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U N IT E D ST A T E S D E P A R T M E N T OF L A B O R
Frances P erkin s, Secretary
B U R E A U OF L A B O R STA TISTIC S
Isador L ubin, Commissioner (on leave)
A . F. H in rich s, Acting Commissioner
+
Hours and Earnings in the
Fertilizer Industry, January 1943
Prepared in th e
DIVISION OF WAGE ANALYSIS
R O B E R T J. M YE R S, Chief
Bulletin No. 751
{R eprinted from the M o n t h l y L a b o r R ev iew ,
August
19431
U N ITE D STA TE S
G O V E R N M E N T P R IN T IN G OFFICE
W ASH IN G TO N : 1943
F or sale by th e Superintendent o f D ocum ents, U . S. G overnm ent P rin tin g O ffice
W ashington, D . C. - P rice S cents
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
U
n it e d
States D
B
epartm en t of
u re a u of
L
abor
L abor
S t a t is t ic s ,
Washington, D . (7., August 19 , 1948.
The S e c r e t a r y o f L a b o r :
I have the honor to transmit herewith a report on hours and earn
ings in the fertilizer industry in January 1943. This report was
prepared by Edward B. Morris, in the Bureau’s Division of Wage
Analysis, Robert J. Myers, Chief.
A. F . H i n r i c h s , Acting Commissioner.
H
on.
F r a n c e s P e r k in s ,
Secretary of Labor.
ii
CONTENTS
Page
Summary__________________________________________________________
Characteristics of the industry_______________________________________
Union organization in the fertilizer industry___________________________
Methods of wage payment___________________________________________
Nature and scope of survey__________________________________________
Average hourly earnings of plant employees___________________________
Average hourly earnings as related to community size, company affiliation,
and type of product_______________________________________________
Hourly and weekly earnings and hours of labor, by occupation__________
Earnings and hours of office employees________________________________
in
7
9
11
Bulletin 7\fo. 751 of the
United States Bureau of Labor Statistics
fBeprinted from the M o n t h l y L a b o r R e v i e w , August 1943]
Hours and Earnings in the Fertilizer Industry,
January 1943 1
Summary
WAGE earners in the fertilizer industry earned, on an average, 55.0
cents an hour, exclusive of premium pay for overtime, in January
1943. There was a marked regional difference in wage levels, average
hourly earnings being 76.5 cents in the North and 45.2 cents in the
South. Negroes, who make up a large part of the working force in
the industry and are usually found in jobs with lower skill require
ments, averaged 45.9 cents an hour as compared with 72.5 cents for
white employees. Office workers averaged 70.7 cents an hour.
That the wage level in the fertilizer industry is relatively low is
indicated by the fact that 2.0 percent of the wage earners in January
1943 were paid less than 30 cents an hour, 21 percent earned from 30
to 40 cents, inclusive, while approximately one-half of the employees
received less than 47.5 cents an hour.
Characteristics of the Industry
The fertilizer industry is made up of “ establishments primarily
engaged in the manufacture of commercial fertilizer and super
phosphates or mixing of fertilizer materials.” 2 Among the establish
ments excluded from the industry are those engaged in the merchan
dising of fertilizer materials in the natural state or of tankage from
meat-packing establishments used without further processing, and in
the mining and grinding of phosphate rock for sale to fertilizer plants.
The industry in 1939 consisted of 764 establishments, according to
the Census of Manufactures, but the average number of wage earners
employed during the year was only 18,744. The plants were scattered
among 39 States, with a marked concentration, however, in the
Southern area. Fifty-four percent of the total number of wage
earners were employed in plants situated in Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.2
The majority of fertilizer plants have few employees. Of the 764
plants in the industry in 1939, 226 had fewer than 5 wage earners;
274 had from 6 to 20 wage earners; 173 had from 21 to 50 wage earners';
and 91 had 51 or more wage earners. Although most of the plants
are relatively small, concentration of ownership is an important
factor in the industry. A few companies, each operating a number of
plants, account for a very appreciable segment of total output and
>lay an important role in the determination of industrial policy. A
arger group of companies, operating two plants or more, may be
considered intermediate in size.
{
1 Prepared in the Bureau’s Division of Wage Analysis by Edward B. Morris,
a Census of Manufactures* 1939.
548490°—43
1
2
Hours and Earnings in Fertilizer Industry
An integrated fertilizer plant consists of three manufacturing units—
an acid department, a superphosphate department, and a mixing
department. Sulphuric acid is manufactured in the acid department
for use of the superphosphate department. In the superphosphate,
wet-mixing, or acidulation department, phosphate rock is ground
and mixed with the sulphuric acid. The mixture is dumped into a
concrete “ den” and left there until the chemical reaction is completed.
In the dry-mixing department, the superphosphate is combined with
other purchased fertilizer materials in accordance with the desired
formulas. The various ingredients are mixed thoroughly to secure
uniformity and the resulting product is bagged and then tagged for
shipment.
The principal lands of fertilizer plants may be described in terms
of these departments. Acid-making plants have all three depart
ments. Superphosphate plants, which purchase their acid require
ments, ordinarily have superphosphate and dry-mixing departments,
although superphosphate production is included in the fertilizer
industry whether or not the plant produces mixed fertilizers. Drymixing plants purchase their superphosphate and conduct only the
dry-mixing operations. Tabulated with this latter group are a few
plants that process ammoniates (nitrogen-bearing materials) in
addition to mixing fertilizers.
The fertilizer industry exhibits wide seasonal variations in produc
tion and employment. Farmers generally buy their fertilizers only a
short time before applying them to the soil. The more common for
mulas are usually mixed in advance, but much of the mixing is done to the
order of the user. Consequently, there is a marked peak of activity
in the spring and a somewhat lesser peak in the fall. The spring
peak starts early in the year in the deep South and moves northward
thereafter. While the spring peak may be delayed or advanced by
the weather, it occurs usually during March or April. The usual fall
peak is in September or October. This seasonal variation is clearly
indicated by the Bureau’s index of employment in the fertilizer in
dustry for the years 1939 to 1943 (table 1). During these years the
index numbers for March and April have been substantially higher,
except in 1942, than those for either February or May, and, except
in one year, the index numbers for September and October have been
somewhat higher than those for either August or November.
T a b l e 1 . — Indexes
of Employment in the Fertilizer Industry, by Months, 1939-43
[1939=100]
Month
January...
February..
March......
April_____
M ay .........
June.........
July______
August___
September.
O ctober...
November.
December.
1939
100.9
137.6
166.6
116.7
74.4
69.3
69.8
92.7
92.7
86.1
96.3
1940
102.9
143.2
164.6
121.3
83.6
75.4
76.4
90.2
91.2
86.6
89.7
1941
97.8
106.5
133.0
168.7
119.7
86.6
85.1
84.6
103.9
97.8
95.3
100.4
1942
113.2
144.6
156.7
147.1
■ 118.8
96.2
88.5
91.8
103.0
102.6
103.9
109.4
1943
114.5
138.2
158.6
U54.8
3
Hours and Earnings in Fertilizer Industry
Seasonal fluctuation in employment has been accompanied by an
interesting variation in the level of average hourly earnings. Hourly
earnings for the spring peak tend to fall below earnings for earlier and
later months. For example, in each of the years shown, the level of
hourly earnings for March was from 1.7 to 4.4 cents below the level
for January of the same year, and from 4.6 to 6.0 cents below the
average hourly earnings for May (table 2). This phenomenon may
be explained by the firing of additional workers at minimum rates
during the busy season, and by the fact that increased activity occurs
earlier in the South, where wage rates are generally lower than else
where. The fall peak is less pronounced in terms of the employment
index, and has a less consistent effect on the level of hourly earnings.
T a b l e 2 . — Average
Hourly Earnings 1 in the Fertilizer Industry, by Months, 1939-43
Month
January...
February..
March___
April.........
M ay..........
June..........
July_____
August___
September.
O ctober...
November.
December .
1939
1940
1941
1942
$0.393
.379
.349
.349
.409
.429
.444
.446
.442
.420
.451
.428
$0,420
.404
.384
.379
.430
.443
449
.466
.459
.442
.451
.435
$0,429
.421
.408
.417
.468
.486
.494
.517
.514
.501
.507
.501
$0,495
.470
.478
.498
.529
.549
.591
.601
.593
.589
.583
.579
1943
$0,573
.551
.552
*.586
i Including additional earnings from penalty rates for overtime.
* Preliminary.
Union Organization in the Fertilizer Industry
Slightly over one-fourth of the workers in the fertilizer industry
work under the terms of union agreements. The greater proportion
of workers under agreement are found in California, Florida, Illinois,
Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee
and Virginia. Little or no union organization prevails in Alabama,
Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, and
South Carolina.
The principal unions in this industry are the National Council
of Chemical and Allied Industries Unions (composed of federal labor
unions directly affiliated with the A. F. of L.), and District 50, United
Mine Workers of America, which is not affiliated with either the A. F.
of L. or the C. I. O. The former union represents slightly over half
of the workers under agreement; the latter approximately one-third.
A number of other unions have some representation in the industry.
Methods of Wage Payment
Wage payment on a time basis predominates in the fertilizer in
dustry. In January 1943, all but 1.5 percent of the plant workers
were paid on an hourly, weekly, or monthly basis. One percent^ of
the workers were paid piece rates, while the earnings of the remain
ing one-half of 1 percent of the workers were determined by some other
form of incentive wage system.
4
Hours and Earnings in Fertilizer Industry
Practices with respect to payment for overtime work cannot be
determined precisely from the information secured during the course
of the survey. On the basis of the wage data collected, however,
certain inferences can be drawn.3 Thus, 61 percent of the plants in
which overtime hours were worked during the pay-roll period, and
in which overtime pay practice could be determined, paid time and
one-half after 40 hours; in 16 percent of the plants slightly different
practices with respect to overtime premium pay prevailed. Straighttime rates for overtime hours were paid in 23 percent of the plants.
Only straight-time hourly earnings are shown in this report. Weekly
earnings, however, include the additional compensation derived from
extra rates for overtime.
Nature and Scope of Survey
This survey of wages and hours in the fertilizer industry was
undertaken by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as part of its established
program of securing basic information on the wage structure of
American industries. A previous survey of wages in this industry
was made by the Bureau in 1938.4 The present survey was specifi
cally requested by the Wage and Hour and Public Contracts Division
of the U. S. Department of Labor, for use in a minimum-wage de
termination under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Because of the urgent need '
'
-roll period during
recalled that by
January 1943 was selected
comparison with the peak spring and fall seasons, employment in
January is substantially lower and the general level of wages somewhat
higher.
The basic data for the present survey were obtained very largely
by means of mail questionnaires which were sent to practically all
of the firms in the industry. A few of the larger firms were visited by
representatives of the Bureau for the purpose of obtaining their
assistance in the compilation of the data desired. Over 700 reports
were received. Many of the returns, however, were from firms that
had ceased business, employed no wage earners, or were improperly
classified as being in the fertilizer industry. A relatively small num
ber of usable returns were received too late for inclusion in the tabu
lation, or were omitted for other reasons. The data presented in this
report are based on returns from 308 plants with 10,226 factory
workers and 679 office employees.
The information requested on the questionnaire for individual
workers included such items as race, sex, job title, shift, total hours
worked, rate of pay, earnings at the regular rate of pay, and total
earnings including extra or premium overtime earnings. Information
as to the type of plant and whether the plant shipped goods outside
of the State was also requested.
* The data collected for each worker included total hours actually worked, rate of pay, earnings at regular
rates for total hours shown, and total earnings including premium pay for overtime. It was thus possible
to determine the rate of premium pay in most of the plants in which overtime hours were worked.
4 Serial No. R. 864: Wages and Hours in the Fertilizer Industry, 1938.
5
Hours and Earnings in Fertilizer Industry
Average Hourly Earnings of Plant Employees
The average straight-time hourly earnings of plant workers in the
308 establishments covered in the survey amounted to 55.0 cents 5 in
January 1943 (table 3). Considerable light is thrown on the composi
tion of this average by the distribution of individual earnings shown in
table 4. Thus, 23.2 percent of the workers earned less than 40.0 cents
an hour and almost as large a proportion of workers had earnings
within the 2.5 cent interval from 40.0 to 42.5 cents. Although 55.5
percent of the workers received 42.5 cents or more an hour, omy 13.7
percent earned as much as 77.5 cents.
T a b l e 3 . — Number
of Plants, Number of Workers, and Average Hourly Earnings of
Plant Workers in Fertilizer Industry, by Region, State, and Race, January 1943
Region and State
Total
White
Negro
Num
ber of Number Average Number Average Number Average
plants of
work hourly of work hourly of work hourly
earnings
ers
earnings
ers
ers
earnings
$0,550
3,279
$0,725
6,947
$0,459
3,166
.765
N o rth .....................................................
113
174
.787
16
California..........................................
4
82
Connecticut_____________________
.630
4
175
Illinois............................................. .
.771
Tnrimnfl_________________________
4
80
.549
5
105
.562
Maine__________________________
11
694
.778
M aryland______________________
Massachusetts_________________
6
148
.805
New
.... Jersey..................................
9
485 ' .749
New York______________________
9
182
.756
.709
Ohio______________ _____________
13
330
Pennsylvania___________________
271
.702
15
Other States *___________________
.935
17
440
2,073
157
24
121
45
104
203
141
369
155
196
143
415
.806
.778
.580
.786
.530
.561
.929
.808
.797
.777
.737
.708
.954
1,093
17
58
54
35
1
491
7
116
27
134
128
25
.679
0)
.652
.733
.578
0)
.712
0)
.583
.626
.665
.694
.443
1,206
82
11
335
199
51
108
80
101
35
201
3
.595
.479
0)
.717
.454
.432
.543
.612
.472
.369
.709
5,854
521
83
971
1,067
297
840
884
97
73
930
91
418
.360
.377
.438
.353
.362
.410
.391
.425
.325
.570
.334
United States............ .............. ..............
South_______________ _____________
Alabama________________________
Arkansas________________ ______ _
Florida__________________ _____
Georgia_________________________
Mississippi............... ........................
North. Carolina__________________
South Carolina__________________
Tennessee_______________________
Texas___________________________
Virginia.............................................
Other States 3__......................... ......
308
195
16
4
30
42
7
33
25
5
9
20
4
10,226
7,060
603
94
1,306
1,266
348
948
964
198
108
1,131
94
.452
.378
.383
.513
.369
.372
.428
.413
.449
.340
.599
.335
0)
i Number of workers too small to justify presentation of an average.
* Includes 1 plant in Arizona, 2 in Delaware, 1 in District of Columbia, 1 in Iowa, 2 in Michigan, 1 in
Minnesota, I in Missouri, 1 in Montana, 1 in Nevada, 1 in Oregon, 1 in Rhode Island, 1 in Vermont, and 3 in
Washington.
* Includes 1 plant in Kentucky, and 3 in Louisiana.
Wide regional variations in hourly earnings exist in the industry.
Wage earners in the North earned an average of 76.5 cents an hour in
January 1943, as against an average of 45.2 cents for workers in the
South. In the North, 70.1 percent of the workers received 67.5 cents
an hour or more, and 96.7 percent earned at least 42.5 cents an hour.
The corresponding percentages in the South were 6.2 and 30.6.
To some extent, the regional difference in hourly earnings was due
to the lower earnings of Negro workers, who accounted for 83 percent
of the labor force in the South as against approximately one-third of
the labor force in the North. These differences were also strongly
5 The inclusion of the extra earnings resulting from premium overtime pay would increase this average
by 3.7 cents.
6
Hours and Earnings in Fertilizer Industry
influenced by the fact that Negro workers tend to be employed in the
lower-paid occupations, whereas white workers are generally found in
the supervisory and higher-paid occupations. White workers en
joyed an advantage in earnings over Negroes of 12.7 cents in the
North and 17.7 cents in the South. The general difference in hourly
earnings in favor of Northern workers amounted to 21.1 cents for
white workers and to 26.1 cents for colored.
Although the general North-South wage difference is very marked,
intraregional variations in levels of earnings are also relatively wide.
Thus, as table 3 shows, average hourly earnings by State in the North
ranged from 54.9 cents in Indiana to 80.5 cents in Massachusetts.
The range in the South was from 34 cents in Texas to 59.9 cents in
Virginia.
T a b l e 4 . — Percentage
Distribution of Plant Workers in Fertilizer Industry, by Average
Hourly Earnings, Region, and Race, January 1943
North
United States
South
Average hourly earnings
Total White Negro Total White Negro Total White Negro
Under 30.0 cents............
Exactly 30.0 cents..........
30.1 and under 32.5 cents..
32.5 and under 35.0 cents..
35.0 and under 37.5 cents..
37.5 and under 40.0 cents..
40.0 and under 42.5 cents..
42.5 and under 47.5 cents..
47.5 and under 52.5 cents..
52.5 and under 57.5 cents..
57.5 and under 62.5 cents..
62.5 and under 67.5 cents..
67.5 and under 72.5 cents..
72.5 and under 77.5 cents..
77.5 and under 82.5 cents..
82.5 and under 87.5 cents..
87.5 and under 92.5 cents..
92.5 and under 97.5 cents..
97.5 and under 102.5 cents
102.5 and under 107.5 c
107.5 cents and over____
Total..
2.0
8.3
.1
1.4
9.9
1.5
21.3
6.9
6.2
6.6
3.8
5.9
4.4
8.0
3.2
1.6
1.2
3.6
®.
2.8
.3
5.3
3.7
5.9
4.9
5.2
6.7
7.3
14.0
2.4
10.5
.1
1.8
13.3
2.0
29.0
8.3
6.4
7.4
3.1
5.5
3.1
5.2
1.0
8
"o.’i'
1.2
2.0
1.6
5.7
4.3
6.3
8.7
11.0
2.2
1.6
1.2
2.3
1.6
4.8
3.7
7.2
4.9
.1
0)
0)
23.3
7.9
4.2
5.5
4.2
3.3
6.5
4.2
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
8.1
3.7
6.2
.6
.2
(»)
- 6 .T
"o.’ i*
.5
1 .'6
1.1
1.6
«
5.6
4.9
5.6
5.8
7.2
18.5
9.3
4.4
7.9
6.2
4.9
10.0
6.4
5.8
3.1
7.7
14.1
18.1
32.4
5.2
3.8
1.1
2.9
12.1
.1
1.9
13.9
2.1
30.2
9.2
6.5
7.7
2.6
4.6
1.5
1.1
1.1
.4
.6
.1
.4
.3
.4
.4
100.0
100.0
.5
3.2
9.7
.1
1.2
2.8
12.4
.1
2.1
6.7
.7
12.6
7.3
6.3
5.1
4.6
8.3
7.5
15.4
2.4
33.8
9.6
6.5
5.7
2.5
3.4
.2
6.0
8.2
2.2
3.9
.2
.1
2.6
1.6
2.5
2.4
<*>
100.0
100.0
Number of workers.......................
10,226 3,279 6,947 3,166 2,073 1,093 7,060 1,206
Average hourly earnings................... $0,550 $0.725 $0,459 50.765 $0,806 $0,679 (0.452 $0,595
5,854
$0.418
100.0
* Less than a tenth of 1 percent.
Because the minimum-wage levels prescribed by the Fair Labor
Standards A ct6 affect only those plants engaged in interstate
commerce, plants not so engaged might be expected to have somewhat
lower average hourly earnings. To test this assumption, the plants
included in the survey were classified on the basis of whether or not
they make shipments in interstate commerce. Table 5 shows a dis
tribution of employees by average hourly earnings in these two plant
groups. A marked difference in hourly earnings is evident, amounting
to 17.2 cents in the North and 10.7 cents in the South. It will be
observed that more than 11 percent of the workers in the intrastate
plants in the South earned less than 30 cents an hour in January 1943.
6 At the time of the wage survey, the fertilizer industry was subject to the statutory minimum wage of 30
cents an hour under the Fair Labor Standards Act. In addition, minima of 30 cents in the South, 50 cents
in the Far West, and 40 cents in the remainder of the country had been established under the Public Con
tracts Act for production on Government contracts amounting to $10,000 or more.
7
Hours and Earnings in Fertilizer Industry
5 . — Percentage Distribution of Fertilizer-Plant Workers by Average Hourly
nings, Region, and Whether Products Are Shipped Outside State, January 1943
T a b le
United States
Average hourly earnings
North
South
Plants Plants
Plants Plants
Plants Plants
not
not
not
ship
ship
Total1 ship
ship
ship
ship
ping
ping
ping
ping
ping
Total*
Total*
ping
out
out
out
out
out
out
side
side
side
side
side
side
State
State
State
State
State
State
Under 30.0 cents________
Exactly 30.0 cents......................
30.1 and under 32.5 cents______
32.5 and under 35.0 cents..........
35.0 and under 37.5 cents...........
37.5 and under 40.0 cents______
40.0 and under 42.5 cenrs..........
42.5 and under 47.5 cents..........
47.5 and under 52.5 cents..........
52.5 and under 57.5 cents..........
57.5 and under 62.5 cents..........
62.5 and under 67.5 cents.........
67.5 and under 72.5 cents--------72.5 and under 77.5 cents______
77.5 and under 82.5 cents--------82.5 and under 87.5 cents______
87.5 and under 92.5 cents______
92.5 and under 97.5 cents..........
97.5 and under 102.5 cents.........
102.5 and under 107.5 cents____
107.5 cents and over..................
2.0
8.3
.1
1.4
9.9
1.5
21.3
6.9
6.2
6.6
3.8
5.9
4.4
8.0
3.2
1.6
2.2
1.6
1.2
2.3
1.6
< te
8.8
1.4
20.7
6.8
5.6
7.5
4.0
7.0
5.0
9.6
3.9
1.9
2.6
2.0
1.4
2.9
2.0
Total____________ _____
100.0
100.0
Number of workers_____ _____ 10,226
Average hourly earnings........... $0,550
8,021
10.584
(4)
(<)
<«)
o .i
1.2
CO
1.4
.3
2.0
1.6
5.7
4.3
6.3
8.7
11.0
23.3
7.9
4.2
5.5
4.2
3.3
6.5
4.2
i.8
1.4
3.2
2.6
6.1
8.7
11.1
25.2
8.4
4.6
6.0
4.8
3.5
7.4
4.8
3.2
2.5
23.0
15.5
14.7
8.5
11.2
10.2
4.0
1.5
2.3
.5
1.5
.5
.3
2.9
12.0
.1
1.9
14.0
2.1
30.2
9.2
6.5
7.7
2.6
4.6
1.5
1.1
1.1
.4
.6
.4
.3
.4
.4
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
2,167 3,166
$0,419 $0,765
2,760
$0,787
400 7,060
$0,615 $0,452
5,261
$0,478
1,767
$0,371
9.3
19.5
.1
.4
13.8
1.5
24.3
7.2
8.9
3.3
3.1
1.8
2.3
2.2
.9
.4
.4
.1
.4
.1
(<)
100.0
0.3
0.1
8.0
.1
2.5
12.5
2.2
30.3
9.6
6.8
10.1
3.4
6.1
1.9
1.4
1.5
.5
.9
.6
.3
.6
.6
11.4
23.9
.1
.5
17.0
1.9
29.0
8.2
5.7
.5
.5
.2
.2
.3
.2
.2
.1
.1
i Includes 38 workers in 3 plants which did not report whether they shipped outside the State.
* Includes 6 workers in 1 plant which did not report whether they shipped outside the State.
* Includes 32 workers in 2 plants which did not report whether they shipped outside the State.
4 Less than a tenth of 1 percent.
,
Average Hourly Earnings as Related to Community Size
Company Affiliation, and Type of Product
Levels of hourly earnings in the fertilizer industry differed con
siderably by size of community in January 1943. In the industry as
a whole, the average hourly earnings of workers in plants in communi
ties with a population of less than 10,000 amounted to 42.1 cents, as
compared with an average of 45.1 cents for plants in communities of
10,000 and under 100,000 population, and 66.6 cents in communities
of 100,000 and over. In the North, the range in level of earnings
between the smallest and largest community size was from 60.6 cents
to 80.1 cents, or a difference of 19.5 cents, while in the South the range
was from 36.5 cents to 54.8 cents, a difference of 18.3 cents an hour
(table 6).
8
Hours and Earnings in Fertilizer Industry
T a b l e 6 . — Number
of Plants, Number of Workers, and Average Hourly Earnings in
Fertilizer Industry, by Region and Size of Community, January 1943
Number of
plants
Region and size of community (population)
Number of
workers
Average hourly
earnings
United S tates-.____________________________________
Under 10,000........ ............................ ........................ .
10,000 and under 100,000_________________________
100,000 and o v e r___ ___________________________
308
123
83
102
10,226
2,319
2,983
4,924
$0.550
.421
.451
.666
North___
____________________________________
Under 10,000
...............................................
10,000 and under 100,000_________________________
100,000 and over_________________________________
113
. 34
15
64
3,166
513
320
2,333
.765
.606
.761
.801
South
_
. ________ ____ _____________________
Under 10,000________ ___________________________
10,000 and under 100,000_________________________
100,000 and over___________________________ _____
195
89
68
38
7,060
1,806
2,663
2,591
.452
.365
.411
.548
In terms of company affiliation, average hourly earnings in the
large and intermediate companies 7 were considerably higher than
earnings in single-plant companies. #In the North, the large^ com
panies led with average hourly earnings of 83.3 cents, while in the
South the intermediate companies had the highest average, 53.7 cents
(table 7).
From the standpoint of type of manufacture, acid-mixing plants
had higher average hourly earnings than either superphosphate or
dry-mixing plants m both regions. In the industry as a whole, acidmixing plants paid an average of 61.0 cents per hour, superphosphate
plants an average of 54.2 cents, and dry-mixing plants an average of
47.7 cents.
7 . — Number of Plants, Number of Workers and Average Hourly Earnings in
Fertilizer Industry, by Region, Size of Company, and Type of Plant, January 1943
T a b le
United States
North
South
Size of company and type of Num
plant
ber
of
plants
Num
ber
of
work
ers
Aver
age
hourly
earn
ings
Num
ber
of
plants
Num
ber
of
work
ers
Aver Num
age
ber
hourly
of
earn plants
ings
Large companies....... ...........
Intermediate companies___
Small companies...................
74
75
159
3,813
3,070
3,343
$0,591
.601
.457
20
40
53
1,291
1,030
845
$0,833
.735
.694
54
35
106
2,522
2,040
2,498
$0,462
.537
.374
Acid-mixing plants...............
Superphosphate plants........
Dry-mixing plants................
42
38
228
4,560
1,597
4,069
.610
.542
.477
12
14
87
1,387
614
1,165
.862
.742
.649
30
24
141
3,173
983
2,904
.499
.416
.406
Num
ber
of
work
ers
Aver
age
hourly
earn
ings
It should be pointed out that the differences in plant average wage
levels by size of community, company affiliation, and type of plant
do not necessarily reflect accurately the differences in wage rates.
For example, acid-mixing plants have a more complex occupational
structure than either of the other two types of plants, and the higher
wage levels in these plants mirror, at least in part, the somewhat
larger employment of relatively higher-skilled workers. Moreover,
to take another instance, the wage advantage apparently enjoyed by
workers in communities of more than 10,000 inhabitants probably is
due, in some measure, to the fact that acid-mixing plants are found
mainly in the larger communities.
7 As previously pointed out, the term “ large companies" refers to a small group of multiplant firms that
exert a dominant influence on the industry; the term “ intermediate companies” refers to a larger group of
firms with two or more plants each, but not comparable in size with the large companies.
9
Hours and Earnings in Fertilizer Industry
,
Hourly and Weekly Earnings and Hours of Labor by Occupation
Table 8 provides a detailed picture, by region and race, of average
hourly earnings in the principal occupations found in the fertilizer
industry. This same table also shows average hours worked in each
occupation as well as average weekly earnings. It is important to
notice that the data on average weekly earnings include premium
overtime compensation.
T a b l e 8.— Average Hourly Earnings,
Weekly Hours, and Weekly Earnings in
Fertilizer Industry, by Region» Occupation, and Race, January 1943
Number of workers
Begion and occupation
Average hourly
earnings
Average weekly
hours
Average weekly
earnings *
Total White Negro Total White Negro Total White Negro Total White Negro
United States............. 10,226
A c id -c h a m b e r
men...................
153
227
Bag printers
77
242
Bag sewers..
Bag stowers.........
149
Oar runners and
conveyor opera
tors..................
130
107
Carpenters...........
242
Den diggers..........
Dry-mixer opera
tors....................
170
496
Foremen...............
Laborers............... 4,526
M a in t e n a n c e
workers, miscel
159
laneous..............
M a in t e n a n c e
84
men’s helpers—
118
Mechanics___
84
Rock grinders___
207
Scalemen..............
837
Shovelers, hand...
Superphosphate
114
mixers...............
898
Truckers, hand...
Truck and tractor
267
drivers............
308
Watchmen...........
M is c e lla n e o u s
plant workers.. _
631
3,279 6,947 $0,550 $0,725 $0,459
North..........................
A cid -ch a m b e r
men.
3,166
40.6
43.3
39.4 $23.82 $33.63 $19.20
63
45
29
44
21
90
182
48
198
128
.568
.521
.518
.524
.451
.740
.622
.608
.660
.573
.460
.498
.466
.493
.432
48.5
41.9
42.1
43.2
38.0
45.4
38.7
40.5
43.9
36.4
50.6
42.6
43.1
43.0
38.3
23
96
10
107
11
232
.493
.814
.418
.716
.829
(2)
.446
(2)
.409
45.0
46.3
41.7
44.3
46.6
(2)
45.2 23.77
40.25
(2)
41.6 18.51
32.92 21.80
41.97 (2)
18.11
<2>
52
118
453
43
1,077 3,449
.543
.795
.529
.609
.820
.735
.514
.584
.461
46.3
48.3
39.2
46.5
47.5
40.6
46.3 26.90
57.2 40.62
38.7 22.12
30.35 25.38
40.89 37.68
32.14 19.00
25.80
22.37
21.34
22.37
17.37
14
.937
.969
(2)
47.0
46.9
(’)
48.37
49.82
47
109
28
76
131
37
9
56
131
706
.633
.839
.557
.462
.459
.747
.869
.749
.547
.636
.498
(*)
.462
.414
.426
47.2
49.7
50.4
42.0
34.6
45.7
49.5
49.9
41.1
34.8
49.1
(2)
50.6
42.5
34.5
32.76
45.98
31.31
20.65
16.60
37.34
47.38
42.14
23.73
22.99
42
119
72
779
.590
.412
.689
.538
.538
.391
46.5
33.4
43.2
35.8
48.5 29.82
33.1 14.26
32.03 28.53
20.06 13.37
114
274
153
34
.532
.476
.576
.485
.500
.398
48.3
45.7
47.8
46.1
48.7 27.92
42.4 23.12
29.64 26.64
23.78 17.78
281
350
.659
.814
.534
43.7
44.0
43.4 30.80
38.38 24.72
2,073 1,093
.765
.806
.679
41.0
42.2
38.7 33.20
36.28 27.38.
(2)
26.95
(2)
25.90
18.86
15.42
35
35
14
38
12
5
57
4
48
15
.916
.684
00
.710
.684
.924
.688
(2)
.694
(2)
(2)
.682
(2)
.724
(2)
41.7
41.4
(2)
43.4
39.4
42.1
39.1
(2)
44.2
(2)
39.48
<2)
42.9 29.63
(2)
(2)
42.7 32.45
27.79
(2)
40.29 (2)
28.10 30.58
(2)
(2)
32.80 32.24
<2)
(2)
20
39
9
22
.764
1.002
.642
.782
1.002
(*)
.746
35
.645
41.1
42.7
37.9
43.3
42.7
(0
39.2 32.42
45.08
3578 25.18
34.98 30.09
45.08
23.89
(2)
36
201
964
37
8
455
.722
.977
.740
.696
.983
.768
.749
(2)
.673
44.5
44.3
39.7
46.4
44.2
41.3
42.7 34.01
44.89
(*)
36.4 31.38
34.45 33.58
44.98 (2)
34.18 25.44
2 1.071
1.081
(*)
44.9
44.5
17
59
15
23
116
9
1
13
13
86
.834
.929
.745
.683
.644
(2)
.933
(2)
.700
.670
(2)
<2
(2
(2)
.608
44.6
48.6
46.9
41.4
35.1
<*)
48.3
(8)
41.4
35.3
(*)
(2)
0
(tl
(1)
34.9
11
26
.775
(2)
.754
46.2
(2)
44.8 38.89
70
See footnotes at end of table.
35.58
25.19
25.45
30.96
21.71
145
40
92
18
86
27
Bag printers.........
Bag sewers______
Bag stowers..........
Oar runners and
conveyor opera
tors....................
42
39
Carpenters______
Den diggers..........
44
Dry-mixer opera
tors.....................
73
209
Foremen.............
Laborers............... 1,419
M a in te n a n c e
workers,miscel
72
laneous..............
M a in t e n a n c e
men’s helpers...
26
60
Mechanics......... .
Rock grinders___
28
Scalemen..............
36
202
Shovelers, hand__
Superphosphate
37
mixers................
29.83
22.93
22.89
23.93
17.98
51.35
51.21
39.94
49.23
38.37
29.25
23.40
(«)
(*)
49.06 w
(2)
(2)
30.09 (2)
24.58 21.80
(*)
(*)
36.32
10
Hours and Earnings in Fertilizer Industry
8. —Average Hourly Earnings, Weekly Hours, and Weekly Earnings in
Fertilizer Industry, by Region, Occupation, am? Race, January 1943— Continued
T a b le
Number of workers
Average hourly
earnings
Average weekly
hours
Average weekly
earnings
Region and occupation
Total White Negro Total White Negro Total White Negro Total White Negro
North—Continued.
Truckers, hand ...
Truck and tractor
drivers...............
Watchmen............
M is c e lla n e o u s
plant workers—.
67
102
71
102
274
South........................... 7,060
A c id '-c h a m b e r
men...................
113
135
Baggers............... .
59
Bag printers____
156
Bag sewers______
122
Bag stowers_____
Car runners and
conveyor opera
tors................... .
Carpenters—....... .
Den diggers........ .
198
Dry-mixer opera
97
tors.....................
Foremen________
287
Laborers............ — 3,107
Maintenance
workers, miscel
87
laneous..............
Maintenance
men's helpers. __
58
Mechanics..........
56
Rock grinders___
Scalemen..............
171
Shovelers, hand...
Superphosphate
mixers...............
77
729
Truckers, hand...
Truck and tractor
196
drivers...............
Watchmen...........
M isc e lla n e o u s
plant workers.._
357
37.4
37.9
37.0 $23.08 $25.77 $21.31
.707
.648
.716
.649
.6!
0)
44.3
45.7
44.4
45.9
44.1 33.25
(J) 31.12
33.50 32.78
31.34 (2)
$0,650 $0.559
122
.848
.921
.750
43.2
44.4
41.7 39.05
44.09 32.78
1,206 5,854
.452
.595
.418
40.4
45.2
39.5 19.62
29.07 17.67
85
125
44
150
113
.466
.411
.453
.420
.397
.543
.442
.413
.442
.420
.403
50.8
42.1
43.1
43.1
37.7
49.4
51.3
42.5
43.1
43.1
38.4
85
.380
.701
.374
.381
(a)
.374
46.9
48.4
42.6
46.7 19.64
(>) 37.48
42.7 17.
39.85
197
16
81
252
35
113 2,994
.418
.680
.431
.418
.537
.431
47.7
51.3
38.9
47.9 21.55
59.5 37.51
39.1 17.90
36.55
14.69 18.02
.875
(*)
48.8
49.2
(>)
.654
.797
.441
.407
.388
.400
48.4
50.8
52.1
42.1
34.4
47.5
50.8
(?)
(*)
49.4 29.55
00 42.61
52.6 27.79
42.6 18.84
34.5 14.44
34.59 24.15
45.41 (’)
0) 24.11
20.97 17.88
(*) 14.53
.430
.362
46.7
32.5
41.0
33.0
50.5 25.46
32.5 12.21
27.44 24.12
12.70 12.17
152
57
11
12
28
8
43
118
.549
.749
.472
.416
46
677
<.48
*>
(’)
.370
(’)
41.0
26.41
18.37
20.71
19.23
15.81
45.90
25.33
18.63
20.38
19.23
16.36
(’) 19.66
(*)
<a) 17.08
(*) 21.63
37.64
48.53
(*)
180
128
26
.476
.391
.491
.400
.467
49.8
45.7
50.1
46.2
49.6 25.99
42.1 19.16
27.02 25.44
19.84 14.44
129
228
.518
.685
.425
44.0
43.5
44.3 24.47
31.66 20.41
i Includes extra earnings from overtime.
» Number of workers too small to justify the presentation of an average.
An examination of table 8 indicates that the average of 55 cents an
hour for all plant workers in January 1943 was composed of a wide
range of occupational averages, varying from 41.2 cents an hour for
hand truckers to 93.7 cents an hour for maintenance workers (other
than carpenters and mechanics). Carpenters averaged 81.4 cents
and mechanics 83.9 cents an hour. Laborers, the most important
occupational group in terms of number of workers, were paid an
average of 52.9 cents an hour.8
In the North, hand truckers, with an average of 59.6 cents an hour,
earned less than any other occupational group, while miscellaneous
maintenance men earned $1.07 an hour. Carpenters also received
slightly over $1.00 an hour. Laborers were paid 74.0 cents an hour.
Occupational averages in the South were at a substantially lower
level than in the North, ranging from 36.3 cents an hour for hand
truckers to 83.4 cents an hour for miscellaneous maintenance men.
Carpenters averaged 70.1 cents an hour, while mechanics earned an
average of 74.9 cents. Laborers were paid 43.1 cents an hour.
8 The relatively high rate for laborers, compared with other unskilled occupations, is partly explained by
the fact that many plants reported workers as “ laborers” when perhaps more specific titles could have been
used.
Hours and Earnings in Fertilizer Industry
11
In every occupation shown for the country as a whole, Negro
workers received lower hourly earnings than white workers. The
difference ranged from 7.6 cents an hour for truck and tractor drivers
to 28.7 cents for rock grinders. In the North, white workers received
higher average hourly wage rates than Negroes in 7 of the 9 occupa
tions for which comparisons can be made. In the Southern region,
white workers had a wage advantage over the Negro employees in
most occupations. The advantage ranged from 0.8 cents to 26.0
cents in the 10 occupations which permit a racial comparison. Only
in the case of laborers did Negro workers have higher hourly earnings.
For this occupation, the difference amounted to 2.5 cents.
Wage earners in the fertilizer industry as a whole worked an average
of 40.6 hours a week in January 1943, as table 8 shows. Average
hours were 41 in the North and 40.4 in the South. White workers had
longer average hours than Negro employees, with the average differ
ence amounting to 3.9 hours in the industry as a whole, 3.5 hours in
the North, and 5.7 hours in the South.
Average hours in the industiy were measurably lowered by the
relatively short average hours of laborers, hand shovelers, and hand
truckers, the three largest occupational groups. Workers in 12 of the
22 occupational categories shown in table 8 had average hours of more
than 45 a week; these groups were, in general, composed of the more
skilled employees. The tendency for average hours to be relatively
low among workers in the essentially unskilled occupations can be
observed in both regions.
The average plant worker in the fertilizer industry had weekly
earnings of $23.82 in January 1943, including amounts received as
premium pay for overtime. Table 8 shows that the average white
worker earned $33.63 and the average Negro worker $19.20. Average
weekly earnings in the North were $33.20 ($36.28 for white workers
and $27.38 for Negroes) and in the South $19.62 ($29.07 for white
employees and $17.67 for Negroes). The average difference between
white and Negro workers in average weekly earnings in the industry
and in both regions was greater than the difference in average hourly
earnings. This was due primarily to the fact that white workers had
longer average hours.
In the industry as a whole, miscellaneous maintenance workers
received the highest average weekly earnings ($48.37) and hand truck
ers the lowest ($14.26). Laborers averaged $22.12. The average
for mechanics was $45.98, about $5 above the average for working
foremen. The same general pattern of occupational weekly earnings
was found in both the North and the South, but on a somewhat lower
level in the latter region.
Earnings and Hours of Office Employees
In addition to plant employees, data were secured on the hours and
earnings of 679 clerical workers employed by 184 of the 308 establish
ments covered by the survey. Summary information for these em
ployees is shown in table 9.
Clerical employees in the industry as a whole earned an average of
70.7 cents an hour in January 1943. The average for male workers,
was 76.1 cents, as compared with 64.7 cents for female employees.
It is interesting to observe that the level of earnings of clerical workers
12
Hours and Earnings in Fertilizer Industry
in the North (73 cents) exceeded the level in the South by only slightly
more than 4 cents an hour. This difference, of course, is much smaller
than the differential previously shown for plant employees.
The average office employee, as table 9 reveals, worked 42.3 hours
a week at the time of the wage survey. The average in the South was
appreciably greater than in the North—43.9 hours as against 40.5
hours. Average hours for men in both regions were greater than for
women.
The average weekly earnings of office workers, including anyamounts derived from premium overtime pay, amounted to $30.73—
$34.69 for men and $26.59 for women. The average weekly earnings,
of both male and female office employees in the South were somewhat,
higher than in the North because of the longer average hours worked.
T a b l e 9 . — Average
Hourly Earnings, Weekly Hours, and Weekly Earnings of
Clerical Workers in Fertilizer Industry, by Region, Occupation, and Sex, January 1943
Number of
workers
Average hourly
earnings
Average weekly
hours
Average weekly
earnings1
Eegion and occupation
Fe
T o
Fe
Fe
Fe
tal Male male Total Male male Total Male male Total Male male
United States.........................
Bookkeepers....................
Clerks...............................
Stenographers and typ
i s t s ..............................
Miscellaneous office work
ers..................................
679
117
332
347
60
238
332 $0,707 $0,761 $0,647
57 .749 .852 .626
94 .707 .741 .616
42.3
43.7
41.9
43.9
46.3
42.5
40.6 $30.73 $34.69 $26.59
40.9 33.11 40.03 25.83
40.4 30.73 32.85 25.35
133
7
126
.670
(a)
.664
40.5
(’)
40.3 27.42
97
42
55
.706
.732
.682
44.3
48.1
41.5 32.40 37.51 28.51
North......................................
Bookkeepers....................
Clerks...........i ..................
Stenographers and typ
ists.................................
Miscellaneous office work*
era..................................
320
55
140
140
21
99
180
34
41
.730
.735
.757
.823
.873
.806
.655
.640
.640
40.5
41.9
39.9
41.0
44.8
40.0
40.0 29.82 34.33 26.30
40.0 30.91 39.24 25.76
39.5 30.64 32.79 25.46
77
4
73
.672
(8)
.669
40.2
(’>
40.1 27.02
48
16
32
.735
.883
.658
41.1
42.0
40.7 30.66 38.47 26.76
South......................................
Bookkeepers.....................
Clerks...............................
Stenographers and typ
ists................- ......... —
Miscellaneous office work
ers.................................
359
62
192
207
39
139
152
23
53
.689
.760
.673
.723
.842
.699
.638
.607
.599
43.9
45.3
43.4
45.8
47.1
44.3
41.4 31.55 34.93 26.93
42.2 35.07 40.45 25.94
41.1 30.79 32.90 25.27
(2)
27.02
26.82
56
3
53
.668
(2)
.657
41.0
0)
40.6 27.98
49
26
23
.681
.656
.714
47.5
51.8
42.7 34.11 36.91 30.94
i Includes extra earnings resulting from penalty rates for overtime.
* Number of workers too small to justify the presentation of an average.
(’)
(8)
27.29
@FedFRASER