Although government social and economic policy, where women and minorities are concerned, is largely focused on income and earnings, specific types of data on the occupational affiliation of women would be useful for research. It is necessary to have a theoretical frame of reference in order to ask the right questions about women's occupational affiliation. Very little is known about the technological conditions governing the formation of skills on the job, and much more needs to be known about occupational choice and mobility. As a step toward asking the right questions, a simple framework has been developed which links together occupational affiliation, human capital formation, and wage rates. It affords a means of discussing both theoretical and empirical issues that relate to the occupational attachments of women. Data limitations can be found at both the macroeconomic and microeconomic levels of analysis. For the purposes of understanding and predicting changes in occupational distribution among women, annual data on detailed occupational distributions must be made available. Similarly, detailed occupational data should be made available on a more frequent basis for local labor markets. Public policy aimed at enhancing the occupational opportunities for women cannot be made fully operational merely on the basis of economy wide statistics, nor can individuals really respond effectively to information of U.S. wide averages. Finally, comprehension of how individuals choose occupations and subsequently form marketable skills depends upon the availability of longitudinal data on individual households. (A detailed presentation of the conceptual framework for discussing the relationship between occupation, skill formation, and wage rates, is included.) (JT)