Full text of Employment and Payrolls : May 1938

The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.

Serial No. R. 771
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Frances Perkins, Secretary
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Isador Lubin, Commissioner

EMPLOYMENT
AND PAY ROLLS
Prepared by
DIVISION OF EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS
Lewis E. Talbert, Chief
and
DIVISION OF CONSTRUCTION AND
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
Herman B. Byer, Chief

MAY 1938
»##++#######+###+#+++###+##++##+###++##+###+###+#+#++##++###+##+####+«
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE • WASHINGTON • 1938




CONTENTS
Summary of employment reports for May 1938:
Industrial and business employment
Public employment
Detailed reports for May 1938:
Industrial and business employment
Public employment

Page
2
5
7
22

Tables
TABLE 1.—All manufacturing industries combined and nonmanufacturing
industries—employment, pay rolls, and weekly earnings,
May 1938
TABLE 2.—Federal employment and pay rolls—summary, May 1938
TABLE 3.—Manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries—employment, pay rolls, hours, and earnings, May 1938
TABLE 4.—Manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries—employment, pay rolls, hours, and earnings, March through May
1938
TABLE 5.—All manufacturing industries combined and the durable- and
nondurable-goods groups—indexes of employment and pay
rolls, January 1937 to May 1938
TABLE 6.—Selected nonmanufacturing industries—indexes of employment and pay rolls, January 1937 to May 1938
TABLE 7.—Geographic divisions and States—comparison of employment
and pay rolls in identical establishments in April and May
1938
TABLE 8.—Principal metropolitan areas—comparison of employment
and pay rolls in identical establishments in April and May
1938
TABLE 9.—Executive service of the Federal Government—employment
and pay rolls in April and May 1938
TABLE 10.—Construction projects financed by Public Works Administration funds—employment, pay rolls, and man-hours worked,
May 1938, by type of project
TABLE 11.—Projects financed by The Works Program—employment, pay
rolls, and man-hours worked, May 1938, by type of project. _
TABLE 12.—National Youth Administration work projects and Student
Aid financed by The Works Program—employment, pay
rolls, and man-hours worked from the beginning of the
programs to May 1938, inclusive
TABLE 13.—Civilian Conservation Corps—employment and pay rolls,
April and May 1938
TABLE 14.—Construction projects financed by the Reconstruction Finance
Corporation—employment, pay rolls, and man-hours
worked, May 1938, by type of project




(in)

4
61
8
12
18
18
20
22
22
23
26

27
28
28

IV
Page
TABLE

TABLE

15.—Construction projects financed from regular Federal appropriations—employment, pay rolls, and man-hours worked,
May 1938, by type of project
16.—Construction and maintenance of State roads—employment
and pay-roll disbursements, May 1938, April 1938, and
May 1937




29
30

Employment and Pay Rolls
»+###+#++##++####++++##++#+++#+#+#+#++#+++#+++##++##++###+#+++####+#+#<

SUMMARY OF REPORTS FOR MAY 1938
INDUSTRIAL and business employment declined in May, due largely
to a further curtailment of forces in factories, mines, and railroads, and
to seasonal reductions in retail and wholesale trade.
About 300,000 workers in private industry and on regular governmental jobs, exclusive of W. P. A. and other State and Federal
emergency projects, were laid off between April and May. Usually
an increase of about 200,000 in nonagricultural employment as a
whole may be expected at this time of year.
In manufacturing, a greater-than-seasonal reduction of 2.8 percent
in employment affected 180,000 workers, while a 2.1 percent pay-roll
reduction represented a cut of about $3,100,000 in weekly wage
disbursements. Since May 1937, when operations were at a high level,
there has been a decline of nearly one-fourth in factory employment
and of more than one-third in factory pay rolls. Declines in manufacturing employment from April to May were quite general. Sixtyseven of the 89 manufacturing industries that regularly report to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics reduced their working forces, many of them
because of seasonal slackening in activity. Among the nondurable
goods industries, manufacturers of wearing apparel, cotton goods,
knit goods, and shoes reported large cuts in factory forces. Employment increased in food and tobacco manufacturing. The heavy
industries reported continued curtailment, particularly in the manufacture of automobiles, steel, and machinery. Employment was
better sustained in the manufacture of building materials and in shipbuilding than in most other heavy industries.
As compared with May of 1937, the nondurable goods industries
showed an employment decline of 17 percent and the durable goods
industries a decline of 32 percent.
Other basic industries in which working forces were reduced in May
include class I railroads, which laid off 8,000 men in the tenth consecutive monthly reduction of forces; bituminous mines, which laid off
17,500 workers in a greater-than-seasonal curtailment of operations;
anthracite mines; and metal mines. There was a sharp decline in the
number of employees in retail and wholesale trade, due in part to
seasonal reductions following expansion for the Easter trade. It is




(1)

estimated that nearly 175,000 workers in retail stores and 20,000
in wholesale firms were laid off during the month.
The principal increases in employment were in building construction
and in quarries, where gains were somewhat smaller than usual.
There were small increases in forces of telephone and telegraph companies, laundries, hotels, and insurance offices.
Reductions in employment were general throughout the country,
with the principal exception of certain New England States, in which
increases accompanied expanded activity in cotton and woolen mills.
Several of the larger industrial States, including Pennsylvania, New
York, Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio, reported employment reductions
ranging from 3 to 5 percent, principally in the heavy industries, in
the manufacture of clothing, in coal mining, and in retail and wholesale trade.
The continued decrease in industrial employment in May was
accompanied by marked expansion in the number of persons working
on most of the programs financed wholly or partially from Federal
funds. The most marked gains in employment occurred on Federal
projects under The Works Program, on projects financed from regular
Federal appropriations, and on P. W. A. projects. In the executive,
judicial, and legislative services of the Federal Government employment increased in May compared with April, and in the military
service decreases were reported.

Industrial and Business Employment
Declines in employment were shown by 67 of the 89 manufacturing
industries and by 10 of the 16 nonmanufacturing industries surveyed
monthly by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Declines of 2.8 percent in the employment of factory wage earners
and 2.1 percent in their pay rolls from April to May continued the
sharp downward movement which has proceeded almost without
interruption since August 1937. These declines brought the level of
factory employment to 77.4 percent of the 1923-25 average, and of
factory pay rolls to 69.2 percent of the average. About the same
number of wage earners were employed as in the latter months of
1933, while pay rolls were at the relatively higher level of the summer
of 1935.
Among the important durable goods industries in which employment was reduced in May were automobiles (6.0 percent), agricultural
implements (5.2 percent), machine tools (4.7 percent), electrical
machinery (4.4 percent), foundries and machine shops (3.1 percent),
blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills (2.7 percent), and furniture (2.4 percent). Among the important nondurable goods industries
showing declines, largely seasonal, were men's clothing (15.9 percent),
boots and shoes (7.5 percent), women's clothing (7.3 percent), knit
goods (4.1 percent), and cotton goods (2.8 percent).



Seasonal gains in employment were reported by a small group of
industries. The more important of these increases were in cane sugar
refining (14.1 percent), and in the manufacture of ice cream (13.5 percent), woolen and worsted goods (11.1 percent), beverages (3.0 percent), brick (3.0 percent), cement (2.7 percent), steam'and hot-water
heating apparatus (2.3 percent), and plumbers7 supplies (1.3 percent).
The increase in cane sugar refining followed the settlement of a labor
dispute.
Among the nonmanufacturing industries, the largest numbers of
workers were released from jobs in retail and wholesale stores, and
coal and metal mines. All important wholesale lines except food and
petroleum and petroleum products showed employment declines. All
major lines of retail trade except lumber also had fewer employees than
in April. Oil wells, electric railroads, light and power firms, and
brokerage firms also employed fewer workers. Dyeing and cleaning
establishments showed a contraseasonal employment decline.
Employment in the private building construction industry increased
by 3.4 percent from April to May, this being considerably lower than
the gains in May of the preceding 5 years. All parts of the country,
except the East South Central region participated in the employment
expansion.
A gain of 4.6 percent in quarrying employment was somewhat less
than seasonal, and smaller increases were reported by laundries, hotels,
telephone and telegraph firms, and insurance offices.
Class I railroads employed 892,874 workers exclusive of executives,
officials, and staff assistants, according to a preliminary tabulation by
the Interstate Commerce Commission. This was 0.9 percent or
8,371 workers lower than the number employed in April. May pay
rolls for railroads were not available when this report was prepared.
For April they amounted to $133,821,127 as against $141,847,183 for
March, a decrease of 5.7 percent.
Hours and earnings.—The average hours worked per week in May
by factory wage earners were 34.4, a gain of 0.7 percent since April.
The average hourly earnings of these workers (65.0 cents) were 0.3
percent lower than in April but average weekly earnings ($22.17) were
0.7 percent higher.
Gains in average hours worked per week were reported by 8 of the
14 nonmanufacturing industries for which man-hour data are available, and increased average hourly earnings were shown by 10. Average weekly earnings were higher in 8 of the 16 nonmanufacturing
industries covered.
Previous to January 1938, the wording of the definition on the
schedules for public utilities, wholesale and retail trade, hotels, and
brokerage and insurance firms called for the inclusion of highersalaried employees such as corporation officers, executives, and others



whose duties are mainly supervisory. These employees have, for the
most part, always been excluded from employment reports for other
industries, and beginning with January it was requested that they be
omitted also for the industries named above. For this reason, the
average hours worked per week, average hourly earnings, and average
weekly earnings for these industries are not comparable with the
figures appearing in issues of this pamphlet dated earlier than
January 1938.
Employment and pay-roll indexes and average weekly earnings in
May 1938 for all manufacturing industries combined, for selected
nonmanufacturing industries, and for class I railroads, with percentage
changes over the month and year intervals except in the few industries
for which data are not available, are presented in table 1.
TABLE 1.—Employment, Pay Rolls, and Earnings in All Manufacturing Industries
Combined and in Nonmanufacturing Industries, May 1938

Industry-

All manufacturing industries
combined *
Class I steam railroads 3
Coal mining: 4
Anthracite 4
Bituminous
Metalliferous mining
Quarrying and nonmetallic
mining
Crude-petroleum producing
Public utilities:
Telephone and telegraph . .
Electric light and power
and manufactured gas
Electric - railroad
and
motor-bus operation and
maintenance
Trade:
Wholesale
Retail
General merchandising
Other than general
merchandising.
Hotels (year-round)«
6
Laundries 4
_
Dyeing and cleaning *
Brokerage
Insurance
Building construction
__

Index,
May
1938

Percentage
Percentage
Percentage
change from— Index, change from— Average change from—
in May
May
1938
1938
April May
April May
April May
1937
1938
1938
1937
1938
1937
1928-25
=100)

(1923-25
=100)
77 A

Average weekly earnings

Pay roll

Employment

-2.8

50.7
(1929
=100)

-24.3

69.2

-2.1

-34.2

22.17

+0.7

-13.0

-21.6

()
(1929
=100)
38.3
55.5
51.2

-1.8
-1.4
-4.0

-20.7
-30.0
-35.9

23.61
18.09
27.12

+5.9
+3.1
+.4

-7.6
-18.0
-14.5

38.2 +12.6
-1.7

-25.7
-2.0

22.11
33.48

+7.7

52.8
82.0
58.8

-7.3
-4.4
-4.4

-14.1
-14.7
-25.0

43.6
73.2

+4.6

-20.6
-4.6

75.0

+.3

-3.5

91.3

-.4

+2.0 8 31.14

-.7

-.1

-3.1

97.3

-.2

5 33.49

-.1

+1.7
+.7

91.6
70.6

-.7

-3.5

71.2

87.3
83.8
92.4

-1.3
-5.1
-8.5

-3.8
-6.8
-9.5

75.1
70.0
84.4

81.5
93.7
96.2
110.0

-3.9

-5.9
-1.7
-4.1
-3.5
-20.1
+2.2
-28.4

67.0
80.6
80.9
80.8
()

+.3
+.9

-1.6
-2.0

+.2
+3.4

-3.0
-5.6

-2.4

tl
-7.3
-4.9
-.2

+5.8

+1.6

5 32.96 +2.4

-1.3
-4.8
-7.7

«30.35 +2.1
5 21.45 +2.2
« 18.15 +3.2

-4.0

«24.18 +1.6
814.78
-.2
17.17
-.5
20.40 - 5 . 9
*33.75 - 2 . 9
6 35. 79 - . 4
29.07 +2.4

+1.1

-2.9
-6.1
-27.5
-2.7
-29.1

-6.4

+2.8

+5.7
+2.7
+5.4
+2.6
+2.0
+2.1
+2.0
+2.8
+1.3
-2.7
-9.3
-4.7
-1.0

*2 Revised indexes—Adjusted to 1933 Census of Manufactures.
Preliminary—Source: Interstate Commerce Commission.
34 Not available.
Indexes adjusted to 1935 census. Comparable series back to January 1929 presented in January 1938
issue
of this pamphlet.
5
Average weekly earnings not strictly comparable with figures published in issues of this pamphlet dated
earlier than January 1938, as they now exclude corporation officers, executives, and other employees whose
duties
are mainly supervisory.
6
Cash payments only; the additional value of board ,room, and tips cannot be computed.




Public Employment
Nearly 116,000 persons were working on P. W. A. projects during
the month ending May 15, 1938, an increase of 12,000 compared
with the preceding period. This expansion was evident in all parts
of the program, but was most marked on projects financed from the
Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935, 1936, and 1937 funds.
Approximately 25,000 men were at work on Federal and non-Federal
projects financed from N. I. R. A. funds and 91,000 on projects
financed from E. R. A. A. funds. Pay-roll disbursements for all
P. W. A. projects totaled $9,204,000.
Marked increases in employment on public-road construction
projects, which usually occur at this season, raised the number working on construction projects financed by regular Federal appropriations in May to the highest level (203,000) reached since November
1937. The increase in employment amounted to 29,000 over April.
Gains in employment were reported for all types of projects with the
exception of Rural Electrification Administration projects, dredging,
dikes, and revetments, and miscellaneous projects. Pay rolls for the
month totaled $19,763,000, an increase of $2,241,000 compared with
April.
The maximum number of wage earners employed during any 1
week of the period from mid-April to mid-May on projects financed
by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation was 3,000. Compared
with the preceding month, this was a drop of 160 workers. Decreases
in employment were registered on all types of projects. Pay-roll
disbursements amounting to $460,000 were $32,000 less than the
amount reported for the preceding period.
During the month The Works Program expanded to the point
where the employment, exclusive of Student Aid, amounted to
3,102,000. Approximately 2,679,000 persons were at work in May
on projects operated by the Works Progress Administration, a gain
of 97,000 compared with April. More than 251,000 were at work on
Federal projects under The Works Program and 172,000 on work
projects of the National Youth Administration. May data for
Student Aid projects will not be available until next month. In
April 333,000 were employed on Student Aid projects. Pay-roll
disbursements for The Works Program, exclusive of Student Aid,
amounted to $153,453,000 in May, an increase of $10,235,000 over
the preceding month.
In the regular services of the Federal Government, the executive,
judicial, and legislative services reported increases in the number
working, and the military a decrease. Of the 841,000 employees in
the executive service in May, 115,000 were working in the District
82352—38

2




of Columbia and 726,000 outside the District. Force-account employees (employees who are on the Federal pay roll and are engaged
on construction projects) were 7.6 percent of the total number of
employees in the executive service. The most marked increases in
employment occurred in the War Department, the Department of
Agriculture, and the Department of the Interior. The Social Security
Board was among the agencies reporting decreases in employment.
Since October 1937 the number of workers in the Civilian Conservation Corps has been decreasing. A small decline of 2,000 in
May reduced the number working to 306,000, The decrease occurred
in enrolled personnel and reserve officers, the number working in all
other groups increasing slightly or remaining virtually the same. Of
the total number in camps, 262,000 were enrollees, 5,000 reserve
officers, 300 nurses, 1,500 educational advisers, and 37,000 supervisory and technical employees. Monthly pay rolls for all groups of
workers totaled $14,238,000.
As the result of seasonal influences, employment on State road
projects in May was 174,000, an increase of 28,000 compared with
April. Of the total number working in May, 156,000 were engaged
on maintenance projects and 18,000 on new road construction. For
both types of work, pay rolls for the month amounted to $11,387,000.
A summary of Federal employment and pay-roll statistics for
April and May is given in table 2.
TABLE 2.—Summary of Federal Employment and Pay Rolls, May 1938 l
[Preliminary figures]
Employment
Class
May

April

Percentage
change

Pay rolls
May

April

Federal services:
840,742 3 827,240 +1.6 $124,951,733 3 $123,918,903
Executive 2
2,117
2,143
516,115
508,922
+1.2
Judicial
5,172
5,220
1,206,474
1, 202,032
+.9
Legislative
330, 445
329,256
25,059,048
25,391, 702
-.4
Military
_.
Construction projects:
104,134 +11.1
9,204,258
115, 710
8,186,478
Financed by P. W. A.*
3,192
3,032
491,828
Financed by K. F. C.s
_.
459, 501
-5.0
Financed by regular Federal ap19,763,004
202,845
173, 585 +16.9
17,522,503
propriations
Federal projects under The Works
12, 608,884
251,115
188,674 +33.1
9,124,787
Program
2,678, 702 2,581,334
131,332, 016
Projects operated by W. P. A
+3.8 137,876,630
National Youth Administration:
172,134
158,082 +8.9
2,967,134
2, 760, 533
Work projects
333,320
(6)
(6)
2,251,200
Student Aid
307,945
14,237,636
14,363, 254
306,141
-.6
Civilian Conservation Corps
1
2

Percentage
change

+0.8
+1.4
+.4
-1.3
+12.4
+12.8
+38.2
+5.0
+7.5

Includes data on projects financed wholly or partially from Federal funds.
Includes force-account and supervisory and technical employees shown under other classifications to
the extent of 102,793 employees and pay-roll disbursements of $12,803,713 for May and 99,999 employees and
pay-roll disbursements of $12,381,158 for April.
3 Revised.
* Data covering P. W. A. projects financed from E. R. A. A. 1935, 1936, and 1937 funds are included.
These data are not shown under The Works Program. Includes 91,206 wage earners and $7,131,788 pay roll
for May; 81,502 wage earners and $6,093,369 pay roll for April, covering P. W. A. projects financed from
E.5 R. A. A. 1935, 1936, and 1937 funds.
Includes 80 employees and pay-roll disbursements of $6,759 for May and 87 employees and pay-roll disbursements
of $7,828 for April on projects financed by the RFC Mortgage Co.
6
Not available.




DETAILED REPORTS FOR MAY 1938
Industrial and Business Employment
MONTHLY reports on employment and pay rolls are available for
the following groups: 89 manufacturing industries; 16 nonmanufacturing industries, including private building construction; and class I
steam railroads. The reports for the first two of these groups—
manufacturing and nonmanufacturing—are based on sample surveys
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and in virtually all industries the
samples are large enough to be entirely representative. The figures
on class I steam railroads are compiled by the Interstate Commerce
Commission and are presented in the foregoing summary.
EMPLOYMENT, PAY ROLLS, HOURS, AND EARNINGS

The indexes of employment and pay rolls, average hours worked
per week, average hourly earnings, and average weekly earnings in
manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries in May 1938 are
shown in table 3. Percentage changes from April 1938 and May
1937 are also given.
Indexes of employment and pay rolls as well as average hours,
worked per week, average hourly earnings, and average weekly;
earnings for March, April, and May 1938, are presented in table 4..
The March and April figures may differ in some instances from those*
previously published because of revisions necessitated by the inclusion
of late reports and other causes.
Average weekly earnings shown in tables 3 and 4 are computed by
dividing the total weekly pay rolls in the reporting establishments by
the total number of full- and part-time employees reported. As all
reporting establishments do not supply man-hour data, average hours
worked per week and average hourly earnings are necessarily based
on data supplied by a smaller number of reporting firms. The size
and composition of the reporting sample varies slightly from month
to month and therefore the average hours per week, average hourly
earnings, and average weekly earnings shown in tables 3 and 4 are
not strictly comparable from month to month. The sample, however, is believed to be sufficiently adequate in virtually all instances to
indicate the general movements of earnings and hours over the period
shown. The changes from the preceding month, expressed as percents, are based on identical lists of firms for the 2 months.




TABLE 3.—Employment, Pay Rolls, Hours, and Earnings in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing Industries, May 1938
MANUFACTURING
[Indexes are based on 3-year average 1923-25=100 and are adjusted to 1933 Census of Manufactures. Not comparable to indexes published in pamphlets prior to October 1936]
Employment

Industry
Index,
May
1938

All manufacturing industries

_

Durable goods
Nondurable goods
Durable goods

Machine tools
Radios and phonographs




Index,
May
1938

Percentage
change from—

Index,
May
1938

April
1938

May
1937

69.2

-2.1

-34.2

S22.17

+0.7

-13.0

-31.7
-16.6

60.5
80.3

-2.1
-2.1

—43.7
-21.5

23.76
20.64

+.5
+.7

60.9
63.9
55.7
40.6

-.5
-2.1

-51.2
-56.1
—50.9
-34.9

22.75
23.08
20.56
19.47

+1.4

+.9

-31.4
-32.7
—34.6
-20.1

-4.2
—1.7
-2.1

-19.4
-41.3
-39.3
-16.8

58.2
31.0
53.9
58.7

-3.0
-2.4

-33.0
-58.2
-54.1
-23.9

+2.3
+1.7
-2.5

43.1
61.5
52.7
93.6

+3.5
+3.7

+.7

-30.2
—34 5
—25.2
-15.5
-27.5
-36.6
-28.9
-7.3

68.5
98.3
81.3
162.5

-2.0

89.6
129.5

-2.3
-1.2
-3.9
-5.2

-3.6
-3.4
-3.6

124.4
78.0
108.5
79.2
116 4
86.3

-1.3
-4.4
-9.0
-3.1
—4 7
-2.0

-6.8
-33.8
-27.1
-29.1
—22 2
-38.3

116.4
69.1
101.6
70.1
96.8
70.1

-5.0
-11.7
-2.0
—4 5

77.4

-2.8

-24.3

68.2
87.4

-2.6
-2.7
-1.8
-2.7

+1.3

+8.6

+2.8
+8.7
—1.1

+3.0

+1.1

+1.5

Average hourly earnings i

Percentage
change from—
1938

Percentage
change from—

May

May

May
1937

May
1937

Average hours worked
per week *

Percentage
change from—

April

April
1938

Iron and steel and their products, not including
machinery..
_
75.5
Blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills. _ 82.1
61.4
Bolts, nuts, washers, and rivets
57.1
Cast-iron pipe
Cutlery (not including silver and plated
71.8
cutlery) and edge tools
43.4
Forgings, iron and steel
59.8
Hardware
79.7
Plumbers' supplies
Steam and hot-water heating apparatus and
57.0
steam fittings _.
76 5
Stoves
57.5
Structural and ornamental metal work
88.7
Tin cans and other tinware __ Tools (not including edge tools, machine
74.9
tools,files,and saws) -- 116.0
Wirework
Machinery, not including transportation equipmentAgricultural implements
Cash registers, adding machines, and calculating machines _
_
Electrical machinery, apparatus, and supplies.
Engines, turbines, tractors, and water wheels.

Percentage
change from—

Average weekly earnings *

Pay rolls

1938

April
1938

April
1938

May
1937

34.4

+0.7

-13.7

Cents
65.0

-0.3

+0.3

—17.6
-5.8

33.9
34.9

+.7

-18.2
-8.7

72.1
58.8

—.2
-.4

+1.3
+1.6

30.2
27.6
29.2
33.1

+1.1

-27.0
-32.8
—29.4
-21.9

76.3
83.7
70.5
58.1

+.2

0

-28.8
-34.7
—24.9
-18.3

20.28
21.82
20.37
23.28

+1.2
—.7
+5.0
+7.3

-17.0
—28.7
-24.3
-8.5

33.9
29.6
31.4
34.7

+4.4
+7.8

-1.7

— 19.2
-31.7
-25.3
-13.9

62.1
73.9
64.9
67.0

+.6
+.9
+.5

-47.7
—42.4
—32.9
-16.2

22.01
23.61
25.77
23.36

+1.1
+2.0
+1.5
+2.3

—25.0
—11.9
-10.2
-.7

30.9
35.7
35.8
37.9

+1.9
+1.6
+1.0
+2.7

-28.9
-15.0
—14.0
-6.7

70.9
66.6
72.2
61.9

+.1
+.4

+4.7
+3.6
+4.3
+5.5

-39.8
-48.0
-39.7
-11.7

21.25
20.99
24.96
27.98
28.16
24.27
28.35
24.74
25 54
21.64

+.3

-17.1
-19.0
-15.2
-4.7
-16.2
-15.4
-11.0
-18.0
—23.0

34.0
31.6
34.1
37.2

+.1
+.2
+1.2
+2.1

-20.5
-20.1
-20.1
-8.6
-18.4
-20.1
-14.2
-22.2
—26.2
-3.6

61.8
66.5
72.9
75.4

-1.8

+3.2
+2.3
+5.4
+4.9

-21.9
-44.0
-35.1
—41.3
—40.1

-35.4

-2.4

+.4
+1.6
+2.4
-2.'9

+1.1
+.2

+3.5

+4.8

34.8
32.3
34.8
34.7
34.9
35.9

+.6

-.2

+7.8
+.4
+2.2

-1.1
-2.7

+.8

(

+I3

81.2
74.9
81.6
71.3
73.0
60.7

+.7

-(2)

-.5

-.6
-.8

+.1
+.5
+.3
+.5
-.2
+.3

+.1

-3.0

May
1937

-.8

-2.8

+6.1
+4.0
+4.3
+4.4
+1.2
+6.2

+2.1
+4.7
+3.1
+6.2
+4.2
+10.2

00

Textile machinery and p a r t s . . .
Typewriters and parts.._
_.
Transportation equipment
Aircraft...
Automobiles
Cars, electric- and steam-railroad
Locomotives
Shipbuilding
_.
Railroad repair shops
Electric railroad
Steam railroad
KTonferrous metals and their products
Aluminum manufactures.
Brass, bronze, and copper products
Clocks and watches and time-recording devices
Jewelry
_
_.
Lighting equipment
Silverware and plated ware
Smelting and refining—copper, lead, and zinc
Stamped and enameled ware
l u m b e r and allied products
Furniture
Lumber:
Millwork
Sawmills.
Stone, clay, and glass products
Brick, tile, and terra cotta
Cement
Glass
_
Marble, granite, slate, and other products
Pottery...
Nondurable goods
Textiles and their products
Fabrics
_
__
Carpets and rugs__
Cotton goods
Cotton small wares
D yeing and finishing textiles
Hats, fur-felt—
_
._
Knit goods
Silk and rayon goods—
Woolen and worsted goods
Wearing apparel
Clothing, men's.
Clothing, women's.
Corsets and allied garments.__
Men's furnishings
Millinery..
Shirts and collars
See footnotes at end of table.




60.0
112.9
68.2
745.1
68.7
32.1
33.0
93.1
41.0
60.4
39.6
82.5
94.9
83.6

-3.1
-1.4
-3.2
-2.8
-2.3
-1.6

-31.4
-26.5
-46.8
-9.5
-50.9
-58.7
-43.8
-12.7
-35.5
-4.7
-37.7
-28.6
-24.6
-33.5

48.4
79.1
59.9
683.7
56.1
34.4
22.3
106.7
42.5
67.3
40.8
68.7
92.3
70.5

90.7
73.6
63.6
68.8
71.1
105.3
54.4
63.8

-3.5
-5.8
-3.8
-2.4
-2.9
-2.7
-1.1
-2.4

-26.5
-16.9
-36.2
-7.6
-18.7
-35.3
-24.0
-27.0

68.1
50.6
50.7
54.0
64.0
92.8
47.4
47.8

44.2
42.4
57.4
39.9
62.2
80.9
37.3
68.6

-2.4

-22.8
-22.5
-22.8
-27.5
-9.2
-27.9
-17.0
-16.0

-23.3
-24.9
—37.7
-23.4
—.5
-20.9
- 1 . 7 —14.4
- 1 6 . 9 -19.0
- 4 . 1 -18.7
— 9 -24.9
+11.'1 -41.2
- 9 . 5 -20.0
-15.9 -31.7
-7.3 -J3.0
-.7
-5.2
- 1 . 7 -19.4
-6.8
-14.2
- 2 . 6 -12.1

82.3
76.8
63.7
80.9
77.7
101.7
67.1
99.0
59,1
51.7
93.2
76.2
132.8
86.6
114.4
52.1
105.6

+1.3

-5.3
-3.1
-6.0
-13.6
-11.9

+2.8

+.1
+.9
+3.0
+2.7
-1.0
+3.8
-1.5

-4.6
-1.7
-6.9
-2.8

-49.2
-49.1
-55.3
-7.5
-61.0
-61.8
-52.8
-10.1
-36.7

-39.5
-39.3
-31.5
-44.3

22.30
19.19
24.95
29.14
27.71
25.67
26.38
30.92
29.94
31.32
29.62
22.55
23.97
23.82

-2.8

-44.3
-26.9
-50.1
-22.5
-24.5
-44.1
-30.5
-37.6

17.25
21.02
21.14
21.41
26.42
21.45
19.21
17.96

41.6
38.2
52.6
32.3
66.4
78.5
34.4
58.0

+2.1
+2.2
+6.5
+10.5
+13.0
+1.9
+8.1
+2.6

-24.3
-27.9
-26.9
-34.3
-7.0
-34.0
-16.7
-22.7

21.39
19.42
23.12
19.17
27.44
23.44
26.94
22.38

+4.6
+2.2
+5.5
+7.3
+10.0
+2.9
+4.1
+4.2

63.7
62.7
46.7
65.9
71.5
83.1
47.5
97.7
46.5
37.3
63.0
47.9
88.4
84.7
79.5
35.0
83.5

-7.1
—2.0
-9.8
-2.9

-33.8
-36.0
-53.6
-38.1
-25.3
-21.7
-31.5
-21.9
-32.0
—54v2
-29.1
-46.7
-16.6
-7.8
-25.0
-9.5
-17.8

15.23
15.12
17.41
12.70
16.89
19.74
19.27
17.06
15.30
16. 65
15.52
14.86
18.14
16.27
12.16
19.72
11.87

-2.6

-.2

+.9

-8.4
-.8

-10.1
-13.2
-12.9

+.7

-1.6
-.7

-1.8
-.9
-.2

+2.1
-.3

-3.2

-.2
—.5

-1.1
-5.6

+.6

+1.2

-3.3
-11.4
-4.7

+1.5
+9.9

-15.5
-25.7
-10.9
-2.0
-5.2
-25.0
-2.3

+1.2

+.4
-.4
-3.8

+2.4
-4.4
+.4

-1.1
-2.1

+1.6
+.7
+1.5
+2.1
+2.1
+3.8
+3.3
+2.7
+3.7
+2.0
+1.8
-3.0
+1.8
-.3

-.4

-3.1
-.2

+1.6
-1.6
+6.5
-.6
+2.4

-1.0
-6.6
-11.7
-3.8
-1.3
-3.6
—12.5

+.3

-25.9
-30.6
-16.0

-2.9
-14.9
-9.1
-16.2

33.4
29.5
31.9
40.4
30.1
34.6
33.8
37.0
41.3
44.0
40.9
33.8
35.0
33.5

-24.3
-12.1
-21.7
-16.1
-7.1
-13.6
-8.6
-14.5

28.5
33.8
31.4
33.9
39.1
33.9
36.8
33.2

-1.9
-7.0
-5.4
-9.4

-8.0

38.9
38.2
86.0
36.6
40.2
33.6
39.5
34.9

-13.7
-14.9
-25.6
-19.3
-5.7
-8.6
-15.5
-3.9
-9.5
-22.1
-11.4
-22.1
-4.2
-2.4
-6.8
-2.9
-6.2

31.8
32.2
27.1
31.1
34.8
36.0
27.9
33.7
34.0
30.6
31.0
27.1
33.1
34.9
33.2
31.9
32.1

+2.2

-20.5
-7.4
-16.0

+3.0
-1.7
+6.2

+2.4
-8.4
+.3

+.7
i

-2! 7

+1.5
-4.6
+1.2
-1.9

+1.8
+1.1

_(2)

-25.5

-32.5
-18.4
-9.4
-22.7
-13.0
-22.8
-.8

-5.5

+.5
+1.3 - 7 . 3
+2.1 - 1 7 . 4
+3.8 - 1 3 . 4
+5.1 - 2 0 . 0
+4.6 - 3 0 . 6
+.4 - 1 2 . 4
+3.4 - 2 3 . 7
+1.6 - 1 5 . 4
-7.2
+2.6
-3.7 -14.9
+2.0 - 1 2 . 8
+.2 - 2 0 . 3
+3.5 - 1 0 . 5
-9.3
+2.4
+4.5 —9.7
+6.6 - 1 1 . 6
—1.2
+10.0
+2.1 - 1 0 . 2
+3.3 - 3 . 3
+1.0 - 1 7 . 3
+.7
+1.3
-2.4
+.8
+1.3
-2.2
+19.4
+1.2
+1.1
+6.0
-.6

-4.9

+2.1

-1.4
-2.6
-10.5

+2.5

-11.9
-13.6
-27.7
-16.9
-7.8
-5.3
-15.9
-9.1
-8.6
-17.3
-7.9
-22.0

+2.7

-1.9
-10.4

+2.7
-5.2

67.0
64.9
88.5
72.9
92.0
74.2
78.0
82.7
72.0
69.8
72.3
66.3
68.6
71.4

-.2

—. 3

—.1

+1.1
+.1
-.8

+.7
-1.7
+.1
+.6
0
-.5

-1.6
-1.1

60.5
61.4
67.2
63.0
67.6
62.9
53.1
54.6

-1.3

55.1
51.8
64.0
51.8
68.3
69.8
68.7
64.2

+1.3

47.9
47.3
64.2
40.8
48.2
54.4
73.6
51.3
44.6
54.6
49.1
55.1
49.7
46.3
33.8
58.2
37.7

+.4
+.3

—.1
-.8

+.3
-.4
-.8

-.5

+.3
+.1
2
+(+.6
)
2
+(+.8
>
-2.9
-1.5
-.7

-.3
+2.5
+2.4
+13.3
+2.7
+6.4
+8.9
+2.2
+3.6
+6.1
+4.4
+2.8
+5.0
+4.8
+9.2
-1.3
+2.7
-1.3
+.1
+1.0
+4.6
+6.3
+9.3
+2.7
+3.5
+1.8
+3.0
+1.9
+3.7
+9.1
-1.6

+3.0

-1.0

-2.6

+0.7
+1.2
-1.8
+1.1

-3.1

-.1

-6.5
—5.2
-5.1
-5.0

+.3
—.2

-7.7
-.9

+.5

+4.7
+5.7
-.8
-5.9
-5.0
-1.8
-6.1

+.4
+.6

-11.3
-3.1

TABLE 3.—Employment, Pay Rolls, Hours, and Earnings in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing Industries, May 1938—Continued
MANUFACTURING—Continued
[Indexes are based on 3-year average 1923-25=100 and are adjusted to 1933 Census of Manufactures. Not comparable to indexes published in pamphlets prior to October 1936]
Pay rolls

Employment

Industry
Index,
May
1938

Nondurable

Percentage
change from—
April
1938

May

Index,
May
1938

1937

Percentage
change from—
April
1938

May
1937

-13.1
-17.7

-28.6
-27.0
-32.1
-4.1
-1.6
-1.6

Average weekly earnings

Average hours worked
per week

Percentage
change from—

Percentage
change from—

Index,
May
1938

April
1938

May
1937

-7.3
-11.0

-17.6
-18.9
-9.1

May
1938

Other than petroleum refining
___
Chemicals
Cottonseed—oil, cake, and meal
.
Druggists' preparations




__.

-6.3
-7.5

-13.2
-10.0
-25.3
-5.7
-3.5
— 1.5
-1.8
-16.7
-6.1
-3.2
-3.3
-6.7
-17.3
-2.5

-2.1
-3.9
-1.7
-11.4
-17.6
-18.9

$16. 66
15.39
22.57
25.40
25.84
33.30
23.44
17.05
17.13
26.00
28.43
28.38
28.62
24.67
16.31
17.16
16.13
27.41
20.33
23.20
29.40
36.92

-1.4

-8.5
-14.1
-12.3

58.3
54.1
74.7
107.0
128.1
233.1
73.5
85.4
63.6
71.3
74.0
94.6
46.7
73.1
52.5
63.8
51.1
93.8
87.5
98.7

90.2
103.1

-1.6
-.7

-7.3
-2.8

83.7
101.4

-1.3
-.6

-11.5
-3.2

107.2

-3.0

-13.9

117.7

+1.2

-13.9

28.50

104.8
107.6
57.3
104.0

-3.6
-1.6
-23.5

-15.9
-21.7
+19.9
-4.0

111.3
115.9
51.2
114.6

+.4
-21.1
-.2

-18.3
-24.0
+21.0
-2.9

25.17
29.63
12.95
23.89

82.5
85.8
74.0
101.8
129.9
204.3
87.5
82.9
66.9
71.5
79.4
83.3
38.6
76.4
59.4
55.7
59.8
98.5
89.0
105.4

-.9

+.8

+( 2 )

+3.0
+2.9
+3.0

-6.5
-.4

+13.5

+.4
-.3

+14.1

+.5

-1.3

+1.0
-1.2
-.9

-.3

-.8
-.3
-.7

+.5
+2.8
+1.4
+4.5
+7.5
+6.2
-3.6
+.5
+11.0
+2.9
+2.4
+12.4
+6.5
-3.6

+8.0
-.8
+.4

-1.2

-.5

+3.1

-21.3
-8.1
-2.8
-2.3
-4.4
-8.7

+2.1

+1.3
+1.9
+1.4
+1.5
+4.5
+3.1
+3.1
+.9
-2.2

+2.4
+2.7
-1.5
+6.0
-2.3

+6.9
+.3
+1.3
+.2
+.3
+.2
+4.4
+4.1
+1.1
+3.3

+.1

+1.6
+1.9
-.1
+5.0

-5.5
-2.1

+.4
+1.0
+2.4
+10.5
+4.7
-1.2
-3.6
-.9

-3.2
-4.0
-7.6
-4.7

31.4
30.4
35.8
40.7
42.3
39.7
48.4
34.5
35.6
43.6
47.6
41.2
39.0
39.9
35.2
34.3
35.3
37.0
36.9
37.3

-.4

37.3
36.3

0

37.7

-2.8
-2.9

+1.1
+1.2

37.9
37.6
49.0
37.6

Percentage
change from—
May

April
1938

May
1937

-8.2
-10.5

-15.9
-16.8
-10.6
-3.2
-4.2
-3.7

goods—Continued

leather and its manufactures
Boots and shoes
_.
Leather
Food and kindred products
Baking
Beverages
Butter.
Canning and preserving
Confectionery
Flour
Icecream
Slaughtering and meat packing
Sugar, beet
Sugar refining, cane
Tobacco manufactures
Chewing and smoking tobacco and snuff
Cigars and cigarettes
Paper and printing
_
Boxes, paper
Paper and pulp
Printing and publishing:
Book and job
Newspapers and periodicals. _
Chemicals and allied products, and petroleum
refining

Average hourly earnings

+1.9
+1.4
+1.1
+1.4
+2.8
-.4
+2.1
+1.5
+1.8
+2.8
-2.8
-3.0

+6.4

-2.7

+7.7

ti
-.3

+.5
-.2

+1.8
+1.3
+1.2
+.4
-.2

1938

-2.4
-3.7
-6.0
-6.1
-5.9
-8.4
-11.2
-12.1

Cents
52.2
49.8
63.3
62.4
61.5
84.4
48.5
50.5
48.5
59.1
59.6
68.8
76.5
61.9
46.2
50.4
45.8
76.9
55.5
62.3

-7.3
-3.0

79.9
98.4

-5.2

75.7

-7.6
-7.1
-4.7
-3.9

67.2
78.9
25.4
59.8

-.4

-16.1
-7.3
-3.8
-1.0

+1.8

April
1938

-0.4
-.8
-.5

+.5
+.5
-.2

+.6
+2.3
+1.9
-.8

-3.7
—.4

+4.6
+1.5
-.3
+.2
-.4
+.6
+.7
+.5
_(2)

+1.0
+2.1
+2.4
—.1

+.6
-.3

May

1937

-5.4
-6.5

+1.6
+4.0
+6.3
+3.4
+5.6
+11.7
+5.2
+3.5

— 4

+^9
+13.4
+5.4
+4.7
+2.5
-4.8
+5.0
+7.4
+5.3
+2.3
+3.8
+4.2

+3.7
+4.7
+2.9
+4.3

Explosives.
Fertilizers
Paints and varnishes
Rayon and allied products
Soap
Petroleum refining
Eubber products

_.

_

T.

1_

Rubber boots and shoes
Rubber goods, other than boots, shoes, tires,
and inner tubes
_
Rubber tires and inner tubes

-1.7

-6.4
-13.6
-15.3
-20.8
-11.3
-5.4
-31.0

85.9
95.7
122.2
275.0
107.2
138.4
63.1

-2.7

-31.3

39.7

+4.8
+5.6
-1.2
+3.5
+2.3
+4.2

-2.1
-1.2

-27.2
-33.6

96.8
57.0

+4.5

84.8
90.4
118.7
304.0
91.7
117.4
71.5

-1.4
-26.5

52.4
106.6
62.3

+.6
+.3

-2.2
-.4

-.7

-20.9

-1.8

-16.7
-17.6
-15.7
-28.0
-5.8
-42.2

28.55
17.46
28.17
22.34
28.84
35.78
23.39

-45.4

18.98

-36.9
-44.5

20.62
26.67

+.1

+.7
+7.6
+4.1
+5.3
+1.1
+3.8
+4.0
+7.1
+.2
+5.7

-11.0
- 4 . 7A

-16.2

34.9
39.0
40.7
34.6
38.7
37.0
31.1

-20.5

31.4

+3.5
+6.1
+.8
+3.5
+3.3
+7.1

-13.3
-16.5

35.1
27.9

-7.6
-18.0
-14.5
-6.4

-9^0

+6.1
+5.8

-13.1
-10.5
-5.5
-12. 5
-2.1
-14.8

81.7
44.9
69.3
64.6
74.7
97.5
76.9

-19.4

60.5

+.1
+5.4

-14.6
-15.8

59.1
95.0

25.1
20.0
40.1
40.9
39.4

+6.6
+.1
+.2
+8.2

-9.7
-20.0
-7.8
-8.4
-.2

92.3
88.8
67.8
54.0
85.2

38.4

-2.5

-2.1

39.2

-1.8

-2.7

45.9

+1.9

-1.1

70.7

+.4

42.8
42.7
39.3
43.7
46.7
42.0
42.1

+.6
+.9

-1.0

71.2
54.5
48.9
56.2
31.4
41.3
48.5

+1.3
+1.4
+3.2
+.7
+.3
+.1

90.3

-.8

+.1

-4.0

+3.7

+.6
+12.1
+.6
-.7

+.3
+.6
+.5
-00
+.4
+.3

+2.4
+7.1
+5.0
+4.3
+8.2
+2.0
-1.9
-1.4

+.9

NONMANUFACTURING
[Indexes are based on 12-month average, 1929=100]
Coal mining: 3
Anthracite 3
Bituminous
Metalliferous mining
__
__.
Quarrying and nonmetallic mining
Crude-petroleum producing
Public utilities:
Telephone and telegraph 4
Electric
light and power and manufactured
gas 4
Electric-railroad4 and motorbus operation and
maintenance
Trade:
Wholesale 4__
Retail*
General merchandising 4
Other than general
merchandising 4
3 45
Hotels (year-round)
Laundries 3
_.
Dyeing and4 cleaning 3
Brokerage 4
Insurance
Building construction
__

-1.7

-20.7
-30.0
—35.9
-25.7
-2.0

$23.61
18.09
27.12
22.11
33.48

+5.9
+3.1
+.4
+7.7

-.4

+2.0

31.14

-.7

97.3

-.2

-.5

33.49

-.1

-3.5

71.2

32.96

+2.4

75.1
70.0
84.4
67.0
80.6
80.9
80.8

+1.7
+.7

+1.6

-3.8
-6.8
-9.5
-5.9
-1.7
-4.1
-3.5
-20.1

-1.3
-4.8
-7.7
-4.0

30.35
21.45
18.15
24.18
14.78
17.17
20.40
33.75
35.79
29.07

+2.1
+2.2
+3.2
+1.6

-.8

-14.1
-14.7
-25.0
-20.6
-4.6

38.3
55.5
51.2
38.2
66.8

75.0

+.3

-3.5

91.3

91.6

-.1

-3.1

70.6

-.7

87.3
83.8
92.4
81.5
93.7
96.2
110.0

-1.3
-5.1
-8.5
-3.9

52.8
82.0
58.8
43.6
73.2

(6)
(6)
(6)

-7.3
-4.4
-4.4

+4.6

+.3
+.9

-1.6
-2.0

+.2
+3.4

+2.2

-28.4

(6)
(6)
(6)

-1.8
-1.4
-4.0

+12.6

-3.0
-5.6
-2.4

+.1
+.4

-7.3
-4.9
-.2

+5.8

1 Average weekly earnings are computed from figures furnished by all reporting establishments. Average hours and average hourly earnings are computed from data supplied
by a smaller number of establishments as all reporting firms do not furnish man-hours.
Percentage changes over year are computed from indexes. Percentage changes over month
in average weekly earnings for the manufacturing groups, for all manufacturing industries
combined,
and for retail trade are also computed from indexes.
2
Less than Mo of 1 percent.




+1.1

-2.9
-6.1
-27.5
-2.7
-29.1

-.9

-.2
-.5

-5.9
-2.9
-.4

+2.4

+2.8
+5.7
+2.7
+5.4
+2.6
+2.0
+2.1
+2.4
+2.8
+1.3
-2.7
-9.3
-4.7
-1.0

(6)
(6)

32.3

-1.5

-.2

+1.17

-.4

+.6
-.8

-4.5

-3.8
-3.4
-6.8

+3.4

-6.9

-.3

(6)
(6)

(6)
(6)

-0.4

+1.4
+2.8
+2.0

85.6

+2.0
+.5
-.3
+.8
+1.4

85.4

+1.6

(8)
(6)

- 16 . 8
f6)
()

-1.5
-7.0

+7.1
+5.9
+6.9
+2.9
+4.0
+1.9
+4.2
+5.0
+5.6
+4.9
()
()
+6.0

3 Indexes adjusted to 1935 census. Comparable series back to January 1929 presented
in 4January 1938 issue of this pamphlet.
Average weekly earnings, hourly earnings, and hours not strictly comparable with
figures published in pamphlets prior to January 1938 as they now exclude corporation
officers,
executives, and other employees whose duties are mainly supervisory.
5
Cash payments only; the additional value of board, room, and tips cannot be
computed.
6
Not available.

TABLE 4.—Employment, Pay Rolls, Hours, and Earnings in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing Industries, May, April, and March 1938
MANUFACTURING
[Indexes are based on 3-year average 1923-25=100 and are adjusted to 1933 Census of Manufactures. Not comparable to indexes published in pamphlets prior to October 1936.
Comparable series available upon request]
Employment index

Average weekly
earnings l

Pay-roll index

Average hours worked
per week 1

Average hourly earnings i

May
1938

May
1938

April
1938

Industry

All manufacturing industries
Durable goods
Nondurable goods

_.

Durable goods
Iron and steel and their products, not including
machinery
Blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills..
Bolts, nuts, washers, and rivets -- Cast-iron pipe
_.Cutlery (not including silver and plated
cutlery) and edge tools
Forgings, iron and steel
Hardware
Plumbers' supplies
Steam and hot-water heating apparatus and
steam fittings
Stoves
«*.
.
Structural and ornamental metal work
Tin cans and other tinware
Tools (not including edge tools, machine tools,
files, and saws)
Wirework
_
Machinery, not including transportation equipment.
Agricultural implements
.
Cash registers, adding machines, and calculating machines .
Electrical machinery, apparatus, and supplies Engines, turbines, tractors, and water wheels Foundry and machine-shop products
Machine tools
Radios and phonographs _
Textile machinery and parts
Typewriters and parts




April
1938

March
1938

69.2
60.5
80.3

70.7
61.8
82.0

78.9
87.0
61 7
55.6

60.9
63.9
55 7
40.6

74.9
44.2
61.1
78.7

75.3
46.5
66.4
78.4

55 7
75.3
59.0
88 1

May
1938

April
1938

March
1938

73.3
63.8
85.3

$22.17
23.76
20.64

$22.28
24.16
20.52

$22.46
24.05
20.94

61.2
65.3
51.3
40.6

62.1
65.5
52.7
39.0

22.75
23.08
20.56
19.47

22.44
22.91
19.11
19.03

58.2
31.0
53.9
58.7

60.0
31.7
52.4
54.0

63.1
34.4
57.1
52.3

20.28
21.82
20.37
23.28

56.7
76.5
59.7
87.0

43.1
61.5
52.7
93.6

41.7
59.3
53.3
90.9

42.7
60.5
54.6
92.2

76.7
117.4
93.2
136.5

79.3
120.7
96.8
136.9

68.5
98.3
81.3
162.5

69.9
102.1
84.2
168.6

126.0
81.6
119.3
81 7
122 1
88.0
60.3
111. 4

126.5
86.4
121.3
85 2
127.7
86.0
63.5
112.8

116.4
69.1
101.6
70.1
96 8
70.1
48 4
79.1

115.0
72.7
115.0
71.5
101.3
69.0
48.5
78.4

April
1938

March
1938

77.4
68.2
87.4

79.6
70.0
89.8

81.7
72.4
91.7

75.5
82.1
61 4
57.1

76.9
84.4
60 8
57 2

71.8
43.4
59.8
79.7
57 0
76.5
57.5
88 7
74.9
116.0
89.6
129.5
124.4
78.0
108.5
79.2
116.4
86.3
60.0
112.9

May
1938

May
1938

April
1938

March
1938

34.4
33.9
34.9

34.2
33.6
34.7

34.5
33.6
35.3

Cents
65.0
72.1
58.8

Cents
65.2
72.2
59.0

Cents
65.5
72.4
59.3

22.11
22.28
19.34
18.80

30.2
27.6
29.2
33.1

29.8
27.6
27.1
32.5

29.6
27.1
27.3
31.9

76.3
83.7
70.5
58.1

76.2
83.2
70.5
57.6

75.9
82.6
70.7
57.9

20.04
21.96
19.42
21.66

20.96
22.59
19.47
21.06

33.9
29.6
31.4
34.7

33.4
30.0
30.0
32.1

35.2
30.7
29.9
31.3

62.1
73.9
64.9
67.0

61.6
73.3
64.6
67.5

61.6
73.8
65.1
67.1

22 01
23.61
25.77
23.36

21 76
23.09
25.41
22 82

21 76
23.21
25.63
23.42

30.9
35.7
35.8
37.9

30.4
35.0
35.4
36.9

30.5
35.2
35,9
37.8

70.9
66.6
72.2
61.9

71.4
66.2
71.8
62.3

70.9
66.2
71.5
62.4

76.3
105.4
88.7
178.3

21.25
20.99
24.96
27.98

21.18
21.56
24.94
27.50

22.36
21.70
25.34
28.99

34.0
31.6
34.1
37.2

34.1
31.8
34.0
36.8

36.0
32.2
34.5
38.8

61.8
66.5
72.9
75.4

61.8
67.9
73.0
74.9

61.8
67.6
73.0
74.9

124.1
78.1
118.7
75.2
112.3
60.7
50.1
80.6

28.16
24.27
28.35
24.74
25.54
21.64
22.30
19.19

27.49
24.42
29.54
24.47
25.51
20.91
22 22
19.27

29.54
24.73
30.04
24.72
27.01
18.78
21.76
19.58

34.8
32.3
34.8
34.7
34.9
35.9
33.4
29.5

34.0
32.6
35.8
34.4
35.0
33.5
33.2
29.5

36.8
32.9
36.3
34.7
37.0
30.7
32.7
29.6

81.2
74.9
81.6
71.3
73 0
60.7
67.0
64.9

80.9
74 6
82.7
71.2
72.9
62.6
67.0
65.1

80.7
74.9
82.9
71.2
73.1
61.6
66.6
66.0

March
1938

Transportation equipment
68.2
Aircraft
745.1
Automobiles
68.7
Cars, electric- and steam-railroad
32.1
;
Locomotives
33.0
i
Shipbuilding
93.1
\ Railroad repair shops
41.0
Electric railroad
60.4
Steam railroad
39.6
» Nonferrous metals and their products
82.5
Aluminum manufactures
94.9
83.6
Brass, bronze, and copper products
i
Clocks and watches and time-recording devices. 90.7
73.6
Jewelryy
.
63.6
Lihti equipment
Lighting
68.8
Silverware and pplated ware
71.1
Smelting and refining—copper,
fii
lead, and zinc
105.3
Stamped and enameled ware..
54.4
Lumber and allied products
__
Furniture
..... 63.8
Lumber:
Millwork
44.2
Sawmills
__
42.4
Stone, clay, and glass products
_. 57.4
Brick, tile, and terra cotta
_. 39.9
Cement
62.2
Glass
80.9
Marble, granite, slate, and other products
37.3
Pottery
68.6

72.0
768.9
73.1
37.1
37.5
90.5
42.3
61.3
40.9
84.9
97.1
85.0
94.0
78.1
66.1
70.4
73.1
108.2
55.0
65.4

77.8
780.6
79.8
38.9
43.7
94.6
44.5
61.8
43.2
87.4
100.5
86.6
98.8
84.8
67.0
71.5
75.2
110.0
55.8
68.0

59.9
683.7
56.1
34.4
22.3
106.7
42.5
67.3
40.8
68.7
92.3
70.5
68.1
50.6
50.7
54.0
64.0
92.8
47.4
47.8

65.4
689.3
62.5
39.6
25.7
105.9
43.2
67.7
41.5
69.3
92.6
69.0
68.4
52.2
50.8
54.3
64.8
98.3
47.1
49.2

66.0
700.3
61.9
43.5
32.6
109.3
45.5
68.4
43.9
74.2
100.5
71.8
83.6
60.4
54.5
59.6
66.2
101.1
48.7
53.8

24.95
29.14
27.71
25.67
26.38
30.92
29.94
31.32
29.62
22.55
23.97
23.82
17.25
21.02
21.14
21.41
26.42
21.45
19.21
17.96

28.94
28.47
28.78
25.56
26.68
31.57
29.55
31.18
29.19
22.15
23.55
22.95
16.70
20.58
19.86
21.00
25.96
22. 26
18.91
17.92

27.05
28.49
26.13
26.72
29.09
31.22
29.55
31.20
29.19
22.97
24.77
23.44
19.41
21.85
21.03
22.68
25.91
22.45
19.34
18.87

31.9
40.4
30.1
34.6
33.8
37.0
41.3
44.0
40.9
33.8
35.0
33.5
28.5
33.8
31.4
33.9
39.1
33.9
36.8
33.2

32.7
39.8
31.3
34.2
34.5
36.4
40.8
44.0
40.4
33.0
33.9
31.9
27.2
,33.9
29.2
33.4
38.1
35.3
36.0
33,2

30.6
40.3
28.4
35.4
37.6
37.1
40.5
44.1
40.1
34.2
35.7
31.3
32.0
37.0
31.1
36.1
37.8
35.5
37.3
35.2

88.5
72.9
92.0
74.2
78.0
82.7
72.0
69.8
72.3
66.3
68.6
71.4
60.5
61.4
67.2
63.0
67.6
62.9
53.1
54.6

88.5
72.1
91.9
74.8
77.4
84.2
72.0
69.5
72.3
66.6
69.5
72.0
61.3
60.7
68.0
63.0
68.1
63.0
53.5
54.4

71.4
91.9
75.5
77.5
83.2
72.5
69.5
72.8
67.2
69.3
74.9
60.6
59.5
67.6
63.1
68.5
63.4
52.6
53,8

45.3
42.3
56.9
38.7
60.5
81.8
35.9

46.1
42.3
55.5
36.1
53.5
83.7
35.4
70.7

41.6
38.2
52.6
32.3
66.4
78.5
34.4
58.0

40.7
37.3
49.4
29.2
58.8
77.1
31.8
56.5

41.7
37.4
48.1
26.0
50.2
80.8
30.1
59.8

21.39
19.42
23.12
19.17
27.44
23.44
26.94
22.38

20.43
19.17
22.00
17.89
24.89
22.88
26.22
21.49

20.56
19.33
21.95
17.24
23.79
23.31
25.16
22.31

38.9
38.2
36.0
36.6
40.2
33.6
39.5
34.9

37.7
37.1
34.6
34.6
36.4
33.2
37.9
34.4

37.8
38.4
34.1
32.9
34.9
33.6
37.0
34.8

55.1
51.8
64.0
51.8
68.3
69.8
68.7
64.2

54.1
52.8
63.8
51.6
68.4
69.1
69.8
63.8

54.3
51.6
64.4
52.4
68.2
69.7
69.2
64.5

78.1
68.4
83.2
78.1
103.4
80.7
103.3
59.7
46.6
103.0
90.6
143.3
87.2
116.3
60.8
108.4

89.4
80.9
72.5
86.5
80.3
104.9
83.6
104.5
59.8
52.0
106.9
97.5
146.1
87.2
121.1
59.2
110.3

63.7
62.7
46.7
65.9
71.5
83.1
47.5
97.7
46.5
37.3
63.0
47.9
88.4
84.7
79.5
35.0
83.5

68.6
64.0
51.8
67.9
70.6
86.0
53.6
103.6
45.8
34.0
74.6
64.5
99.1
86.4
83.9
46.6
85.5

74.6
68.4
57.1
72.7
77.4
89.0
67.3
106.5
47.0
39.4
83.8
75.7
109.6
88.7
93.8
50.8
90.7

15.23
15.12
17.41
12.70
16.89
19.74
19.27
17.06
15.30
16.65
15.52
14.86
18.14
16.27
12.16
19.72
11.87

15.60
15.16
17.96
12.78
16.69
20.10
18.00
17.27
14.90
16.74
16.69
16.77
18.92
16.47
12.55
22.42
11.78

16.37
15.66
18.68
13.16
17.89
20.40
21.96
17.70
15.29
17.41
18.12
18.24
20.86
16.95
13.44
25. 46
12.23

31.8
32.2
27.1
31.1
34.8
36.0
27.9
33.7
34.0
30.6
31.0
27.1
33.1
34.9
33.2
31.9
32.1

31.8
31.9
27.8
31.1
34.6
36.8
23.3
33.3
33.8
28.7
31.2
28.5
32.4
35.4
33.8
35.4
31.2

32.6
32.8
29.1
31.8
37.4
37.2
29.3
34.4
34.4
29.8
32.3
30.0
33.4
36.7
34.6
38.5
32.0

47.9
47.3
64.2
40.8
48.2
54.4
73.6
51.3
44.6
54.6
49.1
55.1
49.7
46.3
33.8
58.2
37.7

49.5
48.0
64.7
41.1
48.2
54.1
72; 0
52,6
43.8
58.4
52.1
58.1
52.9
46.1
34.5
63.7
38.0

50.6
48.2
64.3
41.2
48.1
54.6
73.1
52,. 6
44.2
58.3
54.9
59.6
57.5
46.0
35.9
68.1

Nondurable goods

Textiles and their products
Fabrics. _
_
Carpets and rugs
__
Cotton goods
Cotton small wares
Dyeing andfinishingtextiles.
Hats, fur-felt
Knit goods
Silk and rayon goods
Woolen and worsted goods
Wearing apparel
,
Clothing, men's
Clothing, women's.
Corsets and allied garments-Men's furnishings
Millinery
Shirts and collars
See footnotes at end of table.




82.3
76.8
63.7
80.9
77.7
101.7
67.1
99.0
59.1
51.7
93.2
76.2
132.8
86.6
114.4
52.1
105.6

CO

TABLE 4.—Employment, Pay Rolls, Hours, and Earnings in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing Industries, May, April, and March 1938—Con.
[Indexes are based on 3-year average 1923-25=100 and are adjusted to 1933 Census of Manufactures. Not comparable to indexes published in pamphlets prior to October 19361
Comparable series available upon request]
Employment index

Pay-roll index

Average weekly earnings

Average hours worked
per week

May
1938

May
1938

Average hourly earnings

Industry
May
1938

April
1938

March
1938

May

April
1938

March
1938

82.5
85.8
74.0
101.8
129.9
204.3
87.5
82.9
66.9
71.5
79.4
83.3
38.6
76.4
59.4
55.7
59.8
98.5
89.0
105.4

88.0
92.7
74.6
101.0
129.9
198.4
85.0
80.5
71.6
71.8
69.9
83.0
38.7
66.9
59.1
56.4
59.3
99.7
89.8
106.9

90.1
94.9
76.4
100.4
129.9
194.3
81.5
75.7
74.6
73.2
63.4
84.3
34.0
68.4
59.3
56.5
59.6
100.3
90.8
108.1

58.3
54.1
74.7
107.0
128.1
233.1
73.5
85.4
63.6
71.3
74.0
94.6
46.7
73.1
52.5
63.8
51.1
93.8
87.5
98.7

87.1
65.7
74.4
104.1
126.3
223.0
68.4
80.4
66.0
70.9
66.6
92.0
45.6
65.0
49.3
66.1
47.3
94.6
87.2

72.7
71.9
78.2
103.4
126.5
217.3
66.1
74.5
72.7
72.3
60.9
92.0
42.4
60.2
50.7
65.3
48.9
96.6
89.4
103.4

90.2
103.1

91.7
103.9

92.8
103.4

83.7
101.4

102.0

87.6
101.8

29.40
36.92

107.2
104.8
107.6
57.3
104.0
84.8
90.4
118.7
304.0
91.7
117.4

110.5
108.7
109.4
74.9
104.3
86.0
123.0
118.0
303.1
93.8
117.8

113.2
112.1
111.4
87.5
104.7
87.2
116.7
117.3
334.3
96.0
117.7

117.7
111.3
115.9
51.2
114.6
85.9
95.7
122.2
275.0
107.2
138.4

116.3
110.9
116.6
64.9
114.8
86.5
121.1
116.7
260.3
108.5
133,8

119.4
114.5
117.6
78.5
115.3
90.9
110.7
113.3
300.4
111.8
135.4

28.50
25.17
29.63
12.95
23.89
28.55
17.46
28.17
22.34
28.84
35.78

April
1938

March
1938

31.4
30.4
35.8
40.7
42.3
39.7
48.4
34.5
35.6
43.6
47.6
41.2
39.0
39.9
35.2
34.3
35.3
37.0
36.9
37.3

34.1
33.8
35.1
40.1
41.8
39.1
47.2
34.6
35.1
42.8
46.9
40.1
39.9
41.2
33.0
35.2
32.7
36.9
36.8
37.4

29.93
36.90

37.3
36.3

27.43
24.26
29.23
12.80
24.01
29.13
15.70
26.70
22.19
28.65
34.89

37.7
37.9
37.6
49.0
37.6
34.9
39.0
40.7
34.6
38.7
37.0

April
1938

March
1938

$16. 66 $17.84
15.39
16.90
22.57
22.40
25.40
24.89
25.84
25.36
33.30
32.87
23.44
22.31
17.05
16.53
17.13
16.79
26.00
25.76
28.43
29.06
28.38
27.73
28.62
27.74
24.67
25.05
16.31
15.54
17.16
17.57
16.13
15.10
27.41
27.30
20.33
20.10
23.20
23.16

$18. 90
18.04
22.91
24.78
25.42
32.63
22.27
16.32
17.76
25.67
29,20
27. 26
29.36
22.66
15.79
17.31
15.47
27.71
20.37
23.73

29.27
36.88
27.32
24.17
29.54
12.23
23.89
28.32
16.36
27.11
21.21
28.54
34.47

May
1938

April
1938

March
1938

35.4
35.2
36.1
40.1
42.1
38.9
46.2
34.5
37.1
42.9
46.3
39.4
41.3
36.7
34.2
34.5
34.1
37.5
37.5
38.2

Cents
52.2
49.8
63.3
62.4
61.5
84.4
48.5
50.5
48.5
59.1
59.6
68.8
76.5
61.9
46.2
50.4
45.8
76.9
55.5
62.3

Cents
51.3
48.7
63.6
62.1
61.0
84.8
47.7
49.4
47.9
59.7
61.7
69.1
72.9
60.9
46.6
50.3
46.1
76.5
55.0
62.0

Cents
52.3
50.0
63.8

37.1
36.4

37.8
36.7

79.9
98.4

79.9
97.3

80.3
96.8

37.0
37.5
37.2
48.6
37.7
34.9
40.7
39.4
32.6
38.5
35.8

37.5
37.9
37.0
50.1
38.0
36.2
41.3
38.3
34.3
39.0
36.2

75.7
67.2
78.9
25.4
59.8
81.7
44.9
69.3
64.6
74.7
97.5

74.2
65.9
79.5
25.4
60.0
81.1
40.3
68.9
65.0
75.1
96.8

73.7
65.3
79.0
25.6
59.9
80.5
38.2
69.7
64.7
74.4
97.0

Nondurable goods—Continued
Leather and its manufactures--.
Boots and shoes
Leather
_
_
Food and kindred products
Baking..,
Beverages
.Butter
Canning and preserving
Confectionery
Flour
Icecream
Slaughtering and meat packing
Sugar, beet
__
Sugar refining, cane
Tobacco manufactures
Chewing and smoking tobacco and snuff
Cigars and cigarettes
Paper and printing
Boxes, paper
Paper and pulp
Printing and publishing:
Book and job-—
Newspapers and periodicals
Chemicals and allied products, and petroleum re
fining..
_
Other than petroleum refining.
Chemicals
Cottonseed—oil, cake, and meal
Druggists' preparations
Explosives
Fertilizers
Paints and varnishes
Rayon and allied products
_
Soap
Petroleum refining




84.5
48.5
48.9
47.8
58.9
61.7
69.3
74.4
61.9
48.0
50.5
45.4
78.4
54.7
62.2

Rubber products
Rubber boots and shoes.
_
Rubber goods, other than boots, shoes, tires,
and inner tubes
Rubber tires and inner tubes

71.5
52.4

72.7
53.9

72.9
54.7

63. 1
39.7

61.7
38.1

60.6
40.3

23.39
18.98

22.47
17.72

22.08
18.47

31.1
31.4

30.1
29.3

29.6
30.6

76 9
60.5

76 7
60.5

77 1
60.3

106.6
62.3

108.9
63.0

107.9
63.5

96.8
57.0

98.6
54.6

98.3
52.4

20.62
26.67

20.70
25.21

20.88
24.06

35.1
27.9

35.0
26.6

34.8
25.3

59.1
95.0

59 3
94.6

59 6
95.1

28.0
22.2
41.6
36.6
40.2

92.3
88.8
67.8
54.0
85.2

92.7
86.8
67.6
54.2
84.3

92.2
86.8
67.9
53.8
84.0

NONMANUFACTURING
[Indexes are based on 12-month average 1929=100]
Coal mining: 2
Anthracite 2
Bituminous
Metalliferous mining
Quarrying and nonmetallic mining
Crude-petroleum producing
Public utilities:
Telephone and telegraph 3
Electric
light and power and manufactured
gas 3
Electric-railroad3 and motor bus operation and
maintenance
_
Trade:
Wholesales.
Retail 3
General merchandising 3
—
Other than general
merchandising 3
23 5
Hotels (year-round)
Laundries 2
Dyeing and3 6 cleaning 2
_._
Brokerage 3 6_
_.,_
_
Insurance
_
—
Building construction 6

52.8
82.0
58.8
43.6
73.2

57.0
85.8
61.6
41.7
73.8

59.3
93.2
62.3
38.9
73.6

38.3
55.5
51.2
38.2
66.8

39.0
56.3
53.3
33.9
68.0

47.3
68.4
56.3
30.2
68.0

$23. 61
18.09
27.12
22.11
33.48

$22. 26
17.39
27.01
20.55
34.28

$26.01
19.43
28.18
19.74
34.32

25.1
20.0
40.1
40.9
39.4

23.5
19.8
40.0
37.8
39.9

75.0

74,8

74.9

91.3

91.6

92.6

31.14

31.30

31.61

38.4

39.4

39.1

85.6

84.2

85.3

91.6

91.8

92.0

97.3

97.6

98.6

33.49

33,34

33,67

39.2

40,1

40.3

85.4

83.4

83.7

70,6

71.1

70.8

71.2

70.0

69.9

32.96

32.21

32.28

45.9

45,1

45.3

70.7

70.4

70,4

87.3
83.7
91.9
81.5
93.7
96.2
110.0
-2.0

88.5
88.2
101.0
84.9
93.5
95.4
111.8
-2.0

89.1
83.0
90.5
81.0
93.4
94.8
98.5
-2.7

74.6
72.2
89.4
68.6
80.5
80.6
87.2
-3.4

+.2
+5.5

+.2

74.7
68.6
82.2
65.8
80.9
78.6
68.2
-4.0
-.3

+5.8

+7! 3

30.35
21.76
18.56
24.22
14.78
17.17
20.40
33.75
35.79
29.07

29.59
21.09
17.66
23.98
14.87
17.20
21.58
34.47
36.75
28.66

29.09
21.46
18.11
24.13
14.97
16.92
19.24
35.15
36.12
28.44

42.8
42.7
39.2
43.7
46.7
42.0
42.1
(4)
(4)
32.3

42.6
42.6
39.5
43.6
46.9
42.1
44.1
(4)
(4)
31.4

42.4
42,8
39. 1
43.8
47.3
41.8
40.8
(4)
(4)
30.7

71.2
54.6
48.7
56.4
31.4
41.3
48.5
(4)
(4)
90.3

69.8
54.5
47.6
56.6
31.6
41.1
49.1
(4)
(4)
90.9

68.3
54.5
48.7
56.2
31.2
40.6
47.8

+.2
+3.4

75.1
70.0
84.2
67.0
80.6
80.9
80.8
-4.9
-.2

-.9

Q

1 Average weekly earnings are computed from figures furnished by all reporting establishments. Average hours and average hourly earnings are computed from data supplied
by a small number of establishments as all reporting firms do not furnish man-hours.
The figures are not strictly comparable from month to month because of changes in the
size
and composition of the reporting sample.
2
Indexes adjusted to 1935 census. Comparable series back to January 1929 presented
in January 1938 issue of this publication.




+.2

()
92.1

3
Average weekly earnings, hourly earnings, and hours not strictly comparable with
figures published in pamphlets prior to January 1938 as they now exclude corporation
officers,
executives, and other employees whose duties are mainly supervisory.
' 48 Not available.
Cash payments only; the additional value of board, room, and tips cannot be computed.
6
Indexes of employment and pay rolls not available; percentage changes from preceding
month substituted.

16
INDEXES OF EMPLOYMENT AND PAY ROLLS

Indexes of employment and pay rolls are given in tables 5 and 6 for
all manufacturing industries combined, for the durable and nondurable goods groups of manufacturing industries, and for 13 nonmanufacturing industries, including 2 subgroups under retail trade, by
months, from January 1937 to May 1938, inclusive. The accompanying chart indicates the trend of factory employment and pay rolls
from January 1919 to May 1938.
The indexes of factory employment and pay rolls are computed
from returns supplied by representative establishments in 89 manufacturing industries and cover wage earners only. The base used in
computing these indexes is the 3-year average 1923-25 as 100. In
May 1938 reports were received from 25,947 manufacturing establishments employing 3,827,547 workers, whose weekly earnings were
$84,840,451. The employment reports received from these establishments cover more than 55 percent of the total wage earners in all manufacturing industries of the country and more than 65 percent of the
wage earners in the 89 industries included in the monthly survey of
the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The indexes for the nonmanufacturing industries are based on the
12-month average for 1929 as 100. Figures for mining, laundries,
dyeing and cleaning, and building construction cover wage earners
only, but the figures for public utilities, trade, hotels, brokerage, and
insurance relate to all employees, except corporation officers, executives, and other employees whose duties are mainly supervisory. For
crude-petroleum producing they cover wage earners and clerical field
force.
Data for both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries are
based on reports of the number of employees and amount of pay rolls
for the pay period ending nearest the 15th of the month.




EMPLOYMENT & P \ Y KOULS
ALL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES
J923'25=100

/nder Mumben

Index Numbers
/4V

/20
100
80
60

J
J

(20

I TI

1

40
20

l\—

X
Roh

m

A

Em.
i

vJ.v /v

\i/
r

r

K

80

60

40

20

" 1919 /920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 /928 /929 /930 193/ J932 1933 /934 /935 1936 1937 I93B u
UwrcD STAT£S Burnt/ OFUBOR snrisncs




18
TABLE 5.—Indexes of Employment and Pay Rolls in All Manufacturing Industries

Combined and in the Durable and Nondurable-Goods Groups

1

[Adjusted to 1933 Census of Manufactures—3-year average 1923-25=100]
Total
Employment

Month

January February
March_ _
April
May __ _
June
July
August
Sent&mber
October
November
December

]Durable goods

Pay rolls

Employment

Nondurable goods 3

3

Pay rolls

Employment

Pay rolls

1937

1938

1937

1938

1937

1938

1937

1938

1937

1938

1937

96.5
99.0
101.1
102.1
102.3
101.1

82.2
82.3
81.7
79.6
77.4

90.7
95.8
101.1
104.9
105.2
102.9

71.7
73.2
73.3
70.7
69.2

90.4
93.2
96.4
98.6
99.9
98.8

75.1
73.3
72.4
70.0
68.2

86.6
92.5
100.0
106.4
107.5
104.6

63.9
63.7
63.8
61.8
60.5

103.0
105.2
106.1
105.9
104.8
103.5

89.9
92.1
91.7
89.8
87.4

96.0
99.9
102.6
102.9
102.3
100.8

101 4
102.3
102 1
100.5
94.7
88.6

100.4
103.8
100.1
100.1
89.5
80.9

98.9
98.1
97.3
97.6
92.4
84.3

100.7
104.0
99.4
101.7
89.9
77.0

104.1
106.9
107.3
103. 6
97.3
93.3

100.0
103.5
100.9
98 2
89.0
85.8

99.3

98.0

95.5

97.5

103.4

98.5

Average

1938
81.6
85.1
85.3
82.0
80.3

1 Comparable indexes for earlier years will be found in the February 1937 issue of this report, or in the
April
1937 issue of the Monthly Labor Review.
2
Includes the following groups of manufacturing industries: Iron and steel; machinery; transportation
equipment; railroad repair shops; nonferrous metals; lumber and allied products; and stone, clay, and
glass products.
3 Includes the following groups of manufacturing industries: Textiles and their products, leather and its
manufactures, food and kindred products, tobacco manufactures, paper and printing, chemicals and allied
products, products of petroleum and coal, rubber products, and a number of miscellaneous industries not
included in other groups.
TABLE 6.—Indexes

of Employment and Pay Rolls in Selected Nonmanufacturing

Industries, January 1937 to May 1938 1
[12-month average 1929=100]

Anthracite mining

Bituminous-coal
mining

and nonMetalliferous mining Quarrying
metallic mining

Employ- Pay rolls Employ- Pay rolls Employ- Pay rolls Employment
ment
ment
ment

Month

Pay rolls

1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938

January
February
March
April. .
May
June
July.__
August
September
October
November
December

65.2
63 6
59.0
65.1
61.5
__ 61.6

.

59.6
60 0
59.3
57.0
52 8

46.4
44.6
41 1
69 4
48,2
55.3

46 5 104,5 296 9 93.6 2 70.4
46.1 104.7 295.5 96.4 74.0
47 3 106.1 293 ?,ins, 5 268 4
39 0 89,7 285 8 63.6 256 3
38,3 96.1 82.2 79.4 55. 5
96.2
83.3

54.3
49 7
58*1
61.5
60 9
61.4

38.2
29.6
34.2
55.4
49.0
51.3

93.7
97.4
99.4
102.4
101.4
99.4

Average.. 60.2

46.9

99.3

66.8
69.6
73,1
76.2
78.5
79.5

77.7
82.0
83.4
86.3
84.1
90.9
100.7 — ~ 82.9
75.4
91.1
70.4
95.1
88.5

76.8

67.4
263.6
2 62,3
261.6
58.8

58.4 2 59.1 45 7 38 ?, 34 6
63.4 2 55.8 46,7 37,8 37.8
70 6 2 56 3 49.1 2 38.9 41.3
76,9 2 53, 3 53 1 41.7 48 1
79.8 51.2 54 9 43,7 51 4
77.7
55.4
52.6
77.8
83.0
82.2
81.7
71.6
65.1

55.5
54.9
54.7
53.3
49.9
43.9

50.8
53.2
50.1
49.3
41.7
33.4

74.0

51.4

45.4

97 7
28 fi
30.2
33.9
38,3

1 Comparable indexes for earlier years for all of these industries, except anthracite and bituminous-coal
mining, year-round hotels, laundries, and dyeing and cleaning, will be found in the November 1934 and subsequent issues of this pamphlet, or the February 1935 and subsequent issues of the Monthly Labor Review.
Indexes for anthracite and bituminous-coal mining, year-round hotels, laundries, and dyeing and cleaning
from January 1929 forward have been adjusted to the 1935 census and are presented in the January 1938
issue
of this pamphlet.
2
Revised.




19
TABLE 6.—Indexes of Employment and Pay Rolls in Selected Nonmanufacturing

Industries, January 1937 to May 1938—Continued
Telephone and telegraph

Crude-petroleum
producing
Month

Electric light and
power, and manufactured gas

Electric-railroad and
motorbus operation and maintenance 3

Employ- Pay rolls Employ- Pay rolls Employ- Pay rolls Employment
ment
ment
ment

1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938

1937

January
February
March
...
April
May

72.7
73.5
74.2
75.8
76.7
78.5

July
August
September
October
November .
December
Average..

78.5
79.3
78.2
77.5
77.2
76.5

70.5
70.8
71.2
69.9
70.2
69.8

76.5

68.2 . . . . .

75.3
274.2
73.6
73.8
73.2

61.2
64.1
63.9
67.7
68.2
70.4

68.2
269.6
68.0
68.0
66.8

83.6 93.7
82.2 289.9
87.2 292.6
86.3 91.6
89.5 '91.3
88.6

92.1 2 93.8 92.3
92.2 292.6 93.6
92.4 2 92.0 94.8
93.1 91.8 95.5
94.6 91.7 97.9
96.3
100.4

79.7
79.8
79.8
79.6
78.9
78.0

92.1
92.1
92.3
94.9
91.4
94.7

97.5
98.3
98.6
98.5
97.3
96.1

102.2
102.6
104.0
105.3
103.8
102.4

77.8

89.6

95.6

99.6

74.4
74.8
75.4
76.6
77.7
78.5

77.8
75.7
2 74.9
74.8
75.0

Total retail trade

"Wholesale trade

98.9
98.5
98.6
2 97.6
97.4

Retail trade—general merchandising

72.5 2 72.3
72.5 271.2
72.6 70.8
72.9 71.1
73.3 70.6
73.3

68.0
68.7
69.2
69.4
70.1
71.1

73.4
73.4
73.7
73.4
73.2
72.8

70.8
73.1
71 6
71.4
71.8
71.9

73.1 . . . . .

70.6

70.6
70.2
69.9
70 0
71.2

Retail trade—other
than general merchandising

Employ- Pay rolls Employ- Pay rolls Employ- Pay rolls Employment
ment
ment
ment

Month

P a y rolls

P a y rolls

1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938

January
February
March ._ _ _
April
May
_
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Average.-

90.7
92.0
92.1
91.9
90.8
90.3

91.0
90.4
89.1
88.5
87.3

72.6
74.1
75.0
75.4
76.1
76.3

90.6
91.8
93.0
94.0
93 5
93.3

76.9
79.0
78.3
79.3
78.3
77.8

92.0

76.6

75.4
75.3
74.7
74.6
75.1

85.4
85.2
88.5
88.8
89.9
90.5

84.1
82.4
83.0
88.2
83.8

87.6
86.2
90.7 . . . . .
92.1
91.7
100.4

68.0
67.9
70.5
71.9
73.5
74.4

70.1
68.4
68.6
72.2
70.0

95.1
93.9
100.3
99.6
102.1
102.9

72.8
72.3
74.4
75.9
75.3
80.6

95.9
93.8
103.7
108.1
109.8
145.9

73.1

104.3

91.5
88.8
90.5
101.0
92.4

83.8
82.9
87.6
89.1
91.5
92.5

84.6
81.5
82.2
89.4
84.4

87.3
85.7
92.4
96.2
97.1
123.3

82.9
82.9
85.4
86.0
86.7
87.2

82.1
80.7
81.0
84.9
81.5

64.7
64.8
67.0
68.3
69.8
70.6

85.4
84.2
87.3
87.9
86.9
88.5

69.8
69.5
70.7
71.7
70.8
71.8

85.9 . . . . .

69.1

67.1
65.7
65.8
68 6

67.0

—~~—
89.8

Year-round hotels
Employ- Pay rolls
ment

Month

92.5 . . . . .

Dyeing and cleaning

Laundries

Employ- Pay rolls Employ- Pay rolls
ment
ment

1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938 1937 1938

January
February
March
April
May
.June
July
August
September.
October
November
December
Average

281.6 98.3
2 83.6 98.4
2 80.9 98.5
80.5 98.3
80.5 100.3
103.9

93.6
94.3
95.7
96.9
96.6
94.9

76.2
78.5
78.7
80.7
79.7
80.1
79.4
80.5
82.4
84.1
84.3
82.6

94.9

80.6

92.9
93.9
94.4
96.1
95.3
94.4

_.

94.3
2 94.5
93.4
93.5
93.7

78.2
78.1
79.3
80.4
83.3
87.5

80.1 98.8
79.1 98.0
78.6 104.3
2 80.6 109.2
80.9 113.9
118.5

105.8
104.7
104 1
99.9
97.8
97 0

89.0
88.0
86.4
83.4
81.1
81.1

111.0
110.3
112.8
110.5
103.5
99.2

79.5
81.3
85.7
83.6
73.7
68.6

100.6

83.0

107.5

77.6

2 96.8
95.7
94.8
2 95.4
96.2

2

2 96.8
2 95.6
2 98.5
111.8
109.9

64.7
63.6
71.8
80.1
86.1
92.2

2
65.5
265.2
2 68.2
87.2
80.7

2 Revised.
3
Not including electric-railroad car building and repairing; see transportation equipment and railroad
repair-shop groups, manufacturing industries, table 3.




20
TREND OF INDUSTRIAL AND BUSINESS EMPLOYMEHT, BY STATES

A comparison of employment and pay rolls, by States and geographic
divisions, in April and May 1938, is shown in table 7 for all groups
combined, and for all manufacturing industries combined based on
data supplied by reporting establishments. The percentage changes
shown, unless otherwise noted, are unweighted—that is, the industries included in the manufacturing group and in the grand total
have not been weighted according to their relative importance.
The totals for all manufacturing industries combined include figures
for miscellaneous manufacturing industries in addition to the 89
manufacturing industries presented in table 3. The totals for all
groups combined include all manufacturing industries, each of the
nonmanufacturing industries presented in table 3 (except building
construction), and seasonal hotels.
TABLE 7.—Comparison of Employment and Pay Rolls in Identical Establishments in

April-May 1938, by Geographic Divisions and by States
[Figures in italics are not compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but are taken from reports issued by
cooperating State organizations]
Manufacturing

Total—all groups
Geographic division and State

PerPerPerPercent- Num- Num- cent- Amount
Num- Num- cent- Amount
centof pay
of pay
age
age
ber
of
age
ber
on
ber of ber on
age
(1
(1
estab- pay roll change roll
estab- pay roll change roll
week) change
week) change
May
from
lishfrom
lishfrom
May
from
May
May
April ments
ments 1938
April
April
1938
April
1938
1938
1938

1938

Dollars
New England
13,758 787, 756 - 0 . 6 17,,111,333 - 0 )
51,754 +5.9 1,009,352 +4.9
814
Maine
633
37,048 —1.7 739,865 - 4 . 3
New Hampshire.
474
15,120 +3.3 322,146 +2.0
Vermont
Massachusetts-_. 2 8, U8 426,217 -1.4 9,673,652
1,235
78, 522 +.6 1, 551, 662 - l !
Rhode Island
2,454 179,095 -1.1 3,814,656 +2.4
Connecticut
Middle Atlantic
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania

1938

3,660
298
204
156
1,808
426
768

526,312
41,372
29,973
8,732
289,089
59,942
147, 204

5,278 1, 017, 656
32,668 1,934, 542 -3. 6 49,178, 364
- 3 . 9 24,165, 459 - 3 . 8 * 2,850 382,915
20,824
7,977,519
.1
-1.4
*889 225,999
4,358 317,863
7,486 731,210 -4.3i 17,035,386 - 2 . 1 2,089 408,742

East North Central- 25, 515 1,1,878,779
Ohio.
7,439 508,862
Indiana
2,986 230,035
Illinois
6 6,738 545,979
Michigan
3,951
7
Wisconsin
4,401 224,871

-3. 0 46,417,547
-3.6" 12,037,028
-1.7 5,260,586
-3.2 13,856,025
-3.5 9,900,004
-1.7 6,363,904

- 2 . 8 8,688
- 1 . 9 2,563
—.2 1,077
2,491
-2.9
- 5 . 5 1,005
-2.4 81,552

-0. 6
+7.4
-2.1
+3.3
-2.0
+1.8
—1.

1938

Dollars
10, 566,391
764, 525
573,322
176, 584
4,964,583
1,092, 567
2,994,810

- 3 . 0 24,396,337
-3.6 9,784,769
-1.0 5,606,978
-3.3 9,004,590

1, 355,243 - 3 . 2
365, 668 - 3 . 2
178,862 -1.0
361,970 -3.5
295,092 -4-5
154,151 t-1.9

33,
i, 283,220

-0.S

+6.1
-5.9

+.6

-2.S
-1.1

+3.1
-2.6
-4-7

+.8
1

-3.7
-1.5

8,590,137
4,115,103
+.6
8,906,451 -4.1
8,003,053 -7.4
8,668,476 « -2.8

West North Central. 11,915 405,383 -2.2 9,623,135 - 1 . 1 2,667 202,387 - 3 . 3 4,781,269 - 3 . 6
642 45,050 - 2 . 4 1,182, 776 —1.1
Minnesota
2,338
90,115 -2.1 2, 297,767 +.1
427
31,825 - 7 . 1
757,182 - 7 . 8
58,903 -4.1 1, 367,195 - 4 . 2
Iowa
1,868
878 87,763 - 4 . 1 1,860,187 - 6 . 6
Missouri
2,972 160, 480 -3.0 3, 689,311 - 3 . 1
665 +7.8
18, 695 +8.5
4,462 +1.5 111,935 +5.8
55
512
North D a k o t a . . .
2,238 +2.7
196, 523 +3.4
40
7,598 +.9
55,881 +7.6
South Dakota
451
+.7
9,974
680,818
161
+2.4
29,832
+2.8
249,973
Nebraska
1,409
+2.4
9
1,279,586 fi+
Kansas
2,365 53,993 0
+.1 656,675 +3,0
464
* Less than Ho of 1 percent.
2 Includes banks and trust companies, construction, municipal, agricultural, and office employment
amusement and recreation, professional services, and trucking and handling.
3 Includes laundering and cleaning, and water, light, and power.
*6 Includes laundries.
Weighted percentage change.
«Includes automobile and miscellaneous services, restaurants, and building and contracting.
78 Includes construction, but not public works.
Does not include logging.
9
Includes financial institutions, miscellaneous services, and restaurants.
i° Weighted percentage change includes hired farm labor.




21
TABLE 7.—Comparison of Employment and Pay Rolls in Identical Establishments in
April-May 1938, by Geographic Divisions and by States—Continued
[Figures in italics are not compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but are taken from reports issued by
cooperating State organizations]
Total—all groups
Geographic division and State

Num- Number of ber on
estab- pay roll
lishMay
ments 1938

South Atlantic
11,300
216
Delaware
1,629
Maryland
District of Columbia
1,079
Virginia
2,128
West Virginia.... 1,246
North Carolina.. 1,611
749
South Carolina1,475
Georgia
1,167
Florida

786, 851
13, 425
127,222

East South Central..
Kentucky
Tennessee
-.
Alabama
Mississippi
_.

4,678
1,414
1,
1,307
688

West South Central.
Arkansas
Louisiana
Oklahoma
Texas
Mountain
Montana
Idaho
Wyoming
Colorado..
New Mexico
Arizona
Utah..
_..
Nevada
Pacific. __
__.
Washington
Oregon
California
u
12

Percent- Amount
of pay
age
change roll (1
from
May
April
1938
1938
Dollars
--33.. 8 14,[, 435,439
-1.0
317,414
-1.
2,882,656

Manufacturing
Percentage
change
from
April
1938

Per-

Num- Num- centber of ber on
age
estab- pay roll change
lishMay
from
ments 1938
April
1938

5,979
84
626

1,020, 217 +.4
2,019,489
2,742, 246
2,216, 397 - 4 . 4
861,967 - 7 . 1
1, 562,172 - . 9
812,881 - 8 . 5

40

207
397
211

269, 850
74,418
95, 665
82,140
17,627

- 2 . 2 4,706,158
+.4
- 2 . 2 1, 462,617 +5.2
- . 9 1,608, 853
-.4
- 2 . 4 1,363,042 - 2 . 5
-8.5
271,646 - 5 . 2

6,107
'1 1,072
1,094
1,420
2,521

28,895
54,068
41,327
108,609

-1.6
-2.9
-1.4
-1.7
—1.2

5,268,805
+.7
492,881 -3.4
1,089,074
+.9
1,036,875 +1.2
2,650,025 +1.4

4,265
671
466
317
1,263
291
452
610
195

118,326
16,069
9,716
8,517
40,642
6,384
13,924
19, 873
3,201

10, 226
2,962
1,380

429, 915
88, 570
46, 692
294,653

2

5,884

+.8
-1.3
-4.2
-4.2
-3.9
-2.5
+.9

518, 773 - 3 . 8 8,706,908 - 2 . 4
9,600 +1.8 217,645 +2.4
1,887,326 6-2.5
86,876
111, 869
1,313, 525
1,098,344
1,966,
718, 560
1,042, 797
350,177

-.2
-1.6
+1.2
-4.6
-8.3
-1.7
-4.6

1,087
301
385
300
101

161,017 - 1 . 9 2,659,417
585, 731
29,480 - 2 . 4
67, 649 - . 8 1,096,044
830, 553
53,059 - 1 . 3
147,089
10,829

-1.2
+1.1

1,372
801
263
149

106,700 - 1 . 1 2,388,174
17,435 -2.9
277,304
-.5
573,846
30,504
282, 454
11,328
1,254,570
47,433

-.8
-2.4
90
+4.1
61
+2.3
41
-3.0
193
32
-.5
43
+1.1
-1.2
127
+5.0
18
+.1 12,189,027 +1.6 2,594
581
- . 8 2,296, 629 -1.0
311
+.9 1, 221,163 +3.1
8,671,235 +2.1 1,702

-3.2
-4.4

1938

Dollar,

-2.0
+1.3
-1.1

39,264
109, 751 - 2 . 5
130, 273 —1.
153,448 - 4 . 5
62,258 - 1 1 . 2
106, 347 - 1 .
44,863 - 1 1 . 9

PerAmount centof pay
age
roll (1
change
week)
from
May
April
1938

3,014,378
470, 659
255, 445
227, 548
973, 664
133,065
378, 211
480,695
95,091

3,339
73,410
48,345
139,123
54,654
81, 630
21,796

—.2
-3.1
-2.2
-4.1
-12.1
-1.
-6.0

32, 876
4,488
2,804
1,586
12, 780
896
2,851
6,671
800
221,970
47, 762
26,956
147,252

-.7
+4.7
-1.0
-1.
-9.7
-1.0

+.9
-2.3
+.7
-.4

+2.0

841,964
119, 560
71,210
55, 543
317,845
16,845
72,249
165, 493
23, 219
6,029,158
1,188, 241
679,176

4,161,741

-I.'S

-9.6
+2.2
-5.2
+2.0
+5.8
+8.8
+2.2
+1.9
+11.7
+5.3
-.3
-9.0
+5.2
+2.0
-3.2
+1.8
-1.6
+4.9
+2.2

Includes automobile dealers and garages, and sand, gravel, and building stone.
Includes banks, insurance, and office employment.
INDUSTRIAL AND BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT IN PRINCIPAL
METROPOLITAN AREAS

A comparison of employment and pay rolls in April and May 1938
is made in table 8 for 13 metropolitan areas which had a population
of 500,000 or over in 1930. Cities within these areas, but having a
population of 100,000 or over, are not included, as data concerning
them are tabulated separately and are available on request.
Footnotes to the table indicate which cities are excluded. The
figures represent reports from cooperating establishments and cover
both full- and part-time workers in the manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries presented in table 3 with the exception of building
construction, and include also miscellaneous industries.




22
TABLE 8.—Comparison of Employment and Pay Rolls in Identical Establishments in
April and May 1938, by Principal Metropolitan Areas
Number of Number on Percentage Amount of Percentage
pay roll (1
pay roll,
change
establishchange
from April week), May from April
May
ments

Metropolitan area

New York i
Chicago 2
Philadelphia 3..
Detroit
Los Angeles 4__.
Cleveland
St. Louis
Baltimore
Boston 5
Pittsburgh
San Francisco 6.
Buffalo
Milwaukee

15,010
4,528
2,019
1,738
3,055
1,743
1,555
1,180
1,500
1,102
1,716
882
1,151

591,893
420, 210
182,009
225,985
150,148
113,821
119,098
97, 673
99, 763
161,794
82,159
56, 367
93, 335

-4.1
-2.6
-5.8
-4.7
-.7
-4.8
-2.9
-1.9
-2.5
-3.1

+.8

-2.9
-3.5

$15, 627, 545
11,403,106
4, 780, 536
6, 509,071
4,400, 705
2, 856, 791
2,806,405
2,195,853
2, 689,982
3,923,127
2,455, 572
1,464,007
2, 374, 834

-3.9
-1.8
-3.8
-7.6
+2.4
-2.8
-3.3
-2.5
-1.8
- .4

+1.&
-2.5
—4.5

1 Does not include Elizabeth, Jersey City, Newark, or Paterson, N . J.; nor Yonkers, N . Y.
2 Does not include Gary, Ind.
Does not include Camden, N . J.
*5 Does not include Long Beach, Calif.
Figures relate to city of Boston only.
6
Does not include Oakland, Calif.

3

Public Employment
Employment created by the Federal Government includes employment in the regular agencies of the Government, employment on the
various construction programs wholly or partially financed by Federal
funds, and employment on relief-work projects.
EXECUTIVE SERVICE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Statistics of employment and pay rolls for the executive service of
the Federal Government in April and May 1938 are given in table 9.
TABLE 9.—Employment and Pay Rolls for the Executive Service of the U. S. Government,

April and May 1938

1

[Subject to revision]
Employment
Item

Entire service:
Total
Regular appropriation
Emergency appropriation
Force-account (regular and emergency)
_.
Inside the District of Columbia:
Total
Regular appropriation
Emergency appropriation
Force-account (regular and emergency)
Outside the District of Columbia:
Total
Regular appropriation
Emergency appropriation
Force-account (regular and emergency)
__
1

May

April 2

840, 742
715,435
61,147

827. 240
704; 800
60,761

64,160

61,679

114, 544
96, 703
12,431

113,819
96,043
12,672

5,410

5,104

726,198
618, 732
48,716
58, 750

Percentage
change

+1.6
+1.5

+.6
+4.0
+.6
+.7

Pay rolls
2

May

April

$124,951, 733
108, 783,362
8,104,303

$123,918,903
108,198,938
8,072,084

+0.8
+.5
+.4
+5.4
+1.4
+1.6

8,064,068

7,647,881

-1.9

20,241,130
17,479, 532
1,935,748

19,971, 506
17, 205,637
1,957,877

+6.0

825,850

807, 992

+2.2

713, 421
608, 757
48,089

+1.8
+1.6
+1.3

104,710,603
91,303,830
6,168, 555

103,947,397
90,993,301
6,114,207

56, 575

+3.8

7,238,218

6,839,889

+.7
+.3
+.9
+5.8

Data include number of employees receiving pay during the last pay period of the month,
a Revised.




Percentage
change

-1.1

23
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS FINANCED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS
ADMINISTRATION

Details concerning employment, pay rolls, and man-hours worked
during May on construction projects financed by Public Works Administration funds are given in table 10, by type of project.
TABLE 10.—Employment and Pay Rolls on Projects Financed From Public Works
Administration Funds, May 1938 1
[Subject to revision]
Wage earners
Type of project

Maximum
number
employed 2

Weekly
average

Monthly
pay-roll
disbursements

Number of
man-hours
worked
during
month

Average
earnings
hour

Value of
material
orders
placed
during
month

Federal projects financed from N. I. R. A. funds
All projects
Building construction.
Naval vessels4
._
Public roads
Reclamation
River, harbor, and flood control- __
Miscellaneous

3 13,812

12, 574

$1,132, 644

1, 560,390

$0. 726

2,115
2,420
5
()
1,767
1,196
123

1,667
1,947
6,191
1,644
1,010
115

223,417
255,426
339, 684
207, 658
93,171
13, 288

192,114
299,951
658, 281
255, 614
138,484
15,946

1.163
.852
.516
.812
.673
.833

$1,251,651
220,176
384,477
335,000
156,346
123, 797
31,855

Non-Federal projects financed from N. I. R. A. funds
All projects
Building construction
Railroad construction.
Streets and roads
Water and sewerage. .
Miscellaneous

10, 692
4,066
66
1,346
3,947
1,267

\, 835
3,582
63
1,090
3,057
1,043

$939,8
465,310
1,017
58, 967
350,117
64,415

920, C
378,106
2,003
83, 088
340,015
116,874

$1.021
1.231
.508
.710
1.030
.551

$1,441,:
455,461
0
132, 780
757,142
96,485

Projects financed from E . R. A. A. 1935, 1936, and 1937 funds *

All projects 7

91,206

76,191

Building construction 7
Electrification
Heavy engineering
Reclamation
River, harbor, and flood control. __
Streets and roads
Water and sewerage
Miscellaneous

58,932
808
5,516
804
528
11, 770
12, 575
273

49, 663
698
4,616
625
468
9,109
10, 760
252

$7,131,788

4,822,067
53, 577
515, 272
78, 777
43, 629
623, 372
970, 977
24,117

8,933,474

$0.798

$14,193, 341

5, 605, 661
75,227
615, 748
98, 601
62,419
1,127,015
1,314,864
33,939

.860
.712
.837
.799
.699
.553
.738
.711

9,057,712
546,823
1,081,945
101, 340
83, 509
1,098, 516
1,859,080
364,416

1 Data are for the month ending on the 15th.
2 Maximum number employed during any 1 week of the month by each contractor and Government agency
doing force-account work.
34 Includes weekly average for public roads.
Under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Public Roads.
« Not available; weekly average included in total for all projects.
6 These data are also included in separate tables covering projects financed by The Works Program.
7
Includes a maximum of 2,667 and an average of 2,295 employees working on low-cost housing projects
financed from E. R. A. A. 1935 funds who were paid $296,380 for 288,944 man-hours of labor. Material
orders in the amount of $211,575 were placed for these projects. These data are also included in separate
tables covering projects financed from The Works Program.

Construction projects financed by the Public Works Administration
are those projects authorized by title II of the National Industrial
Kecovery Act of June 16, 1933. This program of public works was




24

extended to June 30, 1937, by the Emergency Relief Appropriation
Act of 1935 and title II of the First Deficiency Appropriation Act of
1936. The First Deficiency Appropriation Act of 1936, cited as the
Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1936, reappropriated unobligated funds originally made available under the Emergency Relief
Appropriation Act of 1935 and authorized the use of $300,000,000
from funds on hand or received from the sale of securities. The
Public Works Administration was continued until July 1, 1939, by
the Public Works Administration Extension Act of 1937.
Federal construction projects for which data are included in table
10 are financed by allotments made by the Public Works Administration to the various agencies and departments of the Federal Government from funds provided under the National Industrial Recovery
Act. The major portion of the low-cost housing program now under
way, however, is financed by funds provided under the Emergency
Relief Appropriation Act of 1935. The work is performed either by
commercial firms which have been awarded contracts, or by day labor
hired directly by the Federal agencies.
Non-Federal projects are financed by allotments made by the
Public Works Administration from funds available under either the
National Industrial Recovery Act, the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935, the First Deficiency Appropriation Act of 1936, or
the Public Works Administration Extension Act of 1937. Most of the
allotments have been made to the States and their political subdivisions, but occasionally allotments have been made to commercial
firms. In financing projects for the States or their political subdivisions from funds appropriated under the National Industrial Recovery
Act, the Public Works Administration makes a direct grant of not
more than 30 percent of the total labor and material cost. When
funds provided under the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of
1935, the First Deficiency Appropriation Act of 1936, or the Public
Works Administration Extension Act of 1937 are used to finance a
non-Federal project, as much as 45 percent of the total cost may be
furnished in the form of a grant. The remaining 55 percent or more
of the cost is financed by the recipient. When circumstances justify
such action, the Public Works Administration may provide the grantee
with the additional funds by means of a loan. Allotments to commercial enterprises are made only as loans. All loans made by the
Public Works Administration carry interest charges and have a
definite date of maturity. Collateral posted with the Public Works
Administration to secure loans may be offered for sale to the public.
In this way a revolving fund is provided which enlarges the scope of
the activities of the Public Works Administration.
Commercial loans have been made, for the most part, to railroads.
Railroad work financed by loans made by the Public Works Admin-




25
istration falls under three headings: First, construction work in the
form of electrification, the laying of rails and ties, repairs to buildings,
bridges, etc.; second, the building and repairing of locomotives and
passenger and freight cars in shops operated by the railroads; and
third, locomotive and passenger- and freight-car building in commercial shops.
THE WORKS PROGRAM

By authority of Public Resolution No. 11, Seventy-fourth Congress,
approved April 8, 1935, the President, in a series of Executive orders,
inaugurated a broad program of work to be carried out by 61 units of
the Federal Government. The Works Program was continued by
Title II of the First Deficiency Appropriation Act of 1936, cited as
the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1936, and was further
continued by the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1937. Employment created by this program includes employment on Federal
projects and employment on projects operated by the Works Progress
Administration. Federal projects are those conducted by Federal
agencies which have received allotments from The Works Program
fund. Projects operated by the Works Progress Administration are
those projects conducted under the supervision of the Works Progress
Administration with the cooperation of States, cities, or counties.




26

A record of employment, pay rolls, and man-hours worked on projects financed by The Works Program in May is shown in table 11,
by type of project.
TABLE 11.—Employment and Pay Rolls on Projects Financed by The Works Program,

May 1938 l
[Subject to revision]
Wage earners
Type of project

Maximum Weeknumber ly avemployed erage

Monthly
pay-roll
disbursements

Value of
Number of Aver- material
man-hours age
orders
worked
earnplaced
during ings per during
month
hour
month

Federal projects
All projects..
Building construction
Electrification
Forestry 3
Grade-crossing elimination *
Hydroelectric power plants *._
Plant, crop, and livestock conservation 3
Professional, 4technical, and clerical
Public roads
Reclamation
River, harbor, andfloodcontrol.
Streets and roads
Water and sewerage
Miscellaneous

$12,608,884

24,270, 505

$0. 520

$4,347,385

97, 201
301
14,426
5,145
1,872

87,849
249
12,447
4,188
1,734

5,320,991
15,659
610,855
327,051
61,593

8, 579, 603
35,546
1,462,066
512,866
254,018

.620
.441
.418
.638
.242

1, 223,880
45,160
95, 486
442, 621
63,147

18,115
4,896
4,479
37,346
34,476
20,052
796
12,010

16, 231
4,807
3,445
36,085
29,953
18,071
667
10,673

735,155
431,642
205,179
2,030,894
1,623,676
846, 554
17,846
381, 789

2,057,886
617, 500
397,940
4, 280,413
3,023, 214
1,899,344
88,946
1,061,163

.357
.699
.516
.474
.537
.446
.201
.360

98,105
37,709
315, 741
828,162
906,144
190,652
7,274
93, 304

2 251,115 226,399

P . W. A. projects financed from E. R. A. A. funds of 1935,
1936, and 1937 <*
2 91,206

76,191

$7,131,788

8,933,474

Building construction
Electrification
H e a v y engineering
Reclamation

58,932
808
5,516
804

49, 663
698
4,616
625

4,822,067
53, 577
515, 272
78,777

5,605,661
75, 227
615, 748
98,601

River, harbor, and flood control
Streets and roads
Water and sewerage
Miscellaneous
__

528
11, 770
12, 575
273

468
9,109
10, 760
252

43, 629
623, 372
970,977
24,117

62,419
1,127,015
1,314,864
33,939

All projects

$0,798 $14,193,341
.860
.712
.837

9,057, 712
546, 823
1,081,945
101, 340

.553
.738
.711

83, 509
1,098, 516
1,859,080
304,416

Projects operated by Works Progress Administration
All projects.

2,678,702 _.

$137,876,630 275,498,119

$0,500

7

(8)

1
2

Unless otherwise noted data are for the month ending on the 15th.
Maximum number employed during any 1 week of the month by each contractor and Government
agency doing force-account work.
I 3 The data for the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, under plant, crop, and livestock conservation,
and the Bureau of Forest Service, under forestry, are for the calendar month.
4
«These data are for projects under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Public Roads.
5
These data are for projects under construction in Puerto Rico.
^Includes data for 88,549 employees working on non-Federal projects and 2,657 employees working on lowcost housing projects. These data are included in separate tables covering projects under the jurisdiction
of 7the Public Works Administration.
Data are for the calendar month. Not available by type of project.
8
Represents number of names on pay roll for week ending May 28,1938.
8
Data on a monthly basis are not available.

Table 12 shows the employment, pay rolls, and man-hours worked
on work projects of the National Youth Administration from the
beginning of the program in January 1936 to May 1938, inclusive.
Similar data for Student Aid are shown from September 1935, the
starting date, to May 1938, inclusive.




27
TABLE 12.—Employment and Pay Rolls on National Youth Administration Projects
Financed by The Works Program From Beginning of Program through May 1938 1
[Subject to revision]

Year and month

Number
of per- Pay-roll dissons em- bursements
ployed

Number of
majl-hours
worked

Average
earnings
per hour

Value of
material
orders
placed

Work projects

January 1936 to May 1938, inclusive.
January to December 1936..
January to December 1937..
January...
February..
MarchJ—.
April
May

$75,181,553

200,676,277

28,883,589
32,601,360

75,827,799
87,092,361

$0.375 2 $7,320,202
.381
.374

2,549,914
2,667,226
2,751,797
2,760,533
2,967,134

6,896,668
7,288,377
7,610,360
7,673,809
8,286,913

.370
.366
.362
.360
.358

1938
144,797
151,406
154,567
158,082
172,134

Student Aid

September 1935 to April 1938, inclusive.
September to December 1935.
January to December 1936
January to December 1937
January. _.
FebruaryMarch

$64,854,875

217,954,577

$0.298

6,363, 503
25,888,559
23,988,561

19,612,976
85,424,616
82,756,012

.324
.303
.290

1,992,810
2,157,458
2, 212, 784
2,251,200

6,942,656
7,562,124
7,758, 580
7,897,613

.287
.285
.285
.285

1938

April

306,341
319,142
327,484
333,320

1 Data are for a calendar month.
2 Data on a monthly basis are not available. This total represents expenditures through March 1938,
and
includes rentals and services and some sponsors' contributions.
3
No expenditures for materials on this type of project.
CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS

The Civilian Conservation Corps, created in April 1933, was further
extended under the authority of the Emergency Relief Appropriation
Act of 1935. During the fiscal year 1937 the Civilian Conservation
Corps was continued from appropriations authorized by the First
Deficiency Appropriation Act of 1936. Beginning with July 1, 1937,
the Civilian Conservation Corps was continued for 3 years by an act
of Congress.
Employment and pay rolls in the Civilian Conservation Corps in
April and May 1938 are presented in table 13. The Civilian Conservation Corps is usually regarded as a part of The Works Program,
although it is now financed by a separate appropriation.
Employment and pay-roll data for the Civilian Conservation Corps
are collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from the War Department, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce,
and the Department of the Interior. The monthly pay of the enrolled
personnel is $30 per month. Assistant leaders, not to exceed 10 percent of the total number of enrollees, may receive up to $36 per month,
and leaders, not to exceed 6 percent, may receive up to $45 per month.




28
TABLE 13.—Employment and Pay Rolls in the Civilian Conservation Corps, April and
May 1938 *
[Subject to revision]
Ni .Tiber of employees
Group

Amount of pay rolls

April

May

May

April

All groups

306,141

307,945

$14,237,636

$14,363,254

Enrolled personnel 2
Tfceserve offirtfirs
Nurses 8
Educational advisers'
Supervisory and technical 3

262,494
5,014
288
1,540
36,805

264,539
5,086
287
1,522
36, 511

8,195,731
1,302,260
30,092
255, 664
4,453,889

8,303,225
1,326,752*
30, 543
247,762"
4,454,972

-

* Data on number of employees refer to employment on last day of month. Amount of pay rolls are for
the entire month.
2 May data include 3,549 enrollees and pay roll of $75,215 outside continental United States; in April the
corresponding figures were 3,925 enrollees and $86,752.
3 Included in executive service, table 9.
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS FINANCED BY RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE
CORPORATION

Statistics of employment, pay rolls, and man-hours worked on construction projects financed by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in May are presented in table 14, by type of project.
TABLE 14.—Employment and Pay Rolls on Projects Financed by the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation, by Type of Project, May 1938 l
[Subject to revision]

Type of project

Maximum
number of
wage earners 2

Monthly
pay-roll
disbursements

Number of
man-hours
worked
during
month

_..

3,032

$459, 501

519,062

Building construction3
Water and sewerage
Miscellaneous

176
2,755
101

15,659
436,481
7,361

18, 569
488,397
12,096

All projects

Average
earnings
per hour

Value of
material
orders
placed during month

14,939
651,256

*1 Data are for the month ending on the 15th.
Maximum number employed during any 1 week of the month by each contractor.
3
Includes 80 employees; pay-roll disbursements of $6,759; 5,036 man-hours worked, and material orders
placed of $12,585 on projects financed by the RFC Mortgage Co.
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS FINANCED FROM REGULAR FEDERAL
APPROPRIATIONS

When a construction (contract is awarded or force-account work
is started by a department or agency of the Federal Government, the
Bureau of Labor Statistics is immediately notified, on forms supplied
by the Bureau, of the name and address of the contractor, the amount
of the contract, and the type of work to be performed. Blanks are
then mailed by the Bureau to the contractor or Government agency
doing the work. These reports are returned to the Bureau and show
the number of men on pay rolls and the amounts disbursed for pay,
the number of man-hours worked on the project, and the value of the




29
different types of materials for which orders were placed during the
month.
The Bureau has collected data concerning construction projects for
which contracts have been awarded since July 1, 1934. The Bureau
does not have statistics covering projects financed from regular
Federal appropriations for which contracts were awarded previous to
that date.
Data concerning employment, pay rolls, and man-hours worked on
construction projects financed from regular Federal appropriations
during May are given in table 15, by type of project.
TABLE 15.—Employment and Pay Rolls on Construction Projects Financed From Regular
Federal Appropriations, by Type of Project, May 1938 1
[Subject to revision]
Number of wage
earners
Type of project

All projects
Building construction
Electrification:
Rural Electrification
Administration projects 4
Other than R. E . A. projects.
Forestry
_
Heavy engineering
Public roads fi
Reclamation
River, harbor, and flood control:
Dredging, dikes, revetments,
etc...
_
Locks and d a m s . . . Ship construction:
Naval vessels
Other than naval vessels
Streets and roads
Water and sewerage
Miscellaneous

Maximum
number
employed J
3 202,845

Weekly
average

Monthly
pay-roll
disbursements

Number of
Value of
man-hours Average material
worked
earnings
orders
during
per hour placed durmonth
ing month

190,565 $19,763,004

27,378,564

$0. 722 $27,559,472

21,016

17,353

1,874,563

2,038,410

.920

2,707,000

6,647
190
93
94
(6)
13, 763

5,455
123
93
85
75,409
12,965

390,412
8,044
4,079
11,484
5,608,913
1,642,552

712,699
10,994
10,861
10,974
9,940,225
1,946,480

.548
.732
.376
1.046
.564
.844

2,544,528
40,298
1,864
16,931
9,348,188
ic

29,190
7,892
43,086
785
2,736
385
1,559

24,937
7,317

2,746,718
861,598

4,192,511
1,147,076

.655
.751

2,088,940
790,151

42,064
581
2,502
308
1,373

6,278,443
59,940
160,968
21,372
93,918

6,802,326
64,912
314, 545
31,497
155,054

.923
.923
.512
.679
.606

7,542,088
860,324
369,466
47,146
114,462

1

Data are for month ending on the 15th.
2 Maximum number employed during any 1 week of the month by each contractor, and Government
agency doing force-account work.
3 Includes weekly average for public-roads projects.
• Financed by Rural Electrification Administration loans.
* Under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Public Roads.
6
Not available; weekly average included in the total for all projects.

STATE ROADS PROJECTS

A record of employment and pay-roll disbursements in the construction and maintenance of roads financed wholly from State or local
funds in May 1938, compared with April 1938, and May 1937 is presented in table 16.




30
TABLE 16.—Employment and Pay Rolls on Construction and Maintenance of State Roads,
May 1938, April 1938, and May 1937 l
[Subject to revision]
Number of employees 2
Item

Pay-roll disbursements

May
1938

April
1938

May
1937

May 1938

April 1938

May 1937

..

174,137

145,973

176,408

$11,387,365

$9,936,530

$10,850,394

New roads. *
Maintenance

17,674
156,463

14,073
131,900

17,241
159,167

1,212,665
10,174,700

924,880
9,011,650

1,235,660
9,614,734

Total.

1
2

Data are for the month ending on the 15th and are for projects financed wholly from State or local funds.
Average number working during month.




O