You guessed it: secretary.
While many other things have changed since 1950, that’s still the most common job for women – even if they usually call it “administrative assistant” now. (The next four most-common are cashier, grade school teacher, nurse, and nurse aide.)
Nearly 4 million people had that role between 2006 and 2010, according to Census data. Just four percent of them were male.
CNN explains why it’s so common:
Generalists tend to dominate the list of most common jobs, regardless of gender. The top job for American men, for example, is truck driver. As workers become more specialized, either with years of experience or education, their job titles tend to become more specific to their industry.
The title of secretary has been shifting since the 1970s toward more professional-sounding equivalents, but according to CNN it regained a little popularity in 2011 because of the TV show Mad Men, which revolves around characters at a 1960s ad agency.
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