ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 17, 1993                   TAG: 9311200250
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

JOB SURVEY TO DROP HOUSEWIFE QUERY

A revamped government unemployment survey no longer will ask women whether they keep house, and the resulting change will appear to push up the unemployment rate.

The change will have the effect of increasing the size of the work force and thus could make it appear more people are actively seeking jobs but are unable to find them, government officials said Tuesday.

Since 1953, Census Bureau interviewers ask questions about members of the household age 16 and over based on who answers the door.

The first question asked of a man would be, ``What were you doing last week, working or something else?'' But a woman would be asked, ``What were you doing last week, keeping house or something else?'' 


 by CNB