After World War II, many women saw family life as an ideal and married young. However, there was also an increase in the number of married women in the work force. In 1940, only 15% of married women worked in the work force outside the home, although the number rose to about 25% during the war years as women took over jobs vacated by men who were serving in the armed forces. The percentage of married women in the labor force dropped in the 1950s, but increased to 30% in 1960 and to over 50% in 1968. Many of these married working women were in their late 30s or 40s; they had married young and their children no longer needed close attention. One of the reasons for the increase was their aim of raising their family’s living standards. This was especially the case with white women. With the progress of industrialization in the post-war era, a family’s social status came to be measured by their consumption of goods and services. Many married women, therefore, got caught up in the race to keep up with their neighbors, and entered the work force to buy more products. These women also wanted to help provide a college education for their children.