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U N IT E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F L A B O R Frances Perkins, Secretary BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS Isador Lubin, Commissioner (on leave) A . F. Hinrichs, Acting Commissioner + Earnings in Aircraft-Parts Plants, November 1942 Prepared in the D IV IS IO N O F W A G E A N A L Y S IS ROBERT J. MYERS, Chief Bulletin H o . 744 (Reprinted from the M onthly Labor R eview , June 1943] UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1943 For sale by the Superintendent o f Documents, U. S. Governm ent Printing Office Washington, D. C. - Price 5 cents LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL U nited States D epartment of L abor, B ureau of op L abor Statist tatistics, Washington, June 18, 1948. The Secretray op Labor : ai] 1 have the honor to transmit herewith a report on earnings in the aircraft-parts plants, November 1942, by Edith M. Olsen, under the supervision of H. M. Douty, of the Bureau's Division of Wage Analysis, Robert J. Myers, Chief. Cornu A. F. H inrichs, Acting Commissioner. Hon. Frances Perkins , Secretary of Labor. CONTENTS Page Summary-------------------- --------- --------------------------------------------------- ----------— Nature of the industry----------------------------------------------------------------------------Scope and method of survey______________________________________________ Characteristics of the labor force_________________________________________ Wage-payment practices_________________________________________________ Hours and earnings, 1941-42__________ ___________________________________ Variations in plant average hourly earnings_______________________________ Earnings by occupation, November 1942_________________________________ Regional differences__________________________________________________ Size of plant_________________________________________________________ Method of wage payment____________________________________________ Plant ranges in occupational earnings_________________ hi 1 1 2 4 5 7 8 9 13 14 14 14 Bulletin J^Lo. 307 o f the U nited States Bureau o f Labor Statistics [Reprinted from the M onthly L abor R eview , June 1943] EARNINGS IN AIRCRAFT-PARTS PLANTS, NOVEMBER 1942 1 Summary THE straight-time average hourly earnings of day-shift workers, who cQnstituted 55 percent of the labor force of 149 aircraft-parts plants studied by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, amounted to 91.1 cents per hour in November 1942. Women, who comprised nearly one-fifth of the workers studied in detail, earned an average of 68.9 cents per hour as compared with 96.1 cents for men. Plants in the North Central States showed the highest straight-time earnings. Wide ranges were found in the average rates paid by different plants for similar work. There appeared to be no marked relationship between earnings and size of plant, and incentive systems of wage payment were not common. Estimated straight-time average hourly earnings in a group of 94 plants for which comparable data were available rose from 78.7 to 98.3 cents per hour between January 1941 and November 1942. N ature o f the Industry The aircraft-parts industry is made up of numerous establishments acting primarily as subcontractors for the producers of military planes. These aircraft-parts establishments vary greatly with respect to size and productive processes, and the parts they manu facture range from minute fittings to major subassemblies. Although most of the plants manufacture many different kinds of parts, a few are highly specialized and produce only one or a small number of items. The industry has developed largely as a result of the expanded aircraft-production program since the outbreak of the war. In 1939, the number of establishments engaged exclusively in the production of parts for aircraft was relatively small. The rapid growth of the industry since early 1940 may be attributed mainly to two factors: (1) The heavy demand upon the aircraft manufacturers to meet ever-increasing production schedules necessitated the subcontracting to outside plants of much of the work on small parts and subassem blies in order to release critical floor space in the airplane assembly factories. (2) Thousands of manufacturers in other industries, whose usual lines of production had been curtailed because of short ages of materials, were forced to turn to defense production or shut down their plants; many of them consequently converted all or part of their plant facilities to the production of aircraft parts, thereby utilizing valuable machine tools and skilled labor forces in an essential war industry. Of the 149 plants included in the present survey of wages in the aircraft-parts industry, more than half have either converted from 1Prepared in the Bureau’s Division of Wage Analysis by Edith M. Olsen under the supervision of H. M. Douty. ( 1) 2 E AR N IN G S IN AIR CR AFT-PARTS PLANTS other industries or have been established for the production of air craft parts since 1940. Many of these plants are still manufacturing other products in addition to aircraft parts. This is especially notice able in the North Central States where nearly all of the plants included in this study have converted from the manufacture of other products. Also, many of the plants in this region are comparatively large and have contracts for the manufacture of other types of war products. Consequently, some of the plants in the North Central area employ appreciable numbers of workers for these other operations despite the fact that their principal products are aircraft parts. However, at the time of the Bureau’s survey, in October and November of 1942, more than 85 percent of all the workers employed in the 149 plants studied were actually engaged in the production of aircraft parts. Although the establishments are widely scattered geographically, there are marked concentrations of parts plants around the centers of greatest importance in the airframe-assembly industry. In the Los Angeles area, for instance, the spectacular growth of the airframe industry has been accompanied by the development of a subsidiary parts industry. In the East, where the aircraft industry was first established, there has been a similar development; however, parts plants in this area are more widely distributed geographically than in California, as the eastern airframe industry is scattered from Maryland to Connecticut. Scope and Method o f Survey This report on wages in the aircraft-parts industry is one of a series of studies of the aircraft industry made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Earlier reports analyzed the earnings of workers em ployed in the airframe, engine, and propeller branches of the industry, and a separate article on the aircraft-parts industry in California was recently published.1 2 In order to insure comparability of the wage data obtained, it was obviously necessary to limit the scope of the survey to plants per forming the same general types of operations. Therefore, only those establishments engaged primarily in metalworking operations were included. Despite a general similarity in the types of operations per formed in these plants, however, there is a very great diversity in the types of aircraft parts they produce. Some of the typical products which are currently being manufactured in the plants studied are wing, tail, and fuselage parts, hydraulic assemblies, undercarriage parts, struts, wheels, cowlings, fuel tanks, and innumerable smaller parts. Excluded from the scope of the present study are plants engaged primarily in the manufacture of aircraft parts in the follow ing categories: Electrical equipment and accessories, aircraft armor plate, engine and flight instruments, and parts made entirely of rubber, wood or plastics. Because of the heterogeneous nature of this branch of the aircraft industry, even within the limits described above, it is unusually dif ficult to select any group of establishments to represent adequately the 1Reports on various branches of the aircraft industry now available are Bureau of Labor Statistics Bul letins No. 704 (Wage Rates in the California Airframe Industry. 1941) and No. 728 (Wage Rates in the East ern and Midwestern Airframe Industry, 1942). An article,•Earnings in Aircraft-Engine Plants, May 1942, appeared in the Monthly Labor Review for December 1942 and is available separately as Serial No. R. 1505. The Monthly Labor Review for April 1943 contained two articles on airplane manufacture—Wages in the Aircraft-Propeller Industry, October 1942, and Earnings in California Aircraft-Parts Plants, November 1942. E AR N IN G S 3 IN’ A>IRORAFT-PARTS PLANTS entire parts industry. Nevertheless, the 149 plants included are believed to constitute a representative sample of the aircraft-parts industry as it has been defined for the purpose of this study. The factors of location, size of plant, unionization, and corporate affilia tion, as well as type of product, were taken into account in selecting the sample. As noted above, most of the plants manufacture several different kinds of parts; as a result the wage data cannot be analyzed according to type of product. In spite of the variation in products manufactured, however, all of the plants studied were found to have very similar occupational patterns. Standard job descriptions were used by the field representatives of the Bureau in order to assure the greatest possible uniformity in the classification of occupations in the various plants. The 149 plants covered by the survey are scattered from the East to the West Coast, although, as already noted, there is a concentration of plants in certain sections of the country. The distribution of the plants and workers studied, by region and State, is indicated in table 1. T a b l e 1.— Num ber o f Aircraft-Parts Plants and Percent o f Workers Covered by Survey, by Region , November 1942 Region Number of plants Percent of— Plants Workers All regions............................................................................. 149 100.0 100.0 Eastern States i......... ............................................................. North Central States *............................................................. California*................................... ....................................... Southwestern States4............................................................. 36 57 41 15 24.2 38.2 27.5 10.1 16.4 57.1 20.0 6.5 1Plants distributed as follows: Connecticut, 3; Maryland, 2; Massachusetts, 3; New jersey, 5; New York, 19; Pennsylvania, 4. * Plants distributedas follows: Illinois, 6 (5 in Chicago); Indiana, 6; Michigan, 19 (13in Detroit); Minnesota, 4; Ohio, 18; Wisconsin, 4. 3Plants distributed as follows: Los Angeles area, 35; San Diego, 5; San Francisco, 1. Kansas, 4; Colorado, 2; Missouri, 2; Oklahoma, 4; Texas, 3. 4 Plants distributed as follows: Nearly three-fifths (57.1 percent) of the workers for whom detailed occupational wage data were compiled were employed in the 57 plants in the North Central States. California accounted for 41 plants, the greatest number in any one State, and for 20 percent of all the workers. The Eastern region was represented by 36 plants employing 16.4 percent of the workers. The remaining 15 plants were scattered throughout Kansas, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, and employed only 6.5 percent of the workers. Detailed occupational data were obtained in the 149 plants for all first- or daylight-shift workers engaged in the production of air craft parts at the time of the survev. These first-shift workers con stituted over 55 percent of the total number of aircraft employees in the plants studied. Separate occupational data were obtained for male and female workers. Various kinds of general plant information, such as overtime-payment policies, shift differentials, entrance rates, recent wage-rate changes, and unionization, were obtained for each plant in order to facilitate the analysis of the wage data. The informa tion for the present survey was collected by experienced field represent atives of the Bureau from pay-roll and other plant records. Most of 4 E A R N IN G S IN AIR CR AFT-PARTS PLANTS the wage data relate to representative pay-roll periods in November 1942. In some plants, however, wage data were obtained for a representative week shortly before or shortly after November. Characteristics o f the Labor Force There was considerable variation, among the plants studied, in the proportions of skilled workers employed. In some of the larger plants, where many of the operations have been divided into relatively routine tasks, a large percentage of the workers were doing simple machine and assembly work. In some of the smaller plants, on the other hand, the labor force was made up almost entirely of highly skilled mechanics. Women were employed in production work by 113 of the 149 plants included in the survey. These women constituted 20.7 percent of the total working force employed on aircraft-parts production, and 18.3 percent of all the first-shift workers for whom occupational wage rates were obtained. Over 19 percent of the workers studied in California as well as in the North Central States were women; in the Eastern area, they accounted for 16.2 percent of the workers and in the remain ing States for only 12.4 percent. Women were employed in a great number of different occupations, as table 4 will indicate, although relatively few were working in the highly skilled occupations. Negroes were employed in 57 of the 149 plants, but comprised only 2.6 percent of the total labor force engaged in the production of air craft parts. Most of the Negroes were working as janitors, helpers, laborers, and truck drivers, but a considerable number were employed as assemblers, anodizers, and machine operators. With minor excep tions, the few Negro women found in these plants were engaged as jani tresses. . Forty-eight of the 149 plants studied were operating under agree ments with nationally affiliated labor unions. In 24 cases the unions were affiliated with the Congress of Industrial Organizations, and in an equal number with the American Federation of Labor. In two other plants, both in California, negotiations with nationally affiliated unions were in progress at the time of the survey. Fourteen com panies reported agreements with independent unions, and the remain in g 85 plants reported no union agreements. The extent to which the aircraft-parts industiy was organized by labor unions varied greatly in the different sections of the country. Union agreements were in effect in 35 of the 57 plants in the North Central region. Nineteen of these 35 plants were organized by C. I. O. unions, 9 by A. F. of L. organizations, and the remaining 7 by unaffiliated unions. . Ten of the 19 Michigan plants, most of which had been converted to aircraft-parts production from the automobile industry, were organized by the United Automobile Workers, Congress of Industrial Organizations. 'In the East, 12 of the 24 plants studied were organized by labor unions— 6 by A. F. of L., 4 by C. I. O., and 2 b y unaffiliated unions. Five of the 9 labor unions found in the California plants were affiliated with the American Federation of Labor, and the other 4 were independent. In the Southwestern States, only 6 of the 15 plants were organized— 4 by A. F. of L., 1 by C. I. O., and 1 by an independent union. Most of the companies were training some new and inexperienced workers in the plants. Approximately 9 percent of all the first-shift EARNDvGS I X AIRCRAFT-PARTS PLANTS 5 workers covered were classified as trainees in various occupations. Slightly more than half of these trainees were women, most of whom were learning to be assemblers, inspectors, or machine operators. Nearly 50 percent of the male trainees were employed as machine operators. The plants in California and in the North Centra] States employed a much larger percentage of trainees than did those in the other areas. W age-Paym ent Practices Employees in all of the plants studied were paid time and a half for all work above 40 hours a week, and 108 of the plants also applied the overtime rate to all work above 8 hours a day. One plant paid time and a half for all work after 7% hours a day, and another paid double time for all work after 11 hours in 1 day. Twenty-six plants paid time and a half and 111 paid double time for work on the seventh consecutive day. Holiday work was compensated for at the rate of time and a half in 94 plants and at double time in 12 plants. Fifty-six of the 149 plants were operating on a 3-shift basis, but only 16.6 percent of all the aircraft-parts employees were working on the third shift. Nearly 19 percent of the workers employed in the plants in the North Central region were on the third shift, whereas in the California plants third-shift workers constituted only 7.9 percent of the labor force. Sixty-nine plants were operating 2 shifts; 28 percent of all workers were employed on the second shift. The remaining 24 plants had only 1 shift. Somewhat more than half (55.4 percent) of the total working force employed on aircraft-parts production was scheduled on the first shift. Among the 125 plants operating more than one shift, there was little uniformity with respect to the payment of wage differentials to workers on evening and/or night shifts. In 29 of these plants, no differential was paid to second-shift workers, and in 7 plants no differential was paid for work on either the second or third shifts (table 2). Although many of the companies paid a higher premium, the most common rate, an additional 5 cents per hour above the base rate, was paid to second-shift workers in 43 plants. Twenty-two of the companies operating three shifts paid greater differentials to workers on the third or night shift than to those on the second or evening shift. Nineteen of the companies reported no established uniform hiring rates for new workers. Among the companies which reported stand ard entrance-rate schedules, new workers were most commonly paid starting rates between 50 and 60 cents an hour. In several cases the entrance rates for new female employees were lower than those for men. There was no uniformity among the plants in the provisions made for automatic increases in rates after specified periods of service. In many of the plants, workers were granted wage increases only on the basis of individual merit. In the plants where automatic raises based on length of service were reported, the usual amount of the increase was 5 cents an hour, at intervals ranging from 4 to 0 weeks, until basic job rates were attained. 687420— 48--- 2 6 E AR N IN G S IX AIRCRAFT-PARTS PLANTS T able 2.— Waite D i fferentials for Second and Third Shifts in 149 Aircraft-Parts Plants, November 1942 D Number Number of shifts worked of plants Plants with 1 shift only... Plants with 2 shifts.......... Plants with 3 shifts.......... 24 17 2 25 4 1 3 1 2 2 1 1 2 5 1 1 1 7 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 11 1 3 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 3 1 1 1 Second shift iiif-rentials paid for— Third shift No differential........................... 3 cents per hour......................... 5 cents per hour......................... 6 cents per hour......................... 8 cents per hour........................ 10 cents per hour........................ 10 cents per hour, plus pay for 20-minute lunch period. 10 hours’ pay for 9.5 hours’ work. 5 percent over base rate.............. 5 percent of weekly wage........... 5 percent of gross earnings.......... 10 percent over daily rate______ 10 percent over weekly rate____ 15 percent over base rate.......... Paid for 30-minute lunch period. 9.5 hours’ pay for 9 hours’ work.. No differential. No differential_______ _____ ----- do........................................ 5 cents per hour. 10 percent of hourly rate. 8 hours’ pay for 7 hours’ work. .......do......................................... 8 hours’ pay for 7.5 hours’ work. ___ do.............. ...................... . 14.5 percent over base rate. 2.5 cents per hour................ ...... 5 cents per hour. 3.5 cents per hour....................... 3.5 cents per hour. 4 cents per hour......................... 4 cents per hour. 5 cents per hour......................... 5 cents per hour. .......do........................................ 7 cents per hour. 10 cents per hour. .......do......................................... 8 hours’ pay for 6 hours’ work. ___ do......................................... 8 hours’ pay for 6.5 hours’ work. 5.5 cents per hour plus 8 hours’ 11 cents per hour, plus 8 hours’ pay for 7 hours’ work. pay for 7.5 hours’ work. 6 cents per hour......................... 6 cents per hour. ----- do______ _______________ 6 cents per hour, plus 8 hours' pay for 6.5 hours’ work. 6.5 cents per hour....................... 6.5 cents per hour. 7.5 cents per hour....................... 7.5 cents per hour. 8 cents per hour......................... 8 cents per hour. ----- do........................................ 12 cents per hour. 10 cents per hour........................ 10 cents per hour. One-fifteenth of first-shift rate-.. One-seventh of first-shift rate. 5 percent over base rate............. 5 percent over base rate. ___ do........... ............................. 7.5 percent over base rate. 10 percent over base rate. Do. 10 percent over base rate............ 10 percent over weekly rate....... 10 percent over weekly rate. 50 cents per day........................ 50 cents per day. 8 hours’ pay for 7 hours’ work... 8 hours’ pay for 7.5 hours’ work. Incentive methods of wage payment were not typical in these aircraft-parts plants in November 1942. Virtually nine-tenths (88.7 percent) of all the workers for whom occupational wage rates were compiled were paid on a time basis. Piece-work or production-bonus systems were in effect in only 26 of the 149 plants studied, and ap proximately 42 percent of the workers in these 26 plants were paid under such systems. Eighteen of the 26 plants making use of incentive systems are in the North Central States, 7 in the East, and 1 in Cali fornia. Incentive wage systems are not confined to the larger plants in the industry; over naif of the companies operating such systems employed fewer workers than the average for the 149 establishments included in the survey. EAR N IN GS IN AIRCRAFT-PARTS PLANTS 7 , Hours and Earnings 1941-42 For the purpose of showing the general trend in the level of earn ings of the plants currently producing aircraft parts, data on average hours and earnings, including premium pay for overtime work and shift-differential payments, were obtained for all wage earners em ployed in the plants for pay-roll periods in January 1941, May 1942, and for the November 1942 pay-roll period on which the occupational wage data are based. These hours and earnings data are shown by region in table 3. It must be emphasized that this material relates to the total employment of the plants in the respective regions and that these workers include some who were employed on products other than aircraft parts. As was indicated earlier, a larger percentage of the workers in the North Central States was employed on other products than was the case in any of the other regions. The number of workers employed on other operations in each region was, of course, greater for the two earlier periods than for November, since prior to that time many of the companies had not completed the conversion of their facilities to aircraft-parts production. It will be recalled that during November 1942, more than 85 percent of all the workers in the 149 plants studied were employed on aircraft-parts manufacture. In each of the regions, these data were not available for some of the plants during the January 1941 and the May 1942 pay-roll periods; in the North Central region, information on 1 of the 57 plants was not available for November 1942. For all the States combined, comparable data were reported for 94 plants during the January 1941 pay-roll period, and for 131 plants during the May 1942 period. During the week shown for November 1942, wage earners in the 148 plants represented worked an average of 47.1 hours and received an average of $50.06. Gross average hourly earnings thus amounted to $1,063. Average hours and earnings for a group of 94 identical plants for which the data were available during all three of the periods under consideration are also shown in table 3. In these 94 plants, gross average hourly earnings increased from 81.9 cents in January 1941 to $1.07 in November 1942, or a rise of 25.1 cents an hour. Gross average weekly earnings increased from $33.93 to $50.46 during the same period. This change in the gross earnings, however, was accompanied by a rise of 5.8 hours in the average workweek, an in crease which resulted in greater premium overtime payments. It is estimated that elimination of these extra overtime payments would reduce the increase in average hourly rates between January 1941 and November 1942 from 25.1 to 19.6 cents. At least one general wage increase since January 1941 was reported by approximately one-third of the 149 plants studied, and several companies reported two or three such raises. Most of these general wage changes were from 5 to 10 cents per hour, although in a few cases the increase was much greater. In most of the plants which reported no general wage changes, increases in hourly rates had been granted to individual workers. These over-all earnings data are presented only to indicate very general trends. Changes in the composition of the labor force in many of the plants, and the increase in late-shift premiums have undoubtedly combined to emphasize the apparent rise in earnings between January 8 e a r n in g s m a ir c r a f t -p a r t s plants 1941 and November 1942. In making regional comparisons on the basis of these data, it should be remembered that variations in the number of employees receiving premium payments for work on late shifts tend to obscure the amount of the regional wage differences. T able 3.— Average Hours and Earnings o f Workers in Aircraft-Parts Plants, by Region, fo r Specified Periods, 1 94 1 -4 2 Year and month All States: All plants: January 1841 _______ May 1942______________ November 1942............ .......... Identical plants: January 1941 __________ May 1942........... .................... November 1 842 _ Eastern States: January 1941.......... ............. ......... May 1942................................. November 1942........................ North Central States:4 January 1941___________ _______ May 1942........ .. ......... .. ..................... November 1042 _____ California: January 1941 ...... May 1942................................ November 1942.___ ________ Southwestern States:* January 1941_______________ May 1942.. . ___________ November 1942 _________ _ Number of plants Average weekly earnings1 Average weekly hours Average hourly earnings1 Estimated average hourly earnings, excluding premium overtime payments2 94 131 *148 $33.93 4&13 50.06 41.4 47.8 47.1 $0,819 1.006 1.063 $0.787 .920 .977 94 94 94 33.93 48.71 50.46 41.4 48.2 47.2 .819 1.011 1.070 .787 .922 .983 24 33 36 29.94 42.94 44.83 42.9 49.1 48.8 .698 .875 .919 .662 .793 .835 43 52 56 34.26 49.58 51.69 40.7 47.2 46.6 .841 1.051 1.110 .814 .966 1.025 23 35 41 37.69 49.44 50.92 45.3 49.4 48.1 .832 1.001 1.059 .774 .905 .967 4 11 15 27.62 40.75 41.80 39.0 47.9 46.2 .708 .851 .904 .694 .778 .836 »Including overtime premium pay and shift-differential payments. * Includes shift-differential payments. * Data for 1 plant not available. 4Data for 1 large plant used with reduced weight in order to avoid overrepresentation of this plant. *Includes the 2 plants in Colorado. Variations in Plant Average H ourly Earnings In November 1942, average hourly earnings, including premium overtime and shift-differential payments for the workers employed on aircraft-parts production, amounted to $1,045 as compared with the gross average of $1,063 shown above for total plant employment dur ing the same pay-roll period. This slight difference in earnings (1.8 cents an hour) is presumably due, at least in part, to the fact that most of the trainees in these plants were employed on aircraft parts. A distribution of the plants, according to the gross average hourly earnings of workers making aircraft parts in November 1942, and the percentage of workers employed by the plants in each earnings interval appear in table 4. Twenty of the establishments studied showed plant average hourly earnings of $1.20 or more an hour, and employed 22 percent of the workers; 15 of these establishments were in the North Central States, and 5 in California. The 58 plants with averages between 90 cents and $1.05 an hour employed 47 percent of all the aircraft workers in the 148 plants for which plant averages were available. EAR N IN G S IN AIR CR AFT-PAR TS PLANTS 9 T able 4.— Distribution o f Aircraft-Parts Plants and Workers, b y Plant Average H ourly Earnings,1 November 1942 Plant average hourly earnings2 Number of plants Under 80 cents........................................ 80 and under 85 cents.............................. 85 and under 90 cents........... .................. 90 and under 95 cents________________ 95 cents and under $1..... ....... ........... . $1 and under $1.05.................................. $1.05 and under $1.10....... __................ $1.10 and under $1.20.............................. $1.20 and under $1.30....... ...................... $1.30 and over........................................ 23 10 17 20 20 18 7 13 8 12 Total..................................... ....... 3148 Average for all plants............................. Percent of workers 5.2 7.0 5.7 10.0 15.6 21.2 4.0 9.3 12.8 9.2 100.0 $1,045 1Includes only workers employed on aircraft-parts production. 2Earnings shown include overtime premium pay and shift-differential payments. 3Wage data not available for 1 plant. Differences in the levels of earnings among these plants reflect several factors in addition to differences in basic wage rates. Included are regional differentials, variations in the amounts of extra payments for work on late shifts, and differences in the length of the average workweek and, therefore, in the relative amounts of premium pay for overtime. There was no uniform relationship between earnings levels and size of plant. Plants with 100 workers or less, as well as plants with over 900 workers, were found in each interval shown in table 4. , Earnings by Occupation November 1942 The occupational wage data given in table 5 are based on the earn ings of virtually all first- or daylight-shift workers engaged in aircraftparts production.3 It will be recalled that more than 55 percent of the total number of aircraft employees in the 149 plants studied were working on the first shift. The occupational earnings data are shown separately for male and female workers. Although many of the female occupations contained too few workers to justify the computa tion of average earnings for all regions, the occupations were included in the table to give a complete picture of the range of occupations in which women were employed at the time of the survey. As a group, the first-shift wage earners in the 149 plants surveyed received average straight-time earnings of 91.1. cents an hour in November 1942. The difference between this average and the gross average of $1,045 shown above for aircraft workers reflects the effect upon earnings of premium overtime rr,tes and shift-differential pay ments. It is estimated that elimination of overtime premium pay ments alone would reduce gross earnings from $1,045 to 95.8 cents an hom*. First-shift male workers were paid an average hourly rate of 96.1 cents, or 5 cents more than the combined average of 91.1 cents for all workers. Women, who constituted 18.3 percent of all first-shift wage earners, received an average of 68.9 cents an hour. Straight-time average hourly earnings for all plants combined ranged from $1,622 an hour for class A male drop-hammer operators, 3A fewfirst-shift occupations have been omitted because they were represented in too few plants or by too few workers. Data for one large plant were used with reduced weight in order to avoid overrepresentation of this plant. 10 D A R N IN G S IN AIRORAFT-PAR TS PLANTS to 54.1 cents an hour for female journeymen's helpers. Nearly onethird of the employees were in occupations in which the average wage was $1.00 or more an hour. Workers in 25 of the occupational groups, excluding trainees and apprentices, showed average earnings of less than 70 cents an hour; 8 percent of the workers were employed in these groups. Among male workers, 42 occupational groups showed straight-time averages of $1.00 or more an hour and included 37.8 percent of the male workers for whom detailed wage data were compiled; slightly more than 5 percent of the male workers were classified in the 6 occu pational groups in which earnings averaged $1.25 or more an hour. Approximately 15 percent of the male employees, excluding trainees and apprentices, were classified in the 17 occupational groups in which the combined averages for all plants were 80 cents an hour or less. Class B bench assemblers, who constituted the largest male group r averaged 90.5 cents an hour and represented 3.3 percent of the total number of first-shift workers. More than two-thirds of the female workers, excluding trainees and apprentices, were employed in the 46 occupational groups having average hourly earnings of 80 cents or less, and well over one-half of this number averaged 70 cents or less. In only one occupation, class A welders, were female workers paid over $1.00 an hour. Inspectors, class C (female), the largest single occupational group, accounted for 2.1 percent of all workers and averaged 63.4 cents an hour. T able 5.— Straight-Tim e Average H ourly Earnings 1 o f First-Shift W orkers in AircraftParts Plants, by Occupation , Sex , ana Region , November 1942 Eastern States All States Occupation and class Per cent of work ers Aver age hour ly earn ings Per cent of work ers Aver age hour ly earn ings North Cen tral States Per cent of work ers Aver age hour ly earn ings California Per cent of work ers Southwest ern States Aver Per age hour cent of ly earn work ers ings Aver age hour ly earn ings 100.0 $0,911 100.0 $0,819 100.0 $0,948 100.0 $0,914 100.0 $0,811 All workers.................................... — Males............................................. 81.7 .961 83.8 .858 80.7 1.008 80.8 .962 87.6 .828 Females...................-..................... 18.3 .689 16.2 .617 19.3 .698 19.2 .711 12.4 . 695 M a les Acetylene-burner operators ........... — Acid dippers.—.............. ..................... Anodizers, class A _______________ Anodizers, class B _________________ Apprentices........ .................................. Assemblers, bench, class A__________ Assemblers, bench, class B................... Assemblers, bench, class C................... Assemblers, floor, class A..................... Assemblers, floor, class B...................... Assemblers, floor, class C..................... Blacksmiths . ______ ____ ______ Boring-mill operators, class A ........... . Boring-mill operators, class B........... Broaching-machine operators............ 1. Buffers............ .................................... Burrers, class B.................................... Burrers, class C......................... .......... Carpenters, maintenance, class A......... Carpenters, maintenance, class B......... Clerks, production_____ ______ ____ Clerks, shipping and receiving............. Clerks, stocks and stores...................... Craters, class A.................................... Craters, class B.................................... See footnotes at end of table. (*) .4 .1 .1 .5 1.2 3.3 1.4 2.3 1.4 .2 (*) .3 .1 .1 .9 1.2 .6 .3 .3 .4 .8 2.9 .1 .1 .992 .814 1.032 .812 .748 1.019 .905 .748 1.226 .840 .737 1.071 1.219 .948 .958 .963 .931| .714 1.069 .882 .842 .828 .826 1.020 .826 .5 .901 .6 1.3 3.9 1.6 1.3 .9 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 2.0 1.6 .8 .3 .4 .901 .865 .715 .654 .698 .542 .700 (a) (3) .908 .674 .909 .823 .649 .857 .710 .735 1 c T "(V) 1 3.6 (2) .3 .1 .1 .5 1.0 3.4 1.5 3.5 1.7 .2 (2) .4 .1 .1 .7 1.2 .3 .2 .3 .4 .9 2.9 -1 .1 (i) 1.050 .819 .5 .729 .3 .1 1.082 (2)) 1.010 (2) .829 .712 .4 .750 .4 1.029 2.3 1.077 .991 3.4 .879 2.5 .795 1.1 .755 2.0 1.297 .5 .973 .1 .897 1.6 .803 .783 .3 .678 "” \’ i 1.141 1.252 .2 1.086 .978 .1 00 .i 1.075 (2) 00 1.075 .6 .800 .4 1.027 1.3 .797 .1 .745 1.3 .732 .4 1.113 .5 1.123 .1 .964 .3 .871 .2 .7 .820 .880 .830 1.2 .841 .6 .873 3.4 .801 2.7 1.017 .1 1.075 (2) .1 .834 (*) 00 (3) .772 (8) (3) .573 .783 .617 00 00 .764 00 .633 00 .792 .717 .739 00 ElARNINGS IN AIR CR AFT-PAR TS 11 PLANTS T able 5.— Straight-Tim e Average H ourly Earnings 1 o f First-Shift W orkers in AircraftParts Plants, b y Occupation , Sex, and Region , November 1942 — Continued All States Occupation and class Per cent of work ers Aver age hour ly earn ings Eastern States Per cent of work ers North Cen tral States Aver age hour ly earn ings Per cent of work ers California Aver Per age hour cent of ly earn work ers ings Aver age hour ly earn ings Southwest ern States Per cent of work ers Aver age hour ly earn ings M a le s —Continued Drill-press operators, class A_________ Drill-press operators, class B................ Drill-press operators, class 0 ................ Drop-hammer operators, class A.......... Drop-hammer operators, class B.......... Electricians, class A.............................. Electricians, class B.............................. Electricians, class 0 .............................. Expediters...........................................Firemen, stationary boiler___________ Foremen, working,'class A................... Foremen, working, class B................... Foremen, working, class 0 ................... Gear cutters, class B_______________ Grinding-machine operators, class A__ Grinding-machine operators, class B. . . Grinding-machine operators, class C ... Heat treaters, class A............................ Heat treaters, class B........................... Helpers, journeymen’s.......................... Helpers, machine operators’................. Helpers, other................. ..................... Inspectors, class A............. .................. Inspectors, class B........................... ~~ Inspectors, class 0 .................-............. Inspectors, receiving_______________ Janitors................................................ Job setters............................................ Laborers............................................... Lathe operators, engine, class A........... Lathe operators, engine, class B........... Lathe operators, engine, class C........... Lathe operators, turret, class A............ Lathe operators, turret, class B............ Lathe operators, turret, class 0 ............ Lay-out men, class A............................ Lay-out men, class B __ ___________ Loaders and unloaders; racks and con veyors. . _______________________ Machine operators, all-round, class A .. Machine operators, all-round, class B.. . Machinists, general.............................. Maintenance men, general.................... Metal-saw operators............................. Milling-machine operators, class A....... Milling-machine operators, class B....... Milling-machine operators, class 0 ....... Millwrights, class A.............................. Millwrights, class B________________ Oilers, maintenance.............................. Packers.......................... ..................... Painters, production............................. Painters, maintenance______________ Patternmakers, wood........................... Pipefitters, maintenance... Planer operators . Platers.— ..... ...................................... Power-brake operators, class A_______ Power-shear operators........................... Punch-press operators, class A............. Punch-press operators, class B.............. Punch-press operators, class C............. Repairmen, machine.............. ............. Repairmen, product............................. Riveters, pneumatic............................. Riveting-machine operators........... ...... Router operators___________________ Salvagers........................................... — See footnotes at end of table. 0.2 $0,962 1.4 1.069 1.3 .896 1.0 .740 .5 1.622 .4 1.041 .4 1.162 .2 .969 .1 .846 .2 .937 .2 .838 1.8 1.303 1.4 1.035 .2 .860 (>) .911 1.0 1.160 .7 .953 .1 .856 .2 1.135 .3 .875 .8 .844 .9 .767 .5 .801 2.1 1.106 2.6 .925 1.2 .819 .1 .836 1.5 .729 1.2 1.167 1.8 .732 .9 1.205 .7 .986 .2 .809 1.9 1.190 1.2 .973 .3 .908 .1 1.273 .947 (’ ) .3 .7 .8 1.0 .2 .3 .9 1.1 .2 .3 .4 .2 .4 .7 (2) .2 .3 (2) .3 (2) .2 .2 1.0 .3 .8 .3 1.2 .3 .1 .1 («) 0.5 $1,005 1.8 .785 1.6 .627 1.8 1.664 1.2 1.214 .1 .953 .1 .915 (3) (*) (2) .762 1.0 1.204 .9 .902 (3) (’) 1.1 1.057 .9 .801 .1 (3) .1 .966 .4 .772 1.9 .985 1.3 .691 (2) 1.1 3.9 1.1 (3) .979 .789 .686 1.7 .635 1.1 1.032 2.1 .681 .8 1.084 .8 .823 .1 00 1.7 1.061 1.8 .834 .2 (3) .1 (3) <’ ) .701 1.015 3.2 .728 3.1 1.080 .9 .867 .2 .841 .3 1.175 .4 .972 1.4 .836 0) 1.118 .4 .871 .8 .836 0) .829 .7 .955 .6 .961 1.272 1.061 .2 1.046 (2) .972 .4 1.000 .930 .1 .993 .887 .8 .721 .1 1,031 .8 1.083 .2 .990 .3 .973 .1 .850 .933 (3) ' 0.3 $0,958 0.1 $0,996 2.0 1.095 1.2 .962 1.2 .965 1.8 .858 0.1 (3) .7 .807 1.6 .758 .4 $0,622 .3 1.829 .4 .926 .2 1.110 .1 .940 .3 .885 1.1 .784 .4 1.204 .4 1.151 .4 1.017 .2 .994 .1 .986 .3 .833 .1 .886 (*) .1 <5 (3) .1 1.050 .2 .881 .8 .815 .2 .871 (i) (3) 1.5 1.311 3.4 1.318 1.2 1.287 1.4 1.054 1.6 1.042 2.8 1.051 .1 .811 .4 .918 1.4 .857 .911 (2) 1.2 1.209 .9 1.113 .4 (3) .7 1.032 .3 .821 .5 .909 .1 .941 .4 .667 .1 .840 .2 1.178 .1 (3) .2 1.078 .3 .940 .1 .802 .8 .811 .4 .765 .8 .830 2.1 .669 .6 .861 .7 .747 2.5 .668 .5 .911 .8 .716 1.4 .621 2.3 1.105 2.9 1.160 .7 .977 2.6 .984 1.8 .959 1.7 .818 1.1 .873 1.1 .858 1.9 .663 (3) (2) .3 .854 (t) (3) 1.5 .773 1.5 .730 1.3 .572 1.6 1.207 .5 1.126 .4 .851 2.0 .772 1.2 .638 .7 .631 .6 1.281 2.0 1.197 .6 1.017 .6 1.047 1.0 1.017 .6 .809 .2 .816 .1 (3) .4 .848 2.0 1.225 2.0 1.231 1.6 .996 . 1.2 1.033 1.3 .976 .3 1.025 .4 .788 ” " '2 .710 .1 1.347 .1 1.143 (2) (3) (3) 1.083 (*) (2) .1 .763 .4 .721 .6 .563 1.006 .2 1.084 .2 .993 .4 .906 .670 .1 .866 .3 .866 2.3 .801 .5 1.162 1.096 .8 1.178 6.0 .970 .778 • .2 .911 .8 .805 .3 .916 " \ '2 ‘ ‘ .’ 824 .634 .4 .761 .9 1.210 1.7 1.147 (*) 1.046 (3) .748 1.1 1.062 1.1 .960 .8 .891 .2 .907 .5 .802 .1 (3) -(3) .4 1.142 1.001 .1 1.191 (3) .771 .4 .920 (J) .2 .862 .1 .817 .3 .719 00 .745 .4 .872 (*) (3) (3) (2) .747 .7 1.033 .7 .839 .6 .893 (2) (3) .955 (I) .2 1.247 .1 1.431 .4 1.091 (2) .855 (3) (2) (3) 1.124 (>) (3) .3 .989 .918 .2 1.030 .3 .883 1.000 .842 .3 .971 .2 .860 .2 .829 .1 .998 .3 1.020 .3 .883 1.2 .906 .861 .2 (3) .6 .825 .5 .721 (*) .696 (3) (3) (3) .7 1.136 .942 .4 .850 .9 1.072 .5 1.120 . . . . .. .786 .624 2.0 1.012 ’ ” ( * T " o r '.’ 580 .1 .830 (2) .664 4.1 .794 (3) .1 .859 .1 (3) .2 .912 .2 .995 12 E A R N IN G S I N AIRCRAFT-PA iRTS PLANTS T able 5.— Straight-Tim e Average H ourly Earnings 1 o f First-Shift Workers in AircraftParts Plants, b y Occupation , S ex, and Region , Novem ber 1942 — Continued All States Occupation and class Per cent of work ers Aver age hour ly earn ings Eastern States Per cent of work ers Aver age hour ly earn ings North Cen tral States Per cent of work ers Aver age hour ly earn ings California Per cent of work ers Aver age hour ly earn ings Southwest ern States Per cent of work ers Aver age hour ly earn ings M a le s —Continued Sandblast operators.............................. Screw-machine operators, class A......... Screw-machine operators, class B......... Screw-machine operators, class C........ Shaper operators.................................. Sheet-metal workers, class A..... .......... Sheet-metal workers, class B...............Solderers, class B............ ..................... Solderers, class C......... —.................... Straighteners......... ............................... Template makers, class A.................... Template makers, class B_______ ____ Template makers^ class C.................... Testers, class A . . _______________ Testers, class B.................................... Testers, class C___________________ Thread-milling-machine operators....... Timekeepers........ ................ .............. Toggle-press operators.............. ........... Tool and die makers, class A ............... Tool and die makers, class B .............. Tool and die makers, class C________ Tool-crib attendants, class A ..... ......... Tool-crib attendants, class B_.............. Tool grinders___ ______ ___________ Trainees, journeyman........................... Trainees, machine operators................. Trainees, other____________________ Truck drivers....................................... Truckers, hand................................. . Truckers, power, inside....................... Tube benders, class A______________ Tube benders, class B______________ Watchmen............................................ Welders, hand, class A......................... Welders, hand, class B......................... Welders, hand, class G ........... ............. Welders, machine................................. 0.3 $0,882 0.3 $0,775 .7 1.212 .5 .967 .5 1.037 .2 .781 .4 .862 .2 .682 .2 .977 .3 .923 .7 1.119 .7 1.180 .7 .820 1.8 .815 .1 1.106 .840 (*) .1 .910 .1 .700 .1 1.251 (*) (3) .1 .954 .1 .756 .1 1.059 .2 .886 .2 .853 .5 .842 .3 .773 .2 .703 .2 1.085 .2 .862 .3 .839 .4 .717 .900 (2) 2.5 1.346 3.3 1.320 .9 1.030 .1 1.010 .2 .833 .3 .924 (2) " ( * r .2 .707 .6 1.072 .4 .947 .3 .814 •3 .752 1.5 .700 2.0 .628 2.5 .700 .6 .1515 .4 .733 .4 .838 .8 .771 1.1 .755 .2 .940 (a ) 1.066 (2 ) .912 1.2 .733 i.8 .657 2.2 1.171 1.3 .946 .8 .939 1.3 .942 .3 .732 .1 ( 3) .2 .773 .3 .903 0.2 $1,002 0.2 f0.873 1.0 $0.753 .9 1.255 .5 1.192 .8 1.069 .3 .956 .6 .879 .1 .831 .1 1.195 (2) "T o ” ."778 (3) .7 1.132 .6 1.117 .8 (3) .3 .887 .6 .823 1.7 .709 .1 1.101 .5 (3) . i (3 ) .906 (2) .2 .880 (2) 1.103 .2 (3) .1 1.253 (2) (3) (2) (3) .1 .960 . i /3\ V/ ] 2 (3\ .2 .764 V/ .1 1.174 .1 1.106 !2 .940 .2 .848 .2 .912 .2 (3) .3 .845 .4 . 715 .6 .646 .3 1.150 .2 .950 .3 .915 .2 .838 ” ” .~7 .734 (3 ) .1 1.042 (2) 2.3 1.376 3.1 1.330 1.0 1.113 1.0 1.035 1.1 1.050 1.3 .948 .1 .833 .3 .960 .9 . 713 .3 .930 .4 .955 .7 .841 .1 .690 .5 .731 .8 .691 .7 1.135 .7 1.071 .3 .826 .3 .835 1.0 .744 2.9 .706 .4 .469 3.5 .716 1.9 .703 1.3 .448 .3 .955 .6 .787 .7 .695 .9 .781 .4 .755 ( 2) (3) .3 .940 ('3') mt .2 V (2) 1.185 m 1 \( 3 )/ .1 .962 ( 2) (3 ) .9 .764 1.2 .797 2 A .662 1.8 1.186 1.8 1.407 8.7 1.079 .3 .973 .4 1.013 5.1 .902 .775 .4 .815 2.1 .694 ( 2) .2 .919 .4 .988 .5 .755 Females Assemblers, bench, class A................... Assemblers, bench, class B................... Assemblers, bench, class G ............. ...... Assemblers, floor, class A..................... Assemblers, floor, class B___________ Assemblers, floor, class 0 ..................... Buffers___________ _______________ Burrers, class B------------------ ----------Burrers, class C................................... Clerks, production........... ............. Clerks, shipping and receiving............ Clerks, stocks and stores..................... Drill-press operators, class A............. . Drill-press operators, class B..... ....... . Drill-press operators, class C__........... . Forewomen, working, class C _______ Grinding-machine operators, class B__. Grinding-machine operators, class G__ Helpers, journeymen’s____1_________ Helpers, machine operators’.................. Helpers, other....................................... Inspectors, class A___ ______ _______ Inspectors, class B................................ Inspectors, class C................................ Janitresses..................................- ......... Laborers................... .................. ......... Lathe operators, engine, class B___! — Lathe operators, engine, class C............ Lathe operators, turret, class B............ See footnotes at end of table. .2 1.1 1.7 .773 .837 1.3 .747 .678 3.8 .648 (2 ) .855 .2 .800 .2 .656 .1 .592 .2 .568 .2 .729 .3 .637 1.0 .679 .8 .524 .2 .689 .1 .623 . . . . . . .5 .672 ” ."647 .1 .756 .3 .725 .4 .783 1.1 .736 .3 .558 (2 ) .817 .1 .730 .769 (2) .691 (2) .1 .541 .1 .606 .1 (3) .1 .654 .1 (3) .3 .792 (2 ) (3) .5 .713 1.1 .713 2.1 .634 2.5 .564 .1 (3) .2 .639 (2) .1 (3) .613 (2) .844 (2) (3) .613 (2) . 844j .1 .850 (2) .1 (2) w .4 .4 2.5 .2 .707 .865 .690 .855 .803 .741 .640 .819 .769 .647 .545 .649 .756 .656 .790 (3) (3) .695 .499 (3) (3) .791 .670 .626 .635 (2 ) (3 ) (2) (2) (2) .843 .650 (3) j........ .2 1.3 1.4 (2 ) .3 (2 ) » .2 .6 .2 .1 .5 .1 .3 1.4 (2) (2 ) (2 ) .2 1.1 1.2 .919 .838 .712 .2 1.1 «1 .5 2.9 .3 .1 .7 .785 .647 (3) .693 .662 .755 .744 .717 (2) .6 (3) .731 .3 1.0 .1 .871 .660 .811 .1 1.4 .1 (3) .496 (3) .4 .6 (2) 617 !600 (3) .2 .9 .1 (3) .661 (3) .1 (3) (2 ) (2 ) .1 .4 W .3 1.4 .1 .1 .1 (2) (2) (2 ) ( 3) (3) (3) 4 ■ (3 ) (3 ) (3) .675 .696 (3 ) .843 .773 .752 .683 E AR N IN G S IN AIR OR A FT-PA R TS 13 PLANTS T able 5.— Straight-Tim e Average H ourly E a rnings 1 o f First-Shift Workers in AircraftParts Plants, by Occupation , Sex, and Region , November 1942 — Continued All States Occupation and class Per cent of work ers Eastern States Aver Per age hour cent of ly earn work ings ers North Cen tral States Aver Per age hour cent of ly earn work ers ings Aver age hour ly earn ings California Per cent of work ers Aver age hour ly earn ings Southwest ern States Per cent of work ers Aver age hour ly earn ings Females—Continued Lathe operators, turret, class C______ Loaders* and unloaders; racks and conveyors __ ____________________ Metal-saw operators________________ Miiiing-maohirift operators, class B....... Milling-machine operators, class C___ Packers......................................-......... Painters.... .......... .............__________ Punch-press operators, class B_______ Punch-press operators, class 0 ............. Riveters, pneumatic- _____ __________ Riveting-machine operators........... ...... Salvagers__________________ ______ Screw-machine operators, class C......... Sheet-metal workers, class B------------Solderers, class C.... ............................. Straighteners______________________ Testers, class C_________ - _________ Timekeepers................ ........................ Tool-crib attendants, class B...... ....... . Tool grinders.................................... . Trainees, machine operators................. Trainees, other..........-....... -................. Welders, hand, class A......................... Welders, hand, class B......................... Welders, hand, class C___ __________ Welders, machine .. ......................... (*) <*> $0.712 (?) 0.2 .562 (1 2) • .716 .1 .790 0.1 $0,698 . 1 .768 .4 .605 1.1 .597 .2 .592 .2 .544 (2) .786 .4 .633 .1 .550 .4 .726 .4 .710 .1 .602 (2) .652 .1 .720 .721 (2) (2) .790 .1 .581 .2 .554 .1 .612 .1 .611 .1 .647 ___ __ .1 .565 .9 .601 1.0 .545 3.9 .695 1.5 .509 1.180 (2) .1 .808 .1 (3) .1 .701 -(i).1 .702 0.2 $0.761 0.1 (3) n 2 SO. .i (2) .2 (3) .741 (2) (3 .1 .838 (2 (8 .1 .772 (2) (3) .4 .603 ( .1 .740 .2 .604 (2) .1 .781 .790 .1 (3) .6 .625 .2 .763 .6 .726 3.9 $0,796 .2 .543 (2) (3) .1 .602 m .1 .649 (2) 1.1 .665 .1 .777 (2) (3) (2) .721 .1 .790 (2) (3) .616 (2) .1 .586 .1 (3) .1 .636 .1 .600 .2 .697 ___ .1 .565 .1 (3) .4 .559 2.4 .641 5.4 .710 3.0 .697 .2 .470 .1 1.180 .8 .819 1.2 .691 .1 .741 (3) (2) .1 .619 .4 .753 ........ 1The average hourly earnings shown in this table are exclusive of premium overtime and shift-differential payments. 2 Less than a tenth of 1 percent. These occupations are included in the table to indicate fully the nature of the occupational pattern in the industry. Although average earnings by occupation are not shown for these workers, their earnings have been included in the average earnings for all workers, and for male and female workers separately. aToo few workers and/or plants to warrant computation of an average. REGIONAL DIFFERENCES The magnitude of regional wage differentials is apparent from the weighted averages, shown in table 5, for each geographical region. The highest straight-time average hourly rate for all workers was found in the North Central region; the average for this region was 94.8 cents an hour, or nearly 4 cents an hour more than the combined average for the four regions. The average for California was 91.4 cents an hour, while averages of 81.9 and 81.1 cents are shown for the Eastern States and the Southwestern States, respectively. In most of the occupations for which regional comparisons are possible, the highest hourly averages are found in the North Central region. There is substantial evidence to indicate that earnings in the Michigan plants studied tended to be somewhat above those in the other five States in the North Central region. The proportion of Michigan plants studied, however, is not adequate to warrant the presentation of separate data for that State. 14 E AR N IN G S IN AIRCiRAPT-PARTS PLANTS SIZE OF PLANT A tabulation of occupational earnings by size of plant, in terms of numbers of wage earners employed, yielded no conclusive evidence that workers in large plants received higher earnings generally than those in small plants. In many of the occupations, the average earnings for workers in the smaller plants exceeded the averages for workers employed for similar work in the large plants. METHOD OF WAGE PAYMENT The effect of incentive methods of wage payment upon average hourly earnings in the industry appears to be significant, although the numbers of workers paid under such systems are not adequate to permit a detailed analysis of this factor. The averages for plants in which workers were paid under a production-bonus or piece-work system were consistently higher than the average rates paid to time workers in the same occupations. As stated earlier, incentive systems were found to a greater extent in the North Central area than in the plants in any other region; this was one factor contributing to the comparatively higher average rates for this region. The apparent inconsistency in the averages for some occupations is due entirely to the fact that some of the workers were paid under incentive systems. Class B female bench assemblers, for instance, showed an average of 83.7 cents an hour, whereas the class A workers in the same occupation averaged only 77.3 cents an hour; the average for the class B workers was raised by incentive payments in some plants, whereas virtually all of the class A assemblers were paid on a straight hourly basis. A similar situation is found in the case of female drill-press operators, where the class C operators averaged 73.6 cents an hour as compared with 72.5 cents an hour for class B operators. PLANT RANGES IN OCCUPATIONAL EARNINGS For most of the occupations studied there was a very wide range in earnings between the highest and the lowest averages for individual plants. The occupations for which individual plant ranges are shown in table 6 were selected for their numerical importance in terms of the numbers of workers included. This tabulation has been confined to plants in the North Central States in order to eliminate, as far as possible, any regional wage difference. The occupations included represent approximately 77 percent of all the first-shift employees studied in the North Central States. The greatest spread in average straight-time earnings was found for class A working foremen who averaged $2.25 in the plant with the highest rate for this occupation and $1,095 in the plant with the lowest average. The range for class A welders was from 81.3 cents to $1.867 an hour. These ranges are limited in their significance because they show the extremes in plant earnings by occupation and do not indicate the range for individual workers. They do, however, reveal the extent of the variations from the general averages for all plants combined, for each occupation. E AR N IN G S IN AIR CR AFT-PAR TS 15 PLANTS T able 6 . — Straight-Tim e Average H ourly Earnings o f First-Shift W orkers in Selected Occupations in Aircraft-Parts Plants, North Central States, November 1942 Occupation and class Male workers: Assp.mhlp.rSj bench, Class A . ....... AssAmhlArs) floor, class A _ __ ____________ Assemblers’ floor, class B______________________ Buffers ____________ ___ _________________ Burrers, class B__________________________ ___ niAflrs, shipping and rAoeiving Clerks) stocks and stores___.......... .................. ...... Drill-press operators, class A................................... Drill-prpss operators) class "R _ _ . __ Drill-press operators) class 0 ................................... 'R'nfprnAn, Tyorlripg, class A . . . . . . __ ... Foremen) working^ class B , ... _ _ Drinhing-mftchina operators, class A_ ................... Drinriing-mAchinA operators) class B_____ _____ TTplpAfs^mAchipA operators _______ Inspectors, class A_________________ _________ Inspectors) class B , _ _____ ... Inspectors) class 0 . . . . . . ................... ..................... Janitors ______ ____________________________ Job setters_____ . . . . . . . . .................... .................. Laborers__________________________ ________ Lathe operators, engine, class A____________ ____ Lathe operators, engine, class B____________ ____ Lathe operators, turret, class A.............................. Lathe operators, turret, class B............................... Milling-machine operators, class A......................... tv/tiiiing-mfychine operators class B..... .................... Painters...... .......... .......... ....... ............................... Punch-press operators, class A _............................. Repairmen, machine.............................................. Riveters, pneumatic................................................ji Screw-machine operators, class A............................ 1 Screw-machine operators, class B........................ . J ! Screw-machine operators, class C............................ j Sheet-metal workers, class A................................... Tool and die makers, class A.................................. 1 Tool and die makers, class B.............................. ...!1 Tool grinders......... .................................................1 Trainees, machine operators...... —........................... j Trainees, other.......................... ............................ ; Truckers, hand.---------------- ---------------------------- 11 Watchmen............................................ ................. ' Welders, hand, class A........................................... ! Female workers: Assemblers, bench, class B.............. ....... ............... Assemblers, bench, class C............................... ...... Burrers, eia-ss 0 ___________________________ __ Drill-press operators, class C................................... Inspectors, class C________________ _______ ___ Punch-press operators, class 0 _________________ Riveters, pneumatic................ ....................- ......... Trainees, fnanhlnA operators_________________ . _ Trainees, other...................... .................................. Number of plants Average hourly earnings Individual plant averages High Low 21 33 20 9 8 26 15 29 42 19 27 20 34 23 23 23 15 33 36 18 45 22 26 19 17 20 15 16 21 29 23 25 6 19 20 12 12 42 21 18 19 12 19 29 26 $1,029 .991 .795 1.297 .897 1.075 1.027 .830 .873 1.095 .965 .807 1.311 1.054 1.209 1.032 .861 1.105 .984 .873 .773 1.207 .772 1.281 1.047 1.225 1.033 1.210 1.062 1.033 .906 1.136 1.012 1.255 1.069 .879 1.132 1.376 1.035 1.071 .744 .716 .781 .764 1.186 $1.250 1.323 1.260 1.426 1.296 1.531 1.250 1.150 1.213 1.326 1.150 1.100 2.250 1.387 1.415 1.292 1.220 1.400 1.450 .954 1.000 1.675 1.016 1.775 1.375 1.450 1.174 1.950 1.200 1.650 1.219 1.650 1.119 1.503 1.300 1.078 1.599 2.014 1.350 1.500 1.000 1.000 .952 .975 1.867 $0,743 .675 .500 .780 .586 .500 .717 .618 .578 .775 .705 .542 1.095 .887 .700 .500 .650 .900 .714 .600 .500 .683 .500 .900 .838 .800 .692 .983 .650 .700 .875 .725 .844 .950 .670 .600 .850 1.103 .914 .600 .500 .450 .530 .500 .813 9 18 8 12 23 12 2 9 12 .865 .690 .769 .790 .626 .625 .726 .559 .710 1.117 .830 .890 .890 .837 .890 .825 .750 1.000 .650 .480 .480 .500 .387 .482 .686 .400 .400