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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
F rances P erk in s, Secretary
B U R E A U O F L A B O R ST A T IST IC S
Isador L ubin, Commissioner (on lea v e)
A . F. H in rich s, A ctin g Commissioner
+
Earnings in the Grain^Mill Products
Industries, 1941
+
Prepared by
F R A N C E S JONES A N D B E R N A R D LEO SM IT H
DIVISION OF WAGE ANALYSIS
R O B E R T J. M Y ER S, C hief
B ulletin 7\[o. 712
[R eprin ted fro m th e M o n th ly Labor R e v ie w , A p r il 1942,
w i t h add itional data]
U N IT E D ST A T E S
G O V E R N M E N T P R IN T IN G OFFICE
W A SH IN G T O N : 1942
For sale b y th e S u p erin ten d en t o f D o cu m en ts, W ashington, D . C.
Price 10 cen ts
CONTENTS
Page
Summary_____________________________________________________________
Characteristics of industries____________
Scope and method of su rvey.__________________________________________
Earnings in the combined industries____________________________________
The flour-milling industry______________________________________________
The feed industry______________________________________________________
The cereals industry___________________________________________________
The prepared-flour industry____________________________________________
1
2
7
8
12
22
32
37
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
U nited States D epartment of L abor ,
B ureau of L abor S tatistics ,
Washington, D. C., March 14, 1942.
of L abor :
The S ecretary
I have the honor to transmit herewith a report on earnings in
the grain-mill products industries, 1941. This study was requested by
the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, and was made
under the direction of Robert J. Myers, Chief of the Division of Wage
Analysis, and was prepared by Frances Jones, assisted by Bernard
Leo Smith.
A. F. H inrichs , Acting Commissioner.
Hon. F rances P erkins ,
Secretary oj Labor.
n
B ulletin ?s£o. 712 o f the
U n ited States Bureau o f Labor Statistics
[Reprinted from the M onthly L abor R eview , April 1942, with additional data.]
EARNINGS IN THE GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
INDUSTRIES, 1941
Sum m ary
Workers in the grain-mill products industries received an average
wage of 51.9 cents an hour in February 1941. Almost one-fourth of
these workers earned less than 35 cents and one-fourth received more
than 67.5 cents. Subsequent wage rate adjustments had increased
the average wage to about 55 cents by September 1941. These facts
were disclosed by a study made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in
1941. The study was requested by the Administrator of the Wage
and Hour Division for use by an industry committee, appointed to
consider a new minimum wage for the industry group.
Of the 5 individual industries covered by the study, the cerealpreparations industry had the highest wage level, with average
earnings of 67.3 cents an hour in February 1941. The flour-milling
industry paid an average wage of 53.5 cents. Hourly earnings in
the prepared feeds, blended and prepared flour, and rice cleaning and
polishing industries were 46.1, 43.9, and 36.0 cents, respectively.
The manufacture of grain products is carried on in all regions of the
country and in all types of communities; study of the wage structure
of the grain industries is consequently of particular value in indicating
the influence of regional factors. In the industry group as a whole,
wages were higher on the Pacific coast than in any other region, the
averages for February and September, respectively, being 70.1 and
75.6 cents. Wages in the Southeast were less than half as high, averag
ing only 34.3 and 35.5 cents. Localities which were of importance in
individual industries and whose wages were particularly high include
Buffalo and other port cities on the Great Lakes, Minneapolis, and
Battle Creek.
In general, the wages paid in large cities were considerably higher
than those paid in smaller communities. Wage levels also reflected
the influence of size of company, size of manufacturing unit, and
unionization.
1
2
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
Characteristics o f Industries
DEFINITION AND RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF IN DUSTRIES
In 1939, according to the Census of Manufactures, there were
approximately 3,750 establishments in the grain-mill products indus
tries that manufactured products with a value of $5,000 or more for
the year. These manufacturers employed an average of 50,700 wage
earners and 10,900 salaried persons, and paid out $81,800,000 in wages
and salaries. The total value of product for the entire industry group
was in excess of $1,200,000,000 and the value added by manufacture
was $317,000,000.
The group discussed in the present article embraces five related
but distinct industries. Largest of these is flour milling, designated
by the Census of Manufactures as the “ flour and other grain-mill
products industry/' The industry includes establishments primarily
engaged in the milling of grains other than rice; its chief products
are flour and meal, but it also produces cracked grain used as cereal
or stock feed, brewers' grits and flakes, and blended and prepared
flour composed principally of products ground in the same establish
ment. Measured either by number of workers or by amount of
wages paid, flour milling comprises approximately half of the grainmill products industry group. It accounts for about 57 percent of
the number of establishments classified by major product and a little
more than half of the total product value, but for only 45 percent of
the value added by manufacture.
The feed industry is designated* by the Census of Manufactures as
producing “ prepared feeds (including mineral) for animals and fowls,"
and including establishments primarily engaged in the manufacture
of any mixed feed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, however,
was confined to mills producing mixed feed from grain or hay in com
bination with other ingredients, and did not include those primarily
manufacturing feed in which meat products, even if combined with
grain, constitute the principal ingredient. The survey also excluded
any mills specializing in the production of mineral feeds and of the
various concentrates used in feed mixing. Alfalfa grinding mills
were included. Manufacturers producing as a major product feeds
of the types excluded from the survey are believed to be relatively
few, and to employ a negligible proportion of the workers in the
industry. The feed industry employs approximately 30 percent of
the workers and pays 30 percent of the total wage bill of the grain-mill
industry group. It has 37 percent of the mills, produces almost onethird of the total product value, and accounts for a similar proportion
of the value added by manufacture.
The cereals industry includes mills which produce primarily cereal
preparations such as cereal breakfast foods, both uncooked and ready
3
CHARACTERISTICS OF INDUSTRIES
to-serve, com grits and hominy for table use, and coffee substitutes.
Some but not all of the establishments in this industry mill the grain
used in their products. This industry employs 14 percent of the total
workers in the industry group and pays almost 16 percent of the total
pay roll; but it includes only 2 percent of all establishments and
produces little more than one-tenth of the total value of product. It
accounts for 19 percent of the value added by manufacture.
The rice cleaning and polishing industry, hereafter referred to as
the “ rice industry,” has approximately the same number of commercial
mills as the cereals industry, but it employs only 5 percent of the total
workers in the industry group, pays scarcely 3 percent of the pay roll,
and accounts for less than 5 percent of the total value of product and
value added by manufacture. The rice industry is composed of
establishments primarily engaged in preparirg rice for consumption
by cleaning and polishing it after it comes from the thresher.1
The Census industry designated as “ blended and prepared flour
from purchased flour” consists of establishments primarily engaged
in the manufacture of prepared flour (self-rising) and blended flour
from flour and other ingredients purchased from other producers.
For purposes of simplification the title of this industry is hereafter
abbreviated to “ prepared-flour industry.” This industry has only
2 percent of the mills in the industry group and is even less important
in terms of other significant measures.
T a b l e 1. — Relative Importance o f M anufacturing Industries Com prising G rain-M ill
Products Group
Establishments
Industry
Number
Percent
Total industry group________
3,746
Flour milling
_
__
_
Food
fiAraals
. _ _ __ .
Prepared flour _
Riee
2,143
1,383
70
78
72
1
Wage earners and
salaried workers
Percent
of
pay roll
Percent
Percent of
value
of
added
by
product manu
value
facture
Number
Percent
100.0
61,660
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
67.2
36.9
1.9
2.1
1.9
30,319
18,942
8,469
882
2,938
49.2
30.8
13.8
1.4
4.8
60.0
30.0
16.6
1.2
3.3
52.5
32.-4
10.3
1.4
3.4
45.4
31.3
19.4
1.2
2.7
i Source: Census of Manufactures, 1939.
PRODUCT
The several branches of the grain industries have a number of
important characteristics in common; notably the type of product,
the duties and nature of the labor force, and the size and location of the
manufacturing establishments.
With an exception in the case of rice milling, the products of each
separate industry are also produced to some extent in each of the other
1 For detailed report on rice mills, see Monthly Labor Review, November 1941: Earnings and Hours in
Rice Mills.
4
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
industries. Census of Manufactures reports for 1939 show that
approximately 7 percent of the flour, 20 percent of the prepared feed,
17 percent of the prepared cereals, and 80 percent of the blended and
prepared flour produced in this country are reported by mills in which
they are not the major products. These amounts produced outside
the respective industries are largely accounted for as secondary
products in other industries of the grain-mill products group. The
rice-milling industry is the only branch of the grain-mill products
group which does not produce substantial amounts of the products
of the other grain industries.
LABOR FORCE
Payments for labor do not constitute an important cost item in the
milling and processing of grain. In none of the individual grain
milling industries in 1939 did wages and salaries together constitute
more than about one-tenth of the value of the product, nor as much
as one-third of the value added by manufacture. Because of the
relative unimportance of labor cost, substantial differences in wage
levels can exist in these industries without seriously disturbing
competitive relationships.
The labor requirements of all of the grain industries demand, to
some degree, the same kinds of skills. Packing, shipping, elevator,
and warehouse work engages more than three-fifths of the labor in the
flour-milling, feed, and rice industries and but little less in the cereals
and prepared-flour industries. The major portion of the work in these
departments consists in filling sacks at spouts, closing sacks, trucking,
stacking, and other jobs of low skill.
Maintenance and service work likewise require the same type of
labor in all of the industries. Such workers comprise almost onefourth of the total in the cereals industry, slightly less than one-fifth
in the flour-milling industry, about one-tenth in the feed and rice
industries, and 7 percent in prepared-flour establishments. Mill
wrights and other skilled maintenance workers account for one-fourth
to one-half of all skilled workers in the flour-milling, feed, cerealpreparations, and rice industries, but are relatively less important
among skilled workers in prepared-flour mills.
The production departments employ only 20 to 30 percent of the
total labor force. Grain-mill workers, such as millers and their
assistants, comprise practically all of the production workers in the
rice industry, one-half in the flour-milling industry, a little less than
one-fifth in the feed industry, and slightly more than one-tenth in the
cereals industry. All occupations found in the prepared-flour mills
are common also in flour mills. The cereals industry is the most
distinctive of the group from an occupational standpoint. The mills
5
CHAEACTEKISTICS OF INDUSTDEIES
making ready-to-serve cereals in particular employ processing workers
of a type not used in the production of other grain products. The
cereals industry is, furthermore, the only important employer of women
in the group. A comparison of the five industries with respect to
skill and sex classification of workers may be seen in table 2.
T able 2.— Percentage Distribution o f Workers in G rain-M ill Products Industries, b y
SkiU and Sex, 1941
All workers
Industry
Skilled
Semiskilled
Unskilled
Fe Total Male Fe Total Male Fe Total Male Fe
Total Male male
male
male
male
Total industry group. 100.0
94.2
5.8
15.7
15.5
0.2
50.3
45.1
5.2
34.0
33.6
0.4
Flour milling ______
Feed...........................
Cereals............. .........
Prepared flour...........
Rice...........................
98.4
99:3
71.0
88.9
97.4
1.6
.7
29.0
11.1
2.6
17.8
11.6
21.0
9.5
7.1
17.7
11.6
20.1
8.5
7.1
.1
0)
.9
1.0
51.3
47.8
57.5
56.7
35.0
50.0
47.4
30.9
46.6
32.6
1.3
.4
26.6
10.1
2.4
30.9
40.6
21.5
33.8
57.9
30.7
40.3
20.0
33.8
57.7
.2
.3
1.5
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
.2
1 Less than Ho of 1 percent.
LABOR UNIO NS
Substantial numbers of the workers in the grain-mill products
industry group have a common interest through their union affiliation.
I t was estimated that 40 percent of all workers in these industries
were working under collective-bargaining agreements at the time of
the Bureau's survey, and a large majority of those under agreement
were represented by the American Federation of Grain Processors'
Council, affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. Approxi
mately 40 percent of all workers in flour mills were working under
union agreements, and about nine-tenths of these were under agree
ments negotiated by the above-named union. This union also
represents in negotiations a large proportion of the workers in the
mixed-feed mills that operate under a union agreement. Union mills
are believed to employ almost one-fourth of all workers in the feed
industry. In the cereal-preparations industry, union agreements
covered about half of all workers, and four-fifths of such union workers
were represented by the American Federation of Grain Processors'
Council. This union was also encountered in the rice industry. In
the prepared-flour industry approximately one-third of the workers
were under collective-bargaining agreements, negotiated for the most
part by the United Cannery, Agricultural Packing, and Allied Workers,
an affiliate of the Congress of Industrial Organizations. Other unions
with agreements in the industries surveyed include the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Stablemen, and Helpers,
an A. F. of L. affiliate, and the International Longshoremen's and
Warehousemen's Union, affiliated with the C. I. O.
6
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
SIZE OF ESTABLISHMENT
Although a few large manufacturers are important producers, very
small establishments comprise a substantial proportion of the total
mills in all the industries of the group. In the flour-milling and feed
industries, slightly over one-tenth of the mills employ more than 20
wage earners, and more than 60 percent have fewer than 6 workers.
Furthermore, these very small flour and feed establishments account
for a substantial proportion of the wage earners in these industries.
The reports of the 1939 Census of Manufactures indicate that 28.5
percent of the flour-mill workers, and 40.8 percent of the workers in
feed establishments are employed in mills having fewer than 21 wage
earners. Small mills are also of importance in the rice and pre
pared-flour industries. A large proportion of the cereals mills are
small, but these small units of the cereals industry employ an
almost negligible proportion of the total workers. Cereals mills with
fewer than 6 workers, although constituting 40.1 percent of the total
establishments in 1939, employed only 1.1 percent of the industry's
wage earners; and mills with 6 to 20 workers, comprising 18.6 percent
of all mills, employed only an additional 2.1 percent. Almost ninetenths of the workers in the cereals industry were in mills employing
more than 100 wage earners each.
LOCALIZATION OF INDUSTRIES
Many of the establishments making grain-mill products are in
small towns adjacent to the farms which produce their basic materials.
About half of the workers in flour and feed mills, and an even higher
percentage of rice-mill workers are employed in towns with less than
25,000 population. Using predominantly semiskilled and unskilled
labor, they are able to draw readily upon the farm-labor market.
The breakfast-cereals and prepared-flour mills which, to a large
extent, purchase milled grain for further processing, are found
principally in larger towns and cities.
Flour and feed mills are widely distributed geographically, being
found in all States of the Union. The most important States in terms
of flour-mill employment and production are Kansas, Minnesota,
New York, Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Indiana, and Ohio. No single
State employs more than one-tenth of the industry's wage earners.
The distribution of feed establishments is similar to that of flour
mills; New York, with only 15 percent of the industry's wage earners,
ranks first in feed-mill employment. California, Illinois, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Texas, Missouri, and Tennessee follow New York in
importance.
The 2 most important States in the prepared-cereals industry
are Michigan, with the 2 largest establishments producing ready
SCOPE AND METHOD OF SURVEY
7
to-serve cereals, and Iowa, a large producer of oat cereal. Numerous
other workers in this industry are in New York, Illinois, Ohio, and
Missouri. The 70 establishments of the cereals industry are in 22
States. Mills which produce blended and prepared flour from
purchased flour are principally in the South. Tennessee, with 12
mills, is the most important State in this industry. Kice mills are
relatively restricted geographically, being found in 4 Southern
States (Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee) and in California.
Scope and M ethod o f Survey
The wage data presented in this study were reported by 1,074 mills
which in 1941 employed 19,100 wage earners (table 3). Approximately
one-third of the workers in the flour-milling industry and a like
proportion in the feed industry were covered. The cereals and the
prepared-flour industries, being somewhat smaller groups, were
covered to the extent of between 40 and 45 percent of their workers.
Approximately half the mills and workers in the rice industry were
included.
T able 3.— Num ber o f M ills and Workers Included in Survey o f G rain-M ill Products
Industries 1
Number Number
of
of
mills
workers
Industry
T otal in d u stry group
_
. _
Flour m illin g______ __________________
C ommercial m ills *
Small m ills 3
Feed_________________ _____ ____
Commercial m ills3_________ ;___
Small m ills 3 _
C o cals
...
Prepared flour
R ice
..... . . .
... _
1,074
19,100
492
214
278
491
126
365
33
19
39
8,272
7,271
1,001
5,244
3,685
1,559
3,469
305
1,810
1 Figures presented in this table represent the actual number of establishments and workers covered in
the survey. In later tables presenting horns and earnings data for the total industry group, the data for
each industry have been assigned weights proportionate to their respective importance m the group.
2 The term “commercial mills” is herein used to designate establishments of 6 or more wage earners which
were included in the comprehensive survey by the Bureau’s field agents.
8 The term “small mills” is applied to the very small establishments which were surveyed by mail
questionnaire.
All of the data for the cereals, prepared-flour, and rice industries,
and a part of the information for the flour-milling and feed industries
were obtained by the Bureau's trained field representatives who
transcribed pay-roll information directly from mill records and supple
mented it by interviews with company officials and personal observation
of mill processes. Because of the high cost of visiting the hundreds
of small, widely scattered mills, however, those establishments in the
flour-milling and the feed industries which were believed to employ
as few as five wage earners were canvassed by mail questionnaire.
468773°— 42------ 2
8
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
The reports received by mail were tested for accuracy in two regions.
A slight overstatement of average hourly earnings was found to exist,
and all earnings data derived from the mail reports were subjected to
corrections designed to minimize the error.
The establishments surveyed by field representatives were care
fully selected to assure proper representation of each size and type
of mill and type of community.
The survey was conducted early in 1941 and covered conditions
during the first half of that year. All of the reports for the cereals,
prepared-flour, and rice industries, and the greater part of the flour
milling and feed establishments were based on February pay rolls or
a representative pay-roll period near that date. The data obtained
by mail questionnaire represent a later spring period, principally the
first half of May. The two periods are believed to be sufficiently
comparable to permit combination of the data.
Workers in all direct and indirect mill occupations, including work
ing supervisors, were covered as were also office employees other than
executives, professional personnel, and outside salesmen. Data for
office workers are excluded from this article.
The wage data presented in this report include only earnings at
regular rates of pay. Data on hours represent actual working time,
exclusive of off-duty lunch periods but inclusive of rest periods.
Because significant changes in wage rates occurred during the sum
mer and fall of 1941, the data obtained by field survey were later
supplemented by a mail canvass of the mills previously visited, for
the purpose of determining the importance of general changes in
wage rates. The information concerning recent wage changes has
been incorporated in this report.
Earnings in the Combined Industries
The earnings of workers in the combined industries making grainmill products averaged 51.9 cents an hour in February 1941. By
September 1941, approximately half of the mills in the industries had
granted wage increases. These increases ranged from 1 to 35 percent
of the respective mill pay rolls and amounted to an average 6-percent
advance for the group of industries as a whole. In September 1941,
therefore, average hourly earnings amounted to about 55 cents (table
4). Reports available to the Bureau indicate that still further
wage increases have been made since September 1941.
9
EARNINGS IN THE COMBINED INDUSTRIES
T able 4.— Average H ourly Earnings o f Workers in G rain-M iU Products Industries,
February and September 1941 1
September
February
average
Industry
Average
(estimated)
Percent of
increase over
February
Total industry group......................................................
$0,519
$0,548
5.6
Flour milling.................................................................
Feed............. —................................... .........................
Cereals................................... .... ...............-..................
Prepared flour................................................................
Rice........................ —...................................................
.535
.461
.673
.439
.360
.562
.488
.715
.451
.377
5.0
5.9
6.2
2.7
4.7
i Data both for tbe commercial establishments surveyed by the Bureau's field agents and for the small grain
mills and feed plants covered by mail questionnaire are included in the tabulation. As information covering
changes in wage rates in the small establishments was not obtained, and since such increases as occurred
were undoubtedly slight in aggregate, the data presented for September assume no changes in rates for
the small plants. Should wages in small flour and other grain mills have increased as much as 2.4 percent
and in small feed mills as much as 6.0 percent (the respective percentages of increase in the smallest flour
and feed mills for which wage change data are available), the average wage figure for the entire group of grainmill products industries for September would be increased by less than half a cent.
The general average of earnings in these industries typifies the
wages of a relatively small proportion of the workers, however. Only
about one-sixth earned within 5 cents of the average, one-fourth were
paid more than 67.5 cents an hour, and one-fourth received less than
35.8 cents (table 5).
T able 5.— Percentage Distribution o f Workers in G rain-M ill Products Industries, by
Average H ou rly Earnings, February 1941
Average hourly earnings
Total
indus Flour
try milling
group
Feed
Pre
Cereals pared
flour
Rice
Under 30.0 cents_______________________________
Exactly 30.0 cents........... ...........................................
30.1 and under 32.5 cents.............................................
32.5 and under 35.0 cents.............................................
35.0 and under 37.5 cents........... .................................
37.5 and under 40.0 cents.............................................
40.0 and under 42.5 cents.............................................
42.5 and under 47.5 cents.............................................
47.5 and under 52.5 cents............................................
52.5 and under 57.5 cents.............................................
57.5 and under 62.5 cents.............................................
62.5 and under 67.5 cents.............................................
67.5 and under 72.5 cents.............................................
72.5 and under 77.5 cents..............................................
77.5 and under 82.5 cents.............................................
82.5 and under 87.5 cents.............................................
87.5 and under 92.5 cents.............. ................... ..........
92.5 and nnder 97.5 cents
____________ _
97.5 and under 102.5 cents............................................
102.5 cents and over............................... .....................
4.1
13.9
2.0
3.3
6.6
2.8
5.8
6.6
9.7
7.5
6.7
6.6
6.8
5.9
4.2
3.3
1.8
1.0
1.1
1.3
Total........... -....................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Average hourly earnings....... ...................................... $0,519
$0,535
$0,461
$0,673
$0,439
$0,360
4.3
10.4
1.8
2.4
5.1
2.3
5.6
6.1
11.6
7.9
7.8
7.2
7.6
6.2
5.0
4.4
1.7
.8
.9
.9
6.7
14.0
2.8
6.4
8.9
3.8
7.0
7.6
9.3
7.0
5.3
5.5
6.0
4.9
2.3
.8
.7
.2
.2
.7
0.6
.4
.6
.9
2.8
4.6
8.3
8.9
10.2
8.1
8.7
8.9
7.2
6.9
6.3
5.2
3.7
3.6
4.1
0.3
36.1
4.3
1.3
7.5
6.6
10.4
2.9
5.3
2.3
5.2
9.5
2.0
2.3
2.0
.3
1.0
.7
1.0
0.7
72.2
3.1
2.1
5.3
.5
2.0
1.5
1.3
.6
1.9
1.3
.3
5.2
.5
.5
.4
.1
.2
.3
The wide dispersion of earnings about the average wage reflects a
number of different factors. Foremost among these is the extreme
regional dispersion of the industries, as a result of which the wage
structure reflects the wage levels of virtually all sections of the country.
10
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
Another factor is the absence (except in a few localities) of the stabiliz
ing influence of large centrally controlled pay rolls, a preponderance
of the manufacturing units being small and independently operated.
Differences in occupations and skills of workers also account for some
variation in earnings. Finally, there are differences among the
various industries in the extent of mechanization and in other factors
influencing the productivity of labor.
REGIONAL VARIATIONS
The differences in the levels of wages paid by these industries in
various sections of the United States were quite pronounced. The
highest wages prevailed in the Pacific States where the average
earnings were 70.1 cents an hour in February and 75.6 cents in Sep
tember. Pacific-coast mills are for the most part situated in metro
politan areas. The union influence is strong throughout this region.
In striking contrast to the Pacific States is the Southeastern region
bordered by (and including) Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia,
Kentucky, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Earnings m this region aver
aged 34.3 cents an hour in February and had increased to only 35.5
certs in September. Most of the Southern establishments are small
and are in small towns. Relatively few of these mills have collective
bargaining agreements.
#
The Northwestern spring wheat region of Minnesota, the Dakotas,
and Montana reported average earnings of 60.4 cents in February and
63.8 cents in September. As in the Pacific region, substantial pro
portions of the workeis in the Northwest are covered by union
agreements. Furthermore, much of the employment is in large mills
operated by the larger producers. Average wages in the East Central
and Northeastern States were slightly lower than in the Northwest.
I t should be observed, however, that this eastern region contains
some high-wage areas, notably the Great Lakes ports and Battle Creek,
Mich., where large establishments are situated and where union con
tracts are the rule. Small mills in rural communities are numerous
in the other sections of the region.
The West Central, Southwest, and Mountain States, with average
earnings of 46.9 cents in February and 48.8 cents in September, had
an appreciably higher average than the Southeast but it was lower than
for any other region. This is one of the most important areas in the flour
milling and feed industries. It contains a few mills of the very large
companies and numerous mills of medium-sized companies, as well as
a number of small independent establishments. Some parts of the
region are unionized but in other sections union influence is not an
important factor.
A comparison of average wages in each of the above-named regions
for the February and September periods is shown in table 6. It will
11
EARNINGS IN THE COMBINED INDUSTRIES
be observed that the advance in wages between February and Septem
ber was proportionately greater in the high-wage regions than in the
sections where wages were relatively low. A comparison of the regions
with respect to some of the important variables that influence wage
levels is shown in table 7.
T able 6.— Average H ourly Earnings o f Workers in Grain-M iU Products Industries, b y
Region, February and September 1941
September
February
average
Region
Average
(estimated)
Percentageincrease
over
February"
All regions..............................................................................
$0,519
$0,548
5.6
Northeast and East Central, including Great Lakes ports1*—
Southeast *.................. ............................................................
Northwest *......... •-..................................................................
West Central, Southwest, and Mountain *..............................
Pacific
__ -
.590
.343
.604
.469
.701
.626
.355
.638
.488
.756
6.1
3.5
6.6
4.1
7.8
1 Includes Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey,,
New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
* Includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi,.
North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
* Includes Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
* Includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Okla
homa, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
* Includes California, Oregon, and Washington.
T able 7.— Percentage Distribution o f W orkers Included in Survey, b y S ize o f M ittr
Size o f C ity, Unionization, and Region, 1941
Northeast
West
and East
Central, South North Central,
South
All
Pacific
east
west
regions including
west,
Great
and
Lakes
Mountain
ports
Item
Size of mill:
29.4
11.3
12.0
19.2
13.1
15.0
36.1
22.5
27.3
14.1
__ . _ ____
28.4
17.9
20.7
18.2
7.5
7.3
20.9
22.7
17.9
20.3
18.2
23.0
22.7
27.4
18.2
3.0*
5.7
30.3
18.0
249
21.3
5.5
T o ta l_____________________________________
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
16.0
6.5
20.5
22.5
23.4
11.1
14.8
6.5
14.9
30.3
9.5
24.0
22.6
6.2
26.3
14.5
29.7
.7
17.7
4.6
22.8
3.8
51.1
13.4
8.0
25.5
25.6
27.3
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
37.8
62.2
48.8
51.2
8 8 .8
11.2
57.5
42.5
26.6
73.4
6 6.8
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
U nder 20 w ork ers.
r
61 to 100 workers
101 t-n 250 workers _
251 to 500 workers
501 workers end over
_
21 to 50 workers _
T
_____ _
......
_ .
Size of city (population):
U nder 2,500 _
_ _
_ ______
____
2,500 and under 6,000 . . .
___ ___
___
6,000 and under 25,000 ______ _ _
25,000 and under 100,000
_ .
100,000 and under 500,000
_ _
__ _
500,000 and over
_ _ _ _ ___ . . . . . .
T.,.
T otal _____________
Unionization:1
U nion _ _
N onunion __
T o ta l___
__ _______ _
.
....
. . . . . . . __
.2
144
3.7
14.0
10.0V
37.0
20.9
33.2
1 Information concerning union affiliation was not obtained in the Bureau’s mail survey of small flour and
feed mills. Substantial proportions of these are known to have had no union contract, and in the present
tabulation all such mills have been classified as nonunion. A correction of this tabulation on the basis of
complete information would undoubtedly result in raising slightly the proportion of workers indicated as
employed in firms with a union contract.
12
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
The F lou r-M illing Industry
The most important flour-milling States are Kansas, Minnesota,
and New York. Of less importance, but within the larger producing
areas are Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Indiana, and Ohio. Buffalo,
Kansas City, Minneapolis, Toledo, Chicago, St. Louis, Wichita, Salina
(Kans.), Portland (Oreg.), Seattle, and Tacoma are among the more
important milling cities, and produce about one-third of all flour
milled in the United States. Grain mills are numerous and widely
scattered, however, and are found wherever grain is grown, in all
States, in small towns and cities, and at important transportation
points.
The last Census of Manufactures lists 2,143 establishments that
are primarily grain mills and classified in the flour-milling industry,
having an annual production of $5,000 or more. With average
annual employment aggregating 24,771 wage earners, these mills had
an average employment of only 12 workers. The importance of small
establishments in the industry may be judged from the fact that more
than seven-eighths of all mills employ fewer than 21 wage earners,
and more than one-fourth of all workers in the industry are employed
in such mills. About 44 percent of the industry’s wage earners are
in mills employing between 21 and 100 workers, and 28 percent are in
larger establishments.2
Despite the large number of. small mills in operation, large flour
milling companies which operate several mills in different localities
control a substantial portion of the Nation’s flour-milling capacity.
According to published data,8 the largest producer in the industry
in 1940, owned and operated mills with a combined daily capacity
of 70,525 barrels, which represented one-tenth of the country’s total
flour capacity. Six other large companies together controlled about
17 percent of total capacity, and 21 companies, with a daily operating
capacity of 3,000 to 7,500 barrels, accounted for another 13 percent.
These 28 companies controlled 40 percent of the total flour-milling
capacity of the country.
The Bureau’s survey covered one-third of the flour-milling industry,
and included 8,623 wage earners in 611 mills. Reports from an addi
tional 76 mills that employed no wage earners were received in the
mail questionnaire survey of small mills and have been included in
certain tabulations on type and value of product which supplement the
wage data. The mills and workers covered’by the survey are dis
tributed according to regional location in table 8.
Certain characteristics of the mills studied by the Bureau, for each
region and the country as a whole, are indicated in table 9. It will
be observed that the factors which contribute to high wages, namely*
* U. S. Census of Manufactures, 1939.
* The Northwestern Miller, Minneapolis, Apr. 30,1941.
13
THE FLOUR-MILLESTiG INDUSTRY
T able 8.— Num ber o f M ills and W orkers Included in Survey o f W ages in the Flour•
M illing Industry, by Region , 1941
Mills
Region
Total
Com
mercial
mills
Workers
Small
mills
Com
mercial
mills
Total
Small
mills
All regions................................................
611
214
1397
8,623
7,271
U,352
Northeast and East Central.....................
Lake ports __. .
Southeast..................................................
Northwest.................................................
West Central and Southwest....................
Mountain-...............................................
Pacific.......................................................
190
10
194
37
118
40
22
56
10
43
18
64
10
14
135
1,662
1,041
1,189
959
2,792
285
695
1,204
1,041
655
921
2,598
194
658
458
151
19
54
30
8
534
38
194
91
37
1
Data for small flour mills presented in this table have been weighted in the proportions necessary to
permit direct combination with data for commercial mills.
location of mills in large cities, prominence of large manufacturing
units, and organization of workers for collective bargaining, are en
countered more commonly in the Lake ports, the Pacific, and the
Northwest, than in the other regions. Table 10, showing a regional
distribution of mills by value of product, supplements table 9.i
T able 9.— Percentage Distribution o f Workers Included in Survey o f the Flour-M illing
Industry, by Size o f M ill, Size o f C ity , Unionization , and Region , 1941
All
regions
Item
Size of mill (number of workers):
1 tn ft i
__
ft to 901 _ _____
_
__
91 tn ftn
ftl tn 100
_
101 tn 9ft0
9ft1 and over
Tntal
Size of city (population):
Under 9;fi00
9,ft00 and under 5,000 ____ _
5,000 and under 25,000_________
25,000 and under 100,000 ___
100,000 and under 500,000
ft00,000 and over
Total
_ _
Unionization:3
Union _ _
Nomminn _
Total
_____
. _
North
east
Lake
and
ports
East
Central
West
South North Central
and Moun
east
west South
tain Pacific
west
44.9
24.0
20.0
11.1
4.0
4.5
25.2
16.1
26.4
23.8
6.9
9.4
28.8
31.3
23.6
31.9
30.2
19.3
18.6
5.3
10.2
17.7
31.7
35.1
luO.O
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
40.0
12.4
29.3
10.1.
8.2
14.7
.9
25.1
4.2
55.1
15.2
9.4
34.1
11.0
30.3
23.9
17.9
29.8
18.6
9.8
12.4
1.2
8.2
.9
45.7
31.6
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
99.1
.9
3.8
96.2
64.4
35.6
35.6
64.4
18.6
81.4
72.1
27.9
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
15.7
12.6
21.3
22.2
20.3
7.9
27.5
19.9
21.6
20.1
4.2
6.7
0.9
2.0
13.7
50.5
32.9
100.0
100.0
100.0
19.6
7.6
24.8
12.1
23.7
12.2
29.6
10.8
27.5
26.2
5.9
100.0
100.0
100.0
43.2
56.8
29.1
70.9
100.0
100.0
7.6
12.1
80.3
i Flour mills which were classified by the Census of Manufactures as having an annual average wageearner employment of less than 6 in 1939, together with a number of establishments for which definite infor
mation was lacking but which were believed to be very small were surveyed by mail questionnaire. To
preserve the identity of this group of mills, in all tabulations carrying a size-of-plant classification they have
been placed in th e“1 to 5” group. Actually a few of these mills had more than 5 workers during the period
covered by the report, but all were small mills. Similarly, a small number of mills in the “6 to 20” classi
fication. which contains only data from the field survey, had only 4 or 5 workers during the reported period,
although their annual average employment in 1939 placed them in the higher classification. The method of
classification used facilitates presentation of the data, and the few cases erroneously classified are
unimportant.
* See footnote 1, table 7.
14
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
T able 10.— Distribution o f M ills in the Flour-M illing Industry, by Value o f Product
Classification and by Region , 1940
All
regions
Value of product
North
east
Lake
and
ports
East
Central
Total................................................
1687
208
Under $5,000.....................................
$5,000 and under $10,000__________
$10,000 and under $15,000.................
$15,000 and under $20,000__________
$20,000 and under $25,000_____ ____
$25,000 and under $50,000.................
$50,000 and under $100,000................
$100,000 and under $250,000...............
$250,000 and over..............................
Unknown a_......................................
84
40
40
39
27
70
68
72
162
85
17
9
10
12
13
27
20
22
37
41
West
South North Central
and Moun
west South
tain Pacific
east
west
10
222
50
130
45
22
40
19
17
14
9
20
27
29
21
26
13
7
6
3
10
6
4
10
15
11
58
7
7
2
2
3
1
7
3
7
5
8
1
10
4
4
2
1
17
2
1
2
1
2
14
1
i Included are 76 mills with no wage earners.
* All mills in this classification have less than 6 employees.
AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS
Workers in the flour-milling industry had basic average earnings of
53.5 cents an horn* in February 1941 (table l l ) . 4 The largest industry
of the grain-mill products group, flour milling has a higher wage level
than the feed, the prepared-flour, or the rice industry, but pays
wages that are substantially lower in general than are paid in the
cereals industry.
T able 11.— Average H ourly Earnings o f Workers in the Flour-M illing Industry, b y
Region and Size o f M ill, February and September 1941
September
Region and size of mill
Number of Number of
workers
mills
February
average
Average
(estimated)
Percentage
increase
over
February
Total:
Including small m ills1_________ ____
Excluding small mills______________
611
214
8,623
7,271
$0.535
.573
$0.562
.607
5.0
5.0
Region:
Northeast and East Central, except
Lake ports_____________ 1.... .........
Lake ports_______________________
Southeast............. .................—..........
Northwest____________ __________
West Central and Southwest...............
Mountain________________________
Pacific...... .........................................
190
10
194
37
118
40
22
1,662
1,041
1,189
959
2,792
285
695
.472
.771
.343
.657
.490
.523
.745
.493
.830
.349
.697
.508
.539
.812
4.4
7.7
1.7
6.1
3.7
.3.1
9.0
Size of mill:
1 to 5 workers______________ ______
6 to 20 workers_____________ ______
21 to 50 workers___________________
51 to 100 workers___________ _____
101 to 250 workers_________________
251 workers and over_______________
397
106
61
28
14
5
1,352
1,087
1,841
1,908
1,753
682
.358
.426
.485
.600
.674
.758
.444
.509
.632
.718
.824
4.2
4.9
5.3
6.5
8.7
0)
i Informatiomconcerning wage changes was not obtained for the small mills which were surveyed by mail.
For the purpose of estimating an average September 1941 wage for all plants and by region, it was assumed
that no wage change occurred in such mills. See footnote 1, table 4.
* The basic average wage was increased approximately 3 percent by premium overtime pay. The actual
February average hourly earnings including extra rates for overtime, amounted to about 55 cents.
15
THE FLOUB-MllLIiN-G INDUSTRY
The average wage of 53.5 cents does not represent a concentration
point of workers’ earnings; nor do the earnings of as many as one-fifth
of the workers come within 5 cents of the average. One-fourth of all
workers received less than 38.8 cents, and another fourth earned more
than 69.1 cents an hour. Substantial numbers of individual workers
earned as little as 30 cents or as much as 87.5 cents an hour. About 90
percent of the industry’s workers, however, were within those limits
(table* 12). The workers in the lower quartile group were employed
primarily in small mills and in small towns in the East Central,
Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest regions.
Wage increases occurring subsequent to February 1941 raised wages
somewhat in all sections of the country. It is estimated that the
average wage in September 1941 was about 56.2 cents, indicating a 5percent increase over the February average. By September, wage
rates had advanced in almost half of all mills that had as many as six
employees, but in a more substantial proportion of large than small
establishments. The amounts by which individual mills increased
their pay rolls ranged from 2 to 20 percent. A majority of the wage
T able 12 .— Percentage Distribution o f W orkers in the Flour-M illing Industry, by
Average H ourly Earnings and b y Region, February 1941
Average hourly earnings
North
All re east and Lake
gions
East
ports
Central
TTiuter 30.0 cants
. ___
Exactly 30.0 cents.......... ..................
30.1 and under 32.5 cents__________
32.5 and under 55.0 cents
.
35.0 and under 37.5 cents__________
4.3
10.4
1.8
2.4
5.1
3.5
8.5
3.2
3.8
4.4
37.5 and under 40.0 cents_________
40.0 and under 42.5 cents.................
42.5 and under 45.0 cents....... .........
45.0 and under 47.5 cents..................
47.5 and under 50.0 cents...... ..........
2.3
5.6
2.1
4.0
5.4
4.2
10.7
4.3
«. 0
7.2
50.0 and under 52.5 cents..................
52.5 and under 57.5 cents..................
57.5 and under 62.5 cents.................
62.5 and under 67.5 cents.................
67.5 and Under 72.5 cents..................
6.2
7.0
7.8
7.2
7.6
72.5 and under 77.5 cents..................
77.5 and under 82.5 cents..................
82.5 and under 87.5 cents..................
87.5 and under 02.5 cents..................
02.5 and under 07.5 cen ts____ ____
07.5 and under 102.5 cents...............
102.5 and under 112.5 cents...............
112.5 and under 122.5 cents...............
122.5 and under 132.5 cents....... .......
132.5 cents and over r __ _______
Total......................... - ..........
West
Cen Moun
South North tral
and tain Pacific
east
west South
west
20.4
37.3
4.8
5.0
8.5
0.1
.5
1.4
2.0
2.5
10.5
1.1
2.4
7.6
5.2
2.8
2.5
3.0
0.3
1.2
4.2
4.6
1.6
2.8
.2
.4
1.7
1.6
1.8
5.7
2.1
6.7
2.3
6.1
0.1
4.5
13.7
4.6
3.5
6.7
.7
.6
.3
.0
.4
0.1
13.0
0.0
5.7
2.9
0.6
.1
.8
1.1
l
L7
5.4
13.8
21.5
1.3
1.4
3.4
1.7
.8
6.5
7.3
0.3
11.8
17.7
0.8
11.9
10.1
6.6
3.2
7.7
4.2
10.9
8.4
8.4
1.0
2.2
3.7
5.3
12.9
6.2
5.0
4.4
1.7
.8
1.6
.0
.8
.4
2
9.6
7.7
22.0
6.0
1.6
.4
.2
.3
.3
.3
8.8
11.1
4.5
3.0
1.6
4.3
1.3
1.3
.4
.1
6.3
2.8
.7
1.4
26.6
26.6
7.5
2.7
3.6
.0
.4
.4
.1
.4
3.7
1.9
2.1
.3
.4
.1
.8
.2
.2
.2
.3
.1
.1
.1
<>)
1.8
.1
.1
1.6
1.2
.6
.1
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
37~
m
050
2,792
$0,657 $0,400
40
285
$0,523
22
605
$0,745
(0
6lT
Number of m ills.............................
10~
So"
104
1,662
1,041
Number of workers.......................... 8,623
1,180
Average hourly earnings................... $0,535 $0,472 $0,771 $0,343
1 Less than Ho of 1 percent.
468773°—42------3
16
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
adjustments occurred in June, July, and August of 1941, but a few
were made as early as March and some in September.
A comparison of the distributions of individual average earnings in
all mills with six or more wage earners is presented in table 13. It will
be observed that 16.8 percent of the workers in such mills earned less
than 40 cents an hour in September, as compared with 18.4 percent in
February. It is believed that the proportion of workers in that lowwage category in the very small mills (which are omitted from the
tabulation) would not have changed materially between February and
September.
Regional differences.—A study of the earnings data for the different
sections of the country discloses the existence of pronounced regional
differences in wage levels (table 11). The average wage in the Lakeport cities as a group in February was 77.1 cents, and in the important
grain-milling city of Buffalo, earnings averaged 80.2 cents. Pacificcoast mills paid an average of 74.5 cents. The average hourly rate
in Minneapolis was 75.4, but lower wages in the Northwest springwheat region outside of Minneapolis brought the average for the region
down to 65.7 cents. By September, Lake-port wages had increased
almost 8 percent, Pacific-coast mills had advanced wages an average
of 9 percent, and the Northwest section 6 percent.
In the important winter-wheat section of the Southwest, wages were
low in comparison, the average being only 49.0 cents. The highestwage sections of this area were Kansas City 5 and the State of Iowa.
In the Mountain States the level of wages was a little higher than in
the Southwest; in the more important East Central and Northeastern
section from which the Lake ports have been excluded, the average
wage was slightly below that for the Southwest. Lowest wages are found
in the generally small-unit, small-town mills of the Southeast, where
average earnings (34.3 cents) were little above the minimum per
missible in covered establishments under the Fair Labor Standards
Act. Wage advances in these lower-wage regions were less general
than in the industry as a whole. Wages rose on the average from 2
percent in the Southeast to 4 percent in the Northeast and East
Central region.
Study of the raw data available from the survey indicates that the
regional boundaries used in the present study serve to distinguish fairly
accurately the areas of true wage differences in the flour-milling indus
try. The seeming lack of homogeneity within some of the regions, as
judged from the irregularity of the distributions shown in tables 12
and 13, can be attributed largely to differences in unionization, mill
size, or size of city.
5 Both Kansas City, Kans., and Kansas City, Mo., are of importance in the industry, and wages were
relatively high in each city.
T able 13.— Percentage D istribution o f Workers in the F lour-M illing Industry, by Average H ourly Earnings and Region , February and September 1941
All regions
Northeast and
East Central
Lake ports
Southeast
West Central
and Southwest
Northwest
Mountain
Pacific
Average hourly earnings
Febru- Septem- Febru- Septem- Febru- Septem- Febru Septem Febru Septem Febru Septem Febru Septem Febru Septem
ary
ber
ary
ary
ary
ber
ary
ber
ary
ber
ber
ber
ary
ber
ary
ber
0.8
8.2
1.1
1.5
4.9
0.6
6.2
1.3
2.3
4.0
0.1
5.5
1.8
3.7
3.7
0.1
2.6
1.2
3.7
2.9
37.5 and under 40.0 cents. _
40.0and under 42.5 cents. _
42.5 and under 45.0 cents. _
45.0 and under 47.5 cents. _
47.5 and under 50.0 cents. _
1.9
5.3
2.0
3.9
5.9
2.4
5.0
2.6
2.7
3.1
4.3
10.5
4.4
5.6
8.0
5.0
9.1
6.7
2.4
7.5
0.6
.1
.8
1.1
0.6
.1
50.0 and under 52.5 cents. _
52.5 and under 57.5 cents. _
57.5 and under 62.5 cents..
62.5 and under 67.5 cents. _
67.5 and under 72.5 cents. .
6.5
8.8
8.9
8.0
9.0
6.2
9.8
7.5
7.3
7.3
9.6
15.9
11.1
6.4
3.8
7.4
17.9
10.1
6.4
7.4
.1
1.7
5.4
13.8
21.5
72.5 and under 77.5 cents..
77.5 and under 82.5 cents..
82.5 and under 87.5 cents. .
87.5 and under 92.5 cents. _
92.5 and under 97.5 cents. _
7.3
5.9
5.1
1.9
.9
6.7
8.5
5.6
3.9
3.6
2.1
1.2
.8
.4
.3
4.1
2.0
1.1
1.0
.2
97.5 and under 102.5 cents.
102.5 and under 112.5 cents.
112.5 and under 122.5 cents.
122.5and under 132.5 cents.
132.5 cents and over_____
1.1
.5
.5
.1
(12)
1.0
1.5
.5
.3
.1
.5
.1
.2
Total......................
100.0
100.0
214~
7,271
$0,573
214~
7.271
$0.607
Number of mills..............
Number of workers.........
Average hourly earnings..
7.5
41.3
4.9
3.8
11.4
5.2
38.1
3.8
8.5
8.4
0.1
.2
4.4
7.1
1.8
3.1
1.9
1.4
5.8
12.0
9.6
7.7
22.0
6.0
1.6
.7
.2
.1
.2
100.0
100.0
55
1,204
$0,501
55
1,204
$0. 531
3.0
0.1
2.9
0.3
9.5
1.0
1.6
7.7
0.2
6.5
2.2
2.3
6.5
6.4
5.8
4.7
4.0
.2
.1
1.3
1.3
1.8
6.0
.3
.3
1.5
1.2
1.2
2.0
6.6
2.3
6.3
9.7
1.8
1.2
5.5
1.7
1.4
1.5
1.5
.9
5.8
1.1
6.1
7.6
9.3
12.1
18.7
6.0
10.0
5.2
9.6
14.0
10.3
21.0
10.2
8.2
17.8
.8
.3
.3
.5
.2
1.4
.5
.6
.3
.2
9.1
11.5
4.7
4.0
1.6
3.7
1.9
2.1
.3
2.5
5.0
1.7
1.2
.3
.8
.2
.5
.6
100.0
100.0
100.0
10
10~
1,041
1,041
$0.771
$0,830
43
655
$0,372
1 Data for mills with fewer than 6 workers are not included in this tabulation.
2 Less than Ho of 1 percent.
4.6
2.1
.5
2.6
2.6
2.1
0.2
.2
2.5
7.7
1.9
4.5
4.0
1.5
12.4
2.6
3.1
6.7
2.1
6.2
8.8
3.1
7.2
.3
.3
.2
.2
10.4
12.9
10.9
7.0
3.4
10.8
14.2
12.4
9.2
5.2
6.2
5.2
12.9
11.3
12.4
6.2
4.6
11.3
8.2
6.7
.3
2.0
3.8
5.6
13.5
.2
.6
1.5
1.8
5.5
14.2
10.9
11.6
4.0
3.8
4.5
1.4
1.3
.4
.1
3.3
3.3
1.0
1.2
.5
8.2
4.1
1.0
2.1
11.3
7.2
3.6
2.1
.5
27.9
27.9
7.8
2.7
3.8
12.3
26.3
21.6
17.1
4.3
.9
.2
.2
.2
1.7
1.0
.2
.2
.1
.3
.1
.2
.1
.1
.2
.2
.1
2.6
2.6
1.0
.5
(2)
(2)
1.7
1.2
.6
.2
1.7
4.9
.8
.6
.2
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
43
655
$0,384
18
921
$0,668
18
921
$0.710
64
2,598
$0.506
64
2,598
$0.525
10
194
$0.573
10
194
$0,597
14
658
$0,762
14
658
$0,833
0.2
THE FLOUR-MILLING INDUSTRY
Under 30.0 cents............ .
Exactly 30.0 cents______
30.1 and under 32.5 cents..
32.5 and under 35.0 cents..
35.0 and under 37.5 cents..
18
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
Union and nonunion wages.—Mills which had collective-bargaining
agreements with their workers paid substantially higher wages than
other mills in practically all regions where both types of mills are of
sufficient importance for comparison. Average earnings in nonunion
mills employing 6 or more wage earners were 46.5 cents in February
1941, as compared with a 68.5-cent average for mills operating under
union contracts (table 14). If data for the smaller mills were included,
the contrast would probably be somewhat greater.6
Union mills paid higher wages than nonunion in six of the seven
regions tabulated separately. Only in the high-wage Pacific-coast
region did the nonunion establishments compare favorably with union
mills. A majority of the industry in that area is organized. Wage
increases between February and September 1941 were more common
in union than in nonunion mills, and in consequence the gap
between the respective wage levels of the two groups was wideend
during the intervening period.
T a b l e 14.— Average H ourly Earnings o f Workers in the Flour-M illing Industry, by
Region and Unionization , February and September 1 9 4 1 1
September
Region and union status
Number
of mills
Number
of workers
February
average
Average
(estimated)
Percentage
increase
over
February
All regions..................... .......................—
Union. _____________________ ____
Nonunion. ___________ __________
214
55
159
7.271
3,727
3,544
i $0.573
.685
.465
2 $0. 607
.735
.481
5.9
7.3
3.4
Northeast and East Central____________
Union. ______________ __________
Nonunion.................... .......................
55
9
46
1,204
483
721
.501
.584
.450
.531
.629
.472
6.0
7.7
4.9
Lake ports________________ ______ ___
Union___________________________
Nonunion........ ...................... ............
10
9
1
1.041
(2)
(2)
.771
.770
(3)
.830
.829
(3)
7.7
7.7
Southeast..... ..........................................
Union.................................................
Nonunion.......... ...............................
43
1
42
(2)
(*)
665
.372
(3)
.354
.384
(3)
.363
Northwest ..................... .........................
Union................................. ............. .
Nonunion................ ................ .........
18
9
9
921
618
303
.668
.734
.533
.710
.780
.565
6.3
6.3
6.0
West Central and Southwest...................
Union..... .......... ................................
Nonunion..... ............... ......................
64
15
49
2,598
995
1,603
.506
.576
.465
.525
.606
.479
3.8
5.2
3.0
Mountain.............. ..................................
Union______________ ____________
Nonunion.............. ............................
10
1
9
194
.573
(3)
.522
.597
(3)
.531
Pacific .......... ..........................................
Union.................................... ...........
Nonunion___________ _____ ______
14
11
3
.762
.761
. 765
.833
.840
.812
(2)
(2)
658
501
157
(3)
3.2
2.5
4.2
(3)
1.7
9.3
10.4
6.1
1 Data for mills with fewer than 6 workers are not included in this tabulation.
2 Included in total to avoid disclosure of individual mill information.
3 An average is not computed for 1 mill.
• Information with respect to union contractual relations was not secured from the small mills surveyed
by mail.
19
THE FLOUR-MILLING INDUSTRY
Wages in large and small mills.—One of the most important wage
variables appears to be the size of the milling unit. When the mills
surveyed are classified according to the number of wage earners
employed the average wages for the respective size classes are seen
to increase with the size of mill. Thus, mills with less than 6 workers
had an average wage of 35.8 cents in February 1941 and those with 251
workers or more paid an average of 75.8 cents. Between those
extremes, the average wage advanced by amounts ranging from 6 to
12 cents for each successive size group (table 15).
Wages in large and small companies.—Previous reference has been
made to the importance in the industry of a few large companies. It
should be observed that those few (28) companies contribute sub
stantially to the relatively high-wage level of the flour-milling industry.
The surveyed mills of the 3 largest milling concerns in the industry
paid an average wage of 73.1 cents an hour in February. Other large
companies paid wages (68.3 cents) which were slightly lower than those
of the largest companies but were, nevertheless, substantially higher
than the industry average. Twenty-one medium-sized companies
paid an average of 62.5 cents, and the hundreds of small milling
companies, with a daily capacity of less than 3,000 barrels, averaged
only 45.7 cents an hour.
T a b l e 15 .— Percentage Distribution o f Workers in the Flour-M illing Industry, by Average
H ourly Earnings, Region, and Size o f M ill, February 1941
Average hourly earnings
All
workers
Workers in mills with average wage-earner employment of—
1 to 5 i
6 to 201
21 to 50
and
51 to 100 101 to 250 251
over
All regions
TTndr»,r 30.fl ppsnt.s
Exactly 30.0 cents___ _______
30.1 and under 32.5 cents..........
32.5 and under 35.0 cents. ........
35.0 and under 37.5 cents_____
37.5 and under 40.0 cents_____
40.0 and under 42.5 cents_____
42.5 and under 45.0 cents..........
45.0 and under 47.5 cents..........
47.5 and under 50.0 cents..........
50.0 and under 52.5 cents.........
52.5 and under 57.5 cents..........
57.5 and under 62.5 cents..........
62.5 and under 67.5 cents..........
67.5 and under 72.5 cents..........
72.5 and under 77.5 cents..........
77.5 and under 82.5 cents..........
82.5 and under 87.5 cents..........
87.5 and under 92.5 cents..........
92.5 and under 97.5 cents_____
97.5 and under 102.5 cents____
102.5 and under 112.5 cents.......
112.5 and under 122.5 cents.......
122.5 and nndar 132.5 nents
132.5 cents and over........... ......
T o ta l............................
4.3
10.4
1.8
2.4
5.1
2.3
5.6
2.1
4.0
5.4
6.2
7.9
7.8
7.2
7.6
6.2
5.0
4.4
1.7
.8
.9
.4
.4
.1
(2)
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of m ills......................
Number of workers..................
Average hourly earnings..........
6l5T
8,623
$0,535
397
1,352
$0,358
106
1,087
$0,426
See footnotes at end of table.
23.5
22.0
5.5
7.3
5.9
4.7
7.2
3.0
4.3
2.6
4.6
2.8
2.4
2 .6
.3
.5
.1
.4
.2
.1
3.6
25.5
2.0
4.5
6 .8
3.3
10.5
4.2
7.5
4.1
8.3
4.1
4.5
2.1
2.7
1.1
2.8
.6
.6
.2
.5
.2
.3
0.9
14.3
3.0
2.3
7.7
4.2
7.8
3.0
5.9
3.8
7.3
10.2
9.1
7.0
5.7
2.6
2.1
1.5
.2
.5
.7
.1
0.1
1.9
.1
.5
4.4
1.2
4.8
1.6
3.4
6.1
9.6
12.8
14.1
8.6
7.7
8.8
8.5
1.7
1.9
.5
.8
.4
0.8
.1
.6
3.1
.1
2.2
.3
1.3
10.8
3.6
8.3
6.6
10.7
12.3
14.1
6.3
11.5
2.5
1.9
1.1
1.1
1.1
.2
100.0
.1
100.0
1.0
1.3
1.3
1.0
2.5
6.5
11.7
22.6
8.4
13.3
15.5
7.5
1.5
4.0
.4
1.2
.3
100.0
100.0
61
1,841
$0,485
28
1,908
$0,600
14
1.753
$0,674
5
682
$0,758
.1
.2
.2
20
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
T able 15.— Percentage Distribution o f Workers in the Flour-M illing Industry, by Average
H ourly Earnings, Region , and Size o f M ill , February 1941 —Continued
Workers in mills with average wage-earner employment of—
Average hourly earnings
All
workers
1 to 5
21 to 50
6 to 20
251 and
over
51 to 100 101 to 250
Pacific, Lake ports, and Northwest
Exactly 30.0 cents_____ _____ •
30.1 and under 32.5 cents_____
32.5 and under 35.0 cents..........
35.0 and under 37.5 cents..........
37.5 and under 40.0 cents........
40.0 and under 42.5 cents..........
42.5 and under 45.0 cents..........
45.0 and under 47.5 cents_____
47.5 and under 50.0 cents........
50.0 and under 52.5 cents..........
52.5 and under 57.5 cents.........
57.5 and under 62.5 cents.........
62.5 and under 67.5 cents_____
67.5 and under 72.5 cents..........
72.5 and under 77.5 cents..........
77.5 and under 82.5 cents..........
82.5 and under 87.5 cents..........
87.5 and under 92.5 cents..........
92.5 and under 97.5 cents..........
97.5 and under 102.5 cents____
102.5 and under 112.5 cents
112.5 and under 122.5 cents
122.5 and under 132.5 cents.. .
132.5 cents and over........... .
(?)
0.2
.6
1.3
.3
1.0
1.2
2.6
2.6
3.8
6.3
10.9
18.0
13.7
13.8
12.1
4.4
2.1
2.1
1.1
1.0
.2
4.0
18.8
9.3
10. 7
10.7
6.7
5.3
1.3
14.7
2.7
5.3
4.0
1.3
1.3
1.3
1.3
1.3
0.3
.5
0.2
7.0
0.8
1.6
3.3
4.1
3.3
16.3
.8
18.7
2.4
10.6
1.6
23.6
2.4
4.1
.8
1.6
1.6
2.4
2.6
1.0
3.1
1.3
3.4
9.8
16.6
18.3
16.1
7.0
6.5
3.6
.5
1.6
.8
1.2
0.1
.1
.2
.4
.1
4.8
1.8
4.5
3.4
8.1
18.5
18.7
8.8
17.9
3.7
3.2
1.9
2.0
1. 7
.3
0.2
1.6
1.6
1.2
1.1
2.8
8 4
23.5
9.1
15.4
17.8
8.8
1.6
4.6
.5
1.4
.4
.2
.2
1.9
5.6
16.8
16.2
18.4
26.6
4.3
4.3
1.5
1.4
1.0
Total..............................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of mills.......................
Number of workers. ................
Average hourly earnings_____
69
2,695
$0. 725
27
75
$0.456
10
123
$0.675
13
386
$0.622
7
517
$0.738
8
1.023
$0. 756
4
571
$0. 779
All other regions
6.3
14.9
2.5
3.3
6.7
3.2
7. 7
2.8
5.3
6.7
7.8
9.8
8.6
5.4
2.9
2.9
1.0
.9
.4
.2
.4
.1
.1
.1
(12)
24.7
23.2
5.6
6.7
5.7
4.3
7.0
2.8
4.2
2.7
4.0
2.8
2.2
2.5
.2
.5
.1
.4
.2
.2
Total ________________
100.0
100.0 |
100.0
Number of mills __________
Number of workers - ______
Average hourly earnings...........
s 542
8 5,928
8$0,455
370 i
1, 277 I
$0.353
96
964
$0.399
Under 30.0 cents _________
Exactly 30.0 cents___________
30.1 and under 32.5 cents
32.5 and under 35.0 cents
35.0 and under 37.5 cents______
37.5 and under 40.0 cents______
40.0 and under 42.5 cents______
42.5 and under 45.0 cents______
45.0 end under
47.5 and under
50.0 and under
52.5 and under
57.5 and under
62.5 and under
47.5 cents
50.0 cents
52.5
57.5
62.5
67.5
cents
cents
cents
cents
67.5 and under 72.5 cents __
72.5 and under 77.5 cents
77.5 and under 82.5 cents
82 5 and under 87.5 cents
87.5 and under 92.5 cents
92.5 and under 97.5 cents__
97.5 and under 102.5 cents
102.5 and under 112.5 cents
112.5 and under 122.5 cents
122.5 and under 132.5 cents
132.5 cents and over
4.0
28.7
2.3
5.1
7.6
3.7
11.7
4.4
7.9
4.3
7.3
4.6
2.7
2.1
1.7
1.0
.1
.3
.1
.1
.3
1.2
18.0
3.7
3.0
7.9
5.3
9.1
3.5
6.7
4.5
8.3
10.3
7.1
3.9
3.0
1.4
.9
1.0
.1
.3
.6
.1
0.1
2.7
.1
.6
6.0
1.7
6.1
2.2
4.6
8.3
13.2
17.0
17.3
5.5
4.5
5.2
1.7
.7
1.1
.1
.6
.2
.2
.2
.1
5.2
.3
2.9
19.1
4.8
13.6
11.1
14.3
3.6
7.7
2.7
2.5
.7
100.0
100.0
100.0
48
1,455
$0,453
21
1,391
$0.546
6i
730
$0.557
.1
1.9
.3
1.5
7.4
................
.1
.3
1 See footnote 1, table 9.
2 Less than Mo of 1 percent.
»Includes 1 mill which employed more than 250 workers. Only a part of the workers in this mill were
included to prevent overweighting this size class.
21
THE FLOUR-MILLIN'G INDUSTRY
Influence oj size of city.—It is undoubtedly true that the location of
numerous small mills in small towns and rural communities contributes
to the relatively low-wage scale that is typical of these mills. Twothirds of all mills surveyed which employed less than 6 workers are in
communities smaller than 2,500 population, four-fifths are in towns
smaller than 5,000 population, and 93 percent are in towns smaller
than 25,000. Reference to table 9 will show that, in general, the
regions where wages are lowest not only have a larger proportion of
their grain-mill workers in small mills than do regions with a higher
wage level, but they also have relatively more workers in small towns.
A comparison by size of city of average wages in plants with 6 or more
wage earners is presented in table 16. Wages in the smallest com
munities averaged 44.0 cents an hour and those in the largest, 78.8
cents. If the smallest mills were included, the differences in wage
level would be even more pronounced.
T a b l e 16 .— Average H ourly Earnings o f Workers in the Flour-M illing Industry, by
Size o f C ity , February 1 9 4 1 1
Size of city (population)
All sizes
.
_
Under 2,500—.................................................................
2,500 and under 5,000 _________________ __________
5,000 and under 25,000............................................... .
25,000 and under 100,000......... ...................................... .
100,000 and under 500,000......................— .....................
500,000 and nvar
Number of
mills
Number of
workers
Average hourly
earnings
214
7,271
$0,573
58
25
64
25
29
13
905
466
1,867
980
1,997
1,056
.440
.412
.482
.569
.656
.788
1 Data for mills with fewer than 6 workers are not included in this tabulation.
WAGES OF OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS
The relative wage levels of the principal occupations in flour mills
are shown in table 17.7 Millwrights and other skilled maintenance
and laboratory workers received the highest wages, averaging more
than 80 cents an hour; female packers had the lowest average (38.7
cents). Millers, representing the largest skilled occupation, were
paid an average wage of 67.1 cents. Packers, check weighers, and
sack sewers—a group of related occupations which comprise the
principal group of semiskilled workers—had an average wage of
54.5 cents. Unskilled labor, primarily warehouse truckers and loaders
and bulk-grain unloaders, earned an average wage of 52.5 cents
an hour.
7 Further detail regarding occupational variations in earnings is available in the Bureau and will be
furnished on request.
22
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
T a b l e 17 .— Average H ourly Earnings, Average W eekly Hours, and Average W’eekly
Earnings o f Workers in the Flour-M illing Industry, by Skill, Occupation ,
February 1941 1
Number of
workers
Skill, occupation, and sex
Average
hourly
earnings
Average
weekly
hours
and Sex,
Average
weekly
earnings
All occupations....................................................................
Total males..................... .............................................Total females..................................-.............................
7,271
7,136
135
$0.573
.575
.412
41.6
41.8
32.7
Skilled...................... ...........................................................
Males........... .................................................................
Females...................................................... ..................
Elevator operators (working foremen), male............
Engineers, male
.
___________
Foremen, working, production and packing.............
Males..... ............... ................................................
Females.___ ______________________ _____
Foremen, working, receiving, shipping, and stock,
male........... .............. ............... ..................................
Machinists and mechanics, male...............................
Millers, male.......... ........ .............................................
Millwrights, m a le .......................................................
Miscellaneous maintenance occupations, male.........
Miscellaneous laboratory occupations.......................
Males.................................................................... Females...................................................................
Semiskilled...........................................................................
Males..............................................................................
Females......................... .......................... ...................
Bolters, male................... ..................... ...... .............. .
Elevator assistants (grain distributors, wreighmen,
cleaners, etc.), male........... .....................................
Firemen, male...............................................................
Hammermill operators, male.............. ........................
Miscellaneous laboratory occupations.......................
M ales......... ..........................................................
Females___________________ _____ _______
Miscellaneous maintenance occupations, male____
Miscellaneous occupations, production, packing
and warehouse................... .......................................
Males..... ................................ ...............................
Females........................................ .........................
Mixer operators, m ale.............................. ..................
Oilers, male________________ ________________
Packers, check wreig.hers, and sewers..........................
Males................... ..................................................
Females................. ............................. ...................
Roll tenders, mill, male............................ ..............
Smutters, male________ _____ ________________
Spoutmen, mill, and general assistants to millers,
male.................. .................. .....................................
Truck drivers, m ale...................................................
Unskilled.................. ............................ ..............................
Males.............................................................. ..............
Fem ales........................................................................
General elevator laborers, male..................................
General mill laborers and helpers, m ale...................
General ^warehouse laborers.................... ....................
Males...................................................... ..............
Females_______________ ______ __________
Grain unloaders, elevator, male____ ______ _____
Loaders and unioaders, warehouse, m ale........... .
Miscellaneous maintenance and service occupations.
Males ......................................................................
Fem ales................................ ................................
Sweepers, m ale............................................................
Truckers, m ale.............................................................
Watchmen, male.......... ...............................................
1,229
1,222
7
90
101
123
119
4
.686
.686
('2\
. 587
.632
. 674
.681
(*)
44.7
44.8
(2)
45. 7
46.0
42.9
42.9
(2)
216
60
371
130
105
33
30
3
3,606
3,495
111
91
.621
.699
. 671
.807
.831
.836
.829
.563
.567
.386
.772
43.9
46.0
46.3
44.1
42.3
40.7
40.8
(2)
41.8
42.2
31.4
42.7
27.28
32.12
31.06
35.57
35.19
34.03
33.78
(2)
23.54
23.91
12.10
32.99
.641
.559
.583
.609
.635
41.6
42.8
44.1
40.1
41.3
26.7!
23.93
25.69
24.42
26.20
196
95
35
60
53
7
145
140
135
5
162
374
1,744
1,645
99
67
80
146
271
2,436
2,419
17
64
291
503
489
14
143
558
42
39
3
323
354
158
<2)
(2)
.524
.527
(2)
42.6
(2)
30.67
30.69
26.84
29.06
28.92
29. 23
(2)
(2)
26.91
.545
.569
.545
.553
.387
.785
.674
43.0
43.6
(2)
42.4
41.9
40.4
40.9
31.6
42.1
41.6
22.54
22.94
(2)
23.10
23.85
22.00
22.59
12.20
33.03
28.04
.546
.454
.525
.526
.443
.412
.409
.546
.549
.431
.613
.572
.555
.556
45.2
47.7
39.8
39.8
38.1
43.4
41.7
38.8
38.8
40.0
38.2
39.7
41.3
42.2
24.72
21.66
20.88
20.90
16.86
17.89
17.06
21.19
21.30
17.24
23.43
22.71
22.89
23.49
(2)
21.44
20.34
18.82
(2)
(2)
.632
$23.85
24.05
13.46
.546
.528
.444
C2)
39.3
38.5
42.4
1 Data for mills with fewer than 6 workers are not included in this tabulation.
2 Not a sufficient number of workers to justify the computation of an average.
The Feed Industry
Feed mills, like flour mills, are scattered over the entire country.
According to Census of Manufactures reports, New York State pro
duces about 23 percent of the industry's product in terms of value and
23
THE FEED INDUSTRY
employs approximately 2,200 workers. California, Illinois, and Ohio
have more than 1,000 workers each, and Pennsylvania, Texas, Mis
souri, and Tennessee have between 500 and 1,000. Practically all
other States have a few workers in the industry.
The feed industry has a few producers who operate large mills or
have several mills at various locations, but a vast majority of the
manufacturers are single-unit operators of small mills. The results
of the Bureau’s mail survey of very small establishments indicate
that nine-tenths of all feed mills have fewer than 21 workers, and
that these small mills employ 46 percent of the industry’s labor force
and produce more than one-third of its product value. In fact,
between 65 and 70 percent of the mills employ less than 6 workers.
The 1939 report of the Census of Manufactures classifies only 18 out
of a total of 1,383 mills as employing more than 100 workers each, and
44 additional establishments had between 50 and 100 workers. The
largest feed mill in the country employs less than 200. The Bureau’s
survey indicates that scarcely 15 percent of the mixed-feed establish
ments in the country have an annual production valued in excess of
$250,000.
Mill location in small towns also is characteristic of this industry.
Three-fourths of all mills, employing almost half of the industry’s
workers, are in towns with less than 25,000 population. The distribu
tion of the feed industry with respect to size of city, size of mill, and
unionization within the various regions, as indicated by the Bureau’s
sample, is shown in table 18. Table 19 distributes the mills by
value of product classification.
T a b l e 18 .— Percentage Distribution o f Workers Included in Survey o f the Feed Industry,
by Size o f M ill, Size o f C ity, Unionization, and Region, 1941
Item
Size of mill (number of workers):
1 to 5 1...................................
6 to 2 0 1...................... ......... .
21 to 5 0 ............................. .
51 to 100
___
101 and over____________
Total...................-•..............
Size of city (population) :
Under 2.500 .........................
2,500 and under 5,000_____
5,000 and under 25,000.........
25.000 and under 100,000___
100.000 and under 500,000...
500.000 and over....... ...........
Total............... ...................
Unionization: *
Union_________________
Nonunion______________
Total____.........................
All
regions
North
east
and
East
Central
34.8
11.3
18.7
20.0
15.2
100.0
51.3
11.5
16.7
8.7
11.8
100.0
16.8
7.5
21.3
19.9
24.5
10.0
100.0
27.5
12.2
28.3
21.3
10.2
.5
100.0
23.7
76.3
100.0
12.7
87.3
100.0
1 See footnote 1, table 9.
Lake
ports
5.0
9.0
20.3
32.1
33.6
100.0
South
east
North
west
West
Central,
South
west,
and
Moun
tain
12.9
8.9
16.5
41.0
20,7
100.0
77.2
10.6
12.2
43.0
12.3
27.1
17.6
100.0
100.0
Pacific
32.3
15.9
16.9
9.7
25.2
100.0
91.2
100.0
6.0
.5
17.9
21.1
52.7
1.8
100,0
42.6
15.9
23.9
4.3
13.3
15.5
10.6
21.2
28.4
24.3
100.0
100.0
16.8
6.9
21.7
J6.4
28. 1
10.1
100.0
73.7
26.3
100.0
11.8
88.2
100.0
16.5
83.5
100.0
12.0
88.0
100.0
56.3'
43.7
100.0
.2
2.6
6.0
3 See footnote 1, table 7.
24
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
T a b l e 19 .— Distribution o f M ills in the Feed Industry, by Value o f Product Classification
and by Region, 1940
All
regions
North
east
and
East
Central
Total....... ................................
i 633
271
Under $5,000.............................
$5,000 and under $10,000______
$10,000 and under $15,000_____
$15,000 and under $20,000..........
$20,000 and under $25,000..........
26
28
36
32
63
6
8
12
14
26
$25,000 and under $50,000..........
$50,000 and under $100,000........
$100,000 and under $250,000.......
$250,000 and over......................
Unknown2............ ..................
127
91
85
91
54
67
44
39
28
27
Value of product
Lake
ports
South
east
North
west
West
Central,
South
west,
and
Moun
tain
61
50
159
77
2
10
13
15
10
17
2
5
8
28
23
14
14
15
15
10
17
14
5
15
1
4
7
7
6
3
7
1
3
1
9
5
7
11
25
6
11
4
3
1
1
1
Pacific
1
1 Included are 27 mills with no wage earners.
2 All mills in this classification have less than 6 employees.
The Bureau's survey covered 606 establishments and 5,653 wage
earners (table 20). Reports from an additional 27 mills that employed
no wage earners were received in the mail survey of small mills and have
been included in certain tabulations relating to type and value of
product.
T a b l e 20 .— Num ber o f M ills and Workers Included in Survey o f Wages in the Feed
Industry, by Region, 1941
Mills
Region
Total
Workers
Commer Small
mills
cial mills
Total
Commer Small
mills
cial mills
All regions................................................
606
120
1 480
5,653
3,685
1 1,968
Northeast and East Central....................
Lake ports................................................
Southeast..................................................
Northwest..............................................
West Central, Southwest, and Mountain.
Pacific_____________ ________________
259
15
58
47
150
77
37
10
30
4
27
18
222
5
28
43
123
59
1,859
502
1,360
188
994
750
906
477
1,185
43
566
508
953
25
175
145
428
242
i Data for small feed mills presented in this table have been weighted in the proportions necessary to
permit direct combination with data for commercial mills.
AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS
The average wage paid to the 5,653 feed-mill workers covered in the
survey was 46.1 cents an hour in February 1941 (table 21).8 About 7
percent of the workers were paid less than 30 cents, and 14 percent
received exactly 30 cents an hour. A little more than 40 percent
earned less than 40 cents an hour (table 22). However, one-fourth of
8 The basic average wage was increased approximately 3 percent by premium overtime pay. The actual
February average hourly earnings including extra rates for overtime amounted to slightly more than 47
cents.
25
THE FEED INDUSTRY
all workers earned 59.0 cents an hour or more. Considering the nar
row range of skills required for the bulk of the labor force, it is evi
dent that the industry has some relatively high-wage firms.
T a b l e 21 .— Average H ourly Earnings o f Workers in the Feed Industry, by Region and
Size o f M ill, February and September 1941
September
Number Number February
Percent
of mills of workers average Average
age
(esti increase
mated)
over
February
Region and size of mill
Total:
Including small mills »........................................
Excluding small mills.........................................
606
126
5,653
3,685
$0.461
.497
$0,488
.539
5.9
8.5
RegionNortheast and East Central except Lake ports..
Lake ports................................... ....... ............. .
Southeast........................... ...............................
Northwest.... .....................................................
West Central, Southwest, and Mountain...........
Pacific.................................................................
Size of mill:
259
15
58
47
150
77
1,859
502
1,360
188
994
750
.468
.654
.354
.428
.378
.654
.489
.730
.376
.432
.389
.695
4.5
11.6
6.2
.9
2.9
6.3
480
65
36
18
7
1,968
641
1,055
1.129
860
.404
.462
.480
.477
.572
0)
.502
.513
.515
.635
8.7
6.9
8.0
11.0
1 tr» fi w o r k e r s
_ _
_
6 to 20 workers.....................................................
21 to 60 workers...................................................
61 to 100 workers........ .........................................
101 workers and over.......... ....... ........................
* Information concerning wage changes was not obtained for the small mills which were surveyed by mail.
For the purpose of estimating an average wage for September 1941 for all plants, by region, it was assume
that no wage changes occurred in the small mills. See footnote 1, table 1.
The average wage had increased from 46.1 cents to an estimated
48.8 cents by September 1941, an advance of 5.9 percent. This esti
mate is based on the assumption that no advance in wages had occurred
in the very small mills which were surveyed by mail, and for which
wage data for a September period are not available. The average
wage in the mills with 6 or more wage earners, for which data are
available advanced from 49.7 to 53.9 cents an hour, an increase of
8.5 percent (table 21). Whereas 35.5 percent of the workers in mills
employing 6 workers or more were being paid less than 40 cents in
February, this percentage had dropped to 28.5 in September (table 23).
Regional differences.—The differences in the wage levels of various
sections of the country are marked, although not as wide as those
existing in the flour-milling industry. They follow the same general
pattern, the Lake ports and Pacific States being high-wage areas (both
65.4 cents in February), and the Southeastern States and the West
Central and Southwestern region relatively low-wage areas (35.4 and
37.8 cents). The Northwest region does not have the importance in
the feed industry that it assumes in flour milling, most of its feed mills
being very small. Earnings in the Northwestern feed mills (42.8
cents) were lower than in the more important Northeastern and East
26
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
Central region (46.8 cents). The Lake-port cities advanced wages an
average of 11.6 percent, the Pacific and Southeast by approximately
6 percent, and the Northeast and East Central by almost 5 percent.
Wage increases were not general in either the West Central and South
west region nor the Northwest (table 21).
Union and nonunion wages.—Feed mills which had collective bar
gaining agreements paid wages which averaged more than 20 cents
higher than the average wage in nonunion mills (table 24). Both
types of mills effected wage increases during 1941, however, and in
substantially the same relative amounts. Most of the union mills
are among the larger establishments, and are located in the highwage regions.
T able 22.— Percentage Distribution o f Workers in the Feed Industry, by Average H ourly
Earnings and Region , February 1941
All re
gions
North
east and
East
Cen
tral
Under 30.0 c e n ts.......... _.........
Exactly 30.0 cents___________
30.1 and under 32.5 cents_____
32.5 and under 35.0 cents_____
35.0 and under 37.5 cents..........
6.7
14.0
2.8
6.4
8.9
4.6
3.3
3.6
6.1
6.5
37.5 and under 40.0 cents_____
40.0 and under 42.5 cents..........
42.5 and under 45.0 cents..........
45.0 and under 47.5 cents..........
47.5 and under 50.0 cents..........
3.8
7.0
2.6
4.9
2.7
3.9
8.4
4.9
9.4
3.0
50.0 and under 52.5 cents..........
52.5 and under 57.5 cents..........
57.5 and under 62.5 cents........ .
62.5 and under 67.5 cents..........
67.5 and under 72.5 cents_____
0.6
7.0
5.3
5.5
0.0
72.5 and under 77.5 cents.........
77.5 and under 82.5 cents........
82.5 and under 87.5 cents..........
87.5 and under 92.5 cents ___
92.5 and under 97.5 cents ___
Average hourly earnings
Lake
ports
South
east
WTest
Central,
North South
west west, and
Moun
tain
Pacific
3.8
5.7
37.6
3.9
12.4
16.7
26.1
9.5
3.7
4.3
3.2
16.5
19.7
3.0
6.9
10.9
0.7
.5
.3
.5
2.5
2.8
.8
1.0
2.6
5.4
8.0
.7
2.9
.4
4.3
4.7
2.7
2.7
2.7
4.9
8.1
2.8
3.7
6.7
15
3.9
1.5
2.1
.9
14.8
14.3
5.2
6.1
2.5
2.2
1.8
20.9
14.5
20.3
1.0
1.0
1.2
.9
.6
2.7
5.2
3.2
16.4
1.1
2.6
3.5
2.6
3.4
1.5
5.1
8.7
6.7
6.5
21.9
4.9
2.3
.8
y
.2
1.5
.8
.2
.3
.2
19.7
3.4
.4
1. 2
.4
.4
.4
.1
.1
3.2
1.1
1.6
2.1
.4
.2
.2
.1
16.1
11.6
4.1
3.2
.4
97.5 and under 102.5 cents____
102.5 and under 112.5 cents___
112.5 and under 122.5 cents
122.5 and under 132.5 cents
132.5 cents and over__ _______
.2
.3
.2
.1
.1
.1
.1
.1
.1
1.4
1.0
1.0
.2
.6
.1
.3
.1
1.1
.5
.1
.1
.1
.5
.3
.4
Total..............................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of mills. .....................
Number of workers....... ..........
Average hourly earnings------
606
5,653
$0. 461
259
1,859
$0,468
15
502
$0,654
58
1,360
$0.354
47
188
$0.428
150
994
$0.378
77
750
$0.654
.1
Wages in large and small mills.—A fairly consistent mill-size wage
differential is apparent in this industry also (table 25). Feed mills
with fewer than 6 workers paid average hourly wages of 40.4 cents
(February), which was almost 5 cents higher than the average for
small flour mills. The average for feed mills with 6 to 20 workers
T able 23.— Percentage Distribution of W orkers in the Feed Industry, by Average H ourly Earnings and Region , February and September 1 9 4 1 1
Northeast and
East Central
All regions
Southeast
Lake ports
W est C en tra l,
Southwest, and
Mountain
Northwest
Average hourly earnings
Febru
ary
Septem
ber
Febru
ary
Septem Febru
ber
ary
Septem
ber
1.2
16.9
1.5
4.7
8.7
1.0
9.8
1.4
5.5
5.3
0.1
.8
1.7
.8
2.8
0.6
.1
.7
3.6
4.0
37.5 and under 40.0 cen ts........
40.0 and under 42.5 cen ts........
42.5 and under 45.0 cen ts........
45.0 and under 47.5 cents..........
47.5 and under 50.0 cents..........
2.5
6.1
2.1
4.3
3.4
5.5
8.0
3.1
3.0
2.4
1.2
5.6
5.1
9.6
5.7
.9
2.5
3.5
3.6
4.6
2.9
.2
1.0
.2
4.0
.2
50.0 and under 52.5 cents..........
52.5 and under 57.5 cen ts........
57.5 and under 62.5 cen ts........
62.5 and under 67.5 cents..........
67.5 and under 72.5 cents..........
6.2
8.3
6.4
6.7
7.8
5.0
7.8
5.6
7.3
7.4
18.8
23.8
7.0
9.5
3.5
9.7
24.7
12:9
32.8
12.4
72.5 and under 77.5 cents..........
77.5 and under 82.5 cents_____
82.5 and under 87.5 cents_____
87.5 and under 92.5 cents_____
92.5 and under 97.5 cents..........
7.0
3.3
.9
.8
.1
6.5
8.1
4.0
1.1
.7
2.3
1.3
3.3
1.9
1.0
.8
.2
97.5 and under 102.5 cents____
102.5 and under 112.5 cen ts___
112.5 and under 122.5 cents___
122.5 and under 132.5 cents___
132.5 cents and over_.............. .
.3
.4
.2
.1
.1
.3
.5
.3
.2
.2
Total— ..........................
100.0
Number of mills......................
Number of workers..................
Average hourly earnings..........
126
3,685
$0,497
.3
.1
Septem
ber
Febru
ary
2.4
39.2
2.9
32.2
17.5
1.9
21.9
2.6
15.2
10.3
2.7
5.5
8.9
.7
3.3
.4
11.6
18.2
3.9
3.9
.9
2.3
1.7
21.4
14.3
21.4
.8
1.3
1.0
10.7
20.0
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.0
.6
2.4
1.7
1.4
1.1
.8
4.7
13.9
7.0
51.1
20.8
3.6
.4
1.3
.4
15.7
26.1
10.9
1.0
.2
.4
.5
.1
.1
.3
.8
.2
.1
4.7
4.7
2.3
1.5
1.0
.8
.2
.6
.8
1.7
1.3
.6
1.0
.2
.3
.1
.2
.3
.2
Septem
ber
Febru
ary
Septem
ber
Febru
ary
Septem
ber
0.2
.2
0.2
3.0
25.2
.9
3.7
11.8
2.7
17.0
3.2
2.7
7.4
3.0
8.1
3.7
4.6
10.8
10.2
6.4
5.8
5.8
3.4
.6
1.0
4.7
14.0
7.0
2.3
48.8
2.3
5.1
4.2
6.0
2.7
10.7
1.9
7.1
7.8
2.7
3.7
6.7
5.7
4.7
25.7
.6
3.9
4.5
8.5
3.7
4.7
2.3
2.3
2.3
3.4
.5
.4
3.2
.9
.5
.2
.2
22.2
16.3
5.1
3.9
.4
21.5
28.4
15.9
5.5
3.9
2.3
2.3
.2
.2
.2
.2
.2
.8
.4
.4
.6
.8
.4
.6
.2
2.3
4.7
2.3
2.3
4.7
2.3
1.8
.2
a
.2
.4
.1
.1
.1
.1
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
126
3,685
$0,539
37
906
$0,522
37
906
$0,570
10
477
$0,660
10
477
$0,741
30
1,185
$0,361
30
1,185
$0,387
4
43
$0,622
4
43
$0,648
27
566
$0,422
27
566
$0,443
18
508
$0,711
18
508
$0,775
FEED INDUSTRY
Under 30.0 cents.......................
Exactly 30.0 cen ts...................
30.1 and under 32.5 cents.........
32.5 and under 35.0 cents..........
35.0 and under 37.5 cents..........
Febru
ary
Pacific
1 Data for mills with fewer than 6 workers are not included in this tabulation.
fcO
28
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
was 46.2 cents, also higher than for flour mills of a comparable size.
Workers in mills with 21 to 50 workers had average earnings of 48.0
cents, practically the same as in flour mills of that size. The average
for mills with 51 to 100 workers (47.7 cents) was about the same as
that for the next smaller class, but the largest mills, with more than
100 workers, paid average wages of 57.2 cents. It is interesting to
note that the largest feed mills paid substantially lower wages than
did the largest flour mills. This, together with the fact that wages
in large mills have more weight in the flour than in the feed industry,
largely accounts for the difference between the wage levels of the two
industries.
T a b l e 24 .— Average H ourly Earnings o f W orkers in the Feed Industry, by Region and
Unionization , February and September 1 9 4 1 1
September
Region and union status
Number of Number of February
average
mills
workers
Percentage
Average
increase
(estimated) over Feb
ruary
All regions.................................................
Union.................................................
Nonunion............................................
126
29
97
3,685
1,340
2,345
$0,497
.641
.420
$0.539
.697
.456
8.5
8.7
8.6
Northeast and East Central......................
Union..................................................
Nonunion............................................
37
7
30
906
237
669
.522
.597
.497
.570
.642
.547
9.2
7.5
10.1
Lake ports.................................................
Union..................................................
Nonunion............................................
10
6
6
477
370
107
.660
.694
.542
.741
.771
.635
12.3
11.1
17.2
Southeast ...................................................
Union..................................................
Nonunion............................................
30
1
29
1,185
(2)
(*)
.361
(8)
.353
.387
(8)
.379
Northwest....................... .........................
Union..................................................
Nonunion............................................
4
2
2
43
.622
(8)
(8)
.648
West Central, Southwest, and Mountain..
Union..................................................
Nonunion............................................
27
4
23
566
119
447
.422
.577
.387
.443
.591
.410
5.0
2.4
5.9
Pacific........................................................
Union..................................................
Nonunion............................................
18
10
8
508
422
86
.711
.725
.646
.775
.789
.710
9.0
8.8
9.9
(2)
(2)
8
(8)
8
7.2
7.4
4.2
i Data for mills with fewer than 6 workers are not included in this tabulation.
* Included in total to avoid disclosure of individual mill information.
* An average is not computed for fewer than 3 plants.
Size of city influence.—Wages in feed mills located in the larger
cities are substantially higher than those in small-town mills. This
condition, of course, results in part from the stronger union organiza
tion and larger manufacturing units in the cities. A comparison by
size of city of average wages in mills with six or more wage earners is
shown in table 26. Wages in the smallest communities averaged 41.3
cents an hour and those in the largest, 66.7 cents. If the smallest
mills were included, the differences in wage level probably would be
more pronounced.
29
THE FEED INDUSTRY
T able 25 .— Percentage Distribution o f Workers in the Feed Indu stry, by Average H ourly
Earnings, Region , and Size o f M ill , February 1941
All
workers
Average hourly earnings
Workers in mills with average wage-earner employ
ment of—
1 to 5 1
6 to 2 0 1
21 to 50
51 to 100
101 and
over
All regions
Under 30.0 cents.......................................
Exactly 30.0 cents....................................
30.1 and under 32.5 cents...........................
32.5 and under 35.0 cents...........................
35.0 and under 37.5 cents...........................
6.7
14.0
2.8
6.4
8.9
16.9
8.7
5.1
9.7
9.2
5.9
12.2
4.5
2.8
5.8
0.3
22.6
.5
1.7
9.1
0.4
18.6
1.5
8.1
10.0
0.1
10.6
.7
5.5
8.4
37.5 and under 40.0 cents...........................
40.0 and under 42.5 cents...........................
42.5 and under 45.0 cents...........................
45.0 and under 47.5 cents...........................
47.5 and under 50.0 cents...........................
3.8
7.0
2.6
4.9
2.7
6.1
8.8
3.7
5.9
1.4
2.8
9.4
3.0
5.1
2.7
1.2
4.4
4.0
8.3
3.4
3.8
9.5
1.0
3.0
5.9
2.2
1.4
.5
.6
.5
50.0 and under 52.5 cents...........................
52.5 and under 57.5 cents...........................
57.5 and under 62.5 cents...........................
62.5 and under 67.5 cents...........................
67.5 and under 72.5 cents...........................
6.6
7.0
5.3
5.5
6.0
7.3
4.7
3.2
3.4
2.6
13.1
8.7
7.3
2.8
6.7
8.3
7.4
5.6
7.0
3.2
3.0
6.2
2.5
4.0
9.3
2.6
11.9
11.9
12.6
12.0
72.5 and under 77.5 cents...........................
77.5 and under 82.5 cents...........................
R2,fi and under 87 .fi rants
87 5 and under Q?fi rants
_
02.fi and under 97.5 cents ______ _______
4.9
2.3
.8
.7
.2
1.0
.4
.6
.5
.3
3.7
1.9
6.1
5.5
1.4
.6
.1
10.0
1.2
.3
7.8
4.7
1.6
1.9
.3
97.5 and under 102.5 cents.........................
102.5 and under 112.5 cents.............—.......
112.fi and under 192 fi rants
122.fi and under 182.fi rants
.2
.3
.2
.1
.1
.2
.1
.1
.1
.2
.2
.1
.2
.4
.2
Total...............................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of mills.......................................
Number of workers...................................
Average hourly earnings...........................
606
5,653
$0,461
480
1,968
$0,404
65
641
$0,462
132.fi cants and over
1.2
.1
.2
.5
1.2
.3
.2
100.0
100.0
100.0
36
1,055
$0,480
18
1,129
$0.477
7
860
$0,572
.4
.4
Pacific, Lake ports, and N orthw est
3.8
1.6
.6
.8
3.1
13.1
4.9
1.5
2.7
6.1
1.3
3.6
1.4
1.8
1.7
4.6
7.0
4.6
4.4
4.6
... _
52.5 and under 57.5 cents...........................
57.5 and under 62.5 cents...........................
62.5 and under 67.5 cents...........................
67.5 and under 72.5 cents...........................
3.8
5.8
11.2
10.6
18.6
72.5 and under 77.5 cents...........................
77.5 and under 82.5 cents...........................
Under 30.0 cen ts____________________
Exactly 30.0 cents _ ____
___
20.1 and nndar 22.fi rants
22.fi and nndar 3fi.O cants
2fi.O and nndar 37.fi cants
_.
___ . _
37.5 and nndar 40.0 cents _____________
40.0 and nndar 42.fi cants
42.5 and under 45.0 cents___ ________ _
4fi.O and nndar 47.fi rants
47.fi and nndar 50.0 cants
___
_ ___
fiO.O and nndar 52.fi cants
82.fi and nndar 87.fi cants _ _ _ _ _ _
87.5 and under 92.5 cents _ _ _
92.fi and under 97.fi cants _ _
97.5 and under 102.5 cents.........................
102.fi and nndar 11 2.fi cants _____
112.fi and nndar 122.5 cants __ _
122.fi and under 132.5 cents. _
132.fi cents and over. _ _
T otal
____________
_ __
__________
Number of mills.......................................
Number of workers______ ____________
Average hourly earnings...........................
8ee footnote 1, table 9.
..
1.1
1.6
.5
2.7
5.6
4.3
5.6
0.4
.5
1.1
2.4
1.6
.4
5.3
8.7
6.6
9.6
8.7
8.7
7.1
21.3
6.5
21.3
2.8
2.4
6.0
18.2
9.1
3.8
1.3
3.0
39.3
16.7
7.4
2.5
2.1
.3
2.9
1.0
1.7
1.0
.2
13.1
4.9
16.2
20.5
5.6
2.0
.4
41.5
4.3
14.5
8.7
3.9
3.6
.8
.7
.7
.5
.3
.2
.5
.5
.5
.4
.8
1.7
.6
2.0
.6
.3
100.0
100.0
100.0
lio"
1,440
$0,620
wT
412
$0,485
18~
184
$0,630
.2
.2
4.3
.4
100.0
—
252
$0,663
.4
1.7
.9
1.3
2.5
5.6
21.5
13.7
21.7
100.0
100.0
T
234
$0,732
3
358
$0,691
30
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
T a b l e 2 5 .— Percentage Distribution o f W orkers in the Feed Industry, by Average H ourly
Earnings, Region , and Size o f M ill , February 1941 — Continued
Average hourly earnings
All
workers
Workers in mills with average* wage-earner employ*
ment of—
1 to 5
6 to 20
21 to 50
51 to 100
101 and
over
All other regions
Under 30.0 cents.......................................
Exactly 30.0 cents...... ...............................
30.1 and under 32.5 cents...........................
32.5 and under 35.0 cents...........................
35.0 and under 37.5 cents...........................
7.8
18.2
3.5
8.4
10.8
18.0
9.8
6.1
11.4
9.9
8.3
16.5
5.7
3.7
7.0
0.4
29.7
.6
2.2
10.2
0.4
23.7
1.9
10.2
12.8
0.2
18.0
1.2
9.4
14.3
37.5 and under 40.0 cents...........................
40.0 and under 42.5 cents...........................
42.5 and under 45.0 cents...........................
45.0 and under 47.5 cents..........................
47.5 and under 50.0 cents...........................
4.6
8.2
3.1
6.0
3.0
6.6
9.3
3.5
6.4
.6
3.9
11.4
4.2
7.0
3.3
1.6
4.0
5.1
10.2
4.0
4.8
11.8
1.2
3.7
7.5
3.8
2.4
.8
1.0
.8
50.0 and under 52.5 cents...........................
52.5 and under 57.5 cents...........................
57.5 and under 62.5 cents...........................
62.5 and under 67.5 cents...........................
67.5 and under 72.5 cents...........................
7.5
7.5
3.3
3.8
1.7
7.8
3.6
2.3
1.7
1.0
14.9
9.4
1.8
1.3
.9
10.1
9.0
5.5
3.5
1.4
3.8
6.8
2.8
4.2
1.5
2.6
16.5
5.0
12.0
5.2
72.5 and under 77.5 cents...... . ...............
77.5 and under 82.5 cents...........................
82.5 and under 87.5 cents...........................
87.5 and under 92.5 cents...........................
92.5 and under 97.5 cents...........................
1.3
.6
.2
.2
.1
.5
.3
.3
.3
.3
.7
1.6
.7
.l
.l
1.9
!3
.2
3.0
1.8
.1
.1
.1
.1
.1
Total...............................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of nr 11s.......................................
Number of workers..................................
Average hourly earnings...........................
467
4,213
$0,411
373
1 556
$0.384
47~
457
$0.404
28~
803
$0.427
15
895
$0. 414
4
502
$0,484
97.5 and under 102.5 cents........................
102.5 and under 112.5 cents.......................
112.5 and under 122.5 cents........................
122.5 and Under 132.5 cents........................
132.5 cents and over..................................
(2)
(2)
(2)
.1
.1
.2
.1
.6
.4
.6
*2
.2
2 Less than Ho of 1 percent.
T a b l e 2 6 .— Average H ourly Earnings o f W orkers in the Feed Industry, b y S ize o f C ity,
February 1941
Size of city (population)
1
Number of
mills
Number of
workers
Average
hourly earn
ings
All sizes. ........................................................................
126
3,685
$0.497
Under 2,500..........— ....................................................
2,500 and under 5,000 .....................................................
5,000 and under 25.000........................................... ........
25,000 and under 100,000..................................................
100,000 and under 500,000...............................................
500.000 and over..............................................................
16
10
30
31
26
13
224
104
773
887
1,158
539
.413
.457
.477
.454
.485
.667
1 Data for mills with fewer than 6 workers are not included in this tabulatign.
WAGES IN OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS
The average hourly earnings of workers in the major feed-mill occu
pations are shown in table 27.9 Millwrights (80.4 cents an hour) and
other skilled maintenance workers were the highest paid wage earners
9 Further detail regarding occupational variations in earnings is available in the Bureau and will be
furnished on request.
31
TH E FEED INDUSTRY
in the industry. General unskilled laborers had the lowest earnings,
averaging about 39 cents. Packers, check weighers, and sack sewers—
the largest group of semiskilled workers—had average wages of 46.5
cents; truckers averaged 41.5 cents, and loaders and unloaders earned
an average of 49.6 cents per hour. Mixer operators, a key occupation
in the semiskilled classification, had average earnings of 52.8 cents.
T able 27.— Average H ourly Earnings, Average W eekly H ours, and Average W eekly
Earnings o f W orkers in the Feed Industry, by Skill, Occupation , and Sex , February
1941
1*
Skill, occupation, and sex
Number
nf
workers
All occupations.............................................................
Total males ............................................................
Total females,............................................ ............
3,685
3,645
40
Skilled.........................................................................
Males_____ _____________ _______ ___________
Females...................................................................
467
466
1
Flevator operators (working foremen), male...........
Engineers, m ale........ ................ ............... ............
Foremen, working, production and packing, and
laboratory occupations...................................—
M ales...............................................................
Females.. .................................................. ......
Foremen, working, receiving, shipping, and stock,
male.....................................................................
Machinists and mechanics, male............................
Millers, male...........................................................
Millwrights, male ................................................. .
Miscellaneous maintenance occupations, male........
Semiskilled....................................................................
Males.....................................................................
Females............................................................... .
Average
hourly
earnings
Average
weekly
hours
Average
wee! ly
earnings
$0,497
.497
. 454
42.9
43.0
30.7
$21.29
21.38
13.91
.635
.635
44.9
45.0
00
28.53
28.54
(2)
18
16
.581
.651
46.3
45.3
26.89
29.52
95
94
1
.613
.613
(2)
45.9
46.0
00
167
34
48
51
38
.594
.572
.588
.804
.784
43.8
47.9
46.2
46.0
41.1
26.03
27.44
27.13
36.94
32.25
1,496
1.472
24
.497
.498
.469
43.9
44.1
30.5
21.84
21.97
14.30
00
(2)
28.14
28.18
Elevator assistants (grain distributors, cleaners,
weighmen, etc.), male...... ................................ .
Firemen, male.......................................................
General assistants to millers, male.................... ......
Hammermill operators, male...................................
Miscellaneous occupations, production, laboratory,
packing, and warehouse......................................
Males...............................................................
Females............................................................
Miscellaneous maintenance occupations, male........
Mixer operators, male.............................................
Oilers, male........................... ................................
Packers, check weighers, and sewers.......................
Males................................... .......... ................
Females..................................... ......................
Pellet-machine operators, male............. —...............
Truck drivers, male................................................
56
23
25
114
.577
.534
.505
.546
42.6
42.4
44.2
43.2
24.58
22.64
22.32
23.61
112
104
8
48
252
40
598
582
16
34
194
.522
.524
(2)
.586
.528
.539
.465
.465
.473
.551
.453
42.4
44.1
(2)
42.5
43.7
41.7
43.4
43.6
35.0
43.5
48.6
22.13
23.09
(2)
24.92
23.07
22.48
20.17
20.27
16.57
23.99
22.00
Unskilled..................................................................... .
M ales.....................................................................
Females..................................................................
1,722
1,707
15
.455
.455
.418
41.4
41.5
30.3
18.86
18.91
12.63
General mill laborers and helpers, male..................
General warehouse laborers.....................................
Males...............................................................
Females...... ....................................... .............
Grain unloaders and general elevator laborers,
m ale........................................................ ...........
Loaders and unloaders, warehouse, male................
Miscellaneous maintenance and service occupations
M ales...............................................................
Females.............................................................
Mixer feeders (sack dumpers), male........................
Sweepers, male........................................................
Truckers, male......................—.................. ...........
Watchmen, male.....................................................
199
263
250
13
.395
.476
.478
.41.3
43.0
40.8
41.3
31.6
16.97
19.43
19.77
13.03
75
308
62
60
2
222
71
479
43
.499
.496
.387
.386
(2)
.484
.527
.415
.501
41.5
42.8
42.1
42.8
(2)
42.1
40.3
39.7
44.5
20.67
21.19
16.33
16.54
* Data for mills with fewer than 6 workers are not included in this tabulation.
* Not a sufficient number cf workers to justify the computation of an average.
(2)
20.39
21.22
16.50
22.29
32
EARNINGS, GRAIN-M ILL PRODUCTS
The Cereals Industry
The cereals industry had a total of 70 establishments in 1939, with
average employment of approximately 7,500 wage earners. Although
very small manufacturing units are important numerically, 97 percent
of the industry’s workers are in mills with more than 20 workers each,
and 87 percent are employed in units with more than 100 workers.10
The industry may be divided roughly into three product branches,
namely, manufacturers of ready-to-serve breakfast cereals, producers
of oatmeal and rolled oats, and producers of other uncooked cereal
preparations. There is some overlapping among these groups. How
ever, the bulk of the product is made in mills which specialize in a
particular type (table 28).
Ready-to-serve cereals represent about 60 percent of all cereal
preparations, in terms of product value; oat cereal, largely oatmeal
and rolled oats, comprises a little more than 20 percent; uncooked
cereals, other than oats, are about 10 percent; corn grits and hominy
for table use are approximately 3 percent; and other cereal prepara
tions, including coffee substitutes, are about 4 percent of the total
product value.10 The ready-to-serve cereal branch includes not only
the largest mill units in the industry, but the largest in the entire
group of grain-mill products industries. Some relatively large mills
are likewise found among producers of oatmeal and rolled oats. Most
of the establishments specializing in other uncooked cereals have less
than 100, and several have fewer than 20 workers.
T able 28.— Percentage Distribution o f the Toted Vcdue o f Product o f Each Branch o f the
Cereals Industry, by T yp e o f Product, 1940
Approximate percentage of total product
value in i—
Product
Total
industry
A ll products____________________________________
Total cereal products
Heady- to-,serve _ _____
x
_
Oatm eal and rolled oats
O ther
Peed b v p ro d u c t. .
x
O ther grafn m illin g
T
Wheat, flour
,. _x ,
Other
. . _.
____
________
_____
_
_ _
_______________
Prepared feeds......................... .... .......... ............... .....
B lended and prepared flnnr from purchased flnnr
Other.......... ..................................................................
Ready-to- Oatmeal Other un
serve cere and rolled cooked cere
als branch oats branch als branch
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
75.4
4 3.7
24.2
7 .5
10.1
7 .5
3 .4
4 .1
4 .5
.2
2 .3
92.6
91.9
96.8
1 .0
.7
1 .2
1 .7
.7
1 .0
.5
56.8
6 .1
4 9 .6
1.1
19.4
14.0
6 .4
7 .6
8 .8
4 .0
1 .0
(a)
(a)
(a)
9 5 .8
.1
3 .1
i These data are presented as an approximate distribution only. Complete data were not available for &
establishments, for which total-value data were allocated to the major product.
3 Less than Mo of 1 percent.
10 U. S. Census of Manufactures, 1939*
33
TH E CEREALS INDUSTRY
Table 29 shows the distribution of the mills surveyed with respect to
some of the more important variables affecting wage structure.
T a b l e 29 .— Distribution o f M ills and W orkers Included in Survey o f the Cereals Industry*
by T yp e o f Product, S ize o f M ill , Size o f C ity , and Unionization9 1941
Number of
mills
Item
Type of product:
Ready-to-serve cereals __
Oatmeal and rolled oats
Other uneocked eereala
Number of
workers
Percentage of
all workers
15
9
9
2,059
1,258
152
59.3
36.3
4.4
33
3,469
100.0
9
8
6
6
4
76
328
730
936
1,399
2.2
9.5
21.0
27.0
40.3
.
33
3,469
100.0
Size of city (population):
Under 25,000 ........... ............................................
25,000 and Under 100,000
100,000 and under 500,000
_
500,000 and over
__ _ _
7
11
11
4
258
2,170
684
357
7.4
62.6
19.7
10.3
33
3,469
100.0
14
19
1,902
1,667
54.845.2
33
3,469
.. __
T otal
Size of mill (number of workers):1
1 to 20.......................................................................
21 to 100....................................................................
101 to 250..................................................................
2Ri to />nn
501 and over r T r
T otal
_ ____
T otal
_
____ T
_
____
_.
Unionization:
U nion
n.
N o n u n io n ...... r . . .
. . .
. .
Total....................................................................
100.0
i In order- to avoid overrepresentation of the larger mills only part of the workers in some such mills were
included in the Bureau's survey.
AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS
The cereal-preparations industry has the highest general wage level
of any of the industries comprising the grain-mill products group.
Basic hourly earnings in the 33 mills covered by the Bureau’s survey
averaged 67.3 cents in February 1941 (table 30).11 A distribution
of workers by their average hourly earnings shows between 5 and 10
percent of the industry’s wage earners in each 5-cent class from
37.5 cents to 92.5 cents, a 55-cent range containing 86 percent of all
workers. One-fourth of the workers received less than 51.7 cents,
and one-fourth more than 81.0 cents. Few more than 5 percent
were paid less than 40 cents an hour (table 31).*
u The basic average wage was increased 2.4 percent by premium overtime pay. The actual February
average hourly earnings including extra rates for overtime amounted to 68.9 cents.
34
EARNINGS, GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
T able 30.— Average H ourly Earnings o f Workers in the Cereals Industry, by T yp e o f
Product and Size o f M ill, February and September 1941
September
Number of Number of February
mills
workers
average
Type of product and size of mill
T otal __
_ ___
_
___
_
Average
(estimated)
Percentage
increase
over
February
_____
33
8,469
$0,673
$0.715
6 .2
Oatmeal and rolled oats____ -______
15
9
9
2,059
1,258
152
.72 3
.605
.5 7 2
.76 4
.651
.5 9 4
5 .7
7 .6
3 .8
9
8
6
76
828
730
936
1,399
.4 8 0
.59 8
.6 2 2
.64 4
.751
.49 9
.63 8
.64 3
.6 8 8
.80 5
4 .0
6 .7
3 .4
6 .8
7 .2
Type of product:
Ready-to-serve cereals _
Other uncooked cereals
___
Size of mill:
U nd er 21 workers _
______
21 to 1Oft workers _
_
101 to 25ft workers
251 to 600 workers. _
_ _ _
SOI workers and o v e r ___ _
_____
Q
4
T able 31.— Percentage Distribution o f Workers in the Cereals Industry, by Average
H ourly Earnings and b y T yp e o f Product, February and September 1941
All products
Ready-to-serve
cereals
Oatmeal and
rolled oats
Other uncooked
cereals
Average hourly earnings
Febru Septem Febru Septem Febru Septem Febru Septem
ary
ber
ary
ber
ary
ber
ary
ber
Exactly 30.0 cents................
30.1 and under 32.5 cents
32.5 and under 35.0 cents___
35.0 and under 37.5 cents___
37.5 and under 40.0 cents___
0.6
.4
.6
.9
2.8
0.2
.3
.5
.7
1.2
0.1
(i)
.3
.6
2.3
0)
(i)
0.3
.6
1.2
0.1
.5
1.0
.9
4.1
0.5
.3
1.4
11.2
3.3
1.3
3.9
.7
3.9
7 2
3.3
5.3
40.0 and under 42.5 cents___
42.5 and under 45.0 cents___
45.0 and under 47.5 cents___
47.5 and under 50.0 cents___
50.0 and under 52.5 cents___
4.6
4.2
4.1
1.9
7.0
2.7
3.1
3.6
2.5
7.6
2.8
4.1
3.1
1.6
7.3
2.7
2.2
2.4
1.6
8.4
7.3
4.7
5.4
2.1
6.4
2.2
4.6
5.6
3.7
6.0
6.6
1.3
7.2
5.3
9.2
5.9
2.0
3.3
5.9
9.9
52.5 and under 57.5 cents___
57.5 and under 62.5 cents......
62.5 and under 67.5 cents___
67.5 and under 72.5 cents___
72.5 and under 77.5 cents___
10.2
8.1
8.7
8.9
7.2
6.1
9.6
8.8
7.5
9.9
6.2
6.6
8.6
6.4
7.6
4.1
6.4
5.8
7.7
7.7
17.5
11.2
9.1
11.9
6.4
9.5
15.5
14.3
7.3
12.2
3.9
2.0
5.3
17.7
7.9
4.6
3.3
3.3
6.6
21.0
77.5 and under 82.5 cents___
82.5 and under 87.5 cents___
87.5 and under 92.5 cents......
92.5 and under 97.5 cents......
97.5 and under 102.5 cents__
6.9
6.3
5.2
3.7
3.6
7.1
7.2
5.3
4.6
3.7
8.0
9.4
8.0
5.5
5.3
8.1
8.7
7.5
6.9
5.5
5.5
1.9
1.1
1.0
1.0
5.8
5.2
2.1
1.3
3.9
2.0
2.6
.7
2.6
3.9
3.3
2.6
.7
2.0
102.5 and under 112.5 cents.__
112.5 and under 122.5 cents...
122.5 and under 132.5 cents...
132.5 cents and over.............
3.5
.4
.1
.1
6.2
1.3
.2
.1
5.6
.5
.1
(0
10.0
1.9
.2
.1
.5
.2
.1
.1
.9
.3
.2
.1
.7
.7
1.3
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
33~
3,469
$0.673
33*
3,469
$0.715
15~
2,059
$0,723
15~
2,059
$0,764
1,258
$0,605
9
1,258
$0,651
9
152
$0,572
9
152
$0,594
Total..........................
Number of mills...................
Number of workers.............
Average hourly earnings__
1.0
.7
—
i Less than Ho of 1 percent.
By September, wages had advanced 6.2 percent, increasing average
hourly earnings from 67.3 cents to 71.5 cents and reducing to 2.9
percent the proportion of workers earning less than 40 cents an hour.
TH E CEREALS INDUSTRY
35
Product differences.—The highest general wage level is found in
that branch which produces principally ready-to-serve cereals. This
branch is dominated by a few very large manufacturers, but it also
contains several small producers. Its workers received an average
wage of 72.3 cents an hour in February, and 76.4 cents in September
1941. At the former date, only 3.3 percent of the wage earners in
these mills earned less than 40 cents an hour, and by September the
number had been reduced to 2.1 percent.
The average wage paid by the oatmeal and rolled oats producers
was 60.5 cents in February and 65.1 cents in September, indicating
a relatively larger increase than occurred in the ready-to-serve cereal
factories. Whereas 6.6 percent of the workers earned less than 40
cents in February, only 2.2 percent, practically the same proportion
as in ready-to-serve cereal mills were in that category in September.
The oat-cereal branch of the industry is dominated by one large con
cern. The total number of producers in this branch is believed to be
less than a dozen; there are no extremely small mills.
The third and smallest branch of the industry, which produces
principally uncooked cereals other than oatmeal, has generally smaller
manufacturing units than either of the other branches. The nine
mills of this branch which were surveyed had an average wage level
of 57.2 cents in February and 59.4 cents in September 1941. Wage
increases during the year were restricted to relatively fewer establish
ments than in either of the other two branches of the industry. The
lowest-wage branch of the cereals industry, this group of mills has
approximately 20 percent of the total labor classified as earning less
than 40 cents an hour.
Union and nonunion wages.—Slightly more than half of the workers
covered were under collective bargaining agreements with their
employers. The union workers’ earnings were more than 5 cents an
hour higher on the average, than those of their nonunion fellow
workers. Union worker earnings of 69.8 cents in February had
increased to 73.9 cents in September. The respective figures for
nonunion workers were 64.3 cents and 68.6 cents.
Wages in large and small mills.—The difference in the wage levels of
large and small manufacturing units is pronounced. Average earn
ings of 48.0 cents an hour in February 1941 in mills with 20 wage
earners or less may be compared with a 75.1-cent average in the largest
mills. The respective September averages were 49.9 and 80.5 cents,
3 of the 9 small mills and all of the large ones having increased wage
rates during the intervening months.
Region and size of city.—It is impossible to draw from the Bureau’s
sample definite conclusions regarding regional differences in wages in
the cereal industry. The mills studied are so few and so widely
36
EARNINGS, GRAIN-M ILL PRODUCTS
scattered geographically that the regional influence cannot be isolated.
It may be said that the highest wages in the industry are paid in the
Battle Creek, Mich., mills. Rates of large manufacturers in other
locations are only slightly lower. The mills where wages are lowest
are located in the West Central, Northwestern, and Southern States.
However, these are predominantly small units, frequently located in
small towns. There is evidence that the characteristics and policies
of individual large companies exercise an important influence on the
wage structure of the industry.
WAGES OF OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS
The relative wage levels of the principal occupations in cereal mills
are shown in table 32.12 As in other grain-mill products industries,
millwrights and other skilled maintenance workers earned the highest
wages of all occupational groups. Packers, the most important
occupation numerically, had average earnings of 53.7 cents; male
packers earned 62.5 cents and female packers, 49.8 cents. The
earnings of unskilled workers averaged 65.7 cents an hour.
T a b l e 32 .— Average H ourly Earnings, Average W eekly H ours, and Average W eekly
Earnings
o f Workers in
the Cereals
Industry,
by Skill,
Occupation, and
Sex ,
February 1941
Skill, occupation, and sex
Number of
workers
Average
hourly
earnings
Average
weekly
hours
Average
weekly
earnings
All occupations............................................................
Total males............................................ ................
Total females..........................................................
3,469
2,462
1,007
$0,673
.734
.499
37.9
39.6
33.8
$25.51
29.04
16.87
Skilled.........................................................................
Males......................................................................
Females...................................................................
729
696
33
.839
.849
.629
40.4
40.5
38.3
33.92
34.38
24.11
Elevator operators (working foremen), male...........
Engineers, male......................................................
Foremen, working, packing department.................
Males................................................................
Females............................................................
Foremen, working, production departments...........
Males........ .......................................................
Females..................................... .....................
Foremen, working, receiving, shipping, and stock,
male.....................................................................
Machinists and mechanics, male.............................
Millers, male.............. ............................................
Millwrights, male....................................................
Miscellaneous maintenance occupations, male........
Miscellaneous laboratory occupations.....................
Males................................................................
Females................. ..........................................
16
27
141
116
25
62
57
5
(0
.818
.927
.737
.766
.604
.837
.847
40.9
42.8
39.4
39.4
39.1
41.7
42.4
<*)
33.49
39.69
29.01
30.18
23.60
34.93
35.94
<*)
138
101
88
62
129
15
12
3
.746
.941
.746
.972
.907
.853
.882
C)
38.0
40.8
42.9
40.9
41.7
40.0
40.0
28.40
38.38
32.03
39.73
37.80
34.11
35.30
Semiskilled....................................................................
Males......................................................................
Females...................................................................
1,995
1,072
923
.612
.698
.494
36.8
39.6
33.6
22.54
27.65
16.61
70
.757
Cookers, male..........................................................
54
.788
Dryers and temperers, male....................................
Elevator assistants (grain distributors, cleaners,
.662
50
weighmen, etc.), male..........................................
.744
Firemen, male.........................................................
37
33
.581
Gun operators, male...............................................
»Not a sufficient number of workers to justify the conaputation of an average.
40.7
38.1
30.84
30.00
39.7
44.1
39.2
26.29
32.78
22.75
0)
0)
h Further detail regarding occupational variations in earnings is available in the Bureau and will be fur
nished on request.
37
TH E PREPARED-FLOUR INDUSTRY
T able 32.— Average H ourly Earnings, Average W eekly Hours, and Average W eekly
Earnings o f Workers in the Cereals Industry, by
Skill,
Occupation,
am? Se#,
February 1941 — C ontinued
Skill, occupation, and sex
Number of
workers
Semiskilled—Continued.
Hammermill operators, male...................................
Inspectors, product.................................................
Males................—............................................
Females............................................................
Millers' assistants (bolters, roll tenders, spoutmen,
smutters, etc.), male.................................... .......
Miscellaneous maintenance and service occupations.
Males................................................................
Females............................................................
Miscellaneous packing department and warehouse
occupations..........................................................
Males...............................................................
Females...... .......... ............................ .............
Miscellaneous production and laboratory occupations....................................................................
Males__________ ____________ _______ ____
Females—........................................................
Mixer operators, male.............................................
Oilers, male........ ....................................................
Oven operators, male..............................................
Packers..................................................................
Males...............................................................
Females............................................................
Roll and shredder operators....................................
Males................................................................
Females....................... .....................................
Truck drivers, male................................................
Unskilled......................................................................
Males......................................................................
Females...................................................................
745
694
51
General laborers and helpers, production depart
ments...................................................................
Males................................................................
Females............................................................
General warehouse laborers.................................. .
Males................. .............................................
Females............... ............................................
Grain unloaders and general elevator laborers, male.
Loaders and unloaders, warehouse, male .............
Miscellaneous maintenance and service occupations.
Males...............................................................
Females............................................................
Sweepers, male......... ..............................................
Truckers, male......................... ............................ .
Watchmen, male.....................................................
103
99
4
109
96
13
24
108
61
27
34
141
139
60
Average
hourly
earnings
Average
weekly
hours
Average
weekly
earnings
18
111
11
100
$0.718
.515
.667
.494
39.8
34.2
41.8
33.4
$28.56
17.63
27.91
16.49
18
140
128
12
.691
.712
.734
.472
41.7
40.4
40.5
38.8
28.81
28.75
29.72
18.32
99
35
64
.534
.683
.435
34.5
39.2
31.9
18.44
26.77
13.88
102
72
30
62
55
64
987
273
714
69
66
3
26
.683
.732
.545
.641
.642
.839
.537
.625
.498
.746
.759
38.4
40.1
34.2
36.6
40.8
39.1
35.0
38.6
33.6
39.8
39.9
26.23
29.38
18.67
23.48
26.18
32.86
18.78
24.11
16.75
29.70
30.27
'
0)
0)
.758
0)
41.0
0)
31.07
.657
.668
.487
38.4
38.6
35.0
25.22
25.82
17.05
.732
.733
36.5
36.8
26.74
26.94
(*>
23.88
24.88
16.45
26.83
28.43
20.84
26.02
16.73
24.41
24.53
26.62
.650
.679
.440
.687
.674
.572
,673
.483
.630
.653
.657
0)
36.7
36.7
37.4
39.0
42.2
36.4
38.7
34.6
38.7
37.6
40.5
i Not a sufficient number of workers to justify the computation of an average.
The Prepared-Flour Industry
The smallest division of the grain-mill products industries comprises
78 establishments in which purchased flour is blended, phosphated, or
otherwise further processed for sale as special-purpose flour. Ninetenths of all phosphated flour, however, more than three-fourths of
the self-rising, one-half of the plain blended, and one-fourth of all
other prepared flour are produced by the flour-milling industry.
AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS
Workers in the 19 establishments surveyed by the Bureau earned
an average basic wage of 43.9 cents in February 1941. By September,
this basic wage had increased to 45.1 cents.
38
EARNINGS., GRAIN-MILL PRODUCTS
The individual average hourly earnings of about 97 percent of the
workers fell between 30.0 and 82.5 cents in both periods. Examining
table 33, it will be observed that in February the distribution of workers
was very uneven, with a major concentration of 36.1 percent at exactly
30.0 cents, a second lesser concentration of 16.0 percent between 37.5
and 42.5 cents, and a cumulation of 9.5 percent between 62.5 and
67.5. The later wage increases pushed up the earnings in the lower
classes, smoothing the distribution somewhat, but not eliminating
the irregularity, which is primarily the result of wide regional dif
ferences in wage levels. In September, 33.3 percent of the workers
received exactly 32.5 cents, and 51 percent were paid less than 40
cents an hour.
T able 33.— Percentage Distribution o f Workers in the Prepared-Flour Industry, by
Average H ourly Earnings, February and September 1941
February
Average hourly earnings
September
Under 30.0 cents____________________ _______________ __________
Exactly 30.0 cents _____________________________________________
3(V1 and under 32.fi cants
_
32.5 and under 3fi 0 cents
......
3fi.O and under 37.fi cents . _
*
_
.......
0.3
36.1
4.3
1.3
7.5
0.3
33.3
3.0
3.6
6.9
37.fi and under 40.0 cents . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
___ _
_
____
_ __ _
40.0 and under 42.fi cents _ .
42.5 and under 45.0 cents________________________________________
4fi.O and under 47.fi cents _ _
_
. . .
__
47.5 and under 50.0 cents_______________________ ____ ___________
6.6
10.4
.3
2.6
1.0
3.9
7.2
5.6
3.6
50.0 and under 52.5 cents_________ _____ ____________ ____________
fi2.fi and under fi7.fi cents _____ ______
...... ...
. . .
__ _
fi7.fi and under fi2.fi cents _ ___
.. . . . .
62.5 and under 67.5 cents________ _____ ____________ __________ __
67.5 and under 72.5 cents________________________________________
4.3
2.3
5.2
0.5
2.0
2.3
5.6
4.6
9.5
3.0
72.fi and under 77.fi cents
2.3
2.0
.3
1.0
2.3
2.0
.7
.3
.7
.3
77.fi and under 82.fi cents
. _________
_
82.5 and under 87.5 cents________________________________________
87.fi and under 02.fi cents
02.fi and under 07.fi cents
____ . . . . . . . .
.
_ _ . ___ _ ..
P7.fi and under 102.fi cents
_
____ _
__
_
102.5 and under 112.5 cents_______________________________________
112.5 and under 122.5 cents______ _______________ ________ ________
122.5 cents and over____________________________________________
T otal
........... .
_____
. . .
Number of m ills
, , , , ....___ _ . _
Number of workers_____________________________________________
Average hourly earnings________________________________________
1.8
.7
.7
100.0
100.0
19
305
$0,439
19
305
$0,451
Earnings in the few northern mills averaged 57.3 cents in February,
as compared with a southern average of 34.0 cents. By September,
northern wages had increased 3.1 percent and southern wages, 2.1
percent.
Occupation and skill.—The most important occupation, numerically,
in prepared-flour mills is that of the packers. This is also the occupa
tion in which most of the female workers are employed. Packers
earned an average wage of 44.0 cents, which is slightly higher than the
industry average. Mixer tenders averaged 45.6 cents an hour.
39
THE PREPARED-FLOUR INDUSTRY
Unskilled warehouse labor was paid an average wage of 41.1 cents.
The general average for all unskilled employees was 36.8 cents, and
that for semiskilled workers was 44.6 cents. The few skilled workers
in the industry received an average wage of 62.5 cents an hour.
Detailed earnings data by occupation are presented in table 34.
T a b l e 34.— Average H ourly Earnings, Average W eekly Hours, and Average W eekly
Earnings o f Workers in the Prepared-Flour Industry, by Skill, Occupation, and Sex,
February 1941
Skill, occupation, and sex
Number
of workers
Average
hourly
earnings
Average
weekly
hours
Average
weekly
earnings
All occupations.............................................................
Total males.............................................................
Total females..........................................................
305
271
34
$0,439
.442
.411
39.7
40.3
35.3
$17.44
17.81
14.50
Skilled i............ .......................................................... .
Males ................................. ..................................
Females.......................................................... .......
29
26
3
.625
.628
(i2)
42.7
43.0
(2)
26.68
27.02
(2)
Semiskilled............................................................ .......
Males.....................................................................
Females............... ..................................................
173
142
31
.446
.456
.391
40.2
41.4
34.8
17.95
18.89
13.62
Mixer tenders, male...............................................
Packers................... ............................................ .
Males.............. ................................................
Females................. ............................. ............
Other semiskilled production and maintenance
workers3.............. ...............................................
Males...............................................................
Females.................................................... .......
45
86
66
20
.456
.440
.454
.390
41.0
39.6
40.5
36.4
18.69
17.40
18.37
14.20
42
31
11
.447
.461
.393
40.9
44.1
31.9
18.27
20.31
12.55
Unskilled workers, male................................................
Loaders, truckers, and general warehouse laborers..
Other unskilled production and maintenance work
ers 4................................................ .....................
103
52
.368
.411
38.0
35.5
13.98
14.61
51
.329
40.6
13.31
i Includes foremen and assistant foremen, miscellaneous professional workers, and skilled maintenance
workers.
* Not a sufficient number of workers to justify the computation of an average.
? Includes hammermill operators, spoutmen, weighers, truck-drivers, oilers, firemen, and miscellaneous
semiskilled production, packing, shipping, laboratory, and maintenance workers.
4 Includes general laborers, miscellaneous unskilled packing-room workers, watchmen, and sweepers.
@FedFRASER