Between 1940 and 1945, the female percentage of the U.S. workforce increased from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent, and by 1945 nearly one of every four married women worked outside the home. THey came from all backgrounds; diverse in race, ethnicity, and economics.

Despite doing the jobs previously held by men, women rarely earned even 50% of the wages of those males.

While women’s employment was encouraged during the war, once the war ended in 1945, federal and civilian policies replaced the women in the workplace. With the men returning from the military, the women were expected to give up their jobs.  This is despite the fact that surveys from the Women’s Bureau reported that 75 percent of women were planning to continue their work post-war. In manufacturing specifically, this number jumped to 84 percent of women. Nonetheless, the work done by the women on the home front during the war opened doors for women across the workforce, and had a profound effect on women in the job market from the war going forward.  As a result of their commitment, the women on the home front opened many occupations to women that had previously been deemed to be “men’s work.”  

HUMAN COMPUTERS

“In 1942, when computers were human and women were underestimated, a group of female mathematicians helped win a war and usher in the modern computer age.” During WWII these women spent 24 hours a day, six days a week working on secret ballistics research creating information used for location bombing of Axis Europe and the assaults on Japanese strongholds that were instrumental in the war’s success.

Computer History Museum

Hiring and Training

As you see above, men were so unaccustomed to having women in the workforce that many guides and educational videos were used to support them, such as this one from the United States Office of Education Training Film. 

code girls

More than 10,000 women worked as code breakers during WWII, many of whom were civilians. It has only been in the last few years that the work and significant codebreaking of these women has come to light.      

building Planes and bombers

Before WWII, Lockheed had only five women on its factory payroll. However by the fall of 1942, the aircraft industry had added 63,000 women employees. By November of 1943, that number increased to 486,000, accounting for nearly 37 percent of the industry's labor force. 

Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), "Fly Girls" 

National Archives

In 1942, the United States faced a severe shortage of pilots. To address this shortage, women were trained to fly military aircraft so male pilots could leave for combat duty overseas.  Women flew planes from factories to bases, transported cargo and participated in simulation strafing and target missions. More than 1,100 female civilian volunteers flew nearly every type of military aircraft as part of the WASP program. It wasn't until the 1970s that these women were given military status, and just last year they were given the Congressional Gold Medal.  They are yet another example of civilian women who worked on the home front and were crucial to the war efforts.  

other jobs 

butcher     taxi driver     railroad tender     forest fire fighter     whistle punk      aerodynamic engineer    keel welder     riveter     ticket taker     mechanic     cargo loader     airline checker     flame cutter    metallurgical observer     labourer     welder     blacksmith’s helper     flame burner     core maker    scraper     scarfer     pan man     crane operator     tool machinist     electrical helper     grinder     oiler     coil taper     foundry helper     checker     loader     cleaning worker     maintenance worker     flash welder     ship fitter     chipper     psychiatrist     driver     supervisor     tinsmith     pipe fitter     chemist     surveyor     attorney     messenger     scaler      draftsman     consultant     ordnance worker     astronomer     motorman     mathematician     bus driver     milkman     postman     fireman     street cleaner     traffic cop     lumberjack     telegraph operator     steam hammer operator     radio engineer     electrical engineer     geologist     meteorologist     shell assembler     architect     flagpole painter     junk sorter     garbage collector      scientist     conductor     baggage man     drawbridge tender     crossing flagman     electrician     stomach scrubber     belly grader     sweetbread puller     vein pumper

All funding for this commemorative work must be raised using private donations to the foundation; no government funds may be used (Commemorative Works Act.)