Asian, Pacific
women stand out
in labor report

Their impact on the job market
mirrors the effects of
the growing Asian-American
population nationwide

By Pete Pichaske
Star-Bulletin

WASHINGTON -- Asian and Pacific Island women are more likely to work and to earn higher salaries than most American women, a new report concludes.

The study by the U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau found the unemployment rate among Asian-Pacific Island women is slightly lower than for white women and significantly lower than for black women and Hispanic women.

Moreover, the median income for Asian-Pacific Island women working full time -- $26,313 -- is higher than for any other group of women.

The report did not break down employment figures by state. But it noted that Hawaii had the highest concentration of Asian-Pacific Islanders of any state. Sixty-three percent of the state's 1.2 million residents are Asian or Pacific Islanders, according to the most recent census figures.

The report estimated the number of Asian-Pacific Islanders at 10.2 million nationally, of which 51 percent are female. The largest number live in California.

The report's conclusions dovetail with a recent private study that found the Asian-American population, while still only 4 percent of the U.S. population, was growing at a "breathtaking" pace.

Moreover, it is an ethnic group with a disproportionately large cultural and economic presence, the report stated, largely because of high educational and achievement levels.

In the political arena, the impact is growing and Hawaii is leading the way, according to the report.

The private report was published by the Population Reference Bureau, a Washington-based group that studies population trends, and previewed recently at a Capitol Hill briefing hosted by Rep. Patsy Mink, D-Hawaii, chairwoman of the Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Mink called the report "very, very pertinent and applicable" to the national debate over Asian Americans and their growing impact.

That debate has been fueled by the emphasis on Asian contributions made during the campaign financing controversy, and by high-profile attempts to increase the number of Asian Americans in politics.

"Very few population trends are as important," said Peter Donaldson, president of the Population Reference Bureau.

The report's author, sociologist Sheila Lee, said the Asian-American population doubled from 1980 to 1990. It is an increasingly diverse group, she found, that now includes more Asian Indians and Southeast Asians than before.

She also noted that Asian Americans are dramatically different from other U.S. minorities in that they tend to be better educated, more well-to-do, and more likely to work as professionals.

"The growth of Asian Americans will change how Americans think about race and ethnic relations," predicted Lee.

That portrait of Asian and Pacific Americans as achievers was borne out in the Department of Labor report.

In addition to having low unemployment and high salaries, Asian and Pacific Island women were more likely to work at professional jobs than other women were, the report found.

"The high percentage of Asian and Pacific Islander women in management and professional jobs reflects, in part, their high educational attainment," the report stated.

Working women Asian and Pacific Island women have the lowest jobless rate among four major groups: Asian-Pacific Island - 4.4% White - 4.7% Black - 10% Hispanic - 10.2% Source: U.S. Department of Labor