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il-V"
GfclNNELl COLLEGE LiatfAtfV
\X"
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
FRANCES PERKINS. Secretary
,/£$-
WOMEN’S BUREAU
MARY ANDERSON, Director
Hours and Earnings in Certain
Men’s-Wear Industries
WORK CLOTHING
WORK SHIRTS
DRESS SHIRTS
^7~ES Q*.
Bulletin
of the
Women’s Bureau, No. 163-1
31. 4-
'n3
to. I 63-/
united states
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON: 1938
For tale by the Superintendent of Documents. Washington. D. C.
Price 10 cents
REPORTS ON MEN’S-WEAR INDUSTRIES IN THIS SERIES
Bulletin
Work Clothing; Work Shirts; Dress Shirts 163-1
Knit Underwear; Woven Cotton Underwear 163-2
Seamless Hosiery 163-3
Welt Shoes 163-4
Raincoats; Sport Jackets 163-5
Caps and Cloth Hats; Neckwear; Work and Knit Gloves; Hand
kerchiefs 163-6
n
CONTENTS
Page
Letter of transmittal______________________________________ _____________
General introduction
Men’s work clothing
Introduction___________________________________________ ___________
Earnings and hours
Week’s earnings_______________________________________________
Week’s earnings of women___________________________________
Week’s earnings of men___________________________ ____________
Hours of work
Average hourly earnings
Average hourly earnihgs of women
Average hourly earnings of men
Earnings in individual firms:
Earnings in union and nonunion establishments________________
Comparison of earnings of cutters with those of other workers__
Work shirts
Introduction
17
Earnings and hours___________ ____ _____
17
Week’s earnings----------Hours worked
19
Average hourly earnings
20
Earnings in individual firms
21
Dress shirts:
Introduction*
Earnings and hours
22
Week’s earnings’
Hours worked
24
Average hourly earnings_________ _____________________________
Earnings in individual firms
27
v
1
2
2
3
3
5
7
9
11
11
14
14
15
16
17
17
22
22
23
25
TABLES
WOKE CLOTHING
1. Number of establishments visited and number of men and women they
employed, by State_________________________________ ______________
2. Average and distribution of week’s earnings,byState—All employees. _
3. Average and distribution of week’s earnings, by State—Women_______
4. Average and distribution of week’s earnings, by State—Men__________
5. Hours worked during the week, by State—Allemployees______________
6. Average and distribution of hourly earnings,byState—All employees..
7. Average and distribution of hourly earnings, by State—Women_______
8. Average and distribution of hourly earnings, by State—Men__________
2
4
6
8
10
12
13
14
WORK SHIRTS
1. Average and distribution of week’s earnings, by State________________
2. Hours worked during the week, by State
19
3. Average and distribution of hourly earnings, by State________________
18
20
DRESS SHIRTS
1. Average and distribution of week’s earnings, by State________________
2. Hours worked during the week, by State
25
3. Average and distribution of hourly earnings,by State________________
hi
23
26
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
United States Department of Labor,
Women’s Bureau,
Washington, May 18, 1938.
Madam: 1 have the honor to transmit a report on earnings and
tW of the Tr S work-°lot*™i>>.w°rk-shirt, and dress-shirt industries,
wsnro ?ntth f surveys made by this Bureau in order to present current
mmW ™ for-vhe use- °.{ the Division of Pubhc Contracts in deter
mining prevailing minimum wages. Though the 13 men’s-wear
industries surveyed constitute a closely related group, printing of
S'noSftofiSribuItoPhl6lS haS be“ de0idl!d Up°n “ ‘
divTs1ionePOrtS ^ Wlitten by Arthur T‘ Suthcrland of the editorial
Respectfully submitted.
Hon.
Frances Perkins,
Secretary of Labor.
Mary Anderson,
Director.
EARNINGS AND HOURS IN CERTAIN
MEN’S-WEAR INDUSTRIES
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
In 1936 and 1937 the V omen’s Bureau conducted surveys in a
number of men’s-wear industries that come within the scope of the
Public Contracts Act. The reports presented here are based on data
obtained in surveys of the work-clothing, work-shirt, and dress-shirt
industries.1
The latest census of manufactures reports, for 1935, do not give
employment data separately for each of these industries, but they
include them in a “related-industry group” embracing work clothing,
work shirts, dress shirts, nightwear, and cotton collars. In 1935
there were 1,176 establishments, employing 121,889 workers, in the
related-industry group; 621 establishments, with 61,112 employees,
made work clothing and work shirts; 546 establishments, with 59,944
employees, were in the dress-shirt and nightwear industries. On the
basis of number of employees in the related-industry group, the most
important States were Pennsylvania with 25,665 employees, New
York with 13,604, Indiana with 8,468, Missouri with 7,951, Tennessee
with 6,168, New Jersey with 6,111, and Maryland with 5,204. In
each of 13 other States—Virginia, Texas, Connecticut, North Carolina,
Ohio, Illinois, Mississippi, Georgia, Massachusetts, California, Ken
tucky, Alabama, and Iowa, listed in order of number of employees—
there were over 1,000 and under 5,000 employees.
1 A minimum-wage determination of the Secretary of Labor, which took effect August 2, 1937, states that
37^ cents an hour, or $15 for a 40-hour week, shall be the minimum wage for employees on Government
contracts in these industries.
1
MEN’S WORK CLOTHING 1
INTRODUCTION
The principal products manufactured by the firms included in this
survey were men’s service uniforms, overalls, unionalls, mechanics’
suits, jackets, work pants and breeches, and washable service apparel,
made in whole or in part of cotton. While some of these establish
ments also produced work shirts, plants whose major product was
work shirts are considered separately. (See p. 17.)
_
.
In the work-clothing survey, wage and hour data were obtained in
154 establishments employing 21,308 workers. The information
obtained was copied direct from the firms’ pay rolls by agents of the
Women’s Bureau or, in some cases, was sent in by firms in cooperation
with organized labor. Every effort was made to cover a pay-roll
period regarded by the employer as one of normal factory operation.
As shown in table 1, 3 States had each over 2,000 workers—1 nearly
3,000—in the establishments visited, while from 1,000 to 2,000 were
employed in each of 7 States, and from 400 to 700 in each of 5. The
employees in Delaware, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and
Wisconsin, and the one firm in California, less than 400 in each case,
are considered as one group in this study because records were se
cured in too few establishments for separate tabulation.
Table 1.—Number of establishments visited and number of men and women they
employed, by State
Women
Number of Number of Number of
establish employees
men
ments
State
Total------- ------------------------ ------ —-
154
21,308
2,438
18, 870
4
400
488
2, 728
1, 592
2,017
447
2,103
646
1,085
1,821
1, 211
1,780
1, 558
1,650
698
1,084
48
106
445
352
382
2,283
1,592
1,685
433
1,859
539
823
1, 574
1,030
1,583
1,558
1,504
698
975
6
New Jersey.-------- --------------------------------
15
18
9
5
15
4
10
7
Pennsylvania-------------
------
-------------
11
11
19
Virginia
West Virginia.._________ ______________
Other States «_________ _______ ______ -
Number
6
5
9
m
332
14
244
107
262
247
181
197
4
146
(2)
• 109
Percent of
total
«
88.0
(!)
78.3
83.7
83.5
(*)
88.4
83.4
86.4
85.1
(i2)
(2)
0)
91.2
1 Not obtainable; data for men not reported in all cases.
2 Data for men not obtained.
3 Includes 1 establishment in the District of Columbia.
4 Data for men in 1 large firm not obtained.
......
,
,
5 2 establishments each in Delaware (women only), Kentucky, and Minnesota, and 1 establishment each
in California, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin.
6 Data for men in Delaware not obtained.
i A minimum-wage determination of the Secretary of Labor, which took effect February 9,1937, stated that
37H cents an hour, or $15 for a 40-hour week, should be the minimum wage for employees on Government
contracts in the work-clothing industry. This order was superseded by one for cotton garments and allied
industries, effective August 2, 1937, which included work clothing and established the same rates.
2
MEN’S WORK CLOTHING
3
The great majority of the workers in the industry are women.
Data were not obtained for men in Delaware, Illinois, Texas, and West
Virginia, nor from one large firm in Maryland.
Data on the number of hours worked by individual employees
were copied where such records were available, but in some establish
ments the time worked was not recorded in hours, particularly for
employees on a piece-rate basis. Figures on the number of hours
worked were obtained for 17,821 workers, or 84 percent of the total;
these were employed in 115 establishments. In Maryland, hour rec
ords were reported for only 50 percent of the employees, but in the
other States the proportion varied from 66 to 99 percent.
Of the 115 establishments where hour records were available, 47
reported also whether or not they were operating under a union con
tract. All the establishments in New York and Connecticut with
hours worked reported were union firms, so these two States are
omitted in the comparison of union versus nonunion. Only the
States with both union and nonunion firms are included in the
comparison.
Week’s earnings.
EARNINGS AND HOURS
The accompanying table 2 shows the number of employees and the
average and distribution of their earnings in each State. These
figures are the actual week’s earnings of employees regardless of the
hours worked, so they include under-time as well as full-time workers.
The average of the week’s earnings of all employees amounted to
$13.55. In the various States, however, the averages ranged from
$8.70 in West Virginia (women only) to $17.10 in New York, a varia
tion from low to high of nearly 100 percent. In addition to New York,
earnings were relatively high in Missouri with an average of $15.30’
in Connecticut with an average of $15.15, and in Indiana and in North
Carolina, each with an average of $15.10. The lowest average
earnings reported were $8.70 and $9.55, in West Virginia and Virginia,
respectively, while averages in Arkansas, Texas, Maryland, and Ten
nessee were only slightly higher, from $9.65 to $10.70. Three-tenths
of all workers were employed in the six States where the averages were
$10.70 or less.
Nine percent of the workers had earnings below $6. By State, the
proportion with such low earnings varied from less than 2 percent in
Connecticut to 23 percent in West Virginia and 24 percent in Virginia.
It was 10 percent or more in six of the States reported. At the other
extreme of the wage scale, only 10 percent of the workers earned $20
or more. The proportion with such earnings in the various States
ranged from none in West Virginia and less than 1 percent in Texas,
to 25 percent in New York. It was less than 10 percent in eight of
the States reported.
76556°—38
-2
Table 2.—Average and distribution of week’s earnings, by State—All employees
Week's earnings
of
em-
Average earnings 4_
21, 308
$13. 55
Arkan Connec Georgia
ticut
sas
400
$9. 65
488
$15.15
2,728
$12. 65
Illinois
21,
592
$14. 75
Indiana
Mary
land
2, 017
$15. 10
$10. 25
3447
North Pennsyl Tennes
Carolina vania
see
Mis
souri
New
Jersey
New
York
2,103
$15.30
646
$13. 85
1,085
$17.10
1,821
$15.10
1.8
2.9
12.5
32.5
38.5
Texas
West
Other
Virginia Virginia Statesi
558
$9.80
1,650
$9. 55
2 698
$8.70
1,084
$16. 50
6.7
37.2
45. 2
8. 7
1.3
12.5
37.6
43. 6
5.4
17.5
37.3
34. 2
9.4
15.6
48.0
4.1
11.1
17.6
31.5
50.0
67.0
90.2
23.6
22.8
6.1
39. 5
63. 5
83. 1
23. 6
3.7
59.5
50. 2
1, 211
$13.80
1,780
$10.70
3.8
21,
Percent of employees
6.1
$25, under $30-........
$30 and over............
23.1
36.7
24.1
6.4
2.0
1.6
13.8
34. 5
44.3
6.0
1.0
.3
.3
0.8
10. 9
46.1
27.7
8.4
5.1
1.0
5.4
23.5
41.5
25.8
2.4
3.1
10.4
30.6
48.3
.5
.1
.8
6.6
.9
2.5
15.4
28.2
40.7
9.0
2.7
1.5
6.7
42.7
41.6
6.7
18
.2
.2
2.7
14.2
39.3
23.7
12.6
4.0
3.4
5.9
19.8
37.3
24.6
7.3
2.9
2.2
10.5
31.8
31.3
20.2
42.9
22.2
6. 7
11.8
11.0
5. 3
7.5
1.9
.8
1.8
2.6
25. 6
Cumulative percents
Under $14.................
$20
and over......... .
1
2
2
4
9.0
17.1
29.2
43.7
59.8
20.3
33.3
48.3
75.1
89.5
40.2
27.5
16.3
10.5
5.6
4.1
10.0
1.6
1.8
8.0
3.8
27.4
48.0
16.2
28.8
44.8
64.3
4.2
8.4
13.4
21.5
35.4
52.0
35.8
24.6
14.5
35.7
24.8
13.6
3.7
64.6
42.5
13.8
7.6
11.6
10.3
24.6
49.4
73.3
87.5
4.3
9.4
16.9
32.4
49.0
8.4
16.5
25.8
42.8
54.6
5.8
12.3
23.6
38.0
4.8
8.9
15.4
23.6
38.7
5.6
12.3
24.0
39.2
59.0
23.1
43.9
65.7
84.7
60.0
45.2
12.5
51.0
35.1
26.6
2.2
62.0
46.7
34.7
24.6
61.3
41.6
24.0
13.7
41.0
26.3
16.3
10.9
15.3
7.2
4.0
13.2
45.4
28.6
19.8
12.4
4.4
10.1
18.0
26.4
40.0
22.6
6.2
3.5
20.0
2.2
2 establishments each in Delaware (women only), Kentucky, and Minnesota, and 1 each in California, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin.
Data for men not obtained.
Includes 1 establishment in the District of Columbia.
The mean—the simple arithmetic average.
9.8
4.1
2. 0
.9
54.8
85.1
14.9
EARNINGS AND HOURS IN M EN ’S-WEAR INDUSTRIES
Number
Total
MEN’S WOBK CLOTHING
5
The most usual earnings were $10 and under $15, received by 37
percent of the employees. Practically one-fourth (24.1 percent)
received $15 and under $20, and almost as many (23 percent) earned
$5 and under $10. The wage group $10 and under $15 was the largest
m nine States. In Indiana, Illinois (women only), and North Caro
lina the modal group was higher ($15 and under $20), but in Mary
land, Virginia, and West Virginia it was $5 and under $10.
The proportion of workers who had earnings of less than $14 ranged
from 35 percent in Illinois to 96 percent in West Virginia, in each case
for women only. In six States—Arkansas, Maryland, Tennessee,
Virginia, Texas, and West Virginia (the last two for women only)—
85 percent or more received such earnings for their week’s work. Only
in Missouri and New York did as many as one-fifth of the workers
earn $20 or more.
Week’s earnings of women.
Week’s earnings were reported for 18,870 women in the 154 estab
lishments. The average earnings of all women amounted to $12.55.
The range among the States was from $8 .70 in West Virginia to $15.10
in New York. The average was $10 or less in Arkansas, Maryland,
Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia, and it was only slightly above
$10 in Tennessee. _ In Georgia the average was $12, in Pennsylvania
it was $12.85, and in the seven remaining States it ranged from $13.05
to $15.10.
In the 10 States in which both men’s and women’s earnings were
reported, the average of the women’s earnings was much less than the
average for men, the difference ranging from $3.50 in the case of
Indiana to $8.15 and $8.30, respectively, in Missouri and New York.
Table 3.—Average and distribution of week’s earnings, by State—Women
Num
ber of
women
em
ployed
Aver
age
week’s
earn
ings 1
154
18,870
4
352
382
2,283
1,592
1, 685
433
1, 859
539
823
1, 574
1, 030
1, 583
1, 558
1, 504
698
975
Total___
Arkansas_____
Connecticut___
Georgia............. .
Illinois.............. .
Indiana........... .
Maryland 12___
Missouri______
New Jersey___
New York____
North Carolina.
Pennsylvania...
Tennessee_____
Texas..................
Virginia______
West VirginiaOther States 3—
6
15
18
9
5
15
4
10
•
7
11
11
19
6
5
9
Percent of women whose earnings were—
$10
6.7
24.8
38.4
23.0
6.9
9.9
18.6
9.30
13. 95
13.6
36.1
46.3
53.7
43.7
30.6
30.3
42.0
42.5
40.1
37.5
36.0
45.3
45.7
43.6
33.9
34.4
3.4
25.9
.6
19.8
2.3
9.1
4.2
5.1
33.5
4.6
18.1
8.4
11.3
25.3
10.3
17.7
7.3
9.7
13.5
25.2
31.5
38.8
39.5
15.0
14. 75
14. 55
3.1
10.00
6.9
2.9
6.9
2.4
2.9
4.3
7.4
12.5
19.1
15.6
4.5
14.35
13. 05
15.10
14.30
12.85
10.10
9. 80
9.10
8. 70
15. 80
2.8
12.0
25.8
10.4
16.3
44.1
15.8
20.0
11.5
14.2
21.6
40.5
37.6
38.4
48.0
21.0
21.2
22.6
48.3
39.9
6.2
23.6
24.9
34.6
38.6
22.2
6.1
5.4
8.1
2.0
24.6
$20
7.3
1.6
7.6
10.6
.6
15.2
8.1
13.9
8.3
6.6
Under
Under
$12. 55
1.0
6.2
and
over
$8
$5, un
der $10
12.00
$10, un $15, un
der $15 der $20
Under
Under
$5
$6
10.6
4.6
9.7
3.4
5.1
6.2
12.1
.4
.9
.5
17.6
25.6
28.7
7.3
22.8
1 The mean—the simple arithmetic average.
2 Includes 1 establishment in the District of Columbia.
^establishments each in Delaware, Kentucky, and Minnesota, and 1 each in California, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin.
Under
Under
$14
$14 and
over
$16 and
over
31.5
46.9
63.8
36.2
23.4
49.7
12.9
32.0
13.4
19.1
50.9
18.6
27.0
14.0
17.0
25.9
47.9
50.0
57.4
63.5
25.5
78.4
31.5
49.0
21.5
28.4
75.3
35.8
44.9
27.5
26.1
42.3
70.9
67.0
74.9
83.1
34.5
92.6
55.0
69.8
35.4
43.1
89.8
54.0
57.3
44.5
42.7
63.0
89.5
90.2
87.3
96.3
43.0
7.4
45.0
30.2
64.6
56.9
2.7
27.0
19.9
42.5
42.0
4.3
30.0
24.5
38.7
35.2
21.4
3.4
4.1
5.4
$12
10.2
46.0
42.7
55.5
57.3
37.0
10.5
9.8
12.7
3.7
57.0
.8
48.0
$18 and
over
12.4
2.1
16.2
9.5
13.8
19.0
1.5
21.3
15.0
25.0
17.2
11.6
1.2
2.0
2.0
.3
37.2
EARNINGS AND HOURS IN MEN'S-WEAR INDUSTRIES
State
Num
ber of
estab
lish
ments
O
MEN’S WORK CLOTHING
7
As shown in table 3, 38 percent of the women, not far from twofifths, had earnings of $10 and under $15. Slightly less than onefourth were in each of two wage intervals—$5 and under $10, and
$15 and under $20.
In nine of the States the largest group of women had earnings of
$10 and under $15. In three States and the residual group other,
the largest group earned $15 and under $20, Illinois leading with 48
percent. The residual group had only 25 percent of its women with
such earnings, though they constituted the largest group. In three
States the wage group with the largest number of women was $5 and
under $10. These States were Virginia with 38 percent, Maryland
with 44 percent, and West Virginia with 48 percent.
Only three States and the residual group had proportions at $25
and over equal to or larger than the proportions at less than $5.
These States were Connecticut, New York, and Missouri. The pro
portion of women with earnings of less than $5 ranged from 1 percent
in Connecticut to 19 percent in Virginia. Besides Virginia, States
with large proportions so paid were Texas, Arkansas, and West
Virginia, with 13 to 16 percent of their women in this group. In
four other States—Georgia, New Jersey, Maryland, and Tennessee—
the proportion was 6 or 7 percent. From the column “under $6” in
the right-hand half of table 3 it is apparent that several hundred
women had earnings of $5 and under $6, the proportion at under $6
exceeding that at under $5 by almost one-half.
None of the women in West Virginia, and less than 1 percent of
those in Arkansas, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, received
as much as $20.
Week’s earnings of men.
Earnings were tabulated for 2,438 men employed in 107 of the 154
factories. These data represent all States for which women’s earn
ings were secured except Delaware, Illinois, Texas, and West Virginia.
Men’s earnings were lowest in Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia, with
averages of $14.15, $15.75, and $16.10, respectively. The highest
averages were $23.40 in New York and $22.50 in Missouri. The
middle averages, neither high nor among the lowest, ranged from the
$18.05 and $18.10 of Indiana and New Jersey, respectively, to the
$20.25 of North Carolina.
00
Table 4.—Average and distribution of week’s earnings, by State—Men
Percent of men whose earnings were—
Total2.............................
Other States 3.............................
2,438
106
445
332
244
107
262
247
181
197
146
109
$18. 75
19. 55
16.10
18. 05
22. 50
18.10
23. 40
20.25
19.00
15. 75
14. 15
22. 40
Under
$10
11.4
6.6
13.3
11.7
3.7
19.6
7.3
4.0
13.8
12.7
26.7
5.5
$10, under $15, under $20, under $25, under $30 and
$20
$15
$25
$30
over
22.8
18.9
30.1
17.2
14.8
23.4
13.7
9.7
28.7
41.1
37.7
16.5
32.2
34.0
42.0
44.6
24.6
23.4
21.0
37.7
22. 1
28.9
15.1
16.0
7.9
11.7
25.8
14.0
17.6
33.2
12.7
19.8
3.6
7.2
7.4
7.5
14.1
10.5
10. 5
22.6
10.2
6.8
2.0
2.1
33.9
8.3
7.3
1 The mean—the simple arithmetic average.
.
shown separately because of small numbers involved.
Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
2 Includes Arkansas and Maryland, not
3 California, Kentucky, Massachusetts,
7.6
10.9
4.7
3.1
7.5
23.8
Under
$8
Under
$16
$16 and
over
$18 and
over
and
over
$20
18.5
41.0
59.0
46.0
33.6
.9
7.0
3.6
2.4
12.2
32.1
49.7
38.3
26.2
50.5
28. 3
16. 6
46.4
61.4
74.7
28.4
67.9
50. 3
61.7
73.8
49. 5
71. 7
83. 4
53. 6
38.6
25.3
71.6
54.7
35.1
37.8
67. 7
43.8
64. 9
68. 0
42. 6
40.5
14. 6
10.2
1.6
2.8
5.1
4.1
28.4
11.0
1.8
12.2
$12
5.3
26.3
4.9
12.1
Under
5.6
7.0
23.9
15.6
5.6
32.7
11.5
6.4
22. 2
25.3
41.2
8.2
17. 8
52. 3
57. 0
33. 6
35. 4
44. 0
EARNINGS AND HOURS IN M EN ’S-WEAR INDUSTRIES
State
Number Average
week’s
of men
employed earnings^
MEN'S WORK CLOTHING
9
As appears in table 4, 32 percent of the men had earnings of $15
and under $20, a wage interval well above the $10-and-under-$15
class in which fell the largest group of women. The proportions of
men with earnings of $15 and under $20 varied from 21 percent in
New York to 45 percent in Indiana.
In Missouri, 26 percent of the men earned $20 and under $25, and
in New York 26 percent earned $30 and more.
Only three States and the residual group had proportions at $30
and more equal to or larger than the proportions at under $10. These
States are New York (where the percentages are respectively 26 and 7),
Missouri (where they are 24 and 4), and North Carolina (where they
are 5 and 4). The proportions at less than $10 vary from 4 percent
in Missouri and North Carolina to 27 percent in Virginia. In Indiana,
Tennessee, Georgia, and Pennsylvania from 12 percent to 14 percent
of the men earned less than $10; in New Jersey as many as 20 percent
did so.
Hours of work.
At the time of the survey, all the States included but Indiana and
West Virginia had laws that limited the number of hours that women
might be employed during the week. The maximum hours established
by these laws ranged from 48 in California, Connecticut, New York,
and the District of Columbia to 60 in Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky,
Maryland, and Virginia. The hour laws of Illinois and Virginia
limited only the daily hours, but the operation of day-of-rest laws
would limit the week to 6 days. Georgia’s hour law, covering both
men and women, applied only to cotton or woolen manufacturing
establishments.
In actual practice, however, for the great majority of employees
the workweek at the time of the survey was much shorter than the
maximum allowed by law, and only 2,060 employees, or 12 percent
of the 17,821 for whom hour records were reported, worked as much
as 48 hours. More than one-fourth (26 percent) worked 40 hours,
and no less than two-fifths (41 percent) worked less than 40. The
extent of undertime existing in the industry is indicated by the fact
that about one-sixth worked 35 and under 40 hours and practically
one-fourth had less than 35 hours of work.
Nearly 1,600 of the 2,060 employees who worked 48 hours or more
were women. Fifty-six percent of all employees who worked more
than 40 hours were in establishments in North Carolina, Georgia, and
Virginia.
.
10
EARNINGS AMD HOURS IN MEN'S-WEAR INDUSTRIES
Table
5.—Hours worked during the week, by State—All employees
Number
of em
ployees
with
hours
worked
reported
State
Percent who worked during the week—
Under
35 hours
35, under 40 hours
40 hours
_________
17,821
24.4
16.2
26.1
Arkansas_______ _____ _______
Georgia.............. ........................
Illinois 1_______ ____ ______ _ Indiana
324
482
2, 070
1, 538
1,907
8.3
27.4
7.7
17.6
14.7
Missouri_______
________
New Jersey---------- ---------------New York........... .....................
North Carolina_____ ____ ____
Pennsylvania-----------------------Tennessee _ .
Texas V__________ _________
Virginia... ______ ___________
West Virginia 1_______ _
Other States 3____ _________
1, 634
642
971
1, 734
895
1, 601
1,231
1,080
539
951
32.1
14. 1
17.1
19.8
16.6
70.3
17.4
18.7
3.1
57.1
22.9
54.9
50.4
20.7
28.5
34.0
20.7
2.7
6.7
17.4
28.9
2.3
.4
40.1
Total women
Total men_____________ _____
15, 771
2,050
16.6
13.3
26.3
24.3
Total_____
222
21.6
43.5
51.8
7.5
45.4
31.1
33.9
10.5
26.5
20.5
25.6
14.9
14.8
18.4
23.9
8.2
39.2
21.7
16.7
10.6
Over 40, 44, under 48 hours
under
44 hours 48 hours and over
8.3
13.5
5.9
32.4
.4
13.9
5.9
9.6
9.0
11.3
3.3
1.0
5.7
1.8
5.5
19.8
.8
1.3
10.0
2.2
2.2
11.6
18.2
32.7
.1
3.1
3.9
.2
.1
32.3
13.4
39.3
5.5
7.9
12.5
31.4
17.4
5.0
3.8
.3
37.1
26.0
2.3
8.4
7.4
13.1
16.3
23.9
18.1
7.7
8. 1
12.2
1.0
10.0
i Data for men not obtained.
J Includes 1 establishment in the District of Columbia.
> California, Delaware (women only), Kentucky, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
As shown in table 5, there were striking differences in the hours
worked in the various States. In six States, namely, Maryland, New
Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas, more than
half of the employees worked less than 40 hours; in fact, from 31
percent in Tennessee to 70 percent in Maryland worked less than
35 hours. In Indiana, Illinois, and Connecticut, from 50 percent to
57 percent worked 40 hours, and from 31 percent to 42 percent worked
less than 40.
No employee in Connecticut or Maryland, and 1 percent or less in
Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Pennsylvania, worked so
long as 48 hours, but in Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia,
and West Virginia a week of 44 hours or more was worked by substan
tial proportions of the employees. In Virginia 37 percent worked
48 hours or more and 31 percent worked 44 and under 48 hours; in
North Carolina the proportions with such hours were 32 and 39 per
cent, and in Georgia 33 and 14 percent, respectively.
Arkansas, Georgia, and West Virginia establishments showed the
most variation in hours of work; in these States there were fairly large
groups with decided undertime and also large groups that worked long
hours. In West Virginia 26 percent worked 48 hours or more and 27
percent had less than 35 hours of work; in Georgia the corresponding
percentages were 33 and 17. In Arkansas 18 percent worked 48 hours
or more and 32 percent worked 44 and under 48 hours; on the other
hand, 32 percent worked less than 35 hours.
As women comprised such a large majority of the employees, their
distribution according to hours worked is fairly similar to that just
discussed; but in all States but Connecticut for which comparison is
possible, larger proportions of men than of women worked long hours.
In Pennsylvania, though 54 percent of the men worked less than 35
MEN’S WORK CLOTHING
11
hours and 30 percent worked 35 and under 40, as many as 12 percent
worked 44 hours or more. In New York 66 percent of the men worked
less than 40 hours and only 5 percent worked as long as 44 hours.
In Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia the largest
group of men worked 48 hours or more; in all other States well over
half of the men worked 40 and under 48 hours.
Average hourly earnings.
The individual earnings of the 17,821 employees for whom hour
records were reported were reduced to an hourly basis by dividing
them by the number of hours worked, and tabulations were made for
the employees in each State. The average hourly earnings of the
entire group were 37.2 cents, but differences in the averages for the
various States are even more striking than those in week’s earnings
Average hourly earnings ranged from 22.6 cents in West Virginia
(women only), 24.2 cents in Virginia, and 24.8 cents in Arkansas, to
45.2 cents in the group of five States combined as “other” and to
52.5 cents in New York. Between these extremes, average hourly
earnings in six States—Illinois (women only), Indiana, Connecticut,
Missouri, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey—varied from 39.4 to 42.4
cents, and in the five remaining States—Tennessee, Texas (women
°nly)> Georgia, Maryland, and North Carolina—they were from
29.2 to 34.5 cents.
Table 6 shows the distribution of the employees according to hourly
earnings. Nineteen percent of the workers earned 45 cents or more,
m contrast to only 9 percent with earnings of less than 20 cents. The
proportion earning 30 and under 35 cents was 21 percent, the largest
group falling in any 5-cent interval. Well over one-fourtli, 28 percent,
earned 35 and under 45 cents, and 24 percent earned 20 and under 30
cents.
Fifty-six percent of the employees in New York earned 45 cents or
more, but the State ranking next was 20 points below—Missouri
m j ■Tiv Pe.rcen^*
New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Indiana,
and Illinois from 34 to 19 percent earned such amounts. In these 7
States the proportion with earnings of 36 cents or more ranged from
54 percent in Missouri to 84 percent in New York, while low-paid
workers who earned less than 20 cents an hour formed less than 6
percent of the employees in each of these States.
No employee in West Virginia earned so much as 45 cents an hour;
m Virginia, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Maryland, and
North Carolina, only from 1 to 11 percent, in the order named, earned
45 cents or more. More than three-tenths in Virginia and West
Virginia, and from 10 to 16 percent in Texas, Tennessee, and Arkansas
had earnings of less than 20 cents.
Average hourly earnings of women.
The average hourly earnings of the 15,771 women with hours re
ported were 34.7 cents. The range in State averages was from 22.6
cents in West Virginia to 46.6 cents in New York. New Jersey
ranked next to New York, with an average of 40.5 cents. Besides
West Virginia, States with averages of 20 and under 30 cents were
Arkansas, Virginia, Tennessee, and Texas. The other 8 States had
averages of 30 and under 40 cents. Earniijgs averaged less than 25
cents m West Virginia, Virginia, and Arkansas.
76556°—38-----3
I—*
to
Table 6.—Average and distribution of hourly earnings, by State—All employees
Hourly earnings (cents)
Total
New
York
642
42.4
971
52.5
1, 734
34.5
3.3
6.7
6.9
17.8
17.8
14.2
33.5
0.8
1.0
7.2
5.5
324
24.8
482
40.6
2,070
31.9
1,538
39.4
1,907
40.3
222
32.0
1,634
41.5
North Pennsyl Tennes Texas1
Carolina vania
see
Vir
ginia
895
41.7
1,601
29.2
1,231
29.5
1,080
24.2
2.8
11.0
21.2
10.2
11.0
18. 2
30.6
23.9
West
Vir
ginia 1
Other
States3
539
22.6
951
45.2
31.2
27.8
33.8
5.4
1. 5
9.0
7.2
5.8
7.3
9. 1
Percent of employees
Under 20____
-... .. ..
20. under 25___
. 25, under 30._________
45 and over_____________ —
8.7
10.2
13. 8
20. 6
15.8
11.7
19.3
16.0
41.7
27.8
7.4
4.3
1.5
3.7
14.3
18.0
1.2
22.0
11.0
1.5
29.5
7.2
10.1
19.4
28.8
24.4
4.8
5.1
3.4
3.7
5.1
12.8
25.4
30.6
19.1
5.3
4.7
7.3
15.8
15.2
26.3
25.3
8.6
14.4
22.1
23.0
13.5
10. 4
8.1
5.9
8.1
13.8
15.0
12.6
8.6
36.0
4.2
7.9
15.7
14.0
56.3
8.8
34.4
20.0
13.3
10.9
3.8
9.7
17.0
25.0
13.2
28. 5
23.4
23.2
12. 5
4.4
4.3
22.8
46.9
7. 8
3.1
2. 8
17.1
4.1
24.4
30.0
39.4
69. 8
84.2
89.3
58.9
65. 8
77.2
87.5
91.9
95. 3
64.9
85. 3
92.7
10.7
7. 8
5.9
4.7
2. 5
1.5
1.6
Cumulative percents
Under 34
Under 36__ ____ __________
21. 7
27.1
32.7
41. 7
49. 9
56.9
40 and over
43.1
35. 8
30.9
Under 30
79.0
85.5
88.5
91.3
93.8
6.2
2.7
2.7
7.9
12.7
19.5
25.7
32.9
44.4
21.8
29.9
36.8
50.2
59.5
73.7
55.6
47.7
40.5
26.3
14.3
9.9
27.4
11.3
13.9
17.3
20.5
30.8
35.8
26.1
33.8
45.0
55.0
65.3
72.1
16.8
23.0
27.8
32.1
41.0
46.1
72.6
61.6
49.6
64.2
57.8
51.7
27.9
22.5
18.5
53.9
47.9
44.6
8.1
9.9
12.2
15.8
22.2
Data for men not obtained
i Includes 1 establishment in the District of Columbia.
1
32.2
36.0
2.5
3.8
5.9
8.9
11.9
15.8
14.4
17.9
21.4
35.5
49.1
61.4
64.0
52.5
47.7
84.2
74.7
70.4
38.6
30.2
24.2
12.0
14.6
16.8
22.6
16.3
36.5
45.3
55. 6
22.2
68.2
29.4
38.5
75. 4
83.1
61.5
49.9
41. 6
16.9
7.8
11.1
12.0
8. 7
! California, Delaware (women only), Kentucky, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
4 The mean—the simple arithmetic average.
18.
20.
98.4
69
64
61
EARNINGS AND HOURS IN M EN ’S-WEAR INDUSTRIES
Number of employees with
hours worked reported— - - 17, 821
37.2
Average earnings4 (cents)...
Con
New
Mary
Arkan necti
Georgia Illinois' Indiana land 2 Missouri Jersey
sas
cut
MEN'S WORK CLOTHING
13
The earnings class with the largest group of women was 30 and
under 35 cents, with 21 percent of the total. Four States—Mary
land, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas—had their largest propor
tions in that earnings class, these ranging from 23 percent in Maryland
to 47 percent in Texas.
Table 7.—Average and distribution of hourly earnings, by State—Women
State
Percent of women with hourly earnings of—
Num Average
ber of hourly
earn
20,
25,
30,
women ings
35,
40,
45 cents
1
Under under
reported (cents)
under under under under
and
20 cents
25 cents 30 cents 35 cents 40 cents 45 cents over
Total.._____________
15, 771
34.7
9.4
11.0
14.7
21.3
15.6
11.5
16.5
Arkansas... ______
Connecticut_____ _________
Georgia__________________
Illinois.._________________
Indiana._________________
Maryland J______
_
Missouri_____ ______ ___
New Jersey........ ............. .......
New York_____ _____
North Carolina_________
Pennsylvania........ ..................
Tennessee______ _______ _
Texas________ ___________
Virginia____________
West Virginia...................... _
Other States 3______ ...
278
378
1, 728
1,538
1, 592
23.7
37. 1
30.8
39.4
39.5
31. 9
39.8
40.5
46.6
33.0
38.9
28.0
29.5
23.7
22. 6
44.3
17.3
1.9
45.7
4.5
28.1
16.9
21.7
5.1
6.5
1.8
0. 4
0. 4
20.4
2.9
19.1
23. 7
7.7
33.1
32. 3
48. 2
6. 2
23. 0
1. 9
2. 8
3
220
1,440
536
732
1,496
768
1,420
1,231
1,005
539
870
8.2
3.4
5.0
8.6
6.5
3.9
1.0
8.3
3.3
12.0
10.2
31.5
31. 2
9.9
11.1
3.7
4.6
14.5
9.1
7.1
1.4
6.3
3.6
23.5
11.0
24.3
27 8
7.6
8.0
21.8
14.7
7.3
4.9
9.6
10.4
24.5
18.2
23.3
6.0
21.2
28.8
12.8
16.7
23.2
15.7
17.2
9.8
38.4
18.2
22.8
46.9
16.1
6.4
24.3
23.6
25.4
15.5
13. 6
12.5
17.7
17.9
19.6
27.3
11.6
7. 8
4.1
8.7
10.8
3.6
30. 6
26. 4
10.5
8. 4
14. 6
16.8
11. 6
14.1
3.6
3.1
.4
10! 2
51.1
The mean—the simple arithmetic average.
a Includes 1 establishment in the District of Columbia.
* California, Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
1
_ In seven States and the group “other,” average earnings were at
higher levels. In Connecticut and Pennsylvania, respectively 24
percent and 27 percent of the women had earnings of 35 and under
40 cents; in Indiana and Illinois, respectively 26 percent and 31 per
cent had earnings of 40 and under 45 cents; and in New Jersey,
Missouri, New York, and the group of “other” States, respectively
32 percent, 33 percent, 48 percent, and 51 percent had earnings of
45 cents and more.
In only four States were the largest groups of women at wage levels
below 30 cents an hour. These were Tennessee and West Virginia,
with respectively 25 percent and 34 percent at 25 and under 30 cents;
Arkansas, with 46 percent at 20 and under 25 cents; and Virginia,
with 32 percent at less than 20 cents an hour.
The proportions of women with hourly earnings of less than 20
cents ranged from 1 percent in New York and 2 percent in Connecticut
to 31 percent in West Virginia and 32 percent in Virginia. In only
five States was the proportion so much as 10 percent. In a comparison:
of the proportions with earnings below 25 cents an hour, Arkansas
ranks below all others; 63 percent of its women, in comparison with
59 percent of those of West Virginia and 56 percent of those of Vir
ginia, averaged less than 25 cents an hour.
No State approaches New York’s 48 percent in the proportion of
women with hourly earnings of 45 cents and more, Missouri with 33
percent and New Jersey with 32 percent ranking respectively second
and third. If the wage class-be enlarged to 40 cents and more, the
14
EARNINGS AND HOURS IN MEN’S-WEAR INDUSTRIES
proportion for New York becomes 65 percent and Indiana and Illinois
follow with 50 percent in each case. In Virginia, West Virginia, and
Arkansas less than 1 percent of the women employees earned as much
as 40 cents an hour.
Average hourly earnings of men.
Men’s hourly earnings were considerably higher than those of
women, men’s average being 48 cents in contrast to women’s 34.7
cents. The range among the States, too, was greater for men, the
extremes being 30.1 cents in Virginia and 70.5 cents in New York.
Other relatively high averages were 58.9 cents in Pennsylvania, from
52.4 to 55 cents in New Jersey, Connecticut, Missouri, and the group
of 4 States combined as “other,” and 44.4 and 44.2 cents, respectively,
in Indiana and North Carolina. In Tennessee and Georgia the
averages were respectively 38.3 and 37.3 cents.
For the 2,050 men whose hourly earnings have been computed, the
wage interval with the largest group was 60 cents and more, with 22
percent of the men. Five States and the group “other” also had their
largest groups in this wage class, New Jersey having 30 percent with
such earnings, Connecticut and Missouri each 33 percent, Penn
sylvania 38 percent, and New York no less than 62 percent. For the
residual group of States the proportion with earnings of 60 cents and
more was 40 percent.
Of all the men reported, 13 percent had hourly earnings below 30
cents. In the various States the proportions ranged from 3 percent
in New York and 5 percent in North Carolina to 53 percent in Vir
ginia. Tennessee had 20 percent of its men with such earnings,
Indiana and Georgia had 16 percent each, and Pennsylvania had 10
percent. No other State had more than 9 percent with an average
of less than 30 cents an hour.
Table 8.—Average
State
Num
ber of
men
re
ported
and distribution of hourly earnings, by State—Men
Percent with hourly earnings of—
Aver
age
50,
55,
45,
35,
40,
25,
30,
hourly Under
under under under under under under under
earn
25
60
50
55
45
35
40
30
ings 1 cents
cents cents cents cents cents cents cents
(cents)
60
cents
and
over
Total2................ 2, 050
48.0
6.7
6.6
15.2
17.1
13.2
8.8
6.0
4.2
22.2
104
342
315
194
106
239
238
127
181
75
81
52.9
37.3
44.4
54.7
52.4
70.5
44.2
58.9
38.3
30.1
55.0
1.0
4.8
7.9
3.5
7.2
4.7
6.7
28.9
11.4
9.8
2.1
20.8
2.1
13.5
28.7
13.7
13.4
17.9
9.2
9.4
26.0
30.7
16.0
22.3
14.4
4.4
8.9
14.4
5.7
5.0
17.2
5.8
3.5
7.0
5.7
1.9
6.7
3.4
5.5
14.3
16.0
3.7
11.5
10.5
25.7
9.8
12.3
5.4
23.5
7.9
9.6
3.2
3.2
5. 2
1.9
7.1
3.4
5.5
32.7
5.3
14.3
33.0
30.2
62.3
i. 1
37.8
2.7
7.4
2. 7
6.2
5.3
39.5
Other States 3..............
7.6
12.4
1.5
4.7
.4
1.3
4.7
6.1
37.3
2.5
8.8
11.0
19.3
4.0
19.8
11.1
11.0
8.8
1.2
12.6
7.1
5. 0
1.3
3.7
2.8
6.6
i The mean—the simple arithmetic average.
,
„
,
.
. ,
* Includes Arkansas and Maryland, not shown separately because of small numbers involved.
* California, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Earnings in individual firms.
Up to this point the analysis has considered all workers employed
in a State as one group, but there were wide variations also in the
wage standards within a State. The average hourly earnings were
computed for 83 establishments, each reporting hours worked for 50
MEN'S WORK CLOTHING
15
or more employees. The lowest average, 18 cents in a Texas estab
lishment, was only 26.5 percent of the highest, 67.9 cents in a New
York establishment.
As shown in the summary following, the largest difference among the
averages in any one State was in Missouri,where the lowest was only
45 percent of the highest. Pennsylvania ranked next, the lowest
average in this case being 52 percent of the highest. In the other
States the percentage the lowest average was of the highest ranged
from 57 percent in Texas to 90 percent in Arkansas. States in which
the highest was at least half again as much as the lowest were Indiana,
Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas, and Virginia was
practically in this class.
State
Total___ ____ ______
Connecticut... ________ __ _
Georgia_________________________
Illinois 2____
... _______ _
Indiana________________________
Missouri___.... ______
New Jersey__ _
_
New York_____ ...___
North Carolina________________
Pennsylvania__________
Tennessee______ _______ _____
Texas K........................ .......
Virginia_____________ _________
West Virginia 2__________ ________
Other States3. _____ _ _
Number
of establishments
Average hourly
earnings 1 (cents)
Lowest
Highest
Percent low
est average
is of highest
83
18.0
67.9
3
23.8
37.9
26.1
34.4
31.0
24.8
33.9
42.4
31.0
28.3
23.0
18.0
20.5
26.4
90.2
45.7
67.9
35.8
62.4
8
3
20.6
8
20.5
32.1
O/. I
24/7
* The mean—the simple arithmetic average.
* Data for men not obtained.
8 includes 2 establishments each in Maryland and Minnesota, and 1 each in California, Delaware (women
only), Kentucky, and Wisconsin.
Earnings in union and nonunion establishments.
Hourly earnings data, when tabulated separately for union and
nonunion establishments, indicate that, in general, the employees in
firms under union contract had considerably higher wages than those
employed in nonunion establishments. In New York and Connecti
cut the firms reporting hours worked were under union contract, and
for all workers the average hourly earnings were 52.5 and 40.6 cents,
respectively. In Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, and North Carolina
the firms with hours reported were not union plants, and for workers
in these States the averages ranged from 24.2 to 34.5 cents.
. A more significant comparison can be made in the case of four States
in which both union and nonunion firms were scheduled. In Missouri,
New Jersey, and Pennsylvania the workers in establishments under
union contract had much higher earnings than those in nonunion
establishments, and in Indiana the average in union contract establish
ments was slightly above the average where there was no such con
tract. For the workers with hours reported in the firms with union
contracts, 3,089 workers in the four States, the average was 44.8
cents, and for the 1,989 in nonunion firms the average was 35.4 cents,
or about 20 percent lower.
The summary following shows the number of employees and their
hourly earnings in union and in nonunion plants in the four States in
which both types of establishment were surveyed.
16
EARNINGS AND HONRS IN MEN’S-WEAR INDUSTRIES
Type of establish
ment
Number of
estab
lish
ments
14
17
1
Percent of employees with hourly earnings of—
AverNum
ber of hourly
25,
30,
40,
45,
50
20,
35,
em
earn Under under under under under under under cents
20
ployees ings 1
25
30
35
40
45
50
and
(cents) cents cents
cents cents cents cents cents over
3,089
1,989
44.8
35.4
3.4
7.0
3.3
9.9
6.3
15.2
12.8
21.1
18.5
13.1
11.8
13.6
21.6
5.4
30.3
6.7
The mean—the simple arithmetic average.
Almost one-third of the employees in nonunion establishments, in
contrast to just over one-eighth of those in union establishments, had
earnings of less than 30 cents. Thirty percent of the organized work
ers earned 50 cents or more, but only 7 percent of those in nonunion
plants earned as much as this.
«
Comparison of earnings of cutters with those of other workers.
As the earnings of the operators of various sewing machines were
almost identical, no tabulation by occupation has been prepared. For
cutters, however, the great majority of whom are men., earnings were
considerably higher than the average, and to show this difference in
wage levels a tabulation of cutters’ earnings and those of other workers
has been made for two States. All the 103 persons employed as
cutters in one State and all but 11 of the 114 so employed in the other
were men, and for those with hours worked reported the averages of
the cutters’ earnings were respectively 37 percent and 27 percent
above the average for workers in other occupations.
All employees reported
State
Number
No. 1..............................................
No. 2
1
Average
hourly
earnings 1
(cents)
2,070
1,907
The mean—the simple arithmetic average.
31.9
40.3
Employees other than
cutters
Number
1,989
1,800
Cutters
Average
hourly
earnings 1
(cents)
Number
31.5
39.5
81
107
Average
hourly
earnings 1
(cents)
43.3
50.3
WORK SHIRTS 1
INTRODUCTION
The establishments included in this study were those whose major
product was men’s cotton work shirts, boys’ play blouses also being
made in most cases. Work shirts are made also in work-clothing
plants and in dress-shirt factories, reported separately in this pamph
let.
'
The earnings and hours information was copied from the firms’ pay
rolls by the Bureau’s field investigators. Every effort was made to
select a pay period regarded by the management as representative
of normal factory operation.
The survey covered 22 work-shirt factories in Delaware, Indiana,
Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and
Virginia. Pay-roll records were secured for 3,451 employees, of
whom more than nine-tenths were women. Material in Delaware
plants was obtained only for women.
Number of
of Number of
establish Number
employees
men
ments
State
Total.._____________________
22
3,451
Delaware__________ _
Indiana___ _ ______
North Carolina
________________
Tennessee___ _______
Other States 3__........ .
__
3
4
3
196
873
192
1,115
1,075
6
6
1 Not obtainable; data for men not reported in all cases.
2 Data for men not obtained.
2 2 establishments each in Missouri and Pennsylvania and
Week’s earnings.
234
(2)
86
16
51
81
Women
Percent of
total
Number
3,217
(■)
196
787
176
1,064
994
(2)
91. 7
95 4
92.5
1 each in Maryland and Virginia.
EARNINGS AND HOURS
The average week’s earnings of all employees, regardless of time
worked,_ are shown in table 1 to have been $10.40. The averages for
the various States with three or more firms reporting ranged from
$7.45 to $10.75. Highest earnings for any one State were in Indiana,
followed by Tennessee, but the residual group “other States” out
ranked these. The North Carolina average was nearly 10 percent
below that in Tennessee, and the lowest-paid workers, with an average
of only $7.45, were in Delaware.
Earnings were largely concentrated in the wage intervals between
$5 and $15, as 83 percent of the employees received such earnings.
Between 7 and 8 percent were paid less than $5, but only 2 percent
earned as much as $20.
1 A minimum-wage determination of the Secretary of Labor, which took effect August 2, 1937, states that
37H cents an hour, or $15 for a 40-hour week, shall be the minimum wage for employees on Government
contracts in the cotton-garment and allied industries, which include men’s work shirts.
17
18
EARNINGS AND HOURS IN MEN’S-WEAR INDUSTRIES
Over six-tenths of the workers in Delaware (women only) and North
Carolina earned $5 and under $10, while in Indiana and Tennessee
42 and 48 percent, respectively, earned $10 and under $15. Over
three-tenths of the women in the Delaware study were paid less than
$6; in Indiana, North Carolina, and Tennessee the proportion with
such low earnings varied from 15 to 9 percent. No woman in Dela
ware earned so much as $18, and less than 1 percent of the workers
in North Carolina, just over 1 percent in Tennessee, and 5 percent
in Indiana were paid $18 or more.
Table 1.—Average
Week’s earnings
Total
Number of employees-------Average earnings 3-------------
3,451
$10. 40
and distribution of week’s earnings, by State
Dela
ware
2196
$7. 45
Total
men
North Tennes Other
Indiana Carolina
States 1
see
Total
women
1,115
$10.05
1,075
$11.30
3,217
$9.90
234
$17.35
6.9
40.7
47.6
4.2
.6
7.9
43.9
42.2
5. 3
.7
2.1
6.8
.5
4.5
39.6
42.2
9.7
4.0
8.8
24.0
44.2
61.8
79.6
13.1
29.0
51.8
72.2
89.9
873
$10. 75
192
$9.15
Percent of employees
$20
and over --
7.5
41.4
41.8
7.0
2.3
19.4
62.8
16.8
1.0
9.9
35.2
42.0
9.7
3.2
5.2
62.0
30.2
2.1
36.8
Cumulative percents
12.3
27.4
48.9
68.5
Under $14... -------------------
86.6
31.6
60.7
82.1
94.4
98.0
14.6
26.8
45.2
63.5
81.7
10.9
32.8
67.1
90.0
96.9
10.9
24.7
47.6
70.6
93.5
2.0
18.3
9.3
5.0
3.1
6.5
.5
2.1
2.8
$18 and over........................
13.4
6.5
3.6
.5
1.3
20.4
9.7
5.8
$9. 90
17. 35
$7. 45
«
$10.10
16. 70
$8. 65
w
$9.80
14.45
$10. 55
20. 40
Under $10..._____ ________
Average earnings3 of women.
Average earnings3 of men—
10.1
3.7
1.6
2.1
5. 9
8.9
17.0
41. 0
59.0
46.1
31. 2
1 Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
2 Data for men not obtained.
a The mean—the simple arithmetic average.
4 Not computed; base less than 50.
The average earnings of women were very low, $9.90 for all women,
with a range in the various States of from $7.45 to $10.55. Of the
States shown separately, only in Indiana was the average above $10;
in Delaware it was less than $8, and in North Carolina it was only
$8.65.
About six-sevenths of the women earned $5 and under $15; 8 per
cent earned less than $5 and only 6 percent earned $15 or more.
Unpublished data show that in Delaware and North Carolina, respec
tively 63 and 67 percent of the women earned $5 and under $10 and
none earned so much as $20. The largest groups in Indiana and
Tennessee, 43 and 47 percent, respectively, earned $10 and under
$15. The proportion with earnings of less than $6 varied from 11
percent in Tennessee, 12 percent in North Carolina, and 16 percent
in Indiana, to 32 percent in Delaware. Ninety-five percent of those
in Delaware and 96 percent of those in North Carolina earned less
than $12.
.
WORK SHIRTS
19
The average earnings of the 234 men were $17.35. The Indiana
average was $16.70, and in Tennessee, the only other State in which
tne number of men reported was large enough for the computation
ol an average, it was $14.45. There was less concentration of men’s
earnings than of women’s: More than one-third (37 percent) earned
$10 and under $15, three-tenths earned $15 and under $20, and
practically one-fourth (24 percent) had earnings of $20 or more
Only 2 percent earned less than $5.
The largest group of men in Tennessee, 63 percent, earned $10 and
under $ 15. In Indiana one-third earned $ 10 and under $ 15 and nearly
three-tenths earned $15 and under $20. None in Tennessee and only
6 percent m Indiana had earnings of less than $5, while at the other
extreme there were 6 percent m Tennessee and 26 percent in Indiana
who earned $20 or more.
Hours worked.
Of the 2,915 employees for whom hours worked were reported 56
percent worked less than 40 hours, substantial proportions in each of
the states being so reported. Approximately 80 percent in Delaware,
33 percent m Indiana, and 21 percent in Tennessee worked less than
35 hours and 10, 27, and 25 percent, respectively, worked 35 and
under 40 hours. Almost one-eighth worked 48 hours or longer the
proportions with such hours being 2 percent in Delaware, 6 percent
in I ennessee, and 14 percent in Indiana.
Table 2.—Hours worked during the week, by State
State
Percent who worked during the week—
Number
of em
ployees
with
Over 40,
hours
Under 35 35, under
44, under 48 hours
worked
hours
40 hours 40 hours under 44 48 hours and over
hours
reported
Total L
2,915
31.5
24.2
17.0
10.0
5.2
12.0
Delaware 2__
Indiana_____
Tennessee___
Other States 3
174
872
723
1,033
79.9
32.5
21.3
32.0
10.3
27.4
25.2
22.5
1.7
2.3
14.6
13.7
4.0
8.4
4.8
1.7
13.5
Total women.
Total men___
2,688
33.4
9.3
25.7
227
6.6
3.7
29.0
24.0
16.3
25.6
1.6
9.9
11.0
6.1
2.1
17.8
4.6
12.3
35.2
10.0
! Includes 1 firm in North Carolina, not shown separately.
Data for men not obtained.
Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
3
3
As shown m table 2, in general men worked considerably longer
hours than women worked. Only 16 percent of the men, compared to
59 percent of the women, worked less than 40 hours, and 35 percent of
^
)u^ 01 - I® percent of the women, worked 48 hours and more.
1 he largest groups in Tennessee, 42 percent of the men and 28 per
cent of the women, had worked 40 hours, but 49 percent of the women
and only 6 percent of the men worked less than 40 hours. In Indiana
43 percent of the men worked 48 hours or longer and only 21 percent
worked less than 40, compared to 35 percent of the women who worked
less than 35 hours, 29 percent who worked 35 and under 40 hours and
only 10 percent who worked 48 hours or longer. Four-fifths of the
20
EARNINGS AND HOURS IN MEN’S-WEAR INDUSTRIES
women in Delaware worked less than 35 hours; this large number with
undertime was to a considerable extent the cause of the extremely low
week’s earnings.
Average hourly earnings.
The average hourly earnings of all workers for whom hours were
reported (2,915) were 28.9 cents. Average earnings varied, by State,
from 26.3 cents in Delaware (women only) and 26.8 cents in Tennessee,
to 29.5 cents in Indiana.
Table 3.—Average and distribution of hourly earnings, by State
State
Total2___
Other States 4_
Num
ber of
em
ployees
with _
hours
worked
re
ported
2,915
872
723
1,033
Women em
ployees
Percent of employees who earned-
Men em
ployees
Aver
age
Aver
Aver
hourly
40,
45
30,
35,
25,
20,
age
age
earn Un
ings 1 der 20 un un un un un cents Num hourly Num hourly
(cents) cents der 25 der 30 der 35 der 40 der 45 and ber earn ber earn
ings1
ings 1
cents cents cents cents cents over
(cents)
(cents)
28.9
15.4
21.2
22.5
22.1
9.6
31.0
15.3
52.3
13.8
33.9
16.6
12.6
0.6
29.5
26.8
30.7
3.4
19.5
13.4
15.0
28.9
24.3
17.5
11.5
5.0
13.6
21.2
22.6
3.5
3.4
1.8
5.6
5.6
2, 688
28.0
227
26.3
28.7
26.3
29.4
(3)
7.7
.4
9.1
174
786
673
955
86
50
78
39.0
36.8
33.6
46.3
The mean—the simple arithmetic average.
Includes 1 establishment in North Carolina, not shown separately.
s Data for men not obtained.
4 Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
1
2
Two-thirds of the workers had hourly earnings of 20 and under 35
cents. Twenty-one percent averaged 20 and under 25 cents; 23
percent, 25 and under 30 cents; and 22 percent, 30 and under 35 cents.
Fifteen percent were paid less than 20 cents an hour, and only 9 per
cent earned 40 cents or more.
In each of the States shown separately, 34 or 35 percent of the em
ployees had earnings of under 25 cents.
In Delaware only 3 percent earned less than 20 cents, but more than
four-fifths (83 percent) earned 20 and under 30 cents. Only women
were reported, and no earnings were so high as 40 cents. The average
was highest in Indiana, where about one-tenth of the employees were
men; 29 percent earned 30 and under 35 cents, and 11 percent earned
40 or more. In Tennessee, slightly more than one-third earned 25
and under 30 cents.
One-sixth of the women earned less than 20 cents, and between 20
and 24 percent were found in each of the 5-cent intervals that com
bined form 20 and under 35 cents. Less than 5 percent earned as
much as 45 cents. The average for all women was 28 cents. For the
three States shown separately, the range was from 26.3 cents to 28.7
cents.
_
The average of men’s earnings amounted to 39 cents but consider
able proportions earned more than 40 cents. More than one-fifth
earned 45 cents or more and 23 percent earned 35 and under 45 cents.
Only 8 percent were paid less than 25 cents.
WORK SHIRTS
21
Earnings in individual firms.
Variations of earnings occurred not only from State to State, but
from firm to firm within a State. In Indiana the lowest average 18.7
cents, was less than half as much as the highest, 42.7 cents’ In
I ennessee the difference between the lowest and the highest average
was only 4.7 cents The summary following shows the range in
average earnings by State.
6
State
Number of
establish
ments
Average hourly earn
ings1 (cents)
Lowest
Total..
Indiana______
Tennessee........
Other States2.
Highest
Percent
lowest aver
age is of
highest
23.1
56.4
41.0
18.7
23.5
23.1
42.7
28.2
56.4
43.8
83.3
41.0
1 The mean—the simple arithmetic average
V^in!iabllShmentS iD ^““^vania
1 each in Delaware, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, and
DRESS SHIRTS 1
INTRODUCTION
In the study of the dress-shirt industry, earnings data were as
sembled from 59 factories whose major or only product was men’s
cotton wash dress shirts. Factories producing custom-made or evening
shirts were not scheduled. Those making chiefly work shirts are
covered in a separate study (see p. 17).
,
The data were copied from pay rolls by agents of the Women s
Bureau or were sent in by firms in cooperation with orgamzed labor.
Every effort was made to cover a pay-roll period regarded by the
employer as one of full-time factory operation.
The 59 firms employed 14,705 workers, of whom the very great
majority were women. Records of men’s earnings were not obtained
in Tennessee or Delaware, but in other States with as many as three
firms reported men constituted only a small part of the workers,
ranging from less than 6 percent in New Jersey to about 12 percent
in New York and Pennsylvania.
Women
Number of Number of Number of
establish employees
men
ments
State
Total............... ........................-................
Number
59
14,705
1,505
13, 200
4
4
3
912
1, 257
764
2, 448
6, 423
417
2,484
93
116
43
299
778
819
1,141
721
2,149
5,645
417
2,308
8
31
3
6
t1)
176
Percent of
total
0
89.8
90. 8
94.4
(>)
P)
87. 9
> Not obtainable; data tor men not reported in ail oases.
» 2eStablfeSnents in Indiana, and 1 each in Connecticut, Delaware (women only), Georgia, and Kentucky.
Hour records were secured in 45 of the establishments, which em
ployed 11,496, or 78 percent, of the workers. In only two States,
Pennsylvania and Maryland, was the number with hours worked
reported less than 90 percent of the total; the proportions in these
States were 59 and 40 percent, respectively.
EARNINGS AND HOURS
Detailed earnings of men and women in the various States are not
shown separately in the following discussion. Women formed such a
large majority of the workers that their earnings distribution was
almost identical with that of all employees. However, the distnbu1 A minimum-wage determination of the Secretary of Labor, which took effect August 2, 1937, states that
37^ cents an hour, or $15 for a 40-hour week, shall be the minimum wage for employees on Government
contracts in the cotton-garment and allied industries, which include men s dress shirts.
22
.dress shirts
23
tion is presented by sex for all States combined, and the average for
each sex is given by State.
Week’s earnings.
The average of the week’s earnings for the 14,705 workers in these
dress-shirt factories was $14.10, but the variation among the States
was wide—from $15.95 for the 2,448 employees in New York (about
1 in 8, men) to $5.55 for the 417 (all women) in Tennessee. Mary
land, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, in the order named, ranked next
to New York, but their averages were only $14.60, $14.45, and $14.40,
respectively. Missouri was considerably below, with $12.60, and the
great drop to $5.55, for women in Tennessee, followed. The ex
tremely low average for Tennessee women is due in part to the fact,
noted later, that a large majority had considerable undertime during
the week surveyed, but reference to table 3 on hourly earnings shows
that the chief cause was the low wage standards in this industry in
Tennessee.
The average earnings of the 13,200 women amounted to $13.40.
Excluding Tennessee, where the average was only $5.55, the range
was from $11.70 in Missouri to $14.70 in New York.
The men’s average earnings were very much higher (57 percent)
than those of women, $21 as compared to $13.40. Highest earnings
were in New York, where the average was $25.05. In Pennsylvania
and Maryland the averages were respectively $19.35 and $18.80.
Table 1.-—Average
Week’s earnings
and distribution of week’s earnings, by State
Mis
Total Mary
land souri
New
Jer
sey
New
York
Penn
syl
vania
Number of employees
14,705
912 1,267
764 2, 448 6, 423
Averaee earnings 3__........... . $14.10 $14. GO $12. GO $14.45 $15. 95 $14. 40
Ten Other
nes States1
see
2417 2,484
$5. 55 $13. 90
Total
Total
wom
men
en
13. 200
$13. 40
1.505
$21.00
4.3
IS. 3
42. 5
28.0
5.8
22.8
Percent nf employees
Under $5______ ______
$5, under $10_____
$10, under $15......................
$15, under $20___________
$20, under $25___________
$25, under $30__
$30 and over. .....................
4.0
17.0
40.5
27.9
6.9
1.8
2.0
1.6
6.1
2.0
15.2
43.4
24.8
10.7
3.3
.9
24.3
44.5
19.0
3.2
.7
15.3
43.7
28.0
2.2
8.2
1.0
1.7
1.9
9.8
38.9
32.9
9.6
3.5
3.4
2.8
16.0
41.1
29.4
7.1
1.9
1.7
45.6
47.7
6.7
2. 5
19.0
41.9
29. 2
5.0
.6
1.8
1.1
5.9
1.0
.2
27.0
16.9
9.2
17.1
6. 3
12. 6
22. 5
36. 7
54.5
7 1
13 8
23.7
r r
76.3
7.0
43.2
Cumulative percents
Under $6____________
Under $8.. ________
Under $10_________
Under $12_____________ ___
Under $14.____________
$14 and over_____________
$16 and over.____ ______
$18 and over
$20 and over _ ____________
5.9
34.4
51.4
2.9
6.9
16.8
30.7
51.6
9.6
19.8
30.3
50.0
67.2
3.6
8.7
17.4
32.7
50.7
48.6
30.1
17. 9
10.7
48. 4
31.0
18.9
14.9
32. 8
18 4
10. 7
49 3
6.1
10.9
11.8
21.0
2.7
5.2
11.7
23.5
39.9
16.5
4.2
9.5
18.8
31.9
49.3
60.9
82.5
93.3
97.6
100.0
3.9
11.1
21.5
34.7
52.2
10.7
7.4
Average earnings3 of women. $13.40 $14.15 $11. 70 $14.00 $14. 70 $13. 70
Average earnings3 of men.... 21.00 18. 80 21.20
(<)
25. 05 19. 35
$5. 55 $13. 30
21.95
Connecticut, Delaware (women only), Georgia, Indiana, and Kentucky.
Data for men not obtained.
3 The mean—the simple arithmetic average.
4 Not computed; base less than 50.
1
2
24
EARNINGS AND HOURS IN MEN’S-WEAR INDUSTRIES
Forty-one percent 01 all employees earned $10 and under $15,
28 percent earned $15 and under $20, and 17 percent earned $5 and
under $10. Slightly over one-tenth were in the wage intervals above
$20.
With the exception of Tennessee, the largest group of workers in
each State had earnings of $10 and under $15, and in each State but
Missouri the second largest group earned $15 and under $20. In
Missouri the group second in rank earned $5 and under $10.
In Tennessee very few of the workers (women only reported) re
ceived a wage high enough for them to maintain a decent standard
of living; none earned so much as $13 and only 7 percent earned so
much as $10. Almost half of the workers (48 percent) earned $5
and under $10, and no less than 46 percent earned below $5.
In the other States relatively small proportions, ranging from 3 per
cent in New York and Maryland to 10 percent in Missouri, had earn
ings of less than $6. At the other extreme the number earning $20
or more, though somewhat larger than the number with very low
earnings, formed a relatively small proportion of all workers. The
proportion with such earnings varied from 6 percent in Missouri to
17 percent in New York. The largest proportion in any State earning
as much as $30 was only 3 percent, in New York.
The largest group of women, 43 percent, earned $10 and under $15;
28 percent earned $15 and under $20, and 18 percent $5 and under
$10. Less than orie-twelfth, 7 percent, earned $20 and over, and only
4 percent were paid less than $5. Omitting the women of Tennessee,
whose earnings have been discussed (see p. 23), the largest groups
in all the States earned $10 and under $15. In each State but Mis
souri, the next largest group earned $15 and under $20; in Missouri
the second largest group earned $5 and under $10.
Earnings of less than $10 were received by proportions of women
ranging from 13 percent in New York to 32 percent in Missouri, but
much smaller proportions had earnings of $20 or more. From 3 per
cent in Missouri to 12 percent in Maryland earned $20 or more, but
none in Missouri earned so much as $25 and none in Maryland so
much as $30.
.
Approximately half of the 1,505 men earned $10 and under $20;
43 percent earned $20 or more and only 7 had earnings of less than $10.
In New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Missouri the proportions
of men with earnings of less than $10 were 2, 7, 11, and 12 percent,
respectively, while at the other end of the wage scale from 9 percent
in Maryland to 26 percent in New York earned $30 or more. Modal
groups were at $30 and more in New York, $15 and under $20 in
Pennsylvania, and $10 and under $15 in Maryland and Missouri.
Hours worked.
Hours varied from State to State, but as a general rule women’s
hours were 40 and below and men’s hours were 40 and above. Of the
11,496 employees for whom hours worked were reported, 24, 23, and
25 percent, respectively, worked under 35 hours, 35 and under 40
hours, and 40 hours even. Only 8 percent worked 48. hours or longer.
Considerable short time existed m the various States, as indicated
by the large number of employees who worked less than 40 hours—at
least 35 percent in 5 of the 7 cases reported, and respectively 63 percent
and 74 percent in New York and Tennessee. From 7 percent of the
25
DEESS SHIRTS
workers in Maryland to 43 percent of those in Tennessee worked less
than 35 hours.
In Maryland and Missouri the largest groups of workers, 56 and 34
percent, respectively, worked 44 and under 48 hours, but in New
Jersey 58 percent, and in Pennsylvania 32 percent, worked 40 hours.
The largest group in New York, 38 percent, worked 35 and under 40
hours. In Tennessee, as already stated, 43 percent worked less than
35 hours.
None of the women in Tennessee and less than 2 percent of the
employees in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York
worked as much as 48 hours, but in Missouri almost one-third had
a workweek of such length.
Table 2.—Hours
State
Percent who worked during the week—
Number
of employees
with
Over 40, 44, under
hours
Under 35 35, under
48 hours
worked
hours
40 hours 40 hours under 44 48 hours and over
hours
reported
New Jersey__
New York_______ ...
Tennessee..
worked during the week, by Slate
... _
Total women____________
Total men__________
11,496
24.0
23.4
25.0
369
1,256
744
2,441
3,804
i 408
2,474
7.0
11.9
12.1
25.2
30.0
42.9
22.5
7.3
6.8
23.4
38.0
25.3
30.6
15.9
6.2
57.8
23.7
31.7
1.2
21.2
4.8
8.5
7.2
12.3
10,342
1,154
25.1
13.4
24.4
15.1
23.4
39.0
8.2
8.0
8.4
55.8
34.3
5.0
13.0
12.1
10.7
1.9
32.9
1.3
20.3
8.2
11.0
i Data for men not obtained.
1 Includes Connecticut, Delaware (women only), Georgia, Indiana, and Kentucky.
Larger proportions of women than of men worked short hours.
Only 27 percent of all women reported worked over 40 hours; less than
one-twelfth worked 48 hours or more. Twenty-five percent worked
less than 35 hours, 24 percent worked 35 and under 40 hours, and 23
percent worked 40 hours even. Unpublished figures show that from
7 percent of the women in Maryland to 43 percent of those in Tennessee
worked less than 35 hours; from 1 percent in Tennessee to 57 percent
in New Jersey worked 40 hours even; and none in New York and
Tennessee, less than 2 percent in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and
Maryland, but as many as 33 percent in Missouri, worked 48 hours or
more.
The largest group of men, 39 percent, worked 40 hours even.
Though 11 percent worked 48 hours or longer, as many as 29 percent
worked less than 40 hours, 13 percent even less than 35 hours. Un
published data on the hours of men employed in Missouri, New York,
and Pennsylvania show that one-third of those in Missouri, in contrast
to less than 5 percent in New York and Pennsylvania, worked 48
hours or more.
Average hourly earnings.
Hourly earnings were computed for 11,496 employees in 45 dressshirt factories. Average earnings of all workers were 37.3 cents, but
they ranged in the different States from 15.7 cents in Tennessee to
26
EARNINGS AND HOURS IN MEN'S-WEAR INDUSTRIES
43.4 cents in New York. The averages in other States were 40.5
cents in Pennsylvania, 38 cents in New Jersey, 29.6 cents in Mary
land, and 28.9 cents in Missouri.
As shown in table 3, the proportions at various earnings intervals
varied from 8 percent earning 20 and under 25 cents and 9 percent
earning under 20 cents, to 21 percent earning 35 and under 40 cents
and 21 percent earning 45 cents and over.
Very large differences appear among the States, as indicated by the
modal groups in New York and Tennessee. One-third of the workers
in New York had an average of 45 cents or more, in contrast to threefourths of those in Tennessee with an average of less than 20 cents.
Modal groups in each of the other States, and less than three-tenths
of the workers in each instance, were in the following 5-cent wage
intervals: In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, 35 and under 40 cents;
in Maryland, 25 and under 30 cents and 30 and under 35 cents (alike);
and in Missouri, 20 and under 25 cents._
Three-fourths of the women workers in Tennessee earned less than
20 cents, one-fifth earned 20 and less than 25 cents, and less than onehalf of 1 percent averaged as much as 30 cents. In the other States
the proportion earning less than 20 cents ranged from 2 percent in
Pennsylvania to 19 percent in Missouri, while a little over 5 percent
in Maryland and Missouri, and from 21 to 34 percent in New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, and New York, earned 45 cents or more.
Table 3.—Average and distribution of hourly earnings, by State
State
Total__
Pennsylvania.
Tennessee____
Other States 4.
Num
ber of
em
ployees
with
hours
worked
re
ported
11, 496
369
1,256
744
2, 4 41
3,804
8 408
2,474
Percent of employees who earned-
Women em
ployees
Men em
ployees
Aver
age
Aver
Aver
hourly
40,
45
35,
25,
30,
20,
age
age
earn Un
ings1 der under under under under under cents Num hourly Num hourly
and ber earn ber earn
45
35
40
30
(cents) 20
25
ings1
ings1
cents- cents cents cents cents cents over
(cents)
(cents)
37.3
29.6
28.9
38.0
43.4
40.5
15.7
35.3
8.5
7.9
10.6
16.7
21.3
14.1
20.9 10,342
35.6 1,154
53.4
12.5
18.9
4.2
2.1
1.7
75.5
9.5
16.8
22.1
6.3
3.6
3.7
19.6
8.7
23.6
19.4
12.9
7.0
7.1
4.4
13.6
23.6
16.6
21.0
15.2
15.9
.5
19.7
14.9
12.3
22.3
22.4
27.4
3.5
5.0
12.8
16.3
19.2
13.1
29.1
27.3
37.0
40.4
39.1
15.7
34.1
35
115
38
295
495
0
176
«
45.1
«
65.6
50.0
19.5
334
5.1
5.7 1,141
20.6
706
33.5 2,146
25.1 3,309
408
15.8 2,298
60.6
1 The mean—the simple arithmetic average.
Not computed; base less than 50.
8 Data for men not obtained.
4 Includes Connecticut, Delaware (women only), Georgia, Indiana, and Kentucky.
2
The average hourly earnings of women showed little variation from
the average for all employees, the greatest difference being 3 cents
(40.4 cents for women, 43.4 cents for all) found in the case of New
York.
More than one-fifth of the women earned 35 and under 40 cents,
18 percent earned 45 cents or more, and 17 percent earned 30 and
under 35 cents. In the other earnings intervals the proportion ranged
from 8 to 14 percent. Only 9 percent had earnings of less than 20
cents, but this represents the range from 2 percent in New York and
Pennsylvania to 76 percent in Tennessee already cited.
DRESS SHIRTS
27
Hourly earnings were computed for 1,154 men and for these the
f Cen^raCtly hvalf ¥ain as high as women’s average,
rativ
VnfrVrnW!i1Ci T\S h°urly earmngs were tabulated sepahnlfTIqIZ, Y f\ hAl he hl?lie¥ average 65.6 cents. Almost onelall (49 percent) of the men in New York were paid 60 cents or more
and only 2 percent earned less than 30 cents. In Pennsylvania ?6
percent earned 35 and under 40 cents, 24 percent earned 60 cents or
more, and almost 5 percent received less than 30 cents. In Missouri
nLwln eafmed u° Ce¥9 °f more> almosfc one-third earned 25 and
der 40 cents, and one-tenth earned 40 and under 55 cents, but as
many as 26 percent earned less than 25 cents.
Earnings in individual firms.
A tabulation of average earnings was made for 38 individual firms
each employing 50 or more workers. The range in averages of the
NeweYnrlUPfiWaS flTm i4'1 ce.nts,in a Tennessee firm to 46 cents in a
york firm. As shown in the summary following the greatest
difference between the lowest and the highest average’in any State
was 15.1 cents m Missouri, and the least difference was 2.2 cents in
ffcenk36’7' The dlfference in other States ranged from 3.4 cents to
Number of
establishments
State
Average hourly earn
ings 1 (cents)
Lowest
Total...................
Missouri________
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania............ .
Tennessee2...
Other States3........
2
........ ...
•
28.3
20.0
36.9
38.7
19.8
Highest
Percent lowis of highest
46.0
30.7
32.0
35.1
39.1
46.0
43. 5
17.5
40.7
88.4
57.0
94.4
84.1
83.2
80.6
48.6
1 The mean—the simple arithmetic average
3 Data for meu not obtained.
* includes 2 establishments in Indiana and 1 each in Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, and Kentucky.
O
@FedFRASER