The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Frances Perkins, Secretary B U R E A U OF L A B O R ST A T IST IC S Isador Lukin, Commissioner (on leave) A . F. H in ric h s, A ctin g Commissioner + H ourly Entrance Rates Paid to Common Laborers 1942 Bulletin 7s[o. 733 (Reprinted w ith o u t change from the M on th ly Labor R ev iew , February 1943] UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1943 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office Washington, D. C. - Price 5 cents CONTENTS Page n 03 fcO 1 1 00 M Summary______________________________________________________________ Significance of common-labor rates_____________________________________ Changes in Bureau’s method of analysis_____________ Variations in entrance rates in the country as a whole. Geographical variations_____ _______________________ Differences in rates, by race-------------------------------------Variations by industry______________________________ Variations by size of city_______________________________________________ Trends of entrance rates from 1926 to 1942______________________ .--------- 14 15 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL U nited S tates D epartm ent of L abor , B u r e a u of L abor S tatistics , Washington , D . C ., February 2 0 , 1943 . The S ecretary of L abo r : I have the honor to transmit herewith a report on hourly entrance rates paid to common laborers in 1942. This report was prepared by Robert L. Davis and John L. Dana, under the supervision of Edward K. Frazier, in the Bureau’s Division of Wage Analysis, Robert J. Myers, Chief. Hon. F rances P e r k in s , A. F . H in r ic h s , Acting Commissioner. Secretary of Labor. in Bulletin 7^o. 733 o f the U nited States Bureau o f Labor Statistics [Reprinted without change from the M onthly L abor R eview , February 1943] HOURLY ENTRANCE RATES PAID TO COMMON LABORERS, 19421 Sum m ary ADULT male common laborers in July 1942 had an average hourly rate of 58.5 cents for the country as a whole, a study of 20 industries reveals. This is a weighted average and not strictly comparable with the results of past studies. Comparable unweighted data for 13 industries, however, indicate an increase of 7 cents an hour, or about 12 percent, since July 1941. Slightly over a third of all common laborers studied received average hourly entrance rates under 42.5 cents in 1942. About a third were paid 70.0 cents an hour or over. As in earlier years, the average rate in the North and West (72.2 cents) was considerably higher than that in the South and Southwest (41.1 cents). Among the subdivisions of regions, the Pacific Coast reported the highest average (83.2 cents). The average entrance rate in manufacturing was 56.1 cents; that in public utilities, 53.6 cents; and that in the building construction industry, 67.4 cents an hour. Among specific industries, blast fur naces, steel works, and rolling mills showed the highest hourly entrance rate (74.5 cents); and fertilizers the lowest (43.5 cents). Rates in the larger cities tended to exceed those in the smaller. Among specific cities, Oakland, Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco paid the highest rates to manufacturing workers. Significance o f Comm on-Labor Rates The entrance rates paid to male common labor occupy a position of considerable importance in American industrial wage structure. Numbering several millions, even in peacetime, common laborers constitute the largest occupational group of workers engaged in nonagricultural pursuits. Their wages, paid to a fairly homogeneous group of workers and almost entirely free from the disturbing influence of incentive-payment systems, provide the best available basis for general comparisons of wage levels by region, size of city, etc. Com mon-labor entrance rates are of great significance in collective bargain ing and their level frequently determines the nature of the entire lower portion of an industry’s wage scale. Information regarding entrance rates of common labor has been secured in annual surveys by the Bureau of Labor Statistics since 1926, by means of mail questionnaires. The Bureau’s studies have 1 Prepared in the Bureau’s Division of Wage Analysis by Robert L. Davis and John L. Dana, under the supervision of Edward K. Frazier. 1 2 H O U R L Y ENTRANCE RATES, 1942 covered most of the manufacturing industries employing large num bers of common laborers and have also included representation of public utilities and building construction. In recent years, 16 man ufacturing industries and 3 public utilities have been included.2 Among the more important fields of employment not represented are the railroads and the construction of roads, highways, and other public works. As defined in the Bureau's questionnaires, common laborers include those workers “who perform physical or manual labor of a general character and simple nature, requiring no special training, judgment, or drill.” The instructions accompanying the questionnaires direct that apprentices and learners be excluded, as well as machine operators or other workers who can be designated by distinct occupational titles. There is evidence that some unskilled male workers other than common laborers are actually included in the returns received by the Bureau, but it is believed that these are not numerous enough or sufficiently different with respect to wage level to influence the results appreciably. Common laborers employed at rates other than the established entrance rates are also excluded from the Bureau's study. Un doubtedly the average rates paid to all common laborers are slightly higher than the average entrance rates alone. Substantial proportions of all laborers receive the entrance rates, however, and it is in terms of these rates that the closest comparability is attained. Changes in Bureau's M ethod o f A n a lysis In most respects the scope and method of the Bureau's 1942 study of entrance rates are similar to those described in connection with the reports on earlier studies.8 In two important respects, however, the data presented for 1942 are different from those previously re ported: (1) The 1942 rates relate exclusively to first-shift workers; and (2) a system of weighting has been introduced in order to reflect more faithfully the true importance of the various States and in dustries. The limitation of the 1942 data to first-shift workers was adopted in order to adhere to the current policy of reporting basic rates and to eliminate the influence of changes in the organization of production unaccompanied by wage changes. Rates of pay of evening and night shift workers are often higher than those of first (day) shift workers, as a result of the payment of a “late shift bonus'' which is common in many industries and localities. Employment on late shifts has not been an important factor in earlier years and the in fluence of such differentials could safely be ignored. The rise of war )roduction, however, has brought about a substantial increase in ate-shift work. Establishments cooperating in the Bureau's survey reported that approximately 17 percent of the common laborers on all shifts worked on shifts other than the first. The inclusion of these late-shift workers would have increased slightly the average rates for some sections of the country. f * The specific industries covered are indicated in table 4. Data for electric light and power and for manufactured and natural gas have been combined. Definitions used in distinguishing the various manufacturing industries are those of the Census of Manufactures. * See, for example, Monthly Labor Review, January 1942 (pp. 149-173): Hourly Entrance Rates Paid to Common Laborers, 1941. COMMON LABORERS 3 Previous reports on entrance rates of common labor have combined without special weighting the returns received by the Bureau from the thousands of cooperating firms throughout the United States. Analy sis has revealed, however, that certain industries and regions have received more than proportionate representation, while others have been under-represented. In general, for various reasons, the highwage industries and localities have received proportionately more weight than the low-wage ones. For example, the steel industry, in which wages are relatively high, has reported on a much more com plete basis than the southern lumber industry, in which much lower wages prevail. The result of this has been to overstate somewhat the average rates for various combinations of establishments. The weighting system introduced for the first time in the analysis of the 1942 data makes partial correction for such differences in proportionate representation. First, the number of common laborers m each covered industry, by State, was estimated; then, the number of common laborers reported from each State industry segment, was weighted upward to the estimated total. In combining the data for manufacturing, public utilities, and building construction (tables 1, 2, 3, and 6), the data for manufacturing have been given the weight of all manufacturing and not merely that of the specific industries cov ered; and the data for the selected utilities have been given the additional weight of a broad utilities grouping.4 This simple system of weighting is recognized as falling far short of the ideal. It fails, for example, to take full account of the over-repre sentation of large establishments in the questionnaire returns, another factor which tends to exaggerate the wage levels. In certain compari sons of wage rates by size of city (table 6) it has been necessary to assume that the weightings used for entire States have been appro priate for cities as well. In spite of these and other shortcomings, however, there is little doubt that the weights employed have in creased considerably the accuracy and consistency of the material presented. The effect of weighting, as revealed by comparisons with un weighted figures, is to increase the over-all average rate for the North and West by 1.6 cents and to reduce that for the South and Southwest by 2.6 cents. At the same time the influence of the South and South west is considerably enhanced, and the over-all average for the Nation as a whole is reduced by fully 4.5 cents. The data presented in this report are not strictly comparable, therefore, with those for earlier years. For purposes of comparison, however, the unweighted figures for 13 industries combined, in the United States as a whole, are pre sented in table 8. Valuations in Entrance Rates in the Country as a Whole The average hourly entrance rate paid to common laborers in the country as a whole in July 1942 was 58.5 cents. This figure is based on the weighted returns of 7,245 establishments employing 248,000 laborers at entrance rates on first shifts. The unweighted average for 13 industries, presented in table 8, exceeds by 7 cents per hour the 4 The following public-utility classifications of the 1940 Census of Occupations were included: Electric light and power; gas works and steam plants; street railways and bus lines; telephone and telegraph; truck ing service; and warehousing and storage. 4 H O U R L Y ENTRANCE RATES, 1942 comparable figure for 1941, revealing an increase of approximately 12 percent during the year. The rates paid to individual workers ranged from less than 30 cents an hour to more than $1.05. This broad range was due in part to the influence of geographic factors, race, industry, size of city, and similar factors. Some of these are discussed in the following pages. As is indicated by the distribution in table 1, slightly more than a third of all common laborers at entrance rates received less than 42.5 cents an hour. A little less than a third received rates between 42.5 and 70.0 cents an hour. The remainder were paid 70.0 cents an hour or over. T a b l e 1 .— Percentage Distribution o f Adult M ale Common Laborers by H ourly Entrance Rates, in Manufacturings Public U tilities, and Building Construction, J u ly 1942 Simple Cumu lative percent percent age age Hourly entrance rate Under 30.0 cents........................... Exactly 30.0 cents........................ Over 30.0 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_______ 62.5 and under 55.0 cents.............. 55.0 and under 57.5 cents.............. 57.5 and under 60.0 cents.............. 60.0 and under 62.5 cents.............. 62.5 and under 65.0 cents.............. 0.5 2.8 .1 .8 15.4 2.5 13.5 .5 2.5 .7 6.5 .8 4.8 1.4 4.7 1.9 0.5 3.3 3.4 4.2 19.6 22.1 35.6 36.1 38.6 39.3 45.8 46.6 51.4 52.8 57.5 59.4 Hourly entrance rate 65.0 and under 67.5 cents.............. 67.5 and under 70.0 cents............. 70.0 and under 72.5 cents.............. 72.5 and under 75.0 cents.............. 75.0 and under 77.5 cents.............. 77.5 and under 80.0 cents.............. 80.0 and under 82.5 cents.............. 82.5 and under 85.0 cents.............. 85.0 and under 87.5 cents............. 87.5 and under 90.0 cents.............. 90.0 and under 95.0 cents............. 95.0 and under 100.0 cents............ 100.0 and under 105.0 cents........... 105.0 cents and over..................... Total Simple Cumu lative percent percent age age 3.6 2.-7 5.7 2.4 3.9 4.9 2.4 3.8 1.6 1.6 2.1 1.8 3.2 .9 63.0 65.7 71.4 73.8 77.7 82.6 85.0 88.8 90.4 92.0 94.1 95.9 99.1 100.0 100.0 The largest concentration in any 2.5-cent interval, comprising 15.4 percent of the workers, fell within the rate-class interval of 35.0 and under 37.5 cents. This class apparently reflects the preponder ance of common laborers in the lumber (sawmills) industry in the South and Southwest at the 35.0-cent minimum set for the lumber industry under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The interval of 40.0 and under 42.5 cents showed the second largest concentration in the entire distribution. The prevalence of the 78.0-cent common-labor rate in the steel industry in the North is reflected by a modest con centration of workers in the interval of 77.5 and under 80.0 cents. Geographical Variations Table 2 and the accompanying map clearly demonstrate that the geographical factor has an important bearing upon entrance rates paid for common labor. The average rate in the North and West was 72.2 cents and exceeded by 31.1 cents the average for the South and Southwest (41.1 cents). Within these broad regions, however, entrance rates were by no means uniform. Entrance rates were con siderably higher on the Pacific Coast (83.2 cents) than in New England (62.3 cents). Several Northern States paid lower entrance rates than Kentucky in the South. I t is to be noted that wage levels in the various regions reflect in part differences in other factors, such as the number of large cities and the type of industry. It is significant that all cities of 500,000 population or more are in the North and West. 5 COMMON LABORERS a b l e 2 . — Average H ourly Entrance Rates o f Adult M ale Common Laborers in M anu facturing, Public Utilities, and Building Construction, b y Region and State, J u ly 1942 T Region and State Average hourlj entrance rate United States......................................... $0,585 North and West___ ________________ Pacific Coast. — . _ _ ______ California_ __ ________ Oregon — __ _____________ Washington_____ ___________ M ountain_____________________ Colorado___________________ Id a h o _________ ___________ Montana_______ ____ '______ Nevada____________________ U tah......................................... Wyoming......................... ........ Prairie.......... ................................... Iowa____________ __________ TTansftg_____ ____ ________ Missouri___________________ Nebraska___________________ North Dakota South Dakota __ . _____ Great L a k es___ _____________ _ Illinois_________ ___________ Indiana. ___________________ M ichigan______________ ____ Minnesota _________________ Ohio.........................................Wisconsin . .. ___ New England_____ ____________ Connecticut_____ _________ Maine_____________________ Massachusetts__ ____________ .722 .832 .811 .877 .859 .703 729 .721 .759 .621 .617 ,645 .694 .659 .588 .764 .658 <*) .633 .753 .810 .722 .723 .701 .741 .730 .623 .620 .540 .673 Region and State North and West—Continued. New England—Continued. New Hampshire........................ Rhode Island_______________ Vermont___________________ Middle Atlantic.............................. Delaware__ ______ __________ District of Columbia_________ Maryland.—..................... ....... New Jersey_________________ New York__________________ Pennsylvania_______________ West Virginia........ .................. South and Southwest.... ........................ Southeastern....................... ............ Alabama___________________ Arkansas.................... .... .......... Florida....... _............. .............. Georgia ___________________ Kentucky ____ ___________ Louisiana___________________ Mississippi............... ................ North Carolina______________ South Carolina______ _______ Tennessee...... ........................... Virginia.—.............. ................ Southwestern______ ____________ Arizona........... .......................... New Mexico________________ Oklahoma........................ ......... Texas.......................... ............. Average hourly entrance rate $0,575 .683 .451 .695 .514 .810 .618 .691 .704 .722 .605 0) .411 .399 .429 .390 .385 .365 .585 .434 .372 .359 .355 .433 .438 .468 .492 .520 .429 i Average not shown because of insufficient diversity of industries from which reports were received. In the North and West as a whole (including 33 States and the District of Columbia) rates varied over a range of 42.6 cents, from the Vermont average of 45.1 cents to the Oregon average of 87.7 cents. The Pacific Coast area, with the highest sectional average, exhibited a spread of only 6.6 cents between the California low of 81.1 cents and the Oregon high of 87.7 cents. This was the narrowest spread within anjr area in the broad region. The 6 Mountain States as a group averaged 70.3 cents. Rates for these States ranged from 61.7 cents in Utah to 75.9 cents in Montana, a spread of 14.2 cents. Farther in the interior, the 6 Prairie States averaged 69.4 cents and showed a spread of 17.6 cents between the lowest and the highest State averages. The influence of the larger cities in Missouri, and particularly of the building-construc tion industry in those cities, obscures the influence of the geographical factor to some extent. The average of 75.3 cents for the Great Lakes area was the second highest in the North and West region. Rates in the 6 States included in the area were relatively uniform—a spread of only 10.9 cents-+ranging from the Minnesota rate of 70.1 cents to the Illinois rate of 81.0 cents. The New England area, on the other hand, showed ja wide diversity of rates, ranging from a low of 45.1 cents in Vermont to 68.3 cents in Rhode Island. It may be observed that the southern New England averages in every case exceeded those for the more northern States of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. 514288°—43--- 2 BY WAGE AREAS HOURLY ENTRANCE RATES, 1 94 2 05 ENTRANCE RATES OF ADULT M ALE COMMON LABO RERS, JULY, 1942 COMMON LABORERS 7 The widest variation among rates in the North and West was found for the Middle Atlantic area including 6 States and the District of Columbia, and having a combined average of 69.5 cents. Indi vidual average rates ranged from 51.4 cents in Delaware to 81.0 cents in the District of Columbia, a spread of 29.6 cents. In this general area, the influence of such factors as size of city and type of industry on the State averages was particularly pronounced. In the broad region constituting the South and Southwest, and including 15 States, two general sectional patterns were discernible. The 11 Southeastern States averaged 39.9 cents, as compared with 46.8 cents for the 4 States in the Southwest. The first group of States varied 23.0 cents, from the South Carolina rate of 35.5 cents, to the Kentucky rate of 58.5 cents. When the Kentucky high was excluded, however, the range for the 10 remaining States was only 8.3 cents. The spread in the western group of States was approxi mately the same, 9.1 cents, being the difference between the Texas and the Oklahoma averages. , Differences in Rates b y Race Almost two-thirds of the common laborers in the three industrial groups combined, based on weighted data, were whites other than Mexican. Approximately a third were Negroes and about 2 percent were Mexicans. These proportions, of course, would not be the same if wage earners in all occupations combined were considered. Average rates paid to whites other than Mexican in the country as a whole exceeded those paid to either of the other two racial groups. Negroes as a group had the lowest average. The comparative figures for the United States as a whole are as follows: Whites other than Mexican_____________________ $0. 653 Mexicans__________________________ . 575 Negroes____________ . 474 Examination of the racial averages by broad geographic region, however, reveals that the concentration of Negroes in the South and Southwest is associated with their low average rate in the United States as a whole. In the North and West, the average rate for Negro common laborers was somewhat higher than the commonlabor averages for the other racial groups—73.6 cents, as compared with 70.5 cents for Mexicans and 72.0 cents for other whites. A higher entrance rate for Negroes than for other common laborers in the North and West has been reported in earlier studies by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This fact apparently results from con centrations of Negro workers in certain heavy industries in which high wages prevail, as for example, in the steel and building-construc tion industries. The distributions in table 3 illustrate the racial variations further; thus, 49.7 percent of the Negroes in the North and West received rates above 77.5 cents an hour, compared with 37.3 percent of the whites other than Mexican and 28.4 percent of the Mexicans. On the other hand, the proportion of Negro workers re ceiving less than 42.5 cents was also higher than for the other groups. In the South and Southwest, the average paid to Negroes as a group (39.6 cents an hour) fell below the regional average. Whites other than Mexican averaged 43.6 cents an hour, and Mexicans 46.3 cents. As is indicated by table 3, 81.5 percent of the Negroes, 66.7 percent of the whites other than Mexican, and 61.6 percent of the 8 HOURLY ENTRANCE RATES, 1942 Mexicans received less than 42.5 cents per hour. In the South and Southwest large numbers of Negroes are found in the lowest paid in dustries, especially lumber, brick, tile and terra cotta, and fertilizer. T a b l e 3 . — Percentages o f A dult M ale Common Laborers by Entrance Rates in M anufac turing, Public Utilities, and Building Construction, b y Region and Race, J u ly 1942 North and West Hourly entrance rate All la borers White other than Mexi can Negro South and Southwest White other than Mexi can Negro Mexi can 1.0 6.3 .2 1.8 34.0 5.5 0.8 3.8 .1 1.7 24.1 5.9 1.2 7.6 .2 2.0 40.1 5.4 0.2 5.3 Mexi All la can borers Under 30.0 cents...... .................. . Exactly 30.0 cents.......................... Over 30.0 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________ (9 0.1 (i) (i) (!) 0.1 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 55.0 cents............... 2.6 .3 2.2 .7 6.9 .9 2.3 .3 2.4 .7 7.5 .9 4.6 .1 1.1 .8 4.1 .9 2.8 .1 5.1 2.8 27.4 .8 2.8 .7 5.9 .6 30.3 .5 3.1 1.0 8.1 .7 25.0 1.0 2.6 .5 4.2 .4 51.5 .5 3.1 .2 20.4 2.0 55.0 and under 57.5 cents............... 57.5 and under 60.0 cents............... 60.0 and under 62.5 cents............... 62.5 and under 65.0 cents............... 65.0 and under 67.5 cents............... 67.5 and under 70.0 cents________ 4.1 1.2 7.3 2.6 5.8 3.5 4.4 1.3 7.8 2.7 6.1 3.4 2.9 .9 3.5 2.1 4.6 4.4 3.6 1.3 8.3 4.4 4.6 .3 5.6 1.6 1.4 1.0 .7 1.7 7.1 2.8 1.5 2.4 1.0 3.0 5.1 1.0 1.4 .4 .5 1.1 .1 1.7 .2 .8 .2 70.0 and under 72.5 cents............... 72.5 and under 75.0 cents............ __ 75.0 and under 77.5 cents............... 77.5 and under 80.0 cents ________ 80.0 and under 82.5 cents____ ____ 82.5 and under 85.0 cen ts.............. 9.8 4.3 7.0 10.1 3.8 7.3 .2 4.3 4.9 15.0 4.5 18.2 6.1 8.0 2.0 .7 4.3 6.2 8.0 7.0 3.7 11.2 4.0 13.5 85.0 and under 87.5 cents____ ____ 87.5 and under 90.0 cents________ 95.0 and under 100.0 cents_______ 100.0 and under 105.0 cents............ 105.0 cents and over____________ 2.9 2.8 3.7 3.2 5.7 1.6 3.1 2.2 3.3 3.1 6.4 1.7 1.5 5.5 6.4 4.1 2.5 1.0 3.6 6.0 2.2 .2 .2 .1 All rates............................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 00,0 and under 05.0 cents 1.2 .3 8.8 0) 0) 1.3 .3 8.3 0.3 (9 (9 1.1 .2 0.3 (9 .3 .3 (9 (9 (9 (9 (9 (9 (9 (9 (9 .7 100.0 (9 .1 .1 1.2 100.0 (9 (9 .3 3.2 1.1 (9 .1 .2 .1 8.9 100.0 100.0 Percentage distribution of laborers at entrance rates......................... 100.0 83.0 15.1 1.9 100.0 32.5 64.7 2.8 Average hourly entrance rate....... $0,722 $0,720 $0,736 $0,705 $0,411 $0,436 $0,396 $0,463 1 Less than a tenth of 1 percent. Variations b y Industry Common-labor entrance rates showed considerable variation from industry to industry. Industry variation occurred also within racial groups and within the two regions. The general averages presented in table 4 are indicative of rates in each of the three major industrial groups. The average rate paid in manufacturing in July 1942 for the country as a whole was 56.1 cents and the rate in public utilities was 53.6 cents; both were exceeded by the building-construction rate of 67.4 cents. Within the manufacturing group, a range of 31.0 cents was indicated between the 43.5-cent average for fertilizers and the 74.5cent average for blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills. Despite the large spread, only three of the selected industries—fertilizers, 9 COMMON LABORERS lumber (sawmills), and brick, tile, and terra cotta—fell below the manufacturing average itself. Within public utilities, the spread was considerably less, 5.6 cents between the 51.7-cent average in electric light and power and the 57.3-cent average in electric streetrailway and city motorbus operation and maintenance. Among all industries and industry groups considered, three manufacturing in dustries—blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills; petroleum refining; and chemicals—paid the highest average hourly entrance rates in the country. T able 4 .— Average H ourly Entrance Reties o f Adult M ale Common Laborers, by Industry, Region , and Race, Ju ly 1942 North and West Industry 16 manufacturing industries...................... Automobile parts_________________ Blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills................................................. Brick, tile, and terra cotta.................. Cement............................................... Chemicals........................................... Fertilizers.................-........................ Foundry and machine-shop products.. Glass Leather............................................... Lumber (sawmills)....... ..................... Meat packing..................................... Paints and varnishes.......................... Paper and pulp___________________ Petroleum refining.............................. Rubber tires and inner tubes_______ Soap................................................... United States South and Southwest White White other other Total than Negro Mex Total than Negro Mex ican ican Mex Mex ican ican $0,561 $0,672 $0,669 $0,684 $0,698 $0,398 $0,427 $0,384 $0,458 .640 0 0) 0) 0 0 0 .745 .529 .640 .693 .435 .594 .592 .616 .440 .669 .620 .622 .737 .647 .666 .766 .600 .676 .750 .565 .628 .601 .625 .643 .691 .636 .642 .838 0) 0 .766 .599 .675 .745 .585 .624 .603 .625 .647 .684 .634 .642 .844 (i) 0 .766 .607 .670 .801 .539 .647 .567 .630 .423 .721 .619 .608 .795 0) 0 .775 .588 .692 0 .730 .689 (3) (2) .671 .705 .814 (2) (2) (0 .562 .383 .543 .485 .368 .430 .496 .538 .363 .535 .419 .576 .607 (0 0) .538 .450 .552 .521 .361 .437 .487 .553 .366 .553 .430 .568 .654 0 .575 .355 .539 .453 .368 .424 .516 .467 .361 .492 .403 .583 .546 (i) 0 0 .362 (2) .421 .521 (2) (2) .436 (2) .460 .516 0 0 Public utilities.......................................... Electric light and power and manu factured and natural gas.................. Electric street-railway and city motorbus operation and maintenance....... .536 .605 .608 .604 .528 .390 .411 .372 .517 .595 .592 .645 .630 .384 .407 .363 .361 .573 .621 .638 .585 .508 .408 .424 .394 0 Building construction............................... .674 .833 .841 .806 .775 .454 .476 .439 .476 1 R egional average om itted to avoid disclosure of in divid u al operations. 2 D a ta insufficient to ju stify presentation of an average. In the North and West, rates in building construction averaged 83.3 cents, as compared with 67.2 cents in manufacturing and 60.5 cents in public utilities. Although Negroes averaged slightly more than either of the other racial groups when all industry groups were combined, this was not the case when the industry group averages were taken separately. In manufacturing, the Mexican average was highest, 69.8 cents; Negroes averaged 68.4 cents, and whites other than Mexican, 66.9 cents. In public utilities, whites other than Mexican averaged 60.8 cents; Negroes, 60.4 cents; Mexicans, 52.8 cents. In building construction, the corresponding averages for these races in order were 84.1 cents, 80.6 cents, and 77.5 cents an hour. The largest spread was in public utilities which showed a range of 8.0 cents from the rate for Mexicans to that for other whites. Among the 13 manufacturing industries in the North and West for which averages are presented, the highest rates were in petroleum (83.8 cents), blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills (76.6 cents), and chemicals (75.0 cents). Fertilizers paid the lowest rate, 56.5 10 H O U R L Y ENTRANCE RATES, 1942 cents, showing a variation of 27.3 cents from the highest rate (pe troleum). No racial group in the region maintained a consistent advantage from industry to industry. Among the more important industries shown for manufacturing, Negroes had the highest average rates in chemicals and meat packing, and whites other than Mexican ranked first in petroleum and paper and pulp. Mexicans’ rates topped those of other workers in several industries but Mexicans were not found in significant proportions. The largest variation evidenced within any one industry was a difference of 24.8 cents between the Negro average (42.3 cents) and the Mexican average (67.1 cents) in the lumber industry. Common-labor entrance rates for the three major industry groups varied relatively little in the South and Southwest although there was considerable variation among specific industries. The range was only 6.4 cents, from the average paid in the public utilities group (39.0 cents) to the average for building construction (45.4 cents). The manufacturing average was 39.8 cents. Mexicans, who showed the highest combined average for the region, had also the highest average in manufacturing—45.8 cents an hour as against 42.7 cents for whites other than Mexican and 38.4 cents for Negroes. Negroes in building construction averaged 43.9 cents as compared with 47.6 cents for the other racial groups. The average for whites other than Mexican in public utilities (41.1 cents) exceeded the averages for Negroes (37.2 cents) and Mexicans (36.2 cents). Manufacturing exhibited the widest range from one racial group to another. Manufacturing industries in the South and Southwest also showed an extreme variation of 24.4 cents between the 36.3-cent low in lumber and the 60.7-cent high in petroleum. Ranking immediately below petroleum were paper and pulp, and blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills, with average rates of 57.6 and 56.2 cents. The second lowest,rate (36.8 cents) was paid in fertilizers. Whites other than Mexican, numerically fewer than the two other racial groups combined, were at the highest rate levels in 8 of the 13 manufacturing industries for which data are shown for the South and Southwest region. Negroes were highest in four. Mexicans, for whom averages are published for five industries only, were highest in one. Whites other than Mexican received higher rates than either Negroes or Mexicans in individual public utilities. VARIATIONS IN ENTRANCE RATES IN INDIVIDUAL INDUSTRIES Cumulative percentages of common laborers at specified entrance rate intervals for each of the industries studied are presented in table 5. The majority of the laborers in all industries, with the exception of lumber and fertilizers, were paid rates between 45.0 and 90.0 cents an hour. 11 COMMON LABORERS T a ble 5.— Cumulative Percentage D istribution o f A dult M ale Common Laborers, by H ourly Entrance K ates, Industry, and R egion, J u ly 1942 Auto mobile parts1 Hourly entrance rate (in cents) Blast furnaces , steel works, and rolling mills Total Under 32.5 Under 35.0 ____ Under 37.5_______ Under 4 0 .0 ______ Under 42.5_______ Under 45.0............. Under 47.5............ Under 50.0............. Under 52.5............. Under 55.0............. Under 57.5............. Under 60.0............. Under 62.5............. Under 65.0............. Under 67.5 _____ Under 70.0............. Under 72.5 Under 75 ft Under 77.5 Under 8ft.ft Under 82.5 Under 85 ft Under 87.5 Under 9ft ft Under 95.fl Under 10ft ft 0.1 Brick,, tile, and terra cotta North South and Total find West South west (2) 1.1 (2) 1.1 (2) 2.3 0.1 0.1 .3 2.3 .1 3.1 3.2 .1 3.8 3.3 .1 3.9 24.4 .2 4.1 .4 26.0 34.4 4.6 .9 5.7 35.8 1.2 11.5 50.4 2.7 50.5 12.4 3.3 13.5 57.2 4.6 15.9 58.1 7.3 67.3 20.1 11.0 69.4 21.9 13.0 82.5 16.3 24.8 98.1 92.0 98.3 98.9 93.6 99.0 94.0 * 100.0 8 100.0 98.4 99.0 100.0 1.1 5.7 5.7 15.3 0.3 .3 .3 .3 2.3 30.7 36.2 36.2 36.2 36.2 44.1 87.0 90.1 90.1 90.1 99.2 99.2 99.2 100.0 21.6 24.2 29.5 30.2 36.2 39.5 46.0 46.7 52.4 54.1 68.1 75.3 77.3 92.1 95.8 96.8 97.9 98.2 98.2 99.3 99 7 99 7 99.9 100.0 Under 105.0............ Chemicals Hourly entrance rate (in cents) Total Under 30.0........... 30.0 and under___ Under 32.5_.......... Under 35.0........... Under 37.5____ Under 40.0______ Under 42.5........... Under 45.0........... Under 47.5........... Under 50.0........... Under 52.5........... Under 55.0........... Under 57.5........... Under 60.0........... Under 62.5........... Under 65.0........... Under 67.5........... Under 70.0______ Under 72.5........... Under 75.0........... Under 77.5........... Under 80.0........... Under 82.5........... Under 85.0........... Under 87.5........... Under 90.0........... Under 95.0........... Under 100.0.......... Under 105.0......... 0.6 .6 .6 1.3 1.9 5.6 6.3 13.8 14.3 19.2 19.3 21.5 25.6 28.6 30.9 34.7 35.7 44.6 54.9 71.1 74.1 80.8 84.9 88.2 89.2 99.7 100.0 North South and and Total West South west (2) (2) (2) 0.5 1.1 1.8 5.2 6.2 11.4 15.4 24.1 25.1 33.3 35.8 56.5 64.4 67.2 88.2 93.7 95.2 96.9 97.4 97.4 99.0 99.5 99.5 99.9 100.0 3.3 17.4 17.4 45.8 63.8 70.6 79.8 80.1 87.8 89.8 91.6 91.6 92.1 92.1 92.1 97.9 98.4 100.0 0.5 .5 .5 1.3 1.8 2.0 2.0 13.4 14.0 23.6 27.5 37.9 44.4 55.1 56.3 93.4 96.6 96.9 98.0 99.3 99.5 100.0 Foundry and ma chine-shop prod ucts North South and and West South west 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 3.9 3.9 3.9 45.4 47.5 80.6 87.8 98.8 100.0 1.0 1.0 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 2.2 4.8 15.0 23.4 38.1 39.7 90.8 95.2 95.6 97.2 99.0 99.3 100.0 ____ Glass South South South North South and Total North and and Total North and Total North and South and South and South and South West west West west West west West west (2) (2) (2) 0.4 .5 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.3 3.9 3.9 6.5 8.0. 11.8 12.0 16.9 18.2 29.5 42.6 63.3 67.1 75.6 80.8 85.0 86.3 99.7 100.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 4.3 6.6 21.5 24.9 59.6 61.4 74.8 75.3 76.3 89.8 90.0 99.9 99.9 99.9 99.9 99.9 99.9 99.9 100.0 See footnotes at end of table. Fertilizers Cement 1.7 22.5 4.6 22.6 4.6 23.8 4.6 37.4 9.0 42.2 9.7 60.3 15.6 16.4 61.0 66.7 ‘ 19.8 67.2 20.6 78.8 38.6 79.4 40.2 81.9 46.9 82.2 47.9 89.8 70.3 91.9 76.5 94.8 85.0 96.0 88.6 92.2 97.2 92.4 97.3 98.5 95.8 98.5 95.8 98.5 95.8 95.8 98.5 96.0 9St6 98.6 96.0 99.9 99.8 100.0 100.0 2.5 31.6 31.8 33.6 52.0 59.0 83.4 84.0 90.9 91.3 99.7 99.7 100.0 (*) 2.3 2.3 2.3 3.6 4.0 14.2 14.7 19.1 20.6 32.3 34.6 43.3 45.3 57.6 61.1 71.7 76.2 81.8 88.0 92.4 94.4 96.4 96.7 99.6 99.6 99.9 100.0 (2) (2) (2) 0.2 .2 2.8 3.1 6.3 7.0 20.0 22.0 32.3 34.6 49.0 53.2 66.0 71.4 78.1 85.6 90.9 93.3 95.7 96.0 99.5 99.5 99.9 100.0 0.1 13.4 13.4 13.4 20.4 69.9 71.6 81.7 87.1 92.4 95.9 96.8 97.7 100.0 1.3 1.3 2.2 2.6 2.8 8.7 12.7 25.3 36.5 49.3 52.5 64.9 68.7 83.5 83.9 84.7 84.8 98.7 98.7 98.8 100.0 0.1 .1 .1 .1 .2 .7 1.1 4.2 8.6 21.8 34.0 48.0 51.5 62.7 66.9 83.2 83.7 83.8 83.9 98.6 98.6 98.7 100.0 13.8 13.8 23.8 28.2 28.8 29.4 55.3 55.3 60.7 60.7 60.7 60.7 85.8 85.8 85.8 85.8 93.2 93.2 100.0 12 H O U R L Y ENTRANCE RATES, 1942 T a b le 5.— Cum ulative Percentage D istribution o f A dult M ale Common Laborers, by H ourly E ntrance R ates, Industry, and R egion, J u ly 1942— Continued Leather Hourly entrance rates (in cents) Under 30.0.............. ............ 30.0 and under____ Under 32.5 Under 35.0_ _ Under 37.5........................... Under 40.0........................... Under 42.5........................... Under 45.0........................... Under 47.5........................... Under 50.0........................... Under 52.5........................... Under 55.0........................... Under 57.5........................... Under 60.0........................... Under 62.5........................... Under 65.0........................... Under 67.5........................... Under 70.0........................... Under 72.5 Under 75.0........................... Under 77.5 Under 80.0........... .............. Under 82.5........................... Under 85.0........ ............ ...... Under 87.5___...................... Under 90.0______________ Under 95.0........................... Under 100.0 Under 105.0 Total 0.1 .1 .1 .3 .3 2.9 4.5 6.8 7.5 19.5 20.1 35.0 40.1 49.4 64.4 71.5 77.3 88.9 93.4 93.4 96.0 96.5 99.8 99.8 100.0 North South and and Total West South west (2) (2) 1.9 2.5 5.0 5.8 18.7 19.1 30.7 34.9 45.3 61.9 68.2 74.7 87.6 92.6 92.6 95.5 96.1 99.8 99.8 100.0 Paints and varnishes Hourly entrance rate (in cents) Under 30.0............. 30.0 and under....... Under 32.5............ Under 35.0............. Under 37.5............. Under 40.0............. Under 42.5............. Under 45.0............. Under 47.5............. Under 50.0............. Under 52.5............. Under 55.0............. Under 57.5............. Under 60.0............. Under 62.5............. Under 65.0............. Under 67.5............. Under 70.0............. Under 72.5............. Under 75.0............. Under 77.5............. Under 80.0............. Under 82.5............. Under 85.0............. Under 87.5............. Under 90.0............. Under 95.0............. Under 100.0............ Under 105.0............ Total (a) 1.0 1.0 2.1 3.1 3.4 9.7 9.9 16.5 16.6 33.7 36.4 41.5 41.5 49.6 51.5 60.7 66.5 70.2 75.9 89.7 90.1 91.2 91.5 91.5 94.3 99.6 100.0 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.4 10.9 21.4 22.1 22.1 26.6 29.0 72.4 85.4 85.4 85.4 100.0 0.1 .1 .3 .7 1.0 6.8 6.9 12.4 12.4 28.9 31.4 36.7 36.7 45.5 47.5 57.5 63.8 67.8 73.9 88.8 89.3 90.5 90.8 90.8 93.8 99.5 100.0 0.5 13.2 13.2 25.6 34.2 34.2 46.5 48.4 68.7 69.4 92.6 97.2 100.0 0.8 3.2 3.4 3.9 52.0 61.5 75.7 76.3 78.1 79.2 82.1 82.9 83.0 84.2 84.7 85.3 85.6 86.0 87.5 87.9 90.5 91.1 93.4 99.1 99.7 99. \ * 100.0 0.5 .5 .5 8.9 10.7 17.8 19.0 25.1 28.7 39.3 41.2 41.4 43.1 44.8 46.8 48.0 49.3 54.7 56.2 65.6 67.6 76.1 96.9 99.1 99.7 99.9 1.1 4.2 4.4 5.1 68.4 80.8 97.7 98.1 98.4 98.6 98.6 98.9 98.9 *100.0 . North South and and West South west 0.1 1.9 0.1 1.9 .1 1.9 .1 2.8 .2 3.0 .2 4.4 1.0 4.5 1.0 4.8 1.2 5.6 1.2 6.8 2.3 7.4 2.6 12.7 7.0 14.4 7.6 17.1 10.7 25.7 13.6 30.4 18.8 32.3 21.0 77.4 73.6 98.1 97.9 98.8 98.7 99.0 98.9 99.1 99.0 * 100.0 3100.0 0.8 13.1 13.1 13.1 18.6 19.9 25.1 25.2 26.4 32.3 34.0 36.6 47.2 55.3 55.3 98.5 100.0 100.0 Petroleum refining North South and and Total West South west (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) 1.2 0.8 3.5 1.0 6.3 2.8 8.7 4.3 13.2 19.6 23.7 14.3 31.6 •22.5 43.0 27.6 59.3 47.4 65.2 54.4 79.9 71.6 85.1 78.9 88.7 84.0 89.3 84.9 92.0 88.7 92.4 89.3 92.7 89.8 99.0 98.4 « 100.0 • 100.0 Meat packing North South and and Total West South west Paper and pulp North South and and Total West South west See footnotes at end of table. Lumber (sawmills) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) 2.0 9.1 14.1 18.6 34.3 45.7 52.8 79.3 87.8 91.3 100.0 0.1 .1 2.4 2.4 5.7 9.6 21.0 21.9 32.8 33.5 34.9 35.7 48.6 49.4 51.3 58.6 78.0 83.4 96.6 96.8 98.3 100.0 Rubber tires South and North and inner and South tubes1 West west (2) (2) (2) (2) 0.4 .8 1.4 1.7 3.9 4.1 5.2 6.5 15.6 16.8 19.9 30.1 64.4 71.2 93.9 94.3 96.9 100.0 0.2 .2 5.5 5.5 12.5 21.0 46.3 47.9 70.1 71.4 73.2 73.4 91.1 91.4 91.9 95.4 95.4 99.1 100.0 1.4 1.4 5.0 5.3 13.3 13.3 28.1 28.1 37.5 37.5 40.4 40.4 89.8 89.8 91.3 96.3 96.3 96.3 100.0 13 COMMON LABORERS T able 5 .— Comulative Percentage Distribution o f Adult M ale Common Laborers by H ou rly Entrance Rates, Industry, and Region , J u ly 1942 — Continued Electric light and power and manufactured and natural gas Hourly entrance rate (in cents) Tinder 72.5 _ Under 75.0............. Under 77.5_______ T7nder80.0 _ TTnder 82.5 TTnder 85.0 Under 87.5............. Under 90.0.......... . Under 95.0........ .... Under 100.0. __....... Under 105.0______ Building construction Soap1 Total Under 30.0....... ...... 30.0 and under____ Under 32.5_______ Under 35.0............. Under 37.5............. Under 40.0............. Under 42.5............. Under 45.0............. Under 47.5............. Under 50.0............. Under 52.5............. Under 55.0............. Under 57.5............. Under 60.0............. Under 62.5............. Under 65.0............. Under 6 7 .5 ............ Under 70.0_______ Electric street-railway and city motorbus operation and main tenance 0.3 .3 .3 .4 3.7 8.9 9.0 12.9 13.4 20.9 25.9 30.8 35.1 45.9 46.7 48.8 49.5 51.7 70.1 71.2 77.9 82.2 83.6 83.6 85.0 99.1 99.7 7 99.9 1.2 8.7 9.3 10.0 18.6 19.0 31.8 32.7 40.6 41.3 58.5 58.9 63.1 63.5 71.6 76.4 83.5 85.9 91.4 96.3 97.4 98.4 98.7 98.7 98.8 99.2 99.4 99.4 100.0 North South and and Total West South west North* South and and Total West South west 3.2 23.2 24.8 26.4 48.5 49.3 73.5 74.7 82.2 83.6 99.1 99.1 99.7 99.8 99.9 100.0 0.1 .5 2.5 18.6 22.6 76.1 87.8 90.4 93.2 97.0 97.0 99.4 99.4 99.9 100.0 (3) 0.1 .1 .2 .9 1.1 7.3 8.1 16.2 16.5 34.8 35.5 41.7 42.3 55.1 62.6 73.9 77.7 86.4 94.2 95.9 97.5 98.0 98.0 98.1 98.8 99.1 99.1 100.0 (2) 0.1 .6 4.3 5.4 19.0 22.9 27.3 29.4 35.4 40.8 48.6 49.1 53.3 57.7 70.9 90.0 91.2 98.5 98.7 99.1 99.4 99.4 99.4 99.4 99.4 99.9 100.0 0.1 .2 .4 2.3 3.9 8.8 10.6 17.2 24.2 33.6 34.3 39.5 45.2 62.4 87.1 88.6 98.1 98.3 98.8 99.2 99.2 99.2 99.2 99.2 99.9 100.0 0.3 2.8 2.8 2.8 4.7 4.7 27.3 27.4 29.0 29.0 36.5 36.5 42.4 42.6 45.4 46.1 48.5 50.7 54.0 54.0 60.2 60.7 64.5 71.5 74.4 78.5 83.7 88.6 8 97.5 North South and and West South west (2) (2) (2) 0.1 .1 2.5 2.5 3.5 3.5 7.3 7.3 7.7 7.8 11.9 12.8 16.3 16.6 22.1 22.1 32.8 33.7 40.3 50.8 55.8 62.9 71.8 80.2 9 95.7 0.8 6.7 6.7 6.7 11.0 11.0 61.6 61.7 64.1 64.1 76.6 76.6 90.0 90.3 91.3 91.8 92.7 97.6 97.9 97.9 98.0 98.0 98.0 8 100.0 1 Regional figures omitted to avoid disclosure of individual operations. Less than a tenth of 1 percent. * Includes less than a tenth of 1 percent receiving 85.0 cents and over. <Includes less than a tenth of 1 percent receiving 95.0 cents and over. # Includes less than a tenth of 1 percent receiving 60.0 cents and over. • Includes less than a tenth of 1 percent receiving 87.5 cents and over. ? The remaining tenth of 1 percent received $1.05 and over. «The remaining 2.5 percent received $1.05 and over. • The remaining 4.3 percent received $1.05 and over. 2 Among the higher-wage industries, more than half of the laborers in petroleum, and over three-fourths in blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills, had rates that averaged 75.0 cents an hour or better; and nearly half of those employed in building construction and chemicals were paid at equivalent levels. In blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills, a significant proportion—almost 75 percent of all the common laborers at entrance rates in the industry—re ceived from 77.5 to 80.0 cents an hour. These workers were almost entirely in the North. Almost two-thirds of the laborers in fertilizers and over threefourths in lumber—industries with the lowest rates among all indus trial groups—averaged under 45.0 cents an hour. For both of these industries there were important concentrations within the 35.0-37.5 and 40.0-42.5 cents intervals. Fertilizers showed the only important concentration at exactly 30.0 cents an hour, the Fair Labor Standards Act minimum; the concentration at 35.0 to 37.5 cents in the lumber industry reflects the legal minimum of 35.0 cents, to which attention has already been directed. Only six industries, four of which were in the manufacturing group, had laborers below 30.0 cents an hour. 14 H O U R L Y ENTRANCE RATES, 1942 In none of these did workers at rates of less than 30.0 cents account for more than 2 percent of the common laborers employed. Variations b y Size o f C ity ' Rates tended on the whole to be higher in the larger city groups than in the smaller ones. In cities with populations over a million the average was 79.9 cents an hour, as compared with 45.8 cents in cities with populations under 2,500. The indicated difference of 34.1 cents in the country as a whole was greater than that in either of the two major geographic regions. Rates, however, did not vary consistently with size of city, as may be seen from table 6. In the country as a whole, cities of 250,000 to 500,000 population averaged 2.1 cents less than the next succeeding group; and cities of 50,000 to 100,000 averaged 4.5 cents less than the group immediately below. In the North and West the relationship between size of city and level of entrance rate was pronounced and relatively consistent, but in the South and Southwest this relation ship was not close. It appears that other factors, such as location of specific industries, tend to counteract to some extent the influence of city size. T a b l e 6. — Average H ourly Entrance Rates o f Adult M ale Common Laborers in M anu facturing, Public Utilities, and Building Construction, b y Size o f C ity, J u ly 1942 Size of city United States North and West South and Southwest All cities_____________________________________________ $0,585 $0,722 $0,411 1,000,000 and over. r , _ _ _ _ _ fi00,000 and under 1,000,000 __ _ . .. ....... _ 250,000 and under 500,000_______________________________ 100,000 and under 250,000_______________________________ 50,000 and under 100,000________________________________ 25,000 and under 50,000- _______________________________ 10,000 and under 25,000_________________________________ 5,000 and under 10,000__________________________________ 2,500 and under 5,000__________________________________ Less than 2,500- _____________________________________ .799 .778 .594 .615 .565 .610 .577 .499 .474 .458 .799 .778 .780 .745 .698 .697 .689 .643 .644 .604 .473 .460 .407 .438 .370 .391 .360 .374 City not reported------------------------------------------ .462 .680 .384 ENTRANCE RATES IN INDIVIDUAL CITIES Rates for common labor varied widely from city to city. Data for selected industries are presented in table 7 for each of the 37 cities of 250,000 population or more. The four cities paying the highest entrance rates in manufacturing were all on the Pacific Coast—Oakland, Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. Detroit, Toledo, and Pittsburgh ranked next. All of these cities also paid relatively high rates in building construction and public utilities. Cities showing the lowest averages for manufacturing were all in the South and Southwest—Atlanta, New Orleans, San Antonio, Memphis, Dallas, Louisville, and Birmingham. Among the largest cities, New York paid the lowest average rate. Examination of the figures presented in table 7 reveals that en trance rates varied appreciably from industry to industry even within the same city. 15 COMMON LABORERS T able 7.— A verage H ourly Entrance Rates o f A dult M ale Common Laborers fo r Selected C ities, by Industry, J u ly 1942 Blast Foundry 16 manu furnaces, and steel facturing works Public Building Meat machine- packing1 indus utilities construc and shop tion tries rolling products i mills 1 Population group and city United States__ __ ___ ___ 1,000,000 and over: Chicago, Til _ __ Detroit, Mich Los Angeles, Calif __ . .. ... _ New York, N. Y Philadelphia, Pa................................ 600,000 and under 1,000,000: Baltimore, Md___________________ Boston, Mass__________________ Buffalo, N. Y Cleveland, Ohio Milwaukee, Wis __ Pittsburgh, Pa _ _ St. Louis, Mo................................ . San Francisco, Calif_____ _________ Washington, D. C.............................. 260,000 and under 500,000: Atlanta, Ga__ ______________ ____ Birmingham, Ala Cincinnati, Ohio. Columbus, Ohio__________ _______ Dallas, Tex Denver, Colo _ _ __ _ ___ __ Houston, Tex____ _____ __________ Indianapolis, Ind_________________ Jersey City, N. J_________________ Kansas City, Mo________________ Louisville, Ky___________________ Memphis, Tenn__________________ Minneapolis, Minn______ _________ Newark, N. J ___________________ New Orleans, La___________ _____ Oakland, Calif . __ _ ____ _ Portland, Oreg Providence, R. T Rochester, N. Y _ St. Paul, Minn _ __ .. _ __ San Antonio, Tex Seattle, Wash Toledo, Ohio_____________________ $0.561 $0,745 $0,594 $0,669 $0.536 $0,674 .723 .767 .692 .660 .689 .787 (2) M .638 .783 .649 .575 .702 .735 (2) .704 .729 .564 .694 (2) .535 .679 .551 1.031 .887 .798 .959 .817 .519 .585 .680 .652 .603 .721 .581 .874 .647 00 .559 .702 .717 00 .690 00 .613 .745 .648 00 00 .684 .547 .655 .610 00 1.000 .820 .985 .932 .806 .924 .886 .830 <2) .403 .513 .562 .413 .564 .505 .555 00 .565 .494 (2) (2) (2) .691 .465 .694 00 00 (2) .423 (2) 00 (2) 00 00 .389 .487 .719 .657 .493 .797 .426 .826 .919 .843 .659 .382 .891 .653 .553 .658 .728 .659 .736 .641 .779 (2) .387 .479 .591 .605 .464 .636 .528 .556 .682 .635 .477 .462 <2> .572« .434 .852 .800 .667 .607 .685 .444 .815 .763 .73i (2) (2) .778 .716 .779 .690 (2) .579 .674 (2) (2) (2) 00 (2) .578 .577 .477 .862 .809 (2) (2) .646 .392 .785 .724 .589 .650 (2) (2) (2) .700 .499 .825 (2) 00 0 .604 00 .556 .400 00 (2) .633 .371 .673 .762 (2) 0 00 0 .688 .665 00 .545 .915 .943 .740 (2) .903 .408 1.010 .925 1 Included among 16 manufacturing industries. 2 Data insufficient to justify presentation of an average. Trends o f Entrance Rates From 1926 to 1942 In order to permit comparison with the data for earlier years, the 1942 averages shown in table 8 have been devised directly from the questionnaire returns, without weighting. The 1942 data, it is true, differ from those for earlier years in that they refer to first-shift workers alone. For a limited number of localities and industries, shift payments were of some importance; for the United States as a whole, however, these differentials were not found to be significant and may be disregarded. Included in the manufacturing group in table 8 are brick, tile, and terra cotta; blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills; cement; foundry and machine-shop products; leather; lumber (sawmills); meat packing; paper and pulp; and petroleum refining. Data for seven other manufacturing industries surveyed in the years since 1936 are excluded so as to retain comparability throughout the 17-year period. 16 T able H O U R L Y EN TRANCE RATES, 8 .— 1942 Average H ou rly Entrance Rates o f Adult M ale Common Laborers in 13 Industries, b y Industry Group, 1 9 2 6 -4 2 All indus 9 man ufacturing tries covered industries July— 1926 Public utilities Building construc tion i 1927................................................................................ 1928................................................................................ 1929................................................................................ 1930................................................................................ 1931................................................................................ $0,426 .424 .428 .432 .429 .403 $0,401 .399 .402 .407 .405 .383 $0,420 .398 .429 .428 .446 .446 $0.471 .482 .474 .483 .470 .426 1932................................................................................ 1933................................................................................ 1934................................................................................ 1935................................................................................ 1936 .............................................................................. .355 .333 .420 .430 .434 .318 .305 .407 .415 .425 .415 .387 .418 .420 .437 .399 .383 .455 .481 .509 1937«.............................................................................. .493 .495 .500 .507 .565 .635 .488 .486 .487 .498 .559 .616 .463 .479 .485 .477 .502 .563 .551 .578 .601 .601 .648 .724 1938 3 1939 1940 1941 _ _ ....... _______ _ _________ 19424.............................................................................. i For the years 1926 to 1935, inclusive, the figures cover a small amount of construction outside of the building industry. * Averages for the year were computed on the basis of identical establishments for both 1937 and 1938. * Averages for the year were computed on the basis of identical establishments for both 1938 and 1939. 4 These averages, unlike the averages appearing in the preceding tables of this report, are not weighted. The figures for 1942 alone are based on payments to first-shift workers. The average for all 13 industries combined in 1942 was 63.5 cents, indicating an increase of exactly 7.0 cents over the preceding year. The manufacturing group advanced least (5.7 cents) and building construction had the greatest advance (7.6 cents). In each instance the 1942 averages were higher than those shown for any year since 1926, when the Bureau’s studies of entrance rates began.
@FedFRASER