Full text of Monthly Labor Review : April 1944, Vol. 58, No. 4
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A P R IL 1944
In this Issue
. . . Extent of collective bargaining . . W a r
time earnings and spending in Honolulu
. . Entrance wage rates of common labor
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR • BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
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U N ITED STATES DEPARTM ENT OF LABOR
F r a n c e s P e r k i n s , Secretary
+
BUREAU
OF L A B O R
S T A T IS T IC S
I sa d o r L u b in , Commissioner (on leave)
A. F. H in r ic h s , Acting Commissioner
D o n a l d D a v e n p o r t , Chief, Employ
ment and Occupational Outlook
Branch
A r y n e s s J oy W ic k e n s , Chief, Prices
and Cost of Living Branch
H e n r y J. F it z g e r a l d , Chief, Business
Management Branch
N . A rn o l d T o l l e s , Chief, Working
Conditions and Industrial Relatione
Branch
S. H a n n a , Chief, Editorial and
Research
S id n e y W . W il c o x , Chief Statistician
H
ugh
d iv is io n s
Construction and Public Employment,
Herman B. By er
Industrial Relations, Florence Peter
son
Consumers’ Prices, Ethel D . Hoover
Labor Information Service, Boris Stern
Cost of Living, Faith M . Williams
Employment
Statistics,
Sturges (acting chief)
General Price
Keim
Machine Tabulation, Joseph Drager
Alexander
Research, Walter
Occupational Outlook, Charles Stewart
G.
Historical Studies of Wartime Prob
lems, Stella Stewart
Post-W ar Labor Problems, John H . G.
Pierson
Industrial Hazards, Max D . Kossoris
Productivity and Technological D e
velopment, W . Duane Evans
Industrial Prices, J. M . Cutts
Wage Analysis, Robert
J.
Myers
The M o n t h l y L a b o r R e v ie w is for sale by the Superintendent of Documents,
U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. Price, SO cents a copy.
Subscription price per year in the United Stales, Canada, and Mexico, $3.50; other
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR • BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
+
HUGH
S. H A N N A ,
CONTENTS
EDITOR
+
APRIL 1944, VoL 58, No. 4
Page
Special articles:
Extent of collective bargaining and union status, January 1944______
Wartime earnings and spending in Honolulu_______________ ________
Demobilization of manpower, 1918-19: Part 2.— Early phases of
demobilization__________________________________________________
697
706
717
Employment and labor conditions:
State distribution of Federal employees in October 1943____________
Occupational distribution of Negroes in 1940_______________________
Absenteeism in Australia___________________________________________
Working conditions in Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1943__
Increased industrial employment in India___________________________
Conditions of labor in Trinidad and Tobago, 1942__________________
730
739
740
742
745
746
Wartime policies:
Further directives on employment-stabilization programs___________
Policy on recruiting women for the armed services__________________
Job placement of returning veterans________________________________
Meat rationing in Australia________________________________________
Canadian wartime labor relations regulations, 1944_________________
Wartime control of employment of skilled workers in China_________
748
749
750
751
751
757
Post-war reconstruction:
Executive policies relating to post-war problems___ ____ ____________
Model village fof disabled Chinese soldiers__________________________
758
760
Health and industrial accidents: %
Chemical poisoning in shipyards____________________________________
Industrial injuries, December 1943_________________________________
Miners’ welfare activities in Great Britain__________________________
761
763
765
Women in industry:
Women’s war wages in New York State, 1943______________________
Increased opportunities for women occupational therapists__________
Recruitment of women for part-time jobs in Canada________________
767
768
769
Labor organizations:
Convention of boilermakers and iron ship builders, 1944____________
Trade-union membership in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1942_
Trade-union membership in India, 1940-41_________________________
771
781
782
Industrial disputes:
Strikes in February 1944___________________________________________
Activities of U. S. Conciliation Service, February 1944______________
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783
783
i
Contents
II
Labor laws and decisions:
Recent decisions of interest to labor________________________________
Labor and price-control legislation in Chile, 1943___________________
Labor legislation of Paraguay________________________________________
Page
786
792
796
Wage and hour statistics:
Hourly entrance wage rates of common laborers in large cities, spring
and summer of 1943_______________________________________________
Earnings of bank employees, spring and summer of 1943____________
Union wages and hours in the printing trades, July 1, 1943__________
Hours of work in manufacturing, 1914-43__________________________
Trend of factory earnings, 1939 to January 1944___________________
India— Earnings of factory workers, 1940___________________ _______
Sweden-—blaster wage agreement for 1944__________________________
804
816
822
838
855
856
857
Wage and hour regulation:
Minimum wages and working conditions for agriculture in Argentina,
1943_________________________ ___________________________________
Agricultural wage rates for England and Wales_____________________
New Zealand— Removal of wage inequalities________________________
858
859
860
Cost of living and retail prices:
Wartime earnings and spending in Honolulu________ _______________
Cost of living in large cities, February 1944_________________________
Retail prices of food in February 1944______________________________
Retail prices of coal, December and year 1943______________________
706
861
864
870
Wholesale prices:
Wholesale prices in February 1944._________________________________
872
Labor turnover:
Labor turnover in manufacturing, mining, and public utilities, Jan
uary 1944_______________________________________________________
877
Building operations:
Building construction in urban areas, February 1944________________
882
Trend of employment, earnings, and hours:
Summary of reports for February 1944:*
Industrial and business employment___________________________
Public employment____________________________________________
Detailed reports for industrial and business emplovment, January
1944:
Estimates of nonagricultural employment______________________
Industrial and business employment_______________ „ ___________
Indexes of employment and pay rolls______________________
Average earnings and hours_______________________________
Civilian labor force, February 1944_________________________________
885
886
888
888
890 .
898
902
Labor conditions in Latin America____________________________ 792, 796, 858
Recent publications of labor interest___________________________________
903
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This Issue in B rief
Extent of collective bargaining and union status, January 1944.
About 13% million workers were employed under the terms of union agreements
at the beginning of 1944. About 6% millions were covered by closed- or unionshop agreements and over 3 millions by agreements requiring membership mainte
nance. About a third of all workers under agreement were covered by check-off
provisions. The extent of collective bargaining and the status of unions vary
among individual industries. Page 697.
Earnings and spending in Honolulu durmg wartime.
Despite high prices, the war has meant more satisfactory diets and more
luxuries than most families of wage earners in Honolulu were able to afford in
pre-war days, although overcrowding is still serious in many wage-earner homes.
During June 1943, the incomes of families of wage earners and clerical workers in
Honolulu averaged $415 before pay-roll deductions for victory taxes, war bonds,
and social insurance, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics survey conducted
in the summer of 1943. The average net income after such deductions was $372,
or $75 per person. The families surveyed averaged 5.0 persons, of whom 2.2
were gainfully employed during all or part of the month. Twenty-five percent
of the total income in June went to meet quarterly income-tax payments, the
victory tax, and purchases of war bonds. Expenditures for goods and services
averaged $270 per family. Of this amount 44 percent was spent for food at home
and in restaurants, another 30 percent went for housing, home maintenance,
clothing, and personal care. Page 706.
State distribution of Federal employees, October 1943.
In October 1943 the War and Navy Departments and other war agencies em
ployed 7 out of every 10 Federal employees. The ratio was 9 out of every 10 in
6 States and was 5 or less in only 10 States. Over a fourth of the Federal employees
were in the States of New York, California, and Pennsylvania, and almost a fifth
of them were in Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois, Ohio, and Virginia. The ratio
of Federal employees to civilian population ranged from 54 per 1,000 in Utah to
5 per 1,000 in West Virginia. The presence of the navy yards in some of the
coastal States and of military camps and depots and other war-agency_ offices or
establishments throughout all sections of the country was the most important
factor influencing the State distribution. Page 730.
Canadian wartime labor-relations regulations.
Organizational rights of Canadian employees engaged in work essential to the
prosecution of the war are protected under the national code governing labor
relations which was issued in February. A majority of the employees of any
employer may elect representatives who, upon certification of the newly created
Wartime Labor Relations Board, may negotiate a collective agreement with the
employer. Strikes and lockouts are forbidden while attempts to negotiate a
settlement of differences are made, pending the elapse of specified periods of time,
and during the life of an agreement. Page 751.
Chemical poisoning in shipyards.
During the first 9 months of 1943, shipyards reported 495 cases in which work
men were incapacitated for work because of occupational poisoning or disease.
There were known to have been, in addition to these_ disabling cases, about 3
times as manv in which the workman was not incapacitated beyond the day of
the injury. An analysis of the ways in which such disabilities occur and the
need and methods of prevention is given on page 761.
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hi
IV
This Issue in Brief
Trade-union membership in Great Britain.
Although the number of labor organizations in Great Britain and Northern
Ireland has shown a steady decrease, their combined membership has risen con
tinuously since 1933. From 1941 to 1942 the number of members increased by
9.7 percent, or from 7,093,000 to 7,781,000. The increase in female members
was 21.4 percent, as compared with 6.9 percent for males. Page 781.
Labor legislation of Paraguay.
Although Paraguay is an agricultural rather than an industrial country, it has
enacted a considerable number of laws protecting and relating.to labor. Among
the more important of these are the workmen's compensation law and the acts
which established the National Labor Bureau. An analysis of these laws is
given in the article on page 796, as well as an enumeration of other measures
relating to labor.
Hourly entrance rates of common laborers in large cities, 1943.
Entrance rates paid to common laborers in large cities averaged 70.7 cents an
hour during the spring and summer of 1943. Because of differences in scope of
study and method of weighting the data, this figure is not comparable with the
averages resulting from earlier Bureau studies. However, an analysis of reports
by the establishments studied in. both 1942 and 1943, reveals an average increase
of 7 percent during a period of approximately a year. Highest entrance rates
were generally paid in the building-construction industry, and the lowest in public
utilities. By locality, highest rates were found in West Coast cities, and lowest
rates in southeastern and southwestern cities. Page 804.
Earnings of bank employees, 1943.
In the spring and summer of 1943 the straight-time hourly earnings of bank
tellers averaged 92.5 cents. Among the other employees such earnings ranged
from 53.7 cents for general clerks to 79.8 cents for class A stenographers. These
figures do not include extra pay for overtime or bonuses, both of which tend to
increase the averages. Page 816.
Union wages and hours in printing trades, 1943.
The average union wage rate for all printing trades combined in 75 cities, was
$1,304 on July 1, 1943. For the book and job branch the average was $1,218,
and for the newspaper branch, $1,472. During the 13-month period— June 1,
1942, to July 1, 1943— increases in the general level of union rates were 3.3 per
cent for all trades combined, 4.2 percent for the newspaper branch, and 2.7
percent for the book and job branch. Average maximum straight-time weekly
hours provided in union agreements were 38.9 for all trades, 39.6 for book and
job trades, and 37.4 for the newspaper trades. Nearly 90 percent of the book
and job workers had the basic 40-hour week, while a majority of the newspaper
workers had a 37%-hour week. Page 822.
Hours of work in manufacturing, 1914-43.
The last 5 years have witnessed the sharpest rise in factory working hours in
the United States of which there is record. During 1943, wage earners in manu
facturing worked, on the average, 44.9 hours a week, more than 9 hours longer
than in 1938. Weekly hours have risen considerably in civilian-goods industries
and more sharply still in war plants, where pressure for production has been
greatest. Nevertheless, the average factory worker still has shorter hours than
he had at the time of the first World War or even in the pre-depression year,
1929. Page 838.
Agricultural wage rates for England and Wales.
An increase of about 8 percent in the minimum rate for adult male farm labor
in England and Wales was granted by the Agricultural Wages Board in December
1943. The order establishes a national rate of 65s. per week, or an increase of 5s.
over the previous rate fixed 2 years before. Rates for women and male youths
were also increased, as well as overtime rates in many cases. Page 859.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
FOR APRIL 1944
Extent of Collective Bargaining and Union Status,
January 1 9 4 4 1
Union Agreement Coverage
AT THE beginning of 1944 approximately 13% million workers, or
almost 45 percent of all workers in private industry,2 were employed
under the terms of union agreements. The net gain during 1943 of
about three-fourths of a million in the number under agreement rep
resents increases in some industries and losses in others. In general,
these differences correspond to changes in employment in individual
industries,, rather than changes in the proportions of workers covered
by agreements.
Some industries continued to be much more widely organized than
others. Manufacturing wage earners as a whole were about 60 per
cent covered by union agreement, but in such industries as aluminum
fabrication, automobiles, men’s clothing, nonferrous-metal smelting
and refining, shipbuilding, and basic steel, over 90 percent were under
agreement. Over 95 percent of the coal miners, longshoremen, and
workers on railroads, including clerical and supervisory personnel,
and over 80 percent of the workers in the construction, maritime, local
bus and street railway, trucking, and telegraph industries were
employed under the terms of union agreements.
About 13 percent of the estimated 7 million clerical, technical, and
professional workers in private industries were employed under union
agreements. In transportation over half the clerical, technical, and
professional workers were under agreement, largely because of the
very high proportion of railroad workers covered. Practically all
professional actors and musicians were employed under union agree
ments. On the other hand, agreements covered only a little over 5
percent of the clerical and professional workers in manufacturing and
financial establishments and wholesale and retail trade.
Collective-bargaining agreements covered nearly 20 percent of an
estimated 2 million workers in service occupations other than domestic
work. Among the employees included in this group are barbers and
1 Prepared in the Bureau's Industrial Relations Division by Constance W illiam s and associates.
2 There were about 31 million persons employed in occupations in private industry where unions are
actively engaged in eflorts to obtain written agreements. This includes all the gainfully occupied except
the self-employed, proprietors, supervisors (other than certain transportation personnel such as conductors
and officers on boats), agricultural laborers on farms where less than 6 are employed, sharecroppers, and
domestic workers.
,
,
, ,
Although not included in this report, a considerable number of Government employees belong to unions.
Some of them have negotiated agreements with their employing agencies, especially employees of munici
palities and construction workers employed by such Federal agencies as the Tennessee Valley Authority.
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697
698
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
beauty-parlor employees, hotel workers, and those engaged in building
service.
Recent changes.— The greatest increases in the number of workers
under agreement during 1943 were in the manufacturing industries
where employment expanded. In January 1943, manufacturing
workers under agreement numbered almost 7% millions and in January
1944, almost 8% millions. The largest increases in agreement coverage
were in shipbuilding and the industries manufacturing aircraft,
automobiles, basic steel and steel products, and electrical and other
types of machinery. The construction industry, where employment
dropped sharply, showed the greatest decrease in the number of work
ers under agreement.
Gains in the proportion of eligible workers who were covered by
agreements were made during 1943 in shipbuilding, aluminum fabrica
tion, and in the smelting and refining and alloying, rolling and drawing
of nonferrous metals. In these industries, employment increased in
firms already operating under agreement and agreements were nego
tiated in some new plants.
In the aircraft industry, although the proportion of workers covered
by agreement was not significantly changed, first agreements were
signed by some large plants including the North American plants at
Kansas City, Kans., and Dallas, Tex., and the Wright Aeronautical
Corporation plants at Paterson, N. J., and Lockland, Ohio. In
addition, unions won recognition as bargaining agents in 1943 for
the first time in plants employing about 15 percent of the aircraft
workers; it may therefore be expected that the proportion of workers
under agreement will expand to include this group in the near future.
The proportion of workers covered by written union agreements in
individual manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries is shown
in the table on page 699.
Union Status
The outstanding change during 1943 with regard to union status
was an increase in the proportion of manufacturing workers covered
by agreements which require maintenance of membership during the
term of the agreement by employees who are or choose to become
union members, and a decrease in the proportion under agreements
which make no requirements regarding union membership. There
were also slight increases in the proportions of manufacturing workers
covered by closed- and union-shop agreements.
The proportions of all workers under agreement who were covered
by various types of union-status provisions changed between January
1943 and January 1944, chiefly because of the increase in membershipmaintenance clauses among manufacturing workers and the increase
in agreement coverage of manufacturing workers in relation to non
manufacturing. In individual nonmanufacturing industries there was
little change in the proportions of workers covered by various types of
union status, although for nonmanufacturing industries as a whole
there were changes in the distribution of workers by status, owing
to changes in employment and the corresponding number under
agreement in individual industries. For example, the number of
nonmanufacturing employees working under closed-shop agreements
decreased largely because of a decrease in agreement coverage in
construction where closed-shop conditions prevail.
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I
I
Proportion of Wage Earners Under Written Union Agreements in January 1944
M A N U F A C T U R IN G IN D U ST R IE S
Almost all
Large proportion
About half
Aluminum fabricating
Automobiles and parts
Breweries
Clothing, men’s, including
furnishings and excluding
hats and caps
Furs and fur garments
Glass—flat, pressed, and blown
Nonferrous metals—smelting,
refining
Shipbuilding
Steel, basic
Agricultural machinery
Aircraft engines, propellers, assembly,
and parts
Clocks and watches
Clothing, women’s
Coke and byproducts
Electrical machinery, including equip
ment and appliances
Glass containers
Jewelry and silverware
Leather tanning
Machinery, excluding machine tools
Meat packing
Millinery and hats
Newspaper printing and publishing
Nonferrous metals—alloying, rolling,
drawing, except aluminum
Paper and pulp
Rayon yarn
Rubber products
Sugar, beet and cane
Baking
Book and job printing and publishing
Cement
Cigarettes
Flour and other grain products
Furniture
Gloves— leather, cloth, and knit
Hosiery
Leather products
Lumber
Machine tools
Petroleum refining
Pottery, including china ware
Railroad equipment
Shoes, cut stock, and findings
Steel products
Stone, concrete, gypsum, and plaster
products
Woolen and worsted textiles
Moderate proportion
Very few
Canning and preserving foods
Chemicals
Cigars
Clay products, structural
Confectionery products
Cotton textiles
Dairy products
Dyeing and finishing textiles
Paper products
Silk and rayon textiles
Toys, sporting and athletic goods
3
ta
a
N O N M A N U F A C T U R IN G IN D U ST R IE S
Actors and musicians
Airline pilots and mechanics
Coal mining
Longshoring
Motion-picture production
Railroads— freight and pas
senger, including shops and
clerical
Telegraph service and main
tenance
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Bus and streetcar, local
Construction
Iron mining
Maritime
Radio technicians
Theaters—stage hands, and motionpicture operators
Trucking, local and intercity
Bus lines, intercity
Nonferrous-metal mining
Barber shops
Building servicing and maintenance
Cleaning and dyeing
Crude petroleum and natural gas
Fishing
Hotels
Laundries
Light and power
Newspaper offices
Nonmetallic mining and quarrying
Retail trade— food stores and res
taurants
Taxicabs
Telephone service and maintenance
Agriculture
Beauty shops
Clerical, technical, and pro
fessional employees, ex
cluding transportation,
communication, theaters,
and newspapers
Domestic service
Retail trade, excluding food
stores and restaurants
Wholesale trade
2
era
os
SO
SO
700
Monthly Labor Revieiv—April 1944
The proportion of workers under agreement covered by various
types of union status in January 1944 is shown by chart 1 for major
industry groups. All clerical, technical, and professional and service
workers are included in the group “ other workers.” All trucking and
warehousing workers are included in “ transportation and public utili
ties.” Except for these occupational groups, workers have been in
cluded in the industry by which they are employed.
CLOSED AND UNION SHOPS
In January 1944 closed-shop agreements covered almost 30 pei-cent
of all workers under agreement and union-shop agreements almost 20
percent, or together a total of about 6% million workers. Over 3%
million of these workers were employed in manufacturing, almost 1
million in construction, over half a million in trucking, almost half a
million in mineral extraction, and the remainder in trade, service, and
other industries. Closed shops were established by almost all agree
ments in the building construction, trucking, and printing and publish
ing industries. In the men’s and women’s clothing, breweries, and
hosiery industries over 75 percent of the organized workers were
covered by closed-shop agreements. In shipbuilding about 55 percent
of the workers under agreement were employed in closed shops.
Practically all coal miners were under union-shop agreements and
about 70 percent of the organized local bus and street-railway em
ployees. The industries which had the greatest increase in proportion
of workers covered by union-shop agreements during 1943 were
industrial chemicals, electrical machinery, leather tanning, and textiles.
Under closed-shop agreements all employees must be members of
the appropriate union at the time of hiring and must continue to be
members in good standing throughout their period of employment.
Most of the closed-shop agreements require employers to hire through
the union, although they allow the employer to seek employees else
where if the union cannot meet the demand within a given period, on
the condition that the persons hired on the outside join the union
before beginning work.
Under the union-shop agreements, in contrast to the closed shop,
the employers have complete control over the hiring of new employees
and such employees need not be union members at the time of hiring
although they must become members as a condition of continued
employment. Some of the union-shop agreements, covering about
15 percent of the workers under union shop, in addition to requiring
that all employees join the union within a specified probationary
period, stated that union members would be given preference in
hiring, so that in effect these agreements differed very little from the
closed shop.
In a few closed- and union-shop agreements the employer was
allowed regularly to hire 1 or 2 percent of his force without the re
quirement that they become members. In some cases, employees
who were employed before a closed- or union-shop agreement was
signed were exempt from the requirement to join the union.
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701
Extent of Collective Bargaining
PROPORTION
OF WORKERS
BY
UNDER
UNION STATUS
MAJOR
INDUSTRY
UNION
AGREEMENT
PROVIDED
GROUPS
PERCENT
PERCENT
ALL
WORKERS
MANUFACTURING
MINERAL
EXTRACTION
KEY
B U
CLOSED
TZft
UNION
SHOP
SHOP
TO
CONSTRUCTION
UNION
STATUS
Y /A
MEMBERSHIP
TRANSP S
PUBLIC UTILITIES
ty/A RECOGNITION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT (
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
LABOR
MAINTENANCE
PREFERENTIAL
HIRING
ONLY
OTHER
WORKERS
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
702
PROPORTION OF WORKERS UNDER UNION AGREEMENT
BY UNION STATUS IN SELECTED INDUSTRIES AND OCCUPATIONS
IN D U S T R Y OR OCCUPATION
LIGHT AND POWER
'm m
MACHINE
m m
TOOLS
MARITIME AND
LONGSHORING
MEAT PACKING
MEMBERSHIP
MAINTENANCE
CLOSED SHOP UNION SHOP
METAL MINING
RECOGNITION
ONLY
V //////A
m m \
nf— fTTP
m m
W /W /Ä
PREFER
ENTIAL
HIRING
Y //Æ
m m
m m
w w a
NONFERROUS ALLOYING,
ETC.
m m
m
NONFERROUS SMELTING
AND REFINING
m m
m tm
PAPER AND
ALLIED PRODUCTS
m m
PETROLEUM AND
COAL PRODUCTS
m m \
POTTERY
m
m m
w m
m m
vm m
m
m
m
m
m m
m m
m m \
\m sm m
RAILROADS
RUBBER TIRES
m m
SERVICE OCCUPATIONS
m m
m m
Y///Z///A
m m
SHIPBUILDING
m m ,
SILK AND RAYON
T E X T IL E S
m m
m m
m m
S TE E L-B A S IC
m m
h i®
v/m /A
m m
B88§8888$l v / /m \
m m
m m
Y z/m /A
STEE L PRODUCTS
m m \
TELEPHONE AND
TELEGRAPH
TRUCKING AND
WAREHOUSING
1m m
WOOLEN AND
WORSTED TE X TILES
m m
KEY TO PROPORTION OF WORKERS
9 0 - 1 0 0 PERCENT
V / / / \ 1 0 -3 9
6 0 -8 9
E 2 3
PERCENT
4 0 - 5 9 PERCENT
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
PERCENT
I - 9 PERCENT
m m
Extent of Collective Bargaining
703
CHART 2
PROPORTION OF WORKERS UNDER UNION AGREEMENT
BY UNION STATUS IN SELECTED INDUSTRIES AND OCCUPATIONS
IN D U S T R Y
O R O C C U P A T IO N
CLOSED SHOP UNION SHOP
MEMBERSHIP
MAINTENANCE
PREFER
ENTIAL
HIRING
RECOGNITION
ONLY
AGRICULTURAL
MACHINERY
YZZZA
AIRCRAFT
M ÏM
¡§88888888!
mm
mm
mm
mm
mm
ALUMINUM FABRICATING
WZZ'A
AUTOMOBILES
AND PARTS
BAKING
B888888888I
XZEZZA
BOOK a JOB PRINTING
a PUBLISHING
V ///////Â
CLOTHING (WOMEN'S)
m m
CHEMICALS
YZZZZA
i1
CLOTHING (MEN'S)
BUS AND STREETCAR,
LOCAL
1i
CLERICAL, TECH. AND
PROFESSIONAL OCC.
mm
mm \ZZ/ZZ\
mm mm
mm m m
BREWERIES
VM M
18888888883
VZZZZZZA VZ/ZZ/ZA
COAL MINING
CONSTRUCTION
HHÜ
HOSIERY
mm
mm
mm
mm
mm
LEATHER TANNING
m m
COTTON TEXTILES
ELECTRICAL MACHINERY
FURNITURE
GLASS
m m
18888888881
mm mm
mm mm Z A ///Z mm
VZ/ZZZZ mm
mm
mm
mm B888888888
rm m
V/ZZZ/A
mm mm
VZZZZZZA
KEY TO PROPORTION OF WORKERS
9 0 -1 0 0 PERCENT
K & 2 3 6 0 - 8 9 PERCENT
V//À 10 -39
V7Z\ 1 -9
PERCENT
PERCENT
£££<3 4 0 - 5 9 PERCENT
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
ATTENTION IS CALLED TO THE FACT THAT THIS LISTING DOES NOT REFER TO
THE PROPORTION OF ALL WORKERS EMPLOYED IN THESE INDUSTRIES BUT
RATHER TO THE PROPORTION WORKING UNDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PRO
CEDURES. THE EXTENT OF UNION AGREEMENT COVERAGE IN THESE INDUSTRIES
VARIED BETWEEN LESS THAN 15 PERCENT TO PRACTICALLY 100 PERCENT.
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
704
MAINTENANCE OF MEMBERSHIP
Over 20 percent of all workers under agreement, or over 3 million
workers, at the beginning of 1944 were covered by clauses which pro
vide that all the employees who were members at the time the agree
ment was signed or who later joined the union, must retain their mem
bership for the duration of the agreement.3 In manufacturing, the
proportion of workers under membership-maintenance clauses rose
during the year from less than 25 percent to about 35 percent. There
was also an increase in iron mining and a slight gain in the retail and
wholesale trade industries. Among the manufacturing industries,
significant increases in the proportion of workers under membershipmaintenance clauses occurred in the machine-tools and steel-products
industries, each of which had less than 10 percent of the workers under
agreement in this category in January 1943, but over 35 percent a
year later; aluminum which increased from about 50 percent to nearly
70 percent; aircraft and woolen and worsted textiles, each of which
increased from less than 15. percent to over 30 percent; industrial
chemicals and cotton textiles which changed from less than 10 percent
to over 25 percent; basic steel which increased from about 75 percent
to over 90 percent; and agricultural machinery which increased from
less than 70 percent to over 80 percent.
PREFERENTIAL piRING
Only 2 or 3 percent of all workers under agreement were covered by
clauses which stated that union members would be given preference
over nonunion members in hiring, but did not require union member
ship as a condition of employment. The maritime and longshoring
agreements usually provide for preferential hiring and this practice
is also widespread in the pottery industry.
AGREEMENTS WITH NO~MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
About 30 percent of all workers under agreement were covered by
provisions which do not require union membership as a condition of
hiring or continued employment. The union is recognized as the
sole bargaining agent for all employees in the bargaining unit, and is
thus responsible for negotiating the working conditions under which
all workers, including those who do not belong to the union, are
employed. Unlike the agreements providing closed or union shops
or membership maintenance, agreements with no membership require
ments do not enable the union to rely on employment per se to build
or maintain its membership.
CHECK-OFF ARRANGEMENTS
Almost 4% million workers were covered by union agreements which
provided some form of check-off in January 1944. This represents
almost a third of all workers under agreement, a marked increase over
3 M ost of the “ maintenance of membership” provisions established by order of the National W ar Labor
Board, as well as most such clauses adopted voluntarily, allow 15 days during which members m ay with
draw from the union if they do not wish to remain members for the duration of the agreement. A few
agreements when first incorporating membership-maintenance clauses, allowed employees to withdraw
from union membership by giving 60 days’ notice, but such clauses are usually dropped in later agreements.
For example, the 1942 General Electric agreement with the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers
of America (C . I. O.) contained such a provision, but the 1943 agreement instead allowed a 10-day escape
period at the beginning of the year.
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Extent of Collective Bargaining
705
the situation a year earlier when approximately 2% million workers or
about one-fifth of those under agreement were covered by check-off
provisions. Over 3 million of the workers under check-off clauses
were employed in manufacturing and almost half a million were coal
miners.
The majority of the check-off clauses continued to establish a gen
eral or automatic check-off from the pay of members of all amounts
due to the union. In January 1944, about three-fifths of the workers
under check-off clauses were covered by the automatic type, while
about two-fifths stated that check-offs might be made only when
employees have filed individual written authorizations with the em
ployer. In some agreements these authorizations held until with
drawal by the employee, in others until the termination of the agree
ment. Although most of the check-off clauses provided the full
check-off of all dues and assessments levied by the union, some
specified “ regular dues only” or check-offs not to exceed a given
amount.
Almost all coal miners and a large proportion of the workers in the
basic-steel industry were covered by check-off provisions and such
clauses were common in aircraft, hosiery, silk and rayon, and cottontextile agreements. The proportion covered ¡by check-offs increased
during 1943, especially in the agricultural and electrical machinery,
shipbuilding, industrial chemicals, petroleum, and woolen and worsted
textiles industries.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wartime Earnings and Spending in H onolulu1
Summary
EIGHTEEN months of war have made many changes in the lives of
civilian workers living in Honolulu, Hawaii. The black-out and the
curfew are most noticeable to one arriving from the mainland, but
residents have long since adjusted their living habits to conform to
these restrictions. War-inflated incomes and correspondingly large
expenditures have, despite high prices, meant more satisfactory diets
and more luxuries to many families of wage earners and clerical
workers than they were able to afford in pre-war days.
In April 1940 Honolulu, the largest city in the Territory of Hawaii,
had a population of 179,326. Japanese comprised 34 percent of the
total population at that time, Caucasians 28 percent, Hawaiians and
part-Hawaiians 17 percent, Chinese 12 percent, Filipinos and persons
of other races 8 percent. Of the entire population, 87 percent were
American-born.2
The present population is estimated at about 230,000, exclusive of
the large number of men in military service recently stationed in and
near the city. The increase reflects partly the influx of workers from
mainland United States to fill war jobs in the Pearl Harbor Navy
Yard and on Army construction projects, and partly the migration of
workers from the sugar and pineapple fields of Oaliu and the other
islands to better-paying city jobs.3
During the summer of 1943, the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
conducted the first general survey of the incomes and expenditures
of families of wage earners and clerical workers in Honolulu, to pro
vide a basis for an index of changes in the cost of living. This covered
a carefully selected group of 100 families representing all important
racial groups in the city. The study excluded families of business
and professional people and certain “ white collar” workers with
relatively high incomes, as well as single individuals. Information
was obtained on income and on all categories of family spending for
the month of June 1943. In addition, detailed reports were obtained
on actual purchases of foods in the 7 days immediately preceding the
interview with the family. Reports on purchases of clothing and
housefurnishings and, as a check, estimates of amounts spent for all
other types of family expenditure were also obtained for the 12 months
ending with June 1943.
The survey shows that large cash incomes were being received by
families of working people in Honolulu in 1943. In the month of
June 1943, the gross income averaged $415 per family. This was
before deductions for taxes, war bonds and stamps, and various forms
of social insurance. One of the principal reasons for these unusually
1 Prepared in the Bureau’s Cost of Living Division, by Lenore A . Epstein, with the assistance of Eliza
beth H . H yde. The data for this article were collected during July and August 1043, to establish the basis
for an index of changes in living costs in Honolulu. The survey was directed by Miss Epstein, assisted
by M rs. H yde of the Bureau, and Stella M . Jones of Honolulu, on summer leave from the Terri
torial Department of Public Instruction. Thirteen residents of Honolulu, representing the principal
racial groups in the population, interviewed the families selected for study. The success of the survey is
due in large measure to their painstaking work and the generous cooperation of the families visited.
2 United States Census of 1940.
3 After the outbreak of war the movement from the outer islands was virtually stopped by restrictions
on transportation between Oahu and the outer islands.
706
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
If artime Earnings and Spending—Honolulu
707
large cash incomes, in addition to the many opportunities for employ
ment at high wages during the war, is the large size of the families in
Honolulu, and the fact that typically two or more persons in each
family are working. Actually over one-third of the families surveyed
had as many as three earners. Families are large, averaging 5 persons
as compared with 3.6 persons in wage-earner and clerical families in
the mainland cities. Of these five, 3.3 were 14 years of age or over.
Although prices of living essentials are typically high in Honolulu
and outlays for family living are necessarily large, these high money
incomes enabled most Honolulu families not only to meet current
expenses, but to make some savings in addition to their purchases
of war bonds and stamps and their current payments of Federal
and Territorial income taxes. For this group of 100 families, about
65 percent of total income, or $270 in the month of June, went for
actual purchases of goods and services. Federal and Territorial in
come taxes and the victory tax took another 17 percent, or $71,
from the family income, and savings including purchases of war
bonds and stamps took another 15 percent. Small outlays were
also made for gifts and contributions.4
Food absorbed about 44 percent of the $270 spent currently for
goods and services. This includes not only food for preparation at
home, but meals eaten away from home. Clothing took another 11
percent; housing, fuel, household operations and furnishings together,
another 17 percent. Transportation and medical care each took
about 6 percent. A relatively large proportion— about 10 percent—
went for recreation, liquor, and tobacco, and the remainder for other
miscellaneous expenditures.
Food took an unusually large share of the family budget for incomes
as large as these. This is attributable to the relatively high prices
of food in Honolulu, the large size of the families, and also to the fact
that virtually no new housefurnishings or cars, which would normally
have been bought with these greatly enlarged incomes, were available
for purchase. A considerable share would probably also have been
spent for larger houses to alleviate the overcrowding which charac
terizes these homes, had it not been for the serious housing shortage.
Fam ily Income
EARNINGS OF WORKERS
With the need for workers at the Pearl Harbor navy yard, on other
war jobs, and in civilian industries, many wage earners were receiving
very high earnings; a fourth of those in the families studied earned
more than $250 in June. Of the entire group of wage earners and
clerical workers, however, half earned less than $175 (table 1).
Many of the workers in the families surveyed were on the Federal
pay roll, some were Territorial and city employees, and others worked
in civilian plants, offices, restaurants, and the like. The wageearner occupations represented ranged from the highly skilled ma* Presumably part of the income tax payments had been saved in April and M a y , as no income taxes were
paid in those months. The monthly tax burden for the average worker’s family in Honolulu was thus
about $33 during the second 3 months of 1943. Since a few persons paid during March the full amount of
the Federal income tax due and some paid the full amount of the smaller Territorial tax due, the average
monthly income tax payment for the first 6 months of 1943 would have been slightly higher. Since the
Federal and Territorial with-holding taxes, with higher rates on current income, went into effect on July 1,
1943, the average monthly tax burden has risen to about $41. A $5 poll tax was also levied on each adult
resident prior to July 1943, and was usually deducted from earnings during the early months of the year.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
708
chinist, electrician, carpenter, welder, rigger, policeman, truck and
bus driver, jeweler, barber, hotel cook, seamstress, through stevedore,
presser, waitress, fruit grader, cannery packer and laundry checker,
to charwoman, janitor, and general laborer. The clerical group was
relatively large, since the main offices of the sugar and pineapple
companies and the large wholesale houses which supply most of the
retailers in the Territory are in Honolulu. Clerical workers for these
firms and in the employ of the Government included typists, stenog
raphers, salesclerks, assistant cashiers, bookkeepers, office-machine
operators, and inspectors whose monthly salaries did not exceed $300.5
T a b l e 1.-—Distribution of Earners in Families of Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
in Honolulu, by Monthly Money Earnings, June 1943
Earners with classified
total money earnings
Earners with classified
money earnings after
pay-roll deductions 1
M oney earnings in June 1943
Number of
earners
Percent of
earners
Num ber of
earners
Under $50___ _______ _______ _____ ______ __________________
$50 and under $100_______________
_ _________________
$100 and under $150_____________________ _______________
$150 and under $200________ ______________________ _______
$200 and under $250_________________ ____________________
$250 and under $300_______ ________ . ___________________
_________________________
$300 and under $350__________
$350 and over_____ _____ . __________ __________ __________
19
33
37
40
35
26
16
13
8.7
15.1
16.9
18.2
16.0
11.9
7.3
5.9
22
36
52
41
36
19
8
5
10.1
16.4
23.7
18.7
16.4
8.7
3.7
2.3
A ll earnings classes............ ............................................. ..
219
100.0
219
100.0
Median earnings per earner. ________ ____________________
M ean earnings per earner___________ _____ _______________
$176. 25
181.22
Percent of
earners
$150.00
161. 75
1 Deductions for victory tax, war bonds, unemployment compensation, Federal old-age and survivors
insurance, Federal retirement benefits, and Territorial public welfare.
About one-fourth of these workers earned less than $100 in June,
principally older persons and school children. Some were employed
only part time— particularly the children of high-school age who
started work at the close of the school term on June 10—but the great
majority worked the full month.6
The high earnings of some workers were attributable in part to over
time pay for long hours; those of others, to substantial cost-of-living
bonuses paid by some of the Hawaiian firms. An indication of the
wages that must be paid to attract workers, at least to jobs in “ nonessential” industries, is given by a newspaper advertisement 7 that
called for a fountain boy, with entrance wage of $150.00 per month.
“ Take-home” earnings averaged nearly $20 less than total earnings
per worker, after pay-roll deductions of approximately $9.00 for war
bonds, $6.50 for victory tax, and additional amounts largely for social5 Families were excluded from the survey (1) if they included persons in professional occupations or salaried
workers whose regular earnings were more than $300 per month or $3,000 during the year ending July 1943,
(2) if the chief earner was self-employed (unless the net income from his business was less than 25 percent of his
own total earnings), (3) if other earners in the family were self-employed and had full-time employees or
received from their business net income that amounted to more than 25 percent of family income, and (4)
if more than 25 percent of the family’s income was derived from rents, securities, relief allowances, or socialinsurance benefits.
6 The average riumberjof equivalent full-time workers per family (assuming 26 days of work as full-time)
was 2.0 as compared with an average of 2.2 persons working at some time during June,
! Honolulu Star-Bulletin, October 1 1 , 1943,
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
709
Wartime Earnings and Spending—Honolulu
insurance benefits.8 Fifty percent of the workers received less than
$150.00 per month in pay after such deductions.
FAMILY INCOME, FAMILY SIZE, AND NUMBER OF EARNERS
Over half of all the families surveyed had 5 or more members 9 and
over a third had 3 or more earners (tables 2 and 3). Of the total
number of persons in these families, two-thirds were 14 years of age or
older and over one-quarter were aged 3 to 14 years. Altogether
44 percent of all family members were gainfully employed during all
or part of the month of June.
T a b l e 2 .— Number and Age of Members in Families of Wage Earners and Clerical
Workers in Honolulu, by Net Money-Income Class,1 June 1943
Families with net money incomes,1 in
June, of—
All fam
ilies
Item
Num ber of families having 2—
2 m em bers.- - ___
__________ _______
______
3 or 4 members____________________________________
5 or 6 members_____________________
. . - .........
7 or more m em b ers..- ___________________________
All families_________________
___________________
Average number of persons 2 per family:
14 years of age and older. _ . . _ ________________
Under 14 y e a r s __ ________
________________
Total_______________________________ ■____________
Average net money income1 per person______________
$100 and
under
$250
$250 and
under
$350
$350 and
under
$450
11
37
27
25
5
12
9
5
5
12
6
3
1
10
5
4
3
7
13
100
31
26
20
23
3.3
1.7
2.2
2.5
3.0
1.2
3.4
1.4
5.1
1.3
$450 and
over
5.0
4.7
4.2
4.8
6.4
$74. 56
$44. 50
$71.19
$82.85
$101.44
1 M oney income in June after specified pay-roll deductions (see table 1).
2 N o families included persons who were not family members for the full month.
T a b l e 3 .— Number of Earners in Families of Wage Earners and Clerical Workers in
Honolulu, by Net Money-Income Class,1 June 1943
Families with net money incomes,1 in
June, of—
Item
Num ber of families having—
learn er. ____ ______________________ _____ __
..
2 earners_____ __________ _________________ _________
3 earners________________________________ _________
4 earners . . . . ............ .. . . . . .
. . . .
5 or more earners.. . ________
____________
All fam
ilies
41
25
17
10
7
$100 and
under
$250
$250 and
under
$350
$350 and
under
$450
25
6
13
10
3
3
6
6
4
1
$450 and
over
3
8
6
6
A ll families______________________________________
100
31
26
20
23
Average number of earners per fam ily_______________
2.2
1.2
1.6
2.7
3.7
i M oney income in June after specified pay-roll deductions (see table 1).
8 Including unemployment compensation, Federal old-age and survivors insurance, Federal retirement
benefits, and the Territorial public-welfare tax of 0.5 percent on earnings. The latter was not strictly a social
insurance contribution, since the funds were collected for general relief. However, it was not possjbje tp
tabulate this item separately.
8 Single individuals or 1-person families were excluded from the survey,
578877— 44-------2
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
710
Tlie large number of earners per family meant substantial incomes
for most families.10 During June 1943, the gross incomes of approx
imately four-fifths of the families exceeded $250, and the incomes of
a third amounted to $450 or more (table 4). Even after pay-roll
deductions for bonds, victory taxes, and social security, more than
two-thirds had over $250 left to spend in that month, and nearly
one-fourth had $450 or more. On the average, these families thus
had cash to spend amounting to $372 in June, or about $75 per person.
Whenever family incomes were very large, exceeding $450 per month
after deductions, many members of the family—both old and young—
worked.11 The 23 families in this class averaged 6.4 persons, 3.7 of
whom were employed during the month. All these families had at
least 2 earners and more than half had 4 or more. By contrast, the
31 families with cash to spend (after pay-roll deductions) between $100
and $250, had 4.7 members, and an average of only 1.2 were em
ployed— since 2.5 were under 14 years of age.
T a b l e 4. — Distribution of Families of Wage Earners and Clerical Workers in Honolulu,
by Monthly Money-Income Class, June 1943
Money-income class
$100
$150
$250
$350
$450
and
and
and
and
and
under $150_____________________________
under $250. .
_
___
_ .
under $350.. _____________________ . _
under $450_____________________________
over____________________________________
Total
money
income
in June
i
18
27
21
33
M oney
income
in June
after
pay-roll
deduc
tions 1
4
27
26
20
23
__________________________
100
100
M edian income per family___ __ ______________
M ean income per family_____ __________ _____ _
$367.31
$414.68
$322. 92
$372.05
All families.-
1 Deductions for victory tax, war bonds, unemployment compensation, Federal old-age and survivors
insurance, Federal retirement benefits, and Territorial public welfare.
The families with the largest incomes (exceeding $450) to spend in
June, after deductions, were not so much better off as at first appears,
because of the large size of their families. On a per-capita basis, incomes
at the highest level (over $450) averaged 22 percent greater than
those from $350 to $450, although family incomes averaged about 60
percent more. Similarly, per-capita incomes for the $350-$450 income
group were 16 percent higher than those of families at the $250$350 level, while family incomes were about 35 percent larger.
Families in the two lowest income groups were an exception because
of the much greater number of young children in families with incomes
below $250.
RACIAL AND NATIONAL ORIGIN IN RELATION TO FAMILY SIZE AND INCOME
The racial composition of the population of Honolulu goes far to
explain the large size of families. It has been traditional in Oriental,
10 Income from sources other than earnings was of relatively slight importance, averaging less than $18 per
family, in June, as compared with gross earnings of $397.
u Families are classified by the amount of income they received after pay-roll deductions whenever data
are presented by income level, since consumption expenditures (which form the main subject of this article)
are more closely correlated with net than with gross income.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
711
Wartime Earnings and Spending—Honolulu
particularly Chinese, families for adult children to remain in the
household and turn their earnings over to their parents. The new
generation has gradually been breaking away from the custom. Now,
when more adequate earnings might be expected to accentuate this
trend, the serious shortage of houses and apartments prevents many
young couples from finding separate quarters.
There has been a strong tendency in Hawaii toward economic
stratification by race, as evidenced by the findings of a study of labor
conditions in the Territory in 1939. The author summarizes, as
follows:
It is obvious that the Caucasians who migrated to Hawaii from the American
mainland hold the dominant economic position in terms of both wealth and
management. Broadly speaking, Hawaiians and Portuguese are next. * * *
Because the Chinese arrived earlier than the great bulk of Oriental migrants they
had the advantage of having established themselves in strategic positions early
in the period of economic expansion. The Japanese, on the other hand, have the
advantages of large numbers and great racial solidarity. * * * The Filipinos,
of all the large racial groups, occupy the least advantageous economic position.12
As a result of the war and the consequent labor shortage, employ
ment opportunities have improved for persons of Oriental extraction.
Despite the large number of skilled workers brought from the mainland
to work in the navy yard and on war construction projects, many
local residents are filling jobs at a higher level of skill than they could
obtain previously. Although alien Japanese cannot be employed on
restricted projects for the War or Navy Departments and even
American-born persons of Japanese ancestry encounter some dis
crimination, large numbers have shifted from domestic work at
extremely low wages to somewhat more lucrative employment. In
pre-war days a small store provided the sole support of many a large
Oriental family. At present, many such stores are run by elderly
parents with the assistance of young children in after-school hours,
while the older children are employed outside at jobs which now
provide the major portion of the families’ incomes.
The families covered in the present survey represented a wide
diversity of racial groups as follows:
H aw aiian__
Part-Hawaiian _
Caucasian _
Japanese___
C h in ese____
Other 3
Number of families, by racial origin of—
Family head
Homemaker
4
____________
7
____________
11
____________
28
_ .____________
34
_ ____________ 1 12
____________
8
15
26
36
2 13
6
1 Includes 1 man of Chinese-Japanese ancestry.
2 Includes 1 woman of Chinese-Caucasian ancestry.
3 Includes Korean, Filipino, and Puerto Rican.
The Caucasian families 13ocontained only 3.9 persons, on the average,
as contrasted with 5.5 among the families of Japanese, Chinese,
Korean, Filipino, and Puerto Kican extraction (table 5). The
number of persons gainfully employed in June averaged 1.8 for the
former and 2.4 for the latter. The families with an Plawaiian or
part-Hawaiian head covered in the survey contained 5.2 members, on
the average, of whom 2.0 »were gainfully employed during June.
Over half of the Caucasian families were supported by a single earner,
12 Shoemaker, James H .: Labor in the Territory of Hawaii, 1939. Washington, D . C., 1940.
13 Half of those covered in the survey were of Portuguese extraction.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
712
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
as compared with one-third of the Hawaiian and slightly over a third
of all the other families. A third of the families of Japanese ancestry
contained 4 or more earners.
T a b l e 5. — Number of Persons and Number of Earners in Families of Wage Earners
and Clerical Workers in Honolulu, by Race of Family Head, June 1943
All
families
Item
Total number of families_____ __
__________ ________
Num ber of members in family:
__
................. .. . . .
2 to 5 members____. . .
5 to 7 members . . . . . . .
_ ....................
Hawaiian
and partHawaiian
Caucasian
Other
T o ta l1
Japanese
100
28
18
54
34
48
27
25
19
7
2
9
3
6
20
17
17
14
10
10
41
25
17
17
15
4
8
1
6
8
2
2
20
13
7
14
11
9
3
11
5.0
2.2
3.9
1.8
5.2
2.0
5.5
2.4
5.4
2.6
Num ber of earners in family:
2 earners................... .......................
....
_
3 earners................. .. ...................... ..
4 or more earners__________________ . . . ________
Average number of persons per fam ily.. .
...
.
1 In addition to Japanese, includes Chinese, Korean, Filipino, and Puerto Pvican.
Individual earnings were largest among the Caucasian group. The
average earner in Caucasian families received $217, gross, during June,
as compared with $166 for Oriental workers (table 6). Workers of
Japanese ancestry, who were numerically most important in this
group, earned $149 on the average.14 Hawaiian workers received an
average wage of $185 before deductions.
T a b l e 6. —-Money Income and Earnings of Families of Wage Earners and Clerical
. Workers in Honolulu, by Race oj Family Head, June 1943
Item
Total number of families___________________
Families with net money income, in June,
of—
$100 and under $250________ __________
$250 and under $350____________ _____ _
$350 and under $450. . . _ __________ _
$450 and over____________ . . . ________
Average money income in June:
Total income per family, before de
ductions... . . . ______ ___________ . . .
Income after deductions:
Per fa m ily ..____ _______________ . . .
Per person_________________________
Average money earnings in June:
Total earnings per family—
Before deductions__________________
After deductions __________ ____
Total earnings per earner—
Before deductions__________ _____
After deductions___________________
All families
Caucasian
Hawaiian
and partHawaiian
Other
Total i
Japanese
100
28
18
54
34
. 31
26
20
23
6
12
6
4
5
4
5
4
20
10
9
15
11
9
8
6
$414. 68
$409. 37
$412.10
$418. 29
$397.14
372.05
74. 56
355. 64
90. 53
364.34
70. 52
383.12
69.89
366. 67
68. 50
396.86
354.23
395.07
341. 34
380.10
332. 35
403.38
368.21
384.77
354. 30
181.22
161. 75
216.90
187.40
184.91
161.68
166. 28
151.78
148.66
136. 89
1 In addition to Japanese, includes Chinese, Korean, Filipino, and Puerto Rican.
14
The number of families of Chinese ancestry covered in the survey was too small to provide reliable data
for separate analysis. A composite picture of the income and earnings of families of Chinese, Korean, Filipino,
and Puerto Rican origin has little significance because of the heterogeneity of the group. Information from
these families together with that furnished by families of Japanese ancestry, however, provides a good
indication of the economic level of the “ third stratum” at the present time.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
713
Wartime Earnings and Spending—Honolulu
Because of smaller families, the average income received by Cau
casian families was slightly lower than for any other major racial
group except the Japanese. On a per-capita basis, however, average
income (after pay-roll deductions) ranged downward from $90 for the
Caucasian group to $70 for the Oriental, Filipino, and Puerto Rican
families.
Fam ily Outlay
THE FAMILY BALANCE SHEET IN RELATION TO INCOME
In Honolulu, as elsewhere, the smaller the income, the smaller the
savings and the larger the proportion of income spent each month for
living essentials. Thus, among families with net incomes between
$100 and $250 per month, outlays for current consumption during
June amounted to 85 percent of gross income and 95 percent of the
income received after pay-roll deductions (table 7). Among families
at the higher end of the income scale, consumption expenditures
amounted to 53 and 58 percent of gross and net income, respectively.
T a b l e 7 .— Money Income, Expenditures, and Savings by Families of Wage Earners
and Clerical Workers in Honolulu, by Net Money-Income Class,1 June 1943
Ex{)enditures for—
N et money-income class 1
Total
income
Income
received1 Current Gifts and
consump contribu Personal
taxes 2
tion
tions
Savings3
Average amount per family in June 1943
$100
$250
$350
$450
and
and
and
and
under $250-__ . . . _______________
under $350________________________
under $450________________________
over_______________________________
$233.49
335. 69
455. 40
712. 77
$209. 58
298.45
401. 83
648. 31
$198. 65
237. 51
300. 79
376. 39
$11.11
7. 40
13.90
12.96
$21.99
53.16
96.03
130.98
$1.74
37. 62
44. 68
192. 44
All families'__________________________
414. 68
372.05
270.06
11.13
70.97
62.52
Percent of total income
under $250_________ ______ ________
under $350. - - - - under $450________________________
over________________________ . - - -
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
89.8
88.9
88.2
91.0
85.1
70.8
66.0
52.8
4.8
2.2
3.1
1.8
9.4
15.8
21.1
18.4
0.7
11.2
9.8
27.0
A ll fam ilies.______ ___________________
100.0
89.7
65.1
2.7
17.1
15.1
$100 and
$250 and
$350 and
$450 and
1 Total money income in June minus specified pay-roll deductions (see table 1).
2 Includes June installments on Federal and Territorial income taxes and victory taxes deducted from
pay. Excise taxes are included as expenditures for the item to which they apply.
3 Includes war bonds purchased directly and through pay-roll deductions and social-insurance contribu
tions deducted from pay (see table 8 for details).
Personal taxes at the higher income levels were substantially larger
than at the lower levels, as would be expected. Among families with
net incomes below $250 per month, they took more than 9 percent of
gross income. If the June income taxes could have been evenly dis
tributed over the 3-month period, April through June, the tax pay
ments, including victory-tax deductions, would have represented the
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Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
following proportions of gross income, for families with specified net
incomes:
Percent of
gross income
$100
$250
$350
$450
and
and
and
and
under $250___________________
under $350__________________
under $450__________________
over________________________
All families____________________
4.
7.
9.
8.
5
5
3
5
8. 0
Individual purchases of war bonds and stamps by wage earners and
clerical workers were relatively generous, in relation to income, in
view of the considerable amounts already allotted for this purpose
through pay-roll deductions (table 8). The total going to war-bond
purchases in June represented nearly 8 percent of gross income.
Families at each income level except the lowest devoted approximately
8 percent of their gross income to bonds. Those at the lowest level
spent 6 percent in this manner, although many went into debt to do so.
T a b l e 8 .— Personal
Taxes, War-Bond Purchases, and Other Savings o f Families of Wage
Earners and Clerical Workers in Honolulu, by Net Money-Income Class,1 June 1943
Families with net money income,1 in
June, of—
All
families
Item
$100 and
under
$250
$250 and
under
$350
$350 and
under
$450
$450 and
over
Personal taxes. _ __________ __________ _ . . . _______
Income taxes paid directly_____ ________________
Victory taxes deducted from pay_______ . ______
$70.97
56. 66
14.31
$21. 99
17.18
4.81
$53.16
41.78
11.38
$96.03
80. 57
15.46
$130.98
105. 91
25.07
Savings_______________________________
. ________
W ar bonds and stamps - . . . __________ _____
Purchased directly_____________
_________
Allotted through pay roll. _ _____ ____ .
Social-insurance contributions 2 deducted from
pay----------------------------------------------------------------------Residual net surplus or deficit3_______ __ _______
62.52
31.88
12. 05
19. 83
1.74
14.12
2. 68
11.44
37.62
27.68
7. 63
20. 05
44. 68
38. 02
11.25
26. 77
192.44
55.23
30. 38
24. 85
8. 49
22.15
7.66
-2 0 .0 4
5. 81
4.13
11.34
- 4 .6 8
14. 54
122. 67
> N et money income in June after pay-roll deductions for victory taxes, war-bond purchases and social
insurance contributions.
2 Unemployment compensation, Federal old-age and survivors insurance, Federal retirement benefits,
and Territorial public welfare.
3 Savings include payments on life insurance and annuities, mortgage principal paid, increase in cash, in
bank accounts, and in money loaned, and repayments on debts. Deficits comprise decrease in cash or bank
accounts, amounts received from sale of property, received on debts due, and increases in mortgage principal
and in debts. Included also in the net figure is a small amount accounted for by minor discrepancies in
figures furnished by families on their income and disbursements.
Gifts and contributions during June showed no clear relation to
family income, since they always vary greatly in any single month.
When averaged over the entire year ending June 1943, amounts spent
per month for gifts to friends and contributions in support of relatives,
war relief, church, and welfare organizations were as follows for families
with specified net incomes in June:
Per month
$100
$250
$350
$450
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
and
and
and
and
under $250________________ $5. 91
under $350________________ 8. 32
under $450________________ 11. 70
over______________________ 20. 52
All families
11. 05
Wartime Earnings and Spending—Honolulu
715
As previously noted, families in the lowest bracket found tlieir
incomes insufficient to cover current expenditures, gifts, taxes, warbond purchases, and social-insurance contributions. They ended the
month with a net cash deficit of $20, or nearly 9 percent as much as
their gross income (table 8). Even if it is assumed that two-thirds of
the money used to pay income taxes was withdrawn from savings accu
mulated for that specific purpose, they would still have been over $8
“ in the red.” Families in the next highest income groups came out
approximately even. Those with the very largest cash incomes—
that averaged $648 after deductions— saved 19 percent of this sum,
in addition to the amount spent for bonds, or about 17 percent of
their gross income.
E X P E N D I T U R E S F O R M A J O R C A T E G O R I E S O F C O N S U M P T IO N
In considering family buying, the 100 families surveyed have been
analyzed together rather than by separate racial groups, first, because
the number studied was small, and, second, because food-consumption
habits have been so Americanized during the war as to make it less
important than it would have been before the war to consider _con
sumption by racial groups. This is due both to the much higher
incomes and to limited supplies of oriental-type foods available.
In pre-war days, there were also significant differences in habits of
dress and in home furnishings. Now native dress has been discarded
almost completely by the residents of Japanese ancestry. On the
other hand, more women of Chinese extraction wear native dress
now than formerly, although it remains the exception rather than the
rule for street wear.
Of the $270 spent for goods and services in June by the average
family in the group surveyed, 44 percent went for food, nearly 17
percent for rent and home maintenance,15 13 percent for clothing and
personal care, and 11 percent for recreation, reading matter, tobacco,
and liquor. Another 13 percent was divided almost equally between
transportation costs and medical care, leaving a small amount for
miscellaneous items (table 9).
Average outlays per family for all categories of consumption except
housing increased with fair regularity as income increased. The
decline in housing expenditures reflects the increasingly large propor
tion of families that owned their homes, since the current costs of
upkeep, exclusive of mortgage payments (which are considered sav
ings), were considerably less than cash rents.
As a proportion of total expenditures for current consumption, food
was, of course, most important, ranging from 48 percent at the lowest
level to 42 percent for families that received $350 to $450 net income.
Housing was next most important for the lowest income group, followed
by clothing. At all other income levels, however, clothing ranked
after food, taking 10.4 to 11.5 percent of the total.16 Housing took
fourth place for the families in the two middle income ranges, but fell
to ninth at the highest level. However, when fuel, household opera
tion, and furnishings expenditures were combined with outlays for
housing proper, they totaled 17 or 18 percent at the 3 lower income
15 Includes current housing expenses of home owners and outlays by all families for cooking fuel, light,
refrigeration, household operation supplies and services, and housefurnishings.
16 Clothing purchases were at a considerably lower rate in June than during the year ending July 1943,
when family outlays for clothing averaged $515, or 16 percent of total annual expenditures for current
consumption.
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Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
levels and 14 percent at the highest. Medical care and transportation
both ranked among the first six separate categories for families at
each income level.
On a per-capita basis, average expenditures for goods and services
amounted to $42 at the $100 to $250 income level, as compared with
approximately $60 at the three succeeding income levels. For each
category except housing, families in the lowest income class spent less
than those with larger incomes. Among the three groups of families
with higher incomes, however, there were no consistent differences
in average per-capita outlays, except for a steady decline in those for
housing.
T able
9 . — Average
Monthly Expenditures by Families of Wage Earners and Clerical
Workers in Honolulu, by Net Money-Income Class,1 June 1943
Families with net money income 1 in
June of —
All
families
Item
$100 and
under
$250
$250 and
under
$350
$350 and
under
$450
$450 and
over
Average expenditures in June 1943
Food 2.................. ........... ....................... ........................... .........
Housing_______________ . _________ ________ ______ __
Fuel, light, and refrigeration..________________________
Household operation______ ______ _____________________
Furnishings and equipment__________________________
Clothing_________ _______________ __________________
Personal care____
. . . _________ _ . ________
Medical care_____ ____________________________ . .
Transportation.. . . ______________ _______________ _
Reading.. _________________________ _______ ________
Recreation________ __________ ________ _. _ ____ _ _
T o b a cco _______ __ . . . . _____________________ _. . .
Liquor 3__________ . . _________ _________________ __
Miscellaneous 4___________
_________ __________ __
T o t a l...____ ________ _____ ________
____ _____
$119.00
17.81
7. 26
10.96
8. 77
28. 63
6.95
16.59
17.46
3.07
14. 47
4. 47
8.42
6.20
$95.01
20.56
5. 65
7.08
2. 53
18. 94
5.65
12.96
8. 76
1.39
8.12
3.68
5.12
3.20
$105.08
17.61
6.46
10.14
5.84
26.36
6. 68
13. 42
18.25
2. 78
8.93
4. 44
7.20
4. 32
$124. 75
19.32
8.89
11.40
14.82
34.50
7.27
18.38
18. 57
3.16
21. 56
4. 30
5.34
8.53
$162.06
‘ 13.00
8. 94
16. 75
15.22
39.15
8.74
23.51
27.32
5. 57
23.19
5. 68
16.91
10.35
270.06
198.65
237.51
300.79
376.39
Percent of total expenditures
Food 2____ ________ _____ ________ ___________________
Housing. _______________ . ______ _______
Fuel, light, and refrigeration________________________
Household operation____________________ . . . . . .
Furnishings "and equipment______________________
Clothing_________________ . . . _______________
Personal care______ . . . ____________________ ._
Medical care_____________________ _______________
Transportation. _ ________________________ . . .
Reading____________________ _. . . . ______ .
Recreation___ . . . _________ _____ ________
Tobacco________ ______________ _ ______
Liquor 3______ ______________ _. __________
Miscellaneous 4_____
. . . __ _______
Total_____________________________________
44.0
6.6
2.7
4.1
3.2
10.6
2.6
6.1
6.5
1.1
5.4
1.7
3.1
2.3
47.8
10.4
2.8
3.6
1.3
9.5
2.8
6.5
4.4
.7
4.1
1.9
2.6
1.6
44.2
7.4
2.7
4.3
2.5
11.1
2.8
5.6
7.7
1.2
3.8
1.9
3.0
1.8
41.5
6.4
3.0
3.8
4.9
11.5
2.4
6.1
6.2
1.0
7.2
1.4
2.8
43.1
3.4
2.4
4.4
4.0
10.4
2.3
6.2
7.3
1.5
6.2
1.5
4.5
2.8
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1 .8
1 M oney income in June after specified pay-roll deductions (see table 1).
2 Includes expense for food at home, meals and liquor purchased away from home.
3 Includes expense for bottled liquor only.
4 Including education, union dues, tools, funeral and cemetery expense, interest on debts, war insurance
on property.
5 This low average reflects the large proportion of families that owned their homes and incurred little ex
pense for upkeep during the month.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Demobilization of Manpower, 1 9 1 8 -1 9
Part 2.— Early Phases o f Dem obilization 1
THE national income in 1918 was larger than in any pre-war year.
About one-fourth of it went toward the expenses of running the war,
but more people had been employed at higher wages than ever before.
There was little advance in the incomes of salaried workers in the
middle and lower income groups and their standard of living had
declined as prices rose and war taxes increased, but wage earners,
both skilled and unskilled, had after a lag benefited materially from
steadily increasing wage levels and full employment. Wage ad
vances' resulted from the great demand for workers in the war produc
tion areas and from a desire to allow nothing to interfere with the
steady output of war goods. These wages were further enhanced by
additional pay for overtime work.
Aside from savings represented by war savings stamps and Liberty
bonds, few of the workers in the low-income groups had made any
provision against the time when abnormal wage payments would
cease. Many of them had known thrift as a necessity but they had
not acquired the saving habits that might have encouraged them to
save from their high wartime wages. Furthermore, there was no
effort to encourage the workers to save against a day of need, and
neither industry nor government had assisted in the accumulation of
an emergency fund.
.
The war-making agencies proceeded upon the assumption that the
war might last until 1922. Plans had been completed for accelerating
the war effort. Hundreds of thousands of men anticipated an early
call to the armed forces. Thousands of additional Government
contracts had been negotiated. Industries were preparing for more
complete conversion to production of war products. The U. S.
Employment Service was expanding and making more effective its
work of providing the adequate number of workers for the scattered
war plants. Government controls over industry and over civilians
were to be tightened. The War Labor Administration was busy
with wage adjustments and settlement of labor difficulties.
This concentration upon the war effort had official approval, and
there was no encouragement of discussion of the problems to be
faced when the war was over. However, readjustment problems
engaged the minds of various groups in Government circles and in
industry during the 6 months preceding the Armistice.
Civilian Proposals fo r P ost-W a r Readjustments
There was full agreement that there could be no return to pre-war
levels of production, employment, and wages, and there was no
doubt as to the industrial future beyond the months of so-called
reconversion. Judgments differed, however, as to the magnitude
and precise character of the post-war problems and the time span
required for the swing away from production for war, through the
1 Part 1 of this study appeared in the March 1944 issue of the M onthly Labor Review (p. 500).
sections wiil appear later.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
717
Other
718
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
inevitable temporary but acute period of low productivity, unemploy
ment, uncertainty, and unrest to the upswing of full production for
peacetime requirements. Only a few realized the dangers inherent
in short-range planning when industries began to compete for markets
serving a public with relatively high and widely distributed purchas
ing power. It was the immediate and transitory post-war period
which provided the basis for most of the pre-Armistice considerations.
There is great similarity between these proposals of 1918 and the
current “ post-war planning” which has received official commendation
during this war.
The various proponents of a plan of action discussed different
angles of the readjustment problem but there was complete unity on
one point— the urgent need for ah announced Federal policy supported
by constructive legislation and sufficient funds to meet emergencies
as they arose. It was generally conceded that the task of developing
a flexible program for the employment of men and machinery, during
the interim while the Government canceled war orders and industry
equipped itself for peacetime production, should be undertaken by an
authoritative governmental agency, nonpartisan in character and
entirely free from the pressure of wartime considerations. Without
governmental action at both the Federal and State level the cost to
the Nation resulting from serious interruption to production and the
accompanying unemployment would be greater than the outlay for a
well-conducted program for “ buffer” employment.
The secretary of the Council of National Defense made the following
general observations in August:
It is elementary that after the war America will not be the same America.
* * * New conditions and relationships create new problems for nations as
well as for individuals * * *; the change will be as great in the thought
and ideals of the Nation as it will be in its strictly material problems, whether
these be military, commercial, or those having to do with labor. (National
Archives. War Department, Files of Council of National Defense.)
Economists of the War Labor Administration, who argued for the
creation of an official agency to act during the readjustment period
said: “ Already groups with pecuniary interests at stake are busied in
studying the situation with a view of turning it to their own ad
vantage.” They contended that, lacking governmental action, there
would be compromise between the strongest of these interested groups,
with little or no consideration of important but obscure interests.
“ Unity of effort cannot be superimposed. * * * If a consistent
plan is to come, it must be because those who are responsible for it
are animated by a common desire, a common viewpoint, and a common
willingness to merge their contributions into a common whole.” 2
With this point of view the board of directors of the United States
Chamber of Commerce was in agreement. It urged upon the Presi
dent Federal recognition of the problem , in order that all class interests
should be subordinated to the interests of the country as a whole.
The general acceptance of this proposal led many executives in the
emergency war agencies to assume that certain governmental controls
and restrictions would be retained during the period of cancellation of
war contracts and retooling for civilian production. The Secretary
of the Capital Issues Committee, in a memorandum of November 9,
made the following statement:
2 National Archives.
W ar Labor Policies Board, Reconstruction Files.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Demobilization of Manpower, 1918 -19
719
Industrial reconstruction after the war might be left to take its own course
without governmental interference just as industrial preparation for war might
have been left free but was not. The free operation of economic laws would result
in wide price fluctuations, unemployment, and prolonged business depres
sion. * * * There would seem to be no need therefore of any argument to
show that the Government must assist wherever necessary by artificially stimu
lating and restraining natural economic forces. (National Archives. War Labor
Policies Board, Reconstruction folder.)
Another businessman of the staff of the War Labor Policies Board
believed that there would be sufficient demand for consumer goods
“ for a time at least,” provided there was “ a gradual reduction of war
orders and carefully considered arrangement of selling prices for basic
commodities. * * * In my judgment there is bound to be a
period of confusion at the outset, considerable disorganization and
uncertainty and at least temporary unemployment.” He felt that
commodity prices which had been at a high wartime level should be
decreased, and that profits of the larger organizations had been such
as to warrant price reductions without the lowering of wage rates.
The method in which this hard piece of work is done will have a most vital effect
on the success with which demobilization and the re-introduction of demobilized
labor into industry is carried out. The social atmosphere is such that * * *
the inevitable reduction of the dollar wage rate should follow and not precede, in a
majority of industries, reasonable reductions in market prices. (National
Archives. War Labor Policies Board, Memorandum from George W. Perkins
to Felix Frankfurter, November 1918.)
There was, in addition to these broad approaches to the readjustment
problem, considerable discussion as to the rate at whicli production
of war goods should be discontinued. One group argued that the more
gradual the rate of contract cancellation, the less critical would be the
incidence of unemployment and the more readily could released work
ers be reemployed. The other contention was that it would be futile
to attempt to postpone the drastic changes resulting from cessation of
war orders; that the more promptly contracts were canceled the more
quickly manufacturers could obtain access to raw materials, the speed
ier would be the reconversion of plants and therefore the shorter the
period of unemployment.
There was, however, one grave defect in all of these discussions:
They centered in Washington. There was no stimulation of post-war
thinking at the local or community level. Although local groups had
participated in wartime activities, it was not until after the Armistice
that there was open discussion of reconstruction problems. With the
Chief Executive engrossed first in winning the war and then in plans
for the peace conference, and with little or no pressure upon members
of Congress from their constituents, it is not surprising that the legisla
tion which was proposed for enabling a smooth transition from war to
peace died in committees with little or no public debate. Thus the
country faced the post-Armistice period without help from its leaders.
The abrupt advent of the Armistice found the country unprepared
for the reversal of this huge program. The Federal Government had
become the largest employer in the country but it gave less considera
tion to the welfare of these workers, both industrial and clerical, than
it would have expected from private industry. Neither the Govern
ment nor industry had provided machinery for readjustment to peace
time employment. Therefore, when the fighting stopped, the country
was totally unprepared for the return to peacetime living. The War
Department was not ready either for the discharge of the soldiers or
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
720
MonthlyJLabor Review—April 1944
for the discontinuance of its huge manufacturing program. The
result was that the Armistice ushered in a period of uncertainty, of
claims and counterclaims, and of unemployment and tension for tens
of thousands of civilian workers.
W ar Department Program
The majority of all industrial workers were directly or indirectly
employed by the War Department which had, during the war, en
countered all phases of the labor problem. The selection, training,
and movements of about 4,000,000 men in the armed services had also
been the exclusive responsibility of the War Department. When
the war ended, slightly more than half of these men were in France
and about 1,600,000 eligible for immediate discharge were in training
camps in this country. Therefore there was centered in the War
Department both the authority and the responsibility for two of the
major post-Armistice transactions affecting the lives of millions of
American citizens—the demobilization of the Army and the cancella
tion of war contracts with the subsequent release of thousands of
workers in war plants. This agency was not prepared for either task.
While it tardily made plans for the prompt discharge of the soldiers,
it disavowed any responsibility for their welfare as private citizens.
Later, however, it reversed this policy and cooperated in all efforts to
obtain employment for those who needed assistance.
During the war the Department had supported the maintenance of
such standards for war workers as would aid in the continued and
prompt production of supplies for the Army. Conscientious efforts
were made to improve living conditions for workers in all war industries.
The Secretary of War himself had said, however, that the War Depart
ment had no other purpose than to see that the armies received ade
quate supplies when and where they needed them. This indicated
little thought for post-war adjustments.
The method to be used in demobilizing the soldiers was announced
soon after the Armistice, but formulation of policy had been so
delayed that there was far too little time for selection and training of
the administrative force required for the task. The work was ham
pered still further because camps in this country were widely scattered.
What is more, all early plans had been directed primarily toward the
handling of men from overseas. The first order for soldier discharge
was ready within a week after the Armistice and called for the release
of about 600,000 men, in camps in the United States, who could no
longer be of service. Actual discharge moved slowly. During No
vember 45,000 men were released, about 90 percent of them during
the last week of the month.
During this period, the War Department was working upon a pro
gram of contract cancellation. It had been agreed that the policy
should be developed in consultation with such other agencies as the
War Industries Board and the Department of Labor. Each major
cancellation was to be reviewed as to its effect upon the industry,
the worker, and the geographical location of the plants. In order to
have at hand dependable information on industrial conditions and
opportunities for reemployment, the U. S. Employment Service made
a weekly telegraphic survey to determine the location and amount of
labor surpluses or shortages.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Demobilization of Manpower, 1918-19
721
On November 12 the Secretary of War, Secretary of the Navy, and
Chairman of the Shipping Board issued directions to discontinue
immediately all Sunday and overtime work on Government construc
tion and in Government owned or operated plants. This meant a
sharp reduction, frequently as much as 50 percent, in the pay of the.
workers. This first step in the process of the workers’ adjustment to
peacetime conditions was bound to create unrest and uncertainty.
Most of the wartime gains of the workers had been long overdue.
They were just and right. Now, the certain markets provided by
war needs were fast disappearing. However optimistic the long-time
industrial future of the country, the immediate future appeared
clouded. If Government restrictions were lifted, prices a,nd the cost
of living were sure to rise. Surplus workers and released servicemen
would compete for available jobs. The result would be industrial
strife as workers fought to retain their recent gains. The months
immediately following the close of the war were certain to be as ab
normal as were the feverish months of preparation for war.
No legislation was available for this emergency. An Army officer
said in 1921:
Throughout the period of demobilization the legislative agencies left entirely
to the War Department the solution of problems pertaining to the disbandment
of our forces and disposition of surplus munitions. Even industrial demobiliza
tion was largely affected by military policy. (Lecture at Army War College on
Demobilization of Men of the Emergency Army, 1921, p. 2.)
Fortunately for the employment situation, the rate of discharge of
the soldiers was initially much slower than anticipated, owing in part
to delay in preparation and in part to the lack of sufficient shipping
space for returning the men from abroad. By December 1, the U. S.
Employment Service had established offices in all camps east of the
Mississippi River, to assist the men who were not returning to theii
old jobs to find employment. This work was hampered in more than
one way. One difficulty was that the soldiers’ qualification cards
were based upon skills which they had when they entered the Army;
many of them had received special training while in the service and
were fitted for and desirous of obtaining work of a different character
from that indicated on their cards.
During November there was a policy of gradual tapering off of war
production and although workers and employers feared the worst,
actually there was little distress. The announced value of cancella
tions was high but it included value of contracts on which work had
not yet been begun; deliveries of finished goods, valued at about 2
billion dollars, were made in November. Manufacturers of goods
suitable for civilian use continued their operations.
There was great pressure from Congress upon the War Department
for economy and reduction of expenditures. The Secretary of War
in a letter to the Chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee
stated on November 18 that there had already been a saving of
$700,000,000 through stop orders on contracts where work had not
yet been begun; cancellation of contracts in process of execution had
effected a saving of more than $400,000,000; and the stopping of
overtime and Sunday work was saving about $2,900,000 a day.
This pressure, coupled with advice from certain industry groups and
an evident desire for change in procedure on the part of responsible
officers of the War Department, resulted in a change of policy and
abandonment of the centralized program for tapering off production.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
722
Monthly Labor Review—-April 1944
Most of the November cancellations were for some percentage of
the product rather than the whole, and many of them were for products
where not more than 25 percent of the labor in the plants had been
diverted to war work. The important items scheduled for early
cancellation were confined chiefly to cotton and woolen goods, wood
products and hardware, and automotive products. There had as yet
been little cancellation of contracts for products where labor was 100
percent on war work.
Changes in W*ar Department Policy
Events were shaping themselves into a pattern quite different from
that indicated by the current public statements of Government offi
cials. The judicial review of proposed cancellations delayed action
beyond the wishes of the War Department. It had accepted the
premise that continuance of war contracts required the use of raw
materials better diverted to civilian use either here or abroad; that
production of war materials with no peacetime value should be dis
continued “ as speedily as is consistent with the primary consideration
of labor and the industries.” There was, however, no governmental
directive to implement these “ primary considerations.”
On November 27 an Advisory Board on Sales and Contract Ter
mination was established by the War Department. Immediately
there was an abrupt change in cancellation policy, and the War De
partment assumed full responsibility for cancellation. The intention
was to accelerate cancellation greatly. The administrative functions
were transferred to the District Offices of the Ordnance Branch, which
would act upon orders from the supply bureaus. The U. S. Employ
ment Service hoped that under the new procedures its regional and
State directors would be able to obtain adequate information concern
ing the numbers and location of workers in the plants where production
was to be discontinued. The earlier method had not yielded such
information. The cancellation and curtailment schedules gave no
indication of the way in which labor would be affected. Schedules
relating to the same class of commodity frequently lacked any state
ment of labor conditions in the particular plant, the industry as a
whole, or in the communities affected. Under the new plan the War
Department, at the urgent request of the U. S. Employment Service,
ordered its regional cancellation officers to consult with local represent
atives of the Employment Service “ so that these matters of labor
dislocation may be considered before the trouble is caused.”
Speedy cancellation was now the order of the day; and it was
comparatively easy to handle cancellation orders with expedition.
However, the reconversion of plants and the reemployment of workers
could not keep pace. During the first week in December thousands
of curtailment and cancellation orders went out. Many of them in
cluded the phrase, “ Incur no further expense.” By December 9 these
recent cancellations totaled more than 2 billion dollars. The geo
graphical distribution of this slow-down in war production was approx
imately as follows:
Percent
Middle Atlantic States___________
North Central States________________________________________
New England________________________________.----------------------South:tAtlantic|and South Central States_____________________
Western'States______________________________________________
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
38
27
21
13
1
Demobilization of Manpower, 1918-19
723
It must be remembered that the Government’s shipbuilding program
was not affected by these cancellations.
Beginjiing of Unemployment
The policy-making officers in the War Department seem to have
been skeptical from the beginning concerning the seriousness of pend
ing unemployment. The following statement, dated December 5,
1918, was made in a memorandum to the Chief of Staff:
It is believed there is nothing to justify the prediction of hard times, industrial
depression, lack of employment of large numbers of soldiers on account of the rate
of discharge. * * * By the time immediate labor needs are satisfied, new
construction will require the service of discharged soldiers. * * * The esti
mates that there may be considerable unemployment in the future are pure guess
work and there are many indications that there will be ample employment for
all. It is believed the energy and resources of manufacturers and urgent need of
the world for American raw materials and manufactured articles and the spirit
of helpfulness displayed by the entire country will solve the question of unem
ployment for discharged soldiers and other war workers without any period of
extended hard times or lack of employment. (National Archives. War Depart
ment, Files of the Chief of Staff— Demobilization.)
This note of optimism was reflected in most of the official statements
of December, and even in the President’s message to Congress. The
Secretary of Labor, in a press conference as late as December 17,
stated that thus far there was nothing in the weekly reports on indus
trial conditions “ to indicate there is any difficulty in absorbing those
who are being released from military forces and war emergency
institutions.”
It was the immediate problem of the transitional period which was
the concern of those closest to the labor situation. With the cooper
ation of citizens and civilian organizations including the Red Cross,
and men’s and women’s local clubs, the U. S. Employment Service
proceeded to establish in communities throughout the country
offices which would provide jobs for men returning from war and from
the areas where there had been emergency war work. These offices
were organized and managed by local committees. The U. S. Em
ployment Service acted as a clearing house, keeping the records of
jobs and of men, and directing the men sent to them by local bureaus.
In the meantime production under contract with the Government
was being stopped so rapidly that the Employment Service, which
had agreed to the decentralized control of the entire project of can
cellation, complained to the War Department that its own explicit
instructions to its district officers were being ignored in some areas.
No advance notice of cancellations was being sent to the labor rep
resentatives, and in the Ohio area laborers were being released by
hundreds. Private organizations in areas where this situation existed
were protesting or making suggestions for easing off army orders.
One such suggestion was for converting orders for army shoes and
clothing into manufacture for the civilian market, so far as materials
on hand would permit. “ Thousands of firms would thus be enabled
not only to keep their present labor forces over the winter but would
have a definite time in which to reconstruct their commercial organi
zations.” In this case the records indicate some official concern, a
courteous reply, but no action. In some instances, particularly in
the manufacture of subsistence supplies, there was definitely a gradual
transfer over from war orders to civilian production.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
724
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
However, it was in the plants operating entirely on munitions and
war materials that there was the greatest need for some program,
sponsored jointly by Government and industry, for providing em
ployment for idle workers.
By December 28, surpluses of labor were mounting daily in the
cities where war industries were closing down. The immediate
situation was most critical in Ohio and Michigan. The South was
the only section of the country where there was an increasing demand
for labor resulting in large part from the continued expansion in
shipbuilding. Day by day the industrial situation grew more dis
tressing. All munitions centers were affected. The area of surplus
labor comprised in general the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut,
New York, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. The number of workers
out of employment was increasing in these areas.
Although the program for the demobilization of the soldiers was
still in its formative stage, more than 600,000 men were released during
December, of whom only 70,000 were men returned from overseas.
About 30 percent of those released in December were demobilized
in areas where workers were rapidly being released from war plants.
There can be little doubt that the majority of these men returned
promptly to their homes. They had not been subjected to experiences
which alienated them from their environment, as had the men in the
American Expeditionary Force.
It was the minority which drifted aimlessly about the big cities.
Although these men were not representative of the whole they did
constitute a restless, roving, group. Idle, and joined with unemployed
and disaffected war workers, the}r formed a potentially dangerous
element in the Nation’s life. Wise, courageous, and sympathetic
solution of their problems could not result from expedient decisions
of the moment; it could come only from mature consideration of
operating procedures worked out well ahead of their use, with sub
sidiary plans for meeting inevitable unforeseen emergencies.
Em ploym ent Situation in Various Industrial Areas
CONNECTICUT AREA
The Bridgeport, Conn., Local Board of Mediation and Cancel
lation, composed of representatives of employers and employees,
appealed to the National War Labor Board on December 18 for some
modification of cancellations to correct the rapid release of workers,
and to “ assure a graduated decrease in the number of munitions
workers employed in Bridgeport.” Connecticut was a crucial area
for war production, and the abrupt cancellation of the ordnance
program therefore created alarm in all business and labor groups.
Great quantities of small arms and ammunition had been produced
in this area which already had plants producing such materials when
the United States went into the war.
The Connecticut post-Armistice situation had been a matter of
continual concern. The Chief of the Small Arms and Ammunition
Section of the War Industries Board had submitted a memorandum
on November 23 to the Director of Purchase, Storage and Traffic,
the controlling cancellation agency of the War Department, in which
he carefully enumerated the problems of certain localities upon cessation
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Demobilization of Manpower, 1918-19
725
of war work, including the Connecticut area. He urged cooperation
between the regional representatives of the Army and the industries,
with a view to reducing the rate of deliveries and thus maintaining
employment while contractors returned to “ normal industry.” The
War Department felt that industry should itself take some initiative,
since it was plain that war production must cease.
There is every evidence that the contractors in the Connecticut
areas had been given the option to taper production gradually from
January 1, 1919, to May 1,1919, giving ample opportunity for gradual
release of workers. The appeal from the Connecticut Board of Media
tion and Cancellation was immediately followed by a long and urgent
telegram to the Secretary of War from the Governor of Connecticut
stating that—
War-contract suspensions are proceeding in Connecticut in an unreasonable
manner and at an alarming rate which jeopardizes our whole industrial organiza
tion affecting labor and capital alike. * * * Council of Defense and Employ
ment Service unite in recommending first that recent large cancellations * * *
be revoked for further consideration; second, that the curtailment program be
modified to extend over a longer period; third, in the case of important contracts,
manufacturers and Employment Service be given reasonable notice of proposed
suspensions to determine effect and make readjustment; fourth, that materials
under suspensions be released for commercial work and that future curtailments
be made after due consideration of possible effect.
The day following the release of this telegram the Clearance Officer
of the U. S. Employment Service made a separate presentation to the
War Department in which he stated that the Federal Employment
Director for Connecticut reported that: “ Accumulated cancellations
and suspensions, concerning which the Employment Service had no
advance notification, have thrown out of employment more than 4,000
persons in New Haven.” Further evidence of the lack of real coopera
tion between representatives of the War Department and those of the
Employment Service during this period is contained in the following
paragraph of this memorandum:
It was the understanding that the Employment Service would be kept imme
diately in touch with cancellations or curtailment. It was also the understanding
that cancellations or curtailment would be made with consideration of cancella
tions and curtailment already made in that district. This intent clearly is not
carried out if a large number of cancellations involving the release of a great
number of laborers are issued from the District Office at one time and without
notification to the Employment Service. (National Archives. War Department,
Purchase, Storage and Traffic File 164— Labor; from Sanford Freund to Assistant
Director, Dec. 20, 1918.)
These protests from various sources were passed along to cancella
tion officials in the War Department. One result was a memorandum
from the Chief of the Procurement Division, who admitted that there
were no statistics as to the number employed on war work in Bridge
port, and no information concerning the number who would be thrown
out of work through suspension of contracts. He stated that the
Ordnance Department was kept advised of labor conditions through
out the country and considered as carefully as possible the effect of
suspensions upon employment. He then said:
It has been forcibly suggested to the Department by Members of Congress
and Senators, that a good deal of the agitation in favor of continuing contracts
on account of the labor situation was clever propaganda on the part of the con
tractors who wish to continue to manufacture materials which the Government
does not need, simply for profit, and considerable pressure has been exerted to
force the suspension of contracts as rapidly as possible.
578877— 44-
3
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
726
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
It was his judgment that it “ would have been greatly to the advan
tage of the Government if it had been possible to stop the work
immediately and to pay off the men, giving them 30 or 60 days’ extra
wages * * * for in this way the Government would have lost
only the cost of labor and would have saved vast quantities of good
material.” He drew attention to the abnormally increased popula
tion of Bridgeport, and stated that many of the workers would have
to leave the congested area and in many cases have to accept lower
wages.3
A few days later, the Assistant Secretary of War (the Director of
Munitions) wrote to General Goethals, the ranking cancellation officer,
urging that his office support the district offices in ascertaining the
degree to which manufacturers who had been allowed to spread pro
duction over a considerable period were adopting procedures which
“ would best serve the interests of all concerned. The question has
been raised, however, in some instances as to whether manufacturers
are in fact using this discretion in a way to secure the least possible
dislocation and hardship to labor.” He repeated his earlier urgent
recommendation that close cooperation with the Employment Service
be maintained “ so that the necessary steps can be taken for the ab
sorption of the labor employed.” 4
OHIO AREA
Ohio, too, was in difficulty. Cleveland, Toledo, and Dayton all
were receiving orders for ordnance cancellations or curtailment.
In addition, winter would bring seasonal idleness to many other
workers. There was a prospect that plants might remain closed for
“ at least 2 months because of lack of confidence in price of raw
material and lack of commercial orders and inability to procure raw
material.” Decrease in the rate of cancellation was urged. It was
certain that this Ohio area was due for serious unemployment.
Cancellation of contracts in many instances involved large labor
forces and millions of dollars on a single contract with a single firm.
Such situations are typified in the following telegram of December 19,
1918, from the Ohio office of the Federal Employment Service regard
ing the unemployment imminent in that State.
We have received notice this week Cleveland ordnance division of cancellations
affecting 60 firms in Cleveland. We have 6 representatives interviewing firms
to ascertain number of employees that will be released. The following firms
claim that if work on contracts is stopped at once, that will make releases as
follows:
Cleveland Steel Products, 475 men, 60 women; Cleveland Hardware, 1,000
men, 200 women; Teplar Motor, 900 men, 100 women; Brown Hoisting Machine,
1,000 men; American Multigraph, 1,000 men, 1,400 women; McMyler Interstate,
1,400 men; Winton Motor, 1,200 men, 200 women; Cleveland Variety Iron Works,
250 men; Cleveland Tannery, 125 men; Browning Co., 100 men; Hydraulic
Pressed Steel, 650 men; McKinney Steel, 150 men; Cleveland Crane Engineering,
100 men; Cuyahoga Stamping, 200 men, 100 women; Cleveland Brass & Copper,
450 men; Damascus Brake Beam, 150 men; Ohio Trailer, 100 men; Lee C. Melville,
50 men.
A number of other firms interviewed will continue with present force on com
mercial work. Twenty-two firms, not yet interviewed, it is reported will release
approximately 5,000 men. In addition to men released by cancellation of con
tracts, there are large numbers idle due to close of lake navigation season, and
about 2,000 men in building trades idle. Employment officers, despite careful
3 National Archives. W ar Department, Purchase, Storage and Traffic Pile 164— Connecticut; M em o
randum from Chief of Procurement Division, N ov. 21,1918.
* Idem , W ar Department, Purchase, Storage and Traffic File 164— Labor; Memorandum to General
Goethals from Benedict Crowell, Dee. 26,1918.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Demobilization of Manpower, 1918-19
727
inquiry every day are unable to secure orders for any considerable number of
these unemployed workers, and report that large numbers are being turned away
from the plants. Majority of these thrown out through cancellation of war con
tracts from present prospects must remain unemployed for at least 2 months
because of lack of confidence in price of raw material, and lack of commercial
orders, and inability to procure material. Would suggest that you urge slowing
down ’of cancellation program. Any necessary investigation should be made
promptly as firms have been notified by Ordnance Department and are now start
ing to release men.
MICHIGAN AREA
The situation was similar in Michigan. There the district ordnance
branch informed the regional director of the Employment Service
“ that as their orders to cancel were final they could not see any
reason for discussing with us the advisability of cancelling oi not
cancelling orders.” Possibly the district ordnance officers gave less
consideration to the labor situations arising from shut-down of plants
than had been contemplated by their superiors in Washington.
NEW JERSEY AREA
Organized labor and organized industry of the State of New Jersey
sent a joint appeal for modification of stoppage orders. They pro
posed the completion of all contracts where materials had already
been obtained unless the materials could be “ profitably diverted to
other immediate industrial use.” They referred to “ the order re
cently issued by the Government that manufacture of war supplies
must cease on January 31, 1919.” The War Department replied:
“ While it is necessary to discontinue the manufacture of war supplies
no longer needed and absolutely useless, every effort has been made
in directing such continuance to taper off in production activity to the
end that labor and industry may gradually shift from war to a peace
basis and unnecessary umemployment be avoided.”
BUFFALO, N. Y ., AREA
The effect of contract cancellations and the resulting threat of attend
ant unemployment are illustrated by the experience of the Curtis Air
plane Co. of Buffalo which was one of the outstanding producers of
airplanes during that period. Up to the cessation of hostilities this
company, like thousands of others, was concentrating all of its energies
upon increasing output. After months of expanding effort, of in
creasing plant and equipment, and of meeting the problems of man
power shortage, the whole program collapsed almost overnight.
The Army, within 4 days after the Armistice, cancelled contracts
for planes valued at approximately 50 million dollars. The indica
tions were that the Navy and the Bureau of Aircraft Production
would also cancel or curtail, to the amount of 13 million dollars.
The company had, by November 15, dismissed about 7,000 women
and it was inevitable that a large number of other employees would
be dropped.
.
. , ~ .
These early cancellations were for the finished product. During
December 1918 the company received almost 100 telegrams canceling
or limiting production on parts such as bolts, nuts, screws, gaskets,
etc. In almost every case the telegram included the phrase, ‘Incur
no further expense.” The resulting confusion and concern can be
imagined. Alany of these cancellations affected the work of sub
contractors, many of them outside of the immediate Buffalo district.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
728
During the last week in December the U. S. Employment Service
reported 10,000 unemployed in Buffalo, not including those laid off
for inventory. By the middle of January this number had increased
to 12,000 and the end was not yet in sight.
Conditions in Small Companies
It must not be forgotten that there were little firms, working on
subcontracts, that were scattered about the country in places where,
even though a comparatively small number of persons were thrown
out of work, the whole community suffered. A typical case was that
of a firm in Yonkers, N. Y., which had a prime contract with the
Signal Corps for 5,000 miles of outpost wire. A Boston firm had been
given a subcontract for making the cotton insulation tubes for this
wire. This Boston firm then subcontracted again for cotton braiding
for this insulation. What happened?
On November 27 the War Department received a telegram from the
Liberty Cotton Mills in Dallas, Ga., alarmed because of the cancella
tion of the Boston contract. Dallas is a small town not far from
Atlanta. The Liberty Cotton Mills provided employment for prac
tically all the industrial workers in the town. The telegram said,
“ Entire mill on this contract, and will throw 100 employees out of
work. There is no other work in this town they can do. Advise if you
cannot allow us to continue on this contract until we can secure other
business.”
The War Department asked the U. S. Employment Service to in
vestigate the labor situation at the Georgia plant, and sent the follow
ing telegram to the Liberty Cotton Mills:
Your telegram received. In connection with War Department contracts we
are doing our best to taper off production with due regard to the interests of
industry and labor and in this connection are receiving the advice and assistance
of the War Industries Board and the Department of Labor. You wall recognize
it is impossible for us to intervene in connection with subcontracts and subcon
tractors.
The gist of the War Department’s telegram was really contained in
the last sentence. The prime contractor in Yonkers had been notified
earlier to discontinue production after “ working up goods in process.”
What happened to the various subcontractors was his responsibility,
and the Government was relieved of all obligation for payment on
outstanding subcontracts or for the welfare of the workers.5
These situations, occurring in widely separated areas, have been
told in considerable detail since they are typical of the cross currents,
the misunderstandings, the honest efforts, and the various interests
which must be considered in any report of the situations which existed
in the crowded weeks following the Armistice.
Public and Other Reactions and Appraisals
In a guarded but fairly optimistic analysis of the business and
financial situation for December 1918, the Federal Reserve Board
said, in part:
In general, the transition from the war to the peace basis has thus far proceeded
with very considerable smoothness and with decided lack of friction. Such
5 National Archives.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
W ar Department, Purchase, Storage and TrafficlPile 164.
Demobilization of Manpower, 1918-19
729
slackening of business as has occurred is described as due to Conservatism and
hesitation, the outcome of a desire on the part of producers to know more of
public policies and the probable trend of business.
Thus far the process of readjusting labor to the new conditions has caused but
little inconvenience or difficulty. Labor set free in war industries has been steadily
absorbed by general business, so that the principal effect thus far of the increasing
free supply has been merely that of relieving a previously existing shortage.
There is still an excess of demand at many points. In some [places considerable
numbers of employees have been dropped, but of these a part were temporary
workers who had taken employment partly in order to aid war production,
while many others have been promptly reemployed. Costs have altered but little,
and the high expense of living has made employers feel that it was incumbent
upon them to maintain wages, so far as practicable, pending distinct revision of
prices for necessaries. In some cases it is reported that there is a tendency to a
“ settling down” upon “ a higher level of prices and a higher average of wages
than prevailed from some time preceding the war.”
In this connection it may be noted that the combined wholesaleprice indexes of the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics remained un
changed throughout the last quarter of 1918. However, the retail
prices of cost-of-living items, which had moved steadily upward
throughout the year, advancing almost 12 percent between January
and December, continued their upward movement after the Armistice.
The Christian Science Monitor on December 2, 1918, drew attention
to the profits which industrial companies had “ piled up” during the
war period and stated that these profits “ should enable them to go
through any ordinary period of depression.” It listed a range of
earnings per share for the 4 years ending December 31, for six of
the largest industrial companies. These ranged from $71.80 for
General Electric to $214.35 for General Chemical.
Although Congress was doing little to provide legislative authority
for aiding prospective unemployment, there was almost daily debate
on some phase of demobilization. Senator Chamberlain, a strong
supporter of the Administration, and Chairman of the Senate Military
Affairs Committee throughout the war, openly criticised the War
Department for its seeming lack of policy in the demobilization of the
Army and for inadequate publicity. He said that they “ had no policy
and they have not let the American people know what plans, if any,
they have, so that they may know how to govern themselves.”
As demobilization of the troops proceeded, the lack of authority
to expedite the transfer of the released servicemen out of the demobi
lization centers became an increasing problem. One expedient after
another was tried and the results received considerable publicity.
Soldiers were given in money the cost of transportation to their homes,
free to buy tickets wherever they pleased. Already they were
arriving in the cities, improvident, “ broke,” away from home without
work, applicants for civilian relief. It was not until February 1919—
too late to avoid an unfortunate situation— that the law providing
for travel allowance was changed to provide “ 5 cents per mile from
place of discharge to his actual bona fide home or residence, or original
muster into the service.”
So the year 1918 ended on a note of uncertainty, criticism, and
concern. The early months of 1919 were to be a difficult period for
the American people.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Em ploym ent and Labor Conditions
State Distribution of Federal Employees in October 1 94 3 1
Summary
OVER 72 percent of the civilian employees of the Federal Govern
ment in October 1943 were in the War and Navy Departments and
other war agencies. Because of the necessarily wide distribution of
the military camps, depots, bases, and stations, and of the war price
and rationing boards, Selective Service offices, and employment
offices, there were only 10 States in which war-agency employment
was less than 50 percent of the total Federal employment in the State.
War agencies employed 9 of every 10 Federal workers in 6 States
and at least 8 of every 10 in 16 States.
The State of New York had the largest number of Federal employees,
276.000, or 10,000 more than the Washington metropolitan area.
California was next with 251,000, and Pennsylvania third with 198,000.
Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois, Ohio, and Virginia each had over
100.000. Together, these 8 States had almost 50 percent of all
Federal employees. Delaware had the fewest of any of the States—
2,500.
01 the 1,528,000 increase in Federal employment between June
1941 and October 1943, 1,494,000, or 98 percent, was in war agencies.
Employment in the Post Office Department increased by 24,000 and
that in the approximately 40 other agencies by a total of 10,000.
The increases in almost all of the States, therefore, were the result
of expanding war activities. In 4 of the 13 States showing increased
employment in other activities, the increases were caused for the
most part by the removal of agencies or bureaus from the Washington
metropolitan area.
Although the most important numerical increases in Federal em
ployment between June 1941 and October 1943 occurred in California
(174,000), New York (157,000), and Pennsylvania (99,000), 25 States
showed greater relative increases than Pennsylvania, and 4 (Utah,
Florida, North Carolina, and Alabama) showed greater relative
increases than California. There were almost five times as many
Federal employees in Utah in October 1943 as in June 1941, and
almost four times as many in Florida. In 5 States the number of
Federal employees was more than trebled during the period. Federal
employment declined in only one State— North Dakota.
For every 1,000 inhabitants there were 10 Federal employees in
June 1941 and 22 in October 1943. A part of this increased ratio,
however, is due to the fact that the civilian population figure for 1943
1
Prepared by F. Lucile Christman, Division of Construction and Public Employment of the Bureau
of Labor Statistics, and by John W . Mitchell, U . S. Civil Service Commission.
730
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Employment and Labor Conditions
731
was lower than that for 1941 because of military withdrawals. The
greatest concentration of Federal employees in relation to population
was of course in Washington, D. C., where there were 277 Federal
employees per 1,000 inhabitants in June 1941 and 227 in October
1943. Of the 48 States, Nevada had the highest ratio of Federal
employees to total population in June 1941 (32 per 1,000), and West
Virginia the lowest (3). In October 1943 Utah ranked highest with
54 Federal employees per 1,000 inhabitants, and West Virginia again
was lowest with 5. Although New York had the largest actual
number of Federal employees in both periods, there were 20 States
in June 1941 and 16 States in October 1943 with a larger number in
relation to population.
The presence of the navy yards in some of the coastal States was
an important factor in the concentration of Federal employees in
both periods, but the location of such activities as conservation,
irrigation and other reclamation work, and the administration of
Indian affairs in some of the Mountain States, which were important
influences in June 1941, had by October 1943 been overshadowed by
War and Navy installations and other war-agency offices.
Scope and Method of Study
This article, prepared jointly by the U. S. Civil Service Commission
and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was based on the first compre
hensive study of the geographic distribution of Federal employees
made since the beginning of the war. Previous studies of this kind
were made in December 1936, 1937, 1938, and 1939, and in June 1941.*
All paid employees in the executive branch of the Federal Govern
ment who were working on October 31, 1943, within the continental
limits of the United States3 were included in the present study,
whether full-time or part-time, regular or temporary employees, and
whether force-account construction workers, intermittent workers, or
trainees. Persons working entirely without compensation for their
services and those hired at the nominal compensation of $1 a month or
year, of whom there were 266,000 in October 1943, were not included.
The data for this article were compiled from special reports obtained
by the Civil Service Commission from most of the Government agen
cies. The reports covered various periods from March through
September 1943. The State distribution for the Post Office Depart
ment was based on the retirement report submitted to the Civil
Service Commission as of June 1940. For the Department of Agri
culture the distribution was based on the June 1941 report to the
Civil Service Commission, corrected for subsequent decentralizations
outside the Washington metropolitan area. The figures were then
adjusted for all the agencies to their respective employment levels
in October 1943.
Data on location were not obtained from 13 agencies 4 with aggre
gate employment outside the Washington metropolitan area of 13,100.
2 The results of these earlier studies were presented in the M onthly Labor Review, April 1942 (p. 919).
3 Employees working in Alaska and the Panama Canal Zone were ex eluded from this study.
4 Employment in these agencies outside Washington in October 1943 was as follows: W ar Shipping Adm in
istration 10,568, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System 16, Federal Communications Com
mission 932, Federal Power Commission 222, Federal Trade Commission 59, Government Printing Office
45, Interstate Commerce Commission 681, National Archives 12, National Labor Relations Board 442, Na
tional Mediation Board 67, Smithsonian Institution 7, Tariff Commission 11, and the Executive Office of
the President 27.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
732
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
For several agencies 5 data by location were not available for certain
bureaus or for a number of employees who were either intermittent
workers or were in travel status and not assigned to a particular station.
These employees aggregated 29,700. Although data by location were
obtained from 8 other war agencies,6 their employees, totaling 4,200
in October 1943, were not distributed by State because of their rela
tively small number. The total number of employees for whom data
were not distributed by State was 47,000, or less than 2 percent of the
total reported number of employees.
Expansion of W ar and Other Agencies Since 1941
A striking picture of the increase in Federal employment between
June 1941 and October 1943 can be seen in table 1. From a total of
just over 300,000 in June 1941, War Department employment within
continental United States increased to over 1,200,000 in October
1943— a gain of over 300 percent. In the same period the Navy
Department increased from a little over 200,000 to 620,000 employees,
or over 200 percent. By October 1943, other war agencies employed
187,000 persons, as compared with 20,000 in June 1941.
T
a b le
1.— Employment in War and Other Agencies in Executive Branch of United
States Government, June 1941 and October 1943 1
Number of employees
Agency or agency group
October 1943
Number
Total, executive service________________
__________ . .
W ar agencies, total..- _ . . .
.. . .
W ar Department_________ . .
____________________
N avy Department_______ . . ______ . . .
______ . .
Other war agencies 5_________ _ ________
... .
Post Office Department. .......... ................... ..
All other agencies_________ __________ . . . _____________
June 19413
Percent3
Number
Percent
4 2, 796,900
100.0
1,268,853
1C0.0
2,017,400
1,211,100
619, 600
186,700
325,400
454,100
72.2
43.3
22.2
6.7
11.6
16.2
523.160
300, 730
202, 628
19,802
301, 215
444, 478
41.3
23.7
16.0
1.6
23.7
35.0
1 Data exclude employees outside the continental limits of the United States, and those on basis of $1 per
annum or without compensation.
2 See M onthly Labor Review, April 1942 (pp. 919-926).
3 Percentages were computed from unrounded figures.
4 The difference between this figure and that shown in U . S. Civil Service Commission M onthly Report
of Employment, October 1943, represents employees of Post Office Department stationed outside continental
limits of United States.
5 Includes Maritime Commission, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, The Panama Canal,
and the emergency war agencies.
The Post Office Department was the largest single Federal agency
until June 1941, when its employmentwas exceeded by the War Depart
ment; it remained larger than the Navy Department until January
1942. In spite of the tremendously increased volume of mail result
ing from the war, by October 1943 the Post Office had added only
about 10,000 employees since the beginning of the war and 24,000
since June 1941.
6 These agencies included the Justice (Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Immigration and Naturaliza
tion Service) and Interior Departments, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Security Agency
(Public Health Service), Federal Works Agency, Reconstruction Finance Corporation, National W ar
Labor Board, and War Manpower Commission.
6
Employment in this group of agencies outside Washington was: Fair Employment Practice Committee
39, Office of Civilian Defense 469, Foreign Economic Administration 129, Office of Scientific Research and
Development 43, Smaller War Plants Corporation 1,092, W ar Relocation Authority 1,665, Office of Strategic
Services 225, and the Petroleum Administration for W ar 557.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Employment and Labor Conditions
733
The increase of 9,600 between June 1941 and October 1943 in
agencies other than the war agencies and the Post Office Department,
shown in table 1, does not reflect the full impact of the war upon these
agencies because certain bureaus were transferred to war agencies by
reorganizations and are included in the “ other war agencies” employ
ment in October 1943. The most important shift of this kind, which
affected approximately 22,000 employees, was the transfer of the
U. S. Employment Service from the Federal Security Agency to the
War Manpower Commission in December 1942. Other shifts were
minor from the standpoint of employment at the time they were made.
In June 1941, 5 months prior to the United States’ active participa
tion in the war, 4 of every 10 Federal employees were working in war
agencies, 2 hi the Postal Service, and 4 in other agencies. In October
1943, in the 23d month of war, 7 of every 10 employees were in war
agencies, 1 in the Postal Service, and 2 in other agencies.
In June 1941 the only war agencies were the War and Navy Depart
ments; three agencies created in peacetime (the Maritime Commis
sion, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, and The
Panama Canal) ; the Selective Service System, which had been created
8 months previously; and the Office for Emergency Management,
which was then a small unit with 3,700 employees. By October 1943,
however, many other war agencies had been established, including
the Office of Price Administration, Office of Censorship, Office of
Strategic Services, and the Petroleum Administration for War.
Numerous offices had also been created within the Office for Emer
gency Management, such as the War Manpower Commission, War
Production Board, War Relocation Authority, Foreign Economic
Administration, War Shipping Administration, War Labor Board,
and Alien Property Custodian. The activities of these agencies
are directly related to the prosecution of the war, and include the
maintenance of an adequate flow of goods for both military and
essential civilian uses, the regulation of consumer prices, the operation
of camps for persons of Japanese birth or ancestry who were evacuated
from the West Coast, the recruitment of personnel for the armed
forces and for w'ar plants, and many other activities.
Labeling certain agencies “ war agencies” does not imply that war
activities are carried on only by those so designated. The war has
permeated the activities of every Federal bureau and establishment.
For some, the war has meant increased volume of work. The State,
Treasury, and Post Office Departments, the General Accounting
Office, Government Printing Office, Civil Service Commission, and
Veterans’ Administration are examples. For others, it has meant a
shifting of the emphasis placed upon various aspects of the work.
The Bureau of Standards of the Department of Commerce, for
example, is engaged in the development of new processes, which are
vital to the prosecution of the war, and in testing military and civilian
materials and equipment, which is especially important where sub
stitute materials or new types of design are being proposed. Other
examples are the Weather Bureau, Coast and Geodetic Survey, and
Civil Aeronautics Administration of the Department of Commerce;
the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justice;
the Public Health Service of the Federal Security Agency; and the
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
734
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
Department of Labor. Still other agencies have assumed new func
tions, such as research on and production of guayule and other rubber
bearing plants, and the control of property and funds of enemy and
enemy-dominated countries and their nationals. In some cases new
divisions have been created to handle these new duties; examples are
the War Food Administration (Department of Agriculture), Alien
Enemy Control and Special War Policies Unit (Department of
Justice), and Foreign Funds Control and War Savings Staff (Depart
ment of the Treasury).
Factors Influencing State Rank in Federal Em ploym ent
Of the total of 2,797,000 employees in the executive branch of the
Federal Government stationed within the continental limits of the
United States in October 1943, 10 percent were working in the
Washington, D. C., metropolitan area and the other 2,530,000 were
working in the 48 States (table 2). There were 276,000 Federal
employees in the State of New York, or 10,000 more than in the
Washington metropolitan area. California was next in rank with
251,000 employees, and Pennsylvania almost reached the 200,000
mark with a total of 198,000. Over a fourth of all Federal employees
were in these 3 States, and almost a fifth were in 5 other States with
over 100,000 Federal employees each— Texas (142,000), Massachu
setts (121,000), Illinois (119,000), Ohio (109,000), and Virginia (108,000). Delaware was at the bottom of the list with only 2,500 Federal
employees.
In 6 of the States approximately 9 out of every 10 of the Federal
workers were employed by war agencies, and in 16 States at least 8
out of every 10 workers were in war agencies. War agencies employed
less than 50 percent of the Federal employees in only 10 States.
Of the Navy Department personnel outside the Washington
metropolitan area, 91 percent were in the 8 coastal States having ship
construction yards— California, Maine,7 Massachusetts, New York,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington— and in
Florida, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Texas, where there are large
air stations, ammunition depots, or training stations. Although
there were marked concentrations of Navy Department employees
in these 12 States, there were some Navy employees in all but 5
States. The employees in the inland areas were concerned with
activities such as the handling of ordnance and supplies, and the
inspection of naval materials. It should be pointed out that the total
of 50,000 employees shown for the Navy Department in the Washing
ton,!D. C., area includes workers at the navy yard, the torpedo station
at Alexandria, Va., the medical center at Bethesda, Md., and many
other employees whose work is not concerned with strictly head
quarters activities.
7
The Portsmouth (N . H .) N avy Yard has been included with the State of Maine because its physical
location, with the exception of the headquarters office, is in that State.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
735
Employment and Labor Conditions
T a b l e 2 .— Estimated Employment in Executive Branch of United States Government, by
States and Selected Agencies, October 1943 1
W ar age ncies
Total
State
Total
W ar
Depart
ment
N avy
Depart
ment
Post
Office
Other
Depart
war
ment
agencies5
All other
agencies
All areas__________ _______
Washington metropolitan area 4______
Other areas__________
«2, 796, 900
2, 017, 400
1, 211,100
619, 600
186, 700
3 325, 400
454,100
265,600
2, 531,300
135, 700
1,881, 700
50,600
1,160, 500
49, 600
570, 000
35, 500
151, 200
8,000
317,400
121, 900
332, 200
Alabama_________________
Arizona___________________
A rkansas________________
California________________
Colorado________ ________
Connecticut— __________
62, 700
16, 700
24, 300
251, 400
24, 500
10, 700
50,000
10, 700
17, 700
213,200
16, 300
5,000
47, 900
10,100
16, 500
113; 400
14, 500|
1,700
200
87, 5ÔÔ
100
1,800
1,900
600
1, 200
12, 300
1, 700
1,500
3, 500
900
3, 000
18¡ 00Ó
2,900
3,800
9,200
5,100
3 000
20, 200
5, 300
1,900
Delaware_________________
Florida____ ____________
Georgia___________________
Idaho ____________________
Illin o is__________________
Ind ian a.. ______________
2,500
65, 700
69,000
9,800
118, 500
33,400
1,700
58,000
54,900
5,200
74,500
22,400
1,200
31,400
50, 200
2,800
59,100
14,500
200
23, 200
1, 200
2,000
7,100
5,700
300
3,400
3,500
400
8, 300
2,200
600
3,700
6,600
1,100
27, 700
7,100
200
4,000
7, 500
3,500
16, 300
3, 900
Iowa________ . . . —- _
K an sas... . . . . . . .
Kentucky________________
Louisana_________________
M aine_____ ___________ __
Maryland_________ ______
13,500
26, 600
31, 400
37, 500
28,800
49, 900
4,900
18,400
19, 500
27,800
24,800
35,600
3,300
17, 200
17,800
21, 000
2,700
22,400
200
100
100
4,100
« 21, 200
11,400
1,400
1, 100
1,600
2,700
900
1, 800
5,800
4,500
5,400
3,800
2,300
3,500
2,800
3,700
6,500
5,900
1,700
10,800
Massachusetts___________
Michigan_____
_______
Minnesota_______________
Mississippi_______________
Missouri_________________
Montana______
...
__
121,200
48, 500
19, 200
25, 300
48, 600
8, 300
100, 400
31, 500
5,300
19, 700
27, 200
3,100
41, 300
24, 700
2,200
18,400
23,100
2, 600
53,900
2,200
300
5,200
4,600
2,800
1,300
3, 300
500
14,100
10, 600
8,900
2,600
12, 200
1, 400
6, 700
6,400
5,000
3,000
9,200
3 son
Nebraska_________________
Nevada___________ _______
New Hampshire_________
New Jersey____. . . ______
New Mexico_______ _ .
New Y o rk_______________
23,800
4,800
3,700
75, 500
14, 900
275,600
16,200
2,800
1, 700
63,400
9,800
194, 900
13,000
1,200
1,100
55,500
9, 400
89i 400
2,200
1,400
« 100
5,000
87,400
1,000
200
500
2,900
400
18,100
4, 500
300
1, 300
7, 900
l r000
49, 700
3,100
1, 700
700
4,200
4 mo
31,000
North Carolina__________
North Dakota____ ______
Ohio_________ ___________
Oklahoma_________ _____ _
Oregon...... .............. .........
Pennsylvania________ . .
43,600
4,000
108, 700
38, 200
17,400
197, 700
26,900
500
80,400
29,400
9,700
160,400
19, 900
(5)
67, 900
25, 100
7, 700
76,700
4, 800
(s)
4,400
2,900
600
74,800
2,200
500
8,100
1,400
1,400
8,900
4,600
1,800
19, 000
4,100
2,700
22, 300
12,100
1, 700
9,300
4, 700
5,000
15,000
Rhode Island________ . .
South Carolina.. . . . ___
South D a k o ta ........
Tennessee________________
Texas___________ ________
U tah____ _______ ______
24, 700
49,600
9,200
42, 600
141, 900
31,800
22,800
44,600
5,100
21, 500
114, 700
27, 900
2,100
15,700
4,600
18, 900
98,300
25,700
19,800
27, 700
700
9,100
1,700
900
1,200
500
1, 900
7,300
500
1,400
2,200
1, 700
4,800
12, 300
1,100
500
2,800
2 400
16, 300
14, 900
2,800
Vermont_________________
Virginia__________________
Washington____________ _
W est Virginia_________ . .
Wisconsin_______ _____ __
W y o m in g ........................
2,900
107,800
86, 500
8,000
18,800
4,600
700
96,700
72,300
2,900
8,000
2,100
300
25,800
33,700
1,700
5,000
1,800
66, 600
36, 400
100
1,000
(5)
400
4,300
2,200
1,100
2,000
300
1,100
5,300
4,400
3,400
5,800
700
1 100
5, 800
9,800
1, 700
5,000
1,800
Undistributed7________ _
47,000
18,500
(•)
(5)
800
18, 500
28,500
1 Data exclude employees outside continental limits of the United States, and those on basis of $1 per
annum or without compensation.
2 Includes Maritime Commission, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, The Panama Canal,
and the emergency war agencies.
3 The difference between this figure and that shown in U. S. Civil Service Commission M onthly Report of
Em ploym ent, October 1943, represents employees of the Post Office Department stationed outside conti
nental limits of United States.
4 The Washington metropolitan area includes certain adjacent sections in Maryland and Virginia, as
designated by the Bureau of the Census.
{ Fewer than 50 employees.
8
Portsmouth (N . H .) N avy Yard included with State of Maine because its physical location, with the
exception of headquarters office, is in that State.
7
Data were not distributed by State for 13 agencies or for certain employees of several other agencies.
For details, see Scope and method of study, p. 731.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
736
Employees of the War Department were distributed throughout the
48 States. There were 113,000 War Department employees in Cali
fornia, mainly at air stations, camps, and the ports of embarkation.
Its 98,000 employees in Texas were mainly in air stations and camps,
while the 89,000 in the State of New York were mainly in the port of
embarkation, manufacturing arsenals, and air stations and camps.
Manufacturing arsenals, quartermaster depots, Signal Corps estab
lishments, and air stations were the most important War Department
installations in Pennsylvania and engaged 77,000 employees in Octo
ber 1943. In four other States— Ohio, Illinois. New Jersey, and
Georgia— the number of War Department employees exceeded 50,000.
Approximately 3 percent of the 187,000 employees in other war
agencies in October 1943 were in establishments which conducted very
little of their work outside the Washington area. These agencies
included the Office of Strategic Services, Foreign Economic Administra
tion, Office of Scientific Research and Development, and the Office of
War Mobilization. Certain of the other agencies, on the other hand,
had duties requiring contact with either individual citizens or firms
and were therefore scattered over the entire area of the 48 States.
Examples are the Selective Service System, U. S. Employment Serv
ice, and Office of Price Administration. Agencies which carried on
activities requiring concentrations of employees in specific local areas
included the. Office of Censorship, War Relocation Authority, and
Maritime Commission.
As a result of these factors, there were some employees of the war
agencies other than War and Navy in every one of the 48 States, with
concentrations in New York (18,100), California (12,300), Pennsyl
vania (8,900), Illinois (8,300), Ohio (8,100), and Texas (7,300).
Employment in the Post Office Department constituted over a third
of the Federal employees in 7 States— Connecticut, Iowa, Minnesota,
New Hampshire, North Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia— and
employment in all other agencies constituted over a third in 7 States—
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, and
Wyoming.
,
Changes in State Distribution 1941 to 1943
With the exception of North Dakota, all States gained in number of
Federal employees between June 1941 and October 1943 (table 3).
Utah showed the greatest relative gain, with almost five times as
many Federal employees in October 1943 as in June 1941, while
Florida had almost four times as many. In the case of Utah, the
expansion was mainly the result of establishing a large Army air
depot, while in the case of Florida it was due to the opening of
several naval air stations, a naval operating base, and numerous
Army air bases and stations.
Federal employment more than trebled in five States— North Caro
lina, Alabama, California, Georgia, and Oklahoma. The principal
factors causing these gains were the opening of a large Marine Corps
training center and air station in North Carolina, the expansion of
employment at the Mare Island Navy Yard and the establishment
of the ports of embarkation in California, and the starting or expansion
of Army air stations and training camps in all five of the States.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
737
Employment and Labor Conditions
T a b l e 3. — Employment in Executive Branch of United States Government, by States, June
1941 and October 1943 1
Employees per
1,000 inhabitants2
Number of employees
October 1943
(estimated)
State
Number
A ll areas._ ______________
.
__ _ 8 2, 796,900
265, 600
Washington metropolitan area6. . .
Other areas _______________________
2, 531, 300
June 19413
October
1943
Percent4
Number
June
1941
Percent
100.0
9.5
90.5
1,268,853
183,908
1,084.945
100.0
14.5
85.5
22.0
227.3
19.6
9.6
277.4
8.2
A la b a m a __________
A rizo n a_________
Arkansas____________ . . . _
California____________ __ _
Colorado____________________
Connecticut_____ .
62, 700
16, 700
24, 300
251,400
24, 500
10, 700
2.2
.6
.9
9.0
.9
.4
19,117
7, 529
10, 079
77, 070
11, 550
7,311
1.5
.6
.8
6.1
.9
.6
23.1
29.4
14.0
31.9
22.9
6.1
6.7
15.1
5.2
11.2
10.3
4.3
Delaware______ __
Florida__________________
Georgia___ _____ _ _
Idaho ___
Illinois_____ _________ .
Indiana_________
2,500
65,700
69,000
9,800
118, 500
33,400
.1
2.3
2.5
.4
4.2
1.2
1,699
17, 559
22,105
6,143
58,182
17, 035
.1
1.4
1.7
.5
4.6
1.3
8.9
32.6
23.2
20.7
15.7
9.9
6.4
9.2
7.1
11.7
7.4
5.0
13, 500
26, 600
31,400
37, 500
28,800
49, 900
.5
1.0
1.1
1.3
1.0
1.8
9, 816
9, 570
16,119
17, 499
13, 224
32,343
.8
.8
1.3
1.4
1.0
2.5
5.9
15.9
12.3
16.2
36.8
27.7
3.9
5.3
5.7
7.4
15.6
17.8
121, 200
48, 500
19, 200
25, 300
48, 600
8,300
4.3
1.7
.7
.9
1.7
.3
54, 675
22, 294
15, 562
11, 658
25, 010
7,129
4.3
1.8
1.2
.9
2.0
.6
29.6
9.0
7.6
12.7
13.8
17.9
12.7
4.2
5.6
5.3
6.6
12.8
23,800
4,800
3,700
75, 500
14, 900
275, 600
.8
.2
.1
2.7
.5
9.9
10, 525
3, 558
2,498
30,026
6, 984
118, 763
.8
.3
.2
2.4
.5
9.4
20.2
37.1
8.2
18.5
30.5
22.1
8.0
32.3
5.1
7.2
13.1
8.8
North Carolina. _ ____ ______
.
North Dakota . .
Ohio___________ _
Oklahoma .
Oregon_______________ . _
Pennsylvania_________ . . . __________
43, 600
4, 000
108. 700
38, 200
17, 400
197, 700
1.6
.1
3.9
1.4
.6
7.1
13,109
4,194
43,800
12, 321
12, 524
98, 522
1.0
.3
3.4
1.0
1.0
7.8
13.0
7.5
15.9
19.2
14.8
21.3
3.7
6.5
6.3
5.3
11.5
10.0
Rhode I s la n d _______________ _
___
South Carolina_______________________
South Dakota____________
.
Tennessee_____________ ____________
. ...
Texas . . ___ . . .
U tah_____ __ . _________ . _ _______
24, 700
49, 600
9, 200
42, 600
141, 900
31,800
.9
1.8
.3
1.5
5.1
1.1
9,412
20, 796
4, 962
28, 050
54, 933
6, 629
.7
1.6
.4
2.2
4.3
.5
35.6
27.7
17.0
15.1
22.7
54.4
13.2
10.9
7.7
9.6
8.6
12.0
Vermont_______ ________________ _____
Virginia . . . . .
.
. . ______
W ashington . .
______________
W est Virginia___ . _. _ ____________
Wisconsin. .......................................
W yom ing____ '______________________
2,900
107, 800
86, 500
8, 000
18,800
4,600
.1
3.8
3.1
.3
.7
.2
2,408
49, 256
33,849
6,451
12, 646
4, 521
.2
3.9
2.7
.5
1.0
.4
9.3
41.4
45.4
4.7
6.4
19.3
6.7
18.4
19.5
3.4
4.0
18.0
47, 000
1.7
3, 930
.3
Iowa______ . . _
Kansas........... .......
K entucky_____ _
Louisiana.................. _
M aine 7_______ _
Maryland_____ __
Massachusetts__________
Michigan________.
Minnesota________ ________
Mississippi............... ..
_ _
Missouri______
M ontana_________________
Nebraska___ _____ ______
N ev a d a ... ____________ .
New Hampshire7________ ____
New Jersey . . ______ .
New M exico.. ____
.
New Y o rk_________ . .
.
1 Data exclude employees outside continental limits of the United States, and those on basis of $1 per
annum or without compensation.
2 Data for October 1943 were based on civilian population on November 1, 1943, as estimated by Bureau
of Census; those for June 1941 were based on total population on April 1, 1940, as reported in 16th Decennial
Census.
3 See M onthly Labor Review, April 1942 (p. 919).
4 Percentages were computed from unrounded figures.
5 The difference between this figure and that shown in U . S. Civil Service Commission M onthly Report
of Employment, October 1943, represents employees of Post Office Department stationed outside conti
nental limits of United States.
8
In October 1943 the Washington metropolitan area included certain adjacent sections of Maryland and
Virginia, as designated by the Bureau of the Census. The data for June 1941 are for the District of Colum
bia only.
i The Portsmouth (N . H .) N avy Yard included with State of Maine because its physical location, with
exception of headquarters office, is in that State.
8 Data were not distributed by State for 13 agencies or for certain employees of several other agencies.
For details, see Scope and method of study, p. 731.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
738
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
01? 7 October 1943 Federal employment bad increased to more than
• times the June 1941 level m Kansas, Rhode Island, Texas, Wash
ington, and New Jersey. The increase in Rhode Island was almost
entirely m the naval torpedo station at Newport. In the State of
Washington, Navy Department employees, most of whom work at
the Puget Sound Navy Yard, more than doubled, while War Depart
ment employees who were working at air stations, camps, and the
poit ol embarkation at Seattle, increased to 10 times their June 1941
number. I he major part of the increases in Kansas and Texas was
m ai'Tny camps and air stations, while in New Jersey most of the new
employees were engaged in the manufacture of guns, ammunition
clothing, and signal equipment for the Army.
The number of Federal employees was more than doubled in 15
0 j i r tat^ ’ but m eacb case most of tlle increase was in the War
and Navy Departments.
Employment in agencies other than the war agencies and Post Office
Department increased in only 13 of the States. The gain of 3,500 in
Illinois mainly resulted from moving the offices of the Railroad Retire
ment Board and Division of Savings Bond of the Treasury Depart
ment from Washington to Chicago; the 1,800 gain in Missouri was
the result of removing the Rural Electrification Administration to
FaJnu 9 iredit Administration to Kansas City.
S milarly theshiftmg of the Wage and Hour Division (Labor Department), the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (National Housing
Agency), Employees Compensation Commission, and certain offices
ol the Veterans Administration from Washington to New York
City accounts for approximately half of the increase of 5,200 in the
State of New York. The moving of the Securities and Exchange
Commission and Immigration and Naturalization Service (Justice
Department) offices to Philadelphia accounts for most of the 2 800
mciease m Pennsylvania. In North Carolina the 7,000 increase was
almost entirely m the Tennessee Valley Authority, whose total em
ployment, despite recent curtailments, was higher in October 1943
tnan m June 1941.
-p F,b^fbrca^ st' decline in agencies other than the war agencies and
Post Office Department occurred in Tennessee and was mainly in the
1 ennessee Valley Authority, which reduced staff because of the com
pletion ot certain projects and the restrictions placed upon the use of
construction materials by the War Production Board.
Ratio of Federal Employees to Population
.
every State the ratio of Federal employment to population
increased between June 1941 and October 1943 (table 3). Even in
North Dakota, where the number of Federal employees declined, their
ratio to total population increased because of a relatively greater
population decrease. In June 1941 the ratios for individual States
ranged from 3 employees per 1,000 inhabitants in West Virginia to
32 m Nevada In October 1943, West Virginia was again at the
bottom ot the list with 5 employees per 1,000 persons, while Utah
ti ’e ]st ^ath 54. Washington and Virginia ranked second
and third, respectively, m both periods, having 20 and 18 employees
per 1,000 mhabitants m 1941 as compared with 45 and 41, respectively
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
739
Employment and Labor Conditions
in 1943. Nevada ranked fourth in 1943, with 37 Federal employees
per 1,000 inhabitants.
The population ratios in 1941 in some of the coastal States were
largely accounted for by the presence of the navy yards, and in some
of the sparsely settled Mountain States by the carrying on of con
servation, irrigation and other reclamation projects, and the adminis
tration of Indian affairs. Navy yards were still an important influ
ence in October 1943, but the outstanding factor was the location of
War and Navy installations in places strategically situated from the
standpoint of climate, terrain, existing facilities, or labor supply.
Although Post Office employment was sizable in both periods,
because of the nature of its service, the distribution of postal employees
roughly paralleled that of the population.
Occupational Distribution of Negroes in 1940
THE Negro population of the United States in 1940 was 12,865,518
•
— an increase of 8.2 percent over the number reported by the pre
ceding Census.
Of the 4,479,068 employed Negroes (excluding those on public
emergency work), approximately 110,000 were engaged in the various
professions. In addition there were 48,154 Negro proprietors, man
agers, and officials in industries other than agriculture.
Of the 48,154 Negro proprietors, managers, and officials in indus
tries other than agriculture, 32,274 were in retail and wholesale trade.
In 1939 the number of retail stores with Negro proprietors was 29,827
— an increase of 30 percent as compared with 1935. In the same
period the sales of these enterprises expanded from $47,968,000 to
$71,466,000, or 49 percent.
Negro Employed Workers (Except on Public Emergency Work) by Major Occupation
Group ana Sex, in the United States, 1940 1
Percentage
distribution
Major occupation group
Total
Males
Females
Total
Male
Fe
male
Total___________________ _____ _______ _______ _
4, 479,068
2,936, 795
1,542, 273
100.0
100.0
100.0
Professional workers_________________________
Semiprofessional workers. _________________
Farmers and farm managers________________
Proprietors, managers, and officials, except
farm______________________________ ____ _____
Clerical, sales, and kindred workers________
Craftsmen, foremen, and kindred workers..
Operatives and kindred workers____________
Domestic service workers.. _ .................... ..
Service workers, except domestic___________
Farm laborers (wage workers) and farm
foremen____________________________ _______
Farm laborers (unpaid family workers)____
Laborers, except farm and mine____________
Occupation not reported____________________
109, 836
9,364
666, 695
46,539
6, 773
620, 479
63, 297
2,591
46, 216
2.5
.2
14.9
1.6
.2
21.1
4.1
.2
3.0
48,154
79, 322
132,110
464,195
1,003, 508
522, 229
37, 240
58, 557
129, 736
368,005
85, 566
362,424
10, 914
20, 765
2,374
96,190
917,942
159, 805
1.1
1.8
2.9
10.4
22.4
11.7
1.3
2.0
4.4
12.5
2.9
12.3
.7
1.3
.2
6.2
59.5
10.4
483, 785
296, 527
636, 600
26,743
413, 574
168,189
623, 641
16,072
70, 211
128, 338
12,959
10,671
10.8
6.6
14.2
.6
14.1
5.7
21.2
.5
4.6
8.3
.8
.7
1 United States Bureau of the Census.
November 4,1943.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Population— Special reports, Series P-1943, N o. 4.
Washington,
740
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
Absenteeism in Australia1
AUSTRALIA’S absenteeism record is about the same as those of
other countries working under war conditions. During 1942, studies
indicated that all unscheduled absences from work in Australia,
whether “ justified” or not, totaled 7 percent for men and 13 percent
for women. Recreation leave and authorized holidays are not in
cluded in these figures. Absence from industry in Great Britain was
estimated to be not less than 10 percent in October 1942; time lost
by absenteeism in 3,600 United States manufacturing establishments
averaged 6.2 percent in May 1943; in 35 Canadian war plants in
September-November 1942, absenteeism stood at 7 percent; during
August-October 1942, time lost in 34 New Zealand factories (mainly
engineering) was 6.5 percent for men and 11.5 percent for women.
Figures of Australian absenteeism are based on studies made in
16 private factories employing 20,000 men and women, and in 10
Government factories. Statistical returns were obtained for 7 months
in the latter establishments, beginning in April 1942. In the private
plants, similar records were furnished for 6 weeks in July and August
1942, and, in addition, 1,200 absentees were visited by special inter
viewers. The accompanying table indicates the absenteeism as a
percent of possible man-hours and the average length of absence in
the 26 plants studied, for men and women. Government factories
Nos. 1 and 2 worked particularly long hours (60 or more per week),
which partially accounts for the larger figures for Government plants
than for private establishments.
Percentage Loss of Time and Average Length of Absence in 26 Australian Factories, 1942
W om en
M en
Kind of factory
Private factories 1_________________________
H eavy industries (3 factories)________
Explosives (2 factories)_______________
Light metal process work (2 factories)
Textiles (9 factories)_______________ . . .
Government-owned factories 2.
Factory N o. 1_____________
Factory N o. 2_____________
Factory N o. 3_____________
Factory N o. 4_____________
Factory N o. 5_____________
Factory N o. 6_____________
Factory N o. 7_____________
Factory N o. 8_____________
Factory N o. 9____________ _
Factory N o. 10____________
Absence as
percent of
possible
man-hours
Average
period of
absence
per year
5. 6
5.8
7.0
5.5
4.9
D ays
19. 2
19. 5
15.5
20.4
20. 7
8.3
10.3
9.6
7.8
7.7
4.8
6.2
4.6
9.1
5.2
4.1
21.3
26.0
17.7
18.1
16.2
24.3
15.5
24.0
Absence as
percent of
possible
man-hours
12.6
11.2
13.1
8.7
13.9
12.8
11.0
17.3
14.8
14.4
11.7
8.7
7.8
14.4
Average
period of
absence
per year
D ays
. 22.3
27.0
15.7
20.4
23.6
16.7
24.3
20.1
9.9
16.0
22.3
1 Average of 6 weeks.
2 Average of 7 months.
In every factory, loss of time was proportionately much greater
among women than men, generally owing not to longer but to more
frequent absences. More than half the total absences for men and
1 Australia. Department of Labor and National Service, Industrial Welfare Division, Bulletin N q, 2:
Pqw tq Reduce Absenteeism and Increase Productions [Canberra], 1943,
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
741
Employment and Labor Conditions
women were of 1 day or less, but these accounted for only from onefifth to one-fourth of the time lost; two-fifths consisted of absences
of from 1 to 3 weeks, indicating serious causes. The percentage of
absences remained fairly constant in each factory from week to week.
Time lost was about the same each day of the week except for higher
losses on Saturday; rates were slightly lower on pay day and higher the
day after, but the variations were not significant. Absenteeism in
plants which worked on a 3-shift basis was no greater on the average
than in those which were on day work, for larger losses of time at
night were offset by smaller losses in the morning, and, sometimes, on
the afternoon shifts. Little overtime was worked in the private
factories, but in the plants where it was worked, absenteeism was
generally slightly higher because many workers felt there was not the
same obligation to work overtime as to work ordinary time. Bad
working conditions, such as excessive dust or heat, raised the rate
of absences in particular departments. Differences in marital status,
age, and rate of pay seemjto have been of very minor importance as
causes for absence.
The most important single cause of Australian absenteeism was
sickness and accident, which frequently accounted for about half of
the total absence, for both men and women. _ Sickness in the family
was the next most common reason, being 3 times as common among
women as among men. Other home ties, such as caring for the chil
dren and keeping the home, were also important causes for women.
Return of soldiers on leave, the necessity for attending to private
business, and various other reasons (i.e., transportation difficulties)
accounted for the remaining part of the total absenteeism. The
percents of the total time lost which were attributed to the various
causes, in the interviews with the 1,200 absentees from the private
factories are shown in the accompanying tabulation.
Percent of cases caused by—
Sickness and accident-------------Sickness in family------------------Home ties (other than sickness)
Soldiers on leave--------------------Private business---------------------Miscellaneous-------------------------Total_______________________
M en
W om en
7
5
8
7
7
6
74. 7
3. 2
2. 7
61.
11.
4.
3.
4.
13.
100. 0
100. 0
Both sexes
65.
9.
3.
2.
5.
12.
9. 7
9. 7
4
8
9
7
4
8
100. 0
Other contributing factors shown to be important by the interviews
with absentees are the remoteness of the management from the worker ;
bad relations between workers and the foreman; and unexplained in
terruptions and shortages in the supply of work, which workers usually
attribute to inefficient management.
On the basis of the investigations, the report concludes that the
existent absenteeism can be reduced at least to the level existing in
the better factories, i. e., 3 percent for men and 8 percent for women.
One-third of the time lost appears to be the result of a practically
irreducible minimum of sickness, accidents, and the ills of life gen
erally. Improved conditions within the factories and also better
arrangements for shopping, transport, and the care of children could
reduce greatly the remaining two-thirds, which include a good deal
pf sickness and accident absence preventable by more healthful work-«.
§
78877— 44 ----------- 4.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
742
ing conditions. Measures already being tried in certain places and
suggested for the control of absenteeism include joint managementworker production committees; careful choice and training of foremen;
at least one Saturday afternoon a month free for each worker; a sys
tem of formal application for leave and the interviewing of an absentee;
first-aid facilities, a trained nurse, or a medical officer; planned meal
and tea rest periods; and factory food services.
W
W
W
.
Working Conditions in Great Britain and
Northern Ireland in 1 9 4 3 1
IN GENERAL, working conditions in Great Britain and Northern
Ireland did not change a great deal in 1943. Unemployment con
tinued to decline. Cost of living and hours of work remained about
the same, with rates of wages rising to a certain extent. Strikes in
creased somewhat in number, but no single dispute was outstanding.
Unemployment
Unemployment in the United Kingdom continued to decline in
1943 and the numbers registering as unemployed consisted almost
entirely of persons who were changing from one job to another, who
could not transfer to other districts, or who had just left school and
not yet begun work. The number of wholly unemployed fell from
110,712 in October 1942 to 82,626 in October 1943. Persons tempo
rarily without work and unemployed casual workers totaled 8,090
and 3,904 in the same month of the 2 years respectively. These
figures do not include 23,873 persons in 1942 and 19,974 persons in
1943, who were classified as unfit for normal employment. Table
1 shows unemployment averages for wholly and temporarily unem
ployed workers, and unemployed casual workers, in the years 192943. In each category the figures for 1943 are substantially lower
than the corresponding figures for any other year.
T able
1.— Average Number of Unemployed Registered in United Kingdom, 1929-43
Year
W holly
unem
ployed
1929_________________
1930_________________
1931_________________
1932_________________
1933_________________
1934_________________
1935_________________
1936_____ ______ _____
900, 553
1,347,840
1,994,471
2,136,052
2,037, 517
1, 763, 911
1, 706, 783
1,491,051
Tem po Unem
rarily
ployed
casual
out of
work
workers
268, 595
527, 720
587, 719
574, 315
456, 743
369,002
312, 757
251,568
79,440
98, 941
115,678
102,675
94, 098
88,150
86, 581
79, 081
Year
W holly
unem
ployed
1937_________________
1938_________________
1939_________________
1940_________________
1941_________________
1942_________________
1943______ _____ _____
1, 284,123
1,433,248
1, 308,212
829, 458
314, 507
125,311
93, 408
Tempo Unem
ployed
rarily
f casual
out of
work
workers
205, 369
380,484
220, 990
165, 962
62,124
8,615
2,825
67,509
67,625
60, 599
39,252
14,890
5,346
2,842
Rates of P a y
Increases in rates of pay were granted in most of the principal in
dustries during 1943. In industries for which information is avail1 Data are from Great Britain, M inistry of Labor Gazette (London), January 1944.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Employment and Labor Conditions
743
able (including agriculture), it is estimated that at the end of 1943
the average level of full-time weekly rates was from 4 to 5 percent
higher than at the end of 1942, and about 38 or 39 percent higher than
at the beginning of the war. The increases do not cover Govern
ment employees, domestic servants, shop assistants, and clerks, and
do not take into account the marked rise in actual earnings resulting
from fuller employment, longer working hours, extension of nightshift work and of payment by results, and transference of workers to
higher-paid occupations.
Changes within the industries affected tended to vary. Some of
the principal 1943 increases follow. Railway workers received in
creases of 4s. 6d. a week for men and women and 2s. 3d. for juniors.
In the building industry, hourly wages of craftsmen advanced Id.
and those of laborers %d. Agreements by the joint industrial coun
cils raised minimum rates of wages by 4s. a week for men and 3s. for
women employed in the retail distribution of meat and other food,
drapery, clothing and footwear, furniture, etc. Minimum weekly
time rates in the drug and fine chemical industry were increased by
4s. for men, 3s. for women, 4s. for young persons 18 years and under
21 years of age, and 3s. for boys and girls under 18 years. People
who were engaged in the production of London newspapers, and whose
basic wage did not exceed £10 10s. a week, were granted increases in
war bonus ranging from 10s. to 15s. weekly for men and from 5s. to
10s. for women; in other branches of the printing and bookbinding
industry, general weekly increases of 7s. 6d.and 6s. 6d. occurred for men
and women, respectively. Advances in the textile industries ranged
from increases of 2s. a week for adult occupations and Is. for juvenile
occupations in the preparing and spinning of cotton, to a 5s. increase for
weavers and most other classes of operatives in the manufacturing
section. Upward revisions were also made in other industries.
No general change in wage rates took place in the coal-mining in
dustry in 1943. Among the other important industries or branches of
industry in which no alteration in the general level of rates occurred
were the manufacture of heavy chemicals, pottery, cement, and tin
boxes, various branches of the textile industry, most clothing trades,
coopering, paper manufacture, leather tanning, and dock labor.
Net decreases for the year occurred in the iron and steel industry,
owing to the operation of agreements under which wage rates are ad
justed periodically in accordance with movements of the official costof-living index.
Hours o f Labor
Few changes occurred during 1943 in the hours constituting a
normal workweek. In a few groups of agricultural workers, there
were reductions in the number of hours per week beyond which over
time rates must be paid. Revised hours of duty, involving some cuts,
were agreed upon for certain classes of men in the merchant navy.
No other important alterations were reported.
Cost of Living
The general level of cost of living showed little variation during
1943. On the basis of July 1914 as 100, the official cost-of-living
index figure stood at 199 throughout the first 3 months of the year,
fluctuated between 198 and 200 for the next 6 months, and remained
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
744
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
at 199 during the last quarter. The continued steadiness of the index
was due to the maintenance of the policy, established by the Chan
cellor of the Exchequer in 1941, of controlling retail prices and sub
sidizing essential goods and services. Increases in the index of prices
for certain articles of food and miscellaneous goods were offset by the
decline which took place in the average level of prices of clothing as a
result of the increased proportions of “ utility” goods on sale. The
index figures for rent and for fuel and light remained unchanged
throughout the year.
Industrial Disputes
The 1,775 strikes begun in 1943 involved 559,000 workers and
1,810,000 man-days of idleness compared with 1,303 strikes, 457,000
workers, and 1,527,000 man-days of idleness in 1942. The great
majority of the 1943 stoppages affected only individual establish
ments and small numbers of workpeople, and were of short duration.
Nearly half of the disputes and of the man-days of idleness occurred
in the coal-mining industry, while the metal, engineering, and ship
building industries accounted for approximately one-third. Table 2
indicates the number of strikes, workers involved, and man-days of
idleness, by industry, for 1942 and 1943.
T a b l e 2 . — Strike Activity in United Kingdom, by Industry, 1942 and 1943
1943
Industry group
All industries_________________________
Fishing______________ _________________
Coal mining__________________________
Other mining and quarrying_________
Brick, pottery, glass, chemical, etc___.
Engineering__________ ________________
Shipbuilding__________________________
Iron and steel and other metal_______
Textile________ _____ _____ y.___________
Clothing______________________________
Food, drink, and tobacco____________
Woodworking, furniture, etc_________
Building, public works contracting,
Transport_____________________________
Commerce, distribution, and finance.
All other industries___________________
N um
ber of
strikes
start
ing in
year
1,775
3
835
19
30
287
197
128
51
22
17
4
71
68
8
35
1942
M andays of
idle
ness
N um
ber of
strikes
start
ing in
year
Workers
in
volved 1
M andays of
idle
ness
1 559,000 1,810, 000
1, 303
1 457,000
1, 527,000
526
29
39
233
111
132
47
13
12
8
66
51
8
28
1 252,000
4,600
5, 500
82,000
42,000
18, 200
9,600
5, 100
2,000
1,700
13, 400
15, 600
2,000
3, 300
840, 000
22, 000
10,000
283, 000
192, 000
51,000
26, 000
19, 000
4,000
6,000
29, 000
35, 000
3, 000
7,000
Workers
in
volved 1
1,700
i 295,000
1,700
1,600
120, 000
32,000
18, 000
6,100
3,100
8, 800
700
13, 200
53, 600
500
3,000
14,000
890, 000
3, 000
4,000
437, 000
137, 000
60, 000
17, 000
7, 000
27, 000
1,000
25, 000
180, 000
1,000
7, 000
1 Workpeople involved in more than one stoppage are counted more than once in the year’s total. This
duplication occurs chiefly m the coal-mining industry, where the net number of workers involved in stoppages during the year was 178,000 in 1943 and 153,000 in 1942. The net number of workers involved, in
all industries, was approximately 411,000 in 1943 and 338,000 in 1942.
Man-days of idleness owing to strikes in 1943 exceeded the totals
for any of the 5 preceding years. However, the aggregate was equiv
alent to only a small fraction of 1 working day per worker when aver
aged over the whole of the wage-earning population. During the last
war, the aggregate numbers of working days lost in disputes ranged
from about 2,450,000 in 1916 to nearly 5,900,000 in 1918. Number
of strikes, workers involved, and man-days of idleness are shown in
table 3 for each year from 1929 to 1943.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
745
Employment and Labor Conditions
T a b l e 3. — Strike Activity in United Kingdom, by Years, 1929-43
Year
Number
of strikes
starting
in year
Number of workers irivolved 1
Directly
Indirectly
Total
Number
of mandays of
idleness
1929_________________________________________
1930_________________________________________
1931__________ A _____________________________
1932____________________________________ _____
1933_________________________________________
431
422
420
389
357
493, 000
286,000
424, 000
337,000
114,000
40,000
21,000
66,000
42,000
22, 000
533, 000
307, 000
490,000
379,000
136, 000
8,290,000
4, 400,000
6, 980, 000
6, 490,000
1,070,000
1934_________________________________________
1935_________________________________________
1936_________________________________________
1937__________________________________________
1938_____________ _____ ______________________
471
553
818
1,129
875
109, 000
230, 000
241,000
388, 000
211,000
25, 000
41,000
75, 000
209,000
63, 000
134,000
271,000
316,000
597,000
274,000
960,000
1,960,000
1,830, 000
3,410, 000
1, 330,000
1939_________________________________________
1940_________________________________________
1941_________________________________________
1942_________________________________________
1943_________________________________________
940
922
1,251
1, 303
1, 775
246,000
225,000
297,000
350,000
2 453, 000
91,000
74,000
63,000
107, 000
104,000
337, 000
299, 000
360, 000
457, 000
2 557,000
1, 360,000
940,000
1, 080,000
1, 530, 000
1,810, 000
1 See footnote 1, table 2.
2 In addition, about 2,000 workers were involved in stoppages which began in 1942 and continued into 1943.
Increased Industrial Employment in India1
AN INCREASE of more than 24 percent in 1941 as compared with
1938 is reported in the average daily number of workers in establish
ments in British India which are covered by the Factories Act of 1934
(that is, factories employing 10 or more workers each).
Changes in the volume of employment in various industries in
1941 and the 3 preceding years are shown in the accompanying table.
Average Daily Number of Workers, by Industries, in Factories Subject to Factories Act
in British India, 1938—41
Type of factory, and industry
Government and local fund 1 factories, perennial,2 and
1941
1940
1939
1938
2,156, 377
1, 844,428
1, 751,137
1, 737, 755
220, 086
169,163
132,446
121,640
953,320
204,056
76,162
119,888
71,150
48, 245
77,627
21, 538
23, 516
35,346
305, 443
829,162
158,665 .
62,357
104,038
57, 485
46,445
59,122
22, 846
18,097
21,679
295,369
817,077
148, 424
55,123
97, 407
55, 945
44,377
52, 290
25, 987
12, 906
19, 712
289,443
838,985
143, 257
51,746
87,005
55,118
42,053
46,364
26, 504
11, 710
18, 324
295, 049
Other perennial factories:
Textiles (cotton spinning and weaving, hosiery,
1 Local government or municipal.
2 Perennial factories are those in operation throughout or for the greater part of the year.
* Seasonal factories are those handling particular crops as they become available and are in operation for
not over 180 days per annum.
i
International Labor Review, Montreal, February 1944, p. 234,
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
746
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
Conditions of Labor in Trinidad and Tobago, 1942
LABOR conditions in Trinidad and Tobago continued, during 1942, to
be affected by the war and especially by the construction of United
States defense bases on the Island of Trinidad. Most important effects
of the latter development were the drawing of workers away from the
estates where they habitually worked and the general labor shortage
which ensued. Lack of workers was felt particularly in the sugar indus
try, which was forced to restrict production. According to the report
here reviewed,1 the inadequacy of the labor force apparently was due
not to a deficiency in population but rather to the fact that available
workers would not work regularly and for full time. Absenteeism was
high and the hours worked were short. For example, in one section of
the sugar industry, the average attendance of field workers was 20
hours a week out of a possible 48. It was estimated that, if workers
had put in even 5 full days a week, no serious shortage would have
occurred. In order to relieve the situation, the Government introduced
special legislation to facilitate the immigration of certain classes of
workers on certified employment contract.2 A small number of work
ers were recruited under that ordinance, but generally nonfulfillment
of contract by the immigrants tended to prevent employers from taking
full advantage of the legislation. Two thousand workers were recruited
from Barbados for work on the United States bases, and the terms
of their contracts were negotiated by the Trinidad and Tobago officials
with the United States authorities and the Government of Barbados.
Trade-Union Activity
The number of registered trade-unions in the Colony remained
unchanged at 20. Of this total, 5 were trade-protection societies,
2 were employers’ associations which regulated wages and working
conditions jointly with trade-unions, and the remaining 13 were
workers’ organizations. Total membership in these organizations did
not increase, and the membership in certain of the unions actually fell;
however, a number reorganized and consolidated their position.
The Trinidad and Tobago Trade Union Council continued to function
and increased its representative status. The Council has become
increasingly important as a “ medium for the expression of organized
labor opinion.”
The endeavor to preserve the improved industrial relations pro
moted in the colony since 1938 and to settle disputes quickly re
sulted in a reduction in strikes. Twelve work stoppages involving
more than 10 persons each occurred in 1942, compared with 23 in
1941 and 59 in 1940. With the exception of a strike of 300 railway
shop employees, the number of workpeople involved in the 1942
strikes was small, ranging from 12 to 70. All were unofficial and of
short duration, all but one lasting only from 1 to 3 or 4 days.
Cost o f Living
Cost of living continued to rise, as shown below for December 1
of the years 1939 to' 1942. The index figures record the increase in
the cost of maintaining unchanged the standard of living of the average
working-class family in 1935 (1935=100), irrespective of any change
1943Trinidad and Tobago‘ Industrial Adviser.
Administration Report for the Year 1942. [Port of Spain],
2 For provisions of labor legislation .Jthrough 1941,fin Trinidad and other British possessions in which the
United States has military bases, see M onthly Labor Review, April 1942 (p. 907).
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747
Employment and Labor Conditions
in that standard of living or any economies or readjustments in con
sumption and expenditure since the outbreak of war.
December
1939
1940
1941
1942
1—
Index number
____________________________ 118
____________________________ 133
____________________________ 145
____________________________ 174
Increases in Earnings
Earnings of wage earners generally rose during 1942. Advances in
individual occupations were the result of increases in war bonuses or
in wage rates or a combination of the two. For example, in certain sec
tions of agriculture, especially in the cocoa, coconut, and citrus indus
tries, earnings showed a 25-percent increase over the 1941 wage level.
Wage rates of local laborers on the United States bases remained
unchanged, but tiieir earnings were considerably higher than those of
other workers in the colony, principally owing to upgrading and the
amount of overtime available.
Wages m sugar industry.— In the sugar industry, both the war bonus
and the rates of wages were increased. Average daily wages paid in
the industry in 1941 and 1942 are shown in the accompanying table,
for both piece and day workers. The rates include a war-bonus addi
tion for both day and piece workers of 5 cents a day in 1941 and 15
cents in 1942. Piece workers usually worked only 5 hours a day and
4 days a week in 1941, and from 4 to 5 hours a day and from 3 to 4
days a week in 1942. Weekly hours of factory workers in the crop
season varied from 66 to 78 in 1941 and from 44 to 66 in 1942. In
factories, during the wet season, and in the group listed as “ other
workers,” weekly hours varied from 48 to 51 in 1941 and from 44 to 51
in 1942, the hours per day being from 8 to 8% with the exception of
chauffeurs and watchmen, who worked from 8 to 12 hours daily.
Average Daily Wages on Sugar Estates in Trinidad, 1941 and 1942
1941
1941
1942
Estimated average
daily earnings 1
Field laborers:
$0.45-0.60 $0. 50-0. 75
. 50- . 60 . 75-1.00
. 80-1.20
. 70-1.00
Reaping caries:
Daily w orkers
.5 5 - . 65
. 50-1.00
.6 0 - . 80
.6 0 - 90
. 75-1.10
. 75-1.00
Average daily wage
Factory workers (wet season):
Learners................... ............. $0.40-0. 55
. 65-1.15
W atchm en______________
. 70- . 90
Fitter’s helpers___________
. 70- . 90
Carpenter’s helpers---------. 75- . 95
Blacksmith’s helpers_____
. 75-1.25
Storekeeper’s assistants...
1.00-1.60
1.10-1. 50
1.10-1. 70
Masons_________ _________ 1.10-1.80
1.20-1.40
1.25-1.60
1.40-2.40
Foreman fitters___________
i
Average daily wage
D aily workers— Con.
Piece w orkers
Derrick operators and
loaders__________________
Cane cutters______________
$0. 50-0. 70
. 70-1.20
. 70-1.10
.7 5 - . 95
. 85-1.10
. 85-1.25
1.20-1. 70
1.30-1.90
1.20-1. 90
1.45-2. 20
1.40-1.75
1.35-1.75
1.70-2. 50
Factory workers(wet season)—
Continued.
Welders_________
...
Workshop foremen . . .
Storekeepers______________
Factory workers (crop season) :
Learners.. . .
Scale boys ________ _ . . .
Attending mill beds______
Cane operators and un
loaders__________________
Laboratory assistants____
Curing s u g a r . _ _ ____
Mill-engine drivers_______
Steam-locomotive drivers.
Diesel-locomotive drivers.
Bench chemists__________
Evaporator boilers_______
M ill foremen_____________
Pan boilers_______________
Other workers:
Pasture boys........................
Messengers_______________
Stockmen________________
Overseers and assistant
overseers_______________
Ploughmen_______________
Tractor drivers... _______
$1.60-2.80 $1. 70-2.40
1.65-2. 70 2. 50-3. 50
2.00-3.00 2.00-3.00
. 40- . 55
.4 0 - . 65
. 45- . 60
. 50- . 70
. 45- . 70
. 55- . 85
. 75- . 90
. 75-1.00
. 90-1. 20
1.00-1.45
1.10-2.00
1.25-1.80
1. 20-2.00
1.25-1.85
1. 70-2.40
2.00-3. 20
.85-1.10
. 65-1.30
1.00-1.30
1.001.001.3,5-2. 35
1. 50-2.30
1. 50-1. 90
1.80-2. 55
2.10-3. 50
.3 5 - . 45
.3 5 - .50
.5 0 - . 75
.65-1.00
.6 5 - . 85
. 75-1. 25 . 80-1.40
. 90-1. 20 . 90-1.20
1.60-2.30 1.60-2. 30
Average exchange rate of Trinidad dollar in 1941 and 1942 was approximately 84 cents.
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1942
Occupation
Occupation
1.45
1.75
W artime Policies
Further Directives on Employment-Stabilization
Programs
AD D ITIO N AL instructions governing Regulation No. 7,1 which
initiated the War Manpower Commission’s employment-stabilization
programs, were issued recently by the Commission.2 These instruc
tions explain the use of limited statements of availability by workers,
and interpret certain optional provisions which may be included in
employment-stabilization programs.
Workers who are entitled to statements of availability issued by
employers are not to have the use of such statements limited by em
ployers nor by offices of the U. S. Employment Service. Statements
of availability are used in the administration of the stabilization
program to indicate that the worker has a valid reason for changing
employment and that he may be hired by any essential or locally
needed employer, or is available for referral under controlled referral
programs.
The Commission holds that any restriction of a statement of avail
ability to a specific time, place, occupation or activity (except the
general restriction to employment in any essential activity) circum
scribes the worker’s opportunity to be hired, and is a violation of
Regulation No. 7. In fact, the procedures for issuing these statements
of availability are not to be used as a device to channel or allocate
workers to specific places, occupations or activities, and are not to
interfere with the worker’s freedom to accept any job he chooses in
essential or locally needed activity.
This ruling does not apply when seasonal and other workers laid
off for short periods request a limitation of their statements of avail
ability to facilitate their return to|their customary employment. In
such cases, the Employment Service office may indicate on the state
ment of availability, if the worker so desires, that he is available to
the hiring employer for a limited period of time.
According to the War Manpower Commission, the granting of
limited statements of availability or notices enabling workers to
return to their customary employments at the end of extended seasonal
or other lay-offs, operates to the advantage of the employer by whom
the workers are customarily employed and to the disadvantage of
off-season employers required to release them. It is therefore recom
mended that this procedure be used sparingly and be limited to in
stances where critical production or service would be seriously impeded
by labor shortage if workers customarily attached to the industry were
not permitted to return at the reopening of suspended operations.
1 U . S. W ar Manpower Commission. Manual of Operations, Title II I, sections 3-7.
August lfi, 1943.
2 Idem, Field Instruction N o. 240, February 15, 1944.
748
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Regulation N o. 7.
Wartime Policies
749
Since the workers affected may often migrate to other areas in search
of work during the off season, the Commission suggests that it would
be desirable *to require approval by the regional director either of
specific standards circumscribing the use of the procedure, or of each
industry or special situation in which it is proposed to grant limited
statements of availability or notices.
In this field instruction also the Commission interpreted section
5 (f) of Regulation No. 7. This section permits regional and area
manpower directors to include in employment-stabilization programs
provisions designed to facilitate the employment of individuals during
vacation, probationary, off-season, or other short periods, in work
other than that in which they have customarily engaged, and to
facilitate the return of such persons to their customary employment.
Erroneously, this section has been thought to authorize provisions
under which workers laid off by certain seasonal industries for the
off-season period may be required to accept “ limited” statements of
availability restricting them to temporary employment during the
off season and necessitating their release from such emploj^ment and
their return to their customary seasonal employment at the beginning
of the seasonal period.
In drafting appropriate provisions for inclusion in employmentstabilization programs pursuant to section 5 (f), and in formulating
procedures to govern operations under such provisions, the Commission
states, the following principles must be observed:
(1) Workers entitled to unlimited and unqualified statements of availability
from their last employment must be given such statements if they request them.
(2) Workers who have obtained employment with employers who have been
appropriately apprised of the workers’ eligibility to return to their customary
employment must be permitted to return when and if reemployment becomes
available.
(3) Workers who desire to continue in jobs secured during the off season rather
than to return to their customary employment must be permitted to do so if
these jobs could have been secured on a permanent basis in the first instance by
the presentation of the unqualified statement of availability to which the workers
were then entitled.
(4) Employers who temporarily employ workers who have been assured of their
ability to return to customary employment, should be advised not to issue state
ments of availability to such workers except when they are discharged, laid off, etc.
Mere election by the worker to return to customarv employment pursuant to the
assurance given as outlined above does not justify his temporary employer in
issuing to him a statement of availability. To facilitate the return of these
workers to their customary employment the U. S. Employment Service may give
the original employer consent to rehire such workers without a statement of avail
ability or referral. Where such advance consent has not been given to the em
ployer, these workers may be referred by the U. S. Employment Service to the
original employer.
Policy on Recruiting Women for the Armed Services
EFFORTS to recruit women for the female branches of the armed
forces and for essential civilian activities are to be coordinated, accord
ing to a policy adopted recently by the officials concerned.1 These
officials are the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of War, the
Director of the Office of War Information, and the Chairman of the
War Manpower Commission.
1 U. S. W ar Manpower Commission,
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Field Instruction N o. 268, March 7, 1944.
750
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
Under the policy adopted, the War Manpower Commission is to
recognize service in the women’s branches of the armed services as an
essential activity, necessary to the effective prosecution* of the war.
At the same time, recruiting programs conducted by the armed
services are not to single out women employed in an essential activity,
and are, whenever practicable, to state clearly that women employed
in essential activities at their maximum skills are not wanted.
The policy calls for the War Manpower Commission to refer to the
armed services any individual worker in an essential activity, who has
requested such referral, who is not employed at her maximum skill
or is not in an essential occupation, or who can be replaced by other
available workers. Such referral is to be made through the U. S.
Employment Service, irrespective of whether the employer issues a
statement of availability or release to the individual.
In turn, the armed services are not to enlist a woman who within
60 days of her application for enlistment is engaged or has been em
ployed in essential activity. This does not apply, however, to a
woman who secures a statement of availability from her employer or
the Employment Service or is referred to the armed services by the
Employment Service in accordance with the preceding paragraph.
Armed forces recruiting services are to urge all women who fail to
qualify for enlistment, or who do not enlist, to apply at the U. S.
Employment Service. The latter, in turn, is to direct eligible women
(who request such direction) to the armed forces recruiting stations,
on the same basis that is now used in directing them to essential war
jobs. Furthermore, the armed services are to cooperate in a national
educational womanpower campaign, “ Women in the War,” to em
phasize the need for women in more useful jobs.
Before inaugurating intensive local recruiting campaigns in critical
labor areas, or confirming arrangements for such campaigns, the
recruiting services are to discuss the plans with the War Manpower
Commission area director, or in his absence, with the local U. S.
Employment Service representative. The purpose of this discussion
is mutual agreement upon the best timing of the campaign and avoid
ance of conflict as far as possible between such campaigns and pre
viously scheduled intensive campaigns to recruit women for essential
civilian industry.
Job Placement of Returning Veterans
TO ASSIST the veteran to return to gainful and satisfactory employ
ment was the objective of a joint statement on February 11, 1944, by
the War Manpower Commission and the Selective Service System.1
This statement expressed the aims of the two agencies with respect to
reemployment of veterans..
Under the Selective Service and Training Act of 1940, the Director
of Selective Service has the responsibility of establishing two personnel
divisions, one to aid veterans seeking reinstatement in their old
positions and the other to aid them in finding new positions.
The first of these personnel divisions (known as the Reemployment
Division) has already been established. In accordance with the policy
of the Selective Service System, the responsibility for insuring the
i U . S. W ar Manpower Commission, Field Instruction N o. 235, Bureau of Placement N o. 145.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wartime Policies
751
veterans’ right of reemployment has been delegated to the State
directors with authority to create, within the respective States, the
machinery which will be most effective for the purpose. In turn, the
local boards and the members of their reemployment committees are
to be charged, at their level, with the responsibility of rendering such
aid as is necessary in order to enforce this right of reemployment.
In carrying out the second mandate of the law— that of aiding
veterans in securing new positions— the Director of Selective Service
has requested the War Manpower Commission to assume the respon
sibility of placing returned veterans in new positions through the
Commission’s facilities.
The War Manpower Commission has a Veterans’ Employment
Service in its national headquarters, a State veterans’ employment
representative in each State administrative office, and a local veterans’
employment representative in each of the 1,500 local offices of the
U. S. Employment Service. According to the joint statement of the
Commission and the Selective Service System, the Commission has
accepted this responsibility and will conduct an effective program
designed to place the returned veterans in new positions.
The statement emphasizes the fact that “ no veteran shall be per
mitted to suffer because of jurisdictional misunderstandings.”
Meat Rationing in Australia 1
M EAT rationing was introduced in Australia on January 17, 1944.
Rationed meats, however, do not include poultry, rabbits, bacon,
ham, canned or cooked meat, or small goods such as frankfurters or
sausages. The amount of the ration varies from 1y2 pounds to 4
pounds per week, depending on the type of meat purchased. Children
who were under the age of 9 years on June 13, 1943, are entitled to
only half of this ration. Persons residing in boarding houses and other
institutions (including hospitals, if the person is a patient therein for
more than 28 days) are required to give meat coupons to the pro
prietor. Extra coupons are obtainable for medical reasons. The
rationing is effective for the whole Commonwealth except certain
areas which are to be specified by the deputy directors of rationing
in the States concerned.
W W W ,
Canadian Wartime Labor Relations Regulations, 1 9 4 4 2
EMPLOYEES engaged in work essential to the prosecution of the
war in Canada are insured the right of joining trade-unions and
participating in the lawful activities of such bodies, under the terms
of the national code governing wartime labor relations promulgated
on February 17, 1944 (P. C. 1003). A majority vote of the employees
1 Data are from release of the Australian Rationing Commission, printed in the Australian Worker,
January 12, 1944, p. 3.
a Canada— Canadian W ar Orders and Regulations, Ottawa, February 17, 1944 (P. C. 1003), and House
of Commons Debates, February 24, March 16 and 20, 1944; and daily press.
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752
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
of any employer may elect bargaining representatives empowered to
negotiate a collective agreement with the employer. Strikes and
lockouts are forbidden, pending attempts to negotiate a settlement
of differences. No employer may declare or cause a lockout, and no
employee may go on strike, during the life of a collective agreement.
Administration of the legislation is to be carried out by the newly
created Wartime Labor Relations Board, which will certify the bar
gaining representatives of the majority of employees in the affected
industries. Adoption of the code followed an inquiry into labor
relations made by the National War Labor Board in 1943. After
the submission of majority and minority reports by the Board to the
Government, the Canadian Minister of Labor, in cooperation with
the Provincial governments, made the proposals which resulted in
the regulations that are here summarized.
Pending the establishment of the effective date of the order by the
Governor General in council,2 the Minister of Labor stated that the
Provinces which had machinery for certifying the bargaining repre
sentatives of labor and for collective bargaining were to continue to
operate under existing legislation. However, if a satisfactory agree
ment was not arrived at under the Provincial arrangements, either
party to a dispute could apply to the Minister of Labor for the estab
lishment of a board of conciliation and investigation under the existing
Canadian labor law.. The Provinces listed by the Minister as having
legislation providing for the certification of bargaining representatives
before collective bargaining is commenced are Ontario, British
Columbia, and Quebec. At the time of the Minister’s statement
(Feb. 24, 1944), Quebec had not yet established machinery to ad
minister its labor-relations law.
Coverage of Regulations
Coverage of the Dominion Wartime Labor Relations Regulations
extends to persons engaged in work ordinarily subject to the legisla
tive authority of the Canadian Parliament. A business may be cov
ered even though it is situated wholly within a Province, if it is declared
by Parliament to be for the advantage of the country as a whole or
for the advantage of two or more Provinces. Application likewise
extends to employees who are ordinarily under the exclusive jurisdic
tion of a Province but to whom the Provincial legislature has applied
the national regulations. Regulation is, however, restricted to persons
who are employed on or in connection with operations essential to the
efficient prosecution of the war, and it is estimated that 2.5 millions of
the 3.5 million industrial workers in Canada are affected.
A schedule attached to the regulations lists the employees covered,
by type of work. This schedule may be amended by the addition or
deletion of a class of employees through order of the Governor General
in council. The pursuits listed are mining and smelting; manufactur
ing or assembling aircraft parts, tanks or universal carriers, and auto
mobile or truck parts; smelting or refining aluminum; refining or
producing oil or petroleum products; producing or processing natural
or synthetic rubber; manufacturing chemicals for war purposes;
producing or manufacturing steel for war industry or war purposes;
various kinds of building or construction, including aerodromes,
2P. C. 1982, bringing the regulations into effect, was approved on March 20, 1944.
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Wartime Policies
753
harbors, roads, and fortifications; shipbuilding; production of machin
ery, arms, shells, ammunition, explosives, implements of war, or naval,
military or air stores; transportation or communication; and publicservice utilities, including gas, electric, water, and power works, and
telegraph and telephone lines.
At the end of February, consultation had started between the
Governments of the Province of Ontario and of the Dominion, with
a view to introducing Provincial legislation whereby labor-relations
regulations of the Federal code would be made applicable to nonwar
industries within the Province. Other Provinces, with the exception
of Manitoba, had not yet indicated that they might take action to
extend the coverage of the regulations to pursuits in their territory
which are outside the jurisdiction of Dominion legislation.
Certification of Bargaining Representatives
Employees of any employer may elect bargaining representatives
by a majority vote of the workers affected. If the majority are mem
bers of a single trade-union, that union may elect or appoint its officers
or other persons to be the bargaining representatives. If more than
one employer and their employees wish to negotiate a collective
agreement, elections may be held by the employees of each employer
separately, or if the employees as a group belong to the same tradeunion, that union may elect or appoint the bargaining representatives.
Trade-unions composed of the members of a craft may choose their
representatives separately if under established trade-union practice
they are distinguishable from the employees as a whole. Two or
more trade-unions are also authorized to join, by agreement, in elect
ing bargaining representatives.
When the employees have elected or appointed their bargaining
representatives, they may apply to the Wartime Labor Relations
Board for certification as the bargaining representatives of the em
ployees affected. After the Board has satisfied itself, either by
examination of records or by a vote, that the bargaining agents were
regularly and properly chosen, the Board certifies them as the bargain
ing representatives and specifies the unit of employees on whose
behalf they are authorized to act. A collective agreement negotiated
by such representatives becomes binding on every employee in the
specified unit of employees. The Board is required to notify both the
applicants and the employer when bargaining representatives have
been certified.
New bargaining representatives may be elected at any time after
10 months of the term of a collective agreement have expired, regard
less of whether the agreement was entered before or after the effective
date of the Wartime Labor Relations Regulations. Such applications
are to be dealt with by the Board in the manner already described
with regard to initial applications.
Negotiation and Term of Collective Agreements
0
After bargaining agents have been certified, 10 days’ notice may be
given by either party, requiring that negotiations shall be entered for
completing a collective agreement. Negotiations must be carried
out in good faith. No collective agreement may contain wage provi-
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754
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
sions involving changes in rates of pay until the appropriate war labor
board has approved any such change. Every party to a collective
agreement is obliged to observe its terms and to abstain from doing
anything contrary to its provisions.
If negotiations have continued for 30 days, and either party believes
that an agreement will not be reached in a reasonable time, that party
may advise the Board and ask for intervention to effect completion
of an agreement. In turn the Board must refer the matter to the
Minister of Labor, who within 3 days must instruct a conciliation
officer to confer with the parties in an attempt to bring about an
agreement. Within 14 days or such longer period as the Minister
allows, the conciliation officer is obliged to report to the Minister on
the progress made in negotiations, the points of agreement, and the
advisability of appointing a conciliation board. On such recom
mendation, the Minister is required to appoint a conciliation board of
three members after consulting the parties concerned. This board
also attempts to bring about an agreement, and must report to the
Minister in any event within 14 days after appointment of the chair
man of the board, or such longer period as may be agreed upon be
tween the parties or allowed by the Minister. If the report of the
conciliation board shows that it is unable to effect an agreement, the
Minister is required to send copies of the report to the parties, and
may publish it.
Any collective agreement must be entered into for at least 1 year.
If the term is longer, the agreement must contain or be deemed to
contain a provision for termination at any time after 1 year, on 2
months’ notice by either party. On 10 days’ notice, either party may
require the other to enter into negotiations for renewal of the agree
ment within 2 months prior to the date of expiration.
Each of the parties to a collective agreement must file a copy with
the Wartime Labor Relations Board. Any organization of employers
or employees affected by a certification of bargaining representatives,
or which is affected by an existing collective agreement, may be re
quired by the Board to make a declaration of its officers’ names and
addresses and file a copy of its constitution and bylaws. All such
bodies must make annual reports to members on income and expendi
tures, and file a copy with the Board, if so required.
Settlement of Disputes
Every collective agreement made after the effective date of the
regulations must contain provisions for settling differences without
work stoppages. If a collective agreement does not provide such a
procedure, the Wartime Labor Relations Board must do so by order,
on application.
Strikes are forbidden until bargaining representatives have been
elected or appointed for employees and until an attempt has been
made to bring about an agreement between the parties by conciliation
and 14 days have elapsed after the conciliation board has reported to
the Minister of Labor on the case. Lockouts are forbidden where an
application for certification of bargaining representatives has been
made, and until the conciliation procedure has been resorted to and
14 days have elapsed after the conciliation board has reported to the
Minister. No person who is a party to a collective agreement may
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wartime Policies
755
strike during the term of tlie agreement. If a dispute arises, owing to
changes in existing terms of employment that the employer proposes,
the employer may not make the changes without the consent of the
employees until 2 months have elapsed from the date when notification
was made to employees.
Administration
Administration of the regulations is placed under the Wartime Labor
Relations Board, which is to consist of a chairman, a vice chairman,
and not more than eight other members. The personnel is to be
appointed by the Governor in council and members are to hold office
at his pleasure.3 A majority shall constitute a quorum, and decisions
are to be by majority vote. In case of a tie the chairman or acting
chairman has a deciding vote.
Procedure is to be determined by the Board, but all interested
parties must be given an opportunity to be heard. Decisions are
final when the Board determines whether a person is an employer or
employee; that the appropriate bargaining unit is the employer, craft,
or plant unit, or a subdivision thereof; that an organization is a tradeunion or employers’ organization; that an agreement is a collective
agreement; or that an employer or the certified bargaining representa
tive of employees is negotiating in good faith.
The regular courts may not deal with questions within the juris
diction of the Board until the Board’s decision has been received.
Courts must accept as evidence documents, regulations, directions, or
orders of the Board.
When instructing a conciliation officer to intervene in a case, the
Minister of Labor must notify the parties concerned. Before ap
pointing a conciliation board, the Minister must require each party to
the negotiations to recommend one member, within 7 days of receipt
of notification. At the expiration of the 7-day period the Minister is
required to appoint two members, who in nis opinion are representa
tive of different points of view, taking into account the foregoing
recommendations, if received within the said period. The two mem
bers are granted 5 days (from the last appointment) within which to
recommend a third member, who is also to be the chairman of the
conciliation board.
Such a conciliation board and each of its members has the powers
of a commissioner under part I of the Inquiries Act. The board may
determine its own procedure, but must give full opportunities to'all
parties to present evidence and make representations. Although a
quorum consists of the chairman and one member, these two may not
proceed unless the remaining member has been given reasonable notice
of the sitting. A majority decision is the decision of the board, and
in case of a tie the chairman has a deciding vote. The Minister of
Labor may request a conciliation board to amplify or clarify any part
of its report. Once the report has been made, the Minister sends
copies to the parties concerned.
Power is granted to the Minister of Labor to appoint or constitute
administrative officers or agencies in any Province and to delegate to
them such powers as he deems necessary for the proper administra3 P . C . 1895, establishing the Board, was proinulgalted on March 16, 1944.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
756
tion of the regulations. With approval of the G o v e rn o r in council,
the Minister may enter into agreement with any Provincial govern
ment to provide for the administration of the regulations within that
Province.
Em ployee and Em ployer Rights
Both employees and employers are guaranteed the right to mem
bership in associations and to participation in the lawful activities of
the respective bodies to which they belong. Where bargaining rep
resentatives are certified in accordance with provisions cited, they
may enter into negotiations having the purpose of completing a col
lective agreement between the employer concerned and the tradeunion or employees’ organization.
No employer may interfere with the formation or administration
of a trade-union. He is not permitted to refuse to employ any person
because he is a member of a trade-union, to impose any restraints on
an employee in exercising his rights under the regulations, or to seek
to intimidate an employee by dismissal or threat of dismissal or other
means, in the exercise of his lawful rights. Coercion to join a tradeunion is not permitted, but this provision may not be construed as
prohibiting the inclusion of any membership provision in a collective
agreement. No trade-union may attempt to persuade employees to
join while at the place of employment, during working hours, unless
the consent of the employer is obtained. Trade-unions may not in
terfere with the formation or administration of employers’ organiza
tions.
Enforcement Provisions
Penalties are fixed for each day that, contrary to the regulations,
employers maintain a lockout or an employee remains on strike.
Similarly, employer organizations and trade-unions which contravene
the regulations are guilty of an offense and liable to fines on summary
conviction. Prosecution for an offense under the regulations may be
instituted only with the consent of the Wartime Labor Relations
Board.
Relation o f Regulations to Existing Laws
During the effective period of the regulations reviewed above, a
number of earlier laws and orders are revoked.4 The Industrial
Disputes Investigation Act is made inoperative, except on matters
pending at the time when the wartime regulations come into force.
The 1939 order in council (P. C. 3495), as amended, extending the
application of the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act, is revoked,
as well as the 1942 order (P. C. 10802) whereby employees of
Crown companies were permitted to be members of trade-unions.
Other orders promulgated in 1941 (P. C. 4020 and 7307), as amended,
which extended or varied the wartime application of the Industrial
Disputes Investigation Act, are suspended only insofar as they
are inconsistent with the Wartime Labor Relations Regulations.
4 For a summary of the legislation referred to, see the M onthly Labor Review for March 1944 (p. 525).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wartime Policies
757
Wartime Control of Employment of Skilled Workers
in China
ON July 9, 1943, the Chinese National Government promulgated
regulations for the wartime control of the employment of technicians
and skilled workers in conformity with sections 10, 11, and 12 of the
National General Mobilization Act.1
These provisions are applicable “ to graduates of technical schools
or universities whether at home or abroad, graduates of higher
vocational schools who have specialized in science, engineering,
agriculture, medicine, accountancy, and industrial and business
management, and persons with technical qualifications or training in
any of these subjects (including authors of treatises or inventions, persons
with over 2 years’ experience in technical work or with qualifications
as specified in the law relating to examinations for technicians).”
The major measures for control provide for the registration of all
technicians and skilled workers to whom the regulations are applicable,
including employees of agricultural, mining, industrial, and commer
cial enterprises both public and private, unemployed persons, and
students of technical training institutions.
Such persons may not leave then- employment “ without justifica
tion” nor change then- jobs unless the employer consents. The
Labor Bureau of the National Ministry of Social Affairs may for
emergency purposes conscript technicians and skilled workers or
transfer them from ojie job to another. That Bureau is authorized to
direct that conscripted persons who have been employed for 3 years
near the zone of military operations be reemployed in their previous or
other suitable work places. The Bureau may also open training
centers in case of an inadequate skilled labor supply. After consul
tation with the competent authorities and with the approval of the
Executive Yuan, the Labor Bureau may draw up a uniform scale of
wages and workers’ -allowances.
Skilled workers from Chinese areas occupied by the enemy or from
foreign countries may not be recruited without the Bureau’s authori
zation. Students who are requisitioned under these regulations, are
to be returned later to the educational or training institutions from
which they were recruited.
1
Data are from International Labor Office, Legislative Series, 1942, China 2; and International Labor
Review (Montreal), February 1944.
578877— 44-
5
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Post War Reconstruction
-
Executive Policies Relating to Post-War Problems
W AR and post-war adjustment policies have received considerable
attention from the Executive branch of the Government recently.
The Director of the Office of War Mobilization established in that
office a special unit which was instructed to inquire into and report
policies that the unit considers necessary both to win the war and to
prepare for peace. As a result of the report by the special unit, the
President established the Surplus War Property and the Retraining
and Reemployment Administrations.
The special unit made its report on February 15, 1944.1 In the
main, this report dealt with the problem of returning our economy
to a peacetime basis, and recommended measures to be taken to
bring about a satisfactory transition. On the human side of demo
bilization, the inquiry suggested the creation of a post of “ Work
Director” in the Office of War Mobilization. Working with Congress,
it was proposed, this director should cover the following fields:
Personnel demobilization of the armed forces, development of
adequate machinery for job placement of veterans and demobilized
war workers, adequate care for returning veterans, physical and
occupational therapy for wounded and disabled, resumption of
education for those whose schooling was interrupted by war, voca
tional training, the special employment problems of the great war
industries, and others.
Disposal oj surplus property and contract terminations.-—The report
was also concerned with the disposal of surplus wartime property
of the Federal Government and with termination of war contracts.
It recommended the immediate creation of a Surplus Property
Administrator in the Office of War Mobilization, to be appointed
by the Director, with full responsibility and adequate authority for
dealing with all aspects of surplus disposal. It also suggested that
this administrator be chairman of a Surplus Property Policy Board
representing the following agencies: War, Navy, Treasury, Recon
struction Finance Corporation, Maritime Commission, War Pro• duction Board, Bureau of the Budget, the Food Administrator,
Attorney General, Federal Works Agency, State Department, and
Foreign Economic Administration.
The report recommended that the work of actual disposal be
assigned to four major outlets, each to operate in a clearly defined
field, with no overlappings, and to follow policies to be laid down
by the Surplus Property Administrator. The plan was outlined as
follows: (a) The Procurement Division of the Treasury would be the
1 United States. Office of W ar Mobilization. Report on W ar and Post-W ar Adjustment Policies,
Washington. February 15, 1944. (This is the report popularly known, from the chairman, as the Baruch
report.)
758
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Post-War Reconstruction
759
outlet for consumer goods other than food; while (6) a single corpora
tion within the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, consolidating the
present RFC subsidiaries dealing with Government properties, would
be the outlet for capital and producer goods in general (all types of
industrial property, including plants, equipment, materials, and
scrap); (c) the Maritime Commission would serve as the outlet for
ships and maritime properties; and (d ) the Food Administrator would
constitute the outlet for food.
To terminate war contracts, it was suggested that a Joint Contract
Termination Board be established within the Office of War Mobili
zation, this board to give continual supervision over “ all aspects
of contract settlement, recommending any changes that become
necessary.”
E s ta b lis h m e n t o j the S u rp lu s W a r P ro p e rty a n d the R e tr a in in g a n d
R e e m p lo y m e n t A d m in is tr a tio n s . — Acting upon the recommendations
of the foregoing report, the President, on February 19, 1944, estab
lished in the Office of War Mobilization, the Surplus War Property
Administration.2 To assist the director of this agency, the President
established a Surplus War Property Policy Board, the membership
of which included— in addition to the offices suggested in the above
report— the Smaller War Plants Corporation and the Civil Aero
nautics Board.
Practically the only deviation from the suggestions of the report
with respect to the functions of the Surplus War Property Admin
istration related to the subject of outlets. Surplus war property
to be disposed of outside the United States, unless otherwise ordered
by the Director of War Mobilization, is to be assigned, as far as
deemed feasible by the Administration, to the Foreign Economic
Administration.
Also in line with the proposals of the report, the President estab
lished on February 24, 1944, the Retraining and Reemployment
Administration in the Office of War Mobilization.3 This admin
istration is to be assisted by a board (the Retraining and Reemploy
ment Policy Board) composed of a representative of the Department of
Labor, the Federal Security Agency, the War Manpower Commission,
the Selective Service System, the Veterans Administration— whose head
has been named as Retraining and Reemployment Administrator— the
Civil Service Commission, the War Department, the Navy Depart
ment, and the War Production Board.
This administration is to have general supervision and direction
of the activities of all Government units relating to the retraining
and reemployment of persons discharged or released from the armed
services or other war work. The latter ^includes all work directly
affected by the cessation of hostilities or the reduction of the war
program. It will also be a function of this agency to advise with
the appropriate committees of Congress as to steps taken or to be
taken with respect to this retraining and reemployment work.
In consultation with the Government units concerned, this agency
is to develop programs for the orderly absorption into other employ
ment of persons discharged or released from the armed services or
other war work. Such programs are to include adequate provisions
for vocational training, for finding jobs for persons so discharged or
2 Federal Register, February 23, 1944 (p. 2071).
3 Idem, February 26, 1944 (p. 2199).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
760
released, for assisting such persons and their families pending their
absorption into employment, and for dealing with problems connected
with the release of workers from industries not readily convertible
to peacetime use. In developing such programs, special regard is
to be given to the necessity of integrating them with wartime man
power controls.
Also, in consultation with the Government agencies concerned, the
Retraining and Reemployment Administration is to develop programs
for the adequate care of persons discharged or released from the armed
services, including physical and occupational therapy for the wounded
and disabled and the resumption of education interrupted by the war.
Model Village for Disabled Chinese Soldiers
THE first model village for rehabilitating wounded soldiers in China
was opened on October 15, 1943.1 This village, called the Honored
Soldiers Self-Government Experimental Area, is near Peipei, moun
tainous summer resort north of Chungking, on 150 acres of fertile
hilly land.
By 1944, there were 200 soldiers in the community, and it was
expected that within 3 years 1,000 men with their families— 5,000
persons in all— would be living there. In addition to dwellings for
the men, there are classrooms, a community auditorium, shower
rooms, a cooperative store, and an administration hall.
This village is largely an agricultural community. Wounded
soldiers are now growing rice, wheat, kaoliang, corn, and other crops
on about 70 acres of land. The rest of the arable land is rented to
local tenant farmers.
Handicraft is the second important enterprise. Soldiers have
been manufacturing their own rattan and bamboo furniture, umbrellas,
and sandals. Plans are under way to construct plants for the manu
facture of light chemicals, small machine works, and a hydraulicpower station.
The soldiers choose enterprises according to their own interests.
Since most of the veterans are not seriously disabled, they work at
these activities 6 hours a day in addition to spending 1 hour in class.
The purpose of this experiment is fourfold: Wounded soldiers and
their families are to be settled there to enjoy a stabilized livelihood;
they are to be trained to be self-supporting, they are to be trained to
be self-governing, and a self-governing model district of wounded
soldiers is to be built. Others will follow if this first village proves
to be successful.
By the latter part of 1943, it was reported that $7,000,000 (Chinese)2
had been spent on the project. Of this sum more than $5,000,000
had been used for the purchase of land and the construction of the
buildings. This money was raised in China and abroad by the
National Women’s War Relief Association.
1 Data are from China at W ar (Chinese News Service, New York), January 1944.
2 Approximate exchange rate of Chinese dollar in latter part of 1943 = 5 cents.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Health and Industrial Accidents
Chemical Poisoning in Shipyards1
IN comparison with traumatic injuries, cases of chemical and. fume
poisoning or of occupational disease experienced, by shipyard workers
are of relatively infrequent occurrence. In the first 9 months of 1943,
the shipyards which complied with the reporting requirements of the
U. S. Navy-U. S. Maritime Commission Safety and Health Program
furnished detailed descriptions of 41,179 work accidents which re
sulted in disabling 2 traumatic injuries and of 495 disabling cases of
poisoning or occupational disease.
Detailed analysis of the cases treated in the medical department of
one large yard, however, indicates that for every disabling case there
are approximately 3 known cases of industrial poisoning which are
not disabling. Unlike traumatic injuries, which almost invariably
result from a single and definite accident, cases of industrial poisoning
may result from an accumulated exposure.
Of the 495 disabilities designated as chemical poisoning or occu
pational disease, 203 were reported as cases of metal-fume fever
resulting from the inhalation of galvanize (zinc oxide) fumes produced
in welding or burning galvanized metal; 194 were cases of poisoning
resulting from the inhalation of other fumes, smoke, or dusts; and 98
were cases of dermatosis resulting from contact with various chemicals,
fumes, and dusts.
Cases Resulting from Inhalation of Fumes
The high proportion of cases reported as resulting from inhalation
of welding fumes emphasizes the importance of care to insure that
welding operations shall be carried on safely. The fact that 2 in
every 5 of the workers overcome by welding fumes were not welders
also indicates that the problem involves more than simply providingrespirators or other protection for the actual welders. General ven
tilation is essential whenever welding is carried on in confined spaces.
Analysis of the supervisors’ recommendations submitted in con
nection with the accident reports indicates that generally the super
visors are aware of the fume hazards involved in welding and burning.
Many of the supervisors, however, show little understanding of the
effective methods of overcoming those hazards. One supervisor, for
example, stated: “ Have repeatedly warned workmen against staying
too long in areas of high fume concentration.” The fact that it is gen
erally impossible for a workman to know how long is “ too long,” until
it is*too late, apparently did not occur to this supervisor. In contrast,
1 Prepared in the Industrial Hazards Division by Frank S. M cElroy and Arthur L. Svenson.
» Disabling injuries are those which result in (a) death, (b) permanent physical impairment, or (e) in
ability to work extending beyond the day of injury.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
761
762
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
many of the recommendations were highly specific in pointing out what
could be done to eliminate the fume hazard in particular circumstances.
An example of this carefully thought out type of recommendation was
one made in connection with the case of a welder who was overcome
by fumes while working inside a tank. This recommendation specifi
cally urged that exhaust fans he installed at the large openings into
the tank and that compressed air be introduced through the docking
plug. While the use of compressed air for ventilation is not endorsed
by health authorities, this man’s analysis was in the right direction.
Disabilities resulting from the inhalation of fumes from burning
operations generally were experienced by the burners themselves
rather than by other workers. From many of the reports it was
apparent that the workers had little or no understanding of the hazard
of their operation and that no supervisory check had been made to
warn them or to see that they used proper respirators or ventilating
equipment. This was particularly true in respect to cases which
arose from burning painted surfaces.
A considerable number of the reports indicated that subsequent
analysis of the materials used had revealed that many of the cases
arising from the inhalation of fumes and dusts created in painting and
paint-removing operations were due to wartime substitutes among
the ingredients of paints, solvents, and thinners, some of which were
found to be toxic. The obvious preventative would be to insist
upon a full knowledge of the composition of such materials by the
medical and safety departments.
Carbon-monoxide poisonings were not numerous, but occurred
frequently enough to indicate that many workers and supervisors
are not alert to this hazard. Several of the reported monoxide cases
resulted from the operation of motor-vehicle engines or portable gaso
line engines inside buildings. A number of other cases resulted from
the use of salamanders or make-shift stoves for heating purposes in
enclosed work places. Generally the reports indicated that such
cases arose from a direct violation of yard rules, which the supervisor
should have stopped.
Cases of Dermatosis
Twenty of the 98 disabling dermatosis cases resulted from contact
with paints, paint thinners, and paint solvents; 19 resulted from
contact with cutting oils while sorting metal scrap; 14 resulted from
the use of creosote or other wood preservatives; 12 resulted from
handling oil, grease, or kerosene; and 11 resulted from handling glasswool insulation. Oak poisoning, which occurred only in wood-con
struction yards, was reported as having disabled 9 workers.
In nearly all instances the dermatosis cases were reported to have
developed from continued exposure to the irritants over a compara
tively long period of time. The use of gloves, protective creams,
adequate leg protection, and, in some instances, face shields, coupled
with thorough washing at the end of each shift, probably would have
prevented most of the dermatosis cases.
,
Disabling Cases b y Causal Condition
The following table shows the various types of cases reported and
the work operation in which the poisonings were contracted.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
763
Health and Industrial Accidents
Disabling Cases of Chemical Poisoning or Occupational Disease Reported by Shipyards
During First 9 Months of 1943
Total, both
types of cases
Circumstances under which poisoning or disease
was sustained
Total cases-------------------—-----------------------------------------W elding___________________________________________
Own operation_______________________________
Other’s operation-------------------------------------------Burning__ _______ _________________ _____ ___________
Painting___________________________________________
Own operation_____________________ _________ ..
Other’s operation_____________________________
Carpentry, shipwright____________________________
Working on gasoline motors, near salamanders,
fire grates, e t c . .. ------- -----------------------------------------Sorting metal stock, salvage, etc------------- ----------- Cleaning tanks, steel, plates---------------------------------Handling oils, grease, kerosene...................................
Handling glass-wool insulation.____ _____________
Handling electric cable----------------- ----------- — .........
Handling hot tar, solder flux---------------- -------------- Other__________________________ _____ ______________
N um
ber
Per
cent
495
100
M
56
50
6
25
54
31
23
11
n
10
1
5
21
19
12
12
12
5
4
15
4
4
2
2
2
1
1
3
260
iso
Poisoning from
inhalation of—
Galva
nize
fumes
203
170
101
69
33
Other
smoke,
fumes,
or dusts
Dermatosis of—
Hands
and
arms
194
87
48
39
21
36
31
5
3
54
Face
Body,
gen
eral
10
34
2
1
1
2
14
13
1
16
3
3
3
3
10
2
6
2
3
2
7
2
4
9
6
21
10
1
1
4
10
1
1 1_______
4
Industrial Injuries, December 1943
DECEM BER reports from 8,044 manufacturing establishments
listed 19,957 disabling injuries experienced by employees in the
course of their work during the month. The reporting plants em
ployed 6,089,000 workers, or nearly 38 percent of the total manu
facturing employment for the month. Assuming that the reporting
establishments constitute a representative sample, the total number
of disabling injuries experienced by workers in all manufacturing
plants of the United States during December, therefore, may be
estimated as about 55,000, or about 8 percent fewer than the esti
mated number for November.
The improvement indicated in the general estimate was widely
reflected in the individual industry frequency rates for the month.
For 14 of the 64 listed industries the December average frequency
rates were 5 or more frequency-rate points lower than the corre
sponding November rates, and for 35 others there were reductions
of at least a full frequency-rate point. In contrast, only 2 industries
had increases of 1 or more points in their rates, and neither of these
increases amounted to as much as 5 points. Lending emphasis to
the general trend was the fact that 41 industries had lower frequency
rates for December than for any other month of 1943.
The relative proportion of serious injuries in December, however,
was somewhat higher than in any other month of 1943 except Feb
ruary. At the time the December reports were prepared, 0.5 percent
of the reported injuries were known to have been fatal and 5.0 per
cent had definitely developed into permanent physical impairments.
These proportions probably will be increased when the final outcome
of the inj uriesfpresumed to be only temporary at the end^of Decem
ber becomes known.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
764
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
Cumulative injury-frequency rates for the year 1943 ranged from
an average of 5.4 disabling injuries for every million employee-hours
worked in the women’s clothing industry to an average of 62.4 in the
sawmill industry. Eight other manufacturing industries had 12month average frequency rates of less than 10. These were sighting
and fire-control equipment, 6.6; radios and phonographs, 7.6; rayon
and allied products (chemical), 7.8; men’s clothing, 8.5; soap and glyc
erin, 8.5; cement, 8.7; aircraft, 9.7; and iron and steel, 9.8. Industries
with very high 12-month average frequency rates included, in addition
to sawmills, planing mills, 53.8; plate fabrication and boiler-shop
products, 44.0; and foundries, iron and steel, 42.1.
In general the 12-month cumulative frequency rates for 1943 tended
to be slightly higher than the corresponding annual rates for 1942.
Significant increases of 5 or more frequency-rate points appeared in
the cumulative 1943 rates for 10 industries. Seven other industries,
however, had decreases of 5 or more points in their rates. Outstanding
among the increases were those for plants manufacturing tank parts;
food-products machinery; aircraft parts; heavy ammunition; boots
and shoes; drugs, toiletries and insecticides; and stamped and pressed
metal products. On the other hand, the industries showing the
greatest decreases in comparison with their 1942 rates were fiber
boxes, canning and preserving, fabricated structural steel, and slaugh
tering and meat packing. All of the 12-month cumulative rates
for 1943, however, should be regarded as preliminary rates for the
year, subject to revision on the basis of the Bureau’s more compre
hensive annual survey, which in most instances will represent a larger
coverage than that included in the monthly surveys.
Industrial Injury-Frequency Rates 1 for Selected Manufacturing Industries, December
1943, W ith Cumulative Rates for 12 Months of 1943
Decern oer 1943
Industry *
Number of
Frequency
establish
rate 3
ments
1943: 12month
cumula
tive fre
quency
rate 4
1942: A n
nua] fre
quency
rate
Agricultural machinery and tractors_________ _________ _.
Aircraft-. _ _ __ . . .
__
_ _............ __
Aircraft parts____________________________________ .
Ammunition, 20 m m . and over___________ ____
Ammunition, small-arms.____ . . . _________
Boots and shoes, not rubber_______ . . .
Canning and preserving________ _________ __________
Cement__________ __________________________ . .
24
34
157
224
16
235
18
85
16.8
7.7
11.1
17.9
9.8
12.4
22.1
9.8
18.9
9.7
14.6
24.8
16.0
14.0
19.4
8.7
18.3
11.4
9.5
17.2
(5)
9.0
33.0
7.3
Chemicals, industrial_____________________________
Clothing, men’s , _______ ________
Clothing, women’s . . ___________
Coke ovens_____ _____________________________
Construction and mining machinery_______ __________
Corrugated boxes____________________ .
Cotton goods___________ _______________ _ ________ . . .
Cutlery and edge tools____________
. ________ ______
193
393
328
18
76
78
17
18
13. 5
5.7
3.6
20.0
21.3
30.2
14.9
15.1
18.3
8.5
5.4
17.5
31.8
38.7
16.0
24.1
16. 8
7.7
4.6
22.0
28.4
30.7
16.3
24.5
Drugs, toiletries, and insecticides_________ ______
Electrical equipment and supplies___________
Engines and turbines___________ ___________
Fabricated structural steel_______________
Fiber boxes______________________________
Folding boxes.. . ____________ _________
Food-products machinery________ . . .
_
Forgings, iron and steel________ __ ____________ . . . ___ __
38
468
57
78
22
91
14
117
22.2
9.0
13.2
24.7
16.8
16.2
20.7
31.8
22.2
11.1
6 18.3
33.0
27.8
24.2
34.5
39.9
15.4
7.3
(5)
40.7
55.3
20.8
18.3
38.0
•476
16
34.2
12.4
42.1
28.1
49.7
23.7
Foundries, iron and steel__________________
Furniture, except metal_________________
See footnotes at end of table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
765
Health and Industrial Accidents
Industrial Injury-Frequency Rates 1 for Selected Manufacturing Industries, December
1943, With Cumulative Rates for 12 Months of 1943— Continued
Decern Her 1943
Industry 2
Number of
Frequency
establish
rate 3
ments
1943: 12month
cumula
tive fre
quency
rate 4
1942: A n
nual fre
quency
rate
Guns and related equipment------------------------------------------------Hardware----- ----------- ---------------------------------------------------- 1--------Iron and steel_________________________________________________
Machine shops, general----------------------------------------- ----------------
484
13
116
18
147
100
17.5
12.5
17.1
21.1
8.7
20.5
24.3
17.9
17.6
24.3
9.8
7 26.2
19.7
20.5
12.7
24.3
10.4
(5)
Metalworking machinery. -------------------- --------------------------M otor vehicles_______________________________________________
Motor-vehicle parts_____________________________________ _____
Nonferrous-metal products----------------------------------------------------Paints and varnishes----- -------------------------------------------- ---------P a p e r .___ _____
- - --------------------------------------------Paper and pulp (integrated)-------------------------------------------------Petroleum refining-------------------------------------- ------------------- -------
512
99
52
271
19
179
65
64
12.2
8.1
20.1
19.7
12.4
24.9
24.2
10.0
18.9
12.4
25.5
23.7
20.2
31.7
26.4
12.0
21.8
11.3
31.9
23.6
17.4
26.5
25.4
10.7
Planing m i ll s .------------------------------------------------------------------------Plate fabrication and boiler-shop products-------------------------Plumbers’ supplies--------------------------------------------------- -------------Radios and phonographs-------------------------------------------------------Railroad equipm ent.-------------------------------------------------------------Rayon and allied products (chemical)---------------------------------Rubber tires. . . -----------------------------------------------------------------Sawmills______________________________ _______________________
23
53
11
140
30
11
32
19
39.2
29.6
12.9
6.4
19.3
6.9
13. 5
49.5
53.8
8 44.0
18.2
7.6
20.5
7.8
13.7
62.4
37.6
(5)
20. 1
5. 9
17.4
8.4
11.9
61.7
Set-up boxes--------- --------------------------------------------------------------Shipbuilding_________________________________________ ________
Sighting and fire control equipment-------------------------------------Slaughtering and meat packing-------------- ----------------- --------Small a rm s... ------------------------------------------------------------------------Smelting and refining (nonferrous). . ---------------------------------Soap and glycerin-----------------------------------------------------------------Special industry machinery----------------------------------------------------
216
270
22
130
35
128
6
50
15.6
25.2
5. 3
32.9
13.3
20.9
6.4
17. 7
16.9
28.7
6.6
35.7
11.5
28.5
8. 5
22.7
13.3
33.1
7.2
44. 8
9.1
29.4
10.3
25. 2
Stamped and pressed metal products.. . --------------- -----------Steam fittings and apparatus------------------------------------------------Stoves and furnaces, not electric--------------------------- ---------------Tanks, military_______________________________________________
Tank parts, military--------------------------------------------------------------Tin cans and other tinware------------------ ------------------------------Tools, except edge tools---------------------------------------------------------Wire and wire products______________________________________
197
34
41
16
54
23
22
113
25.6
26.8
25.7
11.5
12.9
12.8
23.4
17.7
31.1
33.6
34.2
12.6
18.3
18. 3
25.5
21.7
20.6
39. 7
33.7
9.3
7.7
20.3
24.3
21.6
General industrial machinery------------------------------------------------
1 The frequency rate represents the average number of disabling industrial injuries for each million em
ployee-hours worked.
,
2 A few industries have been omitted from this table because the coverage for the month did not amount
to 1,000,000 or more employee-hours worked.
3 Computed from all reports received for the month. Not based on identical plants in successive months.
4 Preliminary rates for the year subject to revision on the basis of the more comprehensive annual survey.
8 N ot available.
6 Cumulative from June 1.
7 Cumulative from M a y 1.
8 Cumulative from April 1.
Miners’ Welfare Activities in Great Britain1
WELFARE activities for the benefit of British miners have been
carried on by the Miners’ Welfare Fund since 1920. The Mining
Industry (Welfare Fund) Act of 1943 provided that the levy on the
output of coal mines to finance tlie Fund should continue to be payable,
until the year 1951, at the existing rate of Id. per ton. The rate was
raised to this amount by a 1939 law, after being reduced to YA. during
i Data are from Great Britain, Ministry of Labor Gazette (London), January 1944, and Parliamentary
Debates, House of Commons, December 16, 1943; and M onthly Labor Review, M a y 1935 (p. 1208).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
766
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
the depression, but the 1939 act was effective for only a period of 5
years. The Fund is administered by a Miners’ Welfare Commission,
with representation of interested parties and the public. Activities
include recreational schemes, scholarships, convalescent homes, and
various other functions.
Three of the main activities of the Fund are the provision of pithead baths, canteens, and rehabilitation centers. The construction
of pit-head baths was stopped in the middle of the program, owing to
war shortages of labor and material. However, 362 such baths are
in use in mines employing 419,146 men— 57 percent of the total
workers in the industry. At the establishments remaining to be
dealt with, 4 baths, for 1,710 men, are being finished, with 12 left only
partly constructed. Parliamentary discussions emphasized the im
portance of completing the program, both for the benefit of the workers
who chose mining as an occupation, and for the men now being com
pelled to become miners as a result of the shortage of mining labor.
Under the canteen program, 893 mines employing 95 percent of all
the men engaged in the industry have canteens now operating; full
meals are served at the canteens of 415 mines employing 50 percent of
all mine workers. On the completion of all the plans, 98 percent of
the men will have canteen facilities, with full-meal service available for
70 percent. Efforts are being made to finish the program, but again
the shortage of labor retards the work. The miners do not make as
much use of the existing canteens as might be desired, apparently
chiefly because of the lack of available bathing facilities. With regard
to rehabilitation centers, 2 are now in operation, 5 are in preparation,
and others covering the whole of the coal fields are being provided in
collaboration with the hospitals in the areas.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Women in Industry
i
Women’ s War Wages in New York State, 1943
ABOUT 2,000,000 girls and women are wage earners in New York
State. They are in all kinds of occupations, ranging from crane opera
tion to caring for others’ children. In the manufacturing industries,
which are the industries connected most closely with actual war
production, the average wage of a woman worker amounted to as
much as $29.97 per week for the first 10 months of 1943.1 This
average, however, included much overtime. From these earnings
are deducted the 20-percent withholding tax (to be applied on the
income tax), the social-security tax, and any deductions authorized
by the employee for the purchase of war bonds.
Manufacturing Industries
Table 1 presents a comparison of the weekly wages of men and
women in specified manufacturing industries employing large num
bers of women, for 1939, 1941, and 1943. In this period, the average
man’s earnings in the specified industries rose from $30.77 to $52.36,
and the average woman’s earnings from $17.46 to $29.97.
T a b l e I.— Men's and Women's Weekly Wages in Selected Manufacturing Industries,
New York State, 1939, 1941, and 1943 1
1943
1941
1939
Industry
M en
Manufacturing industries.......................... ............................ $30.77
Food and kindred products, and tobacco manufac
tures----- ----------- ---------------------------------------------- ------------Canning and preserving----------------------------------------Bakery products----------------------------------- -----------------Confectionery and related products----------------------Textile-mill products----------------------------------------------------Knitting mills-------------------- - - - - ----------------------------Apparel and other finished fabric products---------------M en ’s and boys’ suits, coats and overcoats--------M en ’s and boys’ furnishings, work clothing, etc. _
W om en’s and misses’ outerwear--------- _----------------W om en’s undergarments and accessories-------------Millinery__________________________________________
Paper-board containers and boxes-------------------------------Other paper products-------------------------- ----------------------Printing, publishing and allied industries------------------Footwear (except rubber)-----------------;--------------------------Metals and machinery------- ----------- ------------------------------Machinery (including electrical)---------------------------
31.51
21.31
29. 56
27.84
22.95
21.54
31.81
29. 27
25.77
36.31
29.58
34.45
26.84
28.02
41.00
23.12
30.28
30.13
Women
M en
$17.46 $36.60
15. 68
11 66
17.00
15. 9S
14. 57
14.17
18. 68
17.21
14. 66
21.66
16. 74
20. 20
15. 62
15. 36
17.99
15.62
17. 62
18.05
34.07
23. 73
32. 39
31.04
26.68
24.68
35. 50
33. 79
30. 24
40.52
31.33
38.08
30. 96
31.91
43.40
26.94
39.11
41.24
Women
M en
$19.74 $52. 36
17.45
13. 29
20.49
17.19
17.37
16.66
20. 62
20.18
17.19
23. 65
18.61
22.44
18.09
17.00
19.33
17.95
21.66
24. 34
41.44
32.86
40. 20
40. 63
38. 22
35.03
54.39
43. 51
39.99
60.46
40.86
62.22
41.32
40. 76
51.63
39. 80
56.94
54.38
Women
$29.97
23. 44
20. 54
24. 42
24.22
25.49
24.43
30. 05
27. 38
23.85
35.15
24.14
33. 73
22.84
22.28
23. 82
25.96
35.42
33. 73
i
Compiled from data prepared by New York State Department of Labor, Division of Statistics and
Information. The figures shown are averages for the year except those for 1943, which are averages for the
■first 10 months.
' Data are from New York Department of Labor, Division of W omen in Industry and M inim um
Wage, W om en’s W ar Wages, Albany, December 1943 (processed).
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767
768
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
Other Pursuits
Many women work in other lines than manufacturing; for example,
in the service industries, in which earnings are comparatively low, and
from which workers are consequently going into higher-paid employ
ment. In August 1943, to avert a serious labor shortage in service
industries, the regional war labor board approved several wage ad
vances, among them a raise to 50 cents per hour for the least-skilled
workers in organized laundries. That board’s study disclosed that
60 percent of these workers had been earning less than that amount.
Indeed, thousands of women and minors in New York State are re
ceiving less than 36 cents an hour in cleaning and dyeing establish
ments, less than 35 cents in laundries, less than 37 cents in beauty
parlors, and less than 30 cents as hotel chambermaids.
In table 2, the wages of women workers in New York State in
various classes are reported. The exodus of poorly paid domestic
workers to better-paid jobs has had the effect of raising the wages
of those who have remained in household employment. In Decem
ber 1943, it will be noted, the hourly rate for domestic day work in
New York City was 60 cents.
T abi .e 2.-— Wages of Women Workers, Various Occupations, in New York State
Classification
Type and period of wage
Workers covered by old-age and survivors’ insurance, 1941- _ Average annual taxable wage......
Retail-trade workers, April 1943:
Amount
$714.00
Outside New York C ity .. _____________________________ ____ do_______ ________ ___________
Domestic workers, December 1943, New York City:
D a y w o rk ___________ _________________________ _________ Hourly rate______________________
Full-time work__________________ __________________
Office workers (business):
December 1942_________________ ____ _____ _
_________
December 1 9 4 1 ..... .........................
Office workers (factory):
October 1942__________ . . . . . _ _____ _____ . . . .
Professional workers, 1941______ __________ ___ __ _ _ .
527
.413
.00
. 45
27. 32
25. 29
32 27
29 IS
40.27
Increased Opportunities for Women Occupational
Therapists
A WAK, shortage of workers is reported in occupational therapy.1 Only
about 1,000 occupational therapists are registered in the United States
and approximately the same number had taken up this line of work
before registration standards were established.
The demand for occupational therapists is growing because of work
with returned hospitalized members of the military and naval forces.
The Army expects to expand its corps of 2,000 therapists by 350 in the
immediate future and by 1,000 more within the next year. Therapists
are receiving commissions from the Army and the Navy. For example,
women over 30 years of age with a minimum of 6 years of experience
are commissioned lieutenants (j. g.) in the Waves, after a brief
indoctrination.
1 W om en’s Work and Education (News-Letter of the Institute of W om en’s Professional Relations), Octo
ber and December 1943.
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Women in Industry
769
Occupational therapists are now trained in some 10 schools approved
by the American Medical Association and more schools will be ap
proved shortly. For admission to the 3-year course, a candidate must
be a high-school graduate and have a year of college work. Certain of
the schools will accept high-school graduates and complete their train
ing in 5 years. An 8-week course is available for volunteers through
the State occupational therapy associations in collaboration with the
Civilian Defense volunteer organizations, the Red Cross, and the Grey
Ladies. A minimum of 150 hours of service per year must be pledged
by such volunteers.
Recruitment of Women for Part-Time Jobs in Canada
IN July and September 1943, campaigns were launched in a number
of cities, under a program of the Canadian National Selective Service,
to mobilize new contingents of women for the labor market.1 The
measures taken and their results in Toronto, Ottawa, and Halifax, are
shown below.
The campaign was an endeavor to induce women who bad not at
that time accepted jobs—housewives, and women in retirement to
take employment in necessary community services and also in war
industries. Although efforts were made to obtain new full-time work
ers, particular emphasis was laid on finding women for part-time work.
Part-time employment is defined by the National Selective Service as
“ work in addition to a regular full-time occupation which is carried on
outside the normal working hours, that is before 8 a. m. or after 6 p.m.”
Housewives may be employed at any time if their additional working
hours are not in excess of 24 in any 1 week. Employment-control
regulations do not include part-time work.
On November 1, 1943, the Administrator of the Women’s Division
of the Canadian National Selective Service announced that the total
number of women in industry in the Dominion was 1,170,000, of whom
661,000 were in high-priority or very-essential work. The answer to
the call for women workers from different centers, she stated, was
amazing. From the Halifax, Peterborough, Ottawa, and Toronto dis
tricts, more than 10,000 women had responded to the call since the
close of June 1943— 7,000 in September alone.
Toronto.—In July 1943 the first efforts were made to recruit parttime women workers in Toronto in order to meet the labor dearth
in requisite community services. The Women’s Division of the
Selective Service directed tiie drive, with the active support of the
local Council of Women. Before the campaign was begun, 1,500
definite orders for part-time workers were received by the Women’s
Division of Selective Service. W7omen were asked to accept jobs at
standard pay rates for a workweek of 24 hours, on a schedule either
of 2 or 3 full days or for from 3 to 6 hours per day.
The registration of volunteers for part-time work began on July 8, 1943, and
during the first 24 hours more than 1,000 women applied at the Selective Service
office. By July 26, the total number of applicants was 2,267, of whom 1,518
were placed in essential services and 599 with war industries experimenting with
i Data are from International Labor Review (Montreal), March 1944, (p. 372).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
770
Monthly Labor Revieiv—April 1944
part-time workers; 150 were not yet placed. Of those in essential services, 875
accepted full-time employment and 643 accepted part-time work (128 in hos
pitals, 277 in restaurants, 82 in hotels, and 156 in laundries and dry-cleaning
establishments).
Afterwards, at a meeting of representatives of the service industries in the
community, employers agreed that the shortage had been successfully met by
the employment of part-time women workers. It was felt that the women had
registered with the aim of seeking useful service rather than jobs of their own
choice. As a result of the successful registration, other Toronto industries
began to explore the possibilities of utilizing more women on part-time work.
Early in September a war-industry exhibit was held at the begin
ning of a local drive by the Employment and Selective Service offices
as a feature of the campaign. The National Film Board provided
pictures of industries, and approximately 123 industries arranged
booths in which girls from the plants carried out various factory
operations. The drive lasted 11 days. Altogether, 4,798 women
were provided, 4,330 being referred directly to industrial war work.
In the first 3 days of the campaign, 1,400 were placed. Of the re
maining group, 300 were registered for part-time work and were
subsequently placed; 168 were married women who had to postpone
taking up this new work until provisions were made for their chil
dren’s day care.
Ottawa.— In September 1943, a campaign sponsored by the Ottawa
Council of Women, was conducted by the Civil Service Commission
and the Ottawa Employment and Selective Service offices, to recruit
for part-time work in Government service. Advertisements called
for junior full-time clerks, typists, and stenographers at $70.20 per
month, including bonus. Part-time employment was offered at $50
or $35 per month, the age limits being 18 to 55 years.
During a 4-day period beginning September 15, the number of
women registered totaled 2,240. Of these, 1,656 were secured for
Government employment, among them 175 who were willing to take
full-time jobs. The Civil Service Commission’s objective had been
800 workers. It was agreed, however, to refer to the National
Selective Service for placement with local firms, superfluous workers
or those who because of lack of training were not suitable for work
in Government offices.
Halifax.— In the latter part of September, the Employment and
Selective Service offices of Halifax made an appeal to all housewives
to register for part-time paid employment in bakeries, restaurants,
laundries, dry-cleaning plants, hotels, hospitals, the needle trades,
stores, and offices. This drive was under the sponsorship of the
Halifax Council of women.
Local firms’ orders for women workers totaled 1,235. Within 8
days 1,020 women registered, 179 being willing to accept full-time
employment. It was estimated that approximately 90 percent of
the local requirements were met.
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Labor Organizations
Convention of Boilermakers and Iron Ship Builders,
19441
THE seventeenth consolidated convention of the International
Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, and Helpers of
America, the first since 1937, met in Kansas City, Mo., January 31 to
February 9, 1944.2 The major and recurring notes of the deliberations
of the 1,000 delegates from 647 subordinate lodges in the United States
and Canada, representing about 400,000 workers, were a firm determi
nation to continue what was characterized as the union’s “ wonderful”
record of production of the implements of war, without any reserva
tions or interruptions whatsoever, “ no matter how unjust conditions
may become, no matter how sharp the aggravations may be,” and an
equally determined resolution to combat all attempts at restrictive
legislation directed against labor and all efforts intended “ to rob labor
of the fruits of its progress.”
Among the more significant decisions of the convention were those
relating to (1) the union’s war record and its attitude toward questions
pertaining to the war, (2) problems of membership and of the trade,
including auxiliary (Negro) lodges, and supervision of locals, and (3)
problems of the shipbuilding industry and of the union in the post-war
period.
U nion’s No-Strike and Production Record
Tribute was paid to the members of the boilermakers’ union for their
magnificent war production job by President Roosevelt, President
Green of the American Federation of Labor, and Assistant Secretary of
Labor Daniel W. Tracy. In a letter to the convention, President
Roosevelt said in part:
I wish I could have expressed to the convention in person my appreciation and
that of the Nation for the wonderful job already done by the shipbuilders, the
boilermakers, and the other workers represented by your Brotherhood. The
history of the American labor movement and of your Brotherhood affords as
surance to me and to the country as a whole that the members of your Brother
hood will continue to do their full share of the great job ahead.
1 Prepared in the Bureau’s Labor Information Service, by Boris Stem and John L. Afros.
2 The National Brotherhood of Boilermakers was organized on October 1, 1880, at Chicago, 111. Another
National Brotherhood of Boilermakers was formed in Atlanta, Ga., in 1888. On November 1, 1893, the two
organizations consolidated as the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and Iron Ship Builders of
America. A helpers’ division was organized in 1902 and admitted to full membership in the International
'b r i e f l y , the International has jurisdiction over the following major trades and occupations: (1) Shipbuild
ing and ship-repair industry, all steel-plate work; (2) fabricating, erecting, and repairing of all steel tanks for
water towers, molasses, alcohol, beer, etc.; (3) fabricating, erecting, and repairing of all steam boilers m manu
facturing industry, oil refineries, paper-pulp, whiskey, steam-power plants; (4) railroad locomotive boilers
and horizontal boilers; and (5) building construction, and all other work where steel-plate fabrication is used.
The constitution of the Brotherhood provides for the holding of an international convention every 4 years.
The convention that was to have been held in 1941 was twice postponed by a referendum of the general
membership, once in 1941 for 2 years and again in 1943 for 1 year.
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771
772
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
Continuing the President’s note of praise, Mr. Green, in his address
to the delegates, declared that the men and women of the Brotherhood
were serving in the front lines of the battle of production. They
were, he asserted, the key workers in the construction of ships which
have made victory possible for the United Nation's. After citing the
enormous figures on ship construction since Pearl Harbor, Mr. Green
continued:
Knowing the hearts and minds of American workers, I am completely confident
that they will discharge their duties and their responsibilities to the highest extent.
They will not shirk. They will not strike. They will not cause any unnecessary
delays in our war effort. Your own past record inspires me to make that sweeping
prediction. It is based upon your conduct and your action since Pearl Harbor.
I have examined the record you have made carefully, and I have compared it with
the record of other organizations not affiliated with the American Federation of
Labor. And on that basis of fact, I hereby declare unequivocally that the com
pliance with the “ no strike” pledge of the members of the International Brother
hood of Boilermakers has been as close to 100 percent as is humanly possible. You
have refrained from strikes and work stoppages locally as well as nationally almost
entirely.
Attitude Toward National Service Legislation
The delegates were as vigorous in their opposition to the proposed
national service legislation (the "labor draft,” as it was frequently
referred to at the convention) as they had been in their support of the
war effort. The resolution setting forth the union’s position on this
question declared in part:
Whereas, the proposal to draft labor for private profit in private industry is not
only repugnant to our ideals of Americanism, but bears no relation to the principle
of drafting men to fight in the armed forces in defense of our country which is
without profit to private individuals and is traditional throughout all history, and
Whereas, this Brotherhood has not sanctioned a single strike since December
7, 1941, and in the few scattered instances where our members resorted to work
stoppages, we have, in every case promptly and vigorously urged their imme
diate return to work; therefore be it
R e s o lv e d , That this, the Seventeenth Consolidated Convention of the Inter
national Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders and Helpers of America,
composed of approximately one thousand delegates representing nearly one-half
million members in the United States, does hereby, most vigorously and most
definitely, condemn the attempt to stigmatize the Nation’s workers as disloyal
by the enactment of any such totalitarian legislation as the so-called National
Service Law, and be it further
R e s o lv e d , That we unequivocally declare that the workers of this Nation, from
our personal knowledge of the facts, stand ready and willing to make any sacrifice
which may be necessary to insure the winning of this war * * * but we
insist upon and demand the right to do these things as free men and as equals,
not as slaves or discredited and unclean persons.
Speaking before the convention, 2 days after the adoption of the
foregoing resolution, President 'William Green reaffirmed the oppo
sition of the American Federation of Labor to the proposed National
Service Act. He declared that increased regimentation would not
bring about increased efficiency. On the contrary, he said, one of the
major factors that will eventually help us win the war is the incontest
able superiority of free American labor over slave Nazi labor. In
developing labor’s reasons for opposing the proposed National Service
Act, President Green said, among other things:
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Labor Organizations
773
It represents conscription. It represents involuntary servitude. It repre
sents compulsion. It makes you a mere figure. It takes you like a sack of
sugar and a sack of salt, and sets you over there, under the domination of em
ployers, and there you must remain as a conscripted worker by the Government.
Any violation subjects you to imprisonment, fine, or God knows what.
Other Resolutions on Public Policy
Emphasizing that the “ Little Steel” formula of the National War
Labor Board has resulted in hardships to wage earners because of
increases in the cost of living, the convention requested the War
Labor Board to “ alter and revise the ‘Little Steel’ formula in order
to grant wage increases to workers which would compensate them for
the increase in the cost of living since January 1941.”
The delegates regarded the enactment of the Smitli-Connally Law
as a stigma on organized labor and as a restriction of its freedom.
They pledged themselves “ to wage a relentless campaign” along
with all other bodies of organized labor until this law is repealed.
In order to attain maximum production for the war effort, the con
vention resolved to ask President Roosevelt “ to establish the Office
of War Mobilization as a central authority with control over planning
and administration of all aspects of the production program and with
power to eliminate overlapping and duplication of effort.”
To stop the waste of manpower through hoarding of labor by war
industries, Congress was urged “ to pursue a policy of renegotiation
of present cost-plus contracts and adopt a policy of fixed-cost con
tracts in the future.”
Other resolutions adopted favored the passage of the Green-Lucas
Federal soldiers’ vote bill, adequate representation for organized labor
on all Government boards and agencies, and a modification of the
Social Security Law lowering the age requirement for old-age benefits
from 65 to 55.
Membership Problems
EFFECTS OF WAR
The boilermakers’ union has experienced a phenomenal growth in
the past 3 years mainly because of the Government’s tremendous
shipbuilding program and the consequent training of thousands of
shipbuilding 'workers by governmental agencies, by industry, and by
private schools. Since 1940, the average membership of the Brother
hood has increased about 700 percent, but because of the tremendous
labor turn-over among workers employed in shipyards, the inflow
of new members has been very much greater. During the 2 years,
January 1942 through December 31, 1943, the union initiated 511,666
new members and reinstated 87,854, making a total of 599,520, as
against a total paid-up membership of about 400,000 in December
1943.3
3
According to Secretary-Treasurer W m . E . Walter.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
•<1
•v i
M E M B E R S H I P OF IN T E R N A T I O N A L BR O TH E RH O O D OF B O I L E R M A K E R S ,
I R O N S H I P B U I L D E R S , AND H E L P E R S OF A M E R I C A , A . F. OF L.
THOUSANDS
1914-1943
THOUSANDS
400
400
-4
350
30 0
-
300
250
H 250
200
-
200
150
-
150
100
100
50
0
1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 ¡918
1919 1 9 2 0 1921 1922 1923 1924 1 9 2 5 1926 1927 1928 1929 1 9 3 0 1931 1932 1933 1934 1 9 3 5 1936 1937 1938 1939 1 9 4 0 ¡941 1942 1943 1944
FIRST WORLD WAR
UNITEO STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LAßOR STATISTICS
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PRESENT WAR
;
_______________ _______________________________________________________________________
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
350
775
Labor Organizations
Average Paid-Up Membership of International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship
Builders, and Helpers of America, 1914—43
Auxiliary (Negro) members
W hite members
Total
member
ship
Both
sexes
M en
1914 _
1915..
191619171918
1919-
16.975
10, 764
26, 397
51, 751
127, 016
153,465
16.975
16, 764
26,397
51, 751
127,016
153,465
16.975
16, 764
26,397
51, 751
127,016
153,465
192019211922192319241925-
85,973
56, 716
42, 259
29, 689
22, 076
17, 533
- 85,973
56,716'
42, 259
29, 689
22,076
17, 533
85, 973
56, 716
42, 259
29, 689
22,076
17, 533
19261927192819291930..
1931-
15,440
17,068
17,215
19, 326
17,006
14, 708
15,440
17,068
17, 215
19,326
17, 006
14,708
15,440
17,068
17, 215
19, 326
17,006
14, 708
1932
19331934.
19351930.
1937-
12, 520
18, 338
16.975
18,169
22,055
29,221
12, 520
18,338
16.975
18,169
22,055
29, 221
12, 520
18,338
16.975
18,169
22,055
29, 221
1938193919401941.
19421943.
28,823
34,186
45, 252
102, 719
284, 330
360,000
28,609
33,896
44, 941
102,032
280,906
346,290
28,609
33,896
44, 941
102, 032
272,800
306, 290
W om en
8,106
40, 000
Both
sexes
214
290
311
687
3, 424
13, 710
M en
214
290
311
687
3,424
11,678
Wom en
2,032
According to the report of the executive council, there were, at the
end of December 1943, between 700,000 and 800,000 shipyard workers.
The majority of these workers are employed on the Pacific Coast,
under what is known as the Pacific Coast Master Agreement. This
agreement embraces all trades in every yard and covers approximately
400.000 members of different A. F. of L. metal-trades unions, including
250.000 members of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers,
Iron* Ship Builders and Helpers of America.
W OMEN MEMBERS
The executive council report to the delegates stated that the ad
mission of women to membership had been among the many perplexing
problems that faced the union as a result of the war. The union had
been notified that, because of the pressing demands of the various
Government procurement agencies for the employment of women in
shipyards in order to meet the unprecedented demand for manpower,
women would be employed as shipyard workers, whether admitted
to union membership or not. In response to this emergency, the
executive council submitted the problem of admission of women to a
membership referendum in July 1942, and in September 1942 issued
instructions to the subordinate lodges to admit to membersliip^women
employed on jobs under the jurisdiction of the International Brother
hood.
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This decision was unanimously ratified by the convention. Women
became full-fledged members of the Brotherhood with all the rights
and privileges, including representation at international conventions.
Up to December 31, 1943, a total of 52,063 female members had been
admitted into the several lodges of the union. Of these, 12,063
dropped out, leaving a net woman membership of 40,000 at the close
of the year.
NEGRO MEMBERSHIP
Owing to the employment of many Negro workers in the boiler
makers’ trade, the question of admitting them to the union had been
considered by previous conventions. In its report to the 1920 con
vention, the executive council urged that colored workers be brought
under the jurisdiction of the international; it reported that the ques
tion of granting auxiliary charters to Negroes in the trade had been
submitted to a referendum in 1919, “ but failed to receive the attention
of the membership that was due a question of such importance.” A
resolution adopted at the 1937 convention provided for the admission
of Negroes to union membership in separate auxiliary lodges. It
stipulated that (1) auxiliaries were to be organized only in the city or
vicinity where a white local lodge was already in existence, (2) members
of Negro lodges were to be confined to their own lodges and not per
mitted to be transferred to white local lodges, and (3) Negro lodges
were to be represented by the nearest white lodge in all conventions
and conferences.
Since 1937, 44 auxiliary lodges have been chartered, of which 9 were
dissolved. At the end of 1943, there were 13,678 male and 2,532
female Negro members in the remaining 35 lodges.
Reviewing the union’s experience with Negro lodges, the executive
council urged the 1944 convention to reconsider the question in the
light of recent developments. The council’s report recited the pressure
that had been brought to bear upon it (1) by some Negro members
and their spokesmen, who accused the Brotherhood of discrimination
against them, and (2) by Government agencies which urged it to
modify its practices and make possible the full utilization of Negro
manpower in the national war emergency. The executive council
particularly cited the charges filed by the President’s Committee on
Fair Employment Practice, which was organized to enforce the pro
visions of President Roosevelt’s Executive Order No. 9346, calling
for the maximum employment of all available workers, regardless of
race, creed, color, or national origin.
The union’s resolutions committee, charged with the responsibility
of dealing with the issue, met in Kansas City for 2%weeks prior to the
opening of the convention, holding hearings, taking testimony, and
giving consideration to the many important matters to be brought
before the convention, including the Negro problem. Among those
who testified before it were Malcolm Ross, Chairman of the President’s
Committee on Fair Employment Practice, and Joseph Keenan, Vice
President of the War Production Board.
The Negro question did not come up for formal action until the
closing hours of the convention. The resolution, which was then
adopted without a dissenting vote, recommended the continuation of
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the auxiliary-lodge system (i. e., separate Negro locals), as now con
stituted, with the following revisions:
1. Members of the auxiliary local lodges will be permitted to elect delegates
who will be seated in future conventions of this International Brotherhood, with
full voting authority and all of the privileges of properly accredited delegates;
2. Auxiliary lodges may file application for affiliation with metal-trades councils
and district lodges;
3. The business agent of the supervising subordinate lodge shall attend all
meetings of the auxiliary lodge. Where no business agent is maintained, the presi
dent of the supervising lodge shall attend the meetings of the auxiliary lodge.
4. It shall be the duty of the officers of the auxiliary lodges and the supervising
lodges to refuse to admit to auxiliary lodge meetings any individual who is not
(1) a member in good standing of the auxiliary lodge, (2) an officer of the super
vising lodge, or (3) an international officer. Exception to this section may only
be authorized by the supervising lodge.
The resolution also directed the incoming international president
and executive council (1) to define the duties of both the auxiliary
lodges and the supervising lodges, and (2) to obtain from the insurance
company through which the union’s group insurance is carried revisions
in the present insurance contract that will enable Negro members to
receive insurance benefits identical with those of white members.
SUPERVISION OF LOCALS
The problem of the relationship between the International and its
subordinate lodges was precipitated by the appearance of two sets of
delegates from Lodge 72 of Portland, Oreg. In the past few years,
the International has had considerable difficulties with this lodge,
which has 46,000 members and is the largest local in the union. The
executive council, acting under powers conferred on it by the 1937
convention, suspended Lodge 72 for various irregularities, one of which
was the improper expenditure of its funds, and established a govern
ing board composed of 21 members of Lodge 72 for the purpose of safe
guarding and administering the affairs of the local in accordance with
the constitution and bylaws of the International Brotherhood.
In view of the fact that Lodge 72 was under suspension and could
not therefore hold regular elections, the governing board appointed
four delegates to the convention; thereupon one of the factions of the
local appealed to the Oregon courts to nullify the governing board’s
appointments and to order an election. The courts appointed a
receiver under whose supervision 11 delegates were elected.
Though the convention was called upon to decide which of the two
delegations should be seated to represent the local, the more funda
mental question (as became evident from the 2%-day discussion) was
the right of the Brotherhood’s president and executive council to
supervise and administer the affairs of a local lodge to insure com
pliance with the constitution and bylaws of the Brotherhood. The
convention approved the recommendation of the credentials com
mittee to seat the delegates selected by the governing board, thereby
endorsing the position taken by the president and executive council.
Problems of the Trade
TH E CASE OF TH E W E L D E R S
Proposals for the solution of the wTelders’ problems came before the
convention in the form of several resolutions advocating segregation
of all welders now within the jurisdiction of the several A. F. of L.
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Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
craft unions, into a separate international union chartered by the
Federation. These resolutions called for the recognition of welding
as a distinct trade, on the ground that “ welding has developed in a
few years from a process of restricted industrial use to a highly com
plex and widely applied technique requiring several years of training/’
The proponents contended that under conditions as they exist to
day, thousands of welders have been under great personal and financial
inconveniences and hardships because of the need for them to maintain
dual or even multiple union membership. The opponents of the
proposal argued that (1) the welding process is not the exclusive tool
of any one craft any more than the hammer and chisel, and its users
are therefore not justified in demanding a separate union, and (2)
members of the boilermakers’ union do not have to pay dual dues
when working in a shop that is under the control of another A. F. of L.
union, if they avail themselves of the union’s transfer privileges.
The resolutions were rejected by the delegates, who endorsed the
position of the executive council opposing the formation of a separate
union for welders.
APPRENTICESHIP
The report of the executive council severely criticized inadequacies
of wartime training in the ship-construction industry. It stated that
the man or woman who becomes an expert welder in a special school
located miles away from a shipyard must still learn to apply in a
practical manner on the job the things that he or she learned in theory
in school, resulting in costly and wasteful losses of working time. For
this reason the executive council favored within-plant training as the
logical method of imparting to untrained workers certain skills which
would enable them to take and maintain their places in shipbuilding
construction. The convention authorized the incoming executive
council to adopt a comprehensive apprenticeship and supplementary
training program which would provide also for “ interchangeability”
of classifications.4 This program, is to be worked out in harmony
with the national apprenticeship standards of the Federal Committee
on Apprenticeship.
RESOLUTIONS RELATING TO SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY
The following recommendations contained in resolutions adopted
by the convention express the attitude of the delegates to problems
dealing with shipbuilding in Government and private yards:
1. Owing to frequent abuse of the merit system, which is used to
rate employee efficiency in navy yards, naval stations, and arsenals,
it should be replaced by a seniority system.
2. The Navy Department was asked to grant compensation for
night-shift work, comparable to that paid by private shipbuilders.
3. Commissioned and enlisted personnel of the Navy and Army
used in the construction, manufacture, assembly, overhaul, and repair
of naval and military equipment at the naval shore establishments and
4 “ Interchangeability” has to do with the diversity of skill and quickness of adaptability to the multitude
of operations in the shipbuilding craft. In the discussion on the apprenticeship resolution, Secretary Treasurer Walter defined “ interchangeability” as the ability of a boilermaker “ to perform all the operations”
and stated that “ It has been the policy and practice of this International Brotherhood that every mechanic
should know every part of our trade.”
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779
arsenals under the Navy and War Departments should be replaced by
civil-service employees.
4.
Pay for holidays for per diem workers in navy yards and arsenals
should be restored.
RESOLUTIONS DEALING WITH RAILROAD INDUSTRY
The International Brotherhood has a substantial membership em
ployed in railway maintenance shops and is associated with the other
nonoperating railroad-labor organizations in their collective-bargain
ing agreements with the railroad industry.
In its resolutions dealing with the railroad industry, the convention
urged—
1. That the Railroad Pension Act be revised to provide that em
ployees with 30 years of service, regardless of age, be allowed full pen
sion rights.
2. That the 1-week vacation with pay, established in 1941, be
lengthened to 2 weeks with pay.
3. That a 40-hour week be established on the railroads, with time
and a half for Saturday work and double time for Sundays and
holidays.
P ost-W a r Plans
The executive council in its report and the delegates in their de
liberations expressed serious concern over the many problems that
will face the union and the Nation at the end of the war. Recurrent
reference was made to the need for post-war planning to deal with
(1) unemployment that would result from tapering off the Govern
ment’s shipbuilding program, (2) readjustment by industry to peace
time production, (3) shrinkage in membership, and (4) the return of
servicemen into the union.
To cope with some of these problems, the delegates expressed them
selves in favor of the following:
1. The executive council should enter into negotiations with various
branches of the industry (a) to find a common ground upon which to
cooperate with industry to provide maximum employment for the
members, (b) to seek guaranties against wage reductions, and (c) to
insure maintenance of present labor standards.
2. The United States should retain after the war a powerful naval
fleet and a great merchant marine. This, in the opinion of the
delegates, would not only make jobs for shipbuilding workers but
would insure peace and prosperity for the world as well as for this
Nation, provided that the work is performed in the shipyards of the
United States and Canada and not in Japan, Germany, or elsewhere.
3. Construction of such large projects as are needed for flood
control, power development, oil refineries, and other big undertakings,
to absorb the unemployed.
4. Every local union should make a survey in its locality of the
possibility" for undertaking needed public-utility projects.
5. Reinstatement to full membership of former members returning
from the armed service.
6. A comprehensive apprenticeship-training program undertaken
in cooperation with employers, to enable those who entered the trade
as specialists to become all-purpose mechanics.
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Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
The convention also advocated the exclusion of all immigrants for a
period of at least 10 years and rapid repatriation of all aliens now in
prison camps in this country.
Constitution and Bylaws
INSURANCE FEATURES
According to Article X II, members of the Brotherhood are re
quired to pay, in addition to their dues, a monthly premium of $1.30
for a $1,000 life-insurance policy which provides double indemnity in
case of accidental death while the union member is at work or going
to or from work, and various benefits in cases of partial disability.
During a member’s first year in the union, the policy is worth $333.33;
during the second year $666.66; and in each year thereafter $1,000.
Members do not lose payments on leaving the union. They are
permitted to change their policy with the same company to regular
life insurance upon payment of the regular rate, which is higher than
that paid through the union.
Some of the resolutions submitted to the delegates called for the
elimination of the insurance clause from the membership require
ments and for making insurance optional. The proponents of the
amendment argued that the insurance payments are an undue burden
on the members and a handicap in recruiting new members, especially
in Canada. The opponents of the amendment maintained that, on
the contrary, abandonment of group insurance would result in sky
rocketing insurance costs for members and would bar many from
receiving any protection because of age or physical handicaps, since
no physical examination is required by the union. They further
asserted that the union’s insurance feature is an aid rather than a bar
to the recruitment of members. The convention rejected the amend
ments.
FOUR-YEAR TERM FOR LODGE OFFICERS
The proposed change in the term of local lodge officers, from 1 to
4 years, was also fully debated by the delegates. The supporters of
this change maintained that it would help the International and the
local lodges to resist the pressure groups that have been threatening
the security of local lodges. The opposition contended that it was a
violation of democratic practices. On a roll call, the only one during
the entire proceedings, the amendment was carried by a vote of
5,588 to 1,304.
OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES
The salaries of the International officers were raised as follows:
President, from $7,500 to $12,500; assistant president, from $5,500 to
$10,000; secretary-treasurer, from $5,500 to $11,500; vice presidents,
from $4,500 to $8,400; editor of the Boilermakers Journal, $5,100 to
$8,600. Compensation for convention delegates was also increased
from $9 to $15 per day.
The number of vice presidents, who together with the general
president and general secretary-treasurer compose the executive
council, was enlarged from 10 to 13. The union’s territorial sections
were redistricted, from 8 in the United States and 2 in Canada to 11
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in the United States and 2 in Canada.
an international vice president.
781
Each region is in charge of
Officers and N ext Convention
Early in the convention, President Joseph A. Franklin, because of
ill health, resigned from the presidency of the International Brother
hood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, and Helpers of America,
which he had held since 1908.5 Immediately upon the acceptance of
his resignation, the convention created an honorary post of presidentemeritus and unanimously elected Mr. Franklin to that post. He was
voted an annual pension for life, equivalent to the salary ($7,500)
which he had received as president. The resolution also stipulated
that “ succeeding conventions be without power to revoke this
provision.”
The principal officers elected for the ensuing 4 years are: President,
Charles J. MacGowan; Assistant President, Harry Nicholas; Secre
tary-Treasurer, William E. Walter; Editor of the Boilermakers
Journal, L. A. Freeman.
The next convention is scheduled to be held in September 1948, in
Kansas City, Mo.
Trade-Union Membership in Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, 1942 6
TRADE-UNIONISTS in Great Britain and Northern Ireland
numbered 7,781,000 at the end of 1942. The increase in total member
ship over 1941 was nearly 690,000 persons, or 9.7 percent, in female
membership 21.4 percent, and in male membership 6.9 percent. In
1942 the number of unions declined from 983 to 976, as a result of the
dissolution of 12 organizations, the amalgamation of 10 with other
unions, and the formation of 15 new unions. The statistics cited were
compiled by the British Ministry of Labor and National Service from
the returns of unregistered organizations and from information sup
plied by the Registrars of Friendly Societies for unions registered
under the Trade Unions Acts. The data cover organizations of
salaried and professional persons as well as of manual workers, provided
their functions are known to include negotiations with employers for
the purpose of regulating conditions of employment. Membership in
branches overseas is included in the totals if the head offices of the
branches are situated in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Similarly the totals include members serving in the armed forces.
After 9 consecutive years of expansion (1934-42), total membership
was approximately half a million below the peak year 1920, when
trade-unionists numbered 8,348,000. Wartime growth had accelerated
and was nearly twice as great between 1941 and 1942 (9.7 percent) as
from 1939 to 1940 (5.0 percent). The 1939-42 increase for female
6 Bert M . Jewell, president of the Railway Employees’ Department of the A . F. of L., was the permanent
chairman of the convention.
6 Data are from Great Britain, Ministry of Labor Gazette (London), November 1943, which stated that
“ all figures for 1942, * * * are provisional and subject to slight revision.”
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membership was 71 percent, compared with 16 percent for males.
During 1942 the largest gain in female membership was in general
labor unions; in male membership the greatest increases occurred
in the engineering and metal group and in the general labor unions.
Approximately 60 percent of the trade-unionists were in organiza
tions having 100,000 members or more at the end of 1942 and 80 per
cent were in unions with 25,000 members or over. The 57 trade-union
federations in operation had 2,974,000 members.
i
Trade-Union Membership in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, by Sex, 1928-42 1
Number at end of year
Year
Members
Tradeunions
Total
Male
Female
Annual
change
in
mem
ber
ship
Percent
1928_______ ___________
1929________________ .
1930_____________________________
1931__________________
1932__________________________
1,142
1,133
1,121
1,108
1,081
4,806,000
4, 858,000
4, 842,000
4, 624,000
4, 444,000
4.011.000
4,056, C00
4.049.000
3.859.000
3.698.000
1933_________
1934
_____________
____________
1935
1936_______________________
1937__________________________
1,081
1,063
1,049
1,036
1,032
4.392.000
4, 590,000
4.867.000
5, 295,000
5.842.000
3, 661.000
3, 854,000
4.106.000
4, 495,000
4.947.000
800,000
895,000
1938_________
1939_____________
1940_____________________
1941__________________
1942__________ _____
1,024
1,008
989
983
976
6.053.000
6, 231,000
6, 542,0C0
7,093, 0C0
7.781.000
5.127.000
5, 258,000
5.460.000
1,082,000
6,113,000
1, 668.000
802,000
793,000
+ 1.1
- .3
746,000
-3 .9
736,000
5
+¿0
+ 8 .8
+ 1 0 .3
4 -4 .
+3 6
+A0
+ 8 .4
+ 9 .7
1
Some duplication in membership results from the practice of individuals joining more than one tradeunion; the duplication is estimated at about 40,000 persons in 1942.
Trade-Union Membership in India, 1940-41
IN 1940-41 the number of registered trade-unions in India was 711 as
compared with 667 in the preceding year. In the same period, the
membership of these unions increased from 511,138 to 513,8322 A
general rise in the number of registered trade-unions is indicated in
Bengal, the Central Provinces, Berar, Madras, and the Punjab. In
the 12 months under review the central trade-unions, with jurisdiction
greater than a single Province, also increased from 42 to 46.
Membership expanded in the trade-unions representing textiles,
docks and port trusts, municipalities, and workers in the engineering
industry. The number of women trade-union members, however,
declined from 18,612 to 16,977.
' Indian Information, Government of India, British Information Services, Washington, November 1, 1944.
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Industrial Disputes
Strikes in February 1944
PRELIM IN ARY estimates for February 1944 show 330 strikes,
involving 115,000 workers and 470,000 man-days of idleness. The
number of strikes was the same as in January, although the number
of workers involved was somewhat larger; strike idleness wTas about
one-fourth less than in January. Idleness in February was 0.06
percent of the available working time, as compared with 0.08 percent
in January.
There were no extremely large strikes in February, the three largest
accounting for only about 65,000 man-days of idleness. There was
a 6-day strike of 6,500 anthracite miners in Pennsylvania in protest
against the discharge of a union worker. A cut-back in the wnrk
schedule from 6 to 5 days at the Briggs Manufacturing Co. in Detroit
caused a 1-day strike of about 10,000 workers. A 10-day strike over
wTages, involving 2,500 workers at the Los Angeles Department of
Water and Power, ended wdien the War Department took over oper
ation of the services.
Strikes in February 1944, With Comparative Figures for Earlier Periods 1
Strikes beginning in
month
M an-days idle during
month (all strikes)
M onth and year
Number
February 1944 2______________ _ ______ __________________
January 1944 2____________________________________________
February 1943 2______________ _____________ __________ .
February 1942--. . . _________ ___ ______ ____ _________
February 1941_______________ _________ ________________
February 1940____________________________________________
Februarv 1939___ ____ '
_ .
_____ . . ____ _
330
330
200
181
257
172
204
W orkers
involved
115,000
110,000
40,000
58,122
71,875
29, 509
68,252
Percent of
available
working
time
Number
470,000
625,000
120,000
357,333
1,134, 531
289, 992
553,138
0.06
.08
.02
.06
.20
.06
. 12
1 All figures exclude strikes lasting less than 1 working day (or shift) and those involving fewer than 6
workers.
2 Preliminary and subject to revision.
Activities of U. S. Conciliation Service, February 1944
THE U. S. Conciliation Service during February disposed of 1,975
situations involving 862,224 workers (table 1). The services of this
agency were requested by the employers, employees, and other in
terested parties. Of these situations, 159 were strikes and lockouts
involving 66,854 workers, and 1,126 were threatened strikes and
controversies involving 506,515 workers. During the month 389
disputes were certified to the National War Labor Board, and in
57 cases other agencies assumed jurisdiction. The remaining 244
situations included investigations, arbitrations, requests for informa
tion, consultations, etc.
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Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
4 a b l e 1.— Situations Disposed of by U. S. Conciliation Service, February 1944, by
___________________ ________________ Type of Situation______
Type of situation
Workers
involved
Number
All types of situations.
i 1,975
862, 224
1,285
157
133
2
993
573, 369
66, 632
216, 238
222
290, 277
Other situations_____________________________________
Arbitrations_____________________________________
Technical services______________________________
Investigations___________________________________
Requests for verification of union membership.
Requests for information________________________
Consultations___________________________________
Special services of Commissioners______________
Complaints____________________________________
244
84
20
24
2
30
48
24
12
13,879
5, 482
2,842
1, 292
2,002
61
92
2,096
12
Disputes referred to other agencies during negotiations,
To National W ar Labor Board_____________________
To National Labor Relations Board________________
To other Federal agencies____ ______ ________________
To non-governmental agencies______________________
To State agencies ___________________________________
446
389
33
11
4
9
274,976
259, 447
9, 370
5,085
125
949
Labor disputes________
Strikes_____________
Threatened strikes.
L o ck ou ts,.________
Controversies______
tion procedure, with hearings officer or arbiter to be selected by National W ar Labor Board.
The facilities of the Service were used in 28 major industrial fields,
such as building trades and transportation, and the manufacture of
iron and steel, transportation equipment, textiles, food, etc. (table 2)
and were utilized by the employees and employers in 48 States, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands (table 3).
T
a b le
2.— Situations Disposed of by U. S. Conciliation Service, February 1944, by
«
Industries
Disputes
Other situations
Total
Industry
N um ber
All industries.._____________
Workers
involved
N um ber
Workers
involved
N um ber
Workers
involved
1,731
848, 345
244
13, 879
1,975
862, 224
Agriculture________________
Building trades_____ ____ ___
Chemicals_________________
Communications_______ ____
Electrical equipment________
Food____________ _________
18
46
69
8
32
145
166, 529
6, 359
10, 607
4,107
15, 348
41, 366
1
7
9
5
11
969
166, 534
6, 370
11, 576
3
17
2, 087
207
19
53
78
8
35
162
Furniture and finished lumber
Iron and steel______________
Leather___________________
Lumber___________________
Machinery_________________
Maritime__________________
73
206
26
40
87
11
12, 681
90, 648
19,435
31, 236
61, 510
2,205
5
36
29
4
9
1
221
1,398
366
233
2, 095
1
78
242
55
44
96
12
12,902
92, 046
19, 801
31, 469
63, 605
2, 206
Mining____________________
Motion pictures____________
Nonferrous metals__________
Paper_____________________
Personal service..___________
Petroleum_______ __________
33
2
73
18
101
22
4,913
62
63,459
3, 614
15, 658
3, 773
6
7
6
6
414
98
473
41
33
2
79
25
107
28
63, 873
3, 712
16,131
3, 814
Printing___________________
Professional________________
Rubber _____ ______________
Stone, clay and glass________
Textile____________________
Tobacco________ __________
33
14
24
60
75
4
2, 894
4.795
16, 399
16. 268
63, 477
1,170
3
2
6
9
27
6
7
1,236
120
1,394
36
16
30
69
102
4
2,900
4, 802
17.635
16,388
64,871
Trade_____________________
Transportation______________
Transportation equipment___
Utilities___________________
Miscellaneous______________
168
93
151
23
76
9, 360
12, 789
144, 435
5, 655
17,593
4
8
16
2
21
211
97
1,107
3
1,079
172
101
167
25
97
9, 576
12, 881
145, 542
5,658
18, 672
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
17! 435
41, 573
4 Q13
785
Industrial Disputes
T a b l e 3 . — Situations Disposed of by U. S. Conciliation Service, February 1944, by States
Disputes
Other situations
Total
State
N um ber
Massachusetts---------- ----------------------------------
New Y o rk----------------------------------------------------
Pennsylvania
-----------
_ _ -
South Carolina_____________________________
Utah
Virginia-------------- --------------------------------------
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Workers
involved
N um ber
Workers
involved
N um ber
Workers
involved
1,731
848,345
244
13, 879
1,975
862, 224
24
10, 327
10
61
34
10, 388
13
8
141
10
28
5,665
1,463
27,471
1,970
38, 659
13
756
2
101
13
8
154
10
30
5,665
1,463
28,227
1,970
38, 760
5
7
17
14
2,755
4, 778
6, 007
1, 588
6
4
3
349
105
267
5
13
21
17
2,755
5,127
6,112
1,855
8
206
503
67,193
15
1,372
8
221
503
68, 565
68
31
13
25
15
3
22
22,420
2,060
1,991
3, 270
33. .950
4, 500
5,215
10
6
1
3
7
1
3
117
1,168
3
257
12
1
425
78
37
14
28
22
4
25
22, 537
3,228
1,994
3,527
33,962
4, 501
5,640
56
117
18
6
136
3
13
50, 394
59,056
1,997
2, 906
54, 698
595
807
36
19
1, 635
306
12
2,199
92
136
18
6
148
3
13
52,029
59,362
1,997
2,906
56,897
595
807
5
1
56
5
147
9
137
49
26, 653
1,190
67,006
4, 575
2
6
184
53
16
4
1
925
154
1
5
3
62
5
163
13
1
137
233
26,706
1,190
67,931
4, 729
1
117
20
28
121
29
5
48, 074
3, 724
29, 943
35,818
171,720
6,098
19
1
2
9
4
1
475
4
107
453
513
500
136
21
30
130
33
6
48, 549
3,728
30,050
36,271
172, 233
6,5 go
4
2
30
29
4
1
937
290
6, 284
4,955
94
1,625
8
410
6
2
12
3
12
2
36
31
4
1
1,347
290
6,296
4,958
94
1,625
22
1
28
14
45
1
3,912
18
2,009
3,105
17,888
3
7
324
1
2
2
1
25
601
29
1
29
16
47
1
4,236
18
2,010
3,130
18,480
3
Labor Laws and Decisions
Recent Decisions of Interest to Labor1
Child Labor
THE effect of State child-labor regulations on a minor’s activities
performed as an exercise of religion was before the United States
Supreme Court in Prince v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts.2
A 9-year-old girl was supplied by her aunt and custodian with
religious literature to be peddled on the street. The Massachusetts
law _(ch. 149, secs. 69, 80, and 81, Gen. Laws of Mass., Ter. Ed.)
prohibits girls under 18 from selling, or offering for sale, periodicals in
any street or public place. The statute provides penalties for fur
nishing minors with articles to be sold in such places and provides
penalties for parents, guardians, or custodians permitting the minors
to work in violation of the statute. The Massachusetts State court
upheld a conviction of the aunt under th State statute (313 Mass.
223). She appealed to the Supreme Court principally on the ground
that the application of the State law abridged her freedom of religion
as guaranteed by the fourteenth amendment of the Federal Consti
tution. She also contended that the due process clause of the
fourteenth amendment guaranteed her the parental right to bring
up the child according to her own conscience and religious beliefs.
In a 5-t.o-4 decision, the Court, recognizing the basic conflict between
the State’s attempted regulation of the social evil of child labor and
the parent’s claim to control the conduct of a child, held that a State
had authority to protect the welfare of children by circumscribing
their employment activities on the public streets. This is true, it was
said, even though the regulation may affect, to some extent, matters
of conscience and religious conviction.
Norris-LaGuardia Act
Under the Norris-LaGuardia Act, Federal judges have no power
to issue an injunction against striking employees unless certain con
ditions have been met. One of these conditions is provided by sec
tion 8 of the act (29 U. S. C. sec. 108, 47 Stat. 72), which forbids the
issuance of injunctive relief to any complainant “ who has failed to
comply with any obligation hnposed by law which is involved in the
labor dispute in question, or who has failed to make every reasonable
1 Prepared in the Office of the Solicitor, Department of Labor. The cases covered in this article represent
a selection of significant decisions believed to be of special interest. N o attempt has been made to reflect
all recent judicial and administrative developments in the field of labor law nor to indicate the effect of
particular decisions in jurisdictions in which contrary results m ay be reached based upon local statutory
provisions, or a different approach by the courts to the issue presented.
2 64 Sup. C t. 438 (Jan. 31 1944).
786
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Labor Laws and Decisions
787
effort to settle such dispute either by negotiation or with the aid of
any available governmental machinery of mediation or voluntary
arbitration.”
The Supreme Court of the United States in B ro th e rh o o d o f R a ilr o a f
T r a in m e n , E n te rp ris e Lod g e N o . 2 7 et a t. v. T o le d o, P e o ria a n d W e s te rn
R a ilr o a d ,3 held that a railroad company which refused to submit a
labor dispute to arbitration had not made “ every reasonable effort”
to settle the dispute with its employees, and could not demand the
issuance of an injunction against them.
The National Mediation Board had assisted both the company and
its employees in an attempt to settle their dispute over working con
ditions and rates of pay, but the parties could not reach an agreement.
Both parties refused to adopt the mediator’s proposal that the dis
pute be submitted to arbitration. The employees then voted to
strike, but at the request of the Mediation Board postponed strike
action and agreed to arbitrate the dispute. The company, however,
steadfastly refused to arbitrate. Instead, it asked for the appoint
ment of an Emergency Board. Resort to such a Board is provided for
in the Railway Labor Act when the parties cannot settle their dispute
within a prescribed period. A strike was then called by the employees.
The company continued operations with the aid of other employees
and “ special agents.” Various incidents involving violence or threats
of violence took place, as well as damage to property and interruption
of service. The company called upon local authorities to protect its
property and obtained from the Federal District Court a temporary
restraining order and then an injunction forbidding the striking em
ployees from interfering with its operations and property. The Circuit
Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment of the District Court.
The question before the Supreme Court was whether the railroad
employer, by refusing to submit to arbitration, had failed to make
“ every reasonable effort” to settle the dispute in accordance with the
provisions of the Norris-LaGuardia Act.
Under the Railway Labor Act, although collective bargaining is
compulsory, mediation and arbitration are not. In the Court’s
judgment, however, the Norris-LaGuardia Act requirement, that
“ every reasonable effort” be made to settle a dispute before the
equitable remedy of injunction may be granted, demands more than
merely the fulfillment of legal duties: it is a condition precedent to
the granting of the relief sought that the petitioner attempt to settle
the dispute by arbitration. "The Court rejected the company’s argu
ment that, although arbitration appears to be regarded as a voluntary
procedure under the Railway Labor Act, insistence on an attempt to
arbitrate as a condition precedent to the issuance of an injunction
makes that procedure compulsory in character.
The company also argued that the Norris-LaGuardia Act, in di
recting the parties to make every reasonable effort to settle the dis
pute, did not apply in a situation where violence was involved. In
dismissing this argument the Court stated that the purpose of the
act, to prevent violence, is served by requiring that prior to resort
to the courts all reasonable alternative procedures available to settle
a dispute, such as arbitration, should be exhausted.
3------ Sup. C t.
(Jan. 17,1944).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
788
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
Labor Relations and Industrial Disputes
S ta tu s o f in d iv id u a l co n tra c ts u n d e r W a g n e r A c t. —A company had
entered into individual annual contracts regarding certain working con
ditions with 75 percent of its employees. While these contracts were in
effect, a union was certified by the National Labor Relations Board
as the exclusive bargaining representative of all the employees. The
company, however, refused to bargain with the union regarding those
conditions of work which were already covered by the individual con
tracts. Instead, it offered to bargain with the union on all matters
as soon as the individual contracts would expire and informed its em
ployees of its viewpoint by a circular. The National Labor Relations
Board found the company guilty of an unfair labor practice by refusing
to bargain collectively and by interfering with employee rights guar
anteed by the ’Wagner Act, and ordered it to bargain with the union
in the future. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals granted a decree
which enforced the Board’s order.
The United States Supreme Court, in J. 1. Case Co. v. N a tio n a l
L a b o r R e la tio n s B o a r d , 4 found that the individual contracts were “ sub
sidiary” to the terms of the collective agreement, and that an individ
ual employee could not, by a separate contract with the company,
waive any of the benefits which he might gain through a collective
agreement. It stated further that wherever individual contracts
conflict with functions of the National Labor Relations Board, the
contracts must give way to orders of the Board. The Court held that
the purpose of the ’Wagner Act is to replace separate contracts of
employees with collective agreements “ which reflect the strength and
bargaining power and serve the welfare of the group.”
The employer argued that an individual employee could sometimes
obtain better terms for himself than those offered by a collective
agreement, and if these added benefits are denied to an employee, his
freedom of contract would be denied. The Court did not decide
whether an individual contract which conflicts with a collective agree
ment could be enforced. It observed, however, that—
The practice and philosophy of collective bargaining looks with suspicion on
such individual advantages. Of course, where there is great variation in circum
stances of employment or capacity of employees, it is possible for the collective
bargain to prescribe only minimum rates or maximum hours or expressly to
leave certain areas open to individual bargaining. But except as so provided,
advantages to individuals may prove as disruptive of industrial peace as dis
advantages. They are a fruitful way of interfering with organization and choice
of representatives; increased compensation, if individually deserved, is often
earned at the cost of breaking down some other standard thought to be for the
welfare of the group, and always creates the suspicion of being paid at the longrange expense of the group as a whole.
E ffe c t o f N L R B o rd e r o n G o ve rn m e n t-se ize d p la n t. — The third Cir
cuit Court of Appeals in G le n A ld e n C o a l Co. v. N a tio n a l L a b o r R e la
tio n s B o a r d ,0 was asked by a coal-mining company to set aside an
order of the National Labor Relations Board, directing it to cease
refusing to bargain collectively with a certified union.
One argument of the company was that its mines had been seized
by the Secretary of the Interior, acting under Executive Order No.
9340 (8 F. R. 5695), and it was therefore precluded from complying
with the Board’s order. Since the Wagner Act does not apply to the
4 ------ Sup. C t . ------- (Feb. 28, 1944).
* ------ Fed. (2 d )------- (Jan. 31, 1944).
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Labor Laws and Decisions
789
Government, the company assumed that when the Secretary of the
Interior controlled the mines, the company employees became em
ployees of the United States, and therefore not subject to the Wagner
Act.
The court observed that the Executive order directed the Secre
tary to recognize the continuance of the collective-bargaining ma
chinery and processes in the mines taken over, provided they did
not interfere with their operation. Regulations issued by the Sec
retary gave recognition to collective bargaining and provided that
Federal and State laws should remain applicable to the companies
involved (8 F. R. 6655). In addition, the court noted a letter regard
ing this case from the Secretary of the Interior to the Chairman of
the National Labor Relations Board, in which the Secretary indicated
that there was no hindrance to compliance with the Board’s order
by the mining company. The court considered this opinion binding
on the facts before it, and entered a decree enforcing the order of
the Board.
R e e m p lo y m e n t rig h ts u n d e r Selective S ervice A c t. — Section 8 of the
Selective Service and Training Act of 1940 (50 U. S. C. sec. 308)
provides that discharged veterans shall have the right to be restored
to permanent jobs which they formerly held if they are still capable
of performing their former duties. The Fifth Circuit Court of Ap
peals in H u m b le O il & R e fin in g Co. v. N a tio n a l L a b o r R e la tio n s B o a rd 6
granted enforcement of an order of the Board which required an offer
of reinstatement to a discharged temporary employee upon his return
from military service, and back pay for the period between his dis
criminatory discharge and his induction into the Army. The order
also provided for back pay for the period between the employee’s
discharge from the armed forces and the date of reinstatement, if
the company failed to perform its obligation under the order.
The company argued before the court that the discharged employee
held only a temporary position and therefore the company should not
be ordered to reemploy him. It stated that inasmuch as the Selec
tive Service and Training Act required only that permanent employees
be reemployed, the rights of permanent employees would have to be
considered first. The Board insisted that its order did not violate
any law, and that the rights which it sought to give to the discharged
employee were indeed subject to the prior rights of older employees.
The court found no conflict between the company’s and the Board’s
argument, holding that the employee’s position was only a temporary
one, and that his employment contract expressly subordinated his
rights to those of permanent employees in the armed forces and
other temporary employees of longer standing.
E fife ct o f W a r L a b o r B o a rd a w a rd on fre e speech.— The National
War Labor Board had before it the question whether its granting
of a maintenance-of-membership clause to a union in the newspaper
industry would unlawfully abridge the freedom of the press guaranteed
by the first amendment of the Federal Constitution. The question
was answered in the negative by a vote of 8 to 4, the industry mem
bers dissenting.7
e ------ Fed. (2 d )--------(Feb. 8,1944).
7 In re The Patriot Co., 14 W ar Labor Reports 355 (M ar. 3, 1944).
578877— 44-
-7
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
790
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
The type of clause under consideration provided that within 15
days of the Board’s order an employee shall determine for himself
whether or not he wishes to remain or become a member of the union.
If he decides to remain or become a member, he is obliged to maintain
his membership as a condition of employment for the duration of the
contract, which is ordinarily 1 year. At the end of this period, he
again has the choice of determining if he wishes to remain a union
member. A clause protecting individual members (in the exercise of
their rights) against union intimidation or coercion is also included,
which provides that disputes regarding arbitrary union action shall
be reviewed by an impartial arbitrator. The employer retains the
right to hire and fire any employee (but not in violation of the National
Labor Relations Act), except in instances where he is obliged to dis
charge an employee who has elected to become or remain a member
of the union, but fails to maintain his membership in good standing.
In reaching its conclusion, the Board relied on Associated Press
v. National Labor Relations Board (301 U. S. 103), in which the Su
preme Court of the United States rejected an argument of a press
agency that the Wagner Act, as applied to it, violated the constitu
tional guaranties of freedom of speech and press.
The publishers contended that under the maintenance-of-member
ship clause the union would have the power to procure the discharge
of a member if his editorial opinions were contrary to union views.
The Board observed, however, that the union constitution prohibits
barring an individual from membership or penalizing any member
“ by reason of sex, race, or religious or political convictions, or because
of anything he writes for publication.” The Board considered the
objection voiced by the publishers to be adequately met by the union
constitution provision, the arbitration clause in the award, the
publisher’s right to hire whom he pleases, his editorial control over
the work done by his staff, and his right to discharge or discipline
employees who deviate from the publisher’s policies.
Back P a y
An employee brought suit against the United States to recover
income taxes paid under protest on back wages which he had received
under an order of the National Labor Relations Board. The Bureau
of Internal Revenue had considered the back wages “ income” for
the year in which they were paid. A District Court of the United
States (E. D. Mich. S. D .), in Manseau v. United States (52 Fed.
Supp. 395), dismissed the suit.
The court based its opinion on the wording of section 22 (a) of the
Internal Revenue Code (26 U. S. C. A. sec. 22 (a)) which includes in
the definition of “ gross income” all “ gains, profits, and income derived
from salaries, wages, or compensation for personal service * * *.”
The court concluded that, even though the employee performed no
actual personal services during the period for which he was awarded
back pay, such pay was “ income” within the meaning of the tax law
because the employment contract is construed to include within its
terms the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act which con
stitutes the basis for the Board’s award.
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791
Davis-Bacon A ct
The Davis-Bacon Act (40 U. S. C. 276 (a) et seq.) applies to Federal
construction projects which cost more than $2,000, and it provides
that all mechanics and laborers employed by the contractor or sub
contractor at the construction site shall be paid the prevailing wage
rates as determined by the Secretary of Labor.
A number of employees, believing that their employer had classified
their work improperly, sought to recover the difference between the
wages which they had received and the prevailing wage rates required
by the act. • The Supreme Court of Tennessee held that the employees
had no standing to bring a court action. (.H a r r is v. O w en, 167 S. W.
(2d) 812.)
The court based its decision on the words of the statute which directs
the Secretary of Labor to determine the prevailing wage rates, and
concluded that a complaint regarding classification should be addressed
to the Secretary. Employees who complain that their wages were
withheld by an employer in a case where the classification of the jobs
is not an issue in dispute might invoke judicial remedies provided by
the act.
Arbitration
A union demanded that an employer remove a supervisor who was
alleged to be “ arrogant and unreasonable,” to have threatened em
ployees, and to have interfered with existing grievance procedures in
the plant. It was also claimed that the actions of the supervisor
interfered with efficient production. Upon refusal by the company to
accede to the union’s demand, a strike resulted. The parties subse
quently agreed to arbitrate their dispute.
At the time of the dispute a collective agreement between the union
and the company provided for arbitration of disputes that could not
be otherwise settled. The contract also reserved to management the
right to discipline, hire, and fire employees. Another clause expressly
excluded “ supervisory personnel” from the bargaining unit. The
arbitrator was called upon to decide whether the dispute between the
parties was of the type that was arbitrable.
Relying upon the terms of the collective agreement, the arbitrator
noted that its provisions did not apply to supervisors. He also noted
that the selection and removal of personnel was solely within the dis
cretion of management. Holding the issue not arbitrable, the arbi
trator stated: “ The fears of the company of the consequences of
yielding to the demands of the union in this case are understandable.
If supervisory employees may be removed through arbitration forced
by the union, the independence of management in directing the affairs
of the company for which they are responsible may be greatly
impaired.” 8
Unemployment Compensation
The Superior Court of Pennsylvania in D e p a rtm e n t o f L a b o r a n d
In d u s t r y v. U n e m p lo y m e n t C o m p e n s a tio n B o a rd o f ‘ R e v ie w 9 held that
a claimant, who quit her job in order to reside with her husband in
Louisiana during his training period with the armed forces, was not
8 In re Wright Aeronautical Corp. (Dec. 17, 1943), 13 Lab. Relat. Rep. 527.
• Prentice Hall Unemployment Insurance Service, Pa., sec. 29,534.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
792
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944 „
“ available for work” within the meaning of the Pennsylvania Unem
ployment Compensation Law.
In order to be eligible for unemployment benefits, the claimant
must satisfy the statutory conditions; she must be involuntarily
unemployed and available for work and must not have quit her pre
vious job except for good cause.
The court held that the quitting of a job to join a husband at an
Army post was certainly “ good cause.” It concluded, however, that
in view of the manpower shortage, the claimant had removed herself
from the labor market in that she quit “ all the existing areas of rea
sonable opportunity for employment and isolated or insulated herself
from innumerable employers crying for the need of available employ
ees.” Thus, said the court, she will be considered unavailable “ until
she returns to a community in which a reasonable opportunity for
work normally exists.”
The meaning of the phrase “ available for work” was involved in an
unusual case before the Circuit Court of Kanawah County, W. Va.
In Isla n d Creek Coal Co. v. B oard o f R ev iew ,10 the court reversed the
Board of Review and concluded that a Japanese alien enemy was not
available for work within the meaning of the State unemployment
compensation law.
The alien claimant, a cook, was removed from his employment by
the Federal Bureau of Investigation on December 8, 1941. He was
held in custody as an alien enemy for about 6 months and then released
on parole. Thereafter, he was unable to secure employment because
of his status as an enemy alien.
The court stated that this condition was not created by his employer
but by his own country, and although “ he be not inimical to the
Government of the United States * * * it is unfortunate that he
must pay the penalty for the conduct of his native country.”
The court observed that only the employer makes payment for this
form of unemployment-compensation insurance; and though this fact
is ordinarily not relevant, it would have “ some slight bearing” here
as a “ further reason for holding that the employer should not in any
manner be penalized for unemployment not due in any way to the
employer’s act but which arises solely out of the exigencies of war.”
Labor and Price-Control Legislation in Chile, 1943
THE Economic Powers Law signed on December 23, 1943, by the
President of Chile,11 gives him broad authorities, among which are the
regulation of labor and unemployment, rationing of basic commodi
ties, control of prices, and other measures to meet present conditions.
He may fix rents, expropriate land under certain conditions, and make
plans for increasing food production in order to improve the nutrition
of the people. The law also establishes conciliation and arbitration
procedure, and provides for daily rest periods for workers, as well as
dismissal benefits.
10 Prentice Hall Unemployment Compensation Reports, W est Virginia, sec. 29,526.
11 Law N o. 7747, published in Diario Qficial, December 24, 1943; translation in report of Joel C . Hudson,
first secretary, United.Stat.es Embassy, Santiago.
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793
Regulations Relating to Labor
The provisions relating to labor amend or supersede provisions of
the Labor Code (Law No. 178, May 13, 1931).
S E T T L E M E N T O F D IS P U T E S
No workers may be suspended, paid off, or dismissed after a collec
tive dispute arises, except under conditions specified by former code
provisions as extended and rephrased in the new law. These include
the closing down of the business, and the termination of the kind of*
service for which the worker was hired, provided there is no other
similar work in the business.
Conciliation procedure.— Conciliation proceedings are made obliga
tory for establishments with 10 employees or less, if a labor dispute
therein affects other establishments of the same or similar types of
business within the same commune. (Former code provisions applied
to enterprises employing over 10 persons, and prohibited sudden inter
ruptions of work by either employer or employee until all efforts at
conciliation had been exhausted.)
Conciliation boards may function even though only the chairman
is present. Representatives of employers and of employees, who fail
twice (without justifiable cause) to attend the meetings of boards,
may be removed and shall thereafter be barred from further such
service for the period of a year. In addition to the stipulation in the
1931 Labor Code, requiring the submission of labor disputes to concilia
tion boards within 48 hours after they have arisen, the new law pro
vides that conciliation proceedings may not last longer than 15 days,
and if neither employees affected by the dispute nor their representa
tives appear, the Executive shall declare the conflict terminated.
Once a settlement has been reached, the resulting agreement may run
for 2 years, provided it contains a clause which provides for the auto
matic adjustment of remuneration in accordance with the cost of living.
Arbitration procedure.— In case an employer refuses arbitration, any
benefits agreed on or determined by arbitration award shall be retro
active to the date arbitration was offered. When workers refuse
arbitration, any benefits shall become effective only from the date on
which the agreement was signed or the decision issued, or from the
date fixed by the court.
Other provisions. —Permanent conciliation and arbitration boards
and inspectors of the Labor Bureau may summon employers and
employees in order to solve questions that have arisen in the course of
business or as a result of failure to comply with legal requirements.
Penalties for failure to appear, without justifiable cause, on a second
citation made by the State police are set at from 50 to 1,000 pesos 12
in the case of employers, and from 10 to 50 pesos in the case
of employees.
R E S T P E R IO D S
On request of both employer and employee, the Labor Bureau may
authorize rest periods of not less than 30 minutes in a work-day, for
the purpose of avoiding transportation difficulties at certain hours.
u Average exchange rate of peso in 1943 = 5 cents.
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The length of the working day is not to be shortened, and employers
must pay for the time included in the rest period. The amount due
the employee for this rest period is to be applied to the price of the
meal provided to him, the worker being responsible for the payment
of the difference between the cost of the meal and the amount due
him for the rest period. (Article 30 of the 1931 Labor Code provided
that rest periods totaling 2 hours during the day should be granted.)
DISMISSAL NOTICE AND PAY
’
At least 30 days’ dismissal notice must be given to workers. Similar
notice must be given to the local labor-inspection board, in cases in
which more than 10 workers are affected or in which an enterprise is
forced to a collective discharge of its employees with or without
authorization of the Ministries of Labor and of Economy and Com
merce. If such collective discharges are considered unjustified by
either Ministry but the employer insists on dismissal, the latter must
pay dismissal benefits equal to 15 days’ salary for each year of service
in the enterprise (any fraction over 9 months being considered as a
year). Dismissals are not effective until the end of the 30 days. If
change of residence is necessary for placement of an employee in a
new position by the Labor Bureau, the employer must pay the costs of
transfer of the employee and his family.
Price and Rent Control and Rationing
The Economic Powers Law provides for controls on prices of drugs
and pharmaceutical products and on domestic and imported agri
cultural products, as well as general authority over prices of articles
of subsistence.
The price-control provisions of the new Economic Powers Law
clarify certain previously existing measures, regarding the powers of
various administrative agencies. A Council of Subsistence and Prices
is created to advise the Ministry of Economy and Commerce. On the
council, wholesale and retail trade and organized labor, as well as
various official bodies, are to be represented. Among the duties
assigned to the Council are the making of certain technical studies,
preparation of reports, settling of claims, and approval of methods to
control quality, prices, weights, and measures. Control of prices of
drugs will continue to be the duty of the Ministry of Public Health
and Social Welfare. Price control in general, as well as of agri
cultural products, will be directly under the Executive, assisted by the
Commissariat General of Subsistence and Prices.
Rents of dwellings, buildings, and other properties are limited to 7
percent of their assessed valuation. The 7 percent is to be determined
on valuations in force on June 30, 1943.
Rents on all houses and apartments, regardless of amount of rental,
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are brought under control (formerly the controls applied only when the
monthly rental was below 650 pesos per month).
Commissions charged by real-estate and produce brokers are limited
to not more than 2 percent. Commission for rentals must not be
charged to the lessee.
Regulation or rationing of the importation, distribution, and sale
of commodities declared to be essential is provided for. If the na
tional interest requires, the Executive is to determine by decree what
merchandise or raw materials are considered essential for the country.
Persons and firms must then make a declaration of their stocks of
any merchandise so designated (except those intended for immediate
personal consumption or for needs of agricultural and industrial pro
duction). The Executive may decree the rationing or regulation of
essential materials, indicate the zones or regions of applicability,
and prohibit the transfer of merchandise from one zone to another.
Export of rationed goods is prohibited, and violators of this provision
may be refused export licenses.
Agricultural Development Program
Nutrition improvement and increased production by agricultural
and livestock industries are the objectives of the authorized agrarian
plan to be prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture. The Executive
may, among other measures to carry out this program, do any of the
following: Fix zones of cultivation for certain products; organize co
operatives for products and establish means of financing them; grant
subsidies to marketing and control prices of subsidized articles; install
food-dehydration plants; promote and organize the production of fresh
or processed milk; establish State slaughter-houses and markets to be
operated by farm cooperatives, in which agricultural products will be
sold without profit; and establish additional experiment stations.
Means to be used in raising the funds necessary for the financing of
these provisions are included.
“ If the national interest requires it,” lands of several classes may be
declared “ of public utility” and the Executive may expropriate them.
Farm lands may not be divided into lots of less than 15 hectares unless
such division is specifically approved by the Executive. This pro
vision is not to apply in case of division of inheritances or in certain
other cases.
Penalties
Penalties of from 100 to 1,000 pesos, and imprisonment, are provided
for infractions of this law when not otherwise expressly stipulated.
For false declarations of stocks subject to regulation or rationing,
violators are subject to imprisonment and to fines up to 3,000 pesos, or
to 20,000 pesos in case of repetition of the offense.
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Labor Legislation of Paraguay
B y S ig f r id o V . G r o s s -B r o w n ,
Former Minister of Public Instruction of Paraguay
CHARACTERISTICS peculiar to Paraguay naturally influence its
labor legislation.
The number of industrial workers, in the sense in which that term
would be used in the United States, is almost negligible in Paraguay.
Industrialism is in swaddling clothes. The great majority of the
workers are employed in agriculture and the livestock industry.
Most of the fabricating industries are situated near the capital, and
accordingly most of the working population is there also. These
industrial establishments are small. Some women are employed in
textile factories. Other large communities live around the tannin
factories in the Chaco, in the western part of the Republic, where there
are also workers engaged in the cutting and transportation of que
bracho. Still other communities are found around the lumber camps
and sugar factories.
Agriculture on a large scale, on farms employing many workers over
large stretches of land, is as yet unknown, and there are few agricul
tural laborers. In Paraguay agriculture is carried on by the citizens
as proprietors of the soil, its implements, and its products; they rely
on the organized and continual help of the Agricultural Bank of
Paraguay and the agencies of the Ministry of Agriculture. This is
undoubtedly the reason for the small amount of labor legislation.
Notwithstanding this fact, the need for such legislation exists, especially
for the operatives in the “ yerbales” 1 and workshops. However, it must
be remembered that there has been extended to them an undoubted
amelioration and guidance on the part of the State and of the law,
though the law should go farther, and take more within its purview.
As has been remarked by a Paraguayan author—
Perhaps in no other field is there such despotic control as in the labor camps, in
the matter of the iron law of wages. Wages are paid with no other measure or
system than that of the abundance or scarcity of helpers offered. It is simply a
traffic which buys in Yuty, in Concepción, in Belen, through special agents who
come every year to recruit workers and take them, with the bait of advance pay.
There are people who live on this inhuman traffic, taking advantage of the igno
rance of the peasant.
A decree-law of July 30, 1928, created a committee of three deputies
and two senators to study labor contracts and conditions in the yerba
camps and lumber camps, and to report to the congress as promptly
as possible. This committee has never functioned.
The first serious step taken toward the control of labor conditions
was law No. 1218 of August 6, 1931. It provided that labor contracts
for the personnel of industriel establishments, lumber camps, and yerba
camps of the Alto Paraná should be concluded in writing and with due
legal formalities, and should be registered in the civil delegation.
Wages should be paid in the Republic in lawful currency.
By these provisions, the law sought to change the customary man
ner in which workers were contracted for and by which they remained
tied to the discredited system of barter. Paid in vouchers, workers
had to exchange them at company stores for goods at excessive prices.
Other legal enactments designed to protect the worker in his person
and in his industrial activities are the following:
1 A plantation of yerba m até’trees.
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1. Law No. 93, of August 24, 1914, dealing with agreements covering the pay
and working conditions of miners.
2. Law No. 242, of June 7, 1917, dealing with weekly rest.
3. Law No. 842, of August 23, 1926, on pensions and retirement of railway
workers.
4. Law No. 926, of September 7, 1927, relating to accidents during work (repealed
and superseded by decree-law No. 17071 of February 18, 1943), and decree No.
44477 of July 30, 1932, regulating this law.
5. Law No. 1215 of August 1, 1931, on the creation of schools for vocational and
other education of adults and for free medical treatment in industrial establishments.
Decree-law No. 7973, of December 29, 1936, amplifies and modifies those provi
sions of law No. 1215 of August 1, 1931, referring to the employers’ obligation to
provide medical and pharmaceutical service in the factories, workshops, industrial
establishments, and enterprises of development in general.
6. Law No. 1248, of September 30, 1931, which deals with contracts for rural
labor.
7. Decree-law No. 2303, of June 24, 1936, creating the National Labor Bureau
and decree-law No. 3080, of December 18,1937, relating to its permanent organiza
tion.
8. Decree No. 2848, of December 9, 1937, which contains a section providing
for maternity leave for working women, and a bonus of 5 percent of salary at the
time of its birth for each legitimate child of a male employee of the Government
or a private company.
9. Decree No. 3544, of 1937, effective January 6, 1938, and decree-law No. 2118,
of September 4, 1943, which fix the maximum lawful working hours.
10. Decree No. 8732, which regulates river labor.
11. Decree No. 9192, of September 22, 1938, relates to the issuance of health
certificates for certain workers.
12. Decree-law No. 4490, of January 2, 1941 (repealed by decree-law No. 17071
of February 18, 1943), which provides for the establishment of a compulsory
savings scheme for all permanent employees of business enterprises.
13. Decree No. 7482, of June 23, 1941, creating the National Housing Council.
14. Decree-law No. 13294, of June 26, 1942, restricting the employment of aliens
in Paraguay.
15. Decree-law No. 17071, of February 18, 1943, amended by decree-law No.
955, of October 25, 1943, and regulated by decree No. 1371, of November 26, 1943,
which creates and specifies the duties of the Social Welfare Institute.
16. Decree-law No. 620, of October 2, 1943, providing for the fixing of adequate
minimum wages for all workers in Paraguay.
Of all these measures, perhaps the most important are the workmen's
compensation law and that establishing the National Labor Bureau.
Workmen's Compensation Law
The 1927 law providing compensation for workers’ accidents modified
fundamentally the legal principles previously in force, which were in
cluded in the civil and commercial code.
Before the application of this law, in order to obtain financial
recompense, an injured worker had to resort to the long and trouble
some methods allowed by the civil code, the result being long in doubt.
For that reason, the law in question modified the doctrine of criminal
responsibility, substituting for it the theory of professional risk.
The ample provision for the theory of professional risk constituted
one of the most favorable aspects of the law. The original law (No.
926, of September 7, 1927), was repealed by decree-law No. 17071 of
February 18, 1943, which created the Social Welfare Institute. The
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1943 law embodied many of tbe provisions of the former law and cor
rected some weaknesses of the previous legislation which had become
apparent in its operation.
Under the present legislation the Social Welfare Institute adminis
ters the benefits of workmen’s compensation for industrial accidents
and occupational diseases, the costs being met from the employers’
contributions to the Institute.
The employer is exempted from responsibility because of an acci
dent (1) ¡when the accident is caused intentionally by the injured
worker, (2) when the worker was intoxicated at the time of injury;
(3) when the accident was caused by force majeure not connected with
the work, and (4) when a beneficiary of the injured person causes,
or, through his. carelessness, permits the accident (the employer’s re
sponsibility respecting such beneficiary ceases on this account).
An industrial accident is defined as one “ which in the performance
or in the course of the work, and as a consequence of it, produces
physical injuries which temporarily or permanently disable for work.
Those brought about by chance or force majeure connected with the
work which produces the injuries shall also be considered industrial
accidents. Occupational diseases are the acute or chronic conditions
caused directly by the performance of the occupation or work which
the worker does and which produce disability.”
The employer is responsible even though the wage earner or salaried
employee works under the direction of agents or contractors whom the
employer has engaged to operate the industry, provided the manage
ment and execution of the work are in the charge of the employer or
the contractor, as the case may be.
The Social Welfare Institute is to fix, with the approval of the
Executive, the effective date and mode of application of this law for
agricultural workers, domestic servants, self-employed persons, crafts
men, artists, persons directly serving the public in streets, etc., and
small industrialists and merchants.
For industrial accidents and occupational diseases, the Social
Welfare Institute is required (1) to provide medical, surgical, pharma
ceutical, and hospital assistance, and (2) to pay the compensation
which the degree of injury calls for in the regulatory decree.
The results of the accident may be (1) the death of the worker,
(2) permanent total disability (3) permanent partial disability, or
(4) temporary disability.
BENEFITS PAYABLE
Compensation varies in accordance with the extent of incapacity
and the worker’s wage rate. It may in no case exceed 60 percent of
the average pay received by the insured person during the 156 weeks
or 36 months preceding his death or the declaration of his total per
manent disability.
For permanent total disability, the injured person shall have a right
to receive, while the disability continues, a cash benefit equivalent
to 60 percent of his average salary or wage during the 156 weeks or
36 months preceding the declaration of his disability; for permanentpartial disability, the compensation is to be fixed in accordance with
the schedule of benefits, varying from 2 to 60 percent of the rates for
total permanent disability, which are established in the regulation of
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this law. For temporary disability, the Institute is to pay 75 percent
of the daily wage of the worker during the period of his disability,
but not to exceed 1 year. Only the wife and minor children who were
supported by the deceased are entitled to compensation in case of
death. Parents are included only if they lived under his roof and were
supported by him, in which case the compensation is divided among
the beneficiaries.
The workmen’s compensation law was put into effect by decree of
November 26, 1943, which sets forth the schedule of reduction in
working capacity assigned for various injuries and other appropriate
regulatory measures, some of which have been mentioned above.
Laws Establishing National Labor Bureau
The National Labor Bureau was established by decree-law No. 2303
of June 24, 1936, in provisional form. Later, decree-law No. 3080,
of December 18, 1937, established the Bureau as a permanent organ
ization and institution of the State.
PROVISIONS OF 1936 LAW
D u ties o f B u rea u . — The first of these decree-laws assigned the
following functions to the Bureau:
1. To prevent conflicts between employers and workers.
2. To intervene in disputes between employers and workers within the territory
of the Republic, in accordance with the proceedings of conciliation and of optional
arbitration established by this law.
3. To organize a permanent factory-inspection service, covering all centers,
buildings, establishments, and places in which work is carried on.
4. To obtain information from public institutions and private sources, which
shall be held confidential.
5. To study and propose adequate plans to facilitate home ownership for
workers.
6. To promote the formation of cooperative associations of producers and
consumers.
7. To investigate the working conditions of women and children, and to make
recommendations for their improvement.
8. To create a register of syndicates and associations of'workers and employers,
with the duty of studying, revising, and approving their statutes, after review by
the Ministry of the Interior.
9. To examine and approve the credentials of the representatives of parties in
conflict.
10. To compile and keep available the publications received from the Inter
national Labor Office.
11. To order reports, data, and experiments for the purpose of proposing
national labor legislation adequate to the conditions of the country.
12. To keep a register of unemployed workers, and establish placement offices
under the direct supervision of the Bureau.
13. To study and carry out measures for the prevention of alcoholism, dissipa
tion, and other conditions which lead to a decline in public morality and good
habits.
14. To establish obligatory health conditions in workshops in accordance with
the standards of sanitary regulations.
15. To put into force and promote the adoption of holidays with pay.
16. To regulate the conditions of night work, including the prohibition of night
employment of children.
Settlem ent o f labor d isputes.— For the study and solution of disputes
between employers and workers, the National Labor Bureau was
directed to bear in mind that the following are fundamental:
1. The 8-hour day or the 48-hour week.
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2. Free trade in all the territory of the Republic, except as limited
by the measures of security which the Executive may adopt and by
zones of restriction on liquor sale established by the Government.
3. Sunday rest.
4. Unionization of workers is free but not compulsory; groups of
workers not unionized, in cases of dispute with employers, will have
the same rights in the eyes of the National Labor Bureau as the unions.
5. Workers’ organizations must be recognized, provided they fulfill
the requirements set forth in this decree-law. The same rule is applied
to employers’ associations.
6. Conditions agreed to normally by employers and workers before
or after the promulgation of this decree-law will have force of law dur
ing the term for w'hich agreement was made, provided registration is
effected. In case the agreement is not effective for a specific time, the
preceding arrangement valid for 2 years is from the date of the law.
7. Salaries and wages in general must be paid in cash.
Before the creation of the Labor Bureau, the settlement of labor
disputes did not rest on any juridical basis but remained in the hands
of the political authorities, which intervened only when the conflict
had become so acute that conciliatory measures were not possible.
In Paraguay, organizations such as the American Arbitration Associa
tion, for example, do not exist.
Decree-law No. 3080, of December 18, 1937, which established the
Labor Bureau as a permanent organization, also established the prin
ciple of compulsory arbitration. Under article 26 of the decree neither
strike nor lockout is permitted until the procedure provided for in the
decree-law has been exhausted.
PROVISIONS OF 1937 LAW
Organization of Bureau.— The 1937 decree-law provided that the
Bureau should be composed of a president and four members nomi
nated by the Executive, and one labor representative and one employ
ers’ representative selected from a panel of three designated by the
National Labor Confederation and the Association of Industry and
Commerce, respectively.
The duties and powers assigned to the Bureau, although fuller and
more complete, are essentially those specified in the 1936 decree-law.
The later law also provides for and enumerates the powers of the
various administrative sections of the Bureau, which have in their
scope the whole development of labor. These sections are as follows:
(1) Section of legislation, statistics and social information; (2) Section
of inspection and supervision; (3) Employment section; and (4)
Paraguayan section of the International Labor Office.
Duties of sections.— Regarding the duties of these offices the decreelaw provides in part, as follows:
A r t ic l e 14.
Each one of the sections mentioned will be controlled by a director
named by the Executive at the suggestion of the Bureau and will also include
auxiliary personnel, indispensable to its operation, selected by each director.
A r t . 15. The duty of the section of legislation, statistics and social information
is—
1. To observe and study the result of the application of social legislation and
labor laws, and indicate such modification as experience may suggest.
2. To gather the elements of study for the preparation of drafts of social and
labor laws.
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3. To study and review the bylaws of the labor organizations.
4. To gather and classify, according to subject, the domestic and foreign juris
prudence dealing with all questions relating to capital and labor.
5. To compile first-hand data, dealing with the conditions of work and social
problems of the Republic, and coordinate them methodically for publication in
the bulletin of the Bureau, as for instance, those relating to industry and commerce
in general, or to work under its diverse aspects, and to controversies, strikes,
lockouts, mediation, conciliation and arbitration, workers’ organizations, tradeunions, cooperative associations, life and education of the workers, workers’
insurance and thrift, immigration, prices, wages, protection of the labor supply
in the country, etc.
6. To organize and operate the library of the Bureau.
7. To act as technical adviser in matters within its competency for the public
powers and authorities of the nation through the Bureau.
A r t . 16. The duty of the section of inspection and supervision shall be to
undertake—
1. The inspection, personal and permanent, of industrial, commercial, lumber
ing, agricultural, and stock-raising establishments of the Republic, in order to
insure compliance with the laws relating to labor in general.
2. Inspection shall be exercised through inspectors competent to render this
service.
A r t . 17.
No person having a pecuniary interest in the operation of factories,
workshops, lumber mills, and commerce, whether a.s owner, partner, stockholder,
lessee, employee, agent, or in other analogous relation, may be an inspector.
A r t . 18. The results of inspection, reports made, and suggestions given by the
corps of inspectors are to be submitted for the review of the president of the
Bureau.
A r t . 19. The labor inspectors have the following powers:
1. To enforce compliance with the conditions established in the laws and regu
lations governing the labor of workers, and installations and functioning of the
factories and workshops.
2. To enter, visit and inspect, by day or night, and in the hours customary for
work, the factories, workshops, and other classes of establishments under the
jurisdiction of the laws and regulations of this subject.
3. In case of opposition to inspection, to request through the National Labor
Bureau legal entry to places of employment, and to make use of the police authority
for proper execution of the inspectors’ duties.
4. To demand the production of registers, books, certificates, notices, and
documents which any establishment is legally required to regard as subject to
inspection.
5. To obtain whatever information is necessary in order to determine whether
the working conditions and health and safety conditions of industrial and com
mercial establishments are in accordance with law.
A r t . 20. The duties of the labor inspectors are—
1. To establish their status as such by credentials issued by the president of
the Bureau.
2. To inspect at least once per month the workshops, factories, and other
establishments to which they are assigned; to visit them as often as requested by
the Bureau or the proprietor or agent of the establishment, or by petition of a
workers’ union.
3. To submit a monthly report concerning the working conditions of _the
establishments inspected, number of workers employed, their sex and age, inci
dents noted and solutions arrived at, industrial accidents, and other informative
or statistical data of importance.
4. To be present, whenever possible, in cases of accident to one or more work
ers, at the place in which it happened, to make whatever arrangement is necessary
for the medical help and relief of the injured, and to conduct an inquiry touching
the causes and manner in which it may have occurred.
5. To fulfill every commission of investigation which the National Labor
Bureau gives them.
A r t . 21. Delegates of workers’ associations designated in legal manner shall
have powers of official inspectors of the Labor Bureau only to visit the factories
or shops, and examine conditions of installations. Their observations shall be
presented in writing to the director of the inspection and supervision section of
the Bureau for appropriate action.
A r t . 22. The duty of the employment section shall be—
1.
To keep a register, in which shall be inscribed the groups of persons, under
the heading of workers’ or employers’ associations.
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2. The workers’ and employers’ associations shall solicit their registration
through their legal representatives within the period indicated by the Bureau.
3. In ports, and places where workers are not organized into unions, workers
shall inscribe themselves individually in the register by letter.
4. To keep a statistical record of the work offered or asked for; names of appli
cants for work; trades, age, sex, place of birth, and number of children supported.
5. To solicit directly the cooperation of the owners of industrial and commercial
enterprises, trade-unions, and the public in general, in procuring employment for
applicants for jobs.
6. To submit all the data, antecedents, and advice desired to make the positions
offered or asked for available.
7. To remit every fortnight, to the section of legislation, the record of labor
demand and supply, the placements effected, and the class of work or enterprise.
A r t . 23.
The services of the section of employment shall be free to workers
and employers. The director, assistant, and other employees of the section are
absolutely "forbidden to receive payment or compensation in money from those
who appiy to utilize their services. Infractions shall be punished according to
the penal code and shall result in the discharge of the unfaithful employee.
A r t . 24. Expenses for transfer of workers to the place where they are to work
or perform contracted services shall be borne by the employers or contractors
A r t . 25. The duty of the Paraguayan section of the International Laboi
Office shall be—
1. To take the necessary steps for the appointment of Government delegates,
those of the employers, and of the workers whom Paraguay should send to the
international conferences.
2. To explain to the said delegates all questions relative to the order of the
day and the operation of the conferences, in accordance with the communications
received from the International Labor Office.
3. To furnish opinions and report on the projects of international conventions,
as well as other affairs relative to international labor legislation.
4. To report annually, through the Bureau, to the International Labor Office
regarding all the legal regulations, administrative or other, adopted in the Republic
for the execution of, and compliance with, the Conventions and Recommendations
ratified and approved.
5. To compile and publish all information and facts of interest relative to the
international regulation of labor in the Review of the Bureau.
In this decree-law, as in the earlier law, an effort is made to devise
the procedure to be followed in conciliation cases before the Bureau.
If the parties do not reach a friendly understanding, they are requested
to nominate an arbiter or arbiters and to reach a compromise. Only
in case the parties to the dispute fail to agree upon the arbiters
would the Bureau itself take action as arbitral tribunal.
EXPERIENCE UNDER THE LAW
This new agency, in the short time it has operated, has discharged
a very important duty in solving the problems of capital and labor.
However, it is obvious that it cannot continue to develop with effi
ciency and will not fulfill, as currently organized, the mission for
which it was destined.
The deficiencies which were soon noted, were procedural in the first
instance. As regards compulsory arbitration, the first evident defi
ciency was the failure to provide for the right of appeal and of review
of the decisions of the Bureau, which in many cases compromised
quite important interests, as, for example, when wages were fixed
which the worker should receive. Recourse wTas had in principle to
the High Court of Justice, through appeal from a decision, as that
Court, under the former constitution of Paraguay and the organic
law creating the courts, is the one which should intervene in this type
of case. Under the express rules of the legislation on compulsory
arbitration, however, it was found that the High Court of Justice could
not interfere with the resolutions of the Bureau. Consequently, the
decisions delivered by the Bureau remained final.
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Dissatisfaction with decisions of the Bureau were based on certain
other grounds also. As already noted, both labor and employers have
representation in the Bureau. It appeared that the viewpoints of
these representatives tended to be limited to the defense of their respec
tive interests. Paraguayan labor legislation is relatively scanty, and
in many cases the Court or Bureau had no legal precedents on which
to base decisions. In their desire to find an equitable solution, the
members resorted to extensive interpretation from other legal texts.
An example of this was a case in which workmen were dismissed
according to the principles of the code of commerce regarding
commercial employees.
Finally, on account of the resistance offered to the decisions of the
Bureau in some cases, the political authorities intervened for the
purpose of imposing penalties, or of acting as a court of second instance
with costs calculated for all the proceedings from the beginning,
although they had begun informally, on the basis of conciliation.
These deficiencies have resulted in demands for modification of the
organic law of the Bureau.
The labor disputes of Paraguay are, of course, similar in substance to
those in other countries. Nevertheless, as each region has its charac
teristics, impressions gathered during the author’s service in the
Labor Bureau and in some labor disputes may be of interest here.
In general, when they decided the bases of new work contracts, the
workers’ representatives uniformly asked for such things as widening
of the rules set forth in the law of accidents during work; vacation pay
and increase of wages; and the submission of disputes arising through
industrial accidents to the Labor Bureau (under the legislation now in
effect, the Bureau does not intervene in such cases, and they must be
settled in the ordinary courts of law).
The mental level of the Paraguayan workers, or better said, of their
leaders and representatives, appears in general to be high, and they
are quite able in seeking the satisfaction of their aspirations and the
defense of their interests. Their vigorous policy since the creation of
the Labor Bureau has been beneficial for many workers who, in the
majority of cases, are too timid and indolent to struggle in defense of
their legitimate rights since there were, and still are, some employers
who do not understand the true mission of capital and the) attitude
which the employer should display toward his workers.
At this time certain legislative bills are being studied, which will
contribute to the essential legal framework and provide the basis for
the juridical and rational solution of industrial disputes.
The Paraguayan Government has been profoundly interested] in
social security in all of its aspects, and Paraguay became a member
of the International Labor Organization from its beginning.
The Government established also, in the faculty of law and social
sciences at the National University, a special chair for the advanced
teaching of labor legislation, and organized in the public administra
tion an official agency with full jurisdiction over the development of
the national social policy. The essence of Paraguayan public policy
is expressed in the 3-year plan, as follows: “ The [integral and
consistent improvement of the status of the working class, and the
continuous uplift of their moral and intellectual level must constitute
a paramount objective, as well as the termination of class conflict to
be replaced by the principle of cooperation and solidarity.”
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Wage and Hour Statistics
Hourly Entrance Rates of Common Laborers in Large
Cities, Spring and Summer of 1 9 4 3 1
Summary
ENTRANCE rates paid to common laborers in large cities during the
spring and summer of 1943 averaged 70.7 cents an hour. This figure
is not comparable with the averages resulting from earlier studies
made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, because of differences in the
scope of the study and in the method of weighting the data. Analysis
of reports by 1,595 establishments studied in both 1942 and 1943,
however, reveals an average increase of nearly 7 percent in this period
of approximately 1 year. The increase was greater in southern than
in northern cities.
The highest rates were found in cities on the West Coast and the
next highest in cities in the East North Central States, the respective
average hourly entrance rates for these two regions being 81.7 and
74.0 cents. The lowest rates were found in cities in the Southeast
and Southwest, the respective regional averages being 53.0 and 57.2
cents.
The highest entrance rates were generally paid in the buildingconstruction industry, the next highest in manufacturing, and the
lowest in public utilities. The general average hourly entrance rates
for these three groups were 82.6, 70.3, and 64.2 cents, respectively.
In manufacturing, somewhat higher rates were found in the durablegoods than in the nondurable-goods industries.
Entrance rates also varied widely among cities. There was a dif
ference of 54.7 cents between the lowest average (37.0 cents for
Charlotte, N. C.) and the highest average (91.7 cents for Seattle,
Wash.). More than three-fifths of the cities had average entrance
rates within the 25-cent range 55 to 80 cents, while in more than onethird of the cities the rates were within a range of less than 10 cents—
from 60 to 70 cents an hour.
Characteristics of Common Labor
The entrance rates of common labor are of significance in the study
of the American wage structure, in collective bargaining, and in the
administration of wage stabilization. These rates not only indicate
the minimum level of pay of an important occupational group, but
also reflect with approximate accuracy the lowest wages commonly
found in entire industries. Because of the numerical importance of
1
Prepared in the Bureau’s Division of Wage Analysis by Edward M . Kriz, under the supervision of
Victor S. Baril and Theodore Reedy. Joseph W . Bloch assisted in the preliminary planning of this study.
804
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Wage and Hour Statistics
805
common laborers and their position in the wage scale, their entrance
rate frequently serves as one of the bases on which the wage structure
of an industry is built. These rates have also frequently played a
part in the determination of wage “brackets” under the wage-stabili
zation program.
The entrance rates of common laborers provide a useful basis for
comparing general levels of wages among different industries and
different areas. This is because common labor is prevalent in many
industries and in nearly all communities. The duties of common
laborers, though subject to considerable variation from industry to
industry, are fairly uniform in their low requirements of experience
and responsibility. The common-labor entrance rate, moreover, is a
particularly stable rate, being unaffected by incentive-payment sys
tems, seniority advancement plans, late-shift and overtime premiums,
and so forth.
For purposes of the Bureau’s study, common laborers are defined
as those male workers “ who perform physical or manual labor of a
general character and simple nature, requiring no special training,
judgment, or skill.” Excluded from the common-labor group are
beginners, learners, and apprentices, as well as classified unskilled
workers who are designated by specific occupational titles and who
perform specific tasks, such as hand truckers, helpers, and machine
operators. It is possible that a few plants which do not employ
common laborers may have reported the entrance rates paid to other
unskilled workers. However, the number of such instances is not
great enough, nor are the entrance rates of common laborers and other
unskilled workers sufficiently different, to influence appreciably the
results of the Bureau’s survey. These two groups differ principally
in advancement opportunities, common laborers typically having
only limited opportunity to advance beyond their entrance rate.
Method and Scope of Survey
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has undertaken studies of commonlabor entrance rates annually since 1926. In many respects, however,
the 1943 study differs from the earlier surveys. The more important
differences are found in the scope of the survey and in the method of
weighting the data. These differences are fundamental, and as a
result the data presented in this report are, for the most part, not
comparable with those found in the earlier reports.
The Bureau’s earlier surveys of common-labor entrance rates were
conducted through the medium of mail questionnaires, and returns
were obtained from establishments in selected industries in all parts
of the United States. The information for the present study, however,
was secured through actual plant visits by trained representatives, in
connection with the Bureau’s survey of occupational wage rates.
Adequate information was obtained only for the major industries in
cities of 100,000 or more inhabitants. Material for a few of these
cities proved to be unsatisfactory. Data for a total of 101 cities are
included in this report.
The statistical data secured for the year 1943 are undoubtedly more
accurate than those obtained in earlier years by questionnaire. The
fuller coverage of the present survey, moreover, permits presentation
578877— 44-------8
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806
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
of considerable detail by individual city. This should greatly increase
the usefulness of the entrance-rate data in collective bargaining and
for stabilization purposes. On the other hand, the lack of information
for small communities makes impossible the computation of State or
National averages and greatly limits the opportunity for comparisons
with earlier years.
The present survey includes for most cities all important industries
employing common laborers. This has meant the addition of a num
ber of industries not previously included in the Bureau’s studies of
entrance rates, such as ordnance and accessories, electrical machinery,
nonferrous metals and their products, airframes and aircraft parts,
andfshipbuilding. A number of industries previously represented,
however— such as cement, fertilizer, and brick, tile, and terra cotta—
are typically small-town industries, and for that reason were found in
few of the large cities. Omitted from the survey, moreover, are a few
nondurable-goods industries, such as printing and publishing, and
textiles and apparel, in which the occupation of common laborer is
seldom found. As a result, the level of common-labor entrance rates
reported in this study is influenced to a considerable degree by the
wage levels prevailing in the durable-goods group of industries. The
great majority of common laborers in manufacturing industries, to be
sure, are employed by the durable-goods group.
The information on common labor obtained in connection with the
occupational wage-rate survey is somewhat more limited than that
collected in former surveys. Only the common-labor entrance rate
and the total plant employment are available for 1943. No informa
tion was obtained, as in earlier surveys, regarding the number of com
mon laborers at the entrance rate and their racial designation. The
lack of information with respect to the number of common laborers at
entrance rates not only makes it impossible to present frequency dis
tributions of common laborers by rate, but also influences the method
of weighting the entrance-rate data.
METHOD OF WEIGHTING
The entrance rates reported by individual establishments cooperat
ing in this survey have been “ weighted” in proportion to the total
number of employees in the respective establishments and industries.
Thus, the entrance rate of an establishment employing 1,000 workers
has been given twice as much weight as that of an establishment em
ploying only 500. Similarly, in combining the averages for individual
industries, broad industry groups, or different cities, the total employ
ment in those economic segments has been taken into account. This
weighting has been necessary to make allowance for the greater influ
ence of large establishments and to offset differences in the complete
ness of reporting from industry to industry and from city to city.2
It is recognized that total employment does not constitute an ideal
weighting factor for combining common-labor entrance rates. The
number of common laborers employed at entrance rates— or perhaps
2
In most of the Bureau’s earlier studies of common-labor entrance rates the data were essentially un
weighted. Although the number of workers reported as receiving the respective entrance rates in cooper
ating establishments was taken into account, no allowance was made for the over- or under-representation
of the various industries or regions. Since representation was most complete among the higher-wage indus
tries and areas, this method tended to overstate the average level of entrance rates. In tabulating the data
for 1942, a system of weighting was introduced to correct this error. (See Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bui.
N o. 733: Hourly Entrance Rates Paid to Adult Male Common Laborers, 1942, p. 3.)
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Wage and Hour Statistics
807
tlie number of common laborers hired over a period of time—would be
more appropriate. These more desirable measures, however, were
unavailable for use in the present survey.
There is little doubt that within a specific industry total employ*
ment constitutes an adequate weighting factor for combining the
entrance-rate data for individual plants, for it may be assumed that
the ratio of common laborers to total employees shows considerable
uniformity among establishments in the same line of production.
On the other hand, total plant employment has definite limitations
when used in combining the data for different industries in order to
arrive at average entrance rates for broad industry groups, cities,
or regions. Thus, it is probable that certain industries employing
relatively large t^proportions of common laborers, such as building
construction, have been underweighted somewhat in the present tabu
lations. It is believed, however, that the use of total employment
as a weighting factor has not greatly distorted the general averages
for industry groups, cities, or regions.
COVERAGE OF SU R VEY
Information on entrance rates of common laborers was obtained
from 9,740 establishments employing a total of 4,613,496 workers.
Of these establishments, 7,024 employing 4,135,872 workers were in
manufacturing industries, 2,340 with 163,236 workers were in the
building-construction industry, and 376 with 314,388 workers were
in public utilities. The reports are believed to cover a substantial
segment of manufacturing industries and building construction and
to provide virtually complete coverage of public utilities, employing
common labor, in the large cities. In a number of instances the data
are for representative samples of industries, rather than for complete
industries. Taking account of other establishments and workers
represented, in addition to those actually studied, the figures pre
sented in this report relate to 16,787 establishments and 5,873,000
workers; of these, 11,381 establishments and 5,182,000 workers were
in manufacturing, 5,011 establishments and 368,000 workers were in
building construction, and 395 establishments and 323,000 workers
were in public utilities.3
The entrance-rate data in this report relate to the spring and summer
of 1943, during which period the occupational wage-rate survey was
conducted.
Average H ourly Entrance Rates
The average entrance rate for common labor in large cities in the
spring and summer of 1943 was 70.7 cents per hour. This undoubt
edly reflected the highest level of pay for common labor in the history
of the Nation.
Widely different general levels of common-labor entrance rates
were found in the seven broad regions into which the country was
3
A n apparent discrepancy m ay seem to exist between the weighted and unweighted figures, the weighted
number of plants showing an increase of 72 percent over the unweighted number and the weighted employ
ment figure being only 27 percent greater than the unweighted figure. This is due principally to the fact
that many of the industries in the manufacturing group which were covered on a sample basis employed
comparatively few workers, whereas many of the numerically important industries, such as blast furnaces,
steel works, and rolling mills, airframes, and shipbuilding, were surveyed in full and their total employment
was already represented in the unweighted employment figures.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
808
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
divided for purposes of this survey. As may be seen from the
regional averages shown in table 1, the level of average rates varied
from 53.0 cents in the Southeastern States to 81.7 cents on the Pacific
Coast. The average entrance rates for the other five broad regions
are distributed throughout this range, the respective averages being
74.0 cents for the East North Central States, 69.8 cents for the
Middle Atlantic States, 64.7 cents for the New England States, 61.9
cents for the West North Central and Mountain States, and 57.2
cents for the Southwestern States. These figures, it should be re
membered, represent only the level of common-labor entrance rates
in the large cities found in these regions and not the level for cities
of all sizes.
T a b l e 1 .— Average Hourly Entrance Rates of Adult Male Common Laborers in Large
Cities, by Industry and Region,1 Spring and Summer 1943
Industry
M id
East
All
New
dle South North
re
Eng
A t
Cen
east
gions land
lantia
tral
W est
North
Cen
South Pa
tral
west
cific
and
M oun
tain
All industries.._________ ___________________________ $0. 707 $0. 647 $0. 698 $0. 530 $0. 740 $0.619 $0. 572 $0. 817
All manufacturing___________
__________________
Durable goods________________________________
Iron and steel and their products_______
Machinery (except electrical)____________
Electrical machinery_________________ . . .
Transportation equipment and parts___
Nonferrous metals and their products___
Lumber and timber basic products. _ . . .
Ffirniture and finished lumber products.
Stone, clay, and glass products__________
Nondurable goods____________________________
Leather and leather products____________
Paper and allied products_______________
Chemicals and allied products_________ .
Petroleum refining. _____________ . _
Rubber and rubber products_________ . .
Tobacco manufacturing _______________
Food and kindred products____________
Building construction____________________________
Public utilities_________ ________
.703
.710
.700
.674
.679
.744
.695
.622
.538
.606
.651
.467
.566
.677
.826
.729
.462
.635
.826
.642
.637
.640
.658
.620
.609
.662
.710
.602
.690
.694
.711
.616
.692
.727
.687
.527
.549
.580
.670
.423
.597
.681
.880
.611
.860
.714
. 645
.830
.653
.605
.692
.573
.532
.560
.533
.487
.459
.604
.602
.409
.410
.416
.435
.400
.472
. 509
.462
.389
.583
.455
.735
.737
.729
.716
.666
.785
.697
.587
.608
.645
.720
. 556
.628
. 690
.859
.795
.609
.621
.649
.592
.479
.634
.665
.509
.463
.595
.589
. 405
.505
. 594
.675
.919
.706
.659
.775
.618
.583
.596
.509
.482
.500
.613
.503
.454
.406
.490
.400
.409
. 617
.802
.803
.801
.826
.642
.803
.817
.875
.765
.790
.792
. 715
.810
.805
.808
. 463
.560
.486
788
.975
.751
1States included in the regions are as follows: New England— Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Middle Atlantic—Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland,
New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia; Southeast—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ken
tucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia; East North Central—Illinois,
Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin; West North Central and Mountain —Colorado, Idaho,
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyo
ming; Southwest-—Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas; Pacific—California,
Oregon, and Washington.
The general level of entrance rates of common laborers in the various
regions is determined by a number of factors, such as the industrial
pattern of the particular region, the wage levels prevailing in specific
industries, the extent of unionization, variations in size of city, etc.
The level in one region may be profoundly influenced by the presence
of two or three large, high-wage, and highly organized industries, as
on the Pacific Coast, where the shipbuilding and the aircraft indus
tries are very important. The level in another region may reflect
the rates paid in a wide variety of industries, with no major indus
tries dominating the group. The regional averages appearing in
table 1, therefore, should not be considered to reflect differences in
the rate of remuneration for similar work in the same industry.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
809
Specific industries common to all regions provide the most depend
able basis for a regional comparison of common-labor entrance rates.
Regional averages based on eight such industries 4 were arrived at by
weighting the rate for each industry by the total employment in the
industry in the Nation as a whole. By this method, adjustment was
made for variations in proportions of total employment in these
industries within the respective regions. These general averages
were then converted to index numbers based on the United States
average for all eight industries. The resulting index numbers are as
follows:
Index
numbers
(U. S .=100.0)
New England____________________________________ 97. 5
Middle Atlantic__________________________________ 96. 2
Southeast______________________________________
75. 0
East North Central_______________________________ 105. 8
West North Central and Mountain_______________ 90. 8
Southwest_______________________________________
76. 5
Pacific___________________________________________ 114. 9
Substantial regional variations were still apparent. The highest
rates were on the West Coast and the next highest in the East North
Central region. There appeared to be little difference in average
entrance rates paid in the New England and Middle Atlantic cities.
The West North Central region, which also includes the Mountain
region, had the lowest rates of the five Northern regions. Entrance
rates in the South were considerably lower than in any of the Northern
regions. Entrance rates in the Southwest region were somewhat
higher than in the Southeastern region.
VARIATION BY INDUSTRY
Considerable variation in common-labor entrance rates was also
found among industries. For all cities combined, the highest average
rate (82.6 cents an hour) was paid by the building-construction
industry, the next highest rate (70.3 cents an hour) by the manufac
turing industries, and the lowest rate (64.2 cents an hour) by public
utilities (table 1). Building construction had the highest rate in all
but one of the seven regions and utilities had the lowest rate in five
of the seven regions. In the New England region the utility rate
was substantially higher than the rate for manufacturing, while in
the West North Central region it exceeded the manufacturing rate
by a small margin.
In manufacturing, entrance rates were, on the whole, higher in
the durable-goods industries than in the nondurable-goods industries,
the respective average hourly entrance rates for these two groups for
all cities combined being 71.0 and 65.1 cents. In the five Northern
regions the difference in rates between the two groups was small,
amounting to less than 4 cents in all five regions and to less than 2
cents in two regions. In contrast, in each of the two Southern regions,
the difference in favor of durable-goods industries exceeded 10 cents
an hour.
Variations in average hourly entrance rates were more pronounced
in general among the nondurable-goods than among the durable4 Building construction; public utilities; blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills; ferrous foundries;
machinery (except electrical); fabricated structural steel; airframes; and shipbuilding.
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810
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
goods industries. In the former group, entrance rates for all cities
combined ranged from 46.2 cents for tobacco manufacturing to 82.6
cents for petroleum refining; in the latter group they varied from 53.8
cents for furniture and finished lumber products to 74.4 cents for
transportation equipment and parts. Of the eight durable-goods
industries for which figures are shown, all but one had average hourly
entrance rates in excess of 60 cents and five had rates in excess of 67.5
cents. In contrast, of the seven nondurable-goods industries for
which figures are presented only three had rates in excess of 67.5 cents
an hour, while three had rates under 60 cents.
It should be noted that a number of the manufacturing industries
for which average entrance rates are presented in table 1 are in reality
broad industry groups and that the regional variations indicated by
these rates may be due in part to differences in content of the group
from region to region. A more dependable measure of regional
variations in entrance rates between industries may be had from a
comparison of the entrance rates of specific industries, such as ma
chinery (except electrical), building construction, and public utilities.
For all three of these industries the highest rates were paid on the
Pacific Coast. The next highest rates in building construction and
machinery were paid in the East North Central States, while the next
highest rate in public utilities was found in the New England region.
The lowest rates for the same three industries were found in south
eastern or southwestern cities.
The pattern of variation in average hourly entrance rates for all
manufacturing in large cities is much the same as that found in the
all-industry averages. (See table 2.) The highest rates for all
manufacturing in general were in West Coast cities, except that
Detroit ranked second in the all-manufacturing averages. The
next highest averages were generally found in cities in the East
North Central region and the lowest in cities in the two Southern
regions. As was pointed out earlier in connection with the regional
averages, the general averages shown for all industries and for all
manufacturing industries in regions and cities are significant only as
an indication of the general level of common-labor entrance rates in
those regions and cities.
ENTRANCE RATES IN INDIVIDUAL CITIES
Although information on entrance rates of common laborers was
collected for 101 cities with a population of 100,000 or more, figures
are presented in this report only for a total of 89 cities, the data for
a number of adjacent cities having been combined and a single set of
figures presented for such cities. For example, combined figures are
presented for Minneapolis and St. Paul; Kansas City, Kans., and
Kansas City, M o.; Oakland and San Francisco; Albany and Sche
nectady; New York and Yonkers, etc. Moreover, a single set of
figures is shown for four cities in eastern New Jersey—Elizabeth,
Jersey City, Newark, and Paterson—as these cities appear to
constitute a single wage area.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
811
Wage and Hour Statistics
T a b l e 2 . — Average Hourly Entrance Rates of Adult Male Common Laborers in Large
Cities, Spring and Summer 1943
Manufacturing
Selected industries
All
Total, Blast
M a
fur
indus
all
chin
tries man- naces,
Fer
ery
steel
ufacrous
(ex
works,
turfound
cept
and
ing 1
ries
elec
roll
trical)
ing
mills
Population group and city
Meat
pack
ing
Build Pub
ing
lic
con
utili
struc
ties
tion
Total, all cities------------------------------------------------- $0. 707 $0. 703 $0. 757 $0. 675 $0. 674 $0. 673 $0.826
1,000,000 and over:
Chicago.------------------------------------------------ Detroit__________ ______ __ - ------- --------- Los Angeles and Long Beach-----------------New York and Yonkers___________
___
Philadelphia and Camden........ ....... ...........
500,000 and under 1,000,000:
Baltim ore.. ------------------------------ - B uffalo.. ._
__________________ . . . ------
Milwaukee____________
_________ . . . .
Newark, Elizabeth, Jersey C ity, and
Paterson_____________ _________ _______
Pittsburgh---------------------------- . . . . ------St. L o u i s ________ . .
----------- --------San Francisco and Oakland ----------------250,000 and under 500,000:
Atlanta___________________ _________
Birmingham___________ __________
Indianapolis_________________
Seattle
___
. ...
___________
_________________ ________
______
.708
.880
.761
.655
.714
.689
.880
.761
.644
.698
.791
.789
.780
OB
.727
.732
.827
.742
.675
.677
.677
.811
.741
.544
.610
.716
.679
.756
(2)
. 665
1.097
.908
.854
.954
.828
.750
.855
.632
.667
.631
.681
.647
.697
.735
.694
.672
.706
672
.617
.693
.726
.702
.674
.695
.780
(2)
.780
.778
(2)
.'684
587
.585
.698
.679
.607
.653
.658
.577
.587
.650
.725
.555
.662
.703
.745
.959
.909
.988
.810
1.000
.902
.666
.715
.679
.755
.604
.587
.595
.667
.762
.603
.880
. 723
.662
.765
.587
.878
(2)
.650
.782
.655
(2)
.650
.778
.666
.858
.583
.755
.577
.888
.725
.653
.712
.752
1.043
.877
.884
.961
.860
.687
.682
.629
.722
. 588
.440
.522
.566
.621
.579
.622
.598
.649
.577
.428
.572
.892
.658
.694
. 455
.917
.790
.430
.536
.558
.617
.593
.613
.603
.645
.556
.423
.583
.883
.651
.687
.418
.858
.789
(2)
.603
.394
.497
.560
.669
.410
.398
.571
.680
.571
.374
.403
.627
.605
.430
.606
.546
.467
.536
. 739
.699
.506
.792
.598
.803
.690
.436
.625
.963
.820
.850
.471
1.080
.925
.469
.420
. 593
.583
.487
.551
.545
.607
.494
.441
.472
.900
.717
.697
.462
.887
.680
.745
.762
.665
.671
.745
.370
.442
.706
.603
.755
.471
.667
.693
(3)
.735
.573
.'783
.609
.612
.543
.461
.780
.398
.646
.569
.744
.762
.707
.664
.743
.376
.436
.708
.591
.758
.506
.635
.693
(3)
.724
.578
(2)
.602
.605
.548
.414
.781
.389
.621
.576
. 845
.831
.766
1.042
.850
.417
.576
.751
.693
.790
.481
.797
.700
.850
.831
. 508
1.099
.719
.768
.553
.553
.838
.400
.821
.624
. 716
.589
.586
.723
.658
.345
.496
.611
.680
(2)
. 400
.708
.592
.757
.778
.438
.500
.624
.770
.435
.472
.663
.424
.714
.505
100,000 and under 250,000:
Canton- _________ . _______________ _____
D uluth_____
Fort
___________________________
Wayne___ _ . . . ------- ---------- --
M iam i________ ____________________________
See footnotes a t end of table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
$0. 642
(2)
(2)
(2)
.855
(2)
(2)
.780
.754
(2)
(2)
.780
(2)
(2)
.577
.488
.400
(2)
.866
.579
(2)
(2)
.926
.570
.612
.854
.766
.804
.799
.679
.617
(2)
.635
.711
.402
.448
.681
(2)
(2)
.602
(2)
(2)
.642
.544
.660
.544
.577
.680
.754
.377
.393
.629
.598
(2)
(2)
.644
.712
(2)
.716
.490
. 587
.572
(2)
(2)
(2)
.682
.613
(2)
(2)
.813
.596
(2)
.611
.630
.685
.720
.700
.648
.543
.683
.498
.697
.487
(2)
.443
(2)
(2)
(2)
.647
(2)
(2)
.347
(2)
(2)
(2)
.573
.625
(2)
(2)
(2)
___
(2)
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
812
T a b l e 2. — Average Hourly Entrance Rates of Adult Male Common Laborers in Large
Cities, Spring and Summer 1943— Continued
M a aufactui•ing
S<sleeted ndustri es
Population group and city
All
Total, Blast
M a
indus
fur
all
chin
man- naces,
tries
Fer
ery
steel
ufacrous
(ex
tur- works,
found
and
ing 1
empt
ries
roll
elec
ing
trical)
mills
Meat
pack
ing
Build
Pub
ing
lic
con
utili
struc
ties
tion
100,000 and under 250,000— Continued.
$0. 614 $0,611
$0.650
(2)
(2)
(2)
.482
.497
.480
$0. 346 $0. 390
(2)
.531
.582
.796
.585
(2)
.621
.929
.613
.607
.608
.534
.505
.526
.383
.474
.580
.579
.471
.588
.612
.620
. 599
.532 $0,690
.677
.735
. 596
.749
.692
.738
1.000
.662
.659
.699
.635
.656
(2)
.472
.471
.490
_ . . ______ __
.401
Richmond____________
(2)
(2)
(2)
.801
.730
.949
.825
(2)
.686
.619
.766
(2)
.751
.746
.865
.743
(2)
.602
.612
.499
(2)
.421
.478
.438
(2)
.624
.636
.597
. 616
.802
.805
.630
.668
.977
(2)
.893
.767
.790
.991
(2)
.639
.636
.616
.793
. 548
.636
.611
.619
.587
.649
.806
Syracuse__________________________________
(2)
.844
.895
.879
1.100
.845
(2)
.572
.560
.388
.500
.724 $0. 780
.725
. 550
.678
.889
.586
.589
. 564
.545
.610
(2)
.659
.656
.615
.839
.558
.682
.679
.645
.887
.638
.537
. 542
.545
.563
.647
. 732
.736
.741
.646
.599
.692
.691
.780
.722
.639
.708
. 776
.744
.777
.780
.759
$0. 518
.482
.669
.744
.446
.571
.621
.725
.614
.455
(2)
.674
.761
.417
.365
.694
.605
.747
.689
.638
.910
.457
.662
.500
.685
.762
.520
.650
.723
.760
i Includes industries for which data are not presented separately.
1 Data insufficient to justify presentation of an average.
8 Averages not shown to avoid disclosing information for one large firm operating several plants in this
city.
It should be remembered that the figures in this report indicate only
the level of entrance rates in industries in large cities and not, as in
earlier surveys, the level of entrance rates in selected industries for
the country as a whole. The figures for large cities are believed to
be slightly higher than those for the whole country, owing to the fact
that wages are generally somewhat higher in large cities than in small
cities.
An examination of the average hourly common-labor entrance rates
for all industries in 89 large cities or groups of cities for which figures
are shown in table 2 reveals widely different wage levels among these
cities. There was a difference of 54.7 cents between the lowest city
average— 37.0 cents for Charlotte—and the highest city average— 91.7
cents for Seattle. Tacoma, Spokane, and Portland all averaged
slightly more than 89 cents per hour, and Detroit and San Francisco
tied for fifth place with 88 cents. In somewhat more than three-fifths
of these cities, average hourly entrance rates were found within the
25-cent range 55 to 80 cents, while in more than one-third of the cities
the range in rates was less than 10 cents— from 60 to 70 cents an hour.
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Wage and Hour Statistics
813
An analysis of the figures for the specific industries listed in table 2
reveals marked differences in rates between cities. The rates paid
by the building-construction industry showed the greatest dispersion,
ranging from 40 cents in Little Rock to $1.10 in Tacoma. Average
entrance rates of 80 cents or more an hour were found in nearly half
of the cities surveyed. None of the building-construction rates were
above 70 cents in the 25 cities of the Southeast and Southwest regions,
whereas rates under 70 cents were found in only 6 of the northern
cities. There was a range of somewhat more than 50 cents in the
average hourly entrance rates paid by ferrous foundries, machinery,
and public utilities. The somewhat narrower range in meat-packing
rates, which varied from 34.7 cents in Chattanooga to 75.6 cents in
Los Angeles, may be due to the fact that it was possible to show figures
for this industry only in a limited number of cities, most of which
were cities of 250,000 or more. The pattern of variation of rates
for these four industries followed in general that of the building-con
struction industry. It should be pointed out, however, that average
rates in these industries were substantially lower than those paid in
building construction. The greatest concentration of rates was found
in blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills, in which rates varied
only 25.2 cents among the large cities for which figures are shown.
Most of this variation was due to the established regional differentials
in this industry; the rate of 78 cents prevailed in the Northern States
east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio and the rate of 60.5
cents prevailed in the South. The average rate of 85.5 cents for this
industry in Seattle undoubtedly reflected the influence of the highwage shipbuilding industry.
Table 3 presents index numbers of wage rates based on a compari
son 5 of four specific industries, namely, building construction, public
utilities, ferrous foundries, and machinery (except electrical) in 51
selected cities. These industries constitute a substantial segment of
the industrial composition of the cities and provide a more repre
sentative basis for measuring intercity variations in common-labor
entrance rates than would a comparison of rates for a single specific
industry. The figures show that the highest wage levels were generally
in cities on the West Coast, the index numbers of four of the five cities
in this area for which figures are shown exceeding 120. The next
highest levels were in the East North Central States, the index num
bers for 12 of the 15 cities in this region coming within a 20-point
range from 90 to 110. Wage levels were somewhat lower in the New
England and Middle Atlantic areas, 4 of the 8 cities in the former
region having index numbers within the 5-poirxt range from 90 to 95
and 8 of the 11 cities in the latter region having index numbers within
the 10-pbint range from 85 to 95. No northern city had an index
number as low as 80, whereas none of the 9 southern cities for which
figures are presented had an index number as high as 80. Wage levels
were substantially lower in the Southeast than in the Southwest, only
one of the six cities in the former region having an index number in
excess of 65, while the index numbers for the 3 cities in the Southwest
came within the 15-point range from 65 to 80.
4 In order to overcome variations in the proportions of workers in these industries in the various cities,
city averages were arrived at by weighting the averages for each industry by the total employment in that
industry in all 51 cities. The city averages were then converted to index numbers, using the average for
all 51 cities as a base.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
814
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
T a b l e 3.— Index Numbers of Entrance Rates of Adult Male Common Laborers in Four
Identical Industries in 51 Selected Cities, Spring and Summer 1943
[Average, 51 cities=100]
Index
numbers
City
1,000,000 and over:
Chicago. _
..................
Detroit________________________
Los Angeles and Long Beach____ _
New York and Yonkers.. _ ____
Philadelphia and Cam den. ___
500,000 and under 1,000,000:
Baltimore___________________________
.
Boston and L y n n _______________
Buffalo____ . _ . . . . . . . . . . .
Cleveland___
. . . ________ ._ .
Milwaukee____ ______ ______ _________
Minneapolis and St. Paul________
Newark, Elizabeth, Paterson, and
Jersey C ity____________ . . . _____
Pittsburgh___ __________ ________
St. Louis. _ _ . ________ _ _______
San Francisco and Oakland...............
250,000 and under 500,000:
Atlanta_______ _. _______________
Birmingham______ . . . ________
Cincinnati_______ ___________
Columbus_____________________
Denver
Indianapolis ______________________
L o u isv ille .___ ______ . . . ______
Portland__________________
P r o v id e n c e ..._______ _ ___________
Rochester ___ __ ___________ __ .
City
Index
numbers
250,000 and under 500,000— Continued.
108.0
117.9
105.1
90.8
92.7
87. 4
94.6
99.3
108.9
100.0
101.3
122. 6
113,0
100,000 and under 250,000:
Albany and Schenectady
B ridgeport___________________________
Grand Rapids___________________
Hartford____ __________________________
96.5
108.2
91.1
123.3
Peoria___ _____ ________________________
60. 2
61.1
85.0
94.2
89.1
90.0
78.8
130. 3
89.7
94.4
Tacoma _
99.0
85. 6
105.2
106. 2
53. 7
62. 8
97. 5
69.1
94.8
93.1
59.1
96. 5
71 7
81. 2
109.6
100.1
92. 1
89. 7
126. 8
77. 7
93.1
98 9
89. 6
94.5
An examination of the data for specific industries within cities
indicates that the industrial pattern of a city exerts a profound influ
ence on the level of rates in that city. For example, the predomi
nance of heavy durable-goods industries, most of which pay typically
high rates to their workers, accounts for the high wage levels of such
cities as Cleveland, Detroit, and Pittsburgh; while the presence of the
shipbuilding industry, with its well-paid and numerically important
labor force, operates to raise the averages for Seattle, Portland, and
San Francisco.
To some extent, the level of entrance rates in cities is also affected
by the degree of unionization found there. Separate tabulations for
union and nonunion establishments have not been prepared in con
nection with this study, but it is well known from other studies by
the Bureau that wage rates in establishments with union agreements
generally exceed those in nonunion establishments.
These data show no consistent relationship between the level of
common-labor entrance rates and size of city. The wage advantage
which cites of 500,000 and over appear to enjoy over cities of less than
500,000 is very largely due to the fact that all southern cities, most
of which have wage levels substantially below those found in northern
cities, are found^in the “ under 500,000” group of cities.6
RATE CHANGES FROM 1942 TO 1943
Because of changes in the scope of the survey, the nature of the
data collected, and the method of weighting the data, it is imposible
to continue the historical series of common-labor entrance rates estab« DataScollected in earlier years have indicated, however, that entrance rates in cities of less than 100,000
are appreciably lower on the average than those in the larger cities in the same region.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
815
Wage and Hour Statistics
lislied in earlier years. Dependable conclusions can be drawn, how
ever, as to the relative changes which have occurred in entrance rates
in manufacturing, building construction, and public utilities by com
paring the entrance rates of firms which reported in both 1942 and
1943. There were 1,595 such firms, employing 630,352 workers in
1943. Of these firms, 632 employing 384,169 workers were in manu
facturing, 753 with 51,914 workers were in building construction, and
210 with 194,269 workers were in public utilities. These-firms were
in large cities widely scattered over the country.
The weighted average hourly entrance rates for 1942 and 1943,
using 1943 plant employment as the weighting factor in both years,
indicate an increase in entrance rates between 1942 and 1943 of 4.5
percent in manufacturing, an increase of 8.3 percent in building con
struction, and an increase of 11.4 percent in public utilities (see
tabulation below). Greater relative increases in rates occurred in
the South than in the North, the respective percentages being 6.0 and
4.4 for manufacturing, 17.1 and 6.6 for building construction, and 16.6
and 11.0 for public utilities.
Percent of increase, 1942 to 1943—
United
North and South and
Northwest Southwest
States
All industries
________
6. 7
6. 4
12. 7
Manufacturing
Building construction
Public utilities _
_
________
________
________
4. 5
8. 3
11. 4
4. 4
6. 6
11. 0
6. 0
17. 1
16. 6
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
__
816
Monthly Labor Review— April 1944
Earnings of Bank Employees, Spring and Summer of
19431
Summary
THE straight-time hourly earnings of 18,657 bank tellers employed
in 1,312 institutions studied by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in
1943 averaged 92.5 cents. Tellers in cities of less than 50,000 popula
tion earned an average of 84.8 cents per hour, while the corresponding
figure for cities of 250,000 and over was 94.2 cents. The earnings
of note tellers exceeded those of all-round tellers by 14.6 cents an hour.
The 3,056 stenographers studied earned an average of 79.8 cents
an hour; clerk-typists averaged 58.4 cents an hour. The rate for
bookkeeping-machine operators (66.3 cents) was slightly above that
for bookkeepers, who received an average of 64.9 cents. The total
earnings for these workers are somewhat above these averages as a
result of overtime premiums and bonuses; the latter sometimes
amount to as much as 10 percent of yearly salaries.
Method and Scope of Study
This analysis of earnings in banks is based on a study of more than
28,000 employees of 1,312 banks, trust companies, and savings and
loan associations in 144 communities. The areas studied were selected
principally on the basis of the needs of the National War Labor Board
for wage data to be used in connection with the stabilization program.
Although these areas are widely scattered and of many different
types, they do not necessarily constitute a representative cross
section of all American communities, since they were not selected
with any such purpose in mind. Despite this limitation, the data
collected constitute a large and important addition to the available
information on earnings which, for this type of worker, has hereto
fore been somewhat scanty.
The establishments selected for study within each of the 144 wage
areas constitute all or a representative sample of the local banking
institutions. The types of banks studied include National, State,
industrial, mutual and private savings banks, trust companies,
building and loan associations, and, in many areas, personal credit
or finance companies.'
The wage data on which this analysis is based were compiled from
pay rolls by trained field representatives of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics who visited each bank and classified the employees in ac
cordance with a set of standard job descriptions. The wage data
reflect the rates in effect during the spring and summer of 1943. The
employees covered by this study do not include all of those working
in the entire group of banks. Differences in size as well as in scope
and type of operations among institutions give rise to rather marked
variations in occupational patterns. It was necessary, therefore,
to limit the study to workers in jobs which can be defined in reasonably
specific terms and are found in nearly every type of establishment
covered by the survey. A few occupations have been omitted because
1 Prepared in the Bureau’s Division of Wage Analysis by Harold R . Hosea.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
817
of their comparative numerical unimportance. This summary is
thus based primarily on the earnings of tellers and of women employed as
bookkeepers, bookkeeping-machine operators, calculating-machine
operators, file and general clerks, stenographers, and clerk-typists.
The numbers of men employed in jobs other than that of teller were
insufficient to warrant detailed study.
It should be noted also that the scope of this survey differed some
what among the occupations covered. For example, earnings data
are available for tellers in the entire 144 communities studied, but
the information on general office occupations is limited to 116 areas,
as noted below.
Although the majority of bank employees are paid by the week,
half month, or month, the earnings data have been reduced to an
hourly basis to permit comparisons among banks with differing pay
periods and between bank wage scales and those for- other industries
in which substantial proportions of the workers are customarily paid
in terms of hourly rates. The rates for bank employees have been
computed by dividing their standard pay (exclusive of any overtime
premiums or bonuses except cost-of-living adjustments) for the pay
period by the scheduled or regular hours. The averages shown do
not, consequently, reflect ‘Take-home” pay. Payment for over
time work at premium rates in these banks was by no means universal
at the time of the survey,2 but the total earnings of some employees
were increased by such extra amounts.
Even more important, perhaps, is the widespread practice of paying
various types of bonuses in amounts which may be related to the pro
ductivity of the employee or to company earnings, volume of business,
or profits.3 These bonuses, often paid at Christmas, sometimes
amount to 10 percent or more of the employees’ annual earnings, but
the great variety of provisions governing these payments makes any
systematic tabulation of the amounts involved virtually impossible.
Consequently, no precise estimate of the effect of bonus payments on
earnings can be made, but it is apparent that the general averages
would be increased appreciably if it were possible to take account of
these amounts.
Earnings of Tellers
The 18,657 tellers included in this survey earned an average of
92.5 cents per hour, exclusive of overtime premiums and bonuses,
during the pay-roll periods studied (table 1). In the 40-hour week
common in banking, their average straight-time earnings would
amount to about $37.
The average of 93.6 cents for the 15,200 tellers employed in northern
banks exceeds the corresponding figure for southern institutions
(87.9 cents) by less than 6 cents per hour. It should be noted, how;ever, that this comparison must be interpreted as only a rough approxi
mation, since the northern and southern cities studied do not constitute
2 Because of differences in the nature of their operations, there is considerable variation among banks in
the proportions of these institutions which are subject to the provisions of the Fair LabOT Standards Act.
It should also be noted that the method of computing pay for overtime typical of industrial establishments
is not used in many banks. Some institutions compute overtime on the basis of varying workweeks;
in this case the total hours worked by an employee in any given week are divided into his basic weekly
salary thus giving the average hourly rate for that particular week. The overtime premium is then com
puted by multiplying one-half the hourly rate by the number of hours workeddn excess of 40.
a Amounts paid as a result of cost-of-living adjustments are included in the earnings data shown, even
though the payments are, in some cases, in the form of a bonus.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
818
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
a completely representative cross section of the communities within
these two broad regions.
T able
1.— Straight-Time Average Hourly Earnings 1 of Bank Tellers, by Region, Sex,
and City Si ze, Spring and Summer 1943
Region, sex, and city size
I
Hourly earnings
Number
Number of estab Number
of cities
lish
of
studied
ments
tellers
General Lowest Highest
city
city
studied
average
average average
M ales and fem ales
All cities combined_____________
Under 50,000 population__________
50,000 and under 100,000... _______
100,000 and under 250,000____ _ _
250,000 and over______ ____________
144
31
31
48
34
1, 312
190
193
378
551
18, 657
857
1,182
3,449
13,169
$0. 925
.848
.876
.898
.942
$0. 502
. 700
.502
.753
.773
$1.151
1.081
1.146
1.077
1.151
North _______________ __ .
Under 50,000 population,. __
... .
50,000 and under 100,000_____
.
100,000 and under 250,000. . .
250,000 and o v e r ____ _________
97
22
20
31
24
935
127
130
241
437
15, 200
555
768
2,314
11, 563
.936
.853
.877
.915
.948
. 502
.700
. 502
.753
.844
1.151
1. 081
1.146
1. 077
1.151
South_____________ _____ ________ _____
Under 50,000 population________ .
50,000 and under 100,000 ___ .
100,000 and under 250,000 .
250,000 and over_______________ . . .
47
9
11
17
10
377
63
63
137
114
3, 457
302
414
1.135
1.606
.879
.838
.875
.864
.899
.706
. 724
. 706
.753
.773
1.076
1.069
1. 076
1. 001
1.040
A ll cities combined_________
Under 50,000 population_______ __ .
50,000 and under 1 0 0 ,0 0 0 ...____
100,000 and under 250,000_______ .
250,000 and over___ _________ _
143
31
30
48
34
1,308
190
189
378
551
11. 662
467
708
2, 055
8, 432
1. 053
.986
1.010
1.038
1.064
.720
. 720
.760
.871
.905
1. 305
1. 161
1. 305
1.239
1.243
N orth _________ _________________
Under 50,000 population____
. _ .
50,000 and under 100,000. ____ .
100,000 and under 250,000 _ . .
250,000 and over......................... ..
90
22
19
31
24
931
127
126
241
437
9,536
287
434
1,399
7,416
1.064
.995
1.024
1. 053
1.071
.720
. 720
. 760
.897
.960
1. 305
1. 161
1. 305
1. 239
1.243
South__________________________
Under 50,000 population.. ________ __ .
50,000 and under 100,000 _________
100,000 and under 250,000___ .
250,000 and over___________ .
47
9
11
17
10
377
63
63
137
114
2,126
180
274
656
1,016
1.004
.972
.987
1.007
1.013
. 778
. 778
.823
.871
.905
1.152
1. 080
1. 134
1.135
1.152
141
30
30
47
34
1,298
186
188
373
551
6,995
390
474
1,394
4, 737
.713
.682
.677
.692
.725
.472
. 565
.472
.613
.631
. 995
.995
.870
.860
.837
N orth_______________ . .
Under 50,000 population______
50,000 and under 100,000
100,000 and under 250,000 . . . . .
250,000 and over.. ..
96
22
20
30
24
930
127
130
236
437
5, 664
268
334
915
4,147
.721
.701
. 687
.704
.728
.502
. 565
. 502
.646
.641
.995
.995
. 807
.829
.837
South______________ ______
Under 50,000 population .
50,000 and under 100,000
100,000 and under 250,000
250,000 and over______
_ . _
45
8
10
17
10
368
59
58
137
114
1,331
122
140
479
590
.680
. 640
.472
. 598
.472
. 613
.631
. 864
. 864
. 742
.860
.804
M ales
Females
A ll cities combined . . .
Under 50,000 population_______ ___ __
50,000 and under 100,000______ _ .
100,000 and under 250,000
250,000 and over . . . . .
.
.670
.703
1 Exclusive of bonuses (except when based ¡on cost-of-living adjustments) and premium payments for
overtime work.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
819
As might be expected, the earnings of tellers tend to be higher in the
larger centers. For the country as a whole, they range from 84.8
cents in places with less than 50,000 population to 94.2 cents in cities
with 250,000 or more inhabitants, in which roughly 70 percent of the
tellers studied were employed.
A similar relationship between earnings and size of city is generally
apparent when the northern and southern cities are considered sepa
rately; but, especially in the case of the South, the data are probably
not entirely conclusive because of the distribution of the areas studied.4
WAGE DIFFERENCES, BY SEX
Nearly 40 percent (6,995) of the tellers whose earnings were studied
were women, and their straight-time hourly average of 71.3 cents was
34 cents below the corresponding figure for men. The city averages
for men ranged from 72.0 cents per hour in a small northern area to
$1,305 for a city in the size group 50,000 to 100,000 population. One
southern area showed an average as low as 47.2 cents per hour for
female tellers; the highest was 99.5 cents, for a small northern com
munity. The relationship between earnings and size of city is clearly
discernible in the case of the men studied; for women it is apparent
though less marked. The general North-South difference was about
6 percent for both men and women.
The substantial difference of 34 cents per hour in the average earn
ings of men and women can by no means be interpreted as an accurate
measure of sex differences in basic rates. Several factors tend to exag
gerate these differences. In the first place, the widespread employ
ment of women as bank tellers is a comparatively recent development,
and their average length of service is presumably somewhat shorter
than that of the typical male employee, despite the increased turnover
among the latter occasioned by the war. Since the wage scales of
most banks provide for automatic salary increases based on length of
service on a given job, there is a tendency for the women to be con
centrated in the lower salary brackets. Detailed data on length of
service were not compiled in the course of the present survey, hence
it is not possible to make a precise estimate of the importance of this
factor. There is, nevertheless, adequate evidence to indicate that the
sex differential of 34 cents per hour referred to above is a substantial
overstatement of any differences in basic wage rates for men and
women.
A second factor to be considered has been reported by many of the
Bureau’s field representatives. Principally because of their longer
average experience, the male tellers in many banks are assigned to
cages in which the volume of business is heaviest; in other cases, men
wait on customers for a relatively larger proportion of the working
day. Such differences in duties, although insufficient to warrant
separate occupational classifications, may nevertheless be reflected in
the differences in salary rates for men and women.
4 Data for each of the individual areas studied will appear later in a bulletin incorporating the material
in this article.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
820
WAGE DIFFERENCES, BY TYPE OF WORK
Note tellers, who constituted about a seventh of the 18,657 studied,
earned a straight-time average of $1,020 per hour, or nearly 10 cents
more than the average for the entire group (table 2). The lowest
average (87.4 cents) was that for all-round tellers, while paying and
receiving tellers, by far the largest of the three groups, showed an
average of 92.5 cents per hour. The relationships between earnings
and type of work follow the same general pattern when the data for
men and women are considered separately. An examination of the
information for individual areas and city-size groups reveals a similar
set of differences. It should also be noted that the average for all
round tellers is affected to a greater degree than the other two groups
by the relatively lower earnings of women; nearly half the all-round
tellers found were women, whereas the corresponding proportions for
note and paying and receiving tellers were a third or less.
T a b l e 2 . — Average Hourly Earnings 1 of Bank Tellers in 144 Areas, by Type of Work
and Sex, Spring and Summer 1943
All workers
Occupation
All tellers___ . .
...
M en
W om en
Number Average Number Average Number Average
of work hourly of work hourly of work hourly
ers
ers
earnings
earnings
earnings
ers
_____ _____________________
18,657
$0.925
11,662
$1.053
6,995
$0. 713
All-round tellers.. _ _______ ___________ ________
Note t e l l e r s . ________ ______ . . _____________
Paying and receiving tellers___________ _________
5,161
2, 679
10,817
.874
1.020
.925
2,671
1,913
7,078
1.035
1.125
1. 040
2,490
766
3,739
.703
.761
.710
1 Exclusive of bonuses (except when based on cost-of-living adjustments) and premium pay for overtime
work.
Earnings o f Clerical Workers
As previously noted, data on earnings of clerical workers are
available for 116 of the areas and approximately 1,100 of the banks
included in this survey. Of the seven occupational groups studied in
detail, the 3,056 class A stenographers, who earned an average of
79.8 cents per hour, constituted the largest and the highest paid
(table 3). The average for the northern cities (80.7 cents) exceeded
that for the southern areas (75.9 cents) by about 5 cents per hour.
As might be expected, the North-South differences were somewhat
smaller in the large cities than those found in the less densely popu
lated communities. Although there is a noticeable relationship be
tween earnings and size of city for these workers, it is not uniform;
this may be, to some extent, a reflection of the fact that the com
munities in various size groups are not proportionately represented
in the study.
The lowest-paid group was that made up of general clerks who
earned an average of 53.7 cents per hour. No striking variations in
the pattern of North-South differences appear except in the case of
the bookkeeping-machine operators. Among these workers, the
averages for southern cities of 100,000 or more population are above
those in the North.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
821
Wage and Hour Statistics
T a b l e 3 , — Average Hourly Earnings 1 of Women Workers in Selected Occupations in
Banks, 116 Areas, By Region and Size of City, Spring and Summer 1943
Bookkeepers
BookkeepingCalculatingmachine operators machine operators
Region and size of city
Number Average Number Average Number Average
of
hourly
of
hourly
of
hourly
workers earnings workers earnings workers earnings
All cities___________ _____ - ......................... ...................
Under 50,000 population_____________________
50,000 and under 100,000_____________________
100,000 and under 250,000.. ________ ________
250,000 and over............................. ............. ...........
1,812
103
142
379
1,188
$0. 649
.582
.645
.617
.665
1,487
70
96
273
1,048
$0.663
.618
.643
.635
.676
266
$0. 664
16
83
167
.676
.626
.681
N orth-------------- ------------------------------------- ---------------Under 50,000 population_____ ________________
50,000 and under 100,000_____________________
100,000 and under 250,000...... ................... ...........
250,000 and over______________________________
1,287
43
53
143
1,048
.668
.639
.668
.623
.676
1,230
68
51
215
896
.662
.621
.688
.624
.672
196
.676
7
42
147
.774
.642
.682
South____________ ______________ __________ ______
Under 50,000 population_____________________
50,000 and under 100,000_____________________
100,000 and under 250,000......................... .........
250,000 and over.................. ....................... ..........
525
60
89
236
140
.601
.540
.631
.613
.589
257
2
45
58
152
.671
(2)
.592
.674
.695
70
.629
9
41
20
.600
.610
.681
File clerks,
class A
Region and size of city
General
clerks
Clerktypists
N u m Aver N u m Aver N u m Aver N u m Aver
ber
age
ber
age
ber
age
ber
age
of
hourly
of
hourly
of
hourly
of
hourly
work earn work earn work earn work earn
ers
ings
ers
ings
ers
ings
ers
ings
All cities_____ _________________________________
Under 50,000 population_________________
50,000 and under 100,000,..............................
100,000 and under 250,000_________________
250,000 and over_________ _________________
460 $0. 670
4
.500
.540
5
62
.625
389
.680
871 $0. 537
.463
9
89
.547
198
.570
575
.526
N orth_________________________________________
Under 50,000 population_________________
50,000 and under 100,000______ ______ _____
100,000 and under 250,000______ __________
250,000 and over_________ _________________
374
4
4
31
335
.671
.500
.570
.618
.679
673
9
89
19S
377
South___________________________________ _____ _
Under 50,000 population______________ _
86
.663
1
31
54
(2)
.633
.685
250^000 and over_____L____________________
Stenographers,
class A
3,056 $0.798
.721
65
151
.756
.750
596
2,244
.816
2,145
41
59
367
1,678
$0.584
.552
.575
.562
.590
.551
.463
.547
.570
.545
2,514
40
70
386
2,018
.807
.741
.802
.753
.818
1,756
34
56
195
1,471
.586
.541
.575
.581
.588
198
.490
198
.490
542
25
81
210
226
.759
.688
.716
.745
.796
389
7
3
172
207
.573
.610
(2)
.540
.598
1 Exclusive of bonuses (except when based on cost-of-living adjustments) and premium pay for overtime
work.
2 Num ber of establishments and/or workers insufficient to warrant presentation of an average.
578877— 44
9
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review— April 1944
822
Union Wages and Hours in the Printing Trades,
July 1, 1 9 4 3 1
Summary
UNION wage rates averaged $1,304 per hour on July 1, 1943, for all
printing trades in the 75 cities surveyed by the Bureau of Labor Statis
tics. The average for the book and job trades was $1,218 and for the
newspaper trades $1,472. These averages represent an increase of 3.3
percent in the general level of union rates during the 13-month period
from June 1, 1942, to July 1, 1943, bringing the index for the printing
trades to 122.8 (1929=100). Union rates for the newspaper branch
advanced 4.2 percent and for the book and|job 2.7 percent. About
two-thirds of the union members benefited by these increases in wage
scales. Actual scales in July 1943 ranged from 40 cents per hour for
book and job bindery women and platen press feeders in San Antonio
to $2,667 per hour for hand compositors and machine operators on
Hebrew newspapers in New York.
The average maximum workweek permitted at straight time by
union agreements was 38.9 hours for all printing trades. The book
and job average was 39.6 hours and the newspaper average 37.4 hours.
Almost, 90 percent of the book and job workers had a basic 40-hour
week, while a majority of the newspaper workers had a 37%-hour
week. Time and one-half was reported as the initial overtime rate in
over 99 percent of the quotations, covering 99.5 percent of the union
members.
Scope and Method of Study
Data on union scales of wages and hours in the printing trades have
been collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics each year since 1907.
The early studies were made in 39 cities and included 7 book and job
occupations and 4 newspaper occupations. The studies have been
gradually extended to cover 75 cities and now include 11 book and job
occupations and 8 newspaper occupations. These cities are in 40
States and the District of Columbia.2
The wage and hour scales obtained were those in effect on July 1 for
union members only. No attempt was made to ascertain what pro
portions of all the workers in the different occupations were union
members. The data were collected by field representatives of the
Bureau who visited some responsible official of each local union whose
scales are included in the study. Scales in negotiation or before the
National War Labor Board at the time our representative called were
further checked before the data were tabulated so that increases
retroactive to July 1, 1943, would be reflected in this report. The
1943 survey included 2,554 quotations of scales, covering 63,703 book
and job members and 32,418 newspaper members.
1 Prepared in the Bureau’s Industrial Relations Division.
2 See footnote, p. 833.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
linage and Hour Statistics
823
A p p ren tices and jo r e m e n .— A young person working in the trade for
a definite number of years, for the purpose of learning the trade, and
receiving instruction as an element of compensation, is considered an
apprentice. Scales for apprentices are not included in this report.
No rates are included for strictly supervising foremen, or for indi
viduals who are paid unusual rates because of some personal qualifica
tion as distinct from the usual trade qualifications.
A vera g es .— In computing the averages, each particular wage rate or
hour scale was weighted by the number of members reported in that
particular quotation. When a union representative reported more than
one occupational wage rate he was requested to divide the total mem
bership to show the number normally working for each specified rate.
Thus, the averages reflect not only the actual rates provided in the
union agreements, but also the number of persons presumably benefit
ing from these rates. Honorary and inactive members were excluded,
as were members employed in government printing plants where wage
scales are not established through agreements with the’ union.
In d ex num bers .— In the series of index numbers, the percentage
change from year to year is based on aggregates computed from the
quotations of unions which furnished reports for identical occupations
in both years. The membership weights in both of the aggregates
used in each year-to-year comparison are those reported for the second
year. The index for each year is computed by multiplying the index
for the preceding year by the ratio of the aggregates so obtained.
3 The following are the cities covered,
included in tables 6 and 7.
The numerals indicate the population group in which the city is
North and Pacific
Baltimore, M d ., II.
Binghamton, N . Y ., V .
Boston, M ass., II.
Buffalo, N . Y ., II.
Butte, M ont., V .
Charleston, W . V a., V .
Chicago, 111., I.
Cincinnati, Ohio, III.
Cleveland, Ohio, II.
Columbus, Ohio, III.
Davenport, Iowa, included in Rock Island (111.)
district.
Dayton, Ohio, IV .
Denver, Colo., III.
Des Moines, Iowa, IV .
Detroit, M ich., I.
D uluth, M inn., IV .
Erie, Pa., IV .
Grand Rapids, M ich,, IV .
Indianapolis, Ind., III. Kansas City, M o., III.
Los Angeles, Calif., I.
Madison, W is., V .
Manchester, N . H ., V .
Milwaukee, W is., II.
Minneapolis, M inn., III.
Moline, 111., included in Rock Island (111.) district.
Newark, N . J., III.
New Haven, C o n n ./IV .
New York, N . Y ., I.
Omaha, Nebr., IV .
Peoria, 111., IV .
Philadelphia, Pa., I.
Pittsburgh, Pa., II.
Portland, Maine, V .
Portland, Oreg., III.
Providence, R . I., III.
Reading, Pa., IV .
Rochester, N . Y ., III.
Rock Island (111.) district, IV .
St. Louis, M o ., II.
St. Paul, M inn., III.
Salt Lake City, Utah, IV .
San Francisco, Calif., II.
Scranton, Pa., IV .
Seattle, W ash., III.
South Bend, Ind., IV .
Spokane, W ash., IV .
Springfield, M ass., IV .
Toledo, Ohio, III.
Washington, D . C ., II.
Wichita, Kans., IV .
Worcester, M ass., IV .
York, Pa., V .
Youngstown, Ohio, IV .
South and Southwest
Atlanta, Ga., III.
Birmingham, A la., III.
Charleston, S. C ., V .
Charlotte, N . C ., IV .
Dallas, Tex., III.
E l Paso, Tex., V .
Houston, Tex., III.
Jackson, M iss., V .
Jacksonville, Fla., IV .
Little Rock, Ark., V .
Louisville, K y ., III.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Memphis, Tenn., III.
Mobile, Ala., V .
Nashville, Tenn., IV .
New Orleans, La., III.
Norfolk, V a., IV .
Oklahoma City, Okla., IV .
Phoenix, Ariz., V .
Richmond, V a ., IV .
San Antonio, Tex., III.
Tampa, Fla., IV .
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
824
The index numbers were revised on this basis in 1936 in order to
eliminate the influence of changes in union membership which obscure
the real changes in wages and hours.
For the trend of union rates, the tables of indexes (table 1) should be
consulted; for a comparison of wage rates between trades or cities
at a given time, the tables of averages (tables 2 and 6) should be
used.
,
Trend o f Union Wage Rates 1 9 0 7 -4 3
The general level of wage rates for all printing trades combined
advanced 3.3 percent during the 13-month period from June 1, 1942, to
July 1, 1943. Newspaper scales advanced substantially more than
book and job— 4.2 percent as compared with 2.7 percent. These
raises increased the index (1929=100) for newspaper trades to 125.1,
for book and job to 121.5, and the index for the combined groups to
122.8 (table 1).
Wages have been increasing steadily in the printing trades since
1933, the greatest average rise occuring between June 1, 1941, and
June 1, 1942. Since the summer of 1939 the average union rates for
all printing trades have increased 10.5 percent; for book and job
trades, 9.2 percent; and for newspaper trades, 12.6 percent.
T a b le 1 .— Indexes of Union Hourly Wage Rates in All Printing Trades, 1907-43
[1929=100]
Hourly wage rates
Hourly wage rates
Year
Year
All
printing
Book
and job
1926 _____________
1927 .......... ..............1928________________
1929 ______________
1930________________
1931_____ __________
1932______ _________
1933________________
1934.... ............. ...........
94.0
96.7
98.5
100.0
101.5
102.1
101.3
95.3
97.3
95.0
97.3
98.7
100.0
101.8
102.5
101.4
95.8
98.4
93.1
95.9
98.3
100.0
101.0
101.3
101.1
94.5
95.8
1935 _______________
1936 _______ _______
1937
......................
1938 _____________
1939........ ................ ...
1940______ _____ ____
1941...........................
1942 ...... ............. .......
1943 _____________
101.0
103.3
106.8
110.2
111.2
112.7
114.1
119.0
122.8
100.6
103.5
106.7
110.4
111.2
112.2
113.5
118.3
121.5
101.6
103.1
107.0
109.8
111. 1
113.5
115.1
120.1
125.1
New s
paper
All
printing
Book
and job
1907________ _____
1908________________
1909________________
1910________________
1911________________
1912..______________
1913________________
1914________________
1915________________
(>)
(0
0)
0)
40.0
40.7
41.5
42.3
42.5
30.0
33.3
35.7
37.6
38.6
39.3
40.0
40.9
41.1
39.2
41.3
43.1
44.6
45.2
46.0
47.0
47.5
47.8
1916________________
1917________________
1918_____ __________
1919..____ _________
1920________________
1921________________
1922________________
1923_____ __________
1924________________
1925.......................
42.9
44.4
48.3
59.1
75.7
83.0
83.8
86.4
90.6
92.0
41.7
43.2
47.8
58.9
76.9
84.7
85.0
88.3
92.0
92.9
48.0
49.2
51.6
62.2
76.1
82.8
83.5
84.4
89.5
91.1
New s
paper
Jt
'
» Combined data for the years 1907-10 not available.
Union Wage Rates in 1943
The average union wage rate for all printing-trades members in 75
cities surveyed on July 1, 1943, was $1,304 per hour (table 2). The
book and job average was $1,218; the newspaper average for day
and night work combined was $1,472. The average for newspaper
day workers ($1,394) was almost 15 cents per hour less than the average
for night workers ($1,542).
' >'■»
Among the individual book and job trades, photoengravers had the
highest average hourly rate ($1,644), more than 10 cents per hour
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
825
Wage and Hour Statistics
higher than the average for electrotypers ($1,535) who were in second
place. In addition, composing-machine operators, machine tenders,
and cylinder pressmen had rates exceeding $1.35 per hour. Bindery
women had the lowest average in this branch ($0,609).
Photoengravers in the newspaper branch also had the highest
average per hour ($1,731). This rate was over 25 cents higher than
the average for all newspaper workers ($1,472). Three trades had
rates below $1.50—journeymen pressmen ($1.43), stereotypers ($1.41),
and mailers ($1,178) who had the lowest rate in this branch.
Almost three-fifths of the printing-trades members had rates rang
ing from $1.20 to $1.60 per hour. Over 55 percent of the book and
job members and 63 percent of the newspaper members had rates in
this range.
In the book and job trades, rates ranged from 40 cents per hour for
bindery women and platen-press feeders in San Antonio to $2.00 per
hour for composing-room machine operators working on Hebrew text
in New York. Slightly over 8 percent of the members in this branch
had rates of $1.60 or more.
T a b l e 2. — Percentage Distribution o f Union Members in the Printing Trades by Hourly
Rates, July 1, 1943
Percent of union members whose rates (in cents)
per hour were—
Trade
Average
rate per
hour
70
90
100
110
40
50
60
80
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
under under under under under under under under
100
110
120
50
70
80
90
60
A ll printing trades.......... — _______ ___________
$1.304
0.4
3.7
5.2
1.0
1.2
2.6
4.6
8.9
Book and jo b ___________ _____________________
Bindery wom en....... ....................
...........-
1.218
.609
1.198
1. 330
1. 535
1.376
1. 399
1.136
1 644
1.049
1. 357
1.148
.6
3.9
5.5
38.1
7.7
50.1
1.4
6.3
1.6
.7
.4
.1
3.4
.4
3.5
.3
.2
.4
Compositors, hand______________________
Press assistants and feeders....... ........... .
1.472
1.394
1. 542
1.537
1.465
1. 597
1. 529
1.454
1. 591
1.538
1.476
1.601
1.178
1.089
1.236
1.731
1.633
1.843
1. 430
1.331
1. 532
1. 574
1.469
1. 675
1.410
1.329
1.519
1Less than a tenth of 1 percent.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
.2
.5
(!)
(>)
.5
.1
.2
.7
8.4
6.0
.4
11.9
2.5
.4
1 7
1.2
19.8
4.6
4.1
.1
1.2
10.1
.2
4.8
17.4
.9
15.0
19.8
5.2
18.3
10.1
.1
33.0
10.8
4.1
10.2
14.9
21.0
(!)
3.2
13.2
16.7
.1
.2
(*)
.1
(')
.3
.6
.1
1.1
1.3
.8
1.8
2.5
1.2
6.6
10.4
3.0
.1
.1
4.7
.8
.1
.2
5.0
.6
2.4
.2
1.5
.3
.2
4.8
.2
12.7
5.7
17.5
7.8
48.6
13.6
1.3
.4
,2
.7
.2
1.5
.5
10.0
2.7
.2
.2
.2
2.4
.7
9.3
4.2
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
826
T a b l e 2. — Percentage Distribution of Union Members in the Printing Trades by Hourly
Rates, July 1, 1943— Continued
Percent of union members whose rates (in cents)
per hour were—
Trade
170
180
190
120
130
140
150
160
200
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
under under under under under under under under over
160
170
180
190
200
140
150
130
18.8
12.5
13.0
13.4
3.8
3.6
5.8
1.0
21.5
10.5
9.9
13.4
2.8
1.1
4.0
.5
32.4
35. 7
11.3
21. 3
9. 2
39.9
.8
36.1
18. 5
25.2
16. 2
10. 4
19.9
15.4
18. 6
9.7
9.2
4.0
15.7
15.4
2.2
26. 5
4.1
10.5
26.2
.4
13.7
3.1
39.9
17.9
37.3
.4
.2
19.2
8.9
30.7
6.7
5.8
33.1
16.0
3.1
22.4
.3
4.3
3.4
.1
14.3
18.4
10.7
16.3
20.1
13.0
19.1
20.2
18.1
13.3
10.2
16.0
5.9
4.6
7.0
8.6
10.6
6.9
9.4
.1
17.8
13.8
3.6
17. 2
8.6
32.2
24.4
10.3
17.2
3.4
10.6
17.2
3.2
31.4
16.7
4.9
16.5
9.5
32.4
19.7
10.1
21.6
3.6
11.8
14.4
2.1
29.0
13.3
5.2
15.2
7.6
34.9
20.7
10.6
19.3
8.9
12.5
14.4
10.9
23.8
13.7
49.1
.7
18.5
4.9
.8
3.1
2.1
.3
12.0
1.8
14.8
7.1
40.2
8.6
28.0
15.6
.8
28.5
o
2.7
23.2
.3
0.5
(0
.3
2.4
9.4
33.8
3.6
28.6
20.3
9. 5
18.2
13.2
24.6
9.8
2.6
34.3
2.6
16.4
17.5
18.2
27.0
4.2
3.0
11.8
18.3
23.3
7.3
46.0
28.2
7.9
26.4
9.7
4.5
1.4
5.9
.7
4.8
0)
1.9
.4
3.2
1.3
.3
2.2
.4
.6
.2
.8
.8
.8
.3
3.6
3.3
31.7
5.9
.6
3.8
18.6
.4
6.4
21.7
.4
1 Less than a tenth of 1 percent.
In the newspaper trades, rates ranged from 55 cents per hour (the
starting rate) for mailers in Portland, Maine, to $2,667 for hand com
positors and machine operators (working nights) on Hebrew text in
New York. Over one-fourth of the workers earned $1.60 or more and
less than 10 percent had rates below $1.20. About 69 percent of the
day-shift newspaper members and about 58 percent of the night-shift
members had rates between $1.20 and $1.60 per hour. Only 16 per
cent of the day workers had rates of $1.60 or more, as compared to
over 37 percent of those on the night shift; and 15.1 percent of the day
members had rates of less than $1.20, as compared with only 5.1
percent of those on the night shift.
In the book and job branch, the photoengraving trade was the only
one in which no members earned less than $1.10; more than four-fifths
of these earned $1.50 ormore,one-thirdearningbetween$l.80and$l.90
per hour. Three-fifths of the electrotypers also had rates of $1.50 or
more and a majority of the machine operators and tenders had rates
of $1.40 or more. Only the bindery women and press assistants and
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
827
feeders had any rates of less than 50 cents per hour. The bindery
women had by far the lowest rates in this branch, over 92 percent of
them earning less than 70 cents.
Among the newspaper trades the photoengravers had the highest
average rate ($1,731) with over 68 percent of the day membership
earning between $1.60 and $1.80 per hour, and about 64 percent of the
night membership earning $1.80 or more, almost one-third of these
having rates of $2.00 or more. About three-fifths of the day members
in each of the typographical trades had rates between $1.30 and $1.60
per hour, while the majority of the night workers earned between
$1.40 and $1.70. A substantial night group in each typographical
craft had rates between $1.80 and $1.90 per hour, about 30 percent of
the hand compositors and machine operators and nearly a quarter of
the machine tenders having rates in this range. The distribution of
day journeymen pressmen and stereo typers was somewhat similar, as
a great majority of the day members in both crafts had rates between
$1.20 and $1.40. However, the majority of night-shift stereotypers
earned between $1.30 and $1.50, and almost 22 percent had rates be
tween $1.90 and $2.00, while less than two-fifths of the night pressmen
had rates in the $1.30-$1.50 range and over 23 percent had rates
between $1.70 and $1.80 per hour. Almost 70 percent of the day
pressmen-in-charge received between $1.30 and $1.60, while over 70
percent of those on night work earned between $1.50 and $2.00.
The only trade with any rates less than 60 cents and no rates as
high as $1.50 was that of mailers. Over 48 percent of the day mailers
earned between $1.10 and $1.20 and over 49 percent of the night
mailers had rates between $1.20 and $1.30 per hour.
Changes in Union Rates Between 1942 and 1943 3
Increased wage rates were reported in three-fifths of the quotations
which showed comparable data for both June 1, 1942, and July 1,
1943 (table 3). These wage increases benefited two-thirds of all the
union members included in the survey. About three-fourths of the
members in the newspaper branch received increases as compared with
slightly over three-fifths of those in the book and job branch. No
decreases were reported in the 13-month period.
In the book and job branch the machine tenders had the largest
proportion of increases in rates (75 percent) and the largest proportion
of members benefiting from the increases (89.3 percent). Hand com
positors, machine operators, and cylinder pressmen also reported that
over three-fourths of then members received increases in rates.
Photoengravers, who had the highest average rates, reported the
smallest proportion of increased rates (23 percent) and the smallest
percentage of members affected by increases (11.4 percent).
3 Certain anomalies enter into a comparison of average rates between 2 years when such averages reflect
not only the actual rates provided for in the agreements but the number of union members for those years
in each local union covered by the reported rates. B y and large, it would be expected that a general increase
in actual rates would be accompanied b y a corresponding increase in the average rate paid to union members,
but if union membership increases most (or decreases least) in the lower-paid crafts or in areas with lessthan-average rates, the average of the rates paid to all union members m ay not increase correspondingly or
m ay even show a decrease. Conversely, the average rate may increase in spite of a downward swing in
actual rates if union membership declines sufficiently in the lower-paid crafts or in areas where lower-thanaverage rates are paid.
Because the averages do not accurately reflect changes from year to year, no table comparing 1942 and
1943 averages is included in this report. For the trend of actual union rates, the table of indexes (table l)
should be consulted, since this is so computed as to eliminate the effect of fluctuating memberships at various
rates. The current averages, on the other hand, best serve for comparison of the general level of wage rates
between trades, or between cities and regions, at the time the survey was made.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
828
Among the individual newspaper trades the pressmen-in-charge
had the greatest percentage of increased rates (77 percent), the in
creases including almost three-fourths of the day workers and over
three-fourths of the night workers. Pressmen and stereotypers also
showed increases in over 70 percent of their quotations. Mailers had
the greatest percentage of members benefiting by increased rates
(85.2 percent on day work and 92.7 percent on night work) followed
closely by stereotvpers (81.2 percent on days and 86.9 .percent on
nights). As in the book and job branch, the photoengravers had the
smallest percentage both of increased scales and of members benefiting
from increases.
T a b l e 3 . — Number o f Changes in Union Wage-Rate Quotations and Percent o f Mem
bers Affected, June 1, 1942, to July 1, 1943
Number
of quota
tions
compar
able with
1942
Trade
Num ber of quota
tions showing—
In
crease
No
change
Percent of union
members affected
by—
In
crease
No
change
___________________
2,498
1, 519
979
66.0
34.0
Book and job___ _____ ___________ ____________________
Bindery women___________ ______________________
B ookbinders..____________________________________
Compositors, hand__________________ _ _ ________
Electrotypers_____________ __________ ______________
Machine operators________________________________
Machine tenders (machinists)____________________
Mailers_______ ______ ___________ _____ __________ _
Photoengravers___________________________________
Press assistants and feeders_______________________
Pressmen, cylinder_______________________________
Pressmen, platen__________________________________
1,385
94
160
91
56
112
40
36
70
207
387
132
780
47
' 75
55
33
66
30
21
16
121
237
79
605
47
85
36
23
46
10
15
54
86
150
53
62.0
45.0
64.9
79.5
60.4
77.9
89.3
40.8
11.4
58.8
75.5
73.3
38.0
55.0
35.1
20.5
39.6
22.1
10.7
59.2
88.6
41.2
24.5
26.7
Newspaper,_______ ____________________________________
D ay work____ ________________________________
Night work___________________________________
Compositors, hand:
D a y w o rk ______________________ . . . . ______
Night work________________________ ________
Machine operators:
D ay work________________________ ______ ______
Night work__________________ __________ . . .
Machine tenders (machinists) :
D ay work____________ _______________________
Night work_______ ________ ___________________
Mailers:
D ay work______________
_________________
Night work____________________ ________ ______
Photoengravers:
D ay work______________________________ _____ _
Night work____ _____________ __ _ . ______
Pressmen (journeymen):
D a y w o r k ... ___ ______________________ ___
Night work
_ ___________ _____ ______
___
Pressmen- in-charge :
D ay work_____________________________________
Night work__________________________ _________
Stereotypers:
D ay work_____________________________________
Night work________ _________________________
1,113
588
525
739
385
354
374
203
171
73.6
71.7
75.4
26.4
28.3
24.6
83
75
53
50
30
25
71.2
77.0
28.8
23.0
87
79
53
51
34
28
66.3
72.5
33.7
27.5
65
62
46
43
19
19
74.2
77.7
25.8
22.3
62
54
43
38
19
16
85.2
92.7
14.8
7.3
55
52
20
18
35
34
35.8
30.8
64.2
69.2
86
76
62
57
24
19
77.8
70.8
22.2
29.2
73
60
55
47
18
13
74.3
76.2
25.7
23.8
77
53
50
24
17
81.2
86.9
18.8
13.1
All printing trades_______________
67
Of the total increases reported for all printing trades (1,519), over
90 percent of the quotations showed increases of less than 10 percent
over previous rates and only 1.6 percent indicated increases of as much
as 15 percent. Almost 95 percent of the members who received in
creases (62.4 percent of the total membership) obtained less than
10 percent and 45 percent of these members (29.7 percent of the total
membership) less than 5 percent. (See table 4.) Only 0.5 percent
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
829
Wage and Hour Statistics
of the total membership and 0.8 percent of those receiving increases
got as much as 15 percent. The greatest increase (33 percent) was
recorded by a few female press assistants on envelope printing in
Seattle, where the rate was increased from 60 to 80 cents per hour.
Among the individual book and job trades, only the bindery women,
who were the lowest paid, had a substantial percentage of total mem
bers (11.0 percent) receiving increases of 10 percent or more. In the
newspaper branch the mailers, the lowest-paid newspaper trade, had
the largest percentage of total day members (7.1 percent) who re
ceived raises of 10 percent or more, while pressman (journeymen)
had the most night members (6.4 percent) receiving over 10 percent.
T a b l e 4 . — Extent of Increases in Union Wage-Rate Quotations and Percent of Members
Affected, June 1, 1942, to July 1, 1943
Percent of total members
receiving increases of—
Number of quotations
showing increases of—
Trade
Less
than
5 percent
5 and 10 and 15 per- Less
than
under under cent
5 per10 per- 15 per- and
over
cent
cent
cent
5 and 10 and 15 per*
under under cent
10 per- 15 per- and
cent
cent
over
All printing trades.........................
630
750
114
25
29.7
32. 7
3.1
0.5
Book and job............... ............... >.
Bindery women-------- ---------Bookbinders............................
Compositors, hand................. .
Electrotypers-.........................
Machine operators......... .........
Machine tenders (machinists).
Mailers------ ------ ------ ---------Photoengravers......................
Press assistants and feeders---Pressmen, cylinder....... ..........
Pressmen, platen________. . . .
314
4
18
21
11
21
15
12
6
40
136
30
372
26
44
29
22
40
14
8
5
57
86
41
78
15
13
5
16
2
.3
.7
1
2
.4
1.9
4.4
3.7
4.0
2.8
2.0
.4
1
10
24.2
31. 5
33.6
21.2
45. 0
17.2
20.5
11.9
3.9
26.4
26. 2
30.8
3 6
10.3
4.8
1.6
4
1
1
4
14
15
6
33.9
2.5
26.5
56. 7
15.4
59.9
66.9
24. 5
3.8
27. 2
46. 5
40.3
Newspaper..................................
Day work........... ..............
Night work...... ...............
Compositors, hand:
Day work--------------------Night work.:....................
Machine operators:
Day work ........ .......... .
Night work------------------Machine tenders (machinists) :
Day work.................... .
Night work.......................
Mailers:
Day work........... ...........
Night work........... ...........
Photoengravers:
Day work------- -------------Night work________ ____
Pressmen (journeymen):
Day work......................
Night work....-------------Pressmen-in-charge:
Day work....................... .
Night work.......................
Stereotypers:
Day work..... ....................
Night work.......................
316
162
154
378
197
181
36
21
15
9
5
4
21.5
23.5
19.7
48.9
44.9
52.6
2.1
2.5
1.8
2C
19
31
29
2
2
14.1
12.0
54. 5
63.2
2.6
1.8
21
20
29
29
3
2
14. 5
12.5
49.5
58.4
2.3
1.6
15
16
29
25
2
2
16.3
13. 9
56.0
62.7
1.9
1.1
18
19
20
15
4
4
39.9
42. 7
38.2
45.3
6.7
4.7
8
8
ii
9
1
1
20. 7
11.3
14.7
17.0
30
25
27
29
3
1
2
2
32.2
18.4
41.6
46.0
.9
.3
3.1
6.1
28
25
24
20
2
1
1
1
33.7
32.0
35.5
38.2
1.3
.2
3.8
5.8
22
22
26
25
5
3
33.0
34.2
44.8
51.1
3.4
1.6
1
0)
1.2
.2
1.1
.8
1.3
.4
.4
2.5
« Less than a tenth of 1 percent.
Night-Rate Differentials on Newspapers
The average wage-rate differential in favor of night newspaper
workers over day workers in the same occupations and cities was 11.2
cents per hour on July 1, 1943. Only 0.3 percent of the newspaper
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
830
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
night-shift members were covered by agreements that did not provide
a differential for night work. The differential was 8 cents or more
for a majority of the night members while over a third received between
6 and 8 cents per hour more than the day members (table 5).
Among the individual trades average differences ranged from 8.1
cents for hand compositors to 19.7 cents for photoengravers. About
85 percent of the members in each of the typographical trades received
between 6 and 12 cents per hour extra for night work. A majority of
the mailers had differences ranging from 14 to 16 cents, while a major
ity of the photoengravers on night work had rates 20 cents or over
per hour above the day rates. Over three-fifths of the pressmen and
pressmen-in-charge were covered by provisions calling for 14 cents or
more per hour extra for night work. About 44 percent of the stereo
typers on night shifts received less than 8 cents extra, while 23 percent
received 24 cents or more above day-shift rates.
The actual differentials ranged as high as 66.7 cents per hour for
hand compositors and machine operators on Hebrew newspapers in
New York. The only other trade with any members receiving a
differential as high as 30 cents per hour for night work was that of
stereotypers. The high differentials in this trade were in Newark
(43.2 cents), New York (38.6 cents), and Chicago (37.3 cents).
Almost 23 percent of the night members were in these cities.
T a b l e 5.— Differences in Union Wage Rates Between Day and Night work in News ■
paper Printing Trades, July 1, 1943
Aver
age
Percent of night workers whose wage-rate differences (in
cents) over day work were—
ence
per
hour
Trade
in
0
wage
rate
All newspaper trades-______________ $0,112
Compositors, hand__________________
Machine operators__________________
Machine tenders (machinists)______
Mailers______________________________
Photoengravers______________________
Pressmen (journeymen) _ ....................
Pressmen-in-charge__________ ______
Stereotypers................. ............ ......
.081
.083
.087
.110
.197
.154
.164
.162
Up
to
4
4
and
6
and
8
and
10
and
12
and
14
and
16
and
20
and
der
6
der
8
der
10
der
12
der
14
der
16
der
20
der
24
10.8
5.4
12.4
2.7
un- un- un- un- un-
un- un- un-
24
and
over
0.3
1.9
9.5
34.4
10.5
6.7
5.4
.2
1.1*
.3
.4
.3
.5
9.3
.8
1.7
2.6
55.9
57.4
35.2
9.3
5.6
4.5
4.3
24.1
13.1 16.1
3.7
3.4
3.4
12.0 14.3
12.4 38.2
3.6
.8
.5 53.2 3.1
8.7
5.0
2.4 27.3
.8
.7
.3 22.0
12.2 4.0
8.8 17.4 6.8 29.5
3.2 16.0 21.5 19.0
2.6
7.5
4.1
5.6
7.2
7.2
2.1
7.1
.2
.7
.6
.9
.8
7.2
11.7
8.2
10.2
3.0
8.3
9.0
16.3
.4
37.9
7.1
14.3
22.9
City and Regional Averages
AVERAGE RATES IN EACH CITY, JULY 1, 1943, AND
SINCE 1942
PERCENT OF CHANGE
Average rates.4— New York had by far the highest average rates in
both the book and job ($1,389) and newspaper ($1,733) branches of
the industry (table 6). Chicago was second in both branches, but its
book and job average ($1,298) was almost 10 cents per hour less than
New York’s and its newspaper average ($1,567) was almost 17 cents
4 The averages are weighted by the number of members covered b y each reported rate. Although a com«
parison of average rates between cities where averages include the influence of the membership factor m ay be
somewhat misleading, where membership is unusually large or small in comparison to the same trade in
other cities, such a weighted average is obviously more realistic than a simple average of specific rates.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
831
Wage and Hour Statistics
per hour less. The relative positions of the cities in group I (over
1,000,000), as to averages, was exactly the same for both branches.
This was not true, however, for any of the other city-size groups.
In the book and job branch Seattle had the third highest average
($1,249), followed closely by San Francisco ($1,231). Detroit
($1,212) and Charleston, W. Va. ($1.202) were the only other cities
with rates exceeding $1.20. Portland, Maine, had the lowest average
in this branch ($0.844).
T a b l e 6. — Average Union Hourly Wage Rates in the Printing Trades, by Cities and
Population Groups, July 1, 1943, and Percent o f Increase over Previous Year
City and population group 1
Aver
age
hourly
rate
Per
cent
of in
crease
Average for group I _____
Chicago, 111 ................. .
Detroit, Mich__-..........
Philadelphia, Pa _.......
Los Angeles, Calif........
Group II:
San Francisco, Calif----Cleveland, Ohio______
Pittsburgh, Pa.............
Buffalo, N. Y...............
Average for group I I ___ ,
St. Louis, Mo________
Washington, D. C__ _
Boston, Mass________
Milwaukee, Wis...........
Baltimore, Md_______
Group III:
Seattle, Wash_____
Cincinnati, Ohio_____
Toledo, Ohio................
Indianapolis, Ind_____
Providence, R. I—-----Columbus, Ohio______
Kansas City, Mo._.......
Newark, N. J-..............
Portland, Oreg.......... —
Houston, Tex_ —..........
Rochester, N. Y ____ —
Average for group I I I —
Dallas, Tex...-.......... —
Denver, Colo________
St. Paul, Minn............
New Orleans, La.........
Louisville, Ky_—..........
Atlanta, Ga..... ............
Minneapolis, Minn— ..
Birmingham, Ala.........
Memphis, Tenn— .......
San Antonio, Tex------Group IV:
Dayton, Ohio...............
Norfolk, Va__________
Rock Island (111.) diStA
Peoria, 111.......... ..........
Erie, Pa________ ____
Youngstown, Ohio-----Springfield, Mass.........
New Haven, Conn.......
Omaha, Nebr._...........
Worcester, Mass_____
South Bend, Ind..........
Average for group I V —
Tampa, Fla.------------Des Moines, Iowa-----Reading, Pa.................
Charlotte, N. C .........
Spokane, Wash............
Grand Rapids, Mich...
Oklahoma City, Okla..
Scranton, Pa................
See footnotes a t end of table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Aver Per
cent
age
hourly of in
crease
rate
Book and job— Continued
Book and job
Group I:
New York, N. Y ........ .
City and population group 1
$1. 389
1.318
1.298
1.213
1.194
1.166
3.0
1.231
1.177
1.151
1.142
1.139
1.120
1.115
1.096
1.095
1.059
.9
.6
.8
1.0
.8
2.9
3.8
6 .1
1.1
1.8
6.2
2.0
4.7
1.249
1.185
1.169
1.166
1.138
1.135
1.130
1.128
1.124
1.107
1.089
1.082
9.2
1.4
4.8
2.5
1.1
4.2
4.9
4.6
5.3
3.3
4.0
1 . os o
.9
.1
4.7
5.0
1.4
5.7
6.1
2.7
8.4
4.1
1.050
1.039
1.020
1.016
.960
.938
.934
.900
.894
1.199
1.179
1.156
1.152
1.132
1.130
1.102
1. C92
1.088
1.C67
1.066
1.063
1.054
1.052
1.050
1.035
1.013
.991
.988
.985
2.9
1.3
0
1.8
2 .4
0
2.4
7.9
3.3
3.4
2.6
6.2
4.4
0
2.9
9.9
0
1.4
2.4
Group IV — Continued.
Duluth, M i n n ............
Salt Lake City, Utah.
Jacksonville, Fla-------Wichita, Kans----------Richmond, V a _______
Nashville, T e n n ..........
Group V :
Charleston, W . V a —
Phoenix, A r iz ._ ..........
Madison, W is ..............
El Paso, T e x . . . ..........
Charleston, S. Ü..........
Mobile, A l a . . . .............
Binghamton, N . Y —
Average for group V . . .
Butte, M ont_________
York, P a........................
Jackson, M iss......... ..
Manchester, N . H —
Little Rock, A rk .........
Portland, M aine_____
N ew spaper
Group I:
New York, N . Y ____
Average for group I —
Chicago, 111__________
Detroit, M ich -----------Philadelphia, Pa*------Los Angeles, Calif-----Group II:
Boston, M ass------------Washington, D . C ----Cleveland, Ohio--------Average for group I I . . .
San Francisco, Calif—
Milwaukee, W is-------St. Louis, M o - - . -----Baltimore, M d _______
Buffalo, N . Y — .........
Pittsburgh, P a.............
Group III:
Newark, N . J - . ..........
Toledo, O h io ..............
Cincinnati, Ohio.........
Providence, R . I ------Columbus, Ohio-------Indianapolis, In d .—
St. Paul, M in n ...........
Seattle, W ash...............
Portland, Oreg—........
Average for group I I I .
Minneapolis, M in n —.
Memphis, Tenn-------Houston, T ex............. •
Denver, Colo------------Kansas City, M o -----Dallas, Tex..................
Rochester, N . Y ........ .
Louisville, K y ............
10.966
.966
.957
.939
.893
.887
1.202
1.197
1.170
1.150
1.125
1 062
1.034
.976
.970
.901
.900
.882
.844
1.1
0
0
2.1
4.3
3.1
4.1
5.3
0
2.8
6.1
0
3.1
0
2.3
0
.8
2.4
0
1.733
1.602
1.567
1.515
1.384
1.381
5.3
1.539
1. 502
1.476
1.153
1. 450
1. 396
1.391
1. 387
1.380
1.373
6.4
.5
.6
1. 560
1.462
1.461
1.440
1. 424
1. 395
1.395
1. 393
1.372
1.S71
1.362
1.348
1. 335
1.327
1.327
1.322
1.309
1.299
4.3
7.6
.3
0
3.5
1.3
4.7
.7
4.7
4.7
2.2
5.0
3.7
5.8
2.6
2.2
3.9
4.7
5.1
4.8
5.1
4.9
6.2
3.8
2.1
1.1
0
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
832
T able 6.— Average Union Hourly Wage Rates in the Printing Trades, by Cities and
Population Groups, July 1, 1943, and Percent of Increase over Previous Year— Con.
C ity and population group5
Aver
age
hourly
rate
Per
cent
of in
crease
$1. 286
1. 256
1.216
1.145
7.6
4.0
1.6
9.9
Group IV;
Rock Island (111.) dist.1 ______
Aver Per
cent
age
hourly of in
rate crease
N ew sp a per— Continued
N ew spaper— Continued
Group III— Continued.
Erie, P a .......... ..................................
C ity and population group1
1.415
1. 366
1. 356
1. 350
1.325
1.304
1. 296
1. 285
1.285
1. 282
1. 279
1.270
1.262
1. 254
1. 247
1. 238
1.238
9.2
.9
8.3
4. 5
2.6
4.4
6.6
8.7
5. 1
9.6
.7
3.8
2.7
1.3
6.2
5.6
Group I V — Continued.
Duluth, M inn______ ______ _____ $1,228
Norfolk, V a _____________________ 1.224
Grand Rapids, M i c h ..............
1.212
New Haven, C o n n ... _________ 1.212
Spokane, W ash............................. . 1.208
1. 189
Charlotte, N . C ........................ ..
1.164
1.143
1.065
Group V :
Binghamton, N . Y ____________
1.300
1.298
1.279
Madison, W i s .. ........................ .. 1. 245
1.225
1 220
1. 191
Manchester, N . H .......................
1.182
1.179
El Paso, Tex
_______________ 1.175
1.160
1.155
0.7
.9
.1
2.4
5.9
3.3
1.5
1.2
1.4
3.2
5.9
0
3.7
0
5.4
8.2
5.6
2.2
3.7
2.9
> See footnote l, table 7.
s Includes Rock Island and Moline, 111., and Davenport, Iowa.
Newark’s average ($1,560) followed Chicago in the newspaper
branch, and Boston’s average ($1,539) was sufficient to hold fourth
place. In addition, Detroit ($1,515), Washington ($1,502), and Cleve
land ($1,476) all had averages higher than the average for all cities
($1,472). Toledo, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Providence, Columbus,
and Dayton, also had average rates of more than $1.40 per hour.
Wichita recorded the lowest average ($1.0651.
All the trades did not have effective union scales in each city.
This was especially true of the bindery women, bookbinders, electrotypers, machine tenders, mailers, and photoengravers—occupations
which did not exist or were not organized in some smaller cities. The
averages, however, do represent all .effective union scales in each city.
Rate changes during year} — In the book and job branch, Spokane
and Seattle recorded the greatest percentage increases in scales during
the 13-month period June 1, 1942 to July 1, 1943 (9.9 percent and 9.2
percent, respectively). The large increase for Seattle brought the
average for this city up to third place among all cities surveyed and
up to first place among the cities in its own size group. Eleven other
cities had average increases of at least 5 percent, and 11 cities reported
no change in scales during the 13-month period.
New Orleans, the city with the lowest average rate in the newspaper
branch in 1942, recorded the greatest percentage increase (9.9 percent).
Worcester was close behind, registering a 9.6-percent average increase.
Twenty-one other cities had average increases of at least 5 percent,
while only 4 cities reported no change in scales.
* These net changes are based on the specific rates for 1942 and 1943 weighted by the membership reported
in 1943. Only comparable data for both years are included. Naturally, specific increases for 1943 will
reflect larger percentage changes in those cities with comparatively low actual scales; e. g. if the pressmen in
city A changed their scale from $1.00 to $1.10, an increase of 10 percent is registered, while if in city B the in
crease is from $1.40 to $1.50 the percentage change is only about 7 percent. For this reason those cities which
had lower scales tend to show greater percentage increases than those which had higher scales.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
833
Wage and Hour Statistics
A V E R A G E W A G E R A T E S , B Y S IZ E O F C IT Y
Average rates for the combined printing trades varied directly, in
all regions and in the North and Pacific regions, by city-size group,
although the differences become progressively smaller (table 7).
Between groups I (over 1,000,000) and II (500,000-1,000,000), the
difference in the average rate for all printing trades was almost 15
cents per hour; between groups II and III (250,000-500,000), over
6 cents; between groups III and IV (100,000-250,000), about 4 cents;
and between groups IV and V (40,000-100,000), 2% cents per hour.
In the book and job trades the differences between the city-size
groups were 17.9 cents, 5.7 cents, 1.9 cents, and 3.1 cents; and in the
newspaper branch, 14.9 cents, 8.2 cents, 10.9 cents, and 4.2 cents. In
general, the averages for the individual book and job trades varied
directly with the population group. Including cities in all regions, the
averages for eight book and job trades varied directly for the combined
regional city-size classifications. In the North and Pacific regions
there was direct variation for five trades, and in South and South
western cities for four trades. The most frequent exception to direct
variation was caused by size V cities having higher averages than
size IV cities, owing to the greater extent of organization among
the lower-paid trades in size IV cities.
There were 9 exceptions, in 48 possibilities, to direct variation
among the individual newspaper trades. In seven of these cases an
average for group V cities was higher than that for group IV cities.
T a b l e 7. — Average Hourly Union Wage Rates in the Printing Trades, by Region and
Population Croup, July 1, 1943
Average hourly wage rates in the cities of specified population group 1
Group Group
II 2
I 2
Group
IV
Group
III
Group
V
Trade
South
South
N o r th N o rth
South
N o rth
N o rth
N o rth
All
All
All
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
Pacific Pacific regions Pacific South regions Pacific South regions Pacific South
west
west
west
All printing trades___ $1. 399 $1. 254 $1.191 $1. 207 $1.136 $1.153 $1.171
$1. 084 $1.129 $1.143
$1.106
1.089
.574
1.107
1.177
1. 278
.940
.483
.973
1.084
1.138
1.032
.537
1.101
1.134
0
1.044
.573
1.140
1.119
0
1.012
0
0
1.155
1.164
1.177
1.114
1.135
1.180
1.095
1. 231
.975
1.413
1.242
.988
1.419
0
.920
1.397
1. 253
0
1.411
1. 282
0
1.411
0
1. 318
Book and job________
Bindery w om en..
.633
Bookbinders_____ 1. 222
Compositors, hand. 1.429
Electrotypers____ 1.695
Machine
operators.................. . 1.478
Machine tenders
(machinists)___ 1.507
1.160
Photoengravers... 1.722
Press assistants
and feeders____ 1.139
Pressmen, cylinder____ ________ 1.489
Pressmen, platen. 1. 284
1.139
.606
1.192
1. 265
1.296
1.082
.583
1. 149
1. 251
1. 320
1.103
.596
1.181
1.274
1. 330
.992
.505
1.019
1.160
1. 225
1.063
.550
1.075
1. 162
1. 267
1. 287
1.249
1.271
1.175
1.231
1.152
1.532
1. 255
1.144
1.483
1.322
1.152
1. 507
1.124
0
1.345
.953
.908
.950
.683
.861
.884
.695
.734
.759
.633
1. 258
1.126
1.225
1.048
1.263
1.080
1.088
.916
1.221
.974
1.239
.998
1.046
.883
1.092
.910
1.098
.894
1.078
.919
Newspaper___________ 1. 602
D ay w ork----- 1.528
Night w ork ... 1.645
Compositors hand:
D ay work___ 1.658
Night w o rk ... 1.748
Machine operators:
1.656
Night w o rk ... 1.768
1.453
1. 390
1.517
1.371
1. 331
1.427
1.405
1.362
1.468
1.288
1. 247
1.336
1.262
1.235
1.300
1.278
1.249
1. 325
1.210
1.182
1.238
1.220
1.189
1. 258
1. 241
1.206
1 295
1.189
1.156
1. 216
1.480
1.566
1.403
1.472
1.434
1.510
1.316
1.382
1.268
1.336
1.279
1. 354
1. 213
1. 274
1.213
1. 270
1.227
1.303
1.182
1.242
1.480
1.567
See footn o te s at ind o f table.
1.414
1.482
1.438
1.507
1. 334
1.414
1.268
1.329
1.222
1.279
1.353 ! 1.271
1. 216 1.233
1.287 1 1.313
1.186
1. 253
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
834
T a b l e 7.— Average Hourly Union Wage Rates in the Printing Trades, by Region and
Population Group, July 1, 1943— Continued
Average hourly wage rates in the cities of specified population group 1
Group Group
I»
II2
Group
III
Group
IV
Group
V
Trade
South
South
South
N o rth
N o r th
N o r th N o rth
N o rth
and
All
and?
and
All
All
and
and South
and
and
and
South
regions
South regions
regions
Pacific
Pacific
Pacific
Pacific Pacific
west
west
west
Newspaper— Con.
Machine tenders
(machinists):
D ay work___ $1.678 $1.480 $1.404 $1.435 $1.346 $1. 280 $1. 302 $1. 216 $1. 226 $1. 225
1.311
1.268
Night w o rk ... 1. 774 1.565
1.474
1. 511 1.397
1. 313 1.349
1.296
Mailers:
.814
D ay work___ 1.171
.917
.836
1.084
1.083
.885
.946
.956
1.039
1.079
Night w ork ,.. 1. 281
1.079
.958
1. 061
1.111
1.169
1.006
1.043
1.189
Photoengravers:
D ay work___ 1.709
1.619 1.492 1.544
1.403
1. 381
1. 390 1. 353
(3)
(*)
1.404
1.531
1.974
1. 798 1. 559 1.691
1.496
1. 406
Pressmen (journeymen):
D ay work___ 1.438
1.187
1.204
1.132
1.174
1. 225
1. 291
1.254
1. 286 1.185
1.191
1.194
Night w ork... 1.620
1.354
1. 379 1.304
1. 240 1.263
1. 273
1.450
Pressmen-in-charge:
D ay work___ 1.609
1.312
1.415
1. 358 1. 367 1.329
1.287
1.249
1.320
1.306
1.374
N ight work __ 1. 794 1.565
1.444
1.464
1.413
1.354
1. 358 1.347
1.294
Stereotypers:
D ay work___ 1 403 1.367
1.209
1.206
1.167
1.204
1. 294 1.334
1. 216 1.167
1.281
Night w ork ... 1.668
1.508
1.374
1.434
1.309
1.237
1.208
1.280
1.276
$1.227
1. 273
(3)
(3)
1.091
1.129
1.107
(3)
1.096
1.131
1 Group I, over 1,000,000 population; Group II, 500,000 to 1,000,000; Group III, 250,000 to 500,000; Group IV ,
100,000 to 250,000; Group V , 40,000 to 100,000.
2 N o city of this size in the South or Southwest.
3 Insufficient quotations to compute an average.
R E G IO N A L D IF F E R E N C E S IN W A G E R A T E S
A comparison of average wage rates between the North and Pacific
and South and Southwest regions is limited to city-size groups III, IV
and V, as there is no city in the South or Southwest with a population
of 500,000 or more.
The averages for all printing trades combined, as well as for both
the book and job and the newspaper groups, were consistently higher,
within the city-size classifications, in the North and Pacific region
than in the South and Southwest region. There were only three ex
ceptions to this among the individual trades. In the book and job
branch, the hand compositors and platen pressmen in group V cities
had a higher average for cities in the South and Southwest than in
the North and Pacific region. The same situation existed in the
averages for day-shift machine tenders in the newspaper branch.
The difference for hand compositors ($1,155, as compared to $1,119)
was due to the relatively high scale in Phoenix and the low scales in
the North and Pacific cities of Madison, Wis., Manchester, N. H., and
Portland, Maine. The difference for platen pressmen (91.9 cents, as
compared to 89.4 cents) was due to the low scales for this work in
Binghamton, N. Y., Manchester, N. H., and Portland, Maine. The
■difference for day-shift newspaper typographical machine tenders was
extremely small ($1,227, as compared to $1,225).
Overtime Rales
Time and one-half was almost universally specified as the initial
overtime rate in printing-trades agreements. Over 99 percent of the
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
835
Wage and Hour Statistics
quotations covering 99.5 percent of the union members provided this
overtime scale. Overtime rates other than time and one-half applied
to 0.5 percent of the members, comprised almost entirely of a few press
men, pressmen-in-charge, and a very few stereotypers, most of whom
had overtime rates that were higher than, but not based directly on,
the straight-time rates.
A large number of agreements provided that the initial overtime rate
applied only for a limited time before or after the regular hours; a
higher overtime rate, usually double time, applied thereafter.
W eekly Hours 6
T R E N D I N U N I O N H O U R S , 1907 -43
There was a slight increase (0.2 percent) in the index of straighttime weekly hours for all printing trades during the period June 1,1942,
to July 1, 1943, bringing the new index to 87.6. The book and job
index increased three-tenths of 1 percent to 89.7, but the newspaper
index remained unchanged at 84.2 (table 8). Ninety-nine percent of
the quotations, including over 98 percent of the union members, pro
vided the same hours for both 1942 and 1943.
Nine of the individual book and job trades reported no hour changes.
The electrotypers reported only 3 quotations providing increased hours,
but these quotations affected almost half of the members in this trade.
This increase was due to elimination of share-the-work plans in both
Chicago, where the hours were increased from 32 to 40, and New York,
where the system of working only 32 hours instead of 40 every other
week was eliminated.
T a b l e 8 . — Indexes of Union Weekly Hours in All Printing Trades, 1907-43
[1929=100]
Indexes of weekly hours
Indexes of weekly hours
Year
Year
Book and
All
printing
job
Book and
All
job
printing
News
paper
News
paper
...
.......
0)
(')
(')
(0
111.6
111.5
111. 4
111.3
111.3
122.4
116.8
115.8
115. 4
115.4
115.3
115.3
115.3
115.3
102.3
101.8
101.5
101.3
101.3
101.1
101.0
100.8
100.7
1926________________
1927________________
1928________________
1929............... .............
1930________________
1931........ ........... .........
1932________________
1933_____ __________
1934________________
100.2
100.1
100.1
100.0
99.9
99.8
96.5
95.7
90.8
100.1
100.1
100.1
100.0
99.9
99.9
96.1
95.1
91.8
100.7
100.4
100.2
100.0
99.8
99.8
97.3
96.8
89.1
1916________________
1917
1918
1919
1920
. .
1921
1922
1923 ........................ .
1924
......................
1925.._________ _____
111.3
111.3
111.3
111.3
108.1
101.5
101.1
100.7
100.3
100.3
115.3
115.3
115.3
115. 2
110.9
102.1
100.8
100. 2
100. 2
100.3
100.6
100.6
100.6
100.8
100.7
100.4
102.4
102.2
100.8
100.5
1935— ........................
1936________________
1937________________
1938________ _____ 1939________________
1940________________
1941________________
1942________________
1943_____ _____ _____
89.3
88.9
88.5
88.1
87.8
87.6
87.5
87.4
87.6
90.4
90.5
90.3
89.9
89.6
89.4
89.4
89.4
89.7
87.6
86.5
85.7
85.3
84.9
84.6
84.3
84.2
84.2
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
. . .
...........
1 Combined data for the years 1907-10 not available.
• M aximum weekly hours discussed in this section refer to the scheduled workweek at regular pay.
Actual time worked m ay be longer or shorter than the scheduled week.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
836
Monthly Labor Revieiv—April 1944
Each of the individual newspaper trades had at least one quotation
calling for either an increase or decrease in weekly hours. Stereotypers
with 3.4 percent of both the day and night members covered by hour
changes, was the only trade in this branch, however, that had more
than 1.4 percent of its members affected by changes in hours.
U N I O N H O U R S , 1943
The average maximum workweek at straight-time rates for all
printing trades on July 1, 1943, was 38.9 hours (table 9). There
was a substantial difference in average hours between the two branches
of the industry: The book and job branch averaged 39.6 while the
newspaper average was 37.4 hours, over 2 hours per week less. Dayshift newspaper members averaged 38.0 hours while night-shift
members averaged 36.9 hours.
Among the book and job trades the photoengravers had the shortest
average workweek (36.9 hours) and, as previously noted, the highest
average wage rates. Other trades in this branch had average hours
deviating only slightly from the 40-hour standard. Five trades
averaged exactly 40 hours.
In the newspaper branch, only the mailers averaged over 38 hours
per week (38.2 hours). Six of the seven other trades had averages
in the narrow range 37.2 to 37.4 hours. The photoengravers aver
aged 37.9 hours.
The 40-hour straight-time week covered almost two-thirds of all
the printing-trades members. Slightly over one-fifth worked 37%
hours. Only a tenth of 1 percent of the members worked either less
than 30 hours or in excess of 40 hours per week.
About 9 out of every 10 members in the book and job branch worked
a 40-hour week. The photoengravers’ trade was the only one in
which as man}7 as 1 in 10 members had less than a 40-hour workweek.
Almost half of the photoengravers worked 37% hours, and over a
third worked 35 hours. No trade had any members who worked more
than 40 hours per week. Only the typographical machine operators
had any members who worked a maximum of 30 hours per week at
straight time.
A majority of all the newspaper members worked a 37%-hour week
and over 95 percent worked from 35 to 40 hours per week at straighttime rates. Hours on the night shift are generally shorter than hours
on the day shift. Almost 87 percent of the day-shift workers were
on schedules of 37% hours or more per week, while over 87 percent
of the night workers had regular hours of 37% or less. Over half of
those on day shifts and almost half of those on night shifts worked
37% hours.
All the newspaper trades, except the mailers and stereotypers,
reported substantial majorities of their day members working 37%
hours per week at straight time. The mailers reported that 70
percent of the day members worked 40 hours, and over a quarter,
37% hours. Of the stereotypers on day work, over two-fifths worked
37% hours, and almost two-fifths worked 40 hours.
On the night shift approximately four-fifths of the typographical
members and over two-thirds of the mailers had basic workweeks of
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
/
837
Wage and Hour Statistics
over 35, but not over 37% hours. About three-fourths of the photoengravers fell in the same range. Over two-fifths of the night stereo
typers worked 35 hours or less in contrast to only one-tenth in that
range on the day shift. The hour differential between day and night
workers is most predominant among the pressmen and pressmen-incharge. Over three-fourths of the pressmen and pressmen-in-charge
worked less than 37% hours on the night shift, compared with only
0.9 percent of the pressmen and 2.0 percent of the pressmen-in-charge
who worked less than 37% hours on the day shift.
T a b l e 9 . — Percentage Distribution of Union Members in the Printing Trades, by Hour
Scales, July 1, 1943
Percent of members whose hours per week were—
Trade
A v er
age
hours U n
per
der
week
30
All printing trades_________ ______ ______
38.9
Book and j o b - _____________ _______ _____
Bindery wom en.___________________
Bookbinders________________________
Compositors, hand______________ . .
Electrot y pers............... ......... ........... ..
Machine operators.................... ...........
Machine tenders (machinists)______
M ailers......... ............................... 1______
P hotoengravers____________________ _
Press assistants and feeders..............
Pressmen, cylinder.......... .....................
Pressmen, platen_____________ ______
39.6
40.0
40.0
39.9
40.0
39.8
39.9
39.9
36.9
40.0
39.8
40.0
Newspaper..................................... .................
D ay w o r k .......................................
Night work_________ ___________
Compositors, hand...............................
D ay w ork______________________
Night work_______________ _____
Machine operators_______ _____ _____
D ay w o r k .________ ____________
Night work_______ ______________
Machine tenders (m achinists)_____
Day work_______________ 1______
Night work_____________________
M ailers______________________________
Day w o r k ._______ ______________
37.4
38.0
36.9
37.4
37.5
37.3
37.3
37.4
37.2
37.4
37.4
37.3
38.2
39.3
37.5
37.9
38.1
37.7
37.2
38.5
35.8
37.2
38.5
35.9
37.2
38.3
35.7
Photoengravers__________ _____ _____
D ay work_______________________
Night work................................ ..
Pressmen (journeymen).. _________
D ay work . .. " ___________ ______
Night work_______ _______ ______
Pressmen-in-charge............................
D ay work_______________________
N ight work_____________________
Stereotypers______ _____ ______ ______
D ay w o r k __________ ________ _
Night work_____________________
1 Less than a tenth of 1 percent.
578877— 44------ 10
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
0)
30
Over
30
and
un
der
35
35
Over
35
and
un
der
37)4
37)4
Over
37)4
and
un
der
40
40
0.2
1.3
6.1
4.2
21.7
1.1
65.3
(>)
(9
4.3
(9
6.8
.1
88.8
100.0
100.0
95.7
98.9
93.6
96.5
95.6
12.7
98.2
94.2
97.9
4.3
.3
.2
.2
.7
.6
37.8
.9
3.1
3.5
5.2
3.5
.7
49.2
1.8
1.8
2.1
.3
.5
Over
40
0.1
.4
.7
.1
3.9
.4
7.1
9.5
4.9
13.6
12.4
7.4
17.0
51.3
53.5
49.3
2.9
4.7
1.2
19.3
28.0
11.5
.2
.4
.2
1.1
(>)
.2
.1
7.6
7.9
14.1
18.3
58.9
62.8
3.2
.8
14.8
9.9
.1
.2
2.0
.1
.5
.1
7.9
9.0
14.3
17.0
56.2
61.6
4.9
1.2
14.1
10.3
.1
.7
.3
.5
.5
6.0
6.8
16.3
19.1
63.4
64.1
2.4
.5
11.1
9.0
.2
.5
.7
11.9
.1
21.1
25.7
46.5
3.3
3.5
70.0
16.5
1.5
1.5
23.8
16.1
0.1
—
7.6
.5
74.7
74.3
.2
33.6
.3
19.9
54.6
12.6
7.9
.3
34.9
9.1
1.7
.1
.4
24.4
.7
20.0
.4
28.8
.9
26.3
56.1
16.8
4.4
.4
35.3
7.5
2.2
.2
1.3
8.8
1.2
32.3
8.5
43.5
36.7
5.7
1.1
39.5
16.9
4.4
.1
838
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
Hours of Work In Manufacturing, 1 9 1 4 -4 3 1
Summary
THE last 5 years have witnessed the sharpest rise in factory working
hours in the United States of which there is record. The upward
trend in average weekly hours began with the upturn in business
activity in 1938, and accelerated during 1941 and 1942 under the
pressure of mounting war production and labor shortages. During
1943, wage earners in manufacturing worked, on the average, 44.9
- hours a week, or nearly 7 hours longer than in 1940 and more than 9
hours longer than in 1938. In a number of war industries, average
weekly hours are now close to 50.
This lengthening of the workweek is in direct contrast to the trend
of weekly hours during the period of the first World War. Between
1914 and 1919 average hours in manufacturing dropped from 51.0 to
47.8_a week. ^ A movement for shorter hours was initiated by machin
ists in munition plants in the late summer of 1915 and rapidly spread
to other industries. After the United States entered the war,
Government policy in general favored wider adoption of a basic,
8-liour day, to increase productivity and remove a major cause of
labor unrest. At the same time, pressure of demand for war produc
tion tended to reduce part-time and increase overtime work.
From 1919 until the end of the twenties, little progress was made
toward a shorter workweek, except in iron and steel plants and
individual establishments in other industries which had retained the
12-hour shift throughout the war but subsequently changed to a
3-shift system. After the depression began in 1929, however, working
hours declined rapidly in almost all branches of manufacturing.
From an average of 45.7 hours in 1929, the weekly hours oil factory
wage earners dropped to 34.5 in 1934, reflecting, first, widespread
part-time employment and, later, the establishment of a maximum
40-hour week under most NRA codes. A brief movement toward
longer working hours followed the invalidation of the codes in 1935,
but the increased strength of the trade-unions and the prospect of
renewed legislative controls over hours of employment quickly re
versed this trend. In 1939, when the war period began, a 40-hour
week was the prevailing work schedule in manufacturing industries.
The increase in weekly hours since 1939 has been much more rapid
in war plants than in factories producing civilian goods. In the
machine-tool and machine-tool accessories industries, which felt the
maximum initial impact of the defense program, average working
time had risen to more than 50 hours per week by December 1940, a
year before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Wage earners in most war
industries now average more than 46 hours’ work a week, a figure
which generally implies an average scheduled workweek of 48 hours
or longer. In some civilian-goods industries, on the other hand, large
numbers of workers are still on a 40-hour week. Many establish
ments in these industries have been subject to such severe limitations
on output that they have not found it necessary to lengthen their
‘ Prepared in the Bureau’s Occupational Outlook Division by Helen W ood, with the cooperation of the
Employment Statistics Division. HildaJL. Pearlman and Elizabeth L . Meigs prepared the statistical
compilations and assisted in the library research.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
839
employees’ work schedules, despite loss of personnel to the armed
forces and war jobs and the increasing scarcity of replacements.
No further drastic changes in levels of working hours appear likely
until a major reconversion of industry begins. Although “ cutbacks”
in war production will be an influence in the direction of shorter
hours in some war industries, there are offsetting factors, among
which are the critical labor shortage in many parts of the country
and Regulation No. 3 of the War Manpower Commission, providing
for a minimum wartime workweek of 48 hours. A move to introduce
a 10-hour day and a 50-hour week has also been under way, since
last fall, in a few aircraft factories and other war plants. Any general
movement to lengthen the workweek above 48 hours would, however,
be contrary to the announced policy of the major Government agen
cies concerned with manpower and production problems, which have
recommended an 8-hour day and a 48-hour week as the best work
schedule for sustained efficiency in most industrial operations.
Scope of Study and Sources o f Data
The working hours of factory wage earners are of interest and con
cern not only because of their normal relation to welfare and efficiency
but also, during the war, because of their vital importance in effective
utilization of the Nation’s manpower resources. It was the purpose
of this study to trace the major developments in weekly hours in
manufacturing since the first World War and to analyze recent changes
in the light of their historical background. On the basis of this
analysis, it has been possible also to reach some conclusions regarding
the factors which will determine trends in working hours during the
remainder of the present war.
Two types of statistics on weekly hours are presented— estimates of
the average number of hours actually worked in a week by wage
earners in manufacturing, and estimates of the average full-time
scheduled workweek. The main emphasis is upon actual working
hours, the only type of hours data currently published by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics for most manufacturing industries.2 These
statistics are one of the basic measures of manpower utilization. They
are important also in economic analysis; when used with comparable
employment estimates, they yield the man-hour data needed in
analyzing trends in productivity and studying the relationship
between employment and other measures of economic activity.
Scheduled full-time hours may be defined as the period beyond
which employees are not normally expected to work. Prior to 1939,
estimates of scheduled hours recorded the great progress made by
workers in this country in obtaining a shorter basic workweek.
Today, they indicate the extent to which industries have changed
from the 40-hour schedule prevailing before the war to a workweek
of 48 hours or longer, in order to make more intensive use of their
manpower. The relationship between scheduled and actual hours
varies greatly in different industries and under different economic
conditions. There is reason to believe, however, that the average
* The Bureau makes annual surveys of full-time hours as embodied in union agreements for selected
industries. These records are, however, available in greatest detail for nonmanufacturing employment,
especially for the building trades. W ithin the field of manufacturing, figures covering the period of this
study as a whole are available for the printing trades and bakeries, by occupation and area. General aver
ages for these industries have also been compiled.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
840
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
scheduled workweek in a given plant or industry is generally at least
2 hours longer than the average number of hours actually worked,
owing to loss of working time from such causes as absenteeism,
turnover, imbalance in production between different plant depart
ments, and machinery breakdowns. When part-time employment is
widespread, the discrepancy between full-time and actual hours is,
of course, much wider.
The statistics on average actual hours for 1932 and later years
which are presented in this article are estimates prepared by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics on the basis of monthly reports from
establishments in a wide range of manufacturing industries. For
years prior to 1932, use has been made of a series of estimates for total
manufacturing derived by this Bureau from other data.
In piecing together a record of the changes in scheduled hours over
the last 30 years, many sources must be tapped, of which the most
important are reports on prevailing hours in the Censuses of Manu
factures for 1929 and earlier years and surveys of full-time hours in
selected industries before 1935 made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
and its predecessors, the Bureau of Labor and the Department of Com
merce and Labor. A study of the data for the period up to 1939 has
already been made by the National Bureau of Economic Research,3
and has been utilized in this article, together with other sources.
After 1939, no comprehensive statistics on full-time hours are avail
able, but it has been possible to make some inferences about the general
trend in the average scheduled workweek during the war period from
fragmentary data and from analysis of actual working hours.
Working H ours Before the Present W ar
P E R IO D O F F I R S T W O R L D W A R
During the three decades since 1914, there have been three periods
of rapid change in working hours— the years of the first World War,
the depression period from 1929 to 1934, and the current war period.
In notable contrast with the recent rising trend in working hours, the
movement in weekly hours in manufacturing during the first World
War was sharply downward. The average actual weekly hours of
factory wage earners are estimated to have been 51.0 in 1914; by
1919 they had declined to 47.8 (table 1). Average full-time hours
dropped from 55.1 in 1914 to 50.8 in 1919.
The downward trend in working hours during the first World War
was due basically to the extremely long workweek prevailing in most
industries before the war began. At the time of the 1914 Census of
Manufactures, 3 of every 4 factory workers were in establishments
with a scheduled workweek of 54 hours or longer, and 1 out of 4 was
in an establishment with a workweek of 60 hours or longer. In a
number of industries, including blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling
mills, cement, coke production, and sugar refining, one-fifth or more
of the employees in 1914 had a full-time work schedule of at least 72
hours.4
8 National Bureau of Economic Research, Bulletin 71: Hours of W ork in American Industry, by Leo
W olman. New York, 1938.
1 In these industries, the proportion of wage earners in plants with a prevailing workweek of 72 hours or
longer, according to the 1914 Census of Manufactures, was as follows: 19.7 percent in blast furnaces, steel
works, and rolling mills; 37.1 percent in cement; 21.1 percent in coke production; 24.9 percent in sugar
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
841
Wage and Hour Statistics
T a b l e 1 .— Average Actual Weekly Hours and Average Full-Time Scheduled Workweek
o f Wage Earners in Manufacturing, 1914-39
Year
___________________
1914
3919
1923
____________ __________
1924
...........- ............. 1925
192fi
1927
1928
1929
1930__________ _________________
Average
actual
weekly
hours 1
Average
scheduled
work
week 8
51.0
47.8
47.3
45.4
46.3
46.5
46.3
46.1
45. 7
43.5
55.1
50.8
51.1
(3)
(3)
0
(*)
0
50.6
0
Year
1931......... ............... - ................. —
1932............. ................ ......... .........
1933________ ___________________
1934_______ ____________________
1935______ _____ ________________
1936___________________________
1937___________ _____ _____ _____
1938.................. ........... ....... ......... 1939.______________ _____ ______
Average Average
actual scheduled
work
weekly
week 8
hours 1
41.7
38.3
38.1
34.6
36.6
39.2
38.6
35.6
37.7
0
50
(«)
42
0
0
40-42
40-42
40-42
• Figures on actual weekly hours for 1932-1939 are derived from the Bureau’s man-hour sample. Those
for 1931 and earlier years come from a series derived by dividing man-hours (computed from pay rolls and
hourly earnings) by employment and linking to the 1932-1939 series by means of the 1932 ratio (M onthly
Labor Review, September 1940, p. 536, table 5).
8 Figures on the average scheduled workweek for years from 1914 to 1934 are from National Bureau of
Economic Research, Bulletin 71, p. 8 (table 4) and page 17. The estimates for 1914-1929 were based on Census
of Manufactures data on prevailing hours: those for 1932 and 1934 on special studies of full-time hours in
various industries made by the U . S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and on an analysis of N R A code standards.
The National Industrial Conference Board estimates average scheduled hours in 27 manufacturing indus
tries as 40.8 in 1937, 40.3 in 1938, and 40.2 in 1939 (Conference Board Economic Record, March 28, 1940, page
116, table 1). Wolinan considers these figures too low, and suggests instead an estimate of 42 hours up to
1938.
3 Information not available.
The 8-hour day had been a major goal of trade-union activity
since the last century but had seldom been attained outside of public
employment, except in certain comparatively well-organized fields
such as the building and printing trades, brewing, stonecutting, and
coal mining. In the late summer of 1915, however, workers in the
machine trades started a movement for shorter working hours, which
made rapid progress, especially in plants with munitions contracts.
By 1917, the movement extended to all major groups of industries
and practically all States. Certainly more than a million workers,
and perhaps 2 million or more, obtained reductions in working hours
during 1915, 1916, and the first 6 months of 1917.5
The movement to reduce the scheduled hours of work and to intro
duce premium pay for overtime continued after the United States
entered the war in April 1917, although there was undoubtedly a great
increase in overtime and a decrease in part-time employment which
offset, in whole or in part, the reductions in scheduled hours. Many
people— among them, many employers— believed that shorter working
hours would increase the rate of production, as well as remove one of
the main causes of labor unrest. There was, moreover, obvious need
to standardize the basic workday. Owing to a complicated legal
situation, some Government contracts for war materials provided for
an 8-hour day with time and a half for overtime, whereas contracts for
other types of products set no limits on the hours employees might
be required to work at straight time. The resentment and feeling of
injustice which this situation engendered led to many labor troubles.
Extension of the 8-hour standard therefore became a major objective
* During 1917, the Bureau of Labor Statistics published summaries on the movement for shorter hours,
which covered 534 reports of reductions in hours. Only 193 of these reports gave figures on the number of
employees affected, but even this incomplete information indicated a reduction in hours for 1,025,000 workers
(see M onthly Labor Review, November 1941, p. 14).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
842
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
of the War Labor Policies Board6 after it was established in May
1918 to unify government labor policy, although the Board was con
cerned not so much with reducing net working time as with establish
ing standards as to straight-time and overtime hours. The Board
created machinery for enforcing the basic 8-hour day in plants with
contracts specifying this standard and tried, with some success, to
obtain voluntary adherence to the 8-hour principle where it was not
legally applicable. In addition, the Navy Department, the U. S.
Shipping Board, and other Government agencies favored the 6-day
week and urged employers to restrict Sunday work to cases of emer
gency. The National War Labor Board, established in April 1918
to adjust labor disputes, also provided for a basic 8-hour day and 6-day
week in many of its awards.
The result of the movement for shorter hours, both before and after
the United States entered the war, was an astonishingly rapid in
crease— a quadrupling within the 5 years from 1914 to 1919— in the
proportion of factory wage earners with a scheduled workweek of
48 hours or less. The following figures show the effect of the cuts in
scheduled hours in greater detail.
Scheduled workweek ofUnder 48 hours___
48 hours__________
P ercent of wage earners
in plants -with
specified workweek ‘
1919
19U
-"}
..
Over 60 and under 72 hours_____
72 hours________________________
Over 72 hours___________________
Total_______________________ _
--
11. 8
13.5
25.8
22.0
21. 1
3.51
1.5
.8]
.. 100. 0
16. 1
132. 6
16. 5
9. 0
13. 8
9. 0
/
3. 0
100. 0
i Compiled from U . S. Census of Manufactures.
to have a much
longer work schedule, however. In 1919 nearly half (46.6 percent)
of the wage earners in the important blast-furnace, steel-works, and
rolling-mills industry were in plants which still had a prevailing work
week of at least 60 hours. In an effort to persuade the iron and steel
companies to accept the 8-hour principle, the War Labor Policies
Board held conferences with representatives of the industry in Sep
tember 1918. Felix Frankfurter, Chairman of the Board, pointed out
during these conferences that iron and steel was becoming the “ great
isolated exception’ ’ to American industry’s adoption of the 8-hour
basic workday. Long hours, including the 12-hour day for about
half of the iron and steel workers, were a main cause of the great steel
strike of 1919.
W O R K IN G H O U R S IN T H E T W E N T IE S
Average weekly hours in manufacturing as a whole continued to
move downward "from 1919 to 1924, though more slowly than in the
preceding 5-year period. For all factory wage earners, actual hours
» The Board was composed of representatives of the following 10 agencies: the W ar, N avy, Agriculture,
and Labor Departments, the Emergency Fleet Corporation, the Food, Fuel, and Railroad Administrations,
and the U . S. Shipping and W ar Industries Boards.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
843
averaged 45.4 per week in 1924 as compared with 47.8 in 1919. This
decline was due in part to the slight business recession in 1924, but
it also reflected the movement away from the 12-hour shift and the
accompanying workweek of 60 or 72 hours, or even longer, which
continued after the Armistice. Individual establishments in some of
the continuous-process industries (including cement, soap, and copper
refining), where the 12-hour shift mainly persisted, changed from
a 2- to 3-shift system during the early post-war years. The iron and
steel companies did not follow suit until after the steel strike of 1919
had focussed public attention on the long work schedules still custom
ary in the industry, until there had been a special investigation of the
strike and its causes by church organizations, and until other forms of
public and governmental pressure had been exerted. In 1923, how
ever, most of the industry decided to begin abandoning the 12-hour
shift. The result of this step was to cut the average full-time week
for iron and steel workers from 63.2 hours in 1922 to 55.2 hours in
1924.
After 1924, the decline in working hours levelled off completely.
Average actual weekly hours in manufacturing were practically the
same in 1929 as in 1924, 45.7 and 45.4, respectively. Some changes in
the scheduled workweek and in the amount of part-time and of over
time work, of course, occurred in individual plants. The Ford Motor
Co., for example, changed from a 6- to a 5-day week in 1926, cutting the
regular work schedule for its employees from 48 to 40 hours a week.
These changes, however, were not sufficient to affect significantly
either the average scheduled workweek or the average actual weekly
hours of factory wage earners.
W O R K IN G H O U R S IN T H E T H IR T IE S
With the depression years of the thirties came a radical change in
the level of working hours throughout American industry. In the 5
years from 1929 to 1934, average weekly hours in manufacturing
dropped from 45.7 to 34.5, or by 25 percent (table 1). Most of the
decrease took place between 1929 and 1932, reflecting the great
amount of part-time employment created by the decline in business
activity and by the accompanying share-the-work programs. When a
maximum workweek of 40 hours was established for most branches of
manufacturing during 1933 and 1934 under the NRA codes,7 average
weekly hours were already below the 40-hour level in many industries.
The hours provisions of the codes nevertheless had an influence
upon the American economy which is still being felt today. In in
dustry groups, such as textiles and products of petroleum and coal,
where large proportions of the employees were still working more than
40 hours a week in 1932, the NRA brought a considerable drop in
average weekly hours during the 2 subsequent years (table 2), Many
workers in “ sweatshop” garment factories also benefited by a reduc
tion in their exceedingly long working hours, although in the apparel
group as a whole average weekly hours were very low because of
extensive part-time employment. Most important of all, there was a
marked curtailment of the scheduled full-time workweek throughout
7 Of 558 master codes, all hut 41 specified a maximum workweek of 40 hours or less, though often with
a provision for longer hours in a limited number of peak weeks or for averaging of hours over specified
periods of time.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
844
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
manufacturing. In 1932, the average full-time week in manufactur
ing was still close to 50 hours; by 1934, as already shown, it had
dropped to about 42 hours.
T a b l e 2 . — A verage W ee k ly H ou rs o f W age Earners in M anu fa cturing, b y M a jo r Indus~
try Groups, 1 9 3 2 -4 3 1
Year
Total
manu
factur
ing
Iron
and
steel
Trans
NonFurni
porta
Lumber
M a
ferrous
ture
Elec
tion
and
chinery
and
metals
trical
equip
Auto
timber
(except
and
finished
ma
basic
electri ment mobiles their
lumber
chinery
(except
prod
cal)
prod
prod
automo
ucts
ucts
ucts
biles)
Stone,
clay,
and
glass
prod
ucts
1932________________
1933________________
1934________________
1935________________
1936________________
1937________________
38.3
38.1
34.6
36.6
39.2
3S.6
30.0
33.6
32.6
36.3
41.0
39.5
(2)
0
33.9
36.6
39.4
38.9
30.2
33.6
35.9
38.5
41.9
41.8
0
0
33.4
34.9
37.9
39.4
31.2
35.1
33.2
37.0
38.4
35.8
(2)
0
(2)
38.7
41.0
39.8
(2)
(2)
33.6
37.7
43.2
43.2
(2)
(2)
34.2
38.5
42.0
40.3
37.1
35.7
33.6
36.1
40.0
39.6
1938________________
1939________________
1940________________
1941________________
1942________________
1943________________
35.6
37.7
38.1
40.6
42.9
44.9
32.0
37.2
38.6
41.6
43.6
46.2
34.4
38.6
40. 4
43.7
46 1
46.9
35.3
39.3
41.9
45.9
49.2
49.3
37.2
38.9
41.0
44.4
47.6
47.1
32.8
35.4
37. 7
39.6
44.4
46.2
35.5
38.9
39.9
42.4
44.6
46.6
40.3
39.0
38. 6
39.4
40.9
43.1
35.9
38.5
38. 6
40.8
41.6
44.1
36.0
37.6
37. 4
39.0
40.2
42.7
Year
Ap
parel
and
Textile
other
mill
fin
prod
ished
ucts
textile
prod
ucts
Leath
Tobac Paper
er and
co
and
leather Food m an u allied
prod
fac
prod
ucts
tures
ucts
Print C hem
ing
icals
and
and
pub allied
lish
prod
ing
ucts
Prod R ub
ucts of
ber
petro
prod
leum
ucts
and
coal
M iscellanneous
1932___________________
1933__________________
1934___________________
1935___________________
1936___________________
1937___________________
42.7
40.4
33.5
35. 1
37.0
36.0
(2)
0
29.2
31.9
31.9
33.0
0
0
0
36.1
36.3
36.7
0
0
38. 7
39.3
41. 1
41.3
0
0
0
35.0
36.2
37.1
0
0
36.3
38.5
41.2
40.6
0
0
36.9
37.3
38.0
38.4
0
0
37.8
38.8
40.4
40.5
42.3
38.3
35.3
35.4
30. 2
36.4
0
0
32.9
34. 7
37.6
35.4
0
0
0
0
0
0
1938___________________
1939___________________
1940___________________
1941___________________
1942___________________
1943___________________
34.3
36.6
35.7
3S.6
40.2
41.4
32.2
34. 5
33.8
35. 7
36.3
38.0
34.8
36.2
34.7
38.3
38.9
39.9
40.6
40.3
39.9
40.4
41.5
44.1
35.5
35.4
30.1
37.0
38.7
40.9
38.0
40.1
39.9
42.0
42. 2
45.2
37.1
37.4
37.5
38.4
38.5
40.6
38.3
39.5
39.7
40.8
42.9
45.4
36.3
36.5
37.0
37.8
39.6
44.4
32.9
36.9
36.9
39.5
41.6
45.0
0
39.2
39.0
41.5
43.9
46.1
1 These estimates are derived from the Bureau’s man-hour samples. The statistics for the period from
1939 to date are from the series currently issued by the Bureau’s Employment Statistics Division. Figures
for 1938 and preceding years come from earlier series which originally had a somewhat different industry
grouping. The industry classifications of the.'early figures have, however, been adjusted to the current basis
by regrouping and re averaging.the series for certain individual industries. Estimates of weekly hours for
1939 and prior years were thus derived for each of the 20 major divisions of manufacturing. Where necessary,
these estimates were then linked to the current series by means of the ratio between the two 1939 figures.
2 Information not available.
The invalidation of the NRA codes in May 1935 started a move
ment to lengthen the scheduled workweek once more, but this tend
ency was short-lived. Before it was well under way, the greatly
increased strength of the trade-unions and the decisions of the United
States Supreme Court, opening the door to Federal and State regula
tion of working hours, brought about a new trend toward a shorter
workweek. Many iron and steel companies, for example, introduced
a 40-hour shift system during 1937, though the industry had main
tained a 48-hour week for considerable numbers of its employees
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and How Statistics
845
throughout the period of NRA.8 In manufacturing as a whole, sched
uled hours are estimated to have been on the average slightly more
than 40 a week in both 1937 and 1938 (table 1). They remained at
this same level during 1939 and probably also during at least the early
months of 1940, as far as can be judged from the indirect evidence
available as to level of scheduled hours after 1939.9
,
Actual weekly hours, on the other hand, fluctuated considerably
during the late thirties, especially in metalworking <mcl other durablegoods industries. When the trend of business activity turned up
ward during 1938, a rise in average weekly hours began in all but 3 ol
the 19 major divisions of manufacturing for which data are available,
though in some industries the increase was slow and indecisive at
first (table 2.)
.
f ,,
An important development of this period was the enactment oi tne
Public Contracts Act of 1936 and the Fair Labor Standards Act of
1938. Since both these acts require that employees subject to their
hours provisions be paid time and a half for work in excess of 40 hours
a week,10 employers have a financial incentive to hire additional
employees when these are available, before lengthening hours above 40
a week. The effectiveness of this requirement in curtailing hours m
certain types of manufacturing is illustrated by the trend of hours in
the basic lumber industries. For lumber and timber products work
ers, average weekly hours declined from 40.3 in 1938 to 39.0 m 1939
and 38.6 in 1940, while employment was expanding. In most other
industries, however, average hours were so low during the late thirties
that the Fair Labor Standards Act did not have a discernible effect
on industry-wide estimates of working hours, despite its undoubted
influence in many individual establishments.
Working Hours in Present W ar Period
A V E R A G E W E E K L Y H O U R S I N 1943, C O M P A R E D W I T H E A R L I E R Y E A R S
Though the trend toward longer weekly hours in manufacturing
began in 1938, the most rapid increase in hours did not come until
after the defense program had stimulated production in civilian goods
as well as war industries, and labor shortages had begun to develop m
many parts of the country. During 1943, the average working hours
of factory wage earners were 44.9 a week, compared with only 38.1 in
1940 and 35.6 in 1938 (table 2). Hours rose considerably in the non
durable-goods industries (from an average of 36.1 a week m 1938 to
42.5 in 1943) but more sharply still (from 34.8 to 46.6) m durablegoods industries, where most of the war production nas been
concentrated.
s The N R A code for the iron and steel industry permitted a 48-hour week, with the
should not average more than 40 per week for any nonexempted employee over a 6-month period, under
the code, most plant workers were placed on a 40-hour week, but a sizable minority were kept on a 48 hour
W AEsUmates o*f fuUdirne scheduled hours in manufacturing are not available for the period si°ce 1939. The
fact that average actual weekly hours changed but little between 1939 and the early months of 1940 suggests,
however, that average scheduled hours were comparatively stable during this period.
__
io The effective date of the Fair Labor Standards Act was October 24,1938, but its 40-hour provision did
not go into effect until October 24, 1940, the basic workweek specified for the first and seicond years under
the act being 44 hours and 42 hours, respectively. The maximum-hours clause of this act covers all employ
ees engaged in interstate or foreign commerce or in producing goods for such commerce, w ith _certaex em p
tions applying primarily to first processing of agricultural commodities. The Public Cont racts Ac t , on t e
other hand, applies only to work on Government contracts for amounts exceeding $10,000 and therefore
covered only a small fraction of American industry before the defense program got under way early in 1941.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
846
Nevertheless, the average factory worker still has somewhat shorter
hours than he had in the predepression year of 1929. In December
1943, the average actual workweek in manufacturing was 44.9 hours,
1 hour less than in 1929.
Comparisons with the period of the first World War also indicate
that recent increases in working hours have not offset all of the cumu
lative, though by no means continuous, reduction in work schedules
which took place between 1914 and the beginning of the upward
trend in hours in 1938. On the average, factory wage earners worked
f> hours longer weekly during 1914 than during 1943.
T R E N D I N W O R K I N G H O U R S , 1 9 4 0 -4 2
War industries.-—Statistics on average weekly hours for major
divisions of manufacturing do not show how rapidly working hours
moved upward after 1940 in certain war industries, nor the marked
differences in the trend of hours between industries in the same major
group. For this reason, a special study was made of the changes in
average weekly hours through December 1943 in 35 industries, all
engaged primarily in war production and included in 10 different
industry groups (table 3).11
That workers producing machine tools experienced the first and
highest rise in working hours is a matter of general knowledge. As
the output of the machine-tool industry shot upward to meet the
needs of new war plants and of establishments converting to war
production, the working hours of its wage earners rose from an aver
age of only 42.9 a week in 1939 to 50.6 in December 1940. During
the first 6 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, when retooling
for war production was at its peak in the automobile and other indus
tries that normally produce civilian goods, wage earners in the ma
chine-tool and machine-tool accessories industries were working on the
average from 53.8 to 55.4 hours per week.
T a b l e 3. — A verage W eek ly H ou rs o f W age Earners in 3 5 W a r Industries in Selected
M o n th s, 1 9 4 1 -4 3 1
1943
1942
1941
Industry
Iron and steel and their products:
Blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling
m ills_________________________ _____ _______
Steel eastings_______________________________
Forgings, iron and steel___ ______ '
_.
Screw-machine products and wood screws
Firearms____ __________ _____ _____ ________
Bag and shell loading in new plants............
Ammunition and bombs made in new
plants ____ ____________ . ...___________
Guns, howitzers^ and mortars made in new
plants. _____________ _______ _____________
Electrical machinery:
Electrical equipment. . . . _ ____________
Communication equipment_______________
Radios and phonographs............ ............ .......
D e
cem
ber
Feb
ru
ary
June
Oc
to
ber
D e
cem
ber
Feb
ru
ary
June
Oc
to
ber
39.2
45.0
47.1
49.8
52.1
(2)
39.9
45.8
48.1
50.0
50.9
43.8
40.0
45.7
48.4
49.3
50.0
44.2
40.9
45.7
48.1
49.1
48.5
42.8
41.7
46.1
49.2
49.9
48.3
45.6
42.8
46.6
49.0
49.7
47.8
46.1
44.6
46.9
48.0
49.3
48.0
45.4
46.3
46.7
48.8
49.9
47.4
45.4
45.3
46.4
48.8
49.4
47.7
45.8
(2)
48.1
47.3
46.9
46.8
47.3
48.3
48.3
47.5
(2>
52.0
51.8
51.0
51.1
50.4
49.8
49.2
48.3
44.9
43.8
44.1
46.0
45.4
43.9
46.7
45.7
45.4
46.9
46.3
46.1
47.5
45.7
46.1
47.3
46.4
46.4
47.4
46.2
46.4
47.4
46.1
46.1
46.7
45.8
45.0
D e
cem
ber
See footn o te s a t end o f table.
a In 3 of these 35 selected industries—sawmills, planing and plywood mills, and petroleum refining—
not as much as.half of the total output is direct war production. These industries have, however, been
included in tbefanalysis(because of their£strategic importance.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
847
i
Wage and Hour Statistics
T a b l e 3 . — Average W eek ly H ours o f W age Earners in 3 5 W a r Industries in Selected
M on th s, 1 9 4 1 -4 3 1— C o n tin u ed
1942
1941
1943
Industry
D e
cem
ber
Feb
ru
ary
June
Oc
to
ber
D e
cem
ber
Feb
ru
ary
June
Oc
to
ber
Machinery (except electrical):
Machinery and machine-shop products...
Engines and turbines........... .............. .............
Tractors_______________ _______ _______ _____
Machine tools__________ _____ ______________
Machine-tool accessories___________________
Pumps and pumping equipment__________
47.3
46.8
40.2
53.8
54.1
(2)
48.7
49.0
43.9
54.9
55.4
51.6
49.2
49.5
43.9
53.8
54.0
52.5
49.0
50.1
45.0
52.5
52.5
50.0
49.4
49.4
45.4
53.0
52.6
52.1
49.3
50.1
47.4
52.0
52.2
51.6
49.1
50.4
46.8
50.7
51.2
51.1
49.2
50.7
46.8
50.7
50.8
52.3
48.7
49.7
46.6
49.9
50.0
50.3
Transportation equipment (except automobiles):
Locomotives_________________ _____ ________
Car building, electric and steam railroad..
Aircraft and parts, excluding engines______
Aircraft engines____________________________
Shipbuilding.........................................................
46.9
42.3
46.3
48.5
46.0
48.8
43.1
47.7
49.4
48.6
46.1
43.5
47.2
48.4
48.4
47.4
43.9
46.3
49.0
47.6
49.1
44.3
46.9
47.5
47.7
4S.6
45.5
46.2
48.3
46.7
48.7
44.4
46.5
46.3
47.7
50.0
46.2
46.8
47.6
47.9
50.8
46.6
45.9
45.3
47.0
Automobiles:
Automobiles.............................................. ...........
37.4
43.1
44.4
45.2
45.5
46.0
46.2
49.6
44.6
Nonferrous metals and their products:
Smelting and refining, primary.....................
Alloying and rolling and drawing_________
Alum inum _______ _______ __________________
39.8
44.5
44.8
40.1
45.8
44.4
41.2
45.9
44.5
42.6
46.7
45.8
42.8
47.3
46.2
42.8
47.2
45.9
45.0
48.0
47.6
45.7
48.2
47.2
45.1
47.0
47.0
Lumber and timber basic products:
Sawmill products, including logging______
Planing-and plywood-mill products............
37.6
42.7
39.7
41.1
40.7
43.0
42.0
44.3
40.1
45.4
41.2
44.1
44.0
45.5
43.7
46.0
42.1
45.0
Chemicals and allied products:
Explosives and safety fuses________________
Ammunition, small arms__________________
Firew orks.. ______________________________
Chemicals, not elsewhere classified_______
46.6
43.4
42.1
41.1
44.6
45.5
40.9
41.1
45.7
46.3
41.8
41.5
46.0
45.0
41.6
42.6
46.5
46.6
42.5
43.5
46.4
46.4
42. 3
44.4
47.5
46.5
40.8
46.3
46.1
46.1
42.5
46.8
45.5
45.0
43.8
45.9
Products of petroleum and coal:
Petroleum refining_______________ ______ _
Coke and byp rod u cts..____ ______________
38.0
(J)
38.8
39.7
38.4
39.0
40.1
39.1
41.7
40.1
42.4
41.1
45.0
43.6
46.1
46.1
46.0
45.3
Rubber products:
Rubber tires and inner tubes....... ............... .
35.4
38.0
40.4
41.8
44.2
44.9
46.2
46.0
45.2
D e
cem
ber
1 These estimates of weekly hours were prepared by the Employment Statistics Division on the basis
of the Bureau’s man-hour sample. For additional data on weekly hours, see p. 898.
1 Information not available.
Average weekly hours rose very rapidly, either before the United
States entered the war or in the months immediately following, for
workers in many other war industries, including firearms, guns, and
airplane engines. In 15 of the 35 industries selected for special study,
actual working hours averaged 46 or more a week by February 1942,
a level which implies an average scheduled workweek of at least 48
hours. Ten months later, in December 1942, wage earners in 22 of
these industries worked, on the average, 46 or more hours a week.
There were, however, a few major war industries which were slow
to abandon the 40-hour schedule prevailing before the war. Among
the most important of these were the blast-furnace, steel-works, and
rolling-mills division of the iron and steel industry, primary smelting
of nonferrous metals, and logging and sawmilling. Average actual
weekly hours in these three industries were, respectively, 39.9, 40.1,
and 39.7 in February 1942. They were but little higher, 41.7, 42.8,
and 40.1, the following December.
Blast furnaces, steel works, and smelters are continuous-process
establishments. For several years before the attack on Pearl Harbor,
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
848
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
they had used a 4-shift system, which made possible 24-hour, 7-day
operation with a 40-hour week for individual employees. Since they
were thus already equipped with a sufficient trained work force to
man four shifts, these plants did not face the acute shortage of ex
perienced workers which the machinery industries encountered at
the outset of the war, when they tried to change from one- or twoshift operation to more intensive utilization of their plant and equip
ment. Blast furnaces and related establishments consequently lacked
the immediate incentive to lengthen working hours which existed in
industries such as machine tools, shipbuilding, and aircraft produc
tion. They preferred not to undertake the readjustment of work
schedules involved in changing from a 40-hour to a 48-hour shift
system and not to pay time and a half for work above 40 hours a week,
as required under the Fair Labor Standards and Public Contracts Acts,
as long as they could get enough workers to man four shifts.
In rolling mills, the situation with regard to lengthening of the
work schedule was somewhat different. Since rolling mills can close
down 1 or 2 days a week without great loss in efficiency of operation,
many of them employed only three 40-hour shifts before the war.
When increased demand for steel created a need for 7-day operation,
some mills which were able to obtain suitable additional labor adopted
the 4-shift system of the blast furnaces and steel works. Others found
it necessary or easier to lengthen the work schedule for their employees
to 48 hours or longer. The latter probably accounted for most of the
small rise in average actual weekly hours in the blast-furnace, steel
works, and rolling-mills industry as a whole between March and De
cember 1942.
The desire to avoid premium overtime rates contributed to the
delay in adoption of a 48-hour week in the logging and sawmill in
dustry also. By the summer of 1942, shortages of woods workers
were so great, at least in the West Coast lumber-producing areas, as
to restrict production. Some logging and sawmill establishments
therefore voluntarily introduced a 48-hour schedule, but in the in
dustry as a whole average weekly hours remained at about 40. Log
ging operators generally maintained that they could not adopt a 48hour week, despite the growing labor shortage, since they could not
afford to pay premium overtime rates under existing price ceilings.
Their situation differed from that of employers in the metalworking
industries, who had lengthened hours when business volumes ex
panded, because lumber companies have relatively small overhead
costs. In lumber production, economies of overhead cost did not
offset overtime premiums.
Civilian-goods industries.— There are very few industries which
have not been called upon during the last 2 years to produce some war
materials. In at least 9 major industry groups,12 however, half or
more of the output has continued to be for civilian use.
For the wage earners in these 9 industry groups, working hours were
lower throughout 1942 than for workers in most war industries. In
December, the average actual workweek was still below 46 hours in
all 9 groups, although in 3 of them (furniture and finished lumber
products, food, and paper) it exceeded 43 hours (table 4). Wage
earners in the apparel industries were working, on the average, only
37.4 hours a week.
1J Furniture and finished lumber products; stone, clay, and glass; textiles; apparel; leather; food; tobacco;
paper; and printing.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
849
T a b l e 4 . — A verage W ee k ly H ours o f W age Earners in 9 M a jo r In d u stry G roups P r o
ducing C hiefly Civilian Goods , in Selected M o n th s, 1 9 4 1 -4 3 1
1941
Industry
Furniture and finished lumber products______
Stone, clay, and glass products............................
Textile-mill products______ ____________________
Apparel and other finished textile products___
Leather and leather products.................................
Food_________________ __________ _____ __________
Tobacco manufactures. ........................................ ..
Paper and allied products................ ................. ..
Printing and publishing............. ......... ............... ..
1942
D e
Feb
cem
June
ruary
ber
41.3
39.7
39.6
35.4
38.7
40.7
39.1
42.7
39.9
40.9
40.1
40.1
36.8
39.9
40.5
37.0
42.3
38.4
41.5
40.1
40.2
35.4
38.1
41.5
38.5
40.6
38.0
1943
D e
Feb
Octo
cem
June
ruary
ber
ber
42.8
41.3
40.4
37.1
38.9
41.6
40.4
43.4
38.9
43.7
42.0
41.5
37.4
40.3
43.9
41.2
44.9
40.2
43.6
41.8
41.5
38.2
40.2
42.9
38.5
44.5
39.5
44.6
43.1
41.5
38.1
39.8
44.9
41.0
45.7
40.1
D e
Octo
cem
ber
ber
44.7
43.8
41.6
37.8
39.5
44.1
42.6
45.7
40.2
44.3
43.0
41.7
37.6
40.1
45.5
42.1
45.3
40.5
1 These estimates of weekly hours were prepared by the Employment Statistics Division, on the basis
of the Bureau’s man-hour samples. For additional data on weekly hours, see p. 898.
A detailed analysis of the complex interplay of factors which has
determined levels of working hours in civilian-goods industries is not
within the scope of this article. The situation has varied not only
among the major groups but just as greatly among individual indus
tries in the same group and among individual establishments in the
same industry. Some influences have, however, been predominant,
and these may be mentioned briefly.
Limitations on the output of civilian goods are one of the most
important reasons why weekly hours did not rise more sharply in these
industry groups. While war industries were under pressure to expand
production, establishments manufacturing commodities for the civilian
market of course faced shortages of materials, rationing, and other
wartime restrictions. In consequence, many plants lacked an incen
tive to lengthen their employees’ work schedules unless they had lost
large numbers of workers to the armed forces or to higher-paying jobs
in war industries. This was especially true in labor-market areas
where there continued to be an adequate labor supply. But even in
labor-shortage areas, the immobility of labor made possible a 40-hour
week in some establishments producing civilian goods, while other
plants in the same neighborhood and industry had a work schedule of
48 hours or longer.
Although working hours were apparently determined mainly by the
production and labor-supply situation, the requirement of premium
rates of pay for work in excess of 40 hours a week, under the Fair
Labor Standards Act, sometimes tended to restrict hours in civiliangoods industries, as in war plants. It will be noted that this provision
did not prevent a sharp increase in working hours in some industries
where production demand was heavy. In the flour-milling industry,
for example, weekly hours were 47.7 in December 1942— more than
3 hours longer than in December 1941, and 7 hours longer than in
December 1940. This industry faced the problem of supplying
civilian needs for flour and at the same time filling large orders from
the armed forces and the Lend-Lease Administration.
G O V E R N M E N T A C T IO N TO E S T A B L IS H A M IN IM U M 4 8 -H O U R W E E K
During 1941 and the early months of 1942, when labor was still
plentiful in most parts of the country, the failure to increase working
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
850
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
hours above 40 in many industries was not a matter of national con
cern. Toward the end of 1942, however, more intensive use of the
available manpower became necessary. A series of orders was there
fore issued— by the President, the War Production Board, and the
War Manpower Commission— requiring a minimum 48-hour work
week in specified industries and labor-market areas for the duration of
the war, without modifying the requirement of premium wage rates
for work above 40 hours a week or other standards of Federal or State
labor laws. In the history of Government regulation of working
hours in this country, these orders were revolutionary. As far as is
known, hours standards previously set by law or regulation had
always been maximum standards.13"
The first order for the establishment of a minimum 48-hour week
applied to the West Coast logging and sawmill industry. The order
was issued by the Chairman of the War Production Board on Septem
ber 12, 1942, as part of a program to relieve the critical labor shortage
in the lumber-producing areas of the Pacific Northwest. A work
week of at least 48 hours was required in all logging camps in this
region and also in all sawmills when they had a sufficient supply of
logs. To offset the additional cost involved in premium wage pay
ments for hours above 40, the Price Administrator had already
ordered upward revisions in the maximum price of logs.14
Much broader action was taken by the President early in 1943. In
an Executive order dated February 9, he declared a minimum war
time workweek of 48 hours to be national policy. “ For the duration
of the war, no plant, factory, or other place of employment shall be
deemed to be making the most effective utilization of its manpower
if the minimum workweek therein is less than 48 hours per week.”
Responsibility for carrying out this order was placed on the Chairman
of the War Manpower Commission, who was authorized to establish
a longer or shorter workweek where this would more effectively
contribute to the war effort. It was specifically stated that the order
did not supersede any Federal or State laws regarding hours of work
or overtime payments.
To implement the Executive order, the War Manpower Commission
issued its Regulation No. 3, effective March 3, 1943. This made the
adoption of a minimum 48-hour week mandatory upon all employers
in the 32 labor-market areas then designated as areas of critical labor
shortage, except as exemptions for some workers in individual estab
lishments might be granted by War Manpower Commission area
directors and with certain other limitations. At the same time
establishment of a 48-hour week was ordered on an industry-wide
basis in nonferrous-metal mining and, as of May 4, in all logging
operations, sawmills, planing mills, box factories, pulp mills, and other
specified establishments producing semifinished lumber products.
Regulation No. 3 was amended to cover blast furnaces, steel works,
and rolling mills, effective July l .15 The regulation was also applied
13 During the first World W ar, as during the present war. legal maximum hours standards were temporarily
suspended m a number of instances to permit longer working hours when necessary in war production, but
no general minimum standard was set.
.V.14P n September 4, 1942, the Price Administrator ordered two revisions in the price regulations governing
*
IJSSuig industry: (1) Firms in the Douglas fir region operating 48 hours or more per week were permitted
additions to the price of all species of logs produced; and (2) upward adjustments in price ceilings were
ordered for hemlock, white fir, and noble fir logs.
^
s
is For plants where the introduction of a 48-hour schedule did not necessitate release of workers from the
pay roll, the effective date was June 1.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
851
to a number of additional areas during the summer, by action of the
regional directors. And on October 13, its area coverage was greatly
extended by the Commission in Washington. Under this most
recent amendment the 48-hour week covers virtually all areas now
classified as having a critical labor shortage and will apply normally
to additional areas so classified in the future. Furthermore, the
regional directors of the War Manpower Commission are required to
make a formal determination as to whether or not the 48-hour week
shall apply to each area of prospective labor shortage in their region
(the so-called “ Group II Areas” ) and if they find against application
of the order to any area, to report their reasons for this action to the
War Manpower Commission in Washington.
TREND IN WORKING HOURS DURING 1943
War industries.— The statistics on average weekly horn’s during
1943 indicate that efforts by the Government to obtain more general
adoption of a 48-hour week have had considerable success in logging
and sawmilling and in blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills,
the two branches of manufacturing to which War Manpower Com
mission Regulation No. 3 applies on an industry-wide basis. In a
number of other war industries the rise in working hours continued,
although in most of them hours were already at high levels at the
beginning of 1943.
During the past year, actual working hours in logging and sawmill
ing showed the wide seasonal fluctuations characteristic of the in
dustry, but the general level was higher in 1943 than in 1942. The
figure on average weekly hours for August 1943 (45.0) compares with
an average of 41.2 for August 1942; that for December 1943 (42.1),
with an average of 40.0 for the same month of 1942. After the first
order for a minimum 48-hour week was issued and adjustments were
made in the ceiling prices of logs, many establishments shifted from
a 40-hour to a 48-hour week. That actual weekly hours did not rise
as high in logging and sawmilling as in some other industries with a
prevailing 48-hour work schedule was apparently due in large measure
to shortages of logs, which restricted sawmill operations even during
the summer months of peak log production.
In blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills, average weekly
hours increased gradually during 1943, as additional establishments
changed from a 40-hour shift system to a work schedule of at least 48
hours. Under War Manpower Commission Regulation No. 3,
adoption of a 48-hour week was mandatory as early as March 3 for
some mills in labor-shortage areas, although the entire industry was
not covered until after July 1. Exemptions permitting a shorter
workweek have been granted for some employees by area directors
of the War Manpower Commission, but the number of workers
affected has been small as compared with the total work force. A
measure of the result is the progressive rise in average actual weekly
hours, from 42.8 in February to 44.6 in June and 45.3 in December.
Notwithstanding difficulties of enforcement, the War Manpower Com
mission’s order, together with the increasing manpower shortage and
other economic factors, led the industry to adopt scheduled hours
which apparently averaged about 48 a week at the end of the year.
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Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
The other types of war production in which there has been the
largest increase in average weekly hours since December 1942 are
four characteristic continuous-process industries— smelting and refin
ing of nonferrous metals, chemicals, petroleum refining, and coke
and its byproducts. The reluctance to abandon the 40-hour shift
system, which sometimes delayed a general rise in working hours in
such industries, has already been noted. During 1943, however,
mounting economic and governmental pressures led many establish
ments to change their policy and adopt a minimum 48-hour week.
For wage earners in each of the four industries, average actual hours
approximated or exceeded 45 a week by October.
A more striking development was the leveling off of working hours
between December 1942 and December 1943 in many branches of
war production. Despite irregular monthly fluctuations in hours
in most of the industries studied, it is apparent that in many of them
the basic trend in weekly hours was no longer upward. In 15 of the
35 industries, the figure on weekly hours for December 1943 differed
by less than an hour from that for December 1942. In 9 industries
there was actually a net decrease of an hour or more in the average
workweek.
Easing of the pressure for production was apparently the fac
tor most often responsible for such reductions in working hours as
occurred. When production of machine tools and machine-tool
accessories, for example, passed its peak at the end of 1942, both
employment and weekly hours decreased. Another example is the
small-arms ammunition industry, where a slow decline in both employ
ment and hours began in July. Rather than lay off experienced
workers, employers have naturally preferred to reduce the amount of
overtime work above 48 hours a week.
Civilian-goods industries.— There was a pronounced trend toward
stabilization of working hours during 1943 in most of the 9 industry
groups producing mainly civilian goods. In 7 of these 9 major
divisions of manufacturing, average weekly hours showed a net
change of less than 1 hour between December 1942 and December
1943, and in the other 2 groups increased by less than 2 hours (table 4).
The rise in working hours continued until June in several industry
groups, but the tobacco industry was the only one in which the aver
age actual workweek was as much as an hour longer in December
than in June. This increase in hours for wage earners in tobaccoproducts factories may be traced to seasonal influences, since weekly
hours in this industry vary widely with the time of year and normally
reach their peak in the fall or early winter.
The figures on actual weekly hours indicate that, notwithstanding
War Manpower Commission Regulation No. 3, average full-time
hours remained below 48 a week through December in all of the 9
industry groups, except possibly food and paper and allied products,
owing to the same factors that limited the rise in weekly hours in these
industries during 1942. In the apparel industries, the average
scheduled week was still about 40 hours. Many individual manufac
turers in labor-shortage areas introduced a 48-hour week even before
Regulation No. 3 became effective, and since then others have fol
lowed suit, thus contributing to the solution of critical local manpower
problems. But until the end of 1943 the regulation had not appreci-
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
853
ably affected Nation-wide levels of working hours in civilian-goods
industries.
Outlook If ith Respect to W eek ly Hours
The stability of working hours in many war and civilian-goods
industries during the summer and fall of 1943 suggests that the forces
tending to lengthen or shorten work schedules will produce only
minor changes in average weekly hours in most industries until a
major reconversion of industry begins.
Of the factors which will tend to lower working hours while the
war is still in progress, the one most likely to be important is “ cut
backs” in war production. The slow decline in weekly hours which
began when employment in the small-arms ammunition industry
passed its peak has already been discussed. As output is curtailed
in other war industries, a similar tendency toward reduction in the
workweek may be expected, except where competition for labor
compels employers to continue overtime work as a means of maintaming weekly earnings at high enough levels to enable them to hold
their labor force.
On the other hand, the critical scarcity of manpower is a continu
ing influence in the direction of longer working hours in certain areas
and industries. Moreover, Regulation No. 3 of the War Manpower
Commission, with respect to the 48-hour minimum wartime work
week, may bring about longer scheduled hours in some civilian-goods
factories now on a 40-hour week, even when this work schedule is
adequate to meet the establishments’ own production needs. The
regulation was recently extended to many additional labor-market
areas, and there has not yet been time for the full effect of the extension
to be felt. This regulation is unlikely to cause substantial increases
in industry-wide estimates of average weekly hours, however. Unless
radically amended, it will not apply to the many areas classified as
having an adequate labor force, and past experience indicates that
exemptions permitting a workweek of less than 48 hours will be
necessary for some employees even in areas of acute labor shortage.16
Since most war plants now have a scheduled workweek of at least
48 hours, they will be little affected in the future by War Manpower
Commission Regulation No. 3. Of greater significance for these
industries is the move to increase the working day to 10 hours, with
an accompanying increase in weekly hours to 50 or longer, which
developed during the fall in some aircraft and other war plants that
had previously had an 8-hour day and a scheduled week of no more
than 48 hours. The 10-hour shift program has not made much prog
ress, and its future appears very uncertain. Where sufficient workers
are not available to man three shifts, the plan would have the ad
vantage of increasing plant utilization. Another argument used
in its favor was that it would decrease absenteeism and turnover by
19 According to information supplied by the W ar Manpower Commission, the proportion of employees
for whom exemptions permitting a workweek of less than 48 hours have been granted is apparently less than
5 percent in most areas, though it is sometimes considerably larger. During November and December, the
Commission received responses to a questionnaire on this subject from 36 areas, all of which had been covered
by Regulation No. 3 since before July 1. The proportions of covered employees reported as exempted were
as follows: 21 areas, under 5 percent; 8 areas, 6 and under 10 percent; 6 areas, 10 and under 16 percent; 1
area, 15 percent and over. As pointed out in an earlier report by the Commission, however, there has not
been enough stall to determine the degree of compliance with the regulation.
578877— 44-
-11
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
854
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
giving workers 2 days off each week. Large sections of the aircraft
industry rejected this point of view, however, and argued instead
that the proposed lengthening of hours would result in lower pro
duction. Union opposition has also been encountered; in at least
one case, the union halted a move to introduce the 10-hour shift
system.
Excessive lengthening of working schedules has been discouraged
by the major Government agencies concerned with the conduct of the
war and with manpower and production problems. In July 1942,
the War, Navy, Commerce, and Labor Departments, War Manpower
Commission, War Production Board, Maritime Commission, and
Public Health Service jointly issued a Recommendation on Hours
of Work for Maximum Production, which contained the following:
Daily and weekly hours of employees in war production plants should be re
examined to assure those schedules which will maintain maximum output over a
long war period. * * * When daily and weekly hours are too long, the rate
of production tends, after a period, to decrease, and the extra hours add little
or no additional output; the quality of work may deteriorate during the whole
period of work, not only during the hours of overtime; absenteeism rises sharply;
the loss of time due to accidents and illnesses tends to increase. * * * For
wartime production the 8-hour day and 48-hour week approximate the best
working schedule for sustained efficiency in most industrial operations.17
In September 1943, the U. S. Department of Labor, after recanvas
sing the Federal war agencies, found that Federal experience sus
tained the recommendations with regard to hours of work for maxi
mum production as quoted above, in a statement summarizing the
results of its investigation, the Department suggested that increased
arrangements for part-time employment of women might be practi
cable. Lengthening of the workday to 10 hours in order to reduce
the number of days worked a week was not believed to be the answer
to the problem of absenteeism among married women. On the
contrary “ in most communities, time spent in transportation, market
ing and home duties under difficult living conditions stretches a
10-hour day into 12, 14, or more. The constant drain upon health
brings about excessive loss of time from sickness and fatigue.” *8
As to minors, the War Manpower Commission has declared it to
be basic national policy that youth under 18 should be employed
only for periods suited to their age and strength and not for more
than 8 hours a day or 6 days a week, with very limited exceptions,
in order to bring about the “ maximum contribution to manpower
needs consistent with the protection of their health and welfare.” 19
These standards are recommended also by the Children’s Bureau
of the U. S. Department of Labor, and have recently been adopted
by the Army Service Forces.20
’ The effect of Government policy with respect to maximum working
hours cannot be isolated from other factors. It is probable, however,
17 Recommendations on Hours of W ork for M aximum Production b y a Committee representing_War
Department, N avy Department, Maritime Commission, Public Health Service, _War Manpower Com
mission, W ar Production Board, Commerce Department, Labor Department. Omce of W ar Informa
is f j . s f Department of Labor, Supplemental Recommendations on Hours of W ork in the Present M an
power Shortage, September 9, 1943.
,
. .
T
on
i* W ar Manpower Commission, Policy on Employment of Youth under 18 Years of Age. January 30,
19^ I n A S F Civilian Personnel Memorandum N o. 88, issued by the Adjutant General on November 5,
1943, it was ordered that no minor under 18 years of age be employed in Arm y Service Forces installations
for “ more than 8 hours a day, 48 hours a week, or 6 days a week, except as temporary deviations from the
above standard may be necessary to meet a special emergency.”
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
linage and Hour Statistics
855
that these statements will continue to operate as a brake upon
extremely long working hours in war industries for the remainder
of the war. Recent developments thus provide an interesting
parallel with conditions in 1917-18, when the War Labor Policies
Board sought for wider adoption of the basic 8-hour day, in order
to dimmish labor unrest and increase production.
Trend of Factory Earnings, 1939 to January 1944
THE published average earnings of factory workers are summarized
in the accompanying table for selected months from January 1939 to
January 1944.1 The earnings shown in this table are on a gross basis
(i. e., before deductions for social security, income and victory taxes,
bond purchases, etc.).
Weekly earnings in all manufacturing averaged $45.15 in January
1944— 94.7 percent above the average in January 1939, 69.5 percent
above January 1941, and 16.1 percent above October 1942. Such
factors as longer hours of work, merit increases for individual workers,
premium pay for overtime worked, changing composition of the labor
force within plants, shifts in the distribution of workers among plants
and among industries, as well as wage-rate increases, account for the
rise in earnings.
Gross hourly earnings in all manufacturing averaged 100.1 cents in
January 1944— 58.4 percent above the average in January 1939,
46.6 percent above January 1941, and 12.1 percent above October
1942.
Straight-time average hourly earnings, as shown in columns 7 to 9,
are estimated to exclude premium pay at time and a half for work in
excess of 40 hours. The effect of extra pay for work on supplementary
shifts and on holidays is included. For all manufacturing, the straighttime average in January 1944 was 93.0 cents per hour; this was 49.3
percent higher than in January 1939, 40.1 percent above January
1941, and 10.8 percent above October 1942.
The shift of workers from relatively low-wage to relatively highwage industries since 1939 would have raised the average earnings of
factory workers, even if no other influences had been present. The
effects of such interindustry shifts have been eliminated from the
averages shown in columns 10 to 12 of the table. If employment had
been distributed between industries as it was in January 1939, the
straight-time hourly earnings of factory workers would have averaged
84.9 cents in January 1944, or 36.3 percent above the corresponding
average in January 1939, 31.0 percent above January 1941, and 8.6
percent above October 1942. Between December 1943 and January
1944 the rise in straight-time hourly earnings, after eliminating the in
fluence of shifting employment, amounted to five-tenths of 1 percent.
Even this latter series of averages exaggerates the rise in wage rates,
because it includes the influence of interplant shifts of employment,
merit increases for individual workers, and premium rates for work
on extra shifts and on holidays.
1
Compare Trends in Factory Wages 1939-43, Monthly Labor Review, November t943, pp. 869-884
especially table 4, p. 879. For detailed data regarding weekly earnings see Detailed Reports for Industria,
and Business Employment, January 1944, table 6, p. 898, Of this issue.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
856
Earnings o f Factory Workers, Selected Months, 1939 to January 1944
Average weekly
earnings
M onth and
year
All
Dura
manu
ble
factur
goods
ing
(2)
(1)
Average hourly
earnings
All
N on
Dura
dura manu ble
factur
ble
goods
ing
goods
(3)
(4)
(5)
Non
dura
ble
goods
(6)
Estimated straighttime average hour
ly earnings 1
Estimated straighttime average hour
ly earnings weight
ed by January 1939
em ploym ent3
N on
All
Dura
dura
manu
ble
ble
factur goods
goods
ing
All
Dura
manu
ble
factur
goods
ing
(7)
(8)
(9)
GO)
(11)
1939: Jan_____ $23.19 $25.33 $21.57 $0. 632 $0. 696 $0. 583 $0.623 $0,688 $0. 574 $0.623 $0,688
.697
.635
.589
.644
.703
.717
.598
.655
1940: Jan_____ 24. 56 27.39 22.01
.711
.648
.601
.664
.722
.749
.610
.683
1941: Jan_____ 26.64 30. 48 22.75
.689
.771
.630
.780
.815
.645
.708
.735
July____ 29.62 33.90 25.16
.810
.729
.835
.670
.762
.890
.688
.801
1942: Jan_____ 33.40 38.98 26.97
.846
.759
.885
.701
. 725
.809
.949
.856
July____ 36.43 42. 51 28.94
.869
.723
.782
.919
.751
.839
.990
.893
30.66
O ct_____ 38.89 45.31
.794
.886
.941
.733
.859
1.017
.768
.919
1943: Jan ____ 40.62 46.68 32.10
.897
.808
.751
.957
.878
.790
.944
1.040
48.67 33.58
A p r____ 42.48
.823
.919
.766
.899
.981
1.060
.806
.963
July____ 42.76 48.76 34. 01
.929
.836
.997
.781
.824
.916
1.086
.988
44.86 51.26 35.18
.935
.840
.783
1.007
.923
.829
1.097
.996
51.67 35.73
N o v ____ 45.32
.942
.845
.788
1.010
.832
.927
1.093
.995
Dec.3___ 44.58 50.50 35.61
.849
.946
.792
.930
1.013
1.099
.837
35.91
1.001
51.21
1944: Jan.3___ 45.15
N on
dura
ble
goods
(12)
$0. 574
. 589
.600
.628
.667
. 694
.716
.724
.741
.750
.765
.768
.773
.776
1 Average hourly earnings, excluding the effect of premium pay for overtime.
j Average hourly earnings, excluding premium pay for overtime, weighted by man-hours of employment
in the major divisions of the manufacturing industry for January 1939
* Preliminary.
Earnings of Factory Workers in India, 1940
EARNINGS of workers in most of the manufacturing industries in
India showed increases in 1940 as compared with 1939. The accom
panying table gives, for the 10 major manufacturing groups, average
yearly earnings, as reported by employers for workers earning less
than 200 rupees per month.1
Average Annual Wages in Specified Industry Groups in India, 1939 and 1940 1
1939
1940
Industry
A ll industries......................................... ...............................
Average
number of
workers
Average
wage
A ’ erage
nui iber of
w< rkers
Average
wage
1,285,100
R u pees 3
307.7
1,171,400
R u pees3
287.5
850,900
115.300
65, 400
56,000
53, 200
50,900
16,600
49,900
3, 200
23, 700
302.9
345.0
491.5
229.6
360.3
175.3
327.1
408.5
462.7
261.0
795, 700
83,000
62,100
52,400
51,700
42, 200
12, 000
26, 600
1,800
20, 500
293.5
263.5
457.2
244.8
332.7
194.2
285.8
361.9
367.4
281.2
i The subgroups, “ food, drink, and tobacco,” and “ gins and presses,” are not included in this study, as
factories coming under them are mainly seasonal.
Under “ engineering,” the railway workers are excluded
because the Payment of Wages Act returns are for factories other than those on railways. “ M ints and
“ ordnance factories” are shown as separate subgroups.
3 Average exchange of rupee in 1940=30 cents; in 1939=33 cents.
1 Indian Labor Gazette (Delhi), December,'1943, p. 130.
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Wage and Hour Statistics
857
Swedish Master Wage Agreement for 1 9 4 4 1
AFTER lengthy negotiations, a new master wage agreement for 1944
was concluded, on January 26, 1944, between the Federation of
Swedish Employers and the Swedish Confederation of Labor. The
new agreement provides for continuance of the present cost-of-living
allowances (20.7 percent of the basic wages in 1938). If the official
cost-of-living index computed by the Social Board should rise to 249
(from the present 240), the allowance will be increased by 5 percent
of the basic wage rate in 1938. In the event that this index declines
later during 1944, this extra 5-percent allowance will not be removed
until the index is below 237. The old clause providing for a gradual
reduction in extra wages, if the cost-of-living index should decline, is
abolished in the new agreement. It has been replaced by a new
regulation by which the agreement may be canceled if the index
drops below 220. As in 1943, the 1944 agreement may be canceled
if the cost-of-living index increases to at least 257 during the year.
The success of the Swedish Government’s price-stabilization
measures, introduced on November 1, 1942, is evidenced by the
quarterly cost-of-living indexes for 1943: 239 on January 1; 240 on
April 1; 239 on July 1; 239 on October 1; and 240 on January 1,
1944. In view of these figures it is expected that wages during 1944
will remain relatively unchanged.
i Data are from report by Grant Olson, attaché at the United States Legation in Stockholm, January 31,
1944.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
fFage and Hour R egulation
Minimum Wages and Working Conditions for Agricul
ture in Argentina, 1 9 4 3 1
M IN IM U M wages established by decree No. 14672 (November 20,
1943) for certain areas in Argentina, for the harvest season of 1943-44,
vary from 5 to 10 pesos 2 per day and from 40 to 145 pesos per month.
Minimum requirements for the working and living conditions of the
agricultural laborers were also fixed by the same decree. Rates which
may be charged for the threshing of wheat and flaxseed were set at
1.20 and 1.45 pesos per quintal,3 respectively, and for harvesting
these by combine, 15 and 16 pesos per hectare,4 respectively. These
rates were to apply in the Provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe,
Córdoba, and Entre Ríos, and in the territory of La Pampa and 4
departments each of San Luis and Santiago del Estero.
M in im u m Wage Rates
Separate wages are provided in the decree for various classes of
workers (those working with binders, headers, threshing machines—
by day or month and by crew — or combines). The lowest monthly
pay is 40 pesos for minors who are employed as stable boys, and the
highest, 145 pesos for firemen with threshing machines. The lowest
daily wage for unskilled laborers in most kinds of work is set at 5.50
pesos per day, but in crews with threshing machines, a daily rate of
5 pesos for various kinds of work is fixed. The highest daily rate is
that of stackers— 10 pesos per day. Crews with threshing machines
are to be paid at piece rates, per hundred kilograms 5 threshed— 0.32
peso for wheat and 0.42 peso for flax and other seeds. For workers
with combines, rates range from 0.03 to 0.05^ peso per bag of grain,
but unspecified laborers and those moving and loading bags are paid
time rates of 5.50 and 6.50 pesos per day, respectively.
The wages specified are general only and are the minimum wages
to be paid on normal production, adjustments being made to conform
to local custom. In case of variation from this standard, as to yield
or type of machinery used, the wage rates are to be adjusted ac
cordingly. The wages established by the present decree shall not
affect higher wages already being paid in certain areas. Every agree
ment with the worker by which he is to receive a wage lower than that
fixed in this decree shall be void. For violations the employer will be
subject to penalties contained in article 9 of law No. 12591 of Septem1 Data are from Derecho del Trabajo, Buenos Aires, December 1943; Argentina Fabril, Buenos Aires,
October 1939; Boletín del Trabajo, Buenos Aires, Año X I X , No. 181.
2 Free market exhange rate of Argentine peso, December 1943=25.1 cents.
3 The quintal in Argentina is equivalent to 101.3 pounds.
4 Heetare=2.471 acres.
8 Kilogram=2.2046 pounds.
858
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Regulations
859
ber 8, 1939 (200 pesos, minimum fine; and in case of repetition of
offense, imprisonment from 1 month to 6 years, in addition); any
enterprise having national or Provincial legal personality which
violates these provisions, shall lose its charter. In order to avoid
unjust wage claims receipts are to be required upon payment of wages,
specifying the number of quintals harvested or number of days worked.
Other M in im u m Standards
The workday shall be from sunrise to sunset. Time shall be counted
by days, half days, and quarter days, but when work is begun, pay
ment shall be made for at least a quarter day.
Forty minutes shall be allowed at 8 o’clock for breakfast; an hour
and a half at noon for lunch; and 30 minutes at 4 o’clock for afternoon
refreshment. Breakfast shall consist of mate or coffee, and cheese or
cold or roast meat: lunch shall consist of soup, boiled dinner with vege
tables or stew (quiso); at 4 o’clock mate must be provided, and at
night soup and a dish of meat or guiso— and hardtack if desired.
Fresh water is to be provided throughout the day. If wine is provided
or sold, the amount is not to exceed one-fourth of a liter per person
and per principal meal.
When roofed shelter is not provided, each gang shall have at least
a tent large enough to spend the night in, and an awning to shelter
them from the sun during rest periods. Trestles and planks must be
provided for tables and benches. The employer is required to place
at the exclusive disposal of the workers a lantern for each 10 persons.
Employers must insure their workers through a policy covering the
same risks as the national workmen’s compensation law No. 9688 of
October 11, 1915, as amended by law No. 12631 of July 4, 1940.
Each work crew must be provided with a complete first-aid kit. The
prompt removal (at the employer’s expense) of an injured worker to
a place where he can receive medical attention is also compulsory.
Enforcement
The National Commissioners in the Provinces and the Governors
in the Territories are directed to adopt measures for the carrying out
of the present decree, but the Ministry of Agriculture and the National
Labor Bureau are to fix the general standards of application, and en
force compliance.
Agricultural Wage Rates for England and W ales1
ON December 1, 1943, the Agricultural Wages Board raised the
statutory minimum and overtime rates for agricultural workers in
England and Wales.
The national minimum rate for adult males in all districts is increased
to 65s. a week,2 an increase of 5s. from the level to which the Board
raised wages in December 1941.3 The normal week for males remains
unchanged at 48 or 50 hours in winter and 50 or 52 hours in summer in
i Data are from Great Britain, Ministry of Labor Gazette (London), December 1943.
3 Exchange rate of pound (20 shillings) in 1943=$4.035
3 See M onthly Labor Review, February 1942 (pp. 501, 502).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
860
some sections of the country and 50 hours all year round in others. In
most districts the weekly minimum wage for women is raised by 3s.
to 48s. With certain exceptions, normal weekly hours for female
workers are set at 48 in winter and 50 in summer or 48 all the year
round. Weekly minimum wages for boys and youths range from 26s.
for boys of 14 years to 60s. for youths of 20 in the majority of districts.
Girls receive from 24s. a week at 14 years of age to 41s. at 17 years.
These new minima for juveniles represent increases of 2s. to 4s. per
week for boys and of 2s. to 3s. for girls. Rates established for special
ized occupations, such as tending animals, also are increased.
The new orders raised overtime rates in many cases. For overtime
performed on an ordinary weekday, current minimum payments are
not less than Is. 6d. an hour for men and Is. 2d. an hour for women.
Hourly rates of Is. lOd. and Is. 5d., respectively, are paid for overtime
on the weekly “ short day,” on Sundays, and on specified holidays.
Scales of minimum hourly rates have been drawn up in all dis
tricts for part-time and casual workers. In most cases rates for
males range from 6^d. to Is. 4d. an hour, depending on the worker’s
age. Similarly, hourly minima for female workers are 6d. to Is. Rates
for boys and girls aged 12 and under 14 years are 5d. an hour, or
5^d. to 6d. in some districts.
Removal of Wage Inequalities in New Zealand1
ON February 2, 1944, an amendment to the New Zealand Economic
Stabilization Emergency Regulations of 1942 made possible wage
increases for lower-paid workers. The measure was taken for the
benefit of certain groups of workers whose wages were exceptionally
low when the emergency regulations were introduced. If low-scale
rates are increased under the new regulations, the margin between
lower rates and the wages of other workers will be reduced. In order not
to endanger the stabilization program, higher-paid workers will not
be permitted wage increases merely to maintain their margins.
Under the new legislation, wages commissioners were granted
authority to approve increases for workers whose weekly wages were
below £5 5s.2for men and £3 Os. for women. The increased minimum
rates are not to exceed the limits shown above. The Court of Arbi
tration’s function ’of wage settlement also was restored with regard
to workers whose wages come within such limits. In addition, the
Court of Arbitration may grant a wage increase for any worker who
was entitled to an advance on December 15, 1942, owing to extra
work, etc., and who would have received it after that date if the
emergency regulations had not been promulgated. Requests for this
last type of increase must be filed by employers not later than March
31, 1944, and will not be approved unless the Court is satisfied that
otherwise an injustice would result.
The amendment further provides the Economic Stabilization Com
mission with power to inspect books and other documents, and to
require persons to furnish information. Such authority was found
to be necessary in carrying out the Commission’s functions and dis
covering infringements of the emergency regulations.
i
D ata are from report by Basil D . Dahl, United States commercial attaché, Wellington, February«,
1944 (N o. 31).
* Average exchange rate of New Zealand pound in 1943=$3.24.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Cost o f Living and R etail Prices
Cost of Living in Large Cities, February 1944
LOWER food prices in most cities brought living essentials down by
0.3 percent between mid-January and mid-February. Food prices
declined by 1.2 percent on the average, while prices of other goods
and services rose by 0.3 percent. In February the cost of living was
slightly below April 1943 when the President’s “ hold the line” order
was issued. The Bureau of Labor Statistics index in February 1944
stood at 123.7 percent of the 1935-39 average, about 23 percent above
the January 1941 level. During the year, prices of necessaries in
creased 2.2 percent. Rents are almost unchanged, food has been
practically stabilized in price, while clothing prices are 6.8 percent
higher and the average costs of fuel, housefurnishings and equipment,
and miscellaneous goods and services are 3 to 4 percent higher.
The reduction in food prices from January 15 to February 15 was
somewhat greater than usual at this time of year because of the un
usual decline in green vegetables and oranges. Ordinarily there is a
seasonal rise in fresh produce. This year there were declines because
of unusually large supplies of certain vegetables and the establishment
of community ceilings on produce in many localities. The increases
for apples, onions, potatoes, and sweetpotatoes were seasonal, while
eggs declined. Average prices for fresh and frozen fish declined 3.7
percent, as several species of fresh fish were placed under ceilings on
January 27. Food supplies in February were on the whole larger
than in January, although the shortages of cheese, butter, some grades
of meat, and the better grades of apples continued in several sections
of the country. Supplies of pork continued to be large, prices declined
seasonally, and consumers were allotted more ration points for pork.
Increases in clothing prices were general, but in most cases small.
Prices of the kinds of rayon stockings priced for the cost-of-living
index rose on the average 1.2 percent. Shortages of merchandise in
the lower-cost brackets (particularly men’s work shoes, men’s and
women’s felt hats, women’s rayon underwear, and girdles) resulted in
higher costs in most of the cities surveyed. Some stores were holding
clearance sales of winter clothing in February, but the stocks for clear
ance were too small to warrant the inclusion of the sales prices in the
cost-of-living index.
Shortages of inexpensive quality housefurnishings were also re
ported in many cities. The cost of living-room and bedroom suites,
wool rugs, and stoves went up on this account. Clearance prices for
war-model living-room suites and for limited stocks of certain types of
blankets were not included in the index for February.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
861
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
862
Fuel prices advanced 0.7 percent between January and February.
Coal prices rose generally because of increased labor costs under the
7-day workweek. The average advance for anthracite was about
48 cents per ton, and for bituminous coal approximately 3 cents per
ton. Coke prices in East North Central cities were up by 50 cents
a ton.
The cost of miscellaneous goods and services rose 0.3 percent over
the month. The cost of medical care increased in 12 cities. Occa
sional advances were reported for beauty- and barber-shop services,
newspapers, and motion pictures. Upward adjustments of laundry
prices allowed by OPA were reported in 5 cities while 1 reported
a, decrease. Shoe-repair prices continued to rise in most large cities.
T able 1 .— Indexes o f Cost of Living in Large Cities, February 15, 1944, and Previous
Dates
Indexes 1 (1935-39=100) of cost of—
Date
All items
1939: August 15____________
~
1941: January 15________________
1942: M a y 15_____ . . -----------September 15_
1944: January 15 _________ _____
February 15........................ -
98.6
100.8
116.0
117. 8
121. 0
124.1
123.7
Food
93.5
97.8
121. 6
326.6
133.6
136.1
134.5
Clothing
100.3
100.7
126. 2
125.8
126.2
134.5
134.8
Rent
104.3
105.0
109. 9
108.0
108.0
(2)
(2)
Fuel,
electric
ity, and
ice
Housefurnish
ings
97.5
100.8
104.9
106. 2
107.2
109. 5
110.3
100.6
100.1
122.2
123.6
124.1
128.1
128.2
Miscel
laneous
100.4
101.9
110.9
111.4
113.6
118.3
118.6
1 Based on changes in cost of goods purchased by wage earners and lower-salaried workers.
2 Rents surveyed at quarterly dates: M ar. 15, June 15, Sept. 15, and Dec. 15.
T a b l e 2 . — Percent of Change1 in Cost of Living in Large Cities in Specified Periods,
by Croups of Items
Date
AH
items
Food
Jan. 15,1944, to Feb. 15, 1944_______
Feb. 15, 1943, to Feb. 15, 1944______
Sept. 15, 1942, to Feb. 15, 1944_____
M a y 15, 1942, to Feb. 15, 1944______
Jan. 15, 1941, to Feb. 15, 1944_______
Aug. 15, 1939, to Feb. 15, 1944_____
- 0 .3
+ 2 .2
+ 5 .0
+ 6 .6
+ 2 2 .7
+ 2 5 .5
— 1.2
+• 7
+ 6 .2
+ 1 0 .6
+ 3 7 .5
+ 4 3 .9
Cloth
ing
R e n t2
Fuel,
electricv
ity and
ice
Housefurnish
ings
+ 0 ,2
+ 6 .8
+ 7 .2
+ 6 .8
+ 3 3 .9
+ 3 4 .4
(3)
+ 0 .1
+ .1
-1 .6
+ 3 .0
+ 3 .6
+ 0 .7
+ 2 .9
+ 3 .9
+ 5 .1
+ 9 .4
+ 13.1
+ 0 .1
+ 3 .3
+ 3 .7
+ 4 .9
+28.1
+ 2 7 .4
1 Based on changes in cost of goods purchased by wage earners and lower-salaried workers.
2 Changes through Dec. 15,1943.
? Rents surveyed at quarterly dates: M ar. 15, June 15, Sept. 15, and Dec. 15.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Miscel
laneous
+ 0 .3
+ 4 .4
+ 6 .5
+ 6 .9
+ 1 6 .4
+18.1
863
Cost of Living and Retail Prices
Table 3 .— Percent of Change1 in Cost of Living in Specified Periods, by Cities
Feb. 15,
1943, to
Feb. 15,
1944
City
Aug. 15,
1939, to
Feb. 15,
1944
Jan. 1,
1941, to
Feb. 15,
1944
M a y 15,
1942, to
Feb. 15,
1944
Sept. 15,
1942, to
Feb. 15,
1944
Average: Large cities_______________________________
+ 2 .2
+ 2 5 .5
+ 2 2 .7
+ 6 .6
+ 5 .0
N ew England: Boston_____ _______________
Middle Atlantic:
Buffalo____________________ ________________
New York_________________
Philadelphia________________________ . .
Pittsburgh____________ ______
East North Central:
C hicago.. ____________ _ _
_____
Cincinnati_________ ._ _______
Cleveland_______. _________ _
Detroit____ ________ ________________
W est North Central:
Kansas C ity_____________
Minneapolis_______ . . . _ ........... ...................
St. Louis___ ______________________
South Atlantic:
Baltimore______________________ .
Savannah___ ____________ . .
Washington, D . C ___ ___
East South Central: Birmingham______
W est South Central: H o u s t o n ...... . . .
Mountain: Denver____ __________
Pacific:
Los Angeles_____________ _____ _ _.
San Francisco_______ _________
Seattle______ . . ________ _____ _____ _
+ 1 .3
+ 2 4 .0
+ 2 1 .5
+ 6 .2
+ 3 .6
0
+ 3 .2
+ 2 .6
+ 2 .5
+ 2 6 .9
+ 2 5 .3
+ 2 5 .6
+ 2 5 .8
+ 2 2 .7
+ 2 2 .8
+ 2 3 .8
+ 2 2 .3
+ 3 .7
+ 9 .4
+ 7 .1
+ 6 .9
+ 3 .7
+ 6 .6
+ 5 .0
+ 5 ,4
+ 1. 4
+ 2 .8
+ 3 .2
+ 1 .7
+ 2 3 .9
+ 2 6 .8
+ 2 7 .7
+ 2 6 .2
+ 2 0 .8
+23. 9
+ 2 5 .2
+ 2 3 .1
+ 5 .0
+6. 5
+ 7 .5
+ 4 .6
+ 4 .3
+ 4 .6
+ 6 .8
+ 5 .0
+ 2 .6
+ 1 .2
+ 2 .0
+ 2 3 .5
+ 2 1 .4
+ 2 4 .7
+ 2 3 .8
+ 1 8 .9
+ 2 1 .1
+ 6 .7
+ 4 .4
+ 5 .8
+ 6 .2
+ 3 .6
4-4.9
+ 2 .5
+ 4 .5
+ 3 .0
+ 4 .1
+ 1 .7
+ 1 .9
+ 2 7 .1
+ 3 2 .8
+ 2 4 .6
+ 2 8 .3
+ 2 2 .0
+ 2 4 .3
+ 2 4 .5
+ 3 0 .1
+ 2 3 .0
+ 2 4 .4
+ 2 0 .5
+ 2 2 .6
+ 6 .1
+ 9 .1
+ 7 .1
+ 6 .5
+ 5 .8
+ 6 .1
+ 4 .7
+ 8 .0
+ 5 .0
4-6.4
+ 4 .2
4-4.6
+ 2 .4
+ 2 .2
+ 1 .2
+ 2 5 .2
+ 2 8 .2
+ 2 7 .3
+ 2 2 .7
+ 2 5 .0
+ 2 5 .1
+ 6 .5
4-8.2
+ 5 .4
+ 3 .4
+ 5 .3
+ 4 .1
1 Based on indexes of cost of goods purchased by[wage[earners[and lower-salaried workers.
T a b l e 4 . — Percent of Change1 in Cost of Living, January 15 to February 15, 1944, by
Groups of Items and Cities
City
Average: Large cities__________
All items
_____
N ew England: Boston.. _______
Middle Atlantic:
Buffalo_________ ____
New York___________ .
Philadelphia___ _______ .
Pittsburgh_____________
East North Central:
C hicago__________
Cincinnati......................... ...
Cleveland__________________
D e tr o it... ________
W est North Central:
Kansas C ity___________ .
Minneapolis____________
St. Louis______ ___
South Atlantic:.
Baltimore____ _______ _
Savannah_____
______
Washington, D . C __.
East South Central: Birmingham .
W est South Central: H o u s t o n .____
Mountain: Denver_______ _
Pacific:
Los Angeles_______ _____
San Francisco______________
Seattle. . . . . ___ __
.
1 Based
2 Rents
3 Based
4 Based
8 Based
Food
Fuel,
HouseClothing electricity furnish
and ice
ings
2- 0 . 3
3 - 1 .2
H -0.2
»+ 0.7
H -0 .1
- .6
-1 .7
+ .1
+ 1 .1
0
+ .1
- .2
-.6
- .4
- .4
- .7
-1 .9
- 1 .3
-1 :1
+ .2
+ .4
0
+ .5
+ 1 .8
+ 1 .0
+ 1 .9
+ .1
0
+ .3
+ .3
+ .5
0
+ 1 .1
+. 1
-. 1
-.3
- .4
+ .1
-.5
-.9
- 1 .0
-. 1
-1 .4
+ .2
+ .1
+ .3
+ .4
+ .2
0
+ .2
+ .2
+ .5
0
0
+ .1
—. 1
+ .2
+ .5
-.1
0
+ .2
- .5
-.4
+ .5
-1 .4
+ .5
+ .3
+ .4
+ .8
+ .1
0
0
0
0
+ .2
+ .2
+ .2
- .5
-.3
- .6
-.8
- .4
0
-1 .6
- 1 .1
- 2 .1
- 2 .0
-1 .2
- .2
+ .7
+ .7
+ .3
0
+. 1
+ .6
+ 1 .4
0
+ 1 .2
+ .3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
+ .8
+ .2
4-. 1
+. 3
0
4. i
0
-.4
-.5
- .5
- 1 .1
-1 .4
- 1 .3
+ .1
+ .7
+ .2
0
+ .5
0
0
0
0
+ .2
0
-.1
on indexes of cost of goods purchased by wage earners and lower-salaried workers.
surveyed at quarterly dates: M ar. 15, June 15, Sept. 15, and Dec. 15.
on prices for 56 cities collected on Tuesday nearest fifteenth of month.
on data for 21 cities.
on data for 34 cities.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Miscel
laneous
4+ 0 . 3
864
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
T able 5.— Indexes of Cost o f Living in Large Cities, 1935 to February 1944
Indexes 1 (1935-39=100) of cost of—
Year
All items
1935
________________ ______ _
1936
____ _______ ________
1937
__________________________
1938 ___________________________
________________________
1939
1940
__________________________
1941
____ __________________
1942
______________________ 1943:
Feb 15
____________
Oct. 15 ____________________
N ov. 15 ___________________
1944:
Feb. 15
__________________
Food
Clothing
R e n t3
Fuel, elec Housefurnish
tricity,
and ice
ings
Miscel
laneous
98.1
99.1
102.7
100.8
99.4
100.2
105.2
116.5
100.4
101.3
105.3
97.8
95.2
96.6
105.5
123.9
96.8
97.6
102.8
102.2
100.5
101.7
106.3
124.2
94.2
96.4
100.9
104.1
104.3
104.6
106.2
108.5
100.7
100.2
100.2
99.9
99.0
99.7
102.2
105.4
94.8
96.3
104.3
103.3
101.3
100.5
107.3
122.2
98.1
98.7
101.0
101.5
100.7
101.1
104.0
110.9
120.7
121.0
122.8
124.1
125.1
124.8
123.9
123.4
123.9
124.4
124.2
124.4
133.0
133.6
137.4
140.6
143.0
141.9
139.0
137.2
137.4
138.2
137.3
137.1
126.0
126.2
127.6
127.9
127.9
127.9
129.1
129.6
132.5
133.3
133.5
134.6
108.0
108.0
108.0
108.0
108.0
108.0
108.0
108.0
108.0
108.0
108.0
108.1
107.3
107.2
107.4
107.5
107.6
107.7
107.6
3 107.6
3 107.6
3 107. 8
3 107. 9
3 109.4
123.8
124.1
124.5
124.8
125.1
125.4
125.6
125.9
126.3
126.7
126.9
127.9
113.2
113.6
114.5
114.9
115.3
115.7
116.1
116.5
117.0
117.6
117.7
118.1
124.1
123.7
136.1
134.5
134.5
134.8
(2)
(2)
109.5
110.3
128.1
128.2
118.3
118.6
1 Based on changes in cost of goods purchased by wage earners and lower-salaried workers.
2 Rents surveyed at quarterly dates: M ar. 15, June 15, Sept. 15, and Dec. 15.
3 Index revised because of a reporting error in Houston gas rates.
W W W
Retail Prices of Food in February 1944
PERCENTAGE changes in retail food costs on February 15, 1944,
as compared with costs in February and September 1943, January
1941, and August 1939, are given in table 1.
T a b l e 1.— Percent of Change in Retail Costs o f Food in 56 Large Cities Combined, 1 in
Specified Periods, by Commodity Groups
Commodity group
Pork
__________________________ _________
Jan. 18,
1944,
to
Feb. 15,
1944
Feb. 16,
1943,
to
Feb. 15,
1944
Sept. 15,
1942,
to
Feb. 15,
1944
Jan. 14,
1941,
to
Feb. 15,
1944
-1 .2
+ 0 .7
+ 6 .2
+ 3 7 .5
+ 4 3 .9
- .4
- .4
0
- .3
+ .1
0
-2 .9
0
-7 .4
- 2 .2
- 2 .7
+ .1
+ .2
-.1
- .2
0
+ 1 .5
-4 .1
-7 .4
-1 0 .9
- 2 .3
+ 4 .5
+ 1 2 .5
- 1 .8
+ 2 .6
—.1
- 5 .3
- 9 .3
+ 1 3 .9
+ 2 9 .1
+ 9 .0
+30. 7
+ 3 5 .7
+ 5 4 .2
+ 8 2 .9
+ 2 7 .0
+ 4 6 .4
+ 7 4 .7
+ 8 2 .7
+ 4 2 .0
+ 6 3 .8
+ 3 6 .7
+ 5 4 .2
+ 3 2 .8
+ 1 5 .7
+ 3 6 .4
+ 1 9 .8
+ 2 7 .8
+ 3 5 .5
+ 5 8 .5
+118.0
+ 4 3 .4
+ 5 7 .2
+ 7 6 .4
+ 8 3 .8
4 4 1 .7
+ 8 0 .6
+ 3 1 .0
+ 4 6 .5
+ 3 2 .4
-
1.0
+ 9 .5
+ 1 1 .6
-1 .1
+ 4 .2
- .4
- 1 .8
- .6
+ 12.1
+ 2 9 .1
+ 4 .5
- 8 .1
+ 2 5 .7
+ 3 0 .9
+ 4 .8
+ 1 3 .7
+ .4
+ 2 .6
- .3
Aug. 15,
1939,
to
Feb. 15,
1944
i The number of cities included in the index was changed from 51 to 56 in March 1943, with the necessary
adjustments for maintaining comparability. A t the same time the number of foods in the index was in
creased from 54 to 61.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
R E T A IL C O S T O F
AVERAGE
FOR
ALL
LARG E
FOODS
C IT IE S
Cost of Living and Retail Prices
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
CO
O'
On
866
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
867
Cost of Living and Retail Prices
/
T able
2 .— Indexes o f Retail F ood Costs in 5 6 1 Large Cities Com bined , 2 b y Com m od ity
G roups, on Specified Dates
[1935-39=100]
1944
1943
1942
1941
1939
Feb. 16
Sept. 15
Jan. 14
Aug. 15
Commodity group
Feb. 153
Jan 18
__
134.5
136.1
133.6
126.6
97.8
93.5
Cereals and bakery products______________
M eats________________________ _____________
Beef and veal________ ___
_ .. _ .
Pork_______________ ____________________
Lam b_____________ __________________
Chickens____.
. . . _____ ___ ____
Fish, fresh and canned____ __________
Dairy products________________ _____ ______
Eggs------------------------------------------------------------Fruits and vegetables_____________________
Fresh______ .... _______ ____________
Canned________________________________
Dried__________________________________
Beverages__________________________________
Fats and oils________________
___________
Sugar and sweets_____i ____________________
108.1
130. 5
119.3
112.5
133. 9
149.9
217.1
133.5
142.6
163.0
170.6
129.8
163.1
124.3
123.8
126.6
108.5
131.0
119.3
112.8
133.8
149.9
223.5
133.5
154.0
166.7
175.3
129.7
<162.8
124.4
124.0
126.6
106.5
136.1
128.9
126.3
137.1
143.4
193.0
135.9
144.1
148.9
152.8
131. 3
156.5
124.8
126.1
127.4
105.4
130.6
126.0
124.0
133.7
133.7
168.2
127.7
155.2
129.7
130.3
123.8
143. 4
123. 8
120.7
127.0
94.9
101.1
109.4
86.1
98.7
97.2
118.7
105.1
97.4
93.3
93.4
91.4
99.6
90.9
80.3
95.3
93.4
95.7
99.6
88.0
98.8
94.6
99.6
93.1
90.7
92.4
92.8
91.6
90.3
94.9
84.5
95.6
All foods___________________ _____
___
1 Indexes based on 51 cities combined prior to March 1943.
2 Aggregate costs of 61 foods (54 foods prior to March 1943) in each city, weighted to represent total pur
chases of families of wage earners and lower-salaried workers, have been combined ,with the use of popula
tion weights.
3 Preliminary.
< Revised.
T a b l e 3 . — A m i age Retail P rices o f 78 Foods in 5 6 Large Cities Combined.} F ebrua ry 1 9 4 4 ,
Com pared with Earlier M onths
1943
1944
1941
1939
Article
Feb ,152 J a n .18
Cereals and bakery products:
Cereals:
Flour, wheat___________ ________ __ ____ ..1 0 pounds..
M a ca ro n i... ____ ________________ ____________ pound..
W heat cereal3_____________________ _________ 28 ounces..
Corn flakes_______________ ________ . . . . . .8 ounces..
Corn meal_________________________
_d.o__
Rice 3______________________________ ___ ______ __
Rolled oats_________________________ ________________ do__
Flour, pancake 3_________ _________ ___ _____ 20 ounces.
Bakery products:
____ ______pound..
Bread, white_____ . . . . . . . .
_______________ do.._
Bread, whole-wheat ___________
Bread, rye__________________________ _____________ _do__
Vanilla cookies_____________________ ________ ______ _do__
Soda crackers___________ __________ ________________ do__
Meats:
Beef:
Round steak.______________ _______ _______________ do__
Rib roast_________ ______ _____ . . . _________ __ ___do__
_____________ do__
Chuck roast___ . . . . . . _________
______________ do__
Stew m e a t3. . .
... .
Liver_________ _____________ ______ ________ ______do__
Hamburger- ___________________ . ________________ do__
Veal:
Cutlets_________ _________________ _______ _______do__
Roast, boned and rolled 3 . _____
Pork:
Chops______________________________ _______________ d o -Bacon, sliced_____
______________ ______________ do__
Ham , sliced________________________ _______ ______do__
H am , whole_______ ___________ . _ ___________ _do__
Salt pork_____ _______ ___ _______ __ _ __________ do__
_______________ do__
Liver 3 . _____________ __ ___
__ __________ do__
Sausage 3____
___ . _ ________
___ ______ __ do ..
Bologna, big 3______________ _______
See footn o te s a t end o f table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Dec. 15 J a n .14 Aug. 15
Cents
65.1
15.5
23.3
6.5
5.9
12.8
8.7
11.9
Cents
64.6
15.5
23.3
6.5
5.9
12.8
8.7
< 11.9
Cents
63.4
15.6
23.3
6.6
5.9
12.7
8.7
11.7
Cents
41.4
13.8
23.5
7.1
4.2
7.9
7.1
0
Cents
35.8
14.0
24.2
7.0
4.0
7.5
7.1
0
8.8
9.7
10.0
28.9
18.8
8.9
9.8
10.0
28.8
18.7
8.9
9.8
10.1
28.7
18.7
7.8
8.7
9.0
25.1
15.0
7.8
8.8
9.2
(8)
14.8
42.0
33.9
29.3
31.8
37.5
28.6
42.0
34.0
29.2
<31.7
37.2
28.7
41.8
34.1
29.0
31.6
37.1
28.8
38.6
31.5
25.2
0
0
0
36.4
28.9
22.5
0
(s)
0
46.0
35.6
46.0
35.4
46.1
35.9
45.2
0
42.5
0
37.4
41.2
51.5
35.5
22.5
22.2
38.5
34.5
37.6
41.4
51.6
35.6
22.6
22.2
38.4
34.4
37.6
41.4
51.8
35.7
22.7
22.1
38.3
34.4
29.1
30.1
45.1
26.2
16.7
(5)
30.9
30.4
46.4
27.4
15.4
0
0
0
0
0
868
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
T a b l e 3.— A verage R etail P rices o f 78 F oods in 5 6 Large Cities C om bined,1 F ebrua ry 1 9 4 4 ,
Compared, with E arlier M on th s — C o n tin u e d
1944
1943
1941
1939
Article
Feb .152 J a n .18
M eats— Continued.
Lamb:
Leg--------------------------------------------------------Rib chops__________________________ . . . ____________ do__
Poultry: Roasting chickens____ _____ . .
____________ do—
Fish:
Fish (fresh, frozen)_____________________ ______ _____ do__
___ ____ 16-oz. can ..
Salmon, pink__________ ________
Salmon, red 3___________________________ ____________ do_.
Dairy Products:
B u t t e r ..._________ _________________________
Cheese.. . .............. ............... ........................... ____________ do__
M ilk , fresh (delivered)___ _________ ______ _________ quart..
M ilk , fresh (grocery)____________ ______ ____ ____________ d o ..
M ilk , evaporated__________________________ ...1 4 ^ -o z . can ..
Eggs:
Eggs, fresh.______ ________ _________________
Fruits and vegetables:
Fresh fruits:
A p p le s ...______________________________ ________pound..
Bananas_______________________________
Oranges_______________________________ _________ dozen..
Grapefruit3_______ ____________________
Fresh vegetables:
Beans, green_____________________ .
________pound._
Cabbage________ _____ __________ __ . . . ____________ do._
Carrots_________________________________ ________bu nch ..
Lettuce________________________________ __________head..
Onions_________________________________ ________pound..
Potatoes..___________ _______ __________ ____ 15 pounds..
Spinach_____________________________ . . ............p o u n d ..
Sweetpotatoes__________________________ __ _________ do__
Beets 3__________________________________ .......... ..b u n c h ..
-Canned fruits:
Peaches________________________________ . .. N o . 2)4 can ..
Pineapple____________ . . . . . . ________
Grapefruit juice________________ ______ _ ____ N o. 2 can ..
Canned vegetables:
Beans, g re e n ...______________________ .
Corn___________________________ ________
P e a s._________ _________________________
Tomatoes________________ _________
Soup, vegetable 3______________________ ___ 11-oz. can ..
Dried fruits:
Prunes________________ . . ____________ ________pound ..
Dried vegetables:
N avy beans____ ____________________ _ ____________ do__
Soup, dehydrated, chicken noodle 3.__ ...........___ounce__
Beverages:
Coffee______________________ . . _______ __
T ea.. __________ _________________ ________
.........V\ pound..
Cocoa 3____ ______ _______ _________________ ____ Vi pound..
Fats and oils:
Lard. ________________________
_
Shortening other than lard—
In cartons_________________ ____________
In other containers______________ ______ _________ _.do__
Salad dressing_________________________
__________ pint,..
Oleomargarine__________ ___________________
Peanut butter___ _________________________ _______ ___do__
Oil, cooking or salad 3_________ __________ __________ p in t..
Sugar and sweets:
Sugar_________ ____ ________ ____________
Corn sirup___
. . ________________________ ____ 24 ounces..
Molasses 3__________________________________ ____ 18 ounces..
Apple butter 3____________________ _________ ___ 16 ounces..
Cents
40.1
45.3
44.7
Cents
40.1
45.3
44.9
Cents
40.3
45.7
44.7
Cents
27.8
35.0
31.1
0
24.0
42.6
0
23.2
41.8
0
23.4
41.3
(0)
15.7
26.4
50.2
35.9
15.6
14.4
10.0
50.2
36.1
15.6
14.4
10.0
50.2
36.0
15.6
14.4
10.0
38.0
27.0
13.0
11.9
7.1
30.7
24.7
12.0
11.0
6.7
50.3
54.3
63.9
34.9
32.0
11.2
11.5
37.6
6.9
10.8
11.7
40.5
7.4
10.5
12.2
43.4
7.4
5.2
6.6
27.3
0
4.4
6. 1
31.5
0
23.4
5.8
9.0
11.3
8.1
64.9
10.5
10.8
9.0
25.9
6.0
10.4
12.2
7.7
64.1
11.6
10.6
9.6
18.1
5.5
10.2
13.0
7.4
62.7
10.0
10.0
9.8
14.0
3.4
6.0
8.4
3.6
29.2
7.3
5.0
0
7.2
3.9
4.6
8.4
3.6
34.4
7.8
5.5
0
27.2
27.6
14.4
27.0
27.7
14.4
26.4
27.8
14.4
16.5
20.9
0
17.1
21.0
0
13.8
14.5
13.9
12.1
13.3
14.0
14.5
14.2
12.2
13.2
14.5
14.2
14.4
12.4
13.1
10.0
10.7
13.2
8.4
0
10.0
10.4
13.6
8.6
16.6
17.0
16.8
9.6
10.6
3.7
10.5
3.7
10.5
3.7
6.5
0
29.8
23.6
9.9
29.8
23.5
9.7
29.9
23.6
9.5
20.7
17.6
9.1
Cents
27.6
36.7
30.9
0
12.8
23.1
0
8.8
5.8
0
22.3
17.2
8.6
18.8
18.8
18.8
9.3
9.9
20.1
24.8
25.5
24.1
28.8
30.6
20.0
24.8
25.5
24.0
28.9
30.7
20.0
24.9
25.5
24.0
29.6
30.7
11.3
18.3
20.1
15.6
17.9
0
11.7
20.2
6.8
15.8
16.0
13.1
6.8
15.9
15.9
13.2
6.8
15.9
15.9
13.2
5.1
13.6
13.4
0
1 D ata are based on 51 cities combined prior to January 1943.
3
N ot included in index.
< Revised.
6 Composite prices not computed.
" First priced, October 1941.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Dec. 15 J a n .14 Aug. 15
0
16.5
17.9
0
5.2
13.7
13.6
0
3 Preliminary.
5 First priced, February 1943.
8 N ot available.
v
869
Cost of Living and Retail Prices
T a b l e 4. — Indexes o f Average Retail Cost o f A ll F oods, b y C ities, 1 on Specified Dates
[1935-39=100]
1944
1943
1941
Jan.
14
1943
1941
Feb.
16
Jan.
14
City
City
Feb.
15 2
Jan.
18
Feb.
16
134.5
136.1
133.6
97.8
128.7
130.9
133. 4 135.1
129.6
131 2
132. 5
Manchester_____ 131.4
134.7
136.3
132.3
Portland, Maine. 132.0
131. 2 132.0
Middle Atlantic:
135.0
Buffalo................. 134.0
138.0
140.7
138.0
New York______ 135.4
135.0
Philadelphia___ 133.3
133.1 ‘ 134.6
Pittsburgh_____
129.8
131. 5
133.1
134.7
East North Central:
131.3
132.5
133 7 135.1
140.8
Cleveland______ 140.6
128.1
Columbus, Ohio 127.3
130.9
132.8
133.3
Indianapolis____ 131.9
130.5
Milwaukee_____ 131.0
137.6
138.4
Peoria____ _____
Springfield, 111._ 139.2 138.7
West North Central:
137.6
Cedar Rapids 4__ 137.2
130.3
Kansas C ity____ 129.8
128.3
Minneapolis____ 128.9
131.1
131.9
Omaha_________
137.9
136.0
St. Louis_______
127.1
127.6
St. Paul________
130.4
132.9
132 7
134.4
132.9
132.3
132.3
95.2
96. 5
97.5
96.6
95.7
95.3
96.3
138.1
135. 3
133.4
129.6
133.8
133.8
134.0
100.2
98.8
99.5
95.0
98.0
99.9
97.5
132.1
131.1
135. 9
126.5
132.3
131.2
131.1
136.9
136.4
98.2
96. 5
99.2
93.4
97.0
98.2
95.9
99.0
96.2
133.0
129.4
130.7
129.8
134.4
129.8
95.9
92.4
99.0
97.9
99.2
98.6
United States...........
1944
New England:
Boston__________
Feb.
15 2
Jan.
18
146.3
146.1
141.6
97.2
135.9
140.2
133.2
143.3
145.0
133.0
149.5
138.0
142.5
134.2
145.8
145.1
134.7
151.1
133.1
137.9
130.8
140.1
140.9
132.8
141.3
94.3
97.9
95.9
98.8
95.8
93.7
100.5
133.6
134.7
136.4
136.9
132.2
129.3
97.7
93.7
137.8
144.0
152.7
131.2
142.6
144.2
140.6
142.9
154.3
132.6
146.0
145.5
131.7
151. 5
142.8
129.0
139.6
140.4
96.0
105.3
97.1
95.5
94.2
97.9
133.8
135.9
135.3
148.4
134.5
137.5
134.7
149.9
129.2
137.9
131.5
147.0
92.6
102.6
95.6
101.9
133.4
135.7
138.2
135.3
136.0
138.6
131.8
133.9
138.5
98.7
94.8
97.5
140.5
142.8
141.6
140.6
142.0
142.5
143.6
142.5
139.5
147.0
141.7
143.9
101.8
101.7
99.6
101.0
West North Central
Wichita 4_______
South Atlantic:
Atlanta_________
B altim ore..- Charleston, S. C.
Jacksonville____
Norfolk 3.._
Richmond......... Savannah_______
Washington,
D . C __________
Winston-Salem 4
East South Central:
Birmingham___
Jackson 4_
___
jinoxville 4_____
Louisville_______
M em phis_______
M obile._ - . _West South Central:
Dallas__________
Houston______ __
Little Rock____
New Orleans___
Mountain:
Butte___________
Denver......... .
Salt Lake C ity ..
Pacific:
Los Angeles____
Portland, Oreg—
San Francisco...
Seattle__________
1 Aggregate costs of 61 foods in each city (54 foods prior to March 1943), weighted to represent total purf
chases of wage earners and lower-salaried workers, have been combined for the United States with the use o.
population weights. Primary use is for time-to-time comparisons rather than place-to-place comparisons
2 Preliminary.
3 Includes Portsmouth and Newport News,
4 Indexes based on June 1940=100.
5 Revised.
T a b l e 5. — Indexes o f Retail F ood Costs in 5 6 Large Cities Com bined,1 1 9 1 3 to
February 1 944
[1935-39=100]
Year
All-foods
index
Year
All-foods
index
1913
79.9
81.8
80.9
90.8
116.9
1928__________________
1929
___________
1930__________________
1931
_______________
______________
1932
130.8
132.5
126.0
103.9
86.5
1Q1K
134.4
149.8
168.8
128.3
119.9
1933
_______________
1934
_______________
1935 ____ ___________
1936 ________________
1937 _________________
84.1
93.7
100.4
101.3
105.3
124.0
122.8
132.9
137.4
132.3
1938__________________
1939__________________
1940__________________
1941 ________________
1942
- ____________
97.8
95.2
96.6
105. 5
123.9
1Q92
1Q23
1924
1925
lQ2fi
Year and month
m s
January______________ February ____________
M arch__________________
April___________________
M a y ____________________
June____________________
July____________________
August_______ _____
September--------- ----------October________________
N o v e m b e r-..
---------December-------- ------------19U
January-----------------------February....................... ..
All-foods
index
133.0
133.6
137.4
140.6
143.0
141.9
139.0
137.2
137.4
138.2
137.3
137.1
136.1
134.5
- - -
i Indexes based on 51 cities combined prior to March 1943.
578877— 44-
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
-12
870
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
Retail Prices of Coal, December and Year 1943
Prices in December 1943
HIGHER maximum prices granted, by the Office of Price Administra
tion to cover increases in costs of production caused retail prices of
coal to rise during 1943. The advance from December 1942 to Decem
ber 1943 was 6.2 percent for bituminous coal and averaged 11.6
percent for stove and chestnut sizes of Pennsylvania anthracite.
The first general advance in prices began in January 1943 when
higher ceiling prices were allowed by OPA as a partial offset to increased
mining costs resulting from the extension of the 35-hour week to 6
days with overtime pay for the additional hours, and to compensate
producers for other production costs which had risen after maximum
prices were first established in May 1942. The full increase for
Pennsylvania anthracite, about 5.2 percent, became effective in Janu
ary in all consuming areas except the lake regions, where the season’s
supply of coal had been stored during the preceding summer and fall
when the lakes were open for navigation. These lake areas were granted
the increase in May 1943. Prices of bituminous coal advanced
gradually throughout the year, as the 6-day week was extended to
various producing districts, and local adjustments were made to correct
inequities in maximum prices. By November 1943 the level of
bituminous-coal prices had increased 4.7 percent.
The second general advance occurred in December 1943 when OPA
again raised maximum prices, to compensate for wage increases
granted to miners. The rise of 1.4 percent in retail prices of bituminous
coal after November 15 did not reflect the full increase allowed, since
some dealers had not yet taken the price advance. The increase of
5.2 percent in Pennsylvania anthracite prices during the month covered
a 6-month temporary measure to permit producers to recover the
amount of the increases in costs for labor, under the “ Little Steel”
formula, which were retroactive to May 1943. Provision has been
made for a reduction of about 28 cents a ton in June 1944, at the
expiration of the 6-month period, in the average increase of 62 cents
which was granted late in November.
T able
1.— Comparison o f Retail Prices of Coal in Large Cities, December and
September 1943 and December 1942
Average retail price per
ton of 2,000 pounds
Index of retail price
(October 1922-September 1925=100)
Percent of
change, Dec. 15,
1943, com
pared with—
Kind of coal
1943
Bituminous coal (35 cities) 2-_..............
Pennsylvania anthracite (25 cities):3
S tov e..____ ____ _____ _________ __
Chestnut________________
_____
Pea____ ________________________ _
Buckwheat_______________ _______
Western anthracite:
Arkansas (5 cities)— .......................
1942
1943
1942
1943
1942
Dec.
15
Sept.
15
Dec.
15
Dee.
15 1
Sept.
15
Dec.
15
Dec.
15 »
Sept.
15
$10.17
$10.02
$9. 56
103.2
101.6
97.2
+ 1 .6
+ 6 .2
13.89
13.91
12.03
9.86
13.05
13.11
11.17
9.07
12.43
12.49
10. 56
8. 58
98.7
99.0
92.7
93.3
88.3
88.9
+ 6 .5
+ 6 .1
+ 7 .7
+ 8 .7
+ 1 1 .8
+ 1 1 .4
+ 1 3 .9
+ 1 4 .9
14.86
14.64
13.54
1 Preliminary.
2 Unweighted average. Weighted composite prices are in preparation.
3 Weighted on basis of distribution by rail or rail and tidewater to each city during 12-month period.
Aug. 1, 1935-July 31, 1936.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Cost of Living and Retail Prices
871
,
Prices 1929 Through 1943
Annual average prices of coal in retail markets for 1943, as com
pared with 1942, showed increases of 4.3 percent for bituminous coal
and 6.0 percent for Pennsylvania anthracite. Bituminous-coal
prices, after reaching a low point for recent years in 1933, began a
gradual and steady rise. The net advance for the 10 years to 1943,
was nearly 28 percent, with an increase of 15 percent since 1939, the
beginning of the second world war. Pennsylvania anthracite prices
moved downward from 1929 to 1939 and advanced thereafter through
1943, showing an increase of 22 percent for the 4-year period.
In table 2 are shown average prices and indexes for bituminous
coal and for stove and chestnut sizes of Pennsylvania anthracite, by
years for 1929 through 1943, and by months for 1942 and 1943.
T a b l e 2. — Average Retail Coal Prices , and Indexes , in Large Cities, 1929 Through 1943
Average price per ton of 2,000 pounds
Date
Bituminous
(unweighted
average, 35
cities) 1
Pennsylvania anthracite
(weighted average, 25
eities)
Stove
Index (October 1922-September
1925=100)
Bituminous
(unweighted
average, 35
cities) 1
Chestnut
Pennsylvania anthracite
(weighted average, 25
cities)
Stove
Chestnut
1929______________________
1930______________________
1931...... .................................
1932______________________
1933_____________________
$8.85
8. 83
8.33
7. 71
7. 65
$14.14
14.03
13.68
12.55
12.12
$13. 70
13. 66
13.65
12.45
11.93
91.5
91.3
86. 2
79.7
79.1
100.5
99.7
97.1
89.2
86.2
97.7
97.3
97.3
88.7
85.0
1 934_____________________
1935_____________________
1936_____________________
1937_____________________
1938_____________________
8.26
8.29
8. 42
8. 58
8.61
12.18
11.38
11.74
11.05
10.96
11. 92
11.14
11.61
11.19
11.11
85.4
85.7
87.1
88.4
88.7
86.6
80.9
83.5
78.5
77.9
85.0
79.4
82.7
79.6
79.1
1939______________________
1910 ____ ________________
1941._____________________
1942______________________
1943 2____________________
1942:
January.____ _______
February----------------M arch___
________
A p ril________________
M a y ------------------------June________________
July-------------------------August_____________
September. . _____
October............ ...........
November . . .
December________ _
1943:
January_____________
February___________
M arch_________ ___
A pril_______________
M a y ------------------------June________________
July__________ ______
August_____________
September__________
October____ ______
Novem ber__________
Decem ber2_________
8.52
8.60
9.15
9.53
9.94
10. 79
11.33
11.96
12.42
13.15
10.84
11.35
12.02
12.48
13.20
87.7
87.9
93.1
96.9
100.9
76.7
80.5
85.0
88.2
93.4
77.2
80.8
85.5
88.9
94.0
9. 52
9.51
9. 52
9. 43
9.46
9.49
9. 52
9. 52
9.54
9. 54
9. 55
9.56
12.41
12.42
12.42
12.28
12.42
12.41
12.42
12. 42
12.42
12.42
12. 42
12.43
12. 48
12.48
12.48
12.29
12. 48
12.48
12.48
12.48
12. 48
12.49
12.49
12.49
96.7
96.7
96.7
95.9
96.1
96.6
96.8
96.9
97.0
97.0
97.1
97.2
88.2
88.2
88.2
87.2
88.2
88.1
88.2
88.2
88.2
88.3
88.3
88.3
88.8
88.9
88.9
87.5
88.8
88.8
88.8
88.8
88.8
88.9
88.9
88.9
9.63
9.68
9.82
9.86
9.99
9.98
10.01
10.02
10.02
10.03
10.03
10.15
13.10
13.10
13.08
13.08
13. 09
13.08
13.05
13.05
13.05
13.06
13.20
13.88
13.13
13.14
13.13
13.14
13.15
13.14
13.11
13.11
13.11
13.12
13. 22
13.89
97.9
98.4
99.8
100.1
101.4
101.4
101.5
101.6
101.6
101.7
101.8
103.2
93.0
93.0
92.9
92.9
93.0
92.9
92.7
92.7
92.7
92.8
93.8
98.6
93.4
93.5
93.4
93.5
93.6
93.5
93.3
93.3
93.3
93.4
94.1
98.9
1 38 cities prior to December 1940.
2 Preliminary.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wholesale Prices
Wholesale Prices in February 1944
DU RIN G February, commodity prices in primary markets 1 rose
0.3 percent as shown by the Bureau of Labor Statistics index for 889
price series. Continued advances in prices for coke, the 45-cent in
crease in f. o. b. mine price ceilings for anthracite allowed producers
by OPA for the month, a 2-percent rise in livestock and poultry,
seasonal advances for certain fruits and vegetables, and stronger mar
kets for petroleum products in the eastern area and for rosin, turpen
tine, and paper, largely accounted for the increase. The all-commod
ities index for February was 103.6 percent of the 1926 average, the
highest level since June 1943. The general average was 1.1 percent
above February 1943 and 38.1 percent higher than the August 1939
average.
Average prices for fuel and lighting materials rose 1 percent during
the month. The increase for farm products was 0.6 percent; for mis
cellaneous commodities, 0.2 percent; and for building materials, 0.1
percent. Prices for foods decreased 0.4 percent and for hides and
leather products and housefurnishing goods, 0.3 percent, while textile
products, metals and metal products, and chemicals and allied prod
ucts remained unchanged from January levels.
The general average of farm products prices in February 1944 rose
0.6 percent to 122.5 percent of the 1926 average. Quotations for
cows were 4 percent higher and hog prices rose more than 2 percent.
Prices for steers were up about one-half of 1 percent and cotton ad
vanced more than 3 percent. Other important farm products show
ing higher market prices were sheep, poultry at New York, oranges,
flaxseed, onions, sweetpotatoes, and apples in the Chicago and Port
land, Oreg., markets. Quotations for grains were weaker during the
month, with declines reported for oats, rye, and wheat. A seasonal
drop of more than 13 percent occurred in egg prices. Lower prices
were also reported for hay, for lemons, and for white potatoes in most
markets.
Seasonal declines for most fruits and vegetables and for eggs brought
average prices for foods in primary markets down 0.4 percent during
February to the lowest level since December 1942. Fractionally
higher prices were reported for oatmeal, yellow corn meal, vinegar, and
refined peanut oil. Quotations for rye flour and for wheat flour in
certain markets were slightly lower. The general average for fresh
meats remained unchanged from January.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics wholesale price data for the most part represent prices prevailing in the
“ first commercial, transaction.” They are prices quoted in primary markets, at principal distribution
points.
872
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Wholesale Prices
873
In the hides and leather products group, lower prices for shearlings
and imported goatskins caused the index to decline 0.3 percent.
With the exception of a slightly upward adjustment by OPA in
prices for bleached sheeting and fractionally lower prices for men's
and boys’ union suits, average prices for textile products continued
steady during the month.
During February, the OPA allowed anthracite miners to increase
f. o. b. mine prices 45 cents a ton, to cover the increased unit costs of
production incurred by those mines which cooperated with the sugges
tion of the Secretary of the Interior that anthracite mines work a 7day week during the month to correct a serious shortage of anthracite
coal. This action resulted in a 3-percent rise in average prices for
anthracite. Also during the month coke prices fully reflected the
increases granted by OPA at the end of January, to cover increased
bituminous-coal costs to coke producers. In the eastern petroleum
fields, posted prices for petroleum products generally eliminated the
formerly included low quotations, and thus caused the general average
of petroleum products to advance nearly 1 percent. As a result,
petroleum products in all areas are now moving at ceiling prices, with
only a few sales reported below the allowed maximum.
Fractionally higher prices for horse-drawn farm machinery allowed
by OPA formula pricing offset lower prices for quicksilver, and the
index for the metals and metal products group remained unchanged.
Upward OPA price adjustments for ponderosa and southern pine
boards and for southern pine flooring, together with higher prices for
butyl acetate, rosin, and turpentine, and for common brick in a few
markets, caused the index for the group of building materials to rise
0.1 percent. Slightly lower prices were reported for white oak and
Idaho white pine lumber.
Except for higher prices for synthetic camphor and cottonseed
meal, no changes were reported in the chemicals and allied products
priced by the Bureau during February.
Downward revision by one manufacturer of prices for refrigerators
caused housefurnishing goods to decline 0.3 percent.
Further minor reductions for packaged soap products were more
than counterbalanced by higher paper and pulp prices allowed by
OPA. The result was a slight advance for the miscellaneous com
modities index.
Between February 1943 and February 1944, prices for most com
modities in primary markets continued to move within a fairly narrow
range. Outstanding increases were 19 percent for grains, 11 percent
for fruits and vegetables, 12 percent for cattle feed, 9 percent for
anthracite, 7 percent for lumber and coke, and 5 percent for paper and
pulp. During the 12 months, reported prices for meats declined 8
percent, and for livestock and poultry, 7 percent. Except for hides
and skins, which dropped 4 percent, price changes were relatively
smaller.
The general level for nearly all commodities was much higher in
February 1944 than before the war. Farm products were 100 percent
above the August 1939 average, largely because of increases of 151
percent for grains and 86 percent for livestock and poultry. Foods
were more than 55 percent higher than before the war, with increases
of 106 percent for fruits and vegetables, of 63 percent for dairy prod
ucts, of 44 percent for meats, and of 32 percent for cereal products.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
874
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
Principally as a result of increases of 73 percent for cotton goods and
nearly 50 percent for woolen and worsted goods, prices for textile
products averaged more than 44 percent higher than the pre-war
level. Other outstanding price increases in the more than 4 years of
war were 151 percent for industrial fats and oils, 133 percent for cattle
feed, 114 percent for drugs and pharmaceuticals, and 60 percent for
lumber.
Average prices for raw materials in February were 70 percent over
their pre-war level, while semimanufactured articles and finished
products advanced 25 percent and 27 percent, respectively.
Percentage comparisons of the February 1944 level of wholesale
prices with January 1944, February 1943, and August 1939, with
corresponding index numbers, are given in table 1.
T a b l e 1.— Index Numbers o f Wholesale Prices by Groups and Subgroups of Commodities
February 1944, Compared with January 1944, February 1943, ana August 1939
[1926 = 100]
Group and subgroup
Febru
ary
1944
Janu
ary
1944
Percent Febru Percent
August Percent
of
ary
of
of in
1939
change
1943
change
crease
All commodities— ......................
103.6
103.3
+ 0 .3
102. 5
+ 1 .1
75.0
38.1
Farm products................ .............
Grains................ . . ..................
Livestock and poultry____
Other farm p r o d u c t s ......
122.5
129.3
123.3
119.3
121.8
129.5
120.8
119.5
+ .6
-.2
+ 2 .1
- .2
119.0
108.6
132.8
112.6
+ 2 .9
+ 1 9 .1
- 7 .2
+ 6 .0
61.0
51.5
66.0
60.1
100.8
151.1
86.8
98.5
Foods....................................... .......
Dairy products......................
Cereal products__________ _
Fruits and vegetables_____
M eats_______ _____ ________
Other foods............... .............
104.5
110.7
95.1
120.7
106.0
93.5
104.9
110.6
95.1
118.4
106.0
96.1
- .4
+ .1
0
+ 1 .9
0
-2 .7
105.8
113.3
92.2
108.5
115.5
94.5
-1 .2
-2 .3
+ 3 .1
+ 1 1 .2
-8 .2
-1 .1
67.2
67.9
71.9
58.5
73.7
60.3
55.5
63.0
32.3
106.3
43.8
55.1
Hides and leather products___
Shoes......... ...............................
Hides and skins..................
Leather_______ '.___________
Other leather products. _ . .
116.9
126. 4
111.0
101.3
115.2
117.2
126.4
112.9
101.3
115.2
-.3
0
- 1 .7
0
0
117.8
126.4
116.0
101.3
115.2
- .8
0
- 4 .3
0
0
92.7
100.8
77.2
84.0
97.1
26.1
25.4
43.8
20.6
18.6
Textile products_______________
Clothing_________ __________
Cotton goods.____ _________
Hosiery and underwear___
Rayon_________ _______
silk ...... ...................................
Woolen and worsted goods.
Other textile products_____
97.7
107.0
113.4
70.5
30.3
(0
112.5
100. 5
97.7
107.0
112.9
71.7
30.3
0)
112.5
100.5
0
0
+ .4
-1 .7
0
97.3
107.0
112.6
70.5
30.3
<0
112.4
97.7
- .4
0
+ .7
0
0
67.8
81.5
65.5
61.5
28.5
44. 3
75.5
63.7
44. 1
31.3
73.1
14.6
6.3
Fuel and lighting materials.......
Anthracite_________________
Bituminous coal................... .
Coke_______________________
Electricity......... ............. ........
Gas_________________________
Petroleum and products....
83.1
97.8
119.9
130.7
(0
(*)
. 64.0
82.3
95.0
119.8
126. 2
(i)
76.7
63.5
+ 1 .0
+ 2 .9
+• 1
+ 3 .6
Metals and metal products........
Agricultural implements...
Farm machinery______
Iron and steel.........................
M otor vehicles_____________
Nonferrous m eta ls...______
Plumbing and heating.........
103.7
97.0
98.1
97.1
112.8
85.8
91.8
103.7
97.0
98.1
97.1
112.8
85.9
91.8
Building m a te r ia ls .................
Brick and tile..........................
Cement_________ ___________
Lumber...... ......... ........... .........
Paint and paint materials..
Plumbing and heating.........
Structural s t e e l ................
Other building m aterials...
113.6
100.1
93.6
144.5
103.9
[91.8
107.3
102.8
113.5
100. 2
93.6
144.1
103.5
»91.8
107.3
102.8
1
Data not available.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
0
0
+ .8
79.8
89.7
113.9
122.3
63.0
75.8
61.2
0
0
0
0
0
-.1
0
103.8
96.9
98.0
97.2
112.8
86.0
90.4
+ .1
-.1
0J
+ .3
+ .4
0
0
0
110.2
98.6
94.2
134.6
101.2
? 90. 4
107.3
102.2
+. 1
+ 2 .9
+ 4 .1
+ 9 .0
+ 5 .3
+ 6 .9
49.0
57.8
14.5
35.6
24.9
26.4
+ 4 .6
72.6
72.1
96.0
104.2
75. 8
86.7
51.7
-.1
+ .1
+ .1
-.1
0
- .2
+ 1 .5
93.2
93.5
94.7
95.1
92.5
74.6
79.3
11.3
3.7
3.6
2.1
21.9
15.0
15.8
+ 3 .1
+ 1 .5
-.6
+ 7 .4
+ 2 .7
+ 1 .5
0
+ .6
89.6
90.5
91.3
90.1
82.1
79.3
107.3
89.5
26.8
10.6
2.5
60.4
26.6
15.8
0
14.9
23.8
875
Wholesale Prices
T a b l e 1.- —Index
Numbers of Wholesale Prices by Groups and Subgroups of Commodities
February 1944, Compared with January 1944, February 1943, and August 1939— Con.
Percent Febru Percent
Percent
Augu St
ary
of
of
of in
1939
change
crease
change
1943
Group and. subgroup
Febru
ary
1944
Janu
ary
1944
Chemicals and allied produets________________
Chemicals------- . . . ------- ----------------------------Drugs and pharmaceuticals______ _______
Fertilizer materials_____________ _______ . . .
M ixed fertilizers_____ _____________________
Oils aud fats................. ........................... ...........
100.4
96.3
165.2
81.4
86.3
102.0
100.4
96.3
165.2
81.3
86.5
102.0
0
0
0
-. 1
- .2
0
100.3
96.9
165.5
79.0
85.8
101.5
+ 0 .1
- .6
- .2
+ 3 .0
+ .6
+ .5
74.2
83.8
77.1
65.5
73.1
40.6
35.3
14.9
114.3
24.3
18.1
151.2
Housefurnishing goods________________________
Furnishings___________ _______ ___________
Furniture--------- - . . -------------- ---------------
104.2
107.1
101.4
104.5
107.1
102.0
-.3
0
-.6
102.6
107.3
97.7
+ 1.6
- .2
+ 3 .8
85.6
90.0
81.1
21.7
19.0
25.0
Miscellaneous_________________ ______________
Automobile tires and tubes_______________
Cattle feed .. ____________________________
Paper and pulp___________________________
Rubber, crude-------------- ---------------------- . . .
Other miscellaneous------------ --------------------
93.4
73.0
159.6
106.6
46.2
96.7
93.2
73.0
159.6
106.0
46.2
96.7
+ .2
0
0
+ .6
0
0
90.9
73.0
142.1
101.1
46.3
94.9
+ 2 .8
0
+ 1 2 .3
+ 5 .4
- .2
+ 1 .9
73.3
60.5
68.4
80.0
34.9
81.3
27.4
20.7
133.3
33.3
32.4
18.9
Raw materials______ ________ ______
_____
Semimanufactured articles____________________
Manufactured products___ ___________________
A ll commodities other than farm products___
All commodities other than farm products
and foods. ___ ______________________________
112.8
93.4
100.4
99.3
1J2.2
93.2
100.2
99.1
+ .5
+ .2
+ .2
4-. 2
109.6
92.9
100.3
98.7
+ 2 .9
+ .5
+ .1
+ .6
66.5
74.5
79.1
77.9
69.6
25.4
26.9
27.5
98.0
97.8
+ .2
96.2
+ 1 .9
80.1
22.3
Index Numbers by Commodity Groups, 1926 to February 1944
Index numbers of wholesale prices by commodity groups fdr
selected years from 1926 to 1943, and by months from February 1943
to February 1944, are shown in table 2.
T a b l e 2. — Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices by Groups of Commodities
[1926=100]
Hides
Tex
and
tile
Foods leather
prod
prod
ucts
ucts
i
Chem
Fuel
Metals Build
House
and
icals
and
fur
M is
ing
and
light
nish cella
metal
mate allied
ing
prod
neous
ing
prod
rials
mate ucts
goods
ucts
rials
All
com
modi
ties
Year and month
Farm
prod
ucts
1926___________________
1929___________________
1932___________________
1933. - _______ _________
1936___________________
1937___________________
1938_________ _____ ____
1939___________________
1940___________________
1941......... ............... .........
1942._____ ____________
100.0
104.9
48.2
51.4
80.9
86.4
68.5
65.3
67.7
82.4
105.9
122.6
100.0
99.9
61.0
60.5
82.1
85.5
73.6
70.4
71.3
82.7
99. 6
106.6
100.0
109.1
72.9
80.9
95.4
104.6
92.8
95.6
100.8
108. 3
117.7
117.5
100.0
90.4
54.9
64.8
71.5
76.3
66.7
69.7
73.8
84.8
96.9
97.4
100.0
83.0
70.3
66.3
76.2
77.6
76.5
73.1
71.7
76.2
78.5
80. 8
100.0
100. 5
80.2
79.8
87.0
95.7
95.7
94.4
95.8
99.4
103.8
103.8
100.0
95.4
71.4
77.0
86.7
95.2
90.3
90.5
94.8
103.2
110.2
111.4
100.0
94.0
73.9
72.1
78.7
82.6
77.0
76.0
77.0
84.6
97.1
100.3
100.0
94.3
75.1
75.8
81.7
89.7
86.8
86.3
88.5
94.3
102.4
102.7
100.0
82.6
64.4
62.5
70.5
77.8
73.3
74.8
77.3
82.0
89.7
92.2
100.0
95.3
64.8
65.9
80.8
86.3
78.6
77. 1
78.6
87.3
98.8
103.1
119.0
122.8
123.9
125. 7
126.2
125.0
123.5
123.1
122.2
121.4
121.8
105.8
107.4
108.4
110.5
109.6
107.2
105.8
105.0
105.1
105.8
105.6
117.8
117.8
117.8
117.8
117.8
117.8
117.8
117.8
117.8
116.5
117.0
97.3
97.3
97.4
97.4
97.4
97.4
97.4
97.5
97.6
97.7
97.7
79.8
80.3
80.6
80.8
81.0
81.0
80.9
81.0
81.0
81.2
82.1
103.8
103.8
103.8
103.8
103.8
103. 7
103.7
103. 7
103.7
103.8
103.8
110.2
110.4
110.3
110.5
110.6
110.7
112.2
112.5
112.7
113.1
113.4
100.3
100. 0
100.1
100.2
100.0
100.1
100.2
100.3
100.4
100.3
100.4
102.6
102.6
102.6
102.7
102.8
102. 6
102.6
102.6
102.6
102.8
102.8
90.9
91.4
91.6
91.9
91.8
92.3
92.6
93.0
93.1
93.2
93.3
102. 5
103.4
103.7
104.1
103.8
103. 2
103.1
103.1
103.0
102.9
103. 2
121.8
122. 5
104.9
104 5
117.2
116.9
97.7
97. 7
82.3
as. 1
103.7
103.7
113.5
113.6
100.4
100.4
104.5
104.2
93.2
93.4
103.3
103.6
19JfS
February_____________
M arch .. ____________
A p ril.. ---------------------M a y ________ ______ _
July____________ _____ August_______________
September____________
October______________
November____________
¡m
J a n u a ry ........... ..
February_____________
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
876
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
The price trend for specified years and months since 1926 is shown
in table 3 for the following groups of commodities: Raw materials,
semimanufactured articles, manufactured products, commodities
other than farm products, and commodities other than farm products
and foods. The list of commodities included under the classifications
“ Raw materials,” “ Semimanufactured articles,” and “ Manufactured
products” was shown on pages 8 and 9 of Wholesale Prices, JulyDecember and Year 1942 (Bulletin No. 736).
T a b l e 3 . — Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices by Special Groups of Commodities
[1926=100]
M an
ufac
tured
prod
ucts
All
All com
com
modi
ties
modi
ties
other
other
than
than
farm
farm products
prod
and
ucts
foods
Year and
month
Year and
month
Raw
mate
rials
Semimanufactured
arti
cles
1926_______
1929_______
1932.............
1933_______
1936......... . .
1937_______
1938_______
1939_______
1940_______
1941_______
1942_______
1943.............
100.0
97.5
55.1
56.5
79.9
84.8
72.0
70.2
71.9
83.5
100.6
112. 1
100.0
93.9
59.3
65.4
75.9
85.3
75.4
77.0
79.1
86.9
92.6
92.9
100.0
94.5
70.3
70.5
82.0
87.2
82.2
80.4
81.6
89.1
98.6
100.1
100.0
93.3
68.3
69.0
80.7
86.2
80.6
79.5
80.8
88.3
97.0
98.7
100.0
91.6
70.2
71.2
79.6
85.3
81.7
81.3
83.0
89.0
95.5
96.9
1943:
F e b .. .
109. 6
92.9
100. 3
98.7
96.2
All
A ll com
com
modi
modi
ties
ties
other
other
than
than
farm
farm products
prod
and
ucts
foods
Raw
mate
rials
Semimanufactured
arti
cles
M an
ufac
tured
prod
ucts
1943— Con.
M a r ...
A p r .- .
M ay. _
J u n e ..
J u ly ...
A u g ...
S e p t...
Oct___
N o v ...
D e c ...
112.0
112.8
114.0
114.3
113.6
112.7
112.4
111.9
111.3
112.1
93.0
93.1
93.0
92. 8
92.8
92.9
92.9
92.9
92.9
93.1
100.5
100.6
100.7
100.1
99.6
99.7
99.9
100.0
100.2
100.2
99.0
99.1
99.2
98.7
98.3
98.5
98.6
98.7
98.8
99.0
96.5
96.6
96.7
96.8
96.9
97.1
97.2
97.3
97.4
97.6
1944:
Jan___
F e b .. .
112.2
112.8
93.2
93.4
100.2
100.4
99.1
99.3
97.8
98.0
W eekly Fluctuations
Weekly changes in wholesale prices by groups of commodities
during January and February 1944 are shown by the index numbers in
table 4. These indexes are not averaged to obtain an index for the
month but are computed only to indicate the fluctuations from week
to week.
T a b l e 4. — Weekly Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices , by Commodity Groups, Jan
uary and February 1944
[1926 = 100]
Commodity group
Feb.
26
Feb.
19
Feb.
12
All commodities_______________ ______
103.6
103.3
Farm products ______ _____ __________
Foods _ _ ____ _________________________
Hides and leather products..................
Textile products_______________ _____ _
Fuel and lighting materials.............
Metals and metal products__________
Building materials___
_____________
Chemicals and allied products_______
Housefurnishing goods_______________
Miscellaneous__________ _____ ________
Raw materials_________ _____ ________
Semimanufactured articles...................
Manufactured products______________
All commodities other than farm
products___________ _____ - _________
All commodities other than farm
products and foods.............. .............. ..
124.2
104.6
117.5
97.2
83.7
103.8
113.7
100.4
106.2
93.3
113.7
93.5
100.6
122.8
104.1
117.7
97.2
83.7
103.8
113.7
100.4
106.2
93.3
113.0
93.5
100.6
99.2
99.2
98.3
98.2
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Feb.
5
Jan.
29
Jan.
22
103.1
103.1
103.1
121.9
104.0
117.8
97.2
83.5
103.8
113.7
100.4
104.4
93.0
112.4
93.2
100.6
122.1
104.2
117.7
97.2
83.2
103.8
113.5
100.4
104.4
93.0
112.4
93.2
100.5
122.6
104.7
117.8
97.2
83.1
103.8
113.5
100.4
104.4
93.0
112.7
93.1
100.4
99.1
99.0
99.0
98.9
98.9
98.9
98.9
98.1
98.0
98.0
97.9
97.9
97.8
97.8
Jan.
15
Jan.
8
103.0
103.0
102.9
103.0
121.9
104.6
117.9
97.2
82.8
103.8
113.4
100.4
104.4
93.0
112.3
93.1
100.4
122.1
104.8
117.9
97.2
82.7
103.8
113.4
100.4
104.4
93.0
112.3
93.1
100.4
121.9
104.6
117.9
97.2
82.6
103.9
113.4
100.3
104.4
93.0
112.1
93.1
100.4
122.1
105.1
117.9
97.2
82.6
103.9
113.5
100.3
104.4
93.0
112.3
93.1
100.3
Jan.
1
Labor Turnover
Labor Turnover in Manufacturing, Mining, and Public
Utilities, January 1944
OUT of each thousand persons on factory pay rolls in January, 67
either changed jobs or left manufacturing work. Of these, 46 quit,
7 were discharged, 5 left to enter the armed services, 8 were laid off,
and 1 left for some other reason. The January 1944 accession rate of
64 per thousand, while considerably above the December 1943 rate of
52 per thousand, was insufficient to maintain the all-manufacturing
employment level.
The lay-off rate, although still high because of changing production
needs, declined from 10 per thousand in December to 8 per thousand
in January. The number leaving in January to join the armed forces
was the same number per thousand as in December. The quit rate
increased from 44 to 46. The rate of discharges increased from 6 to 7.
The increase in the accession rate between December 1943 and Jan
uary 1944 may be explained in part by the drop in the absenteeism
rate. The influenza epidemic in December resulted in many pro
longed absences which were reported as quits; therefore, many of the
people hired in January were those considered as quits in December.
Eight of the major manufacturing groups reported lay-offs in excess
of 10 per thousand employees. The highest rate— 30 per 1,000—
was reported by the chemicals group and reflects further reductions
in the production of small-arms ammunition and of explosives. Cur
tailments in the production of half-tracks was the major factor in the
lay-off of 19 workers for every 1,000 employed in the automobile
group. The high rates in stone, clay, and glass manufacture (18 per
1.000) , lumber (11 per 1,000) and the tobacco group (16 per 1,000)
were seasonal in nature. Other high rates reported were nonferrous
metals (12 per 1,000), ordnance (15 per 1,000) and furniture (14 per
1.000) . Temporary lay-offs in the furniture industry were due chiefly
to the change-over involved in resuming manufacture of spring-filled
items under a War Production Board order.
The quit rates for women are still considerably higher than for men
in each of the groups for which turnover data for women are compared
with those for men. Illness was the reason most often advanced for
the large number of quits among women. Leaving the locality to
join soldier husbands was mentioned frequently as a reason for quits.
In both anthracite and bituminous-coal mining, as well as in each
of the metal-mining industries, with the exception of miscellaneous
metal mining, the total separation rates were considerably below the
rates for manufacturing as a whole. Separations in miscellaneous
metal mining (95 per 1,000 employees) reflect the production reduc-
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
877
878
Monthly Lahor Review—April 1944
tions in the mining of bauxite and other aluminum ores as well as the
expected increase in separations in the winter months.
T a b l e 1.— Monthly Labor Turnover Rates (Per 100 Employees) in Manufacturing
Industries 1
Class of turnover rate
and year
Jan
uary
Total separation:
1944______________ 26.66
1 9 4 3 ...............
7.11
1939._____ _______ 3.19
Quit:
1944 .
24. 68
1943.................... ..
4.45
1939_______
.85
Discharge:
a. 67
1944 .
1943______________
.52
1939____ _________
.10
Lay-off:8
1944................
2. 80
1943______________
.74
1939.......................... 2.24
M ilitary:
1944 ........................ 2. 53
1943
_____ 1.26
Miscellaneous:4
1944 .
2.08
.14
1943______________
Accession:
1944
« 6 .37
1943______________ 8.28
1939._____________ 4.09
Feb
March April M ay
ruary
June
July
Au
gust
Sep
tem
ber
N o
Octo vem
ber
ber
7.04
2.61
7. 69
3.18
7. 54
3.46
6.57
3.48
7.07
3.31
7.56
3.36
8.18
3.01
8.16
2.79
7.02
2. 91
6.37
2.95
6.55
3. 46
4.65
.64
5.36
.82
5.41
.76
4.81
.68
5.20
.73
5.61
.70
6.30
.82
6.29
1.07
5.Í9
.93
4.46
.83
4.38
.69
.50
.10
.57
.13
.53
.10
.55
.13
.61
.12
.68
.12
.67
.14
.62
.14
.64
.17
.63
.15
.60
.12
.54
1.87
.52
2. 23
.64
2.60
.45
2.67
.50
2.46
.50
2.54
.46
2.05
.53
1.58
.51
1.81
.69
1.97
.99
2.65
1.23
1.12
.87
.69
.69
.69
.67
.64
.61
.52
.50
.12
.12
.09
.07
.07
.08
.08
.08
.07
.07
.08
7.87
3.06
8. 32
3.34
7.43
2.93
7.18
3.29
8.40
3.92
7. 83
4.16
7.62
5.06
7.73
6.17
7.17
5.89
6.62
4.10
5.19
2.84
D e
cem
ber
1 Turnover rates are not comparable to the employment and pay-roll reports issued monthly b y the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, as the former are based on data for the entire month, while the latter refer only to
pay periods ending nearest the middle of the month. In addition, labor-turnover data beginning in January
1943, refer to all employees whereas the data for previous years and the employment and pay-roll reports
relate only to wage earners. Certain seasonal industries such as canning and preserving, are not covered
b y the labor turnover survey and the sample is not as extensive as that of the employment survey which
includes a larger number of small plants.
‘
2 Preliminary figures.
3 Including temporary, indeterminate, and permanent lay-offs.
4 Data for 1939 included with quits.
T a b l e 2. — Monthly Labor-Turnover Rates (Per 100 Employees) in Selected Groups and
Industries, January 1944
Total sepa
ration
Quit
D is Lay
charge off
Industry
M ili
tary
and
mis
cella
neous
Total ac
cession
Jan. Dec.
1944 > 1943
Jan.
19441
Dec.
1943
Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan.
19441 19441 19441 19441
Dec.
1943
4.61
4.76
3.10
2.99
0.45
0.38
0.68
4.42
3.56
3. 27
7.44
4.93
6.60
4. 22
9.27
3.23
4.40
3.59
7.84
5.45
6.19
4.97
9.04
2. 38
5.38
2.22
5. 27
3.70
4. 79
2.62
7.20
1.80
3.24
2.29
5.51
4.39
4.33
2.82
5.79
1.59
4.16
.19
1. 06
.52
.75
.27
1.01
.22
.72
.14
.50
.07
.37
.42
.47
.72
.18
.72
.61
.64
.69
.91
.59
.49
.26
3.06
7. 59
5.82
6.76
3.99
14.05
3.71
5.62
2. 32
6.66
5.38
5. 55
2.94
8.15
1.52
4.55
6.02
5. 34
3.67
4. 75
4.09
3.84
4.33
4.28
2.61
3.62
3.08
2.48
.61
.32
.16
.45
.25
.01
.63
.49
.89
5.78
6.89
2.33
6.03
3.69
2.25
7.28
8.01
4. 57
4.79
1.12
1.20
.39
10.87
7.65
M anufacturing
Iron and steel and their products______________
Blast, furnaces, steel works, and rolling
mills________________ ____________________
Gray-iron castings_____________ ___________
Malleable-iron castings. __________________
Steel castings----------- ---------------------------------Cast-iron pipe and fittings________________
Tin cans and other tinware____________ . .
Wire products _____________ _____________
Cutlery and edge tools____ _____ __________
Tools (except edge tools, machine tools,
files, and saws)_______ __ _______________
Hardware_______
________ ________________
Plumbers’ supplies----------- ----------- --------------Stoves, oil burners, and heating equipm ent_______________________ _______ _____
See fo o tn o te s a t end o f table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Labor Turnover
879
T a b l e 2. — Monthly Labor-Turnover Rates (Per 100 Employees) in Selected Groups and
Industries, January 1944— Continued
Total sepa
ration
M ili
tary
Dis Lay and
mis
charge off
cella
neous
Quit
Indu stry
Jan. Dec.
1944 « 1943
Total ac
cession
Jan.
19441
Dec.
1943
Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan.
19441 19441 19441 19441
Dec.
1943
M a n u fa ctu ring— Continued
Iron and steel and their products— Con.
Steam and hot-water heating apparatus
and steam fittings__________________ _____
Stamped and enameled ware and galvaniz
ing________________________________________
Fabricated structural metal products_____
Bolts, nuts, washers, and rivets___________
Forgings, iron and steel------------------------------
5.05
5.34
3.43
3. 27
0.73
0.35
0. 54
4.79
3. 59
S. 01
7.09
5. 76
5.45
8.08
7.95
6. 75
4.48
4.91
7.42
5.80
4.72
3.41
3. 51
4 34
4.97
4.38
3.03
3.29
2.86
.88
1.21
.86
.57
1.07
.85
.35
.95
.75
2.19
.48
.81
.54
.62
.48
8.80
8. 54
4.69
4.57
7.03
7.96
3.75
3.93
5.09
4.91
4.55
4.98
5.98
4.79
4. 27
5.04
4. 73
5.11
3.24
3.08
3. 22
2. 63
3.38
2.82
2. 55
3. 33
1.98
2.36
.65
.81
.39
.48
.80
.49
.33
.17
1.03
.98
.71
.69
.77
.84
.82
4. 61
3.91
6.46
2.30
3.47
6.70
1.69
2.44
4. 54
2.94
4.48
5.21
2.71
2.10
2. 22
3.18
.4«
.21
.62
.40
.73
.23
2. 94
2.58
2. 22
4.24
5.15
5.54
5. 04
3.93
3. 55
3.57
3. 41
2. 60
.69
.67
.23
.70
.68
.60
5.17
5.49
4. 44
5.06
Automobiles----------------- ----------------------------------M otor vehicles, bodies, and trailers. ------Motor-vehicle parts and accessories______
6. 75
7. 48
6.28
5.35
5.07
5. 53
3.47
3. 41
3. 52
3. 49
3.33
3. 60
.86
.58
1.03
1.90
2.84
1.30
.52
.65
.43
6. 66
5. 57
7.37
5. 55
5.15
5.81
Nonferrous metals and their products------------Primary smelting and refining, except
7.41
6.47
4.75
4. 31
.67
1.16
.83
5. 65
4. 95
3.91
4.16
2. 52
2. 79
. 47
. 19
.73
13.04 10.44
7.26
6. 73
.99
3. 52
1.27
4.12
7.73
4.85
4. 44
6.29
5.12
3. 20
5.05
3.41
3.58
4.16
3.14
.32
.70
.47
. 12
1.04
.39
.48
.94
. 58
3.90
4.58
6.62
6.39
4.78
4. 56
.82
.34
.68
6.93
6.55
6.00
8. 57
7.97
8.00
4.88
4.70
3.90
5. 50
5.13
4.60
.39
.28
.57
1.13
.99
1.04
.53
. 58
.49
6.86
6. 44
5.69
6.11
5.67
5.70
Furniture and finished lumber products--------- 9.80
Furniture, including mattresses and bed10.53
springs_________________ ________________
8.66
7.09
6.14
.83
1.36
.52
9.07
8.00
8.99
7. 53
6.47
.92
1.57
.51
9.21
8. 39
6.75
Stone, clay, and glass products........................ .
Glass and glass products---------------------------- 5.48
------------------------- ------- 12.67
C e m e n t .------Brick, tile, and terra co tta .--------- ----------- - 6.37
Pottery and related products--------------------- 5.20
6.01
5. 56
8.10
6.05
6.84
3. 74
3.51
2.20
4.64
4.37
3. 51
3.68
2.16
4.33
3.59
.49
. 66
.20
.59
.25
1.77
.42
9. 56
.47
. 17
.75
.89
.71
.67
.41
5. 44
5.85
2.84
5.92
6.82
4.31
5.10
3.44
5.78
3. 87
4.99
4.15
4.69
4.04
3. 60
2.80
3.49
2.87
.57
.37
.30
. 45
.52
.53
5.15
4.22
5.83
5.16
4. 55
3.98
.73
.17
.38
4. 05
4. 50
3.15
.34
.02
. 54
6.79
7.12
3.87
3. 73
.88
1.46
.58
5.33
7 56
6.95
5.47
5. 86
8 17
8. 33
3.23
3.37
4. 76
2.92
2.15
3. 32
4. 70
2.79
1.73
.62
1.10
.85
.35
.76
1.10
2.70
2.33
. 58
.60
.48
.64
7.23
6.16
4. 83
9. 52
6. 71
5.58
4.74
8.85
4.79
4.31
3.15
6.20
4.48
3.86
2. 96
5.93
1.12
.71
.60
1.77
.59
.49
.53
.67
.73
.65
.55
.88
Machinery, except electrical___________________
Agricultural machinery and tractors--------Machine tools_______ ______ _____ - - ............. Machine-tool accessories------------ ---------------Metalworking machinery and equipmen t,
not elsewhere classified__________________
Textile machinery______________ __________
General industrial machinery, except
pum ps____________________________________
Pumps and pumping equipment-............ .
Aluminum and magnesium smelting and
Roiling and drawing of copper and copper
Aluminum and magnesium products 2-----Lighting equipment--------------------- -------------Nonferrous metal foundries, except aluminum and magnesium 2.................. .......... .
Lumber and timber basic products_______ . . . .
-----------------------Sawmills.----- --------- . . .
Planing and plywood mills________________
Electrical machinery. . . ----- --- . . -------------Electrical equipment for industrial use 2.
Radios, radio equipment, and phonoCommunication equipment, except raOrdnance----- ----------------------------- -----------------------Guns, howitzers, mortars, and related
Sighting and fire-control equipm ent2------Transportation equipment, except automo-
Shipbuilding and repairs2-------------------------
See footnotes a t end o f table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
............... —
8.00
5.85
6.40
5.19
Monthly Labor Review—-April 1944
880
T a b l e 2. — Monthly Labor-Turnover Rates (Per 100 Employees) in Selected Groups and
Industries, January 1944— Continued
T o ta l sep a
r a tio n
Q u it
D is
charge
Lay
o ff
M ili
ta ry
and
m is
c e lla
neous
In d u stry
T o t a l ac
cession
D ec.
1943
Jan.
19 441
D ec.
1943
Jan.
19441
D ec.
1943
Jan.
19441
Jan.
19441
Jan.
19441
Jan.
19441
6 .4 8
7 .2 7
6 .1 0
6 .1 5
7 .1 8
5 .7 8
5 .1 4
6 .0 1
5 .0 4
4 .8 0
5. 75
4 .5 3
0 .4 0
.4 5
.4 5
0 .5 0
.3 4
.2 3
0 .4 4
.4 7
.3 8
6 .4 0
7 .5 5
6 .1 1
4 .6 3
5 .4 3
4 .3 0
4 .2 3
4 .9 3
7 .4 3
6 .8 3
3 .9 2
4 .2 6
6 .2 2
7 .4 8
3 .0 8
4 .0 1
6 .1 2
5. 55
2 .6 9
3 .3 6
4 .9 6
5. 52
.2 8
.2 2
.3 5
.3 4
.5 5
.1 3
.5 1
.7 0
.3 2
.5 7
.4 5
.2 4
4 .1 3
5 .2 4
6. 44
5 .8 0
3 .1 8
3 .1 0
3 .9 9
4 .6 8
4 .6 8
4 .9 9
3 .1 9
3 .6 2
.5 7
.4 3
.4 9
5 .2 8
4 .9 8
6 .9 0
4. 61
M a n u f a c t u r in g — C o n t in u e d
T e x t i l e -m i l l p r o d u c t s _______________________ _________
C o t t o n ______________________________________________
S ilk a n d r a y o n g o o d s __________________ _________
W o o l e n a n d w o r s te d , e x c e p t d y e in g a n d
f i n i s h i n g ., ___________ _________ _________________
H o s i e r y , f u l l-fa s h io n e d __________________________
H o s i e r y , s e a m l e s s ._______ _______________________
K n i t t e d u n d e r w e a r ____________ ______ _____ _____
D y e i n g a n d f in is h in g t e x t ile s , in c lu d in g
w o o le n a n d w o r s t e d __________ ___________ _
A p p a r e l a n d o th e r fin is h e d te x t ile p r o d u c t s . . .
M e n ’ s a n d b o y s ’ s u it s , c o a ts , a n d o v e r c o a t s ______________________________________________
M e n ’ s a n d b o y s ’ f u r n is h in g s , w o r k c lo t h in g , a n d a llie d g a r m e n t s _____________________
W o m e n ’ s c lo t h in g , e x c e p t c o r s e t s ...................
6 .2 4
6 .0 5
5 .3 1
4 .8 6
.3 2
.4 2
.1 9
4 .6 8
4 .9 3
4 .0 0
2 .9 5
.2 2
.2 9
.1 7
5 .9 4
3 .7 2
6 .0 5
6 .7 6
6 .1 7
5 .9 2
5 .3 6
6. 21
5. 39
5 .2 5
.3 6
.2 3
.1 5
.1 6
.1 8
.1 6
6. 34
8 .5 0
4 .0 2
5. 77
L e a t h e r a n d le a th e r p r o d u c t s ______________________
L e a t h e r _____________________________________________
B o o t s a n d s h o e s __________________________________
4 .9 2
3. 55
5 .1 3
5 .3 6
3 .3 8
5 .6 5
3 .8 8
2 .6 1
4 .1 2
4 .2 9
2 .4 5
4 .5 9
.2 7
.1 9
.2 6
.3 2
.3 3
.2 9
.4 5
.4 2
.4 6
5. 42
3 .8 2
5 .8 0
4 .5 6
4 .6 8
4. 54
F o o d a n d k in d r e d p r o d u c t s ________________________
M e a t p r o d u c t s ____________ _______________________
G r a in -m il l p r o d u c t s .____________ _______________
1 0 .3 0
1 1 .8 5
8 .8 9
1 0 .0 7
10. 75
8 .9 8
8 .0 2
9 .1 1
6 .3 0
7 .8 7
8 .1 2
6 .6 1
.6 9
.7 8
.7 7
.8 5
1 .1 3
.9 2
.7 4
.8 3
.9 0
1 1 .0 8
1 2 .2 5
9 .8 7
10. 36
1 2 .9 7
8 .9 5
P a p e r a n d a llie d p r o d u c t s ___________________________
P a p e r a n d p u l p . ......................... ......... .........................
P a p e r b o x e s . . . _______ _________ ______ _________ _
6 .2 6
5 .2 8
8 .8 0
7 .0 1
6 .0 2
1 0 .0 8
4 .6 7
3 .8 7
6 .7 2
5 .2 2
4 .6 6
6 .9 1
' .6 0
.5 1
.7 2
.4 1
.2 9
.7 9
.5 8
.6 1
.5 7
6 .3 1
5 .3 8
8 .8 4
6 .3 0
5 .8 2
8. 33
C h e m ic a ls a n d a llie d p r o d u c t s . . ________
.. .
P a i n t s , v a r n is h e s , a n d c o lo r s _____ _________ __
R a y o n a n d a llie d p r o d u c t s ____________________
I n d u s t r ia l c h e m ic a ls , e x c e p t e x p lo s i v e s ____
E x p lo s iv e s 2
.
. . .
7 .4 8
5 .0 9
3 .7 9
3 .9 7
9 .8 7
1 3 .7 0
9 .4 2
4 .1 2
3 .3 4
4 .0 4
3 .8 8
1 9 .5 7
3. 47
3 .3 1
2 .7 7
2 .6 6
2 .9 1
4 .4 1
3. 44
2 .8 3
2 .5 4
2 .4 6
2 .3 2
4 .6 7
.4 7
.6 9
.4 6
.5 2
. 20
. 45
2 .9 9
.5 3
.1 6
.2 6
6 .4 0
8 .1 2
.5 5
.5 6
.4 0
.5 3
.3 6
.7 2
5 .0 5
4 .9 4
3. 39
4 .2 2
3 .0 6
4 .4 9
3 .1 3
3. 42
P r o d u c t s o f p e t r o le u m a n d c o a l___________________
P e t r o le u m r e f in in g .......................................................
2 .9 2
2 .6 4
3 .0 2
2 .8 5
1 .9 7
1 .7 5
1 .9 7
1 .8 6
.2 5
.2 1
.2 2
.2 3
.4 8
.4 5
3 .9 4
3 .7 0
3 .4 1
3 .2 9
R u b b e r p r o d u c t s ....................................... ............................
R u b b e r tire s a n d in n e r t u b e s ______
_______
R u b b e r fo o tw e a r a n d r e la te d p r o d u c t s ____
M is c e ll a n e o u s r u b b e r i n d u s t r i e s ......................
6 .2 0
4 .7 6
6 .1 1
7 .6 5
6 .0 8
5. 59
6 .6 3
6 .2 5
5 .0 7
3 .8 6
5 .0 9
6 .2 5
5 .0 2
4 .4 3
5 .9 3
5. 21
.4 9
.3 2
.5 2
.6 6
.1 4
.0 6
.0 5
.2 4
.5 0
.5 2
.4 5
.5 0
7 .0 2
5 .1 0
7 .3 1
8 .8 6
5 .9 7
5. 22
7. 37
6 .1 9
T o b a c c o m a n u f a c t u r e s ........ ............................................ ..
8 .3 8
6 .0 8
6 .1 5
5 .3 2
.3 0
1 .6 0
.-33
7 .3 9
5 .9 7
M is c e ll a n e o u s i n d u s t r i e s .._________________________
4 .7 9
4 .0 8
3 .0 8
2 .7 4
.5 5
.6 5
.5 1
4 .8 9
3 .4 0
4 .9 7
2 .5 4
5 .5 7
4 .8 7
5 .9 8
3 .0 4
6 .3 8
5 .5 1
3 .1 9
1 .3 7
3 .8 3
3 .4 3
3 .7 0
1 .6 4
5 .0 5
4 .0 6
.4 9
.1 3
.4 4
.6 6
.5 2
.3 8
.5 7
.1 4
.7 7
.6 6
.7 3
.6 4
4 .1 6
2 .1 0
5 .1 7
5 .0 1
4 .0 0
2 .2 8
4 .8 3
5 .6 0
9. 53
1 3 .0 4
5 .6 6
5 .1 4
1 .1 7
1 .3 8
1 .3 2
5 .4 2
3 .5 7
1 .8 0
3 .1 3
1 .8 9
2 .9 6
1 .3 0
2 .3 3
1 .1 5
2 .2 0
.0 3
.1 9
.1 3
.1 0
.3 4
.5 1
1 .6 1
3 .2 2
1 .6 7
2 .8 1
3 .1 4
2 .9 0 J
2 .5 6
3 .2 1
2 .6 4
2 .4 8
2 .1 7
1 2 .7 4
.1 9
.1 2
.1 2
.1 0
.1 9
.2 0
3 .4 1
3 .5 7
2 .0 2
3 .7 0
N o n m a n u fa c tu r in g
M e t a l m i n i n g . . _________________________ __________ _
I r o n o r e ______ ___________________________ __________
C o p p e r o r e ______________ __________________ _______
L e a d a n d z in c o r e ________________________ ________
M e t a l m in in g , n o t e ls e w h e r e c la ssifie d ,
i n c lu d in g a l u m i n u m o r e _____________________
C o a l m in in g :
A n t h r a c it e m i n i n g _______________________________
B i t u m in o u s - c o a l m i n i n g ______ _______________
P u b l i c u tilit ie s :
T e l e p h o n e ___________ _______ ______________________
T e l e g r a p h . . _______ ___________ ___________________
1 Data are preliminary.
2 Publication of accession rates is restricted in these specific war industries.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
881
Labor Turnover
T a b l e 3 - — Monthly Labor Turnover Rates (Per 100 Employees) 1 for Men and Women
in Selected Industries Engaged in War Production, January 1944 2
Total accession
Quit
Total separation
Industry
M en
Women
M en
W om en
M en
Wom en
Iron and steel and their products................... .........
Blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills.
Gray-iron castings.. . ............................................
Malleable-iron castings,......................................
Steel castings........................................ ....... ...........
Cast-iron pipe and fittings.................................
Firearms, 60 caliber and under........................
4.13
3.05
7.44
4.63
6. 59
4.18
5.76
7.77
5.77
7.43
7.53
6.82
5.17
13.39
2.70
1.98
5.26
3. 37
4.81
2. 55
3.14
5.72
4.91
5.57
6.57
4.54
3.92
7.08
3.89
2.67
7. 55
5.76
6.82
3.60
2.65
7.94
7.44
8.16
6. 37
6.08
10. 52
6.02
Machinery, except electrical— ................................
Engines and turbines............................................
Machine t o o l s .................................. ......... ..........
Machine-tool accessories..................... ........... .
Metalworking machinery and equipment,
not elsewhere classified.------------- ---------------General industrial machinery, except pumps.
Pumps and pumping equipment------------------
4.64
4. 58
4.47
5.66
6.81
6.17
7.85
7.17
2. 74
2.67
2.27
2.92
5.23
4.61
4.66
5.10
3.99
4. 58
1.66
3.26
7.07
7.80
5.94
4.26
4.19
4.62
4.99
6.31
6. 72
8.20
2.26
2.95
2.85
5.10
5. 39
7.00
2.51
4.58
4. 36
5.22
6.98
10.86
Nonferrous metals and their products---------------Primary smelting and refining, except
aluminum and magnesium-------- ---------------Aluminum and magnesium smelting and
refining.......................................................... .........
Rolling and drawing of copper and copper
a llo y s ------------------------ ------------------------ ------Aluminum and magnesium products...........
Nonferrous metal foundries, except alu
minum and magnesium.................................
7.12
8. 52
4.41
6.08
5.13
7.67
3.81
5.71
2.40
4.57
3.30
9.05
12.88
14.43
7.16
8.15
6. 45
8.77
3.70
7.29
5.63
9.60
2.68
4. 71
5.03
6.51
3. 79
5.28
7.14
7.25
6.06
7.89
3.97
6.68
7.96
10.89
Electrical machinery_____ _____ ______ _____ _____
Electrical equipment for industrial use-------Radios, radio equipment, and phonographs
Communication equipment, except radios..
3.75
3.10
4.17
3.13
6.49
6.02
7.02
4.75
2.26
1.82
2. 50
1.69
5.25
4. 54
6.01
4.30
3.80
2.56
5. 22
3.48
6.82
5.06
8. 66
5.09
Ordnance...................................................... ....................
Guns, howitzers, mortars, and related
equipment.......... ..................... ..........................
Ammunition, except small-arms— ...............
Tanks......................................... .............................
Sighting and fire-control equipment—..........
5.99
8. 55
2.98
5.83
6.43
11.47
4. 64
6. 51
6.96
4.14
7.29
8.96
6.89
8.79
2.76
3.55
2. 72
1. 61
5.10
6. 38
5.03
3.50
4.71
7. 55
6.81
2.02
7.14
13.61
9.70
3.88
Transportation equipment, except automobiles
Aircraft........ ........................... - ......... ....... .............
Aircraft parts----- -----------------------------------------Shipbuilding and repairs....................................
6.70
5.13
3. 93
9.09
8.86
7.82
7.16
14.07
4.18
3.21
2.29
5.58
6. 72
6.08
5. 39
10. 30
6.01
4.79
5.26
7.48
7.62
5.84
7. 60
12.54
7.71
3.64
11.33
17.71
6.99
5.50
7.31
8.40
2.88
2.27
2.10
4.00
4.76
4. 52
4. 33
4. 97
4. 25
3.83
2.38
4.20
6.82
6.07
4.96
7.03
Chemicals and allied products........................
Industrial chemicals, except explosives.
Explosives........................................ .............
Small-arms am m unition.------- --------------
1 These figures are presented to show comparative turnover rates and should not be used to estimate
employment.
> D ata are preliminary.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Building Operations
Building Construction in Urban Areas, February 1944
BUILDING construction started in urban areas of the United States
during February was valued at $71,000,000, or almost a fifth less than
during the previous month. Though Federal contract awards de
clined 45 percent from a total of $32,000,000 in January, private work
decreased but 4 percent. All classes of building construction shared in
the decrease from January to February, with the dollar volume of new
residential building declining 17 percent; new nonresidential building,
30 percent; and additions, alterations, and repairs, 3 percent.
The volume of work started in February was 37 percent less than in
February 1943, owing primarily to a 78-percent decline in the value of
Federal construction contracts awarded. Permit valuations for nonFederal building construction increased 59 percent for this period.
The dollar volume of new residential buildings declined 49 percent
and of new nonresidential buildings, 47 percent, while additions,
alterations, and repairs increased 44 percent from the totals for
February 1943.
Comparison of February 1944 with January 1944 and
February 1943
The volume of federally financed and other building construction in
urban areas of the United States in January and February 1944 and
February 1943 is summarized in table 1.
T a b l e 1 .— Summary of Building Construction in All Urban Areas, February 1944
Number of buildings
Valuation
Percent of
change from—
Class of construction
February
1944
Percent of
change from—
February
1944 (in
thousands)
January Febru
January Febru
ary
ary
1944
1944
1943
1943
All building construction______________________
35,995
-2 .2
- 1 6 .9
$70,958
- 1 8 .8
- 3 6 .8
New nonresidential______ - _______________ . _
Additions, alterations, and repairs__________ _
7, 735
3,632
24,628
- 2 1 .7
+ 7 .7
+ 4 .6
- 6 1 .9
+ 1 3 .9
+ 2 4 .3
27,340
24,169
19,449
- 1 6 .5
- 3 0 .2
- 2 .8
- 4 9 .0
-4 6 . 5
+ 4 4 .1
The number of new dwelling units in urban areas for which building
permits were issued or Federal contracts awarded during February
1944 and the estimated valuation of such new housekeeping residential
construction are presented in table 2.
882
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
883
Building Operations
T a b l e 2 . — Number and Valuation of New Dwelling Units in All Urban Areas, by Type
of Dwelling, February 1944
Valuation
Number of dwelling units
Percent of
change from—
Source of funds and type of dwelling
February
February
Percent of
change from—
1944
1944
Janu
ary
Febru
ary
1944
1943
(in thou
sands)
Janu
ary
Febru
ary
1944
1943
“ 1 9 .3
-6 0 .1
$ 2 7 ,2 2 3
-1 6 .3
-4 8 ,5
-4 .4
7 ,8 6 0
Privately financed-------------------- ---------—
-1 .6
6 ,1 6 1
1family__ ______ ______ _________
-5 8 .1
409
2fam ily*------ -----------------------------------------------------------+ 3 0 .6
1 ,2 9 0
M u ltifa m ily3
------------ ------------------------6 0 .8
1 ,1 6 0
Federally financed____________________________
+ 2 8 .6
+ 3 1 .8
-3 0 .4
+ 5 1 .6
-9 3 .0
2 4 ,5 3 0
1 8 ,9 4 5
1 ,2 8 4
4 ,3 0 1
2 ,6 9 3
-5 .8
-6 .6
-5 8 .2
+ 4 9 .1
-5 8 .5
+ 4 0 .1
+ 3 5 .5
-1 7 .6
+ 1 1 9 .0
-9 2 .4
All dwellings ________
- - - -------------------------
9 ,0 2 0
• Includes 1- and 2-family dwellings with stores.
3 Includes multifamily dwellings with stores.
Comparison of F irst 2 Months o f 1943 and 1944
Permit valuations and contract values reported in the first 2 months
of 1944 are compared with similar data for 1943 in table 3.
T a b l e 3. — Valuation of Building Construction in All Urban Areas, by Class of Construc
tion, First 2 Months of 1943 and 1944
Valuation (in thousands of dollars) of—
Federal construction: First
2 months
A ll construction: First
2 months
Class of construction
1944
Percent
of change
1943
1944
1943
Percent
of change
All construction........................... ........... ........... —
158, 301
233, 533
-3 2 .2
49,937
167, 350
-7 0 .2
New residential__________________________ - - New nonresidential-.--------------------- Additions, alterations, and repairs---------------
60,074
58,775
39,452
103,921
104, 328
25,284
-4 2 . 2
-4 3 .7
+ 5 6 .0
9,355
37,690
2,892
68,992
94,180
4,178
-8 6 .4
-6 0 .0
-3 0 .8
The number and valuation of new dwelling units for which permits
were issued and Federal contracts awarded during the first 2 months
of 1944 are compared with similar data for 1943 in table 4.
T a b l e 4, — Number and Valuation o f New Dwelling Units in All Urban Areas, by Source
o f Funds and Type of Dwelling, First 2 Months o f 1943 and 1944
Number of dwelling units
Source of funds and type of dwelling
First 2 months of—
1944
1943
20,198
43, 633
Percent
of change
Valuation (in thousands)
First 2 months of—
1944
1943
-53.7
$59,746
$102,657
11,985 +34.2
16,082
Privately financed..................... - ..........
8,243 +50.6
12,418 --------------1family____ __________ ---------------6.7
1,480
1,386
2family *..............- .........
+1.0
2, 256
2,278
Multifamily 3------------------- ---------87.0
4,116
31,648
Federal............. —....... ........................ -
50, 562
39,018
4,358
7,186
9,184
34,819
25,219
4,015
5,585
67,838
All dwellings............... ................ -.......
1 Includes 1-and 2-family dwellings with stores.
3 Includes multifamily dwellings with stores.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Percent
of change
-41.8
+45.2
+54.7
+8.5
+28.7
-86. 5
884
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
Construction from Public Funds, February 1944
The value of contracts awarded and force-account work started
during January and February 1944 and February 1943 on all con
struction projects and shipbuilding financed wholly or partially from
Federal funds and reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics is
shown in table 5. This table includes all other types of construction
as well as building construction, both inside and outside urban
areas of the United States.
T a b l e 5. — Value o f Contracts Awarded and Force-Account Work Started on Construc
tion Projects and Shipbuilding Financed From Federal Funds, February 1944
Value of contracts awarded and force-account
work started (in thousands)
Source of funds
February 1944 > January 1944 2 February 1943 2
Total.................................. .......................
$165,092
$192,825
$334,739
W ar public w orks.................................
Regular Federal appropriations___
Federal Public Housing Authority.
4,148
157,095
3,849
3,630
178, 277
10,918
9,917
261, 793
63,029
1 Preliminary, subject to revision.
5 Revised.
Coverage and Method
Figures on building construction in this report cover the entire area
of the United States, which, by Census definition, includes all incorpo
rated places with a 1940 population of 2,500 or more and, by special
rule, a small number of unincorporated civil divisions. The volume
of privately financed construction is estimated from the buildingpermit data received from a large majority of all urban places, and
these estimates are combined with data on building construction
contracts awarded as furnished by Federal and State agencies. The
contracts awarded for Federally financed building construction in
urban areas were valued at $17,772,000 in February 1944, $32,165,000
in January 1944, and $78,826,000 in February 1943.
The valuation figures represent estimates of construction costs
made by prospective private builders when applying for permits to
build, and the value of contracts awarded by the Federal and State
governments. No land costs are included. Unless otherwise indi
cated, only building construction within the corporate limits of cities
in the urban areas is included in the tabulations.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Trend o f Em ploym ent, Earnings and Hours
,
##*#+##*##+*#*+##
Summary of Reports for February 1944
THE smoothing out of production processes and a better flow of
materials have resulted in a further decrease in the number of factory
wage earners. Thirteen and a half million wage earners were em
ployed in manufacturing industries in February 1944, compared with
the November 1943 peak of 14 million.
Although cut-backs in some war industries in February were offset
in part by new orders in others, total production requirements seem to
have leveled off and the reductions in employment have been made
possible by increased efficiency. Employment decreases from Jan
uary to February were concentrated for the most part in the industries
engaged in war production.
Industrial and Business Employment
More than half of the manufacturing wage-earner decline between
January and February was concentrated in the transportation-equip
ment and automobile groups. Employment in the transportationequipment group, which is largely engaged in the manufacture of
aircraft, aircraft engines, and ships, declined by 29,000, while in
automobile plants, many of which are producing aircraft and aircraft
subassemblies, the decline amounted to 15,000. The declines in both
these groups may be attributed to the stabilization of the shipbuilding
and aircraft programs.
Sizable employment declines were reported in the chemicals,
machinery, and iron and steel groups as a result of production cut
backs. Further reduction in the production of small-arms ammuni
tion and curtailment in the production of explosives were primarily
responsible for the drop of 14,000 wage earners in the chemicals
group. The decline of 11,000 in the machinery group was due chiefly
to further curtailments in the machine-tool and machine-tool-acces
sories industries while the decrease of 8,000 in the iron and steel group
reflects cancellation of contracts for firearms, machine-gun belt links,
cartridge cases, and camouflage fabrics.
The only other large decline occurred in the food group. More than
half of the decline of 10,000 wage earners in this group may be at
tributed to the seasonal drop in slaughtering and meat packing.
The largest employment increase during the month, 6,000 wage
earners, was reported by the electrical-machinery group and reflected
the expanded radio and communication-equipment programs.
The decline in manufacturing employment, coupled with lesser
declines in all but one of the other industry divisions, resulted in a
drop of 210,000 in total nonagricultural employment during the month,
885
5 7 8 8 7 7 -4 4 -
13
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
886
to a level of 37,047,000 in February 1944. This is 911,000 less than in
the same month of 1943. All the industry divisions with the excep
tion of transportation and public utilities were employing fewer
workers than in February 1943.
T able
1.— Estimated Number of Wage Earners and Indexes of Wage-Earner Employ
ment in Manufacturing Industries, by Major Industry Group 1
[Subject to revision]
Estimated number of wage
earners (thousands)
Wage-earner
indexes
(1939=100)
Industry group
Jan
uary
1944
Feb
ruary
1944 2
Jan
uary
1944
D e
cember
1943
Feb
ruary
1943
Feb
ruary
19442
All manufacturing______________________________________
Durable goods_____________________________________ _
Nondurable goods____________________ ____________
13, 576
8, 224
5,352
13,659
8, 288
5,371
13, 876
8,403
5,473
13, 633
7, 998
5,635
165.7
227.7
116.8
166.7
229.5
117.2
Iron and steel and their products.........................................
Electrical machinery______ ___________________________
Machinery, except electrical . . .
___________ ______ _
Transportation equipment, except automobiles_______
Automobiles------------- --------- ---------------------------------------Nonferrous metals and their products_________________
Lumber and timber basic products____________________
Furniture and finished lumber products_______________
Stone, clay, and glass products____ ___________________
1,713
752
1,237
2,247
731
417
434
351
342
1,721
746
1, 248
2, 276
746
417
435
355
344
1,736
751
1,257
2,318
759
420
454
357
351
1,715
676
1,220
2,132
642
412
478
364
359
172.8
290.3
234.2
1415. 5
181.8
181.8
103.3
107.0
116.6
173.6
288.1
236.2
1434. 2
185.4
181.8
103.5
108.2
117.3
Textile-mill products and other fiber manufactures___
Apparel and other finished textile products___________
Leather and leather products.. . _____________________
F o o d .. _ . . . _______
. . . . . . . . . ------------------------Tobacco manufactures___________ _____________________
Paper and allied products________ ____________________
Printing, publishing, and allied industries_____ _______
Chemicals and allied products--------------------------- ----------Products of petroleum and coal________________________
Rubber products. . . __________________________________
Miscellaneous industries------------------------------------------------
1,166
816
310
949
88
312
338
648
127
203
395
1,164
811
310
959
88
314
338
662
125
203
397
1,188
815
313
990
90
316
342
689
126
202
402
1,275
897
359
936
94
313
338
726
122
185
390
102.0
103.3
89.2
111.1
94.0
117.5
103.2
225.0
119.8
167.9
161.4
101.7
102.7
89.3
112.3
94.2
118.2
103.1
229.7
118.4
167.6
162.2
1 The estimates and indexes presented in this table have been adjusted to final data for 1941 and prelimi
nary data for the second quarter of 1942 made available b y the Bureau of Employment Security of the Fed
eral Security Agency
2 Preliminary.
Public Employment
The number of employees in the Federal executive service rose
6,000 in February 1944. This is in contrast to an increase of 55,500
in the corresponding period of 1943. Tne total of 2,986,000 in Feb
ruary 1944, however, was 98,000 higher than a year agb.
A gain of 9,000 employees in the Navy Department in February
1944 was partially offset by declines in several of the other war agen
cies, bringing the net war-agency increase to 7,000. Although a net
decline of only 950 occurred in the employment in all other agencies
during the month, it was the result of minor increases and decreases
in most of the agencies. Employment in the Post Office Department
showed the greatest change, a decrease of 1,300.
Eighty-five percent of the 9,900 increase in full-time workers in
continental United States were women and brought their number to
975,000, or 37 percent of the total.
The January-February 1944 drop of 43,000 in employment on con
struction and shipbuilding and repair projects was partially the result
of seasonal declines on river, harbor, and flood control and streets
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Trend of Employment, Earnings, arid Hours
887
-and roads projects, and of completions of airport and nonresidential
building projects. Labor shortages in shipbuilding areas accounted
for a slight decline in employment on ship construction and repair.
For the regular Federal services, data for the legislative and judicial
services and for force-account employees in the executive service
are reported to the Bureau of Labor'Statistics; data for other execu
tive-service employees are reported through the Civil Service Com
mission. The Bureau of Labor Statistics receives monthly reports on
employment and pay rolls for the various construction and ship
building and repair projects financed wholly or partially from Federal
funds, directly from the shipyards and construction contractors and
subcontractors.
A summary of employment and pay-roll data for the regular Federal
services and for construction and shipbuilding and repair projects
financed wholly or partially from Federal funds is given in table 2.
It should be noted that data for employees located outside continental
United States are included in the figures for only the regular Federal
services. Federal workers who receive either $1 a year or no compen
sation whatever for their services are excluded from the figures.
T a b l e 2. — Employment and Pay Rolls in Regular Federal Services and on Projects
Financed Wholly or Partially From Federal Funds
[Subject to revision]
'
Employment
Pay rolls
Service or program
Febru January Febru
ary 1944
1944
ary 1943
Regular Federal services:
Executive 1_________ ________________
W ar agencies 2__________________
Other agencies..- . . .
____
--_ ____________
Judicial------- _
L e g isla tiv e -..___ ________ . . Construction and shipbuilding and
repair projects:2
Financed from regular Federal
appropriations 4._ ____ _________
W a r____________________________
Other___________________________
Public housing_____________________
W ar public works._____ ___________
Financed by R F C ____ ____________
W a r ____________ _____ __________
O th e r..-.................. ........... .............
February
1944
January
1944
February
1943
2, 986,007 2,979,914 2,887, 521 $578, 966,000 $577,828,000 $523,720,550
2,169, 203 2,162,160 2,102,833 413,841,000 412, 509,000 369,413,483
816,804 817,754 784, 688 165,125,000 165,319,000 154,307,067
2,665
772,815
708,351
2,668
2, 597
767, 539
6,115
6,284
1,485,891
6,133
1, 577,172
1,432,989
1,720,700 1, 748, 400 2, 278, 700 456,633,000 450,940,000 492,434,000
1, 683, 200 1, 708,200 2,208, 500 449,137,000 442,916,000 479,815,000
37, 500
8,024,000
12,619,000
40,200
70, 200
7,496,000
11,798,000
31, 500
75, 500
6, 512,000
7, 530,000
36,400
14, 500
15, 500
10,900
2,057,000
1,640,000
2,205,000
81, 200 202,300
16, 594,000
18,711,000
72,000
38,478,000
16,594,000
72,000
18,711,000 38,334,000
81, 200 201,700
0
144,000
0
600
0
0
1 Includes employees in United States navy yards and on force-account construction who are also included
under construction projects. Data for February 1943 are not strictly comparable with the series starting
July 1943 because of the inclusion of employees on terminal leave in the earlier figure, and the inclusion be
ginning July 1943 of approximately 7,000 employees of the W ar Shipping Adminsitration who were previous
ly unreported; a change in the method of reporting temporary substitutes of the Post Office Department
starting December 1943 accounts for an increase of approximately 25,000 employees. Pay rolls for January
and February 1944 are estimated.
2 Covers W ar and N avy Departments, Maritime Commission, National Advisory Committee for Aero
nautics, Panama Canal, Office for Emergency Management, Office of Censorship, Office of Price Administra
tion, Office of Strategic Services, Foreign Economic Administration, and the Petroleum Administration
for W ar.
3 Continental United States only.
* Includes ship construction and repair in United States navy yards and the Federally financed part there
of in private shipyards.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Revieiv—April 1944
888
Detailed Reports for Industrial and Business
Employment, January 1944
Estimates of Nonagricultural Em ploym ent
ESTIMATES of civil employees in nonagricultural establishments by
major groups are given in table 1. The estimates are based on reports
of employers to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on data made avail
able by the Bureau of Employment Security and the Bureau of OldAge and Survivors Insurance of the Federal Security Agency, and on
information supplied by other Government agencies, such as the Inter
state Commerce Commission, the Civil Service Commission, and the
Bureau of the Census. They do not include military personnel, emer
gency employment (such as WPA, NYA, and CCC), proprietors,
self-employed persons, unpaid family workers, or domestics.
Estimates of employees in nonagricultural establishments, by
States, are given each month in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’
mimeographed release on employment and pay rolls.
T a b l e 1.— Estimated Number of Employees in Nonagricultural
Establishments, by
Industry Division
Estimated number of wage earners
(in thousands)
Industry
January
1944
December
1943
November
1943
January
1943
Total estimated em ploym ent1_____ _____ ______________ _
2 37, 257
38,485
38, 298
37,862
Manufacturing____
_______ ______________________ . . .
Mining __
_______ . ................... ................. ..
_
Contract construction and Federal force-account construction.. ___ __ _ ___________________ - ______________
Transportation and public utilities____ :_________________
Trade___ _______ ____________ _____________________ - . Finance, service, and miscellaneous-- .............
....... Federal, State, and local government, excluding Federal
______ .
force-account construction.
. . . _______
15,827
811
16, 078
815
16,229
809
15, 743
867
685
3,640
6, 255
4, 248
773
3,661
6,832
4, 271
871
3,687
6,569
4, 272
1, 470
3,463
6, 371
4, 259
2 5, 791
6, 055
5,861
5,689
•Estimates exclude proprietors of unincorporated businesses, self-employed persons, domestics employed
in private homes, public emergency employees, and personnel in the armed forces.
* Preliminary.
Industrial and Business Employment
Monthly reports on employment and pay rolls are available for 154
manufacturing industries and for 15 nonmanufacturing industries, in
cluding water transportation and class I steam railroads. The reports
for the first two of these groups— manufacturing andnonmanufacturing— are based on sample surveys by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The figures on water transportation are based on estimates prepared
by the Maritime Commission, and those on class I steam railroads are
compiled by the Interstate Commerce Commission.
The employment, pay roll, hours, and earnings figures for manu
facturing, mining, laundries, and dyeing and cleaning cover wage
earners only; but the figures for public utilities, brokerage, insurance,
and hotels relate to all employees except corporation officers and execu-
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
EMPLOYMENT AND PAY ROLLS
ALL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES
INDEX
1939=
IO O
INDEX
Trend of Employment, Earnings, and Hours
UNITEO STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ WAGE EARNERS AND WAGE EARNER PAY ROLL
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
CO
co
\o
890
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
tives, while for trade they relate to all employees except corporation
officers, executives, and other employees whose duties are mainly
supervisory. For crude-petroleum production they cover wage earn
ers and clerical field force. The coverage of the reporting samples for
the various nonmanufacturing industries ranges from approximately
25 percent for wholesale and retail trade, dyeing and cleaning, and in
surance, to approximately 80 percent for public utilities and 90 percent
for mining.
The general manufacturing indexes are computed from reports sup
plied by representative establishments in the 154 manufacturing
industries surveyed. These reports cover more than 65 percent of
the total wage earners in all manufacturing industries of the country
and about 80 percent of the wage earners in the 154 industries covered.
Data for both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries are
based on reports of the number of employees and the amount of pay
rolls for the pay period ending nearest the fifteenth of the month.
IN D E X E S OF E M P LO YM E N T A N D P A Y ROLLS
Employment and pay-roll indexes, for both manufacturing and
nonmanufacturing industries, for November and December 1943, and
January 1944, and for January 1943, are presented in tables 3 and 5.
The figures relating to all manufacturing industries combined, to
the durable- and nondurable-goods divisions, and to the major in
dustry groups, have been adjusted to conform to levels indicated by
final data for 1941 and preliminary data for the second quarter of 1942
released by the Bureau of Employment Security of the Federal Security
Agency. The Bureau of Employment Security data referred to are
(a) employment totals reported by employers under State unemploy
ment-compensation programs, and (b) estimates of the number of
employees not reported under the programs of some of these States,
which do not cover small establishments. The latter estimates were
obtained from tabulations prepared by the Bureau of Old-Age and
Survivors Insurance, which obtains reports from all employers, regard
less of size of establishment.
Not all industries in each major industry group are represented in
the tables, since minor industries are not canvassed by the Bureau,
and others cannot be shown because of their close relationship to the
war program. Furthermore, no attempt has been made to allocate
among the separate industries the adjustments to unemploymentcompensation data. Hence, the estimates for individual industries
within a group will not in general add to the total estimate for that
group.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
891
Trend of Employment, Earnings, and Hours
T a b l e 2. — Estimated Number of Wage Earners in Manufacturing Industries 1
Estimated number of wage earners
(in thousands)
Industry2
A ll manufacturing.......................... ....................................... ............
Durable goods____________
IIIIIIIIIIH ”
Nondurable goods____________________________ IIIIIIIIIIH
January
1944
Decem
ber 1943
Novem
ber 1943
13, 659
8,288
5,371
13, 876
8,403
5, 473
14,007
8, 456
5, 551
January
1943
13, 503
7, 875
5,628
Durable, goods
Iron and steel and their products______________ ______________
Blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills___________ HI
Gray-iron and semisteel eastings________________ _______
Malleable-iron castings_________ ____________ _______
Steel castings_______________
H I.
Cast-iron pipe and fittings____ _______ _________
T in cans and other tinware___________________________
Wire drawn from purchased rods________ ____ _______H
W irework_________________________________________ I I .I I ” '
Cutlery and edge tools________________________ IIIIIIIIIII
Tools (except edge tools, machine tools, flies, and saws)7III
Hardware_______________ _______ ________________________
Plumbers’ supplies____________________________ IIIIIIIIIII'
Stoves, oil burners, and heating equipment, not elsewhere
classified_______________________________________________
Steam and hot-water heating apparatus and steam fittings
Stamped and enameled ware and galvanizing_______
Fabricated structural and ornamental metalwork_________
M etal doors, sash, frames, molding, and trim_______ ______
Bolts, nuts, washers, and rivets_____________________ II___
Forgings, iron and steel_____ _____
I.IIIIII
W rought pipe, welded and heavy riveted_________ IIIIIIIII
Screw-machine products and w ood screw s................. ............
Steel barrels, kegs, and drums_________________________ IIII
1,721
497.8
77.2
25.8
80.3
15.4
33.6
35.7
34.6
22.7
28.7
47.5
23.5
1,736
502.9
78.4
25.9
80.2
15.5
33.6
35.5
34.5
22.7
28.4
47.8
23.4
1,744
507.8
78.3
25.8
80.3
15.5
33.3
35.5
34.4
22.7
27.9
47.5
23.8
1,693
521.9
62.8
59.7
91.3
74.6
13.5
29.0
40.7
26.2
48.4
8.2
62.5
60.1
93.4
74.4
13.8
30.0
40.5
26.0
49.1
8.7
60.9
59.9
94.5
74.0
14.1
30.0
40.6
26.4
49.2
8.5
52.1
57.4
79.5
69.0
86.1
27.2
82.9
19.4
28.1
35.3
31.8
21.3
27.4
42.3
22.2
11.1
27.2
39.1
23.1
49.4
6.9
Electrical m achinery................ ............ ............ .......... .......................
746
751
751
M achinery, except electrical_________________________________
M achinery and machine-shop products_________IIIII
Tractors____________________________________ _______
Agricultural machinery,“excluding tractors_______ I
I”
Machine tools____________________________________
HI
Machine-tool accessories3................................
IIIIIIIIII
Textile machinery_____________________________________ I I "
Pum ps and pum ping equipm ent............. . . IIIIIII
I
Typewriters_____________________________________
II"
Cash registers, adding and calculating m achinesIIIIIIIIIIII
Washing machines, wringers, and driers, dom estic_________
Sewing machines, domestic and industrial__________ ______
Refrigerators and refrigeration equipment_____ _________HI
1, 248
498.5
59.1
44.1
89.3
78.4
28.5
81.8
12.4
35.6
14.8
1,257
499.5
58.3
42.7
92.0
80.6
29.0
82.3
1,202
10.0
10.6
59.0
60.8
1,263
500.5
57.5
42.0
95.0
83.8
29.0
81.1
13.0
36.4
14.8
10.7
60.3
Transportation equipment, except automobiles.............................
Motorcycles, bicycles, and parts........................
I
2,276
10.3
2,318
10.4
2,337
10.4
2,067
9.6
12.6
36.2
15.0
661
468.9
48.2
31.7
122.5
93.0
29.1
70.9
11.0
33.3
11.1
11.1
48.4
A utom obiles-......................... ............... .............
746
759
760
631
Nonferrous metals and their products_____ ____________ _____
Smelting and refining, primary, of nonferrous m etals4."!"!"
Clocks and watches_______________________________________
Jewelry (precious metals) and jewelers’ fin d in g s !!..!!
Silverware and plated ware_______ ______ ____ _________
Lighting equipment__________________
.IIIIIH
Sheet-metal work, not elsewhere classified............. . . . IIH II
417
58.8
25.5
14.7
11.5
26.2
30.4
420
59.9
25.5
15.0
426
60.0
25.3
15.1
11.8
12.0
408
51.7
25.8
16.7
•11.4
26 1
29.4
26.9
29.2
22.1
Lum ber and timber basic products......... .......... .......... ...................
Sawmills and logging camps____ _________
I.IIIIH "
Planing and plyw ood mills_________
IIIIIIIIIIH
435
234.8
77.3
454
246.2
79.1
463
252.5
79.6
489
266.2
83.5
Furniture and finished lumber products....... ...............................
Mattresses and bedsprings_________________ ____ _______ ’
Furniture.____ ____ ____ ________ ,_________ ______ . . . I . . I I
W ooden boxes, other than cigar___________ ____ .I I .I I I I I I I
Caskets and other morticians’ goods......... ............ ........... HI"
W ood preserving____ ______
I
W ood, turned and sh a p e d .............................................. III! 11
355
17.7
167.0
28.5
357
18.5
166.8
28.8
361
19.2
169.3
29.0
12.0
362
16.8
168.0
31.0
12.2
10.2
11.0
See footnotes a t end of table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
12.2
9.9
22.1
12.0
10.2
22.8 i
29.5
22.9
892
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
T a b l e 2.— Estimated Number of Wage Earners in Manufacturing Industries1— Continued
Estimated number of wage earners
(in thousands)
Industry s
January
1944
Decem
ber 1943
N ovem
ber 1943
344
91.9
10.8
18.9
45.8
40.9
4.6
10.7
8. 9
12. 2
23.3
22.0
351
92.1
11.1
20.9
46.6
42.1
4.6
10.7
9 0
12.5
23.9
22.0
351
91.4
11.1
21.7
46.3
42.4
4.6
10.5
8 9
12.6
24.2
22.2
362
82.9
12.0
27.4
55.8
44.7
4.5
11.2
9 6
12.6
21.5
21.9
Textile-mill products and other fiber manufactures_________ .
Cotton manufactures, except smallwares_____________
.
Cotton smallwares__________ __________________ _______
• Silk and rayon goods_______________________________________
Woolen and worsted manufactures, except dyeing and
finishing______________________ ____________
Hosiery . ________________________________________
Knitted cloth________ _. ._ _______ ______
Knitted outerwear and knitted gloves...................... .................
Knitted underwear________________ _____________
Dyeing and finishing textiles, including woolen and worsted
Carpets and rugs, w o o l... __________ _____ ______
Hats, fur-felt_____________________________________
Jute goods, except felts_____________ _____ ______ _____
Cordage and tw ine._______________ _________
1,164
459.3
14.7
93.4
1,188
473.2
15.3
94.9
1,190
473.6
15.4
94.4
1,273
503.7
17.3
97.8
158.2
111.5
11.4
30.7
38.7
65.3
20.8
9.8
3.5
16.7
160.4
113. 2
11.6
31.7
39.4
65.0
20.9
9.9
3.6
16.8
160.8
113.6
11.6
32.0
39.7
65.0
21.1
10.0
3.6
16.8
175.9
122.6
11.9
31.8
44.6
72.0
23.8
10.0
4.1
16.4
Apparel and other finished textile products____ ___________
M en ’s clothing, not elsewhere classified______________
Shirts, collars, and nightwear....... ............................. .........
Underwear and neckwear, men’s . .............................. .........
W ork shirts.................................. .........................................
W om en’s clothing, not elsewhere classified...............
Corsets and allied garments..................................................
M illinery_________________________ ______________
Handkerchiefs________________________________
Curtains, draperies, and bedspreads........ ............. .......... ..........
Housefurnishings, other than curtains, e t c ..................
Textile bags_______________ _______ _________ _______
811
218.5
54.8
12.4
16.9
229.2
15.9
19.3
3.4
15.0
12.7
15.4
815
218.0
55.8
12.6
17.3
229.9
16.3
18.2
3.5
16.1
13.4
15.3
823
221.6
56.4
12.8
17.8
231.0
16.5
17.7
3.5
16.4
13.8
15.0
884
236.5
63.5
12.3
17.9
247.8
17.1
20.1
4.0
18.2
16.9
16.8
Leather and leather products_________________________
Leather______________ _____
Boot and shoe cut stock and findings______________
Boots and shoes___________ ______
Leather gloves and mittens______________________
Trunks and suitcases..........................................................
310
40.9
16.4
175.0
13.4
11.8
313
41.1
16.5
176.0
13.8
12.4
315
40.9
16.5
177.9
14.0
12.4
361
49.8
18.9
202.2
14.9
14.3
Pood_______ _________________
Slaughtering and meat packing.................................. .
B u tter._________________________________
•Condensed and evaporated m i l k .. . ...................... ...............
Ice cream______________________________
Flour___ __________ ______
Feeds, prepared_____________________________
Cereal preparations...............................................................
Baking_________________ _____ __________
Sugar refining, cane...................... ........................................
Sugar, bee t........................ .............................................
Confectionery...... ............. ......... .............................
Beverages, nonalcoholic......................................................
M alt liquors__________ _____ ____________ .
Canning and preserving..................................................
95Q
172.3
19.6
12.1
13.0
29.9
21.8
9.6
258.6
14.2
5.4
59.0
25.9
47.1
94.5
990
170.6
19.8
12.1
13.4
29.7
21.8
9.5
262.8
14.2
13.9
60.8
26.6
46.9
108.6
164.3
20.7
12.2
13.9
30.0
21.8
9.8
263.7
14.9
20.3
60.3
27.4
47.3
125.1
185.2
19.7
11.7
13.1
27.4
21.9
9.8
257.6
12.3
8.6
59.9
23.9
40.4
94.8
January
1943
Durable goods—Continued
Stone, clay, and glass products................................................ ...............
Glass and glassware___________________________ ________ ______
Glass products made from purchased glass ....... ............. .........
Cement____________ __ ______________________________ _____
Brick, tile, and terra cotta ____ ___________________
Pottery and related products_________________ ___________ _
G ypsu m _____________________ __________________________
Wallboard, plaster (except gypsum), and mineral wool____
Lim e______________ ______
_________ __________
Marble, granite, slate, and other products__________________
Abrasives.. __ _____________ _____ ____ _______ ______
Asbestos products_____________ _______ ______________________
N ondurable goods
See footnotes a t end of table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
893
Trend of Employment, Earnings, and Hours
T a b le 2.— Estim ated N um ber o f W age Earners in M anufacturing In d u stries 1— Continued
Estimated number of wage earners
(in thousands)
January
1944
Decem
ber 1943
N ovem
ber 1943
January
1943
88
35.7
37.9
8.8
90
35.8
39.7
8.6
90
35.7
39.9
8.6
96
34.4
46.3
8.8
Paper and allied products......................................................................
Paper and pulp__________ ____________ ___________________
Paper goods, other.__________________ _____ __________
E n velopes...____ ________ _________ ________________
Paper bags..................................... ......... .............
Paper boxes................ ......... ............. ........... ......................
314
149.4
47.4
10.2
13.2
84.0
316
150.0
47.5
10.3
13.1
85.5
316
149.4
47.9
10.4
12.9
85.9
309
151.1
48.6
10.1
12.2
78.5
Printing, publishing, and allied industries.................................
Newspapers and periodicals...____ _________ ________
Printing, book and job__________ _______ _______________ .
Lithographing__________ _________ __________
Bookbinding________________________ _____ __________
338
110.5
136.5
24.8
30.1
342
113.0
137.1
25.3
30.4
342
113.2
136.8
25.0
30.2
335
114.2
132.6
25.3
27.8
Chemicals and allied products________ _____ ______________
Paints, varnishes, and colors_________________ .
Drugs, medicines, and insecticides...................................
Perfumes and cosmetics...................................... ................
Soap__________________________ _________ _________
Rayon and allied products........................................ ...................
Chemicals, not elsewhere classified____________ _______
Compressed and liquefied gases....................... ................... .........
Cottonseed oil..................................... .................. ...............
Fertilizers............................................................. .................
662
29.6
50.2
11.3
13 5
52.1
119.6
6.1
20.1
23.5
689
29.9
48.6
11.8
13 6
53.0
120.7
6.2
21.6
22.1
729
29.8
48.6
11.8
13 5
51.6
120.9
6.3
22.3
21.2
715
29.0
42.1
10.0
13. 7
51.1
111.2
6.3
21.0
21.5
Products of petroleum and coal...... ........... ............ ...............
Petroleum refining. ________ ____ ______ ____________ . .
Coke and byproducts........................... ........... ................... ...........
Paving materials___________ _____ ____ ___________ ____ ______
Roofing materials..................................... ...................................
125
82.5
23.3
1.5
9.8
126
82.6
23.5
1.7
9.8
126
82.2
23.5
2.0
9.8
123
77.4
25.8
1.4
10.0
Rubber products........................ ............................... ....... ...........
Rubber tires and inner tubes______ ______ ____ . . .
Rubber boots and shoes...................................... ........... ...
Rubber goods, other....... ......................... .......................................
203
94.0
21.4
77.3
202
93.7
21.7
76.8
199
92.1
21.6
76.0
183
81.2
22.0
71.1
Miscellaneous industries..... ............................. .............. ................
Photographic apparatus...................... ............... ....... .................
Pianos, organs, and parts__________________ ______ _______
Games, toys, and dolls... ................... .................... ............... .
B uttons.____ _________ _______ _________ _________ _____ _____
397
30.0
10.0
15.9
10.3
402
30.0 !
10.0
16.4
10.3
408
30.4
10.8
16.9
10.2
384
26.3
9.0
14.0
11.6
N ondurable goods— Continued
Tobacco manufactures______ ______ _______ _____ __ . .
Cigarettes...................... ........................................... .........
Cigars_________________________________________
Tobacco (chewing and smoking) and snuff...............................
t 1 Estimates for the major industry groups have been adjusted to final data for 1941 and preliminary data
for the second quarter of 1942 made available by the Bureau of Employment Security of the Federal Security
Agency. Estimates for individual industries have been adjusted to levels indicated by the 1939 Census
of Manufactures, but not to Federal Security Agency data. For this reason, together with the fact that
this Bureau has not prepared estimates for certain industries, and does not publish wage earners in war
industries, the sum of the individual industry estimates will not agree with totals shown for the major
industry groups.
1 2 Unpublished information concerning the following war industries m ay be obtained by authorized agen
cies upon request. Aircraft engines; aircraft and parts, excluding engines; alloying; aluminum manufac
tures; ammunition; cars, electric- and steam-railroad; communication equipment; electrical equipment;
engines and turbines; explosives and safety fuses; fire extinguishers; firearms; fireworks; locomotives; optical
instruments and ophthalmic goods; professional and scientific instruments and fire-control equipment;
radios and phonographs; and shipbuilding.
2 Comparable data for earlier months available upon request.
4 Revised series, not comparable with previously published data. Data for earlier months back to January
1939 available upon request.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
894
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
T a b l e 3 . — Indexes of Wage-Earner Employment and of Wage-Earner Pay Roll in
Manufacturing Industries 1
[3939 average=100]
Wage-earner em ploy
ment
Wage-earner pay roll
Industry 2
Jan.
1944
All manufacturing........................ ............................ .............
Durable goods_____________________________ _______
Nondurable goods___________ _____ ________________
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
Jan.
1943
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
Jan.
1943
166.7 169.4 171.0 164.8 327.2 328.2 336.5 290.9
229.5 232.7 234.2 218.1 461.0 461.2 474.6 399.8
117.2 119.5 121.2 122.9 196.4 198.2 201.4 184.5
D urable goods
Iron and steel and their products______ _____________
Blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling m ills .,Gray-iron and semisteel castings____________ , .
Malleable-iron castings____________ ___________
Steel castings____________ ______ ____ _____ _________
Cast-iron pipe and fittings_____________ _________
Tin cans and other tinware_______________________
Wire drawn from purchased rods________ ________
Wirework.
__ „ _ _ __________
________
Cutlery and edge tools______________ ______________
Tools (except edge tools, machine tools, files, and
saws) . _______ __ ______________________ .
Hardware_______ ___________ ____________
Plumbers’ supplies__________ ________ _.
Stoves, oil burners, and heating equipment, not
elsewhere classified
. . ________ _________
Steam and hot-water heating apparatus and
steam fittings_______________ _______
Stamped and enameled ware and galvanizing
Fabricated structural and ornamental metal
_
___ .
work________ ,
M etal doors, sash, frames, molding, and trim
Bolts, nuts, washers, and rivets_____________ _____
Forgings, iron and steel__________ _ __________
Wrought pipe, welded and heavy riveted _______
Screw-machine products and wood screws_______
Steel barrels, kegs, and drums___________________
210.2
174.8
202. 6
264.6
312. 5
286. 3
134.9
209.4
177.9
209.8
263.6
310.6
289.8
142.6
Electrical machinery................... ....... ........... ....... ........... ..
288.1
289.8 289.9 255.1
Machinery, except electrical_______________ __
Machinery and machine-shop products .
Tractors______________________ _______ __
Agricultural machinery, excluding tractors______
Machine tools_______ ,
__________
Machine-tool accessories 2................... ......... .............
Textile machinery.............. ............... .............
Pumps and pumping equipment _______________
Typewriters, _ _ __________ ________
Cash registers, adding and calculating machines
Washing machines, wringers, and driers, domestic
Sewing machines, domestic and industrial . . .
Refrigerators and refrigeration equipment- _____
236.2
246.4
188.9
158.6
243.7
311.7
130.2
337.6
76.2
180.8
197.8
128.0
167.9
238.0
246.9
186.5
153.7
251.1
320.3
132.2
339. 5
77.8
183.8
201.6
135.0
172.8
173.6
128.2
132.1
142.8
266.7
93.3
105.8
162.6
113.7
147.3
175.1
129.5
134.2
143.4
266.6
93.6
105.8
161.8
113. 5
147.2
175.9
130.7
134.0
143.0
267.0
93.7
105.0
161.6
113.3
147.2
187.2
133.2
95.4
185.3
134.2
95.1
182.4 179.0 351.1 346.2 347.9 324.5
133. 2 118.7 270.3 265.7 268.6 215.3
96.5
90.0 164.8 166.8 172.1 144.7
136.1
135.6
132.0
113.0 252.8 246.3 239.1
197.0 198.4
164.3 168.1
197.6
170.1
189.3 350.3 369.2 365.2 312.5
143.1 322.0 331.6 339.9 255.9
208.3
181.7
209.4
264.4
315.3
290.5
139.7
194.3
143.4
190.3
254. 5
275.7
292.0
112.9
239.0
247.4
183.8
150.9
259.3
332.9
132.2
334.8
79.9
184.9
198.8
136.7
171.4
170.7
134.3
147.4
150.5
275. 6
117.5
88.6
160.6
104.6
138.3
227.5
231.7
154.2
113.9
334.8
369.6
132.9
292.6
68.0
169.0
148. 5
141.9
137.7
317.9
223.6
257.8
291.2
488.1
167. 2
179.5
270.9
228.7
301.9
411.1
326. 3
395.0
523.6
570.5
563.9
265.7
316.7
222. 5
254.2
289.9
482.8
170.4
175.1
259.9
220. 5
298.0
396.9
334.5
400. 4
520. 5
564.7
562. 2
288.2
320.1
226.8
257.0
283.3
486.0
165.2
169.4
262.3
222.2
301.8
397.2
338.3
408.6
532.7
570.3
569.5
285.9
283.5
208.8
255.9
251.2
463.6
189. 5
132.2
243.4
184.0
268.4
181.3
325.6
240.5
332.6
478.4
528.7
519.3
186.7
509.6 500.0 506.2 427.4
446. 0
457. 3
298.2
309.9
419.5
533.9
235.8
732.1
155.9
371.0
343.7
275.1
306.6
440. 5
449.9
289.2
295. 6
425.6
536.3
239.0
709.2
159.2
366.7
347.0
287.3
308.9
445.7
456.9
288.0
293.8
441.3
563.3
238.7
694.6
160. 2
374.4
339.4
294.2
306.0
400.2
402.1
224.7
195.5
562.1
594.2
229.7
580.7
126.0
304.9
246.8
267.8
220.2
Transporation equipment, except automobiles___
1434. 2 1460. 5 1472.4 1302. 2 2859. 9 2901.1 3039.1 2406.0
Motorcycles, bicycles, and parts.............................. . 148.2 149.0 149.5 138.4 273.3 261.4 265.2 242.5
A u tom obiles.,.____ ____________________________
185.4 188.6 188.9 156.7 344.9 334.4 351.3 277.9
Nonferrous metals and their products______
Smelting and refining, primary, of nonferrous
metals 4______ _______________________
Clocks and watches. . . _________ .
Jewelry (precious metals) and jewelers’ findings .
Silverware and plated w are,, _____________
Lighting equipment_______ . _____________ .
Sheet-metal work, not elsewhere classified______
181.8
183.3
185.6 178.1
212.8
125.8
102.0
94.5
128.0
162.1
216.9
125.5
104.1
97.4
127.7
156.8
217.2
124.6
104.9
99.1
131.4
155. 7
Lumber and timber basic products_________ ________
Sawmills and logging camps_______ ________
Planing and plywood m ills_____________ ________
103. 5 107.9
81.5
85.5
106.4 108.9
Furniture and finished lumber products
Mattresses and bedsprings __________ _____ ______
Furniture______ __ _____________
. . . _________
Wooden boxes, other than cigar____________ ____
Caskets and other morticians’ g o o d s,,.
W ood preserving 1 _____________ ________ _______
W ood, turned and shaped 5 ______________________
108.2
96.6
104.9
112.5
98.3
87.7
100.5
See footn o te s a t end o f table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
187.1
127.1
115.9
93.9
107.8
157.2
110.1 116.3
87.7
92.4
109.5 114.9
108.9 110.0
100.8 104.6
104.8 106.3
113.7 114.6
96.4
96.1
91.0
90.8
103.7 100.7
110.2
91.4
105.5
122.1
97.9
98.2
104.1
337.8 335.4
343.9
305.8
377.8
249.8
160.2
169.0
226.3
308.6
385. 2
243. 5
163. 5
174.7
223.1
294.5
391.0
248.0
163.8
174.8
233.2
292.9
296.9
238.6
170.5
151.4
183.6
264.1
174.6
138.0
172.2
188.6 197.4
151.2 160.2
178.9 180.9
166.9
130.9
167.2
186.3
158.0
181.3
204.5
162.5
157.6
170.6
188.9
164.6
183.2
208.9
157.8
166.3
173.5
191.1 165.9
174.0 131.4
184.8 159.6
208.6 194.7
155.7 142.7
174.5 152.2
170.8 158.7
895
Trend of Employment, Earnings, and Hours
T a b l e 3 . — Indexes of Wage-Earner Employment and of Wage-Earner Pay Roll in
Manufacturing Industries 1— Continued
Wage-earner employ
ment
,
Wage-earner pay roll
Industry 2
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
Jan.
1943
Jan.
1944
123.2
118.7
120.2
115.0
98.3
135.0
91.5
187.7 192.2 195.2
207.4 206.9 206.7
170.2 176.0 179.7
110.2 127.4 134.1
119.7 125.6 127.0
175.2 184.7 195.0
160.5 158.5 165.1
Jan.
1943
Durable goods— Continued
Stone, clay, and glass products_______________________
Glass and glassware_________________ . -------------Glass products made from purchased glass____
Cem ent----------------- ----------------------------------------------Brick, tile, and terra cotta. --------------------------- Pottery and related products__________ _______
G ypsum _________________________________________ .
Wallboard, plaster (except gypsum), and mineral
Lim e___ ______________________ _____ _______ _______
Marble, granite, slate, and other products______
Abrasives_____
- ------------------------------------- ----------Asbestos products---------------------- -------------------------
117.3 119.7 119.5
131.6 131.9 130.9
108.0 110.7 110.6
91.1
79.2 87.7
82.1
81.5
80.7
123.4 127.3 128.2
93.5
92.5 93.8
132.0 132.5 129.4 138.6 233.0
95.4 94.1 101.3 169.7
93.6
93.3
67.9
67.8
66.0 67.3
301.5 309.5 312.4 277.9 492.2
138.2 138.7 139.6 137.6 267.7
228.9
171.2
97.7
487.5
268.1
178.5
168.3
160.8
149.9
137.8
185.2
129.1
222.8 214.7
171.8 155.9
98.2
80.7
509.5 443.2
266.5 242.0
Nondurable goods
101.7 103.9 104.0 111.3
116.0 119.5 119.6 127.2
110.2 114.6 115.9 129.6
79.2
78.8 81.6
78.0
171.9 175.9 176.2 179.6
199.1 207.2 207.4 215.8
190.6 196.5 196.1 210.7
135.6 138.7 137.9 134.4
Textile-mill products and other fiber manufactures..
Cotton manufactures, except smallwares________
Cotton smallwares__________________ _____ _______
Silk and rayon goods______________________________
Woolen and worsted manufactures, except dyeing and finishing__________ f ------------------------------Hosiery_____________________ _________ ___________
Knitted cloth___________________________________ .
Knitted outerwear and knitted gloves. _________
Knitted underwear. . .
...
. . . . . . ---------Dyeing and finishing textiles, including woolen
and worsted. .
..
___
. -----Carpets and rugs, wool_____ ._ -------------------- --Hats, fur-felt-------------- ----------- ----------------------------- Jute goods, except felts___________ ________ _______
Cordage and twine________________________________
107.8
71.4
106.3
113.9
103.1
117.9
77.1
108.8
112.9
115.7
197.2
107.0
174.7
189.6
172.8
97.3
97.7 97.2
82.5
81.3 81.8
68.4
67.2 68.3
98.5 99.7 101.0
137.9 139.2 139.3
107.7
93.0
69.0
114.1
135.9
154.8 154.3 153.5
135.3 133.9 137. 5
122.2 123.4 124.3
182.0 184.7 186.4
241.6 241.4 242.7
160.6
145.0
111.3
197.3
216.7
Apparel and other finished textile products__________
M en ’s clothing, not elsewhere classified
. ..
.Shirts, collars, and nightwear ______ - - - - - Underwear and neckwear, men’s _________________
W ork shirts. --------- --------------------------------------------W om en’s clothing, not elsewhere classified______
Corsets and allied garments_____ _______________
Millinery_____ ______________ . . .
--------- -----H and kerch iefs..______ . . ------- . . . . . .
Curtains, draperies, and bedspreads___ _________
Housefurnishings, other than curtains, e t c . ____
Textile bags_______________________________________
102.7
99.9
77.7
76.8
125.4
84.4
85.0
79.5
70.5
88.4
119.3
128.2
103.2
99.7
79.2
78.3
128.4
84.6
86.7
75.1
71.7
95.4
126.2
127.6
104.2 112.0
101.4 108.2
90.1
80.0
79.3
76.1
132.2 133.0
91. 2
85.0
91.1
87.8
73.0
82.9
73.2
81.6
96.9 107.8
129.9 159.0
125.1 140.2
168.0
157.0
129.1
139.1
220.2
142.1
139.8
113.8
112.8
163.8
219.1
202.2
163.5
156.7
133.8
143.1
218.9
133.2
140.3
99.7
120.5
169.9
229.7
195.3
165.6
161.8
135.2
149.7
236.8
132.6
146.2
92.3
128.7
173.7
244.0
196. 2
155.9
149.6
130.0
111.9
215.6
125.0
130.6
103.2
121. 1
162.5
260.0
203.3
Leather and leather products_________________________
Leather____
. ------------------- ------------ ----- --- . .
Boot and shoe cut stock and findings____________
Boots and shoes_____. ------------------------------------------Leather gloves and mittens_______________________
Trunks and suitcases___ _________________________
89.3
86.5
87.3
80.3
134.0
141.9
90.2
87.0
87.7
80.7
137.9
149.4
90.9
86.7
87.5
81.6
140.1
149.5
104.1
105.4
100.2
92.8
149.6
172.2
147.3
141.0
135. 7
134.0
222.5
221.0
147.2
140.6
133.8
133.4
223.3
239.3
146.1
135. 4
131.7
133.1
237.1
241.4
158.9
153.7
144.1
146.8
215.5
237.3
Pood________ _________
. --------------------------- -------------Slaughtering and meat packing__________________
Butter_____________________________________________
112.3
143.0
109.3
124 5
82.8
120. 6
141.2
129.1
112.1
100.3
51.5
118.7
122.0
130.5
70.3
115.9
141.6
110.5
124.8
85.1
191.7
141.3
127.4
113.9
100.0
133.2
122.3
125.3
130.1
80.8
118.5
136.4
115.4
125. 6
88.4
121.1
141.5
131.7
114.3
105.4
194.6
121.1
128.7
131.1
93.0
112.9
153.7
109.6
120. 7
83.1
110.7
142.0
131.4
111.6
87.0
82.2
120.5
112.3
112.0
70.5
179.9
243.2
162. 9
188.7
111.5
199.8
230.2
225.9
160.6
156.4
75.9
187.9
151.9
178.2
132.3
182.9
238.7
164.7
185.1
113.5
196.4
225.8
217.2
163.2
157.6
174.9
190.4
156.1
178.5
149.0
186.0
232.3
168.6
188.6
117.5
197.0
233.9
226.7
163.6
166.7
283.0
188.6
158.9
181.9
164.4
155.6
202.9
144.9
164.7
103.9
169.1
219.3
186.1
144.3
119.3
109.5
163.8
124.4
133.8
115.4
Ice cream------- ------------. . -------------------Flour----------------- --------- ----------- -------------------------- . .
Feeds, prepared_____ ___________
... ...
...
Cereal preparations ------- ---------- -------------------Baking_________________________________________ . .
Sugar refining, cane-------- ---------------------- ----------Sugar, beet________________________________________
Confectionery________________________ ____________
Beverages, nonalcoholic___________________________
M alt liquors____
_____________ __ . -----------Canning and preserving__________________ . . -----S e e fo o t n o t e s a t e n d o f ta b le .
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
106.0
70.1
104. 5
109.2
100. 3
107.5
71.2
106.1
112.7
102.3
198.0 198.6 207. 5
110.1 110.4 105.9
178.5 178.2 168.0
193.9 200.9 172.0
177.1 180.0 185.2
896
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
T a b l e 3 . — Indexes of Wage-Earner Employment and of Wage-Earner Pay Roll in
Manufacturing Industries 1— Continued
Wage-earner employ
ment
Wage-earner pay roll
Industry s
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
Jan.
1943
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
102.4
125.5
91. C
96.1
158.2
190.1
138.1
139.7
161.1 162.5
190.3 196.3
143.2 141.2
139.9 142.4
N ov.
1943
Jan.
1943
N ondurable goods— Continued
Tobacco manufactures............................................... _.........
Cigarettes____________ _________ _________ _________
Cigars______________________________ _____________
Tobacco (chewing and smoking) and snuff...........
94.2
96.4
96.3
130.1 130.4 130.2
74.5
78. C 78.4
95.6
94.2 93.5
Paper and allied products___________________ _______ __
Paper and pulp. _________________________________
Paper goods, other, _________ ______ _____________
Envelopes___________________ _________ __________
Paper bags___________ _______ _____________________
Paper boxes.................................... ................ ................
118.2
108.7
126.0
117.7
118.9
121.4
119.1
109.1
126. 2
119.0
118.2
123.6
184.8
174.9
187.4
176.6
191.6
187.9
167.6
162.3
174.6
156.0
164.2
160.2
Printing, publishing, and allied industries___________
Newspapers and periodicals__________ ______ _____
Printing, book and jo b ___________________________
Lithographing____________________ ________________
Bookbinding_____________ __________ ______________
103.1
93.1
108.1
95.3
116.7
104.4 104.2 102.2 134.0 134.9 133.7
95.2
95.4
96.3 112.7 116.0 115.2
108.5 108. 3 104.9 145.5 143.9 141.9
97.3
96.3
97.2 129.8 130.9 131.1
118.0 117.2 107.8 190.1 187.7 187.9
121.8
107. 2
128.0
114.1
160.3
Chemicals and allied p ro d u cts,,,...................... ...............
Paints, varnishes, and colors , , ___________ . . .
Drugs, medicines, and insecticides........ ............... ..
Perfumes and cosmetics _______ _____ ____________
______________ _________ _____
Soap,
. ...
Rayon and allied products ______________________
Chemicals, not elsewhere classified- ......................
Compressed and liquefied gases......................... .......
Cottonseed oil_________________________ _____ ______
Fertilizers. _______________________ ________________
229.7
105.3
183.0
108.7
99.6
108.0
172.0
153.7
132. 6
125.1
238.9
106.2
177.5
114.0
100.4
109.7
173.4
156.5
142.3
118.0
253.0
106.0
177.4
114.0
99.8
107.0
173.8
159.8
146.6
113.2
248.0
103.2
153.6
96.9
101. 3
105.8
159.8
159.7
138.0
114.5
391.2
137.0
202.8
128.0
137.6
149.0
247.2
239.3
218.7
184.6
Products of petroleum and coal............ ..................... .......
Petroleum refining_________ ______________________
Coke and byproducts_____ ______ _________________
Paving m aterials,. ____ __________ _______________
Roofing materials........................................................ ..
118.4 118.9
113.3 113.4
107.6 108.3
59.7
68.5
121.5 122.3
119.0
112.8
108.3
81.6
122.2
116.0 196.9 197.3 196.3 162.8
106.3 185.0 186.4 185.5 149.3
119.0 185.8 180.6 175.8 169.2
56.3 105.6 121.9 140.1
84.1
123.9 210.3 211.5 218.6 180.4
Rubber products_____________ ___________ ______ _____
Rubber tires and inner tubes_____________________
Rubber boots and shoes_____________ __________
Rubber goods, other_____ _____ __________ ________
167.6 167.1 164.9
173.6 173.2 170.1
144.6 146.2 145.7
149.4 148.3 146.8
Miscellaneous industries______________________________
Photographic apparatus_____________ ____________
Pianos, organs, and parts..............................................
Games, toys, and dolls__________ _______ _________
Buttons.................................................. _...........................
162.2 164.2 166.7 157.0 296.9 300.8
173.6 174.0 175.8 152.4 277.3 273.0
131.1 131.8 141.6 118.3 246.2 244.1
85.3
87.9
90.6
75.2 156.9 150.3
94.3
93.7
9 2 . 6 j 105.9 178.0 173.7
119.1 116.6
108.7 110.0
127.3 129.2
119.9 115.8
116.4 109. S
124.1 113.5
151.6
150.0
148.3
137.4
183.3 183.7
173.2 174.6
188.3 185. 4
175.1 172.7
195.6 191.2
184.6 185.7
394.0
159. 5
267.6
146.8
159.8
168.6
291.9
264.1
249.7
248.3
288.4
287.5
253.9
260.5
403.4
159.0
259.3
155.5
160.8
167.6
288.5
270.6
274.0
227.3
428.6
160.8
258.4
162.1
157. 5
166.4
291.9
275.8
281.3
222.8
147.8
172.4
132.9
130.7
285.5 287.7 234.6
286.0 289.0 226.6
245.9 251.5 240.7
257.3 256.7 212.4
307. 6
283.6
266.4
155.8
173.9
263.1
230.9
211.0
123.9
174.2
i
Indexes for the major industry groups have been adjusted to final data for 1941 and preliminary data
for the second quarter of 1942 made available by the Bureau of Employment Security of the Federal Security
Agency. Indexes for individual industries have been adjusted to levels indicated by the 1939 Census of
Manufactures, but not to Federal Security Agency data.
1
Unpublished information concerning the following war industries m ay be obtained by authorized
agencies upon request: Aircraft engines; aircraft and parts, excluding engines; alloying; aluminum manu
factures; ammunition; cars, electric- and steam-railroad; communication equipment; electrical equipment;
engines and turbines; explosives and safety fuses; fire extinguishers; firearms; fireworks; locomotives; optical
instruments and ophthalmic goods; professional and scientific instruments and fire-control equipment;
radios and phonographs; and shipbuilding.
3 Comparable indexes for earlier months available upon request.
* Revised series, not comparable with previously published data. D ata for earlier months back to Janu
ary 1939 available upon request.
* Revisions have been made as follows in the data published for earlier months:
W ood preserving.— February 1943 to October 1943 pay-roll indexes to 161.7, 157.5, 175.4,180.9,175.9, 173.0,
178.4, 178.0, and 178.9.
Wood, turned and shaped.— September and October 1943 pay-roll indexes to 159.2 and 167.7.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
897
Trend of Employment, Earnings, and Hours
T a b l e 4 . — Estimated Number of Wage Earners in Selected Nonmanufacturing Industries
Estimated number of wage earners
(in thousands)
Industry
January
1944
December
1943
November
1943
69.6
373
90.9
29.7
30.8
18.8
6.4
5.2
205
230
352
248
76.8
1,351
68.7
368
91.6
30.2
30.6
18.8
6.3
5.7
206
229
351
247
78.2
1, 364
69.1
370
89.4
28.9
30.6
18.7
6.4
4.8
205
230
350
248
75.0
1, 359
1 Data include salaried personnel.
2 Source: Interstate Commerce Commission.
T able
January
1943
69.1
414
101.2
31.6
33.4
19.8
8.9
7.5
217
219
329
269
75.5
1,319
Data include salaried personnel.
5. — Indexes of Employment and Pay Rolls in Selected Nonmanufacturing
Industries
[1939 average= 1001
Pay-roll indexes
Employment indexes
Industry
Jan.
1943
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
Jan.
1943
Jan.
1944
Deo.
1943
N ov.
1943
B itu m in o u s.-.-------------------- --------------------
83.4
99.9
84.0
100.6
82.9
99.4
83.4
111.8
146.0
226.8
156.6
229.2
90.4
140.4
101.5
178.6
Lead and zinc_____________ . . . ------. . .
Gold and silver............... ..
. . . . . -- --M iscellaneou s...--------- - ----------------------
101.4
143.5
128.3
120.3
26.0
121.9
103.1
147.8
129.4
120.8
25.7
130.1
103.9
150.4
128.7
120.6
25.5
142.8
114.8
157.4
140.1
127.7
35.9
186.5
156. 9
218.9
208.1
214. 4
33.8
187.1
160.8
221.3
216.5
216.0
33.2
205.3
161.6
224.2
215.8
213.7
32.3
241.6
163.8
222.0
210.7
209.8
43.1
283.2
Quarrying and nonmetallic mining ------- . .
Crude-petroleum production 1------------------------
83.5
81.1
89.7
80.9
91.3
80.9
98.6
81.2
140.3
126.2
153.9
123.8
161.2
124.7
151.0
104. 2
Electric light and p o w e r .------- . . . ------Street railways and busses— ....................
83.9
118.7
84. Ï
118.7
84.5
118.4
89.0
113.2
112.8
161.9
111.9
161.4
112. 2
161.9
107.6
147. 3
Wholesale trade_________ _____ _________ ______
95.0
95.9
95.5
97.7
131.3
132.2
131.9
122.3
97.5
106.8
110.0
General merchandise.. ------------------------105.2
Furniture and housefurnishings-------- — 64.6
65.9
Au tom otive3
--------..
----88.7
Lumber and building materials__________
112.6
108.7
156.5
127.7
69.8
66.3
92.2
104.2
108.2
130.4
117.9
67.5
64.8
92.4
98.8
106.9
111.7
104. 2
70.6
62.3
90.0
122.5
132.7
133.3
134.1
85.7
91.7
122.6
135.4
133.7
174.4
159.1
93.9
91.8
124.5
126.8
132.0
150.0
146.9
88.9
90.1
125.6
114.7
123.9
128.4
122.0
85. 5
77. 2
112.1
108.5
109.9
111. 1
137.7
198.9
109.0
109.9
113.8
136.9
190.8
108.8
109.4
115.9
138.2
176.9
102.0
119.2
111.8
133.6
100. 8
148.8
155.0
163. 7
(6)
448.7
149.7
151.8
163.4
(6)
427.1
148.8
150.3
166.9
(6)
394.2
129.2
147. 6
142.8
(6)
231.4
Coal mining:
Public utilities-
. . . . ----------------Hotels (year-round)4____
Power laundries j
___
- ---------Cleaning and dyeing--------------------------------------Class I steam railroads * ..
.. ----W ater transportation 7---------------------------- --------
1 Does not include well drilling or rig building.
2 D ata are not available owing to the merger of Western Union and Postal Telegraph.
3 Revisions have been made as follows in data published for earlier months:
Retail apparel group.-—August 1943, employment index to 96.6, pay-roll index to 121.4.
Retail automotive group.— September 1943, employment index to 62.9, pay-roll index to 86.1.
4 Cash payments only; additional value of board, room, and tips, not included.
8 Source: interstate Commerce Commission.
6 N ot available.
,
7 Based on estimates prepared b y the U . S. Maritime Commission covering employment on steam and
motor merchant vessels of 1,000 gross tons or over in deep-sea trade only.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
898
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
AVERAGE EARNINGS AND HOURS
Average weekly earnings and hours and average hourly earnings for
November and December 1943 and January 1944, where available, are
given in table 6 for both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing in
dustries. The average weekly earnings for individual industries are
computed by dividing the weekly pay rolls in the reporting establish
ments by the total number of full- and part-time employees reported.
As not all reporting establishments supply information on man-hours,
the average hours worked per week and average hourly earnings
shown in that table are necessarily based on data furnished by a
slightly smaller number of reporting firms. Because of variation,
in the size and composition of the reporting sample, the average
hours per week, average hourly earnings, and average weekly earn
ings shown may not be strictly comparable from month to month.
The sample, however, is believed to be sufficiently adequate in vir
tually all instances to indicate the general movement of earnings and
hours over the period shown. The average weekly hours and hourly
earnings for the manufacturing groups are weighted arithmetic means
of the averages for the individual industries, estimated employment
being used as weights for weekly hours and estimated aggregate
hours as weights for hourly earnings. The average weekly earnings
for these groups are computed by multiplying the average weekly
hours by the corresponding average hourly earnings.
T able
6 . — Hours
and Earnings in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing Indusliies
M A N U F A C T U R IN G
Average weekly
earnings 1
Average weekly
hours 1
Average hourly
earnings 1
Industry
Jan.
1944
All m anufacturing.-............
Durable goods. ___ _
Nondurable goods......................
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
$45.15 $44. 58 $45. 32
51.21 50. 5C 51.67
35. 91 35. 61 35. 73
Jan.
1944
45.1
46.6
42.9
Dec.
1943
44.8
46.2
42.8
N ov.
1943
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
Cents Cents Cents
45.5 100.1
99.5
99.6
47.1 109.9 109. 3 109 7
43.1
83.7
83.2
82.9
D urable goods
Iron and steel and their products______________
Blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling
m i l l s . . _____________
Gray-iron and semisteel castings______
Malleable-iron castings_______
Steel castings ______ _________
Cast-iron pipe and fittings_______
Tin cans and other tinw are.....................
Wirework____ . . . .
Cutlery and edge tools________
Tools (except edge tools, machine tools,
files, and saws)______________
Hardware_________________
Plumbers’ supplies___________
Stoves, oil burners, and heating equipment, not elsewhere classified___________
Steam and hot-water heating apparatus
and steam fittings
Stamped and enameled ware and galvanizin g ______ ________
Fabricated structural and ornamental
metalwork
.. ..
M etal doors, sash, frames, molding, and
trim____________
Bolts, nuts, washers, and rivets_________
Forgings, iron and steel_______________
Screw-machine products and wood screws.
Steel barrels, kegs, and drums ______ __
Firearms .
_______
See footnotes at end of table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
50.14 49. 34 49.78
46.9
46.5
47.1
52. 49
50. 65
50. 70
51.05
38.17
40.06
50. 78
43.49
51.74
49. 71
49. 29
50. 72
. 37. 40
38. 01
49. 77
43. 56
45.6
48.1
48.9
46.1
44.0
45.3
48.4
46.7
45.0
47.4
48.7
46.5
44.9
44.7
47.6
46.3
45.5 115.1 114.4 113.9
48.0 105.1 103.8 103.6
47.9 103.6 103.4 103. 0
47.1 110.7 108.6 107.8
43.4
87.2
86.3
86. 0
44.2
88.5
87.3
86.2
48.3 105.0 103.3 103.1
47.2 93.0 92.8
92.3
45. 26 45. 30 46. 06
44.80 43. 93 44. 73
45.16 45. 70 46.40
47.5
48.4
46.4
47.4
47.5
46.8
48.3
48.2
47.8
51.42
49.18
50. 38
50. 47
38. 76
39. 03
49. 31
42.95
106.9
95.5
92.6
97.8
106.1
95.6
92.4
97.6
105.7
95.6
92.7
97.1
46. 70 45. 54 45. 68
47.5
46.9
47.2
98.2
97.2
96.7
45. 79 47.98 47.62
46.7
47.9
48.0
98.0
100.2
99.2
99.3
45.66 45.85 46. 50
45.6
45.7
46.8
100.2 100.2
55.07 53. 37 53.53
49.3
48.6
49.0
111.8 109.7 109.1
50. 63
49.07
58.73
50.11
42. 85
61.29!
49.4
48.2
48.2
50.0
42.6
48.3
48.9
47.8
48.3
49.5
44. 2
47.7
49.6
48.8
49.2
50.2
45.4
48.5
102.5
101.7
122.6
101.0
101.2
127.0
51.01
48. 22
58.64
49. 64
44. 32
59.64
50.27
49. 34
60.24
50. 25
44.91
60. 34
104.4
100.9
121.4
100. 3
100. 2
125.1
101. 3
101. 2
122. 5
100 1
98. 9
124.3
899
Trend of Employment, Earnings, and Hours
T a b l e 6. — Hours and Earnings in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing Industries—
Continued
MANUFACTURING—Continued
Average weeklyearnings
Average weekly
hours
Average hourly
earnings
Industry
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
Nov.
1943
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
D urable goods— Continued
Electrical machinery___ ______________ ______
$47. It $45. 92
Electrical eq u ip m en ts- „ __ ___________
49. 9( 48.6c
Radios and phonographs 2______________
41.41 40. 2(
Communication equipment_______________ 43. 40 . 41. 98
Machinery, except electrical__________ _______
Machinery and machine-shop products.
Engines and turbines______________________
Tractors________ ________ _________ _____
Agricultural machinery, excluding tractors______________ . ______ _- __________
Machine tools. - _____________________
Machine-tool accessories 3_______________
Textile machinery. ___________________ . .
Typewriters__________________________ _____
Cash registers, adding and calculating
machines______ ___________ ______
Washing machines, wringers, and driers,
domestic. . . . . ______ . ______ __ .
Sewing machines, domestic and industrial._____ _____ ____________ ____
Refrigerators and refrigeration equipment.
Transportation equipment, except automobiles___ ________________________________
Locomotives_____________________
Cars, electric- and steam-railroad. _____
Aircraft and parts, excluding aircraft engines______________________________________
Aircraft engines_______
__________ __
Shipbuilding and boatbuilding_________
Motorcycles, bicycles, and parts__________
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
N ov
1943
$46. 5c
48.8£
41.01
43.08
47. C
47.1
46.5
45.7
46.2
46.7
45.7
45.0
47.1
47.4
46.8
46.3
Cents Cents Cents
100.4 99.4
98.8
105.2 104.2 103.3
89.1
88.0
87.8
93.7
92.2 92.5
54.82
53. 76
61.16
52. 93
53. 79
52.87
59. 85
51.99
54.16
53.57
59.31
52.58
49.7
49.6
50.7
47.3
48.9
48.7
49.7
46.6
49.6
49.7
50.2
47.3
110.3
108.3
121.0
111.8
51.71
55. 76
59.03
47.26
49.20
50.88
54. 9C
57. 55
47.12
49.22
51.89
55.05
58. 25
47.09
48.22
47.1
50.4
50.5
49.4
49.0
46.7
49.8
50.0
49.5
48.5
47.5
50.3
50.7
49.6
48.4
110.4 109.8 109.3
110.4 110.2 109.4
117.1 115.3 114.9
95.8
95.6
95.0
100.5 101.4 99.5
110.0
108.4
121.0
111.7
109 2
107.6
118.6
111.2
62.59 60. 35 61.40
51.6
50.6
51.7
121.2
120.4
45. 69 45.38 45.18
45.9
45.7
46.1
99.5
99.3
97.9
57.84 57. 58 58.13
51.68 50. 58 50.52
52.6
48.2
52.3
47.5
53.3
47.7
111.4
107.1
110.7
106.2
109.7
105.9
57.91 57. 75 59. 93
64.90 66. 48 61.51
51.34 51.64 50. 62
46.7
50.4
46.3
46.5
50.8
46.6
47.6
49.0
46.1
124.0
128.8
111.0
124.2 125.9
130.8 125.5
110.8 109.8
54.04
60.93
60. 00
51.03
47.5
47.3
45.9
48.8
45.8
45.3
47.1
47.1
46.8
47.4
48.3
47.3
113.9 112.4
128.7 126.8
130.8 132.0
104.6 102.9
51.45
57. 47
62.19
48. 52
52. 30
60. 64
65. 61
49.08
119.9
111.7
128.0
135.9
103.8
Automobiles________________________ __________
58.25 55.49 58. 26
46.3
44.5
46.5
125.8
124.7 125.3
Nonferrous metals and their products . ____
Smelting and refining, primary, of nonferrous metals_________________
Alloying and rolling and drawing of nonferrous metals, except aluminum_______
Clocks and watches____
.. ...
Jewelry (precious metals) and jewelers’
findings___________ _ _______________ . .
Silverware and plated ware_________
Lighting equipment_____ _______
Aluminum manufactures 4_______________
48. 79 47.98 48.65
47.0
46.4
47.1
103.8
103.4
47. 46 47.16 47.95
45.3
45.2
45.8
104.9
104.4 104.7
53.70 51.85 53.53
41.61 40.54 41.66
48.5
46.2
47.0
45.6
48.3
47.0
110.7
90.1
110.6
89.1
40.61
46.64
46.19
49. 77
40.10
46.01
46.41
49.18
44.7
47.0
54.8
47.1
44.7
47.0
45.2
46.5
44.5
46.8
45.9
47.0
89.9
89.4
89.1
99.4
99.7 98.4
100.9 101.0 101.1
105.8 105.5 104.6
Lum ber and timber basic products___
Sawmills and logging cam p s.. . ________
Planing and plywood mills______ ______
31.65 32.78 33.59
30.-31 31.65 32.69
35.58 36.26 36.41
41.1
40.1
44.4
42.8
42.1
45.0
43.4
42.8
45.4
77.0
75.7
80.5
76.6
75.1
81.0
77.4
76.3
80.6
Furniture and finished lumber products______
Furniture... _________ __ ______ . .
Caskets and other morticians’ goods______
W ood preserving 2_____________ ______ ____
34.29
35.09
38. 51
28. 72
34.61
35.64
37.97
29.27
34. 55
35.32
37.62
30.82
43.4
43.6
45.9
39.1
44.2
44.5
45.9
40.1
44.3
44.3
45.8
42.6
79.0
80.7
84.4
73.5
78.3
80.3
83.0
73.0
78.0
79.9
82.3
72.3
Stone, clay, and glass products____________
Glass and glassware_______
... .
Glass products made from purchased glass
Cement______________________________
Brick, tile, and terra cotta.. __ ..........
Pottery and related products_____________
G ypsum _____ _______ ________
L i m e ... ________ . . ___________
M arble, granite, slate, and other products..
Abrasives______
________
_____ . .
Asbestos products____
__________________
37.57
39.63
33.23
37.34
30.38
32.91
44.96
35.92
36. 96
45. 96
46.32
37. 75
39.28
33.52
38.86
31. 35
33.53
43.76
35.89
38.31
44.32
46. 39
38.19
39.49
34. 27
39.38
31.87
35.00
45.68
36.08
38.18
45.89
45.87
42.5
42.2
43.8
41.8
39.1
38.9
49.0
47.0
41.6
47.1
48.1
43.0
42.2
44.1
43.7
40.8
39.8
48.3
46.9
43.5
46.0
48.1
43.5
42.4
45.0
44.0
41.3
41.5
49.7
47.8
42.5
47.4
47.5
88.4
93.6
75.8
89.2
76.6
86.5
91.7
76.6
89.1
97.5
96.3
87.8
93.3
75.9
88.9
76.2
86.0
90.6
76.6
88.0
96.3
96.4
87.8
93.2
76.0
89.3
76.5
85.6
91.9
75.3
89.3
96.8
96.0
28.19
24.61
32.09
27. 77
28.23
24.78
31.90
27.84
28. 30
24.77
31.44
27.97
41.4
41.3
42.8
41.7
41.7
41.7
42.7
42.4
41.8
41.8
42.4
42.3
68.1
59.4
75.0
66.2
67.7
59.4
74.7
65.7
67.7
59.3
74.2
66.0
34.96 34.48 34.43
42. ll
41.8
41.7
82.7
82.4
82.5
40. 28
46. 78
45.63
49.08
103.3
110.9
88.7
Nondurable goods
Textile-mill products and other fiber manufactures .
.
. .
....
Cotton manufactures, except smallwares...
Cotton smallwares.. __________ . . . ______
Silk and rayon goods.
. . . _______
Woolen and worsted manufactures, except
dyeing and finishing__________ __________
See fo o tn o te s a t end o f table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
900
M o n th ly Labor R eview — A p r il 1 9 4 4
T a b l e 6. — Hours and Earnings in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing Industries—
Continued
MANUFACTURING—Continued
Average weeklyearnings
Average weekly
hours
Average hourly
earnings
Industry
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
N ondurable goods—Continued
Textile-mill products, etc.— Continued.
Hosiery------------------ ----------------------------------- $28.07 $28.23 $28. 28
Knitted cloth._ ----------------- ------------------------ 31.59 31.79 31.49
Knitted outerwear and knitted gloves------ 28. 93 28.67 29. 33
25.66 25.64 25. 79
Knitted underwear. _
. ----- --Dyeing and finishing textiles, including
woolen and w orsted.-. -------------------- . . . 33.03 33.09 32.94
Carpets and rugs, wool------------------------------- 38.39 37.61 38. 41
Hats, fur-felt... ------------ . . . . --------------- 41.76 41.42 41.56
Jute goods, except felts____ ________________ 32. 94 32. 99 32.84
Cordage and twine--------------------------- 31.15 30.82 30.96
38.3
43.2
39.7
40.7
39.2
43.1
39.7
41.0
39.3
43.9
40.9
41.4
44.6
43.5
41.2
44.5
44.6
44.7
42.7
41.1
44.5
44.6
44.4
43.3
41.7
44.3
44.5
Cents Cents Cen ts
72.1
72.8
71.9
72.1
73.3
71.7
72.4
71.4
71.0
61.8
61.7
61.8
74.1
74.0
88.5
88.5
101. 1 100.8
74.1
74.0
69.9
69.0
74.2
88.8
99.6
74.2
69.4
Apparel and other finished textile products__
M en ’s clothing, not elsewhere classified.. .
Shirts, collars, and nightw ear..----------------Underwear and neckwear, men’s--------------W ork shirts________________________________
W om en’s clothing, not elsewhere classified.
Corsets and allied garments_______________
M illinery____ . . . --------------- ------------------Handkerchiefs.. . . . -------------------- --------Curtains, draperies, and bedspreads--------Housefurnishings, other than curtains, etc.
Textile bags------ ------------------------------------------
28.92
29.93
22. 94
24.74
19.40
35. 49
28. 72
34.85
20.87
24. 99
32.18
27.64
27. 97
29. 69
23.19
24. 97
18.84
33.17
28. 22
32.31
21.92
24.04
32.02
26. 71
28.19
30.06
23. 28
25.88
19.80
32.97
28.99
30. 75
22.91
24.20
33.08
27.39
38.0
38.3
37.1
36.7
38.3
37.5
40.8
33.0
35.7
39.5
42.5
41.6
37.6
38.1
37.8
37.4
37.6
36.4
40.0
31.4
37.6
38.3
42.0
41.0
38.1
38.6
38.2
38.4
39.0
36.6
41.2
30.3
39.4
39.1
43.5
41.8
76.1
77.4
61.7
67.3
50.4
93.3
70.1
89.2
58.5
63.2
76.3
66.4
74.4
77.5
61.3
66.7
49.9
89.6
70.8
86.6
58.2
62.2
76.8
65.6
74.0
77.9
61.0
67.4
51.0
88.5
70.5
87.8
58.2
61.6
76.8
65.8
Leather and leather products---------------------------L e a th er--------- ----------------- . . . . . . .
Boot and shoe cut stock and findings -----Boots and shoes. _ _ --------------------------------- Leather gloves and mittens_______________
Trunks and suitcases----------------------------------
31.39
40.40
31.59
29. 50
28.67
32. 79
31.07
40.08
31.00
29.18
27.95
33.71
30.65
38. 82
30.57
28. 77
29.07
33.96
40.5
43.9
41.5
39.8
38.4
40.8
40.2
43.8
41.1
39.3
38.2
40.9
39.8
43.2
40.6
38.9
39.5
41.6
77.5
91.9
76.6
74.1
75.1
78.6
77.3
91.5
75.4
73.8
73.6
79.8
77.0
90.3
75.3
73.6
74.5
80.5
Food___________
______________________________
Slaughtering and meat packing___________
Butter. ----- ----------- . . . .
-------------------Condensed and evaporated m ilk__________
Icecream . -------------- . . . . . . ----------------Flour____ _________________________________
Cereal preparations. ------------------- ------------Baking___ __ ___________________ __________
Sugar refining, cane________________________
Sugar, beet ______________ _________ _______
Confectionery- ___________________________
Beverages, nonalcoholic___________________
M alt liquors___________ ___________ _______
Canning and preserving___________________
38.51
46.88
32.88
34. 57
37.13
42.08
44.49
36.61
37. 35
36. 75
29.40
33.10
48.18
30.19
37.95
46. 61
33.14
33.83
36.74
41.39
43. 34
36. 67
37.74
32.76
28.88
33.15
48. 40
29. 69
37. 72
47.08
32. 37
34. 25
36. 77
40. 99
43. 95
36. 69
37. 87
36. 30
28. 87
32. 73
48.54
28.34
45.9
51.8
46.7
47.8
46.4
50.2
46.9
44.8
45.6
38.8
41.9
43.1
44.8
40.2
45.5
51.3
47.4
47.5
45.7
49.7
45.9
44.9
45.8
40.0
41.8
43.2
44.7
39.5
45.5
51.6
47.0
48.3
45.8
49.9
46.8
45.1
46.8
45.8
42.2
42.9
45.1
38.1
83.9
83.4
91. 6 91.3
69.9
70.1
71.2
72.3
77.5
77.4
83.4
83.3
94.8
94.5
81.9
81.8
81.9
82.5
94.6
81.8
70.5
69.6
77.0
77.3
107.7 108.1
75.8
75.8
82.9
91.8
68.7
70.9
76.9
82.3
93.9
81.5
80.9
79.2
68.8
76.7
108.2
74.9
Tobacco manufactures_________________________
Cigarettes__________
_________ __________
Cigars________ . . . ------------------------------------Tobacco (chewing and smoking) and snuff.
28.43
31.27
26. 59
25.95
28. 33
31.05
26.29
26.25
28. 60
32.05
25.87
26. 78
42.0
42.1
42.5
40.0
42.1
42.9
41.7
40.8
42.5
43.9
41.4
41.3
67.7
73.7
62.7
64.6
67.3
72.4
63.1
64.3
67.3
73.0
62.4
64.8
Paper and allied products_____________________
Paper and p u lp .. ________________________
Envelopes__________________________________
Paper bags_________________________________
Paper boxes--------------------- ------- -------------------
37. 20
40.24
35. 73
33.76
33.64
37.01
40.37
34.86
33.00
33.08
37.19
40. 57
35. 34
33. 48
33. 35
45.2
46.4
44.8
44.8
43.7
45.3
46.7
44.0
44.4
43.7
45.8
47.2
45.2
45.5
44.0
82.3
86.6
79.8
75.2
76.8
81.7
86.3
79.2
74.6
75.9
81.2
85.8
78.3
73.9
75.8
Printing, publishing, and allied industries-----Newspapers and periodicals_______________
Printing, book and job____________________
Lithographing_____________________________
42.04
46.44
40.02
44. 59
42.00
46. 76
39. 79
43.75
41. 55
46.25
39.29
44. 26
40.5
37.4
41.8
43.9
40.5
37.5
41.8
44.0
40.5
37.5
41.7
44.5
Chemicals and allied products_________________
Paints, varnishes, and co lo rs...____ ______
Drugs, medicines, and insecticides________
Soap.
. . ...
____
.
Rayon and allied products___ ____________
Chemicals, not elsewhere classified________
Explosives and safety fuses__________ _____
Ammunition, small-arms__________________
Fireworks _ ___
. . -----------------------------Cottonseed oil______________________________
Fertilizers._________________________________
42.96
44. 75
34. 67
45. 68
37. 68
50. 96
47.12
45.17
42. 26
43.80
34.58
45. 60
37. 07
49.93
46. 66
43.15
40. 24
&
26. 29
27. 73 26. 97
42. 50
44. 40
34. 30
44.98
37. 76
50.40
47. 77
42. 43
40.12
26.20
27. 94
45.7
46.6
43.8
46.8
42.2
46.4
46.4
46.8
(5>
51.7
43.3
45.1
46.2
43.7
46.6
41.8
45.9
45.5
45.0
43.8
53.1
42.0
45.6
94.0
46.9
95.1
44.2
78.9
46.5
97.6
42.7
89.4
46.5 109.5
46. 5 102.3
44.9
96.6
44.1
0)
49.9
53.8
43.4
64.0
See footn o te s a t end
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
of table.
103.8 103.7 102.6
121.6 122.4 121.3
95.1
93.9
95.8
101.3 100.1
99.7
93.7
93.2
94.7
94.9
78.8
78.0
98.0
96.7
88.6
88.4
108.5 108. 2
103. C 102.8
96.0
94.6
92.0
91.1
49.5
48.5
64.4
64.3
Trend of Employment, Earnings, and Hours
901
T able 6. — Hours and Earnings in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing Industries—
Continued
MANUFACTURING— Continued
Average weeklyearnings
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
Average weekly
hours
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
Average hourly
earnings
Jan.
1944
Dec.
1943
N ov.
1943
N ondurable goods— Continued
Products of petroleum and coal_______________ $53.10 $53.04
Petroleum refining_______ ________________ 55.84 56. 30
Coke and byproducts______________ ______ 47. 35 45.87
Roofing materials -_- _______________ _____ 44. 57 44. 58
$52.81
56. 20
44. 61
46. 40
45.7
45.2
46.2
48.4
46.0
46.0
45.3
48.1
46.0
46.1
44.8
49.2
Cents Cents Cents
116.2 115.3 114.8
123.6 122.5 122.0
102.5 101.3 99.8
92.4
92.7
94.3
45.7
46.2
44.9
45.3
106.2
122.3
89.2
91.1
Rubber p r o d u c t s -..______ _ ___________ _____
Rubber tires and inner tubes_____________
Rubber boots and shoes_______ ___________
Rubber goods, o t h e r .___ _____ __ ________
48.11
55. 67
39. 63
40.93
48. 72
57.12
38.94
41.03
45.3
45.7
44.5
45.0
44.9
45.2
43.6
45.0
Miscellaneous industries__________________
._
Professional and scientific instruments
and fire-control equipment.. __________
Photographic apparatus__________
______
__________
Pianos, organs, and parts____
42.18 42.18 42. 64
45.6
45.6
46.5
51.30 54. 22 54. 20
47. 82 46.99 48.19
45.58 44.97 45.65
48.3
46.1
46.8
50.5
45.4
46.5
51.5
47.1
47.5
Coal mining:
Anthracite____ ________ ___________ ________ $45.07 $47.90 $28.02
Bituminous________________________________ 52. 52 52.69 32.40
38.8
43.5
41.4
44.2
Cents Cents Cents
25.6 116.4 115,3 111. 1
28.4 119.6 118.8 114.4
Metal mining_____________________________ _____
Quarrying and nonmetallic mining___________
Crude-petroleum production--- _______ . . . -
43.43 44.01 44.12
35.97 36.85 37. 91
52.40 51.46 51.77
43.9
43.8
44.4
44.2
45.5
44.9
44.0
99.2 99.3
46.5 82.2 81.5
44.9 116.0 112.5
99.7
81.5
112.7
Public utilities:
Telephone and telegraph 8__ ________
Electric light and power______________ . . 46. 99 46. 48 46. 37
Street railways and busses_________ ______ _ 45. 98 45.45 45.58
42.2
49.6
42.9
49.6
42.8 109.4 107.8
50.1
90.4
90.5
108.2
89.9
47. 82
55.53
37. 95
41.07
92.5
106. 5 106.6
123.4 124.0
87.1
86.8
91.1
90.7
92.5
91.7
105.7 107.1
103.7 103.4
96.9
97.6
105.3
102.6
96.4
NONMANUFACTURING
41.20 41.04 40.97
42.4
42.8
42.9
97.2
95.9
95.6
Retail trade____ __ _ ---------- ---------- --------- --Food- _____________________________________
General merchandise 2_____________________
Apparel2 _ ----------------------------------------------Furniture and housefurnishings___________
Automotive 2__________ _____ _ _ ________
Lumber and building materials___________
26.16
29.60
21.26
27.22
35. 71
39. 27
36.28
24.40
29.49
19. 54
26. 54
36.18
39.06
35. 43
24.70
29.20
20.17
26.37
35. 75
39.17
35.57
40.3
39.9
36.8
36.9
42.7
48.8
43.3
39.4
40.3
35.5
36.2
43.7
47.6
42.8
39.6
40.2
35.3
36.4
43.6
47.6
43.0
68.0
67.5
56.9
75.6
86.7
75.8
86.0
66.5
67.0
53.8
74.4
88.1
79.8
84.8
68.6
68.0
55.9
73.5
85.8
81.4
84.6
Hotels (year-round) 7_____ ____________ ________
Power laundries________ ___________ __________
Cleaning and dyeing - - - . _________ ________
Brokerage.. _____________ _____ _______ _______
Insurance---------- _ -------------------- --------- ------------Building construction___ __ - ________________
21.34
26.29
29.64
51.27
44.65
49.83
21.36
25. 67
28.90
50.87
44. 45
49.38
21.37
25. 51
28.98
50. 64
43.60
50.59
44.5
44.1
43.8
(5>
(5>
38.5
44.6
44.1
43.3
C)
C)
38.1
44.8
48.2
48.0
47.4
44.0
59.4
58.3
58.4
43.4
69.5
68.5
68.5
(5)
(5)
(5)
(5)
(5)
(5)
(5)
39.2 129.5 129.5 129.2
Wholesale trade____
- - - - ________________
1 These figures are based on reports from cooperating establishments covering both full- and part-time
employees who worked during any part of one pay period ending nearest the 15th of the month. As not
all reporting firms furnish man-hour data, average hours and average hourly earnings for individual indus
tries are based on a smaller sample than are weekly earnings. Data for the current and immediately pre
ceding months are subject to revision.
2 Revisions have been made as follows in the data published for earlier months:
Radios and phonographs.— September 1942 to October 1943 average weekly earnings to $37.00, $37.84,
$3,8.05, $38.29, $38.23, $38.21, $38.16, $38.51, $38.65, $38.82, $38.08, $38.53, $40.57, and $40.36. Average
hourly earnings to 82.5, 82.3, 82.3, 83.2, 83.3, 82.9, 82.9, 83.0, 83.2, 83.8, 83.8, 83.7, 87.6, and 86.7 cents.
W ood preserving.— February 1943 to October 1943 average weekly earnings to $27.49, $27.29, $29.91, $30.50,
$30.46, $29.30, $30.72, $32.19, and $32.14; average weekly hours to 40.9, 39.8, 42.6, 43.2, 42.6, 41.7, 43.2,
44.1, and 44.1 hours.
Retail general merchandise group.— September and October 1943 average weekly hours to 36.6 and 36.0;
October 1943 average hourly earnings to 56.5 cents.
R etail apparel group.— September 1943 average weekly hours to 36.7, average hourly earnings to 71.5
cents.
R etail automotive group.— October 1943 average weekly earnings to $39.14; average weekly hours to 47.0;
average hourly earnings to 84.3 cents.
3 Comparable data for earlier months back to January 1939 available upon request.
* The aluminum series have been revised. Comparable data for January 1939 to October 1943 are avail
able upon request.
5 N ot available.
8 Data not available, owing to the merger of Western Union and Postal Telegraph.
7 Cash payments only; additional value of board, room, and tips not included.
578877— 44------- 14
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
902
Civilian Labor Force, February 1944
A DECLINE of 400,000 persons between January and February
reduced the civilian labor force to a level of 51,100,000 in February
1944, according to the Bureau of the Census Monthly Report on the
Labor Force. Unemployment declined by 200,000 to a total of 900,000, the level maintained during the last quarter of 1943. Employ
ment also decreased by 200,000 from January to February 1944.
The decline in the civilian labor force in February 1944 was evenly
divided between men and women workers. The decline in males
may be accounted for by inductions into the armed services. The
reduction in female workers, however, cannot be accounted for on
seasonal grounds and may indicate that the upward trend in the labormarket participation of women has been halted and reversed. The
female civilian labor force, 16,600,000 in February 1944, was at the
same level as in the corresponding month of 1943. Until February
1944, the number of women workers ran well ahead of levels in the
same month in the previous year, although the gap began narrowing
after the summer peak. This development, if continued, will be
significant to the wartime economy, since the needs of the armed
forces will continue to reduce the male civilian labor supply.
Estimated Civilian Labor Force, by Employment Status and by Sex,1 December 1941 to
February 1944
______________________ [Source: U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census]______________________
i
Estimated number (millions of persons)2
Jan uary..
February.
1944
13.4
3.9
2.7
1.2
37.0
37.3
37.6
37.8
38.4
39.2
39.8
39.5
38.1
38.0
37.4
36.9
12.7
12.9
13.3
13.6
13.9
14.5
14.7
15.3
15.6
16.2
16.1
16.2
4.5
4.2
3.7
3.2
2.7
3.0
2.8
2.4
1.9
1.8
1.8
1.6
3.1
2.9
2.5
2.1
1.6
1.8
1.7
1.5
1.1
1.1
1.1
.9
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.1
1.1
1. 2
1.1
.9
.8
.7
.7
.7
51.8
51.7
51.7
51.8
52.6
53.9
54.6
54.2
52.8
52.1
51.7
51.0
36.1
35.7
35.5
35.5
35.8
36.3
36.7
36.5
35.2
34.8
34.6
34.2
15.7
16.0
16.2
16.3
16.8
17.6
17.9
17.7
17.6
17.3
17.1
16.8
1.6
1.5
1.2
1.1
1.1
1.3
1.4
1.2
1.0
.9
.9
.9
.9
.9
.7
.6
.6
.7
.8
.6
.5
.5
.5
.6
.7
.6
.5
.5
.5
.6
.6
.6
.5
.4
.4
50.4
50.2
34.0
34.0
16.4
16.2
1.1
.9
.7
.5
51.0
37.6
40.1
40.2
40.1
39.9
40.0
41.0
41.5
41.0
39.2
39.1
38.5
37.8
14.1
14.2
14.5
14.7
15.0
15.7
15.8
16. 2
16.4
16.9
16.8
16.9
49.7
50.2
50.9
51.4
52.3
53.7
54.5
54.8
53.7
54.2
53.5
53.1
53. 4
53.2
52.9
52.9
53.7
55.2
56.0
55.4
53.8
53.0
52.6
51.9
37.0
36.6
36.2
36.1
36.4
37.0
37.5
37.1
35.7
35.3
35.1
34.8
16.4
16.6
16.7
16.8
17.3
18.2
18.5
18.3
18.1
17.7
17.5
17.1
51.5
51.1
34.7
34.5
16.8
16.6
40.3
54.2
54.4
54.6
54.6
55.0
56.7
57.3
57.2
55.6
56.0
55.3
54.7
1943
January...
February...
M arch_____
April......... ..
M a y _______
June_______
July_______
August------September..
October____
November.
December...
Female
14.6
54.9
1942
January^ February..
M arch____
April______
M a y _____
Ju ne.-_____
July----------August____
September.
October—
November.
December.
Male
Male
Male
19J/.1
December.
Total
Total
Total
Unem ployed 3
Employed
Labor force
M onth
Female
Female
.3
.4
.4
1 D ata for November 1943 and subsequent months have been collected under a new sampling plan de
signed to take account of population shifts during the war. The figures for October 1943 and earlier months
are the result of preliminary adjustments of the old series to bring it as closely as possible into line with the
new.
. . _ ..
2 All data exclude persons m institutions.
. . . .
... ,,
, ,r ,
, 1CU,
2 Persons on public emergency works projects are included with the unemployed prior to July 1, 1943.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Recent Publica tions o f Labor Interest
April 1944
Absenteeism
New York, Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., Policyholders
Service Bureau, [1943?]. 13 pp.
C o n tr o l o f a b s e n c e .
I n d u s t r i a l a b s e n t e e is m : A r e v ie w
d u s tr ia l e x e c u tiv e s .
Boston,
of
w a r tim e
lo s s -p r e v e n ti o n
in fo r m a tio n f o r
in
Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., Loss Prevention
Department, 1943. 7 pp.
Lists causes of absenteeism and makes suggestions for dealing with them.
R e d u c i n g a b s e n t e e is m th r o u g h e m p lo y e e e d u c a t io n .
New York, Metropolitan Life
Insurance Company, Policyholders Service Bureau, 1943. 27 pp., illus.
Gives examples of various publications, slogans, etc., used by different com
panies to combat absenteeism.
W h a t m a n a g e m e n t c a n r e a ll y d o to r e d u c e a b s e n t e e is m .
By George S. May Business
Foundation. Chicago, 111., [1943?]. 27 pp. (Report No. 144.)
Child Labor and Child Welfare
a g r ic u ltu r a l p r o g r a m s , 1 9 4 8 .
By lone L. Clinton.
(In The Child, U. S. Department of Labor, Children’s Bureau, Washington
25, February 1944, pp. 115-121. Reprints of article are available free.)
E m p l o y m e n t o f c h ild r e n i n b o w lin g a lle y s .
By Ella Arvilla Merritt. (In The
Child, U. S. Department of Labor, Children’s Bureau, Washington 25,
D. C., January 1944, pp. 109, 110. Reprints of article are available free.)
C h ild la b o r s ta t is t ic s , 1 9 4 2 , W i s c o n s i n .
Madison, Industrial Commission of
Wisconsin, 1943. 19 pp., map; mimeographed.
L a w s r e l a t in g to th e e m p lo y m e n t o f m in o r s b y N e w Y o r k State^ n e w s p a p e r s . Syra
cuse, N. Y., Syracuse University, School of Journalism, 1943. 16 pp.
(Publication No. 2.)
B o y s a n d g ir ls e m p lo y e d i n
B r i e f s u m m a r y o n th e d a y c a r e p r o g r a m f o r c h ild r e n o f w o r k i n g m o th e r s i n 1 3 r e p r e
s e n ta tiv e c o m m u n it ie s .
Washington 25, U. S. Department of Labor, Chil
dren’s Bureau, 1944.
15 pp.; mimeographed.
Free.
A c t i v i t y r e p o r t f o r s e r v ic e s to c h ild r e n o f w o r k in g m o th e r s , [S ta te o f W a s h i n g t o n ],
N o v e m b e r 1 9 4 2 to M a y 8 1 , 1 9 4 3 .
Seattle, Washington State Defense Council,
Children in Wartime Committee, [1943?].
31 pp.; mimeographed.
Cooperative Movement
By James Peter Warbasse. New York 24,
School of International Cooperation in association with Rochdale Institute,
[1943?]. 8 pp.
_
This pamphlet, by the founder and long-time president of the Cooperative
League of the U. S. A., describes the nature of the cooperative movement and
its worldwide status, and advances the opinion that the fate of civilization after
the war depends upon the cooperative principle of self-help and that cooperators
throughout the world should take advantage of the opportunities offered for
increased activity in the reconstruction work.
C o o p e r a t i o n i n w o r ld r e o r g a n iz a t io n .
E d it o r ’ s N o t e .—Correspondence regarding the publications to which reference is made in this list
should be addressed to the respective publishing agencies mentioned. Where data on prices were readily
available, they have been shown with the title entries.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
904
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
Wash
(Serial No. R.
Free.
G o o d s a n d s e r v ic e s p r o v id e d b y c o n s u m e r s ’ c o o p e r a t iv e s i n th e U n i te d S ta te s .
ington 25, U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1944. 5 pp.
1612; reprinted from Monthly Labor Review, January 1944.)
By W. A. Anderson and Dwight
Sanderson. Ithaca, N. Y., Cornell University, Agricultural Experiment
Station, 1943. 32 pp.; mimeographed. (Department of Rural Sociology,
mimeograph bull. No. 9.)
Data are based on the Grange-League-Federation Exchange, Inc. (a coopera
tive purchasing and marketing organization), a central bargaining association
for dairy farmers, and five local milk-marketing cooperatives.
M e m b e r s h i p r e l a t io n s in c o o p e r a t iv e o r g a n iz a ti o n s .
c o - o p s be s e l f-l iq u id a t in g ?
By Ernest R. Abrams. (In Public
Utilities Fortnightly, Washington, September 30, 1943, pp. 406-413. 75 cents.)
W h y th e R E A c o -o p s w ill be s h lf-liq u id a tin g .
By Harry Slattery. (In Public
Utilities Fortnightly, Washington, January 20, 1944, pp. 69-77. 75 cents.)
The first article questions the financial stability of the cooperatives started under
the rural electrification program. The second, by the Administrator of the Rural
Electrification Administration, answers the attack, point by point, and cites
figures to show that they are operating on a sound financial basis, with a growing
market and prosperous future.
W i l l r e f in a n c e d
T h e c o o p e r a t iv e m o v e m e n t i n L a t i n A m e r i c a : I t s s ig n i f i c a n c e i n h e m is p h e r e s o l i
d a r it y .
By A. Fabra Ribas; translated from the Spanish by Ann Light.
Albuquerque, N. Mex., University of New Mexico Press, 1943. 62 pp.
65 cents.
Discusses the cooperative movement in various Latin American countries,
cooperative education and the need for greater efforts in this field, including a plan
for the exchange of students of cooperation between the United States and Latin
America and for extension of cooperative study in the currículums of schools
and colleges. The whole report has as its theme: The future of cooperation lies
in the Americas.
M e m o r i a d el M i n i s t r o d e la E c o n o m í a N a c i o n a l a l C o n g r e s o d e 1 9 4 3 , [C o lo m b ia ].
Bogotá, Ministerio de la Economía Nacional, 1943. 284 pp., charts.
A section on cooperatives gives detailed statistics of types, membership, oper
ations, and capitalization of associations fo.r the year 1942, and summary data on
development of the cooperative movement from 1933 to 1942.
Employm ent Agencies
P r i v a t e e m p lo y m e n t a g e n c i e s — la w s r e la t in g to th e ir r e g u l a t i o n , [ U n i te d S ta te s ], a s
o f S e p t e m b e r 1, 1 9 4 3 .
Washington 25, U. S. Department of Labor, Division
of Labor Standards, 1943.
514 pp.
(Bull. No. 57.)
75 cents.
P l a c e m e n t s m a d e a n d f e e s c o lle c te d b y p r iv a t e e m p lo y m e n t a g e n c i e s i n C a l i f o r n i a ,
1942.
San Francisco, California Department of Industrial Relations, Di
vision of Labor Statistics and Law Enforcement, 1943. 11 p p.; mimeographed.
T h e e m p lo y m e n t e x c h a n g e s e r v ic e o f th e M i n i s t r y o f L a b o r a n d N a t i o n a l S e r v ic e ,
[G r e a t B r i t a i n ] .
(In Labor Management, Journal of the Institute of Labor
Management, London, August-September 1943, pp. 79-83.)
Description of the w^ork of employment offices, showing degree of decentrali
zation and changes in duties brought about by the war.
Fam ily Allowances
By Mary T. Waggaman. Washington 25,
U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1943. 62 pp. (Bull. No. 754; reprinted
from Monthly Labor Review, August 1943, with additional data.) 10
cents. Superintendent of Documents, Washington.
F a m i l y a llo w a n c e s i n v a r io u s c o u n tr ie s .
By R. A. Fisher. (In Agenda, a Quarterly
Journal of Reconstruction, London, May 1943, pp. 124-133. 6s.)
Argument for nation-wide family-allowance schemes, a very important result
of which, the writer states, would be the provision of “ equality of opportunity to
children born in families of different sizes to equally competent parents.” He also
holds that one of the essential objectives of this economic reform is some curtail
ment of the purchasing power of the childless in the national interest and to the
immediate benefit of those whose needs are more pressing.
T h e b ir th r a te a n d f a m i l y a llo w a n c e s .
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Recent Publications of Labor Interest
905
N u e v a s r e a li z a c io n e s e n la s r e c ie n te s r e g l a m e n t a c io n e s d e t r a b a jo (e l p l u s d e c a r g a s
f a m i l i a r e s ) , [S p a i n ],
By José Miguel Zubia. (In Revista de Trabajo,
Ministerio de Trabajo, Madrid, September 1942, pp. 953-958.)
Account of Spanish legislation of 1942 concerning family bonuses for workers,
including information on amount and distribution of the bonuses, classes of persons
entitled to them, basis of computation, difference between family bonuses and
family allowances, and other questions.
Food and Nutrition
By Ruth White.
(In Social Security Bulletin, Federal Security Agency, Social Security Board,
Washington, November 1943, pp. 18-28; chart. 20 cents, Superintendent of
Documents, Washington.)
Describes and gives statistics of operation of the food-stamp plan which enabled
needy families in the United States to obtain extra food free, and examines the
effect of discontinuance of the plan on assistance payments made to such families
by relief agencies in different States.
T h e e ffe c t o n n e e d y f a m i l i e s o f s u s p e n s i o n o f the f o o d s ta m p p l a n .
By Roy F. Hendrickson. New York, Doubledav, Doran & Co.,
Inc., 1943. 274 pp. $2.50.
Written by the Director of the U. S. Food Distribution Administration, this
book covers the whole problem of handling food, including military needs and the
problem of feeding nonbelligerents and the people of conquered countries.
F o o d j o r E u r o p e a ft e r v ic t o r y .
Washington 6, National Planning Association,
1944. 42 pp. (Planning pamphlet No. 29.) 25 cents.
Urges advance planning for meeting the food-relief problem and stresses the
need for prompt action in starting European food production. The greatest
difficulty, according to the pamphlet, will be in furnishing the required edible fats
and oils, although stocks in the United States and Britain are expected to help.
F o o d “ c r is is .”
Washington,
U. S. Department of Agriculture, War Food Administration, 1943. 124 pp.
15 cents, Superintendent of Documents, Washington.
Reviews the various programs that have been put into effect to assure fair
distribution of the food supplies of the United States. These programs include
allocation, food orders, rationing, food conservation, industrial feeding, and other
measures.
R e p o r t o f th e D ir e c t o r o f th e F o o d D i s t r i b u t i o n A d m i n i s t r a t i o n , 1 9 4 3 .
By Thomas S. Githens and Carroll E. Wood, Jr.
Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1943. 105 pp., bibliography,
maps. (African handbooks, No. 3.) $1.50.
Treats the various geographical regions individually.
N u t r i t i o n p r o b le m s a n d p r o g r a m s i n L a t i n A m e r i c a i n 1 9 4 3 .
By Marjorie M.
Heseltine. (In The Child, U. S. Department of Labor, Children’s Bureau,
Washington 25, January 1944, pp. 99-102. Reprints of the article are avail
able free.)
T he fo o d resou rces o f A fr ic a .
London, Labor Research
Department, [1943]. 48 pp. 6d.
Discusses food problems, workers’ control of canteens, wages of catering work
ers, and employers’ profits.
W o r k s c a n te e n s a n d th e c a t e r in g tra d e, [G rea t B r i t a i n ] ,
Housing
P r o m o t i o n a l p la n to a s s is t i n s o lv in g w a r h o u s in g p r o b le m i n c r i ti c a l c o m m u n i t i e s .
Washington, U. S. National Housing Agency, Homes Use Service, 1943.
pp., illus.
29
S ix t e e n th c e n s u s o f th e U n ite d S ta te s , 1 9 4 0 : H o u s i n g — V o l u m e I I , G e n e r a l c h a r a c
t e r is tic s , P a r t 5 , R h o d e I s l a n d - W y o m i n g .
Washington, U. S. Department
of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1943. 980 pp. $3, Superintendent of
Documents, Washington.
Characteristics covered include occupancy and tenure status, value of home or
monthly rent, size of household and race of head, type of structure, number of
rooms, and other features.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
906
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
o r h o v e ls ?
S o m e a u th o r ita tiv e v ie w s o n C a n a d ia n h o u s in g .
Toronto,
Canadian Institute of International Affairs and Canadian Association for
Adult Education, 1943. 48 pp., diagrams. (Behind the headlines, Vol. 3,
No. 5.) 10 cents.
This pamphlet gives the views of specialists on different phases of the housing
problem and answers a series of questions on housing.
H o u s i n g i n N e w Z e a la n d .
Wellington, Department of Housing Construction,
1943. 64 pp.; mimeographed.
Survey of the development and progress of the housing schemes carried out
since 1894, with particular reference to the activities and policies of the present
Department of Housing Construction.
Copies of the report are available free from the Division of Urban Studies, U. S.
National Housing Agency, Washington, D. C.
H om es
Industrial Relations
C o lle c tiv e b a r g a in in g -— a m a n a g e m e n t g u id e .
C o lle c tiv e b a r g a in in g — m a n a g e m e n t
o b lig a t io n s a n d r ig h ts .
New York 20, National Association of Manufacturers,
1943.
2 pamphlets, 20 and 40 pp.
By Robert J. Watt. (In Conference Board
Management Record, National Industrial Conference Board, Inc., New
York, February 1944, pp. 31-33.)
The author discusses what he thinks the role of Government should be in
post-war relations between labor and management. It is held that under normal
operating conditions Government should leave labor-management relations
largely to the parties directly concerned.
P o s t -w a r la b o r -m a n a g e m e n t r e la t io n s .
T o w a r d a n a t io n a l la b o r
p r o b le m s . By Almon
p o lic y ,
w ith
a
s e c t io n
on
cu rren t
c o lle c ti v e -b a r g a i n in g
E. Roth and others. New York, American Management
Association, 1943. 40 pp.
U n i o n a g r e e m e n ts i n a g r ic u lt u r a l -m a c h i n e r y i n d u s t r y , 1 9 4 3 .
Washington 25,
U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1944. 15 pp. (Bull. No. 761; reprinted
from Monthly Labor Review, January 1944.) 10 cents, Superintendent of
Documents, Washington.
V i o la t io n s o f f r e e s p e e c h a n d r ig h ts o f la b o r : R e p o r t o n e m p l o y e r s ’ a s s o c ia ti o n s
a n d c o lle c tiv e b a r g a in in g in C a lifo r n ia — P a r t V I , A s tu d y o f la b o r p o l i c i e s o f
e m p l o y e r s ’ a s s o c ia t i o n s i n th e L o s A n g e l e s a re a , 1 9 3 5 - 3 9 ; P a r t V I I , A s tu d y o f
la b o r p o l i c i e s o f e m p l o y e r ’ s a s s o c ia ti o n s i n the S a n F r a n c i s c o B a y a r e a , 1 9 3 5 —3 9 .
Washington, U. S. Government Printing Office, 1943. 240 and 99 pp.
(Senate report No. 398, Parts 2 and 3, 78th Cong., 1st sess.)
E s ta d ís tic a d e la s h u e lg a s , [A r g e n t i n a ], 1 9 4 0 .
Buenos Aires, Ministerio del Interior,
Departamento Nacional del Trabajo, 1941. 23 pp. (Series B, Estadísticas
y censos, No. 10.)
This report on strikes in Argentina in 1940 shows their number and character,
duration and causes, methods used in settlement, and results.
Labor and Social Legislation
D ig e s t o f S ta te a n d F e d e r a l la b o r le g is la t io n e n a c te d A u g u s t 1, 194-3, to A u g u s t 1,
1 9 4 3 . Washington 25, U. S. Department of Labor, Division of Labor Stand
ards, 1944. 67 pp.
Washington.
(Bull. No. 63.)
15 cents, Superintendent of Documents,
By Andrés María Lazcano y Mazón. Habana,
Cultural, S. A., 1942. Yol. I, 587 pp.; Vol. II, 533 pp. (In Spanish.)
Compilation of the texts of constitutions in effect in the 21 American republics
in January 1942, with analyses of their contents. The labor provisions of each
constitution are listed and briefly discussed in a special labor section in volume 1,
which also includes a tabular summary showing the principal labor provisions of
all the constitutions.
C o n s t it u c io n e s p o lít ic a s d e A m é r i c a .
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Recent Publications of Labor Interest
907
r e s e ñ a s o b r e le g is la c i ó n s o c i a l A r g e n t i n a .
By Juan Raúl Pichetto. (In
Servicio Social, Escuela de Servicio Social del Museo Social Argentino,
Buenos Aires, January-December 1943, pp. 22-70.)
The background of social legislation in Argentina is reviewed briefly and
specific laws, some as late as 1942, are summarized. Topics covered by the laws
include Sunday rest, the National Labor Bureau, work of women and minors,
wages and hours of labor, unemployment, employment services, labor contracts,
safety, home work, social insurance, housing, and labor organizations.
A e v o lu g a o s o c i a l n o B r a z i l .
By R. Paula Lópes. (In Boletim do Ministério
do Traballio, Indùstria e Comércio, Rio de Janeiro, March, Aprii, and May
1943, pp. 139-152, 189-211, 120-139.)
Review of the development of social and labor legislation in Brazil and of
related subjects such as industrial progress, distribution of industrial workers
and of the general population, and the general wage level.
L e g i s l a c i ó n o b r e r a de la R e p ú b l ic a d e C u b a .
By Manuel Marti Escasena. Habana,
Cultural, S. A., 1942. 2 vols., 508 and 486 pp. (2d edition, with additions.)
Reproduction of Cuban labor legislation through May 1942, topically arranged,
with chronological and subject index.
L e y F e d e r a l d el t r a b a jo r e fo r m a d a , [ M e x i c o ] ] L e y d e l s e g u r o s o c i a l .
Edited by
Alberto Trueba Urbina. México, D. F., [Librería de Porrua Hnos. y Cia.],
1943. 444 pp.
Compilation of Mexican labor and social legislation, including the Federal
labor law of 1931, articles of the 1917 constitution relating to labor, the socialsecurity law of 1942, the pact of national unity signed in 1942 by confederations
of labor organizations, and two 1941 laws, which, respectively, established the
Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare and provided regulations for work of
government employees. Bibliographical references are given on the topics of
individual chapters of the Federal labor law.
B reve
Labor Organizations and Congresses
o f la b o r u n io n s .
By Florence Peterson. Washington, American
Council on Public Affairs, 1944. 415 pp. $5.
Comprehensive and up-to-date reference book presenting factual information
about each of the 182 international and national labor organizations which com
prise the American labor movement. The information given for individual
unions includes: Address, affiliation, number of members and locals, coverage,
organ, background, government, trade jurisdiction, membership qualifications
and regulations, benefits, per capita tax and finances of international, dues and
finances of locals, and regulations concerning apprentices, negotiation of agree
ments with employers, and calling and financing of strikes.
1943 c o n v e n ti o n o f C o n g r e s s o f I n d u s t r i a l O r g a n iz a t io n s . Washington 25, U. S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1944. 7 pp. (Serial No. R. 1609; reprinted
from Monthly Labor Review, January 1944.) Free.
H andbook
“ D o w n U n d e r .” By Charles Crofts. (In American Federationist,
' American Federation of Labor, Washington, February 1944, pp. 9-11, 27,
map. 20 cents.)
The former secretary of the Australasian Council of Trade Unions reviews
briefly in this article the developments in the labor movement in Australia which
led to the formation of the Council in 1927, activities of the Council, extent of
unionization in the country, and concessions made by the unions during the war.
D i s p o s i c i o n e s le g a le s y n o r m a s p r á c ti c a s s o b r e o r g a n iz a c i ó n s in d ic a l , [C h ile ].
San
tiago, Dirección General del Trabajo, 1941. 288 pp. (Divulgación No. 1.)
This compilation of Chilean legislation and regulations relating to trade unions
reproduces the texts of articles of the labor code of 1931 and regulations of 1936
and 1938, together with legal opinions on questions concerning labor organiza
tions, and presents model union constitutions and by-laws, rules, and records.
U n io n is m
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
908
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
C e n s o s in d ic a i c a r io c a c m 1 9 4 1 , [ R io d e J a n e i r o ].
By José Marinho de Andrade.
(In Boletim do Ministério do Trabalho, Industria e Comércio, Rio de Janeiro,
August 1943, pp. 99-115.)
Results of the 1941 census of organizations of employees, employers, and per
sons in liberal professions in Rio de Janeiro. Statistics, classified by major in
dustrial groups, show distribution of membership, by sex; receipts, by source;
and expenditures, by purpose for which used. Expenditures for social, legal,
dental, medical, and hospital services rendered to members are shown separately.
Migration and Migratory Workers
S ix te e n th c e n s u s o f th e U n ite d S ta te s , 1 9 4 0 : P o p u l a t i o n — I n t e r n a l m ig r a t io n , 1 9 3 5
to 1 9 4 0 ; c o lo r a n d s e x o f m ig r a n ts .
Washington, U. S. Department of Com
merce, Bureau of the Census, 1943. 490 pp., maps, chart.
intendent of Documents, Washington.
$2.25, Super
V o l u m e a n d c o m p o s i t i o n o f n e t m ig r a t io n f r o m th e r u r a l - f a r m p o p u l a t i o n , 1 9 3 0 - 4 0 ,
f a r th e U n ite d S ta te s , m a j o r g e o g r a p h ic d i v is io n s , a n d S ta te s .
By Eleanor
H. Bernert. Washington, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of
Agricultural Economics, 1944. 37 pp.; mimeographed.
T h e m o v e m e n t o f f a c t o r y w o r k e r s : A s tu d y o f a N e w E n g l a n d i n d u s t r i a l c o m m u n i t y ,
1 9 3 7 -1 9 3 9 an d 19 4 2 .
By Charles A. Myers and W. Rupert MacLaurin.
New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (London, Chapman & Hall, Ltd.), 1943.
I l l pp., charts. $1.50. (A publication of Technology Press, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology.)
A study of the records of nearly 16,000 factory workers in a typical, small New
England industrial community. The report mainly concerns a smaller sample of
1,539 workers who were laid off or who moved voluntarily during the years 1937,
1938, and 1939. The study was made for the purpose of discovering the amount
and nature of interfactory movement and the effectiveness of the movement in
equalizing compensation for comparable jobs, in distributing labor in accordance
with the need for it, and in enabling workers to better themselves and learn new
occupations. The conclusions drawn from the study indicate that the inter
factory movement of workers did not effectively serve these purposes. The
authors suggest, among other things, more effective use of the U. S. Employment
Service.
E m p l o y m e n t a n d h o u s in g p r o b le m s o f m ig r a t o r y iv o r k e r s i n N e w
J e r s e y c a n n i n g in d u s t r ie s , 1 9 4 3 .
Washington 25, U. S.
Labor, Women’s Bureau, 1944. 35 pp.
perintendent of Documents, Washington.
Y ork and N ew
Department of
(Bull. No. 198.) 10 cents, Su- .
m ig r a c io n e s in te r n a s e n la A r g e n t i n a .
By Carlos Moyano Llerena. (In
Revista de Economia Argentina, Buenos Aires, June 1943, pp. 264-266;
charts.)
Discussion of the problem of internal migration in Argentina, with statistics
showing migration to the Federal capital, by Provinces, based on the census of
1936.
Las
By R. H. Coats and
M. C. MacLean. New Haven, Conn., Yale University Press, 1943. 176
pp., maps, charts. $3.75.
This study is one of a series on the relations of Canada and the United States
which is being prepared under the direction of the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace. The present volume deals with the migration of Americans
to Canada^ and their settlement there. The statistical analysis of this segment
of Canada’s population includes data on distribution by areas, age, sex, rural and
urban residence^ conjugal condition, family composition, racial origin, mother
tongue, citizenship, occupation, and unemployment.
T h e A m e r i c a n - b o r n i n C a n a d a — a s ta t is t ic a l in te r p r e t a t i o n .
m ig r a t io n s — p a s t e x p e r ie n c e s a n d p o s t -w a r p r o s p e c t s .
By Eugene M.
Kulischer. New York, American Jewish Committee, Research Institute on
Peace and Post-War Problems, 1943. 51 pp., maps. (Pamphlet series—
Jews and the post-war world, No. 4.) 20 cents.
Shows the influence of migrations upon the Jews with reference to their physical
improvement and their economic and social progress.
J ew ish
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Recent Publications of Labor Interest
909
Prices and Price Control
P r i c e s i n a w a r e c o n o m y : S o m e a s p e c ts o f th e p r e s e n t p r i c e s tr u c tu r e o f th e U n i te d
S ta ie s .
By Frederick C. Mills. New York, National Bureau of Economic
Research, 1943. 102 pp., charts. (Occasional paper 12.) 50 cents.
The report includes discussions of wages and other income, production, and
the comparative status of major economic groups. The war economy is compared
with the pre-war economy of 1939 and also with that of the years immediately
preceding the first World War. Appendix tables give detailed price data, some
of the series going back to 1927. Income changes during the period since 1939,
as shown in the study, indicate that the total purchasing power of wage earners
in manufacturing rose 150 percent as compared with a rise of 63 percent in the
purchasing power of farmers. However, it may be noted that this comparison
requires recognition of the fact that the number of farmers has remained sub
stantially constant, whereas the number of factory wage earners and their hours
of work have risen rapidly, factory employment "in terms of man-hours having
considerably more than doubled. Manufacturing corporation profits after taxes
were 81 percent larger in the first quarter of 1943 than in 1939.
T y p i c a l e le c t r ic b ills : T y p i c a l n e t m o n th ly b ills a s o f J a n u a r y 1 , 1 9 1 8 , f o r e le c tr ic
s e r v ic e to r e s id e n t ia l c o n s u m e r s , c it ie s o f 2 ,5 0 0 p o p i d a t i o n a n d m o r e .
Wash
ington, Federal Power Commission, 1943.
87 pp., map. 25 cents.
Washington, U. S. Office of Price
Administration, Personnel Division, 1943. 56 pages, map, charts.
. Intended primarily for employees of the OPA but contains serviceable informa
tion for others relating to the organization, its history, policies, and purposes,
and the procedures used in price and rent control and rationing.
OPA
i s o u r ba ttle li n e — e m p lo y e e h a n d b o o k .
T h e e s s e n t ia l r o le o f s u b s id ie s i n
th e s ta b i liz a t io n p r o g r a m .
Office of Price Administration, 1943.
Washington, U. S.
14 pp.
S u b s id ie s _ i n B r it is h a n d C a n a d ia n p r i c e c o n tr o l.
By Joseph H. Barkmeier and
Winifred R. Maroney. (In Foreign Commerce Weekly, U. S. Department
of Commerce, Washington, October 30, 1943, pp. 6—10; charts. 10 cents.)
Social Security
By Edwin E. Witte. (In American
Economic Review, Menasha, Wis., December 1943, pp. 825-838. $1.25.)
The writer compares the social-security program for the United States outlined
in the report of the U. S. National Resources Planning Board and the program
for Great Britain presented in the Beveridge report. The National Resources
Planning Board’s proposals are also compared with the provisions of the Wagner
bill, introduced in Congress on June 3, 1943.
A m e r i c a n p o s t -w a r s o c i a l s e c u r i t y p r o p o s a l s .
R e l á t o r i o d o e x e r c íc io de 191+2, I n s t it u t o de A p o s e n t a d o r i a e P e n s o e s d a E s ti v a ,
[ B r a z il] .
Rio de Janeiro, Ministerio do Trabaiho, Industria e Comercio,
^ Conselho Nacional do Trabaiho, 1943. 27 pp., pasters, illus. (Publication No.
Annual report of the Brazilian Longshoremen’s Retirement and Pension
Institute for 1942 giving information on its activities in connection with sickness
insurance, accidents to workers and compensation therefor, hygiene and health,
housing, etc. A summary of legislation pertaining to this institute, through
March 24, 1941, was given in its annual report for 1941.
(In Previsión
Social, Ministerio de Salubridad, Previsión y Asistencia Social, Departamento '
de Previsión Social, Santiago, January-March 1943, pp. 42-53.)
Lists of laws and decrees through March 27, 1942, governing the Chilean
Welfare Fund for Salaried Employees and Wage Earners of Railways, with
analyses of provisions concerning annual and sick leave; retirement, including
benefit gradations according to years of service; operation of the welfare work
of the Fund; and resources and benefits.
R é g i m e n d e p r e v is ió n d e lo s e m p le a d o s y o b r e r o s fe r r o v i a r i o s , [ C h i l e ] :
By Mario Arteaga I.
(In Previsión Social, Ministerio de Salubridad, Previsión y Asistencia Social,
Santiago, Chile, April-June 1943, pp. 159-174.)
Following a brief account of social insurance in Panama after March 1941,
when a social-insurance scheme was adopted, the reformed legislation of April
1943 is analyzed with respect to coverage, administration, resources, investment of
funds, and benefits for sickness, maternity, disability, old age, and death.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
R e f o r m a d e la le y d e s e g u r o s o c i a l d e la R e p ú b l ic a d e P a n a m á .
910
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
By Charlotte Whitton.
Toronto, Macmillan Co. of Canada, Ltd., 1943. 154 pp.
Discusses the Marsh and Beveridge social-security proposals for Canada and
Great Britain, respectively, and outlines the Heagerty health-insurance plan for
Canada.
T h e d a w n o f a m p le r l i f e : S o m e a id s to s o c i a l s e c u r i ty .
R o y a l w a r r a n t c o n c e r n in g r e tir e d p a y , p e n s i o n s , a n d o th e r g r a n ts f o r m e m b e r s o f the
m ilit a r y f o r c e s a n d o f the n u r s i n g a n d a u x i l i a r y s e r v ic e s t h e r e o f d isa b led , a n d f o r
th e w id o w s , c h ild r e n , p a r e n t s , a n d o th er d e p e n d e n ts o f s u c h _m e m b e r s d e c e a s e d ,
i n c o n s e q u e n c e o f s e r v ic e d u r in g th e p r e s e n t w a r.
London, Ministry of Pensions,
1943. 43 pp. (Cmd. 6489.) 9d.
Outlines social-insurance benefits to which various classes are entitled and
eligibility requirements for the benefits.
Wages and Hours of Labor
By Sumner H. Slichter. (In Proceedings of the Academy
of Political Science, Vol. X X , No. 4, New York, January 1944, pp. 28-51.
$2.50.)
Some of the topics discussed are the relation of wage-rate changes to changes in
total wage payments, the effects of national wage policies, and the author’s
proposed modifications of these policies.
N a t i o n a l w a g e p o l i c i e s a n d p r o b le m s .
By George W. Taylor and others. New
York 18, American Management Association, 1943. 63 pp. (Personnel
series No. 70.)
S tr a ig h t t h in k in g o n w a g e in c e n ti v e s .
By the George S. May Business Foundation.
(In Supervision, New York 16, January 1944, pp. 8, 9, 32; February 1944,
pp. 15, 16. 35 cents each.)
The first part of this study is a discussion of the history and development of
wage-incentive plans, with a statement of the qualities needed in a successful plan
to make it'acceptable to both management and labor. The second part deals
with the considerations necessary for the establishment of incentive plans and
describes the major characteristics of the most widely-used systems.
W a g e d e t e r m in a t io n u n d e r tra d e u n io n s .
By John T. Dunlop. New York,
Macmillan Co., 1944. 231 pp. $3.50.
This study is primarily concerned with an examination of the wage policies of
trade unions. As such, it deals with market organization and the wage structure
in the United States, with wage and bargaining policies of unions under various
market patterns, and with labor’s share in the total national income.
Y o u r iv a g es a n d th e w a r.
By Philip Murray. Washington, Congress of In
dustrial Organizations, 1943. 13 pp. 5 cents.
Mr. Murray’s speech at 1943 convention of the Congress of Industrial Organiza
tions and full text of the convention’s resolution concerning wage policy.
I n f l a t i o n a n d w a g es .
W a g e s , h o u r s , a n d c o n d it io n s o f w o r k , B u i l d i n g S e r v ic e E m p l o y e e s ’ I n t e r n a t i o n a l
U n io n , J u n e 1 9 4 3 .
[Chicago], Building Service Employees’ International
Union, Research Department, 1943. 195 pp.
For locals throughout the country, minimum and maximum rates of wages are
given, with some information regarding hours, percentage wage increases, vaca
tions, sick leave, etc. Classes of buildings represented include schools and other
public buildings, hospitals, office buildings, hotels, theaters, stores, apartment
houses, and bowling alleys. Special tabulations are given for window cleaners,
guards and watchmen, janitors, janitresses, and elevator operators and starters.
W a g e s a n d c o n d it io n s
in A m e r ic a n
N ew sp a p er
G u ild
c o n tr a c ts ,
June
10,
1943.
New York, American Newspaper Guild, Research Department, 1943. 138 pp.
The Guild papers are listed and the major terms of contracts are tabulated for
each locality and for the major types of publications. A final section gives
tabulations of minimum wages for major groups of employees, by years of ex
perience.
N u m b e r o f m e n , w o r k in g h o u r s , a n d s a la r ie s ( i n c l u d in g p a i d v a c a ti o n s a n d s i c k le a v e )
i n N o r th C a r o lin a p o lic e a n d f i r e d e p a r tm e n ts , fi s c a l y e a r 1 9 4 2 - 4 3 , c it i e s a n d
to w n s o v er 3 ,0 0 0 p o p u la t i o n .
Raleigh, North Carolina League of Municipal
ities, 1943.
7 pp.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
(Report No. 45.)
25 cents.
Recent Publications of Labor Interest
911
Wartime Conditions and Policies
By William H. Nicholls and John A. Vieg.
Philadelphia, Blakiston Co., 1943. 109 pp. $1.50.
Analysis of various wartime government agencies and activities, with particular
emphasis on labor problems, especially manpower and wage control, and on
agricultural problems, especially food production and price control.
W a r t i m e g o v e r n m e n t i n o p e r a ti o n .
Washington 6, National Education
Association of the United States, Committee on Tenure, 1943. 15 pp.
15 cents.
W a r t i m e a s p e c t s o f te a c h e r lea v es o f a b s e n c e .
C o n d i t io n s i n th e B a l t i c R e p u b l ic s a n d W h it e R u s s i a u n d e r G e r m a n o c c u p a t i o n :
E c o n o m i c a n d la b o r m e a s u r e s i n 1 9 4 1 - 4 2 .
(In International Labor Reyiew,
Montreal, February 1944, pp. 171-190.
50 cents.)
By John W. Willis. (In George
Washington Law Review, Washington, February 1944, pp. 141-173. $1.)
Describes the enabling legislation and the functions of agencies established to
administer wartime measures, pointing out the extent to which the emergency
bodies have been placed within the existing government framework.
T h e e m p lo y m e n t o f p r i s o n e r s o f w a r i n G r e a t B r i t a i n .
(In International Labor
Review, Montreal, February 1944, pp. 191-196. 50 cents.)
Account of the conditions under which Italian prisoners of war are employed
in Great Britain, principally in Agriculture.
C a n a d a ’s
w a r tim e
a d m in is tr a tiv e
a g e n c ie s .
White-Collar Workers
Vermillion, University of South Dakota,
Business Research Bureau, and League of South Dakota Municipalities,
1943. 13 pp.; mimeographed. (Special bull. No. 2, Vol. 10.)
Salaries and salary changes, as of June 1943, of full-time and part-time munici
pal employees in 185 cities and towns of South Dakota having populations of
100 and over are shown by occupation and population group, with a summary
for all localities combined.
S a l a r i e s a n d q u a lific a t io n s o f Y W C A p r o f e s s i o n a l w o r k e r s .
By Ralph G. Hurlin.
New York, Russell Sage Foundation, 1943. 24 pp. (St. 12.) 30 cents.
T h e w h ite c o lla r w o r k e r s a n d the f u t u r e o f th e N a t i o n .
New York 18, United
Office and Professional Workers of America, CIO, 1944. 61 pp., charts.
15 cents
Includes testimony of Lewis Merrill, president of the United Office and Pro
fessional Workers of America, before the Senate Sub-Committee on Wartime
Health and Education, a proposed wartime salary policy for white-collar workers,
and statistics, for different dates, of wages and hours, cost of living, etc., of whitecollar workers.
M a i n t a i n i n g o ffice m o r a le .
By Henry E. Niles and others. New York 18,
American' Management Association, 1943. 43 pp. (Office management
series No. 100.)
T r e n d s i n o ffice p e r s o n n e l p r a c ti c e — c o m p e n s a t io n , in te r v i e w i n g , t r a i n i n g .
By
Robert Abelow and others. New York 18, American Management Associa
tion, 1944. 35 pp. (Office management series No. 102.)
M u n i c i p a l s a l a r y s u r v e y o f S o u th D a k o t a .
W om en in Industry
th o u g h t a n d d i s c u s s io n o n w o m e n i n th e p o s t - w a r w o r ld .
References
compiled by Frances Valiant Speek. Washington 6, American Association
of University Women, October 1943. 21 pp.; mimeographed. 20 cents.
Includes references to material on women workers.
F ood fo r
T h e p o s t -w a r e m p lo y m e n t
of
w o m e n i n th e
U n ite d S ta te s
a
s ta tis tic a l f o r e c a s t .
By John D. Durand. (In International Labor Review, Montreal, December
1943, pp. 695-713; charts. 60 cents.)
S u r v e y o f j o b s s u ita b le f o r w o m e n o n r a ilr o a d “ A . ”
Washington, U. S. Office of
Defense Transportation, Division of Transport Personnel, 1944. 42 pp.;
mimeographed.
The railroad selected for the survey is a western road with a manpower problem,
and one which employs a comparatively small proportion of women.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
912
Monthly Labor Review—April 1944
Washington, U. S. War Manpower Commission, Bureau
of Training, 1943. 26 pp.; mimeographed.
T r a i n i n g w o m a n -p o w er.
W o m e n in in d u s tr y : A
su rvey
c o v e r in g
e m p lo y m e n t o f w o m e n i n in d u s t r y , 1 9 4 8 .
By Edward J. Kunze. Chicago 3, 111., National Metal Trades Association,
1943. 48 pp., bibliography. $1.
Over-all picture of the employment of women in 62 plants, having 65,527 women
workers in a total of 221,439 employees, in three areas-—New England, North
Atlantic, and North Central. Types of work performed, working conditions, spe
cial facilities provided, and training are among subjects covered.
General Reports
S ix t ie t h a n n u a l r e p o r t o f U n ite d S ta te s C iv il S e r v ic e C o m m i s s i o n , f i s c a l y e a r e n d e d
J u n e 8 0 , 1 9 4 3 . Washington, 1943. 89 pp., charts. 15 cents, Superintendent
of Documents, Washington.
Recruiting and placing of Federal Government employees, personnel utiliza
tion, welfare of employees, retirement, salaries and wages, and placement of
veterans are among the subjects which are discussed in the report, and on which
recommendations are made by the Commission.
A n n u a l r e p o r t o f th e T e n n e s s e e V a l l e y A u t h o r i t y , f o r fi s c a l y e a r e n d e d J u n e 3 0 , 1 9 4 3 .
Wilson Dam, Ala., 1943. 323 pp., map, illus.
Contains, in addition to operating data, information on housing, safety work,
and medical care for TVA employees, employee-management relations, the war
manpower situation, and wages and salaries paid to TVA workers.
A h i s t o r y o f S o u t h A f r i c a , s o c ia l a n d e c o n o m i c .
By C. W. De Kiewiet. Oxford,
Clarendon Press, 1942. 292 pp., bibliography, maps, charts.
Begins with the infiltration of people from the West and carries through to the
development of industry and the regulation of economic and social problems.
I n fo r m a c ió n so cia l A rg e n tin a , 1 9 4 0 , 1 9 4 1 , 1 9 4 2 .
Buenos Aires, Departamento
Nacional del Trabajo, [1943]. 19 pp.
For the 3 years covered, this Argentine statistical compilation presents data on
industrial accidents, trade unions, cost of living, prices, labor inspection, strikes,
employment and unemployment, and penalties imposed under labor legislation.
I n f o r m e a la n a c ió n , [E c u a d o r ], 1 9 4 3 .
Quito, Ministerio de Previsión Social v
Trabajo, 1943. 133 pp.
This annual report of the Ecuadoran Minister of Social Welfare and Labor for
the year 1943 covers such subjects as living conditions of the Ecuadoran Indian,
health and hygiene, child welfare, housing, social insurance, the General Labor
Bureau and its work, employment and unemployment, and wages.
B r i t i s h p o s s e s s i o n s i n th e C a r ib b e a n a r e a — a s e le c te d lis t o f r e f e r e n c e s .
Compiled by
Ann Duncan Brown. Washington, U. S. Library of Congress, Division of
Bibliography, 1943. 192 pp.; mimeographed. Limited free distribution.
Subjects covered by the references include population problems, immigration,
economic and social conditions, labor and laboring classes, cost of living, nutrition,
public health, public works, and trade-unions.
C z e c h o s lo v a k ia fig h ts b a c k .
A document of the Czechoslovak Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Washington, American Council on Public Affairs, 1943. 210 pp.
$2.50.
Records the material and spiritual destruction wrought in occupied Czecho
slovakia in the course of the 5 years since the Munich agreement. One chapter
reviews the development of the labor movement and the achievements in labor
legislation under the Republic, followed by a summary of the changes in labor
affairs under the “ Protectorate.”
L a b o r i n N e w Z e a la n d , 1 9 4 3 .
By A. E. C. Hare. Wellington, Victoria University
College, 1944. 71 pp.
Reviews labor conditions in 1942 and 1943 and particularly regulatory measures
taken by the Government.
O u r S o v ie t a lly .
Edited by Margaret Cole for the Fabian Society. London,
George Routledge & Sons, Ltd., 1943. 194 pp. 7s. 6d.
Six essays by four writers describing, in general, the political, the economic,
and the educational and cultural life of the Soviet Union. The third essay, by
I. Narodny, discusses the framework of the economic system; the fourth, by
N. Barou, is devoted to trade-unions, outlining their history from the Tsarist
days to the present and describing their organization, functions, and activities.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
U. S. GOVERNMENT PR IN TIN G O F F IC E : 1944
@FedFRASER