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he Mobility of m E D im es ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS 1940-52 The W O R K E X P E R IE N C E , T R A IN IN G , a n d P E R S O N A L C H A R A C T E R IS T IC S of W O R K E R S in a N E W SKILLED O C C U P A T IO N Bulletin No. 1150 STATES P. DEPARTMENT M itchell, Secretary OF LABOR BUREAU Ew an OF LABOR C lague, STATISTICS C om m ission er THE MOBILITY OF ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS 1940-52 THE W O R K E X P E R IE N C E , T R A I N IN G , AND P E R S O N A L C H A R A C T E R IS T IC S OF W O R K E R S IN A NEW S K IL L E D O C C U P A T IO N Bulletin No. 1150 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABO R J a m e s P. M itch e ll, S e c r e t a r y BUREA U OF LABOR STATISTICS E w a n C la g u e , C o m m is s io n e r For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. Price 5 0 cents Letter of Transmittal United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, D. C.,March 1 2 , 195k. The Secretary of Labor: I have the honor to transmit herewith a report on the mobility of electronic technicians. This report represents the results of the second of a series of pilot studies designed to explore the characteristics of workers in occupations critical to defense mobi lization. Information about the personal characteristics, training, skills, and job duties of such workers, coupled with data on their past movements between jobs will help to prevent crippling manpower shortages in the event of full mobilization. The Department of the Air Force financed this study as part of a general program of developing systematic methods of determining the manpower feasibility of military programs. The research find ings of this report however, are the exclusive responsibility of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The study was conducted in the Bureau's Division of Manpower and Employment Statistics under the supervision of Raymond D. Larson. The report was prepared by James J. Treires. The Bureau wishes to acknowledge the generous assistance euid cooperation received in the course of the study from officials of other government agencies, trade associations, labor unions, and the more than 200 manufacturing, servicing, and broadcasting firms whose employees were interviewed. The Bureau wishes to express its deep appreciation to the more than 1,900 electronic technicians whose ex cellent cooperation provided the data on which this report is based. Ewan Clague, Commissioner. Ion. James P. Mitchell, Secretary of Labor. Ill CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION - - - .......... ............. ............. 1 Objectives of the study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The role of electronic technicians — ------ - — The field of electronics ---------- — - - — - — 1 3 1* .............. 7 Mobility- . ...... ............. - ............... Training - -------- -------- - — - -- -- -- -Personal characteristics - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 9 11 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ------ - - - - - - - 13 MANPOWER IMPLICATIONS The future supply of electronic technicians - - - - - Means of meeting full mobilization requirements - — Transfers of shilled workers into essential activities - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Drawing partially trained workers from other fields - - - - - ..................... ......... Women technicians - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Establishing training programs for new workers — FINDINGS - - ----------------------- ----------------- The nature of the study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mobility of electronic technicians, 191*0-52 — — — Analytical concepts - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Labor-force status changes - - - - - - - - - - - - Movements into and out of electronic technician jobs — - - — - -------- - - - ------ - - — The people who entered this occupation - - - - - - - Personal characteristics — - - - - — - -------Activities or occupations from which they came - - Why they entered electronics - - - - - - - - - - - How electronic technicians were trained - - - - - - - Electronic technicians in 1952 - - - - — - - ---- Personal characteristics - - - - - - - - - - - - - Current job duties, earnings, hours, and tenure - - Equipment skills - - - - — - - - — - - - - - — APPENDIXES----------------- ------------- - - ......... 13 ll* ll* 17 17 17 20 20 22 22 23 28 39 39 1*2 ^3 1*6 1*7 1*7 1*8 55 58 A - Methodology - 58 B - Survey forms 66 C - Mobility table 75 V TABLES Page 1. Education completed by respondents by type of establishment - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 . lumber of respondents reporting specified types of Job arrangements by type of establishment - - - - - 3* 5» kO Type of earnings received by respondents by type of establishment - — - - - - - ------ - - - - - - 52 Average weekly hours vorked by respondents by type of establishment - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 52 Respondents' tenure in Job by type of establishment - - 56 6 . Number of specified types of equipment on which respondents could make major repairs by type of establishment — - ---------- - — 7* 1*0 - 56 Theoretical basis for allocation of employee schedules - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 59 8 . Distribution of electronic technicians surveyed, by metropolitan area and type of establishment - - - - - 6l VI CHARTS Page 1* The rate of Job changing was highest in the post war expansion period - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 2. Electronic technicians in the 6 types of establish ments had similar training backgrounds - - - - - - - 10 3* k. Electronic technicians are a young group of skilled workers - — - — - -- — - - - - - - - — - - 11 The 7,261 labor-force status changes made by the respondents - - - - - — - - - - - - - - - - - - - 25 5 . Changing labor-force status.of respondents, , January 19^0 - April-May 1952.----------------- — 27 6. How respondents obtained electronic technician Jobs 7* Electronic technicians moved freely among the 6 types of establishments - — - - - - - - - - - - - 3® Current Job duties of electronic technicians compared with the kinds of electronics work they had done previously - - - - - — - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 33 The proportion of electronic technicians who had shifted between labor-market areas varied widely among the 8 metropolitan areas - - — - - - - - — 34 Almost half of the movements out of electronic tech nician Jobs were motivated by a desire to take a better Job - - - - - - - - - — - - - - - ---- - - 36 11. The characteristics of respondents who changed Jobs - 38 12. Mathematics and the physical sciences were favorite high school subjects of electronic technicians - - - k2 More than half of the respondents came into the elec tronics field directly from school or the Armed Forces - - - - - - - - - - — - -- -- -- — - _ 1*3 8. 9. 10. 13. ill. 15. - 29 Electronic technicians acquired their skill in many ways - - - — -- — - - - - - - - - - - - - k5 Earnings of electronic technicians varied widely - - - 50 16 . Electronic technicians could repair a variety of types of equipment ------ ------ - — VII 5I1 TH E M O B IL IT Y O F E L E C T R O N IC T E C H N IC IA N S INTRODUCTION Defense mobilization in a heavily industrialized nation brings with it a host of dislocations and readjustments in the labor force. Expansion of military production, maintenance of es sential civilian production, and curtailment of nonessential activ ities create labor problems that can be solved only through an Tinderstanding of the characteristics of the labor force. Skilled manpower resources present a particularly serious problem because they can be developed only over a relatively long period of time and, once created, they cannot easily be changed from one form to smother. A nation which has enough workers to fill all Jobs may nevertheless suffer from a shortage of workers with particular skills. The supply of skilled workers must be understood both in terms of the numbers of men working in each occupation and their tendency to move in and out of particular occupations. A knowledge of the mobility of workers is necessary to an accurate evaluation of the ability of the labor force to meet changing needs. O B J E C T IV E S OF THE STUDY To obtain information essential to evaluating the adequa cy of the labor force in the event of full mobilization, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the support of the Department of the Air Force, has undertaken a series of studies of the mobility of work ers in critical occupations. Specific questions to which these studies provide answers are: 1. What are the personal characteristics of the workers in an occupation and how will they affect the future supply and mobility of these workers? 2. How do these skilled workers get their training? 1 3. What are the sources from which fully or par tially trained workers may be drawn? k. How do these workers move between occupational specialties, establishments, industries, and areas, and what factors affect this movement? Tool and die makers, 1/ electronic technicians, and core makers and molders are occupations which have been selected from the Department of Labor's List of Critical Occupations for studies of mobility. Several related research projects being conducted outside the Bureau of Labor Statistics deal with the same general problems and explore the mobility of all workers in six major in dustrial centers. 2/ Another group of Bureau studies analyzes the Nation's resources of highly trained personnel in the natural sciences. £/ Electronics is a field which has experienced tremendous growth over a relatively short time span. It thus affords am ex cellent opportunity to study the mobility of a skilled worker group. Electronic techniciams work in several, industries which vaury widely in their importamce to defense mobilization. For instance, the production of home ratdio and television sets could be stopped entirely in wartime, but continuation of aircraft elec tronics productions would be vital to survivail. One of the prima ry objectives of this particular study was therefore to determine from the actual movements of those working in this field the ex tent of interchamgeabillty of workers among the several special ties included under the general, job title, electronic technician. The information presented in this study was obtained in a personal interview survey of 1,926 electronic technicians em ployed in eight of the Nation's largest metropolitan areas: Atlamta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, 1/ Mobility of Tool and Die Makers, 19^0-1951; Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin No. 1120 (1952) 2/ The Mobility of Workers in Six Cities, 19^-0-19^9: Survey of Occupational Mobility conducted by cooperating university research centers and the Social Science Research Council for the U. S. Department of the Air Force arnd the U. S. Bureau of the Census. Patterns of Mobility of Skilled Workers amd Factors Affecting Their Occupational Choice, Six Cities, 19kO-1951> Industrial Relations Section, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, February 1, 1952. 2/ Occupational Mobility of Scientists, Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin No. 1121 (1953)* Manpower Resources in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 1951J Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin No. 1132 (1953). 2 and Philadelphia. The survey, which was made in April and May of 1952, is described in detail in the Methodology section (p. 58 ). THE R O L E OF E L E C T R O N I C T E C H N IC IA N S The operation of electronic equipment is based upon com plex lavs of physics. For this reason, the manufacture, installa tion, and maintenance of electronic devices require the services of skilled workers who understand these physical principles. Pro fessional engineers design and develop equipment; electronic tech nicians install, test, maintain, and repair electronic equipment. Electronic technicians perform specialized tasks in volving the application of electronic theory in the manufacture, installation, maintenance, and repair of electronic equipment. The particular job duties of electronic technicians vary with the products and services of the establishments they work in. A radio repairman has different functions from an electronic technician in a laboratory; a broadcasting technician has few duties in common with an electronic technician in an aircraft plant. Nevertheless, there is a body of knowledge and skills common to all these groups. Generally speaking, the electronic technician diagnoses the trouble in a piece of equipment by studying its "symptoms," makes tests to varify or correct his diagnosis, and then makes the necessary repairs. He uses meters and other testing components and circuits. He replaces defective parts, using electrician's hand tools such as pliers, screw drivers, wrenches, and soldering irons. After making repairs, he adjusts the equipment to proper operating condition. This description applies most specifically to repairmen, but those technicians who construct, install, test, and maintain electronic devices must also perform some of the above operations. In manufacturing, the emphasis is on testing, inspecting, and re pair. In research laboratories, construction of equipment from blueprints or wiring diagrams is one of the main jobs of the tech nician. In aircraft plants, electronic technicians are often con cerned with fabrication and installation of electronic equipment. Technicians in broadcasting stations sure primarily equipment opera tors, but they must have enough electronics skill to repair any of the station's electronic equipment. Electronic technicians were chosen for study not only because they are essential workers in short supply but also because little reliable information about this relatively new job clans existed. The tremendous importance of electronic equipment in modern warfare and its many uses in vital civilian communications 3 facilities made it necessary to obtain information about the supply of skilled workers required in its manufacture and mainte nance. Establishments employing most of the Nation's electron ic technicians can be classified into the following groups: Those engaged in (l) home radio and/or television repair, (2) radio and/ or television broadcasting, (3 ) manufacture of radio and/or tele vision receivers, (k) manufacture of other electronic equipment, (5) manufacture of military aircraft, and (6) research and develop ment. These groups are the six "types of establishments" vhich are discussed in the findings. The estimated number of electronic technicians in the civilian economy distributed by industry of em ployment is shown in table 7 on page 59. THE F IE L D OF E L E C T R O N I C S Sane facts about the place of electronics and electronic technicians in our economy are essential to understanding the significance of the findings of this survey. Electronics is a field of science that is concerned with the applications of the vacuum or gaseous electron tube (or the recently developed transis tor). Any device which uses such components is considered to be electronic equipment. Common examples are radio, television, radar, guided missile controls, and X-ray machines. "Electromagnetic radiations" is a general term that in cludes radio, television, radar, light, heat, X-ray, and other wave phenomena. These radiations can be produced and used most efficiently through devices which employ electron tubes. Appli cations range from devices which detect a weak spot on a solid steel rail to computers which in a few seconds make mathematical calculations which would take days or even months to make mechan ically. For many years, radio was the only active field in what is now called electronics. The earliest radio transmitters and receivers did not have vacuum tubes and were therefore very in efficient. The introduction of electron tubes made it possible to send and receive waves on a narrow "channel,” thus enabling many messages to be sent and received at the same time without in terference. As a medium of mass-communication, radio has become so widely used that hardly a home in America is without a radio set. A practicable television system was developed through the application of electronics. The picture tube in modern re ceivers is itself merely a large electron tube, with a tiny elec tron beam so controlled that it "writes" a complete picture on the k screen 30 tines each second, a speed Impossible to attain without electronics* Since World War II, the production of television re ceivers has burgeoned into a large industry. The fact that electromagnetic radiations can penetrate fog, darkness, and even solids makes electronics of critical impor tance to our Armed Forces. Detection of enemy ships and aircraft, night flying and landing of aircraft, night bombing, gun-laying, and, of course, communications are all dependent on electronic de vices. Radar is an absolute necessity to naval operations because of its ability to detect any ship or aircraft in range and even to identify it as friend or foe. For the same reasons, the Air Force is becoming increasingly dependent on electronic devices. Other military applications of electronics are guided missiles, fire con trol devices, and proximity fuses. These developments in electronics were accompanied by changes in the job duties and skills required of the men and women working in the field. Before the 1920’s the only noteworthy group that could be considered electronic technicians were the men who operated and maintained sblp-to-shore wireless communications facil ities. It was not until radio demonstrated its commercial, feasi bility that electronics became a significant source of employment for American workers. As home radio became increasingly popular, the repair of these sets developed into a profitable type of small business. Many of those who entered this business were hobbyists and amateur radio operators who repaired radio receivers first as a part-time source of income and later as a full-time job. The training these men received was obtained by reading technical books and magazines and experimenting with equipment in their own homes. The public demand for radio receivers in the late twenties and thirties converted radio manufacturing from a small job-order operation into one of our principal mass production indus tries. Electronic technicians worked in these factories testing different parts of the sets on the assembly lines and trouble shooting finished units. During this period, many vocational and technical schools began offering courses in radio, and their grad uates entered repair, manufacturing, and broadcasting jobs. The first commercial radio broadcast was made in 1920, but it was not until the early thirties that national networks with daily broadcasts became commonplace. The technicians who worked in the broadcasting stations did the same general type of work they do now, such as operating transmitting equipment, main taining and adjusting sound pickup equipment, operating master controls, and maintaining recording equipment. World War II had a tremendous impact on the electronics field. Although radio accounted for almost all-of the activity in electronics in the prewar period, the needs of modern warfare 5 forced the development of electronic applications such as radar, loran, shoran, ground control approach systems, proximity fuses, and fire control systems. In addition to serving immediate practical purposes hy developing nev equipment, the wartime elec tronics industry conducted intense inquiry into basic research prob lems and paved the vay for many of the nev Industrial and military applications of electronics that have marked the post-tforld War II period. Perhaps more significant to the economy than the tech nical aspects of the wartime electronics program was its impact on the supply of electronic technicians. Although civilian radio broadcasting facilities were maintained throughout the war, manu facture of radio receivers was sharply curtailed, and many of these plants and their technicians shifted to the manufacture of elec tronic equipment for the Armed Forces. Some radio repairmen and radio broadcasting technicians also took Jobs in these plants. Many younger men from all these groups moved into Armed Forces jobs operating, maintaining, and repairing vital electronic equipment used by our Armed Forces throughout the world. Hovever, the limited number of men in the civilian econ omy who had had good training in electronics in relation to the huge needs of the Armed Forces, and the technical differences be tween military electronic equipment and home radio sets made it necessary for the military services to meet the bulk of their needs by training nev men. Thousands of young men drawn into the armed services who shoved certain aptitudes in the standard induction tests were sent to school to learn to operate and service military equipment. As the following sections of this report will show, this group of technicians made up a large segment of the postwar electronics work force. The training they received and the skills they acquired while serving in the Armed Forces enabled many of them to take technicians' jobs in the fast growing postwar radio and television broadcasting, manufacturing, and repair industries. 6 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Electronic technicians were a young group of skilled work ers who changed jobs relatively often from January 19^0 to AprilMay 1952. They demonstrated an ability to move between jobs in such varied activities as broadcasting, radio and television re pair, electronics manufacturing, and research. The most mobile workers were young men with only a year or two of experience in the field. Most electronic technicians showed marked aptitudes for the physical sciences. Electronics training in technical schools was the most common type of training for this occupation, though many technicians, particularly the older men had acquired much of their skill at home through reading and hobby work. 7 M OBILITY The annual rate of job changing among electronic tech nicians varied from 1 change for every 12 technicians employed In 19^0 to about 1 change for every 4 in 1991 (chart 1). The aver age electronic technician changed jobs once every k years during the 12-year work history period covered in the survey. About 99 percent of the respondents had held civilian jobs other them elec tronic technician jobs during this period. Sixty-one percent had served in the Armed Forces, half of them serving as electronic tech nicians. Less than half of the electronic technicians had held the job they vere in at the time of the survey for more than 36 months. Electronic technicians in broadcasting had the longest average tenure in their jobs; over one-fourth of them had been in the same job for more than 8 years. Tenure was shortest in aircraft manu facturing, research, and other electronics manufacturing. The most common method of obtaining electronic technician jobs from 19*t0 to the time of the survey vas through unsolicited applications at plant employment offices. Another common way of getting jobs vas through relatives or acquaintances working in the plant. Help-vanted ads accounted for a much smaller proportion of hirings. Among radio repairmen, opening a business of their own vas a very common method of getting the "job". Electronic technicians moved freely among the different types of electronics establishments. Electronic technicians in research had held the highest proportion of electronic technicians jobs in other fields, with the aircraft manufacturing group a close second. Radio and television repairmen showed the least diversity in electronics employment. Previous experience in radio and television repair estab lishments vas common among men vorklng in other fields. Jobs in other electronics manufacturing and radio and television manufac turing also appeared frequently in the work histories of men work ing in other fields. On the other hand, experience in broadcasting stations, aircraft plants, and research laboratories vas relative ly rare among men in other fields. Radio and television repair vork vas often a first job in which respondents acquired experience and skill and then moved into the other electronics specializations. On the other hand, broad casting stations seemed to attract and hold some of the more experi enced men who had vorked in jobs in other types of establishments. 8 Electronic technicians performed a wide variety of job duties in the period studied. Previous experience in diverse electronic job duties was widest among technicians who in 1952 were employed in other electronics manufacturing, aircraft manu facturing, and research. About 20 percent of the electronic technicians moved from one city to another in charging jobs over the 12-year peri od. Twelve percent made one area shift, 5 percent made 2 shifts, and 3 percent made 3 to 5 shifts. The changing needs of employers for electronic tech nicians was the single strongest factor generating job shifts. The most common reason respondents gave for shifts among elec tronic technician jobs from 19^0 to 1952 was to take a better Job. Twelve percent of the jobs were left because of layoffs. Age was the main personal characteristic affecting mobility. The only other significant differences between the men who changed jobs from 19^0 to 1952 and those who did not were in years of experience as an electronic technician and in home owner ship. • Those who changed jobs were younger, they included a lower proportion of home owners, and they had fewer years of experience in electronics. Though the job changers included a lower proportion married men and fathers, and a slightly higher proportion of school graduates, these differences can be attributed to age other factors. No direct influence of marriage, fatherhood, education on job changing is apparent in the findings. of high and or TRAIN IN G Technical school courses were the most important type of training among electronic technicians (chart 2). More than half of the technicians had attended full-time civilian technical schools, and one-third received training in Armed Forces schools. About 5 percent of the technicians had been apprentices and 13 per cent reported other on-the-job training. Learning in the home, an unusual method of qualifying for most skilled jobs, was a very common method of acquiring skill in electronics. Many technicians attributed some of their skill to correspondence courses, home study, amateur "ham" radio’work, and other hobby work. Most of the men who attended full-time civilian technical school took courses lasting 12, l8, or 2^ months. Those who at tended Armed Forces technical schools usually took 6- or 12-month courses. 9 Chart 2. ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS IN THE 6 TYPES OF ESTABLISHMENTS HAD SIMILAR TRAINING BACKGROUNDS Percent of Respondents in Each Type of Establishment Who Previously Had Specified Typies of Training TYPE OF TRAINING | 5 6 .5 % 3 9 .1% Radio-TV Repair 2 9 .9 % 2 5 . 8% 16 . 3 % 2 2 .4 % 7 .2 % 6 2 . 1% 4 4 .7 % 2 9 .1% Broadcasting 35 .3 % 9 .9 % 7 2 .2 % 4 4 .3 % Manufacture ot Radio-TV Manufacture o t utner Electronic Equipment 2 7 .9 % 45 . 2 % 4 2 .1% 38 . 6 % 2 4 .4 % 4 5 .5 % 4 2 .5 % 37 .1% Manufacture of Aircraft 2 3 .5 % 2 0 .4 % 12 .1% 15.9 % 50.9 % 4 0 .8% 3 4 .7 % 3 6 .7 % Research UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS If a t e c h n ic ia n h ad u n d e rg o n e m ore m a n one t y p e ot t r a in in g , ne w a s co u n ted m ore th a n o n ce.. PERSONAL CH A RA CTER ISTIC S A jnajority of the men who took jobs as electronic tech nicians were high school graduates who had a definite aptitude for mathematics and the physical sciences. More than half of the electronic technicians came into this field directly from school or the Armed Forces. Electronics was their first regular occupa tion. Less than one-third of the men in the survey had worked as electronic technicians before 19 ^0 . Over half of the electronic technicians manifested in their youth an interest in electronics, which led eventually to their taking jobs in this field. Other men were influenced to enter electronics by Armed Forces training, family or friends, attractiveness of electronics as a field with a good future, school training,and experience in a related field, usually elec tricity. Electronic technicians employed in 1952 were a relative ly young group of skilled workers; their median age was 33 (chart 3). Four out of 5 were married, and three-fourths of the married men were fathers. Chart 3. ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS ARE A YOUNG GROUP OF SKILLED WORKERS Age Distribution of Respondents ^nmnared With Craftsmen, Foremen, and Kindred Workers, and Entire Nonagricultural - Male Labor Force, April 1952 Electro n ic T e c h n ic ia n s C ra ftsm e n , Fo re m e n , an d K in d re d W o rk e r; N onag ric u ltu ra i-M n le La b o r Fo rce Under 20-24 20 25-34 35-44 AG E GROU PS UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR! BUREAU O f LABOR STATISTICS! 11 45-54 55-64 nnd Over Technicians in broadcasting received the highest median earnings, b/ followed in declining order of earnings by those in aircraft manufacturing, other electronics manufacturing, research, radio and television repair, and radio and television manufacturing. The range of earnings was widest in radio and television repair, and narrowest in radio and television manufacturing. A great majority of the electronic technicians in broad casting and radio and television manufacturing worked a kO-hour week. Workweeks of over 1+0 hours were quite common in the other four groups, especially in radio and television repair. Electronic technicians were versatile in terms of ability to make major repairs on different types of equipment; over half could repair four or more types of equipment. bj Only broadcasting stations in large cities were covered by the survey. See p. 20* 12 MANPOWER IMPLICATIONS The most important implications of the findings are those which relate to effective manpower planning. What does this study tell manpower administrators about the adequacy of our supply of electronic technicians? What does it Indicate would be the most efficient ways of increasing the supply in the event of full mobili zation? THE F U T U R E S U P P L Y OF E L E C T R O N I C T E C H N I C I A N S The supply of electronic technicians will not be de creased to any significant extent by deaths, retirements, or move ments out of the field during a foreseeable mobilization period. The Truthfulness of electronic technicians indicates that losses due to death and retirement will be relatively slight* Over the next decade, these losses should amount to about 9 percent of the present members of this occupation, compared with 18 percent for the entire male labor force. £/ The fact that electronics was not only a source of a job but also an early-acquired avocatlonal interest of electronic technicians suggests that they are less likely to move out of their field than workers whose jobs have little relation to their leisure interests. Although many respondents left electronics at some time during the 19^0 to 1952 period and others not covered in the survey probably left permanently, Increasing employment in electronics during this period indicates that these losses were more them off set by the many new men entering the field each year. It is, therefore, likely that the attractiveness of this field for new entrants in the labor market and the strong job attachments of those already working as technlcisms will insure a gradually in creasing supply of electronic technicians in the years ahead. JJ/' Based on Tables of Working Life, U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin 1001, 1950. 13 M E A N S OF M E E T I N G F U L L M O B I L I Z A T I O N R E Q U I R E M E N T S In the event of full mobilization, serious shortages of electronic technicians in vital civilian industries and the Armed Forces will develop unless measures are taken to prevent them. How could the additional electronic technicians needed in these activities be obtained most efficiently? The survey information shows how mobilization needs might be met by using each of the following methods: 1. Transferring skilled workers into essential activities from nondefense work; 2. Upgrading and giving additional training to partially skilled men; 3. Upgrading women working in lower level elec tronics production jobs; k. Training new entrants selected on the basis of their aptitudes. T r a n s f e r s of S k i l l e d W o r k e r s I n t o E s s e n t i a l A c t i v i t i e s Electronic technicians in 1952 worked in establish ments whose Importance to mobilization needs was extremely varied. Although the pool of skilled electronic technicians employed in all these establishments would be inadequate to meet full mobili zation requirements, it provides a much larger base for meeting such requirements than that available during the pre-World War II period. Thus, one of the principal methods of meeting mobiliza tion needs for electronic technicians in any future emergency might be through transfers of skilled men from less essential to more essential activities. The survey findings indicate that such job shifts would be feasible. Electronic technicians working in different types of establishments had very similar training, equipment skills, and personal characteristics, and their work histories showed consid erable mobility between different types of electronics establish ments. For example, some of the technicians engaged in repair of home radio and television receivers could transfer to plants manu facturing military electronic equipment or aircraft, and others could take jobs in research laboratories. The survey data indicate that movements out of home receiver repair into the other special ties have been the most common type of interindustry shift. Furthermore, when manufacturing plants shift from civilian to mili tary production, as many did in World War II, their technicians shift into essential activities without changing their jobs. Ik If it were necessary for interindustry shifts to he encouraged or induced, should appeals be directed to any specif ic type of person who would be more likely to respond to them? What inducements would be most effective in producing these shifts? The survey indicates that young men with little experi ence in electronics are most likely to change Jobs. Such workers, however, are usually less versatile and less skilled, and are there fore of limited value to employers who need skilled manpower imme diately. Although the survey shows some variations in mobility rates among electronic technicians of different ages and experience, it also shows that, as a group, electronic technicians are above average in their propensity to change Jobs. In the event of full mobilization, a program for inducing these workers to transfer into essential industries should therefore be directed at the entire group without regard to their personal characteristics. The strength of the attachments of electronic technicians to particular firms, types of plants, or labor market areas bears on the extent to which the existing supply of electronic technicians can be considered as a pool of manpower available to the entire Nation. The survey shows that electronic technicians were not strongly bound to particular employers. Although they seemed to be somewhat attached to a particular type of electronic establish ment, their strongest attachment was to the general field of elec tronics. Once a man became a skilled electronic technician, he was disposed to remain in the electronics field, though he showed con siderable willingness to change Jobs within it. As for changes between labor market areas, electronic technicians may be more likely than many other skilled workers to move from one area to another because they are a relatively young group of workers. However, like other workers they required a much greater stimulus to move between areas than to make Job changes within an area. These findings indicate that manpower authorities in a full mobilization period could count on considerable voluntary movement of electronic technicians among employers and types of electronics establishments, and some mobility among labor market areas. Most Job changes among electronic technicians were moti vated by a desire to "take a better Job." The inducements most effective in stimulating voluntary movements into essential elec tronic technician Jobs are thus bound up with sill the factors which enter into a worker's Judgment of a good or bad Job, such as wages, hours, working conditions, distance from home, and steadiness of employment. An exhaustive investigation of the relative importance of these factors was beyond the scope of this study, but even the limited information obtained suggests certain policies. Obviously, some of the factors which workers generally consider in rating the 15 desirability of a job, such as wages, hours, and working conditions, can be made more attractive to induce electronic technicians in nonessential activities to move into essential Jobs. However, cer tain other characteristics of a job, such as distance from a work er's home or lack of long-term security, cannot be as easily al tered through a manpower .program.: The value of the existing supply of electronic techni cians as a base for meeting full mobilization requirements depends to some extent on the proportion who possess a good, all-round knowledge of electronics. Such men can shift from one type of activity to another with a minimum of additional training. They can act as working supervisors of less skilled men or instruct new men in on-the-job training programs. It is therefore suggested that another way to help prevent shortages is to encourage men already working as technicians to ootain additional training in phases of electronic theory and practice that are not necessarily connected with their present jobs. The present supply of electronic technicians available to the Armed Forces provides a much larger base for expansion than their pre-World War II supply. Nevertheless, many additional men would be needed for full mobilization. In view of the findings, how would military needs for electronic technicians be met without seriously depleting the supply available to defense industries? Since electronic technicians are a young group of skilled workers, a number of them would probably be inducted. Every effort should be made to place every qualified electronic technician in an Aimed Forces job requiring his skill. The more highly skilled technicians could serve as instructors in service schools or as supervisors of the partially skilled. In addition to men in uniform, civilian electronic technicians working in less essential activities could act as instructors and supervisors at military schools and installations. Most electronic technician assignments in the Armed Forces require a basic knowledge of electronics plus a detailed knowledge of the construction and functioning of a particular type of equipment. Though men with work experience already pos sess the basic electronics knowledge, they often require additional instruction before they can qualify for an Armed Forces job. For these reasons, the Armed Forces would probably depend upon their own training programs to meet the larger share of their full mobi lization requirements, although the experienced civilian supply would be a more important source of electronic technicians than it was in World War II. 16 D r a w in g P a r t ia ll y T r a in e d W o r k e r s From O t h e r F ie ld s Are there workers outside the field of electronics who could become skilled electronic technicians with little addi tional training? The survey provides some indirect evidence that there are very few of these workers. It shows that more than half of the men in this field had engaged in no regular oc cupation before entering electronics. Of those who had held jobs, only one-fifth had been in jobs related to electronics, and only a few of these jobs, such as electricians, required knowledge and skill similar to that of electronic technicians. W o m an Technicians The survey showed very few women working as electronic technicians, but the possibility of their use in future emergen cies merits consideration. If adequate mathematical and techni cal training were made available to women, many of them could qualify in this field. Many of the jobs in electronics manufac turing plants which do not require an understanding of electronics, such as routine testing and assembling jobs, are held by women. Upgrading them into electronic technician jobs would require ex tensive training, but the effort would be warranted if male elec tronic technicians were in extremely short supply. E s t a b l i s h i n g T r a i n i n g P r o g r a m s f o r N e w W o r k e rs Shifting experienced skilled workers into vital defense industries would only partially meet requirements under full mobi lization. It will be necessary to train many thousands of addi tional workers to satisfy the most pressing needs of the Armed Forces and the war production industries. Since it might be diffi cult to establish a large-scale, long-term training program after the mobilization period began and since the graduates might not be available in time to participate in the mobilization effort, such a program should be initiated in advance of mobilization. The survey findings can aid considerably in guiding the establishment of training programs to develop all-round elec tronic technicians. They indicate that there are a number of specific aptitudes and Interests that should be used as the basis for selection of trainees. Most of the men who succeeded in this field liked mathematics and physical sciences and had shown an interest in radio and electronics long before they entered the labor market. Theoretical knowledge and background is much more important in this field than in most other skilled occupations and the experience of civilian and Armed Forces schools indicates that some men can master the necessary theoretical concepts much more easily and rapidly than others. A careful selection system which 17 would, attempt to Induct into training tnose who were "most likely to succeed" would be a major factor in assuring the effectiveness of any training program. In this connection, the work which has been done in developing aptitude tests could be broadly applied to the problem of selecting trainees for electronics technician work. The findings also provide information on the methods and content of an effective training program. Electronic techni cians and their employers were asked for specific suggestions about the best ways of training electronic technicians. The most frequent response was that an ideal program would combine class room instruction in electronics theory, repair and service proce dures, and related topics with actual work in a particular job on a concurrent, dally basis. Both elements are necessary— without substantial theoretical training, a worker may not fully under stand how electronic equipment operates; without actual work ex perience, the practical applications of theoretical instruction are not fully appreciated and much of the theory is forgotton during the training period. Logically, a program for training electronic technicians should be started before mobilization actually begins. In practice, however, such a program would face many difficulties. For example, is it feasible to train a large number of technicians in advance of actual mobilization needs in the light of more limited peace time requirements for such workers? Past experience in war emer gencies indicates that this is not a very efficient method of meet ing the problem. A more effective measure would be the development of a program of giving broad technical, training to as large a pro portion as possible of the new entrants into the field. Although many men qualify as electronic technicians each year, they do not have the all-round, varied abilities of experienced men in the field. In addition, there are other people such as television antenna in stallers, doing work related to electronics who do not qualify as electronic technicians. Establishing a broad program of training for these groups would provide a large new pool of skilled workers who would be available for electronic technicians work in a mobi lization period* Although this program would give many workers training beyond the minimum requirements for the jobs they actual ly hold, it would be more desirable than training large numbers of men to be technicians, beyond the needs of the peacetime economy. This is emphasized by the fact that formal training alone is not sufficient to qualify a man for electronic technician's work,espe cially when it is not combined with actual job experience. One method of Increasing the number of men with broad technical background is by stimulating an expansion in apprentice ship training. Since this approach would probably not expand the supply of skilled workers to necessary levels, additional training programs would be required to bring in such workers above the 18 normal inflow of trainees. Such programs should be carefully planned to make sure that the students receive training which will directly qualify them for jobs and that the skills they '.quire will be maintained for early use in a possible full mobilization period. This might be accomplished by capitalizing on the hobby interest of many persons in the electronics field. They could be given part-time, intensive courses in electronics combined with practical work-type experience. Periodic refresher courses and tests of work proficiency would help keep them prepared for quick transfer into electronic technician jobs in an emergency and would keep them abreast of current developments in electronic equipment. A special reserve of qualified technicians would thus be available in an emergency. 19 FINDINGS THE NATU RE O F THE S T U D Y The findings of this study must be interpreted in the light of the nature of the survey and the time period which it covered. A limitation on the significance of the findings arises out of the fact that an unknown number of men have entered and left electronic technicians' Jobs in past years and are thus not represented in our sample. However, this limitation is not very serious in the case of electronic technicians because of the peculiar experience of the electronics industry in the period covered by the survey. From 19^+0 to 1952, skilled electronic technicians were in short supply. Wages offered were relatively high, and a generally favorable labor market made it easy for workers to change Jobs. These and other factors, particularly the continu ous expansion in the field of electronics make it very unlikely that many men who were below retirement age and had the skills of an electronic technician were not working as technicians at the time of the survey. As for those who had retired, both the fact that hardly any electronics Jobs existed before 1920 and that so few older men were found in the survey (see chart 3 on page 11) indicate that they were a very small group. Since this survey was confined to eight large metropol itan areas, its findings are directly applicable only to elec tronic technicians in such areas. Most men employed in manufac turing and research live in large metropolitan areas, so that the findings about these groups may be considered typical. However, electronic technicians in broadcasting stations and in radio and television repair shops in smaller cities and towns are much less adequately described by the findings. This report describes 1,926 men who were working as electronic technicians in April-May 1952. It is based on informa tion they gave about their past history and present status. Three time periods derived from the survey data are covered in the analysis: 1. The time at which the respondents were inter viewed (April-May 1952). 20 2. The time when they took their first full-time job as electronic technicians (varies from 191^ to 1952). 3* The work history period reported by the re spondents (January 19^0 to April-May 1952). The first time period covers the facts about elec tronic technicians as of April-May 1952. The second period— at time of first entry into the occupation— is essential for studying the factors surrounding the transition from other sta tuses into electronic technician jobs. The third period, on which the analysis of mobility is based, covers all the facts reported by the 1,926 men about their labor-force status changes since January 19^0. All three of the above time periods figure in the anal ysis, but only those findings dealing with the first are entire ly free from misinterpretation because they deal with the re spondents after they had all become electronic technicians. The second period, on the other hand, covers the respondents at a time when they had not yet become electronic technicians, and the third covers both situations. Thus, in the sections about entry into electronics and movements since 19 ^0 , the characteristics of a group of individuals destined to become electronic techni cians are described. The work history information obtained in the survey per tains to a period of high employment levels. It is therefore a good indicator of full mobilization propensities but a much less reliable indicator of behavior in an unfavorable economic climate. Comparisons made in the following sections sire intended for consideration in the following frame of reference: How were electronic technicians different from other members of the labor force? Adjectives such as "high", "low", "young", and "mobile" are used here to mean that electronic technicians possessed the characteristic under discussion to a greater or lesser extent than other workers. In many instances, no control group data were available. Nevertheless, inferences were drawn on the basis of deviations from expected results, assuming that certain facts about elec tronic technicians— for example, that 36 percent reported mathe matics as their favorite high school subject— were not true of the male labor force generally. The validity of these inferences depends upon the accuracy of our analysis of indirect sources of information about the male labor force. 21 M O B IL IT Y OF ELEC T R O N IC T E C H N IC IA N S , 1 9 4 0 -5 2 A n alytical Concepts The main object of this study was to learn how men find their way into electronic technician jobs, and how they then move among different types of electronics establishments, employers, and labor market areas. The work-history analysis used in this study is more comprehensive than those used in previous studies of occupational mobility. Instead of selecting from a com plete work-history period specific types of activity or specific points in time, this study considers the work-history period in its totality, showing what each respondent was doing in each month of the 12 years in terms of type of labor-force status. 6/ This method permits a detailed tracing of the steps through which new men enter a skilled worker .category, and, at the same time, allows the usual analysis of the movements of workers after they are quali fied. A brief description of the analytical procedures follows. Each continuous time segment spent in one pursuit by each respondent (after leaving high school) from January 19^0 to April-May 1952 was considered a "labor-force status." These laborforce statuses were then classified into the following groups: Types of labor-force statuses 0 1 2 Electronic technician job Other civilian job Armed Forces job as an electronic technician 7/ 3 Other Armed Forces job 7/ 4 5 Unemployment Student in electronics at technican or voca tional school or college Student in college or other post-high school 6 The term "labor-force status" is used to describe these categories because it comes closest conceptually to the kind of situation under consideration— that of a man to whcan seeking a job or not seeking a job is a matter of choice or chance. For example, a boy in high school is not usually considered free to take a full time job, so he has no status in relation to the labor force. On the other hand, men in the Armed Forces or in a post-high school educational institution would, but for their choice or the needs of 6/ 7/ See definition in following paragraph. Technically, these statuses are outside the labor force. 22 the Nation, be in the labor force. These categories (groups 2, 3> and 6 above) are essentially negative labor-force statuses. They are used in this analysis because they appear in the work histories of a great many respondents, who interrupted their work careers to attend technical schools or to serve in the Armed Forces. For each of these statuses, the data answer the questions,— When?, Where?, and For how long? For each job held by a respondent, whether in or out of the Armed Forces, (groups 0, 1, 2, and 3) the data show what kind of work he performed. For every civilian job (groups <0 and l) held by a respondent, information is provided on how he happened to get the job and why he left it. Analysis of worker movement involves breaking up the "flow" of changes into static situations, delineating the character istics of those situations, and then attempting to reconstruct the reality by studying the order in which the different situations follow each other. Thus the analysis of "changes" in labor-force statuses actually consists of a presentation of static situations (labor-force statuses) in terms of number, type, timing, and sequence. For the purposes of this report, a labor force status change is defined as a movement from one job or pursuit to another. It may or may not involve a change in type of status. Thus, a move ment from one electronic technician job to another is one change, and a movement from an Armed Forces job to technical school is also one change. The findings presented in this section deal with (l) all changes in labor force status made by the 1,926 respondents from January 19^0 to April-May 1952, and (2) movements of these men among electronic technician jobs during this period. La b o r-fo rce Status C h a n g e s The labor-force status changes of the 1,926 respondents during this 12-year period can be studied from several different viewpoints: a. Volume, type, and time of changes--How many and what kinds of changes were made, and when? b. Direction of changes— What were the net effects of ithese changes in terms of tne number of men ini each type of status each year as they moved toward the electronic jobs they held at the end of this period? c. Distribution of changes among individuals— How many individuals spent time in how many statuses, in total and by type over the 12 years? 23 Volume, Type, and Time of Changes. All labor-force sta tus changes made by the respondents from 19^0 to 1952 are shown in chart k. The upper half of the chart shows how many changes of all types occurred in each of the 12 years, and indicates how many of these changes consisted of direct shifts from one electronic tech nician job to another. The lower half of the chart shows the total changes made in terras of the type of status left and the type of sta tus entered. 8/ For example, it shows that 393 of the changes were made by men who moved into civilian electronic technician jobs from an electronic technician assignment in the Armed Forces. The 1,926 men in the survey made a great many labor-force status changes from January 19^0 to April-May 1952, reporting 9 ,1 8 7 different statuses over this period, or 7*261 status changes (9>l87 minus 1,926). The most common type of shift was from one electronic technician job to another. There were also a great many movements into and out of the Armed Forces and civilian electronics schools. Each year, a considerable number of electronic technicians left this field to take other work or attend school. Discharges from the Armed Forces and postwar reconversion to a peacetime economy made 19^6 the year of greatest movement, when 1,080 labor-force sta tus changes were made. The volume of changes continued high through the postwar period as more and more men moved between statuses in electronic technician jobs, other civilian jobs, and civilian electronics schools. Nearly a thousand of the respondents left high school during the 12 years to enter one of the status categories mentioned above, with most of them moving out during the earlier years of the work history period. These movements are not counted as laborforce status changes, however, since they do not involve leaving a previous labor force status. Direction of Changes. The net effects of the status changes made each year on the number of respondents in each sta tus determine the general direction of movement over the 12 years. For instance, the net effect of all the movements was that all 1,926 men had moved into electronic technician jobs by April-May 1952* Chart 5 illustrates the changing importance of the several types of statuses over the 12 years. The general pattern of movement of men into electronics was from high school to technical school or an interim job into electronic technician jobs. A great many of the respondents moyed into the Armed Forces during World War II; almost half of them (t8. percent) were in this status at the end of 19^* Over half of those in the Armed Forces served as electronic technicians. Unemployment was infrequent and of short duration, and occurred mostly in the postwar reconverion period. 8/ See appendix C for table showing all movements by type and year. Chart 4. THE 7,261 LABOR-FORCE STATUS CHANGES MADE BY THE RESPONDENTS: NUMBER When the Changes Were Made.... 1.200 A ll O th e r C h a n g e s 1,000 D irect M o ve m e n ts From O n e E lectro n ic Job to A n o th e r 800 600 400 - 200 OL 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 ____ a 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 ____ ’951 1952 * J a n u a r y to M ay • The Types of Changes That Were Made To 1 E. T. 0*h er T echn ical A rm ed F.- A rm ed F.- Unem - Job C iv . Job Sch ool E. T. Job O th e r Job p lo y m e n t 7,261 4,049 1,200 668 472 393 398 81 Electronic- Tech. Job 2,790 2,253 122 79 192 72 66 6 O th e r C iv ilia n Job 1,985 597 561 220 232 294 67 14 765 576 60 41 33 12 39 4 635 303 115 103 - - 92 22 563 114 205 106 - - 123 15 U n e m p lo ym e n t 410 165 109 106 7 9 - 14 C o lle g e 113 41 28 13 8 6 11 6 TOTAL TOTAL F r. 0 m T e ch n ical Sch ool A rm ed B *»-ce« Electro n ic Tech. Job A rm ed Fo rc e s O th e r Job UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS C o lle g e A few case histories will illustrate more graphically the way in which respondents moved among labor-force statuses over the 12 years. The following three were chosen as examples of workers who, in terms of labor-force status, were (a ) nonmobile, (b ) of average mobility, and (C) exceptionally mobile. Mr. A was working in a broadcasting station in Boston at the time of the survey. He was 35 years old, a high school graduate, married, and had k dependents. He had held only this one job, which he took in 1939* over the entire work history period. Mr. B, a television repairman in a radio-television repair shop in Chicago, had held 5 different statuses over the 12 years. He was 31*- years old in 1952, married, but had no children. He had had some college work in electrical engineering. In 1939, he took a job in a drug store. After 2 years, he moved to a job as a govern ment clerk, where he remained until he entered the Armed Forces in 19k2. After k years in the service, he entered a technical school where he studied electronics under the GI bill. In 19k7, after a year of schooling, he obtained a job as an apprentice technician in the repair shop where he worked at the time of the survey. The apprenticeship, lasted 2 years, after which Mr. B became a qualified technician. Mr. C was working as a research assistant in a Los Angeles aircraft plant at the time of the survey, He was 26 , single, and had no dependents. After leaving high achool in 19k3, he spent a year in college studying electronics. In 19kk, he entered the Navy, serving as an electronic technician until his discharge in 19k6. After a 3-month period of unemployment, Mr. C returned to college for a year. He left to take a job as a TV technician with a large home-receiver repair firm in 19k7« The following year, he quit the job to return to college. He left college again at the end of the school year, taking a job as a machinist in June 19k9* After 5 months, he left this job to return to the repair firm as a TV technician, where he remained until October 1951, when he took the job at the aircraft plant. Distribution of Changes Among Individuals. The analysis of the gross volume of labor-force status changes does not indicate to what extent the group experience is typical of individuals. How many changes did each man make over the 12 years? What kinds of changes were they? The great volume of status changes were caused by the majority of the men making several moves. Two-fifths of the re spondents held 3 or more jobs as an electronic technician over the 12 years. More than one-fourth of them held two such jobs, and the remaining third held only one job. 26 Chart 5. CHANGING LABOR FORCE STATUS OF RESPONDENTS, January 1940 - April-May 1952 Distribution of 1,926 Respondents By Labor Force Status As of End of Year N um ber of R e sp o n d en ts 1,926 1,800 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 0 1940 ’41 ’42 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS ’43 ’45 ’46 ’47 ’48 ’49 ’50 ’51 1952 In addition, over half of the respondents had held civilian Jobs other than electronic technician jobs. One-fourth of them held one such job, one-sixth held two such jobs, and about one-eighth of them held 3 or more. Thirty-two percent of the respondents had been in an Armed Forces electronic technician job, and 29 percent had been in the Armed Forces in some other assignment. Thirty-five per cent attended civilian technical school at some time during the 12 years, and 5 percent attended such schools on two or more occa sions. Unemployment was experienced once by l6 percent of the re spondents, and two or more times by 3 percent. M o v e m e n t s I n t o a n d O u t of E l e c t r o n i c T e c h n i c i a n J o b s Although the complete work history of the respondents is necessary to an understanding of their labor force experience, a detailed analysis of their movements into and out of electronic technician jobs is more directly related to the central problem of the study— how often and for what reasons electronic technicians change jobs. In this section, movements into electronic technician jobs include not only direct movements from one electronic tech nician job which involve movements out of other types of laborforce statuses. Similarly, movements out of electronic technician jobs include movements into other types of statuses* These job changes are analyzed from four general viewpoints: a. How often did electronic technicians change jobs? b. How were electronic technician jobs obtained? c. How many movements between electronic technician jobs involved changes in: type of establishment, job duties; employer; and labor market area? d. What factors influenced respondents to make these job changes? Were men who made changes different from those who made no changes? The answers to these questions were obtained by analyzing the U ,712 electronic technician jobs held by the respondents from January 19^0 to April-May 1952. 28 The Rate of Job Changing Among Electronic Technicians. Electronic technicians changed Jobs frequently from 1940 to 1952. The survey shoved that the average respondent had changed jobs about once every it years. However, these movements vere not evenly distributed over the work history period. Chart 1 shows that the rate of Job changing varied consid erably from year to year. In 1940, the year of least relative movement, about 1 technician in 12 changed Jobs, while in 1951, the year of greatest movement, 1 technician in 4 changed Jobs. The upward trend in the rate of Job changing reflects the rapid develop ment of the electronics Industry. Methods of Obtaining Electronic Technician Jobs. For each of the 4,712 electronic technician jobs held by the 1,926 respon dents over the 12 years, the question "How did you happen to get this Job?” was asked. The answers, summarized in chart 6 , shew the relative importance of various methods of obtaining electronic tech nician Jobs. Chart 6. HOW RESPONDENTS OBTAINED ELECTRONIC TECHNICIAN JOBS . . . Percent of Electronic Technician Jobs Held By Respondents From 1940 to 1952 That Were Obtained Thru Specified Methods P ER C EN T O F T O T A L Went to Plant Employment Office Heard of Opening "Srough Someone Working in Plant Opened Own Business Saw 'HELP WANTED' Advertisement Promotion Referred by Technical School Through Public Employment Office Other Methods JNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 29 Chart 7. ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS MOVED FR EELY AMONG THE SIX TYPES OF ESTABLISHMENTS Percent of Electronic Technician Jobs Held by Respondents in Specified Types of Establishments From 1940 to 1952, by Type of Establishment at Time of Survey TYPE OF ESTABLISHMENT IN WHICH M SPOND EN T WAS EMPLOYED APRIL-MAY 19S2 Radio -TV Repair Broadcasting Manufacture of Radlo-TV Manufacture of Other Electronic Equipment Manufacture of Aircraft Research UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS Over one-fourth percent) of the men entering civilian electronic technicians jobs over the 12 years obtained them through unsolicited applications at plant employment offices. Another com mon method (2b percent) was through hearing of openings through rel atives or acquaintances working in the plant. Help-wanted ads ac counted for about a tenth of the hirings. Among radio repairmen, opening a business of their own was a very common method of getting the "job." Five percent of the jobs resulted from referrals by technical schools. 30 Changes In Type of Employing Establishment, Job Duties, Employer, and Labor Market Area. The sections of the report vhlch deal with training and skills supply a good deal of evidence for the belief that electronic technicians in the six different types of establishments covered in the survey constitute a valid job group. It might be implied from this fact that electronic techni cians working in one type of establishment could move to techni cians' jobs in one of the other types of establishments. This section shows to what extent they did make such moves from 19^0 to 1952. Chart 7 shows the extent to which electronic technicians employed in each of the six types of establishments in April-May1952 had worked in each of the six types of establishments over the 19 ^0-52 period. Electronic technicians moved freely among the different types of electronics establishments between 19^0 and 1952. Radio and television repairmen had the least varied background in terms of the percentage of their 19^0-52 electronic technician jobs that were in other types of establishments. Electronic technicians in research had had the highest proportion (51 percent) of electronic technicians jobs in other fields, with the aircraft manufacturing group a close second (^5 percent). In the other three groups— radio and television manufacturing, other electronics manufacturing, and broadcasting— only about 3° percent of the respondents' jobs as electronic technicians over the 12 years were in other fields. Past experience in radio and television repair was com mon among men working in other types of establishments at the time of the survey. Jobs in other electronics manufacturing and radio and television manufacturing also appeared frequently in the work histories of men working in other fields. On the other hand, ex perience in broadcasting stations, aircraft plants, and research laboratories was relatively rare among technicians not working in those fields. In the case of broadcasting, this may be due to the fact that the electronic technicians in this field were relatively well paid, and tended to remain in this field after they had en tered it. As for electronics experience in aircraft manufacturing and research laboratories, its rarity in the work histories of technicians in other types of establishments is a result of the very recent development and expansion of these fields. To what extent had electronic technicians employed in one activity in Aprll-May 1952 performed other job duties in elec tronic technician jobs from 19^0 to 1952? Chart 8 compares the main job duties performed by the workers in each type of establish ment at the time of the survey with their main job duties in all the electronic technician jobs they held over the 12 years. 3X Electronic technicians performed a vide variety of job duties from 19^0 to 1952* Although those in radio and television repair and manufacturing in April-May 1952 had held jobs which were very similar to their current jobs in terms of functions, many men in the other groups had done a number of different kinds of electronic work over the 12 years. For example, of all the jobs held by the broadcasting group over the 12 years, 6 percent involved radio and television receiver repair, and 9 percent in volved research laboratory work. Similarly, over 12 percent of the jobs held during the 12 years by men in the other electronics, aircraft manufacturing, and research groups were mainly concerned with the repair of radio and television sets These findings suggest that radio and television repair vork was often a first job in which respondents acquired experi ence and skill and then moved into the other electronics speciali zations. On the other hand, very few technicians moved out of broadcasting stations into jobs in other fields. The identity of the employer is one of the factors in volved in a job change which must be examined before the signifi cance of the movement csua be fully evaluated. The survey shows that most of the electronic technician jobs entered by the re spondents from 19*10 to 1952 represented a move to a new employer; only in one-eighth of the cases did the respondent return to an employer for whom he had worked previously. A few of these men merely returned to their previous employer after service in the Armed Forces. Some information about the extent of movements of elec tronic technicians between labor market areas is essential to the evaluation of the supply of electronic technicians in relation to the demands for them in specific localities. Geographical moves made in connection with taking an electronic technician job are analyzed here. How many of the movements into electronic technician jobs made by respondents over the 12 years Involved changes in labor market areas? How many respondents in each city had made these moves? In this analysis, a geographical shift is defined in a movement into or out of the 8 metropolitan areas in which the sur vey was conducted or between states where none of these 8 areas was involved. Thus the actual amount of movement between differ ent labor market areas is slightly understated because of exclusion of movements that occurred between two labor market areas located in the same State, neither of which was one of the survey areas. This exclusion does not significantly affect the validity of the 32 Chart 8. CURRENT JOB DUTIES OF ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS COMPARED WITH THE KINDS OF ELECTRONICS WORK THEY HAD DONE PREVIOUSLY Main Job Duties of Current Jobs (April - May 1952) Held by Electronic Technicians in Each Type of Establishment Compared With Their Main Duties in All Electronics Jdjbs They Held From 1940 to 1952 Percent of Jobs Involving Specified Main Job Duties TYP E OF 10 0 E S T A B L IS H M E N T i— l 20 30 ----------1------------- 1— 40 60 ] 50 70 80 90 100 ---------- 1-------------- 1------------- 1------------- 1------------- 1------------- 1----------- “ i Present Job Radio - TV R e p a ir All Jobs ’40 - ’52 Present Job { B ro ad ca stin g All Jobs 40-52 M an u factu re of Radio - TV M a n u fa ctu re of O th e r Electronic Equipm ent M an u factu re of A ir c r a i. R e se arch _________________________ ___________ _ b u r e a u o f l a b o r s t a t is t ic s _________ ■ R e p a ir R a d io - T V S e ts R e p a ir KB 2 M O th e r E le c t r o n ic E q u ip m e n t l 2 z ^ O p e ra te i— T r a n s m it t in g i, E q u ip m e n t - i In s p e c t I Test an d E le c t r o n ic E q u ip m e n t In s ta ll O th e r iV V V J j j * c *ro n '< E q u ip m e n t 17777 \ l//A ) R e se a rch lo b . W o rk i -; 7 . i O th e r E le c t r o n ic s W o rk Chart 9. THE PROPORTION OF ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS WHO HAD SHIFTED BETWEEN LABOR-MARKET AREAS VARIED WIDELY AMONG THE 8 METROPOLITAN AREAS Percent of Respondents Making One or More Area Changes in Acauiring an ciecrronic Technician Job, from 1940 to 1952, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS geographical data because such intrastate movements were rare. Shifts of electronic technicians out of the 8 metropolitan areas are also understated by the survey data because of the fact that the men who moved out of these areas during the 12 -year period and were not vorking in any of them in 1952 are not covered in the survey. The survey shows that about one-eighth of the move ments cf respondents into electronic technician jobs from 19^0 to 1952 involved a change in labor market area. These area shifts were made by one-fifth of the respondents, with 12 per cent making one shift, 5 percent making 2 shifts, and 3 percent making 3 to 5 area shifts. Respondents who were working in Atlanta and Los Angeles at the time of the Burvey had made the highest proportion of area shifts, while those in Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia had made the lowest proportion of area shifts (chart 9 )* Causal Factors in Electronic Technician Job Changes* The causes of Job changes were analyzed in several ways* First the data were examined to determine the relative strength of objective labor market conditions and personal motivations in bringing about Job changes. Then the reasons given by the men for changing Jobs were analyzed for significant motivation patterns. Finally, the personal characteristics of the men who made Job changes were compared to those of the men who made no changes to determine the influence of these characteristics on mobility. The Job changes made by electronic technicians over the 12 -year work-history period have resulted from the interplay of two forces— the needs of industry and the desires of the individuals to change their Jobs. The relative importance of the two factors was evaluated by studying the annual rate of Job shifting among elec tronic technician Jobs in each of the 12 years covered by the work history. If the objective factor— the varying needs of employers for electronic technicians— is the major cause of Job changing, it would be likely that the annual rate of Job changing would vary irregularly from year to year, being highest in times of industrial expansion, and lowest in times of relatively stable economic conditions. The survey data support this view (chart 1 on page 7)* The conclusion may therefore be drawn that the major force bringing about Job changes was the pull of the labor market. Granting that the respondents as a group changed Jobs in response to labor market conditions, the next problem is to determine why the particular Individuals who changed Jobs did so. The personal or psychological motivations for Job changing were approached direct ly by asking the Job changers to give their main reason for leaving the 2,786 electronic technician Jobs which they left from 19^0 to 19^2. Analysis of the replies shows that the most common reason (47 percent) was to take another Job which they considered better in terms of pay, working conditions, prospect of advancement, etc., (Chart 10). Nine percent of the changes were made because of dis satisfaction with the present Job. 35 Chart 1 0 . ALMOST HALF OF THE MOVEMENTS OUT OF ELECTRONIC TECHNICIAN JOBS WERE MOTIVATED BY A DESIRE TO TAKE A BETTER JOB Percent of Electronic Technician Jobs Left By Respondents For Specified Reasons, 1940-1952 Took a Better Job layoff Entered Armed Forces Dissatisfied With Job Company Went Out of Business Family Moved Entered Full-Time School Was Terminated Other UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS Job movements influenced by factors over which the re spondents had relatively little control were less important. Twelve percent of the jobs were left because of layoffs, and 2 percent were due to firings. The role of the individual was less clear in the case of the jobs which were left because the "company went out of business;" of the 9 percent of jobs left for this reason, many were cases in which electronic technicians closed their own repair businesses. In 3 percent of the cases men left jobs because their families moved to another area. Nine percent of the jobs were left by men entering the Armed Forces, and 3 percent by men entering full-time school. 36 An indirect method of analyzing the forces motivating men to change jobs is to study their personal characteristics in relation to those of men in the same worker group who do not change jobs. For example, if young workers move more often than older workers, then age is a factor affecting mobility. Such an approach is rather difficult to apply because it requires that all other factors that might affect frequency of job changing be eli minated before any given personal factor can be studied. The main influencing factor— industrial requirements— would have to be removed to prevent giving equal weight to move ments made under widely varying external pressures. For instance, chart 9 shows that 19^2 was a year in which a high proportion of the electronic technicians who could move between jobs did so. Thus any analysis of the total job changing over the 12 years covered by the survey in terms of personal characteristics would overweight the characteristics of the respondents who were working as electronic technicians in 19^2. While the 12-year experience could have been used for this analysis, it would be extremely cumbersome because of the complex weighting system that would be required* Other factors prevented use of the 12-year experience for testing the effect of personal characteristics in job changing. So few of the respondents (25 percent) were working as electronic technicians in January 19 ^0, and so many of them left the field temporarily during the following 12 years that the determination of the Identity and characteristics of the men who were actually working in the field each year and thus could have moved, would be too complex and obscure to present. In addition, the movements of new men into first electronic technician jobs made up a large proportion of all movements in relation to these jobs in most of the 12 years. These considerations led to the development of a simpler method of testing personal factors in job changing. All respondents working as electronic technicians from January 1951 to April-May 1952 were divided into two groups: Those who had made moves between electronic technician jobs during this period, and those who had not (Chart 11). The personal charac teristics of these groups— the "movers" and the hon-moversB— were then analyzed for any significant differences. This method was most feasible because it dealt with a short period in which few changes in the characteristics of the respondents occurred, and in which the number of direct movements made between electronic technician jobs was sufficiently large to support analysis. Age was the main personal characteristic affecting mobility. The only other significant differences between the men who changed jobs from January 1951 to April-May 1952 and those who did not were in number of years of experience as an elec tronic technician and home-ownership. Those who changed jobs 37 Chart It. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS WHO CHANGED JOBS Comparison of Electronic Technicians Who Made One or More Job Changes and Those who Made No Job Changes From January 1940 to April - May 1952 AGE YEARS OF ELECTRONIC EXPERIENCE I ~ EDUCATION MARITAL STATUS O High - School Graduates Married Nongraduates Not Married FATHERHOOD UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 25 50 75 HOMEOWNERSHIP 100% were younger, they included a lower proportion of home owners, and they had fewer years of experience in electronics. Though job changers included a lower proportion of married men and fathers, and a slightly higher proportion of high school graduates, these differences can be attributed to age and other factors.No direct influence of marriage, father hood, or education on job changing is apparent in the findings. Electronic technicians who changed jobs were more likely to do so during their first year or two in the field. However, after 2 or 3 years of experience, they did not change much in their propensity to move between jobs; for example, men with 5 years of experience were only slightly less mobile than those with 10 years of experience. THE P EO P L E W H O ENTERED T H I S O C C U P A T I O N Personal C h a ra c te ristic s From the standpoint of labor mobility, one of the most significant aspects of a new occupation such as electronic tech nician is the type of people who obtained such jobs. Were they people who moved directly into electronics from high school or technical school? Were they older or younger than workers in established industries? Were many of them women? Were they people who showed special aptitudes for this type of work? How well educated were they? Less than six-tenths of one percent of the technicians surveyed were women. This extremely low participation by women is due more to their lack of appropriate educational background than to the physical requirements of the work or discrimination by employers. Very few, if any, girls take the vocational or mechanical arts curriculum in high school. The girls who take the academic course are usually preparing for college and do not concentrate on technical or scientific subjects such as mathe matics and physics. Most girls who do not plan on college take the commercial course, which does not provide an adequate mathe matical background for electronics. Most of the respondents took their first full-time jobs as electronic technicians when they were young men. More than one-fourth of them entered their first electronic techni cian jobs before they were 20 years old, and almost all of them (9^ percent) entered before they were 35* Their median age at the time they entered electronics was 23 . 39 Table !•— Education Completed by Respondents, by Type of Establishment Type of establishment Regular school Total ........... 0 1 2 3 4 - Below 8th grade ---- 8th to 11th grade--- Graduated high school - Some college----- — - Graduated from college — --- ---5 - Graduate work — — — J - Not reported ------- All establishments Radio-tv repair Number Percent Number Percent 1,926 100.0 1,017 100.0 35^ 100.0 32 421 1.7 21.9 49.8 20.8 26 272 2.6 26.7 50.3 i6 .u 3 34 168 118 .8 9.6 47.5 33-3 3.6 24 6.8 .k 6 1 1.7 •3 962 401 90 19 4.7 1.0 .1 1 511 167 37 4 -- Broadcasting Manufacture of radio-tv Manufacture of other electron ic equipment Manufacture of aircraft Research Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent 79 m m m m 100.0 __ 1 30 66 •7 20.4 44.9 39 26.5 25 18.9 51.6 25.0 **•5 — 6 5 4.1 3.4 2 42 68 _ 103 1.0 21.3 52.4 12 32 16.2 33 1 2 1.3 2.5 16 2 8.1 1.0 -- 46 100.0 100.0 100.0 22.8 58.2 15.2 18 147 132 197 6 Table 2.— Number of Respondents Reporting Specified Types of Job Arrangements, by Type of Establishment, April-May 1952 Type of establishment Job arrangement All Radio-tv repair Number Percent Total ----------0 - Work independently1 - Supervise others doing electronic w o r k --- ------2 - Act as helper to higher grade m a n ---- ---------3 - Work in a crew with other technicians at the same grade 4 - Other — — ----- ---- Broadcasting Manufacture of radio-tv Manufacture of other electronic equipment Manufacture of aircraft Research Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent establishments Number Percent 1,926 100.0 1,017 100.0 354 100.0 79 100.0 197 100.0 132 100.0 lVf 100.0 820 42.6 550 5^.1 83 23.5 39 i4-9.it 77 39.1 26 19.7 45 30.6 277 14.4 158 15-5 52 14.7 11 13-9 21 10.7 21 15.9 14 *9.5 111 5.7 39 3.8 4 1.1 7 8.9 16 8.1 7 5-3 38 25.9 676 35-1 2H-9 2^*5 209 22 27.8 1-7 -- -- 78 5 39.6 2.5 72 2.1 6 5 9 .0 21 54.5 4.6 46 4 31.3 2.7 42 2.2 4o 6 Three out of k electronic technicians graduated from high school, and 1 out of k had had some college training (table l). Less than 2 percent of them left school before the eighth grade. At the upper end of the scale there were 6 per cent who were college graduates. This group included 1 percent who had done graduate work. In addition to the education covered in this section, many respondents also had training in technical schools, which is described in the section on elec tronics training. The relatively high educational attainment of elec tronic technicians in comparison with other skilled trades is partly attributable to the fact that they were young. The aver age number of years of school completed by American youth has steadily increased over the years. GI bill benefits after World War II made college and technical school training avail able to millions of veterans, and raised even higher the average educational attainment. The survey also showed a relationship between formal education and type of establishment in which the technician was employed. One-third of the technicians in broadcasting had had college work, while only about one-sixth of those in radio-television repair and radio-television and other electronic equipment manufacturing had had any college. About one-fourth of those in research and aircraft manufacturing reported some college work. The proportion of college graduates was high among the techni cians employed in manufacturing other electronic equipment (8 percent) and in broadcasting (7 percent). Only one college graduate was in the group employed in manufacturing radio-tele vision receivers. To gain some insight into what might be called the field of interest or "bent" of these men before they entered the labor market, they were asked "What was your favorite high school subject?" The responses (chart 12) indicate that the men who became electronic technicians can be differentiated from other workers by the fields of knowledge in which they had shown the most interest in high school. The survey disclosed that 36 percent of the technicians preferred mathematics to all other subjects. A strong preference for the general field of physical science is evidenced by the fact that 35 percent mentioned one of the physical sciences (physics, radio, electricity, electronics, chemistry, etc.) as their favorite subject. The next largest group, 9 percent of the technicians, preferred shop work or me chanical arts. Thus, about 8 out of 10 of the men who became electronic technicians favored high school subjects whose mastery is closely related to successful work in the electronics field. Chart 12. MATHEMATICS AND THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES WERE FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL SUBJECTS OF ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS Percent of Respondents Who Preferred Specified High School Subjects PERCENT Mathematics Physical Science (Other than specified below) Shop Work and Mechanical Arts Radio, Electricity, or Electronics History English Other Subjects 5.7% No Preference No High School or Not Reported UNITED SJATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR' •BUREAU OF LABORJJATISTICSj A c t i v i t i e s or O c c u p a t io n s From W hich T h e y C a m e One of the objectives of the survey was to determine the fields of activity from which men move into jobs in electronics. More than 50 percent of the respondents, the survey shows, were en gaged in activities outside the labor force immediately before thej became electronic technicians (chart 13). About 21 percent were attending high school just before they entered their first elec tronics job, 15 percent were studying electronics at technical schools, 8 percent were attending college, and 7 percent were serving in the Armed Forces. k2 Chart 13. MORE THAN HALF OF THE RESPONDENTS CAME INTO THE ELECTRONICS FIELD DIRECTLY FROM SCHOOL OR THE ARMED FORCES Percent of Respondents Engaged in Specified Activities Before Entering Their First Electronic Technician Job IN THE CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE In the _ Civilian Labor Force High School Full-Time Electronic School College Outside the Civilian—| Labor Force Armed Forces Other UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS The previous occupations of the 1+5 percent who came into electronics work directly from other jobs can be classified rough ly as jobs related to electronics and jobs not related to elec tronics. About 9 percent of the technicians were in the first group, which included jobs like electrician, radio parts salesmen, and electrical appliance repairman. The remaining 36 percent were employed in a wide variety of other types of jobs. Why They Entered E le ctro n ics The reasons why people choose a particular field, as their life's work are difficult to ascertain and evaluate. On the one hand, the fact that jobs available in one's particular locality in volve minimum social dislocation and offer immediate income tends to draw workers into such jobs. On the other hand, the individual's educational and social background, psychological makeup, and long-run career and income objectives influence him to seek a particular kind of job, regardless of whether such jobs are available at the particular time and place. When jobs are scarce and unemployment is widespread, the heavy pressures on workers to earn any income they can tends to make the long-run, personal preference aspect of job-choosing almost completely inoperative, especially in the case of men with family obligations. Conversely, prosperous conditions give the worker a much wider range of jobs from which to choose and a much greater opportunity for indulging preferences for certain types of work. If he wants a job that requires special training, the fact that other members of his family are working may enable him to defer his entrance into the labor market while undergoing training. The survey made only one direct attempt to determine the motivations underlying the respondents' entrance into the elec tronics field. The question asked was, "How did you happen to become interested in electronics?" The phrasing of this question was designed to get at the earliest forces operating to influence the individual's choice of electronics as a career. The most striking fact about why electronic technicians entered this field is that a very high proportion, 51 percent, be came interested in electronics long before they even thought seriously about the kind of work they wanted to do (chart 1*0. Of these, 15 percent said that they had been interested in electron ics since early youth. Typical answers were: "I was always in terested in radio;" "I was interested in it since I was child;" or nI always liked radio." Hobby work was mentioned specifically by 36 percent, for example: "I became interested in it as a hobby;" "I was a ham operator and had radio as a hobby;" "It began as a hobby in elementary school;" or "I had it as a hobby since I was 8 years old." Another sizable group, 1^- percent, entered electronics because they were assigned and trained in this field while in the Armed Forces. A typical response was, "I was a radar mechanic during the war." The influence of families or friends was cited by 9 per cent of the technicians as the main factor directing them toward electronics. For instance, "I got interested through a friend who was a ham," or "Through an acquaintance, I became very Interested in the trade," or "My dad and brother were both electronic techni cians, ao I just naturally got interested in the field." kk About 9 percent of the group entered electronics primarily because they thought it offered favorable opportunities for a suc cessful career. As one man said, "It looked like an up and coming field with a good future." Only about 6 percent attributed their interest in elec tronics to their previous experience in jobs related to electron ics, such as electrician or radio parts salesman. A very small proportion— less than 2 percent— said that their entering this field was accidental— “that they "just drifted into electronics." *+5 It is important to note certain facts about the labor market conditions at the time these workers entered their first electronics Jobs. More than two-thirds of the technicians en tered the field after 1939* The years following 1939 have been characterized by high employment levels and, consequently, fa vorable conditions for the exercise of personal preference in Job-choosing. It is, therefore, not surprising that most of the men who entered this field did so by choice. H O W E L E C T R O N I C T E C H N I C I A N S WE RE T R A I N E D The methods by which untrained men can become qualified skilled workers have direct implications for effective manpower mobilization. The survey therefore attempted to ascertain how the men now employed as technicians acquired their skill in elec tronics. The survey indicates that there was no set pattern of training among electronic technicians. Most of the respondents acquired their skills through two or more different kinds of training. There was a marked similarity in the relative importance of particular training methods among the six groups covered. The most common type of training among every group of electronic tech nicians was full-time electronics training in a civilian techni cal school (chart 2 on page 10 ). Fifty-six percent of all the technicians attended such schools, with the proportion among groups ranging from 72 percent for those employed in the radio and television manufacturing group at the time of the survey to 45 percent in other electronics manufacturing group. Armed Forces technical schools were attended by 34 percent of the electronic technicians. Over one-fourth (26 percent) of the technicians at tended part-time technical schools, with the proportion highest in research (35 percent), and lowest in aircraft manufacturing (20 percent). Training in the plant consisted of apprenticeship and other less formal on-the-job training programs. Five percent had been through apprenticeship programs and 13 percent had had other on-the-job training. The most unusual fact about the training of electronic technicians was that a great many of them acquired some of their, skills at home. As noted earlier, radio and electronics was a hobby of many of these men. Operating an amateur "ham" radio station as a hobby was mentioned by 35 percent of the electronic technicians in broadcasting as part of their training, and by 14 percent of all the electronic technicians. Other hobby work was reported by 40 percent of the technicians. About 23 percent took 46 correspondence courses in electronics, and 18 percent gained some of their electronics knowledge through home study and reading# How much time did the above training consume? Most of the technicians who attended full-time civilian technical schools took courses lasting 12, 18, or 2k months. However, a few spent 3 years and more in technical school. Armed Forces schools usually had shorter courses lasting 6 or 12 months, although a few courses ran 18 months or longer. The length of time electronic technicians spent in part-time technical schools varied from 1 month to over 3 years, but most courses lasted 6 or 12 months. On-the-job training was also most commonly of 6 or 12 months dura tion, though some programs lasted 2k months and more. E L E C T R O N I C T E C H N I C I A N S IN 195 2 The characteristics of the existing supply of electron ic technicians must be understood before accurate predictions of their labor force behavior can be made. This section discusses the findings which describe the personal characteristics, jobs, and electronic skills of electronic technicians as of the time of the survey, April-May 1952. P erso n al C h aracteristics Certain personal characteristics of workers have a direct bearing on their future supply and their tendency to change job statuses. Most important of these are age, marital status, num ber of dependents, housing arrangement, and veteran or reserve sta tus. Electronic technicians, the survey shows, were a very young group of skilled workers (see chart 3 on page 10 ). Over half of them were between the ages of 25 and and less than 3 percent of them were over Jk years of age. This contrasts with the age distribution of the nonagricultural male labor force at the same time (April 1952), where only one-fourth were between 25 and 3^j and 18 percent were over 5^* Electronic technicians working in plants manufacturing radio and television receivers and in research laboratories were a little younger than those in the other groups. Their median age was 30 * as compared with 33 for those in radio and television re pair, other electronic manufacturing, and aircraft manufacturing. The highest median age, 3^> was found in the broadcasting group, which had 15 percent of its technicians in the age group ^5 to k9, compared with an average of 8 percent for all groups. More than four-fifths of the electronic technicians were married, reflecting the high marriage rates during World War II and the postwar period; about three-fourths of the married men were fathers. About 83 percent had one or more dependents in addition to themselves. k7 The marked trend toward home-ownership shown in re cent censuses is apparent in the survey results, which show that 42 percent of the electronic technicians owned their own homes in 1952. About one-third of them rented apartments, 8 percent rented houses, and about 12 percent resided in their parents' homes. The proportion of home owners varied from 57 percent in the broadcasting group to 19 percent in the radio-television manufacturing group. For the other groups, the figures were: 52 percent in aircraft manufacturing; 39 percent in radio-television repair; 3® percent in research; and 38 percent in other electron ics manufacturing. About 62 percent of the electronic technicians were veterans of World War II. Over half of these veterans served in the Army, and lk percent were in the Army Air Force. Twentyseven percent had been in the Navy, 3 percent in the Marine Corps, and 1 percent in the Coast Guard. Eight percent of the technicians belonged to a military reserve. This group includes veterans of World War II and seme younger men who either were in the Armed Forces during the post war period or who joined a reserve with previous service. C u r r e n t Job D uties, E a r n i n g s , Hours, an d T enure Many aspects of the jobs which electronic technicians hold are related to the general problem of planning an adequate supply of these workers. The kinds of work they do, their work organization arrangements, the way they are paid and the amount they earn, the number of hours they work, their length of service in the plant— all these factors aid in evaluating the adequacy of the present supply in relation to future needs. The findings show that the characteristics of jobs held by electronic technicians varied greatly by type of establishment. Those working in radio and television repair, broadcasting, and research showed greater homogeneity in job duties within their group than did the others. As expected, practically all the electronic technicians in radio-television repair shops were engaged in repairing home receivers (see chart 8 on page 33). The main job duty of over half of the technicians in broadcasting was operating transmitting equipment, but 37 percent of them had a combination of different duties such as repairing radio and television transmitting equip ment, operating a master-control board, operating and repairing recording equipment, and setting up, operating and repairing re mote pickup equipment. Thirty-eight percent of those working in plants manufacturing radio and television sets said they re paired them, while another 38 percent inspected and tested them. 48 In plants manufacturing other electronic equipment, 44 percent of the technicians reported their main job duty as the inspecting and testing of electronic equipment. About 21 percent of this group did research laboratory work, and a rather high proportion— 28 percent— were classified under "other electronics work" because none of the six given categories adequately described their main job duties. Technicians in aircraft manufacturing were engaged mainly in inspecting and testing electronic equipment (3 8 percent), doing research work (2 7 percent), and installing electronic equip ment (13 percent). About 71 percent of those in research labora tories said they spent most of their time doing research work, while l4 percent reported inspecting and testing electronic equip ment as their main job duty. To provide information on the utilization of the skills of electronic technicians in the different types of electronics establishments, respondents were asked to choose from among four categories the one which best described their present job arrange ment. For cases which might not fit any of the categories, an "other (specify)" option was provided. Only 2 percent placed themselves outside the suggested categories (table 2 on page 40) Working independently was the most common job arrange ment in radio and television repair and manufacturing, while work ing in crews was most common in broadcasting, aircraft manufac turing, and other electronics manufacturing, and research. Over half (54 percent) of the technicians in radio and television repair and about half (49 percent) of those in radio and television manufacturing said they worked independently (see table 2 on page 40). Working in a crew with other technicians at the same skill level was the most common job arrangement among those in broadcasting (59 percent), aircraft manufacturing (55 percent), other electronics manufacturing (40 percent), and re search (3 1 percent). The research group was unique in the high proportion26 percent— who acted as helpers to higher-skilled men. No other group had more than 9 percent in this category. This variation is due to the fact that a great many technicians in research labora tories work as skilled assistants to professional engineers. Another 31 percent of this group said they worked independently. Working independently also characterized 39 percent of the techni cians in other electronics manufacturing and 24 percent of those in broadcasting. These two categories— working independently, and working in a crew— described the job arrangements of over threefourths of all the men in the survey. Supervising others doing electronics work was the main function of 14 percent of the respondents, with the proportion ranging from 10 percent in research to 16 percent in aircraft manu facturing. 49 Chart 15. EARNINGS OF ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS VARIED WIDELY Percent of Electronic Technicians in Each Type of Establishment With Specified Average Weekly Earnings and Median Earnings Apri 1-May 1952 MANUFACTURE OF AIRCRAFT 100 80 MEDIAN $95 60 40 20 0 MANUFACTURE OF OTHER ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT 100 RESEARCH 100 80 80 MEDIAN $82 MEDIAN $84 60 - 60 40 40 h 20 0 20 '/////). 0 £ 2 2 9L Less than $60 60 to 79 80 to 99 100 to 119 120 139 Not to and reported 139 Over Less than $60 60 to 79 A V ER A G E W EEK LY EA R N IN G S UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 80 to 99 100 ♦a 119 120 139 Not to and reported 139 Over About 38 percent of the radio and television repairmen received earnings in the form of income from their own businesses; 1*3 percent were salaried (table 3)* Hourly wages were earned by most of the electronic technicians engaged in manufacturing radio and television sets and aircraft, and by the majority of those in other electronics manufacturing and in research, but a third of the research group were also salaried. A weekly salary was the most common method of payment in broadcasting. Electronic technicians paid by the hour were asked the amount of their straight-time hourly rates. Over half of the technicians in aircraft manufacturing who were paid by the hour reported hourly rates of from $2 to $2.2l*. Over half (53 percent) of those in radio and television manufacturing, h-5 percent in other electronics manufacturing, and 28 percent in aircraft manu facturing had hourly rates ranging from $1.75 to $1.99« Over one-fifth of the hourly-rate technicians in broadcasting who were paid by the hour, only 21 percent received under $2 .2 5 per hour and about 12 percent earned $ 3*25 or more. The earnings figures presented below are the respondents' best estimates of how much they earned per week, on the average, over the 2 months preceding the interview. Thus they include pay ment for overtime, and can only be properly evaluated in conjunc tion with average weekly hours covering the same period. For instance, the pay scale of radio and television repairmen ranks still lower when allowance is made for the longer hours characteristic of this group. Average weekly earnings were highest among electronic technicians in broadcasting stations £/, with 71 percent of them earning $100 or more per week (chart 15). At the low end cf the earnings scale were those in radio and television manufacturing, 81* percent of whom earned less than $80 per week. In aircraft manufacturing plants, average weekly earnings of most of the elec tronic technicians were high and had a rather narrow range, with 79 percent of them earning from $80 to $119 per week. Technicians in other electronics manufacturing were third highest in average weekly earnings among the six groups covered. About percent of them earned between $80 and $119 per week, though the earnings of the whole group ranged from below $50 to over $160 . In research, earnings also had a wide range, with 75 percent of the technicians earning from $60 to $119 per week. The radio and television repairmen ranked second from the lowest in average weekly earnings, but their earnings had a very wide range. While no other group had as much as 1 percent of its technicians in the less than $50 per week category, 10 percent of the repairmen were in this group. The earnings of 80 percent of the repairmen ranged from $50 to $119 a week. £/ These earnings are representative of only the stations in large cities. (See page 1*0). 51 Table 3*— Type of Earnings Received by Respondents by Type of Establishment Type of establishment Type of earnings Total, all types — Q - Income from own business -------1 - Salary -----------2 - Hourly rate ------3 - O t h e r ------- — — J - Not reported ------ All establishments Radio-tv repair Number Percent Number 1,9 2 6 100.0 1 ,0 1 7 100.0 35^ 100.0 393 800 702 30 1 20.lt *1.5 36.lt 1 .6 .1 393 ^33 162 28 l 38.6 It2.6 15 .9 2.8 .1 — — 257 95 2 ■*— 72.5 26.8 •7 —— 5 7U — —— Table k,— Percent Broadcasting Manufacture of radio-tv Manufacture of other electron ic equipment Manufacture of aircraft Research Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent 79 100.0 197 — — 6 .3 9 3 .7 — —— 51 lit6 100.0 132 — — 25.9 7^.1 — — —— -— 100.0 128 — —— 3 .0 97.0 — —— 100.0 - - - - — k 1 U7 50 97 -far—— 34.0 66.0 — —— Average Weekly Hours Worked by Respondents by Type of Establishment Type of establishment Average weekly hours Total, all respondents — — All establishments Radio-tv repair Number Percent Number Percent -- 1,9 2 6 100.0 1 ,0 1 7 100.0 Less than 3 5 ------------35 - 39 --------------k0 .................... itl - lt7 --------------kQ .................... 1*9 _ 51* --------------- Ito Ito 697 310 320 177 5 5 - 5 9 --------------6 0 ............. -..... 6l - 6 9 ---- --- -----70 and o v e r ----- ----- 126 29 2 .1 2 .1 36.2 1 6 .x 1 6 .6 9 .2 3 .5 6 .5 1 .5 6 .2 3^ 23 19^ 128 232 108 36 116 26 119 3 .5 2 .3 1 9 .1 1 2 .6 22.8 10 .6 3 .5 1 1 .it 2 .5 1 1 .7 68 119 Broadcasting Manufacture of radio-tv Manufacture of other electron ic equipment Manufacture of aircraft Research Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent 3 5 *i 1 it 252 75 6 9 3 3 l —— 100.0 79 1 0 0 .0 _ •3 1 .1 2 59 9 5 3 1 -— —— 7 1 .3 2 1 .2 1 .7 2.5 .8 .8 •3 —— 52 2 .5 7^ .7 1 1 .it 6 .3 3 .8 1 -3 — — —— 197 100.0 1 2 7 *t .5 1 .0 30 33 33 18 it 2 —— 3 7 -6 132 1 — 39 1 5 .2 16 .8 16 .8 hi 9-1 2 .0 7 2 — —— 1.0 —— 30 12 1 0 0 .0 llt 7 1 0 0 .0 i.* t 6 .1 .8 2 — 29.5 9 79 3 1 .1 2 2 .7 27 9-1 5 -3 1-5 12 — *** Ih 3 1 — 5 3 -7 l 8 .it 9-5 8 .2 2 .0 •7 — mum Three-fourths of the electronic technicians in radio and television manufacturing worked the 40-hour week, and 18 percent of them worked 4l to 48 hours (table 4). The 40-hour week was also the rule in broadcasting, with 71 percent working 40 hours. Most of the technicians in broadcasting who did work more than 40 hours worked only a few hours of overtime. Twenty-one percent of them averaged from 4l to 46 hours, and only 6 percent worked 48 or more hours. Thus the high earnings of this group appear even more attractive when the hours worked are considered. A majority (54 percent) of the electronic technicians in research also worked 40 hours per week. In this group, also, most hours in excess of 40 represent irregular overtime rather than an established longer workweek, though more overtime was worked in research than in broadcasting. Eighteen percent in research worked 4l to 47 hours, 1 0 percent worked 48 hours, and 11 percent worked longer than 48 hours. Electronic technicians in radio and television repair had the longest workweek of all the six groups. Twenty-three per cent of them worked 48 hours, indicating that the 6-day week is fairly common in this group. Only 19 percent worked 40 hours. A very large proportion— 40 percent— worked more than 48 hours, and nearly 12 percent worked JO or more hours. These hours are not strictly comparable with those in the other groups because they often represent the hours in which a repairman keeps his own shop for business, and they thus include time for lunch or dinner and other activities not directly concerned with repairing equipment. Overtime was quite common in other electronics manufac turing and aircraft manufacturing. Thirty-eight percent of the electronic technicians in other electronics manufacturing worked 40 hours, but 32 percent worked 4l to 48 hours, and 29 percent worked more than 48 hours, and 29 percent worked more than 48 hours per week. Comparable proportions for those in aircraft manufacturing show that 30 percent worked 40 hours, 54 percent worked 4l to 48 hours, and l6 percent worked more than 48 hours. Most respondents had been in the jobs they held at the time of the survey for short periods of time (table 5)« Twentysix percent of all the electronic technicians had been in their jobs only 12 months or less, and 54 percent had been in their jobs only 36 months or less. In contrast only l4 percent had spent as many as 8 years in their jobs. Tenure of electronic technicians in their jobs varied considerably by type of establishment. Technicians in broadcasting had the longest tenure, with 27 percent in their job longer than 8 years, but even here a large proportion— 32 percent— had been in their Jobs only 24 months or less. In aircraft manufacturing, which underwent a rapid expansion after the Korean outbreak in 1950* job tenure was shortest, with 74 percent of the technicians in their jobs only 18 months or less. Technicians in research and other 53 Chart 16. ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS COULD REPAIR A VARIETY OF TYPES OF EQUIPMENT Percentage off Electronic Technicians in Each Type off Establishment Who Reported That They Could Make Major Repairs on Specified Types of Equipment, 1952 MANUFACTURE OF RADIO-T V BROADCASTING RADIO-T V REPAIR 100% O 100% Home TV Receivers Radio Broadcasting Trans. Equip. m TV Broadcasting Trans. Equip. 1 Radar Ground Control Approach System Loran Sonar ServoMechanisms ^ 3 I I 3 3 3 3 ] F 3 3 c|ectronic Comput ing Machines Guided Missile Control System MANUFACTURE OF OTHER ELECT. EQUIP. Home TV Receivers MANUFACTURE OF AIRCRAFT 1 RESEARCH Im H H Radio Broadcasting Trans. Equip. T V Broadcasting Trans. Equip. Radar Ground Control Approach System Loran Sonar I ServoMechanisms Electronic Comput ing Machines 551 Guided Missile Control System -J ioo% UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS J 100% electronics manufacturing also had very short tenures, with 57 percent of those in research and 46 percent of those in other electronics manufacturing in their jobs only l8 months or less. However, although most of those in other electronics manufac turing had short tenures, this group as a whole ranked second in proportion (15 percent) of technicians with more than 8 years in their jobs. Second to the broadcasting group in average length of job tenure, the radio and television repair group had only 31 percent in the 18 months or less category and 12 percent in the over 8 years category. Thirty-two percent of the electronic technicians in radio and television manufacturing had less than 18 months tenure in their jobs. Equipm ent S k ills To provide information on the range and degree of the skills of electronic technicians, each Respondent was asked to check those items on which he could make a minor or a major re pair from a list of 17 of the better known kinds of electronic equipment. The equipment items on which the respondent said he could make major repairs offered the most reliable indicators of skill and were therefore used as the basis for this analysis. Several considerations limit the implications of these findings. The data represent the respondent's statement of his abilities and sure not the result of objective tests. Since the 1 7 types of equipment listed vary widely in size and complexity, an ability to repair one type of equipment cannot necessarily be equated with the ability to repair a different type of equip ment. For instance, a man who could repair home radios, tele vision sets, and military radio equipment would seem to rank, in terms of versatility, as high as a man who could repair radsir, guided missile control systems, and electronic computing machines, though it is obvious that the second man had skills of higher order. Thus, while the data often reflect differences in degree of skill, they are conclusive with respect to versatility in terms of equipment skills. The data obtained to evaluate equipment skills can be considered in several ways: To what extent do electronic techni cians in the six different types of establishments possess the same equipment skills? How versatile are they in terms of re pairing various kinds of equipment? What, if any differences in overall skill level are apparent among the six groups? Electronic technicians in all six of the types of es tablishment covered in the survey possessed enough skills in com mon to permit the conclusion that they constituted a true occupa tional class (chart l6). The findings illustrate this point very dramatically. For instance, radar, which had no place in the jobs 55 Table 5.— Respondents* Tenure in Job, by Type of Establishment April-May 1952 Type of establishment Tenure in job held at time of survey Total ---------- 1 - 6 months-----7 - 1 2 months —----13 - 18 months---- — 19 - 24 months---- 25 - 38 months -----37 - 60 months -----6l - 96 months--- -— Over 98 months ------ All establishments Radio-tv repair Number Percent Number 1,926 100.0 1,017 100.0 354 100.0 79 100.0 197 100.0 132 285 137 106 181 14.8 11.4 9.4 39 23 29 28 26 11 13-9 7 8.8 20 11 17.0 83 18 19.8 11.7 14.7 10.2 5.6 40 27 19 4 17.0 7.6 9.0 7.1 7.9 7.4 23.4 15 7 3 7.6 73 74 150 173 27 32 25 19.0 8.9 3.8 lk6 13-5 10.4 7.2 7.3 14.8 22.7 24 15 14.4 14.1 181 17-7 36 10.2 12.1 97 27.4 15.3 7-6 21 123 12 6 12.2 10.6 14.4 3.0 9-1 11.3 30 15.2 7 8 6.1 220 217 327 278 272 11.3 Percent Broadcasting Manufacture of radio-tv Manufacture of Manufacture of other electron aircraft ic equipment Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent 12 Research Number Percent 100.0 147 100.0 30.2 27 25 32 9 18.4 17.0 21.8 6.1 7.5 9.5 14.3 20.5 5-4 11 14 21 8 5-1* Table 6.— Number of Specified Types of Equipment on Which Respondents Could Make Major Repairs by Type of Establishment, April-May 1952 Type of establishment Number of types of equipment Total, all types — O n e ---- -— ----- ----T w o -----------------Three — — ----- — — — Four — — --- --------- F i v e ----- -----------S i x -----------------Seven----- ------- — — Eight or more — ---- — Not reported — --- ---- All establishments Radio-tv repair Broadcasting Manufacture of radio-tv Manufacture of Manufacture of other electron aircraft ic equipment Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent 1,926 100.0 1,017 100.0 354 100.0 79 100.0 73 475 315 271 204 186 118 232 52 3.8 24.7 16.4 14.1 10.6 9.7 6.1 11-9 2.7 27 341 203 138 96 71 40 97 4 2.7 33.5 19.9 13.5 9.4 7-0 3.9 9.7 .4 11 3-1 9-9 4 24 11.6 12 16 A 13.9 A A 10.7 16.6 3A 15 5.1 30.3 15.2 19.0 8 10.1 9 3 4 —— 11.4 3.8 5-1 —— 35 41 58 49 51 38 59 12 56 197 100.0 Number Percent 132 11 5.6 6 40 20.3 11.2 16 15 16 17 15 14 25 22 27 17 22 10 30 18 13-7 8.6 11.2 5.1 15.2 9.1 8 Research Number Percent 100.0 147 100.0 4-5 12.9 11.4 14 19 22 14.9 12.1 19*0 17 17 18 13 17 6.0 10 11.6 11.6 12.2 8.8 11.0 6.8 12.1 12.9 11.4 10.6 9-5 being done by the electronic technicians in radio and television repair, broadcasting, and radio and television manufacturing, was mentioned by at least one-fifth of the technicians in each of these groups as a type of equipment on which they could make major repairs. Conversely, over two-thirds of the technicians in other electronics manufacturing, aircraft manufacturing, and research could make major repairs on home television receivers, a type of equipment which had no direct relationship to their jobs. The fact that there were some men in each of the six groups who could make major repairs on every one of the types of equipment listed also evidenced a homogeneity of skill. Electronic technicians were versatile in terms of the number of different types of electronic equipment on which they could make major repairs (table 6). Almost all electronic tech nicians could make major repairs on 2 or more types of equipment, over half (53 percent) of them could repair ^ or more, and 28 percent of them could repair 6 or more. The proportion of technicianswho could make major re pairs on six or more types of equipment is a fairly accurate in dex of versatility because it separates those who were conversant with only radio and television equipment from those with a wider range of skills. Versatility, measured in this way, varied some what by type of establishment. The proportion of men who could repair 6 or more types of equipment was highest among electronic technicians in broadcasting (k2 percent), and lowest among those in radio and television manufacturing (20 percent), and radio and television repair (21 percent). Midway between these extremes were the other 3 groups, with the proportion being 31 percent in aircraft manufacturing and 32 percent in other electronics manu facturing and in research. Thus, it appears that electronic tech nicians in broadcasting were most versatile, those in repair and manufacture of radio and television were least versatile, and those in aircraft manufacturing, other electronics manufacturing, and re search were intermediate in versatility. On the basis of these findings, what can be said about the relative overall skill level among the six groups in the sur vey? The above data on versatility sire sufficiently variant to justify the view that, considered as groups, the electronic tech nicians in broadcasting were most skilled, those in radio and television manufacture and repair were least skilled and the other three groups— other electronics manufacturing, aircraft manufacturing, and research— were about equal in skill, ranking between the others. 57 APPENDIXES A - METHODOLOGY The objectives of this study required the collection of a great deal of detailed information about the worker's personal background and his work history during the 12-year period from January 19^0 to April-May 1952. A personal interview survey was chosen as the best method for obtaining this information. Q u estion n aires Two questionnaires were used in the survey; an establish ment form for information obtained from employers, and an employee questionnaire for information obtained by interviewing the individ ual technicians. Both forms were pretested in Philadelphia and Baltimore before the final form was determined. The establishment schedule 10/ was designed to supply those facts that an employer would be better qualified to provide, such as hiring methods, training conducted in the plant, job breakdowns, plant employment, number of technicians employed, and job descriptions for electronic technicians. The establishment interview also enabled the field supervisor to arrange for personal interviews of a representative sample of the electronic technicians employed in the plant. The individual technician questionnaire 11/ provided de tailed information on the worker, his job, his skills, his training, and his work history. Tabulations from this form provided the statistics on which the main conclusions of this report are based. Almost all questions were pre-coded in order to help the field staff better understand what information was sought by each question, to hold writing during interviews to a minimum, and to facilitate preparation for machine tabulation. 10/ 11/ See appendix B. See appendix B. 58 Sam ple D esig n The primary consideration in the selection of a sample for the survey was the relationship between available funds and the maximum reliable information about electronic technicians that could be obtained. Sampling all electronic technicians on a nation-wide basis was not feasible. On the other hand, concen trating on only one or two of the industries in which technicians are employed would have made it impossible to apply the findings to all electronic technicians, since no one subgroup can be con sidered typical. It was therefore decided to select a sample of 1,800 technicians from among 6 types of establishments that em ploy over 90 percent of all civilian electronic technicians in the United States. The survey was further restricted to eight of the largest metropolitan areas, which include the heaviest concentrations of electronic technicians and represent every ge ographical section of the Nation. Thus the universe from which our sample of electronic technicians was drawn includes all estab lishments located in these cities which are engaged in: (l) re pair of hone radio and/or television receivers; (2) radio and/or television broadcasting; (3) manufacture of radio and/or tele vision receivers; (4) manufacture of other electronic equipment; (5) manufacture of aircraft; and (6) research and development. Table 7 illustrates the theoretical basis of the sample. Table Type of establishment Total, all establishments— -— Repair of radio and/or television -— -— -— -— -— -— Broadcasting — ---- -— ---------Manufacturing: Radio and/05 television ------Other electronic equipment ---Aircraft — — — — — — — — --Research — -— -— — — — — -— Other (not covered in survey) --- 7*— Theoretical Basle for Allocation of E m p l o y e e Schedules Estimated number of electronic technicians employed in United States in April-May 1950 Estimated number of electronic technicians in 8 cities visited in April-May 1950 Is this group rela tively homoge neous as to Job duties, etc.? 100,000 3*,ooo - ~ 70,000 13,000 20,000 Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No 1,500 3,500 3,300 1,500 7,000 3,500 1,000 2,500 (2,500 1,000 3,500 59 Is propor tionate represen tation by city feasible? Distribution of employee sched ules Percent of sample to universe of 8 cities Planned Actual Planned Actual 1,800 1,926 900 1,017 350 35* 10.0 10 .1 79 197 10.0 6.0 6.0 15.0 7.9 7.9 5.3 100 150 150 I50 ““ 132 147 5.9 *•5 6.k 5-1 1*.7 Research establishments to be visited were chosen random ly from lists obtained from the 1950 edition of Industrial Research Laboratories of the United States and other more recent data in the files of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Lists of broadcasting sta tions obtained from the Federal Communications Commission were stratified by number of technical employees and by city and then sampled randomly within these groups. Manufacturing establishment lists compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Production Authority, and other government sources were stratified by size of employment and then sampled randomly within groups. Repair estab lishments were chosen randomly from a list obtained by combining the radio repair and the television repair phone book listings for each metropolitan area and eliminating duplicate listings. The Standard Industrial Classification 12/ was adhered to wherever possible. However, its application in this study was limited by the indefinite relationship between certain SIC indus try groups and employment of electronic technicians. For instance, many plants making electronic equipment employ no electronic tech nicians, while many department stores employ electronic technicians in their radio-television service departments. The relationships between SIC industries and the six types of establishments covered in the survey are shown by the following outline: SIC Coverage Survey Designation SIC Designation Establishments engaged in: 7621 Part of 5723 Part of 5311 Electrical repair shops Radio stores Department stores 7712 7713 Radio broadcasting Television broadcasting Part of 3661 Radios, radio and tele vision equipment, ra dar and related detec tion apparatus, phono graphs. Part of 3661 Part of 3662 Part of 3669 (See above) Radio tubes Communication equip ment, n.e.c. Radio-Tv repair - - - - Broadcasting - — - - - - - Radio-Tv manufacturing - - Other electronics manufac turing - - - - - - - - Aircraft manufacturing - 3721 Research and development- Part of 7399 Aircraft Business services, n#e.c * 12/ Standard Industrial Classification Manual, Bureau of the Budget, Volume I, Manufacturing Industries, 19^5J Volume II, Non manufacturing Industries, 19 ^9 . 60 Table 8 shows the distribution of the technicians who participated in the survey by metropolitan area and type of estab lishment. Table 8.— Distribution of Electronic Technicians Surveyed, by Metropolitan Area and Type of Establishment, Aprll-May 1952 Type of establishment Metropolitan area Total ---------Atl a n t a--- --------Baltimore — — — — -Boston — — — — — — — Chicago — — ----- --Detroit ----- ------Los Angeles --------New York -----------Philadelphia -------- All types of establishments 1,926 119 187 210 2k3 162 288 k90 227 Radio-tv repair Broad casting Manufacture of radio-tv 1,017 35^ 79 197 132 __ _ 28 10 — 90 103 117 139 112 136 190 130 19 27 35 k6 kl 52 35 38 17 -- — — 8 100 36 3^ Manufacture of other electron ic equipment — 8 62 kk Manufacture of aircraft 7 — — 2 7k 33 6 Research lk7 __ 22 20 63 7 10 69 13 C o llectio n Individual technicians to be interviewed were selected from these establishments by obtaining a complete list of elec tronic technicians employed at each establishment and selecting randomly a proportion of the total that would give the plant the proper representation. A minimum of 1 year of school or on-thejob training in electronics was used as a criterion for select ing respondents. When other factors, such as equipment skills and wages, indicated that, despite job titles, the worker did not perform the duties of an electronic technician, he was not selected. All employee schedules were edited in the field by the field supervisor. In cases where interviewers turned in sched ules which had inconsistent entries or unanswered questions, follow-up telephone calls were made to obtain the correct infor mation. These precautions resulted in a very high percentage of usable schedules being obtained; of 1,9 6 3 schedules collected, 1,937 were complete in all respects. Since the 11 women were too small a group for analysis, 1,926 schedules from male tech nicians supplied the basis for this report. 6l Coding and Tabulation When the establishment schedules were received, they were arranged by size of total employment, and the coded information on them was transcribed to a master sheet, from which hand tabulations were made. The information on the employee questionnaires was punched on IBM cards. A Primary Card 13/ containing all information except the work history was punched first. Then for every status (job, service in Armed Forces, unemployment, or schooling after high school) appearing in the work history, an Excess Card 13/ was punched. Analyzing the movements of electronic technicians over a 12-year period during which many of them were in statuses other than electronic technician jobs presented a rather complex problem. On the one hand, to consider together all movements made by respond ents would result in adding together such things as jobs, unemploy ment periods, Armed Forces service, and schooling. On the other hand, studying each type of status separately would lose the conti nuity of the respondents' work histories. The solution arrived at was to show all movements in terms of type of status entered and left and time of occurrence. This system allowed all changes made by respondents to be shown while still allowing the analysis of any particular type of status. Special tabulation techniques were developed to effect this end. The object of the tabulation scheme was to transfer the work history information from the schedules to IBM cards in such a manner that: 1. The entire coded work history of each respondent could be reproduced by machine. 2. All statuses in the work histories could be analyzed by machine from any of the following standpoints: a. b. c. d. e. f. w Type Sequence of types Time Duration Location Characteristics of respondent at time of entry into the status See appendix B. 62 The unit on which the excess cards were based was the "labor force status." (See definition on page Uk). For every such status, an Excess Card was punched containing the following information: 1. Schedule identification — particular respondent. identifying the 2. Background characteristics as of time of survey, 1952. 3. Status number - numbered consecutively backward from respondent's present status to last entry on work history. This number and the schedule identi fication (l. above) enable the machine grouping of individual work histories in order of successive statuses.- U. Type of status and type of next previous status allows sequence analysis 1 5 . Other facts about the status: a. b. c. d. e. f. g. 6. Location Year began Year ended Type of plant Main job duties Method of getting job Reason for leaving job Personal characteristics at time status began — age, marital status, fatherhood, years in field of elec tronics These cards permitted the placing of every status change in time and provided for the analysis of movements on a yearly basis. They made it possible to separate all electronic technician jobs held by respondents over the 12 years and to study them in detail. They showed just how and when the needs of our Armed Forces in World War II affected these men. 63 S t a t is t ic a l R e l i a b i l i t y The sample of 1,926 electronic technicians was one of the largest groups of workers in a single occupation that had ever been studied. It thus offered many opportunities for detailed analysis without sacrifice of statistical reliability. Nevertheless, in some instances, cross tabulations resulted in very small groupings. To prevent erroneous conclusions, basing of conclusions on groups containing too few cases (in general, less than 50 ) was avoided even though the figures may have appeared significant. The Chisquare test was used to guard against the imputation of signifi cance to variations which could be due to chance. 6k B - S U R V E Y FORM S B~I>. S. No. I n d i v i d u a l Technician S c h e d u le Budget , , ,Bureau No. „ 44-5202.1 .. , 227 5 A Approval expires September 10, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR B U R E A U OF L A B O R S T A T I S T I C S W A S H I N G T O N 25, D. C. C o n fid e n tia l C o n fid e n tia l OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY OF ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS Name of Interviewer: _________________________ i-f □ 3. City..................... 1. 1052 4. Establishment........... • • m 2> 3 5. Technician........... . ..( 6* Type of establishment •••• ........ Q | j 4, 5 2• Date of Interview: _____________________ , 1952 6 A* Sex: ______ O. Male _ _ _ _ _ 1. Female A j brn B. IN WHAT TEAR WERE YOU BORN? 0. ARE TOU MARRIED? ______ 0* _______1. _______2. D . Check one: Single Married; INWHAT YEAR WERE YOU MARRIED? Other:(Divorced, widowed, separated*) DO YOU HAVE ANY CHIIDREN? [ 7 ® c □ 10 D Q 11 E Q 12 F Q 13 0 Q 14 In 19 Check one: ______ 0. No ___ 1* Yes: WOULD YOU TELL ME THE YEARS IN WHICH THEY WERE BORN STARTING WITH THE OLDEST CHILD? 9 K. HOW MANY DEPENDENTS DO YOU HAVE, INCLUDING YOURSELF? Check one: 1. One 4. Four 2. Two 5* Five 3. Three 6. Six 7. Seven or more F. DO YOU RENT YOUR APARTMENT (OR HOUSE)? Check one: ______ 0. Own house; IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU BUY YOUR (FIRST) HOME? In 191 T \ ______ In ______ 2* - ___— 3* _____4* ______ 5* G. Rent house Rent apartment Rent room Living with parents in their home Other (specify______________ ___________ WHAT WAS THE HIGHEST GRADE OF REGULAR SCHOOL YOU COMPIETED? Check one: 71,72 ) ______ 0. Below 8th grade ______ 3* Some college* ------ 1* 8th to 11th grade ______ 4* Graduated college* --- — ...2* Graduated high school — _ 5* Graduate work* ♦If 3, 4, or 5 was checked, ask: WHAT WAS YOUR MAJOR FIELD IN COLLEGE? ... . Check one: Q- Electrical or electronic engineering 1. Other (specify_________________ ) 0* |“ J 15 - H. 2 - WHICH SUBJECT DID YOU LIKE BEST IN HIGH SCHOOL? I. ARE YOU A VETERAN OF WORID WAR II? Check one: H □ 16 I Q 17 J Q 18 ______ 0. No ______ 1# Yes J. DO YOU BELONG TO A MILITARY RESERVE? Check one: ______ 0. No. ______ 1. Yes K. IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU START YOUR FIRST FULL-TIME JOB, CIVILIAN OR MILITARY, AS A TECHNICIAN IN THE GENERAL FIELD OF ELECTRONICS (RADIO, ETC.)? In 19__ . L. a. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU WENT INTO ELECTRONICS WORK? Check one: K | j | 73,74 * La Q J 66 tb Q 67 M Q 68 ______ 0. Was full-time student in electronics course at a technical school. ______ 1. Was a student inhigh school ______ 2. Was a student in college ______ 3. Was in the Armed Forces in a non-electronics Job. ______ 4. Worked in another Job* _____ . 5. Other (specify___________________________________________ ) b. If respondent was working previously (if 4 above was checked) ask: WHICH OF YOUR PREVIOUS JOBS WOULD YOU SAY WAS YOUR USUAL OCCUPATION? ______________________________________________________ c. WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR USUAL OCCUPATION? (Briefly): ______________ M. HOW DID YOU HAPPEN TO BECOME INTERESTED IN ELECTRONICS? N. HOW MANY MONTHS OF YOUR TRAINING IN ELECTRONICS CONSISTED OF: &• FULL-TIME COURSE IN CIVILIAN SCHOOL? (WHAT SCHOOL? > Mos. b. ARMED FORCES ELECTRONICS SCHOOL ? (WHAT SCHOOL? ) Mos. af (WHAT TRADE? e. OTHER ON-THE-JOB TRAINING? ____ J 19,20 1 21,22 J — ,— Mos. ) Mos. Mos. f. OTHER, SUCH AS CORRESPONDENCE COURSES, AMATEUR ■HAM" or HOBBY WORK, HOME 8TUDY, ETC. GIVE DETAILS i bf c. PART-TIME CLASSES IN CIVILIAN SCHOOL? . d. APPRENTICESHIP? N C| "T1 dl li el ii f! 1 T 1 23,24 | 25,26 " 1 27,28 1 29,30 3 0. DO YOU HAVE A LICENSE FOR OPERATING OR REPAIRING ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT ISSUED BY THE FEDERAL, STATE, OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT? Check one: 0 Q 31 P. WHICH OF THESE ARRANGEMENTS BEST DESCRIBES YOUR PRESENT JOB? Check one: ______ 0. Work Independently ______ 1. Supervise others doing electronics work ______ 2* Act as helper to a higher grade man ______ 3* Work in a crew with other technicians at the same grade ______ 4. Other (specify__________________________________________) P [ | 32 Q. ON WHAT BASIS IS YOUR PAY FIGURED AT YOUR PRESENT JOB? Check one: _______0. Income from own business ______ 1. Salary ------ 2* Hourly rat''* _______ 3. Other (specify_________________________________________ ) Q Q 33 Q* | | 34 R Q 35 ______ 0. No ______ 1. Yes; WHAT KIND? ________________________________________ ♦If 2 is checked, ask: WHAT IS YOUR STRAIGHT-TIME HOURLY RATE? 0* 1. 2. 3. 4. Less than $1.25 $1.25 - $1.49 $1.50 - $1.74 $1.75 - $1.99 $2.00 - $2.24 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Check one: $2.25 $2.50 $2.75 $3.00 $3.25 - $2.49 - $2.74 - $2.99 - $3.24 or more R. OVER THE PAST 2 MONTHS, ABOUT HOW MUCH DID YOU EARN PER WEEK (BEFORE DEDUCTIONS) 7 Check one: 0. 1* 2* 3* 4* Less than $50 $50 - 59 $60 - 69 $70 - 79 $80 - 89 _______ i5. 6. 7. 8* 9* $90 $100 $120 $140 $160 - 99 - 119 - 139 - 159 or more •* EZ1 36,37 S. OVER THE PAST 2 MONTHS, HOW MANY HOURS DID YOU USUALLY WORK PER WEEK?________ hour*. T. a. HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT WOULD TAKE TO TRAIN A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE TO DO YOUR TYPE OF WORK?________________ months. Ta b. IF YOU WERE TRAINING THIS MAN, HOW WOUIA YOU DIVIDE THIS TIME BETWEEN TECHNICAL SCHOOL AND ON-THE-JOB TRAINING? Tb ------ months in technical school* 43,44 T 45,46 ______i 47.48 ------ months in on-the-job training* U. WHAT OTHER IDEAS DO YOU HAVE ABOUT THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY8 TO TRAIN ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS? [ 66 4 - V. ON THE BASIS OF YOUR ACTUAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE EQUIPMENT LISTED BELOW, INDICATE WHICH OF THESE OPERATIONS YOU CAN PERFORM: Check as many squares as apply: Equipment Make major repairs on (4) b. Make minor repairs on (2) c. Operate d. Code Total e. Col. No. a) 1. Home radio receivers xxxxxxxxxx 40 2. Home television receivers xxxxxxxxxx 50 3* Police, taxi, etc. radio equip. xxxxxxxxxx 51 xxxxxxxxxx 52 4. Military radio communication equipment 0. Radio broadcast transmitting equipment 53 TV broadcast transmitting equip. 54 7. Radar 55 8* Ground control approach system 56 °. Sonar 57 10. Loran 58 11. Shoran 59 12. Teleran 60 13. Guided missile control system 61 14. Electronic computing machines 62 15. X-ray equipment (Industrial or medical) 63 16. Servomechanisms 64 17. Electronic counting and sorting devices 65 69 - W. Work History. Present job back through 1940 5 - Instructions: Introduce this section by asking WHEN DID YOU START YOUR PRESENT JOB? List present job first and enter length of time in each different job on a separate line even if employment was in the same firm or plant; aocount for all months, January 1940 to date, including periods of military service, unemployment, or schooling between jobs# Lead into each previous job by asking WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE THAT? AA_____________________ BB_________________ CC_______________ DP WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE FIRM? IN WHAT CITY WAS IT LOCATED? WHAT WAS YOUR EXACT JOB TITLE? WHEN DID YOU WORK THERE? From Mo. &• &• b. b. c. c. d. d. e. e. f. f. g* •g* h. h. 1. i. j. J• k. k. 1. 1. m. m. n. n. REMARKSl 70 Yr. To Mo. Yr. - 6 - EE________________ FF________________ GG___________ WHAT DID THE PLANT DO? WHAT DID YOU DO (HOST OF THE TIME) IN THE JOB? HOW DID YOU HAPPEN TO GET THE JOB? Insert proper code no. Insert proper code no. Insert proper code no. here code # here code # here code # + ♦ a* ♦ a* A* g* 0. Repair home radio or TV sets* b. 1* Mftr. radio or c* TV sets* 2. Mftr. other d. civilian elec-*tronlc equipment* e* 3* Broadcasting* 4* Mftr. aircraft* f. 5. Other (specify below) • g* h. h. b. c. d. e* f. 1. 2* 3* 4. 5. radio and TV sets* Repair other electronic equipment* Inspect and test other electronic equipment* Install other electronic equipment* Research laboratory work* Operate transmitting equip ment* Other electronic work (specify below) • Other b. c* working in plant* Referred by technical school* Just went to plant employment office. Worked there before; called back* Saw help-wanted advertisement* Through public employment office* Through private employment agency* Through labor c* 1. d. 2* e* f. 3* g* 4* h. 5. i. j. j* k. k* 1. 1. 1. m. m. m. 'n. n. n* j* 6* k. 7* \ a* XXX through acquaintance i. 7* Insert proper code no. here code # b. i. 6* WHAT w a s YOUR MAIN REASON FOR USAVING THE JOB? + 0. Heard of opening 0* Repair home 71 HH union* 8* Was promoted* 9. Other (specify below). d. e. f. gh. i. J-» k* 1. m* n. 0* Layoff 1. Was terminated (discharged) • 2* Company went out of business. 3* Entered Armed Forces* 4. Family moved* 5. Entered fulltime school* 6. Was promoted. 7. Was dissatisfied with job. 8. Took a better job. 9* Other (specify below) • BLS No. E s t a b l i s h m e n t Schedule 22T5B U N IT E D STATES Bndgnt B«r«*« No. 44-6202.\ Approval expires September 20, 1962 D EPARTM EN T OF LABOR BUREAU OF LABOR S T A T IS T IC S W a sh in g to n 25, D. C. O C C U PA T IO N A L M O B IL IT Y OF E L E C T R O N IC T E C H N IC IA N S Confidential Confidential ESTABLISH M ENT 1 2 3 4 Name of i n t e r v i e w e r : ____________ Date Type of i n t e r v i e w : _________ _____ of establishment manufacturer or is p r i n c i p a l product Code research No. If laboratory or p r o d u c t s what made 6. Establishment 7 F i r m n a m e : ____ 8 Plant address. Title: HOW MANY PEOPLE a. C i t y .......... or w o r k e d on ?______ _______________________________ Names and titles of of f i c i a l s interviewed: LA8T B. 5. 1952 Name: A. INFORMATION WERE EMPLOYED AT THI8 E8TABLI8HMENT AT YOUR A R E G U L A R P A Y P E R I O D ? ______________. WHAT JOB THE TITLE8 USED GENERAL JOB _______L. 0 7 8 IN Y O U R P L A N T M I G H T B E GROUP OF ELECTRONIC INCLUDED IN B TECHNICIAN? --- ----- ---- 10 • b. W H A T DO THE8E WORKERS DO? c. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE NO W W O R K I N G (HOW M A N Y A R E W O M E N ? ) a. Job able, C. OVER THE PAST F E W YEARS, JOBS BY TRAINING MEN _____0. No ________1 . Y es* *If 1 DO is c h e c k e d , YOU CONDUCT 11 12 ( B riefly) IN E A C H O F T H E 8 E J O B S ? b. job description (If p r i n t e d d e s c r i p t i o n s a r e title 9 T attach to this c. avail- form.) HAVE YOU FILLED ANY OF THESE IN Y O U R P L A N T ? No. Both of workers sexes TECHNICIANS' Women C 13 C h e c k one: ask: ANY: a. FORMAL APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM? b. ON-THE-JOB TRAINING PROGRAM c. SUPPLEMENTARY TRAINING OUT8IDE No.___0; Y e s ____1 O T H E R T H A N A P P R E N T I C E S H I P ? ho_J>; Y e s _ l , THE PLANT? (Over) 72 Net__ Yes. C* 14 18 16 - s D. TO M K T SHORTA0K8 O F 8KILLED UPGRADE WORKERS IN R E L A T E D J O B S ? F R O M W H I C H J0B8 DO b. BREAK DOWN THE JOB? YOU N o __ 0; Y e s ___1. If Yes, ____ 0. .1. ____ 2. nost Hire No__ 0; through Advertise this applications In H e l p - W a n t e d ____ 3. Hire through a labor ____ 4. Hire through a technical ____ 0. Hire through private ____ 0. Hire people ____ 7. Other DO YOU HAVE ANY on (specify 8ervlce at the p l a n t columns union school employment recommendations agency of employees __________________________________________________ __) FORMAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS THAT LEVEL ELECTRONIC YOU R E Q U I R E 1 Formal 4 e d u c a t i o n _________________________________________________________ s c h o o l i n g ______________________________________________________ 8 W o r k e x p e r i e n c e ___________________________________________________________ 16 Other DO t e s t ________________________________________________________________ TO HAV E A N Y D I F F I C U L T Y Remarks: 32 128 IN MEETING' Y O U R N E E D S F O R E L E C T R O N I C T E C H N I C I A N S IN T H E N E X T Y E A R O R T W O ? DIS CUSS . • ( S u m m e r l z e c o m m e n t s o f r e s p o n d e n t w h i c h b e a r on a n t i c i p a t e d n e e d s for w o r k e r s a n d a b i l i t y o f t r a i n e d m e n from local 23 64 ( s p e c i f y __________________________________________________________) YOU EXPECT ' . 21 22 2 L i c e n s e s . ________ H. F] TECHNICIANS' 8 e x _________________________________________ . ________________________________ Formal 19 20 A g e -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technical E employer.) State Employment OF ALL APPLICANTS FOR LOWEST JOBS? ( W H A T A R E TH E Y ? ) G. I S Y e s ___1. often u s e d by Take unsolicited 17 ask U P G R A D E ?______________ ___________________ _ W H E N Y O U NEE D TO H I R E T R A I N E D M E N F O R E L E C T R O N I C T E C H N I C I A N S ' JOBS, W H I C H O F T H E S E M E T H O D S D O Y O U U S E ? (P l a e e n u a b e r s 1 a n d 2 b y the two n e t h o d s F. DO TO O USUALLY: D a. E. 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Cn cn 43* ■jigon:/, s 43*. i i i i ig -4s* cn 43. 43. cn 43* cn cn 43. cn , 4s* 4a. cn cn 4a. 43* cn cn g 4s. cn 4*. 4s. cn cn 48. tn 4s* 48s, cn cn 4s* 05 4a> 48. tn cn 4s. 4* cn- * ta o ca ■ ca (A ca oa ca co ca ca ta ca ca ta ca 1 ca ta Ca ca ca ca ca ca ca ca ca ta ca ca ca-- ,HP? <=> >Of**ATlON >OF 5TA TU S no «S* m c a *—* n ca NO —* % CD NO —* M ca NO NO M CD NO 1 1 ® M- CD —» «e CD NO —* m CD NO NO f: —* m CD NO, ca —» M CD NO —s & CD NO —» T. CD NO NO — m CD —* NO m CD —* HI CD no NO . —* m CD —* 1 CD NO -~* M CD NO —* §§§ c a NO NO n CDNO —1* ■M C D —* NO CD NO . —* CD —* ft C D NO —* ft CD , NO NO ft C D NO,. g ® CD - * I CD NO- ft ft ft m $mc£ C - MOBILITY TABLE Number o f la b o r-fo rc e sta tu s changes respondents made each year by type o f sta tu s moved out o f and in to , 19^0-52 Type of labor-force status change Total Year 19^0 Toted changes .............. ........... 7 ,26 l Into electronic technician jobs, . . ....... from: Electronic technician jobs ............. Other civilian jobs .................... Armed Forces— electronic technician....... Armed Forces— other jobs ........... . Unemployment ........................ Technical school— electronics............ College...... ............... . i*,oi*9 136 55 1*01* 596 676 770 689 686 656 209 1*10 367 1*87 1*95 51*1* 1 613 208 260 65 291 337 1*31 77 12 2 156 137 89 111* 56 2 57 111* 132 28 21 33 7 id* 123 28 7 1*7 1* 1*1 11 6 32 5 2 1 — 168 60 2 1*2 Ikk 1 l6 3 2 12 1 Other civilian jobs,................ . . from: Electronic technician jobs ............. Other civilian jobs . . . . . . . . . ...... Armed Forces— electronic technician....... Armed Forces— other Jobs............... Unemployment....................... Technical school— electronics............ College . ' . . . . . . ............. 1,200 52 112 100 1*7 122 k 8 86 10 77 Into Armed Forces— electronic technician, . . . . from: Electronic technician jobs ............. Other civilian jobs ................... Armed Forces— electronic technician....... Armed Forces— other Jobs .............. Unemployment ...................... . Technical school— electronics ......... . . College ............................ 1*72 Technical school— electronics ................ College ................ ..................... Into u n e m p l o y m e n t ,................ .. from: Electronic technician jobs . . .............. Other civilian jobs . . . . . ................ ........ Armed Forces— electronic technician Armed Forces— other J o b s .................... U n e m p l o y m e n t ........................ . Technical school— electronics................ C o l l e g e.............................. .. Into technical school, . . . .................. from: Electronic technician jobs .................. Other civilian jobs .......................... Armed Forces— electronic technician........... Armed Forces— other J o b s .................... U n e m p l o y m e n t .............. .................. Technical school— electronics ................ College ...................................... Into college,........ ...................... from: Electronic technician jobs . ................ Other civilian j o b s .................. .. Armed Forces— electronic-technicians ........ Aimed Forces— other jobs ..................... Unemployment .......................... . . . Technical school— electronics................ College ........................ ............ in 115 205 2 6 8 2 1 1 2 109 60 28 3 1 5 2 5 9 33 1 1 1 1 1 3 21* 2 8 5 — 15l* 9 32 1*6 63 1* 278 12 6 29 85 6 6 17 128 7 5 107 73 16 12 1*0 11 6l 1*9 96 20 70 9 50 56 2 11 10 8 1* Ik — 8 3 15 10 6 — 76 3 2 19 97 7 2 1* 5 9 1 7k 5 2 18 101* 1* 70 16 67 8 20 15 2 1* 10 1 20 1 — 17 25 1* 1* 6 11 3 3 15 1 1 — — — — — 1 — — — 10 73 176 109 1*8 21 9 3 6 — 13 i* — 3 5 33 to 63 98 «*5 1*6 21 22 9 10 2 1* — 2 1 5 — 11 i* — 1 1 — — 3 13 2 1 1* 1 3 — 1 — 1 1 22 17 1* 2 2 1* -- -- Ik 7 2 12 2 1 — 1 2 — 3 1 — — — — 1 2 1 192 232 — — 1 — — 1 11 3 393 10 1*6 105 5 35 — 18 81* 3 1 2 2 1 -- 1* 8 16 13 6 81* 123 33 1*8 30 20 13 — 3 3 11 5 1 1 l* 1 12 9 — i* 36 1*3 — — — 1 9 9 3 1 9 1 2 1 5 6 2 8 6 8 123 2 1 1 1 9 67 1 3 2 1 — 1 — 7 33 8 72 — 29 ^ 10 9 12 6 — — — — — — 398 65 — 129 25 91* 2 6 2 92 1 39 11 -— 668 1 — 2 3 1 9 9 — — 52 8 1*2 — — — — — 2 — — 10 -- 8 78 2 1 6 9 31 1*0 59 1 — 10 2 1 li* 7 5 1 10 2 5 3 115 109 81* 13 33 52 55 1*2 6 2 21 39 8 1*9 1* 8 21 11 5 11 53 1* 7 20 10 1* 1*0 10 11 5 2 2 2 1 2 1 3 1 1 3 203 — 6 6 — i* — — 35 79 220 103 106 106 3 3 — 1 1 1 — 1 3 6 3 i* 2 — 1 5 — — 1 — — 28 i* in 13 — 81 6 ll* 22 15 ll* 1* 6 1 3 3 2 1 1 3 — 1 — — — 1 1 — 1 — 1 — — 5 1 2 2 — 1 1__ 1/ Prom January to April-May only. 1950 1951 1952 1/ 1080 187 1*2 191*9 291 153 — 191*8 655 — 6 — 561 191*7 102 576 in 16 597 303 11U I9i*5 191*6 259 165 2 ,2 5 3 191*1* 1*1*5 71 29 12 12 3 8 2 Into Armed Forces— other jobs,............ from: Electronic technician Jobs . ............ Other civilian Jobs............. . Armed Forces— electronic technician...... . Armed Forces— other jobs ............... Unemployment...... ................. 33 I9*n 191*2 191*3 75 5 Ik 11 8 1 1 10 ««• . l 2 1 2 — 2 9 — 2 3 3 — — — 2 — — — — — — — — 18 — 13 9 1 1 2 Occupational Outlook Publications of the Bureau of Labor Statistics* Studies of employment trends and opportunities in the various occupations and professions are made available by the Occupational Outlook Service of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These reports are for use in the vocational guidance of vet erans, in counseling young people in schools, and in guiding others considering the choice of an occupation. Schools concerned with vocational training and employers and trade unions interested in on-the-job training have also found the reports helpful in plan ning programs in line with prospective employment opportunities. O ccupational Outlook Handbook Employment Information on Major Occupations for Use in Guidance. Bulletin Ho. 998 (1951 Revised Edition). Illus. $3* Includes brief reports on more than hOO occupations of inter est in vocational guidance, including professions; skilled trades; clerical, sales, and service occupations; and the major types of farming. Each report describes the employment trends and outlook, the training qualifications required, earnings, and working con ditions. Introductory sections summarize the major trends in population and employment and in the broad industrial and occupa tional groups, as background for an understanding of the individual occupations. The Handbook is designed for use in counseling, in classes or units on occupations, in the training of counselors, and as a gen eral reference. Its 575 pages are illustrated with 103 photo graphs and 85 charts. ♦Unless otherwise designated, for sale by the Superintendent of Documents at prices indicated. How to order publications: Address your order to the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Vbshington 25, D. C., with remittance in check or money order. Currency is sent at sender’s risk. Postage stamps are not acceptable. Those reports which are listed as free may be obtained di rectly from the U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statis tics, Washington 25, D. C., as long as the supply lasts. 76 O ccu p atio n al O utlook Bulletins Bulletin No. Employment Outlook in the-Electric Light and Power Occupations. (19^8) U l u s ------------------------ 961 99k 1010 1020 10fc8 105^ 1072 1126 1128 1130 1138 1156 Railroad Occupations. (19^9) Ulus - Petroleum Production and Refining (1950) U l u s ---------- ----------- Men's Tailored Clothing Industry. (1951) Ulus - - - ---- -----------Department Stores. (1951) U l u s — - Accounting. (1952) Illus - - - - - - Merchant Marine. (1952) Illus - - - - Electronics Manufacturing. (1952) Illus Printing Occupations. Reprinted from the 1951 Occupational Outlook Hand book. (1953) Illus ................ Air transportation. Reprinted from the 1951 Occupational Outlook Hand book. (1953) I H u s ................ Metalworking Occupations. Reprinted from the 1951 Occupational Outlook Handbook. (1953) Illus - - - - - - Automobile Industry. (1953) Illus - - Banking Occupations. (195M Illus - - - Price 30 cents 30 cents 30 cents 25 20 20 30 25 cents cents cents cents cents 25 cents 20 cents 30 cents 25 cents 30 cents Employment Outlook for— - 968 972 1050 1129 1131 llMt- Engineers. (19^9) Illus - — — - - - 55 cents Elementary and Secondary School 40 cents Teachers. (19^9) Illus - - - - - - Earth Scientists. (1952) Illus - - - - 30 cents Mechanics and Repairmen. Reprinted from the 1951 Occupational Outlook 20 cents Handbook. (1953) Illus - - - - - - Technicians. A Report on Draftsmen, Engineering Aids, Laboratory Techni cians, and Electronic Technicians. (1953) Illus. .................. .... 25 cents 25 cents Physicists. (1953) U l u s - - - - - - - 77 Occupational Outlook Supplem ents Price Supp. to 968 Supp. to 972 Effect of Defense Program on Employment Outlook in Engineering. (1951) - - - Effect of Defense Program on Employment Outlook for Elementary and Secondary School Teachers. (1951) - - - - ---- 15 cents 15 cents S p e cia l Publications Price Bulletin No. 1001 1027 1092 1117 1119 1120 1121 1132 1148 Tables of Working Life. Length of Working Life for Men. (1950) - - - - Employment, Education, and Earnings of American Men of Science. (1951) ■ * Employment and Economic Status of Older Men and Women. (1952) - - - - - - - Employment Opportunities for Student Personnel Workers in Colleges and Universities. (1951) - - - - - - - - Elementary and Secondary School Principalships— Chief Advancement Opportunity for Public School Teachers. (1951)• - - - - - - - - - Employment Opportunities for Counselors in Secondary and Elementary Schools. (1951) ............................. Federal White-Collar Workers--Their Occupations and Salaries, June 1951* (1952) ............................. Negroes in the United States: Their Em ployment and Economic Status. (1952 ) 60 pp ---------------------The Mobility of Tool and Die Makers 1940-1951. (1952) 67 pp ............ Occupational Mobility of Scientists. A Study of Chemists, Biologists, and Physicists with Ph.D. Degrees. (1953) Manpower Resources in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. (1953) - - - - Employment, Education, and Income of Engineers, 1949-1950* (1952) 48 pp - Scientific Research and Development in American Industry— A Study of Manpower and Costs. (1953) 106 pp - - - - - - Occupational Planning and College (1954) 20 pp ....................... 78 40 cents 45 cents 30 cents Free Free Free 15 cents 30 cents 35 cents 35 cents 50 cents Free 50 cents 10 cents O c c u p a t i o n a l O u t l o o k M a i l i n g List Schools, vocational,guidance agencies, and others who wish to receive brief summaries of each new Occupational Outlook re port, usually accompanied by a wall chart, may be placed on a mailing list kept for this purpose. Requests should be ad dressed to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor, Washington 25, D. C., specifying the Occupational Out look Mailing List. Please give your postal zone number. ☆ U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING O F F IC E : 1954 O - 293241 79