers | 11,920,442 | 1,278,134 | 941,073 | 337,061 | |
Service workers, including PHW | 7,171,837 | 2,015,683 | 580,090 | 1,435,593 | |
Laborers, including farm | 4,532,950 | 1,154,253 | 1,052,092 | 102,161 | |
Occupation not reported | 3,181,548 | 540,915 | 332,000 | 208,915 | |
1970 | All occupations | 76,805,171 | 7,403,056 | 4,069,397 | 3,33,659 |
Prof., tech. & kindred workers | 11,451,868 | 616,321 | 237,733 | 378,588 | |
Managers & administrators, except farm | 6,386,977 | 166,187 | 119,562 | 46,625 | |
Sales workers | 5,432,778 | 165,767 | 80,686 | 85,081 | |
Clerical & kindred workers | 13,782,783 | 1,021,589 | 330,492 | 691,097 | |
Craftsmen & kindred workers | 10,638,804 | 674,849 | 626,709 | 48,140 | |
Operatives, except transport | 10,515,834 | 1,333,099 | 798,945 | 534,154 | |
Transport equipment operatives | 2,954,932 | 416,146 | 403,209 | 12,937 | |
Laborers, except farm | 3,430,637 | 688,212 | 639,840 | 48,140 | |
Farmers and farm managers | 1,426,742 | 42,001 | 36,928 | 5,073 | |
Farm laborers & farm foremen | 962,077 | 181,465 | 144,266 | 37,199 | |
Service workers, except PHW | 8,653,987 | 1,483,993 | 633,538 | 850,455 | |
Private household workers | 1,167,752 | 613,427 | 17,489 | 595,938 |
(1) Methods of improving classification have been implemented by the Bureau of the Census over the years, making comparison of data difficult. A large-scale reworking of the classification system was put in place in 1940 (a partial key is included for that year). In some cases there were changes in title with no change in content. In others there were no changes in title but changes in content. Complete information on changes in occupational classification can be obtained from the Bureau of the Census and, for the 1940 census, from Alba M. Edwards, Population: Comparative Occupation Statistics for the United States, 1870 to 1940 (Washington D.C., 1943). | |||||
* N.E.C.=Not Elsewhere Classified | |||||
** Key to 1940 Census: | |||||
"Operatives and kindred workers" includes apprentices, attendants, brakemen, chauffeurs, conductors, motormen, power-station operators, mechanical workers in manufacturing plants, etc. | |||||
"Laborers, except farm and mine" workers includes fishermen and oystermen, longshoremen, lumbermen, laborers (not specified) in manufacturing plants, etc. | |||||
"Proprietors, managers, and officials, except farm" workers includes proprietors and managers of transportation and communication utilities, eating and drinking establishments, wholesale companies, advertising and insurance agencies, etc., and postmasters and miscellaneous government officials. | |||||
"Clerical, sales, and kindred workers" includes baggagemen, bookkeepers, mail carriers, office-machine operators, telegraph operators, canvassers and solicitors, clerks in stores, and salesmen and saleswomen. | |||||
"Craftsmen, foremen, and kindred workers" includes bakers, blacksmiths, boilermakers, carpenters, electricians, and foremen in industry. | |||||
"Professional and semiprofessional" workers includes actors, architects, authors, chemists, clergymen, dentists, engineers, lawyers, musicians, pharmacists, teachers, trained nurses, surveyors, etc. | |||||
"Service workers, except domestic" workers includes barbers, beauticians and manicurists, charwomen, janitors, cooks, waiters, etc. | |||||
***Data for 1960 are based on a 5 percent sample. | |||||
source: U.S. Census data, 1890–2000. | |||||
1980 | All occupations | 97,639,355 | 9,334,048 | 4,674,871 | 4,659,177 |
Managerial & prof. specialty occupations | 22,151,648 | 1,317,080 | 546,271 | 770,809 | |
Tech. sales & admin. support occupations | 29,593,506 | 2,352,079 | 712,342 | 1,639,737 | |
Service occupations | 12,269,425 | 2,156,194 | 792,530 | 1,363,664 | |
Farming, forestry & fishing occupations | 2,811,258 | 182,190 | 156,822 | 25,368 | |
Precision product, craft & repair | 12,594,175 | 834,947 | 726,192 | 108,755 | |
Operators, fabricators & laborers | 17,859,343 | 2,491,558 | 1,740,714 | 750,844 | |
1990 | All occupations | 127,041,599 | 12,775,917 | 6,102,232 | 6,673,685 |
Managerial & prof. specialty occupations | 31,226,845 | 2,156,676 | 821,977 | 1,334,699 | |
Tech. sales & admin. support occupations | 38,525,740 | 3,723,838 | 1,130,062 | 2,593,776 | |
Service occupations | 16,567,557 | 2,886,289 | 1,179,182 | 1,707,107 | |
Farming, forestry & fishing occupations | 7,673,495 | 203,383 | 175,111 | 28,272 | |
Precision product, craft, & repair occupations | 14,031,300 | 1,051,714 | 889,906 | 161,808 | |
Operators, fabricators & laborers | 18,976,662 | 2,754,017 | 1,905,994 | 848,023 | |
2000 | Total employed population, 16 years and over | 129,721,512 | 13,001,795 | n.a. | n.a. |
Management, prof., and related occupations | 43,646,731 | 10,998,976 | n.a. | n.a. | |
Service occupations | 19,276,947 | 4,240,928 | n.a. | n.a. | |
Sales and office occupations | 34,621,390 | 9,451,639 | n.a. | n.a. | |
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations | 951,810 | 38,072 | n.a. | n.a. | |
Construction, extractions, and maintenance occupations | 12,256,138 | 796,649 | n.a. | n.a. | |
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations | 18,968,496 | 3,528,140 | n.a. | n.a. |
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African-American U.S. Occupational Data
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