Full text of Monthly Labor Review : January 1946, Vol. 62, No. 1

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LABOR
33 S"»)

REVIEW
V O L 62 • NO. 1

JA N U A R Y 1946

IN THIS ISSUE
E xpen d itu res and Savings of C ity Fam ilies
in 1944
E m p lo y m en t S ituation in Foreign C ountries
L abor Unionism in A m erican A griculture
R esu lts of 1945 IL O Conference
M ach in ery for W orld F ed eratio n of T rad e
U nions
S ta te W orkm en’s C om pensation Legislation
in 1945
W artim e L abor Force of S t. P aul Propeller
P la n t

U N IT ED STATES D E P A R T M E N T O F LABOR • BUREAU O F LABOR STATISTICS

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
L. B. Schwellenbach, Secretary
♦
BU REA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS
I sador Lubin , Commissioner (on leave)
A. F. H inrichs, Acting Commissioner

Inquiries should be addressed to Bureau of Labor Statistics
W ashington 25, D. C.

The M onth ly L abor R e v ie w is published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
under authority of Public Resolution No. 57, approved M ay 11, 1922 (42 Stat. 541),
as amended by section 807, Public Act 212, 72d Congress, approved June 30, 1932.
This publication approved by the Director of the Bureau of the Budget.


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♦

For sale by the Superintendent o f Documents
U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D . C.
Price, 30 cents a copy
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U N IT ED STATES D E P A R T M E N T O F LABOR
999 *9999*9999

+

wJ ' r*

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
+

999999999999*

Vol. 62, No. 1

C O N T E N T S

9*99999*9994

>#

Special articles:

j j

page

^

Expenditures and savings of city families in 1944__ ________________
Em ploym ent situation in foreign countries: P art 1.—-United Rations
and neutral industrial countries not devastated by war__________
Labor unionism in American agriculture_____________________ ___

1
6
25

Labor organizations and conferences:
Labor-M anagem ent Conference on Industrial Relations___ _ _ __
Results of International Labor Conference of 1945__________ _ _ _ _
M achinery for World Federation of Trade Unions______________ __
Convention of International Association of Machinists, 1945Labor unionism in American agriculture__________________________

37
44
47
55
25

Social security:
S tate workmen’s compensation legislation in 1945____________ __
Australian social insurance legislation, 1944-45_______________ ___
Canadian conference affecting social insurance-and taxes, 1945_____

61
65
67

War and postwar policies:
Revocation of wartim e child-labor exem ption________ _____________
R ent control in the N etherlands________________________ _ _____ __
Legislation on reemployment rights in Norway________ __ _____

69
70
71

Employment conditions:
Employm ent situation in foreign countries: P art 1________________
Labor conditions in Germany since, occupation___________________ _

6
72

Cooperation:
Operations of savings and loan associations, 1944__________________
Purchasing by farm ers’ cooperatives, 1943-44_____________________

77
78

Education and training:
Peacetime educational needs_____________________________________
Training rural youth for farm and other occupations_______________
R etraining of France ex-servicemen and displaced persons_________

79
79
80

1ndustrial injuries:
Accident experience of the gas industry, 1944_____________________

82

Industrial disputes:
Labor-management disputes in November 1945___________________


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85

i

4 7 - ..'-S i

II

CONTENTS

Labor laws and decisions:
Recent decisions of interest to labor______________________________
Labor code for French African colonies, 1945______________________

page
88
90

Wage and hour statistics:
W artime labor force of St. Paul propeller p la n t____________________
Union wages and hours of m otortruck drivers and helpers, July 1, 1945_
Union wage rates of city streetcar and bus operators, July 1, 1945___
Trend of factory earnings, 1939 to October 1945___________________

93
104
112
117

Prices and cost of living:
Expenditures and savings of city families in 1944_________________ _
Index of consumers’ prices in large cities, November 1945__________
Retail prices of food in November 1945___________________________
Wholesale prices in November 1945______________________________
R ent control in the N etherlands__________________________________

1
119
123
129
70

Labor turn-over:
Labor turn-over in m anufacturing, mining, and public utilities, Oc­
tober 1945 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

134

Building operations:
Building construction in urban areas, November 1945_____________

139

Trend of employment, earnings, and hours:
Summary of em ployment reports for November 1945______________
Industrial and business em ploym ent______________
Public em ploym ent_______________________________
Em ploym ent in shipyards___________________________________
Construction em ploym ent________
D etailed reports for industrial and business employment, October
1945________________ _____________ •______________________ ____
Nonagricultural em ploym ent_________________________
Industrial and business em ploym ent__________________________
Indexes of employment and pay rolls_____________________
Average earnings and hours_____________________________
Trend of factory earnings, 1939 to October 1945___________________
Labor force, November 1945____________________________________

143
143
144
146
147

Recent publications of labor interest__ ,______________________________

164


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149
149
150
150
159
117
162

This Issue in Brief

Expenditures and savings of city families in 1944
In 1944, it took an income of $1,950 after paym ent of taxes for the typical city
family of 2 or more persons to "break even.” Such families, averaging 3 per­
sons in size, lived very modestly, spending barely 22 cents per meal per person,
$30 per m onth for housing, fuel, light, and refrigeration. To buy war bonds and
pay on life insurance, they went into debt or drew on previous savings. A fourth
of these families depended on more than one earner. For one person to provide
an income of $1,950 after taxes, or a total of $2,070, steady work was required,
40 hours a week for 50 weeks, at $1.03}£ per hour. Almost a fourth of all city
families of two or more received net incomes below $1,950. Thus, although family
incomes reached their highest level in history in 1944, this did not mean sizable
incomes for all. Savings, including war bonds, averged 10 percent of income
only for families receiving $3,000 or more after taxes. Page 1.

Employment situation in foreign countries
Four m onths after VJ-day, unemployment was lower than m ight have been
anticipated in foreign countries. Germany, Italy, and Japan were notable excep­
tions, owing to the disorganization resulting from defeat and th e ravages of war.
However, low unemployment does not imply th a t wartim e employment levels
were being maintained, as an indeterm inate proportion of war workers withdrew
from the labor m arket and some discharged veterans and civilians were not seeking
work. Of those released from imprisonment or forced labor, some were tem po­
rarily incapacitated for seeking work. Wartime manpower controls tended to be
relaxed more rapidly in countries th a t did not suffer physical damage than in those
th a t were bombed and invaded and those in which it was considered e xpedient
to delay the return of men in the armed forces to civilian life. The em ploym ent
situation in five U nited Nations and two neutral countries is described on page 6.

Labor unionism in American agriculture
H ired farm workers in the United States have participated in hundreds of strikes
during the past five or six decades. As the family farm has given way before
large-scale farming and the insecurity of the workers has increased, the conse­
quent labor unrest has manifested itself in organized protest. The cases of
unrest among these workers and possible remedies are discussed in the article
on page 25.

Labor-Management Conference on Industrial Relations
The Labor-M anagement Conference which met, a t the call of President Trum an,
in November 1945 reached unanimous agreement regarding collective agreements
and the U. S. Conciliation Service. I t also passed resolutions urging "tolerance
and equality of economic opportunity” regardless of race, sex, religion, national
origin, etc., and favoring the formation of an informal committee to continue the
work of the conference. No unanim ity could be attained on the subjects of col­
lective bargaining in general, m anagem ent’s right to manage, and representation
and jurisdictional questions; on these, reports were subm itted by the labor and
management groups separately. Page 37.

Results of ILO Conference of 1945
The ILO Conference of 1945 adopted an am endm ent to its Constitution th a t
(if ratified by the member nations) will perm it affiliation with the United Nations
Organization, suggested measures for the m aintenance of a high level of employ­
m ent in countries in various stages of industrial development, and adopted reports
setting forth recommended measures for the welfare of children and young
workers. Page 44.

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IV

T H IS ISSUE IN BRIEF

Machinery for World Federation of Trade Unions
The machinery for a new World Federation of Trade Unions was created in
Paris in September a t a meeting a t which delegates from 65 national labor organi­
zations were present. The activities of the new body are to be carried out through
a biennial congress of member organizations, a general council, an executive com­
m ittee, and an executive bureau. This machinery and the actions and problems
of the conference which created it are discussed on page 47.

State workmen's compensation legislation in 1945
Action in the field of workmen’s compensation was taken by 37 of the 44 State
legislatures which m et in regular session in 1945. Second-injury funds were
established in 13 States, 4 States enacted occupational-disease laws, 19 States
increased the compensation benefits, and 2 States reorganized the agency adm in­
istering the workmen’s compensation law. Other States amended existing legis­
lation on the above points. Page 61.

Canadian conference on social insurance and taxes
Representatives of the Dominion and Provincial Governments in Canada held
meetings in August to explore the possibilities of increased cooperation for achiev­
ing full employment, high national income, and greater social security. The
Dominion proposed th a t the Provinces should relinquish the rights to tax incomes,
estates, and corporations and th a t the Dominion Government would, in return,
take increased responsibility for social-security paym ents. In addition, minimum
paym ent in annual subsidies to the Provinces would be not less than $12 per capita
annually, based on population in 1941. Page 67.

Wartime labor force of St. Paul propeller plant
The w artim e labor force a t an aircraft-propeller p lan t in St. Paul consisted in
large p a rt of prew ar farmers, white-collar workers, housewives, businessmen, and
professionals. Some of the workers had come to St. Paul from over 500 miles
away. M ost of them had held several jobs during the war, b u t few had been
formally trained for the jobs they filled. Generally, their w artim e occupational
and industrial shifts had brought improved earnings, b u t as a result of increased
living costs and deductions for taxes and war bonds, their spendable weekly earn­
ings a t the propeller plant were equivalent, on the average, to less than $40 in
term s of January 1941 purchasing power. After the war relatively few intended
to remain in m anufacturing industry, and a large proportion of the women workers
expected to withdraw from the labor m arket. Page 93.

Union wages and hours of motortruck drivers, 1945
Wage rates of union m otortruck drivers in 75 principal cities averaged $1,007
per hour on July 1, 1945—a 2.1-percent increase over July 1, 1944; drivers’
helpers averaged 84.6 cents—a 2.4-percent advance. For union truck drivers,
th e straight-tim e workweek averaged 45.9 hours, and for the helpers, 45.4 hours.
Page 104.

Union rates of city streetcar and bus operators, 1945
In the year ending July 1, 1945, the wage rates of union streetcar and bus
operators increased 1.1 percent to an average of 94.4 cents per hour. Bonus
plans in some cities resulted in additional raises of from 2 to 7 cents per hour.
Page 112.


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V

CURRENT LABOR STATISTICS
Current Statistics of Labor Interest in Selected Periods 1
[Available in reprintf orm]
1944

1945
Item

U n it or base
period

N ovem ­
ber

October

Septem ­
ber

N ovem ­
ber

1939:
Average
for
year

53,440
35, 280
18,160
51, 730
34,100
17, 630
43, 310
8, 420
1,710
35, 620
»
12, 015
794
993
3,828

53,110
34, 590
18, 520
51, 560
33,660
17,900
42, 770
8,790
1, 550
35, 207

52,900
34, 250
18, 650
51, 250
33,320
17,930
42, 450
8,800
1, 650
35, 334

2 52, 210
2 34,060
2 18,150
2 61. 530
2 33, 710
2 17, 820
2 43, 390
2 8,140
2 680
38,347

s 54, 230
3 40, 950
313, 280
3 46,930
a 35, 600
3 11, 330
3 37,430
3 9, 500
3 7, 300
30, 353

11,974
718
990
3, 792

12, 097
784
945
3,834

15,607
812
629
3, 771

10,078
845
1, 753
2,912

7, 560
4,863

7,334
4,698

7,138
4,603

7,299
4,315

6,618
4,160

5,567

5,701

5,933

5,914

10,100

11, 500

12,100

11,900

362

10,017
327
1,406

9,957
262
1,397

10,040
325
1,414

13,350
340
1,408

8,192
371

2,569

2,494

2,813

2,522

? 2, 595

37.6

41.6
33.0
40.4
38.7

41.4
42.3
40.7
38.2

M5.5
8 44.1
« 39.4
39.7

37.7
27.1
43.0
32.4

$52. 54

$41. 02
$39. 98
$29.17
$54.05

$40. 88
$52. 73
$28.95
$53.11

' $46.94
i $52.34
i $26. 20
$53. 54

$23.86
$23.88
$21.17
$30. 24

$0. 987
$1. 261
$0. 780
$1. 392

i $1.031
! $1.191
>$0. 736
$1.349

$0.633

$1. 399

$0.985
$1.242
$0.792
$1. 396

i $0.956

$0.622

î $0.908

$0. 640

s $4.08

i $1. 57

» 18.2

15.4

Em ploym ent and unemployment
C ivilian labor force (BC): T o ta l------- Thousands.
M ale__________________________ ___do____
F em ale_________ ______ ________ ___do____
-do—
Em ployed *____________________
_do—
M ale--------------------------------_do_—
Fem ale------ . ----- -----------------do.._
N onagricultural____________
. d o —_
A gricultural__ .-------------------. d o —U nem ployed___________________
_dO—
Civilian em ploym ent in nonagricul­
tu ral establishm ents: T o tal.4
_dO—.
M an u factu rin g _________________
_do—.
M inin g___________ .____________
.do ...
C onstruction «_________ ____ --. d o —.
T ran sp o rtatio n and public Utili­
ties.
___d
o .. —
T rad e---- ------ ----------------- -------Finance, service, and miscellane­ ___do____
ous.
-do.
Federal, State, and local govern­
m ent, excluding Federal forceaccount construction.
M ilitary personnel-—- ----------- --------Production-w orker e m p lo y m en t:6
_do_
M anufacturing___________ _____
_do_
Bitum inous-coal m ining---------do_
Class I steam railroads, including
salaried employees (IC C ).
H ired farm workers (B A E )------Hours and earnings
Average weekly hours:
M anufacturing---------------------Bituminous-coal m ining______
R etail trad e_________________
Building construction (private)
Average weekly earnings:
M anufacturing____________ ■- Bituminous-coal m ining--------R etail trad e----- --------- ---------Building construction (private)
Average hourly earnings:
M anufacturing---------------------Bituminous-coal m ining--------R etail tra d e _________________
Building construction (private)
Average straight-tim e hourly earn­
ings in m anufacturing, using—
C urrent em ploym ent b y in­
dustry.
E m ploym ent by in d u stry as of
Jan u ary 1941.
Q uarterly farm wage rate, per day
w ithou t board (B A E).
Industrial injuries and labor turn-over
Industrial injuries in m anufacturing,
per million man-hours worked.
L abor turn-over per 100 employees in
m anufacturing:
T otal sep aratio n s,-------------------Q uits_____________________
Lay-offs----------------------------T otal accessions------------------- -—
Strikes and lock-outs
Strikes and lock-outs beginning in
m onth:
N u m b er----------------------------N um ber of workers involved—
All strikes and lock-outs during m o n th :
N um b er of m an-days idle-----M an-days idle as percent of available
working time.
See fo o tn o te s a t en d o f ta b le .


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H ours.
___do,
___do___ do.

4.39

18.3

7.1
4.6

T housands.
___ do______

12.0

1.8

5.6
2.3

8.5

8.6

6.7
4.5
7.4

335
405

455
560

550
455

6,100

7,800
1.27

3, 650
0.61

1.06

$ 0.886

$0. 536
$0.933

6.0

^ 3.0

6.1

7 2.0
7 4.1

345

218
98

4.6
0.5

201

789

0.11

70.8

1,484
0.28

CURRENT LABOR STATISTICS

VI

Current Statistics of Labor Interest in Selected Periods 1— Continued
1944

1945
N ovem ­
ber

October

Septem ­
ber

N ovem ­
ber

1939:
Average
for
year

1935-39=100...

129.2

128.9

128.9

120.6

99.4

1935-39=100...
1935-39 = 100..
1935-39-100..
1935-39=100..
1935-39 = 100..
1935-39 = 100..
1935-39 = 100..

140.1
148.4

139.3
148.3

136.5
142.1

110.5
147.1
124.4
140.1

110.6
146.6
124.5
139.3

139.4
148.2
108.3
110.7
146.8
124.6
139.4

109.9
141.7
122.9
136.5

95.2
100.5
104.3
99.0
101.3
100.7
95.2

1935-39=100..
1935-39 = 100..
1935-39=100..
1935-39=100..
1935-39 = 100..
1935-39 = 100..
1935-39 = 100..
1935-39=100-.
1926=100____

109.1
131.0
135.9
192.1
172.3
124.9
124.4
126.5
106.8

109.1
131.0
133.3
185.5
172.5
124.7
124.0
126.5
105.9

109.1
131.6
133.4
183.9
172.5
124.7
124.1
126.5
105.2

108.6
129.7
133.6
186.7
160.7
124.3
123.2
126.5
104.4

94.5
96.6
95.9
91.0
94.5
95.5
87.7
100.6
77.1

1926=100____

101.3

101.0

100.9

99.9

79.5

1926 = 100____

100.2

100.1

99.8

98.8

81.3

1926=100____
1926=100____

131.1
107.9

127.3
105.7

124.3
104.9

124.4
105.1

65.3
70.4

M illions___
N ational income paym ents (B F D C )
__ do _ ___
Consumer expenditures for goods and
services (B F D C ).
R etail sales (B F D C )
. . .
____ .... do______

$13,046

$13,531

$7,026

$6,936

Item

U n it or base
period

Prices
Consum ers’ price index (m oderate income families in large cities: All
item s i°.
Foods____ ____ - ................ ..............
C lothing________ ____________
R ent
Fuel, electricity, and ice________
Housefurnishings__ _ ___ ___
M iscellaneous .
........
R etail food price index (large cities):
All foods.
Cereals and bakery p roducts____
M ea ts___ ______________ ______
D airy p ro d u cts___ . . . _______
Eggs---------------------------------------F ru its and vegetables______ ____
Beverages____ . . . . . . . . ______
____ . . . . . .
F ats and oils__
Sugar and sweets . . . _____
W holesale price index: All commodities.
All commodities other th an farm
products.
All compiodities other th an farm
products and foods.
Farm products
Foods*
National income and expenditures
? $5,949
$13,253
$13,424
11$25, 335 » $24,499 » $15,350
$6, 202

$6, 236

7 $3,670

Production
1935-39=100..

171

165

174

232

109

1935-39=100..
1935-39=100..
Thousands of
short tons.
Carloadings index, u nadjusted (F R ).. 1935-39=100..
Electric energy (F P C ): T o ta l... . . . Millions of
kw.-hours.
U tilities (production for public ____do___.........

177
134
50,720

174
121
38, 580

181
136
46,890

248
140
50,819

109
106
32,905

136
21,194

128
21, 469

137
20,178

144
23,225

(12)

17, 369

17,671

17,008

18,947

11,433

3,825

3,798

3, 710

4,278

$608
$260

$602
$267

$556
$192

$374
$92

7 $575
(12)

31,300

29,800

21,500

11, 600

7 45,100

Industrial production index, unadjusted (F R ): Total.
M anufactures__________________
M inerals___ _______ . . . _____
B itum inous coal (B M )_________ . . .

____do______

In d u strial establishm ents
Construction
C onstruction expenditures __ . __
M illions
Value of urb an building construction ____do______
started.
N ew nonfarm family-dwelling un its _.

101

(!2)

1 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics unless otherwise indicated. A bbreviations used: BC (B ureau of
the Census); IC C (Interstate Commerce Commission); B A E (B ureau of A gricultural Economics); B F D C
(Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce); F R (Federal Reserve); B M (B ureau of M ines); F P C
(Federal Power Commission). M ost of the current figures are prelim inary.
2 N o t comparable w ith September, October, and N ovem ber 1945 figures because of a change adopted by
the Bureau of the Census in Ju ly 1945 in sampling methods. (See M onthly R eport on the Labor Force,
Septem ber 1945.) E stim ates for m onths prior to Ju ly 1945 are being revised.
3 10-month average—M arch to D ecember 1940. (See footnote 2.)
4 Excludes employees on public emergency work, these being included in unem ployed civilian labor force.
Civilian em ploym ent in nonagricultural establishm ents differs from em ploym ent in civilian labor force
m ainly because of such groups as self-employed and domestic and casual workers.
5 Includes workers em ployed by construction contractors and Federal force-account workers (nonm ainte­
nance construction workers em ployed directly by the Federal G overnm ent). O ther force-account non­
m aintenance construction em ploym ent is included under m anufacturing and the other groups.
6 Reports in m anufacturing and m ining now relate to “ production workers” instead of “ wage earners”
b u t w ith no appreciable effect on the em ploym ent estimates.
2 November.
8 October.

0September.

if For the coverage of this index see p. 120. Form erly listed as “ cost-of-living index.”
11 T h ird quarter.
12 N o t available.


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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
JA N U A R Y 1946

Expenditures and Savings of City Families in 1944 1
FAMILY incomes reached their highest level in history in 1944.
The great demand for war production made jobs easy to find and it
was common for several members of a family to work. In 1944 half
the families and single persons in cities throughout the United States
had net incomes, after payment of taxes, of less than $2,700 (compared
with $1,900 in 1941) andìialf had net incomes of over $2,700. accord­
ing to the findings of the Bureau’s survey of prices paid by consumers.2
About 42 percent of these families and single persons had incomes
above $3,000 after payment of taxes, whereas in 1941 only 20 percent
had incomes in this range. Even in 1944, however, about a fifth of
the city families and single persons had incomes below $1,500 after
taxes, as compared with nearly two-fifths in the last prewar year.
In 1941, an income of’$1,475 was sufficient to cover current living
expenditures for the average city family with three members. In
1944, with high wartime costs, it took $1,950 income after taxes for
the typical city family of two or more persons to “break even.”
Such families, averaging 3 persons in size, lived very modestly,
spending an average of barely 22 cents per meal per person and $30
per month for housing, fuel, light, and refrigeration. They paid $119
during the year in income, poll, and personal-property taxes.
With a total income of $2,070 in 1944—or $1,950 after taxes a family was able to make small gifts and contributions during 1944, but
nothing was left for buying war bonds or paying life-insurance
premiums, which are considered savings. The average family with
a net income of $1,950 did buy war bonds, however, and many paid
on life insurance; to do so, debts were incurred or previous savings
drawn upon to the amount of $168.
The city families of two or more persons which had net incomes
below $1,950—these constituted almost a fourth of the total—either
went into debt, or if they were able to keep out of debt did so by
drawing on savings. Some of these were elderly couples with savings
which they could use for current living. Some were wives of service­
men, accustomed to larger earnings, but forced to five on allotments
during the war. Others were young families, just getting started,
which will try to repay their debts out of their incomes of the next
few years.
i Prepared b y D orothy S. B rady, chief of the B ureau’s Cost of Living[ Division.
s T h a t survey was conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U._S. D epartm ent of Labor among
a cross section of all city consumers—families and single persons living as civilians. Some 1,700 consumers
in 102 urban com m unities were interviewed in their homes by trained field agents. The communities
covered represent all regions of the U nited States and cities in every size class from those w ith a population
of 2,500 persons to the largest city in the country. See B ureau’s B ulletin N o. 838 (W artim e Food Purchases)
for brief statem ent on the sam pling procedure used in the survey.


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2

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW----JANUARY

1946

The three-fourths of the families which had incomes of $2,000 and
over after payment of taxes, typically managed to put aside some
savings, largely in the form of war bonds. Savings (including bonds)
amounted to as much as 10 percent of income during 1944 only for
those whose incomes after taxes exceeded $3,000. The $2,000$2,500 group, for instance, had average net savings of about $122.
Even if net savings of these amounts were made in each of the previous
3 or 4 years, the total still would not be large enough to tide most of
these families through extended periods of unemployment. Families
with lower income accumulated no reserves. War bonds were bought
by most families even by those with incomes below the ‘‘break­
even” point, which went into debt to buy them. The reports on bond
purchases in 1944, however, suggest that the total bond holdings at
income levels below $3,000 do not constitute much of a backlog to be
used for purchases of goods coming back on the civilian markets.
T able 1.

Average Money Income, Expenditures, and Savings of Families and Single
Persons in Cities, by Income Class, 1944
[Prelim inary, subject to slight revision]
A nnual m oney income after personal taxes
Item
U nder
$500

Percent of families in each
class.___ ________ _____

4.2

Money income after personal
taxes 1__________________ $291
Expenditures for current con­
sum ption___ ___________
594
Food2________________
235
Clothing______________
41
Housing,3 fuel, light and
refrigeration__________
178
Household operation____
33
Furnishings and equip­
m ent_________ _____ _
5
Automobile________ ___
6
Other transportation____
6
Medical care.___ ______
48
Personal care....................
12
Recreation_____________
5
Tobacco__________ ____
7
Reading_______________
8
Formal education_______
1
Other_________________
9
Personal taxes 1____________
1
Gifts and contributions_____
17
Net savings or deficit_______ -3 2 0
War bonds 4___________
16
Life and annuity insur­
ance premiums_______
10
Other 3________________ -3 4 6
Average number of persons6. .
Average numer of earners 7__

1.42
.38

$500
to
$1,000

$1,000
to
$1,500

$1,500
to
$2,000

$2,000
to
$2,500

$2,500
to
$3,000

$3,000
to
$4,000

$4,000
to
$5,000

$5,000
and
over

7.7

7.1

11.9

13.9

13.2

19.9

9.6

12.5

$1,243 $1, 769

$764

$2, 251

$2, 747

$3,481

$4,406

$7, 634

939
368
82

1, 317
506
157

1.690
646
231

1,946
747
268

2, 375
908
353

2, 816
1,034
456

3, 428
1,147
621

4, 324
1,383
836

231
50

285
64

328
81

379
89

424
109

484
140

546
166

635
306

24
13
21
67
20
15
16
11
19
23
31
-206
62

33
36
28
78
34
25
25
15
1
30
70
52
-1 2 6
40

43
42
47
93
42
45
40
18
8
26
124
82
-3
117

52
61
53
95
46
52
40
21
8
35
198
92
213
163

84
104
52
119
55
62
47
27
14
17
283
136
236
230

92
122
63
147
64
82
58
32
13
29
407
127
538
323

131
175
83
191
84
104
70
38
29
43
564
211
767
414

159
171
114
260
109
137
75
43
41
55
2,357
454
2,856
1,193

20
-288

43
-209

50
-170

64
-1 4

80
-7 4

108
107

141
212

269
1, 394

1.82
.68

2.11
1.07

2.55
1.16

2. 77
1.22

3. 00
1.28

3. 61
1.56

3.97
1.96

4.02
2.08

2

Personal taxes (income, poll, and personal property) have been deducted from income. T otal m oney
income m ay be obtained b y combining the am ounts shown on line 2 w ith those for personal taxes
inheritances and large gifts are no t considered current income; inheritances and gift taxes are excluded
from personal taxes.
2 Includes expenditures for alcoholic beverages.
3 Includes rents for tenant-occupied dwellings and for lodging aw ay from home, and current operation
expenses of home owners. Excludes principal paym ents on mortgages on owned homes.
4 Value of bonds purchased less those cashed.
5 These figures represent th e differences betw een income and expenditures plus net w ar bond purchases
and insurance prem ium paym ents. Included as savings are am ounts deducted for social security, retire­
m ent plans, etc., no t available separately.
6 Fam ily size is based on equivalent persons, w ith 52 weeks of family mem bership considered equivalent
to 1 person; 26 weeks equivalent to 0.5 person, etc.
7 A family m em ber th a t worked for p ay (as wage or salary worker or on his own account) at anv tim e
during the year was considered an earner.


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EXPENDITURES AND SAVINGS OF CITY FAMILIES

3

Family Earners
One reason for the high family incomes in 1944 was that several
members of the family were working. There were two or more
earners in 28 percent of the families with incomes of $2,500-$3,000,
in half of those with incomes of $3,000-$4,000, and in two-tliirds of
those with incomes of $4,000 or more for the year. For the $4,000
and over group this meant an average of two workers per family.
For one person to earn $1,950 after taxes, or a total of $2,070, it
would require steady work, 40 hours a week for 50 weeks, at $1.03%
per hour. This income typically allowed no net savings in 1944 for
a family of three. At present (late in 1945) living costs are somewhat
above the 1944 average.
Average Family Expenditures
High wartime prices and costs meant a fairly simple pattern oi
living, without extravagances, for most families even with high war­
time incomes. For typical families of two or more persons (averagingthree persons) who just about broke even at $1,950 after taxes, $73
was given to churches, charities, and individuals, leaving $1,877 for
family living. Food amounted to $733 in the year—not more than
22 cents a meal per person. Housing, fuel, light and refrigeration
cost $359, about $30 a month, and house operation and housefurnishings together cost another $140. Clothing expenditures
amounted to $250 during the year. Medical care took $105.
Many families earning above $2,500 in 1944 were migrants to war
centers, whose housing costs were liigher than the housing outlays of
permanent residents. The group with net incomes between $2,500
and $3,000 paid $430 on the average during 1944 for their wartime
homes. Food cost them $913 (about 27 cents per meal per person),
and clothing $364, or $116 per person, for the year. Transportation
required $156.
As family incomes rose, food expenditures rose, partly because of
eating more meals away from home and partly because of being able
to choose more expensive foods for the family table and to serve a
greater quantity. The families with net incomes of $1,950 spent
almost 38 percent of that income on food. Food took, on the average,
about half of the income of the 10 percent that had $500 to $1,500
income after taxes in 1944. The more fortunate families, with $4,000
to $5,000 after taxes, used only 26 percent of that income to pay their
food bills, despite the relatively large number of meals eaten away
from home by working members of the family.
Outlays for food absorbed a consistently larger share of income in
1944 than in 1941, particularly at the lower income levels, even
though the average size of family in 1944 was smaller than in 1941.
This reflected in large part the 29-percent rise in retail food prices in
cities between these two years. Purchases of clothing, which showed
a 31-percent price rise from 1941 to 1944, likewise took a somewhat
larger share of income at each level in 1944. Housing costs (including
fuel, light, and refrigeration), on the other hand, remained the same
or slightly lower in relation to income, except for families that had
incomes below $1,000 or that migrated to war centers. Although
families migrating to war production centers typically paid higher

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4

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

rents than before the war, the effective rent-control program kept
housing costs the same for many families that did not move and
therefore any rise in income for this group meant a smaller proportion
spent on housing.
T able 2. —Average Money Income, Expenditures, and Savings of Families of Two or

More Persons, in Cities, by Income Class, 1944
[Prelim inary, subject to slight revision]
A nnual m oney income after personal taxes
Item

$1,000 $1,500 “$1,950:
$2,500 $3,000 $4,000 $5,000
U nder $500
break $2,000
to
to
to
to
to
to
and
to
$500 $1,000
$1,500 $2,000 even”
$3,000 $4,000 $5,000 over
$2,500
point

Percent of families in each
class____ __ _____________

1.5

M oney income after personal
ta x e s1________ . . . ___ _
$313
Expenditures for current con­
su m p tio n _________ . . . . . . .
887
Food 2__________ . . . . .
374
C lothing___ _ _______
42
H ousing,2 fuel, light and
refrigeration__________
257
Household o p e ra tio n __
56
Furnishings and equip­
m e n t______________ .
5
A utom obile______. .
16
O ther tra n sp o rtatio n ____
7
M edical care__ . . . .
62
Personal care____ _____
21
R ecreatio n .. _________
3
Tobacco___________ . . .
16
R ea d in g ...______ _____
14
Form al education______
1
O th er_________________
13
Personal taxes 1_ . _ _____ _
2
G ifts and contributions_____
26
N et savings or deficit__
-6 0 0
W ar bonds 4_________ . . .
15
Life and a n n u ity insur­
ance prem ium s_______
14
O th e r * .____ . . .
-629
Average n um ber of persons •_.
Average n um ber of earners ?...

2.45
.35

5.2

5.3

10.7

14.0

14.7

23.0

11.2

$776 $1, 243 $1, 779 $1,950 $2, 259 $2, 757 $3,480 $4, 408

14.4
$7, 595

1,053
434
80

1,407
555
163

1,788
701
234

1,877
733
250

2,051
797
283

2,410
913
364

2,838
1,043
462

3,439
1,150
623

4, 305
1,386
848

251
47

298
66

341
83

359
87

394
93

430
110

488
140

547
166

616
295

25
19
20
88
19
15
15
13
2
25
13
30
-307
81

39
29
26
94
33
28
21
14
2
39
32
47
-211
28

49
42
44
105
41
46
41
18
11
32
86
66
-7 5
82

53
52
46
105
43
49
41
19
10
30
119
73
0
105

60
69
50104
48
55
41
22
9
26
180
86
122
147

88
105
51
123
56
63
48
27
15
17
270
119
228
233

95
119
63
149
65
82
59
31
13
29
m
119
523
316

132
177
84
190
84
105
71
37
29
44
559
203
766
410

157
171
109
265
110
137
76
43
42
50
2,385
454
2, 836
1,206

25
-4 1 3

40
-279

59
-2 1 6

63
-168

70
-9 5

83
-8 8

109
98

140
216

263
1, 367

2.45
.72

2. 78
1.15

3.03
1.22

3.05
1.24

3.10
1.27

3.13
1.31

3.69
1.57

4.01
1.97

4.13
2.12

For footnotes, see table 1 (p. 2).

The wartime disappearance of new automobiles and durable house­
hold equipment was reflected in the much smaller share of income
devoted to these goods in 1944 than in 1941. On the other hand,
expenses for medical care took a larger portion of the total, particu­
larly among low-income families, probably because of higher medical
costs and greater need for care as a result of longer hours of work.
In total, expenditures for current consumption represented a
smaller share of income in 1944 than in 1941 among families in the
income groups above $2,000 after taxes. City families with incomes
below $2,000, however, needed a much larger proportion for essential
goods and services in 1944 than in 1941.
Single Persons’ Spending and Saving
Single individuals living independently and having an income
of $1,150 after taxes were able, on the average, to cover current ex­
penditures in 1944, but they made no net savings. Approximately
two-fifths of all single men and women in cities had incomes below

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5

EXPENDITURES AND SAVINGS OF CITY FAMILIES

that amount and accumulated deficits during the year. Single per­
sons with net incomes above $1,500 in 1944 managed as a group to
save at least 10 percent of their incomes.
Those with incomes between $1,000 and $1,500, after payment of
personal taxes, spent $423 for food, $264 for housing, $148 for cloth­
ing. Support of relatives, gifts to friends, and contributions to church
and charity absorbed $60. Bond purchases averaged $61 and in­
surance premiums $48, as against net debts or withdrawals from past
savings of $95, leaving average net savings of $14.
T able 3. —Average Money Income, Expenditures, and Savings of Single Persons in

Cities, by Income Class, 1944
[Prelim inary, subject to slight revision]
A nnual m oney income after personal taxes
Item

U nder
$500

$500
to
$1,000

$1,000
to
$1,500

$1,500
to
$2,000

$2,000
to
$3,000

$3,000
to
$4,000

$4,000
and
over

Percent of single persons in each class________

18.9

20.8

16.6

17.8

18.9

3.5

3.5

M oney income after personal tax es1-------------E xpenditures for current consum ption______
Food 2____ . . . . _____________________
C lothing_____________________________
Housing,3fuel, light and refrigeration____
Household operation__________ _ ------Furnishings and eq u ip m en t---------- -----________ - -.
A uto m o b ile..O ther transportation______
M edical care____________ _
------Personal care—
------- -----------R ecreation____
___ - - .
----------Tobacco______________________________
R eading-------- ------ --------------------------Form al education.
--------------- . .
O th er. - ----------- --------------------- - -Personal taxes 1________ __ . -------------- -.
Gifts and co n tributions.. _ --------N et savings or deficit------- -------------- ---W ar b o n d s 4. ... . . .
...
-----Life and an n u ity insurance prem ium s-----O th e r3-- _____ . . --- - - . . . -- -----Percent of single persons w ith earn in g s7 -------

$282
472
179
40
146
23
5
1
5
42
8
6
3
5
1
8
(•)
14
-204
16
8
-228
39

$750
788
282
85
206
53
22
4
21
39
20
15
17
10
3
11
35
32
-7 0
38
13
-121
63

$1,245
1,171
423
148
264
61
21
48
32
51
36
21
33
17
0
16
133
60
14
61
48
-9 5
93

$1, 739
1.376
471
221
287
72
24
42
58
55
43
41
35
19
1
7
m
132
231
227
21
-1 7
98

$2, 312
1,501
577
189
307
72
10
36
69
47
34
42
33
18
0
67
343
200
611
235
33
343
92

$3, 511
2,104
750
259
370
116
5
200
71
97
37
81
53
45
0
20
584
384
1,023
595
46
382
100

$7,749
4, 374
1,220
497
1,003
501
160
138
222
145
91
130
53
54
0
160
1,433
532
2,843
790
380
1,673
100

» Less th an 50 cents.
For other footnotes, see table 1 (p. 2).


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Employment Situation in Foreign Countries1
FOUR months after VJ-day, unemployment was lower than might have
been anticipated in the United Nations and neutral countries where
industrial production was maintained at a high level through the
war, and in some liberated areas, such as Belgium, France, and
Norway. However, low unemployment in these countries does not
necessarily mean continuance of the high level of employment main­
tained up to the defeat of the Axis powers. An indeterminate propor­
tion of war workers—students, housewives, and retired persons—
withdrew from the labor market; some of the released veterans and
civilians were not yet actively seeking work; others released from
imprisonment or forced labor were temporarily incapacitated for
seeking employment. In Denmark, unemployment was partially
avoided by work sharing. In Germany, Italy, and Japan, the dis­
organization resulting from defeat and the ravages of war has caused
heavy unemployment.
Wartime manpower controls tend to be relaxed as labor scarcity
lessens and unemployment reappears, but in certain fields labor short­
ages continue. Nations in which the physical damage from warfare
was either small or nonexistent have been able to abandon controls
more rapidly than those that were bombed and fought over and in
those which it has been considered expedient to delay the return of
men in the armed forces to civilian life.
Reports from Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the
Soviet Union, Sweden, and Switzerland show that employment on
reconstruction and reconversion projects and in the production of
consumer goods and, in some of these countries, retention of men in
the armed forces have kept the number of unemployed to a small pro­
portion of those who are able and willing to work, and far below pre­
war levels. However, statistics on the subject thus far received in the
United States show some increases in unemployment recently. All
these countries have recognized the responsibility of the government
for preventing unemployment and have developed plans of quite
different types for achieving that end.
National and local plans for resumption of economic activity have
been made in Italy, but unemployment has recently been estimated
at 1 to 2 million and proposals for controlled and protected emigra­
tion were being discussed. The situation in the Balkans and eastern
Fui ope is obscure, but it appears that there are large numbers of
unemployed. In France and Belgium, however, in spite of the prob­
lem involved in rehabilitating great numbers of displaced persons,
the
r Fai $ M - W illiams b y M argaret H . Schoenfeld and other members of
tne B L b b ta n on Foreign Labor Conditions. Subsequent num bers of the Review will include detailed
reports on the em ploym ent situation in the liberated and enem y countries and in Latin America

6


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EMPLOYMENT SITUATION iN

FOREIGN COUNTRIES

(

deportees, and prisoners of war, recorded unemployment had been
reduced to a minimum by the autumn of 1945, and there was reported
to be need of immigrant labor (for coal mining, building construction,
etc.)• No record is available of the numbers who were temporarily out
of the labor market because of the enfeebled condition in which they
returned to France, because of receipt of cash benefits or for other
reasons. In both the Netherlands and Finland, proposed Government
measures for increasing the number of applicants for jobs indicate a
lack of work incentives. A common Nordic labor market was pro­
posed by the Social Ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway,
and Sweden at a conference held in September 1945.
In western Germany, industry is practically at a standstill. In the
United States Zone, factories were operating at about 7 percent of
available capacity in October. The number of men and women
seeking jobs at employment offices was relatively small for a
variety of reasons, among them the diversion of urban labor to farms,
and the weakening of incentives because of disorganization and
extreme shortages of anything that wages could buy. Some workers
have been busy at repair of dwellings or raising food in gardens. The
available labor surpluses, consisting mainly of women, white-collar
workers, the old, and the physically handicapped, could not satisfy
the demands for skilled or heavy manual labor which were acute m
coal mining, building, and transportation. Some prisoners of war have
been released to meet these demands. Responsibility for organizing
unemployment relief projects rests, not with Military Government,
but with the German civilian authorities which are at present func­
tioning only on a local and provincial level.
In Japan, it was estimated in November that there were 4,000,000
unemployed. It is difficult to estimate accurately the existing amount
of unemployment or the size of the labor force of Japan, because the
repatriation of military and civilian Japanese from Korea, Man­
churia, and other parts of the Far East is still in process. The Supreme
Allied Commander has given the Japanese Government the responsi­
bility for working out measures for the relief of unemployment and
the development of employment in peaceful civilian industries within
the general framework of the economic disarmament program.
In Latin America, reports indicate that current demands for food,
petroleum products, and minerals have thus far combined to maintain
employment at approximately wartime levels, but difficulties m
obtaining needed machinery and machine tools have prevented the
development of employment in certain new industries which are
planned for the immediate postwar period.
Trend of Employment
National and international postwar policy is being directed toward
achieving a high and stable level of employment, commonly called
“ full employment.” If this goal is to be realized, the knowledge of the
location, occupation, and size of the labor force, that was a wartime


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8

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

necessity, must be continued into the peace to provide exact knowl­
edge on which to determine manpower budgets.
Except for a few countries that have thus far issued detailed statis­
tics of the distribution of their labor forces in wartime, the measure­
ment of manpower utilization must be based on statistical series
maintained before 1939 which show trend but not total volume of
employment.
Data on employment and unemployment in nine countries for the
period 1935-45 are shown in table 1 as far as they are available.2
The coverage of the unemployment statistics varies considerably.
The membership of the trade-unions supplying unemployment statis­
tics was as follows:
Members
unemployed

Australia (1940)__
Canada (1940-44)
Denmark (1945) __
Sweden (1945)__

470, 000
450, 000
567, 000
786, 000

For Great Britain, New Zealand, and Norway, the unemployment
statistics are related to comprehensive unemployment-insurance
systems. The series for Great Britain and Norway as given here do
not cover agriculture, forestry, fishing, and domestic service. The
Swiss figures are based on a Cantonal unemployment system which is
compulsory for most factory workers and voluntary for others. The
Irish unemployment-insurance system is comprehensive, but because
of peculiarities in the operation of the law, only the series for urban
unemployment is comparable from month to month.
The statistics indicate a gradual decrease in unemployment from
1935 to about the spring and summer of 1938, when there was a slight
increase m unemployment. The timing of this increase varied some­
what from country to country, but in general lasted until the following
year. After allowances for seasonal fluctuation^, it is seen that from
the middle of 1939 a steady and marked decline in unemployment
took place which continued through the first months of 1945. Be­
tween VE-day and VJ-day, Denmark, Great Britain, Norway, and
Switzerland experienced some increase in unemployment. This trend
continued after VJ-day in Great Britain and Canada, but no marked
unemployment has as yet been reported from these nine countries.
The employment series, in the three countries for which they are
available, indicate that the peak in employment was reached rather
early in the war—September 1941 in Norway, December 1943 in
Canada, and March 1943 in Australia. The apparent early peak
m Aorway and later drop may be due to the fact that many people
tended to shun the employment offices in order to avoid compulsorv
labor instituted by the Germans.


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9

EMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

T able l . —Statistics of Employment and Unemployment in Nine Foreign Countries,

1935-45

Period

D enm ark

C anada

Australia

Wage
and
salary Trade-union­
P er­
Em ploym ent,
ists unem ­
earners
cent of
in d u s tria l1
ployed
in fac­
tradetory
union­
em­
ists
ployunem ­
m ent,
ployed
index N u m ­ P er­ Index
N um ber
(1928-29 ber
cent (1926=
100)
= 100)

Trade-union
unem ploy­
m ent fund,
unem ployed

G reat B rita in

Unem ployed regis­
tered a t employ­
m ent offices

Per­
cent

Total

902,138
96.4
915, 746
97.6
964, 977
102.7
985, 481
104.6
933,
221
98.9
963, 401
102.0
1,
015,
639
107.1
110.1 1, 044, 411

16.7 84, 342
15.4 48, 855
13.0 57, 923
14. 6 124, 612
14.5
13.9 46.138
10.9 53.181
14.3 127, 478

22.3
12.6
14.9
31.7
26.2
11.3
12.9
30.3

2,153, 870
2, 000,110
1, 958, 610
1, 868, 565
1, 881, 531
1, 702, 676
1, 624, 339
1, 628, 719

1, 746, 277
1,555,184
1, 576, 425
1, 585, 990
1, 560, 574
1, 326, 057
1, 322, 934
1, 365, 035
1, 359, 556
1,088. 866
1, 090.967
1, 283, 604
1, 350,121
1, 268, 566
1, 324,15l
1, 4 7 4 , 0 1 9

107
111
113
111
113
115

80, 548
77,177
69, 575
59,992
59, 621
57,001
52. 482
46, 863

18.6
17.8
15.9
13.7
13.4
12.8
12.0
10.7

1Q37: M arch
June
SeptemberDecember
1Q2K: M arch
June
September
D ecem ber..

119
120
123
127
128
125
124
124

44, 004
43, 584
42; 145
37, 558
36, 751
39,464
42, 672
41, 667

9.9
9.7
9.3
8.2
8.0
8.6
9.2
8.9

102.8
114.3
123.2
121.6
107.8
111.9
115.1
114.0

976, 535
L, 088, 652
1,174, 296
1,159, 759
1, 029, 001
1,072,123
1,104, 865
1,097, 953

12.9 122, 687
10.4 60.199
7.7 72, 387
13.0 153, 384
12.8 99, 658
13.5 75, 679
10.4 77, 373
16.2 147,152

28.6
13.9
16.5
34.6
21.9
16.6
16.7
31.4

1, 601, 201
1, 356, 598
1, 339, 204
1, 665, 407
1, 748,981
1,802, 912
1,798, 618
1, 831, 372

1939: M arch
June
September
December
1940.' M arch
June
September
D ecem ber..

128
125
127
133
134
133
140
146

45, 545
45,183
48, 888
44, 253
38, 307
49, 775
36, 892
31, 491

9.6
9.5
10.2
9.3
7.9
10.5
7.4
6.2

106.5
113.1
119.6
122.7
113.5
120.9
131. 6
139.1

1,031, 679
1,100, 098
1,166,242
1,198, 541
1, 109, 526
1, 184, 283
1, 290, 530
1, 364, 601

15.7
11.6
9.1
11.4
10.8
7.6
4.4
7.4

108, 316
53, 341
60, 805
159, 259
152, 495
84, 636
89,936
179, 410

22.8
11.1
12.5
32.2
30.6
16.9
17.8
35.6

1,726, 929
1, 349, 579
1, 330,928
1, 361, 525
1,121, 213
766, 835
3 829,846
705, 279

1941: M arch
June
Septem ber.
D ecem ber..
1942: M arch ____
June
Septem ber.
D ecem ber..

151
154
158
163
165
166
168
171

27, 289
18, 595
17, 541
16, 628
10, 767
10,296
9,603
8,350

5.3
3.6
3.2
2.9
1.8
1.7
1.6
1.3

135.3
152.9
162.7
168.8
165.1
171.7
179.3
186.5

1, 344,138
1, 527, 920
1, 627, 645
1, 688, 298
1, 651, 757
1, 718, 329
1, 795, 411
1,867, 597

6.6 140,014
4.1 <20, 251
2.7 35,081
5.2 70. 375
4.5 95, 737
2.5 17, 402
.8 24, 349
1.2 47, 341

1943: M arch . ..
June
September
D ecem ber..
1944: M arch ___
J line
_ __
September .
D ecem ber..

173
173
173
173
173
170
9 169
167

8,021
7,423
7, 356
7, 381
6,987
9,433
7, 947
7,925

1.2
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.0
1.4
1.2
1.2

181.5
181.2
186.2
190.6
181.7
180. 5
185.5
185.7

1, 818, 942
1,818,240
1,870, 836
1,916, 688
1,831, 310
1, 821, 490
1,882, 790
1,887,752

1.3
.6
.3
.8
.9
.3
.3
.6

167
167
1.1
7,616
167
166
166
1.1
7,795
166
166
166
1.2
7,769
161
----------1-----------1.........

180.4
178.9
178.2
176.9
175.5
175.3
175.4
175 0
172.8
168. 7

1,834, 450
1, 820,842
1,813.991
1, 803, 015
1, 789,970
1,790,072
1, 792,125
1, 787,952
1,764,621
1,724, 549

1035: M arch . . . .
J u n e .. __
Septem ber.
December
1Q3R: M arch
June
September
D ecem ber..

1945: J a n u a ry ___
F e b ru a ry .
M arch____
A pnl
Ju n e _____
Ju ly
A ugust---September
N ovem ber.

W holly
unem ­
ployed

N um ­
ber

36, 093
13, 771
24, 204
59, 998
10, 532

.7
.0

52, 851
38,845
33. 591
35, 659
38,058
38,643
!W40.000

1, 429, 085
1,098, 793
829
460
965, 667
648, 314
3 613, 671
541, 900

2 1,103,
2 1, 218,

457,918
26.8
301,939
3.8
230, 621
6.6
188, 354
13.1
/ ß 163, 444
17.8 \ « 135,762
7 106,170
3.2
104,108
4.6
86, 824
8.8

364, 308
243, 656
196. 594
Ib5, 224
5 149, 328
»121,646
? 99,240
98, 662
81,943

6.6
2.5
4.4
10.8
5.3
1.9
3.4
8.4

8 80, 091
8 73, 258
8 73, 936
8 79,037
74, 690
63,197
81,070

8 76,769
8 71,129
8 72, 253
8 76, 674
73, 092
6l, 905
79, 235

10.3
11.6
7.7
9.1
9.4
6.9
5.9
6.3
io 6.7
6.8
io 7.0

98, 720

95.273

90, 479

88,969

113, 468

111, 825

in 245, 810

1 Includes m anufacturing, logging, mining, construction and m aintenance, services, and trade.
2 Includes unem ployed casual labor.
. .___
3 G reat B ritain, after Ju ly 1940, excluded from “ wholly unem ployed” m en at G overnm ent training centers.
4 D anish figures for Ju n e 1941 and thereafter exclude unemployables and those unem ployed less than 7 days.
* Excluding unemployables.
e Including unemployables.
,
, ,
.
..
2
B ritish figures for this and all following m onths exclude unemployables.
* Beginning w ith 1943 B ritish unem ploym ent figures have been published quarterly, for January, April,
July, and October; in this table the B ritish figure for A pril has been used for M arch, Ju ly for June, etc.
e For this and all following m onths the A ustralian em ploym ent index is provisional.
10 Provisional figure.


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10

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW----JANUARY

194 6

T able I .—Statistics of Employment and Unemployment in Nine Foreign Countries,

1935-45—Continued

Period

Ireland:
New
U nem ­ Zealand:
ployed
U nem ­
registered, ployed
a t urb an insured
em ploy­
in re­
m en t
ceipt of
offices
benefits

1935: M arch ____
Ju n e. ____
Septem ber.
D ecem ber..
1936: M arch ___
June . . . .
Septem ber.
D ecember. _

45,160
42, 590
42. 490
42,190
43, 630
37, 500
35, 500
35,120

1937: M arch __
J u n e .. ._
Septem ber.
December
1938: M arch. . .
Ju n e ___
Septem ber.
D ecem ber..

: Trade
N orw ay: Insured Sweden
unionists
persons—
unem ployed

W holly
u n em ­ N um bei P er­
cent
ployed

Em ­
ployed

Switzerland: Insured
persons—
W holly
unem ployed

P artially
unem ployed

N um ­
ber

Per­
cent

N um ­
ber

P er­
cent

13. 4
8. 3
9 2
17 0

30 495
29^ 805

0 7

27 217
37! 203
29,143
28 220
IX 170

0 7

41, 631
29, 757
32, 548
40, 950
39,999
26.139
2,8, 122
36’ 260

90, 754
59, 572
60, 810
114,176
86, 888
51, 670
49 514
99, 776

18. 8
12. 3
12 2
22. 5
17.0
10. 1
9. 5
38. 5

72 981
45, 445
51 045
94 940
85,082
55, 826
00 029
78 804

37,180
36, 050
38, 070
39, 690
42,110
38,890
38, 780
43, 880

32, 951
22, 028
25, 431
33, 906
34,104
22, 938
26, 105
34, 873

83, 024
49,109
43, 474
109, 621
84,474
57, 285
51, 557
122, 357

14 9
8 6
7. 5
18. 5
13.7
9 .8
19.1

00 985
34’ 082
20 404
71 613
52^ 007
34 005
34’ 264
74, 689

1939: M arch___
Ju n e _____
September
December1940: M arch____
Ju n e _____
September.
December-

44, 910
41, 020
44, 080
46, 750
49, 570
42. 310
42, 760
41.890

7,036
6,805
5,042
4,053
6,048
4,286
2,405

33,194
20, 802
22, 672
29, 358
29,100
37, 200
__ _____ _ 22, 800
511, 544 u 21, 800

85, 994
44, 214
49, 569
115.163
114, 000
63, 000
71. 000
116, 000

11.7
5.6
6.3
15.2
15.8
8.7
9.8
16.1

56, 518
23, 947
22,912
33, 586
17, 839
8.607
11, 454
28,095

1941: M a r c h . .. .
Ju n e _____
Septem ber.
D ecember.
1942: M arch____
Ju n e _____
Septem ber.
December.

46, 810
41, 370
41, 490
40. 310
44, 020
41, 090
41,490
41,180

1,815
2, 391
2,094
1, 234
841
848
803
549

42, 514
8. 446
5,650
10, 374
13,879
1, 424
888
1,054

114, 000
70, 000
55,000
97, 000
84, 000
37,000
33,000
79,000

15.1
9.3
7.3
13.0
11.0
4.9
4.3
10.3

1943: M arch____
Ju n e_____
September.
December1944: M arch____
Ju n e _____
September.

December.

38, 400
35, 720
36, 090
35, 860
33.890
33, 830
32, 790
37, 330

630
198
240
321
308
86
183
12 600

49, 000
34, 000
27, 000
74,000
57,000
25. 000
23, 000
58,000

1945: Jan u a ry ___
F e b ru a ry ..
M arch____
A pril_____
M ay _____
Ju n e ______
J uly ______
A ugust___
Septem ber.
. O ctober___

34.280
34, 040
32,000
31, 300
31, 320
30, 510
30, 650
30.280
29,847
31,075

11

511, 371
573,809
576, 582
546, 610
536,416
558, 930
561, 411
534, 385

373
549, 098
390
547, 935
445
540, 289
322
527, 539
266
531. 799
288
533, 308
398
521, 811
368 3 494, 732
315
222
299
193
186
242
10 254
io 270
i°297

10377

4 4§0, 855
4 481, 344
451, 575
436, 335
438,000
442,763
437,026

11

14 1,172
14 1,257

14, 420
10,362
10, 278
11,466
14,480

31, 000
28', 000
25, 000
24,042
p 23,546

15.6
10.1

11 0
14 3

4.7

13.7

23^ 502
26,178

4’ 3
4.8

10.4
4.4
4.2
6.2
3.3
1.6
2.2
5.3

21,069
14, 717
15, 222
12, 425
9,603
10, 534
14, 066
12,864

3.9
2.7
2.8
2.3
1.8
2.0
2.7
2.4

10, 604
6, 474
6.002
18, 806
12,163
4, 863
5,126
15,208

2.0
1.2
1.1
3.6
2.3
.9
1.0
2.9

8, 345
7,862
8,183
14,877
12, 592
8,227
8,374
14, 606

1.6
1.5
1.6
2.8
2.4
1.6
1.6
2.8

6.4
4.4
3.5
9.6
7.2
3.2
2.9
7.2

7,200
4,837
3,932
14, 527
11, 624
3, 365
(12)
18, 703

1.4
1.0
.8
2.8
2.2
.6
.7
3.6

7,943
7,376
7,017
11, 316
11,017
6,973
(12)
10, 789

1.5
1.5
1.4
2.2
2.1
1.3
1.5
2.0

6.5
6.2
5. 9
4. 5
3. 8

7 155

12

8 291

1.8
17
16

.6
.6
.7
.8
.8

4,364
3,807
3,735

3.5
3.2
3.1
3.0

4 515
3 387
3,389
3,175
3,886

7
4
8
4

6.7
5.3

14 488
10* 217
111 94
ÏX 877
25,074

8.2

12
0
0
12

5 4

9.6

0 3
6.3

5. 3
3. 2

1

.8
.7
.7
.5
.5

10 Provisional figure.
a,-!!
i?-urt‘s for 1935 through 1940 are for registered unem ployed; figures for 1941 and thereafter
are as indicated m colum n heading above.
12 No data.
m onthtimateS based on SePteml:)er 1944 data; communications w ith northern N orw ay were severed in th a t
14 Excluding northern Norway.


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Q

EMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

11

P art 1.—United Nations and N eutral Industrial Countries
N ot D evastated by War
Foreign countries with a high level of industrial production through­
out World War II, which were able to proceed immediately to recon­
version when war ceased in 1945, include five United Nations (Great
Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Soviet Union) and
two western neutrals (Sweden ahd Switzerland). Although the em­
ployment outlook differed greatly among these nations in 1939, as the
war progressed, manpower resources were strained in all seven in the
maintenance of relatively large numbers of men under arms and in
the production of war or other goods in quantity. Great Britain and
the Soviet Union were the only belligerents in this group that were in
the original theater of war and seriously damaged by enemy attack.
Britain also had a fairly small population and the authorities realized
early that the combination of staffing the military forces and furnishing
manpower for industry would be a serious problem. During the
early stages of the war, Australia’s effort was concentrated on indus­
trial development to build up productive resources, a relatively small
proportion of total manpower being diverted to the armed forces.
Canada’s immediate problem was to absorb some 400,000 unemployed
and to supply food and munitions to other allied nations. Before the
attack on Pearl Harbor, New Zealand was able to send 86,000 men
overseas, without reducing industrial output, and actually raised
production in nonluxury lines by absorbing the few unemployed, in­
creasing individual effort, and other means. The Soviet Lnion had
achieved full employment and was developing its industry farther
from the European borders and nearer its sources of supply. The
two neutrals, Sweden and Switzerland, had practically full employ­
ment when hostilities commenced, but prepared for the possibility of
unemployment.
Introduction of Labor Controls
The timing in the progressive tightening of labor controls naturally
corresponds roughly with the periods when dangers of war became
acute in the different areas. All of these countries except the Soviet
Union gave their Governments general powers over labor in 1939; in
1940, the fall of France and the Low Countries led to a broadening of
compulsory powers over labor. In British countries this action was
authorized under amendments, in May and June, to the emergency
legislation of 1939; these authorized the Governments to require
citizens to place themselves, their services, and their property at the
disposal of the respective nations when this appeared necessary for
the public safety and national defense. Sweden did not change her
general control legislation in 1940 but was obliged to take other steps
to facilitate the best use of labor, owing to the adverse effect on her
foreign trade resulting from the blockade. In Switzerland, the com­
pulsion on labor to perform urgently needed work, covering males 16 to
65 years of age and females 16 to 60 years of age, with exceptions, was
increased by order of May 17, 1940, making the compulsory powers
more specific. In the Soviet Union the Presidium ol the Supreme
Soviet used its decree-making constitutional powers whenever the
occasion called for defense measures.
6 7 7 2 3 4 — 46------- 2


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12

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 194 6
R E G IST R A T IO N OF W O R K E R S

To exercise the powers thus granted (later extended under the
different national orders and regulations), a knowledge of the available
labor force was required. This was obtained by means of national
registrations. Great Britain began in 1939 by registering males
between the ages of 18 and 41 years for military service, and gradually
covered the work force of both sexes in registrations under different
regulations. Australia carried out a registration early in 1942 cover­
ing individuals over 16 years of age (later reduced to 14 years) and
attributed the success of the registration program to (1) the fact
that the returns were to be the basis for the issuance of identity cards
and for civilian rationing, (2) the desire to cooperate, in view of
the possibility of invasion, and (3) the growing consciousness of the
need for information. The Canadian registration in 1940 covered
every person 16 years of age and over. Registration in New Zealand
was carried out by age classes as in Britain. By law of December 30,
1939, the Government of Sweden was empowered to register persons
for compulsory labor service, but this power was utilized only under
statute of November 1942 to mobilize male subjects born in 1923 for
work in the forests and peat bogs. A decree of September 1942,
effective on November 1, 1942, required labor-recruiting offices in
Switzerland to maintain a register of persons liable for compulsory
labor service and of those unemployed or not regularly employed.
M E A S U R E S R E L A T IN G TO E S S E N T IA L W O R K

Australia and Great Britain issued lists of so-called “reserved occu­
pations” from which men meeting the occupational and age require­
ments might not be taken for military duty. During the first 2 years
of the war, this was the only labor control of significance in Australia.
Great Britain’s schedule was used as a basis for deferring men until
January 1942, when it was virtually abolished and deferment was
granted only if the job itself was essential and the worker was irre­
placeable. New Zealand apparently also used such a list in author­
izing deferment but without publishing it (as in the foregoing coun­
tries) and without blanket reservations for any industry, service, or
occupation.
Once Britain’s law of mid-1940 authorizing increased manpower
control was on the statute books, it was implemented immediately.
The widely discussed regulation 58A was adopted, which empowered
the Minister of Labor and National Service to direct any person of
any age in the United Kingdom (not only in Great Britain) to perform
services of which the Minister deemed the individual capable. In the
same period, the Undertakings (Restriction on Engagement) Order
was promulgated, providing for the engagement of workers in certain
vital industries through employment offices.
Another turning point in Great Britain was reached after March 5,
1941, with the adoption of the Essential Work (General Provisions)
Order under which a series of essential-work orders was issued for
different industries. Regardless of age, persons employed in an indus­
try or enterprise which was declared to be essential were forbidden to
leave their employment and might not be dismissed, except for serious
cause, without the permission of the local representative of the Minis­
ter of Labor. As the war progressed,
million persons in Great

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EMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

13

Britain were subject to the restrictions of the essential-work orders.
All of these basic control measures were in force before the attack on
Pearl Harbor. They were later supplemented by such orders as those
requiring that women between certain ages should be employed only
through employment offices (Employment of Women (Control of
Engagement) Order of January 1942) and requiring employers to
report the termination of employment of all males 18 to 64 years old
and females 18 to 59 to employment offices (Control of Employment
(Notice of Termination of Employment) Order of 1943).
It was late in 1941 before Australia acted to stop labor pirating,
which was assuming serious proportions. Regulation 5 of the Na­
tional Security (Manpower) Regulations authorized the Government
to declare, by order, that any industry or section of an industry, or
any enterprise, or part thereof, was “protected.” In a protected
employment, the employer waived his right to dismiss an employee
except for serious misconduct and the employee might not resign with­
out written permission from the Director General of Manpower. The
next measure (following the Pearl Harbor attack) was to forbid em­
ployers to seek to engage or to engage male labor except through a
national service officer unless a permit had been issued. The regula­
tion (No. 13, Statutory Rules 1942, No. 34, January 31, 1942) did
not apply to munitions employers or those carrying on protected
work.3
Direction into employment was confined to unemployed registrants
until January 29, 1943, when employed persons were also brought
under control. Between that date and July 31, 1944, directions were
authorized in 9,629 cases, representing about 1 percent of the number
of placements; other workers transferred voluntarily.
In Canada, competition for labor by employers led the Government
to issue an order on November 7, 1940 (P. C. 6286), prohibiting em­
ployers from enticing workers by advertisement and other means.
However, important extension of manpower controls did not start
until 1942, following the establishment of the National Employment
Service in the previous year. On June 12, 1942, the Control of
Employment Regulations specified that the hiring of both males and
females should be done through employment offices. By a regula­
tion of September 1942, workers were required to give 7 days’ notice
of intention to quit their employment, and the same restriction was
placed on employers who wished to dismiss workers. A survey was
made in order to assign priority ratings to different companies (rating
them very high, high, low, or no priority) and on January 19, 1943
(P. C. 246), the compulsory transfer of labor was authorized. A series
of compulsory transfer orders followed, providing for the removal of
workers to essential jobs. Up to August 31, 1944, a check of 170,000
men had disclosed that approximately 90 percent were already in
essential work and 10 percent could be transferred. The manpower
policy was rounded out on September 20, 1943 (P. C. 6625), when
workers employed in industries of high essentiality were “frozen” on
their jobs. This measure had a broad coverage, as about a fourth of
the workers 14 years of age and over were employed in high-priority
classes on January 30, 1943.
In New Zealand, wartime control of industrial workers followed
Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Starting in January 1942, the
3 Coverage was later extended to female workers under 45.


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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW----JANUARY

1946

Industrial Manpower Emergency Regulations provided that in indus­
tries and enterprises declared to be essential, workers might not leave
their employment without a district manpower officer’s consent.
Employers were required to obtain consent for the termination of a
worker’s employment. By March 31, 1944, it was estimated that
some 255,000 workers were engaged in essential industries. The
object of the declaration of essentiality was twofold—to hold those
workers already employed and to prepare for the compulsory direc­
tion of others into essential work, as required by the emergency
regulations. Up to March 31, 1945, direction of 168,612 persons into
employment was authorized. The Employment Restriction Order
completed the main controls, by prescribing that, before a worker
might be employed in any important urban area, consent must be
obtained from the appropriate district manpower officer.
On June 26, 1940, a year before the German attack, Soviet workers
were forbidden to quit their jobs without permission from their em­
ployers. On October 19, 1940, skilled and technical workers were
made subject to compulsory transfer to any part of the country. By
the decree of December 26, 1941, all war workers were “ frozen” in
their jobs. It was not until 1942 that the civilian population was
mobilized for war work; the decree of February 13 created a committee
for the registration and distribution of able-bodied persons living in
cities but not working in State enterprises. Those affected were men
16 to 55 years of age, and women 16 to 45 (later changed to 50). The
decree of April 13, 1942, similarly made all able-bodied city and village
residents, from ages 14 to 55 for males and 14 to 50 for females,
subject to draft for urgent agricultural seasonal work.
On May 7, 1940, the Swedish employment offices were placed under
State control, to facilitate transfer of workers. In November 1942
(Statute No. 878) all male Swedish subjects born in 1923 were mobi­
lized to work in the forests or peat bogs, as the fuel shortage was
critical. This statute was repealed effective February 1, 1944, and
thereafter only voluntary labor was used in these pursuits. In De­
cember 1943, the State Labor Market Commission provided for relief
work on road building in certain Provinces in which the loss of export
markets for forest products had caused unemployment.
Following the adoption of general compulsory powers in the early
war period, the Swiss Government found it necessary to apply its
compulsory-service powers more specifically to agriculture by action
on February 11, 1941, May 28, 1942, and January 26, 1943, and to
construction work which the Army Command or the Office for Indus­
try and Labor regarded as of national importance, under the terms of
orders of April 17, 1941, and March 31, 1942. In September 1942,
the War Industry and Labor Office was empowered to draft both
employed and unemployed workers and, if necessary, to transfer
them from one working place to another.
To prepare for possible unemployment, the Swiss Federal Council
in July 1942 outlined regulations for providing employment in war­
time. The Confederation was empowered to grant subsidies and loans
and to undertake work projects itself under a program popularly
known as the “ Zipfel plan.” In August 1943, the program for com­
bating unemployment was entrusted to the Employment Commis­
sioner who had been appointed in 1941. The functions of the Com­
missioner included the coordination of employment measures of

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EMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

public agencies and private enterprises; and the proposal of measures
for the development of export trade in cooperation with the appro­
priate Federal offices or departments. Provision was also made for
granting Federal subsidies for works having cultural, economic, or
military interest. The need for providing work opportunity did not
arise, however, and few workers appear to have been employed under
these plans.
Disposition of Labor Force
Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand were able to increase
their respective labor forces (armed and civilian) to a peak in 1943.
Either some reduction occurred later or the totals remained nearly
stable as a result of varied factors, important among them war casual­
ties and, no doubt, the retirement of indeterminate numbers of per­
sons when the acute danger period of the war had passed. In
Canada, the official estimates for 1944 show a continuing but slight
numerical rise in both the armed forces and gainful workers, the
combined advance corresponding with the population growth. For
the Soviet Union, Sweden, and Switzerland, information is not avail­
able showing the changes in total volume of manpower.
The apportionment of manpower between the armed forces and
different forms of civilian work in the four British Commonwealth
nations followed an irregular course within individual countries and also
between countries, depending on the relative impact of the tide of
war and the pressure for increased production. In general, of the
belligerents, Great Britain and Canada were still maintaining their
fullest military strength in the late months of the war. In Australia,
it was decided to shift a part of the military manpower back to civilian
production in 1943. New Zealand made such a diversion in 1944.
The accompanying tabulation shows, for the period between the
outbreak of war in 1939 and the date of peak employment in each of
the four warring countries, the rise in total manpower (including
persons bearing arms) and the maximum proportion of manpower
in the armed forces (including the auxiliary women’s services and
full-time civilian defense).
Percent of increase in Percent of total labor
force in military forces
total labor force 1

32
24
13
9

Canada 2_____
Australia 3____
G reat Britain 4
New Zealand A

15
22
24
17

1 Allowance m u st be m ade for th e different m ethods b y which th e statistics were collected in the countries
concerned and th e variation in coverage. No adjustm ent has been m ade for population grow th.
2 Includes categories such as homemakers on farms (see table 3).
3 Based on estim ates obtained from different sources.
4 Includes males 14-64 years and females 14-59 years, in Great B ritain only.
8 Coverage not defined.
G R E A T B R IT A IN

To meet the manpower requirements of the armed forces and for
munitions and supply production, Britain curtailed the number of
employees in civilian and export industries sharply. In Great Britain
(Northern Ireland excluded) distribution of manpower of working
age (i. e., males 14 to 64 years and females 14 to 59 years) was shifted
during hostilities, as shown in table 2. When mobilization was at
its peak in September 1943, the proportion of persons between the

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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

ages noted who were at work or under arms, etc., represented 94.3
percent of males and 45.3 percent of females—in all, 69.7 percent of
this entire population group. Of the 22 million persons of working
age, almost half were in the armed services or employed in “munitions
work.” Mobilization for war greatly overstrained the British
economy. Such occupations as building, textiles, distribution, pro­
fessional services, etc., had a labor force of just over 5 million in 1944
(excluding those engaged on war orders) as compared with well over
9 million in 1939.4
T able 2.—Distribution of Manpower in Great Britain, Selected Periods, 1939-45
N um ber (in thousands)
In d u stry and service
June 1939

June 1943

June 1944

19, 750

22, 281

22, 004

21, 652

477
80

4, 754
323

4,963
282

5, 086
158

3, 106
5,540
9, 277
1,270

5,233
5, 632
6, 279
60

5,011
5,686
6,008
54

4,492
5,688
6,141
87

Total labor force (excluding indoor private domestic
service)____ _____________________ _______________
A rm ed forces and women's services__ . . . _ _______
Civil defense, national fire service, and police_________
Industry:
G roup 11_________________ _ _ ____. . . __ ____
G roup I I 3_________ . . . . . . ___________ _____
G roup II I 3___
_______ ____________ _______
Registered insured unem ployed_______ ____ ______

M ay 1945

1 M etal and chemical industries.
3 A griculture; m ining and quarrying; national and local governm ent services; gas, water, and electricity
supply; transport, shipping, and fishing; and food, drink, and tobacco.
3 Building and civil engineering, textiles, clothing, boots and shoes, other manufactures, distributive
trades, other services.
A U ST R A L IA

Australia started the war with an effort to build up industrial
resources, diverting only a small proportion of total manpower to the
armed forces. When France fell, and again when Japan entered the
war, more labor was shifted to the military services and munitions
production. During 1943, it became apparent that the increase in
manpower for direct military use was not feasible, owing to arrears in
the maintenance of rural and other industries; in October, therefore,
priority was placed on “indirect” war industries. The strategic
position also having improved, it was possible to shift 40,000 men to
other work from the army and munitions industries.
Estimated, number (in thousands)
August

June

June

1939

19^3

19U

2, 750

3, 400

3, 300

Em ployed__________________________ 2,437
Armed forces________________________
13
Unemployed________________________
300

2, 636
738
26

(>)
(*)
0)

Total labor force____________________

1No data.
CANADA

By mid-1942, manpower conditions in Canada had become very
difficult and it was estimated that 1,300,000 persons were either in the
forces or directly or indirectly engaged in war production; 1,350,000
were agricultural workers and 300,000 were engaged in essential
4
For more detailed inform ation see M o n th ly Labor Review, January 1945 (p. 74) and D ecember 194§
(p. 1149).


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EMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

17

utilities and mining. The remaining 2,000,000 persons employed in
civilian industries comprised the only large pool of labor, and it was
estimated that 500,000 of these might be withdrawn for other purposes
by drastically cutting living standards. The subsequent shifts in
large groups of the labor force are given in table 3.
T able 3. —Estimated Distribution of Manpower in Canada, Selected Periods, 1939-41
Oct. 1, 1943

Oct. 1,1939
Class

Oct. 1,1944

N um ber
N um ber
N um ber
(in th o u ­ Percent (in thou­ Percent (in thou­ Percent
sands)
sands)
sands)
8, 332

T otal population, 14 years of age and over-----T otal labor force in arm ed forces or gainfully
A rm ed forces A . . ---------- ------------ --------G ainfully occupied 3............- .............................
N onagricultural ___________________
A griculture—males only----- ---------------F arm women, 14-64 3 ----------------------------Students.................................................................
U nem ployed__________________ __________ }
All others 4 ______________________ _____ -

3,863
70
3,793
2,568
1,225
805
633
3,031

8,797

100.0

8,904

100.0

46.3
5,029
753
.8
45.5
4, 276
3,291
30.8
985
14.7
765
9.7
442
7.6
f
66
36.4 \ 2,495

57.2
8.6
48.6
37.4
11.2
8.7
5.0
.7
28.4

5,095
777
4,318
3,293
1,025
780
442
61
2,526

57.2
8.7
48.5
37.0
11.5
8.7
5.0
.7
28.4

100.0

1 Includes prisoners of w ar and persons missing b u t still “ on stren g th” . Excludes persons enlisted b u t
on leave and in civilian occupations.
.
, ,
2 Excludes women gainfully occupied on farms or in farm homes who are included w ith farm women.
i All women on farms are covered, except students, women 65 years old and over, and those gainfully
occupied outside the farm.
< Includes homemakers not on farms.

N E W ZEALAND

The wartime movement in the labor force of New Zealand is shown in
the statistics for December 1939, 1943, and 1944, as given in the
accompanying tabulation. In 1943, the armed forces were apparently
expanded, at the expense of industry, but in 1944 the movement was
reversed.
Estimated number (in thousands)

Decem­
ber
1939
. 1,642
T otal population ___
703
T otal labor force and armed forces------ .
700
Labor force
__
_
._ .
3
Armed forces__ _

Decem­
ber
m3

Decem­
ber
19U

1, 723
763
634
129

1, 742
757
655
102

SW ED EN

Sweden, although not a participant in the war, felt its effects in a
labor shortage. When war broke out in 1939, the Swedish labor force
was practically fully employed and remained so until the blockade of
April 1940 cut off important foreign trade. The dislocation which
followed was increased by military recruitment and also by the shift
to the production of defense materials and substitutes for goods
previously imported. Unemployment immediately after the block­
ade was minimized by the availability of raw materials imported
prior to that time. By 1944, withdrawals from civilian pursuits for
military service had been offset, in part, by refugees.6
» In m id-N ovem ber 1943, of 18,000 Norwegian refugees, 12,000 were employed; of 9,000 D anish refugees,
some 6,000 were employed. T h e num ber of refugees in Sweden totaled 170,000 in N ovem ber 1944, of whom
45,000 were Finnish children. W ith the retu rn of refugees to their homelands, labor shortages were noted
in parts of Sweden.


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M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

The employment of refugees was encouraged by Royal Proclama­
tion of October 1, 1943, authorizing citizens of the other Scandinavian
countries (and Estonian Swedes) to take employment without first
obtaining the work permits required by the Swedish Social Board.
Other aliens in Sweden were permitted to work in domestic, forest,
agricultural, and peat employment without permit.
Indexes of employment (September 1939=100) in certain industries
for selected periods are shown in table 4.
T able 4. —Indexes of Employment in Specified Industries in Sweden, Selected Periods,

1941-45
Indexes (Septem ber
1939=100)
G roup

Sep­
te m ­
ber
1941

Sep­
tem ­
ber
1943

. . . . __

92

91

95

Building in d u stry _________
Explosives_______________
Coal m ines_______________
P e a t in d u stry _____ ______
F lour m ills_______________
Packers and canners______
Tanneries .. . . . . . . _____

62
165
132
175
104
124
111

61
114
104
192
98
108
95

63
102
127
75
89
105
110

All occupations C.

Indexes (Septem ber
1939=100)
G roup

Ja n u ­
ary
1945

Shoe factories.
Sawmills and planing mills. _
Iron, steel, and copper
w orks__ . _____ _ .
M achine .shops___________
Shipyards________________
W oodpulp m ills__________
W oolen in d u stry _________
C otton in d u stry __________

Sep­
tem ­
ber
1941

Sep­
tem ­
ber
1943

Ja n u ­
ary
1945

89
75

56
64

87
61

110
111
107
63
95
96

101
119
114
65
89
87

105
128
124
68
101
94

i T his series covers a broader range of industries th a n shown in th e table.
SW IT Z E R L A N D

After the war started in 1939, Switzerland had 650,000 persons
under arms.6 The size of the military forces was reduced to 250,000,
however, after the collapse of France. Lacking information on the
total number of persons mobilized for production, the index of wageearner employment from representative industrial establishments is
shown. Employment in this sample of enterprises rose from 1939
through 1942, then dropped, as follows:
Index of employment
{1929 = 100)

1939
1940.
1941.
1942.
1943.

_______
_______
_______
_______
_______

76.
80.
84.
85.
81.

Index of employment
( 1929 = 100)

8 1944_________________________
3
Ju n e_____________________
3
Septem ber________________
6
Decem ber. _______________
9

77. 9
76. 8
73. 3
81.2

Relaxation of Controls, and Problems of Transition
The sudden end of warfare in the Pacific, sooner than anticipated,
involved certain dislocations that might have been avoided had there
been time for a gradual shift of personnel from war to civilian produc­
tion. This, in turn, resulted in a more rapid removal of manpower
controls than would have been possible otherwise in Australia, Canada,
and New Zealand, as labor became more plentiful; and in some in­
stances unemployment reappeared. Government officials hoped that
the major remaining controls might be lifted by the end of 1945 in
Australia and New Zealand and very rapidly in Canada, although no
date was specified. Among the five United Nations included in this
6
This num ber constitutes over a-third of the gainful population of 1,942,626 persons which was reported
in the census of 1930; official d ata are no t available showing th e gainful population in 1939.


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EMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

19

discussion, Great Britain was an exception; in that country certain
essential controls are being retained in the belief that they will be
necessary for some time to come. It is still too early to obtain a
complete picture of the status of labor controls in the Soviet Union;
however, in view of the great problems of reconstruction, these con­
trols are not likely to be relaxed completely for some time. On
March 17, 1944, Sweden extended its National Labor Service Act to
June 30, 1945; no information has been received to indicate whether
it was extended beyond that date. Switzerland narrowed the appli­
cation of obligatory work service but did not consider it advisable to
relax labor controls when active military service was ended in that
country on August 20, 1945.
Civilian manpower controls that were continued in Great Britain
after VJ-day cover smaller numbers than in wartime, owing largely
to the narrowing of the age classes affected and the shrinkage in the
work force in the industries or enterprises subject to control. Thus,
exemption from essential-work orders has been extended to men
aged 65 years and over, women of 50 and over, workers who have
been away from home for 3 years (and who can find important work
near home), and persons who are granted licenses to reopen shops or
businesses. The coverage of essential-work orders has also declined
as war plants have ceased production. On June 4, 1945, the control
of engagement of workers was narrowed to males 18 to 50 years old
and females 18 to 40 years old.7
Britain’s chief problems are (1) to restore the export trade on which
the country was largely dependent prior to World War II and of
which over two-thirds was deliberately sacrificed to the war effort
and (2) to relieve the worst civilian shortages, of which housing is
among the gravest. To bring the labor strength of certain indus­
tries back to the prewar level, construction, which in the fall of 1945
had 337,000 persons, would require double that number of additional
workers; cotton (including rayon staple fiber, carding, spinning,
doubling) would require 90,000; and clothing and hosiery 200,000
workers. Other high-priority industries are agriculture, services of
different kinds, and printing. Manpower needs in the foregoing
pursuits cannot be met fully but are to be given priority.
Notwithstanding the fact that the general outlook in Britain is
one of labor scarcity, some transitional unemployment was expected,
owing to cutbacks, lack of transportation, and housing shortages.
Another complication is the wartime dispersal of industry, which
necessitates extensive readjustment. The difficulty of obtaining
sufficient labor in the transition period is complicated by the desire
of some workers to retire, to take care of their families and homes, or
to take vacations. Ex-servicemen are entitled to 8 weeks of paid
leave on discharge, with additions for overseas service; of them
260,000 had not yet taken employment in mid-September. The
rate of discharge from the armed forces is another factor; according
to figures released by the British Government in mid-November
1945, 1/ million members had been released since D-day. By the
end of 1945, the civilian labor force was expected to reach 14% million
persons, or about 2 million less than the prewar level. The armed
forces would account for 4 million of these workers, those making sup­
plies for the armed forces for 1% million, and 300,000 would be unem7 See M onthly Labor Review, September 1945 (p. 437), for further details.


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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

ployed. A source of some supplementary labor consists of German
prisoners, of whom the Government proposed in October 1945 to use
110,000 for reconstruction work.
Australia began to revoke nonessential manpower controls soon
after the Japanese surrender, by waiving the requirement that a per­
mit be obtained to leave or change employment. No one was to be
directed into employment; young persons under 18, women over 45,
and ex-servicemen who were not released on occupational grounds
were to be completely free in choosing employment. Any employer
might advertise for labor in the above categories but, temporarily,
other advertising was to be subject to permit. By the end of October,
compulsion to remain in protected enterprises was lifted in its entirety.
The only remaining control required certain nonessential businesses
to obtain permits to secure additional labor.
The great problem in Australia at the war’s end was the redistribu­
tion of more than 1,150,000 men and women (including 650,000 in
the armed forces, 250,000 in war and related industries, and 250,000
transferees whose peacetime jobs were cut off in wartime). Some
delay was expected in transference of war workers. Rapid absorp­
tion was contingent on the reconversion of war plants and the availa­
bility of raw materials for production. Continuing labor shortages,
largely of skilled labor, existed in the Melbourne metropolitan area in
early November.
Canada discontinued the compulsory transfer of men to highly
essential employment in May 1945, after the war ended in Europe.
Women were freed from the necessity of obtaining selective-service
permits before taking employment (but had to report employment 3
days after acceptance), and employers were permitted to advertise
for their services. The Japanese surrender was followed by the
revocation of part of the controls on August 16, 1945, except those
requiring that men obtain employment-office permits to accept work
other than in agriculture and fishing; that employees give 7 days’
notice of intention to quit a job; that employers list vacancies with
employment offices, and that those seeking work must register there;
and that persons seeking work outside Canada must obtain labor-exit
permits.
Recent official employment statistics show that the number of
registered unemployed exceeded the number of available jobs. Actual
unemployment was greater than that reflected in a comparison of
unplaced workers and unfilled jobs since the full effects of the war’s
end on employment was not immediately apparent, as many ex-serv­
icemen and some ex-war workers were taking vacations before looking
for jobs.
By June 1945, the New Zealand Minister of National Service an­
nounced the first classes of workers which were to be removed from
control. The classes released from control consisted of wives of re­
turned servicemen who wished to establish homes; married women
aged 40 years or over; young persons under 18; and widows of service­
men who died in World War II. Early in August, control was also
removed from returned servicemen, regardless of their medical grading.
Immediately after VJ-day the following classes were exempted from
direction into employment: All married women; all other women aged
30 years and over; and all men of 45 and over. The requirement that
employers should secure consent to engage manpower was waived, and

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EMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

21

they were required only to notify manpower officers of such action
within 7 days. The one control remaining was that whereby cer­
tain workers were frozen in their jobs by reason of declarations of
essentiality.
In the Soviet Union, manpower controls have been continued.
However, effective on July 7, 1945, the Presidium of the Supreme
Soviet of the U. S. S. R., in celebration of the victory over Germany,
granted a general amnesty to all workers who were imprisoned or
convicted for deserting their wartime jobs.
Compulsion in directing labor to employment was used in Sweden
only in the fuel industry, during 1942-43, and specific legislation on
direction within that industry was repealed early in 1944. The re­
moval of 120,000 metalworkers from employment, owing to a strike
that lasted from February to July 1945, lessened unemployment during
reconversion to peacetime conditions. About 30,000 of these em­
ployees worked temporarily in other occupations, notably forestry,
for varying periods. Resumption of shipping at the beginning of June
1945 tended to increase employment. Other favorable factors were
the return of the metalworkers to their employment, the reopening of
markets, and the reconversion of industries. On the whole, the em­
ployment situation was very satisfactory throughout the first three
quarters of 1945.
By order of August 17, 1945, the Swiss Government provided for the
limitation of obligatory work service to those industries which supplied
food and fuel—agriculture (including the improvement of land de­
signed to increase the production of food), forestry, mining, and turf
cutting. Up to October 1945, employment records were favorable.
A noticeable drop occurred in requests for employment, in job vacan­
cies, and in placements recorded at the employment offices for agri­
culture, the building trades, and among unskilled workers. As the
situation was reversed for skilled workers, the explanation may be
that the unskilled were absorbed in compulsory service, agriculture,
and certain phases of industry under the orders already cited. Appar­
ently, the need for the public-works plan authorized by the decree
of July 1942 (the Zipfel plan mentioned above) was not great, for the
number of positions procured under that program in July 1945, after
the end of the war in Europe, was smaller than in the same month in
1943 and in 1944, as shown by the following tabulation:
1943

Num ber of, jobs______
1944
1945

Relief work, work-service, vocational classes, etc._ 1, 393
Voluntary m ilitary service_____________________ 2, 703
Work companies for military or civil projects_____ 3 ,1 2 5

1, 289
2, 274
2 ,0 1 6

1, 179
2, 202
2 ,4 4 3

Long-Term Outlook
In all seven countries, exploratory work has been carried on to
determine means of providing a high and stable level of postwar
employment. Great Britain avoided the use of the term “full em­
ployment” in the White Paper on Employment Policy issued in 1944
(Cmd. 6527) as did Canada in 1945 in a similar paper on Employment
and Income, although the Canadian report stated that “in setting as
its aim a high and stable level of employment and income, the Govern­
ment is not selecting a lower target than ‘full employment’.” Mem­
bers of the Governments of the four United Nations in the British

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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW----JANUARY

1946

Commonwealth have also indicated that the maintenance of conditions
conducive to high employment is a public responsibility.8 In the
Soviet Union, measures to provide full employment are an integral
part of the planned economic system and there is no reason to assume
that there will be any change in that policy. The same view is
inherent in the 1944 report of the Swedish Postwar Economic
Planning Commission and the Social Democratic-Labor program for
postwar economic policy in that country states as one of its aims that
“full employment [is] to be reached under the economic leadership of
the Government.” 9
The position of the Swiss Government, as expressed by the Employ­
ment Commissioner in September 1942 and in the decree of July 1942,
was that the Confederation should cooperate with the Cantons and pri­
vate enterprise in preventing unemployment, insofar as private enter­
prise is unable to do so. The conclusion was that full employment has
been provided successfully by the State only in countries in which the
whole economy was centrally controlled, and such a system is incom­
patible with the principle of the Swiss Federal structure.
Great Britain omitted reference to public or private ownership in
the document on employment, as being outside the scope of the report.
Canada stated that the economy would continue to be based on
private ownership of industry. The Australian report maintained
that the Commonwealth and States are responsible for providing the
general framework within which individuals and businesses can operate.
The Australian Prime Minister stated, after VJ-day, that the Govern­
ment did not propose to take over control of industrial enterprise
but that it was unwilling to see production potentials unused. For
some time (under the Industrial Efficiency Act of 1936) New Zealand
has been empowered to achieve a planned economy through rational­
ization and control of industry (including licensing). As is well known,
the Soviet system is based on a planned socialized economy. The
Swedish Social Democratic-Labor program calls for socialized insur­
ance and centralized banking, and the Swiss view is explained in the
opposition to State control.
All the countries covered, except the Soviet Union, are committed
to a program whereby public expenditures will be increased when it
seems likely that private expenditures may decline, thereby adversely
affecting the volume of employment and reducing purchasing power.
In the British Government White Paper of 1944, responsibility was
assumed for encouraging privately owned enterprises to plan their
own expenditures in conformity with a general stabilization policy,
and it was stated that public investment can be used more directly as
an instrument of employment policy. The Australian report asserted
that to secure the maximum possible stability in private-capital
expenditure, it is essential that public expenditure should be suffi­
ciently high at all times to stimulate private spending; public expendi­
ture should be used also to offset declines. Canadian Government
effort in stimulating private investment is to be directed toward keep8 For a sum m ary of the B ritish em ploym ent report, see M onthly Labor Review, issue of A ugust 1944
(p. 296), for th a t of Canada, issue of Ju ly 1945 (p. 56), and for th a t of A ustralia, issue of A ugust 1945 (p. 257).
No W hite P ap er has been received from New Zealand; on October 24,1945, however, an em ploym ent act was
passed, providing for establishm ent of an em ploym ent service to prom ote and m aintain full em ploym ent.
9 F or a sum m ary of above-mentioned docum ents see M onthly Labor Review, issue of Septem ber 1944
(p. 530).


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EMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

23

ing down production costs; the Canadian White Paper did not propose
large expenditures for public works, but rather to manage public
capital expenditure in such a way as to contribute to the improvement
and stabilization of employment and income. The Swedish Postwar
Economic Planning Commission unanimously agreed that large
public works should be resorted to, if private investment and export
trade fall below the level necessary to full employment. Such public
works should be planned in connection with long-range policy and
should be extended to the production of consumption goods. Switzer­
land’s plans, which have been in operation partially, cover a coordi­
nated and partially subsidized program of foreign trade, public works,
and a revival of the tourist trade and of agriculture.
Official as well as other opinion in these countries is that the em­
ployment problem is international as well as national and that foreign
trade is essential. Although the British White Paper dealt with
national problems, it was recognized that the level of employment
and the consumption level depend upon international conditions, as
imports and exports are basic to the nation’s economy. Participa­
tion in world trade by Australia was expected to follow the main­
tenance of full employment at home, which would allow the resultant
high level of expenditure to become effective in the country’s demand
for imports to the limit of available overseas funds. Export trade
was named in the Canadian White Paper as the greatest dynamic
force in influencing the level of employment and income, and expan­
sion over the prewar level was urged. The Swedish Social DemocraticLabor program proposed that foreign trade should be brought under
“Government leadership.” On June 20, 1944, the Swiss Federal
Assembly adopted an interim report of the Federal Council which
pointed out that an effective attack on unemployment could be made
only through international cooperation; a commission was appointed
to study the possibilities of foreign trade.
Emigration and immigration policy for future years has come up
for discussion also. In spite of the prospect of a dwindling population
(and existing labor shortages) the British Government favors the
encouragement of assisted emigration to the Dominions in the future,
i. e., after the Dominions have resettled their ex-servicemen and
converted their economies to peacetime conditions. The Australian
Government foresees a need for immigration on a selective basis of
roughly 70,000 persons annually, to supplement a natural population
increase of 70,000 in achieving an annual population growth of 2 per­
cent. The general flow would commence after homes and jobs became
available, but immigrants with particular qualifications that are not
available in Australia would be desired sooner. Mew ZeaJand has
taken a similar view as to the timing of entry. In the Soviet Union
the urgent need for using labor from other countries is expected to be
temporary and for reconstruction only. Gn June 14, 1945, it was
stated that Canada was not yet ready to consider what steps would be
taken to facilitate the admittance of persons from other countries.
In the Scandinavian countries, to provide for the movement of laborers
to the places where their services were most needed, the Ministers
of Social Affairs of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden
proposed the establishment of a common Nordic labor market, at a
conference held in September 1945, and agreed to place a draft of the

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24

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

convention before their respective Governments. According to the
press, Switzerland’s Federal Council has considered the need for
immigration of persons having certain skills, notably in textile
manufacture.
The interest of the Governments of Australia and New Zealand in
adding to their populations from outside sources is the result of an
expectation that in coming years the position will be one of labor
scarcity and not abundance. In carrying out Australia’s plans for a
comprehensive program of construction, including hospitals, post
offices, and railroad building, the Government anticipates the problem
will be to obtain enough labor. From 1936 onward, New Zealand
experienced labor shortages in several industries, notably of skilled
workers in the building and engineering and certain manufacturing
industries, as well as of professional and technical workers of different
kinds. War accentuated the shortages and they are not likely to
alter. An uncertain factor in determining future labor requirements
is the possible extent to which women may work in industry. Their
participation was on the increase in New Zealand before World War II.


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Labor Unionism in American Agriculture1
B y Stuart J

a m ie s o n

, L e c tu r e r in E c o n o m ic s , U n iv e r s ity o f B r itis h C o lu m b ia

THE very concept of organization among farm workers seems an­
achronistic to many persons. Farming customarily is regarded as
a special type of economic enterprise which remains singularly free
from unionism, strikes, class conflict, and other manifestations of the
labor troubles that nonagricultural industries have been experiencing
for many decades.
As a matter of fact, hired farm workers numbering in the hundreds
of thousands have participated in literally hundreds of strikes through­
out the Nation in the past five or six decades. Almost every State in
the Union has experienced at least one farm-labor strike at one time or
another. By far the majority of such outbreaks occurred during the
1930’s.
It is questionable whether these occurrences should be considered
a “ labor movement” in the full sense of the term. Labor unions and
strikes in American agriculture for the most part have been small,
sporadic, and scattered. They seem insignificant in comparison with
the activities of organized labor in other industries, and the more
important urban trade-unions during most of their history have had
little to do with farm workers. On the other hand, at least three
concerted attempts have been made at different times to unionize
agricultural labor in the United States on a nation-wide scale. On
each occasion there was sufficient continuity in philosophy, tactics, and
organizing personnel to constitute a “ movement.” In any case, the
fact that farm workers in many areas did organize, and strike, is itself
significant, for it indicates a divergence of actual conditions from the
popularly held conceptions regarding the nature of farm work.
The Family and the Farm Hand
Traditionally a “ way of life” as well as an economic undertaking,
the farm in theory has been operated upon principles quite different
from those governing other industrial and commercial enterprises.
The conviction has long been prevalent that the farm owner-operator,
together with his family, is or should be the one who performs most of
the labor involved. The traditional “ American dream” envisaged a
pattern of land settlement in which the “ family farm” would be the
basic unit of the Nation’s agriculture.
The use of hired laborers evolved as a common adjunct where family
farms became less diversified, with the growing of crops for sale in
urban markets as well as for use by the operator’s family. The num­
ber grew as farms themselves multiplied in the process of western
expansion.
Farm wage workers did not, however, become a class. In their
origins they were mainly sons of other farmers, and their social status
differed little from that of unpaid family laborers and their employers.
Employer-employee relationships were close, personal, and stable.
Farmer and farm hand together performed similar jobs the year
round, ate at the same table, and had major interests in common. If
i
a forthcoming bulletin on this subject will contain detailed information on organization of agricultural
labor and labor disputes in agriculture in various parts of th e U nited States.


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26

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW----JANUARY

1 94 6

the farm hand was “ exploited,” in terms of long hours and low wages,
so was his farmer employer. The security and material welfare of both
rested almost equally on the continued and successful functioning of
the farm as a “ going concern,” and, in the final analysis, the farm
laborer’s position was made as secure as the farm employer’s by his
well-nigh equal social status in the community.
Even more important were the farm workers’ opportunities to rise
through their own individual efforts from wage earners to owners.
Finally, economic security and fluidity of class lines were maintained
by general business expansion. There was always, apparently, the
alternative avenue of escape to the city if and when the agricultural
ladder became no longer scaleable. As a matter of historical fact,
the majority took this road, as evidenced by the continuous migra­
tions to the cities, which in time transformed the United States from
a predominantly agricultural to a primarily urban, industrial Nation.
Periodic complaints of farm-labor shortages and rural depopulation
were met with the argument that the country, to retain its people,
must raise its working and living standards to a level of advantage
that could compete with the city.
Labor Unrest and Large-Scale Farming
Labor unionism and strikes among agricultural workers were a rela­
tively unimportant aspect of the broader labor movement in America
until the 1930’s. Collective action among farm workers was limited
almost solely to areas characterized by large-scale farms specializing
in one or a few crops and hiring laborers in groups rather than as
individual workers. Sporadic local movements of many different
types developed in widely separated regions during the nineteenth
century. Propertyless wage earners frequently joined small farm
owners and tenants in the same organizations; in other instances they
were organized separately, often in opposing groups.
Agrarian movements in the Southern Cotton Belt during the latter
part of the nineteenth century reflected the viewpoints of the small
farm operator rather than the laborer. In the Old South the planta­
tion system, with its rigid caste structure based upon clearly defined
racial division of labor, inhibited collective action for social better­
ment on the part of labor and tenant groups. Slave revolts in preCivil-War days had been few, small, sporadic, and short-lived.
Agrarian movements in opposition to the status quo developed after
the Civil War among those elements not under the immediate domina­
tion of large planters, i. e., small hill farmers in the mountain regions
of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee.2 These
movements began, moreover, in the States (Texas and Oklahoma)
which had the highest rates of tenancy but which were at the same
time relatively free from the plantation system.
The major rural problem in the South and Southwest had long been
the steadily growing indebtedness of farmers, as their livelihood
became tied more closely to the production of cotton. This trend,
punctuated by frequent depressions and conditions of drought,
blight, and soil erosion, gave rise to continuous displacement of small
2 Olive Stone: A grarian Conflict in A labam a.

c iin

lOQn


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P h . I), thesis, U niversity of N orth Carolina, Chanel
^

LABOR UNIONISM IN AMERICAN AGRICULTURE

27

owners and tenants. Here the problem of the farm operator became
inseparable from that of the propertyless farm laborer, and both
groups sometimes organized together for mutual self-protection.
Small farmer organizations endeavored to combat indebtedness,
displacement, and concentration, partly through a broad program of
cooperative buying and selling. At the same time, they attempted to
mobilize the disadvantaged small-farm operators and laborers and
their allies into mass political pressure groups which could better
their condition by agitating for favorable legislation. This program
was characteristic of such organizations as the Agricultural Wheel,
Farmers Alliance, Farm Labor Union, and Farmers’ Educational
and Cooperative Union. In contrast to most institutions in the
South, these bodies usually cooperated with established labor unions
and in some instances even made serious efforts to transcend the color
line.
Indigenous “tenant unions” developed in Oklahoma as an extension
of the radical labor movement in prewar years. Many farm operators
in newly settled regions of that State were well-nigh destitute home­
steaders who lacked the capital necessary to become independent
proprietors. The lines between owners, tenants, and laborers were
exceedingly fluid, at a precariously low economic level. Agrarian
organizations like the Oklahoma Renters Union and the Working
Class Union of the World included elements from all three groups.
In some instances, they employed direct-action tactics characteristic
of labor unions rather than of farmers’ cooperatives. The small farm
operator’s position in many sections of the South was analogous to
that of the town handicraftsman and proprietor during the Industrial
Revolution; both waged a losing battle against large-scale production
and concentration in ownership and control.
The first stable union of agricultural workers was organized among
sheep shearers in the large-scale ranching areas of the Pacific Coast
and Rocky Mountain regions.
Labor unions did not develop among casual and migratory workers
in other large-scale farming regions during the late nineteenth cen­
tury, and strikes among this element were small and few. Sporadic
local outbreaks occurred from time to time among “harvest stiffs”
in the Wheat Belt of the Middle West. Most of such incidents were
spontaneous protests against the inadequate meals provided by some
employers. The few agricultural strikes in California during this
period were far overshadowed by anti-Oriental riots, which radiated
out to rural areas from San Francisco and other urban centers during
periods of depression and unemployment.
Large-scale industrial agricultural enterprises specializing in one or
a few crops increased rapidly in scope and importance during the
twentieth century. Intensive truck and fruit farming continued to
expand in the North Atlantic and Pacific Coast States, and in the
Carolinas, Florida, southern Texas, and the Great Lakes States.
Rapid progress in irrigation opened up new tracts for growing inten­
sive crops, as in the Imperial Valley of California, the Salt River
Valley of Arizona, and the Yakima Valley in Washington. The
growth of sugar-beet production in the Rocky Mountain and Great
Lakes States and the westward movement of cotton to Oklahoma and
the States along the Mexican border also brought new patterns of
land operation.
G 7 7 2 3 4 — 4 6 -------3


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M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY
ECONOM IC A N D

1946

SOCIAL ST A T U S OF FA R M W O R K E R S

Seasonal labor supplies for these concentrated crop areas came to
be composed of many more or less distinct groups, differentiated by
the various demands imposed upon them by each type of farming,
their degree of mobility, the distances they traveled to work, and the
number and duration of their jobs. The migratory agricultural
laborers, defined broadly as those who have no residence and those
who leave their residences for certain periods to follow seasonal farm
jobs, did not generally constitute a compact and cohesive group
moving from one community to another. The Director of Personnel
and Labor Relations for the Farm Security Administration, described
this migratory group thus:
* * * In each area new recruits join the movement, and old ones drop out.
M any workers mingle w ith the m igratory stream only a t one point, and then re­
tu rn to a home base. The influx of m igrants into an area, also, usually represents
an addition to a backlog of resident labor th a t is continuously available, b ut which
is only used seasonally in agriculture.3

Intermittent employment, small average annual earnings, and
depressed standards of living branded the casual and migratory
workers with a social status far below that of the farm hand. By the
turn of the century, seasonal workers were recognized officially as a
distinct occupational group which constituted a special problem in
certain farm areas.
Obvious weaknesses in their bargaining position prevented such
workers from unionizing effectively. Local organizations began to de­
velop during the prewar decade in California, where the system of
large-scale intensive agriculture was most thoroughly entrenched and
the demand for seasonal labor was growing rapidly. Racial minorities
like the Japanese, who dominated numerous farm occupations, were
for a short time successful in establishing an indigenous system of
collective bargaining. The attempt of the American Federation of
Labor to unionize casual and migratory white farm workers was only
slightly successful.
T H E IN D U S T R IA L W O R K E R S OF T H E W ORLD

The first concerted program to organize farm workers on a nation­
wide scale was undertaken by the Industrial Workers of the World.
In the beginning this union was most active among unskilled massproduction workers in the industrial Northeast and Middle West, but
in later years it became more widely known for the vigorous campaign
it carried out in agriculture. The I. W. W. professed a revolutionary
doctrine of continuous direct action designed ultimately to overthrow
the capitalist system. It condemned the exclusive and conciliatory
policies followed by established craft miions and set out to organize
unskilled labor in employments hitherto left almost untouched by the
A. F. ofL.
The I. W. W. attained its greatest strength among agricultural
workers in those farming regions which had been experiencing inter­
mittent farm-labor conflict for several decades. Its large following
did not necessarily indicate dangerous radical proclivities on the part
3
T he M igration of Farm Labor. Paper presented by M ercer G. E vans before the Com m ittee on P rob­
lems in Inter-State M igration at th e N ational Conference of Social W ork, Buffalo, N . Y ., June 21,1939 (p. 1).
R e s id e n t la b o r em p lo y ed o n ly for sh o rt perio d s seasonally is defined b y som e as casu al in d istin c tio n to
m ig ra to ry .


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LABOR U N IO N ISM IN AMERICAN AGRICULTURE

29

of farm laborers. It was, rather, a reflection of the growing divisions
in economic interest and social status between employers and em­
ployees on farms which had become commercialized and large in scale.
The members of the I. W. W. rural labor organizations for the most
part were not farm workers as a distinct and separate category.
Rather they were a heterogeneous group of casual and migratory
workers recruited during the harvest season from cities and towns.
The majority were single men who were employed at a varietj^ of
seasonal jobs at different months of the year in mining, lumbering,
railway maintenance, and agriculture.
The union’s activities among this element on the Pacific Coast
during the prewar years were mainly agitational or educational in
nature. Preliminary indoctrination of hitherto unorganized workers
was considered a prerequisite for effective direct action. Only in a
few scattered instances did the I. W. W. lead strikes in agriculture.
A more ambitious organization campaign was carried out among
seasonal harvest hands in the great Wheat Belt of the Middle West
during the war years, and its members there were involved in many
scattered strikes and violent conflicts with growers and law officers.
The I. W. W. temporarily abandoned the earlier policy of street
agitation and “soap boxing” in cities. It functioned instead as a
decentralized union with an army of voluntary organizers or “camp
delegates” who were employed at seasonal farm work to agitate and
lead “job action” strikes.
The union was suppressed by the Federal Government after
America’s entrance into the First World War. Its organization of
laborers in the Middle West finally disintegrated during the immediate
postwar years, when mechanization of grain-harvesting operations
in the W7heat Belt eliminated much of the heavy seasonal demand
for migratory workers from other areas.
Changing Labor Relations in the Twenties
No extensive attempt to organize agricultural workers was under­
taken for more than a decade after the disappearance of the I. W. W.
in agriculture. Some sporadic strikes and short-lived local unions
developed in a few States during the immediate postwar years, most
of them in industries allied to agriculture, such as canning, packing,
and shipping of fruits and vegetables. The American Federation of
Labor attempted in 1921 to organize skilled packing-shed workers on
the Pacific Coast in the newly chartered Fruit and Vegetable Workers
Union, but the campaign was abandoned within 2 years.
The decade of the twenties was a period of quiescence in agricul­
tural labor unionism. New labor supplies were made available to
large-scale farm enterprises in special crop areas. Vegetable, fruit,
and cotton growers in Texas, Arizona, and California relied largely
upon importing Mexicans, whose numbers were not restricted by
immigration quotas. Sugar-beet growers and refiners in Colorado,
Wyoming, and Montana also utilized this labor supply intensively
and transported large numbers by rail from Mexico and southern
Texas. The Pacific Coast States supplemented the Mexicans with
several thousand Filipinos. Other highly commercialized farming
areas, such as southern New Jersey, depended upon recruiting unskilled

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M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

19 4 6

and substandard labor (including large numbers of women and chil­
dren) from nearby cities during the harvest season.4
The advent of the automobile served to increase the mobility of
marginal and casual workers. Improved transportation facilities
during the twenties rendered labor more continuously available to
grower-employers, even during a period of industrial prosperity and
relative labor scarcity. Migrant groups were composed increasingly
of families working as units, in contrast to' the single male “stiffs”
or “hobos” characteristic of the prewar period.
Rising national income and an expanding export trade during the
prosperous twenties increased the demand for intensively grown crops
like cotton, luxury vegetables, fruits, and nuts. At the same time
large and accessible labor supplies from foreign and domestic sources
furnished the means for increasing the output of such products.
Certain farming regions, particularly on the southern Atlantic and
Pacific Coasts, experienced a rapid expansion in acreage devoted to
commercialized crops grown intensively on large-scale farms. The
scale of farming grew larger, seasonality in farming operations in
those areas was on the whole accentuated, the mobility of farm labor
was increased, and class divisions among rural occupational groups
were widened.
Causes of Labor Unrest in Agriculture
The conditions which made it difficult for seasonal farm workers to
organize were the same conditions that made them vulnerable to
agitation and strikes. Their extreme mobility, the high seasonality
of their work, and the low wage rates all combined to make unioniza­
tion among them costly and, at the same time, created chronic prob­
lems for the communities in which they lived. The social status of
seasonal farm workers was that of a lower caste suffering poverty,
depending upon relief, and lacking adequate facilities for education,
housing, sanitation, and medical attention. They were, on the whole,
politically impotent and, in many States, disfranchised. Public
opinion in the communities in which they worked usually sided with
employers and sanctioned the use of stern legal and extra-legal meas­
ures for suppressing collective bargaining. The public held tena­
ciously to the traditional view of the family farm that agricultural
laborers as compared with industrial workers had more security and
benefited from the personal solicitude of their employers. The labor
contract continued to be regarded as a personal bargain between
equals, even wdien the employer was an absentee bank or land cor­
poration bound by the rules of a trade association. Most protective
labor legislation enforced by Federal and State governments still
does not cover agricultural workers. A further reason for their hard­
ships was the continuous competition from marginal labor groups—
newly arrived immigrants, women, children, and unemployed from
other industries. Surplus workers during the thirties forced farm
wages down to levels far below the minima in other industries.
The more obvious hardships which periodically led to conflict were
mitigated to some degree by appropriate Government action later in
the thirties. Deficiencies in housing, health, and education among
migratory workers were partially rectified through public subsidizing
Josiah O. Folsom: T ru ck F a rm L abor in N ew Jersey.
1285, W ashington, 1925.)


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(U. S. D epartm ent of A griculture B ulletin No.

LABOR U N IO N ISM IN AMERICAN AGRICULTURE

31

of such agencies as the Farm Security Administration. Exploitation
from padrones and labor contractors and uncontrolled advertising
and other means for recruiting seasonal laborers were reduced through
more adequate supervision. Federal and State employment services
brought about some improvements in labor allocation and job place­
ment. They served to reduce wasteful transportation, local labor
surpluses, and the burdens of underemployment and unnecessarily
small annual earnings.
The related problems of surplus rural labor and organized conflict
on the land have in the past few years become much less serious as a
result of unprecedented war production. During the war period
underemployment and acute poverty among wage workers virtually
disappeared in many farm areas, and growers with heavy seasonal
labor demands faced a scarcity of workers. The large-scale operators
specializing in one or a few cash crops were formerly most vulnerable
to unrest and strikes in a period of depression, unemployment, and
labor surplus. During the wartime prosperity and expanding em­
ployment in other industries they were most vulnerable to crop losses
arising from chronic labor shortages.
Organized labor and employers agreed that unnecessary loss of time
and spoilage of goods from strikes or other causes must be avoided
during the war. Indeed, both groups were concerned about recruit­
ing an adequate seasonal labor supply to save farm crops in California
and other States. Spokesmen of both the Associated Farmers and
the C. I. O. State Industrial Union Council in California appealed to
the Federal Government to allow the seasonal importation of several
thousand Mexican workers to perform the necessary harvest jobs.
Widespread labor-employer conflict in agriculture, nevertheless, is
likely to recur should the war prosperity and full employment prove
temporary. Little has been done to bring long-run improvements in
wages, living conditions, job security, and opportunities for advance­
ment on the land, and there is no apparent trend toward a permanent
reduction of the scale of operations or the degree of specialization of
farms in California and other intensive cash-crop regions. The
present farm structure in many areas apparently continues to depend
upon large supplies of cheap and mobile seasonal laborers. Even
with the most efficient methods of allocating jobs, the workers re­
quired to harvest special crops without loss to the growers in many
intensive large-scale farming areas would be too numerous and inter­
mittently employed to earn adequate yearly incomes.
When two or more workers are employed on a farm, in the opinion of
one writer, the labor-employer relationship approaches that charac­
teristic of urban industry rather than of farming.5 In the United
States by the nineteen thirties 56.1 percent of all farm workers were
on farms in this category. The proportion of farm workers employed
in groups rather than as individuals was particularly high in certain
States: 66.1 percent in New Jersey, 78.6 percent in California, 80.1
percent in Florida, and 82.2 percent in Louisiana.6 An even greater
degree of concentration was indicated for farm workers employed in
larger groups:
In January (1935) approxim ately one-third of hired laborers as reported to the
Bureau of the Census were on farms w ith four or more laborers, and about ones Louise H ow ard: Labor in A griculture, London, Oxford U niversity Press, 1935 (p. 32).
6
A rth u r M . Ross: A gricultural Labor and Social Legislation. P h . D . thesis in Economics, U niversity
of California, Berkeley, Calif., A ugust, 1941 (p. 43).


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M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 194 6

sixth were on farms w ith eight or more laborers. The areas or largest concen­
tration of farms w ith groups of hired workers, as distinguished from a single
hired hand, were the D elta cotton (with 54.5 percent on farms of four or more
and 37.4 percent on farm s of eight or more workers) and range areas (with 50.3
percent and 33.9 percent, respectively) and in the group of miscellaneous States,
Florida and California. In California 59.1 percent of hired workers were on farms
employing four or more, and 42.0 percent were on farms employing eight or more.
Corresponding figures for Florida are 60.9 percent and 45.6 percent. In Arizona
the concentration was even greater. In th a t State, 68.0 percent of hired workers
were employed on farms w ith eight or more.7

The growing numbers and the changing composition of agricultural
wage labor in the industrialized farming areas temporarily reduced its
militancy. Family laborers and newly arrived immigrants were more
difficult to unionize than were single men of the type organized by the
I. W. W. The farm workers’ bargaining position was further weak­
ened by the strong and comprehensive control which growers exerted
over the labor market when they were organized into employer asso­
ciations. “Labor exchanges” or “labor bureaus” were established in
California and Arizona to eliminate competition among individual
employers, by standardizing wage rates throughout entire crop areas 8
and recruiting the required labor supplies. County boards of agricul­
ture took the initiative in stabilizing wage rates in some sections of
New Jersey by setting a scale before the harvest season began and then
influencing growers to adhere to it.9
Labor exchanges and employers’ associations served to strengthen
the position of the grower by releasing him from dependence upon any
particular group of laborers. On the other hand, there is little doubt
that such institutions tended further to depersonalize labor relations
in agriculture and to widen the cleavage of interests and attitudes
between farm employers and employees. Hiring of labor by the
industry rather than by the individual grower lessened whatever
element of personal loyalty still remained in the more-commercialized
and large-scale farms. When employers utilized cooperative associa­
tions in setting wages and recruiting workers, they ultimately drove
their laborers in turn to organize into unions and act collectively for
self-protection.
An adequate standard of employment stability and annual income
for farm labor, then, would require a drastic readjustment in the
structure of agriculture in many regions. The effects of such read­
justment would vary according to the technological requirements,
land fertility, and market conditions in each special crop area. Higher
labor costs would favor small diversified farms which rely upon unpaid
family workers, at the expense of large specialized farms which depend
upon cheap seasonal labor. Mechanization of farm operations would
tend to increase, and farm workers would probably be displaced in
growing numbers, a few to become farm proprietors and the majority
to transfer to other industries. Marginal land would have to be
abandoned in some areas, while in others the intensity of cultivation
as well as the size of farms would have to be reduced.
Whatever the means by which the economic welfare of agricultural
workers is to be improved and employer-employee conflict lessened,
one important result seems almost certain: The direct cost of such
7 W itt Bowden, Three Decades of F arm Labor, in M o n th ly Labor Review, June, July, and August
1939 (reprinted as B ureau of Labor Statistics Serial No. R . 976).
8 A precedent for th is practice had been established during periods of labor scarcity in the W orld W ar
years. U nder the in itiativ e of S tate and county agricultural agents, growers in m any regions of the country
sought to decrease wasteful labor turn-over on farms by standardizing wage rates for competing units.
# Folsom, op. cit. (p. 28).


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improvement will be borne by the large-scale farms and, ultimately,
the consuming public. In the past both groups gained from the low
costs of production made possible by specialization based upon the
use of cheap labor for seasonal operations. In the long run it is highly
questionable whether the public in general really has gained from this
situation. The social costs of deficiencies in health, education, and
morale among seasonal farm workers, as well as the waste of mis­
directed, unused, or depleted labor power, may well have more than
counterbalanced the advantages of low food prices. The real costs
were made apparent in the thirties by losses arising from strikes and
by the taxation required to pay for extra relief, law enforcement, and
other services. Any lasting solution of the farm-labor problem must
seek a permanent reduction in the supply of workers.
Possible Measures to Ameliorate Farm-Labor Conditions
The failures of unionism and collective bargaining among farm
workers in the past are not necessarily final, nor do they eliminate
the possibility of labor conflict in the future. Many of the largest,
most violent, and most ruinous strikes during the thirties occurred
among nonunion workers. As long as the underlying circumstances
which generate labor unrest in agriculture continue, strikes and other
manifestations of class conflict are likely to recur, regardless of the
temporary strength or weakness of unions. The violence and inten­
sity of struggles in the past and their threat to the security and the
civil liberties of other groups give the problem of farm-labor conflict
an importance far greater than the numbers directlykinvolved would
indicate.
Overt conflict'could probably have been reduced in many agricul­
tural areas during the thirties by the judicious intervention of outside
agencies. Stricter enforcement of laws and constitutional guaranties
could have prevented much of the disorder, the property damage,
intimidation and violence, vigilantism, and suppression of civil
liberties. The 'effectiveness of the law, however, was limited when
rural communities were strongly conservative and sympathetic to the
interests of property owners and employers. It is doubtful whether
legal restriction alone could have prevented vigilantism and mob
action, any more than the prevailing antagonism of the police and the
general public to labor organization could have prevented unionism
and strikes.
*
Strikes and other expressions of class conflict during the thirities
might also have been reduced had there been more adequate mediation
and arbitration. Strikes in commercial farming have been intense and
violent; they subject employers and public to unusual risk and require
a special means of settlement before they erupt into open conflict.10
Mediation in agriculture during the 1930’s was not very successful
in settling farm strikes on an amicable basis of mutual compromise.
The extreme perishability of crops and the brief duration of seasonal
jobs in many cases precluded peaceful, patient, and orderly negotia­
tions once a strike had begun. On the other hand, most of the boards
or agencies which attempted to settle disputes before they became
overt were unsuccessful because they were not established at the re10 For a fuller discussion of this point, see Paul S. Taylor: American M ediation Experience and California
Farm Labor, in T he Commonwealth (San Francisco), D ecember 22, 1936 (pp. 223-227).


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quest of the contending groups, had no definite legal status, and lacked
adequate means of enforcing rules or agreements.
Adequate arbitration of agricultural labor disputes apparently re­
quires more thorough organization of farm workers and a wider recog­
nition of their unions than have been achieved in most agricultural
areas. Only by this means, perhaps, can farm-labor unions function
effectively as collective-bargaining agencies. In the opinion of Pro­
fessors Benedict and Adams, arbitration could be carried on most
equitably and efficiently by permanent, legally recognized boards in
which representative spokesmen of employers, employees, and the
public would have an equal voice.11 Spokesmen of organized laborers
would present demands for adequate wages, housing and perquisites,
preferential hiring, job security, and continuity of employment;
spokesmen of organized growers would present demands for wage levels
which they could pay, assurance against strikes, availability of labor
when needed, and the like. The weight of decision would rest upon
the neutral public representatives, who would have to be “men of high
caliber and judicial in temperament,” as well as experts qualified to
analyze and investigate accurately marketing and cost conditions.
The arbitration board, having legal status, could seek enforcement
through courts and other agencies of the wages and employment stand­
ards it decided upon.11
The ultimate objective of such collective bargaining and arbitration,
if labor conflict is to be eliminated, would be the stabilization of em­
ployment and residence for workers actually needed in harvest opera­
tions, so as to raise the average annual earnings. In the long run this
would require seniority or preferential hiring agreements, combined
with adequate wages, a thorough study of labor markets, and efficient
job allocation. Surplus agricultural labor presumably would have to
be absorbed by other industries or be maintained on relief.11
Voluntary collective bargaining and arbitration following these
principles were used successfully for several years in the Santa Maria,
Valley of Santa Barbara County, Calif. Practiced in a small locality,
however, these methods were limited in their ability to improve wages
and working conditions because of competition from other intensive
crop areas which were unorganized.
Several experts feel that voluntary arbitration functioning through
representative labor and employer associations suffers one fundamental
limitation, namely, that a board’s decisions are likely to rest on a rec­
ognition of the relative strength of each party to an agreement; and
in agriculture the bargaining power of labor is usually much weaker
than that of the employer. Otis E. Mulliken, then chief of the labor
section of the Sugar Division, United States Department of Agricul­
ture, reached the following conclusion:
Viewing past experience and present trends in this country, it seems to me th at
the nature of the developments will be governmental rather than voluntary, and
will be concerned prim arily with social problems of income and status rath er than
w ith problems of employer-employee relations.12

From this point of view, poverty and discord on the land could be
eliminated only through the extension to agricultural workers of such
protective labor legislation as the Social Security Act, the National
n M. R . Benedict and R . L. Adams: M ethods of Wage D eterm ination in Agriculture, in Journal of Farm
Economics, F eb ru ary 1941.
12 Otis E . M ulliken: Discussion of M ethods of W age D eterm ination in Agriculture, in Journal of Farm
Economics, F eb ru ary 1941.

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Labor Relations Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Farm
laborers in growing numbers during the 1930’s became aware of their
particularly disadvantaged and unprotected status. This knowledge
in itself furnished constant fuel for agitation and unrest. The weak­
ness of their bargaining position, indeed, would seem to warrant their
right to even greater legal protection than is provided for the more
strongly organized urban industrial workers.
The application of labor legislation and arbitration to agriculture
would not present such formidable difficulties as generally supposed.
As many writers have pointed out, only a fraction of all farm operators
hire laborers at all, and they are concentrated in particular areas, on
large farms hiring men in gangs rather than as individual hands.
Enforcement of protective labor laws and arbitration awards would in
some respects be easier in agriculture than in other industries because
farm operators are more dependent upon the Government for protec­
tion from ruinous competition. As recommended by Frances Perkins,
then Secretary of Labor, crop-benefit payments to all farmers could
be made conditional upon their observance of required labor standards.
The establishment of standard wage and employment conditions,
whether by arbitration, by legislation, or by a combination of both,
would have to be Nation-wide. Wages and working conditions pre­
sumably would have to be standardized for competing crops, taking
account of differences in costs of living, transportation expenses, and
productivity of land and labor. The effectiveness of arbitration or
legislation would be neutralized if they brought substantial improve­
ment for labor in only one area at a time. Even if local grower-em­
ployers were not placed at a disadvantage with their competitors,
less-favored workers would be likely to migrate and create a labor
surplus in the more profitable areas.
At this point the question of unionism and labor-employer conflict
on the land becomes inseparable from the much broader problems of
migratory or casual agricultural labor in general, and the submarginal
position of agriculture as a major field of enterprise and employment.
Protective labor legislation and Nation-wide arbitration of labor dis­
putes in agriculture would almost necessarily have to be part of a more
comprehensive program of general price control and, probably, sub­
sidizing. The power to determine wage levels and conditions of
employment, and hence a major part of production cost in agriculture,
would seem to be a corollary of the Government’s power at present to
fix prices, restrict output, and compensate producers for their losses.
The principle of Nation-wide arbitration and legislative protection of
agricultural labor in competing crop areas, as part of a subsidizing pro­
gram by the Federal Government, has already been applied in one form
in the sugar industry. The Sugar Division of the Department of
Agriculture holds public hearings annually to air the grievances and
demands of representative employers and employees, and then sets
minimum wages and standard conditions of employment for each
factory district before the planting season begins. Logically, it would
seem that a similar system could be extended to other farm crops.
The Jones-Costigan Act of 1934 and the Sugar Control Act of 1937
established the principle that industries enjoying special protection or
financial benefit from the Government should be required to maintain
certain minimum standards of wages and working conditions. Almost
all branches of agriculture received such special benefits in the 1930’s.

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The relative merits of labor legislation and arbitration as means for
alleviating poverty, class conflict, and other farm-labor problems are
matters of controversy. The conclusions rest upon the conceptions
of the control that governments should have over economic affairs.
Probably both means would be required for agriculture, as they have
been for other industries. In any case, it seems more than likely that
seasonal farm laborers in the future will continue to organize and act
collectively to improve their situation. As long as wage levels and
working conditions remain substantially inferior to those in urban
occupations, labor unrest, unionism, and strikes will continue in rural
areas. In the last analysis, farm laborers can gain economic security
and improve their working conditions only if they can organize in
large numbers as an economic and political pressure group. Advo­
cates of labor legislation alone criticize voluntary arbitration and
collective bargaining on the ground that farm laborers are unable to
unionize effectively;13 critics of this view, on the other hand, point
out that legislation would be difficult to achieve and administer un­
less farm workers were well organized beforehand.14
Farm-labor unionism is likely to revive if the scale of farm opera­
tions increases. Agricultural undertakings in many crop areas are as
large, commercialized, and efficient as other nonrural industries, and
the trend toward large-scale production may continue. It is possible,
then, that class divisions in many types of farming will become wider
and more clear, and the incentive to organize correspondingly greater.
The rapid growth in membership and wealth of urban labor organ­
izations that has taken place during the war may furnish additional
stimulus to farm-labor unionism in the future. As urban unions
organize more and more industries and reach a growing number of
unskilled workers, they have a greater incentive to support the collec­
tive-bargaining efforts of farm workers and, perhaps, small farm
operators.
Lower-income groups in the rural population are a threat to the
security of industrial workers. Having uncertain employment and
substandard incomes and working conditions, they furnish a labor
pool that can be drawn upon to depress wages and break strikes in
urban areas. Theoretically, however, farm workers and operators
and industrial workers all have common economic interests which
may impel them to organize and cooperate for purposes of collective
bargaining and political pressure. Small-farm operators and industrial
workers alike would gain if farm workers could be organized and the
wages and working conditions on the land improved. The operators,
depending upon family labor, could compete more equally with the
large agricultural operators employing wage labor. The industrial
workers would also be more secure if the wages of farm labor were
increased, since this would lessen the competition for jobs in urban
industries. Viewed in this light, there are reasons to expect that
workers in agricultural and allied industries may again organize in
international unions which will function as an integral part of the
broader labor movement in the United States. In the long run,
indeed, farm-labor unionism of this kind may be in a strategic position
to bring together organized small farmers and industrial labor for
unified political action.
11 O tis E . M ulliken: Discussion of M ethods of W age D eterm ination in A griculture, in Journal of Farm
Economics, F eb ru ary 1941.
M . R . B enedict and R . L. Adams: M ethods of Wage D eterm ination in A griculture, in Journal of F arm
Economics, F eb ru ary 1941.

14


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Labor Organizations and Conferences

Labor-Management Conference on Industrial
Relations
ON July 30, 1945, Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg of Michigan sug­
gested in a letter to the Secretary of Labor, Lewis B. Schwellenbach,
that a Labor-Management Conference be held to ulay the ground­
work for peace with justice on the home front.” Senator Vandenberg
said in part:
I am wondering w hether there may not be an analogy between the two problems
(peace abroad and peace a t home) to the extent th a t the m ethod by which we
are solving the one could be the approach which m ight promise to solve the other.
When the delegations of fifty United Nations m et a t San Francisco, their ideas
were miles ap a rt in many instances. After intim ate and friendly consultations,
in which each frankly faced the problem of the other, we came finally to a unani­
mous agreement, despite repeated crises which were supposed to be insurmountable.
I t was a trium ph of the council table. Men of good will resolved their differences
for their own and the common welfare’s sake. We quit warring w ith each other
in order to stop our common enemy—war itself.
Is it impossible to apply this formula a t home in respect to these vital industrial
relationships? Responsible m anagement knows th a t free collective bargaining
is here to stay and th a t progressive law m ust continue to support it and th a t it
m ust be wholeheartedly accepted. Responsible labor leadership knows th a t
irresponsible strikes and subversive attacks upon essential production are the
gravest threats to the perm anent success of Labor’s Bill of Rights. The American
public knows th a t we cannot rebuild and m aintain our national economy a t the
high levels required by our unavoidable necessities if we cannot have productive
peace instead of disruptive war on the industrial front. American Government
knows th a t social statutes are futile except as they largely stem from m utual
wisdom and m utual consent.

The problem of how to deal with labor-management difficulties in
the postwar period had been under discussion between President
Truman and the Secretary of Labor for some time, and the message
from Senator Vandenberg served to crystallize the decision to go
ahead with the conference at the earliest possible moment.
In announcing the conference, President Truman appointed a special
committee of representatives of the Government and labor and business
organizations to serve as an agenda committee and decide upon the
scope of the conference, as well as the manner of handling the many
“long-term and short-term problems” that will be faced in the transi­
tion and postwar periods. This committee consisted of (1) Maj. Paul
H. Douglas of the United States Marine Corps (previously a professor
at Chicago University), representing the Secretary of Labor, (2) Charles
J. Symington, of Symington-Gould Corporation of New York City,
representing the Secretary of Commerce, (3) Boris Shishkin (serving
for Robert J. Watt) of the American Federation of Labor, (4) Ted F.
Silvey of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, (5) Joyce O’Hara
of the United States Chamber of Commerce, and (6) Raymond S.
Smethurst of the National Association of Manufacturers.

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38

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

On October 23, President Truman issued the official call for the con­
ference to meet in Washington, beginning on November 5, and at
the same time released the agenda for the conference as unanimously
suggested by the agenda committee.
In his opening address to the conference President Truman stressed
the imperative need to avoid industrial strife and his full conviction
that if labor and management were to approach each other with the
realization that they have a common goal they could arrive at an
amicable solution of their difficulties. He stated in part:
I w ant to make it clear th a t this is your conference— a management-labor con­
ference—and not a G overnment conference * * *. By the very nature of
th e task before you, you appear here not as representatives merely of the organi­
zations which chose you; but as public-spirited citizens who during the delibera­
tions will consider the interests of all groups of our people * * *. I have
tried to lay fairly before the people the position of labor and the position of indus­
try. They both have problems—grave and worrisome problems. B ut they are
not insoluble problems * * *. The im portant thing is to remember th a t those
problems— and their solution— cannot be allowed to stop us in our struggle to
reconvert from war to peace. For until we successfully reconvert our productive
capacity, we cannot hope to proceed tow ard our goal of full em ployment and an
increased standard of living. If labor and management, in an industry or in a
company, find th a t they cannot come to agreement, a way m ust be found of
resolving their differences w ithout stopping production * * *. The American
people know the enormous size of your task. B ut the stakes are enormous too.
If the people do not find the answers here, they will find them some place else.
For these answers m ust and will be found.

Composition and Procedure of Conference
As recommended, the Labor-Management Conference was composed
of 18 delegates representing organized labor, 18 representing com­
merce, and 3 nonvoting delegates representing the public. The dele­
gates were as follows:
Public representatives.—Judge Walter Parker Stacy (chairman of
the conference), Secretary of Labor L. B. Schwellenbach, and Secre­
tary of Commerce Henry Wallace.
Labor representatives.—A. F. of L: William Green, President of A.
F. of L .; George Meany, secretary-treasurer of A. F. of L .; Daniel J.
Tobin, president of International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauf­
feurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America; William L. Hutcheson,
president of United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America;
George M. Harrison, president of Brotherhood of Railway and Steam­
ship Clerks; Matthew Woll, vice president of A. F. of L.; Harry C.
Bates, president of Bricklayers, Masons and Plasterers’ International
Union of America; and David Dubinsky, president of International
Ladies’ Garment Workers’Union.
CIO: Philip Murray, president of the CIO; R. J. Thomas, president
of the United Automobile, Aircraft, and Agricultural Implement
Workers of America; Sidney Hillman, president of Amalgamated
Clothing Workers of America; Emil Rieve, president of Textile
Workers Union of America; Reid Robinson, president of Interna­
tional Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers; Albert J. Fitzgerald,
president of United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of
America; John Green, president of Industrial Union of Marine and
Shipbuilding Workers of America; and Lee Pressman, general counsel
of Congress of Industrial Organizations.
United Mine Workers: John L. Lewis, president.

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Railroad brotherhoods: T. C. Cashen, chairman of the Railway
Labor Executives Association.
Management representatives.—Eric A. Johnston, president of U. S.
Chamber of Commerce; Ira Mosher, president of National Association
of Manufacturers; Edward N. Allen, president of Sage-Alien & Co.,
Inc.; M. W. Clement, president of Gaylord Container Corp.; John
Holmes, president of Swift & Co.; Charles R. Hook, president of
American Rolling Mill Co.; George H. Love, president of Consolida­
tion Coal Co.; T. O. Moore, secretary and general counsel of P. H.
Hanes Knitting Co.; Edward P. Palmer, president of Senior & Palmer,
Inc.; H. W. Prentis, Jr., president of Armstrong Cork Co.; William M.
Rand, president of Monsanto Chemical Co.; Louis Ruthenberg, presi­
dent of Servel, Inc.; David Sarnoff, president of Radio Corporation of
America; Herman W. Steinkraus, president of Bridgeport Brass Co.;
E. J. Thomas, president of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.; Charles E.
Wilson, president of General Motors Corp.; and Harry Woodhead,
president of Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp.
An equal number of alternate delegates was appointed in similar
fashion. The Labor-Management Conference was therefore made up of
78 persons, including Dr. George W. Taylor, former Chairman of the
War Labor Board, who acted as the nonvoting executive secretary of
the conference.
With a few minor exceptions the organization and the work proce­
dure of the conference followed the outline prepared by the agenda
committee.2 After two days of sessions of the conference as a whole
the work was distributed among six major committees, each dealing
with a specific problem. Two additional committees were appointed—
an executive committee to coordinate and integrate the work of the
different committees, and a public hearings committee to obtain the
views on labor-management problems of other organizations not di­
rectly represented in the conference, such as unaffiliated unions,
consumers and other groups.
Action by Conference
The Labor-Management Conference adjourned on November 30,
having adopted unanimously only three committee reports, namely
those on initial collective agreements, on existing collective agree­
ments, and on conciliation services. The other three committees—
on collective bargaining, on management’s right to manage, and on
representation and jurisdictional questions—could not arrive at
unanimous decisions, and reports were submitted separately by the
labor and management groups. Significantly, however, the labor
members of the Committee on Management’s Right to Manage con­
cluded their report, as follows:
I t is the opinion of the labor members of this committee th a t if the representa­
tives pf management and labor in each industry would confer on the functions of
management and labor in the same friendly spirit as the committee approached the
subject assigned, industrial disputes would be minimized, production increased and
the public interest well served.

The conference in plenary session adopted unanimously two resolu­
tions, prepared by the executive committee, on fair employment
2 T he two m ost significant changes were the requirem ent of a unanim ous approval w ithin the committees,
and in the plenary session, of an y decision to he adopted as the action of the conference and the enlargem ent
of the executive com m ittee from 8 to 16 m embers to allow for more adequate representation on this committee.


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practices and the formation of a standing committee to continue the
work of the conference, as follows:
R e s o lv e d , th a t the Labor-M anagement Conference urge on all elements of labor
and management the broad democratic spirit of tolerance and equality of economic
opportunity in respect to race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin or ancestry
in determining who are employed and who are adm itted to labor-union mem­
bership.
R e so lv e d ,- th a t this Conference expresses its approval of the form ation of an
informal com mittee consisting of eight members:
2 members from the N ational Association of M anufacturers,
2 members from the Chamber of Commerce,
1 member from the American Federation of Labor,
1 member from the Congress of Industrial Organizations,
1 member from the U nited Mine Workers,
1 member from the Railway Brotherhoods,
this group to meet a t such tim es as it sees fit for the purpose of creating b etter
understanding between the respective groups, w ithout any stated agenda, w ithout
any indication th a t they carry responsibility for their respective groups, and
w ithout any definite program.
R E P O R T S U N A N IM O U S L Y A D O P T E D

3

C o m m itte e o n I n i t i a l C o llective A g r e e m e n ts

This 12-member, equi-partisan committee was given the task of
studying and reporting on “the extent to which industrial disputes
can be minimized by recognized and orderly procedure to negotiate
first contracts between a union and an employer, and the extent to
which provision should be made for the use of conciliation, if negotia­
tions seem to be breaking down.” Its report, unanimously adopted
first by the committee itself and then by the entire conference was as
follows:
The following recommendations grow out of the discussions of the committee.
In making these recommendations, the committee has been fully cognizant of the
varying circumstances which distinguish the needs and problems of different
industries.
1.
Collective bargaining undertaken prom ptly and in good faith, following
recognition of a properly established bargaining agent either by acceptance by the
employer or by operation of lawfully constituted procedures, is viewed as the first
step to avoid strike action by the union or refusal to bargain by the employer.
Observance of the following widely applicable rules will contribute to orderly
and peaceful procedures in making the first contract:
(a ) The employer should not question his obligation to bargain w ith the union
chosen as the bargaining agent for all employees in a properly established bargain­
ing unit.
(b ) N either side should delay immediate establishm ent of bargaining relation­
ships and commencement of contract negotiations.
(c) In their negotiations, the parties should look tow ard the preparation of a
signed agreement covering a defined period of time.
(d ) Before specific bargaining on individual items is undertaken, each p arty
should present to the other a general statem ent of its position and the parties
should then explore them jointly. Areas of agreement should be carefully sought.
Precise definition of the issues also should precede specific bargaining. In con­
sum m ating their first agreement, the parties should carefully define its scope and
terms.
(e) I t is well th a t respect and consideration be given to proposals presented by
either the employer or the union and every reasonable effort made to bring about
accord before any unreasonable ultim atum is issued by either side. Both sides
should avoid inflammatory statem ents which question Ihe sincerity or good faith
of the other party.
J R e p o rts of th e o th e r co m m ittees w ill b e in c lu d ed in


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LABOR ORGANIZATIONS AND CONFERENCES

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(/) Both parties should avoid threats or actions which interfere w ith normal
operations while negotiations are still proceeding in good faith and until all other
peaceful procedures have been exhausted.
2. Conciliation should be employed by the parties if collective bargaining has
not resulted in agreement. Such conciliation may be private or public, and if
public, local, State or Federal, as best suited to the circumstances.
Conciliation, however, should not be the first resort of parties, b u t should be
undertaken only after reasonable time and full effort to reach agreement has been
made by direct negotiation.
The conciliator should, wherever possible, be invited by both p arties'to partici­
pate. If th a t is not possible, the best practice is for the p arty inviting the concilator to notify the other party of this action.
3. If direct negotiations and conciliation have not been successful, voluntary
arbitration may be considered by the parties; however, before voluntary arb itra­
tion is agreed upon as a means of settling unsettled issues, the parties themselves
should agree on the precise issues, the term s of submission, and the principles
or factors by which the arbitrator shall be governed.
C o m m itte e o n E x is tin g C o lle c tiv e A g r e e m e n ts

This committee of 12 members equally divided between labor and
management studied “the extent to which industrial disputes can be
minimized by provisions incorporated in collective-bargaining agree­
m ents/’ such as—(a) The procedure to be followed in (1) the adjustm ent of disputes and griev­
ances during the life of a contract, and (2) the negotiation of a succeeding contract.
(b) The policy th a t once an agreement has been signed, no strikes or lock-outs
shall take place while it is in force, b u t th a t disputes shall be settled between the
parties by other means provided in the contract.
(c) When negotiations between the parties concerning the term s of renewal
of a contract have failed, provision should be made for the early use of concilia­
tion, mediation, and, where necessary, voluntary arbitration.
(d ) Provision by management and labor of facilities and personnel to enable
grievances to be settled quickly a t the level where they occur.

The unanimous report of the committee follows;
I. Collective-bargaining agreements should contain provisions th a t grievances
and disputes involving the interpretation or application of the term s of the agree­
m ent are to be settled w ithout resort to strikes, lock-outs or other interruptions
to normal operations by an effective grievance procedure w ith arbitration as its
final step.
II. To be effective, the procedure established for the settlem ent of such griev­
ances and disputes should meet a t least the following standards:
(a )
The successive steps in the procedure, the method of presenting grievances
or disputes, and the method of taking an appeal from one step to another should
be so clearly stated in the agreement as to be readily understood by all employees,
union officials and management representatives.
lb) The procedure should be adaptable to the handling of the various types
of grievances and disputes which come under the term s of the agreement.
(c) The procedure should be designed to facilitate ^ resettlem en t of grievances
and disputes as soon as possible after they arise. To this end—1. The agreement should provide adequate stated time limits for the presenta­
tion of grievances and disputes, the rendering of decisions, and the taking of
appeals;
2. Issues should be clearly form ulated a t the earliest possible moment. In all
cases which cannot be settled in the first informal discussions, the positions of both
sides should be reduced to writing;
3. M anagement and union should encourage their representatives to settle
a t the lower steps grievances which do not involve broad questions of policy or
of contract interpretation and should delegate sufficient authority to them to
accomplish this end;
4. The agreement should provide adequate opportunity for both parties to
investigate grievances under discussion;
5. Provision should be made for priority handling of grievances involving dis­
charge, suspension or other disciplinary action.
(d ) The procedure should be open to the submission of grievances by all parties
to the agreement.

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III. M anagement and unions should inform and train their representatives in
the proper functioning of the grievance procedure and in their responsibilities
under it. In such a program it should be emphasized—
(a)
T hat the basic objective of the grievance procedure is the achievement of
sound and fair settlem ents and not the “winning” of cases;
_(6) T hat the filing of grievances should be considered by foremen or super­
visors as aids in discovering and removing causes of discontent in their depart­
ments;
(c) T hat any tendency by either party to support the earlier decisions of its
representatives when such decisions are wrong should be discouraged;
(d) T hat the willingness of management and union officials to give adequate
time and attention to the handling and disposition of grievances and disputes is
necessary to the effective functioning of the procedure;
(e) T hat for the sound handling of grievances and disputes both m anagem ent
and union representatives should be thoroughly familiar w ith the entire collective­
bargaining agreement.
IV. The parties should provide by m utual agreement for the final determination
of any unsettled grievances or disputes involving the interpretation or application
of the agreement by an im partial chairman, umpire, arbitrator, or board. In this
connection the agreement should provide—•
(a ) A definite and m utually agreed upon method of selecting the im partial
chairman, umpire, arbitrator, or board;
(b ) T hat the im partial chairman, umpire, arbitrator, or board should have no
power to add to, subtract from, change or modify any provision of the agreement
b ut should be authorized only to interpret the existing provisions of the agree­
m ent and apply them to the specific facts of the grievance or dispute;
(c) T hat reference of a grievance or dispute to an im partial chairman, umpire,
arbitrator, or board should be reserved as the final step in the procedure arid should
not be resorted to unless the settlem ent procedures of the earlier steps have been
exhausted.
(d) T hat the decision of the im partial chairman, umpire, arbitrator, or board
should be accepted by both parties as final and binding.
(e) T hat the cost of such im partial chairman, umpire, arbitrator, or board should
be shared equally by both parties.
V. Any question not involving the application or interpretation of the agree­
m ent as then existing b u t which may properly be raised pursuant to agreement
provisions should be subject to negotiation, conciliation, or such other means of
settlem ent as the parties may provide.
VI. Where an agreement contains a renewal clause and a change or modification
or reopening of the agreement is requested by either party, or where the existing
agreement is about to be term inated, ample tim e prior to the term ination of the
agreement should be provided for the negotiation of a new or modified agreement.
If such negotiations should fail, the parties should make early use of conciliation,
mediation, a,nd, where m utually agreed to, arbitration.
VII. N othing in this report is intended in any way to recommend compulsory
arbitration, th a t is, arbitration not voluntarily agreed to by the parties.
C o m m itte e o n C o n c ilia tio n S erv ic e s

This committee, composed of 4 labor and 4 management members,
was requested to deal with the following question: “To prevent in­
dustrial disputes from taking place, should provision be made for im­
proving and strengthening the Conciliation Service of the United
States Department of Labor, and should there be additional support
for the operation of the Service?” In its report the committee em­
phasized that “nothing in this report is intended in any way to recom­
mend compulsory arbitration.” The report follows:
C o n c ilia tio n s e r v ic e . — 1. A Federal Conciliation Service, which by its im par­
tiality and efficiency wins the respect of the public, management, and labor, will
be a strong force in minimizing industrial disputes and preventing strikes.
2. The parties to labor disputes should conscientiously exhaust all possibilities
of settlem ent through collective bargaining before either p arty requests concilia­
tion or mediation services.
3. As far as possible, and wherever practicable, disputes should be settled a t
thefjplant level. Local, State, or Federal conciliation agencies should be used, as
best suited to the circumstances. I t is desirable to secure close coordination be­
tween the^activities of the Federal, State, and local conciliation services.


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4. The committee unanimously recommends th a t every effort be made toward
the reorganization of the United States Conciliation Service to the end th a t it be
established as an effective and completely im partial agency within the D epartm ent
of Labor.
In order to obtain the advice, assistance, support, and confidence of management
and labor, a representative advisory committee to the Director of the United
States Conciliation Service should be appointed. The advisory committee should
consist of equal numbers of representatives of management and labor selected by
the Secretary of Labor from a list of nominees subm itted by leading organizations
of employers and labor.
The advisory committee should be responsible for making recommendations to
the Secretary of Labor or to the Director of the Conciliation Service with respect
to the policy, procedures, organization, and the development of adequate standards
and qualifications for the personnel of this Service.
5. The personnel of the Conciliation Service should be characterized by im­
partiality, integrity, and a knowledge of labor-management problems. To this
end, the committee recommends:
(a) Conciliators should be appointed w ithout regard to civil service requirements.
(b) The salaries of commissioners and officers in the Service should be sufficient
to a ttra c t persons possessing the necessary qualifications.
(c) Provision should be made for practical training for newly appointed
conciliators. During such training, the newly appointed conciliators should be
assigned as observers in the course of actual conciliation of a variety of cases.
Adequate facilities should be made available to assure thorough knowledge on the
p art of conciliators of the policies of the Service, techniques of conciliation, labor
laws, and industrial relations practice. Current inform ation services should be
made available to all conciliators to keep them currently abreast of developments
in the Conciliation Service and to provide them with up-to-date inform ation on
current labor law and industrial-relations practice. In addition, periodic re­
fresher courses should be conducted in the interest of m aintaining high standards
of service.
(d ) The num ber of conciliators should be adequate to perm it th e Service to
perform conciliation functions adequately and prom ptly.
(e) Congress should immediately make available funds for improving and
strengthening the Service.
6. Conciliation must, under all conditions, be maintained as distinct and sepa­
rate from arbitration. A Commissioner of Conciliation m ust never be assigned
to a case as an arbitrator, except where a w ritten request for his services as
arb itrator has been made by both parties to a dispute. All services provided by
the U nited States Conciliation Service should continue to be voluntary.
A r b i t r a t i o n s e r v ic e .— The Division of Arbitation of the U nited States Concilia­
tion Service should be reorganized. We recommend th a t the perm anent arbi­
trato rs now employed, with the exception of the Chief of the A rbitration Service,
be transferred or absorbed in some other work where their experience, talents or
skill can be utilized. The Chief of the Division should not act as an arbitrator.
The Division of A rbitration should have a pool or list of capable, trained
im partial arbitrators. They should be paid on a per diem basis a t rates approved
by the Director. From this pool, arbitrators may be assigned to cases when
requested by both parties.
A complete list of arbitrators, with a summ ary statem ent of experience and
qualifications of each, should a t all tim es be available to labor and management
representatives.
The scope of the arbitration and '¡the method of enforcement of the decision
shall be determined by the term s of the contract being arb itrated or by agreement
of the parties.
T e c h n ic a l s e r v ic e s .—I t is recommended th a t the Technical Service Division be
reorganized, th a t it be manned by a qualified and im partial staff. I t should
operate with the advice and counsel of a technical advisory committee.
The technical advisory committee should consist of equal numbers of represent­
atives of management and labor, selected by the Secretary of Labor from a list of
nominees subm itted by leading organizations of employers and labor. The
technical advisory com mittee should have available the services of staff assistants
from the staff of the Division of Labor Standards and the Bureau of Labor
Statistics. The Technical Service Division should work in close cooperation with
the technical advisory committee, the U nited States Conciliation Service, and the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, to the end th a t the data and services of these agencies
be available to the Conciliation Service whenever needed.
G 7 7 2 3 4 — 4 6 ------- 4


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Results of International Labor Conference of 1945
THE Conference of the International Labor Organization met in
Paris between October 15 and November 5. Fifty-one nations sent
representatives; three of these were nonmember nations which sent
observers. Iceland, a new nation, became a member during the period
of the Conference; Guatemala and Italy renewed their former mem­
berships. Among the great nations, only the Soviet Union was not
represented, and the Conference indicated its hope that the U. S. S. R.
would soon seek membership.
Italy’s rejoining of the ILO attracted much interest. The proce­
dure set a possible pattern for the readmission, after a time, of former
enemy States into United Nations organizations. Speaking on this
subject before the Conference, one of the American delegates,1Senator
Thomas of Utah, said:
The question before us is the readmission of Italy. Our aim is to unite peoples
and not to divide them- * * *. In this I speak for the Government of the
United States of America, b u t I am sure th a t I speak also w hat is in the minds and
hearts of the American people * * *. We do not condone the acts of the
Fascist Government of Italy * * *. We condone nothing * * *. The
Italian people have respaded the soil of their land, and in th a t renewed soil the
ideals of the International Labor Organization will be more able to flourish.

Agenda of Conference
The agenda of the Conference included the following items:
I. The maintenance of high levels of employment during the period
of industrial rehabilitation and reconversion.
II. Welfare of children and young workers (first discussion).
III. Matters arising out of the work of the Constitutional Com­
mittee.
IV. Minimum standards of social policy in dependent territories
(supplementary provisions).
Among the most important of the above subjects was the one on
matters arising out of the work of the Constitutional Committee,
which normally would not be of particular importance, since the
basic work of the ILO concerns the raising of labor standards. Re­
cently, however, questions of considerable significance have arisen,
such as whether the ILO should break its ties with the League of
Nations, whether it should affiliate with the United Nations Organ­
ization, whether it should make use of the opportunity, when so many
other matters are open for discussion, to amend its Constitution in
fundamental ways.
Action of Conference
A M E N D M E N T OF ILO C O N ST IT U T IO N

The Conference adopted a resolution, confirming a statement of its
Governing Body, that the ILO should seek affiliation with the United
Nations Organization. It accepted an amendment of the ILO Con1
T h e U nited States delegation consisted of the following: T he G overnm ent delegates were H on. Frances
Perkins, former Secretary of Labor, and Hon. E lb ert D . Thom as, Senator from U tah; advisers were
H on. M ary T . N orton (M em ber of Congress), C arter Goodrich, professor of economics at Colum bia
U niversity, K atharine F . Lenroot, C lara M . Beyer, R alph J. Bunche, W alter Kotschnig, and W illiam L.
Connolly. T he State D epartm ent consultant was Otis E. M ulliken. T he employers’ delegation was
headed by Jam es D avid Zellerbach; advisers were John M eade, M . M . O lander, Carlyle Fraser, and Charles
E. Shaw. T he workers’ delegation was headed b y R obert J. W att; advisers were Arnold S. Zander, John
T . Jones, C. L. Darling, John Brophy, and M ichael Ross. T h e secretary of the delegation was John S.
G am bs. E th el E vans was secretary to Senator Thom as.


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stitution which will come into force as soon as ratified by a sufficient
number of nations. The amendment, when ratified, will (if the League
of Nations has not already been dissolved) sever the ties that still
formally bind the ILO to the League.
The amendment will also provide new procedures for amending the
ILO Constitution, will alter the present financial structure, will re­
define the conditions for membership, and in other ways will strengthen
the present basic document. A system of temporary autonomous
self-government is created to operate during the period before the
ILO is integrated into the structure of the UNO.
Other constitutional amendments were proposed by the delegates
but no direct action was taken. They were, instead, referred to a
small committee (on which the United States is represented) which
will meet in London in January 1946. High on the committee’s list
for consideration are suggestions relating to national responsibility in
regard to Conventions drafted and adopted by the Conference, and
changes in the present system of tripartite representation (the sug­
gestion being to retain the tripartite principle, but to change the
present numerical representation among the three groups).
M A IN T E N A N C E

OF

EM PLO YM EN T

The Employment Committee addressed itself to a task which is and
will remain a concern of the Organization. Hon. Frances Perkins
represented the United States Government on this Committee, and
took a leading part in its debates. In the “Philadelphia Charter,”
adopted at the ILO Conference in 1944, the following paragraphs ap­
pear:
All hum an beings, irrespective of race, creed or sex, have the right to pursue
both their m aterial well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of
freedom and dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity;
The attainm ent of the conditions in which this shall be possible m ust con­
stitu te the central aim of national and international policy;
All national and international policies and measures, in particular those of an
economic and financial character, should be judged in this light and accepted
only in so far as they may be held to promote and not to hinder the achievement
of this fundam ental objective;
I t is a responsibility of the International Labor Organization to examine and
consider all international economic and financial policies and measures in the
light of this fundam ental objective.

A year later, the Charter of the United Nations was adopted. It
includes the following:
W ith a view to the creation of conditions of stability and well-being which are
necessary for peaceful and friendly relations among nations based on respect for
the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, the United Nations
shall prom ote: (a) Higher standards of living, full em ployment and conditions
of economic and social progress and development; (6) solutions of international
economic, social, health, and related problems and international cultural and
educational cooperation; and (c) universal respect for, and observance of, hum an
rights and fundam ental freedoms for all w ithout distinction as to race, sex,
language, or religion.

In the period between the adoption of these two statements, prog­
ress was made towards the establishment of a Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO), an International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development, an International Monetary Fund, and a number of
highly specialized agencies, each of which, it may be assumed, will
play a role in the establishment of conditions permitting the mainte
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nance of high levels of employment with high or rising standards of
living.
The Employment Committee made note of the fact that the ILO,
in 1944, was the only international organization in existence which
fully appreciated the significance of employment and high levels of
consumption as a basis for the maintenance of peace, and it welcomed
the statement contained in the United Nations Charter as well as
the constructive role to be pla}red by such organizations as the Bank,
the Fund, and the FAO.
The resolution on employment, adopted by the Conference,
suggested both contra-cyclical taxation policies to stimulate industry
and to employ labor, and anti-inflationary measures. It distin­
guished among policies appropriate to devastated countries, those
appropriate to the less-developed agricultural countries, and those
appropriate to advanced industrial nations undamaged by actual
military operations.
W ELFARE

OF

C H IL D R E N

AND

YOUNG

W ORKERS

The problems of children and youth and the measures required to
assure adequate protection of young persons were considered in a
tripartite committee of representatives of Government, employers,
and workers, which presented two reports to the Conference, both
of which were adopted unanimously.
The first report dealt with medical examinations for fitness for
employment, and restriction of night work for children and young
persons, looking toward the development of draft conventions at
next year’s Conference. The second report was devoted to resolutions
on the protection of children and young workers and on the youth
of liberated countries. Both reports emphasized the importance of
doing everything possible to promote the health, educational oppor­
tunity, and welfare of youth, and to raise standards of protection
against child labor. Miss Katharine Lenroot of the United States
delegation served with Mrs. Alva Myrdal of Sweden as reporter for
the Children and Youth Committee.
W ORKERS

IN

DEPENDENT

T E R R IT O R IE S

The fourth item on the agenda related to the improvement in the
economic and social conditions of many millions of workers in depend­
ent territories. A recommendation was adopted dealing with such
matters as freedom of organization, minimum wage rates, workmen’s
compensation and other forms of social security, conciliation, health,
and labor inspection for workers in dependent territories. The
Charter of the United Nations, in Chapter 11, clearly recognizes a
special obligation on the part of the international community toward
these dependent peoples. The Conference decided to carry forward
the work of the Organization in this area at its next session in 1946.
OTHER

A C T IO N

The Conference, in addition to taking action on the special agenda
items discussed above, addressed itself to certain recurrent topics con­
cerned mostly with the internal administration of the Organization.
The usual committees on the application of conventions, on résolu
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tions, on credentials, standing orders, etc., performed their tasks and
presented their reports.
Several challenges came before the credentials committee. The
only one sustained (by a vote of 119-0) charged that the workers’
delegate and adviser designated from the Argentine Republic had not
been appointed in accordance with the ILO Constitution. They were
not seated, because they “were not appointed under those conditions
of liberty which are presumed by the agreement referred to by para­
graph 3 of Article 3 of the Constitution and, consequently, they can­
not be considered as representatives chosen'without any compulsion
by workers’ organizations enjoying freedom of association as laid down
by the Constitution of the Organization.” This is the first time in the
history of the ILO that credentials have been rejected.
Mr. Phelan, Acting Director of the Secretariat, presented his annual
report to the Conference, setting forth the role of the ILO in a world
only beginning to recover from warshock.
The electoral colleges met to select new representatives to the
Governing Body of the ILO Office. Although changes were made,
many of the former experienced members will continue to serve. As
in the past, the United States will be represented by members of each
of the three constitutent groups—government, workers, employers.
James David Zellerbach replaces Henry I. Harriman as the American
employer member. Mr. Robert W att is the worker representative.
The Conference was followed by a meeting of the Governing Body
of the ILO Office. The term of the United States Chairman, Carter
Goodrich, having expired, the Governing Body elected as its head
Guildhaume Myrddin-Evans, C. B., Undersecretary of the British
Ministry of Labor and National Service.
* * * * * * *

Machinery for World Federation of Trade Unions1
ONE hundred and eighty-seven accredited delegates from 65 national
labor organizations, claiming a membership of 66% million workers in
56 countries, met in Paris, September 25 to October 8, 1945, adopted a
constitution, and created the machinery for the new World Federation
of Trade Unions.
.
The meeting was convened as the Second World Trade Union Con­
ference and was called by the administrative committee 2 appointed by
the first such conference, held in London, February 5-17, 1945. _ Dur­
ing the first week, therefore, the delegates acted as representatives of
the conference; thereafter they were delegates to the First Congress
of the World Federation of Trade Unions.
Action of the Paris Conference
O R G A N IZ A T IO N

OF

W ORLD

F E D E R A T IO N

OF

TRADE

U N IO N S

The delegates were 'well-nigh unanimous in favor of the formation of
a new international organization. The number of proposed amend1 Prepared by Boris Stern, chief of th e B ureau’s In d u strial Relations D ivision.
TTnitoU
2 T he com m ittee consisted of the following: Sir W alter C itrine, G r e a t.B n ta m ;S i^ e y
States; M . P . Tarasov, Soviet U nion; W alter Schevenels, Belgium (IF T U ), H . T . Liu, C luna, and Louis
Saillant, France. T he com m ittee m et in Paris in M arch 1945, m W ashington in April, ^ 4 “
cisco in A pril and M ay. I t agreed on a draft constitution to be su b m itted to all trade-union organizations
represented a t th e London conference as well as to those invited b u t unable to attend..


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ments to the draft constitution, as well as the heated debates on the
constitution, soon made it clear that there was no such unanimity as
to the objectives, structure, and activities of the proposed new body.
As to objectives, Sir Walter Citrine of the British Trades Union
Congress noted that some of the speakers appeared to be under the
impression that the job of the conference was to “build a political
international,” and warned that the new organization would perish
if it became drawn into “the maze of politics.”
Let us always remember th a t our job here is to build a trade-union inter­
national, an international to carry on practical day-to-day trade-union work, to
guide the activities of our different trade-union centers and to secure practical
results for the individual members of our unions.

On the composition of the new international organization he said:
Our World Trade Union International m ust be composed of bona-fide tradeunions, and we w ant the executive committee to have power to require an organ­
ization to subm it to it such balance sheets, reports, particulars of membership,
and such other information as the executive committee may consider necessary.
The executive committee, in our judgm ent, m ust also have authority to investi­
gate the activities of any of the affiliated organizations if they consider this neces­
sary to ensure the bona-fide trade-union character of such organizations.

Regarding the IFTU and international trade secretariats affiliated
with it, he proceeded:
As we have already got an International Federation of Trade Unions, we say the
common-sense thing is to negotiate between the executive committee of the
World Federation and representatives of the IF T U in order to see how best and
how quickly the staff and the officers of the IF T U may be brought in to play their
full p art in the new federation * * *. Equally the British trade-unions
which are attached to the IF T U through the various trade secretariats have no
intention of deserting those bodies and sacrificing their staffs * * *. Those
organizations are ready to join the World Federation; they are ready to liquidate
themselves under proper conditions, and we shall support them in their negotia­
tions and in their desire to secure those conditions.

The above excerpts not only illustrate the problems that confronted
the conference but also represent the basis on which the constitution
committee, and later the conference itself, adopted unanimously the
amended draft constitution of the WFTU.
A IM S

AND

M ETHODS OF W FTU

As outlined in the preamble to the constitution the major objective
of the world trade-union movement—to improve the living and work­
ing conditions of the people of all lands—is to be accomplished through
the following principal functions assigned to the WFTU:
(1) To organize and unite the trade-unions of the whole world,
irrespective of race, nationality, religion or political opinion.
(2) Wherever necessary, to assist the workers in countries socially
or industrially less developed in forming their trade-unions.
(3) To carry on the struggle for the extermination of all Fascist
forms of government and every manifestation of Fascism under any
form or name.
(4) To combat war and the causes of war and to work for a stable
and enduring peace.
(5) To represent the interest of world labor in all international
agencies whose responsibility will be to solve the problems of world
organization, resting upon agreements or conventions concluded be­
tween the United Nations and in such other international bodies as
may be decided upon by the WFTU.

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(6) To organize the struggle (a) against all encroachments on the
economic and social rights of the workers and on democratic liberties;
(6) for the satisfaction of the need of the workers for security of full
employment; (c) for the progressive improvement of wages, hours
and working and living conditions of the workers; (d) for full and
adequate protection of workers and their families against the hazards
of unemployment, sickness, accidents and old age; and (e) for the
adoption of all other measures furthering the social and economic
well-being of the workers.
(7) To plan and organize the education of trade-union members on
the question of international labor unity and to awaken them to a
consciousness of their individual responsibility for the realization of
trade-union purposes and aims.
O P E R A T IO N A L

M E C H A N IS M

OF

W FTU

The functions and the activities of the World Federation of Trade
Unions are to be carried out through a number of distinct but closely
integrated bodies, namely, the World Trade Union Congress, the
general council, the executive committee, the executive bureau, and
the general secretary.
W o r ld T r a d e - U n io n

Congress

The congress, consisting of delegates of the affiliated trade-union
organizations, will be the sovereign authority of the WFTU. It will
convene regularly every other year; extraordinary sessions may be
called by the general council and the executive committee or at the
request of half of the affiliated trade-union organizations.
The number of delegates which each trade-union affiliate will be
permitted to send to the Congress will be determined on the following
basis:
N u m b e r o f delegates

Up to 250,000 m em bers____________ _ 1.
For members i n e x c e s s o f 250,000 and 1 for every 200,000 members or maup to 5,000,000.
jority thereof.
For members i n e x c e s s o f 5,000,000 and 1 for every 500,000 members or maup to 10,000,000.
jority thereof.
For members i n e x c e s s o f 10,000,000 1 for every million members or m ajority
and up to 15,000,000.
thereof.
For members i n e x c e ss o f 15,000,000____1 for every 2 million members or m a­
jority thereof.

Any two or more affiliated organizations have the right to demand
a roll-call vote of the congress, and the voting strength of each affili­
ated trade-union organization will be determined as follows:
N u m b e r o f votes

Up to 50,000 m em bers_______________ 1.
For membership i n ex c e ss of 50,000 1 for each
and up to 5 million.
thereof.
For membership i n e x c e ss of 5 million 1 for each
and up to 10 million.
thereof.
.For membership i n e x c e s s of 10 million 1 for each
and up to 15 million.
thereof.
For membership i n e x c e s s of 15 m illion. _ 1 for each
thereof.

50,000 members or m ajority
100,000 members or m ajority
200,000 members or m ajority
400,000 members or m ajority

Each affiliated organization is required to cast its votes as a unit,
and all decisions of the Congress are to be made by majority vote
unless otherwise provided in the constitution.

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The World Trade Union Congress has the authority to modify or
amend the constitution (by a two-thirds majority), to deal with
questions concerning the admission or expulsion of any affiliate, to
elect the general council, the executive committee, and the auditors of
the WFTU, and to consider and act upon matters brought before it
by affiliated trade-union organizations.
The WFTU constitution specifically guarantees the autonomy of
the trade-union movement in each country. Section V of Article IV
reads as follows:
The autonomy of the trade-union movement of each country is guaranteed.
Decisions of the World Congress, its general council and its executive committee
calling for action by affiliated bodies shall be immediately subm itted to the gov­
erning body of each affiliated organization and shall be carried into effect by it,
unless within 3 m onths it shall have notified the general secretary th a t in its opinion
a particular decision cannot be applied by it and shall present to the general sec­
retary a full statem ent of the reasons for its inability to give effect to such decision.
G e n e r a l C o u n c il

Between sessions of the congress the governing powers of the WFTU
are lodged with the general council, which in essence is a smaller replica
of the congress itself. However, its smaller size and the more thorough
screening of its composition should enable it to function as a working
body more effectively than the more or less unwieldy congress.
The general council is required to meet at least once a year and will
be presided over by the chairman of the executive committee. Special
meetings of the general council may be called by the executive com­
mittee or at the request of one-third of its members. Its specific
functions are (a) to receive and act upon the reports of the executive
committee, (b) to approve the annual budget of the WFTU, (c) to
formulate plans and to take action for carrying out the decisions of
the congress, and (d) to elect the general secretary.
Each affiliated organization, irrespective of size, is entitled to have
at least one representative and one substitute on the general council.
The affiliates also have the right to nominate their members and substi­
tutes who are then to be elected as such by the congress for a 2-year
period on the following basis: 1 member and 1 substitute for each
organization with a million members or less; 2 members and 2 sub­
stitutes for over 1 million and up to 4 million members; 3 members and
3 substitutes for over 4 million and up to 10 million members; 4
members and 3 substitutes for over 10 million and up to 15 million
members; and 5 members and 3 substitutes for over 15 million mem­
bers.
The reduction in size of the general council as compared with the
congress is thus brought about largely by restrictions of representa­
tion of the trade-union organizations with very large memberships.
The maximum representation on the general council that any one
affiliate may have is 5 delegates. At present, Soviet Russia is the
only nation which has the maximum. For the other countries the
number of delegates is as follows: United States (CIO), France,
Great Britain, and Italy, 3 each; Sweden and Czechoslovakia, 2 each;
all other countries, 1 each.
The voting procedure of the general council is the same as that for
the congress, and in the event of a roll call each organization repre­
sented in the council is entitled to cast the same number of votes as in
the congress.

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51

E x e c u tiv e C o m m itte e

The functions of the executive committee are to direct the activities
of the WFTU between meetings of the general council and to give
effect to the decisions and resolutions adopted by the general council
and the congress. The executive committee is required to meet
regularly not less than twice a year and in special sessions called by
the general secretary with the approval of the executive bureau.
In addition to the general secretary, the executive committee is
to have 25 members elected by the general congress; of these, 22 are
to be elected from candidates nominated by affiliated trade-unions
on the following geographic basis: Soviet Union, 3; United States
and Canada, 3; Great Britain, 2; France, 2; Latin America and
West Indies, 2; Near East and Middle East (Egypt, Palestine, Syria,
Lebanon, Iraq, Iran), 1; China, 1; Australasia (Australia, New Zea­
land), 1; India and Ceylon, 1; Africa, 1; Scandinavia (Sweden, Nor­
way, Denmark, Finland, Iceland), 1; Western Europe (Belgium,
Holland, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Ireland), 1; Southern Europe
(Italy, Spain), 1; Central Europe (Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria,
Poland), 1; and Southeastern Europe (Rumania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria,
Albania), 1. The other 3 members are to be elected from among
candidates nominated by the International Trade Departments, each
department being entitled to propose the name of one candidate.
All members of the executive committee are to be elected by general
vote of the congress. Although elected on a distinctly geographic
basis, the Committee is specifically instructed by the constitution to
represent the congress as a whole and not any particular geographic or
trade-union division.
E x e c u tiv e B u r e a u

Between sessions of the executive committee of 26, the affairs of the
WFTU are to be governed by an executive bureau of 9, consisting of a
president, 7 vice presidents (all elected by the executive committee
from among its members at its first meeting following the regular
meeting of the World Trade Union Congress), and the general secre­
tary of the WFTU. The constitution does not indicate the frequency
of bureau meetings nor assign any specific powers except that, subject
to confirmation by the executive committee, it is to appoint two
assistant general secretaries to serve under the direction of the general
secretary.3
The members of the executive bureau elected for the next 2 years
are Sir Walter Citrine (Great Britain), president; and Louis Saillant
(France), general secretary; and the following vice presidents: V. V.
Kuznetsov (USSR), Sidney Hillman (USA), L. Jouhaux (France),
V. Lombardo Toledano (Latin America), M. F. Chu (China), G.
DiVittorio (Italy), and E. Kupers (Holland).
The executive bureau is to arrange for the collection of statistical
and other information on social legislation and other matters of interest
to the trade-union movement, and to disseminate this information to
the affiliated organizations. It will also plan and conduct educational
programs for the benefit of the affiliates.
3
A pparently a t a later m eeting of the Executive Com m ittee this num ber was increased to three, the third
being given charge of the work of the International T rade Secretariat. T he three assistant general secre­
taries appointed were John B rophy (OIO), M . Faline (U SSR), and W. Schevenels (former general secretary
of the IF T U ) to be in charge of trade departm ents.


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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 19 46
G e n e ra l S e c r e ta r y

The general secretary is the principal administrative officer of the
World Federation of Trade Unions. He will be in general charge of
the staff and administration of its affairs. He will be responsible to
the executive committee, but may be removed from office only upon
action of the general council. The general secretary is instructed by
the constitution to edit in several languages a monthly bulletin de­
signed to maintain the connections of the WFTU with its affiliates.
M E M B E R S H IP

OF

W FTU

The WFTU is to be composed of the bona-fide national trade-union
organizations which affiliated with it at the time of the adoption of
the constitution or are admitted later. As a general rule, affiliation is
to be confined to a single national body from each country, but more
than one may be admitted if deemed justifiable.
The executive committee has authority to require any affiliate
to submit to it such information as it may consider necessary, and to
investigate the activities of any affiliate in order to determine its
bona-fide trade-union character.
F IN A N C E S

OF

W FTU

Income.—The funds of the WFTU are to be derived from annual
dues paid on the following basis:
A n n u a l d u es p e r 1,000
m em bers or p a r t thereof

Up to 5 million m em bers______________________________ £4 ($16.12).
Members in excess of 5 million and up to 10 million_______ £2 ($8.06).
Members in excess of 10 million and up to 15million_____£1 ($4.03).
Members in excess of 15 million_______________________ 10s. ($2.02).

The executive committee is given the authority, subject to ratifi­
cation by the general council, to permit affiliated organizations to
pay reduced fees without any loss of representation or voting rights.
The constitution committee recommended that reductions be allowed
only after examination of the affiliate’s circumstances, and urged two
categories of reduced fees, of not over 50 percent and not over 75
percent, respectively.
Expenditures.—The executive committee is given the authority to
submit to the general council an annual budget covering all activities
of the WFTU. The only items mentioned in the constitution are
expenses of members of the executive bureau and auditors, incurred
in the performance of their duty, and transportation costs of members
of the executive committee.
Special Problems
IN T E R N A T IO N A L

TRADE

S E C R E T A R IA T S

What to do with these secretariats and how to incorporate them
into the structure of the WFTU were major difficulties of the World
Trade Union Conference. Speaking on behalf of the secretariats, Mr.
Oldenbrook of the International Transport Workers Federation took
the position that, although they desire to become part of the new
World Federation of Trade Unions they could not affiliate until the
conditions of their affiliation and status in the new international body

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LABOR ORGANIZATIONS AND CONFERENCES

53

had been clarified. Other delegates, including Sir "Walter Citrine of
the British Trades Union Congress and Pat Conroy of the Canadian
Congress of Labor, agreed.
At the suggestion of the constitution committee, the conference
amended Section II of Article X III of the draft constitution, to read
as follows: “Subject to the provisions of Paragraph I, Article X III,
the aims, methods of work, duties, rights and finances of the trade
departments shall be governed by a special regulation to be adopted
by the executive committee and approved by the general council.”
As special problems may arise in the interval before the next regular
congress, which may require the exercise by either the general council
or the executive committee of the powers which normally reside in
congress, the following annex to the constitution, recommended by the
constitution committee, was adopted:
In the period between the holding of the first constitutional congress in 1945
and the second regular congress, the executive committee of the general council
shall have authority to exercise any of the functions of the congress which, in the
judgm ent of either, is essential for the effective carrying on of the work of the
World Federation of Trade Unions, including the power to amend the constitution
as circumstances may necessitate. Any action taken by the executive committee
under this paragraph shall become effective on such date as it may determine and
shall remain in force subject to confirmation by the next meeting of the general
council. Any action taken by the general council under this paragraph, including
action confirming the action of the executive committee, shall become effective on
such date as it may determine and shall remain in force subject to confirmation
by the next congress. No action under this paragraph shall be taken unless
supported by a two-thirds vote of the general council or executive com mitte as the
case may be. In the case of a vote under this paragraph by the executive com­
mittee, each country or group of countries represented on the executive committee
shall cast the same num ber of votes which it would be entitled to cast in the
congress in the case of a card roll-call vote. N othing in this paragraph shall per­
m it the alteration of the fundam ental rules or principles of the World Federation
of Trade Unions as laid down by the congress or contained in the constitution.
STA TU S

OF

IN T E R N A T IO N A L

F E D E R A T IO N

OF

TRADE

U N IO N S

Neither the draft constitution nor the adopted revision make any
reference to the existing International Federation of Trade Unions
(IFTU). However, both major officers of the IFTU (President
Citrine and General Secretary Walter Schevenels) are now officers of
the WFTU; the former is president of the executive bureau and the
latter is a special assistant to General Secretary Saillant, in charge of
the International Trade Secretariats. It was, therefore, generally ac­
cepted that when the problems of the International Trade Secretariats
have been solved and they become an integral part of the WFTU,
the IFTU will automatically cease to exist.4
Trade-Union Representation at the Conference
The accompanying table shows the labor organizations represented
at the conference and the membership reported for each.
4
“ T he International Federation of Trade-Unions ended its 40-year history on D ecember 15, 1945, when
the general council, under its chairm an, Sir W alter C itrine, voted for its dissolution. Six members of the
executive committee, representatives of unions in B ritain, France, D enm ark, Sweden, Belgium, the N ether­
lands, Switzerland, C hina, and In d ia and 10 trade secretariat representatives were present.”


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M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW----JANUARY

1946

O r g a n iz a tio n s R e p r e s e n te d a t S e c o n d W o r ld T r a d e - U n io n C o n fe re n c e
a n d T h e ir R e p o r te d M e m b e r s h ip 1

[In descending order of size of membership claimed]
M em ber­
ship
re p o rte d 2

C ountry

Organization

U nion of Socialist Soviet Republics.
U nited TCinP'dom
U nited States of A m erica____
Italy
F rance___ __ _________________

C entral Council of T rade U nions---- -- -------------- ------ -

27,124, 000

___
. ... Trades U nion Congress __________
Congress of In d u strial Organizations___________________
General Confederation of L abor________ _____ ___ __ - General Confederation of L abor____
_____
_ - -........ . . .
. ._
C hristian Confederation of W orkers
C
entral
Council
of
T
rade
U
nions_____________
.
--------Czechoslovakia______________ General Confederation of W orkers___ ___________ ______
R um ania-............
T rade Union Confederation
....
_
_
Sweden
_ .. _
P o lan d --- ____ ______ ______ C entral C om m ittee of T rade Unions
T rade U nion C ouncil___
_ ..
H ungary
. . . ------ . _ _______ __ __ _
C hina. ______________________ Association of L ab o r__
Council of T rade Unions
_ .
______ ____ _
Australia
Confederation of W orkers.
_ . _
. _______ _ . _ _
Chiba,
U nited T rade U nion of W orkers. .
_ _
Yugoslavia,
General U nion of W o rk e rs ___ _ ___ _____ ___ . . . ...
U ruguay
Federation of L abor ........
...... . . .
Belgium
General Confederation of Labor.
. . ___
Hen m ark
T rade U nion C o n g re ss_______
. . _______
____
Nigeria
Trade U nion C ongress.-- ________ ____ ___ . ______
India
Federation of L a b o r ____ . . . _________________________
Federation of T rade U n io n s __________ _______ ______
N orw ay
A ustria_______________ ______ T rade U nion Federation _______________ _____________
Congress of Labor . . . ___
-----..__ _ ______
C anada
Finland
T rade U nion Federation ............. . _ _____
Federation of Trade U n io n s...
._
_
Switzerland
Association of P ro testan t T rade U nions________________
Confederation of W o rk e rs... -_
- . . . _ ______
Colombia.
U nited Trade U nion M o v em en t________ ... __________
N etherlands
Federation of Labor . _
_
____
. ___
.
New Zealand
U nited W orkers M ovem ent- ________________ _______
Brazil
Federation
of
Jewish
L
ab
o
r.
.
_
___
.
Palestine
Palestine Labor League__________ . . ________ ______
Federation of A rab T rade U nions___ ________________
T rade U nion Congress . ____ ____
.
-..
... .
Ireland
Basque W orkers S o lid a rity ___
Spain
______ . . .
General U nion of W orkers________... . . .
General U nion of Spanish W orkers in F rance___________
General U nion of Spanish W orkers in Mexico___________
T rade Union Congress__
_____
Egypt
Congress of Industrial and Commercial U n io n s _________
Trades and Labor C o u n cil.. _ __ _ _ ... _
Union of South Afriea
Confederation of W orkers
.
...
Guatem ala
General Confederation of W orkers_____________________
Puerto Rico
Lebanon___________ ________ T rade U nion Federation_______ _________ __________
T rade U nion F e d e ra tio n ..
_____ ___ . . ___ ____ .
Panam a
C entral Confederation of L ab o r________________________
Luxemburg
Free T rade U nion F e d e ra tio n -.. ____ _____ __________
Federation of T rade U nions.. . . ______________________
Iceland
T rade U nion Federation .
.
...
. _ ___
Ceylon
T rade U nion Federation . ..
. .
_ __
.
___
Albania
Syria.
W orkers Congress. _____
.
.
. . .
___ . . .
T rade U nion C om m ittee.......... ................ . . . . .
Cyprus
T rade U nion Congress.
_
........
. . . . . ...
Jamaica
T rade U nion Congress.
__. . __
Sierra Leone
T rade U nion Council __________ _______ ______
T rinidad
_ . . . _________
T rade U nion Council ________
B ritish G uiana
Labor U nion_______
.
____ .
. ..
Gambia
R ailw ay African E m p lo y e e s__
Gold Coast
N orthern Rhodesia
M ine W orkers U nion. .

6,600, 000
6.000,000
5,200,000
5,100,000
750,000
1,500,000
1,267,000
1,087,000
1,011,000
888,000
800,000
625,000
558,000
622,000
540,000
500,000
500,000
500,000
456,000
408,000
400,000
350,000
300, 000
260, 000
250, 000
10,000
200,000
170,000
168, 000
150, 000
150, 000
5,000
3,000
145,000
100,000
31,000
20, 000
12,000
78,000
60,000
70,000
50,000
30,000
25,600
25,000
22, 500
10,000
22,000
20,200
20,000
17,600
13[ 200
10, 000
10, 000
10, 000
6, 200
5, 000
3,000
3,000

1In addition, the International Federation of Trade Unions and Confederation of Latin American Trade
Unions were represented by delegates, as were also the following trade-union secretariats: International
Federation of Bookbinders and Kindred Trades; International Boot and Shoe Operatives and Leather
Workers; International Federation of Building and Woodworkers; International Union of Federations of
Workers in Food and Drink Trades; Miners International Federation; Postal, Telegraph and Telephone
International; International Federation of Employees in Public and Civil Services; International Federa­
tion of Textile Workers; International Transport Workers’ Federation; International Typographers’ Secre­
tariat; International Federation of Tobacco Workers; International Union of Hatmakers; International
Federation of Teachers; International Federation of Faetoryworkers; International Federation of Com­
mercial, Clerical, and Technical Employees.
2 In submitting these figures to the conference, the credentials committee stated that it “only had the
task of verifying credentials” and that itw as “reasonably satisfied that the figures of [membership quoted
were those figures on which the organization intends to affiliate.”


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LABOR ORGANIZATIONS AND CONFERENCES

Convention of International Association of
Machinists, 19451
THE first major union convention since the end of the war was
held by the International Association of Machinists in New York City
from October 29 to November 7. This 21st convention of the 57year-old machinists’ union was attended by nearly 1,000 delegates.2
Gains in Membership and in Collective Bargaining
Spectacular gains in membership since 1940, exceeding those of
“any other period in the life of the organization,” were disclosed in
the officers’ report. From 1940 to 1945 the number of members rose
from about 200,000 to nearly 750,000, including 70,000 in the armed
forces, as indicated below:3
Members

1889____
1899____
190CL
1905____
1910.....
1914____
1915____
1916___

1,000
13,600
. . 22, 500
__ 48, 500
_ 56, 900
_ 75,400
71, 900
- .100, 900

Members

____________ 112,500
1940--.
1917
1918
____________ 143,600
1941_____
1919
__ •____ 254, 600 1942_____
1920
______ 330, 800 1943_____
1921
____________ 273,600
1944_____
1945_____
1925____________ 71,400
1930____________ 78,000
1935________________ 92,500

Members

-1 9 0,100
______221, 800
______328, 500
______458, 400
........ 665, 900
______680, 000

Largely because of the nature of the work, the number of women
members prior to the war was very small, in spite of the fact that the
union has always admitted women. With the onset of war and inten­
sified IAM organizing effort in the aircraft and other mass-production
industries employing large numbers of women, the number of women
members began to increase. At the peak of war production, between
70.000 and 100,000 women were members of the IAM.
The number of agreements signed with employers increased from
5.000 to 8,000 in the period 1940-45. Because of the diversity of
industries in which members of the IAM are employed, the number of
workers covered per agreement varies from as few as two or three
machinists (in an auto repair shop) to tens of thousands (in an aircraft
plant).
Problems of Reconversion
The two most important matters before the 1945 convention were
(1) the charting of the union’s program of reconversion from a war to
a peacetime economy and (2) the difficulties of the IAM with the
American Federation of Labor because of jurisdictional disputes with
other AFL unions.
In his opening address to the convention, the president, Harvey W.
Brown called for united labor action to combat any attempts to launch
another open-shop drive similar to the one following the First World
War. He endorsed a 36-hour workweek, without reduction in pay,
and asked for bold action by the union against all the forces and
conditions which might contribute to mass unemployment.
1 Prepared in th e B ureau’s In d u strial Relations D ivision b y Peter B. Liveright.
s T he In tern atio n al Association of M achinists was founded in 1888 b y a group of m achinists working for
th e A tlan ta shop of th e W ilm ington, Colum bia & A ugusta Railroad, un der the nam e of U nited M achin­
ists and M echanical Engineers of America. B y 1889 th e union had 22 lodges w ith a m em bership of about
1,000. T h a t year, a t th e first convention, the nam e was changed to th e N ational Association of M achinists.
T he th ird convention, held in 1891, adopted th e present name, T he International Association of M achinists.
8 M em bership figures except for 1945 and 1889 are based on th e A F L reports showing the num ber of union
m em bers for which per capita tax had been paid to th e A F L . T h e 1945 figure is based on the union’s claim
of 750,000 m em bers less 70,000 in the arm ed forces. T he figure for 1889 is taken from estim ates of th e m a­
chinists.


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Cn

OS

MEMBERSHIP OF INTERNATIONAL A S S O C IA T IO N OF M A C H IN I S T S
1900-1945
THOUSANDS

THOUSANOS

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

UNITEO STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS


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LABOR ORGANIZATIONS AND CONFERENCES

57

The problems of the IAM have been greatly increased because of
the wide range of industries in which members of the association are
employed. The IAM has substantial membership in the aircraft,
shipbuilding, railroad, machinery, and automotive-repair industries,
each of which presents serious postwar problems.
R E C O N V E R S IO N

PROBLEM S

OF

S P E C IF IC

IN D U S T R IE S

Aircraft industry .—The greatest growth in the IAM membership
during the war took place in the aircraft industry. In 1940 the ma­
chinists had about 20,000 members in 17 aircraft lodges; by April 1945
they had 131 lodges with about 160,000 members (not including
machinists working for subcontractors of aircraft parts), or nearly 25
percent of the total IAM membership.
In order to organize the thousands of unskilled and semiskilled
workers in the large mass-production aircraft plants more effectively
and also to meet the competition of other unions, the aircraft lodges
of the IAM have been organized on an industrial rather than craft
basis. A resolution introduced by six large Boeing aircraft lodges of
the IAM endorsed the industrial type of organization in mass-produc­
tion industries and was overwhelmingly adopted by the delegates.
The aircraft committee’s report, which was also adopted, advocated
the following program intended to help maintain employment in the
aircraft industry:
(1) M aintenance of an adequate m ilitary air force w ith full consideration of
possible need for rapid expansion.
(2) Maximum development of commercial air transportation with possible
Federal aid.
(3) Promotion of civil noncommercial flying, including Federal subsidization
of flying instruction for the national youth.
(4) Orderly disposal of surplus aeronautical materials.
(5) Legislation to promote scientific research and scientific education through
a G overnment-supported N ational Research Foundation.
(6) Promotion of foreign m arkets for aircraft aided by a liberal governmental
policy consistent w ith national security.

An immediate drive for the establishment of 52 hours’ take-home
pay for a 40-hour week in the airframe industry was voted by the
delegates in a resolution introduced by two West Coast aircraft lodges.
The executive council was given authority to take any necessary
actions on an industry-wide basis to enforce this demand, including
(b ut not limited to)the full use of ‘‘economic strength’’if negotiations fail.
The interest of the machinists’ union in finding new ways of main­
taining full employment for the membership was indicated by the
announcement that the IAM international president had become a
member of the board of directors of a development and engineering
organization engaged in promoting the manufacture of dwelling units
in plants formerly used in the aircraft industry. The president of the
corporation told the convention that the company had developed an
emergency barrack for overseas housing relief and a circular factorybuilt and inexpensive permanent home well suited for mass production
in aircraft plants, using the same fabrication methods as are used in
building airframes. In his opinion construction of such dwelling units
could easily absorb unused facilities of the aircraft industry, provide
thousands of jobs, and make available for the first time large numbers
of low- and medium-price homes to meet some of the urgent postwar
housing needs.
Railroad industry .—The employees of the railroad machine shops
are the oldest groups in the IAM. The IAM officers’ report noted

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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

194 6

that “the work of organizing the machinists on railroads is almost
completed,” and the IAM now “holds agreements on all class I rail­
roads except the Pennsylvania Railroad and on all short-line
railroads except some very small and scattered properties.” For the
most part these are joint agreements with other crafts affiliated with
the Railway Employees Department of the AFL.
The convention endorsed the following program for the railroad
industry: (1) A national working-rules agreement to standardize
conditions throughout the railroad industry; (2) a 36-hour week,
with time and a half for Saturday and double time for Sundays; (3)
weekly paydays; (4) extra pay for night work; (5) 15 days’ sick leave
annually; (6) enactment of a Federal railroad workmen’s compensa­
tion law to protect workers in the several States where they are not
covered by a workmen’s compensation act; (7), liberalized vacation
agreements; and (8) amendment of the Railroad Retirement Act, to
increase the monthly annuities.
Government employees.— District No. 44 of the IAM is composed of
lodges whose membership is employed in navy yards, naval stations,
arsenals, the Panama Canal, and other Federal service. The following
program particularly applicable to these Government employees was
adopted by the convention: (1) Time and a half for work on Satur­
day and double time for work on Sunday, (2) action to secure an ade­
quate increase in wages for all Government employees coming under
the jurisdiction of the IAM, to offset loss in take-home pay caused by
shorter hours and increased cost of living, and (3) the adoption of
the Magnuson-De Lacy bill, which would establish a seniority sys­
tem similar to the type generally established by the machinists through
collective bargaining. Another resolution adopted by the delegates
advocated the enactment of legislation to permit employees to retire
after 30 years of Government service, regardless of age.
OTHER

IM P O R T A N T

R E S O L U T IO N S

General legislative program.—The convention went on record as
favoring the enactment by Congress of (1) the Murray Full Employ­
ment Bill, (2) emergency unemployment compensation of $25 for 26
weeks, (3) severance pay to war workers and extra bonuses for war
veterans, (4) a 65-cent hourly minimum wage, (5) the Wagner-Murray Health and Social Security program, (6) reduction of taxes on
lower incomes, (7) a national program of low-cost housing and public
works, (8) establishment of a Missouri Valley Authority, and (9)
maintenance and more rigid enforcement of price and rent control.
Wages and hours.—The machinists favored an intensive campaign
for immediate pay increases to offset reduction in income caused by
loss of overtime pay and a 35-liour workweek, with the objectives of
securing agreements “which will provide a cultural standard of living
guaranteed by an adequate annual income.”
Veterans and seniority.-—The machinists’ union was one of the
initiators of the policy of admitting veterans to membership without
payment of initiation fees. At the convention the delegates voted to
limit, to 1 year after discharge, the time during which returning
veterans could benefit by this arrangement. In another resolution
the convention rejected General Hershey’s interpretation of the
Selective Service Act as providing “super-seniority” to returning
veterans. The union’s policy, according to a statement made at the
convention, would be to grant veterans credit toward then- old job

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LABOR ORGANIZATIONS AND CONFERENCES

59

for the time spent in the service; in the event of a lay-off, veterans
would have the same standing for rehiring as other workers.
Jurisdictional Difficulties With Other AFL Unions
The jurisdictional problems of the IAM with respect to other AFL
unions are of long standing. The jurisdictional difficulties with the
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and the Amalgamated
Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees have existed
for many years; those with the International Union of Operating
Engineers are of more recent origin. As background for the action
of the 1945 convention in this matter, a brief review of the problems
is given below.
As early as 1914, in response to a protest by the machinists against
the carpenters, the AFL convention unanimously (1) reaffirmed the
jurisdiction of the machinists over the building, assembling, erecting,
dismantling, and repairing of machinery wherever used, (2) directed
the carpenters to discontinue infringement upon this field, and (3)
instructed the president and executive council of the AFL to “render
every possible assistance in enforcing the intent of this resolution.”
Nevertheless the differences continued, leading to frequent protests
by the machinists. In February 1938, President Green was authorized
by the executive council to telegraph (upon request) confirmation of
the machinists’ jurisdiction regarding machinery to employers con­
cerned. This led to a threat by the president of the carpenters’
organization to cease payment of the per capita tax, unless such tele­
grams were discontinued. The executive council revoked the authoriza­
tion in April 1938, and the jurisdictional conflict remained unsettled.
The 1915 AFL convention directed the street-railway workers’
organization to desist from trespassing on the machinists’ jurisdiction
as regards machinery in shops or garages operated by the transporta­
tion companies. In 1928 the two unions reached an agreement
whereby the streetcar men’s union relinquished its claims to machin­
ists on such work, and any disputes over the interpretation of the
agreement were to be arbitrated by the president of the AFL. One
dispute—in Boston—was so arbitrated, the arbitrator deciding in favor
of the machinists. The streetcar men’s organization has, however,
continued to claim jurisdiction in other cities.
A 1926 agreement with the operating engineers recognized the juris­
diction of the machinists over installation, repair, etc., of machinery
and of the engineers over operation of all kinds of engines; in tem­
porary emergencies the engineers were authorized to make such
repairs as would keep engines in operation. In April 1941 the Building
and Construction Trades Department of the American Federation of
Labor by letter informed the engineers that it recognized the en­
gineers’ jurisdiction over the repair of rigs and machinery operated
by them on building and construction jobs. Although the AFL con­
vention of that year decided that the department was not competent
to decide on the matter, the engineers claimed the new jurisdiction
and in January 1942 abrogated the agreement of 1926.
The situation was further complicated when in April 1943 President
Green informed the operating engineers that the operation of ships in
trial runs came under their jurisdiction. The machinists claimed that
this was contrary to long-time practice in the shipbuilding industry,
under which such runs were conducted by machinists.
6 7 7 2 3 4 — 4 6 ------- 5


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60

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

In May 1943 the IAM voted to withdraw from the AFL, but upon
promises that the Federation would do everything possible to settle
the jurisdictional problems, returned in October of the same year.
However, further difficulties developed when, in August 1944 and
January 1945, the AFL executive council gave the operating engi­
neers control over the repair of machinery used on the job by operat­
ing engineers. In November 1944 the IAM executive council decided
to withhold the per capita tax to the AFL.
Action of 1945 convention— A.X, the 1945 convention of the machin­
ists, President Green of the AFL appealed to the delegates for imme­
diate payment of their per capita tax to the Federation, amounting to
about $100,000 a year, and urged that the jurisdictional troubles be
fought out within the Federation and not outside.
After hearings by a special committee and 10 hours of deliberation,
the convention adopted the following recommendation of the IAM
executive council:
If we are to hold the highly valued respect of our real friends we must, w ithout
wavering, continually show evidence we respect ourselves. I t is the recommenda­
tion of the executive council th a t, pending fair treatm en t from the AFL executive
council, paym ent of AFL per capita tax be deferred. I t is our further position to
overcome the activities of the unions herein mentioned which are raiding the
membership and trespassing on the jurisdiction of the International Association
of M achinists, th a t the officers of the AFL, if and when called upon by interested
parties, m ust be required to officially confirm, by w ritten notice, the jurisdiction
of our union, particularly relating to—
(1) Erecting and repairing of machinery of all description on construction
projects, in buildings (during course of construction or when completed) or
elsewhere;
(2) M aintenance and repair of automobiles, trucks, busses, tractors and other
autom otive equipm ent and machinery of all description operated by or for local,
interurban or long-distance transportation companies, individuals, or business
establishm ents of any kind.

The IAM executive council was authorized to take any action
deemed necessary to bring about a settlement with the American
Federation of Labor.4
Constitutional Changes
The constitution was amended to provide the following increases in
the salaries of officers: International president, $12,000 (from $8,540);
secretary-treasurer, $10,000 (from $7,540); vice presidents, $8,000
(from $5,540); general vice president assigned to grand lodge head­
quarters $9,000 (from $6,580); and grand lodge representatives and
auditors, $5,000 per annum for the first 6 months, $5,500 for the next
6 months, and $6,000 thereafter (increased from $4,120).
Another amendment provided that, in electing a grand lodge vice
president from Canada, voting should be confined to the Canadian
membership.
Other amendments provided for (1) a cut in the mandatory retire­
ment age of grand lodge officers and employees from 70 to 65 years
with an increase in the maximum pension from $200 to $320, (2) an
age limit of 23 years (instead of 21) for apprentices, and (3) a 5-cent
increase in dues to help finance a weekly newspaper.
In accordance with the constitution of the IAM, all decisions of the
convention must be submitted by a referendum to the rank and file
membership for ratification.
4 £ ff w w ®eks after the convention, the IA M was informed by President Green th a t since the per capita
tax had not been paid in accordance w ith the A F L constitution, the m achinists had suspended themselves

from th e F e d e ra tio n .


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Social Security

State Workmen’s Compensation Legislation in 19451
IN 1945, 37 of the 44 States which met in regular legislative session
enacted legislation affecting their workmen’s compensation laws.
Notable progress was made in establishing second-injury funds to
aid the employment of handicapped workers and war veterans, in
extending the coverage of employments and also of occupational
diseases, and in increasing benefits. In 2 States the administrative
agency wTas reorganized. In the field of occupational-disease legis­
lation 4 States provided protection against such diseases for the first
time, and existing legislation was improved in several States.
Second-Injury Funds
Second-injury funds or equivalent arrangements were established
in the following 13 States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecti­
cut, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Tennessee, Washington, and Wyoming. As a result of this legisla­
tion, 32 States now have second-injury funds.2
Occupational Diseases
New occupational-disease laws were enacted in Colorado, Florida,
Maine, and New Mexico, bringing to 32 the number of States pro­
viding compensation for industrial diseases. The Florida law covers
all occupational diseases, but the other 3 laws are the schedule type
and are restrictive in many respects. In addition to this new legis­
lation, changes in existing laws were made in a number of States.
Increased Benejits
Nineteen States raised the level of'benefit payments. In some of
these States both the maximum and minimum weekly benefits were
increased, and in others the maximum, number of weeks during which
compensation is paid was raised. The aggregate amount payable
was also increased in some States. Most of the changes resulted in
improvements of existing legislation, but in Utah aggregate payments
for total disability were limited to $8,500 in place of the life benefits
previously allowed.
Disability benefits.—In view of increases in wages and living'costs,
the raising of the maximum limitations upon weekly payments was
1 Prepared in the Division of L abor Standards of th e D epartm ent of Labor b y Alfred Acee.
2 A discussion of the general problem and the legislative enactm ents on second-injury funds was given
in the M o n th ly Labor Review, A ugust 1945 (p. 284).


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61

62

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

194 6

of paramount importance. Such increases were made in 15 States
for all types of disability, and in 5 other States for certain types of
disability. In addition, California continued the maximum com­
pensation of $30 per week for temporary total disability until 91 days
after the end of the 1947 session of the legislature or until the official
termination of World War II. The provisions of the New York
law permitting maximum compensation of $28 per week for total
disability were extended until June 1, 1946.
T a ble 1.—Benefit Increases in Disability Cases Under State Workmen’s

Compensation Laws, 1945
W eekly maxi­
m um

W eekly m in i­
m um

Aggregate
am ounts

From — T o—

From — T o—

From — T o—

State and kind of disability

Delaware:
Tem porary to ta l___ _____ . . . $18
Perm anent to ta l____ _____
18
P erm anent p artial____ ___ _ 18
Idaho:
Tem porary to ta l______ ____ 16
P erm anent to ta l.___________
16
Illinois:
Tem porary to ta l_________ . . 23. 50
Perm anent to tal___ _ . . . . . .
23.50
P erm anent p a rtia l__________
23. 50
Indiana:
Tem porary to ta l____________ 18. 70
P erm anent to ta l... ._ _ ____ 18. 70
____ _ 18.70
P erm an en t p a rtia l..
Iowa:
Tem porary to ta l____ _____ 15
Perm anent to ta l____________ 15
P erm anent p artial_____ _ ._ 15
M aryland:
P erm anent p artial__________
18
M assachusetts:
Tem porary to ta l__ ______ __ 20
Perm anent to ta l____________ 20
P erm an en t p a rtia l__________
20
M innesota:
Tem porary to ta l_______ ____
20
P erm anent t o t a l __________
20
P erm an en t p artial. _ ______
20
N ebraska:
Tem porary t o t a l _______ . . .
15
P erm anent t o t a l _____
15
15
Perm anent p artial____ _ . . .
New Jersey:
Tem porary t o t a l ___________ 20
P erm anent total . . ___ . 20
P erm anent p a rtia l._
__ _ _ 20
N orth D akota:
Tem porary to ta l________ _ _ 25
Perm anent to tal____________
Ohio:
Tem porary to ta l____________ 21
P erm an en t to tal____
_ _ . 21
P erm an en t p artial__________
21
Oklahoma:
Tem porary to ta l. ________
18
Perm anent to ta l___ _______
18
18
P erm an en t p artial__________
Oregon:
Tem porary total . . . _____
22.38
Perm anent to tal_______ ____
Perm anent p artial__________
Pennsylvania:
Tem porary to ta l___________
18
PeriA anent to tal____________
18
P erm an en t p a rtia l.. . _____
18
Puerto Rico:
Tem porary total __________
10
P erm an en t to tal____________
10
Perm anent p artial................... 10
U tah:
Tem porary total ____ ______ is 16
P erm anent to tal____________ is 10
Perm anent p artial__________ 12 10

See footnotes at end of table.


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$21
21
21
20
1 20

Periods (in weeks)
From —

T o—

450
450
$6
6

$8
8

10. 01
10.01
10.01

11
11
11

500
500

24
24
24
20. 08
20.08
20.08
18
18
18

6
6
0

8
8
8

20

8

2 10

4 22
4 22
4 22

11
11

15
15

24
24
24

8
8
8

$3,816 3$4, 240
4, 500
4, 500

7,500
(5)
7,500

500
500

(14)
(■9

10
10
2 10

18
8 18
18
25
25
25

(9
(7)
(9

30

(9
(9

» 24. 50
» 24.50
« 24. 50
21
21
21

400
(8)

10
10

8
8
8
8
8

10
10
10
(1°)
(1°)
(10)

26.54

20
20
20

9
9
9

10
10
2 10

15
15
15

3
3
3

4
4
4

is 22. 50
12 22. 50
12 22. 50

7
7

10
10

h

7, 500
7, 500
7,500

10,000
10,000
10,000

2,000

2,500

6, 250
Life
6,250

8, 500
8, 500
5.624

63

SOCIAL SECURITY
T able 1.— Benefit Increases in Disability Cases Under State Workmen's

Compensation Laws, 1945— Continued
W eekly maxi­
m um

W eekly m ini­
m um

Aggregate
am ounts

From — T O -

From — To—

From — T o—

Periods (in weeks)

State and k in d of disability

Verm ont:
T em porary to ta l- _____ . .
Perm anent to ta l.. - .............
W est Virginia:
Tem porary to ta l__ ____ __
Perm anent total......................
Perm anent p a rtia l.............. .
W isconsin:
T em porary total _ ............... ..
Perm anent to ta l.. _________
P erm an en t partial-. . _____
W yoming:
Tem porary total ...................
Perm anent to ta l..
.
. ..

15
15

20
20

7
7

10
10

16
16
16

18
18
18

8
8
8

10
10
10

24.60
21
21

25.90
25.90
25.90

25.38
27.92
16.15 43 17. 77

4, 000
4,000

From —

To—

5.200
5.200
78

6,000

156

6,600

1 Reduced compensation after first 400 weeks increased from $6 to $8 per week.
2 For listed disabilities only.
3 For listed disabilities. For nonlisted disabilities increased from $3,000 to $5,000.
4 Plus $2.50 for each dependent.
6 After payment of $7,500 (instead of $4,500) reduced benefits are paid during disability.
6 Reduced compensation after first 300 weeirs increased from $10 to $12 per week.
7 Increases minimum by eliminating provision for payment of actual wages if less than minimum.
8 Duration of weekly benefit for schedule injuries increased from 25 to 35 percent.
* For period ending September 30, 1947.
10 Amount payable for each degree of partial disability increased from $25 to $30.
41 For listed disabilities. For nonlisted disabilities, increased from $15 to $17.
12 Plus allowances for minor children.
13 Benefits for children increased from $180 to $198 annually, with total increased from $5,500 to $6,050.
14 Benefits paid during period of disability.

Death benefits.-—Increases in the maximum weekly benefits in death
cases were made in 14 States. In 7 of these States the minimum
T able 2 .-—Benefit Changes in Death Cases Under State Workmen’s Compensation

Laws, 1945
*

W eekly
maximum

W eekly
m inim um

Aggregate
am ounts

Periods
(in weeks)

From — To—

From — To—

From — To—

From — To—

State

Delaware
Illinois
In d ia n a ___ _
M aryland
M assachusetts
M innesota
N ebraska
New Jersey
N orth D akota
O h io ..
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
U tah
W isconsin
W yoming

.

... _

$19. 50
23. 50
18. 70
18
12
20
15
20
20
21
18

$22. 75
24.00
20.08
20
4 15
24
18
25
23. 33
3 24. 50
20

16
15
11.54

« 22. 50
18. 50
« 12. 69

$7.00

$10.00

10.01
8

11.00
10

8

$5, 500
5, 000
6,400

$7, 500
6, 500
7,600
(2)

7,000

7, 500

7, 500

(7)
7,000

4, 500

4,950

10
(3)
(4)
(6)

300

350

1 For widow. Benefits for each child were increased from $3 to $5 per week.
2 After m axim um of $10,000 is paid, widow is entitled to additional paym ents, m axim um $2,500, from
special fund.
3 M inim um increased b y elim inating provision for paym ent of actual wage, if less than m inim um .
4 W eekly wage deemed to be no t less th an $25, instead of $18.
s For period ending September 30,1947.
6 W eekly wage deemed to be no t less than $17, instead of $15.
7 D eath benefits range from $2,000 to $3,500 instead of from $1,000 to $3,000.
8 Allowances for children eliminated.
* Benefits for children were increased from $180 to $198 annually, w ith total increased from $5,000 to $6,050.


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64

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

weekly benefits were also raised. Changes were made in the aggregate
maximum benefits in 7 States, and in Indiana the maximum period
during which benefits are paid was extended. Seven States increased
the maximum allowances for funeral expenses. In Alabama this
allowance was increased from $125 to $200, and in Minnesota, New
Mexico, and Utah from $150 to $250. In North Dakota the allow­
ance was raised from $200 to $250, in South Dakota from $150 to
$300, and in Wisconsin from $200 to $300.
Waiting 'period.—In Iowa the waiting period was reduced from 2
weeks to 1 week. The amendment provides that if incapacity extends
beyond the fourth, fifth, or sixth week compensation for each of these
weeks is increased by one-third in place of the former provision of a
two-thirds increase in case incapacity extends beyond the fifth, sixth,
or seventh week. In Puerto Rico the waiting period was reduced
from 7 days to 5 days, with the provision that if disability continues for
4 weeks compensation is payable from date of disability.
Coverage of Persons and Employments
Some important changes relating to coverage were made. The
Massachusetts act was made compulsory as to employers of more than
3 instead of more than 6 and elective as to employers of 3 or less in­
stead of 6 or less. In North Carolina the exemption of sawmill and
logging operators with fewer than 15 employees was amended to apply
to those with fewer than 10. The exemption now applies only to
individual operators. In Michigan the workmen’s compensation act
was made elective instead of voluntary for employers with fewer than
8 employees.
Medical Services
Six States—Indiana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Dakota,
West Virginia, and Wyoming—increased the amount or duration .of
medical aid. In Michigan employers are now required to furnish
artificial appliances, and under legislation in Utah specific amounts
are allowed for an artificial limb or eye.
Administration
Two States—California and New York—reorganized or reenforced
the authority of the administrative agencies to meet the great increase
in the volume of cases handled. In California 4 additional commis­
sioners were appointed to serve on the Industrial Accident Commis­
sion. In New York, where additional board members were appointed
in 1944, a newly created Workmen’s Compensation Board took over
the workmen’s compensation functions of the Industrial Commissioner
and the Industrial Board.
Legislation relating to administration and procedure was enacted in
Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, New
Jersey, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. In Nebraska, changes were
made in the qualifications of the judges of the workmen’s compensation
court by eliminating the requirement that one judge shall be an attor­
ney, one a representative of employers, and one a representative of
employees. The amended law provides that hearings must be held
within 60 days after a petition is filed.

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SOCIAL SECURITY

65

Australian Social Insurance Legislation, 1944-451
IMPORTANT changes occurred in the Australian social-insurance
system in July 1945.
Unemployment and Sickness Insurance
Eligibility .—Under the Unemployment and Sickness Benefits Act
of 1944, eligibility for both kinds of benefit extends to persons who
have attained the age of 16 years but are Under 65 years of age (60
years for females) and who have resided continuously in Australia for
not less than 1 year prior to the date on which a claim is made for
benefit. An applicant for unemployment benefit must satisfy the
director general of social services that his unemployment is not the
result of direct participation in a strike, that he is able and willing to
perform suitable work, and that he has taken reasonable steps to
obtain such work. For sickness benefit, the person must satisfy the
director general that he is temporarily incapacitated for work by
reason of sickness or accident and has therefore incurred loss in salary,
wages, or other income and that the incapacity was not brought about
with a view to obtaining sickness benefit.
A marriedjwoman”snall|notI’beJ"qualified| to] receive* unemployment
or sickness benefit, unless the director general is satisfied that it is not
reasonably possible for her husband to maintain her. Similarly,
benefits are withheld from aboriginal natives, unless the director
general is satisfied “by reason of the character, standard of intelli­
gence and development of the aboriginal native, that it is reasonable
that the aboriginal native should receive benefit.”
Contributions.-—Money for the payment of unemployment and sick­
ness benefits, like other forms of social insurance, is to be taken from
the trust account established under the National Welfare Fund Act of
1943 providing for the formation of the national welfare fund. This
fund, which was made up from regular tax revenue, recently formed
nearly half of all the nonwar expenditures of the Commonwealth
Government. Previously such costs were defrayed from general
revenue. However, in the consideration of the budget in 1945 the
position taken by the Commonwealth was that a specific levy should
be fixed for social-benefit costs and that it was equitable that lowincome earners should contribute to the maintenance of a system
under which they are the chief beneficiaries. Therefore, a levy of Is.
6d.2 per £1 is to begin with an income of £104 for social purposes,
whereas income tax begins at £200.
Benefit rates.—Rates of benefit shown below apply both to the in­
sured person who is unemployed and who is incapacitated by sickness,
except that the sickness benefit payable per week may not exceed
1D ata are from In tern atio n al L abor Office, Legislative Series, A ustralia, 1944, No. 2;rT he'Tim es (London)
Septem ber 10,1945 (p. 3); E m ployers’ Review (Em ployers Federation of N ew South Wales, Sydney) , Ju ly
31, 1945 (p. 180); and reports by Perry Ellis, vice consul, A ugust 3,1945 (No. 149) and Alfred G. W hitney,
economic analyst, A ugust 21, 1945 (No. 5) from th e U nited States Legation, C anberra, Australia.
2 T he official exchange rate for th e A ustralian pound was $3.23 in U nited States currency in late 1945.
Studies in th e interw ar period showed th a t to convert one currency into another according to the foreign
exchange rate does not give an accurate measure of the relative purchasing power of m oney b u t information
is not available showing the relative living costs in th e U nited States and A ustralia.


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66

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

the rate of salary, wages, or other income per week, which the director
general believes that the person has lost by reason of his incapacity.
TT

.

,

Unmarried persons:
Under 18 years of age____________________
18 and under 21 years of age_____________
Other persons_______________________________
Dependents:
S pouse1_________________________________
C hild___________________________________

W eekly benefit
£ s.

0
1
1

15
0
5

1
0

0
5

1 T h is provision covers a spouse resident in A ustralia who, in th e director general’s opinion is dependent
on th a t person; th e allowance, however, is subject to reduction of the am ount of any pension under £1 th a t
the spouse is receiving.

A means test for beneficiaries is prescribed by the terms of the
law, whereby the director general is granted discretionary power to
reduce the benefit paid to any person if the aggregate income of the
spouse and of minors exceeds stipulated sums.
Benefits are payable from and including the seventh day after the
day on which the insured person becomes unemployed or makes a
claim for unemployment benefit, or becomes incapacitated owing to
sickness or claims sickness benefit. Payments are to be made only
as long as the director general is satisfied that the person continues
to be qualified for aid. Provision is made for transfer of the insured
person from sickness benefit to unemployment benefit, and vice versa,
without financial loss.
Special benefits may be authorized at the discretion of the director
general to special classes. The rate of such payment may not exceed
that for unemployment or sickness and shall continue for such period
as the director general determines.
Invalidity and Old-Age Pensions
Benefits.—Passage of the Invalidity and Old-Age Pensions Act
of 1945 amended the earlier legislation by providing for an increase
in the maximum pension rate from 27s. per week to 32s. 6d., effective
on installments payable on and after July 5, 1945. Inmates of
benevolent institutions, in which the cost of maintenance is borne
almost entirely by the institution, were granted a weekly increase in
benefits amounting to 2s., bringing the total they receive personally
to 11s. 6d. per week. The difference between the 5s. 6d. advance
allotted for each pensioner and the 2s. paid to the inmate himself is
paid to the institution. In August 1945, 310,501 pensioners received
the 5s. 6d. increase in invalidity and old-age pensions. The number
of institutionalized pensioners was 4,930. For both groups, the total
additional cost of pensions was £4,510,500, which raised costs of the
system to £27,000,000.


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SOCIAL SECURITY

67

Canadian Conference Affecting Social Insurance
and Taxes1
A CONFERENCE on reconstruction was held in Canada between
August 6 and August 10, 1945, by the Dominion Government and the
nine Provinces, to explore means of cooperation for achieving the
goals of full employment,2 high national income, and social security.
A basic feature of the proposals that were made by the Dominion for
insuring the wider interests of the country was stated to be the relin­
quishment by the Provinces to the central Government of their rights
of taxation on income, estates, and corporations, except that the
Provinces were to retain the right to tax the profits from mining and
logging operations. In return, the Federal authorities would take
increased responsibility for social-security payments and would pay
annual subsidies to the Provinces of not less than $12 per capita, based
on the population in 1941. Before adjournment, the members of the
conference created a coordinating committee composed of the Cana­
dian Prime Minister and the Ministers of Finance, Reconstruction
and Supply, and Justice, and the prime minister of each of the nine
Provinces. The committee was to reconvene on November 26 and
determine when the main conference would reassemble.
Need for Action
The August 1945 conference was the second in recent years, a meet­
ing having been held in 1941 at which amendment of the British North
America Act of 1867—the law dealing with the relation between
Dominion and Provincial powers—was discussed, but which took no
action concerning such amendment. The need for the 1945 session
arose, according to the Prime Minister of Canada, on account of the
difference that exists between the Dominion’s broad wartime legis­
lative powers and its more limited peacetime powers. Those con­
trols needed during hostilities, which will ultimately be withdrawn,
cannot be revoked suddenly without serious dislocation of the national
economy. However, the Dominion Government declared it to be the
policy that such controls should be eliminated as speedily as consistent
with safety. Pending the establishment of a joint plan, Canada was
to continue to operate under the war emergency powers.
Dominion Proposals
A memorandum was submitted to the conference making the
Dominion’s proposals for changes. This document, which was ac­
cepted by the prime ministers of the nine Provinces as a basis for study
and discussion, was based on the assumption that Dominion-Provincial
cooperation would be brought about by agreement and not by con­
stitutional change. A minimum trial period of 3 years was advocated.
1 Sources: Proposals of the G overnm ent of Canada [to the Dominion-Provincial Conference on Reconstruc­
tion, O ttaw a, A ugust 1945], Labor Gazette (O ttaw a), Septem ber 1945; Facts and Figures W eekly (O ttaw a,
W artim e Inform ation B oard), A ugust 2—
8, 1945; Canadian Affairs (W artim e Inform ation Board), No. 13,
A ugust 11,1945 (p. 3); Trades and Labor Congress Journal (M ontreal), September 1945; report from R obert
W R inden, second secretary, U nited States Em bassy, O ttaw a, August 13,1945 (No. 251); and daily press.
2 F or discussion of th e C anadian G overnm ent’s em ploym ent policy, see M onthly Labor Review, Ju ly
1945 (p. 56).


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68

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

Employment 'policy.—Provincial cooperation was advocated in the
Dominion proposals, to bring about a high and stable level of employ­
ment by means of a public investment program to be ready for utiliza­
tion in times when private employment is slack. Federal aid would
be granted to the Provinces for this purpose on condition that they
timed municipal public works projects in accordance with the Federal
plan.
Social security—Proposals for social security consist of a national
health system, including health insurance and a series of public health
projects administered by the Provinces with Federal financial aid. A
national old-age pension plan would be administered and financed by
the Dominion, covering persons over 70 years of age, and supple­
mented by a Dominion-Provincial scheme for persons 65 to 69 years
old. In addition, the Dominion Government would assume full
responsibility for the care of the employable unemployed through a
broadened unemployment-insurance system, supplemented by un­
employment assistance for those ineligible for regular benefits.
Transition measures.—The Dominion stated that the elimination of
wartime economic controls would be hastened and that matters within
the jurisdiction of the Provinces would be returned to them. Other
transition measures were maintenance of the existing comprehensive
provisions for the reestablishment of veterans; expedition of recon­
version in industry; retention of wage-control and collective-bargain­
ing regulations for the transition period; and cooperation with the
Provinces in the housing field.
Financial arrangements.—Suggested financial arrangements were
stated to be conditional on the withdrawal of the Provinces from the
taxation of incomes, corporations, and estates. If the Provinces
would take such action, the Dominion Government was willing to
increase subsidy payments 3 to each of the Provinces, based on the
1941 population and the gross national production in that year of
approximately 8 billion dollars or $700 per capita. The subsidy
would be increased or decreased (never below the stated minimum,
however) in proportion to the value of gross national production.
Thus, the irreducible minimum payments to the Provinces would be
$12 per capita annually, or a total of 138 million dollars. Assuming
that gross national production was 12% billion dollars or $1,000 per
capita in 1944, for example, such a subsidy would total 206.8 million
dollars.
The subsidy payments under the tax proposals, coupled with the
assumption by the Dominion of the social-security payments for un­
employment and for old age, and with other considerations, would
assure a surplus to each Provincial Government, the Canadian Gov­
ernment stated. “Under prosperous conditions the surpluses would
become very substantial indeed and would make it possible to pay
off debt on a large scale/’ On the other hand, the Provincial govern­
ments would be protected against any major deterioration when busi­
ness was below normal.
* T h e proposed subsidy would be in lieu of existing statu to ry subsidies and paym ents under the w artim e
Dom inion-Provincial tax agreements.


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War and Postwar Policies

Revocation of Wartime Child-Labor Exemption1
EMPLOYMENT of girls under 18 on public contracts subject to the
provisions of the Walsh-Healey Act was ordered by the Secretary of
Labor to be stopped as quickly as possible. When increased produc­
tion was vital to the progress of the war, in 1942, former Secretary of
Labor Frances Perkins issued an exemption to the act, permitting the
employment of 16- and 17-year-old girls under certain conditions.
As one of her last acts in office, she revoked the exemption as of
October 1, 1945. By a supplemental order of August 24, 1945,
Secretary Schwellenbach advanced the date of revocation to Septem­
ber 4, 1945, directing—
1. T h at girls under 18 may not be employed on contracts awarded after Sep­
tem ber 4, 1945; but
2. T hat the supplemental order does not affect the employment of 16- and 17year-old girls on contracts awarded on or prior to September 4, 1945, the effective
date of the order. Therefore, the working of 16- and 17-year-old girls may con­
tinue on contracts awarded on or prior to th a t date, subject to all conditions
previously in force; and
3. T h at where employers have received modifications of these conditions, such
modifications will end as of the term inal date contained in them or the completion
of contracts awarded on or prior to September 4, 1945, whichever is earlier.

This ruling does not affect the child-labor provisions of the Fair
Labor Standards Act.
The conditions for wartime employment of 16- and 17-year-old
girls on Government contracts mentioned in paragraph 2 above are
as follows:
(1) T h at no girl under 16 years of age shall be employed.
(2) T h at no girl under 18 years of age shall be employed for more than 8 hours
in any 1 day, or between the hours of 10 p. m. and 6 a. m., or in any way contrary
to State laws governing hours of work.
(3) T h at no girl under 18 years of age shall be employed in any operation or
occupation which, under the Fair Labor Standards Act or under any State law or
adm inistrative ruling, is determined to be hazardous in nature or dangerous to
health.
(4) T h at for every girl under the age of 18 years employed by him the con­
tracto r shall obtain and keep on file a certificate of age showing th a t the girl is a t
least 16 years of age.
(5) T hat a specific and definite luncheon period of a t least 30 minutes be
regularly granted any women workers under 18 years of age.
(6) T h at no girl under 18 shall be employed a t less than the minimum hourly
rate set by or under the Fair Labor Standards Act or the Walsh-Healey Public
Contracts Act for the industry in which the exemption is granted.

The Public Contracts Act stipulations are included in all Federal
Government supply contracts for more than $10,000. They provide
liquidated damages of $10 a day for each minor illegally employed.
1 U nited States D ep artm en t of Labor.


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Press release (S 46-92), W ashington, A ugust 24, 1945.

69

70

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

194 6

Rent Control in The Netherlands1
A GENERAL law of September 1938, empowering the Netherlands
Government to prevent increases in rents, was replaced' on July 1,
1939, by the Price Increase and Hoarding Law of 1939 and was
supplemented by the Rental Decree of December 13, 1940. The 1940
decree stipulated that no rental could be increased over the level in
effect on May 9, 1940 (before the German invasion of the Nether­
lands).
Under the Rent Protection Decree, effective April 25, 1941, the
lessee was protected against eviction, provided he behaved properly
and paid his rent on time. However, if the owner could prove that
his needs were more urgent than the tenant’s, or if official orders
required the evacuation of the property, the lessee could be evicted.
In view of the tremendous housing shortage in the Netherlands
resulting from the destruction of property during the war (estimated
at 2 billion Dutch florins 2) it is expected that the above measures
will remain in force at least for the next few years.
These national measures are enforced by local price bureaus.
During the first 2 years of occupation, when the Germans evacuated
many people, and required two or more families to share one dwelling,
the local price bureaus sometimes permitted the owner to receive
from the tenants rentals 10 to 20 percent higher in the aggregate than
the rent paid by the former single occupant. In 1942, however, the
Nazi Director General for Price Controls discontinued the practice,
on the ground that owners should be required to make a wartime
sacrifice comparable to that made by the tenants. As the housing
shortage was accentuated because of increased German requisitions,
a much wider application of the practice of doubling up of families
became necessary.
There has been no change in the rental situation since complete
liberation of the Netherlands on May 5, 1945, but plans are being
made to relieve the housing situation as quickly as possible, and new
legislation may be enacted. The Government hopes to be able to
build 10,000 emergency houses by the end of 1945. Much depends
upon the speed with which materials can be prought into the country
and skilled labor recruited to effect repairs to the 250,000 damaged
structures and to replace the more than 90,000 houses which were
totally destroyed.
E m t e v aT h Î H9
ttn S e p te in S e r W45

U n , P 0f/ f se L Yar w ick e!’ commercial attaché, U nited States
’ September 14’ 1945’ and from the International Fédération of T rade Unions Bulle-


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°“ kes p<” !ib!e tie measu™ ” ”* »'

“ «■* « * •

WAR AND POSTWAR POLICIES

71

Legislation on Reemployment Rights in Norway1
A PROVISIONAL act of September 15, 1944, in Norway, provided
priority in reemployment for 6 months for capable workers who bad
been discharged during the war years because of curtailment of op­
erations; it specifically denied such rights to former members of Nazi
organizations.
Some months later (May 4, 1945), a provisional decree was issued
which gave reinstatement rights to workers who, after attaining 18
years of age, had been employed for 3 consecutive months at a place
of employment, and to apprentices even though they had reached that
age later than 3 months prior to the date of their leaving the employ­
ment. Such rights, however, were to be extended only to workers
who had resigned their positions to enter the service of the Norwegian
or an allied government, who had left the country or their usual domi­
cile to avoid molestation by the occupying authorities, who had lost
their positions through imprisonment, banishment, dismissal, discharge
or other encroachment by the occupying authorities, or who had volun­
tarily resigned their positions for political or conscientious reasons.
As before, these rights were denied to former members of Nazi organi­
zations and to others guilty of treasonable acts.
Under the 1945 act the worker’s right to reinstatement was to expire
2 months after liberation or 2 months after the resumption of business
operations following liberation, but the time could be extended
under certain conditions. Reinstatement rights for wounded or ill
workers become valid from the date of their being declared physically
fit.
Exceptions to the right of reinstatement could be made by the
King or his agent because of the technical conditions at the place of
employment, with the stipulation that the worker be offered other
employment or be given employment preference within a stated
period.
t D ata are from report of W alter Galenson, labor attaché, U nited States E m bassy, Oslo, A ugust 21,1945
(No. Ì0) enclosing translations of provisional act of September 15,1944, and provisional decree of M ay 4,1945.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Employment Conditions

Labor Conditions in Germany Since Occupation1
THE German civilian economy has been in a state of great confusion
since the end of the war. Transportation and communications have
been disrupted; internal and external commerce has been at a stand­
still; industries have been closed down or operating at a fraction of
their former capacity; the normal coal supply—Germany’s chief
source of power—has been sharply reduced, and retailers’ shelves
have been bare of consumer goods. During August 1945, production
was estimated to be less than a fourth of the average wartime level.
Reserve stocks of consumer goods and most raw materials were prac­
tically wiped out.
Revival has been hampered not only by those factors present in all
war-torn countries, including the liberated areas, but also by certain
additional factors such as the division of the country into zones of
occupation with little communication and as yet no administrative
unity among them, and the economic policies of the Allied Govern­
ments. Objectives of allied economic controls, as agreed at Potsdam,
are industrial disarmament, demilitarization and reparations, and pro­
vision for approved exports and imports, and assurance of “production
and maintenance of goods and services required to meet the needs of
the occupying forces and displaced persons in Germany and essential
to maintain in Germany average living standards not exceeding the
average of the standards of living of European countries.” General
Eisenhower’s reports have indicated that the Germans are unlikely to
attain this objective soon by their own efforts.
Under these circumstances, trade-union activities, industrial rela­
tions, and working conditions have been overshadowed in importance
by such primary concerns as the problem of obtaining food, clothing,
and shelter.
Situation as to Food and Other Supplies
The maximum permissible food ration for a “normal consumer,”
fixed by the military authorities at 1,550 calories per day, has not
been met since the occupation started, in any part of western or south­
ern Germany. Even this standard is well below the standard deemed
necessary for health. Actual daily ration scales in the U. S. Zone
1 D ata arê from M o n th ly R eport of M ilitary Governor, U. S. Zone, G erm any, A ugust 20, September 20,
October 20, and N ovem ber 20,1945; and T h e Axis in Defeat, a Collection of D ocum ents on American Policy
Toward G erm any and Jap an (D epartm ent of State, W ashington, 1945). For accounts of conditions prior
to the occupation, see Labor Conditions in G erm any, in M o n th ly Labor Review, M arch 1945 (reprinted as
Serial No. R . 1735), and T h e G erm an Labor F ro n t, M onthly Labor Review, N ovem ber 1944 (reprinted as
Serial No. K. 1706). Latest information included relates to early November 194.5.

72


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

73

EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS

in October 1945 for selected consumer categories
following statement:
Normal
consumers
(icalories)

Minimum required for h e a lth .____ ___________ 2, 000
Authorized ration ____________________________ 1, 354
Average reported ratio n ______________________ 1, 142
Eastern M ilitary D istrict__ ______________ 1,307
W estern M ilitary D istrict________________ 1, 245
Berlin__________________________________ _ 1, 247

a re sh o w n in th e
Moderate
workers
(calories)

Heavy
workers
(calories)

2, 700

3, 200

2, 060
1,567
1,386
1, 992

2,
1,
1,
2,

135
833
817
486

The actual daily caloric level of rationed foods was estimated at
1,250 per person, but, because of temporary increases of available
unrationed foods, consumption reached approximately 1,700 calories
per day for normal consumers in cities and a somewhat higher level
in rural areas in October 1945.
In order to meet its minimum needs, western Germany will have to
import about 4 million metric tons in terms of bread grains during the
consumption year 1945-46. Some Allied wheat was distributed during
the summer and fall of 1945 in the Ruhr and Saar. Assurances were
given to the German civilian authorities by the American Deputy
Military Commander, General Clay, on December 4, 1945, that the
United States would send food sufficient to maintain the 1,550 calorie
scale in the American Zone as of January 1, 1946, subject to later
repayment by Germany. The British Zone did not meet the author­
ized daily ration (1,550 calories) in October, but approximated one of
1,350 calories. In the French Zone nutritional conditions were
reported to be bad in the same month, with daily caloric intake
between 800 and 1,100 for “normal consumers.” The French have
expressed their willingness to raise the German ration to 2,000 calories
per day as soon as that level has been reached in France.
The food shortage in the U. S. Zone has apparently not yet con­
tinued long enough to produce actual conditions of disease and star­
vation. However, the Military Governor’s Monthly Report for
September 1945 stated—
Public health officers in the Zone completed a health survey in September and
state th a t 60 percent of the German civil population is now living on a sub­
standard diet pointing to widespread m alnutrition and disease, and the balance
is receiving an adequate diet only by supplementing the authorized ration with
home produce and black-m arket purchases.

As regards other consumer goods, it is reported that—
At the same tim e th a t reserve stocks of goods have been wiped out and private
holdings largely eliminated through bombing and the ravages of war, production
(except for food) has virtually ceased. An enormous demand is being built up
which overshadows every other factor in the economic picture, and th a t demand
grows more insistent w ith every passing month.

In the U. S. Zone the machinery for coping with potential inflation
is a newly constituted and de-Nazified price-control and rationing
system administered by German price offices and economic control
agencies, supervised by the Military Government at the regional
(Land) level.2 German price authorities have been authorized to
grant price increases when called for under the German price regula­
tions (continued with modifications) to cover legitimate capital losses
and production-cost increases of nonagricultural goods, after keeping
profits to a bare minimum. Each increase, together with the facts
sT h e

U . S. Z one is’d iv id e d in to th re e regions.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

74

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

upon which a determination is made, must be reported to the Military
Government.
Whereas only minor price increases have as yet been authorized
within the area of price control, black-market prices have soared and
are 10 to 100 times the amount of normal prices. In the effort to
break up the black markets, official barter centers have been estab­
lished for consumer goods other than food, and enforcement programs
have been undertaken from time to time. Large cash reserves and
bank deposits and extreme shortages of goods constitute a continuing
danger.
Wages of Workers
The wage freeze in effect during the war in Germany was continued
by the Military Government, subject to certain modifications.
Discrimination in wage rates on account of race, creed, or political
beliefs was ordered to be eliminated. Certain war bonuses were
abolished. During October, provision was made by the Allied
Control Council for machinery to provide for some flexibility in the
wage structure. The relative wage levels of different industries which
had been fixed during the war no longer corresponded to current
labor-market conditions. Employers in the metal industries have
sought wage reductions and employees in the building industry have
sought increases. The new wage directive, applicable to all four
zones, provides for consultative bodies composed of employers and
employees, to advise the German authorities on wage adjustments; it
provides for review of all proposed wage changes by the reconstructed
German labor offices, subject to final approval by the Military
Government, and authorizes the German labor offices to recommend
needed changes. As an anti-inflation measure the tax on incomes,
including wages, has been increased 25 percent for the period
ending January 1, 1946, for ail zones.
Surprisingly, in view of the widespread resort to black markets,
demands for wage increases to meet rising living costs do not seem to
have been put forward with the insistence that characterized the
situation in Italy.
Labor Organizations
The basic directive to the Commander-in-Chief of the United
States Forces of Occupation, issued in April 1945, instructed him to
“permit the self-organization of employees along democratic lines,
subject to such safeguards as may be necessary to prevent the
perpetuation of Nazi or militarist influence under any guise or the
continuation of any group hostile to the objectives and operations
of the occupying forces,” and to “permit free collective bargaining
between employees and employers regarding wage, hour, and working
conditions. . . . Collective bargaining shall be subject to such wage,
hour, and other controls, if any, as may be instituted or revived by
your direction.”
Labor organizations have been formed in all zones. In order to
make certain that democratic procedures and forms are observed, the
British, American, and French authorities were at first reluctant to
authorize regional or zone-wide labor organizations. When assured
of democratic procedures, permission to organize was granted by
British and American authorities at all governmental levels from

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EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS

75

the local up to the zone level. In Berlin the Russians have authorized
the formation of the Free German Federation of Trade Unions, with
17 member unions corresponding to the major industrial or occupa­
tional groups of pre-Hitler German unions, and operating on an inter­
zone basis. This organization is now publishing a biweekly paper,
Die Freie Gewerkschaft.
Permission to form unions has been sought from the United States
Military Government by workers in the following industries and
occupations: Textiles, hotels and restaurants, food processing, metal
industries, government service (including postal, telephone, telegraph,
railways, administrative offices), office work, the “free professions”
(artists, musicians, and writers), and agriculture. The initial interest
has not always been maintained.
The new German labor organizations exhibit a unity which contrasts
with the former cleavages along denominational and political lines.
In Berlin, Stuttgart, Munich, and Nuremberg, unions have been
planned, embracing all classes and types of workers within a broad
territorial coverage.
In the early stages the new German labor organizations sometimes
deviate from the customary trade-union pattern in that workers of
various occupations were recruited into a single comprehensive
organization covering a geographical area, which it was then planned
to break up into craft and industry divisions. In Karlsruhe, a
General German Labor Union has been organizing all types of workers;
a similar all-inclusive union has been projected for the Northern
Rhine Province (British Zone).
A delegation of British trade-unionists which recently visited Ger­
many expressed gratification at the ideological unity but warned
their German colleagues against overcentralization. The delegation
deplored the plan to combine all workers regardless of craft or calling,
on the ground that a union movement of this nature would be more
susceptible to _political suppression by a hostile government than
would a more decentralized structure.
Elections of shop stewards to negotiate with employers on grievances
have been permitted when petitions signed by at least 25 percent of the
employees in an establishment are presented. The ratio of employees
requesting such elections has generally been much higher—between
40 and 50—and the labor offices have been deluged with applications.
Elections were held in over 3,000 establishments and Government
offices in the United States Zone through the month of October,
1945. In Thuringia (Russian Zone), a new works-council law be­
came effective in October. In each factory, members of the Free
German Federation of Trade Unions are responsible for the nomination
of candidates and the conduct of elections.
Settlement of Industrial Disputes
Machinery for the settlement of industrial disputes has been pro­
vided in conjunction with the Regional and Zonal Labor Offices.
Complicated cases are referred to panels of employers and labor repre­
sentatives; simpler cases are settled by a government conciliator.

6 7 7 2 3 4 — 4 6 ------- 6


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76

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 19 46

The following statistics refer to cases handled by the Frankfort Labor
Office (American Zone) between June 1 and August 25, 1945:
Num ber
of cases

Subm itted by employers________________________________
Subm itted by employees__________ ______________________
T o tal__ ________________________________________
N ature of case:
Working conditions_________________________________
Wage claims_______________________________________
Paid vacations_____________________________________
Requests for inform ation____________________________
O ther_____________________
Industrial distribution:
Commerce_________________________________________
M etal trades_______________________________________
Building trades_____________________________________
All other__________________________________________

712
613
1,325
580
285
105
330
25
370
350
175
430

Dissolution of the N azi Labor Front
The Labor Front has been ordered dissolved in all four zones and
its property, assets, and widely diversified economic enterprises have
been taken into custody by military government. Decrees to this
effect were issued for the United States Zone on July 22, and for the
British Zone on August 22. Enterprises which it appeared desirable
to continue in operation after de-nazification are being administered
by trustees appointed by the Military Government. Included are the
still largely intact properties of the German consumers’ cooperatives
which were taken over by the Labor Front during the war; in the U. S.
Zone these include 1,585 retail stores, 36 warehouses, and 56 bakeries.
The Bank of German Labor (the former trade-union bank which was
taken over by the Nazis in October 1933), has been closed by the
occupying powers, and its very considerable assets have been seques­
tered. Claims to assets of the Labor Front and its affiliated holding
companies have been asserted by the trade-unions and by the coopera­
tives. The final disposition of properties and settlement of claims is,
however, still to be decided. These questions are closely connected
with questions of reparations, equity, public policy, and the eventual
reconstitution of a central German civilian government.
K No former official of the Labor Front (it had 2 million officials) and
no official or active member of the Nazi Party or any of its affiliates
is permitted to hold office in a German trade-union.


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Cooperation

Operations of Savings and Loan Associations, 1944
MORTGAGE loans totaling over $1,454,000,000 were made in 1944
by the 6,279 local savings and loan associations in the United States,
according to a report by the Federal Home Loan Bank Administra­
tion.1 This was an increase of 23 percent over 1943 and of 5 percent
over the previous postdepression record (for 1941). Total assets rose
to an all-time high of $7,458,000,000, the increase being attributable
almost entirely to “the accelerated inflow of savings/’ *
Because of mergers and liquidations, the number of associations
declined from 6,498 in 1943 to 6,279 in 1944. Of the latter number,
3,656 were members of the Federal Home Loan system; the others
were not so affiliated.
The purposes for which the mortgage loans made in 1944 were
granted are shown in the accompanying table.
Estimated Volume of New Mortgage Loans Made by Savings and Loan Associations,
1943 and 1944, by Purpose of Loan
A m ount (in millions
of dollars)

Percentage distribu­
tion

Purpose of loan
1944

1943

1944

1943

____________ ______________

1, 454

1,184

100

100

C onstruction_________ ____
_________ - . . . ------Home purchase____________________________________
Refinancing.. --------------------- --------- ----------------------Reconditioning___
. . . ---------------- . . . --------O ther purposes____________________________________

95
1,064
164
31
100

107
802
167
31
77

7
73
11
2
7

9
68
14
3
6

All purposes_________

The statement below gives, for 1943 and 1944, some of the salient
data for all associations combined.
A m o u n t (in th o u sa n d s )

19U

Total assets_________________________
Mortgage loans outstanding__________
Real estate owned___________________
P rivate repurehasable capital 1_______
Federal advances and borrowed money.
Reserves and undivided profits----------Mortgage loans made during y ear____

$7, 458, 265
4, 982, 556
60, 383
6, 305, 167
198, 891
572, 323
1, 454, 052

ms
$6, 604, 069
4, 793, 184
116, 969
5, 493, 942
134, 409
533, 585

i Includes deposits and investm ent certificates.
i T rends in th e Saving and Loan Field, 1944. (D ivision of O perating Statistics, Federal Home Loan
B ank A dm inistration, W ashington, 1945. M imeographed.)


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77

78

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

Purchasing by Farmers’ Cooperatives, 1943-44
IN THE 1943-44 marketing season, according to a recent report by
the Farm Credit Administration,1 2,778 farmers’ cooperatives were
carrying on purchasing for their members.
The following statement shows the estimated membership and
volume of business in 1943-44:
Members

Business}

All associations----------- L----------------- 10,300

Associations

4,250,000

$5,160,000,000

Purchasing associations------------------M arketing associations-------------------

1, 520, 000
2, 730, 000

730, 000, 000
4, 430, 000, 000

2, 778
7, 522

1Includes business of both local associations and federations.

After adjustment for the purchasing done by the marketing associa­
tions (6.8 percent of their total) and the marketing done by the pur­
chasing associations (4.5 percent of total), it is estimated that the
volume of cooperative purchasing of farm and home supplies by
farmers’ cooperatives amounted to $1,010,000,000, or about 19.6 per­
cent of the total farmer cooperative business in 1943-44.
New features of the survey, which is made annually, are a table
showing the development of the farmers’ mutual fire insurance com­
panies from 1914 to 1942 and one (compiled from various sources)
showing the number and estimated membership of these and other
types of farmers’ cooperatives (production, credit, distributive, and
service).
1 Statistics of Farm ers’ M arketing and Purchasing Cooperatives, 1943-44, by Grace W anstall (F arm
C redit A dm inistration, Miscellaneous R eport No. 83).


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Education and Training

Peacetime Educational Needs
NINE peacetime educational needs of labor interest were listed by
the September 1945 issue of the Journal of the National Education
Association, as follows:
1. To overcome the vast educational deficit which the war has caused.
2. To provide for the employment of more teachers a t adequate salaries.
3. To lav the basis for a higher level of civic responsibility and understanding.
4. To keep youth off the labor m arket by extending educational programs.
5. To provide the foundation for economic well-being.
6. To make education for peacetime as challenging as wartime education.
7. To enable civilian education to use as effectively as the arm ed forces the most
up-to-date tools and techniques of teaching.
8. To give special attention to raising the educational level of the economically
underprivileged but children-rich areas of the Nation.
9. To raise the level of civilian education generally.
W

W

f«

Training Rural Youth for Farm and Other Occupations
THAT the majority of rural youth should not be expected to remain
on farms is the conclusion reached in a recent discussion in the Land
Policy Review.1 This conclusion was based on “the technological
advances in agriculture, the increasing competitive nature of farming,
the relatively high rural birth rate, the outlook for markets for agri­
cultural products, which are always more circumscribed than the
markets for industrial production, and the future employment oppor­
tunities in agriculture.’' A large percentage of these rural young
people should be encouraged to look for other types of work. Of
those not brought up on farms, only the very small number who have
particular aptitudes for farming should be given encouragement to
regard it as a life occupation.
A new high-school program is proposed, under which perhaps the
first 2 years could be organized somewhat along traditional lines,
the program in the second 2 years being directed toward bringing out
special aptitudes of the students, so arranged that students with
definite interests could follow courses which would aid them to enter
particular vocations. A strictly vocational curriculum, however, is
not regarded as advisable. The courses could be speeded up to cover
as much ground in a 6-month term as is now covered in the 9-month
term. “This would leave 6 months open for apprenticeship training
in certain occupations with compensation in accordance with student
contribution to output.” This apprenticeship training would be
1 Training R ural Y outh for Farm and O ther Occupations, b y Sherm an Johnson, hi L and Policy
Review (U. S. B ureau of A gricultural Economics), Fall, 1945 (p. 7).


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79

80

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

under close supervision, and reports concerning it should be made by
supervisors responsible to the educational authorities.
Education beyond the high-school level is required to provide the
essential training for numerous occupations. “The national interest
in a well-trained citizenship seems to justify special scholarships for
the best adapted and most promising high-school graduates who could
not otherwise obtain further training. These scholarships might pro­
vide either for college or for further vocational training in agriculture
or other occupation.”
Technological progress in farming has enlarged the possibilities
of family farms. With available mechanical equipment the farm
family can carry on a larger farm than was previously possible.
Sometimes the improvements which result in greater production per
acre are as important as additional acreage. The broadening of
the scope of the family farm presents an opportunity to earn higher
incomes, provided there is efficient management. Without capable
management, however, or without ability to obtain sufficient capital
to carry on a bigger business, the small-farm family is in a less ad­
vantageous position than ever before. These developments make
proper training imperative for success in farming.
It is suggested that the high-school curriculum be revised so that
a high-school student who is interested in taking up farming as a
vocation may become an apprentice on an approved farm for the last
2 years of his course.
After graduation, the most promising youth might be offered
scholarships, and to those desiring to begin farming immediately,
financial credit and other help might be granted.
For the many rural young persons not required for agricultural
work, the whole national economy should operate to provide other
employment and eliminate artificial barriers. “Rural youth should
be informed about the most propitious vocations, and employment
offices should be located in rural areas to acquaint them with job
opportunities elsewhere.”

Retraining of French Ex-Servicemen and Displaced
Persons1
THE French Provisional Government has provided for the occupa­
tional retraining of eight specified groups of citizens, including re­
turning war veterans, repatriated prisoners, deported and displaced
and similar persons. Under terms of a decree of May 1, 1945, the
retraining courses are to be given in special centers or in industrial
enterprises which have the necessary equipment. During the period
of retraining, the trainee is to receive, in addition to pensions to which
he may be entitled, remuneration equal in amount to the wage given
in the trade being studied.
The groups of persons who may participate in the retraining pro­
gram are the same as those for whom job reinstatement was promised:
(1) Persons voluntarily enlisted or called for service in the French
or Allied armed forces during hostilities, (2) repatriated prisoners of
war, (3) persons deported abroad or detained in France for political
1 D a ta are from Journal Officiel de la R épublique Française, Ordonnances et Décrets, M ay 2, 1945.


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EDUCATION AND TRAINING

81

or military reasons by the enemy Government, (4) members of the
resistance groups who were deprived of jobs because of resistance
activities, (5) persons forced out of jobs by the enemy, (6) persons who
voluntarily contracted civilian work under the law of July 11, 1938,
(7) persons whose services were requisitioned in work other than their
previous work, and (8) refugees or war victims who were forced to
give up jobs because of the war and under official ruling.
In the training programs preference is to be given in the following
order: (1) Those unable to exercise their former trade because of their
lowered physical capacity, (2) those who were unable to study a trade
or whose training was interrupted, (3) those forced to learn a new
trade because of changing production conditions, and (4) those wish­
ing to resume a trade formerly exercised but now partially forgotten.
Requests for permission to take the occupational training courses
must be made to the Offices of Labor within 1 year of the applicant’s
return to civilian life. Special counselors are to be provided to advise
applicants. The Labor Office may also provide for retraining courses
if it finds them necessary.
Trainees are entitled not only to the regular pensions for which
they may be eligible but also to the wage fixed for certain types of
workers or wages, plus a good-work bonus which would amount to the
wage in the trade being studied. If the worker must leave his home
in order to undergo training, he is to receive, in addition, the daily
maintenance fee accorded to displaced workers.


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Industrial Injuries

Accident Experience of the Gas Industry, 1944
By

I r v in D

u n sto n

,

Senior Statistician, Statistical Bureau, American Gas Association

WORKERS in the gas utility industry in the United States ex­
perienced 14.2 disabling injuries per 1,000,000 man-hours of exposure
in 1944, a frequency rate which was 8.4 percent higher than the rate
of 13.1 injuries in 1943. There were 3.10 disabling injuries per 100
employees, an increase of 10.7 percent over the corresponding rate
of 2.80 injuries the year before. These frequency rates are the highest
recorded in the industry since 1936.1
Comparison of the industry’s 1944 severity rates with those for
1943 reveals even larger relative increases. In 1944 there were 1.15
days charged to disabling injuries per 1,000 hours of exposure as
against 0.99 day in 1943, representing an increase of 16.2 percent.
The number of days charged in 1944 for every 100 employees was
18.2 percent greater than in the preceding year.
The 1944 rates are based on reports covering more than 400 gas
utilities. The reporting utilities employed an average of about
92,000 persons who worked 200.5 million hours during the year and
had more than 2,800 disabling injuries, of which 24 were deaths or
permanent total disabilities. Nearly 230,000 days were lost (or
charged) as a result of these injuries.
The higher rates in 1944 reverse the favorable changes which were
noted for 1943. The 1944 rates, in general, are higher than those
for 1942 or are at approximately the same levels. Total industry
accident rates have fluctuated somewhat irregularly during the past
6 years, and there is no indication, accordingly, of a trend toward
lower or higher rates in this period.
There were many inexperienced employees in the labor force of the
industry in 1944. In reports from some individual gas utilities,
higher accident rates in 1944 were attributed mainly to this factor.
Accident Rates by Branch of Industry
Changes in the composite accident rates of the industry between
1943 and 1944 mask rather striking differences between manufacturedand mixed-gas utilities and natural-gas utilities with respect to relative
changes in accident rates in those years. In the manufactured-gas
branch, for instance, there was a fairly moderate increase of 2.3 percent
in the number of disabling injuries per 1,000,000 man-hours of
exposure—from 17.3 in 1943 to 17.7 in 1944. The corresponding
frequency rate for natural-gas utilities increased by 13.0 percent over
the rate for 1943.
1All rates here m entioned were com puted b y stan d ard m ethods prescribed by the A merican Standards

Association.

82

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INDUSTRIAL INJURIES

83

Despite these sharper relative increases in the accident rates of
natural-gas utilities, when rates for 1944 are considered as absolute
values those of the manufactured-gas branch of the industry were all
substantially higher than the natural-gas rates. The accident rates
of the manufactured-gas segment of the industry generally have been
higher than the rates of the natural-gas companies in the period
from 1941 through 1944.
Thus the 1944 frequency rates, calculated on the basis of 1,000,000
hours of exposure, were 17.7 disabling injuries for manufactured gas
as against 11.3 for natural gas. There were 3.83 disabling injuries
for every 100 employees of manufactured-gas companies but only
2.49 injuries in the natural gas division of the industry.
Severity rates in terms of 1,000 man-hours of exposure were 1.33
days for manufactured-gas utilities as compared with 1.00 for naturalgas companies; the corresponding severity rates per 100 employees
were 286.6 and 219.8 days.
Accident Rates by Size of Utilities
The larger units in the manufactured-gas branch of the gas utility
industry enjoyed a more favorable accident experience than smaller
companies in 1944. Among natural-gas utilities, by contrast, the
smallest units had the lowest frequency and severity rates.2
Among manufactured-gas utilities the very large companies had the
lowest frequency rate—15.23 injuries per 1,000,000 hours of exposure—
while the medium-size companies had the highest frequency rate—
26.64 injuries. The frequency rate of the medium-size and small
utilities combined was 24.88 disabling injuries; corresponding separate
rates were 26.64 and 22.66. Taking the combined rate into account,
there appears to be an inverse relationship between size of company
and magnitude of frequency rate. A similar regular pattern is not
evident, however, in the severity rates of the different classes, although
the combined rate for medium-size and small companies was higher
than rates for the two classes of larger utilities.
In the natural-gas division the outstanding fact is the compara­
tively more favorable accident experience of the small companies in
1944. The low frequency rate of this group (8.95 disabling injuries)
was approached only by the very large utilities (9.73 injuries). Large
and medium-size units had appreciably higher frequency rates.
Small natural-gas utilities had the extremely low severity rate of
0.16 day for every 1,000 hours of exposure. The severity rate of the
large units was 8 times as high as that of the small companies.
Coverage of Accident Reports
The Statistical Bureau of the American Gas Association, co­
operating with the National Safety Council, each year collects and
summarizes quantitative information describing the accident expe­
rience of the gas utility industry.
The 1944 total industry rates were based on usable accident re­
ports from 403 gas utilities which employ an estimated 81 percent of
2 T he size classifications referred to here are based on criteria related to total annual m an-hours of exposure
w hich yield the following approxim ations in term s of full-time employees: Very large utilities, 700 employees
a nd over; large utilities, 225 to 099 employees; medium-size utilities, 100 to 224 employees; and small utilities,
under 100 employees.


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84

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

the workers in the industry. Approximately 79 percent of the em­
ployees of manufactured-gas utilities were covered in the reports from
which branch rates were computed. The rates of natural-gas utili­
ties were based on an estimated coverage of 83 percent of the labor
force in that section of the industry.
Data covering all operations of the reporting gas utilities as well
as the gas departments of combination companies were used in cal­
culating the various rates. Information pertaining to combination
companies which did not report separately on their [gas [accident expe­
rience was excluded.
The natural-gas accident rates for 1944 as well as the composite
rates for the total industry do not include the experience of The
East Ohio Gas Co. A catastrophe occurred on October 20, 1944,
at the liquefied-natural-gas plant of this company, 73 employee
fatalities resulting. This plant, in which liquefied natural gas was
stored at low temperature for use during periods of peak demand on
the system, was the only one of its kind. The experience of the
company was excluded in order to present 1944 accident rates which
would be validly comparable with rates for other years.


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Industrial Disputes

Labor-Management Disputes in November 1945
IDLENESS arising out of work stoppages continued at a high level
in November 1945, though considerably- lower than the peak figure
of the preceding month. Preliminary estimates show 335 new strikes
and lock-outs during the month, involving about 405,000 workers.
About 230 stoppages which began in preceding months continued
into November, making a total of 565 stoppages in progress during
the month, with about 600,000 workers involved. Idleness in plants
directly affected by the stoppages amounted to approximately
6,100,000 man-days or 1.06 percent of available working time, as
compared with 7,800,000 man-days or 1.27 percent of the available
working time lost in October.
The outstanding work stoppage during November was the company­
wide General Motors strike. Other large strikes beginning in Novem­
ber were (1) a stoppage of over 18,000 textile workers, members of
the Textile Workers’ Union of America (CIO), affecting 21 mills in
Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire; (2) a
stoppage of some 15,000 truck drivers, members of the AFL Team­
sters’ Union, on over-the-road truck lines in seven Midwestern States;
and (3) a 1-week “demonstration” stoppage by about 10,000 employees
of Montgomery Ward & Co., called by the United Retail, Wholesale
and Department Store Employees of America (CIO). Three large
stoppages which began in September and October continued through­
out November, namely, lumber workers in the Pacific Northwest,
glass workers in 7 States, and machinists in the San Francisco Bay
area.
T a b le 1.—Strikes and Lock-outs in November 1945, With Comparable Figures for Earlier

Periods
Strikes and lock-outs
beginning in period

M an-days idle during
period (all stoppages)

Period
N um ber

W orkers
involved

N um ber

6,100,000

N ovem ber 1945 1____
.
---------October 1945 1 _________________________ ______
N ovem ber 1944.... _________ __________________

335
455
345

405, 000
560, 000

201,000

7,800,000
789, 000

Jan u a ry to Novem ber, inclusive:
1945 i_______________________ _______________
1944___________________________ _______ 1943_______________________ ______________
1935-39 average--------------- ---------------------

4,500
4, 692
3, 397
2,736

3, 285, 000
2,024, 000
1, 718, 000
1,093,000

27, 500,000
,334,000
12, 713,000
16, 089, 000

i Prelim inary estimates.


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Percent of
available
w orking
tim e
1.06
1.27

.11

.36
.09
.15
.27

8

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M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

General Motors Cory, strike.—Over 160,000 production workers in
General Motors automotive parts and assembly plants, in 13 States,
stopped work on November 21 to enforce their demand for a 30percent wage increase. The workers, members of the United Auto­
mobile Workers (CIO), on October 24 had voted in favor of a strike, by
a ratio of 6-1, under the War Labor Disputes Act. It is estimated
that 50,000 clerical and supervisory employees, not directly involved
in the dispute, were also made idle as a result of the strike.
_ The stoppage followed protracted and highly publicized negotia­
tions, in the course of which the major points at issue were clearly
defined. Union spokesmen contended that any wage increase granted
should not be used by the corporation as a basis for requesting price
increases and that the corporation’s ability to pay should be a major
criterion in determining the proper amount of the wage adjustment.
Company officials, however, insisted that prices and profits be excluded
from consideration in the wage discussions. Prior to the stoppage, a
corporation offer of a 10-percent wage increase was rejected by the
union’s bargaining committee. On November 19, the union offered
to submit the dispute to a 3-member arbitration board, empowered
to examine the corporation’s books. The following day a strike call
was issued.
After a lapse of over 2 weeks, during which efforts at conciliation
were made by officials of the U. S. Department of Labor, direct wage
negotiations were resumed by the two parties on December 6. A
new complication developed on December Iff, when the corporation
announced it was terminating its union agreement, in accordance
with a clause permitting cancellation of the contract in the event of a
strike lasting more than 10 days. Several counterdemands were
later submitted by the corporation including, among others, elimina­
tion of the maintenance-of-membership provision, penalties against
employees participating in stoppages in violation of the agreement,
and a specific guaranty of “management prerogatives.”
Meanwhile, on December 3, President Truman announced that he
would appoint a 3-man fact-finding board to investigate the dispute,
and requested the strikers to return to work pending its findings.
This request was rejected by the union, but both parties indicated
their willingness to appear before the board. On December 12 the
board was established, consisting of Judge Walter P. Stacy, Chairman
of the recently concluded Labor-Management Conference, Lloyd K.
Garrison, Chairman of the National War Labor Board, and Milton
Eisenhower, President of Kansas State College, The board began
hearings later in the month. On the crucial issue as to whether ability
to pay would be considered in its findings, the board stated on Decem­
ber 21 that this factor would be considered as a relevant, but not as
a sole factor, in its recommendations. On December 28, in protest
against this policy of the fact-finding board, representatives of the
corporation withdrew from a hearing of the board and stated that
they would refuse to participate further as long as “ability to pay is
to be treated as a subject of investigation, fact finding and recom­
mendations.” The board, nevertheless, proceeded with its investiga­
tion. The stoppage was still in effect at the end of December.


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87

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES

Activities of U. S. Department of Labor’s Conciliation Service,
November 1945
During November 1945, the United States Department of Labor’s
Conciliation Service disposed of 1,508 situations as compared with
1,825 situations in October. During November of 1944, 2,017 . situa­
tions were closed.
Of the estimated 565 stoppages in progress during the month, 256
were settled by the Conciliation Service. The records show that 371
situations were threatened strikes and 667 were controversies in which
the employer, employees, and other interested parties asked for the
assignment of a Commissioner of Conciliation to assist in the adjust­
ment of disputes. Ten cases were certified during the month to the
National War Labor Board. The remaining 214 situations included
92 arbitrations, 12 technical services, 32 investigations, and 78 requests
for information, consultations, and special services.
T able 2.— Cases Closed by Conciliation Service, U. S. Department of Labor, in November

1945, by Type of Situation and Method of Handling
M ethod of handling

All m ethods_________________

- ..............................

Settled b y conciliation _____ _ _______ _____ _
C ertified'to N ational W ar Labor B oard_______ _
"Decisions rendered in arbitration
Technical services completed
_ __ __ - ____
Investigations, special services


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Strikes
and
lock-outs

T h rea t­
ened
strikes

C ontro­
versies

1,508

256

371

667

1,498
10
92
12
110

256

370
1

658
9

Total

Other
situa­
tions
214

.

92
12
110

Labor Laws and Decisions

Recent Decisions of Interest to Labor1
Veterans’’ Rights
AN ARBITRATOR held that a company had fulfilled its obligations
under the Selective Service Act by offering a returned veteran a
higher-rated job than the one he had left, even though the veteran
preferred his old job which had been expanded during his absence to
include supervisory work.2 The union contended he was entitled to
his old job even though the content had been expanded, but the
arbitrator took the company’s view that seniority rights referred to
by the union did not apply to promotions to supervisory positions.
The appointment of supervisors is a right reserved exclusively to
management. The veteran received a better job than the one he
had left and is better off than if he goes back to an expanded job which
he might be incapable of handling well.

*

Fair Labor Standards Act

Compensation jor nonproductive hours.—Three district courts have
ruled on the issues of what nonproductive hours must be included in
computing working time, in the following cases:
The District Court of Illinois held that time which employees are
required to spend before and after regularly scheduled working hours
in changing clothes and performing miscellaneous duties constitutes
working time within the meaning of the Fair Labor Standards Act
when the company furnishes uniforms to employees, requires that they
be worn during working hours, and will not permit them to be worn
off the company’s premises.3
The District Court of California held that a nonexempt supervisory
employee who spent time outside his regular working hours arranging
recreational events to promote bond drives and consulted with other
supervisory employees on business matters was entitled to compensa­
tion for the time thus spent, as he acted in behalf of his employer.4
The District Court of Ohio ruled that time spent by employees,
prior to their hours of duty, in traveling from the outer gate of the
employer’s plant to the time office and then to the site of work, and
1 P rep ared in th e Office of th e Solicitor, D ep artm en t of Labor. T he cases covered in this article represent
a selection of significant decisions believed to be of special in terest. No a tte m p t has been m ade to reflect
all recent judicial an d ad m inistrative developm ents in th e field of labor law nor to indicate the effect of
particu lar decisions in jurisdictions in which contrary results m ay be reached, based upon local statutory
provisions, the existence of local precedents, or a different approach by the courts to the issue presented.
2 In re- arbitration between New York and Brooklyn Casket Co. and Casket M akers’ Local of U nited
B rotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (A FL ), Septem ber 29. 1945.
3 Alberts, el al., v. Porter, et at., d. b. a. Sanderson & Porter, U. S. D ist. C t. N . D . 111., E astern D iv., M ay
7, 1945, and June 19, 1945.
< Gorchakoff v. California Shipbuilding Corp., U . S. D ist. C t. ,S. D . Calif., Oct. 9, 1945.

88


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LABOR LAWS AND DECISIONS

89

the time similarly spent at the end of work, constituted hours worked
if the employees during this time were subject to regulations of the
employer.5
Employees, not required on premises at lunch hour, not entitled to
overtime.—The District Court of Texas in Thomas v. Peerless Carbon
Co., 62 Fed. Supp. 154, held that if employees in a carbon-black
manufacturing plant were not required to stay on the premises during
lunch hour, they were not entitled to overtime under the Fair Labor
Standards Act merely because of general instructions to all em­
ployees, on all shifts, that when the power was cut off for any reason,
the men must within 5 minutes begin to turn off gas throughout the
plant. It is only to be expected, the court pointed out, that when
danger threatens the plant and its equipment, whether by fire or loss
of current, all employees would quit their lunches voluntarily and aid
in overcoming the danger.
No reduction from back pay for refusal to accept employer-proffered
job.—The Circuit Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit6 held that
the amount payable under a back-wage award of the National Labor
Relations Board may not be decreased by the amount which discriminatorily discharged employees would have earned had they
accepted lower-paid jobs offered by the discharging employer.
The employer had told employees that as cost clerks they were a
part of management, and . if they-joined unions they would be trans­
ferred to lower-paying production jobs. The employees joined the
union and left the plant, refusing to accept the lower-rate jobs. The
court upheld the Board’s finding that these employees were not super­
visors or a part of management and that the demotion which the
employees refused to accept was discrimination.
Decisions of National Labor Relations Board
EmployePs petition for election, not supported by employees, accepted.—
The Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board entertained an employer’s
petition for an election even though the petition stated the employees
did not want to join a union.7 The employer had refused to bargain
with a union on the ground that it had no majority status, and the
union picketed the plant, demanding recognition. The union asked
for a dismissal of the petition, claiming that it was designed not to
encourage collective bargaining but to initiate individual bargaining.
The Board, however, rejected this argument, saying that if the union
did not want an election it should cease picketing and making de­
mands on the employer. The union’s request being irreconcilable
with its actions, the Board ordered an election.
Court determines what constitutes fair Board hearing.—The Circuit
Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit, set aside an order of the National Labor
Relations Board on the ground that the employer had not had a fair
trial.8 The court based its finding on the fact that a new trial ex­
aminer had not been appointed for the new hearing and the Board
disregarded testimony of employees that an allegedly dominated
8 TJlle v . D ia m o n d A lk a li C o., et a l., U . S. D is t. C t., N . D . O hio, S ep t. 20, 1945.

6 National Labor Relations Board v. Armour & Co., N ov. 5,1945, C. C. A., 10th Cir.
7 In re Roo’s Employees, Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, Case No. 54, Sept. 20, 1945.
* Donnelly Garment Co. v. National Labor Relations Board, Donnelly Garment Workers’ Union & Interna­
tional Ladies Garment Workers’ Union, interveners, U. S. Cir. C t. A pp., 8th Cir., Oct. 29, 1945.


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90

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

inside union was their voluntary choice. The Board admitted the
testimony to this effect in the new hearing but failed to take it into
consideration. The Board also failed to admit defendant’s evidence
showing that the inside union had been given a contract with the
same terms that the outside union had in contracts with other com­
panies and that the inside union had been formed to prevent the
employer from forcing employees to join the outside union.
The court pointed out that, even though the Board’s findings of
fact are conclusive, the court may determine whether the Board has
conducted a fair hearing on the basis of all available evidence and
ordered an appropriate remedy.

Labor Code for French African Colonies, 1945 1
LABOR legislation for French Africa (excepting North Africa) was
standardized, and the principle of free, rather than compulsory, labor
was established for the same area by a decree promulgated June 18,
1945, by the French Provisional Government. Labor-union repre­
sentatives are to participate in the making of collective agreements.
Maximum hours are to be fixed for various categories of workers, and
a weekly day of rest has become obligatory. Medical care and
accident and sickness benefits must be provided by employers. Labor
inspectors, assisted by consultative committees representing employers
and workers, are to supervise and give advice on labor problems, and
arbitration boards may be created by decrees of the Governors.
Employers are to contribute to compensation funds from which family,
marriage, and retirement benefits may be paid.
Labor Contracts
In d u s tr ia l contracts .—Contracts of work may not exceed 2 years in
duration, and, for workers unaccompanied by their families, may not
exceed 12 months. Contracts for periods longer than 3 months or for
employment in an establishment beyond the area of origin must be in
writing and subject to the supervision of the administrative head of
the region in which the hiring takes place. Expense of transporting
the worker and his family is to be borne by the employer.
In addition to the name, nationality, occupation, and residence of
the employer and the worker, the contract must show (1) further
identifying detail regarding the worker, number, date, and origin of
identity certificate (birth date, family status, etc.), (2) the nature of
the work and its effective duration, which must not be less than 15
days per month, (3) the wage rate, which must be equal at least to the
minimum rate established by the Governor, (4) the quantity and type
of rations to be provided, and the housing conditions and arrangements
for the worker’s family, (5) the advances made at the time of hiring,
and (6) other special provisions and information.
If an employer wishes to cancel a contract before its regular expira­
tion, he must give 8 days’ notice to the administrative head before
whom the contract was made.
1 D a ta are from Journal Officiel de la R épublique Française, Ordonnanes et D écrets, June 20, 1945; and
Free France (French Press and Inform ation Service, New Y ork), A ugust 15 and September 15,1945.


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LABOR LAWS AND DECISIONS

91

Collective agreements.—Conditions of work which are to prevail in
one establishment or a group of establishments must be defined in
written collective agreements. These agreements are to be made
between representatives of a trade-union or other group of workers and
representatives of an employer or of a group of employers. When no
group representing the workers exists, a collective agreement may be
made between the employers. and the head of the administrative
services (as representative of the workers).
If the collective agreement is for an indefinite period of time, it may
be terminated by either of the parties, on 3 months’ notice.
Workbooks and employment registers.—Workbooks are to be given
workers by the head of the administrative services. These books must
contain a copy of any written employment contract, as well as specified
identification of the worker and his family status. No statements
regarding the worker’s conduct or ability are to be entered in the book.
The employer must maintain a register of employment showing the
names of workers employed, the day or month in which hired, the
work done, wages paid and ration distributed, advances made, etc.

Conditions of Work
Children less than 14 years of age may not be employed by heads of
establishments or commanders of ships, but children 12 to 14 years
of age may, on approval, be employed in light agricultural or domestic
work. Night work for women and children is to be regulated by the
terms of the International Convention of Washington.
The interruption of work for 10 consecutive weeks within the period
preceding and following a woman’s confinement may not be used as
cause for breaking the work contract. During this period the woman
•is to have the right to free medical aid and to a benefit determined
by the Governor but amounting to not less than half her wage.
The workday for men, women, or children, in public, private,
lay, or religious establishments, is not to exceed 8 hours. When the
work is urgent or unusual, a Governor may prolong the length of the
workday by decree, provided that the total workweek is not more than
48 hours. A weekly rest day of 24 consecutive hours must be given,
preferably on Sunday.
The wage rate may not be less than the minimum set by decree
of the Governor on advice of the labor inspector, and fixed supple­
mentary rates must be paid for night work. For similar work under
similar conditions, women are to have the right to the same wage as
men. Wage deductions may be made only (1) to repay loans made to
the worker, and (2) to establish a marriage fund. Wages must be
paid in legal currency. Payments in kind and notably payments in
alcohol are forbidden. The employer must supply to all workers a
daily “living ration,” or pay its equivalent in cash.
Workers who have been in employment with the same employer for
1 year and have worked 240 days are given the right to 10 days’ leave
on full pay.
Members of a worker’s family are given the right to housing quar­
ters (lodging) and a plot of land situated near the worker.
An employer may operate a store selling supplies to the workers only
if (1) the workers are not obliged to patronize it, (2) sales are made
6 7 7 2 3 4 — 4 6 ------- 7


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only in cash and without profit, and (3) separate accounts are kept
for the store.
Workers are to have the right to free legal assistance, in case of
litigation concerning wages or sick or accident benefits.
Social Insurance and Other Benefits
Medical care.—Certain medical facilities must be maintained by
employers, as follows: Establishments with 1,000 or more workers,
a medical service and a resident physician approved by the labor
inspector; underground mining companies with 500 workers, a
physician; establishments with 100 or more workers, an approved
resident medical attendant; and establishments with over 20 but
fewer than 100 workers, a first-aid station. The employer must also
provide daily medical inspection of workers who are ill (and of their
families if they desire it), as well as medical supplies and attendance
in the case of sickness of a worker or members of his family living with
him, and necessary hospitalization expenses for a maximum of 30 days.
Workmen's compensation.—Accident compensation must be paid by
the employer for all work accidents. For the first 3 days, compensa­
tion equals the regular daily wage plus the daily ration or “ living
indemnity,” and after the third day equals the daily ration or in­
demnity and half the daily wage. If permanently disabled, the worker
is entitled to compensation equal to 1,000 times his daily wage (in
money and in kind2) at the time of his incapacitation, and if partially
disabled, to a specified smaller amount.
If death results within 6 months, -the heirs are to be paid a sum
equal to 500 times the daily remuneration.
Social insurance.— Family-, maternity-, and marriage-allowance
systems are to be established in the territories covered by the decree.
Funds for them will be built up from compulsory employer contribu-.
tions and local government subsidies, and (in case of the marriage
funds) also from the wages of unmarried male workers.
Workers with a certain number of years’ service are to have the
right to retirement pensions under a system to be established.
Labor Inspection and Arbitration
A labor inspector is to have charge of labor conditions in each colony.
He is to be assisted by a consultative commission composed of equal
numbers of representatives of employers (named by the chambers of
commerce and agriculture) and of workers (named by the Governor
and chosen, as far as possible, from the most representative tradeunions). The proportion of native and European members and the
length of their term (not to exceed 5 years) are to be fixed by decree.
In each territory covered by this legislation, the Governor is to
create an arbitration board, establish its territorial jurisdiction, and
name its three members. The president of the board is to be the chief
of the administrative services or an official named by the Governor;
one of the two members must be a European employer in full possession
of his civil and political rights, and the other a worker (preferably a
labor-union officer); both must be selected on the recommendation
of the labor inspector.
Decisions of the boards are final, except in cases involving claims
exceeding 1,000 francs, which may be appealed to a civil court.
2 “ In k in d ” as used in reference to calculation of disability compensation apparently m eans the “ living
ration ” which each employee receives in addition to his m oney wage.


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Wage and Hour Statistics

Wartime Labor Force of St. Paul Propeller Plant1
Summary
CONCERNED for the welfare of the millions of workers recruited for
war production, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the spring of 1945,
undertook a series of surveys designed to disclose the war workers’
problems through analysis of their experiences. Among the workers
selected for study was a group of 248 employed in a St. Paul propeller
plant which shut down soon after hostilities ended in the Pacific war.
The plant was considered typical of many others engaged in a
purely war production job. The individual workers were carefully
chosen to be representative of the entire 2,300 employed in the plant.
The survey, the results of which are summarized here, was designed
to ascertain where these workers came from, why they went into war
industry, how they acquired the necessary skills, what changes the
war made in their lives, and what were their hopes, expectations and
postwar plans. The same workers are to be reinterviewed periodically
to determine the effects of reconversion on their economic situation.
Though making propellers when surveyed in April 1945, the
group studied was found to consist in large part of prewar farmers,
white-collar workers, housewives, businessmen, and professionals.
Some of the workers had come to St. Paul from over 500 miles away.
Most of them had held several jobs during the war, but few had had
formal vocational training. Generally their wartime occupational
and industrial shifts had brought substantially increased earnings.
When surveyed, they were earning an average of $68.50 per week at
the propeller plant. In terms of January 1941 purchasing power,
however, their take-home pay averaged less than $40 after allowance
for increased living costs, and deductions for taxes and war bonds.
Relatively few intended to remain in manufacturing industry after the
war. A large proportion of the women workers expected to leave the
labor market. Almost a third were planning to leave St. Paul when
their jobs ended.
Plant and Community
Although, in the spring of 1940, planes were custom made, British
and French orders, and later our own defense program, forced an
incredibly rapid transition to mass-production techniques. Propel­
lers, however, were a bottleneck.
Existing techniques of propeller manufacture called for precise
metalworking operations. Faced with a shortage of skilled mani Prepared b y E verette B. H arris, Regional Wage A nalyst, Chicago Regional Office, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, U. S. D epartm ent of Labor. A more detailed analysis of the d ata summ arized here is available
in mimeographed form.


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M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 194 6

power, new methods had to be developed to permit the utilization of
quickly trained men and women. A peacetime manufacturer of
automobile parts relieved the bottleneck with a process for forging and
welding hollow-steel propellers, which could be carried on by workers
with little or no factory experience.
With a new process and contracts for production, several months
were consumed in finding and equipping a plant. Recruitment of
workers began in October 1943.
The propeller plant was ready for production about the time St.
Paul-Minneapolis employment reached its wartime peak. A con­
certed effort by company representatives, the U. S. Employment
Service, a number of American Federation of Labor locals, and civic
leaders and organizations was necessary to obtain enough workers to
start production by January 1944. The National War Labor Board
permitted the plant a high wage-rate schedule to speed employment,
as a “rare and unusual” case.
Most of the workers were recruited in the Twin Cities, but some
came from outside, even from hundreds of miles away. Some 60 per­
cent of the workers originally hired had to be sent to vocational
schools in the community. Subsequently, all training activities were
conducted inside the plant.
With 400 workers at the outset (January 1944), plant employment
gradually increased to 2,300 in April 1945.
Personal and Family Characteristics
Personal characteristics.—Manpower shortage, the Selective Service
Act, and certain features of the Twin Cities’ labor market were mir­
rored in the new work force.
War-induced shortages of men opened up new opportunities for
women. Of the 248 workers studied, 49 or close to a fifth were women.
This was in sharp contrast to the prewar situation in metalworking
plants. Even as late as the Pearl Harbor attack, less than 4 percent
of the employees in propeller production were women.
The effect of the draft was apparent in the relatively small propor­
tion of younger men employed in the plant. Little more than a fifth
of the male propeller workers were from 25 to 34 years of age, as com­
pared with a similar age group of almost a third of St. Paul male
workers in manufacturing work in 1940. Seven of the men were 60
years of age or older, four of them were 65 or over. Among the older
men in the propeller plant, as in many other war industries, were a
number brought out of retirement by the war.
The women, on the average, were considerably younger than the
men. More than two out of five were less than 25 years old. Younger
women, of course, were the least likely to have family responsibilities
and were, therefore, the group most readily available.
Relatively few Negro workers were employed. In 1940 Negroes
formpd about 1 percent of the population of St. Paul. Slightly more
than this proportion was found in the sample. There was no evidence
of discrimination.
The educational level of the workers was relatively high. More
than half (157) had some high-school education and 15 percent had 1
or more years of college training. Only 5 had less than 5 years of
grammar school.

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wage

and

hour

s t a t is t ic s

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Peacetime physical standards were modified. The company em­
ployed a high proportion of disabled workers; 42 (17 percent of the
total) reported physical disabilities. Defective and injured legs or
leg joints were among the most frequently mentioned, but did not
prevent workers from holding jobs as inspector, welding-die repairman,
janitor, hot-form helper, grinder, die setter, hammerman, crane
hooker, furnace loader, and foreman.
The propeller plant had on its pay rolls a fairly large number of
World War II veterans; among those surveyed were 22, or almost 10
percent of the sample. Eleven of the 22 reported disabilities, ranging
from “nervous condition” to gunshot wounds.
Family characteristics.—Almost three-fourths of the workers (182)
were heads of families. An additional 21 had no family attachments,
while 45 lived in family groups of which they were not the head.
Only 13 men were in the last group. More than a third of the women
were either heads of families or living alone and supporting themselves.
The majority of the workers not only were members of families but
were also supporting families. Only 71 were without dependents.
Sixty-five of the men were supporting three or more dependents each,
and in 13 instances the worker had five or more dependents. In a
number of cases, the workers surveyed were the sole wage earners of
large families completely dependent on their income from war jobs.
The average number of persons employed per family was moderately
larger in the group surveyed than was typical of St. Paul in 1940.
However, the employment status of the families of the propeller work­
ers does not coincide with the popular belief that most war workers’
families had several persons working. In fact, there were only 38
cases (15 percent) 2 in which two or more family members were em­
ployed in addition to the worker surveyed; in some instances all em­
ployed members of the family were engaged in war jobs subject to
termination with the cessation of war production.
Industrial and Occupational Background
War production brought a new work force to the Twin Cities and
great changes into the working lives of those already there.
All but 49 of the St. Paul propeller workers had worked for at least
three employers since the beginning of 1941. The largest single
group of the men, 59 in number, consisted of workers who had had
four different employers since 1941. Two had worked for as many as
nine different employers in the space of little over 4 years. Only 35
percent of the women, compared to 62 percent of the men, had four
or more employers during this period. The lower turn-over among
women was due largely to the late entry of many women into the labor
market.
Workers changed jobs more frequently than they changed employers.
Changing products and processes, plus high turn-over rates, made it
necessary even|within plants to shift workers into new jobs. These
factors explain to a considerable degree why all but 37 of the workers
had held three or more different jobs since the beginning of 1941.
Industry changes.—Only 67 (27 percent) of the 248 workers had
usually worked in manufacturing industries. Of the remainder, 44
were drawn from wholesale and retail trade, 25 from the service
2 There is some duplication in th is figure since, in several cases, two or more workers belonging to the same
family were surveyed.


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trades, 24 from construction, 21 fronFfarming, and 17 from transporta­
tion, communication, and other public utilities. Smaller numbers
were employed at the beginning of the war in mining, finance, insur­
ance and real estate, and government.
The industries which many of the workers left offered a degree of
security which the propeller plant could not match. It was fairly
well known in the community that the plant lease called for the
removal of facilities within 6 months after the cessation of hostilities.
There were, of course, workers who had no security to lose and still
others who could be reasonably sure of returning to their prewar
occupations or businesses when their war jobs ended. Some were
attracted by high wages. Others patriotically sacrificed income to
help in the war effort. Some sought war jobs because wartime man­
power and materials restrictions made impossible the conduct of their
normal activities. Others entered war work under the urging of their
draft boards. In short, the motivations that led workers into the
propeller plant ran the gamut of wartime pulls and pressures.
Occupational changes.—Of the 248 propeller workers studied, 226
were employed as craftsmen and manual workers at the time of the
survey. Only 117, or little less than half, had normally been so
engaged in peacetime. Fifteen of the remaining 131 were usually
professionals or semiprofessionals, 23 were proprietors, managers, and
officials, 18 were farmers or farm laborers, 51 were in clerical, sales, or
kindred work, 15 were service workers, and 9 were housewives.
Ralph A., for 16 jmars a teacher and high-school principal, exemplifies the
professional who entered the factory during the war. M otivated by the inade­
quacy of his earnings as high-school principal in a small community, he improved
his financial position substantially by the change and expressed a hope to con­
tinue in his war job. His background, in all likelihood, played some role in his
selection for the position of tim e-study observer a t the propeller plant.3

Farmers who entered war industry were also frequently induced
to do so by the high wages offered as compared with their earnings on
the land.
This appears to be the force th a t drew H arold E., 35 years old, who invested
$140 in an aircraft metalworking course in order to prepare himself for a war job.
Required by his draft board to return to farm work a t harvest time, he shuttled
between California war plants and M innesota farms twice before taking a job in
the propeller plant. Though glad of the chance to earn high factory wages while
they were available, Mr. E. foresaw hard times coming and thought he would be
b etter off back on the farm when his war job ended.

Occupational changes of craftsmen and manual workers— The ex­
perience of the St. Paul propeller workers seems in conflict with the
popular notion of universal and rapid wartime upgrading. Among
those who had employment experience before 1941, it appears that 47
were normally skilled workers or foremen. At the time of this study,
however, only 24 of them were employed in skilled occupations. Of
the remaining 23, there were 14 in semiskilled jobs and 9 in unskilled
occupations.
The downgrading process cannot be explained by lack of skilled
jobs. The majority of skilled jobs were filled, not by former skilled
craftsmen, but by workers who were previously semiskilled workers,
proprietors, managers and officials, or clerks. Of 21 men who were
previously proprietors, managers and officials, 10 were employed as
skilled workmen and 11 in semiskilled jobs. The 31 men who were
3 All

ci ir c iv 'c i fl; used in th is report are fictitious.


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clerical, sales or kindred workers before the war seem to have done
almost as well, with 11 holding skilled and 12 semiskilled jobs. None
of the 7 men who were unskilled laborers before the war was engaged
in a skilled job, though 4 of them had been upgraded to the semiskilled
category.
There appears to be no single explanation which would account for
the acceptance of semiskilled and unskilled jobs by those who were
normally skilled workers. Some apparently found that they could
earn more by accepting less-skilled jobs in a war plant, while others
(including a number of the peacetime construction workers) found the
market for their skills too limited as the war neared its end. Still
others, voluntarily or under draft-board pressure, chose less-skilled
essential work in preference to skilled but nonessential activity.
None of the 49 women held a skilled job. Neither lack of experience
nor lack of openings satisfactorily accounts for this fact.
Training .—Most of the propeller workers’ wartime occupational
changes were accomplished without formal training or retraining.4
Of 69 workers surveyed who held skilled jobs, only 33 had received
either prewar or wartime training even remotely related to the work
they performed in the propeller plant.
Upgrading of untrained workers to skilled jobs was a* common
wartime phenomenon. The process was greatly facilitated, of course,
by the fact that the jobs themselves were frequently “ diluted” in
content.
Only 28 in all reported serving an apprenticeship before January
1941. Another 23 reported having attended trade or vocational
school before 1941—15 for less than 2 years and 8 for 2 years or more.
Of the total of 51 who reported formal prewar training, only about
three-fifths were trained in metalworking skills or in occupations
(such as electrician) which might be considered related to metalwork­
ing. Their training apparently exerted some but not a determining
influence on the kinds of jobs held in the propeller plant. Of 32
trained before the war in metalworking or related skills, 17 or little
more than half held skilled jobs. Not all of these jobs, however, were
related to the type of training which the worker had received. One
man, for example, who had served a year as “ apprentice” in telephone
wire and cable work was employed as an engine-lathe operator. Of
the remaining 15 with metalwork or related training, 9 held semi­
skilled and 6 unskilled jobs in the propeller plant. One man, who had
served a 4-year apprenticeship as a boilermaker, was employed as a
rough grinder—an unskilled occupation.
Nineteen reported prewar training in a variety of nonmetalworking
occupations—6 held skilled jobs in the propeller plant, 9 held semi­
skilled jobs, and the remaining 4 were divided evenly between service
and clerical work. Their prewar training had been in the building
trades, the printing trades, and such varied occupations as candy
dipping, bartering, men’s tailoring, ladies’ dressmaking, and baking.
After January 1941, training was frequently started with specific
jobs in view. It is therefore not surprising to find that 21 of 35 workers
who obtained vocational training of 1 month’s duration or more after
1940 held propeller-plant jobs in which they made greater or less use
of the skills they acquired through such training.
4 Throughout this section only trainingjof 1 m o n th or more is considered. A num ber of workers reported
trade or vocational school training, ranging in duration from 1 day to 3 weeks.


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M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

Migration of Workers
At one time or another since the beginning of 1941 one out of three
workers surveyed moved from one community to another to take or
to seek new work.5 They moved from farms to cities, from lightindustry communities to new and expanding centers of heavy indus­
try.
In all, the 73 workers who reported migrations connected with job
changes moved a total of 136 6 times, an average of close to two moves
per person. Among these migrants, single persons without depend­
ents (one-person families) were the most mobile group. Of the 21
single persons, 10 made at least one migration and 5 moved twice.
Only 53, less than a third, of the family heads had moved from one
community to another since 1940.
Least mobile were those who were members but not the heads of
multiperson families; most of them were women. Only 8 of the 49
women, less than a sixth, had moved from one city to another since
1940, while the proportion of men who did so was twice as great.
Family size seems to have exerted little if any influence on the
mobility of the workers surveyed. The age factor shows a somewhat
more significant correlation with mobility. Almost a third of the
workers from 20 to 44 years of age changed communities at least
once, as compared with slightly more than a quarter of those 45
years and over. The lesser mobility of the older workers is probably
associated with greater family attachments and responsibilities.
More than 1 out of 5 of the propeller workers were not living in St.
Paul at the beginning of 1941. Two were more than a thousand miles
away (1 in Mississippi and another in Pennsylvania), 6 had homes
in Illinois, Michigan and Indiana, and another 9 lived in States
bordering on Minnesota, namely North Dakota, South Dakota,
Iowa, and Wisconsin. The remaining 34 who migrated to St. Paul
were, at that time, living in communities scattered throughout the
State of Minnesota.
Certain others were living in St. Paul in January 1941, but subse­
quently left to take jobs elsewhere, in several cases at great distances
from their homes—Alaska (highway construction), California (ship­
building, aircraft, oil, and construction), Washington, Canada, Florida,
Oregon, and Arizona. Several of the women traveled in the wake
of husbands who were shifted from camp to camp by the armed
forces. At the time of the survey, 30 workers were more than 100
miles from where theyfhad lived early in 1941.
Although migrations were generally short, they were frequently
costly. Of 92 moves for which the cost was reported, 19 (more than
a fifth) involved outlays of $100 or more. These outlays were in
addition to loss of earnings during the time required to move. Two
workers reported moves costing $500, and another 6 spent from%$200
to $500 on individual moves. Moving expenses, of course, tended
to run highest among heads of families, though 4 of the single workers
stated that moving from one job location to another had cost them
between $75 and $100.
The longest migrations were not necessarily the most costly. A
worker from western Pennsylvania spent only $50 to move to St.
r 5 M igrations not connected directly w ith changes in jobs, e. g., a move m ade b y a worker because some
one else in his fam ily found a new job elsewhere, are nor considered except where otherw ise noted.
•Excluding moves w ith in th e sam e com m unity.


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Paul; his wife and three children were left behind. A worker who
lived in Mississippi at the beginning of 1941 shared a ride to Chicago
with several others, at a cost of $12.50; he also left his family behind.
One man spent $200 each way, moving his wife, two children, and his
father-in-law from Minneapolis to Chicago and back. One fourperson family spent $500 moving from Kalamazoo, Mich., to St.
Paul.
Expenses as large as those described are not lightly undertaken.
The element of risk was reduced considerably during wartime because
of the availability of jobs. Return to a more normal labor market,
however, will doubtless immobilize many who do not feel free to
gamble their savings on moving. Geographical mobility of labor,
however, is generally recognized as a necessary condition for full
employment.7
Outlays for moving were not¡in alineases offsefibyiimmediate increases
in income. In 89 cases the workers earned more on the first job
obtained after the move than they had earned before, 3 migrations
resulted in no change in earnings, and 35 migrations were followed
by decreases in weekly earnings. Some who received reduced earnings
jafter moving may have had expectations of higher incomes which
failed to materialize. A few moved because their previous jobs had
ended and there was no work immediately available where they lived.
These probably were inclined to take what they could get after moving.
Others may have accepted jobs at relatively low beginning rates in
hope of subsequent upgrading. Still others may have been influenced
by their draft boards.
The wartime travels of Clarence L., though somewhat unusual in
their frequency, are illustrative of the variety of reasons which led
workers to move from place to place.
Mr. L., a Negro worker, left his home in South Bend, Ind., for undisclosed
“ personal” reasons and moved to Chicago. After the completion of a construction
contract on which he was engaged in the latter city, he returned to South Bend.
Subsequently, the high wages paid welders in Michigan attracted him to the
town of Buchanan. Fear th a t his health was being affected by welding and a
desire for outdoor work next led him to Detroit. The unavailability of housing
for Negroes in th a t city caused him to leave after 2 months. Then, hearing of
openings in the propeller plant, he moved on to St. Paul.

Unionization Among Propeller-Plant Workers
Union membership was among the new experiences which the war
brought. Sixty-nine of the 103 propeller workers who held union
cards at the time of the survey had never been union members before
1941.
Locals of five American Federation of Labor affiliates had collective­
bargaining agreements at the propeller plant,8 with maintenance-ofmembership provisions. Workers were free to join or not to join
the unions covering their respective occupations; but, once in, they
were required to remain members.
7 Sir W illiam Beveridge, in his F u ll E m ploym ent in a Free Society (New Y ork, W . W . N orton & Co.,
1945) lists th e “ organized m obility of labor” as one of three necessary conditions for full em ploym ent. A
statistical dem onstration of th e im portance of labor m obility for full em ploym ent in the U nited States is
presented in In tern al M igration and F u ll E m ploym ent in th e U nited States, by A. J. Jaffe and Seym our L.
W olfbein, in th e Journal of the American Statistical Association, Septem ber 1945.
8 International Association of M achinists; International Brotherhood of B lacksm iths, D rop Forgers and
H elpers; In tern atio n al B rotherhood of Team sters, Chauffeurs, W arehousemen a nd H elpers; International
B rotherhood of Firem en and Oilers; and International Union of O perating Engineers.


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Propeller workers who joined unions varied widely with respect to
previous occupational experience. Proportionately, the largest num­
ber who joined were normally employed in skilled and semiskilled
occupations; the smallest number were professionals and semipro­
fessionals, unskilled workers, and those normally engaged in clerical,
sales and kindred occupations.
Almost half of the men (92 of 199) belonged to unions; about one
out of four women (11 of 49) held cards.
Earlier experience in labor organizations seems to have influenced
somewhat, though not decisively, the extent to which workers joined
unions. Of 73 workers who had been union members at some time
prior to 1941, there were 34 (47 percent) who joined one of the five
locals covering the plant. On the other hand, only 69 of 174 (40
percent) of those who had no prewar experience in unions were
members at the time of the survey.
Wartime Earnings
Considered as a group, the St. Paul propeller-plant workers shared
in the general upward movement of wages that resulted from long,
hours, shift differentials, incentive payments, and the movement of
workers from low- to high-wage industries during the war period. At
the time of the survey half the men earned more and half less than
$1.25 per hour.9 The corresponding median for the women workers
was 89 cents, and for the entire group, $1.18.
For most of the workers hourly earnings in the propeller plant were
considerably above those received during the year preceding the attack
on Pearl Harbor. In all, 189 workers (172 men and 17 women),
reported 1941 hourly earnings for comparison with their earnings at
the time of the survey. Nine workers had increased their earnings by
less than 10 percent during the period under consideration, 22 had
gains of 10 to 24 percent and an equal number had increases of 25 to
49 percent and of 50 to 74 percent. Increases of 75 to 99 percent were
reported by 29 workers; and 61, almost a third of those reporting
earnings changes, enjoyed gains of 100 percent or more.
In many instances, a large percentage rise reflected an increase from
a very low prewar level, and brought the worker only to the bottom
ranks of wartime wage levels.
Not all of the workers were able to increase their hourly rates during
the war. Almost one out of eight of the men, 22 to be exact, actually
earned less per hour at the time of the survey than during 1941. Re­
ductions of earnings seem to have fallen most heavily on those who
had the highest prewar earnings. Of 14 men who had earned $1.50
or more per hour during 1941, all but 5 earned less than that amount
in the propeller plant, 3 of them receiving less than $1.
Weekly earnings were substantially higher than in 1941. Compari­
sons with earnings during that year were possible in the case of 189
workers. Close to three out of five, 112 in all, had increased their
earnings by 75 percent or more since 1941. Increases of 150 percent
or more were reported by 57 workers. On the other hand, there were
19 who reported decreases and another 19 whose earnings had in­
creased by less than 25 percent.
9
T he entire discussion of hourly earnings is in term s of straight-tim e earnings.
and shift differentials are excluded.


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Overtime prem ium pay

WAGE AND HOUR STATISTICS

101

Long hours, with premium overtime rates paid after 8 hours per day,
plus shift differentials received by some of the workers, determined the
level of weekly earnings. The dividing line between the lowest-paid
half of the workers and the highest-paid half was $72.50 for men,
$44.81 for women and $65.77 for the entire group. Hours of work
per week were 48 or more for all workers surveyed. Seven out of ten,
174 in all, worked 48 hours; 69 (including 2 women) regularly worked
more than 52 hours.
Average gross weekly earnings of the entire group of 248 workers were
$68.50 at the time of the survey.10 From this, an average of $9.08
was deducted for income taxes and an additional $0.68 for social
security taxes, leaving $58.74. Since pay-roll deductions for war
bonds amounted to approximately 10 percent of the total plant pay
roll, the workers surveyed may be assumed to have contributed an
average of $6.85 per week for that purpose. This would put “ take
home” pay at $51.89. After adjustment of this figure for a living-cost
rise of roughly 30 percent, the average propeller worker had spendable
earnings equivalent to less than $40 per week in terms of early 1941
purchasing power. If no deductions are made for war bonds, the com­
parable deflated figure for spendable weekly earnings in 1941 prices
wmuld be $45.18.
For most industrial employees, the war years meant far steadier
work than they had enjoyed in normal times. This is reflected in the
levels of the annual earnings of the propeller workers. During 1944,
half of the 241 for whom data are available had an annual wage income
of less than $2,481 and half earned more than that amount. The
dividing line between the lowest- and highest-paid halves of the male
group was $2,769. The dividing line for the women was considera­
bly lower, $1,365. The very marked difference between the annual
earnings of the men and those of the women is attributable in large
part to the fact that a number of women were not employed through­
out the year, having entered or reentered the labor market at various
times during 1944. The differences in the wage rates received by
men and women, respectively, contributed, of course, to the annual
earnings differential.
Few of the propeller workers were in the higher income brackets.
Only 6 of the 196 men who reported total 1944 wages earned $5,000
or more. Of the 45 women for whom 1944 wage income is available,
none had gross earnings of as much as $2,500 for the year and all but
8 earned less than $2,000; earnings of 26 (more than half) were under
$1,500. The lowest earners, however, include some who were not at
work throughout the entire year.
Postwar Plans 11
In the course of the survey, the workers had been asked whether
they wanted to remain in the jobs they then held, whether they
expected to do so and, if not, what changes they planned and why.
There was small hope that they would be able to continue in the
propeller plant, which closed on August 22, 1945. The lease called
10
T h is is som ew hat higher th a n th e average for th e airplane-propeller in d u stry as a whole. As of April
1945, w orkers employed b y prim e contractors m aking propellers for th e various procurem ent agencies earned
an average of $62.51 per week. Average hours w orked were 46.7 per week, m aking average hourly earnings
(including overtime) $1.34. I t is estim ated th a t straight-tim e hourly earnings were $1.24.
n Follow-up studies will trace th e actual situation of these w orkers after leaving the propeller p lant.


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102

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

for removal of the operation within 6 months after cessation of hostili­
ties. Throughout its active life the plant made only one product—
hollow-steel aircraft propellers, not a part of the company’s business
before the war. Company plans for postwar production were far
from certain.
If the plant’s future had been put up to the workers there is no doubt
what the decision would have been. Three-fifths of them, all but 96
of those who planned to continue working, wanted to keep their jobs.
Evidently hoping that they would be able to continue at the plant,
71 men and 17 women had made no plans to do anything else after
the war ended. Many of the others “wanted” and “expected” to
continue in their jobs, but indicated what they “might” do if and
when laid off or discharged.
Occupational changes.—Of the men, 128 or close to two-thirds had
ideas on postwar employment. Slightly more than half, 68, expected
to return to their usual occupations or to occupations similar to those
in which they were usually engaged. The proportions expecting to
revert to their normal occupational status were largest among those
usually engaged in professional, managerial, and white-collar occupa­
tions. Nine of 11 professionals and semiprofessionals with postwar
plans expected to resume their previous type of work, as did also 12
of the 15 who had been proprietors, managers, and officials, and 15 of
the 24 white-collar employees (clerical, sales and kindred workers).
Six out of the remaining 9 in the last group hoped to become proprie­
tors, managers, or officials.
Men in the craftsman and manual-worker group showed the great­
est divergence between usual occupation and postwar intentions.
Only 19 of 36 skilled workers with plans for the future expected to
engage in skilled labor after the war. Eight expected to start their
own business, and 1, rather surprisingly, was headed for semiskilled
work. Semiskilled workers indicated a wider diversity of plans than
any other group. Of 21 who had some idea what they would do when
the war ended, only 3 expected to return to semiskilled jobs, 5
expected to establish businesses, 1 to become a farmer, 2 to become
white-collar workers, 1 to become a service worker, 2 to become skilled
workers, 1 to get an unskilled job, and 1 to leave the labor market.
Only 6 out of 11 men who were normally engaged in farming planned
to return to rural life after the war. One intended to establish a
business, another to get a white-collar job, a third to become a semi­
skilled worker, and the remaining two to find skilled jobs.
The men who were usually employed in semiskilled and unskilled
work were the only groups in which a majority gave no indications of
future plans for employment. Of 46 semiskilled workers, 25 had no
plans except to remain where they were if they could. The same was
true of 4 of the 7 unskilled workers.
Among the women who had ideas as to what they would do in the
future, a surprisingly large proportion (21 out of 32) indicated inten­
tions to retire from the labor market. Most of these expected to
return to housekeeping responsibilities which they left for war jobs,
but several of the younger women wanted to return to school. Their
plans, however, may not be typical of the postwar plans of women
war workers. It should be recalled at this point that most of the
women propeller workers were among the last to enter the labor

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WAGE AND HOUR STATISTICS

103

market during the war period, and would probably be among the
first to leave.
There are indications, nevertheless, from the survey of the propeller
workers that more women will remain in the labor market after the
war than, were gainfully occupied before it began. As .of January 1941,
only 10 out of 49 women surveyed were employed and none of the
others was actively seeking work. Of 32 who reported their postwar
plans, 11 proposed to continue working. Some of the remaining 17
who reported no plans may also seek other jobs. Additionally, some
of the 21 who expect to leave the labor market may well find it neces­
sary to alter their plans if the chief breadwinners of their families are
unable to find work or are forced to accept jobs paying inadequate
wages.
Industrial changes.-—The service industries and trade loom large
in the postwar plans of the propeller workers as a group. Of 96 who
reported postwar plans in sufficient detail to permit classification by
industry, wholesale and retail trade is the field in which 28 planned to
work if and when their war jobs ended. Another 21 proposed to enter
service industries, and 19 said they were going into the construction
industry, a field from which most of them came. Only 11 intended to
remain in manufacturing and, of these, 4 planned to work in the food
industry.
Failure to report postwar plans was disproportionately large among
those usually engaged in semiskilled and unskilled occupations. _This
undoubtedly contributed to the small proportion of those proposing to
continue in manufacturing industry.
Plans for migration.—The migration plans reported at the time of
the interview were often far from definite. In many cases, moving
out of St. Paul was contemplated only if there was no possibility of
remaining in the propeller plant. In that event, almost one out of
three of the workers surveyed, 76 in all, expressed an intention to
leave St. Paul.
The destinations of 62 lay elsewhere within the State of Minnesota.
Another 5 were not specific, but indicated that they would leave St.
Paul. Of the remaining 9, two expected to go to California, 1 to
Florida, and another to some unspecified place on the Pacific Coast.
Colorado, Montana, and Oklahoma, respectively, attracted 3 workers,
and 2 others said they were going to Wisconsin.
About half of those who had migrated since 1940 planned further
moves after the war ended.12 Omitting those workers who had first
left and then returned to St. Paul, little more than half of the wartime
migrants expected to return to where they had lived at the beginning
of 1941. The remainder had severed connections with their previous
homes.
12 T his does n o t necessarily m ean th a t all the other w artim e m igrants proposed to rem ain in St. Paul.
Some did not report postw ar plans.


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104

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

Union Wages and Hours of Motortruck Drivers
and Helpers, July 1, 1945 1
Summary
WAGE rates of union motortruck drivers in 75 principal cities aver­
aged $1,007 per hour on July 1, 1945, a 2.1-percent increase over
July 1, 1944; drivers’ helpers averaged 84.6 cents per hour, an advance
of 2.4 percent. Almost half of the 187,000 drivers included in the
surve}?- worked under agreements requiring minimum scales between
90 cents and $1.10. About 45 percent of the 28,000 helpers had rates
between 80 and 95 cents. Of the 75 cities studied, New York had the
highest composite average for truck drivers ($1.22 per hour), followed
by Seattle ($1,164) and Newark ($1,160). San Antonio, Tex., and
Charleston, S. C., had the lowest average ($0,645).
The straight-time workweek averaged 45.9 hours for union truck
drivers and 45.4 hours for helpers on July 1, 1945. There was very
little change in hour scales during the year. The 48-hour workweek
was typical, covering about two-fifths of the drivers and helpers
studied. Payment of time and a half was practically always required
for work beyond the hours provided by union agreement. Double­
time or time-and-a-half rates were required by agreements covering
over four-fifths of the union members for work on Sunday or the
seventh consecutive day.
Scope and Method of Survey
This study is one of a series of annual surveys of union scales in
various trades in principal cities of the United States, started by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics in 1907. Union scales for a few driver
classifications in selected cities are available from 1907, but the index
series showing the general trend of union scales dates back only to
1936. Data for prior years were insufficient to warrant construction
of an index series. The studies now include 75 cities in 40 States
and the District of Columbia.
The basic material for this report was obtained by field representa­
tives of the Bureau through personal interviews with union officials
and employers in each city. The scales obtained were those pro­
vided in union agreements effective on July 1, 1945. Scales in nego­
tiation, or before the National or Regional War Labor Boards or the
National Trucking Commission, were checked before the data were
tabulated so that as far as possible any wage or hour changes retro­
active to July 1, 1945, would be reflected in this study.
All of the figures in this report were based on effective union scales.
A union scale is a minimum wage rate or maximum schedule of hours
1 Prepared in the B ureau’s Wage A nalysis Branch b y D onald Gerrish assisted b y H erbert Abowitz,
A nnette Sinn, and James Corkery.


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DISTRIBUTION OF UNION MOTORTRUCK D R IV E R S AND H ELPER S
ACCORDING TO HOURLY RA TES
JULY 1, 1945

PERCENT OF MEMBERS

PERCENT OF MEMBERS

35

3¡>
25

20

20


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

3o
W
o
d
w
Xfl
y-i

>
pi
i—i

10

_£Z2_

1.40

UNDER
$ .5 0
*

1.50

AND UNDER

AND

1.50

OVER

LESS THAN A TENTH OF I PERCENT

GO

O
Or

106

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

agreed upon through collective bargaining between employers or their
bargaining associations and trade-unions. Some union members may
receive rates in excess of the minimum agreed upon because of length
of service, special qualifications, or for personal reasons. These
premium rates were not used in the preparation of this report.
The Bureau has also computed an index series (1939= 100) to meas­
ure changes from year to year. The index numbers were constructed
in a manner that minimizes the influence of shifts in union member­
ship which might obscure the real changes in wages and hours. This
series, rather than the actual averages of rates, should be used to
determine the trend of hourly wage rates, because changes in cover­
age and shifts in union membership distort a direct comparison of
average rates in two periods. The percent of change shown in table
5 should be used in determining the trend in individual cities.
This survey covered local city trucking primarily. Rates for
drivers operating trucks on long-distance runs from terminals located
in the cities surveyed were included when payment was on an hourly
rather than a mileage basis.
No Nation-wide combination has been made of the scales which
prevail for different commodities (such as coal, ice, building materials,
beer, general commodities, baggage, express, heavy freight, and
other items), or for different sizes of trucks. Local rate relation­
ships have developed over a period of years through local collective
bargaining, and there is, as a result, considerable variation from city to
city. For instance, the coal drivers in one city may have rates in excess
of the rates for drivers who handle general commodities, while in
another city the opposite may be true.2
Occupational separation was made between drivers and helpers.
Only those helpers were included who actually rode on the trucks.
The report covered 215,423 union members, of whom 87 percent were
drivers and 13 percent were helpers. Dockmen and warehousemen
were specifically excluded from the study.
The union agreements covered by the report generally specified
hourly rates, although daily, weekly, or monthly scales were not
unusual. The daily, weekly, or monthly rates were converted to
hourly rates whenever the agreements specified the number of hours
for which the scales applied; otherwise, they were omitted. Some
agreements, although specifying wages on an hourly basis, did not
contain hour scales. The hourly rates appearing in these agreements
were included in the- computations in.this report. However, the
agreements and the members included under them were omitted from
table 3 which shows average regular hours.
Laundry, milk, bakery, and beer drivers were usually paid mini­
mum weekly guaranties and commissions based on the volume of
individual sales. Over-the-road or long-distance drivers were usually
paid on a trip or mileage basis. Quotations specifying commission,
trip, or mileage wage scales could not be converted to an hourly basis
and have been excluded from the computations. There were about
80,000 union members in the cities covered, over and above the 215,423
included in this report, who were paid in this manner.
2 A bulletin to be published shortly will contain a table listing all of the scales for all of the different classi­
fications of tru ck driver, by ty p e of com m odity carried and size of tru ck, in each of the cities covered by the


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107

WAGE AND HOUR STATISTICS

Tr end of Union Wage Rates and Weekly Hours
Hourly wage rates for union motortruck drivers increased an
average of 2.1 percent between July 1, 1944, and July 1, 1945; rates
for helpers increased slightly more, 2.4 percent (table 1). Included
in these figures were increases granted in lieu of overtime by the
Trucking Commission of the National War Labor Board. Straighttime weekly hours decreased slightly during the year for both union
drivers and helpers. Reductions in straight-time hours resulted in an
increase in take-home pay in most cases, as the drivers and helpers
continued to work the longer hours, but received more premium over­
time pay.
Wage rates for drivers increased 10 percent, and for helpers 12
percent, since June 1942. Since June 1941 (prior to our entry into
the war) union wage rates increased 18 percent for drivers and 21 per­
cent for helpers.
T a b l e 1 . — Indexes

of Hourly Wage Rates and Weekly Hours for Union Motortruck
Drivers and Helpers, 1936—45
[1939 = 1001
D rivers and helpers

D rivers

Helpers

Year
Wage
rates

H ours

1936____
_____ ____________
1937___________________________________
1938__________________ _______________
1939__________________________________
1940________ ______________
______

88.5
94.4
97.8
100.0
102.0

101.8
100.9
100.9
100.0
99.1

1941__________ ______________________
1942__________________________________
1943____________________ ____________
1944____________ ____ ______________ .
1945___________________________________

106.1
113.6
119.8
2 122. 6
125.2

98.5
98.8
98.6
98.5
98.3

Wage
rates

H ours

Wage
rates

H ours

(0

(0

0)

(*)

94.5
97.9
100.0
102.1

105.9
113.1
119.2
2 121.9
124.5

100.8
100.8
100.0
99.2
98.5
98.6
98.4
98.3
98.1

94.2
97.5
100.0
102.0

107.0
116.4
123.0
2 126.8
129.8

101.2
101.2
100.0
98.7

98.1
100.0
99.8
99.8
99.7

1 Inform ation no t com puted separately in 1936.
2 R evised in 1945 to include wage changes th a t were retroactive to Ju ly 1, 1944, b u t were settled too late
to be included in th e 1944 report.

Distribution of Union Members by Hourly Wage Rates, 1945
Union wage rates for motortruck drivers in the 75 cities surveyed
averaged $1,007 per hour on July 1, 1945; for helpers who rode
on the trucks the average was 84.6 cents; and for the two groups
combined, it was 98.6 cents (table 2). Almost half of the drivers had
hourly rates ranging from 90 cents to $1.10 per hour and an additional
29 percent were paid in excess of $1.10. The most frequently quoted
rates were 90 cents and $1. A rate of $2 per hour covering a few
dump-truck drivers in St. Louis (those operating trucks of 8 cubic
yards capacity or over) continued, as in previous years, to be the
highest recorded union scale. The lowest scale was reported in Des
Moines where meat-truck drivers employed less than 6 months received
39)2 cents per hour.
Over 45 percent of the helpers worked under union agreements
providing rates of 80 cents but less than 95 cents per hour. An addi­
tional fifth received between 95 cents and $1.35 per hour, and a third
6 7 7 2 3 4 -4 6 -

-8


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108

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

of the helpers had rates of less than 80 cents per hour. Departmentstore drivers’ helpers in New Orleans worked under the lowest scale,
37.5 cents per hour, while theatrical drivers’ helpers in New York
reported the highest, $1,306 per hour.
T able 2.—Percentage Distribution of Union Motortruck Drivers and Helpers, by Hourly

Wage Rates, July 1, 1945
U nion scale

U nder 50 c en ts...
50 and under 55 cents___
55 and under 60 c e n ts ...
60 and under 65 cents___
65 and under 70 cents___
70 and under 75 cents
75 and under 80 cents
80 and under 85 cents
85 and un d er 90 cents.
90 and under 95 cents___
95 cents and under $1,00...
$1.00 and under $1.05__
$1.05 and un d er $1.10. . .

Drivers
and
D rivers Helpers
helpers
0.1
.5
.6
1.0
2.1
2.4
3.3
7. 5
9. 7
13.5
12.2
10.8
10.9

(i)
0.1
.3
.8
1.7
1.1
2.6
6.9
8.4
13. 2
13.4
11.9
11.1

0.7
3.0
2.4
2.8
4.8
11. 5
8.2
11.6
18. 3
15.9
4.7
3.5
9.4

U nion scale

$1.10 and
$1.15 and
$1.20 and
$1.25 and
$1.30 and
$1.35 and
$1.40 and
$1.45 and
$1.50 and

un d er $1.15___
under $1.20___
under $1.25___
under $1.30___
under $1.35___
under $1.40._.
under $1.45._.
under $1.50--.
over_________

D rivers
and
Drivers Helpers
helpers
7.1
4.9
4.6
3.6
2.9
1.4
.2
.2
.5

8.0
5.5
5.2
4.0
3.3
1.6
.2
.2
.5

1.2
.6
.6
.8
0)

T o ta l____________

100.0

100.0

100.0

Average hourly r a t- ____

$0. 986

$1. 007

$0. 846

1 Less th a n a te n th of 1 percent.

Weekly Hours, 1945
On July 1, 1945, straight-time weekly hours for truck drivers in
the 75 cities covered by the survey averaged 45.9; the helpers averaged
45.4 hours (table 3). The 48-hour workweek was predominant, cov­
ering 39 percent of the drivers and over 42 percent of the helpers.
The next largest group, substantially over 25 percent of both drivers
and helpers, had a basic workweek of 40 hours. The 44-hour week
covered slightly more than 1 of every 10 union members. Fewer
than 1 percent of the members reported a workweek of less than 40
hours. The shortest workweek (30.8 hours) was reported for night
drivers carrying newspapers in Duluth. Seventeen percent of the
drivers and over 9 percent of the helpers were covered by agreements
providing workweeks of over 48 hours. The maximum workweek
reported was 60 hours, and most of the union members working these
hours operated long-distance or over-the-road trucks under the regu­
lations of the Interstate Commerce Commission.
The Fair Labor Standards Act, which requires premium pay at
the rate of time and a half for all hours worked in excess of 40 per
week for employees of companies engaged in interstate commerce, is
generally not applicable to the truck-transportation industry. A vast
majority of the union drivers and helpers included in this survey were
employed by establishments not covered by the act, as they were
engaged entirely in intrastate commerce or were included under the
regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission. Trucking
operations that come under the jurisdiction of the ICC are specifically
exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The
ICC has jurisdiction over trucking operations in interstate commerce,
as regards conditions affecting the safety of the operations.3 The
Interstate Commerce Commission has ruled that employers of drivers
8 Generally the drivers and helpers who operate trucks for trucking firms engaged in interstatecommerce
are included un d er exem ptions listed in the Fair Labor Standards Act which gave the Intèrstate Commerce
Commission jurisdiction over these drivers and helpers while th ey are actually engaged in truck operation.


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109

WAGE AND HOUR STATISTICS

operating vehicles in interstate commerce may not require drivers in
their employ to remain on duty for more than 60 hours in a period of
168 consecutive hours. Various exceptions are allowed regarding
daily and weekly hours.4
T able 3 .—Percentage Distribution of Union Motortruck Drivers and Helpers, by Straight-

Time Hours Per Week, July 1, 1945
H ours per week

D rivers
and
Drivers Helpers
helpers

U nder 40. . . .
40_____________________
Over 40 and under 44___
44__________
Over 44 and under 48.
48
Over 48 and under 51___
51
Over 51 and under 54___

0.5
28.0
.3
11.9
3.9
39 0
.9
.2

0.5
27.8
.4
11.5
3.8
SR fi
.9
7 9.
.2

0.5
29. 3
0)
14.0
4.7
1.2
1.6

D rivers
and D rivers Helpers
helpers

H ours per week

54_____________________
Over 54 and under 60
60_____________________
H ours not specified in
union agreem ent.
_

4.5
.2
3.8

4.3
.2
4.2

5.7

.3

.4

.1

T o tal_____ ____ .

100.0

100.0

100.0

Average weekly hours__

45.8

45.9

45.4

.8

1 Less th a n a te n th of 1 percent.

Changes in Wage Rates and Hours from 1944 to 1945
Wage rates.—A total of 1,022 quotations, or 32 percent of those
received, revealed increases in wage rates, affecting about 39 percent
of all the union drivers and helpers for whom comparable quotations
were obtained on July 1, 1944, and July 1, 1945 (table 4). Slightly
less than 60 percent of the drivers receiving wage boosts (23 percent of
all union drivers) received advances of 5 but less than 10 percent; about
a third of these drivers benefited by raises of less than 5 percent.
This latter group comprised 13 percent of all union drivers tabulated.
Increases involving raises of more than 15 percent affected less than
1.5 percent of those drivers obtaining higher scales (0.5 percent of all
union drivers). No change in rate was recorded during the year for
slightly over 60 percent of all union drivers. The greatest percentage
T able 4. —Extent of Increases in Wage Rates of Motortruck Drivers and Helpers and

Percent of Members Affected, July 1, 1945, Compared With July 1, 1944
D rivers and helpers
E xtent of increase

All in creases... . . _ ____________ ___ . .
Less th a n 5 p ercen t_________ . . . . . . _
5 and under 10 p e rc en t.. .
.
. .
10 and und er 15’ percent. ..............................
15 and und er 20 p ercen t.. _______ _ . . .
20 and und er 25 percent. - - - - - 25 and und er 30 percent____
.
. . .
30 percent and over_____________ ______

D rivers

Helpers

N um ber Percent Num ber- Percent N um ber Percent
of
of
of
of
of
of
q u o ta­ m em bers quota­ m em bers
quota­ m em bers
affected
tions
tions
affected
tions
affected
1,022

39.3

836

39.1

186

40.4

353
473
121
46
13
9
7

13. 0
23.1
2.4
.3
.1
.3
.1

301
386
96
34
10
6
3

13.0
23.2
2.4
.2
.1
.2
(')

52
87
25
12
3
3
4

13.2
22.9
1.8
1.1
.1
1.2
.1

1 Less th a n a te n th of 1 percent.
4 A n essential difference between th e hour regulations of the In terstate Commerce Commission and of
the Fair L abor Standards Act should be noted. W hereas the In terstate Commerce Commission regulations
specify m axim um hours which m ay no t be exceeded, th e regulations u nder the Fair Labor Standards Act
merely specify the m axim um hours th a t m ay be w orked a t straight-tim e rates, and do not lim it the total
num ber of hours th a t m ay be worked, provided tim e and one-half is paid for all hours in excess of the specified
week. fSee In terstate Commerce Commission: M otor Carrier Safety R egulations Revised.)


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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1946

increase in wage rates for truck drivers between July 1,1944, and July
1, 1945 (32.1 percent) was reported for beer-keg route drivers in
Charleston, W. Va. The union scale for these drivers advanced from
53 cents in 1944 to 70 cents in 1945.
Wage increases for union helpers follow a similar pattern, with almost
90 percent of those receiving increases (36 percent of all union helpers)
benefiting by raises of less than 10 percent. Increases of more than
10 percent were obtained during the period by less than 5 percent of all
union helpers. The largest percent of increases for helpers (41
percent) was received by soft-drink helpers in Houston where rates
increased from 31.5 to 44.4 cents. The wage rates for almost 60 per­
cent of all union helpers tabulated indicated no change from those in
effect on July 1, 1944.
Weekly hours.—Based on comparable quotations for both years,
maximum straight-time weekly hours provided by union agreements
remained practically the same for the period July 1 , 1944, to July 1 ,
1945. For a few drivers (1.3 percent) straight-time hours decreased;
less than 1 percent of the helpers worked under agreements providing
shorter straight-time hours in 1945 than in 1944.
Overtime and Sunday Rates
Overtime— Almost 92 percent of the quotations, covering 93
percent of the union members, specified time and a half as the rate
for working beyond the regular hours. Double time was reported
as the initial overtime rate in only 13 quotations, applying to a very
small proportion of the membership. Other penalty rates for overtime
work, most of which were fixed monetary rates not in any particular
ratio to the normal rate, were provided for 2.5 percent of the members.
Approximately 4 percent worked under agreements that did not
provide overtime rates. In some of these cases overtime was pro­
hibited by the agreement.
A few agreements guaranteed a number of overtime hours each
week at the rate of time and a half.
Sunday rates.-—Double time or time and a half for Sunday or the
seventh consecutive day of work was specified in over 84 percent
of the quotations, benefiting more than 87 percent of the union mem­
bers. Forty-six percent of the drivers and over 38 percent of the
helpers received time and a half, while about two-fifths of the drivers
and over half of the helpers received double time. Some agreements
made no provision for premium pay for work performed on Sunday
or the seventh consecutive day.

Average Wage Rates and Changes, by City 5
In 10 of the 75 cities surveyed wage-rate averages for union motor­
truck drivers were in excess of the $1.007 per-hour average for all
cities combined (table 5). Comprising this group were New York
City ($1.220), Seattle ($1.164), Newark ($1.160), San Francisco
($1.140), Spokane ($1.110), Detroit ($1.074), Chicago ($1.036), Los
Angeles ($1.025), Portland, Oreg. ($1.024), and Cleveland ($1.010)..
5 T he average rate shown for each city is a composite of all rates quoted for each different type of truck
driver, w eighted b y th e n u m b e r of union m em bers covered b y each rate.


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WAGE AND HOUR STATISTICS
T able

5.—Average

111

Hourly Rates of Union Motortruck Drivers, by City, July 1, 1945,
and Percent of Change Over Previous Year 1
A ver­ Percent
age
of in ­
hourly crease
rate

C ity

New Y ork, N . Y _______________ $1. 220
Seattle, W ash __________
1.164
N ew ark, N . J .
_
1.160
San Francisco, Calif ._
..
1. 140
Spokane, W ash________________
1.110
D etroit, M ich . . . . .
. . . ___
1.074
Chicago, 111______
______
1. 036
1.025
Los Angeles, Calif
Portland, Ore.2 . . .
.......
1.024
Cleveland, Ohio .
. . .
1.010
Average for all cities^ .
1.007
B utte, M o n t.
....
. . .
1.005
Pittsburg h , P a . . . . . .
.976
Boston, M ass__ _ _______ _ .
.973
Toledo, O h io ...
___
.965
M ilwaukee, W is___ ______ ____
.957
_
South Bend, In d ___ . . . .
.952
Buffalo, N . Y _________________
.944
Phoenix, Ariz .
__
.942
Columbus, O h io .._____ _ . _ ._
.939
Peoria, 111.. . . . . .
.938
Y oungstown, Ohio .
.938
Charleston, W . V a__ . . ___
.937
Philadelphia, P a ................
.934
M inneapolis, M in n __ . . . .
.930
St. Paul, M inn . . ___. ____
.928
New H aven, C onn................... .
.924
.921
Cincinnati. Ohio . . .
St. Louis, M o __ . . ____ . . .
.913
.905
Springfield, M ass... . . .
.905
W ashington, D . C ____ ._ ___
Providence, R. I __ . . . _
.904
Salt Lake C ity, U ta h . _____ __
.890
.888
D ayton, Ohio
. .
.887
Scranton, Pa
W orcester, M ass . . .
. . .
.881
.879
Rochester, N . Y ______ ____ _ ..

2.0
.4
.3
.1
1.3
5.3
1.4
.i
.4
2.1
.1
1.2
1.3
2.0
2. 6
2.4
1.4
2. 7
1.0
2.6
2.3
1.5
1.4
2. 2
.1
.2
3.1
4. 1
2.0
4.4
3.4
1.2
2.7
7.2
3.0

C ity

Tam pa, F l a . .
. . .
Jacksonville, Fla
Denver, Colo
G rand R apids, M ich
Baltimore, M d
B ingham ton, N . Y
Indianapolis, In d ___
Kansas C ity, Mo
Louisville, K y . . .
Reading, P a .
__ .
Portland, M e__
M adison, Wis
Dallas, Tex___
Norfolk, V a. ___ .
D u lu th , M in n ... .
Erie, P a ... . . . . .
Des Moines, Iowa
E l Paso, T e x .. ..
M obile, Ala
Rock Island (111.) d is tric t3
M anchester, N . H —
Omaha, N e b r___
Jackson, Miss
O klahoma C ity, Okla
W ichita, K an s______
Charlotte, N . C .
H ouston, T ex ..............
R ichm ond, V a___ . ..
A tlanta, G a________ .
Y ork, P a . .
. ............
L ittle Rock, A rk ..........
M em phis, T enn
N ew Orleans, L a .
. . . . .
B irm ingham , A la___
N ashville, T enn
Charleston, S. C _________
San Antonio, Tex__ ______ ___

A ver­
Percent
age
hourly of in ­
crease
rate
$0 879
873
800
858
855
85*2
849
838
837
. 834
833
830
. 825
.825
822
. 814
. 800
803
. 798
. 797
. 794
. 793
783
. 768
. 767
. 702
762
. 759
. 751
. 748
. 719
. 712
.696
. 695
. 669
. 645
.645

0 2
? ?
?3
18
7 6
10
3 5
4 7
29
5
8
3 2
18
6
18
2 0
3 3
1.3
4O
5.8
9
9
8
2
2
3
0 1
4 0
3.6
5 5
1.2
4
1
4
3

1.4

1 Does not include drivers paid on a commission or mileage basis. W eighted according to num ber receiving
each different rate. Helpers are no t included in this table.
2 Less th a n a fifth of the organized truck drivers in Portland are included in this report as the Bureau was
unable to obtain cooperation from th e local union covering th e balance of the organized drivers.
3 Includes Rock Island, 111., D avenport, Iowa, and M oline, 111.

The only other city which had an average hourly rate exceeding $1.00
was Butte, Mont. ($1,005).
Twenty cities, led by Pittsburgh, Pa. ($0,976), had averages falling
within the $0,900 to $0,999 range. Baltimore with an average of
$0,855 was the only city of 500,000 or more where the average union
scale was below 90 cents per hour. More than half of the remaining
cities had average rates in excess of $0,800 per hour. Thirteen of the
15 cities having the lowest averages were in the South, with the
lowest average ($0,645) indicated for San Antonio, Tex., and
Charleston, S. C.
P E R C E N T A G E C H A N G E S, B Y CITY 8

During the period July 1, 1944, to July 1, 1945, 32 cities registered
increases in their base rates above the average increase for all cities
8 T he percentage changes were based on specific rates w eighted by the num ber of m embers working a t
each rate. Only those quotations showing comparable data for both 1944 and 1945 were included. Specific
increases during the 12-month period reflect larger percentage changes among those classifications w ith
com paratively lower scales; e. g., if freight drivers in city A increase their scale 10 cents per hour from 70 to
80 cents, an average increase of 14.3 percent is registered, while in city B if the same increase raises the rate
from $1.10 to $1.20 per hour the change is only 9.1 percent. For this reason those cities which have lower
scales tend to show greater percentage increases th an those which have higher scales.


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M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

194b

combined (2.1 percent). Highest increases were recorded for Bing­
hamton (7.6 percent) and Worcester (7.2 percent). Little Rock,
Jackson, Birmingham, and Chicago all had average increases amount­
ing to more than 5 percent. The better than 5 percent increase for
Chicago was primarily due to the granting of an 8-cent-per-hour
raise by the National War Labor Board’s Trucking Commission to
over 40 percent of the city’s organized drivers. An additional increase
of 4 cents per hour has since been allowed, but it could not be in­
cluded in this report as it became effective subsequent to July 1, 1945.
Seven cities reported no change in wage scales during the year.

Union Wage Rates of City Streetcar and Bus
Operators, July 1, 1945 1
Summary
HOURLY wage rates of union streetcar and bus operators averaged
94.4 cents on July 1, 1945, an advance of 1.1 percent over July 1, 1944.
This small increase was augmented by the introduction of bonus plans
in 22 cities in 1945, which generally increased the hourly rates from
2 to 7 cents per hour. Pay was also increased during the year for
some operators through the speed-up of wage progressions. No
change in basic wage rates was recorded for 82 percent of the workers
tabulated.
Almost three-fourths of the union members operated under agree­
ments limiting straight-time hours per week. About 60 percent had
a workweek of 44 hours or less. Completion of scheduled run con­
trolled the length of the straight-time workweek for the remainder of
the members. Time and a half for work beyond specified periods
was prevalent in the industry, covering 96 percent of the total mem­
bership.
Scope and Method of Study
This study is one of a series covering wage and hour scales of union
members in various trades. The background of the series is described
in the article on union wages and hours of motortruck drivers (p. 104
of this issue).
Operators of municipally owned intracity transit systems are in­
cluded in the survey if unions act as bargaining agents for the em­
ployees. Trackmen and maintenance workers are not included. Of
the 75 cities surveyed, 71 reported effective union agreements for
local transit operations.2 The current study includes 421 quotations
covering 84,850 union members.
Trend of Hourly Wage Rates
The index of hourly wages for union streetcar and bus operators
rose to 122.1 on July 1, 1945, representing an increase from the pre­
ceding year of only 1.1 percent, and an advance of about 17 percent
1 Prepared in the B ureau’s W age Analysis Branch by H erbert Abowitz and A nnette V. Simi under the
direction of Donald Gerrish.
2 A bulletin to be published shortly will contain a tabulation of the actual union scales effective in each of
these cities, by ty p e of vehicle operated and length of service


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WAGE AND HOUR STATISTICS

113

DISTRIBUTION OF UNION WAGE RATES OF
CITY STREETCAR AND BUS OPERATORS
JULY I, 1945

.80

.90

AND UNDER

.9 0

AND UNDER

1.00
AND UNDER

1.00
I.IO
HOURLY WAGE RATE

since June 1941, the nearest survey period prior to the United States
entry into the war. Since 1934, wage rates have gradually increased,
the most pronounced change taking effect in 1942. Although there
was only a small increase in average basic scales between July 1,
1944 and July 1, 1945, numerous adjustments in rates were made by
reducing the intervals between automatic wage increases under the
graduated scales effective in most cities. More than 11 percent of
the quotations received, affecting over 10 percent of the union mem­
bers in the cities covered, indicated such interval changes. In most
cases, the time for reaching the top level of the scale was shortened

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114

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

by several months. The majority of the members benefiting by
shorter intervals were in New York City.
Especially important in a study of wages for streetcar and bus
operators were the war-bonus plans effective in 30 of the 71 cities for
which scales were obtained. These bonus plans resulted in increased
earnings for 36 percent of the operators studied. Most of these plans
were based on a formula that was formally established by the War
Labor Board in September 1944. At that time the Board decided
that it would approve bonus plans to compensate workers in the local
transit industry for the increased and unusual work loads during the
war period.3 A ceiling of 7 cents per hour was placed upon any such
bonus. Bonus plans that were already in operation were not affected
by the terms of the order.
Additions to the operator’s hourly rates as a result of these bonus
plans ranged up to 17 cents per hour. The latter amount was reported
for the Triple City Traction Corp. operating in Binghamton, N. Y.
The bonus plan in Binghamton was effective several years prior to
the WLB decision, and consequently was not affected by its terms.
Detroit reported the largest number of operators covered by bonus
plans, followed by Boston, Washington, Los Angeles, St. Louis,
Pittsburgh and Minneapolis.
Wage changes resulting from adjustments in time intervals and
bonus plans are not reflected in the index or the averages appearing
in this report.
Indexes of Hourly Wage Rates of Union Streetcar and Bus Operators, 1929-45
Y ear

Index
(1939=100)

1929
1930____________
1931____________
1932 .
1933____________
1934____________

91.6
92.5
92.5
90. 6
(9

88.0

Year
1935____________
1936____________
1937____________
1938—
____
1939____________
1940____________

Index
(1939=100)
91.4
92.1
96.4
99.2
100.0
101.1

Year
1941____________
1942____________
1943__________
1944— ____
1945____________

Index
(1939=100)
104.8
112.5
119.8
120.8
122.1

1 N o t available.

Hourly Wage Rates, July 1945
The average wage rate for union streetcar and bus operators on
July 1, 1945, was 94.4 cents. Over a fourth of the members had rates
of 85 to 95 cents, and almost two-fifths received rates of 95 cents to $1.
Less than 6 percent reported rates under 80 cents in contrast to more
than 23 percent who received $1 or more per hour.
Streetcar and bus operators were usually paid on a graduated scale
based on the employee’s length of service with the company. The
period between rate changes varied considerably in different cities,
ranging from 3 months in some instances to as long as 1 year in others.
Most agreements provided an entrance rate, an intermediate rate,
and a maximum rate, the maximum rate most frequently applying
after 1 or 2 years of service. Some agreements, however, provided for
* T he form ula followed m ay be expressed in m athem atical term s as follows:
f (Jan. ’41 wages) X ( C urrent revenue \ " I T (C urrent wages) —(Jan. ’41 wages X-15) 1
L
\J a n . ’41 re v e n u e/ J L
J
in w hich wages equals operator’s wages per vehicle-mile and revenue equals passenger revenue per vehicle
mile. A ny bonus resulting in a fraction of a cent is raised to th e next even cent.


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115

WAGE AND HOUR STATISTICS

longer periods between automatic increases, including as many as
7 progression steps and as much as 4 years of service before reaching
the maximum rate. The difference between the entrance and maxi­
mum rates 4 also varied widely among cities and companies, the most
prevalent difference being 5 or 10 cents.
The agreements provided higher rates for operators of 1-man cars
and busses than for operators or conductors on 2-man cars for all
cities reporting these cars in operation. The maximum rate was gen­
erally about 10 cents per hour more for the 1-man car and bus oper­
ators.
Percent of
union

Percent of
union

Hourly rate:
members H ourly rate—Continued
members
Under 75 cents___________
1. 6
5. 2
$1.05 and under $1.10_____
3. 9
75 and under 80 cents_____
2. 5
$1.10 and under $1.15_____
80 and under 85 cents_____
7. 2
$1.15 and over____________
5. 6
85 and under 90 cents____
13. 5
90 and under 95 cents____ 13. 3
T otal________________ 100. 0
95 cents and under $1______ 37.2
$1 and under $1.05________ 10.0 Average rate per hour________ $0. 944

The entrance rates for 1-man car and bus operators ranged from
60 cents per hour in Charlotte to $1.10 in Seattle; maximum rates
varied from 74.5 cents in Binghamton to $1.15 per hour in D etroit5
and Seattle. Detroit reported a 10-cent differential for operators of
“owl runs.” Of the 71 cities studied, 20 reported rates for 2-man cars.
The entrance rates for members on these cars ranged from 66.5 cents
in Boston to 95 cents in Detroit and maximum rates from 70 cents in
Reading to $1.05 in Detroit.
Changes in W age Rates Between 1944 and 1945
Wage-rate increases during the period July 1, 1944-July 1, 1945,
were reported in approximately 23 percent of the comparable quota­
tions reviewed, affecting over 17 percent of the union members. Of
those union operators receiving raises, over 70 percent benefited by
increases of 2 but under 8 percent, with more than half of these receiv­
ing increases amounting to less than 6 percent. Increases of 8 percent
and over were indicated by 3 percent of the quotations, covering about
5 percent of the members for whom comparable data were obtained.
Quotations covering over 82 percent of all union transit operators tab­
ulated revealed no change in basic wage rates from those in effect the
previous year.
N um ber of
comparable
quotations

No change reported
Increases reported
2 and under 4 percent
4 and under 6 percent__
6 and under 8 percent _
8 and under 10 percent
10 percent and over_

_____ 267
_____
78
_____
25
_____
15
_____ 27
_____
5
_____
6

Percent of
members
affected

82. 6
17. 4
1. 4
5. 2
5. 7
3. 1
2. 0

4 This so-called “ m axim um ra te ” is actually th e m inim um union scale after a specified period of employ­
m ent w ith the com pany, and is no t a m axim um rate in th e sense th a t the com pany m ay not p ay more.
5 T he bonus plan in D etro it required a m inim um paym ent of 2 cents per hour over base rates regardless
of the am ount of bonus com puted, and therefore the actual m inim um was $1.17 per hour.


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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

Weekly Hours and Overtime Rates
The length of the scheduled run was the controlling factor in the
straight-time workweek for about a fourth of the union operators. A
scheduled run may vary from 40 to 60 hours per week, depending on
length of route, traffic conditions and other factors. Many runs are
“swing runs,” operated during the morning and afternoon rush hours,
with a lay-off of 4 or 5 hours in the middle of each day. Straighttime hours on swing runs are usually limited on a spread basis, with
overtime pay at time and a half required after a spread of 12 or 13
hours per day.
Prior to the current union efforts to limit straight-time hours per
week, union energies were directed toward arranging runs so that
the operators would be guaranteed a reasonable weekly wage. This
was accomplished by writing into agreements provisions stipulating
that a certain percentage of runs should be straight runs, guarantee­
ing 40 or 48 hours7 pay, and that swing runs be kept to a minimum.
As the length and desirability of runs necessarily varies and as “take
home” pay depends on the run operated, most union agreements pro­
vide for a periodic selection of runs on a seniority basis. Runs are
selected every 3 or 6 months, the swing runs often being operated by
low-seniority men or by “extra men.” Newly hired employees are
considered “extra men” until they qualify for a regular run.
For many years it was the position of the transit companies operat­
ing local streetcars and busses that any State or Federal rules or
regulations governing hours of work should not apply to them
because of the nature of their operations. The companies contended
that it was impracticable to relieve an operator at the conclusion of
any exact number of hours, as all scheduled runs could not be arranged
to reach the terminal at the end of a specified number of hours. Relief
in the middle of a run was considered impracticable because of the
need for checking-in cash and making reports at the terminal.
This argument received consideration during hearings on the Fair
Labor Standards Act, and when the act became effective it specifi­
cally exempted the street-railway industry from its hour and overtimepay provisions. However, during the past few years the unions have
tried to have limited-hour provisions included in their contracts.
As a result of these efforts, the operators in Chicago and a few other
cities now receive time and a half if they work over 40 hours per week,
irrespective of the length of the run. In Detroit and several other
large cities overtime rates are paid after 44 hours per week. As a
result of the success of unions in these areas, it appears probable that
similar provisions will become effective in other areas. About
three-fourths of the union members included in this study worked
under agreements providing a limit on straight-time hours, as com­
pared with one-third in July 1, 1944. These limitations range from
40 to 54 hours per week. About three-fifths of the members with a
limit on straight-time hours had a week of 44 hours or less. The main
effect of these hour limitations during the war period was to increase
the take-home pay of the operator rather than to lessen his hours of
work. It is expected, however, that with a return to more normal
operation the companies will endeavor to arrange the runs to conform
with the straight-time hours provided in the union agreements.

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117

WAGE AND HOUR STATISTICS

Practically all (96 percent) of the union members received time and
a half for work performed in addition to the scheduled run, beyond
certain hours on swing runs, for extra runs, or after the regular hours
provided in the agreement. Almost all of the remainder worked
unlimited hours without receiving any premium rates.

Trend of Factory Earnings, 1939 to October 1945
THE published average earnings of factory workers are summarized
in the accompanying table for selected months from January 1939 to
October 1945.1 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 $41.02 in October
1945—76.9 percent above the average in January 1939, 54.0 percent
Earnings of Factory Workers in Selected Months, 1939 to October 1945

Average weekly
earnings

E stim ated straight-tim e
average hourly earn­
ings i weighted by
January 1941 employ,
m ent

Average hourly
earnings

M on th and year
All
m an u ­ D u ra­
ble
factur­
ing
goods
(1)
1939: Jan u a ry _____________ $23.19
1940: January^
_
24. 56
1941: Jan u a ry ______
26.64

N on­
du ra­
ble
goods

All
m an u ­ D u ra ­
factur­
ble
ing
goods

N on­
dura­
ble
goods

All
m an u ­ D ura­
ble
factur­
ing
goods

N on­
dura­
ble
goods

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

$25. 33
27.39
30.48

$21. 57
22.01
22. 75

$0.632
. 655
.683

$0. 696
.717
.749

$0. 583
.598
.610

$0. 641
.652
.664

$0. 702
.708
.722

$0. 575
.589
.601

(9)

1942: Janu ary _ _ _______
J u ly ________________
October___. . _______

33.40
36.43
38.89

38.98
42.51
45. 31

26. 97
28. 94
30.66

.801
.856
.893

.890
.949
.990

.688
.725
.751

.751
.783
.807

.826
.863
.888

.668
.696
.718

1943: Jan u a ry _____________
A pril__ ____ . . . ____
J u ly ________________
O ctober_________ .
D ecem ber___________

40. 62
42. 48
42. 76
44.86
44. 58

46.68
48.67
48. 76
51.26
50. 50

32.10
33.58
34. 01
35.18
35.61

.919
.944
.963
.988
.995

1.017
1.040
1.060
1.086
1.093

.768
.790
.806
.824
.832

.819
.833
.850
.863
.873

.905
.916
.939
.950
.962

.726
.742
.753
.768
.775

1944: Jan u a ry ________
A pril____ _ _______
J u ly . --------------------O ctober_____ . . . . __
D ecem ber... ______

45. 29
45. 55
45.43
46. 94
47. 44

51. 21
51. 67
51.07
53.18
53. 68

36. 03
36.16
37. 05
37.97
38. 39

1.002
1.013
1.018
1.031
1.040

1.099
1.110
1.116
1.129
1.140

.838
.850
.862
.878
.883

.877
.889
.901
.908
.912

.965
.976
.993
.991
.997

.780
.794
.802
.817
.820

1945: Jan u a ry ____ ______
A pril____ _________
J u ly -----------------------A ugust_____________
Septem ber 2____ ____
October 2______ ____

47. 50
47.12
45.12
41.72
40.84
41.02

53. 54
52.90
50. 60
45. 72
43.90
44.38

38.66
38.80
38. 59
36. 63
37. 77
37. 72

1.046
1.044
1.032
1.024
. 9S7
.985

1.144
1.138
1.126
1.113
1.072
1.063

.891
.899
.902
.909
.903
.909

.920
.925
.933
(>)
.944
.941

1.005
1.007
1.017
«
1.024
1.012

.827
.836
.842
(>)
.856
.863

1 T he m ethod of estim ating straight-tim e average hourly earnings m akes no allowance for special rates of
pay for w ork done on major holidays. Estim ates for the m onths of January, July, September, and N ovem ­
ber, therefore, m ay no t be precisely comparable w ith those for the other m onths in which im portant holidays
are seldom included in the p ay periods for which m anufacturing establishm ents report to the Bureau.
This characteristic of the d a ta does not appear to invalidate the com parability of th e figure for Jan u a ry
1941 w ith those for the preceding and following m onths. Inapplicability of the formula to A ugust 1945
w ith its double holiday, in celebration of the Japanese surrender, prevents release of th a t m o n th ’s
estimates.
2 Prelim inary.
1 C om pare Trends in Factory Wages, 1939-43, in M onthly Labor Review, N ovem ber 1943 (p. 869), es­
pecially table 4 (p. 879). For detailed d ata regarding weekly earnings, see D etailed R eports for Industrial
and Business E m ploym ent, October 1945, table 6 (p. 159) in this issue.


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118

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

above January 1941, and 5.5 percent above October 1942. Weekly
pay for October 1945 dropped 13 percent below that of October 1944,
as the result of reductions in both hourly pay and working hours.
However, the average earnings of factory workers were still higher
than before the war, as a result of such wartime factors as 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.
Gross hourly earnings in all manufacturing averaged 98.5 cents in
October 1945—55.9 percent above the average in January 1939,
44.2 percent above January 1941, and 10.3 percent above October
i942.
Straight-time average hourly earnings, as shown in columns 7
to 9, are weighted by man-hours of employment in the major divisions
of manufacturing for January 1941. These earnings are estimated
to exclude premium pay at time and a half for work in excess of 40
hours. However, the effect of extra pay for work on supplementary
shifts and on holidays is included. For this reason, straight-time
earnings data are not presented for August 1945 when the hourly
earnings were inflated by premium payments for work on the double
holiday, celebrating the Japanese surrender. For all manufacturing,
the straight-time average in October 1945 was 94.1 cents per hour;
this was 46.8 percent higher than in January 1939, 41.7 percent
above January 1941, and 16.6 percent above October 1942.


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Prices and Cost o f Living

Index of Consumers’ Prices1 in Large Cities,
November 1945
RETAIL prices of goods and services important in the purchases of
moderate-income city families advanced 0.2 percent between October
15 and November 15, 1945, after declining 0.4 percent during the
3 previous months. The removal of subsidies on butter and peanut
butter, seasonal increases for eggs, and higher costs for clothing and
housefurnishings were mainly responsible for this increase. The con­
sumers’ price index for November 15, 1945, was 129.2 percent of the
1935-39 average, and was 2.1 percent above the level of Novem­
ber 1944.
The food bill for city workers’ families rose 0.6 percent during the
month as the first effects of the withdrawal of the butter and peanutbutter subsidies were reflected in the index. The average price of
butter advanced 9 percent, or 4.5 cents per pound; peanut butter
increased 2.4 percent, or 0.7 cents per pound. When subsidy pay­
ments were first made on these two foods in 1943, the average price
of butter dropped 5.1 cents in the first month, while peanut butter
went down gradually, declining 5.0 cents during the succeeding
6 months.
Prices of all foods other than butter and peanut butter showed an
average increase of 0.3 percent between mid-October and mid-Novem­
ber. Prices of green beans moved up sharply (18 percent) as OPA
adjusted ceiling prices to meet higher production costs. Oranges
(still under price control in mid-November), cabbage, and spinach
prices dropped seasonally more than 8 percent. Eggs continued
their seasonal advance and in November averaged 68 cents per dozen.
Clothing costs increased by 0.1 percent during the month ending
November 15. Retailers’ inventories of apparel—especially men’s
clothing—continued to be extremely low as replacements from manu­
facturers were quickly sold to returning servicemen and early Christ­
mas shoppers. Prices for work trousers and overalls rose moderately,
reflecting upward adjustments in ceilings by OPA to encourage pro­
duction. With only higher-priced articles available in many cities,
costs of men’s overcoats, suits, sweaters, and socks, and women’s
1
T he “ consumers’ price index for moderate-income families in large cities,” formerly know n as the “ cost
of living” index, measures average changes in retail prices of selected goods, rents, and services, weighted by
quantities bought by families of wage earners and moderate-income workers in large cities in 1934-36. T he
item s priced for the index constituted about 70 percent of the expenditures of city families whose incomes
averaged $1,524 in 1934-36.
The index only partially shows the w artim e effects of changes in quality, availability of consumer goods,
etc. T he P resident’s C om m ittee on the Cost of Living has estim ated th a t such factors, together w ith
certain others no t fully measured b y the index, would add a m axim um of 3 to 4 points to the index for large
cities between Jan u ary 1941 and September 1944. If small cities were included in the national average,
another one-half point would be added. If account is also taken of continued deterioration of quality and
disappearance of low-priced merchandise between September 1944 and September 1945, the over-all adjust­
m ent for the period Jan u a ry 1941 to September 1945 would total approxim ately 5 points. As merchandise
of prew ar q u ality and specifications comes back into the m arkets and the B ureau is able regularly to price
them again, this ad ju stm en t factor will gradually decrease and finally disappear.


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119

120

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW-— JANUARY

1946

percale housedresses and gloves continued to edge upward. Inex­
pensive and medium-quality business shirts and shorts were found
in some stores at lower prices, produced under the low-cost clothing
program. However, quantities were far below the heavy demand.
Average prices of housefurnishings advanced 0.3 percent during
the montlu The price of sheets, which rose more than 5 percent
between mid-September and mid-October, advanced an additional
2 percent as retailers continued to adjust their ceilings in accordance
with the recent price increases granted to manufacturers. Scattered
increases were reported in the costs of living room and bedroom suites.
_ Fuel, electricity, and ice costs decreased 0.1 percent. Rate reduc­
tions, lowering the average cost of electricity to New York families
by almost 6 percent, more than offset increases in the prices of heat­
ing oils in Chicago and Minneapolis. Coke prices in New York City
and anthracite prices in Buffalo rose to ceilings already established.
The costs of miscellaneous goods and services decreased 0.1 percent
during the month, as additional retailers were reported resuming the
sale of cigarettes in multiple units. The price of pipe tobacco in­
creased slightly in several cities. Small price changes for cleaning
and other household supplies occurred in all but two cities.
Rents were not surveyed in November.
The indexes in the accompanying tables are based on time-to-time
changes in the cost of goods and services purchased by wage earners
and lower salaried workers in large cities. They do not indicate
whether it costs more to live in one city than in another. The data
relate to the 15tli of each month, except those for January 1941, in
table 1. For that month they were estimated for January 1 (the
date used in the “Little Steel” decision of the National War Labor
Board), by assuming an even rate of change from December 15, 1940,
to the next pricing date. The President’s “hold-the-line” order was
issued April 8, 1943. The peak of the rise which led to that order
was reached in May, which is, therefore, used for this comparison.
Food prices are collected monthly in 56 cities during the first 4
days of the week which includes the Tuesday nearest the 15th of the
month. Aggregate costs of foods in each city, weighted to represent
food purchases of families of wage earners and lower salaried workers,
have been combined for the United States with the use of population
weights. In March 1943, the number of cities included in the food
index was increased from 51 to 56, and the number of foods from 54 to
61. Prices of clothing, housefurnishings, and miscellaneous goods and
services are obtained in 34 large cities in March, June, September, and
December. In intervening months, prices are collected in 21 of the
34 cities for a shorter list of goods and services. Rents are surveyed
semiannually in most of the 34 cities (in March and September, or in
June and December). In computing the all-items indexes for individ­
ual cities and the rent index for the average of large cities because of
the general stabilitj^ of average rents at present, the indexes are held
constant in cities not surveyed during the current quarter. Prices for
fuel, electricity, and ice are collected monthly in 34 large cities.


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121

PRICES AND COST OF LIVING

T able 1.— Index of Consumers’’ Prices for Moderate-Income Families, and Percent of

Change, November 1945 Compared with Earlier Months
N ov. 1945 Oct. 1945 N ov. 1944 M ay 1943 M ay 1942 J a n . 1941 Aug. 1939
Group
This
m onth

Last
m onth

L ast
year

Hold-theline order

Gen.
Max.
Price
Reg.

“ Little
Steel”
decision

M onth
before
w ar in
Europe

Indexes (1935-39 = 100)
All item s_______
______
Food____ _ _ - _______
C lothing________________
R ent
Fuel, electricity, and ice. . .
Gas and e le c tric ity ___
O ther fuels and ice____
Housefurni shings_________
M iscellaneous__________ .

129.2
140.1
148.4

128.9
139.3
148.3

126.6
136.5
142.1

110.5
94.6
125.8
147.1
124.4

110.6
95.0
125.7
146.6
124.5

109. 9
95.8
123.6
141.7
122.9

125.1
143.0
127.9
108.0
107.6
96. 1
118.7
125.1
115.3

116.0
121.6
126.2
109.9
104.9
96.6
112.9
122.2
110.9

100.8
97.6
101.2
105.0
100.8
97.5
104.0
100.2
101.8

98.6
93.5
100.3
104. 3
97.5
99.0
96.3
100.6
100.4

+28.2
+43.5
+46.6
+ 3.1
+ 9.6
- 3 .0
+21.0
+46.8
+22.2

+31.0
+49.8
+48.0
+ 3 .8
+13. 3
- 4 .4
+30.6
+46.2
+23.9

Percent of change to N ovem ber 1945
All item s________ _______ .
Food _____________ ___
C lothing_______ _______
R e n t 1 ___________
Fuel, electricity, and ice
Gas and electricity
O ther fuels and ice____
H ousefurnishings___ ___
M iscellaneous____________

+ .2
+ .6
+ .1

+ 2.1
+ 2 .6
+ 4 .4

-.1
-.4
+ .1
+ .3
-.1

+ .5
- 1 .3
+ 1 .8
+ 3 .8
+ 1 .2

+ 3 .3
- 2 .0
+16.0
+ .3
+ 2 .7
- 1 .6
+ 6 .0
+17.6
+ 7 .9

+11.4
+15. 2
+17.6
- 1 .5
+ 5 .3
- 2 .1
+11.4
+20.4
+12.2

1 Percent of change to September 1945.

T able 2. —Percent of Change in Consumers’’ Price Index From Specified Dates to November

1945
October
1945

N ovem ­
ber
1944

M ay
1943

M ay
1942

January
1941

A ugust
1939

Last
m onth

L ast
year

Holdtheline
order

General
M axim um
Price
Regulation

“ L ittle
Steel”
decision

M onth
before
war in
Europe

C ity

0.2

+ 2.1

+ 3 .3

+11.4

+28.2

+31.0

Baltimore, M d . _ ----------- - - —B irm ingham , A la— - —- - - — -----Boston, M ass_____— ------ -- - -----Buffalo, N . Y —
—_
- ---------- Chicago, 111— _ ----------- - - - - - - ----Cincinnati, Ohio__________ ______ Cleveland, Ohio------- --------- — -------

- .2
- .2
+ .1
+ .5
-.2
(0
.1

+ 1 .9
+ 1 .8
+ 1.3
+ 2.1
+1.1
0)
+1.1

+ 2 .7
+ 5 .6
+ 1 .9
+• 4
+ 2 .2
0)
+ 3 .0

+11.4
+12.0
+ 9 .9
+ 7.3
+ 9.3
0)
+10.9

+30.8
+30.8
+25.7
+26.9
+25.8
(')
+29.2

+33.4
+34.9
+28.3
+31.3
+29.0
0)
+31.8

D enver, Colo------ ---- -------- -----D etroit, M ich ---------- - — ---- —
H ouston, Tex-----------------------------------Kansas C ity, M o ---------- - -----Los Angeles, C alif-- . — ----------- - M inneapolis, M in n ----------- - ------ —
N ew Y ork, N . Y —. _ --------- ------

0
+ .3
-.1
+ .2
+ .5
+ .3
+ .7

+1.1
+ 3.1
+ 2 .6
+ 2 .5
+ 3 .0
+2.1
+ 2.3

+ 1 .8
+ 3 .0
+ 2 .3
+ 3 .9
+ 5 .5
+ 3 .0
+ 4 .8

+ 9 .6
+10.4
+ 9 .5
+11.6
+12.4
+ 8.3
+14.9

+26.7
+29.8
+24.7
+29.4
+29.5
+23.3
+28.9

+28.5
+33.1
+26.3
+29.1
+32.0
+25.9
+31.5

Philadelphia, P a --------- - ------ -----P ittsburgh, P a ------------- - ------ - —
St. Louis, M o----- ---------- - ---------- San Francisco, C a l i f - - - ------ -- ------ -- Savannah, G a. ------- -----Seattle, W ash-------— - ---------------------W ashington, D . C -----------------------------

+ .2
+ .1
- .2
+1.1
+ .2
+ .7
+ .4

+ 2 .5
+ 2 .5
+ 1 .4
+2.1
+ 2 .5
+ 1 .9
+ 3 .0

+ 2 .6
+ 4 .2
+ 2 .2
+ 4 .9
+ 4 .5
+ 2 .5
+ 4 .5

+11.7
+12.3
+ 9.6
+14.3
+14.0
+ 9.6
+12.7

+29.1
+28.6
+25.4
+32.0
+35.9
+30.1
+29.4

+31.0
+32.2
+29.2
+35.3
+38.8
+32.4

Average________-

- ---

- -

»D ata no t available.


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------

+ 3 1 .1

122

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

T able 3.—Percent of Change in Consumers’ Price Index October 1945 to November

1945, by Groups of Items and by Cities
All
item s

C ity

Average_______

__

_ _ ___

A tlan ta, Ga__ __ _
_ _ _____
B altim ore, M d ______________________
B irm ingham , A la____________________
B oston, M ass.. ____■_ __ ______ ___
Buffalo, N . Y _______________________
Chicago, 111__________________________

Food

+ 0 .2

+ 0 .6

-.2
-.2
+ .1
+ .5
-.2

+ .4
0
-.3
+ .4
+ .8
0

Fuel, elec­ HouseClothing tricity, and furnish­
ice
ings
+0.1
-1 .6
0
-.5
+ 1 .6
0

C incinnati, Ohio__________________ __
Cleveland, O hio____________ ___ ____
D enver, Colo_ _______ _ _____ _ _ _
D etroit, M ich____________ ___________
H ouston, T ex________________________
Indianapolis, In d _
____
__ __
Jacksonville, F la _______________ ____

(>)
+ .1
0
+ .3
-. 1

-.9
+ .3
-.1
+ .8
-.1
+ .2
+ .3

(')
-.5
- .1
+ .1
-.4

K ansas C ity, M o . __________________
Los Angeles, C alif___________________
M anchester, N . H ___ _______
_ _ _
M em phis, T en n _ ____ _ ____
M ilw aukee, W is_____________________
M inneapolis, M in n ____ ___________ _
M obile, A la____ _____________________

+ .2
+ .5

+ .7
+ 1 .4
+1. 1
+ .1
+ .3
+ .8
+. 2

-.2
- .3

New Orleans, L a ____________________
N ew Y ork, N . Y _____________________
Norfolk, Va _
_ _ _
_
_ _
P hiladelphia, P a .
_ _____ _ ___ _ _
P ittsb u rg h , P a ______________________
P ortlan d , M aine___
_______________
P ortlan d , Oreg_________________ ____
R ichm ond, V a______________ __ _____
St. Louis, M o_______________________
San Francisco, Calif. ________________
Savannah, Ga_ ___ _
. . ___ _
Scranton, P a ________________________
Seattle, W ash_______________________
W ashington, D . C___ _________ _____

+ .3

+ .7
+ .2
+ .1

-.2
+ 1 .1
+ .2
+ .7
+• 4

0

-.8
+ 1.6
0
+ .5
-.2
+ .7
+ 1.1

+ .4
0
+ .6

+ .1
0
+ 2 .4
+ .6
+ 1 .8
+ .4

-.8
+ .8
+ .9
-.2
+ 1.1

- 0 .1
—. 1
0
0
0
+ .7
+ .1
0
0
0

+ 0.3

- 0 .1

+ .1
+ .1
+ .2
-.2
+ .1

0
-.1
0
0
-.9

0)
+ .4
+ .2
0
0

1
0
+. 1
0
0
0
—. 1
o
0
+ .1
—. 1
+. 1
- 1 .3
o
0
0
—. 1
0
0
0
0
0
0
+ .1
0

M iscel­
laneous

(>)

0
0
+. 1

+ .5
+ .1

0
0

+ .3

0

+ 1 .8

0

+ .3
+ .6

0
+ .2

+ .5
-.2
+ .3

0
0
0

+ .3
+ .3

-. 1
0

1 D a ta no t available.

T able 4.— Indexes of Consumers’ Prices for Moderate-Income Families in Large Cities,

1935 to November 1945
Indexes (1935-39=100) of cost of—
Y ear and m onth
All
item s

1935_______________________
1936_______________________
1937_______________________
1938_______________________
1939_______________________
1940___________ ____ _______
1941_______________________
1942_______________________
1943_______________________
1944_______________________
1945:
Jan. 15-__ _____ _ _____
Feb. 15________________
M ar. 15___________
Apr. 15____________ __
M ay 15______________
Ju n e 15_________ __
Ju ly 15___________
Aug. 15______________
Sept. 15.__ _______
Oct. 15 2_____ _
N ov. 15 2________

Food

R ent

_
Fuel,
elec­
tricity,
and ice

.
Housefurnish­
ings

M is­
cella­
neous

98.1
99.1
102.7
100.8
99.4
100.2
105.2
116.5
123.6
125.5

100.4
101.3
105.3
97.8
95.2
96.6
105.5
123.9
138.0
136.1

96.8
97.6
102.8
102.2
100.5
101.7
106.3
124.2
129.7
138.8

94.2
96.4
100.9
104.1
104.3
104.6
106.2
108.5
108.0
108.2

100.7
100.2
100.2
99.9
99.0
99.7
102.2
105.4
107.7
109.8

94.8
96.3
104.3
103.3
101.3
100.5
107.3
122.2
125.6
136.4

98.1
98.7
101.0
101.5
100.7
101.1
104.0
110.9
115.8
121.3

127.1
126.9
126.8
127.1
128.1
129.0
129.4
129.3
128.9
128.9
129.2

137.3
136. 5
135.9
136.6
138.8
141.1
141.7
140.9
139.4
139. 3
140.1

143.0
143.3
143.7
144.1
144.6
145.4
145.9
146. 4
148.2
148.3
148.4

(>)
(!)
108.3
(0
(>)
108.3
(0
(0
108.3
(>)
0)

109.7
110.0
110.0
109.8
110.0
110.0
111.2
111.4
110.7
110.6
110.5

143.6
144. 0
144.5
144.9
145.4
145.8
145.6
146.0
146.8
146.6
147.1

123.3
123.4
123.6
123.8
123.9
124.0
124, 3
124.5
124.6
124.5
124.4

1 R ents not surveyed in this m onth.


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Clothing

2 Prelim inary figures.

123

PRICES AND COST OF LIVING

Retail Prices of Food in November 1945
RETAIL prices of food in November 1945 in relation to those in
selected preceding periods are shown in the accompanying tables.
T able 1. —Percent of Change in Retail Prices of Food in 56 Large Cities Combined,l by

Commodity Groups, in Specified Periods

Com m odity group

All foods

___________________________

Cereals and bakery p roducts, . . _______
M eats________________ . . . , ________
Beef and veal____ ____ _____________
P o rk _________________ ____________
L a m b ____________ __________ _____
C h ic k en s.,_______________ _______
Fish, fresh and canned________ . . .
D airy products_______________________ .
Eggs---------------------------------------------------F ruits and vegetables_____ _____ _______
F resh __________________ i _________
C anned ____________
. _________
D ried _ ___________ . . . . . . . , . .
Beverages ________ __________________
F ats and oils . . .
. . __
_________
Sugar and sweets
,
. .....
______

Oct. 16,
1945, to
Nov. 13,
1945

N ov. 14,
1944, to
Nov. 13,
1945

+ 0 .6

+ 2 .6

- 2 .0

+43.3

+49.8

0
0
0
0
0
+ .1
- .2
+ 2 .0
+ 3 .6
-. 1
- .2
+ .2
- .2
+ .2
+ .3
0

+. 5
+ 1.0
0
+• 4
+ 1 .3
+ 1.4
+ 5 .0
+ 1.7
+ 2 .9
+ 7 .2
+ 8 .5
+• 8
+ 1 .2
+ .5
+ 1 .0
0

+ 1.4
- 5 .3
- 9 .9
-1 0 .3
- 3 .8
+ 3.3
+10.1
- .7
+35.2
- 9 .7
-1 1 .6
- .4
+ 6.6
+ .3
- 1 .5
- .9

+15.0
+29.6
+ 8 .0
+30. 8
+38.0
+56.9
+86.0
+29.3
+97.2
+84.7
+94. 8
+42.9
+69.2
+37.4
454.9
+32.7

+16.8
+36.9
+18.7
+28.0
+37.9
+61.2
+121.7
+46. 0
+111.8
+86.5
+96.0
+42.6
+86.6
+31.6
+47.2
+32.3

M ay 18,
1943, to
N ov. 13,
1945

Jan. 14,
1941, to
N ov. 13,
1945

Aug. 15,
1939, to
N ov. 13,
1945

i
T he num ber of cities included in th e index was changed from 51 to 56 in M arch 1943, w ith the necessary
adjustm ents for m aintaining com parability. A t th e same tim e th e n um ber of foods in the index was
increased from 54 to 61.

T able 2.— Indexes of Retail Prices of Food in 56

1 Large Cities Combined,2
by Commodity Groups, on Specified Dates

[1935-39=100]
1945

1944

1943

1941

1939

N ov. 14

M ay 18

J a n . 14

Aug. 15

C om m odity group
N ov. 13 3

Oct. 16

___

140.1

139.3

136.5

143.0

97.8

93.5

Cereals and bakery products
__
M eats
,
____________ ,
_____
Beef and veal ____ _
Pork _____ , ________ , ______
L am b, ___ ____ ___ _ _
. _ ___
C h ic k e n s __ , _ _ .
____ ____ _
Fish, fresh and canned
..........
D airy products,
__
_____ _
E g g s _________
__
,,
F ruits and vegetables, _
Fresh
C anned., . . _
D r ie d ___ . . .
_ _____
Beverages ________________ ______ ______
F ats and oils
_____ _
Sugar and sweets_______
__

109.1
131.0
118.2
112.6
136.2
152.5
220.8
135.9
192.1
172.3
181.9
130.6
168.5
124.9
124.4
126.5

109.1
131.0
118. 2
112.6
136.2
152.3
221.3
133.3
185.5
172.5
182.3
130.4
168.9
124.7
124.0
126.5

108.6
129.7
118.2
112.2
134.5
150.4
210.3
133.6
186.7
160.7
167.6
129.6
166.5
124.3
123.2
126.5

107.6
138.3
131.2
125.5
141.6
147.6
200.5
136. 9
142.1
190.8
205.8
131.1
158.0
124.5
126.3
127.6

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 M arch 1943.
2 Aggregate costs of 61 foods (54 foods prior to M arch 1943) in each city, weighted to represent total p u r­
chases by families of wage earners and lower-salaried workers, have been combined w ith the use of population
weights.
s Prelim inary.

677234— 46

-9


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

to

RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD TO CITY WORKERS
AVERAGE FOR LARGE CITIES
1935-39 « IOO

in d e x

INDEX

180

160

140

120

100

80

60
1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1 9 2 3 1 9 2 4 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1 9 4 0 1941 1942 1943 19 4 4 1945 1946
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

200

PRICES AND COST OF LIVING

RETAIL PRICES FOR GROUPS OF FOOD


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

AVERAGE FOR LARGE CITIES
1 9 3 5 - 3 9 = IOO

126

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1946

T able 3.—Average Retail Prices of 78 Foods in 56 Ixirge Cities Combined,l November

1945 Compared With Earlier Months
1945

1944

1941

1939
Aug. 15

Article

Cereals and bakery products:
Cereals:
Flour, w h e at_____ __ . . . . . ...1 0 p o u n d s..
M acaroni. __ .
. _
. . . _ ..p o u n d .
W heat cereal 3_ ____ _____ ___ 28 ounces..
C o rn flak es______ . . .
___8 ounces. _
Corn m eal.. ______ . . . _______ p o u n d ..
Rice 3__________ . . . ______ _______ do ___
Rolled oats_____ . . . . . _ ___ _____ do ___
Flour, pancake 3 ____ _ __ ___20 ounces..
B akery products:
B read, w h ite__________________ ____ .p o u n d ..
_______ do ___
Bread, whole-wheat _ .
Bread, ry e ______ ______ _ ____ _______ do ___
Vanilla cookies
.
............ _______ do_ __
Soda crackers_____________ ____ _______ do___
M eats:
Beef:
R ound steak _______________ ........-_-do __
R ib roast
_______ _____ _____ do ___
____do___
Chuck roast _________ ___
Stew m e a t3. . _____________ ______ d o ___
Liver 3. _ _____
______ _______ do_ __
H am burger____ ________ . . . ________ do-__
Veal:
______ do ___
C u tlets. . ________
Roast, boned and rolled 3___ _______ do___
Pork:
C hops. _____ ____________ _______ do___
Bacon, sliced____ _ ___ _ _______ do_ __
H am , sliced___ ______ . . . _______ do___
H am , whole . . . ______ _ ._ _____do___
Salt pork _________ . . . . . . _______ do__ _
L iv er3
_ _____ ______ _____ _do___
Sausage 3_ _ -_______________ _______ do ___
Bologna, big 3_____ . _ _ _______ do ___
Lam b:
Leg----------------------------------- _______ do___
R ib chops_____ __ ______ __ _____ do_ __
Po u ltry : R oasting chickens ___ _____ __do___
Fish:
Fish (fresh, frozen)______ _. . _____ do___
Salmon, p in k _____ . _
___16-oz. c a n ..
Salmon, red 3_____ _________ _______ do ___
D airy products:
B u tte r ... _________ ______ ____ . ____p o u n d ..
Cheese.. ________ ________ . . . _______ do___
M ilk, fresh (delivered)_________ _____ q u a rt..
M ilk, Resh (store) ___ ________ _______ do ___
M ilk, evaporated______________ -14Hs-oz. can.
Eggs: Eggs, fresh__________________ ______ dozen..
F ruits and vegetables:
Fresh fruits:
Apples . ________________ _____ p o u n d ..
B an an as__________________ _______ do ___
Oranges__ ______________ ______ dozen..
G ra p e fru it3________ _
_______ each ..
Fresh vegetables:
Beans, green.
______ _ _____ p o u n d ..
C ab b ag e._ ____ __________ _______ do ___
C arrots . _
_____ _____
. b u n c h ..
L ettu ce.. __________ _ _ _. _______ h e a d ..
Onions_____
______ _ . . ______p o u n d ..
Potatoes_____________ ____ .. .15 p o u n d s..
Spinach___ _ _____________ _____ p o u n d ..
Sweetpotatoes ___ ______ _______ do ___
B e e ts 3_________ _ ______ ______ b u n ch ..
Canned fruits:
Peaches_____ ________
..N o . 2J4 c a n ..
P ineapple_________________ - ______ do ___
G rapefruit juice. _________ ___ No. 2 c a n ..
Canned vegetables:
Beans, green_______________ _______ do___
C orn__________ ____ . . . . ----------- do___
P eas______________________ _______ do ___
T o m a to e s _________ _______ _______ do ___
Soup, vegetable 3___________ ___ ll-oz. c a n ..
D ried fruits: P ru n es___________ ______p o u n d ..
S ee

footnotes at end of table.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

N ov. 13 2

Oct. 16

N ov. 14

Jan. 14

Cents
64.1
15.7
23.3
6.7
6.5
12.9
10.4
12.8

Cents
64.1
15.7
23.4
6.7
6.5
12.7
10.4
12.4

Cents
64.2
15.8
23.2
6.5
6.4
12.7
10.2
12.3

Cents
41.4
13.8
23.5
7.1
4.2
7.9
7.1
(4)

Cents
35.8
14.0
24.2
7.0
4.0
7.5
7.1
(4)

8.8
9.6
9.9
29.5
18.8

8.8
9.6
9.9
29.1
18.9

8.8
9.6
9.9
28.2
18.9

7.8
8.7
9.0
25.1
15.0

7.8
8.8
9.2
(5)
14.8

40.9
33.1
28.3
29.6
37.3
27.4

40.9
33.1
28.4
29.9
37.2
27.3

40.6
33.0
28.3
30.6
37.3
27.5

38.6
31.5
25.2
(4)
(5)
(4)

36.4
28.9
22.5
(4)
(«)
(4)

44.7
35.3

44.5
35.1

44.6
36.0

45.2
(4)

42.5
(4)

37.2
41.2
49.6
34.9
22.0
22.1
38.8
34.1

37.2
41.2
49.4
34.7
22.0
22.1
38.7
34.0

37.3
40.8
50.1
35.2
22.1
22.0
38.4
34.0

29.1
30.1
45.1
26.2
16.7
(4)
(4)
(4)

30.9
30.4
46.4
27.4
15.4
(4)
(4)
(4)

40.4
45.9
47.0

40.4
45.9
46.1

39.9
45.3
45.0

27.8
35.0
31.1

27.6
36.7
30.9

(6)
23.0
40.4

(6)
23.0
40.2

(6)
22.9
41.5

(6)
15.7
26.4

(6)
12.8
23.1

54.4
35.7
15.6
14.5
10.0
67.9

49.9
35.7
15.6
14.5
10.0
65.7

49.8
36.2
15.6
14.5
10.0
66.3

38.0
27.0
13.0
11.9
7.1
34.9

30.7
24.7
12.0
11.0
6.7
32.0

14.1
10.5
47.0
8.5

13.6
10.4
51.2
10.0

10.3
11.2
46.0
8.6

5.2
6.6
27.3
(7)

4.4
6.1
31.5
(7)

20.1
4.4
9.0
12.3
7.0
62.3
10.2
7.7
8.9

17.0
4.8
9.0
12.2
6.6
62.0
11.1
7.7
8.2

20.2
4.7
9.0
10.9
4.7
66.5
10.8
6.8
7.9

14.0
3.4
6.0
8.4
3.6
29.2
7.3
5.0
(4)

7.2
3.9
4.6
8.4
3.6
34.4
7.8
5.5
(4)

28.0
26.5
14.3

27.5
26.3
14.5

27.7
27.2
14.4

16.5
20.9
(7)

17.1
21.0
(7)

13.2
14.7
13.3
12.4
13.0
17.1

13.1
14.8
13.3
12.2
13.0
17.3

13.1
14.7
13.3
11.9
13.4
16.8

10.0
10.7
13.2
8.4
(4)
9.6

10.0
10.4
13.6
8.6
(4)
8.8

127

PRICES AND COST OF LIVING

T able 3.—Average Retail Prices of 78 Foods in 56 Large Cities Combined,1 November

1$45 Compared With Earlier Months—Continued
1945

1944

1941

1939
Aug. 15

Article
N ov. 13 2

Oct. 16

N ov. 14

J a n . 14

Cents
11.4
3.8

Cents
11.5
3.8

Cents
11.1
3.7

Cents
6.5
«

Cents
5.8
«

30.7
24.1
10.3

30.6
24.3
10.4

30.3
24.0
10.4

20.7
17.6
9.1

22.3
17.2
8.6

F ru its and vegetables—C ontinued.
D ried vegetables:
N av y beans_________________ ____p o u n d ..
Soup, dehydrated, chicken noodle A .o u n ce..
Beverages:
Coffee. _____ ________________ _. ..p o u n d ..
-.54 p o u n d ..
T ea.
._ - _ - _ ___
Cocoa 3_________________________ . Vi p o u n d ..
F ats and oils:
L a rd __________ ________________ _ _..p o u n d .
Shortening other th an lard—
In cartons___________________ _____ do___
In other containers__________ _____do_ _
Salad dressing______________ ____ _____ p in t..
_______________ ____p o u n d ..
Oleomargarine
P ean u t b u tte r__ _________
____ _____ do___
Oil, cooking or salad 3_ _________ _____ p in t..
Sugar and sweets:
S u g a r... _
__
_________ .... ___p o u n d ..
Corn siru p ______ ______
_ . . . ..24 ounces..
Molasses 3__ ._ . . . ___________ . 18 ounces .
Apple b u tte r 3 . . . . . .
_____ ..16 ounces..

18.7

18.8

18.8

9.3

9.9

19.9
24.5
24.7
24. 1
29.3
29.9

20.0
24.5
24.5
24.3
28.6
30.0

20.2
24.9
25.8
24.1
28.5
30.7

11.3
18.3
20.1
15.6
17.9
(5)

11.7
20.2
(5)
16.5
17.9
(5)

6.6
15.7
15.8
16.0

6.6
15.8
15.8
14.3

6.7
15.8
15.9
13.6

5.1
13.6
13.4
(4)

5.2
13.7
13.6
(4)

1 D ata are based on 51 cities combined prior to Jan u ary 1943.
2 Prelim inary.
3 N ot included in index.
4 F irst priced F ebruary 1943.
5 N ot priced.
6 Composite price not com puted.
7 F irst priced October 1941.

T able 4. — Indexes of Average Retail Prices of All Foods, by Cities,1 on Specified Date
[1935-39 = 100]
1945

1944

1941

1939

Nov. 14

J a n . 14

Aug. 15

C ity
Nov. 13 2
U nited S ta te s _____

140.1

139.3

136.5

97.8

93.5

____________
__. .

141.0
147. 5
143.8
133.8
136.3
136.7
137.9

140.5
147.5
144. 2
133.3
136.4
135.6
136.7

137.9
144.3
141. 3
131.8
134.5
133.4
133.5

94.3
97.9
96.0
95.2
96.5
100.2
98.7

92.5
94.7
90.7
93.5
93.2
94.5
94.1

. . . . . ___
...
___ .
. _____ _
. _____ __
...... .................
...................

142.8
138.4
137.8
137. 7
143.8
133.0
137.0

142.2
139.4
137.8
139.0
143.3
132.6
137.1

139.6
134.7
135.8
134.4
142.6
129.0
132.7

95.9
95.9
98.2
96.5
99.2
93.4
92.6

95.1
92.3
90.4
93.6
88.1
91.7

137.9
137. 5
134.3
139. 5
136.3
150.1
149.5

138.0
136.4
132.8
139.7
136.0
150.0
149.0

136.4
132.3
131.6
134.6
133.1
150.2
145.9

94.8
97.0
97.5
102.6
98.2
105. 3
98.8

92.7
90.6
95.4
97.8
90.7

133.8
160. 0
138.8
149.2
134.2
136.1
148.8

132.9
161.1
138.3
147.2
133.5
134.6
148.6

130.3
156.8
136.3
143. 3
131.0
133. 6
144.9

92. 4
97.1
95.6
101.8
95.5
96.6
94.2

91.5

_______ _________

A tlanta, Ga . ___
Baltimore, M d .
Birm ingham , Ala
Boston, M a s s..
Bridgeport, Conn
Buffalo', N . Y ____
B utte, M o n t. .

...
.
.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 3
Charleston, S. C
Chicago, 111. ____
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio . .
Columbus, Ohio ...........
Dallas, Tex . . .
Denver, Colo
D etroit, M ich ._
Fall R iver, M ass
H ouston. Tex
Indianapolis, In d
Jank'Srvn, Miss 3
Jacksonville, Fla
Kansas C ity, M o

__

Oct. 16

....
_ ... .

.
__
. ....
. . . . .
.
. . .1 . . . .
.
_
.
_ . . . _____
__ .

_____

Tattle Rock, A rk
................. ....... Los Angeles, Calif
_ - - ______ ___
Louisville, K y
_ ________________
M anchester. N . H
_ __ _____________
M emphis, T en n ________________________
S e e f o o t n o t e s a t e n d o f ta b le .


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

95.8

94.0
94.6
92.1
94.9
89.7

128
T able 4.

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

Indexes of Average Retail Prices of A ll Foods, by C i t i e s o n Specified
Dates— Continued
[1935-39 = 100]
1945

1944

1941

1939

Nov. 14

J a n . 14

Aug. 15

C ity
Nov. 13 2

Oct. 16

M ilwaukee, W is_____
M inneapolis, M in n __
M obile, A la_________
Newark, N . J ____ . . . .
New H aven, C onn___
New Orleans, L a _____
New York, N . Y _____

137.8
133. 7
148.4
143.6
135.3
153.2
141.7

137.4
132.6
148.1
141.0
135.5
154.4
139.5

135.2
130.0
145.0
139.1
135.2
149.7
137.4

95.9
99.0
97.9
98.8
95.7
101.9
99.5

91.1
95.0
95.5
95.6
93.7
97.6
95.8

Norfolk, V a_________
Omaha, N e b r________
Peoria, 111___________
Philadelphia, P a _____
Pittsburgh, P a _______
Portland, M aine_____
Portland, Oreg_______

144.3
132.8
145.4
137.9
139.7
133. 9
151.4

144.3
131.1
145. 5
137.2
140.0
133.0
149.7

142.0
130.3
140.2
133.3
134.7
133.2
146.8

95.8
97.9
99.0
95.0
98.0
95.3
101.7

93.6
92.3
93.4
93.0
92.5
95.9
96.1

Providence, R. I _____
Richm ond, V a_______
Rochester, N . Y _____
St. Louis, M o _______
St. Paul, M in n ______
Salt Lake C ity, U ta h ..
San Francisco, Calif. __

139.0
137.8
135.1
141.4
132.8
145.6
151. 5

139.1
137.7
134.7
141. 4
131.4
144.5
147.9

135.6
135.7
132.4
138.5
128.3
141. 1
146.3

96.3
93.7
99.9
99.2
98.6
97.5
99.6

93.7
92. 2
92.3
93.8
94.3
94.6
93.8

Savannah, G a_______
Scranton, P a ________
Seattle, W ash_______
Springfield, 111_______
W ashington, D . C ___
W ichita, K ans.3______
W inston-Salem, N . C.3.

155.6
139.5
145.3
145.5
140.8
150.6
142.1

155.4
138. 7
142. 7
145.0
140.2
148.3
142. 6

150.6
136.3
142.7
141.9
136.7
147.2
138.0

100.5
97.5
101.0
96.2
97.7
97.2
93.7

96.7
92.1
94.5
94.1
94.1

, Aggregate costs of 61 foods in each city (54 foods prior to M arch 1943), weighted to represent total purcnases by wage earners and lower-salaried workers, have been combined for the U nited States w ith the
use of population weights. Prim ary use is for tim e-to-time comparisons rath er th a n place-to-place com­
parisons.
2 Prelim inary.
3 June 1940= 100.
* Revised.

T able 5.—Indexes of Retail Food Prices in 56 Large Cities Combined,1 1913

to November 1945
[1935-39 = 100]

Year

Allfoods
index

Y ear

Allfoods
index

1913_____
1914______
1915_____
1916___ __
1917___
1918__
1919______
1920______

79.9
81.8
80.9
90.8
116.9
134.4
149.8
168.8

1929
1930
1931______
1932 __
1933...... .........
1934_______
1935_______
1936_______

132 fi
126 0
103. 9
86. 5
84. 1
93. 7
100. 4
101. 3

1921. .
1922______
1923 _ _____ .
1924 _. __
1925_____
1926________
1927______
1928.... ...........

128. 3
119. 9
124.0
122. 8
132.9
137.4
132.3
130.8

1937_______
1938 ______
1939_______
1940_______
1941
1942. .
1943
1944_______

105.3
97.8
95. 2
96. 6
10fi fi
123 9
138 0
136.1

Y ear and
m onth

Y ear and
m onth

19U

All­
foods
index

19LB

Ta.nua,ry
TV,bruar y
ATarch
April
ATay
June

136
134
134
134
13fi
13fi

Ju ly
A ugust____ .
Septem ber___
October

137 4
137.7
137.0
136 4

1 Indexes based on 51 cities combined prior to M arch 1943.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

All­
foods
index

1
K1
6
fi
7

137.4

ATarch
\ pril
ATay

137 3
ioO. »)
IQt; Q
Lift A
138 8
141 1

.Tnlv
A ugust______
Septem ber___
October
As o verober___

141 7
140.9
139.4
139 3
140.1

PRICES AND COST OF LIVING

129

Wholesale Prices in November 1945
RISING to the highest level since January 1921, primary market
prices advanced 0.8 percent in November 1945, according to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau’s wholesale 1price index rose
to 106.8 percent of the 1926 average, 2.3 percent above November 1944
and 42.4 percent above August 1939.
Average prices for farm products rose 3.0 percent during November,
and food prices advanced 2.1 percent. The group index for fuel and
lighting materials increased 0.5 percent and that for building mate­
rials 0.3 percent. Average prices were up 0.2 percent for hides and
leather products, metals and metal products, and chemicals and allied
products. The index for the textile products group advanced 0.1 per­
cent. No changes occurred in average prices for housefurnishing
goods and miscellaneous commodities.
Primary market prices for raw materials rose 2.0 percent during
November, prices of semimanufactured articles advanced 0.1 percent,
and manufactured articles 0.3 percent.
The rise of 3 percent in average primary market prices of farm
products reflected generally higher prices for agricultural com­
modities. Transportation difficulties, particularly shortages of
rolling stock, and anticipated revisions in parity were important
causes of price increases for many agricultural products. Quotations
for livestock rose contraseasonally, with prices for calves advancing
under continued heavy demand with inadequate supplies. Prices
for cows moved up substantially and hogs were fractionally higher.
Quotations for sheep advanced with a reduction in the number of
animals slaughtered. In contrast to the price increases for most
livestock, quotations for steers declined in November on slow demand.
Live poultry prices advanced with holiday buying. Quotations for
grains were generally higher, with the largest increases occurring in
prices of oats which were being used extensively to supplement
scarcer feed grains, and of rye which was still exempt from pricecontrol and in relatively short supply. Prices for wheat moved up
seasonally. Cotton quotations rose sharply because of improved ex­
port prospects and a smaller crop than anticipated. Domestic wool
averaged lower in November, following Governmental action to
bring prices into a more favorable competitive position with foreign
wools. Quotations for eggs advanced on holiday buying, with some
grades still in short supply. Citrus fruit prices rose sharply following
suspension of ceiling controls. Prices for onions moved, up more
than seasonally and sweetpotato prices advanced under higher
ceilings permitted by OPA. Quotations for white potatoes, no longer
under ceiling controls, moved up seasonally from their summer levels.
The substantial advance in prices for fresh fruits and vegetables
was chiefly responsible for the rise of 2.1 percent in the group index
for foods. In addition, butter prices advanced following removal of
the subsidy. Powdered milk prices were up, reflecting the shortage
of fluid milk, and prices for cereal products moved fractionally higher.
Quotations for canned tomatoes advanced under higher ceilings
permitted for the 1945 pack.
1 T he B ureau of L abor Statistics wholesale price data, for th e m ost part, represent prices in prim ary
m arkets. In general, th e prices are those charged by m anufacturers or producers or are those prevailing on
com m odity exchanges. T h e m onthly index is calculated from a m onthly average of one-day-a-week prices.
I t should no t be com pared directly w ith thei weekly wholesale price index, which is designed as an indicator of
week to week changes. Indexes for the last 2 m onths are prelim inary.


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130

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW-— JANUARY

1946

Higher prices for some types of shoes, permitted individual manu­
facturers by OPA, were responsible for the advance of 0.2 percent in
the group index for hides and leather products.
Price increases for cotton goods and other cotton products allowed
by OPA under the Bankhead Amendment to the Stabilization Exten­
sion Act of 1944 caused the rise of 0.1 percent in average prices for
textile products. Quotations for products made from other fibers
remained unchanged during the month.
A more than seasonal increase in sales realizations for electricity
was responsible for the rise of 0.5 percent in the group index for fuel
and lighting materials. Primary market prices for fuel oil and gasoline
declined during November, reflecting competitive price reductions by
both established and new marketing organizations. Sales realiza­
tions for gas were lower.
Average primary market prices of farm machinery advanced 0.2
percent during November, with higher prices for some types of plows
permitted individual manufacturers and price advances for tractors
under an interim ceiling increase allowed by OPA pending further
study. Quotations for builders’ hardware continued to advance under
higher ceilings previously allowed. Average prices for pig iron in
November were higher than in the previous month, reflecting the
ceiling increases allowed on this commodity in October. Quotations
for mercury advanced substantially, reflecting steady demand and
low commercial stocks.
i ^Slightly higher prices were reported for some structural clay products
during November, and quotations for cement advanced fractionally
under higher OPA ceilings granted in southeastern States. Slightly
higher prices for lumber, particularly Western pine, also contributed
to the advance in the group index for building materials. Higher
quotations for turpentine reflected the increased amount of painting
being done in November following revocation of Governmental con­
trols on building.
The increase in the average price for chemicals and allied products
followed higher prices for alcohol under increased ceilings and price
increases for glycerine as quotations for this commodity moved to
ceiling levels.
T a b i .e 1 .

Indexes of Wholesale Prices by Groups and Subgroups of Commodities,
November 1945, Compared with Previous Months
Indexes (1926=100)

Percent of change to
N ovem ber 1945 from—

N ovem ­ Octo­ N ovem ­
August
ber
ber
ber
1939
1945
1945
1944

Octo­ N ovem ­
A ugust
ber
ber
1939
1945
1944

G roup and subgroup

All commodities

106.8

105.9

104.4

75.0

+ 0 .8

+ 2 .3

+42.4

F arm products, _ _____
G r a in s _________
Livestock and p o u ltry __________
O ther farm pro d u cts. . . _

131.1
132. 9
131.8
129.3

127.3
130.2
130.5
123.6

124. 4
124.8
127.0
121.8

61.0
51.5
66.0
60.1

+ 3 .0
+ 2.1
+ 1 .0
+ 4 .6

+ 5.4
+ 6 .5
+ 3 .8
+ 6 .2

+114. 9
+158.1
+99.7
+115. 1

Foods___________
D airy products______
Cereal p roducts______
F ru its and vegetables______
M eats______________
O ther foods.....................

107.9
113.2
95.5
123.8
107.9
100.7

105.7
110.4
95.3
116.3
107.9
98.5

105.1
110.7
94.7
113.7
106.1
99.3

67.2
67.9
71.9
58.5
73.7
60.3

+ 2.1
+ 2 .5
+• 2
+ 6 .4
0
+ 2 .2

+ 2 .7
+ 2.3
+. 8
+ 8 .9
+ 1 .7
+ 1.4

+60.6
+66.7
+32.8
+111.6
+46.4
+67.0


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131

PRICES AND COST OF LIVING

Table 1.— Indexes of Wholesale Prices by Groups and Subgroups of Commodities,

November 1945, Compared with Previous Months— Continued

G roup and subgroup

Indexes (1926=100)

Percent of change to
N ovem ber 1945 from—

N ovem ­ Octo­ N ovem ­ August
ber
ber
ber
1939
1945
1944
1945

Octo­ N ovem ­ A ugust
ber
ber
1939
1944
1945

Hides and leather products____ ____ _______
Shoes. ................. - ____ ___ ___________
Hides and skins_______________________
L eath er___________________ _ _______
O ther leather p roducts_______________.

118.8
126.7
117.6
103.8
115.2

118.6
126.3
117.6
103.8
115.2

116.2
126.3
107. 1
101.3
115.2

92.7
100.8
77.2
84.0
97.1

+ 0 .2
+ .3
0
0
0

+ 2.2
+ .3
+ 9.8
+ 2.5
0

+28.2
+25.7
+52.3
+23.6
+18.6

Textile p roducts__________________________
C lothing________ ______________ _____
C otton goods_____ ________ . _____
Hosiery and underw ear__
____ R ayon ______________________________
Silk
____
Woolen and w orsted__________________
O ther textile products__________ ______

101.1
107.4
125.1
71.5
30.2

101.0
107.4
125.0
71.5
30.2

99.4
107.4
118.8
71.5
30.2

+ .1
0
+ .1
0
0

+ 1.7
0
+ 5.3
0
0

+49.1
+31.8
+91.0
+16.3
+ 6 .0

112.7
101.9

112.7
101.4

112.9
100.9

67.8
81.5
65.5
61.5
28.5
44.3
75.5
63.7

0
+ .5

-.2
+ 1.0

+49.3
+60.0

Fuel and lighting m aterials_______ _________
A nth racite____________ ________ ____
B itum inous coal. _ __ „
__
Coke
- . ________
E lectricity
___ _
___
Gas
__________ ________ .
.
__
Petroleum and products____ _ _______

84.6
102.2
124.8
134.9
(i)
(!)
61.7

84.2
102.2
124.8
134.9
(i)
79.8
62.1

83.1
95.3
120.5
130.7
00.1
77.3
63.8

72.6
72.1
96.0
104.2
75.8
86.7
51.7

+ .5
0
0
0

+ 1 .8
+ 7.2
+ 3.6
+ 3 .2

+16.5
+41.7
+30.0
+29.5

-.6

- 3 .3

+19.3

M etals and m etal products___ . _________
A gricultural im plem ents_______________
- ____
F arm m achinery_________ __
Iron and s te e l.. _ _ ________________ M otor vehicles__________________ ____
Nonferrous m etals _ _____
P lu m b in g a n d h e a tin g - _____________ . .

105.2
98.1
99.1
100.2
112.8
85.8
95.0

105.0
97.9
98.9
99.8
112.8
85.7
95.0

103.7
97.5
98.7
97.1
112.8
85.8
92.4

93.2
93.5
94.7
95.1
92.5
74.6
79.3

+ .2
+ .2
+ .2
+ .4
0
+ .1
0

+ 1 .4
+ .6
+• 4
+ 3 .2
0
0
+ 2 .8

+12.9
+ 4 .9
+ 4 .6
+ 5 .4
+21.9
+15.0
+19.8

Building m aterials - ------- ----------------- B rick and t i l e ________ _ ____________
C em ent
_ - - - - ____ ____ L um ber___________ ________ _________
P a in t and p a in t m aterials- _______ ___
P lum bing and heatin g _________________
Structural steel___ - _________________
O ther building m aterials__________ ____

118.7
116.7
100.1
155.5
107.7
95.0
107.3
105.4

118.3
115.2
99.9
155.2
107.6
95.0
107.3
104.6

116.4
105.0
97.7
154.2
106.3
92.4
107.3
103.3

89.6
90.5
91.3
90.1
82.1
79.3
107.3
89.5

+ .3
+ 1.3
+ .2
+ .2
+ .1
0
0
+ .8

+ 2 .0
+11.1
+ 2.5
+ .8
+ 1.3
+ 2.8
0
+ 2 .0

+32.5
+29.0
+ 9 .6
+72.6
+31.2
+19.8
0
+17.8

Chemicals and allied p ro d u c ts _____ ____ Chemicals- _ _ ______________________
D rugs and p h arm aceu ticals.. . _____
Fertilizer m ate ria ls... ____________
M ixed fertilizers___ . .................................
Oils and fats_______
. . . ________ . .

95.7
96.7
110.7
81.9
86.6
102.0

95. 5
96.4
110.3
81.9
86.6
102.0

94.8
95.5
106.9
81.8
86.6
102.0

74.2
83.8
77.1
65.5
73.1
40.6

+ .2
+ .3
+ .4
0
0
0

+ .9
+ 1.3
+ 3.6
+ .1
0
0

+29.0
+15.4
+43.6
+25.0
+18.5
+151.2

Housefurnishing goods__________ ________
_ . ___________
F u rn ish in g s _______
F u rn itu re . _ ________________ ______

104.7
107.9
101.6

104.7
107.9
101.6

104.4
107.4
101.5

85.6
90.0
81.1

0
0
0

+ .3
+ .5
+ .1

+22.3
+19.9
+25.3

M isc e lla n eo u s.------- ------ -----------------------Auto tires and t u b e s ___
...
C attle feed_____ . . ____________ _ . .
P aper and pulp _. . . _ ___________ .
R ubber, crude________________________
O ther miscellaneous________ __________

94.8
73.0
159.6
109.3
46.2
98.9

94.8
73.0
159.6
109.3
46.2
98.9

94.0
73.0
159.6
107.2
46.2
97.8

73.3
60.5
68.4
80.0
34.9
81.3

0
0
0
0
0
0

+ .9
0
0
+ 2.0
0
+ 1.1

+29.3
+20.7
+133.3
+36.6
+32.4
+21.6

R aw m aterials-----------------------------Sem im anufactured a rtic le s ... _ . _ --------M anufactured p ro d u c ts.. . . . . _ ------------All commodities other th an farm products__
All commodities other th a n farm products and
foods..
___________ _______ _____ ______

118.9
96.9
102.2
101.3

116.6
96.8
101.9.
101.0

113.8
94.8
101.1
99.9

66.5
74.5
79.1
77.9

+ 2 .0
+• l
+ .3
+ .3

+ 4 .5
+ 2.2
+1.1
+ 1.4

+78.8
+30.1
+29.2
+30.0

100.2

100.1

98.8

80.1

+ .1

+ 1.4

+25.1

1No quotation.


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132

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

Index Numbers by Commodity Groups, 1926 to November 1945
Index numbers of wholesale prices by commodity groups for selected
years from 1926 to 1944, and by months from November 1944 to
November 1945, are shown in table 2.
T able 2.— Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices by Groups of Commodities
[1926=100]

Y ear and m onth

Hides
Fuel M etals
C hem ­
and
Tex­
and
Farm
and B uild­ icals
leath­
light­
and
tile
ing
prod­ Foods
metal m ate­ allied
er
prod­ ing
ucts
prod­ ucts m ate­ prod­
prod­
rials
ucís
ucts
rials
ucts
100.0 100.0
100. 5. 95.4
80.2
71.4
79.8
77.0
87.0
86.7
95.7
95.2

House- Misfurcelnishlaneing
ous
goods

All
com­
m odi­
ties

100.0
94.0
73.9
72.1
78.7
82.6

100.0
94.3
75.1
75.8
81.7
89.7

100.0
82.6
64.4
62.5
70.5
77.8

100.0
95.3
64.8
65.9
80.8
86.3

90.3
90.5
94.8
103.2
110.2
111.4
115.5

77.0
76.0
77.0
84.4
95.5
94.9
95.2

86.8
86.3
88.5
94.3
102.4
102.7
104.3

73.3
74.8
77.3
82.0
89.7
92.2
93.6

78.6
77. 1
78.6
87.3
98.8
103.1
104.0

103. 7
103.8

116.4
116.4

94.8
94.8

104.4
104.4

94.0
94.2

104.4
104.7

104.0
104.2
104.2
104.2
104.3
104.7
104.7
104.7
104.9
105.0
105.2

116.8
117.0
117.1
117.1
117.3
117.4
117.5
117.8
118.0
118.3
118.7

94.9
94.9
94.9
94.9
94.9
95.0
95.3
95.3
95.3
95.5
95.7

104.5
104.5
104.5
104.5
104.5
104.5
104.5
104.5
104.6
104.7
104.7

94.2
94.6
94.6
94.8
94.8
94.8
94.8
94.8
94.8
94.8
94.8

104.9
105.2
105.3
105.7
106.0
106.1
105.9
105.7
105.2
105.9
106.8

1926________________
1929________________
1932________________
1933________________
1936________________
1937________________

100.0
104.9
48.2
51.4
80.9
86.4

100.0
99.9
61.0
60.5
82.1
85.5

100.0
109.1
72.9
80.9
95.4
104.6

100.0
90.4
54.9
64.8
71.5
76.3

100.0
83.0
70.3
66.3
76.2
77.6

1938________________
1939________________
1940________________
1941________________
1942________________
1943________________
1944________________

68.5
65.3
67.7
82.4
105.9
122.6
123.3

73.6
70.4
71.3
82.7
99.6
106.6
104.9

92.8
95.6
100.8
108.3
117.7
117.5
116.7

66.7
69.7
73.8
84.8
96.9
97.4
98.4

76.5
73.1
71.7
76.2
78.5
80.8
83.0

95.7
94.4
95.8
99.4
103.8
103.8
103.8

124.4
125.5

105.1
105.5

116.2
117.4

99.4
99. 5

83.1
83.1

126.2
127.0
127.2
129.0
129.9
130.4
129.0
126.9
124.3
127.3
131.1

104.7
104.7
104.6
105.8
107.0
107.5
106.9
106. 4
104.9
105.7
107.9

117.5
117. 6
117.8
117.9
117.9
118.0
118.0
118.0
118.7
118.6
118.8

99.6
99.7
99.7
99.6
99.6
99.6
99.6
99.6
100.1
101.0
101.1

83.3
83.3
83.4
83.5
83.7
83.9
84.3
84.8
84.1
84. 2
84.6

1944
N ovember _. __
D ecem ber_________
1946
J a n u a ry ____________
F eb ru ary __________
M arch _____________
A pril...................... .......
M a y _______ _____
J u n e ______________
J u ly _______________
A ugust_________ . .
Septem ber__________
O ctober____________
N ovem ber_______ __

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 10 arid 11 of Wholesale Prices, JulyDecember and Year 1943, Bulletin No. 785.


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PRICES AND COST OF LIVING

T able 3.— Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices by Special Groups of Commodities
[1926=100]
All
com­
modi­
ties
other
than
farm
prod­
ucts
and
foods

SemiR aw manufacm ate­ tured
rials
a rti­
cles

All
com­
M an ­ modi­
ufac­
ties
tured other
prod­ th an
farm
ucts
prod­
ucts

100.0
97.5
55.1
56.5
79.9
84. 8

100.0
93.9
59.3
65.4
75.9
85.3

100.0
94.5
70.3
70.5
82.0
87.2

100.0
93.3
68.3
69.0
80.7
86. 2

100.0
91.6
70.2
71.2
79.6
85.3

1938________ 72.0
1939________ 70.2
1940________ 7L9
1941________ 83.5
1942________ 100.6
1943________ 112.1
1944________ 113.2

75.4
77.0
79.1
86.9
92.6
92.9
94.1

82.2
80.4
81.6
89.1
98.6
100.1
100.8

80.6
79.5
80.8
88.3
97.0
98.7
99.6

81.7
81. 3
83.0
89.0
95.5
96.9
98.5

Year

1926________
1929________
1932________
1933________
1936________
1937________

Y ear and
m onth

19U
N ovem ber-..
December. __
1945
January
F eb ru ary ___
M arch___ _
April
M ay
June
July
August
Septem ber.._
October__
N o v em ber...

SemiR aw manufacm ate­ tured
rials
arti­
cles

All
com­
All
com­ modi­
M an­ modi­ ties
ufac­
other
ties
tured other than
prod­ than
farm
farm prod­
ucts
prod­ ucts
and
ucts
foods

113.8
114.6

94.8
94.8

101.1
101.1

99.9
100.0

98.8
98.9

115 1
115.6
115.7
116. 8
117. 7
118. 2
117. 5
116. 3
114.8
116.6
118.9

94. 9
95.0
95.0
95 0
95 0
95 4
95. 3
95 5
96.5
96.8
96.9

101 3
101.5
101.6
101 8
101.8
101. 8
101 8
101 8
101.7
101.9
102.2

100 1
100.2
100.4
100 5
100 6
100 7
100 7
100 9
100.9
101.0
101.3

99 1
99.2
99.2
99 3
99 4
99 6
99 7
99 9
99.8
100. 1

100.2

Weekly Fluctuations
Weekly changes in wholesale prices by groups of commodities dur­
ing October and November 1945 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 able 4 .— Weekly Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices by Commodity Groups, October

and November 1945
[1926 = 100]
Com m odity group

N ov.
24

All c o m m o d itie s --.___________ __________

106.7

F arm products____
________________
Foods__________ ______
H ides a nd leath er p r o d u c ts ____
-_ ____
Textile pro d u cts___ _______ ____ ______
Fuel and lighting m aterials ___
-----M etals and m etal p ro d u cts___
B uilding m aterials___________
________
Chem icals and allied p roducts____________
H ousefurnishing g o o d s __ ________ ____ _
M iscellaneous________ ____ __ __
R aw m aterials___ _
. . . _______ __ _
Sem im anufactured articles_____ ____ _
_
M anufactured pro d u cts_____ ______ _____
A ll commodities other than farm products __
A ll commodities other th a n farm products
and foods _ - .
____________

132.1
108.7
119.1
100.5
84.6
105.3
118.7
95.6
106.4
94.6
120. 2
96.8
102.3
101.1
100.3

100.3


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

N ov.
17

Nov.
10

Nov.
3

Oct.
27

Oct.
20

Oct.
13

Oct.
6

106.3

106.1

105.9

105.7

105.5

105.3

105.2

130.3
107.2
119.1
100.5
84. 6
105.3
118.6
95.6
106.4
94.6
119.1
96.8
102.2
101.1

129.5
107.0
119.1
100. 5
84.5
105.3
118.6
95.5
106.4
94.6
118.6
96.8
102.2
101.0

129.1
106.6
119.1
100.0
84.5
105.2
118.2
95.5
106.4
94.6
118.2
96.7
101.9
100.8

127.7
106.0
119.1
99.9
84.7
105.2
118.1
95.5
106.3
94.6
117.4
96.7
101.9
100.8

126.9
105.8
119.1
99.9
84.5
105.1
118.1
95.5
106.3
94.6
116.9
96.6
101.9
100.8

126.3
105.2
118.4
99.9
84. 5
104.8
118.0
95.3
106.3
94.6
116.6
95.9
101.9
100.7

125.7
105.3
118.4
99.9
84.5
104.8
117.9
95.3
106. 3
94.6
116.3
95.9
101.8
100.7

100.2

100.1

100.1

100.1

100.0

100.0

Labor Turn-Over

Labor Turn-Over in Manufacturing, Mining, and
Public Utilities, October 1945
FACTORY workers were hired at the rate of 86 per 1,000 in October,
the highest rate since October 1942. At the same time, lay-offs
dropped from 45 per 1,000 in September to 23 hi October, the average
level of prewar years, as the necessity for further lay-offs diminished
and employers began expansion of their work forces.
The rise in the hiring rate for all manufacturing reflected increases in
all major industry groups, except food and tobacco. Hirings in the
durable-goods group jumped to 84 per 1,000 by October—about a
25-percent increase over September—while hirings for the nondurable
group were 87 per 1,000. As evidenced by the increased accessions
in the heavy industries, most major munitions industries had either
partially or completely converted to consumer production by October.
Among these heavy industry groups, the most striking rise in the rate
of hirings, from 74 per 1,000 in September to 107 in October, occurred
in the automobile industry; nonferrous metals followed closely.
The rate of lay-offs for the durable-goods industries was cut in half
in October, all major groups contributing to this decline. Lay-offs
dropped to a relatively low level in most industries, but continued
high in the ordnance and transportation-equipment groups.
The increased accession rate for all manufacturing was due largely
to the hiring of men. Almost two-thirds of the major groups hired
men at a faster rate than women, while in all groups women were
separated from their jobs at a faster rate than men. With the termi­
nation of wartime relaxation of labor laws, some girls under 18 years of
age and women who had been working on night shifts were laid off.
In other cases, women were released to make room for veterans.
T a ble 1.— Monthly Labor Turn-Over Rates (per 100 Employees) in Manufacturing

Industries 1
Class of turn-over and
year
T otal separation:
1945_____________
1944_____________
1943___ ________
1939_____________
Quit:
1945____
1944_____________
1943_____________
1939_____________
Discharge:
1945_____________
1944_____________
1943_____________
1939_____________

Jan.

Feb. M ar. A pr. M ay June


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Aug.

Sept. Oct. N ov. Dec.

6.2
6.7
7. 1
3.2

6.0
6.6
7.1
2.6

6.8
7.4
7.7
3.1

6.6
6.8
7.5
3.5

7.0
7.1
6.7
3.5

7.9
7. 1
7.1
3.3

7.7
6.6
7.6
3.-3

17.9
7.8
8.3
3.0

12.0
7.6
8.1
2.8

2 8.7
6.4
7.0
2.9

6.0
6.4
3.0

5.7
6.6
3.5

4.6
4.6
4.5
.9

4.3
4.6
4.7
.6

5.0
5.0
5.4
.8

4.8
4.9
5.4
.8

4.8
0.3
4.8
.7

5.1
5.4
5.2
.7

5.2
5.0
5. 6
.7

6. 2
6.2
6.3
.8

6.7
6.1
6.3
1.1

2 5.6
5.0
5.2
.9

4.6
4.5
.8

4.3
4.4
.7

.7
.7
.5
.1

.7
.6
.5
.1

.7
.7
.6
.1

.6
.6
.5
.1

.6
.6
.6
.1

.7
.7
.6
.1

.6
.7
.7
.1

.7
.7
.7
.1

.6
.6
.6
.1

2.6
.6
.6
.2

.6
.6
.2

.6
.6
.1

See fo o tn o te s a t en d o f ta b le .

134

July

135

LABOR TURN-OVER

T able 1.— Monthly Labor Turn-Over Rates (per 100 Employees) in Manufacturing

Industries 1—Continued
Class of turn-over and
year
T o ta l separation—Con.
Lay-off:3
1945
1944_____________
1943_____________
1939_____________
M ilitary and miscellan eo u s:4
1945
1944_____________
1943_____________
Accession:
1945
1944_____________
1943_____________
1939-.......................-

Jan.

Peb. M ar. Apr. M ay June

Ju ly

Aug.

Sept. Oct. N ov. Dec.

0. 6
.8
.7
2.2

0.7
0. 7
.8 ' .9
.5
.5
1.9
2.2

0.8
.6
.6
2.6

1.2
.5
.5
2.7

1.7
.5
.5
2.5

1.5
.5
.5
2.5

10.7
.5
.5
2.1

4.5
.6
.5
1.6

2 2. 3
.5
.5
1.8

0.5
.7
2.0

0.5
J.O
2.7

.3
.6
1.4

.3
.6
1.4

.4
.8
1.2

.4
.7.
1.0

.4
.7
.8

.4
.5
.8

.4
.4
.8

.3
.4
.8

.2
.3
.7

2.2
.3
.7

.3
.6

.3
.6

7.0
6.5
8.3
4.1

5.0
5.5
7.9
3.1

4.9
5.8
8.3
3.3

4.7
5.5
7.4
2.9

5.0
6.4
7.2
3.3

5.9
7.6
8.4
3.9

5.8
6.3
7.8
4.2

5.9
6.3
7.6
5.1

7.4
6.1
7.7
6.2

2 8. 6
6.0
7.2
5.9

6.1
6.6
4.1

5.1
5.2
2.8

1 M onth-to-m onth em ploym ent changes as indicated b y labor turn-over rates are no t precisely com­
parable to those shown by th e B ureau’s em ploym ent and pay-roll reports, as the former are based on data
for the entire m onth while the latter refer, for the m ost p art, to a one-week period ending nearest the m iddle
of the m onth. In addition, labor turn-over data, beginning in Jan u ary 1943, refer to all employees, whereas
the em ploym ent and pay-roll reports relate only to wage earners. T he labor turn-over sample is not so ex­
tensive as th a t of the em ploym ent and pay-roll survey—-proportionately fewer small plants are included;
printing and publishing, and certain seasonal industries, such as canning and preserving, are not covered.
2 Prelim inary.
3 Including tem porary, indeterm inate, and perm anent lay-offs.
4 M iscellaneous separations comprise no t more th a n 0.1 in these figures. In 1939 these d ata were included
w ith quits.

T able 2. — Monthly Labor Turn-Over Rates (per 100 Employees) in Selected Groups

and Industries,1 October 1945 2

In d u stry

T otal
separa­
tion

D is­
charge

Q uit

Lay-off

M ilitary
T otal
and m is­
cellaneous accession

Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept,
Manufacturing
D urable 3------------------ -----------N ondurable 3____ _______________

9.4 14.0
7.9 9.7

5.3
6.0

-----------------Ordnance. .
G uns, howitzers, m ortars, and
related e q u ip m en t. . . ________
A m m unition, except for small
arm s__________ _______ ____ _
T a n k s___ __ .
_____ ______
Sighting and fire-control equipm e n t_____________ _______ --

26.2 29.9

6.4
7.0

0.6
.5

0.2
.2

8.4
8.7

6.8
8.1

1.0 19.3 23.9

.1

.2

7.8

7.0

.2

.2 12.6

6.5

1.2
.4

1.3 23.9 25.6
.5 24.1 31.1

(4)
.1

.1
.1

7.4
7.5

3.7

.4

.4 20.4 25.4

(4)

.3

5.9

4.7

5.0

.4

.4

1.0

2.2

.3

.2

8.1

6.2

.2
.2
1.0 1.2
.4 • .5
.8
.7
.4
.3
1.9 3.5
9
.2
.9 1.1

.7
.3
.1
2.8
.8
3.1
1.1
.7

1.4
2.1
.5
2.5
1.0
1.3
3.0
.4

.2
.2
.5
.2
.6
.4
.3
.1

.2 6.7 5.0
.2 13.0 10.2
.2 9.7 7.6
.2 5.7 4.7
.3 9.5 5. 9
.5 18.0 12.7
.3 6.8 4.7
. 1 11.2 8.3

.7
.5

.7
.6

.6
.5

1.1
1.1

.2
.2

.2 7.8
.2 10.4

4.8

.9

4.0

.6

29.4 32.3
26.9 35.3

4.3
2.3

5.3
3.6

23.6 29.8

2.8

6.5 7.8
Iron and steel a n d their products-----B last furnaces, steel works, and
5.5 6.0
rolling m ills—-------- ---------------7.4 11.3
G ray-iron castings______________
M alleable-iron castings--------------- 6.7 7.6
9.4 8.9
Steel c astin g s.---------- ---------------Cast-iron pipe and f ittin g s ...____ 7.2 7.2
T in cans and other tin w are______ 15.1 17.7
W ire p r o d u c ts _________ _______ 5.2 7.5
7.0 7.2
C utlery and edge tools------ . . . . .
Tools (except edge tools, m achine
tools, files, and saw s)------ -------- 5.9 7.0
H ard w are........................................... 6.8 8.0
Stoves, oil burners, and heating
equipm ent_______ _______ ____ 8.0 10.7
Steam and hot-w ater heating apparatus and steam fittings_____ 6.2 8.5
Stam ped and enam eled ware
8.2 13.0
and* galvanizing_____ ____ ____
Fabricated structural-m etal prod10.7
9.2
nets
Bolts, n u ts, washers, and riv e ts ... 5.5 8.0
11.0
5.4
Forgings, iron and steel.............
Firearm s (60 caliber and un d er). . . 8.7 16.3
S ee fo 'o tn o te s a t end o f ta b le .

4.8


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

0.2
.2

3.3
1.2

6.5 15.0

5.9

19.4 19.6 12.1

4.4 4.2
5.9 7.8
5.7 6.4
5.7 5.4
5.4 5.6
9.7 12.4
3.6 4.0
5.3 5.6
4.4
5.6

6.8
2.0

0.6
.5

5.0
6.1

.4

6.2
6.1

7.6
8.7

6.2

6.9

.7

1.0

.8

2.5

.3

.3 14.7 11.2

4.4

5.6

.2

.8

1.3

1.9

.3

.2

5.6

7.2

.7

.7

1.6

4.9

.3

.2 12.9 10.0

5.1
3.2
3.6
3.3

5. 5
3.7

.7
.6

.7
.4

4.4

.4
.4

.3
.2

3.1 4.2
1.4 3.7
L 2 6.2
4.8 13.8

.3
.3
.2
.2

.3 9.0 7.6
.2 6.4 5.2
.1 6.4 3.0
.2 10.5 l a s

2.6

7.0

6.3

136

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY 1 9 4 6

T able 2 .—Monthly Labor Turn-Over Rates (per 100 Employees) in Selected Groups

and IndustriesO ctober 1945 2— Continued

In d u s try

Total
separa­
tion

D is­
charge

Q uit

Lay-off

M ilitary
Total
and m is­
cellaneous accession

Oct. Sept Oct. Sept Oct. Sept Oct. Sept Oct. Sept Oct. Sept.
Manufacturing—C ontinued
Electrical m achinery____
Electrical equ ip m en t for industrial use______________________
Radios, radio equipm ent, and
phonographs____ .
Com m unication equipm ent, except radios___________________

7.4 12.5

4.1

4.5

0.4

0.4

2.6

7.3

0.1

0.3

6.6

5.2

8.4 10.9

4.3

4.2

.2

.3

3.4

6.1

#1

4. C

2.9

1.8

8.4

.3
-

7.3

5.9

.5

3.5 14.3

.2

.2

6.5

3.8

.2
.2

7.1
5.9

5.2
4.0

.3
.2

5. 6 13.6

3.3

4.4

8.

19.6

3.8

4.6

.6

5.7 7.8
7.8 11.4

3.8
4.4

4.4
5.1

J)

4.6 7.0
4.7 6.3
8.6 10.3

3.7
2.8
3.5

4.9
3.4
3.7

.3
.3

M achinery, except electricaL __
Engines and t u r b i n e s ___.
A gricultural m achinery and tracto rs_________________________
M achine tools___________
M achine-tool accessories.
M etalw orking m achinery and
equipm ent, no t elsewhere classi­
fied__________
General industrial machinery,
except p u m p s______________
P um p s and pum ping eq u ip m e n t..

5.2

5.8

3.9

4.1

5.9
5.2

8.7
6.0

4.0
3.4

4.7
4.2

.6
.5

T ransportation equipm ent, except
au to m o b ile s____
A ircraft_________ ________
Aircraft parts, including engines..
Shipbuilding and repairs

19 1
13.1
14.5
24.1

29.9
38.4
23.6
28.5

7.2 10.0
5.2 7.4
4.5 4.1
&_9 12.5

1.2
.9
.4
1.5

5.6

K8

3.2

4.0

7.3

8.0 11.3

Autom obiles________
M o to r vehicles, bodies, and
___
trailers .
M otor-vehicle p arts and accessories___________

.4
.4

.6
.5

1.2
2.6

2.6
5.4

.3
1. 5
4.3

1.4
2.3
5.6

'4
1.1
1.1

3.2
1.0


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

.2

6.8
4.2
4.9

4.4

6.5

6.3

.2

.2

6 9

.2

.3

9.3

8.0

.2

.2

8.0

.2

2

6.2
5.1

.6

6.2

1.1 10.5 18.6
.4 6.8 30.4
.4 9.4 18.9
1.6 13.5 14.2

.2

.2

12.1
8.1

3.1

2.0

.1

.1

10.7

7.4

2.3

2.4

1.4

7.2

5.7

4.5

4.2

Nonferrous metals and their p ro d u c ts5 7.9 10.2 5.4 5.9
. 7 1.6
.6
Prim ary smelting and refining,
except alum inum and magne0
siu m _________
5.6 5.4 4.9 4.4
'
*
A lum inum and magnesium smelting and refining___
(6)
(6)
m
(6)
(«)
(•)
m
Rolling and draw ing of copper and
copper alloys________
5.9 7.3 4.5 4.2
.7
.4
.3
A lum inum and magnesium produ cts______ . . .
(«)
0>)
(6)
(6)
(6)
(®
)
Lighting eq u ip m en t___
8.7 9.1 7.4 7.9
.8
Nonferrous-metal foundries, except alum inum and m agnesium . 9.4 12.8 6.3 6.5
.7
.9
1.8
L um ber and tim ber basic products___ 10.2 12.7 8.3 9.8
.4
.6 1.3
Sawmills__ ____
9 4 11 9 8.0 10.3
Planing and plywood m ills____
9.3 12.6 5.9 6.4
!3 1.3 2.8
F urniture and finished lum ber produ c ts_______
9.1 11.4 7.4 9.0
.7
F urn itu re, including mattresses
and b e d sp rin g s..____ _________ 8.9 12.0 7.6 9.4
.7
.7
.5
Stone, clay, and glass products
6. 4 8. 4 4.9 5.7
.5
.7
Glass and glass products.
5.6 7.7 4.1 5.3
.6
.6
.5
C em ent________
6.3 6.3 5.4 5.1
Brick, tile, and terra cotta
9 9 10.7 8.2 8.0
.6
.3
P ottery and related products.
7.3 7.8 6.1 6.7
.'5
.4
.4
Textile-mill products_______________
6.6 7.9 5.6 6.6
.4
.4
.4
C otton__ _____________________
7.3 9.1 6.5 8.0
.4
.5
.2
Silk and rayon goods
7.4
6.2 6.8
.5
.5
.5
Woolen and worsted, except dyeing and finishing___
5.2 5.6 4.2 4. 4
.4
.3
J>
Hosiery, full-fashioned. .
3. 9 4.7 3.1 3.8
.4
Hosiery, seamless........ ..................... 6.6 7.3 5.5 6.2
.2
.2
.7
K nitted underw ear...... ................ .
6.4 6.9 5.6 5.8
.4
.3
.3
Dyeing and finishing textiles, in-"
eluding woolen and w orsted.......
. 9| 5.4 3.7 3.9
.3
.5
.7.

See footnotes at end of table.

.3
.1
.2

6.0

4 .1

.1

6.5

.1

16.6

9.9

3.4

J3

10.0

7.7

c
(6)
2.6

.3
w
m
_3

7.3
(6)
7.2

4.7

(8>
4.7

(0)
.7

00
.2

5.0

.6

.4

10.5

7.4

2.1
1.1
4.7

.2

.2

10.4

.3

.2

10.3
10.2

1.7

.1

.2

1.9
1.4

.3
.4

1.9
.5

.3
.3

8.8 7.7
8.1 8.3
10.2 9.5
13.4 10.3
.2 10.0 7.4

.7
.4
.9

.2
.2

.2
.2
.1

7.9
8.6
8.9

7.6
8.3
7.9

.6
.6
.8
.7

.1
.2
.1

.1
.1
.1

6.7
6.2
8.0
7.7

6.1
5.7
8.1
7.0

.8

.2

.2

6.0

5.6

c)
.1

1.5

(«)
m
14.4 1 0 . 9

8.6
12.3 11.8
12.8 12.6

.3
.4

137

LABOR TURN-OVER

T able 2. —Monthly Labor Turn-Over Rates (per 100 Employees) in Selected Group

and Industries,1 October 1945 2—Continued

In d u stry

T otal
separa­
tion

D is­
charge

Q uit

M ilitary
T otal
a nd m is­
cellaneous accession

Lay-off

Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept.
M anufacturing—C ontinued
Apparel and other finished textile
products---- ---------- --------- ------M en ’s and boys’ suits, coats, and
overcoats______ - ......................
M en ’s and boys’ furnishings, work
clothing, and allied g a rm e n ts.. .
L eather and leather p roducts-----------L eather------- ----------- ------- -- Boots and shoes________________
Food and kindred products
---- -M eat p ro d u c ts... -------------------Grain-mill p ro d u cts.____________
Tobacco m an u factu res..------ -----------Paper and allied products----------- . . .
Paper and p u lp ________________
Paper boxes.------- ---------------------Chemicals and allied products . . . . .
Paints, varnishes, and colors_____
R ayon and allied products.
---Indu strial chemicals, except explo­
____________________
sives.
Explosives. ------ ---------------------Small-arms am m unition------------Products of petroleum and coal--------Petroleum refining. --------------R ubber products --------------------------R ubber tires and inner tu b e s-----R ub b er footwear a n d related
p r o d u c t s ..---- . . -------------M iscellaneous ru b b er in dustries...
M iscellaneous industries 5 -------------N on manufacturing
M etal m ining----------------- ------- -------Iron ore . . . . .
---- -- . --------Copper ore_____________________
Lead and zinc ore..... .........*--------M etal m ining, no t elsewhere clas­
sified, including alum inum ore___
Coal mining:
A nthracite m ining--------------------Bituminous-coal m ining------------Public utilities:
T elephone________________ ____
T elegraph------------. . ----------------

7.9

7.8

6.4

6.3

0.3

0.4

1.2

1.1
1.7

«

0)

8.7

7.1

0)

5.8

5.3

.1

.2

.8

.4
6.9 6.1
.4
5.3 6.4
.3
4.0 5.4
.4
5.5 6.5
.7
8.1 9.5
8.3 8.9
.8
8.9 12.8 1.1
.5
6.1 7.8
.9
6.0 8.1
.9
4.8 7.3
.9
9.4 10.3
.5
3.8 4.9
3.5 4.2 - .7
.3
4.3 5.3

.3
.3
.3
.2
.7
.8
.7
.5
.7
.6
.8
.5
.6
.3

1.6
.6
1.1
.5
1.3
1.4
.5
1.4
.4
.4
.2
2.8
.2
.2

5.5 7.2
21.4 44.6
12.7 27.9
3.7 3.9
3.7 3.9
7.1 8.8
7.2 8.3

3.8
3.3
3.9
2.5
2.5
5.7
5.9

5.0
5.0
4.6
2.9
2.8
6.5
5.8

.6
.2
.3
.3
.3
.5
.4

.9 1.4
.6
.3 17.6 38.7
.4 8.3 22.8
.6
.2
.7
.7
.2
.7
.4
.6 1.4
.3
.6 1. 5

.2
.3
.2
.2
.2
.3
.3

.2 6.8
.6 3.1
. 1 5. 4
.2 5.7
. 2 5. 6
.5 9.9
. 7 10. 3

5.8
2.0
3. 3
4.0
3. 8
7.3
6. 7

8.1 9.4
6.8 9.3
7.4 12.4

7.3
4.9
4.3

8.3
6.9
4.7

.4
.7
.5

.2
.6
.4

.2
.9
2.4

.6
1. 5
7.1

.2
.3
.2

.3
.3
.2

9.3
9.4
7.4

7.3
8. 5
4.8

6.4
3.7
7.7
6.6

6.7
4.1
7.8
7.6

5.0
2.1
6.5
5.8

5.7
3.3
6.8
6.7

.4
.1
.7
.3

.3
.1
.5
.4

.7
1.0
.2
.2

.4
.3
.2
.2

.3
.5
.3
.3

.3
.4
.3
.3

6.8
3.4
8.0
8. 8

5.6
2.6
6.3
7. 2

(«)

(«)

(«)

(«)

(«)

(«)

1.9
4.6

2.0
5.0

1.4
4.1

1.6
4.6

.1
.2

3.5
4.4

4.7
4.5

3.1
4.1

4.2
4.2

.2
.1

5.9

6.4

8.9
6.5
5.6
6.6
10.4
10.9
10.7
8.1
7.6
6.4
10.7
7.3
4.6
5.0

7.1
8.0
6.2
8.2
11.3
10.8
14.4
8.7
9.5
8.7
11.7
13.4
5.4
5.8

5.0

4.5

(«)

(«)
«

(«)

«

9.7 7.4
.7 (<)
0)
.1 7.7 7.1
.2
1.2
. 2 6. 2 6.0
.2
.3
. i 8.0 7. 4
.2
1.4
.3 10.7 11.3
.8
.3
. 3 11. 2 10. 9
.4
.8
. 4 13. 9 12. 8
.2
.5
, i 9.3 12.1
.1
.3
.4
.3 9.7 9.7
.3
. 4 8. b 9.0
.4
.3
.2
.2 13.0 12.2
.4
.2 6.4 5.6
.2
7.8
.2 8. 5 8.2
.2
.4
. 1 7. 3 8.0
.1
.2

(«)

(«)

(«)

.2

.3
.1

.3
.1

.1
.2

.i
.1

2.7
5.0

2.4
4.9

.2
.1

.1
.1

.2
.1

.1
.1

,i
.1

5.9
6.1

5.0
5. 6

1 Since January 1943, manufacturing nrms reporting laDor turn-over nave ueen a&aigneu

unxuout

on the basis of current products. M ost plants in the em ploym ent and pay-roll sample, comprising those
which were in operation in 1939, are classified according to their major a ctivity a t th a t tim e regardless of
any subsequent change in major products.
2 Prelim inary figures.
.
,
,
,,
s W ith th e ending of the w ar, the B ureau has su b stitu ted “ durable and nondurable goods for m unitions
a nd nnnm u n itions” formerly carried. T he durahle-goods group includes all the h e a v y industries and
differs from “m unitions” b y th e exclusion of such w ar groups as chemicals, petroleum, and rubber, and by
the inclusion of lum ber, furniture, and stone, clay, and glass. D ata for m unitions a nd nonm unitions are

In d u stry

Total
separa­
tion

D is­
charge

Q uit

Lay-off

M ilitary
Total
and mis­ accession
cellaneous

Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept.
M unitions..--------------- -----------N onm unitions---- ------------ ------

9.1 14.1
8.2 9.7

4.8
6.5

5.8
7.6

0.6
.5

0.6
.5

3.5
1.0

7.5
1.4

0.2
.2

0.2
.2

7.7
9.4

6.0
8.9

5 Tlfe foUowing’in d u stry group rates are based on incomplete returns: Nonferrous metals a nd their prod­
ucts, September and October; Miscellaneous industries, O ctober.
«Not available,


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138

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

19 46

T able 3.—Monthly Labor Turn-Over Rates (per 100 Employees) for Men and Women

in A ll Manufacturing and Selected Groups,1 October 1945 2
Total separation
In d u stry

M en

Women

Q uit
M en

Accession

W omen

M en

W omen

Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept.
All m anufacturing_________________
D urable 3______________________
N ondurable 3__________________

8.1 11.1 9.8 15.8
8.7 12.6 11.7 23.6
7.2 8.9 8.9 10.7

5.2
5.1
5.4

6.4
6.3
6.4

6.4
5.9
6.7

7.6
7. 5
7.7

8.6
8. 5
8.8

7.5
7.1
8.1

8.1
7.8
8.3

7. 5
6. 5
8.1

Ordnance. ________
24.8 25.2 30.7 43.5
Iron and steel and th eir p ro d u cts. _ _
6.2 7.1 8.6 12.3
Electrical m achinery ______
5.9 8.9 9.7 18. 1
M achinery, except electrical.. ____
5.2 6.8 7.7 12.4
T ransportation equipm ent, except
autom obiles_________________
18.2 32.5 19.4 42.4
A utom obiles___: ___________ ____
4.6 7.2 9.5 16.2
N onferrous m etals and th eir p ro d u c ts 1 7.3 9.0 9.8 13.9
L um ber and tim b er basic p ro d u c ts ..
9.7 12.4 13.9 16.9
F u rn itu re and finished lum ber produ c ts____________ .
8.1 9.5 11.6 17.7
Stone, clay, and glass p ro d u cts.. .
5.9 7.4 8.1 11.7

5.8
4.7
3.6
3.6

4.3
4.7
3.7
4.1

6.3
5.9
4. 8
4.7

7.8
6.9
5. 7
5.9

7.4
8. 4
5. 6
7. 5

6.4
6. 4
4. 2
5. 4

90
7. 9
8 1
ñ. ñ

8
6
6
4

Textile-m ill p ro d u cts___ ___________
A pparel and other finished textile
products_______________
L eather and leather products
Food a n d k indred products .
Tobacco manufacturéis__________
P aper and allied products
Chemicals and allied p ro d u cts_______
Products of petroleum a n d coal
R ubber p ro d u cts____________
M iscellaneous industries *___________

6.5

7.5

6.6

8
5
7
3

6.9 11.9
3.0 2.8
5.4 5.8
8.1 9. 6

6.7 8.8 8.1 7.7 5. 7
5.0 5. 5 9. 5 6 6 io 3
5. 5 5. 9 9 8 7. 8 10 7
8. 3 11. 2 10. ñ 10. 4 7 6

6.7
4.7

9.4 12.8 12.3 11 2 12. 2 13 4
5.7 . 7.3 9.1 7.8 7.8 7.2

7.6
5.2

8.2

5.3

6.3

5.8

5.3 6.7 8.2 7.8
5.2 6.3 7.8 9.9
9.5 10.5 13.0 13.3
8.0 8.0 8.3 9.1
7.0 8:8 9.0 10.8
6.6 11.6 9.4 19.2
3.1 3.5 9.1 8.4
6.9 7. 5 7.7 11.5
6.4 9.8 9.0 15.9

4.0
4.1
7.7
6.4
5.5
3.5
2.2
5. 5
3.6

4. 6
4.9
8.9
6.6
7.5
4. 6
2.6
5.8
3.8

6. 7 6.4 5. 5 6.1
6.6 8.1 6. 9 6 2
9.1 11.2 11.0 11. 1
6.0 8. 4 10.3 13 9
7.1 9. 5 10.1 9 9
4.7 6. 0 7.1 5 8
5. 7 5. 9 6.1 4 2
6.2 7. 9 11.0 7 7
5.3 5.9 7.3 4.4

7. 0

8. 2

7. 4

7 f;

4 6
8 4
7 1
Q7

7 fi

9. 1 7 ñ
8 8 8 3
9 7 11 8
8 ñ 10 8
7 9 8 Q
4 3 fi i
18 9 9
7 4 6 fi
7.6 5.5

1 These figures are based on a slightly sm aller sample th a n th a t for all employees, inasm uch as some firms
do not report separate d ata for women.
2 Prelim inary figures.
3 W ith th e ending of th e w ar, th e B ureau has su b stitu ted “ durable and nondurable goods” for “ m unitions
nonm unitions formerly carried. T h e durable-goods group includes all the heavy industries and
diners from m unitions b y th e exclusion of such w ar groups as chemicals, petroleum , and rubber, and bv
f o l l o w s - 011 ° f lu m b er’ fu rm tu re>and stone- clay, and glass. D ata for m unitions and nonm unitions are as
T o tal separation
In d u stry

M en

W omen

Q uit
M en

Accession

W omen

M en

W omen

Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Sept.
M unitions______
N o nm unitions________________

8.4 12.4 11.4 23.9
7.7 9.4 9.0 10.5

4.5
6.1

5.6
7.3

4 T he following in d u stry group rates are based on insufficient returns:
products, Septem ber and October; M iscellaneous industries, October.


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5.5
6.9

7.0
8.0

7.9
9.6

6.2
9.2

7.0
8.7

5.7
8.6

N onferrous m etals and their

Building Operations

Building Construction in Urban Areas,
November 1945
BUILDING construction started in urban areas during November
continued at an unusually high level for that time of year, dropping
only slightly from October, the peak month in 1945. Valuations for
November 1945 totaled 260 million dollars, as compared with 267
million in the preceding month and only 92 million in November 1944.
Private residential building continued to advance during November
1945 (almost 4 million dollars), in sharp contrast to the decline in all
other classes of urban building construction. Additions, alterations,
and repairs accounted for most of the decrease, falling from 64 million
to 54 million dollars.
The 168-million-dollar gain over the year is attributable entirely
to the increase in non-Federally financed work, which quadrupled,
rising from 62 million dollars in November 1944 to 255 million dollars
in November 1945. Federal building in urban areas, on the other
hand, fell off 84 percent, dropping from 30 million to 5 million dollars.

fa b le

].— Value of Building Construction Started in A ll Urban Areas, by Class of
Construction and by Source of Funds, November 1945 1
Value (in millions)
Total

Class of construction

Federal

O ther than Federal

Percent of
Percent of
Percent of
change from—
change from—
change from—
N o­
N o­
N o­
vem ber
vember
vem ber
1945 October N o­
1945 October N o­
1945 October N o­
vem
ber
vember
ber
1945
1945
1945 vem
1944
1944
1944

All construction- ________

$260

- 2 .5 +183.8

$5

-2 6 .9

-8 3 .9

$255

- 1 .9

+314.1

N ew residential___________
New nonresidential_______
A dditions, alterations, and
repairs__________ ______ _

96
110

+ 4 .0 +311.9
- . 8 +200. 1

0
4

0
- 8 .8

-100.0
-8 1 .6

96
106

+ 4 .0
- .4

+442.0
+559.3

1

-5 7 .0

-7 2 .7

53

-1 3 .5

+90. 3

54

-1 5 .2

+70.3

i Percentage changes com puted before rounding.

The 20,396 new family dwelling units placed under construction in
November 1945 compares with 19,496 in October 1945 and 8,460 in
November 1944. For the third consecutive month, all units started
were to be built for private owners. In November 1944 Federally
financed units accounted for one-fourth of the total.
139
6 7 7 2 3 4 — 4 6 ------ 1 0


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140

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

T able 2.—Number and Value of New Dwelling Units Started in A ll Urban Areas, by

Source of Funds and by Type of Dwelling, November 1945
N u m b er of dwelling units

Value (in thousands)

Percent of
change from—

1
Source of funds and ty p e of dwelling
N ovem ber
1945

All dw ellings_____ _____ - ------------------------

20, 396

P rivately financed --------------- -----------------1-fam ily
-------- - -...
- -2family i ----- ------------ - - - - M ultifam ily 2------- ------- ------- ---------Federally financed----------------- — -------------

20,396
17, 400
1,069
1,927
0

Octo­ N ovem ­
ber
ber
1945
1944

Percent of
change from—
N ovem ber
1945

+ 4 .6 +141.1
+ 4 .6
+ 4 .9
+24.7
- 6 .3
0

+220.6
+256.6
+ 74.7
+121. 5
-100.0

Octo­ Novem ­
ber
ber
1944
1945

$93,712

+ 2 .9

+302.6

93, 712
82, 703
4,134
6,875
0

+ 2 .9
+ 4 .4
+16.5
-1 7 .9
0

+530. 5
+508. 0
+139. 2
+194. 7
-100.0

1 Includes 1- and 2-family dwellings w ith stores.
2 Includes m ultifam ily dwellings w ith stores.

Comparison of First 11 Months of 1944 and 1945
During the first 11 months of 1945, urban building construction
totaled 1,720 million dollars—two-thirds more than the aggregate of
1,025 million dollars reported for the corresponding months of 1944.
Non-Federal work, valued at 1,479 million dollars, was more than
double the 1944 volume, with all classes of construction sharing in
the gain. At the same time, Federal activity was one-fourth less
than for the same period of 1944. The 11-million-dollar increase in
Federal additions, alterations, and repairs was more than offset by
the decline in new work. Federally financed new nonresidential
building dropped from 254 million dollars in 1944 to 183 million
dollars in 1945, and new residential construction fell from 49 million
to 30 million dollars.
T able 3.— Value of Building Construction Started in A ll Urban Areas, by Class of

Construction and by Source of Funds, First 11 Months of 1944 and 1945
Value (in millions)
Federal

T otal

O ther th a n Federal

Class of construction
F irst 11 m onths

P er­ F irst 11 m onths
P e r­
P er­ F irst 11 m onths
cent
cent
cent
of
of
of
1944 change
1944 change
1945
1945
change

1945

1944

All construction______ ____

$1, 720

$1, 025

+67.8

$241

$320

-2 4 .7

$1, 479

$705

+109.8

N ew residential___________
N ew nonresidential____ _
A dditions, alterations, and
repairs____ _____________

570
691

324
408

+75.9
+69.4

30
183

49
254

-3 8 .8
-2 8 .0

540
508

275
154

+96.4
+229. 9

459

293

+56.7

28

17

+64.7

431

276

+56.2


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141

BUILDING OPERATIONS

T able 4. —Number and Value of New Dwelling Units Started in A ll Urban Areas, by

Source of Funds and Type of Dwelling, First 11 Months of 1944 and 1945
N um ber of dwelling units
Source of funds and ty p e of
dwelling

F irst 11 m onths of—

Value (in thousands)

Percent
of
change

F irst 11 m onths of—

Percent

of

change

1945

1944

141,429

106, 797

+32.4

$559,104

$314, 229

+77.9

P rivately financed______ _____
131,435
1fam ily_________
109,980
2fam ily i___ ___________ 8,007
_ _
M ultifam ily 2______
13,448
Federally financed_______ .
9,994

88, 207
67,328
9,340
11,539
18, 590

-4-49.0
4-63.3
-1 4 .3
+16.5
-4 6 .2

531,947
459,735
27,453
44,759
27,157

267,767
203, 272
30, 741
33, 754
46,462

4-98.7
4-126. 2
-1 0 .7
+32.6
-4 1 .6

All dwellings___

__________

1945

1944

1 Includes 1- and 2-family dwellings w ith stores.
2 Includes m ultifam ily dwellings w ith stores.

Construction From Public Funds, November 1945
The value of contracts awarded and force-account work started
during November and October 1945 and November 1944 on all con­
struction projects financed wholly or partially from Federal funds and
reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics is shown in table 5. This
table includes all types of construction both inside and outside the
corporate limits of cities in urban areas of the United States.
The contracts awarded and force-account work started on Federally
financed building construction inside the corporate limits of cities in
urban areas were valued at $4,824,000 in November 1945, $6,599,000
in October 1945, and $29,963,000 in November 1944.
T able 5. — Value of Contracts Awarded and Force-Account Work Started on Federally

Financed Construction in Continental United States, by Type of Project, November 1945
Value (in thousands)
T y p e of project
N ovem ber
1945 1
All types

__________________

______

.

A irp o rts3____ ___ ________________ . _ _ _ _
B uildings:
R esidential. _
N onresidential____ _______ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _
Electrification 4___________________ ____
H ighw ays, streets, and roads___ _________________
R eclam ation____________________________
R iver, harbor, a n d flood control_
_ _ _
W ater a nd sewer __ _
__
_ _
M iscellaneous___ ________________ ______________

October
1945 2

N ovem ber
1944 2

$29,962

$56, 298

$76, 654

1,702

1,654

4,173

4
10,620
1,836
7,739
1, 502
3,647
841
2,071

263
18,482
10, 559
13, 527
1,583
6,168
3,465
597

5,663
45,300
1,118
10,437
3,156
2,141
1,270
3,396

1 Prelim inary: Subject to revision. Because of delay in receipt of contract notifications, the total shown
is probably an u n derstatem ent of from 20 to 30 percent. T h e revised figure w ill be shown next m onth.
T he greater p a rt of th e change will be for nonresidential building. W ater and sewer and miscellaneous
projects (mostly dual or m ultipurpose projects th a t cannot be classified separately) will probably also be
changed m aterially, b u t to a lesser degree. L ittle or no change can be expected in the following: H igh­
w ays, streets, and roads; residential building; river, harbor and flood control; and reclamation.
2 Revised.
3 Exclusive of hangars and other buildings which are included under building construction.
4 Includes th e value of loan agreem ents made for R u ral Electrification A dm inistration projects;


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142

m onthly

labor

r e v ie w —

January

1946

Coverage and Method
Figures on building construction in this report cover the entire
urban area of the United States which by Census definition includes
all incorporated places with a 1940 population of 2,500 or more and,
by special rule, a small number of unincorporated civil divisions.
Valuation figures, the basis for statements concerning value, are de­
rived from estimates of construction cost made by prospective builders
when applying for permits to build, and the value of contracts awarded
by the Federal Government. No land costs are included. Unless
otherwise indicated, only building construction within the corporate
limits of cities in urban areas is included in the tabulations.
Reports of building permits which were received in November 1945
for cities containing between 80 and 85 percent of the urban popula­
tion of the country provide the basis for estimating the total number
of buildings and dwelling units and the valuation of private urban
building construction. Similar data for Federally financed urban
building construction are compiled directly from notifications of con­
struction contracts awarded, as furnished by Federal agencies.


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Trend o f Employment, Earnings, and Hours

Summary of Employment Reports for November 1945
FOR the first time since March 1945, the number of employees in
non agricultural establishments increased, and, with the addition of
413,000 workers, November 1945 employment (35,600,000) is above
the September level.
All but one of the major industry divisions, including manufacturing,
reported gains in employment over the month. The largest increase,
226,000, was in trade establishments, to meet the large volume of preChristmas shopping. The number of Government employees declined
by 134,000, almost all of the drop being concentrated in the War and
Navy Departments of the Federal Government.
Industrial and Business Employment
Employment of production workers in factories (as distinct from
total factory employment) increased by 60,000 between October and
November. The heavy industries showed an increase of 27,000,
T able

1.— Estimated Number of Production W orkers and Indexes of Production-Worker
Employment in Manufacturing Industries, by Major Industry Group 1
E stim ated num ber of produc­
tion workers (thousands)

Production
w orker indexes
(1939 = 100)

In d u stry group
Oct.
1945

Oct.
1945

Sept.
1945

N ov.
1944

Nov.
1945 2

All m anufacturing_______ _________ _ ---------------- 10,017
4, 968
D urable goods_______ _ _ _ _ --------- ----------N ondurable goods__
____„ __ ------------ ___ 5,049

9,957
4,941
5,016

10, 040
5,017
5,023

13, 350
7,915
5,435

122.3
137.6
110.2

121.5
136.8
109.5

Iron and steel and th eir p roducts___________________
Electrical m achinery__ _ _ ______ _ _ _ --------------M achinery, except electrical_______ _ _ _ _ _ ------- -T ransportation equipm ent, except autom obiles_____
Automobiles- _ _ _ _____ __
------- __ ___ - __
Nonferrous m etals and their p ro d u c ts ________
Lum ber and tim ber basic p ro d u c ts.__ _ _ ---- -F urnitu re and finished lum ber p r o d u c t s . ----------Stone, clay, and glass products___ _ ______ _____

1,209
461
892
555
500
313
408
308
322

1,191
451
878
645
454
297
409
295
321

1,194
430
880
760
423
291
435
291
313

1,663
719
1,169
2,142
6S0
402
475
338
327

121.9
178.0
168.7
349.7
124.3
136.5
97.1
93.9
109.6

120.1
174.1
166.2
406.2
112.8
129.7
97.3
89.8
109.5

Textile-m ill products and other fiber m anufactures---A pparel and other finished textile p roducts-----Leather and leather pro d u cts__ _____ _ ------------Food____ ________ ____ _____ _ ____ _______
Tobacco m anufactures_____ ______ ___ ------P aper and allied products___ _ ___ _, _ _ ------------Printing , publishing, and allied industries---------------Chemicals and allied p roducts------------------------Products of petroleum and coal____________________
R ubber p roducts____ _______ _ --------- ---------M iscellaneous industries ._ ----------------------------

1,050
795
313
1,058
86
316
348
438
134
183
328

1,037
798
305
1,077
86
312
336
440
131
174
320

1,032
788
300
1,140
83
304
324
452
130
154
316

1,096
868
314
1,086
84
313
326
608
132
196
412

91.8
100.7
90.1
123.8
91.8
119.2
106.2
152.0
126.4
151.6
134.0

90.6
101.0
87.9
126.0
92.2
117.5
102.5
152.7
123.5
143.8
130.8

N ov.
1945 2

1 T he estim ates and indexes presented in this table have been adjusted to levels indicated by the final 1943
data m ade available b y the B ureau of E m ploym ent Security of the Federal Security Agency.
2 Prelim inary.


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despite a decline of 90,000 workers in aircraft and shipbuilding produc­
tion. Evidences that reconversion is well under way were to be found
in almost all the industries which had been important in the war
effort. While the addition of 46,000 workers by the automobile
industry was the most significant gain, there were also gains of 10,000
or more in iron and steel, electrical machinery, machinery (other than
electrical), nonferrous metals, and furniture.
The increase in employment was slightly larger in the light indus­
tries than in the heavy. The addition of 33,000 production workers
was pretty equally divided among the textile, leather, printing, rubber,
and miscellaneous groups.
The only large decline among the light industries was reported by the
canning industry, which had passed its seasonal peak. The drop in
this industry more than offset the relatively large increases in the
slaughtering, beet sugar, and baking industries, and was responsible
for the decline of 19,000 workers in the food group.
Public Employment
The decline of 101,000 in Federal employment within continental
United States during the month ending November 1, 1945, was smaller
than in the first month following the war’s end. Together, the War
and Navy Departments declined 95,000. Sizable cut-backs also
affected WPB, OPA, and War Shipping Administration. These,
together with partially offsetting increases in some of the peacetime
agencies—State, Treasury, and Post Office Departments, Veterans
Administration, and RFC—brought total Federal employment within
continental United States to 2.5 million by November 1.
Since VJ-day, 11 of the emergency war agencies either have been
abolished, were transferred to peacetime agencies, or are engaged in
the final wind-up of their affairs. (These include the National War
Labor Board, War Manpower Commission, Office of War Informa­
tion, Office of Inter-American Affairs, Foreign Economic Adminis­
tration, Office of Strategic Services, Office of Censorship, War Refugee
Board, Office of Defense Transportation, Office of Economic Stabili­
zation, and the Petroleum Administration for War.) The need for *
continued control of prices and for a smooth transition to a peace­
time economy, however, will require the continuance of several of
the emergency agencies, such as OPA, Office of War Mobilization and
Reconversion (including the Office of Economic Stabilization), and
the War Production Board (now the Civilian Production Adminis­
tration) .
Although employment of most of the war agencies outside the con­
tinental limits of the United States dropped immediately after the
close of the war, employment of the War Department in foreign
areas continued to expand and, because of its size, to raise the total
in these areas. This trend was later reversed, however, with an
estimate drop of 56,000 during the month, to a total of 815,000 on
November 1, 1945.
Relatively few of these employees occupied classified Federal
positions or were sent from the continental United States. Most of
them were natives of a foreign country and were paid at the rate
prevailing in the locality for similar work. This may have been only
$1.50, or even less, a day. In some localities where there was an
acute shortage of foodstuffs on the local markets, the United States

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145

Government sometimes was able to secure the services of natives
only by making payment in kind. The pay rolls of these employees,
therefore, moved irregularly during the war, going up when operations
were undertaken in a country with a relatively high wage level, and
going down when operations were undertaken in a country with a
relatively low wage level, and not necessarily moving in the same
direction as employment. During the last 2 years of the war the
pay rolls for foreign operations varied between $50,000,000 and
$70,000,000 a month for all agencies combined and in November 1945
amounted to approximately $65,000,000.
Within continental United States, Federal pay rolls have been cut
even more than employment. Although both the base and overtime
pay rates of classified positions were increased by Congress in July
1945, in most agencies the weekly hours were cut simultaneously to
44 and soon after the Japanese surrender to 40, thus eliminating
overtime pay at one and one-half times the basic rate. Between
August and November, the drop in pay rolls for a 4-week period
amounted to $151,000,000, or 24 percent. (The corresponding drop
T able 2. — Employment and P ay Rolls for Regular Federal Services and for Government,

Corporations, in Selected Months
Executive 1

Y ear and m onth

Continen al U nited
Sta tes

Total
All areas

T otal

Legisla­
tive

Judicial

Govern­
m ent
corpora­
tions 2

W ashington, D. C.,
area
E m p lo y m en t3

1939 _____
1940- ___ 1941____ __
1942______ _
1943__ . . . 1944____ __

988, 312
1,158, 413
1, 617, 385
2,807, 536
3, 243,945
3, 400, 320

954, 966
1,123, 605
1,578, 219
2, 764, 752
3,198,907
3, 356, 254

911, 902
1,054, 009
1,453, 350
2, 533,167
2, 818,494
2,878, 212

126, 818
149, 782
194,911
284, 804
265,694
258,107

5,418
5,892
6,242
6,319
6,110
6,253

2,357
2,529
2,569
2, 666
2, 647
2,646

25, 571
26, 387
30, 355
33, 799
38, 281
35,167

Ju ly 1945______________
A ugust 1945 4._- ______
Septem ber 1945 4_- . __.
October 1945 4_________
N ovem ber 1945 5- ___-

3, 826,861
3, 821, 453
3, 727, 474
3, 495, 477
3, 339, 296

3, 782, 967
3, 777, 605
3, 683, 661
3, 451, 871
3, 295, 470

2, 936, 210
2, 920, 355
2, 819, 360
2, 581, 276
2, 480, 671

257, 808
255, 573
251, 090
239, 992
232, 577

6,444
6, 412
6,445
6, 388
6, 367

2,706
2,866
2,883
2,878
2,850

34, 744
34, 570
34,485
34, 340
34, 609

N ovem ber
N ovem ber
N ovem ber
N ovem ber
N ovem ber
N ovem ber

P ay rolls (in thousands)6
N ovem ber 1943 __ . . .
N ovem ber 1944__ ___

$684, 513
675, 357

$676, 703
667, 712

$617, 599
613, 754

$55, 093
54, 200

$1, 490
1, 525

$774
781

$5, 546
5,339

Ju ly 1945 4__ . . . . . . .
A ugust 1945 4-_. ___ . .
Septem ber 1945 6 . _____
O ctober 1945 5_________
N ovem ber 1945 ». _ . . .

728, 436
698, 445
593, 506
557, 109
540, 949

720, 324
690, 240
585, 403
549, 035
532, 860

650, 040
620,134
516, 063
483, 587
468, 810

59,183
57, 695
47, 979
45, 817
43, 094

1, 771
1, 779
1, 749
1, 762
1, 758

841
857
865
857
854

5,500
5, 569
5, 489
5,455
5, 477

1 Includes employees in U nited States nav y yards who are also included under shipbuilding (table 4) and
employees on force-account construction who are also included under construction projects (table 5). In ­
cludes employees stationed outside continental U nited States. Beginning Ju ly 1945, data include approxi­
m ately 22,000 clerks a t third-class post offices who were previously working on a contract basis. D ata ex­
clude sub stitu te rural m ail carriers.
'
2 D ata are for employees of the P anam a R ailroad Co., the Federal Reserve banks, and banks of the Farm
C redit A dm inistration, who are paid ou t of operating revenues and not out of Federal appropriations.
D a ta for other G overnm ent corporations are included under the executive service.
s Figures are as of the first of the calendar m onth.
4 Revised.
5 Prelim inary.
6 D ata are for all p ay periods ending w ithin th e calendar m onth.


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M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

in employment amounted to only 15 percent.) Nevertheless, Federal
pay rolls still amount to almost half a billion dollars a month
($477,000,000 for all branches within continental United States in
November—$541,000,000 if pay rolls for employees outside continental
United States are included).
Source of data.—Data for the Federal executive service are reported
through the Civil Service Commission, whereas data for the legislative
and judicial services and Government corporations are reported
to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Force-account employment is
also included in construction employment (table 5), and navy-yard
employment is also included in employment on shipbuilding and
repair projects (table 4). The revised pay-roll series showing monthly
figures from 1943 to date is available upon request.
T able 3.—Employment and Pay-Rolls of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government,

in Selected Months 1
W ar agencies2
Year and m onth

All
agencies
T otal

O ther agencies3
Outside
conti­
nental
U nited
S ta te s 4

C onti­
nental
U nited
States

T otal

C onti­
nental
U nited
States

Outside
conti­
nental
U nited
States 4

E m p lo y m e n t5
N ovem ber
N ovem ber
N ovem ber
N ovem ber
N ovem ber
N ovem ber

1939_______
1940 _ __ . .
1941________
1942.._______
1943 ...............
1944________

954, 966
1,123,605
1, 578, 219
2, 764, 752
3, 198,907
3, 356, 254

233,860
373, 587
757, 587
1,917,992
2, 377,914
2, 507, 804

201,195
316, 234
646, 348
1, 700, 985
2, 014,896
2, 045, 720

32,665
57, 353
111,239
217,007
363, 018
462,084

721,106
750,018
820,632
846,760
820,993
848,450

710,707
737,775
807, 002
832,182
803,598
832,492

10, 399
12, 243
13, 630
14, 578
17, 395
15,958

Ju ly 1945_________ ____
A ugust 1945 8__________
Septem ber 1945 6. . . . .
October 1945 8_________
N ovem ber 1945 7.
___

3, 782, 967
3, 777, 605
3, 683, 661
3, 451,871
3, 295,470

2,848,405
2, 852, 519
2, 749. 226
2,494,739
2, 328, 901

2,020, 240
2,014, 272
1,909,339
1,648,236
1, 538,319

828, 165
838, 247
839,887
846, 503
790, 582

934, 562
925, 086
934, 435
957,132
966, 569

915,970
906, 083
910, 021
933,040
942, 352

18, 592
19, 003
24, 414
24,092
24, 217

P a y rolls (in thousands) 8
N ovem ber 1943____ ._
N ovem ber 1944 _______

$676,703
067, 712

$514, 835
499, 627

$459,244
449,107

$55,591
50, 520

$161,868
168,085

$158, 355
164, 647

$3, 513
3; 438

Ju ly 1945 8. ______
A ugust 1945 8_________
Septem ber 1945 7_______
October 1945 7_____ _
N ovem ber 1945 7

720, 324
690, 240
585,403
549, 035
532, 860

530, 839
495,794
385, 651
348, 487
335, 644

464,635
429, 847
321, 639
288, 395
276, 917

66, 204
65,947
64,012
60,092
58,727

189,485
194,446
199, 752
200, 548
197, 216

185, 405
190,287
194, 424
195,192
191,893

4,080
4, 159
5, 328
5,356
5; 323

1 Includes employees in U nited States n av y yards who are also included under shipbuilding (table 4)
and employees on force-account construction who are also included u nder construction projects (table 5).
2 Covers W ar and N av y D epartm ents, M aritim e Commission, N ational Advisory C om m ittee for Aero­
nautics, T he Pan am a Canal, and th e emergency w ar agencies.
3 Beginning Ju ly 1945, d ata include approxim ately 22,000 clerks a t third-class post offices who were pre­
viously working on a contract basis. D ata exclude su b stitu te ru ral m ail carriers.
4 Includes A laska and the P an am a C anal Zone.
5 Figures are as of the first of th e calendar m onth.
8 Revised.
7 Prelim inary.
8 D a ta are for all pay periods ending w ith in the calendar m onth.

Employment in Shipyards
During November 1945, employment in shipyards declined by
94,100 employees, leaving only 561,300 workers in an industry that
employed 1,723,000 at its peak. The decline of 94,100 workers from
October to November compares with the drop of 109,000 from Sep
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147

tember to October. Employment in United States navy yards was
228,800, only 9,400 less than in October, while the 322,500 workers
employed in private shipyards represented a decline from October
of 84,700.
The greatest numerical loss in shipyard employment was in the
Pacific region, where employment dropped by 44,800 workers. How­
ever, a good part of this loss occurred because, during the month,
approximately 20,000 shipyard workers in the San Francisco area
were not at work because of strikes. Employment in Atlantic Coast
shipyards declined 32,200, as compared with a drop of 13,200 workers
in Gulf Coast yards. The employment decline of nearly 4,000 in
Great Lakes and Inland yards left only 13,000 shipyard workers in
these two regions that at one time employed more than 125,000.
Pay rolls of shipyard workers amounted to $128,720,000 during
November 1945 as compared with $158,268,000 during the preceding
month.
Data on employment and pay rolls are received monthly by the
Bureau oi Labor Statistics directly from private shipyards. Data
for United States navy yards are received monthly from the Navy
Department. Employees in the navy yards are also included in
data for the Federal executive service (tables 2 and 3).
T able 4. — Total Employment and P ay Rolls in United States N avy Yards and Private

Shipyards by Shipbuilding Region, November 1945
Em ploym ent (in thousands)

P a y ro lls (in thousands)

Shipbuilding region
Novem­ October
ber 1945 1
1945

N ovem­ N ovem­ October
ber 1944 ber 1945 1
1945

N ovem­
ber 1944

All regions - - United States nav y yards 2
Private shipvards

561.3
228.8
332. 5

655.4
238.2
417.2

1,468. 9
321.6
1,147. 3

$128, 720
53,455
75, 265

$158, 268
55,654
102, 614

$414,933
92, 670
322,263

N orth A tla n tic ____
South A tlantic___
G ulf___
Pacific _
Great Lakes____
In la n d ______ .

253.1
63.5
54.3
177.4
7.3
5.7

278.1
70.7
67.5
222.2
10.0
6.9

518.6
129.8
196.8
513.5
53.9
56.3

58,441
13, 301
12, 756
41,408
1,700
1,114

72, 759
14, 798
15,871
50,570
2,749
1,521

154, 212
34,815
54, 238
142,166
15,002
14, 500

1 Prelim inary.
2 Includes all n av y yards constructing or repairing ships, including th e C urtis B ay (M aryland) Coast
Ciuard >ard. D ata are also included in the Federal executive service (tables 2 and 3).

Construction Employment
Almost twice as many persons were employed in November 1945
on construction in the United States as in November 1944. Con­
struction employment reached a total of 1,229,300 in November 1945,
as compared with only 735,300 in November 1944 and 1,175,000 in
October 1945. Both the increase during the month and the gain over
the year were entirely on non-Federal projects, employment on
Federal construction having dropped to 116,800 from 137,600 in
October and from 247,600 in November a year ago.
All types of projects financed with other-than-Federal funds showed
employment gains overJNovember 1944, ranging from an increase of
only 1,600 on county and municipal streets and highways to a 320,700
rise on new nonresidential building. Conversely, all types of Federally
financed construction, except electrification projects, shared in the

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employment decrease from 1944. The greatest drop (95,500) occurred
in Federal new nonresidential building.
Workers engaged on construction of plants to produce atomic bombs
are now included with Federal nonresidential employment in table 5,
but were previously included, for security reasons, in the miscellaneous
category “Other.” It can now be revealed that in November 1944
26.500 construction workers were employed at Oakridge, Tenn., and
22.500 at Hanford, Wash., the two largest atomic-bomb projects.
Although about 10,000 were still employed at Oakridge in November
1945, construction at Hanford had been completed.
Source of data.—For construction projects financed wholly or
partially from Federal funds, the Bureau of Labor Statistics receives
monthly reports on employment and pay rolls at the construction site
directly from the contractors or from the Federal agency sponsoring
the project. Force-account employees hired directly by the Federal
Government are also included in tables 2 and 3 under Federal execu­
tive service.
T able 5.—Estimated Employment and P ay Rolls on Construction Within Continental

United States, November 1945
Employment (in thousands)
Type of project

Novem­ October Novem­ Novem­ October Novem­
ber 1944
ber 1944 ber 1945 * 1945
ber 19451 1945

New construction, to ta l2-------- ------------ --- 1, 229. 3 1,175. 0
At the construction site.------- ------- 1. 072. 6 1,036. 5
137.6
116; 8
Federal projects A _ ---- _ --------------6.0
5.0
Airports . _______ _
-------84.7
67.5
Buildings.- ------------ --------- -7.1
5.3
Residential________________
7 62.2
7 77.6
Nonresidential6 .8
.7
Electrification. __ . . .
------------11.4
10.8
Highways, streets, and roads... . .
6.1
6.0
Reclamation
.
.........
18.4
18.0
River, harbor, and flood control . . .
2.3
2.7
Water and sewer systems____ ---7.9
6.1
Miscellaneous--------- -.- -----------898.9
955.8
Non-Federal projects.. . _ ----------583. 6
686.5
B uildings_____ _ -_ -----------253.4
214.5
Residential------------- -------- 369.1
433. 1
Nonresidential.-. - - - - - _ _ 120.2
80.8
Farm dwellings and service buildings.
116.4
121.9
Public utilities. _ -------------- ----33.8
40.0
Streets and highways-----------------18.9
18.0
State
____ . . . -- - --- 15.8
21.1
County and m unicipal... .
33.2
38.3
Miscellaneous_______________ ___
156.7
138.5
O th er8. --_
_ -----------------------------87.5
90.0
Maintenance of State roads 9 ---- ------ -1 r i c n u i m a i j '.

Pay rolls (in thousands)

735.3
(3)
(3)
(3)
657.5
(3)
C3)
(3)
247.6 6$21, 799 5$25, 017 6 $41, 726
2,162
1,103
1,079
11.1
26, 763
14, 320
171.4
11,904
2,995
1,172
1, 373
13.7
7 157. 7 5 10, 732 5 12, 947 5 23, 768
66
138
151
.4
2,327
2, 255
2,010
12.5
2, 210
1,342
1,223
9.8
4,097
3, 792
20.9
3,822
984
442
392
6.0
3,117
1,218
1, 625
15.5
409.9
(3)
(3)
(3)
47, 338
202.3 157, 895 137, 730
89.9
(3)
(3)
(3)
112.4
(3)
(3)
(3)
68.3
(3)
(3)
(3)
96.8
(3)
(3)
(3)
26.8
(3)
(3)
(3)
12.6
(3)
(3)
(3)
14.2
(3)
(3)
(3)
15.7
(3)
(3)
(3)
77.8
(3)
(3)
(3)
86.2
(3)
(3)
(3)

2 D a ta are for all construction workers (contract and force-account) engaged on new construction, additions, a n d alterations, and on repair work of the type usually covered b y building perm its. (Force-account
employees are workers hired d irectly by the owner and utilized as afseparate work force to perform construc­
tion work of the type usually chargeable to capital account.) The construction figure included in the B u­
re a u ’s. nonagricultural em ploym ent series covers only employees of construction contractors and on Federal
force-account and excludes force-account workers of State and local governm ents, public utilities, and
private firms.
3 D ata no t available.
.
«Includes the following force-account employees, hired directly b y the Federal G overnm ent, and their
payrolls: Novem ber 1944, 23,417, $4,658,000; October 1945,17,499, $3,326,000; N ovem ber 1945,17,178, $3,165,000.
5 Excludes pay-roll d ata for construction of plan ts to produce atom ic bombs.
6 Employees and p ay rolls for Defense P la n t Corporation projects are included, b u t those for projects
financed from R F C loans are excluded. The latter are considered non-Federal projects.
7 Includes em ploym ent on projects which for security reasons were previously included in these estimates
b u t were shown in the classification “ O ther,” as follows: N ovem ber 1944, 49,000; October 1945, 15,000; N o­
vem ber 1945,10,000. Com parable pay-roll data are not available.
s Includes central office force of construction contractors, shop employees of special trades contractors,
such as bench sheet-m etal workers, etc.
9 D ata for other types of m aintenance not available.


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Estimates of employment on non-Federal construction projects
(except State roads) are obtained by converting the value of work
started (compiled from reports on building permits issued, priorities
granted, and from certain special reports) into monthly expenditures
and employment by means of factors which have been developed from
special studies and adjusted to current conditions. For State roads
projects, data represent estimates of the Public Roads Administration.

Detailed Reports for Industrial and Business
Employment, October 1945
Nonagricultural Employment
ESTIMATES of employment in nonagricultural establishments are
shown in table 1. The estimates are based on reports of employers
to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on imemployment-compensation
data made available by the Bureau of Employment Security of the
Federal Security Agency, and on information supplied by other
Government agencies, such as the Interstate Commerce Commission,
Civil Service Commission, Bureau of the Census, and the Bureau of
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance. The estimates include all wage
and salaried workers in nonagricultural establishments but exclude
military personnel, proprietors, self-employed persons, and domestic
servants.
Estimates of employees in nonagricultural establishments, by States,
are published each month in a detailed report on employment and
pay rolls.
T able 1.—Estimated Number of Employees in Nonagricultural Establishments, by

Industry Division
E stim a te d num ber of employees
(in thousands)
In d u s try division
Oct.
1945

Sept.
1945

Aug.
1945

T otal, estim ated e m p lo y m e n t1___

35, 207

35,334

36, 984

38,360

M anufactu rin g s __
___
M ining
_
...................
C ontract construction and Federal force-account construction__
T ransportation and public u tilities___ ... ....
T rad e ______________ _______ . .
Finance, service, a n d miscellaneous
___
Federal, State, and local governm ent, excluding F ederal forceaccount construction____ ___________

11, 974
718
990
3, 792
7,334
4, 698

12, 097
784
945
3,834
7,138
4, 603

13, 831
784
927
3,860
6, 979
4,666

15, 692
816
652
3, 767
7,148
4, 340

5,701

5,933

5,937

5 945

Oct.
1944

1 E stim ates include all full- a n d part-tim e wage and salary workers in nonagricultural establishm ents
w ho are em ployed d uring th e p ay period ending nearest th e 15th of th e m onth. Proprietors, self-employed
persons, dom estic servants, and personnel of the arm ed forces are excluded.
2 E stim ates for m anufacturing have been adjusted to levels indicated b y final 1942 d ata m ade available
b y th e B ureau of E m p lo y m en t Security of th e Federal Security Agency. Since the estim ated num ber
of production workers in m anufacturing industries have been further adjusted to final 1943 data, sub sequent
to D ecem ber 1942, th e tw o sets of estim ates are not comparable.


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150

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

Industrial and Business Employment
Monthly reports on employment and pay rolls are available for 154
manufacturing industries and for 27 nonmanufacturing industries,
including water transportation and class I steam railroads. The re­
ports for the first 2 of these groups—manufacturing and nonmanufac­
turing—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 employ­
ment, pay roll,' hours, and earnings figures for manufacturing, mining,
laundries, and cleaning and dyeing, cover production workers only;
but the figures for public utilities, brokerage, insurance, and hotels
relate to all employees except corporation officers and executives,
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 production workers and
clerical field force. The coverage of the reporting samples for the
various nonmanufacturing industries ranges from about 25 percent
for wholesale and retail trade, cleaning and dyeing, and insurance, to
about 80 percent for public utilities and 90 percent for mining.
The general manufacturing indexes are computed from reports
supplied by representative establishments in the 154 manufacturing
industries surveyed. These reports cover more than 65 percent of
the total production workers in all manufacturing industries of the
country and about 80 percent of the production workers in the 154
industries covered.
Data for both manufacturing and nomnanufacturing industries are
based on reports of the number of employees and the amount of pay
rolls for the period ending nearest the 15th of the month.
IN D E X E S

OF

EM PLOYM ENT

AND

PA Y R O L L S

Employment and pay-roll indexes, for both manufacturing and
nonmanufacturing industries, for August, _September, and October,
1945, and for October 1944, 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 industry
groups, have been adjusted to levels indicated by final data for 1943
made available 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
unemployment-compensation programs and (6) estimates of the num­
ber 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,
regardless 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.
Furthermore, no attempt has been made to allocate among the
separate industries the adjustments to unemployment-compensation
data. Hence, the estimates for individual industries within a group
do not in general add to the total for that group.

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ALL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES
400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0
WAGE EARNERS AND WAGE EARNER PAY ROLL

TREND OF EMPLOYMENT, EARNINGS, AND HOURS


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EMPLOYMENT AND PAY ROLLS

152

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

T able 2. —Estimated Number of Production Workers in Manufacturing Industries 1
Estimated number of production workers
(in thousands)
Industry

All manufacturing___
Durable goods___
Nondurable goods.

Oct.
1945

Sept.
1945

Aug.
1945

9, 957
4,941
5,016

10,040
5,017
5,023

11,643
6,512
5,131

Oct.
1944
13,440
7,981
5,459

Durable goods
Iron and steel and th eir products----------------------------- --------- . .
B last furnaces, steel works, and rolling m ills.-........................
Gray-iron and semisteel castings..................... ...........................
M alleable-iron castings........................ ..........................................
Steel castings........................................................ ............ .............
Cast-iron pipe and fittings...........................................................
T in cans and other tinw are....... ......................... ..........................
W ire draw n from purchased rods................................................
W irew ork................................................. ....................................
C utlery and edge to o ls ............................ ................ ....................
Tools (except edge tools, m achine tools, files, and saw s)___
H ard w are...................................... .................................................
Plu m b ers’ supplies_______________________ ____ ________
Stoves, oil burners, and heating equipm ent, n o t elsewhere
classified____________ _______ ________________________
Steam and hot-w ater heating apparatus and steam fittin g s..
Stam ped and enameled ware and galvanizing__________ _
F abricated structural and ornam ental m etalw ork_________
M etal doors, sash, frames, molding, and trim ......... ...............
Bolts, n uts, washers, and r i v e t s ................................. ..............
Forgings, iron and steel.................................................................
W rought pipe, welded a n d heavy riv e te d .................................
Screw-machine products and wood screws................................
Steel barrels, kegs, and d r u m s ...................................................
F ire a rm s......................................................................................... .

1,191
422.9
67.8
21.9
53.2
13.8
35.8
27.8
28.3
21.6
21.8
34.8
18.0

1,194
422.4
66. 1
22.0
53.4
13.2
37.6
27.5
26.0
21. 1
22.6
33.9
17.5

1,439
456.7
68.7
22.0
58.0
14.7
40.5
29.5
29.8
22.1
24.5
41.3
21.0

1,672
473.6
72.7
25.0
71.6
15.2
40.9
32.2
35.5
23.3
26.9
45.7
22.1

46.7
40.3
60.5
41.3
7.2
19.6
25.7
13.8
25.0
5.3
11.2

43.8
40.4
59.8
41.0
7.0
19.5
25.1
12.3
25.1
6.0
10.6

55.6
44.3
75.9
50.1
7.7
21.7
30.0
21.9
34.9
8.1
16.5

62.4
54.8
87.5
73.4
11.5
25.2
35.3
25.6
42.8
7.5
41.6

Electrical m ach in ery ..................................................... .......................
Electrical equipm ent_________ _________________________
Radios and p h o n o g rap h s............... ........................................ . . .
C om m unication eq u ip m en t................... .....................................

451
291.8
59.2
64.1

430
271.0
60.3
64.5

617
375.8
98.8
93.0

728
438.3
123.7
107.7

M achinery, except electrical_____ ...................................... ..............
M achinery and machine-shop products___ ____ __________
Engines and tu rb in es_____ ___ _______ _________ ________
T racto rs______________ ___________ ____ _________ ____
A gricultural machinery, excluding tracto rs.............................
M achine tools_________________________________________
M achine-tool accessories________________________________
Textile m achinery_________ ___________ ______ _________
P u m p s and pum ping e q u ip m e n t............................. ..................
T ypew riters_________________________ _____ ___________
Cash registers, adding and calculating m achines__________
W ashing machines, wringers and driers, dom estic.................
Sewing machines, domestic and in d u strial_______________
Refrigerators and refrigeration eq u ip m en t...........................

878
330.1
42.8
49.5
35.9
59.4
45.7
25.5
51.6
12.6
24.4
7.4
7.5
36.3

880
332.9
44.7
48.8
36.0
60.3
47.2
24.9
52.5
11.5
25.2
6.5
7.4
33.4

1,039
398.9
57.6
51.4
39.5
66.6
57.8
24.5
62.5
12.8
26.9
10.9
9.6
43.8

1,178
449.8
67.9
57.0
43.9
74.7
65.0
27.1
74.9
12.0
31.2
11.9
10.1
52.3

T ransportation equipm ent, except autom obiles______________
Locomotives_________________________________ _________
Cars, electric- and steam -railroad_______________________
Aircraft and parts, excluding aircraft engines_____________
Aircraft engines_________________ ____ ______ __________
Shipbuilding and b o atbuilding.__________ ______ ____ . . . .
Motorcycles, bicycles, and p a rts_____ ___________________

645
29.7
41.5
128.3
30.3
367.1
6.5

760
29.0
40.3
159.3
32.4
444.0
6.2

1,418
30.5
55.4
430.2
154.1
647.2
8.4

2,175
35.8
57.5
647.7
226.4
1,054.3
9.0

Automobiles____ _________ _____ _________________________ _

454

423

544

685

Nonferrous metals and th eir products_________________ _____
Smelting and refining, prim ary, of nonferrous m etals_____
Alloying and rolling and draw ing of nonferrous metals, ex­
cept alum inum ___________________________ _____ _____
Clocks and w atches_________________ , _________________
Jew elry (precious metals) and jewelers’ findings__________
Silverware and plated w are____ ________________________
Lighting equipm ent_____ _____________________________
A lum inum m anufactures______________ _____ __________
Sheet-metal w ork, no t elsewhere classified___________ ____

297
35.4

291
36.8

365
38.0

404
41.5

50.1
20.8
14.2
10.1
19.7
36.7
22.4

51.6
19.6
13.5
9.7
16.8
35.9
21.2

61.7
22.8
13.0
10.5
21.6
59.0
30.8

68.9
25.9
13.4
11.0
27.0
64.2
32.7

L um ber and tim ber basic p ro d u cts.___________________ _____
Sawmills and logging cam ps____________________________
Planing and plywood m ills___________________________ _

409
193.9
60.9

435
207.6
63.1

452
215.1
65.9

477
227.3
69.6

S e e f o o t n o t e a t e n d o f ta b l e .


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TREND OF EMPLOYMENT, EARNINGS, AND HOURS

153

T able 2. —Estimated Number of Production Workers in Manufacturing

Industries 1—Continued
E stim ated num ber of production workers
(in thousands)
In d u stry
Oct.
1945

Sept.
1945

Aug.
1945

Oct.
1944

.

Durable goods—C ontinued
F urniture and finished lum ber products___________________ .
M attresses and bedsprings_____________________________
F u rn itu re _____________________________________________
Wooden boxes, other th a n cigar_____ _ ________________
Caskets and other m orticians’ goods... ..............................
Wood preserving____________________ _ ________ ____ _
Wood, tu rn ed and sh ap e d ..................... ......................................

295
14.5
130. 5
23.3
11.8
10.1
19.9

291
14.7
128.4
23.2
11.3
10.3
19.5

317
17.1
141.1
24.8
11.6
10.0
21.1

337
17.9
152.5
26.9
12.1
9.5
21.3

Stone, clay, and glass products_________________ _____ ______
Glass and glassware.
--------- -- . ________ ________
Glass products made from purchased glass_______________
C em ent_____ _____ ____ _____ ________ . . . _______
Brick, tile, and terra cotta
__
___ . . ___________
P o ttery and related products___. . . __________ _________
G y p su m ______________________________ ________ _____
W allboard, plaster (except gypsum ), and mineral wool____
Lime
....
- - - - - ...........
M arble, granite, slate, and other products_______________
A brasives________ _______ _____ . . . . _______________
Asbestos products_____________________________________

321
86.6
10.3
20.3
44.7
38.8
4.2
9.2
7.5
12.9
15.7
17.5

313
84.5
9.8
19.4
42.7
37.4
4.1
9.0
7.4
11.9
16.5
17.5

321
87.0
10.0
18.2
41.6
37.7
4.1
9. 1
7. 5
13.1
19.8
18.8

325
87.1
10.3
17.1
41.1
39.8
4.0
9.6
7.8
13.6
20.7
19.7

Textile-m ill products and other fiber m anufactures_______ ,___
C otton m anufactures, except sm allw ares________________
C otton sm allw ares_________ .
_________________
Silk and rayon goods___________________________________
Woolen and worsted m anufactures, except dyeing and
finishing____________________________________________
Hosiery ______________________________________________
K nitted cloth_______________________________ ________
K nitted outerw ear and k n itte d gloves____________ ______
K nitted underw ear_________ _________________ ______
D yeing and finishing textiles, including woolen and w orsted.
C arpets and rugs, wool_________________________________
H ats, fur-felt__________________________________________
Ju te goods, except felts. _____________________ ______ Cordage and tw ine____________________________________

1,037
404.3
12.6
85.2

1,032
407.0
12.4
84.9

1,031
407.3
13.0
85.0

1,087
424.1
13.3
88.1

139.5
98.3
10.2
27.3
33.3
54.1
17.9
9.6
3.5
14.0

136.3
96.2
9.6
26.3
32.5
55.9
17.8
9.3
3.4
13.8

134.3
95.5
9.7
25.9
32.7
55.8
18.8
9.0
3.2
14.3

146.0
102.0
10.3
28.7
34.2
59.1
20.1
9.3
3.3
15.0

Apparel and other finished textile products___ ______ ____
M en ’s clothing, no t elsewhere classified ________________
Shirts, collars, and nightw ear________________ _____ _____
U nderw ear and neckwear, m en’s _________
______ _
W ork sh irts_______ _
________ ______ __________
.. . . . ..
W om en’s clothing, not elsewhere classified__
Corsets and allied garm ents______________ . . . . . . ____M illin e ry .____________________ _______ _______ ________
H andkerchiefs___ _____________________________________
C urtains, draperies, and bedspreads._ . . _ __________
H ousefurnishings, other th a n curtains, e tc . . _________ '
Textile bags_____________________________ _______ ______

798
179.7
49.4
10.9
13.2
205.9
14.5
18.3
2.6
11.0
8.5
14.8

788
180.5
48.5
11.3
13.1
202.1
14.1
18.1
2.6
9.8
8.0
14.4

781
185.9
47.5
11.3
14.0
190. 4
13.4
17.5
2.5
10.2
10.6
14.4

876
208.3
51.7
12.2
14.6
218.8
14.9
19. 2
2.8
13.1
11.4
13.8

Leather and leather products___ ___________________
. .
L e a th e r.. . _____________________________ ___________
Boot and shoe cu t stock and findings__ _______ _ . . . __
Boots and shoes. _ _ ___________________ ____ _________
L eather gloves and m itte n s____________ . . . __________
______ . ............
T ru n k s and s u itc a se s____________ .

305
39.8
15.9
168.0
10.9
11.4

300
38.8
16.3
164.6
11.0
10.9

308
38.2
16.3
169.1
11.3
13.1

312
39.3
16.0
171.0
12.7
12.7

Food . .
........ ............ .......................................................................
Slaughtering and m eat packing__________________ _______
B u tte r_______ ______ _ ______________________________
Condensed and evaporated m ilk ...
________________
Ice cream ________ ____ ______________________________
F lo u r____ _
...
Feeds, prepared_____ _________________________________
Cereal preparations_____ _. _________ . . __
_____
B aking__ ______ _____ ____________________ ____ ____
Sugar refining, cane______ ___________________________
Sugar, b eet___________________________________________
Confectionery______ ____ ______________________________
Beverages, nonalcoholic______-- -- - - - - - - M alt liquors______________________ ______________ . . .
C anning and preserving________________________________

1,077
126.9
22.8
14.0
16.0
31.3
23.3
9.9
252.8
12.1
19.6
53.6
24.1
54.4
166.5

1,140
' 126. 5
23.7
14.9
16.6
30.8
23.0
9.7
251.0
13.1
7.6
50.7
25.7
55.2
237.1

1,065
' 124. 3
24.6
15.8
17.3
30.6
22.2
9.5
248.9
13.0
5.0
50.2
26.2
53.8
179.5

1,127
' 147. 9
21.3
13.7
14.5
28.4
19.8
8.4
261.5
14.7
18.1
58.9
27.6
51.8
180.1

Nondurable goods

S e e f o o t n o t e a t e n d o f ta b l e .


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

154

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

T able 2.—Estimated Number of Production Workers in Manufacturing

Industries 1—Continued
E stim ated num ber of production workers
(in thousands)
In d u stry
Oct.
194.5

Sept.
1945

Aug.
1945

Oct.
1944

Nondurable goods— Continued
____
Tobacco m anufactures . . . ________ . . _______
C igarettes_____
. . . ____ - - _________ ____________
Cigars___ - _______ ________________________________
Tobacco (chewing and smoking) and snuff____ _ _________

80
35.9
35.9
8.8

83
34.9
34.3
8.7

78
33.7
31.4
8.4

83
35.3
34.5
8.3

Paper and allied p roducts_____________________ ___
____
Paper and p u lp . _ .__________________ ________________
Paper goods, other_________________________________ . . .
Envelopes_______________ _______
_______________
Paper bags-------------- ---------------------------- -------------------Paper boxes_______ ____ _______ _______________ ____

312
145.5
43.1
9.7
12.6
79.2

304
142.0
41.9
9.5
12.2
76.8

303
143.1
42.1
9.2
11.4
75.8

311
143.9
44.4
9.6
12.9
78.3

Printing, publishing, and allied industries......... .................. ...........
Newspapers and periodicals________________ __________
P rinting, book and jo b ________ .
. . . . . . ________
Lithographing_____________________ ___ ______________
B ookbinding______ . . . ______________________________

336
115.0
138.9
25.0
■27.8

324
112.3
133.1
24.1
26.3

322
109.9
133.2
24.1
27.0

324
110.3
133.3
24.4
27.6

Chemicals and allied products__ ____ __________________ .
Paints, varnishes, and colors____ ____ _________________ .
Drugs, medicines, and insecticides___________ . _______
Perfumes and cosmetics___________ ________ _________
.
_____________________ ___ ___ _
Soap___
R ayon and allied p roducts____ ____ . . . ' . . . ____ ' _______
Chemicals, no t elsewhere classified_________ ______ ____
Explosives and safety fu s e s _______ _________ . ______
Compressed and liquefied gases_________________ _______
A m m unition, small-arms____________ ___________ . . . .
Firew orks____________
_____________________________
Cottonseed oil___________________ ____ _________________
Fertilizers____________ _________________ _____________

440
31.0
47.6
12.6
13.4
54.7
109.2
29.3
5.6
10.4
3.2
17.7
20.4

452
29.7
46.9
12.4
13.2
53.4
111.7
39.2
5.6
13.5
3.3
14.5
20.9

548
29.0
49.6
12.6
13.0
53.1
112.2
80.2
5.9
37.9
14.3
11.5
19.9

601
29.6
49.5
12.4
13.5
53.1
115.9
87.7
5.8
50.3
26.5
19.5
19.0

Products of petroleum and coal_____________________________
Petroleum refining__________________________ _________
Coke and by p ro d u cts__________________________________
Paving m aterials_____________________________________
Roofing m aterials_____________ ________ _____ _________

131
89.7
21.4
1.8
9.4

130
87.7
22.1
1.7
9.8

135
92.9
21.9
1.7
9.3

132
90.0
22.4
1.6
9.6

R ubber products____ ____ _________ . ____________________
R u b b er tires and inner tu b es____________ . ____________
R u b b er boots and shoes_______________ ______ _________
R u b b er goods, other____ ____ ________________ _______ _

174
88.2
15.3
58.7

154
71.8
14.8
57.0

179
86.3
16.7
64.4

194
92.3
18.4
70.0

Miscellaneous industries___ ______ _________________________
In stru m en ts (professional a n d scientific) and fire-control
eq u ip m en t_______________________ ____ _____ ____ ____
Photographic ap p aratu s____ _______ ____ _______________
Optical instrum ents and ophthalm ic goods_________ ____
___________ ______
Pianos, organs, and p a rts_________
Games, toys, and dolls____________________________ ____
B u tto n s ..-_________________________ _________ ____ _
Fire extinguishers____________ _________________________

320

316

381

412

23.9
20.6
19.1
5.2
14.1
9.1
3.2

26.2
20.9
18.8
5.1
12.8
8.8
3.2

49.7
26.7
21.2
7.4
13.9
8.9
4.1

60.7
27.7
23.3
7.1
16.9
9.2
5.3

—

i E stim ates for the major in d u stry groups have been adjusted to levels indicated b y the final 1943 data
m ade available by the Bureau of E m ploym ent Security of the Federal Security Agency and should not be
compared w ith the m anufacturing em ploym ent estim ates of production workers plus salaried employees
appearing in table 1. E stim ates for individual industries have been adjusted to levels indicated by the
1939 Census of M anufactures, b u t no t to Federal Security Agency d ata. For this reason, together w ith the
fact th a t this B ureau has n o t prepared estim ates for certain industries, the sum of the individual industry
estim ates will no t agree w ith totals shown for th e m ajor in d u stry groups.'


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155

TREND OF EMPLOYMENT, EARNINGS, AND HOURS

T able 3.— Indexes of Production-Worker Employment and Pay Rolls in Manufacturing
I n d u s tr ie s 1
[1939 average=100]
E m ploym ent indexes

Pay-roll indexes

In d u stry
Oct. Sept. Aug.
1945 1945 1945
A11 m anufacturing_______________________ ______
D urable goods____ __________________________
N ondurable goods__________ ______________ ..

Oct.
1944

Oct. Sept. Aug.
1945 1945 1945

Oct.
1944

121.5 122. 6 142.1 164. 1 213.5 214.5 256. 2 335.1
13G.8 138.9 ISO. 3 221.0 235. 3 236.8 322.9 462.9
109. 5 109.6 112. 0 119.2 192.1 192.6 191.0 210.0

Durable goods
Iron and steel and their p roducts__________ _______
B last furnaces, steel works, and rolling m ills____
G ray-iron and semisteel castings______________
M alleable-'ron castings____________________ ._
Steel eastings_________ _____________________
Cast-iron pipe and fittings...................... ..................
T in cans and other tinw are___________________
W ire draw n from purchased rods______________
W irew ork_______ ____________ ____ _ ________
C utlery and edge tools_______________________
Tools (except edge tools, machine tools, files,
and saw s)______________ ____ ______________
H ard w are___________________________________
Plum bers’ supplies___________________________
Stoves, oil burners, and heating equipm ent, not
elsewhere classified_______ _______ . . . ____ __
Steam and hot-w ater heating apparatus and
steam fittin g s.- ___________________________
Stam ped and enameled ware and galvanizing___
Fabricated stru ctu ral and ornam ental m etal
worK_________ _______ ____________________
M etal doors, sash, frames, m olding, and trim ___
Belts, n u ts, washers, and riv e ts___ ____ _______
Forgings, iron and steel-- _________________ . .
W rought pipe, welded and heavy riveted______
Screw-machine products and wood screws Steel barrels, kegs, and drum s 2. ______________
F irearm s__________________ ____ ___ . . .

116.3
92.4
136. 7
167.2
164.3
147.6
87.3
223.0

115.5
90.1
136.1
163.5
147. 1
148.6
98.5
213.0

141.1
99.8
151.5
195. 4
261.4
206.1
133. 0
330.9

206.6
148.3
176. 3
229.9
306. 0
253. 0
123.2
831.9

186.7
159. 5
248.0
288.5
247. 5
267.2
154.6
399.0

179.0
152.0
217.1
258.5
2.33. 2
260.2
164.5
380.0

239. 7 400. 7
169.6 295.6
287.9 346. 9
309.8 472.7
551.0 627. 3
368.8 497.1
244.0 244.9
653.5 1869.1

Electrical m achinery______ _______ ______ ___ _____
Electrical e q u ip m e n t.-. . ____________ . . . . . .
Radios and phonographs_____________________
Com m unication eq u ip m en t___________________

174.1
101.4
136.0
199.6

166.1
149.9
138. 6
200.9

238.2
207.9
227.1
289.7

281.0
242. 5
284.3
335.4

280.1
254.7
229.8
323.7

260.6
229.7
239.1
314.4

385.3
330. 2
389.3
478. 8

512.5
450.3
542.3
550.0

M achinery, except electrical______________________
M achinery and machine-shop products.................
Engines and turbines.
T r a c to r s .___________________________________
A gricultural m achinery, excluding tra c to rs_____
M achine tools______ ____________ __________
M achine-tool accessories__________ _________
Textile m achinery_____________________ ___
P um p s and pum ping eq u ip m e n t____________
T ypew riters_____ ___________ _ _ ___________
Cash registers, adding and calculating m achines.
AVashing m achines, w ringers and driers, domes­
tic ________ ____ ___________________________
Sewing m achines, domestic and in d u strial...........
Refrigerators and refrigeration eq u ip m en t______

166.2
163.2
229. 3
158.1
129.0
162.1
181.7
116.5
213.0
77.7
123.9

166.6
164.6
239.6
155.9
129.3
164.8
187.6
113.6
216.6
71.2
128.1

196.7
197.1
308 5
164.5
142.1
181.8
229.6
111.7
257. 9
78.7
136.4

222 9
222.3
364.1
182.1
157. 8
204.0
258.5
123.6
308.9
73.8
158.4

276.4
271.8
378.0
220.0
229.6
262.4
268. 2
215.2
386.0
144.6
207.1

275.5
266. 4
368.6
237.5
246. 8
266.1
277.0
209.8
389.9
133.1
210.4

326. 8
323.6
510.8
248.2
259.4
303.9
336.4
191.3
512.3
136.4
231.1

424.7
415.5
786.6
291.9
316.3
372.6
447.3
233.4
659.4
152.0
309. 2

T ransportation equipm ent, except autom obiles____
Locomotives______ ____ ___________ . .
Cars, electric- and steam -railroad_________ ____
Aircraft and parts, excluding aircraft engines___
A ircraft engines - _______ _ _______________
Shipbuilding and b oatbuilding_________
M otorcycles, bicycles, and p a rts....................

406.2
459.1
169.2
323.5
340.9
530.1
93.6

A utom ob iles........................... ............... .......................

112.8 105.2 135.2 170.2 169.7 150.5 178.8 313.1

Nonferrous m etals and th eir p ro d u c ts _________
Sm elting and refining, prim ary, of nonferrous
metals'._________________ _______________
Alloying and rolling and draw ing of nonferrous
metals, except alu m in u m _________________
Clocks and w a tch e s...................................................

128.1 133.0 137.5 150.4 226. 8 239.4 258.6 281.4

S e e f o o t n o t e s a t e n d o f ta b l e .

6 7 7 2 3 4 — 4 6 -------1 1


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

120.1
108.9
116.0
121.5
176.9
83.5
112.7
126.3
93.0
140.1

120.5
108.8
113.1
121.8
177.6
80.0
118.4
125.1
85.7
137.0

145. 1
117.6
117. 5
121.9
192.7
89.1
127.4
134.4
98.0
143.5

168.6
121.9
124.4
138.7
237.8
92.0
128.6
146.4
117.0
151.3

201.9
172.7
223.2
235.4
291.8
164. 5
186.2
189.2
171.1
267. 5

200.9
175.3
216.1
228.4
280.9
151.2
200.7
179.4
153.9
280.7

247.0
199.2
216.9
208.2
311.4
160.2
209.0
208.4
176.1
260.7

318.0
225.3
254.3
296. 5
453.4
185.1
216. 5
252. 2
235.6
317.7

142.2 147.8 160.3 175.7 252.4 255.0 282.0 329.0
97.7 95.0 116.0 128.1 183.9 173.9 209.2 266. 5
73.1 71.2 85.1 89.5 126.0 120.8 136.8 165. 4
101. 4

95.1 120.5 135.2 179.7 160. 5 195.9 262. 2

133.1 133. 4 146.2 180.7 230.2 234.0 253. 6 347.4
109.0 107.7 136. 7 157. 5 198. 6 190.1 242.9 327. 3

99.0
95.9
103. 3

87.4 146.6 158. 8 157.9 143.2 242.9 283. 2
94.6 122.3 129.4 191.0 192.8 235.4 271.0
95.0 124.4 148. 7 168.6 155 9 168.8 277.0
479.0 893.7 1370.3
449.0 471.6 553.0
164. 4 226.0 234.3
401.6 1084.4 1632. 5
363. 9 1732. 9 2545.8
641.2 934.7 1522.5
88.6 120.2 128.8

6S1.1 803.2 1682.9 2964. 8
846. 7 753.9 856.3 1297. 7
298.6 277.3 396.1 486.9
533.0 622.5 1854. 8 3185.8
441.2 451.4 2375.9 4460. 3
886.0 1106. 6 1919.9 3468. 7
151.6 132.7 216.6 239. 0

129.7 127.1 159. 4 176.3 223.7 216. 2 282.1 337. 3

129.2 133.0 159.0 177.5 223.4 222.6 289.3 335.8
102.7 96.6 112.2 127.7 188. 5 168.5 212.5 268.6

156

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

T able 3.— Indexes of Production-Worker Employment and P ay Rolls in Manufacturing

Industries 1— Continued
[1939 average=100]

E m ploym ent indexes

Pay-roll indexes

In d u stry
Oct. Sept. Aug.
1945 1945 1945

Oct.
1944

Oct. Sept.
1945 1945

Aug. Oct.
1945 1944

Durable goods—C ontinued
N onferrous m etals and th eir products—Continued.
Jew elry (precious m etals) and jewelers’ findings- .. 98.1 93.7 90.2 92.9 174.3
Silverware and p lated w are__________ ________
83.0 80. Î 86.8 90.9 150.5
Lighting eq u ip m en t_________________ ______
96.2 82.2 105.6 132.0 155.4
A lum inum m anufactures ____________ _
155.9 152.5 250.4 272.7 237. 2
Sheet-metal w ork, not elsewhere classified_____ 119.5 113.0 164.2 174.6 206.2

165.9
144 2
129.7
219.9
199.7

147.0
151.4
142. 7
411.9
284.4

157.5
163.7
237.3
501.6
341.0

L um ber and tim ber basic p roducts_______ ____ ___
Sawmills and logging cam ps__________________
Planing and plywood m ills.......................................

97.3 103.4 107.5 113.4 171.6 184.8 189.0 219.2
07.3 72.1 74.7 78.9 119.6 130.9 133.8 156.5
83.9 86.8 90.7 95,8 140.9 145.2 147.3 167.9

F urnitu re and finished lum ber products___________
M attresses and bed sp rin g s.-._________________
F u rn itu re _______ _______ __________ __________
W ooden boxes, other th a n cigar_____ ____ _____
C askets and other m orticians’ goods.......................
Wood preserving.......... ................ ............... .............
Wood, tu rn ed and shaped_________ __________

89.8
79.1
82. C
91.7
95.0
89.6
90.3

Stone, clay, and glass p ro d u c ts ........................ ...........
Glass and glassware___________ ____ _________
Glass products made from purchased glass_____
C em en t___ . . . ________________________ _ ._
B rick, tile, and terra co tta................... ............. .......
P o ttery and related p roducts_______ _____ ____
G ypsum ____________________________________
W allboard, plaster (except gypsum ), and mineral
wool_________________ _______ _____ _______ _
Lim e___________ _______ _______________ _____
M arble, granite, slate, and other products______
A brasives
..................................................... .
Asbestos pro d u cts...... .......................... .
..........

88.8
80.2
80.6
91.3
90.6
91.2
88.5

96.6
93.3
88.6
97.8
93.5
89. C
95.8

102.7
97.4
95.8
106.3
97.3
84.7
96.8

161.9
133.2
147.1
177.4
156.9
201.3
161.1

157.5
137.6
140.8
176. 6
149.6
209 4
159.0

165.0
149.2
150. 4
185.5
136.2
188.3
166.4

193.0
175.1
178. 5
221.4
170.8
190.3
176.2

109.5 106.5 109.3 110.9 184.2 176.8 181.7 192.1
124.0 121.0 124.5 124.8 196.1 188.9 192.7 204.9
102.9 98.1 99.8 102.7 183.0 172.2 166.6 176.0
85.1 81.3 76.5 71.8 139.4 131.0 128.0 119.8
78.7 75.2 73.2 72.5 134.0 125.6 118.2 122.6
117.1 113.0 113.9 120.4 186.7 172.7 173.3 191.6
84.3 82.9 82.1 80.8 148.0 d44.8 139.6 143.8
113. 4 110.9 112.3 117.8
78.8 77.9 79.0 82.3
69.5 64.3 70.6 73.5
203. 4 213.1 255.8 267.8
110.3 110.4 118.4 124.1

220. 5
166.8
107.2
305.1
215.8

211.2
158. 3
102.0
320.2
216.9

200.1
158. 7
102.4
443.6
242. 5

218.5
170. 5
113.4
464.4
257.5

Nondurable goods
Textile-mill products and other fiber m anufactures.. . 90.6 90.2 90.2 95. 0 168.1 166.7 159.4 172.8
C otton m anufactures, except smallwares
102.1 102.8 102.9 107.1 198.6 201.0 192.9 203. 5
C otton smallwares____________________
94.5 92.9 97.9 100.2 167.4 166.0 182.3 182.9
Silk and rayon goods...... ............................
71.1 70.9 70.9 73.6 . 143. 0 138.2 133.9 138.5
Woolen and worsted m anufactures, except dyeing and finishing............................. .......
93.5 91.3 90.0 97.8 178.3 175.4 167.2 188.0
H o s i e r y ..................................................................
61.8 60.5 60.0 64.1 105.3 101.1 89.0 104.2
K nitted c lo th ...............................
93.1 88.3 S9.1 94.3 176.6 168.1 155.4 165.9
K n itte d outerw ear and k n itte d gloves...................
97.0 93.6 92.0 102.1 187.6 172.1 160.3 189.8
K n itted underw ear_____ _____ _____
86.3 84.3 85.0 88.9 161.1 157.2 153.1 164.3
D yeing and finishing textiles, including woolen
and w orsted_______________________
80.8 83.6 83.5 88.4 135.0 141.9 139.6 149.6
C arpets and rugs, w ool__________ _
69.8 69.4 73.6 78.5 114.9 113.7 111.6 135.9
H ats, fu r-felt2________________ _
65.7 63.8 62.0 64.0 135.8 124.8 112.4 123.8
.Tute goods, except felts................................
98.0 95.3 90.1 91.6 193.1 190.3 174.4 179.1
Cordage and tw in e................................. . .
115.7 114.2 118.3 123.8 217.9 218.0 217.2 233.6
A pparel and other finished textile products
M en’s clothing, no t elsewhere classified .
Shirts, collars, and n ig h tw ear.. .
U nderw ear and neckwear, m en’s ........ .
W ork sh irts__ . . . . . .
W omen’s clothing, no t elsewhere classified.
Corsets and allied g arm ents. _
M illinery........... ................
H andkerchiefs...
___
C urtains, draperies, and bedspreads
H ousefurnishings, other th a n curtains, etc
Textile bags........ .............. .
..

101.0 99.8 98.9 110.9 183. 6
82.2 82.5 85.0 95.3 141. 5
70.1 68.8 67.5 73.3 131. 4
67.5 70.3 70.1 75.5 141.7
98.5 97.1 103.9 108.3 201.1
75.8 74.4 70.1 80.5 141.6
77.5 74.9 71.6 79. 5 139.0
75.4 74.5 72.1 79.2 134.8
54. 6 53.9 51.2 58.4 102.1
65.1 57.8 60.4 77.8 127.7
80.0 75.5 100.1 107.6 141.7
123.2 120. 5 120. 1 114.7 207. 9

157.3
135.0
110.9
124.1
186.5
108.4
119.1
112. 7
94.3
111.0 116.8
130.4 171.4
207.5 193.2

200.4
169.6
130.9
151.7
211.5
147.4
140.1
126.8
110.3
153.8
204.3
195.5

L eather and leather products . . .
L eather______ . . .
Boot and shoe cu t stock and findings..
Boots and shoes.. . . .
Leather gloves and m itte n s........
T ru n k s and suitcases_____

87.9 86.3 88.6 89.9
84.2 82.1 80.9 83.1
84.3' 86.5 86.3 84.7
77.1 75.5 77.6 78.5
109.1 109. 7 113.3 126.8
136. 6 130.8 156.8 152.4

157.2
146.3
143.4
140.3
196.2
212.8

160.1
144.0
140.1
142.7
223.0
248.3

S e e f o o t n o t e s a t e n d o f ta b l e .


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

160.8
151.1
138.1
143.1
193. 6
243.6

180.3
141.4
126.1
141.8
188.3
138.4
132.2
131.1
98.1

157.0
141.2
141.8
141.2
181.9
243.9

157

TREND OF EMPLOYMENT, EARNINGS, AND HOURS

T able 3.— Indexes of Production-Worker Employment and P ay Rolls in Manufacturing

Industries 1— Continued
[1939 average=100]
E m ploym ent indexes

Pay-roll indexes

In d u stry
Oct. Sept. Aug.
1945 1945 1945

Oct.
1944

Oct. Sept. Aug.
1945 1945 1945

Oct.
1944

131.3
122.7
118. i
141. ‘
92.;
114.6
128.6
113.1
113.;
103. 6
174.1
118.5
129.9
143.6
133.9

208.4
173. :
204. :
235.7
153. C
224.6
262.;
245.7
176.8
127.0
264.2
188.0
153.4
226.2
250.8

Nondurable goods—Continued
F ood______ ________________ ______ _________
Slaughtering and m eat packing______ _ ____
B u tte r_________________________ _____ _______
Condensed and evaporated m ilk___ ___ ___ ..
Icecream _________________ ____ ___ _ . . .
H o u r_________________ _____________
Feeds, prepared________ ____ ________________
Cereal preparations______ ______ _ ...........
B aking_____ _ _________ . .
__ . . . . .
Sugar refining, c a n e .. ______ ______ „ __ . . .
________
Sugar, b eet_____________________ _
Confectionery_________ __________________ _
Beverages, nonalcoholic. __________ ________
M alt liquors..... ............... _. _____________ _____
Canning and preserving_______ . . . . . _____

126. C
105. ;
127. (
144.0
101.9
126.1
151.5
132. 7
109.6
85.7
188. C
107.8
113.5
150.8
123.8

133.4
105.
132.:
153.9
105. 9
124. ;
149.2
129.7
108.8
92. c
72.5
102. (
120.7
153. (
176.3

218.5
177.6
216.2
261.0
181.8
218.2
267.2
251.3
173.6
145.3
108. £
175.4
168.4
242.6
351.6

198.6
158.2
226.!
280.5
161.5
210. £
244.9
225.6
170. i
140.0
72.8
165.7
166.6
224.2
249.4

209.8
200.2
187.2
229.2
132.3
192.3
219.3
198.9
171.4
172.9
228.9
199.6
171.4
209.6
262.3

Tobacco m anufactures____
_
_ _________ _
C igarettes_____________ ______ ______________
C ig a rs... . . . . ______ _______________ ______
Tobacco (chewing and smoking) and snuff.__ . . .

92.2
131. C
70.5
96.3

89.1 84.0 89.2 181.4 175.3
127.2 122.9 128.6 217.9 214.1
67.5 61.6 67.8 158.7 148.4
95.2 91.6 90.0 160.6 164.6

148.8
193. £
114.6
148.8

165.7
208.9
137.0
148.4

Paper and allied p roducts_______________________
Paper and p u lp ______ _____ ______________
P aper goods, o th er_______ . . . _________ ____
Envelopes_____ _____
________________
Paper bags_____________ __________________
P aper boxes_______ _________________ ____

117.5
105.8
114. 5
111.6
114.1
114.6

114.4
103.3
111.3
109.6
109.8
111.1

124.
103.
137.:
162.1
109.
123.5
144.;
126.3
107.9
92. ]
48.2
101.0
123. (
149.1
133. 5

117.2
104. 7
118.1
110.9
116.7
113.2

201.2
186.7
184.8
176.2
206.7
192.6

195.5
180.5
182.6
174.5
196.4
185.5

184.6
171.7
180. 2
160.4
169.7
171.1

196.3
182. 6
191.9
171.7
199.3
180.4

Printing, publishing, and allied industries. _. . .
102.5 98.8 98.3 98.7
Newspapers and periodicals. __________ ____ 96.9 94.6 92.6 92.9
_ ... .
P rinting, book and job . . . ____
109.9 105.4 105.4 105. 5
L ithographing_____ ____________________
96.0 92.8 92.8 93.9
Bookbinding ________________ __________
107.9 102.0 104.7 107.1

150. 7
132.4
168.8
147.2
191.4

147.7
129.8
166.9
140.1
184.7

140.0
128.6
151. 9
130. 6
176.1

136. 7
119.3
153.7
132. 2
177.9

Chemicals and allied p roducts__________________
Paints, varnishes, and colors__________ . . . . .
D rugs, medicines, and insecticides___________
Perfumes and cosmetics. __________________
Soap_____ ________ __________________ _____
R ayon and allied p roducts____________ ______
Chemicals, no t elsewhere classified________ ....
Explosives and safety fuses.. ________________
Compressed and liquefied gases_____ ______ _
A m m unition, sm all-arm s____________________
F irew o rk s.. ______ ________ ______ __ . . .
Cottonseed o i l ______________________________
Fertilizers________________________________ . .

156.9 190.0 208.6
105. 6 103.0 105.1
171.2 181.1 180.7
120.1 121. 2 120.1
97.6 95.6 99.5
110.6 110.0 110.0
160.5 161.2 166.6
540.8 1105.4 1209. 7
140.6 148.0 146.1
316.2 889.1 1178.6
281.8 1237.0 2284.4
95.4 75.6 128.2
111.2 100. 2 101.5

256.9
171.9
268.8
185.1
165.1
184.1
261.3
571.0
222. 5
497.9
698.1
258.4
249.8

266.4 325.7 364.4
167.0 163.0 167.1
265.0 270.7 268.2
178.9 165.5 176.2
170.2 160. 3 170.7
177.2 181.6 176.8
273.6 288.2 288.6
738. 9 1607. 4 1847.4
230.0 265.5 262.1
592.7 1469. 9 2402. 2
755.3 3258. 6 6100. 1
199.7 144.1 275.7
261.0 241.8 227.2

Products of petroleum and coal_____ . __________ 123.5 122.6 127.3 124.9
Petroleum refining_____________ _____________ 123.1 120.4 127.5 123 6
Coke and byproducts.......
. . . . . . ...........
... 98.8 101.9 100.8 103.4
Paving m aterials_________________ _________
72.0 71.4 70.4 65.8
Roofing m aterials__________________ _________ 116.8 122.0 116.0 119.4

198.4
192.0
163.5
140.7
211.9

210. S
203.5
181.6
142.0
208.7

228.6
224.3
189.4
135.1
205.5

224.2
219.7
183.1
131.6
217.4

R ubber products___
.... __ ------ -------------- -----R ubb er tires and inner tu b e s____________ _____
R ubber bofits and shoes______________________
R ubber goods, o th e r.._________ _
______ . .

143.8 127.3 148.4
163.0 132.7 159. 3
103.2 99.8 113.0
113.4 110.1 124.4

236.7
239. 8
185.9
201.5

216.1
211.4
182.7
192.4

249.5
249. 7
211.6
212.8

293.3
297.5
225.7
250.6

M iscellaneous industries____ ______ . . . _______
Instru m en ts (professional and scientific) and firecontrol equipm ent_______________ ________
Photographic ap p aratu s____________ ____ _____
Optical instrum ents and ophthalm ic goods_____
Pianos, organs, and p a rts__________ _____ . . .
Games, toys, and dolls______ _______ _________
B utto n s___________________ . ____________ .
Fi re extinguishers____ ____________ ___ _______

216. 0
119.5
164.0
67.9
75.6
82.7
326. 5

152.7
110.1
173.6
121.4
98.6
113. 4
157.0
404. 3
142.6
242.8
279.6
116.6
108.4

114.2
104.1
111. t
105.4
102.8
109.6

160.2
170.6
124.2
135.2

130.8 129.2 155. 8 168.4 231.4 227.7 279.2 327.6
236.8
120.9
162.1
66.6
68.7
80.5
322.2

449.4
154.6
182.1
96.7
74.7
80.9
411.3

548.7
160. 7
200.1
92.9
90.6
83.5
527.9

345.5
189.3
273. 4
108.2
138.6
165. 4
748.3

3.72. 7
190.6
265.6
109.4
124.3
167.7
767.9

797.9
250.1
283.0
164.2
116.5
148.1
786.8

1032.1
268.6
341.6
174. 7
185.5
168.2
1076. 3

1 Indexes for the major in d u stry groups have been adjusted to levels indicated b y the final 1943 d a ta made
available by th e B ureau of E m ploym ent Security of th e Federal Security Agency.
» Revisions have been m ade as follows in th e indexes for earlier m onths:
Steel barrels, kegs, and drums.—Ju ly 1945 pay-roll index to 277.4.
Hats, fur-felt.—Ju ly 1945 pay-roll index to 111.7.


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158

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

T able 4.— Estimated Number of Production Workers in Selected Nonmanufacturing

Industries
E stim ated num ber of production workers
(in thousands)
In d u stry
Oct. 1945
M ining:
A nthracite
______ _______ __________
B itum inous non,!
________________________
M etal
________________ ___________
___ ___________________ —
Iron
Copper
__________ -- ____________
Lead and zinc
______ _______________
Gold and silver
______
-- ________
M iscellaneous
_________________________
Telephone l
______ ____ __ -- -------------Telegraph 2
_ ____________ ___ ______
Electric light arid power 1 _ __ _________ _ _____
Street railw ays and trusses 1 _ ________ _________
TTotpls (year-round) 1
________ ______ — Pow er laundries
____________________ —
Cleaning and dyeing
_ _ ______________
G]ass j steam railroads 4 _ ______________ ____W ater transportation 5
__ __________________

Sept. 1945

Aug. 1945

64.3
325
63.7
23.7
18.8
13.2
5.5
2.5
424
45.6
206
229
362
(3)
(3)
1, 414
168

64.1
323
64.5
24.1
19.4
13.2
5.2
2.6
423
45.0
205
227
354
(3)
(3)
1,449
164

64.7
262
64.0
23.7
19.0
13.2
5.7
2.4
431
46.4.
209
231
371
(3)
(3)
1,397
163

Oct. 1944

66.7
342
70.9
25.5
22.3
14.7
5.4
3.0
404
46.0
201
228
353
(3)
(»)
1.410
135

i D a ta include salaried personnel.
,
. ,
5 Excludes messengers, and approxim ately 6,000 employees of general and divisional headquarters, and of
cable companies. D a ta include salaried personnel.
.
, „.
,
. ,
j T h e change in definition from “ wage earner” to “ production w orker” in the power laundries and cleaning
and dyeing industries results in th e omission of driver salesmen. T his causes a significant difference in the
data. N ew series are being prepared.
.
^
.
4 Source- In te rsta te Commerce Commission. D a ta include salaried personnel.
* Based on estim ates prepared by th e U . S. M aritim e Commission covering em ploym ent on active deepsea American-flag steam and m otor m erchant vessels of 1,000 gross tons and over. Excludes vessels under
bareboat charter to or owned by th e A rm y or N avy.

T able 5.— Indexes of Employment and P ay Rolls in Selected Nonmanufacturing

Industries
[1939 average=1001
Pay-roll indexes

E m ploym ent indexes
In d u stry

M ining:
A nthracite
_ __________________
B itum inous coal _ ________________
M etal
- _____________________
Iron
_____ ________________
Copper
____________________
Lead and zinc
_______________
Gold and silver
______________
M iscellan eo u s__ _________________
Q uarrying and non metallic _ ________
G ru de-petrol en m production * __ ____
P ub lic utilities:
Telephone ______________________ -T elegraph---------------- -----------------------Electric light and pow er........................ .
Street railw ays and busses________ ____________________
Wholesale trade
B étail trad e
_ _ ______ _____ - —
Food
__________ - - _____

Oct.
1945

Sept.
1945

Aug.
1945

Oct.
1944

Oct.
1945

Sept.
1945

Aug.
1945

Oct.
1044

78.1
70.8
72.5
117.5
79.6
85.2
23.1
61.1
83.9
84.8

77.6
87.6
72.2
118.1
78.8
84.6
22.3
63.6
82.5
84.0

77.4
87.1
73.1
119.4
81.3
85.0
21.2
66.0
81.7
84.2

80.5
92.3
80.4
127.2
93.3
94.5
22.0
74.9
83.0
82.7

170.8
122.8
119.3
204.5
132.0
161.4
29.4
93.9
164.3
132.4

149.8
199.7
116.4
197.5
127.5
159.4
28.4
104.6
159.2
138.4

148.0
188.0
114.2
200.8
120.8
157.2
26.1
105.2
155.9
139.2

159.8
210.2
130.7
210.9
155.7
174.6
29.7
125.6
162.7
129.6

135.6
123.2
85.6
119.2
99.4
101.1
104.6
115.9
112.5
65.5
75.7
99.0
115.0
107.4
124.7
141.4
311.0

133.5
121.2
84.5
118.0
97.0
97.6
102.0
110.4
106.4
63.1
72.3
96.1
112.2
106.6
122.3
143.1
320.5

133.1
119.4
84.1
117.3
95.8
93.8
99.9
104.7
96.7
61.7
69.6
91.8
109.9
106.1
117.3
146.7
313.4

127.1
122.1
82.1
117.7
96.0
99.7
108.8
116.7
113.5
62.6
66.2
90.6
109.6
108.0
119.8
142.8
257.2

189.0
177.6
120.4
178. 1
150.7
144.2
149.7
157.7
167.4
97.2
117.3
150.9
184.6
169.1
207.6
(4)
566.8

181. 7
177.2
120.0
177.1
145. 6
138.7
145.8
150.0
154.7
91.4
113.5
146. 7
177.2
168.1
199.2
(«)
669.6

195.7
159.9
200.4 , 174.9
120.7
114.3
178.7
168.3
140.4
341.3
132.0
132.0
144.7
141.8
147.1
141.2
155.0
139.6
88.7
88.8
104.6
99.1
133.1
133.3
161.9
172.0
161.3
160. 5
179.9
188.0
«
(4)
599.0
664.0

A pparel
_______
- ________
F u rn itu re a n d housefurnishings-------- -.
Autom otive
_____ _______
L um ber and building m aterials _
Hotels (year-round^ 2 ______ ___ _______
Pow er laundries
_______________
Gleaning and dyeing
______________
Class I steam railroads 3______ ___ ________
W ater transportation 5_______ --- --- , --1 Does no t include well drilling or rig building.
s Cash paym ents only; additional value of board, room, and tips, not included.
3 Source: Interstate Commerce Commission.
< N o t available.
.
,
» Based on estim ates prepared by th e U . S. M aritim e Commission covering em ploym ent on active deepsea American-flag steam and m otor m erchant vessels of 1,000 gross tons and over. Excludes vessels under
bareboat charter to or owned by th e A rm y or N avy.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

159

TREND OF EMPLOYMENT, EARNINGS, AND HOURS
A V E R A G E E A R N IN G S A N D H O U R S

Average weekly earnings and hours and average hourly earnings
for August, September, and October 1945, where available, are given
in table 6 for both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries.
(For trend of earnings since 1939, see page 117 of this issue.)
The average weekly earnings for individual industries are computed
by dividing the weekly pay rolls in the reporting establishments 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
this table are necessarily based on data furnished by a slightly smaller
number of reporting firms. Because of variation in the size and com­
position of the reporting sample, the average hours per week, average
hourly earnings, and average weekly earnings shown may not be
strictly comparable from month to month. The sample, however, is
believed to be sufficiently adequate in virtually all instances to indi­
cate the general movement of earnings and hours over the period
shown. The average weekly hours and hourly earnings for the manu­
facturing 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 com­
puted by multiplying the average weekly hours by the corresponding
average hourly earnings.
T a b l e 6 . —Earnings and Hours in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing
I n d u s tr ie s
M A N U F A C T U R IN G

Average weekly
earnings 1

Average weekly
hours 1

Average hourly
earnings 1

In d u stry
Oct.
1945

All m an u factu rin g .--------------- -------------------D urable g o o d s ..___ . . . _________ ..
N ondurable goods______ _____________
Durable goods
Iron and steel and their products___________
B last furnaces, steel works, and rolling
m ills................ . . . ____ .
...............
G ray-iron and semisteel castings________
M alleable iron c a s tin g s ____ ___________
Steel e astin g s... _____ . . . . ---------- ..
Cast-iron pipe and fittings______________
T in cans and other tinw are_____________
W irew ork___ . . . .
. . . . _______
C utlery and edge tools________ . ------Tools (except edge tools, machine tools,
files, and saws)____ _________________
H a rd w a r e ____ . .
. . . . . ............. .
Plum bers’ supplies_________ __________
Stoves, oil burners, and heating equip­
m ent, not elsewhere classified...... ..........
Steam and hot-w ater heating apparatus
and steam fittings_______________ ____
Stam ped and enameled ware and galvan­
izing________________________________
F abricated structural and ornam ental
m etalw ork__________________________
M etal doors, sash, frames, molding, and
trim ________________________________
Bolts, n u ts, washers, and rivets_________
Forgings, iron and steel___________
Screw-machine products and wood screws.
Steel barrels, kegs, and d ru m s 2___ ______
Firearm s_____________ _________ _____
S e e f o o t n o t e s a t e n d o f ta b l e .


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Sept. Aug.
1945 1945

$41.02 $40.48 $41. 72
44. 38 43.90 45. 72
37. 72 37. 77 36.63

Oct.
1945

41.6
41.8
41.5

Sept. Aug.
1945 1945

41.4
41.0
41.8

Oct.
1945

Sept. Aug.
1945 1945

Cents Cents Cents
40.7 98.5 98.7 102.4
41.1 106.3 107.2 111.3
40.3 90.9 90.3 90.9

45.93 45. 54 46.31

42.7

41.8

41.7 107.7 108.9 110.9

47. 50
48.78
48.24
46.28
41.23
39. 25
45.88
40. 94

50. 74
47.17
42.51
45.34
37.74
38.96
44.79
38.94

41.8
45.0
44.2
41.9
45.6
42.6
44.0
44.4

41.2
45.0
43.1
39.4
43.8
44.1
43.3
43.7

42.2
42.8
38.7
39.9
41.9
43.1
42.7
40.9

43. 48 41.99 42.83
42.02 40.80 40.05
45.00 44.33 42.01

44.5
43.9
42.5

43.2
43.2
42.0

43.6 97.8 97.3 98.3
41.0 95.6 94.5 97.7
40.5 105.7 105.5 103.8

48. 26
48. 45
46.68
44.37
39.64
40.31
44.80
40. 77

113.5
109.3
109.1
110.2
90.5
92.5
104.4
92.9

117.1
108.4
108.2
112.3
90.4
91.7
103.6
94.0

120.4
110.2
109.8
113.4
90.0
90.3
104.9
95.3

43.92 42.15 40.60

43.6

42.2

39.7 101.3

44.69 45.11 44. 58

43.3

43.3

42.3 103.2 104.2 105.4

41.84 40.50 40. 78

42.3

41.2

40.2

44.94 43.34 47.26

42.5

41.0

43.3 105.0 105.1 109.1

45.47
40.17
47.48
45.04
36.23
47.14

43.4
44.4
42.4
43.9
39.5
43.0

42.3
39.3
39.7
42.8
36.7
41.1

42.9
44.8
38.5
43.8
38.6
42.1

46.51
45.62
51.71
46. 57
38. 47
47.44

45.80
47.88
47.62
46.1C
39.81
52.14

98.9

107.1
102.5
121.9
105.6
96.9
110.3

99.8 102.2

98.7 101.4

107.5
101.9
119.5
105.2
98.0
114.8

106.7
106.5
123.5
105.2
103.1
123.9

160

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

T a ble 6. —Earnings and Hours in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing

Industries—Continued
MANUFACTURING—Continued
Average weekly
earnings 1

Average weekly
hours 1

Average hourly
earnings 1

In d u stry
Oct.
1945

Sept. Aug.
1945 1945

Oct.
1945

*
Durable goods—C ontinued
$42.49 $41.46 $42. 75 41.2
Electrical m achinery __ ____ Electrical equ ip m en t____ . . . - ------- -- 43.09 41.87 43.50 41.3
R adios a n d phonographs_______________ 36. 69 37. 44 37. 21 39.1
C om m unication e q u ip m e n t..,
. . . . . . 45.11 43.52 45.92 42.4
. . . . . . . _ 48. 57 48.16 48.41 43.4
M achinery, except electrical___
M achinery and machine-shop p ro d u c ts ... 48.36 47.13 47.81 44.0
46. 55 43.10 46.47 39.6
Engines and tu rb in es_____ . _____. . .
T racto rs------- ----------- . -------------------- 46. 77 51. 32 50.82 41.2
A gricultural m achinery, excluding tractors 47.14 50. 63 48.16 43.3
M achine tools_________
_____ . . ____ 52. 25 51.94 53.63 44.3
M achine-tool accessories.. . . __________ 50. 72 50. 72 50. 33 41.9
Textile m achinery_______ . . . _______ 48.05 47.91 44. 34 46.8
T ypew riters. . . .
. . --------- . ~ . 44.83 45.05 41.68 45.1
Cash registers, adding and calculating ma. ____
. . ______ . . 50.94 49. 90 51.44 42.0
c h in e s __
W ashing m achines, w ringers and driers,
dom estic__ _
. . . . . . . . . . _____
. 42.08 43. 27 43. 70 42.3
Sewing machines, domestic and industrial. 54.05 55.13 52.13 48.2
Refrigerators an d refrigeration equipm ent. 46.98 47. 22 39.05 42.8
T ransportation equipm ent, except automob ile s ... _____
______ _
. . . 48. 30 48.31 54.07 38.8
Locom otives... . . . ____
. . . _____ 52.37 47.68 51. 56 41.4
Cars, electric- and steam- railroad_______ 46. 16 44.15 46.09 42.4
A ircraft and parts, excluding aircraft
engines__________________________ _ 46. 65 43.89 48.43 39.2
A ircraft engines___ . . _ ______ . . . . . . 44. 65 42.80 47. 31 37.7
Shipbuilding and boatbuilding____ __ . 49.43 50. 92 60.46 38.0
M otorcycles, bicycles, and p a rts ________ 44.84 41.44 49. 88 43.7
Autom obiles______________________ ____ . . .
47.20 44.81 41.70 38.7
N onferrous m etals and their products_______ 45.09 44.44 46.15 43.0
Sm elting and refining, prim ary, of nonferrous m etals______ _____
______ 47.12 47.90 50. 22 44.4
Alloying and rolling and draw ing of nonferrous m etals, except alum inum ____ __ 50.06 48. 32 52. 55 44.4
Clocks and w atch es... . . ___________ 38.28 36.39 39.41 41.1
Jew elry (precious metals) and jewelers’
findings_____________________________ 45.14 44.96 41.43 43.4
Silverware and plated w a r e ... _______ . 47. 79 47.39 45. 93 46. 5
Lighting e q u ip m e n t2 ___________ . . . . 41.45 40.61 34. 82 40.7
A lum inum m anufactures________ ______ 42.09 39. 86 45.47 41.2
L um ber and tim ber basic pro d u cts______ . . . 33.02 33. 54 32.91 42.2
Sawmills and logging camps ...
31.76 32.53 32.13 41.8
Planing and plywood m ills_____________ 37.11 36. 92 35. 77 43.2
F u rn itu re and finished lum ber products ___ 35. 89 35. 21 33. 89 42.7
F u rn itu re __ ________________ ______
36. 56 35. 39 34. 49 42.5
Caskets and other m orticians ’ goods_____ 38. 27 38.06 33.48 43.5
Wood p re s e r v in g __ _____ ______
35. 52 36. 60 33. 71 44.0
Stone, clay, and glass p roducts_____________ 39. 56 39.05 39. 08 42.5
Glass and glassware____________________ 39.90 39. 39 38. 97 40.5
Glass products m ade from purchased glass 36.68 36.15 34. 42 42.8
C em ent__
43. 83 43. 32 44.91 45.6
Brick, tile, and terra c o tta _______ ____ 35.19 34.70 33. 47 41.7
P o ttery and related p ro d u cts__________
37.15 35.60 35.41 41.5
G y p su m .. _ ________ _____ ____ _ .
46.12 45. 88 44. 55 49.1
Lime ___. . . _ ________
41.31 39. 73 39.54 48.7
M arble, granite, slate, and other products. 40.18 41.26 37. 64 42. 1
A brasives.. ___________ ______
42.18 42. 25 48. 75 41.7
Asbestos products ______ ____ _______ 45.31 45.48 47. 40 45.0
Nondurable goods
Textile-m ill products and other fiber m anufactures.. _____ _ . _______
...
31.12 31.01 29.60 40.4
C otton m anufactures, except sm allw ares.. 28. 21 28. 32 27.13 40.4
C otton sm allw ares_______________
32. 86 33.22 34.62 40.8
Silk and rayon goods___________ ____
31.86 31.05 30.07 41.8
Woolen and worsted m anufactures, except
dyeing and finishing__________ _____ 35. 60 35. 84 34. 59 40.4
H osiery____________________ .
31.35 30. 67 27.31 37.7
See fo o tn o te s a t en d o f ta b le .


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Sept. Aug.
1945 1945

40.9
40.9
40.9
41.0
43.0
42.7
37.3
43.8
45.6
45.1
41.9
47.0
45.3

41.2
40.8
40.9
43.2
42.7
42.7
39.4
43.6
42.9
45.6
42.0
43.6
40.6

Oct.
1945

Sept. Aug.
1945 1945

Cents
103.2
104.3
93.3
106.4
111.8
110.3
116.5
114.0
108.8
117.2
120.9
102.7
99.4

Cents
101.3
102.4
91.3
106.1
111.9
110.2
115.8
117. 2
111. 1
115.2
121. 4
101.9
99.5

Cents
103.8
106.7
90.9
105.5
113.4
111.8
118.9
116.6
112.3
117.6
120.1
101.6
102.7

42.0

43.4 121.0 119.2 118.8

43.9
49.5
43.0

42.8 99.5 98.6 102.0
47.4 112.7 112.4 110. 7
35.5 110.0 110.3 110.4

38.3
38.5
41.2

41.7 124.6 126.0 129.7
40.9 126.3 123.9 126.2
40.4 108.9 107.1 114.2

37.2
36.2
38.6
41.1
36.5
42.5

40.7
37.2
43.6
46.7
33.5
43.3

119.0
119.1
129.4
102.6
122.1
104. 9

118.0
118.8
131.7
100.8
122.8
104.5

119.0
127.1
138.6
106.8
124. 5
106.7

44.9

45.8 105.8 106.7 109.7

43.8
38.7

46.8 112.7 110.4 112.5
41.7 92.9 94.0 94.6

44.2
47.0
40.4
39.0
40.9
40.5
42.4
42.3
41.7
43.9
44.8
41.8
39.8
42.1
45.0
40.9
39.7
49.9
47.2
42.4
41.9
45.9

42.3
45.4
33.6
42.8
40.5
40.2
41.3
40.6
40.2
38.3
42.4
41. 6
39.5
41. 2
46.5
40.4
39.4
47.6
48.1
39.9
45.1
46.8

103. 8
102. 7
101.9
102.1
78.3
75.9
85.7
84.1
86.1
87.6
80.7
93.2
98.5
86.0
96.1
84.1
90.8
94.0
83.6
95.4
100.7
100.6

101.6
100.9
100.6
102.0
81.9
80.4
86.9
83.2
85.0
86.8
81.8
93.4
99.2
86.4
96.2
84.1
90.9
92.0
84.0
97.4
100.7
99.1

97.3
101.1
103.6
106.2
81.3
79.9
85.9
83.5
85.8
86.9
79.4
93.9
98.9
82.8
96.5
82.3
90.4
93.5
81.3
94.0
108.1
101.2

40.6
40.6
41.7
40.8

38.4
38.3
42.1
39.3

77.0
69.8
80.4
76.2

76.3
69.8
79.6
76.1

77.0
70.8
82. 2
76.6

41.4
37.6

39.5
34. 2

88.2
83.0

86.6
81.7

87.7
79.8

161

TREND OF EMPLOYMENT, EARNINGS, AND HOURS
T a ble 6. —Earnings and Hours in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing

Industries—Con tinued
MANUFACTURING—Continued
Average weekly
earnings 1

Average hourly
earnings 1

Average weekly
hours 1

Industry
Oct.
1945

Sept. Aug.
1945 1945

Oct.
1945

Sept. Aug.
1945 1945

Oct.
1945

Sept. Aug.
1945 1945

Nondurable goods— C ontinued
Textile-m ill products, etc.—C ontinued.
K n itte d cloth_..____________________ _ $35.29 535.42 532.27
K n itte d outerw ear and k n itte d gloves... 32. 21 30.64 28.82
27.42 27.46 26. 61
K n itte d u nderw ear______ ____ _______ _
D yeing and finishing textiles, including
woolen and w orsted__________ ______ _ 34.41 34.95 34.46
C arpets and rugs, wool________________ 37.98 37.80 35.00
H ats, fur-felt*_________ ____ ___________ 48. 34 45. 75 42.41
35.20 35. 67 34. 60
Ju te goods, except felts________________
33. 51 34.04 32.63
Cordage and tw in e _________________ . . .

41.5
36.7
37.3

Cents ÍCents Cents
80.8 80.7 i 77.8
81.3 79.3 1 78.0
70.1 70.2 70.8

43.7
39.2
38.9

43.9
38.1
38.9

42.7
41.7
41.5
44.5
43.7

44.0 41.7 80.6 79.5 82.5
41.5 38.2 91.1 91.2 91.8
41.7 38.1 115.4 109.7 111.0
45.1 ■4 4 .O 79.1 79.2 78.7
44.2 42. 5 76.7 76.8 76.6

Apparel and other finished textile p ro d u c ts ...
M en ’s clothing, no t elsewhere classified...
Shirts, collars, and nightw ear......................
U nderw ear and neckwear, m en’s . . ...........
W ork s h ir ts ...________________________
W om en’s clothing, not elsewhere classified.
Corsets and allied g a rm e n ts......................
M illinery................. .......................... ............
H andkerchiefs______________________ _
C urtains, draperies, and bedspreads____
Housefurnishings, other th an curtains, etc.
Textile bags______________ ____ _

32.15
32.58
26.06
28. 02
22.05
41.16
31.17
43. 61
24. 42
26.42
30. 59
29.49

31.81
32.40
25. 53
26.98
20.97
40. 87
30. 71
42.92
23.93
25. 79
29.81
30.29

28.06
30.10
23. 03
23. 72
19. 46
33. 75
28.92
38.11
24.20
25. 83
29. 56
28.28

36.8
36.9
37.4
36.7
37.1
35.8
39.5
33.8
36.3
35.8
39.7
40.3

36.2
36.1
36.6
35.8
35.8
35.6
39.1
33.6
35.3
35.5
39.2
40.8

33.2 87.5 87.8 84.6
33.6 88.6 89.7 89. 6
33.3 69.6 70.0 70. 0
31.7 76.3 75.4 74.8
33.5 59.5 58.5 57.9
31.5 112.0 111.9 105. 2
37.2 79.1 78.7 77.9
30.8 104.7 104.3 101.8
35.5 67.9 67.8 68.2
35.3 73.0 72.3 73.1
37.2 76.7 75.5 79.2
39.3 73.3 74.2 71.9

L eather and leather p roducts___________
L eather___________________________
Boot and shoe cut stock and findings.
Boots and shoes___________________
L eather gloves and m itte n s_________
T ru n k s and suitcases______________

34. 94
44. 50
33.09
33.00
30.02
37.34

34.64
44.13
33.44
32. 95
30. 55
34.15

33.62
43.18
33.04
32. 24
27.48
32. 68

40.9
45.0
40.2
40.2
37.0
41.6

40.6
45.1
40.8
39.9
36.9
39.1

39.3
44.1
39.9
38.5
34.2
39.0

F ood_____ _______________________
Slaughtering and m eat p a ck in g ..
B u tte r............... .................................
Condensed and evaporated m ilk.
. Ice cream _____________________
Flour_____________ ____ _______
Cereal p rep aratio n s.___________
B aking_______________________
Sugar refining, cane____________
Sugar, b e et____________ '_______
Confectionery......... .........................
Beverages, nonalcoholic______ ...
M alt liquors_________ _________
Canning and preserving________

39.51
44.54
35.69
37.94
41.04
44.93
47.04
40.21
35.51
35.03
31.22
35.69
53.09
32.90

39. 36
45. 81
36. 37
39. 35
41.81
44.49
49.22
39. 83
37.62
37.45
31.79
36.85
56.03
32. 24

38.16
41.57
36. 71
39.97
40.19
43.18
45. 2C
39.66
36. 32
37. 87
30.18
35. 83
53.13
30.11

44.1
46.9
46. 5
47.6
46.8
48.7
44.7
45.8
41.2
38.7
40.6
42.5
45.6
39.3

44.7
48.0
47.2
49.7
48.0
49.4
48.6
45.7
43.6
36.7
40.9
44. C
47.5
40.8

43.3
44.4
48.4
52. C
47.8
48.6
45.4
45.5
41.9
38.4
39.4
43.3
45.3
36.9

Tobacco m anufactures_______ _____
C ig a re tte s...._________________
Cigars______________ _______

. 33.30 33.21
. 35.44 35. 77
. 32.13 31.40
29.11 30.11

29.85
33.55
26.49
28.30

42.0
42.3
42.3
39.7

42.3
43. !
41.6
41.6

39.0
41.1
37.1
37.1

79.3
83.8
76.1
73.3

78.6
83.0
75.4
72.4

76.5
81.7
71.0
74.6

Paper and allied products.
Paper and p u lp _____
Envelopes___________
Paper bags....................
P ap er boxes...................

.
.
.
.

41.00
44.55
37.81
36.7t
37.24

40. 78
44.12
38.12
36.28
36.8f

38.69
41.86
36.44
33.48
34. 4C

45.8
48.2
43.7
43.6
43.6

45.8
47.8
44.9
43.5
43.6

44.0
45.9
43.4
41.1
41. ‘

89.5
92.5
86.6
84.8
85.1

89.0
92.4
84.9
84. 1
84.4

88.0
91. 1
84.0
8 l. 2
83.2

Printing, publishing, and allied industries.
N ew spapers and periodicals____ _____
P rinting, book and job______________
L ith o g rap h in g .______ ______________

_
_
.
.

4 8.lt
52.21
45.81
51.41

48. 96
52.43
47.58
50. 91

46.66
53.11
43.44
47.11

41.6
39.1
42.9
44."

42.2
39.3
43.8
44.

40."
39.'
41.6
42.

115.7
131.7
108.3
115.1

116.0
131.1
109.4
113.8

114.4
131.7
106.3
109/9

Chemicals and allied p ro d u cts....................
.
Paints, varnishes, and colors...................
D rugs, medicines, and insecticides____ .
Soap____ ___________ ______ ________
.
R ayon and allied p roducts___________ .
Chemicals, not elsewhere classified___ .
.
Explosives and safety fuses__________
A m m unition, sm all-arm s......................... _
Cottonseed o il................................ ............ _
Fertilizers_____ ____ ______ _________ ..

42. 7f
45. 5(
36.5=
47.81
39.3(
50.2.
43.5
46.3
30.6
32.9

13.1(
46.21
36.51
49.81
38.8.
51.4
42.1
42.3.
28.6
33.75 '

43. 51
46.3'
35.2
47.91
40.3
53.9
44.8
37.3
26.0
32. 5

43.
45.'
4L'
46.
41.
43.
38.
43.
54.
44.O'

43.3
45.
41.
48.
41.
44.1
39.
41.1
50.
44.

43.'
46.1
41.
47. i
42.
46.
42.
38.
45. J
43. 6

99.
100.1
87. (
102.1
96.6
116.
113.
107.
55.
74.

99. t 100.3
99.8
101.
85.6
87.
103.' 100.6
95.3
94.
116. 116.0
105. 105.9
97.8
102.
56.
57. 9
74/5
75.

S e e f o o t n o t e s a t e n d o f ta b le .


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

85.5
99.2
82.8
82.0
81.6
89.3

85.2
98.1
82.3
82.1
83.2
87.4

85.7
97.9
83.3
83.2
80.2
83.4

89.5 88.0 88.2
95.4 95.8 94.0
76.6 76.4 75.3 ■
79.7 79.1 76.8
84.5 83.8 81.7
93.0 90.1 89.1
105.0 101.1 99.5
88.0 87.4 87.4
86.2 86.4 80.7
90.6 102.0 98.7
79.0 77.8 76.6
83.9 83.9 83.2
116.3 117.8 110.9
83.6 79. 5 82. 3

162

M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

194 6

T a ble 6.— Earnings and Hours in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing

Industries— Continued
MANUFACTURING—Continued
Average weekly
earnings 1

Average weekly
hours 1

Average hourly
earnings

In d u stry
Oct.
1945

Sept. Aug.
1.945 1945

Oct.
1945

Sept. Aug.
1945 1945

Nondurable goods—C ontinued

Oct.
1945

Sept. Aug
1945 1945

$57. 28
$52.05
52. 59 57.37 59. 77
45.18 48.82 51.48
Coke and b v p r o d u e ts .._____ — — Roofing m aterials------- . . . ------- ------- 46.76 44.12 45.55

43.0
42.2
43. 9
48.3

44.9
44.8
45.2
45.2

Cents Cents Cents
46.9 121.0 121.7 122.2
46.9 128.6 128.1 128.0
46.9 103.4 108.6 109.7
46.6 96.7 97.6 97.7

46.76
52.81
42. 21
40.02

40.7
38.8
44.7
42.7

42.3
41.7
45.0
42.3

41.8 109.2 108.9 111.9
41.5 121.7 122. 8 126.9
45.1 90.8 91.7 93.7
41.3 97.2 96.4 96.9

40. 25 40.23 40. 72
In stru m en ts (professional and scientific),
and fire control equ ip m en t____________ 46.52 45.77 51.39
Pianos, organs, and p a rts __________ ____ 38. 53 39.90 41.34

42.0

42.2

41.8

41.3
40.6

40.6
41.4

44.4 111.9 112.1 116. 2
40.8 95.9 97.0 101.7

$49.89 $49. 29
52. 73 49.90
45.33 43.98
41.91 41.25
55.41 55.51

41.4
33.0
44.3
47.2
44.1

37.0
42.3
43.0
46.5
45.4

37.1
40.1
42.0
46.6
46.8

42.96
43.44
50. 71
51.59
43. 27
29.01
34.68
23.91
29.99
39.49
42. 58
37. 66
24. 37
27.68
31.14
59.10
46. 73
55.79

41.9
45.4
43.4
50.9
42.6
40.4
40.9
36.8
37.5
44.0
45.9
43.1
43.7
43.2
43.5
(5)
(5)
38.7

41.5
45.9
43.0
51.3
42.4
40.7
41.3
37.1
37.6
44.0
46.5
43.3
43.4
43.4
43.1
(5)
(5)
38.1

44.1 97.2 95.9 97.7
48.2 82. 2 82.5 90.1
44.3 112.8 114.9 113.9
52.3 98.2 98.3 97.4
42.4 104. 5 102.5 101.3
41.2 79.2 78.0 77.3
42.6 78.8 77.9 77,3
38.0 64.7 63.8 63.4
37.3 85.2 82.2 82.2
43.5 93.9 92.5 92.3
45.7 98.4 96.5 94.5
42.0 92.7 92.2 90.3
43.7 57.0 56.7 55.5
42.4 66.2 66.1 64.9
41.5 79.4 77.8 74.6
(h
(5)
(8)
(5)
(5)
(>)
C)
(5)
40.3 139.6 139.2 138.3

produ cts df petroleum and coal

R ubber products----- ------------- ----------------R ubber tires and inner tu b e s___________
R ubber boots and shoes--------- --------------R u b b er goods, o t h e r . . ------- ---------------

44.50
49.48
40. 44
41.47

46. 09
53. 59
41.19
40. 77

95.9

95.3

97.5

N O N M A N U FA CTU RIN G
M ining:
A n th racite____________________________
B itum inous coal_______________________
M e ta l.- ____ _________________________
Q uarrying and n o n m e ta llic ....................... .
C rude-petroleum production____________
Public utilities:
T elephone__ ______ _____ _________
Telegraph 3 _________ _______________
Electric light and pow er________________
Street railw ays and busses
Wholesale tra d e ________________________ . .
R etail tra d e ___
___________________ ____
Food
. . . _______ ___________ . .
General m erchandise___________________
______________________
Apparel __
F u rn itu re and housefurnishings..................
A utom otive
____________________
Lumber and building m aterials___ ___ __
H otels (year-round) 4______________________
Pow er laundries. __ _____________________
Cleaning and dyeing________________ ______
B rok erag e..
__________________________
Insurance__
__ ______________________
P riv ate building construction. _____________

$56.45
39.98
46.31
42.63
52.52
40. 54
37. 34
49.22
50. 40
44.60
29.17
34. 34
24.12
30.92
41.12
44.20
39.31
25.08
28. 74
33. 72
64.80
46.88
54.05

39. 62
37.87
49.91
50. 54
43. 85
28.95
34. 20
23.89
30.05
39.74
44.82
39.24
24.79
28. 59
33.00
60. 69
46.73
53.11

Cents
135.8
124.2
104.6
90.2
118.7

Cents
134.1
126.1
105.5
90.0
122.2

Cents
132.7
124. 9
104.8
88.5
118.7

1 These figures are based on reports from cooperating establishm ents covering both full- and part-tim e
employees who w orked during any p a rt of one pay period ending nearest th e 15th of the m onth. As not all
reporting firms furnish m an-hour d ata, average hours and' average hourly earnings for individual industries
are based on a slightly smaller sample th a n are weekly earnings. D a ta for th e current and im m ediately
preceding m onths are subject to revision^
2 Revisions have been made as follows in th e d ata for earlier m onths:
Steel barrels, kegs, and drums.—Ju ly 1945 to $43.74 and 42.9 hours.
Lighting equipment.—A pril through Ju ly 1945 to $47.28, $47.40, $48.19, and $46.65.
Hats, fur-felt.—Ju ly 1945 to 39.8 hours.
_,
.
. .
3 Excludes messengers and approxim ately 6,000 employees of general and divisional headquarters, and of
cable companies.
.
4 Cash paym ents only; additional value of board, room, and tips not included.
e N ot available.

Labor Force, November 1945
INCREASES of 160,000 in unemployment and 170,000 in employ­
ment led to a rise of 330,000 in the civilian labor force between October
and November 1945, according to the Bureau of the Census sample
Monthly Report on the Labor Force. In November, the civilian labor

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163

TREND OF EMPLOYMENT, EARNINGS, AND HOURS

force totaled 53,440,000 persons including 51,730,000 employed and
1,710,000 unemployed.
The October-to-November increases in both unemployment and
employment to a large extent reflected the return of many discharged
veterans into the civilian labor force. Unemployment among men
increased by 250,000 during the month, being partially offset by a
decrease of *90,000 among women. At the same time, male employ­
ment rose by 440,000, while female employment dropped by 270,000.
The decline in the number of women workers reflected seasonal as
well as other withdrawals.
In spite of reaching a new postwar high in November, the volume
of unemployment continued to be minimized by the fact that large
numbers of demobilized servicemen were temporarily not seeking
work.
The gain in employment between October and November was the
net result of divergent movements in agricultural and nonagricultural
employment. A gain of 540,000 in nonfarm employment more than
offset a decline of 370,000 in farm employment. With a strong under­
lying demand for labor, nonagricultural employment expanded largely
in consequence of the inflow of servicemen into the labor market.
Agricultural employment declined seasonally as fall harvests were
completed in many areas.
Total Labor Force in the United States, Classified by Employment Status, Hours Worked,
and Sex, October and November 1945
[Source: U. S. D epartm ent of Commerce, B ureau of the Census]
Estim ated num ber (in thousands) of persons 14 years of age
and over 1
Item

Total, both sexes

M ale

Female

O ctober2 November 2
(revised)

O ctober2 November 2
(revised)

O ctober2 Novem(revised)
ber 2

Total labor force 3---- --------- ------------ ------

63,750

62,620

44,990

44,250

18, 760

18, 370

Civilian labor force.. .
U nem ploym ent------- --------- ----E m p lo y m en t___
___ _
.. .. ...
N onagricultural_________ _
...
W orked 35 hours or more . . .
W orked 15-34 hours_________
W orked 1-14 hours 4________
W ith a job b u t not at work
A gricultural- _-J . . . -----W orked 35 hours or m ore____
W orked 15-34 hours_________
W orked 1-14 hours 4________
W ith a job b u t not at work * _

53,110
1,550
51,560
. 42, 770
35,180
4,740
1,130
1,720
, 790
6,820
1,660
190
• 120

53,440
1,710
51, 730
43, 310
35,990
4,460
1,280
1,580
8,420
6,460
1,610

34,590
930
33,660
27,060
23, 320
2,140
440
1,160
6,600
5,610
770

35, 280
1,180
34,100
27, 750
24,340
1,910
490

18, 520
620
17,900
15,710
11,860
2,600
690
560
2,190

18,160
530
17, 630
15, 560
11, 650
2, 550
790
570
2,070

8

220
130

110
110

1,010

6,350
5,350
760

120
120

1,210

890
(*)
(*)

1,110
850
100

(*)

1 Estim ates are subject to sampling variation which m ay be large in cases where the quantities shown are
relatively small. Therefore, the smaller estimates should be used w ith caution; those under 100,000 are not
presented in the tables b u t are replaced w ith an asterisk (♦). All d ata exclude persons in institutions.
2 These figures include an adjustm ent for about 1 million recently discharged veterans who had not yet
returned to their homes and who were, therefore, no t adequately represented in the sample.
a Total labor force consists of th e civilian labor force and th e arm ed forces. E stim ates of the arm ed forces
during the census week are projected from d ata on n et strength as of th e first of the m onth.
* Excludes persons engaged only in incidental u npaid family work (less th a n 15 hours); these persons are
classified as not in the labor force.
s Includes persons who had a job or business, b u t who did no t w ork during the census week because of
illness, bad weather, vacation, labor dispute, or because of tem porary lay-ofl w ith definite instructions
to retu rn to work w ithin 30 days of lay-off. Does no t include unpaid family workers.


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Recent Publications o f Labor Interest

January 1946
Cooperative Movement
19U W ashington, U. S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics, 1945. 22 pp. (Bull. No. 843; reprinted from M onthly
Labor Review, September 1945, w ith additional data.) 10 cents, Super­
intendent of Documents, Washington.

O p e r a tio n s o f c o n s u m e r s ’ c o o p e r a tiv e s i n

B e th le h e m

and

R o c h d a le :

The

c h u rc h e s

and

co n su m er

c o o p e r a tio n ,

1 8 8 4 -1 9 4 4 .

,Benson Y - Landis. New York, Cooperative League of the U. S. A.
1944. 62 pp., bibliography, illus. 25 cents.
O u rs e lv e s , I n c . : T h e s to r y o f c o n s u m e r f r e e e n te r p r is e .
By Leo R. Ward New
York, H arper & Bros., 1945. 236 pp. $2.50.
The consumers cooperative movement is described in term s of simple, moving
observations a t cooperative associations visited by the author throughout the
Middle West.
By G. D. H. Cole. M anchester, England, Cooperative
Union, Ltd., 1945. 428 pp., maps, charts. 10c.
A history of the forerunners of the British cooperative movement and of the
movement itself, interpreting the events in the light of the times and showing
how the m ovem ent affected and was affected by other economic, political, and
social movements. _ Also discusses cooperators in politics, and international
cooperation, and gives statistics showing the development of cooperation in
G reat Britain.
^
A c e n tu r y o f c o o p e r a tio n .

Economic and Social Problems
By Lawrence K. Rosinger. New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1945
259 pp., map. $3.
Contains a section on the economic crisis showing the unlimited price rises
and the ineffectiveness of controls.
C h i n a ’s c r i s i s .

By Jürgen Kuczynski
New York, International Publishers, 1945.” 234 pp. $2.50.'
Description of the structure and the general economic policy of German fascism
and of the resultant serf-like condition of workers in Germany during th e Nazi
regime.
G e r m a n y : E c o n o m ic a n d la b o r c o n d itio n s u n d e r f a s c i s m .

By Fritz Sternberg. (In Social Research, New
York, September 1945, pp. 328-349. ?5 cents.)
Analysis of the ‘economic roots and implications” of Japanese imperialism.
Shows the development of Ja p an ’s m anufacturing industries, 1931-37, in numbers
of factories and workers and value of production, and its domestic production and
im portation of raw m aterials, 1936. Somewhat similar d ata are given for Korea
and Manchuria.
J a p a n ’s e c o n o m ic i m p e r i a l i s m .

E ditor ’s N ote .—Correspondence regarding the publications to w hich reference is m ade in this list should
pe addressed to th e respective publishing agencies m entioned. W here data on prices were readily available,
they have been shown w ith th e.title entries.

164


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Employment (General)
W ashington, U. S. Gov­
ernm ent Printing Office, 1945. 66, 83, 8 pp. (Senate Committee on Bank­
ing and Currency subcommittee report No. 5; committee report No. 583,
in two parts.)
The two reports listed contain discussion of the need for the Senate’s fullem ployment bill (S. 380), principles and im plem entation of the legislation, and
the support for and opposition to it, with other related material.
B a s i c f a c t s o n e m p lo y m e n t a n d p r o d u c tio n .
Washington, U. S. Government
Printing Office, 1945. 35 pp., charts. (Senate Committee on Banking and
Currency print No. 4.)
Described by the committee as a selective compilation of basic economic data
intended to answer the question, “ W hat are the essential statistics bearing on the
problem of m aintaining full production and full em ployment?” The tables relate
to such subjects as population, employment, production and worker productivity,
income, prices,- wages, hours of work, labor cost, public and private finance, and
foreign trade.
A s s u r i n g f u l l e m p lo y m e n t i n a f r e e c o m p e titiv e e c o n o m y .

Washington, U. S. Govern­
m ent Printing Office, 1945. 25 pp. (Senate Committee on Banking and
Currency print No. 3.)
S u m m a r y o f F e d e r a l _a g e n c y r e p o r ts o n f u l l e m p lo y m e n t b ill.
Washington, U. S.
Government Printing Office, 1945. 102 pp. (Senate Committee on Bank­
ing and Currency print No. 1.)
The five reports listed immediately above were prepared in connection with
hearings on Senate bill 380, a bill “to establish a national policy and program for
assuring continuing full employment in a free competitive economy, through the
concerted efforts of industry, agriculture, labor, S tate and local governments, and
the Federal G overnm ent.”
F u ll e m p lo y m e n t: I t s e c o n o m ic a n d le g a l a s p e c ts .
By Emile Benoit-Smullyan. (In
Antioch Review, Vol. 5, No. 3, Yellow Springs, Ohio, fall 1945, pp. 320-334.
75 cents.)
D iscussesthe meaning of the term full employment and analyzes the problems
involved in its attainm ent. Other articles in this issue deal w ith related problems
of the reconversion period.
I n v e s tig a tio n o f c i v i l i a n e m p lo y m e n t.
Report of the Committee on the Civil
Service, House of Representatives, 79th Congress, 1st session, pursuant to
H. Res. 66 * * *. Washington, U. S. Government Printing Office,
1945. Variously paged. (Union calendar No. 136; House report No. 514,
79th Cong., 1st sess.)
_ Report on the pay structure of the United States Government as it affects
civilian employees in the executive branch, w ith pertinent legislation and statis­
tics of employment.
T h e r o a d to h ig h e m p lo y m e n t: A d m i n i s t r a t i v e c o n tr o ls i n a f r e e e c o n o m y .
By
Douglas Berry Copland. Cambridge, Mass., H arvard University Press,
1945. .137 pp. $1.75.
The author outlines the nature of public controls which he believes to be neces­
sary for insuring “high” employment and which a t the same time are consistent
with freedom in the sense of the maintenance of democratic procedures. Although
based to a considerable extent on British data, the point of view is prim arily
international.
T h e r e 's w o r k f o r a ll.
By Michael Young and Theodor Prager. London, Nichol­
son & Watson, 1945. 128 pp., bibliography, charts, illus. 5s. net.
Suggests the policy of enlarging public investm ent at all times and redistribut­
ing incomes to insure a high em ployment level.
H i s t o r y o f th e E m p l o y m e n t S t a b i l iz a t i o n A c t o f 1 9 3 1 .

T h e o r g a n iz a tio n o f e m p lo y m e n t i n th e tr a n s i t io n f r o m w a r to p e a c e : R e v ie w a r tic le
w ith s p e c ia l re fe r e n c e to S o u th A f r i c a .
By R. H. Smith. (In South African

Journal of Economics, Johannesburg, June 1945, pp. 91-116.

6s.)

Employment and Readjustment of Veterans
T h e p r o b le m o f r e e m p lo y in g s e r v ic e m e n — h o w to h a n d le i t ; a n e x p la n a tio n o f th e
S e le c tiv e S e r v ic e A c t a n d G . I . B i l l o f R ig h ts .
New York, Prentice-Hall, Inc.,

1945.

32 pp.

$1.


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194 6

T h e m a n a n d th e jo b .
Report of the Subcommittee on Rehabili­
tation, Committee on Work in Industry, N ational Research Council. Wash­
ington, 1945. 73 pp. (Reprint and circular series, No. 121.)

R e h a b ilita tio n :

R e p o rt of N e w

Z e a la n d

R e h a b ilita tio n

B oard fo r year

en ded

M arch

S I,

1945.

Wellington, 1945. 23 pp. 9d.
Account of operations in assisting ex-servicemen in their return to civilian life.

Family Allowances
a llo w a n c e s f o r th e V . S . A . f
By Edgar Schmiedeler. Washington,
N ational Catholic Welfare Conference, 1945. 7 pp. (Reprinted from Homi­
letic and Pastoral Review, New York, September 1945.)
According to the author, perhaps the most promising and effective means of
providing security for families in the low-income groups would be “through the
adoption of a first-rate program of family allowances.”
F a m i l y a llo w a n c e s i n F r a n c e .
(In International Labor Review, M ontreal, AugustSeptember 1945, pp. 196-210. 50 cents.)
Traces the development of the scheme from its beginning, including adminis­
trative organization, benefit rates, and other principal characteristics of the
present system.
L e s a llo c a tio n s f a m i l i a l e s a u x tr a v a ille u r s p r iv é s d e le u r s a la ir e .
Paris, Bibliothèque
de l’A ctualité Sociale, 1943. 285 pp.
Brings together the many French provisions for family allowances for persons
who are not at work, as a result of accident, illness, m aternity, loss of job, etc.
F a m ily

Guaranteed Wages and Employment
e m p lo y m e n t s t a b i l i z a ti o n te c h n iq u e s .
New York, American
M anagement Association, 1945. 96 pp. (Research report No. 8.) $2.25
to nonmembers.
P art I analyzes some of the leading annual wage or em ploym ent-guaranty
plans in effect and discusses the factors to be considered in setting up such plans.
P art II is devoted to a description of techniques in stabilizing production and
employment. A 20-page (processed) supplement gives a checklist of “some of
the m ajor considerations which a company should review before adopting a
specific employment stabilization technique and a guaranteed wage plan.”
T h e g u a r a n te e d a n n u a l w a g e .
By Waldo E. Fisher. Pasadena, Calif., California
In stitute of Technology, Industrial Relations Section, December 1945.
4 pp. Free.
Brief summaries of the nature and extent of guaranteed annual-wage plans
and of union demands for such protection, with an appraisal of the economic
feasibility of the guaranteed annual wage.
G u a r a n te e d e m p lo y m e n t a n d in c o m e s ta b i l i z a ti o n .
Princeton, N. J., Princeton
University, Industrial Relations Section, January 1945. 4 pp. (Selected
references, No. 1.) 10 cents.
S o m e a s p e c ts o f th e p r o p o s e d g u a r a n te e d w a g e .
By Irving S. Olds. '[New York,
United States Steel Corporation?], 1945. 17 pp.
In this address the chairman of the board of directors of the U nited States
Steel Corporation discussed the meaning and implications of two types of guar­
anteed wage plans—the “ voluntary” guaranty and the “ compulsory” guaranty.
A n n u a l w ages an d

Housing
H o u s in g

g o a ls — f i n d i n g

th e f a c t s

and

m e a s u r in g

th e

need

Washington, U. S. N ational Housing Agency, 1945.

in

A m e r ic a n

c itie s .

33 pp.; processed.

T e n th a n n u a l r e p o r t, r e v ie w in g th e a c tiv itie s o f th e D e tr o it H o u s in g C o m m is s io n f o r
th e y e a r 1 9 4 4 .
D etroit, Mich., 1945. 63 pp., maps, charts, illus.

London, Royal Institute of British Architects, [1944?]. 42 pp. Is.
Presentation of B ritain’s housing needs and the essentials to fulfilling them.
H o u s in g a n d th e s ta te , 1 9 1 9 —4 4 ■ By M arian Bowley.
London, Geo. Allen &
Unwin, Ltd., 1945. 283 pp., charts. 15s. net.
Describes experiments with governmental supply of housing in G reat Britain
between the two great wars and unsettled questions on housing policy.
H o u s in g .


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RECENT PUBLICATIONS OF LABOR INTEREST

167

Industrial Hygiene and Health
T h e m e d ic a l a n d e n v ir o n m e n ta l c o n tro l o f h e a lth h a z a r d s i n a i r c r a f t a s s e m b ly p l a n ts .

By Eugene B. Ley and Frederick J. Vintinner. (In Industrial Medicine,
Chicago, October 1945, pp. 779-787; illus. 50 cents.)
H e r n ia s a n d s e r io u s i n j u r i e s i n M a r i t i m e C o m m is s io n s h i p y a r d s , w ith r e fe r e n c e to
p r e p la c e m e n t e x a m in a tio n s .
By Charles M. McGill, M.D. (In Journal of the

American Medical Association, Chicago, November 3, 1945, pp. 672-676;
chart. 25 cents.)
Comparison of data for over 100,000 workers in five shipyards giving physical
preplacement examinations w ith information for a similar group of workers in five
yards w ithout examinations. Average number and rate per thousand of hernias
and serious compensation cases per m onth were about three times as high in
yards w ithout examinations as in those w ith examinations.
O c c u p a tio n a l d is e a s e s i n N e w

Y o r k S ta te — a s t a tis tic a l s t u d y o f c a u s e s a n d ty p e s .

(In Industrial Bulletin and Employment Review, New York D epartm ent of
Labor, Albany, June 1945, pp. 218-223. 10 cents.)
Based on workmen’s compensation cases closed in 1943 and 1944, with summary
figures for earlier years.
U s e f u l c r ite r ia i n th e i d e n tif ic a tio n o f c e r ta in o c c u p a tio n a l h e a lth h a z a r d s .
[Salt
Lake City?], U tah State D epartm ent of Health, Division of Industrial
Hygiene, 1945. 115 pp. $1.
Injurious substances are classified by chief employing industry and by occupa­
tion. Special attention is given to toxic substances; occupational dermatoses;
chemical warfare agents; carbon monoxide inhalation; welding hazards; flammable
liquids, gases, and solids; and miscellaneous hazards connected with air pressure,
altitude, tem perature, radiant energy, dust, etc. In certain connections, causa­
tive and diagnostic aspects, as well as prevention and control, are treated.
B a ttle f o r h e a lth : A p r i m e r o f s o c ia l m e d ic in e .
By Stephen Taylor, M.D. Lond#n,
Nicholson & W atson, 1944. 128 pp., bibliography, charts, illus. 5s. net.
Popular account of the principal diseases, and of official health services available
in G reat Britain.
I n d u s t r i a l m e d ic in e : S e c o n d i n t e r i m r e p o r t, J a n u a r y 1 9 4 5 , o f S o c ia l a n d P r e v e n tiv e
M e d i c i n e C o m m itte e , R o y a l C o lleg e o f P h y s i c i a n s o f L o n d o n .
London, 1945.

24 pp.
Wellington,
1945. 34 pp., chart. Is.
Report on health conditions in New Zealand, including a special section on
tuberculosis control and one on industrial hygiene, the latter including recom­
mendations for raising hygienic and esthetic standards in New Zealand factories
by State and industrial action.
A n n u a l r e p o r t o f N e w Z e a la n d D e p a r tm e n t o f H e a lth f o r y e a r 1 9 4 4 ~ 4 5 .

Industrial Relations
By Ludwig Teller. New York,
Baker, Voorhis & Co., Inc., 1945. 334 pp., bibliography. $3.75.
Using the development of collective bargaining and labor legislation during the
past 50 years as a starting point, the author seeks to develop a national labor code
for the United States. The first three chapters are devoted to a summary of the
development of labor relations law, the role of courts in labor controversies, and
labor policy and adm inistrative procedures. Chapter 4 evaluates the alleged
shortcomings of judicial and adm inistrative procedure w ith a view to formulating
corrective proposals. These four chapters constitute p art I of the volume. P art
II outlines in detail the proposed labor code.
T h e N a t i o n a l War L a b o r B o a r d a n d p o s tw a r i n d u s t r i a l r e la tio n s .
By Paul Fisher.
(In Quarterly Journal of Economics, Cambridge, Mass., August 1945, pp.
483-523. $1.25.)
The author refers to the “ vast and im portant contributions which the W ar
Labor Board has made to American industrial relations” and suggests utilization
of its work in the development of a voluntary system for settling industrial dis­
putes under normal peacetime conditions.
P u b lic r e la tio n s d ir e c to r y a n d y e a r b o o k , V o l. 1.
New' York, Public Relations
Directory and Yearbook, Inc., 1945. 855 pages.
Most of the volume concerns public relations of business enterprises b u t there
are sections on labor public relations, Government business facts needed in public
relations, and some other subjects of interest to employee groups.
A la b o r p o l i c y f o r A m e r ic a : A n a tio n a l la b o r co d e.


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M ONTHLY LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

W a r tim e m e th o d s o f la b o r - m a n a g e m e n t c o n s u lta tio n i n th e U n i t e d S ta te s a n d G r e a t
B r ita in .
(In International Labor Review. Montreal, October 1945 pp

309-334. 50 cents.)
Deals w ith consultation a t different levels, national, production, and regional,
and points out the similarities in the two countries.

Industry and Commerce
Washington, U. S. D epartm ent of Com­
merce, Civil Aeronautics Administration, 1945. xii, 147 pp., charts. 55 cents,
Superintendent of Documents, Washington.
The study outlines a program of Government aid, which, it is believed, would
result in the m ost satisfactory development of civil aviation during th e first 10
postw ar years. I t is estim ated th a t with Government assistance of $100,000,000
annually during th a t period civil aviation would be able by 1955 to provide more
than 750,000 new jobs. The volume contains extensive statistical data, especially
in the appendixes.
C i v i l a v ia tio n a n d th e n a tio n a l e c o n o m y .

M a r i t i m e P r e p a r a t o r y T e c h n ic a l C o n fe re n c e , C o p e n h a g e n , N o v e m b e r 1 9 4 5 : R e p o r t I ,
W a g e s ; h o u r s o f w o r k o n b o a r d s h i p s ; m a n n in g . R e p o r t I I , L e a v e . R e p o r t I I I ,
A c c o m m o d a tio n o n b o a r d s h i p .
R e p o r t I V , F o o d a n d c a te r in g .
R ep o rt V ,
R e c o g n itio n o f s e a f a r e r s ’ o r g a n i z a t i o n s . R e p o r t V I , S o c ia l in s u r a n c e . R e p o r t
V I I , C o n tin u o u s e m p lo y m e n t. R e p o r t V I I I , E n t r y , t r a i n i n g a n d p r o m o tio n
o f s e a fa r e r s .
Montreal, International Labor Office, 1945. Variously paged

Report I, 60 cents; Reports II, IV, V, 20 cents; Reports III, VÌI, V ili,
50 cents; Report VI, 35 cents; set, $2.50.
R e p o r t o f th e I n d u s t r i a l C o m m is s io n e r to th e R e ta i l T r a d e M i n i m u m W a g e B o a r d
r e la tin g to w a g e s a n d o th e r c o n d itio n s o f e m p lo y m e n t i n th e r e t a il tr a d e i n d u s t r y
i n N e w Y o r k S ta te . Albany, New York State D epartm ent of Labor, Division

of Wages, Hours, Women and Child Labor, 1945. 102 pp., charts; mimeo­
graphed.
Statistics included are for the m ost p art for 1943 and 1944,
T e x tile in d u s t r y : S u m m a r y o f e c o n o m ic f a c to r s b e a r in g o n th e p r o p o s a l to a m e n d
th e p r e v a ilin g m i n im u m - w a g e d e t e r m in a tio n f o r th e te x tile i n d u s t r y u n d e r th e
P u b l i c C o n tr a c ts A c t.
New York, U. S. D epartm ent of Labor, Wage and H our

and Public Contracts Divisions, October 1945.
Free.

40 pp.; mimeographed.

Ottawa, W artime Inform ation Board, 1945. 19 pp.
(Reconstruction supplement No. 3 to Canadian Affairs.)
Discussion of the jobs created on and off the construction site in Canada,
covering the working force, occupations, unions, and related matters.
W h a t a b o u t th e b u ild e r s f

B u ild in g

a p p r e n tic e s h ip

and

tr a i n i n g

c o u n c il,

se c o n d

r e p o r t,

D ecem ber

1944.

M inistry of Works, 1945. 40 pp. 9d. net, His M ajesty’s Stationery
Office, London.
Recommends the recruitm ent of 25,000 apprentices annually for B ritain’s
building industry, and outlines suggested adm inistrative and training require­
ments.

Labor Legislation
S ta te o f C o n n e c tic u t la b o r la w s , r e v is e d to J u l y 1, 1 9 4 5 .

Labor and Factory Inspection, 1945.

351 pp.

H artford, Department, of

L a h o r la w s a n d m is c e lla n e o u s le g is la tio n r e la tin g to th e S t a t e L a b o r a n d I n d u s t r i a l
C o m m is s io n o f N e w M e x ic o .
Santa Fe, [Labor and Industrial Commission?],

1945.

135 pp.

C o m p ila tio n o f la b o r la w s : A p p r e n t i c e s h i p la w s , v e te r a n s a p p r e n tic e s h ip p o lic y ,
la b o r lie n la w s , [ S ta te o f W a s h in g to n ] , a n d F e d e r a l F a i r L a b o r S t a n d a r d s A c t.

Olympia, D epartm ent of Labor and Industries, 1945.

80 pp.

L e y f u n d a m e n t a l d e l tr a b a jo : L e y d e 2 8 d e N o v ie m b r e d e 1 9 4 2 y d e c r e to r e g la m e n ta r io
d e 1 3 d e A g o s to d e 1 9 4 8 , c o m e n ta r io s , c r ític a , c o n c o r d a n c ia s , [ B o liv ia ].
By

Alberto Cornejo S. Cochabamba, Universidad Autónoma de Cochabamba,
1944. 91 pp. (Cuadernos sobre derecho y ciencias sociales, No. 26.)


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169

Labor Organizations and Activities
M a in te n a n c e - o f - m e m b e r s h ip a n d o th e r m e a s u r e s f o r u n io n s e c u r ity :
en ces 1 9 4 1 -4 5 .
Compiled by Edna L. Stone. Washington,

S e le c te d r e fe r ­

U. S. D epart­
m ent of Labor, Library, November 1945. 12 pp.; mimeographed. Free.
O r g a n iz e d la b o r ’s p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n s o c ia l w o r k : A s e le c te d b ib lio g r a p h y .
Compiled
by M argaret M. O tto New Aork, Russell Sage Foundation, October 1945.
© pp. (.Lull. JNo. 163.) 10 cents.

la b o r ’s r is e to p o w e r
By H arry W. Laidler. New York, League for
Industrial Democracy, Inc., 1945. 39 pp., bibliography. 25 cents.
. -Account of the recent elections, labor history, and structure of the Labor P arty
in O reat Britain.
B r itis h

The

lis^or^G erm an^^^l1 ^ ° a^ '

^ ' ®45.

Hans G ottfurcht. London, the au35 pp.; mimeographed. (In Eng-

A group of German trade-unionists in G reat Britain has outlined a platform for
the. reconstruction of the German unions and for dealing w ith the economic,
social, and educational problems which will confront Germany, with special em­
phasis on recommendations for the transitional period.

Medical Care and Sickness Insurance
° ™

l X

t
m l ’alt2i9BpyPH7 i yJ : Ml,stard' M-D - New York' Com™ " Traces development of public health services in Federal, State, and local sectors
of government 111 the U nited States and evaluates trends and needs in light of the
increased importance which medical care and other basic health services are
assuming.
0

h e a lth in s u r a n c e a n d s ic k n e s s b en e fit p l a n s i n c o lle c tiv e b a r g u u d n q .
By
Helen Baker and D orothy Dahl. Princeton, N. J., Princeton University
N o l 72rj $ie 50
S SeCtl°n ’ 1945, 89 PP- charts- (Research report series!
Analysis of provisions, policies, and problems, based on a survey of some 275
a jor-m anagem ent sickness-benefit plans in industry. Summary d ata are given
tor 14 specific health-insurance programs sponsored by trade-unions. Emphasis
is placed on the movement as a development in trade-unionism. Support of
proposals for State and national systems of health insurance by labor, and factors
likely _to aliect the inclusion of group sickness-insurance provisions in collectivew e r e ^ a n ^ s ^ d 6111611^ ’ &re d*scussed- Employer attitudes tow ard such agreements
G rou p

M e d i c a l c a r e a n d h e a lth s e r v ic e s f o r r u r a l v e o v le

[1944?].

226 pp.

$1.

Chicago, Farm Foundation,

CWcagoeS 1A prilf1944COnferenCe’ sponsored bT the Farm Foundation, held a t
By Louis H. Bauer, M.D. (In Journal of the
American Medical Association, Chicago, December 1, 1945, pp. 945-949.
Zo cents.)
Piesents the point of view of the American Medical Association.
B r i t i s h h e a lth s e r v ic e s to d a y ._ New York, British Inform ation Services, 1945.
f t pp.
(ID 608, replacing ID 416.)
7?a p p o r t a n n u e l d u S e r v ic e M é d ic a l d u T r a v a il, 2 ^ a n n é e , 19/+S. (In Revue du
Travail, organe du Ministère du Travail et de la Prévoyance sociale de
Belgique, Brussels, June-July 1945, pp. 370-398.)
Statistical and analytical account of the activities of the Belgian industrial
medical service for 194o, with observations 011 occupational diseases.
M e d i c a l c a r e f o r th e A m e r i c a n p e o p le .


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194 6

Occupations
H a n d b o o k o f d e s c r ip tio n s o f s p e c i a l iz e d f ie ld s i n i n d u s t r i a l e n g in e e r in g a n d b u s in e s s
m a n a g e m e n t. W ashington, U. S. D epartm ent of Labor, U. S. Employm ent

Service, N ational Roster of Scientific and Specialized Personnel, 1945.
14 pp. 10 cents, Superintendent of Documents, Washington.
Other handbooks already published in this series cover agricultural engineering;
agronomy and soil science; animal, dairy, and poultry husbandry and dairy
products technology; bacteriology; ceramic technology and engineering; chemis­
try and chemical engineering; civil engineering; entomology; forestry; geology;
horticulture; plant pathology; zoology and parasitology. (For sale by Superin­
tendent of Documents a t prices ranging from 5 to 30 cents.)
H o w to g et th e j o b y o u w a n t. By John W. Herdegen. New York, Essential Books,
1945. 92 pp'. $1.
J o b g u id e : A h a n d b o o k o f o ffic ia l in f o r m a t i o n a b o u t e m p lo y m e n t o p p o r t u n i t i e s i n
le a d in g in d u s t r i e s .
E dited by Sydney H. Kasper. Washington, Amer­

ican Council on Public Affairs, 1945. 193 pp., bibliographies. $2($2.50,
cloth bound).
The volume deals w ith 20 industries. The general status of each industry in
relation to employment opportunities is indicated; other m ajor topics are
nature and location of the industry, nature of jobs, training and education, and
employment term s and conditions.
O p p o r tu n i t i e s i n r e t a il tr a d e f o r s e r v ic e m e n .
By A. M. Sullivan. New York,
Dun & Bradstreet, Inc., 1945. 40 pp.
Appraisal of retail trade possibilities with a special supplem ent on operating
expenses (including wages and salaries) of retail grocery stores.
E s ta b lis h in g a n d o p e r a tin g a s m a ll s a w m i l l b u s in e s s .
By Joseph L. Muller.
W ashington, U. S. D epartm ent of Commerce, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce, 1945. 154 pp., diagrams, illus. (Industrial series No. 20.) 35
cents, Superintendent of Documents, Washington.
S o c i a l w o r k a s a p r o f e s s io n .
Chicago, American Association of Schools of Social
Work, [1945?]. 32 pp., bibliography.

Personnel and Industrial Management
By Donald Wilhelm, Jr.
W ashington, U. S. D epartm ent of Commerce, Bureau of Foreign and Domes­
tic Commerce, 1945. 21 pp.; processed. (Economic, small business, series,
No. 45.)
I n d u s t r i a l e c o n o m y a n d la b o r c o n tr o l.
By Wayne L. M cNaughton. Los Angeles,
Calif., Golden State Publishers, 1945. 273 pp., bibliography, diagrams,
illus. $3.25.
The main subjects discussed are plant lay-out, “ motion” economy, and tim e
study. A chapter on employee cooperation emphasizes the importance of pro­
ceeding with the approval or consent of union representatives and shop stewards.
S u p e r v i s i o n —-a s e le c te d l i s t o f re fe r e n c e s .
Washington, U. S. Civil Service
Commission, Library, May 1945. 34 pp.; mimeographed.
The g ro w th o f p e r s o n n e l m a n a g e m e n t i n G r e a t B r i t a i n d u r in g th e w a r , 1939-44I3y G. R. Moxon. London, Institute of Labor M anagement, 1945. 32 pp. Is.
Concludes th a t in Wrorkl W ar II the need for effective personnel m anagement
was more widely understood than in past periods.

A n e m p lo y e e s u g g e s tio n s y s te m f o r th e s? n a ll p l a n t o r s to r e .

Postuar Reconstruction
By E. A. Goldenweiser, E verett E. Hagen,
Frank R. Garfield. W ashington, Board of Governors of the Federal Re­
serve System, 1945. 85 pp. (Postwar economic studies, No. 1.) 25 cents.
F irst of a series of studies prepared by members of the staffs of the Federal
Reserve Board and the Reserve Banks on various postw ar economic problems.
The central theme of the series is the importance of achieving and maintaining full
employment a t adequate levels of compensation. The present study discusses
the nature and m agnitude of the problem of full em ployment and outlines a pro­
gram for its achievement. There is an analysis of ou tp u t and demand during the
reconversion period and of the living standards th a t can be created within the next
decade through the full use of productive resources.

J o b s , p r o d u c tio n , a n d l iv in g s ta n d a r d s .


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171

W h a t p e a c e c a n m e a n to A m e r i c a n f a r m e r s : P o s t w a r a g r ic u ltu r e a n d e m p lo y m e n t.

Washington, U. S. D epartm ent of Agriculture, 1945. 28 pp. (Miscellaneous
publication No. 562.) 10 cents, Superintendent of Documents, W ashington.
Stresses the bearing of nonfarm prosperity on th a t of the farm. Estim ates are
given of the levels of, prices, imports, exports, production, and consumption of
farm products in 1950, under the assumptions of full em ployment and a national
income of 150 billion dollars, w ith agricultural prices averaging parity levels.
For example, under full employment in 1950 per capita consumption of canned
vegetables is placed a t 38 percent above the average for 1935-39. The required
production of dairy products in 1950 to provide p art of a low-cost adequate diet
for all families w ith incomes of less than $1,500 is estim ated a t 8,130,000 pounds.
Y o r k p o s tw a r w o r k s p r o g r a m .
New
York, [City Planning Commission?], 1945. 35 pp., charts, illus.
This study, compiled by the Postwar Planning Committee of the United States
Steel Corporation a t the request of the New York City Planning Commission,
estim ates materials, costs, and man-hours for a proposed municipal postw ar public
works construction program. The estim ated cost of the 2,386 proposed projects
would be $1,250,600,000 with an estim ated man-hour requirem ent of 396,500,000.
M a t e r i a l s a n d m a n - h o u r s f o r th e C i t y o f N e w

(In Revue du Travail, organe du
M inistère du T ravail et de la Prévoyance Sociale de Belgique, Brussels, August-Septem ber 1945, pp. 571-575.)
Short résumé of Governm ent and other measures by which, after liberation, the
French restored free trade-unions, established labor-m anagem ent committees,
raised wages, and handled manpower.
L ’e ffo r t s o c ia l e n F r a n c e d e p u i s la lib é r a tio n .

P o s t w a r p l a n n i n g — a n o u tlin e .
44 pp., illus. 14 annas.

Delhi, India, Bureau of Public Inform ation, 1945.

Account of the plans of the Government of India for raising the living standard
throughout the country and for insuring employment for all.
M e r s e y s i d e p la n , 1 9 4 4 • By F. Longstreth Thompson. London, His M ajesty’s
Stationery Office, 1945. 73 pp., maps, charts. 7s. 6d. net.
Plan for a coordinated policy of reconstruction and future development of the
communities in Merseyside.

Social Security
Address by J. Howard M cGrath, Governor
of Rhode Island, before 37th annual meeting of Governors’ Conference, held
a t Mackinac Island, Mich., July 1-4, 1945. (In S tate Government, Chicago,
August 1945, pp. 132, 133, 136-139. 35 cents.)
The speaker analyzed recent comprehensive proposals for extension of the
Federal Social Security Act and emphasized th a t these offer the people of the
several States types of security which few individual States could afford. He also
recommended a grant-in-aid system for unem ployment compensation.
O ld -a g e s e c u r ity f o r th e A m e r ic a n f a r m p o p u l a t i o n . By Daniel K. Andrews. (In
Journal of F arm Economics, Menasha, Wis., August 1945, pp. 634-648.
$1.25.)
Farm ers and farm laborers are a t present excluded from th e social-security
system. This article discusses the advantage which old-age insurance under th a t
system would offer to the farmer. U nder the present benefit formulas and mini­
mum-earnings requirem ents, farm laborers would benefit little. The author
believes, however, th a t it is desirable and possible to furnish the entire farm
population w ith more adequate old-age security.
A n a d e q u a te s o c ia l s e c u r i t y p r o g r a m .

R e p o r t o f th e S p e c i a l C o m m itte e o n S o c i a l W e lfa r e a n d R e li e f o f th e J o i n t L e g is la tiv e
C o m m itte e o n I n t e r s t a t e C o o p e r a tio n , [ N e w Y o r k L e g is la tu r e ] . Albany, 1945.

67 pp., map, charts. (Legislative document, 1945, No. 45.)
Analyzes existing social services in New York State. A reorganization plan
proposed by the com mittee has been published under the title of “ Integration of
public welfare services in the State of New Y ork’’ (41 pp., mimeographed, 1945).
B r i t a i n ’s w a y to s o c ia l s e c u r ity . By Francois Lafitte.
London, Pilot Press,
1945. 110 pp. 6s.
Account of the growth of the social services, the planning by Beveridge and
the Coalition Government, and the targets for social security.
677234— 46------- 12


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M O N T H L Y LABOR REVIEW— JANUARY

1946

d e s e g u r id a d s o c ia l, [M e x ic o ].
Mexico, D. F., In stitu to Mexicano del
Seguro Social, 1945. 193 pp.
Description of the Mexican social-security system as to classes of workers and
businesses covered, m aintenance of the social-security fund, character of benefits,
and structure of the Social Security In stitu te which adm inisters the system, w ith
the text of the social-security law.
I n t e r - A m e r i c a n h a n d b o o k o f s o c ia l- in s u r a n c e i n s t i t u t i o n s .
By Inter-Am erican
Com mittee on Social Security. M ontreal, International Labor Office,
1945. 187 pp. $2.
Among the points covered in the inform ation presented for the various institu­
tions are scope, risks covered, benefits paid, official publications, and pertinent
legislation.
C o d ig o

Wages and Hours of Labor
S t r a i g h t - ti m e a v e r a g e h o u r ly e a r n in g s , s e le c te d o c c u p a tio n s , i n A l a s k a , J u l y 194% ,
J u l y 1 9 4 4 • W ashington, U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1945.
12 pp.;

mimeographed.

Free.

N e w Y o r k S ta te , 1 9 4 0 - 4 4 •
(In Industrial Bulletin and
Em ploym ent Review, D epartm ent of Labor, Albany, June 1945, pp. 225-235;
charts. 10 cents.)

W a g e s a n d s a la r ie s i n

W a g e s a n d w a g e r a te s o f h ir e d f a r m
M arch 1945.
W ashington, U.

w orkers,

U n ite d S ta te s a n d m a jo r r e g io n s ,

S. D epartm ent of Agriculture, Bureau of
Agricultural Economics, 1945. 55 pp., m ap; mimeographed. (Survey of
wages and wage rates in agriculture, report No. 4.)
The first of three national surveys made in 1945 of agricultural wages. The
report includes statistics on farms employing hired labor, and on hourly cash
wages, daily and weekly earnings, wage rates, and working hours of hired farm
workers. Break-downs are given by region; size and wage expenditure of farm ;
number, race, and sex of workers employed; expected duration of em ploym ent;
and type of wage rate.
F i x i n g w a g e s a n d s a la r ie s o f N a v y c i v i l i a n e m p lo y e e s i n sh o r e e s ta b lis h m e n ts , 1 8 6 2 —
1945.
By Guy M cPherson and Mary W atts. W ashington, U. S. N avy

D epartm ent, Adm inistrative Office, Records A dm inistration Division, 1945.
13 pp.; processed. (Adm inistrative reference service report No. 9.)
Consists of summ ary statem ents and quotations from laws and adm inistrative
orders relating to the fixing of wages and salaries and hours of work.
L e t o u r p e o p le liv e : A p le a f o r a l iv in g w a g e .
By Joseph Gaer. New York, CIO
Political Action Committee, [1945]. 23 pp. (Pam phlet of the m onth No. 3.)
D istributed by Textile Workers Union of America, CIO, New York.
S e c o n d a n n u a l r e p o r t o f th e C a te r in g W a g e s C o m m is s io n , 1 9 4 4 ~ 4 5 .
London,
M inistry of Labor and N ational Service, 1945. 13 pp. 3s. net, His M ajesty’s
Stationery Office, London.
Report on the initial work on methods of regulating rem uneration and condi­
tions of em ployment in the British catering industry, covering hotels, restaurants,
boarding houses, canteens, etc.
Z o n a l s t a t i s t ic s r e la tiv e to w a g e s , h o u r s o f la b o r , a n d e m p lo y e e s i n th e v a r io u s tr a d e s
o f th e p r i n t i n g i n d u s t r y f o r M o n tr e a l a n d d i s t r i c t , 1 9 3 7 —4 4 •
[Montreal?],

Printing Industry P arity Committee for M ontreal and D istrict, [1945?].
101 pp.; mimeographed.
S t a t i s t i c s r e la tiv e to w a g e s , h o u r s o f w o r k , a n d e m p lo y e e s i n th e v a r io u s b r a n c h e s o f
th e l i t h o g r a p h i n g ' i n d u s t r y , 1 9 3 8 - 4 4 .
[Quebec?], Lithographing Industry

P arity Com mittee for the Province of Quebec, [1945?].
graphed.

58 pp.; mimeo­

General Reports
E dited by Seymour E. Harris. New York, McGrawHill Book Co., Inc., 1945. 424 pp. $3.75.
The volume treats a wide range of subjects and is based largely on lectures a t
the H arvard G raduate School of Public Adm inistration in 1944. Lectures in
the general field of labor include discussions of the outlook for employment;
wages; reconstruction demands for manpower; redistribution of workers by
region, industry, and skill; and problems of social security.
E c o n o m ic r e c o n s tr u c tio n .


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book 7.
Prepared by Labor Research Association. New York,
International Publishers, 1945. 208 pp. $2.25.
Biennial sum m ary of im portant developments in respect to trade-unions, labor
and social conditions, and farmers and farm programs in the U nited States,
w ith a chapter on labor in other countries. The current volume also deals w ith
phases of the war economy, and w ith postw ar goals and problems chiefly con­
cerned w ith em ploym ent and income.
O r d e n a m ie n to e c o n ó m ic o - s o c ia l.
Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Postguerra,
1945. 129 pp.
Argentine data of labor interest for various years, mostly ending w ith 1943,
given in this volume, are those pertaining to wages and hours of labor, employ­
ment, labor-union membership, strikes, social-insurance contributions and
benefits, wholesale and retail prices, and cost of living. Legislation (August 24,
1944, through M arch 23, 1945) concerning postwar planning and an outline of the
postw ar reconstruction scheme adopted by the Government are given.
L a b o r r e p o r t, 1 9 4 3 .
Canberra, Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics,
1945. 165 pp. 3s. 6d. net.
Covers prices, wages and hours of labor, employment and unem ployment,
industrial disputes, industrial accidents, num ber and membership of labor organ­
izations, and the basic wage and child endowment in Australia. While most of
the inform ation in the report is for 1943 or earlier years, some of it is brought
down to 1944 and even to 1945 in several instances.
L abor fa c t

H e a lth , w e lf a r e , a n d la b o r : R e fe r e n c e b o o k f o r D o m i n i o n - P r o v i n c i a l C o n fe r e n c e o n
R e c o n s tr u c tio n .
Ottawa, [Edmond Cloutier, King’s Printer?], 1945. 124 pp.,

charts.
Descriptive and statistical m aterial concerning various activities of the Do­
minion and Provincial Governments of C anada in the health, welfare, and labor
fields. P a rt I I I is devoted to peacetime labor legislation and regulations, war­
tim e measures being noted only in the section dealing with industrial disputes.
I n fo rm e d el S e ñ o r M in is tr o de A g r ic u ltu r a , I n d u s tr ia s , M in a s y
C o n g r e so N a c io n a l, [E c u a d o r ], 1 9 4 3 .
Quito, [1944?]. 101 pp.

T u r is m o a l H .

This report for 1943 to the Ecuadoran Congress by the M inister of Agriculture,
In d u stry, Mining, and Tourism covers such m atters of interest to labor as indus­
trial and agricultural production and control of prices of articles of prime necessity.
N a t i o n a l c e n s u s e s a n d v ita l s t a t i s t ic s i n F r a n c e b e tw e e n tw o W o r ld W a r s , 1 9 2 1 - 4 2 —
a p r e l i m i n a r y b ib lio g r a p h y .
Washington, U. S. Library of Congress and
U. S. Bureau of the Census, 1945. 22 pp.; mimeographed.
N a t i o n a l c e n s u s e s a n d o ffic ia l s t a t i s t ic s i n I t a l y s in c e th e F i r s t W o r ld W a r , 1 9 2 1 4 4 — a p r e l i m i n a r y b ib lio g r a p h y . W ashington, U. S. Library of Congress and

U. S. Bureau of the Census, 1945. 58 pp.; mimeographed.
New York, General Motors Corporation, General
Motors Overseas Operations, 1945. 202, xx pp., maps, charts, illus.
Includes inform ation on the cooperative movement, characteristics of the
labor force, protective legislation, and trade-unions.
E c o n o m ic s u r v e y o f I n d i a .

R e p o r t o f th e N e w Z e a la n d D e p a r tm e n t o f L a b o r f o r th e y e a r e n d e d M a r c h 3 1 , 1 9 4 6 .

Wellington, 1945. 23 pp. 9d.
Operations under the Factories Act are covered and inform ation is given on
minimum-wage rates, industrial disputes, and other m atters. Industrial unions
of employers and workers w ith their membership are listed in an appendix.


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U. S. GOVERNMENT PR IN T IN G O F F IC E : 1945


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