reserves were conducted in Sonoma County, Calif., and Thomas County, Ga. These surveys provided information on such items as the personal characteristics, education, skills, and family responsibilities of the women who responded. Survey results showed that a wide variety of skills exist among women not presently working outside the home, including such key skills as nursing and related skills in the medical field. A high proportion of the women, particularly those under 35 years of age, were responsible for the care of young children. Consequently, large scale recruitment among such women for mobilization purposes would necessitate substantial expansion of child-care facilities.

Additional study of survey results, together with a working paper on the recruitment, training, and utilization of women during an emergency, prepared by the Women's Bureau during the fiscal year, are expected to provide further clarification of emergency manpower plans.

Opportunities in Specific Occupations

Two additional bulletins were completed in the Bureau's series of counseling materials on employment opportunities for women. One is "Careers for Women in the Biological Sciences" and the other, "Careers for Women as Life Underwriters."

Continued interest in the expanding scientific and technical areas of work gave rise to the biological sciences booklet, which urges young women with a scientific bent to give serious consideration to this field as a possible career. It is designed to give students and their parents, teachers, and counselors the kinds of information that will help toward making a sound decision in the choice of a career. It describes the types of employers and jobs in this field, the necessary educational preparation, earnings and other work factors, how to find employment, and future prospects. An accompanying leaflet, "Job Futures for Girls in Biology," highlights information given in the bulletin.

Women now represent but a small proportion of full-time life underwriters (life insurance agents), but many have been quite successful and this field is open to mature as well as younger women.

In cooperation with the National Association of Life Underwriters, the Bureau surveyed opportunities for women in this field and published findings in a bulletin and leaflet, both entitled "Life Insurance Selling Careers for Women as Life Underwriters." The publications, which describe the nature of the work and requisites for success, give information about income, hours of work, how to get started, and opportunities for training and advancement within the industry.

In addition, brief reports on 14 occupations in which women make up the majority of workers were prepared for the 1961 edition of the "Occu

pational Outlook Handbook." They dealt with the employment outlook

Because technological changes are creating many new types of jobs, the Women's Bureau initiated a study of employment opportunities for women as technicians (for example, electronic technicians) in the fields of engineering, mathematics, and the physical sciences. The resulting report-to be used primarily by high school students and their advisers-will describe the types of work activity in the various technical occupations, the training needed for these positions, employment and advancement opportunities, and will include information about earnings and other work factors. It will also report efforts made both to stimulate interest in this employment field, and to establish training facilities for these new occupations.

In line with its interest in encouraging capable young women to consider science careers, the Bureau participated in two conferences sponsored by associations of physicists during fiscal year 1961. The first, held in New York, was called by the American Institute of Physics. Scientists, educators, employers, and counselors discussed the institute's proposed pamphlet designed to attract more young women to careers in the physical sciences. Another conference, composed of a similar group in the Washington area, considered ways and means of having more emphasis on physics courses in high school and junior college curricula, encouraging young women to enter this field, and providing part-time work for women with science training.

Special Studies

To learn more about the current status and future plans of college women who have reached an age when family responsibilities make fewer demands on their time, the Bureau undertook an exploratory study in cooperation with the Alumnae Advisory Center of New York. Questionnaires were mailed to about 675 alumnae of the class of 1945 from four participating colleges; more than 85 percent of the alumnae responded. Survey findings will yield facts on the education and employment status of respondents, their marital and family status, extent and kinds of voluntary service, and their future plans for education and employment. It is hoped that analysis of the data will shed more light on the educational, training, and counseling needs and interests of college-educated women and help point the way to future action which may be needed.

As part of its continuing program of promoting the adoption of the principle of equal pay for equal work, the Bureau undertook in fiscal year

1961 the collection of information on pay practices which result in unequal pay for women doing the same or comparable work as men.

The impact of automation and other technological change is the subject of other special studies planned and at the investigative stage before the end of fiscal 1961. For example, a survey of displaced women workers in the meatpacking industry will give information on their characteristics, past training and job experience, mobility, and future plans-particularly with respect to training or retraining for other employment. Two similar studies cover women in the telephone industry and women factory operatives.

Training and Retraining

Pertinent to the Labor Department's program for development of the skills of the work force are a bulletin and a leaflet on training opportunities for women, released by the Bureau during fiscal year 1961. The leaflet, entitled "Suggestions to Women and Girls on Training Opportunities for Future Employment," highlights information from a study made the previous year which resulted in the bulletin "Training Opportunities for Women and Girls." These reports are designed to stimulate wider interest both in the provision of training opportunities and in their use by women and girls seeking employment. The study takes into account the major types of public and private training facilities, and covers 63 different occupations for which initial and preemployment training is available for jobs not requiring a college degree.

In its continuing search for retraining opportunities for mature women, the Bureau participated in a conference of a planning group assembled by the National Institutes of Health to review a project to train college educated women 40 years of age and over for mental-health and other types of counseling.

Day Care

The first National Day Care Conference, sponsored jointly by the Women's Bureau and the Children's Bureau, took place in November 1960. This conference, which culminated months of extensive planning, brought together over 400 representatives from public and private organizations concerned with the provision of good day care services for children. Organizations represented included women's and civic groups, trade unions, private welfare and health associations, and State and Federal agencies.

The conference opened with a symposium in which four nationally known experts presented facts and observations based on personal experience that provided the basis for 12 discussion groups which covered five major topics: essential elements in a good community day care program; varieties of services to meet special day care needs; promoting of adequate standards; promoting of community responsibility; and financing day care services.

Among the Bureau publications provided for use of conference participants was a specially prepared Women's Bureau leaflet, "Who Are the

Working Mothers?" Also provided was a report, "Resources of National Organizations for Day Care of Children Under 12," which gives results of a joint Women's Bureau-Children's Bureau survey. The complete report of the conference provides summaries of the symposium and discussions, and presents major recommendations on meeting the needs for day care services throughout the country.

As a result of the conference, many communities are surveying their needs, making studies of standards for personnel and effective recruitment methods, and expanding their existing services.

To meet the growing volume of requests (received prior to and after the conference), the Women's Bureau has expanded its program of providing advisory services and technical information in the day care field.

Legislation

Since women constitute one third of the labor force, the Women's Bureau has a concern with the legislative program of the Labor Department and carries responsibility for advising the Secretary on the aspects of this program relating to women. The Director of the Bureau has consequently made known the Bureau's position on a number of bills before the 87th Congress, including those concerned with migratory labor, training and retraining, fair labor standards, and unemployment compensation.

The Bureau regularly prepares basic materials on legislation affecting women, and furnishes technical advisory services, on request, to governmental bodies (Federal and State), international agencies, women's and civic organizations, unions, and other interested groups and individuals. Technical information and services are given also on various related subjects—including standards for women's working conditions and day care for children of working mothers.

Minimum Wage

The extension of coverage and improvement in the minimum wage level through periodic revision of industry wage orders under State minimum wage laws have always been of major concern to the Bureau-because of the large numbers of women in occupations not covered by the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act. This subject continues to retain importance, since the FLSA amendments of 1961, which extended coverage in some areas, did not extend coverage to a number of low-wage industries employing large numbers of women, especially nonwhite women. The women not covered by the FLSA-who are employed in retailing, hotels, restaurants, laundries, and other service establishments-have a vital interest in State minimum wage laws.

Of the 35 jurisdictions with minimum wage laws, 25 authorize issuance of wage orders for a specific industry after recommendation by wage

boards-which may establish or increase a minimum wage rate. During fiscal 1961, a total of 33 wage orders were revised or newly issued in 9 jurisdictions.

Of particular interest were wage orders issued by wage boards in two States California and New Jersey. In California, minimum wage rates were established in two wage orders covering agricultural occupations and "on-the-farm packing sheds." California is the second State to bring agricultural women and minor workers under coverage of minimum wage rates (the first was Wisconsin). In New Jersey, a new beauty culture wage order was the first in any State to set a minimum wage of $1.50 an hour; this order was recently upheld by the New Jersey Superior Court.

In Washington State, a somewhat different situation existed. Here a new minimum wage law was enacted, but it provided for numerous specific exemptions from coverage. Acting under the former minimum wage law for women and minors, the State department of labor and industries requested Women's Bureau help preparatory to the issuance of wage orders for occupations exempted from the new statutory rate. The Bureau provided technical assistance in the planning and execution of an hours and earnings survey for use by wage board conferences, furnished technical information on wage board procedure, and special material on State practices in the establishment of minor and learner rates. On the basis of wage board recommendations, minimum wage rates are now being established (under the original Washington State minimum wage law for women and minors) for workers in hospitals, nursing homes, and several other lowwage groups.

The Women's Bureau also furnished technical advice and assistance to unions and other interested groups in various States on the development of cost-of-living budgets for self-supporting women, for use as a yardstick in establishing minimum wages.

Other forms of assistance were given in a number of States to labor unions and other groups who were working toward enactment of new minimum wage laws. In the case of Delaware, for example, the Bureau worked with an interagency committee and the State labor department on plans for obtaining basic factual information on hours and earnings. The Illinois State Labor Department was given information on existing methods for handling deductions from the minimum wage for uniforms, meals, and lodging.

Technical advice and assistance were also given through participation in meetings such as the conference of minimum wage administrators at the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Interstate Conference held in Rhode Island, and regional conferences of State labor commissioners held by the U.S. Labor Department in various States. For the annual meeting of the International Association of Governmental Labor Officials, the Women's Bureau cooperated in preparation of the minimum wage agenda.

To help meet the continuing needs of States for experience and information on minimum wage administration, the Bureau made plans toward the