Monday, April 22, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
Office professionals:
* NUMBERS: 3.349 million secretaries were employed in the United States in 1994, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, an increase of 25,000 jobs over 1992.
* NEW JOBS: 390,000 net new secretarial jobs will be added in the United States between 1994 and 2005, according to the Labor Department.
* DUTIES: Operate multiple software packages including word processing (95 percent), spreadsheet (73 percent), database (46 percent), graphics (40 percent), desktop publishing (19 percent), and accounting (16 percent).
* OTHER DUTIES: In addition, 48 percent of secretaries train others, 33 percent supervise others and 80 percent are involved in purchasing, according to a member profile compiled by the Professional Secretaries International-The Association for Office Professionals.
* DEFINITION: The PSI definition of a secretary-office professional: "An executive assistant who possesses a mastery of office skills, demonstrates the ability to assume responsibility without direct supervision, exercises initiative and judgment and makes decisions within the scope of assigned authority."
* HONORS: Professional Secretaries Week, April 21-27, is now in its 44th year. It was originated by and continues to be solely sponsored by PSI to highlight the role of secretaries and office professionals. Professional Secretaries Day this year is Wednesday.
* MORE NUMBERS: 49,000 office professionals have earned the certified professional secretary rating from Professional Secretaries International-The Association for Office Professionals. PSI has 27,000 members in more than 700 chapters in the U.S. and Canada.
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