The 1960s saw growth, civil unrest, the Vietnam war as well as Boomers entering the workforce in the largest numbers in history. Assassinations during the decade including Medgar Evers (1963), John F. Kennedy (1963), Malcolm X (1965), Martin Luther King, Jr. (1968), and Robert Kennedy (1968) sparked civil rights legislation and economic reforms that included the birth of Medicare and Medicaid1
The Great Society Legislation led to the lowest US unemployment rate in 1969 (until 2019). There was a significant rise in managerial and clerical jobs, and for the first time, the US Census started tracking the rise of computer specialists. Employers began to work with colleges and universities to offer internships and co-ops.2
In the workplace women were still expected to accept mostly service roles. Secretaries were referred to as ‘girls’, poured their male boss’s coffee and often handled personal chores. The rise of a feminist mindset and powerful activists throughout the decade began to have an impact on gender opportunities.
Personnel departments typically recruited by running newspaper ads that could legally be categorized by gender, race, or religion. Poaching employees from competitive companies by sourcing them directly (versus through a ‘third party’) was considered unethical and, in many instances, was cause for a civil suit.
1960’s Milestones
- 1960 – Civil Rights Act passed.3
- 1960 – Randstad founded.4
- 1960 – JFK sets off ‘Space Race to the moon’…and much more.5
- 1961 – Executive Order 10925 signed establishing Affirnative Action.6
- 1961 – National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS) founded.7
- 1963 – Equal Pay Act passed.8
- 1964 – Title VII of the Civil Rights Act passed.9
- 1965 – Voting RIghts Act passed.10
- 1965 – Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) created.11
- 1967 – Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) created.12
- 1969 – Employment Management Association (EMA) was founded.13
- 1969 – ARPA awards contracts to build an ARPANET.14
- 1969 – Project VOLAR) established by President Nixon to study an All Volunteer military.15
References