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[
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
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^
U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
January 1980
DEPOSITORY
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In this issue:
State Labor Law
C hanges in 1979
FFRENCE DIVISION'
AZQ.Q PciB.4C UgRAR
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i®EfiEi§CE OEFT
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
JANUARY 1980
VOLUME 103, NUMBER 1
Henry Lowenstern, Editor-in-Chief
Robert W. Fisher, Executive Editor
N. Root, D. McCaffrey
3
FEB 111980
Kalamazoo Public Library
Targeting worker safety programs: incidence vs. expense
Case data for three States show that accidents selected for safety programs
will be the same, whether chosen from the costliest or most frequent cases
Edward Wasilewski
9
Scheduled wage increases and escalator provisions in 1980
For the third straight year, deferred increases will average 5.1 percent, and will go
to 4.9 million workers; cost-of-living clauses in major agreements will cover 5.5 million
Gregory J. Mounts
14
Labor and the Supreme Court: significant decisions of 1978-79
The Court approved voluntary efforts to eliminate the effects of discrimination
and rejected NLRB attempts at balancing conflicting interests in the workplace
Richard Nelson
22
State labor legislation enacted in 1979
During a heavy legislative year, States prohibited most types of job bias
and eased child labor restrictions and mandatory retirement requirements
REPORTS
Arthur S. Herman
Morris J. Newman
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40
48
Productivity increased in 1978 in most measured industries
Seasonal variations in employment and unemployment during 1951-75
DEPARTMENTS
2
40
44
48
55
56
59
65
Labor month in review
Productivity reports
Family budgets
Research summaries
Major agreements expiring next month
Developments in industrial relations
Book reviews
Current labor statistics
I
8 0 2 1 5 2
Labor M onth
In Review
STATE OF THE UNIONS. Two sea
soned observers of trade unions of
fered assessments of the U.S. labor
movement during the year-end meet
ing of the Allied Social Science As
sociations in Atlanta.
A. H. Raskin, long a New York Times
labor affairs writer and now associate
director of the National News Council,
was dismayed about labor’s “standpattism:”
“The best thing the American trade
union movement has going for it is
the near-hopelessness of its current
position. Organized labor is on the
skids in economic, social and political
power; and a strong argument can be
made that that is exactly where it de
serves to be, given the assiduousness
with which labor has helped spread the
banana peels that are speeding its
downhill slide.. . .
“Familiar as the alarm signals must
be to this sophisticated audience, bear
with me for a bit as I tick off a few of
the more menacing evidences of union
decline. Foremost, of course, is the
steady fall-off in the proportion of the
nonfarm work force in union ranks,
from one out of three at the time of
the AFL-CIO merger in 1955 to one
out of four today.
“Industry is moving out of the union
heartland in the Northeast and Middle
West to the right-to-work States of the
Sunbelt and to low-wage sanctuaries in
the Far East and Latin America. . . .
“The pursuit of more remains as
solidly the centerpiece of unionism’s
design for living as it was when Samuel
Gompers First enshrined it almost a
century ago. Yet ingrained inflation
makes a mockery of that chase by de
vouring union-negotiated wage in
creases before workers can get to the
supermarket to spend them. In the
2
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1970s, the average weekly wage for
all
employees nearly doubled,
from $114 to $224; yet the average
worker with three dependents wound
up the decade with a 3.5-percent cut
in what his pay envelope could buy
after the bite of higher living costs and
taxes.
“It is true that the entrenched unions
in auto, steel, and other administeredprice industries have stayed well ahead
of the parade, but their insulated po
sition has created its own compass of
problems. Their industries are losing
ground in world trade competition.
The causes extend far beyond labor,
yet the necessity for cost-cutting will
force these industries to seek payroll
relief in ways that will differ in charac
ter but not in effect from those that
are making orphans of the storm of
the construction crafts, once the un
disputed champions in grab-with-bothhands unionism.”
Jerome M. Rosow, a former U.S. As
sistant Secretary of Labor, and current
president of the Industrial Relations
Research Association, cited three areas
in which unions must be more respon
sive to the people they serve.
“Women have moved into the labor
force in record-breaking numbers in
recent years with the result that over
41 percent of the working population
today is female. Yet only one in four
union members is a woman. The dis
crepancy is not surprising, since labor
union membership today continues to
be concentrated in the traditionally
male blue-collar occupations; women,
on the other hand, predominate in the
so-called “helping” occupations, which
the labor movement has been slower
to organize. If labor unions are to tap
this new and growing pool of workers
for membership, a twin agenda will be
required. First, unions will have to be
responsive to the unique and growing
role of women in the work force. . . .
Second, unions should think in terms
of opening up their membership to
women.
“The interest of both blacks and Hispanics in unionization is evidenced by
their higher participation rates: 29 per
cent of Hispanic workers and 33 per
cent of black workers are represented
by labor unions as compared to 26
percent of white workers. . . . To
counterbalance the requirements of
its energy-hungry neighbor to the
North, Mexico, it is believed, will
demand an escape valve for its crush
ing overpopulation, forecast to almost
double by the year 2000. Thus a new
underclass of workers may well flood
the labor markets as the energy/employment tradeoff grows in impor
tance. Labor will have to decide
whether to try to stem the tide—or to
sign up the new workers, legal or il
legal.
“Some unions, in industries with a
predominantly immigrant work force,
have already made the decision. It is
reported that several of these unions—
in garment making, food and services,
and light manufacturing-are signing
up aliens without regard to their legal
status, to eliminate a source of cheap
labor and to prevent the undercutting
of union contract wage levels.
“Increasing education, changing
values, and the strong urge to move up
the socioeconomic ladder make it
more difficult for unions to respond to
the needs of white-collar office and
professional workers. Many of these
educated and upwardly mobile em
ployees are difficult to organize be
cause they tend to identify with man
agement and feel that they would lose
the esteem of others if they became
card-carrying union members.”
□
Targeting worker safety programs:
weighing incidence against expense
Case data for three States show that
accidents selected for safety programs
will be the same, whether chosen from
the costliest or most frequent cases
N orman R oot
and
D avid McCaffrey
Increasing costs associated with work-related injuries
and illnesses— rising outlays for direct compensation
and medical payments, and increasing premiums for
workers’ compensation insurance1— have set many
firms seeking effective, cost-reducing safety programs. In
undertaking these efforts, safety professionals are faced
with deciding how to plan programs that will best re
duce these increasing costs. Two possible approaches
emerge: sorting out the costliest cases, the “expensive
case” approach, or targeting the most frequent, the
“general frequency” approach.
Which approach is better? Analysis of case character
istics and costs can identify whether relatively few cases
account for most of the expense and, if they do, wheth
er the distribution of these few differs from the overall
distribution of cases among certain descriptive catego
ries.
This article presents the distribution of incidence and
costs of indemnity compensation cases among kinds of
occupational injuries and types of accidents for three
States.2The data indicate that, although a small number
of cases accounted for a large proportion of the costs
and certain categories resulted in costlier cases, the tar
gets selected for safety programs would essentially be
the same, whether chosen from a list of the most expen
sive cases or a list of the most frequent. The data also
Norman Root is a division chief in the Office of Occupational Safety
and Health Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics. David McCaffrey is
a statistician in the same office.
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support the hypothesis that any type of accident can re
sult in an expensive case.
Underlying logic
Proponents of the expensive case approach point out
that a large percentage of the costs associated with oc
cupational injuries over any period are accounted for by
a relatively small number of cases.3 Thus, identification
of these types of cases will pinpoint the costly areas and
direct safety workers to specific accident prevention
programs. For example, if a firm’s workers have had
amputations or serious falls in the recent past, the firm
will concentrate prevention efforts based on the charac
teristics associated with these specific types of cases.
Adherents claim this approach reduces major costs,
marshals resources efficiently, and avoids diffusing safe
ty efforts over many different, less expensive, or “trivi
al” problems.
Underlying the general frequency approach is the
concept of a range of injury severity for any type of ac
cident. That is, every accident has the potential for re
sulting in a serious (expensive) injury.4 For example, a
falling hammer can result in a near miss (no injury), a
glancing blow to the arm (minor injury), or a crushing
blow to the head (major injury). This logic contrasts
with the expensive case approach in an important re
spect: the general frequency approach accepts the fact
that a small number of injuries account for a large pro
portion of the costs but does not accept the proposition
that these cases can be singled out for accident preven3
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Targeting Worker Safety Programs
Table 1. Distribution and rank of the costliest work-related injury cases, and of all cases, in Arkansas, North Carolina, and
Wisconsin, by type of accident, 19761
A rkansas
A ccid en t type
C o stlie st c a s e s 2
P ercent
o f cases
Total
Rank
N orth Carolina
All c a s e s 3
P ercent
o f cases
Rank
100.0
C o stlie st c a s e s 2
P ercent
o f cases
Rank
100.0
W isconsin
All c a s e s 3
P ercent
o f cases
Rank
C o stlie st c a s e s 2
Percent
o f cases
Rank
All c a s e s 3
P ercent
o f cases
Rank
...........................................................
100.0
Struck a g a in s t.........................................................
Struck by ................................................................
Fall from e le v a tio n .................................................
Fall on the same level ..........................................
Caught in, under, or between ..............................
Rubbed or abraded ...............................................
Bodily re a ctio n .........................................................
Overexert o n ...........................................................
Contact with electric c u rre n t................................
Contact with temperature e xtre m e s....................
Contact with radiations, caustic, toxic, and
noxious substances ..........................................
Public transportation accidents ...........................
Motor vehicle accidents .......................................
Unclassified or not determined ...........................
1.9
13.2
11.1
11.6
11.3
.1
4.9
33.4
1.0
1.3
9
2
5
3
4
13/14
7
1
11
10
4.8
18.2
7.4
10.1
15.1
1.6
6.4
26.7
.4
2.8
7
2
5
4
3
11
6
1
13
9
3.4
19.6
17.2
8.9
14.9
.2
3.2
13.6
2.3
2.9
7
1
2
6
3
14
8
4
11
10
7.7
22.5
10.4
12.0
13.8
.2
5.1
18.1
.6
3.0
6
1
5
4
3
13
7
2
11
9
6.8
14.8
11.8
12.5
11.4
1.2
10.0
20.3
.4
1.9
7
2
4
3
5
11
6
1
13
10
10.6
21.2
7.1
9.3
8.9
1.7
8.0
23.5
.2
2.9
3
2
7
4
5
11
6
1
13
8
.3
.1
6.1
3.6
12
13/14
6
8
1.5
.0
3.1
1.9
12
14
8
10
3.1
.3
9.5
.8
9
13
5
12
2.0
.1
4.1
.5
10
14
8
12
.7
.1
5.0
3.1
12
14
8
9
1.5
0
2.6
2.4
12
14
9
10
'A ll closed cases for which Indemnity payments were made In 1976, regardless of when
cases occurred. “ Accidents” also includes injuries, illnesses and exposure.
2 The most expensive 10 percent of all accident cases.
tion efforts because, as noted above, any type of acci
dent can conceivably result in an expensive case. Fur
thermore, over time, expensive cases will be spread
proportionately among all types of cases. Adherents
maintain that safety efforts should be sustained, overall
programs directed at preventing all injuries or illnesses,
with proportionate efforts in the largest identifiable
areas of risk. By reducing the total number of events,
these programs would reduce the chance of a serious in
jury occurring in any of the categories.
Data sources and methodology
Data in this article are from the Bureau of Labor Sta
tistics’ Supplementary Data System.5 This system
obtains data from records of cases reported to State
100.0
100.0
100 0
3Total cases equaled 9,003 in Arkansas, 25,035 in North Carolina, and 52,440 in Wisconsin.
NOTE: Column percentages may not add to totals because of rounding.
workers’ compensation agencies. The cases are coded
for nature of injury or illness, part of body affected,
source of injury or illness, type of accident or exposure,
and, for some States, the indemnity compensation and
medical payments associated with the case.6
The three States chosen for comparison were Arkan
sas, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. They were selected
because data for them were available, and because geo
graphic dispersion made them highly representative of
the Nation. The data are from all closed cases for which
indemnity payments were made during 1976, regardless
of the year in which the cases occurred. Arkansas and
North Carolina require 7 days of disability before
awarding indemnity compensation. In Wisconsin, there
is a 3-day waiting period for such benefits.
Table 2. Distribution and rank of the costliest work-related injury cases, and of all cases, in Arkansas, North Carolina, and
Wisconsin, by part of body affected, 19761
Arkansas
Part o f body
C o stlie st c a s e s 2
P ercent
o f cases
Total
Rank
N orth Carolina
All c a s e s 3
P ercent
o f cases
Rank
C o stlie st c a s e s 2
P ercent
o f cases
Rank
W isconsin
A ll c a s e s 3
P ercent
o f cases
Rank
C o stlie st c a s e s 2
P ercent
o f cases
Rank
All c a s e s 3
P ercent
o f cases
Rank
...........................................................
100.0
Head, excluding e y e s ............................................
E y e s ..........................................................................
N e c k ..........................................................................
Upper extremities, unknown, not elsewhere
classified or m u ltip le ..........................................
Arm, including h a n d ...............................................
F in g e rs .....................................................................
Trunk, excluding back ..........................................
B a c k ..........................................................................
Lower extremities, unknown, not elsewhere
classified, or multiple .......................................
Leg ..........................................................................
Ankle, foot, or toes ...............................................
Multiple parts .........................................................
Body s y s te m ...........................................................
Not elsewhere classified or uncla ssifie d ............
2.2
2.1
2.8
10
11
8
2.9
1.4
1.8
8
10
9
5.1
3.7
1.5
8
10
11
4.5
1.7
1.2
8
9
10
2.6
9
.5
8
11
12
2.7
1.6
.9
8
9
11
.4
7.2
5.2
7.1
49.2
14
3
6
4
1
1.1
12.7
14.8
10.0
2 89
11
3
2
6
1
1.4
8.6
7.7
6.9
25.4
12
4
5
6
1
1.0
12.5
16.9
9.8
21.4
12
3
2
6
1
.3
15.6
13.0
5.8
24.2
14
3
4
7
1
.7
15.2
16.5
9.6
22.4
12
3
2
6
1
.9
9.6
2.9
6.9
2.6
.9
12/13
2
7
5
9
12/13
.6
10.2
10.7
3.6
.9
.4
13
5
4
7
12
14
8
9.5
5.4
18.9
4.8
.3
13
3
7
2
9
14
.7
10.6
11.6
6.8
1.2
.1
13
5
4
7
11
14
.3
19.4
8.9
6.6
1.0
1.0
13
2
5
6
10
9
.4
10.5
12.3
5.5
.5
1.1
14
5
4
7
13
10
' See table 1, footnote 1.
2 See table 1, footnote 2.
4
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100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
3 See table 1, footnote 3.
NOTE: Column percentages may not add to totals because of rounding.
Table 3. Distribution and rank of the costliest work-related injury cases, and of all cases, in Arkansas, North Carolina, and
Wisconsin, by source of injury, 19761
_____________ __________________________
Source of injury
Percent
of cases
Rank
Costliest cases2
All cases3
Percent
of cases
Rank
Percent
of cases
Rank
100.0
A n im a ls .....................................................................
Bodily m o tio n ...........................................................
Boxes, c o n ta in e rs ....................................................
Buildings, structures ...............................................
Chemicals ................................................................
Coal and petroleum products ..............................
Cold ..........................................................................
Drugs, m e d ic in e ......................................................
Electrical apparatus ...............................................
Flame, fire, smoke .................................................
Furniture, fixtures ....................................................
Hand tools, not p o w e re d ........................................
Hand tools, p o w e re d ...............................................
Liquids, not elsewhere classified .........................
M a c h in e s ...................................................................
Mechanical powered transmission apparatus . .
Metal items not elsewhere classified .................
Mineral items, n o n m e ta llic .....................................
Plants, trees, vegetation ........................................
S te a m ........................................................................
Textile items, not elsewhere classified ...............
V e h icle s .....................................................................
Wood items, not elsewhere cla s s ifie d .................
Working surfaces ....................................................
Miscellaneous .........................................................
Unknown, uncla ssifie d ............................................
.1
1.3
11.4
.7
.4
.8
22
12
3
19
20
17/18
.9
2.4
10.3
.6
1.1
.9
17
10
3
22
15
16
.0
1.1
23
14/15
.0
.8
23
19/20
1.8
1.0
1.1
.3
8.6
1.6
14.6
1.2
1.8
9 /10
16
14/15
21
5
11
2
13
9 /10
1.7
3.3
3.5
.9
9.8
2.0
16.8
.8
1.4
13
9
8
18
4
12
2
19/20
14
.8
10.1
7.8
23.1
6.2
4.2
17/18
4
6
1
7
8
.6
6.1
7.1
18.5
8.2
2.2
21
7
6
1
5
11
1 See table 1, footnote 1.
2 See table 1, footnote 2.
Case records, classified according to the American
National Standards Institute’s Z16.2 code system (see
footnote 6) were sorted in descending order of total
costs of indemnity compensation and medical payments
and ranked by frequency. For each State, the most ex
pensive 10 percent of all the cases were compiled (900
cases for Arkansas, 2,503 cases for North Carolina, and
5,244 cases for Wisconsin).
Analysis focused on the distribution of four case
characteristics: nature of injury, part of body affected,
source of injury, and type of accident. For each State,
the categorical distributions of the most expensive 10
percent of cases were compared to the distributions of
all State cases to determine whether the characteristics
of the most expensive cases were different from those of
all cases.
Although “unclassified,” “unidentified,” or “multiple
category” cases were included in the tables, they were
not included in the rankings unless some description of
the case was given (for example, “metal items, not else
where classified”). This is because a safety program
cannot target an “unclassified” or “unidentified” case.7
Examining accident characteristics
The data confirm that a small minority of cases
accounted for a large percentage of costs. The most ex
pensive 10 percent of cases accounted for 60 percent of
.1
3.2
5.3
1.0
.7
.7
.0
.0
2.8
1.6
1.9
1.0
1.2
.4
14.3
.6
6.0
1.6
1.7
.1
.8
16.0
3.6
24.0
10.6
.5
All cases3
Percent
of cases
Rank
24
8
6
15
19
18
25
26
9
12/13
10
16
14
22
3
20
5
12/13
11
23
17
2
7
1
4
21
.3
5.1
7.7
.9
1.1
.5
.0
.0
1.7
.7
2.8
3.1
2.5
1.0
14.4
.7
7.6
.6
1.1
.2
.9
11.5
4.4
19.4
11.2
.5
All cases3
Costliest cases2
Percent
of cases
Rank
Percent
of cases
23
7
5
17
14
21
25
26
12
18
10
9
11
15
2
19
6
20
13
24
16
3
8
1
4
22
.2
10.2
7.6
2.2
.4
.4
.1
.0
1.1
.3
1.2
2.8
1.0
.3
12.2
.7
9.4
.5
.6
.1
.2
10.2
2.6
21.8
8.6
5.3
Rank
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
T o ta l..............................................................
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Wisconsin
North Carolina
Arkansas
Costliest cases2
22
4
7
11
18
19
24/25
26
13
20
12
9
14
21
2
15
5
17
16
24/25
23
3
10
1
6
8
.3
8.6
9.7
1.9
1.0
.5
.0
.0
1.1
.3
1.7
5.1
1.9
.7
10.6
.8
13.4
.8
.5
.0
.2
7.9
3.3
14.1
10.1
5.1
21
6
5
12
15
20
25
26
14
22
13
8
11
18
3
17
2
16
19
23
24
7
10
1
4
9
3 See table 1, footnote 3.
NOTE: Column percentages may not add to totals because of rounding.
the cost in Arkansas, 58 percent in Wisconsin, and 55
percent in North Carolina. The most expensive group
ings were examined by characteristics. Then the disper
sion of each characteristic for the groupings was
compared to the distribution for all cases in each State.
One of the most critical elements to identify for an
accident prevention program is the type of accident.
(See table 1.) This category describes how the person
contacted the source of injury, thereby indicating the
events that must be prevented.
In Arkansas’s costliest 10 percent of all cases, the five
most prevalent types were “overexertion,” “struck by,”
“fall on the same level,” “caught in, under, or be
tween,” and “fall from elevation.” They made up 81
percent of the costliest cases. Of all cases, the same five
types prevailed, accounting for 78 percent.
The leading five types among North Carolina’s most
costly cases were “struck by,” “fall from elevation,”
“caught in, under, or between,” “overexertion,” and
“motor vehicle accidents,” making up 75 percent of the
cases. All of these, with the exception of “motor vehi
cle accidents,” are in the top five of the total cases
(“fall on the same level” replaces “motor vehicle acci
dents”). The leading five accounted for 77 percent of
all cases.
Wisconsin’s most costly cases showed the same five
most frequent types of Arkansas’s— “overexertion,”
5
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Targeting Worker Safety Programs
Table 4. Distribution and rank of the costliest work-related injury cases, and of all cases, in Arkansas, North Carolina, and
Wisconsin, by nature of injury, 19761
Arkansas
Nature of injury
Costliest cases2
Percent
of cases
T o ta l.............................................................
100.0
Amputation ............................................
Burn ...........................................................
Contusion, bruise ............................................
Cut, laceration .................................................
D islo ca tio n .........................................................
F ra ctu re ................................................................
H e rn ia ..............................................................
Inflammation .................................................
Scratches, abrasions ............................................
Sprain, strains ............................................
Multiple injuries ................................
Not elsewhere classified or unclassified ............
Miscellaneous ............................................
3.1
Rank
North Carolina
All cases3
Percent
of cases
Costliest cases2
Rank
100.0
9
1.8
10
5 /6
4
6
.8
.2
13
1.0
7
4
3
10.2
8
2
13.7
1.9
17.1
3
6.8
12
2.5
30.6
4.9
5.1
1
33.7
7
5 /6
1.6
2.4
1.1
11
2.8
Rank
100.0
3.4
2.9
5.1
5.9
3.4
19.1
18.9
Percent
of cases
11
2
5
9
13
1
12
10
8
See ' a^ e 1 . footnote 1
2 See table 11,00,n0te 2-
6.3
3.9
5.9
9.9
1.3
27.9
6.4
.5
.4
20.9
9.8
.8
6.0
Wisconsin
All cases3
Percent
of cases
Costliest cases2
Rank
100.0
6
9
4.1
3.4
8
10.8
Percent
of cases
All cases3
Percent
of cases
Rank
100.0
Rank
100.0
6
6.8
5
8
6
11
12.6
13.3
2
3
2.8
2
12.3
2.3
9
4
3.3
3.5
7
3
16.2
7
4
3
10
1
1.0
22.0
12
2
2.4
4.4
1.4
14.3
20.3
5
4.3
5
2.0
9
12
10
11
1
.7
12
13
1.2
1.2
.0
13
4
7
32.1
1.9
1
12
1
10
11 0
2.8
5
2
29.4
4
2.8
11
.5
3.1
7
9
13
11.9
4.3
29.4
8
2.0
6
3
10
11
2.0
.1
13
8
3 g ee table 1 , footnote 3 .
NOTE: Column percentages may not add to totals because of rounding.
Table 5. Distribution and rank of the costliest work-related injury cases, and of all cases in the construction industry,
in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, by type of accident, 19761
Arkansas
Accident type
Costliest cases2
Percent
of cases
T o ta l..............................................................
100.0
Struck against ......................................................
Struck b y ...................................................................
Fall from elevation .................................................
Fall on the same le v e l..................................
Caught in, under, or b e tw e e n .............................
Rubbed or abraded ...............................................
Bodily re a c tio n .........................................................
Overexertion .................................................
Contact with electric current ................................
Contact with temperature e x tre m e s ....................
Contact with radiations, caustic, toxic, and
noxious su bsta nce s..........................................
Public transportation accidents ...........................
Motor vehicle a ccide n ts.....................................
Unclassified or not dete rm in e d ..............................
1.9
12.5
29.8
4.8
7.7
.0
Rank
North Carolina
All cases3
Percent
of cases
Costliest cases2
Rank
100.1
10/11
3
1
7
4
12/13
5 /6
5.1
18.7
18,0
7.4
12.1
2.2
100.0
9
2
206
35.1
2.9
9.7
2
1
8
3
5
4
9
8 /9
21.0
1.1
13
3.5
8
.0
12/13
1.2
11/1 2
5.8
2.9
5 /6
8 /9
2.1
1.2
10
11/1 2
6
1
.6
3
13
.9
9.1
7.4
3.4
12
1.4
.3
4.9
10
1.1
Percent
of cases
Costliest cases2
Rank
100.0
2.6
10/11
2
Rank
7
5.8
24.0
2.9
1.9
6.5
Percent
of cases
Wisconsin
All cases3
4
5
7
5.5
23.7
23.5
7.3
7.1
.5
4.9
16.7
1.6
Percent
of cases
Rank
All cases3
Percent
of cases
100.0
6
1
2
4
5
13
7
3
3.8
11
8
1.7
10
14
.0
6
11
3.0
.7
14
9
12
100.0
5.4
17.4
27.0
9.4
5.8
.6
9.0
13.3
.9
9
.4
.2
Rank
7
9.7
2
1
21.8
1
3
4
16.5
6.9
6
6
12
6.1
1.0
11
5
3
9.2
5
10/11
10/11
13
14
8
4.9
4.7
9
4
7
21.0
2
.5
2.4
13
.7
12
.0
2.1
2.0
10
8
14
9
3 Total cases equaled 1,043 In Arkansas, 3,498 in North Carolina, and 4,660 in Wisconsin.
NOTE: Column percentages may not add to totals because of rounding.
“struck by,” “fall on the same level,” “fall from eleva
tion,” and “caught in, under, or between.” They
accounted for 71 percent of the most expensive cases.
The same types, except for “fall from elevation” (which
ranked seventh), were included in the top five of the
State’s total cases.
“Falls from elevation” tended to be among the most
expensive cases in all three States and in the leading five
categories for total cases in Arkansas and North Caroli
na as well. Also, “motor vehicle accidents” tended to be
an expensive type of accident. While the category is not
one of the leading categories in two States, the costs
suggest that motor vehicle safety should receive some
special attention from safety specialists.
Comparisons of the 10 percent most expensive cases
6
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with all cases for the categories “nature,” “body part,”
and “source” in the three States indicated similar rela
tionships, as shown in the following tabulation for Arkansas (details for all States are shown in tables 2, 3,
and 4):
Category
Part of body:
B a c k ....................................
L e g .......................................
Arm (including hand) . .
Trunk (excluding back) .
Fingers ..............................
Multiple parts .................
Ankle, foot, or toes . . . .
Ranking o f
most costly
Ranking o f
all cases
1
1
2
3
5
3
6
2
7
4
6
5
7
4
Source of injury:
Working surface ..............
Metal item, not elsewhere
classified .........................
Boxes, con tain ers..............
V e h ic le s ...............................
M a c h in e s ............................
M iscella n eo u s....................
1
1
2
3
4
5
7
2
Nature of injury:
Sprains and strains . . . .
F ra ctu re...............................
H e r n ia .................................
Cut, laceration .................
Contusion, bruise ...........
1
2
3
4
5
from elevation,” “overexertion,” “struck by,” “caught
in, under, or between,” and “bodily reaction” and “mo
tor vehicle accidents” led the subset of costly cases.
Five of these were in the leading six of all cases.
In North Carolina, among the costliest cases, the top
five categories were “fall from elevation,” “struck by,”
“caught in, under, or between,” “overexertion,” and
“contact with electric current.” Four of these were in the
leading five of the total. In Wisconsin, 4 of the costliest
leading 5 also appeared in the leading five of the total.
Generally, data for the construction industry showed
the same patterns as those for all industries: there were
but a few differences in the categorical distribution of
the expensive compared to the total cases.
3
7
4
5
1
2
5
3
4
The rankings for the costliest and for all cases were
similar in Wisconsin and in North Carolina. In North
Carolina, 4 of 5 categories overlapped for the nature of
injury. In Wisconsin, 3 of the top 5 overlapped. For
“part of body,” 4 of 5 overlapped in North Carolina,
while the top five categories were the same in both
groups of cases in Wisconsin. When the groups were ex
amined by the source of injury, the top five categories
were the same in North Carolina, and 4 of the top 5
matched in Wisconsin. Thus, while the frequency rank
ings varied by State, and, to some extent, by cost within
States, they did not vary significantly.
Industrial distribution. The ultimate level of this analysis
would be at the establishment level. However, because
the Supplementary Data System does not identify cases
by individual establishments, analysis was made at the
intermediate level, industry.
Table 5 displays the distribution of accidents by type
for the construction industry, for both the top 10 per
cent of its cases and its total cases. In Arkansas, “fall
Rankings by cost
Tables 1 through 5 show that, for each State, expen
sive cases were distributed among categories in about
the same way as total cases. This suggests that the se
verity of a case (in terms of cost) in a given category is
quite random. If this is true, then the proportion of
cases in a given category should be similar to the pro
portion of costs in that category: a category with 20
percent of the cases ought to have about 20 percent of
the costs. In contrast, the expensive case perspective
implies that there are a few categories, with a few easily
targetable cases, which make up a large proportion of
the cost: for example, a category with 2 percent of the
cases would account for 20 percent of the costs.
Table 6 presents the percentage of costs contrasted
with the percentage of cases among accident types for
each State. In Arkansas and North Carolina, the five
top categories are identical in both the cost and case
columns; in Wisconsin, 4 of 5 are the same. Similar re
sults were obtained in comparing cost and case propor-
Table 6. Distribution and rank of incidence and costs of work-related injury cases, in Arkansas, North Carolina, and
Wisconsin, by type of accident, 1976)__________________________________________
Accident type
Percent
of cases
T o ta l..............................................................
Struck against .........................................................
Struck b y ...................................................................
Fall from elevation .................................................
Fall on the same le v e l............................................
Caught in, under, or b e tw e e n ................................
Rubbed or abraded ...............................................
Bodily reaction .........................................................
Overexertion ...........................................................
Contact with electric current ................................
Contact with temperature e x tr e m e s ....................
Contact with radiations, caustic, toxic, and
noxious su b sta n ce s ............................................
Public transportation accidents ...........................
Motor vehicle a ccide n ts..........................................
Unclassified or not dete rm in e d ..............................
1See table
2See table
1, footnote 1.
100.0
2.8
15.0
9.7
10.5
13.2
.5
5.2
29.6
.9
1.7
.7
.2
6.8
3.1
Rank
Costliest cases2
All cases3
Percent
of cases
Rank
9
5
4
3
13
7
1
11
10
12
14
6
8
4.8
18.2
7.4
10.1
15.1
1.6
6.4
26.7
.4
2.8
1.5
.0
3.1
1.9
Percent
of cases
Rank
5
4
3
4.9
20.3
14.5
9.7
15.7
13
9
3.4
14.0
2.3
3.0
7
2
11
6
1
12
14
8
10
.1
2.5
.3
8.3
1.0
Percent
of cases
7
1
3
5
2
8
4
11
14
7.7
22.5
10.4
12.0
13.8
.2
Rank
Percent
of cases
6
1
5
4
3
13
7
7.2
17.5
10.2
10.2
10.5
1.3
2
11
9
3.0
9
2.4
10
13
6
12
2.0
.1
14
4.1
.5
10
8
12
5.6
3.9
.6
Rank
Percent
of cases
100.0
8.2
20.6
.6
5.1
18.1
All cases3
Costliest cases2
All cases3
100.0
100.0
100.0
2
Wisconsin
North Carolina
Arkansas
Costliest cases2
1.5
.2
7
2
4 /5
4 /5
3
12
6
1
13
10
11
14
8
9
100.0
10.6
21.2
7.1
9.3
8.9
1.7
8.0
23.5
.2
2.9
1.5
.0
2.6
2.4
Rank
3
2
7
4
5
11
6
1
13
8
12
14
9
10
NOTE: Column percentage may not add to totals because of rounding.
1, footnote 3.
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7
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Targeting Workers Safety Programs
tions for the other three characteristics.8
The patterns are much the same as shown in earlier
tables; there were few differences, with a slight variance
in rankings. Generally, the distributions of cases and
costs among the categories were similar, suggesting that
the cost of a case in a given category is largely a matter
of chance.
T here were SLIGHT variations in the leading catego
ries, although differences did emerge among the most
expensive and least expensive cases. Also, even when
1Daniel N. Price, Workers' Compensation Program in the 1970's, So
cial Security Bulletin, May 1979, pp. 3-24.
2The terms “injuries” and “accidents” also refer to “illnesses” and
“exposures.”
3 Marvin W. Pearson, “The Challenge of a Changing Safety Priori
ty,” presentation at the 39th Industrial Forestry Seminar, Yale School
of Forestry and Environmental Studies, May 1974.
4 For this article, we are using costs as a shorthand measure of inju
ry severity. The reader should be aware, however, that this approach
has shortcomings. For example, a worker’s compensation award for
the death of a worker who has no dependents may amount to no
more than funeral costs.
5 Norman Root and David McCaffrey, “Providing more informa
tion on work injury and illness,” Monthly Labor Review, April 1978,
pp. 16-21.
6These categories are from the American National Standards Insti
the leading categories were identical, their ranking in
the group of expensive cases varied. And, certain cate
gories tended to result in costlier cases: for example, the
data indicate that safety specialists should give some
special attention to falls from elevations and to motor
vehicle accidents. However, the basic similarities of the
targets selected by the two approaches were more strik
ing than the differences. Thus, use of the expensive case
and general approaches to targeting safety programs
will result in about the same accident prevention priori
ties.
□
tute’s (ANSI) Method of Recording Basic Facts Relating to the Nature
and Occurrence o f Work Injuries, ANSI Z16.2, 1962. According to the
ANSI Z16.2 coding system, “nature of injury” identifies the injury by
its principal physical characteristics. “Part of Body Affected” identi
fies the part of the person’s body directly affected by the injury
previously identified. “Source of Injury” identifies the object, sub
stance, or bodily motion that directly produced or inflicted the
previously identified injury. The “Accident Type” classification identi
fies the event that directly resulted in the injury; that is, it describes
how the source of injury contacted the body.
7Changes in coding structures and training are used in the Supple
mentary Data System to reduce the number of cases classified as “not
elsewhere classified” or “unidentifiable.”
8A similar pattern was found for 1977 Arkansas data. See Costs
and Characteristics o f Occupational Injuries and Illnesses in Arkansas,
1977 (Arkansas Department of Labor, August 1979).
The cost of safety incentives
The pain and suffering of a serious disability represent a
substantial portion of the costs of an injury. It would be
desirable for the legal system to assign liability for such
losses so that the full cost of injuries is borne by the party
in the best position to prevent the accident. The dilemma,
however, is that if the awards routinely made in a workers’
compensation system were to be so generous as to include
pain and suffering there would be a strong incentive for
employees to act with less than an optimal amount of care.
There is some evidence that even the more generous
8
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
States within the current system may fail to encourage an
appropriate amount of careful employee behavior. Only a
system that provides the opportunity for detailed examina
tion of the circumstances and consequences of the injury
could avoid such a distortion of incentives; but again, this
would be very costly.
— J a m e s R o b e r t C h eliu s
Workplace Safety and Health: The Role o f Workers' Compensation
(Washington, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy
Research, 1978), p. 62.
Scheduled wage increases and
escalator provisions in 1980
For the third straight year,
deferred increases will average
5.1 percent, and will be received
by 4.9 million workers;
5.5 million workers will be covered by
contracts with cost-of-living clauses
Edw
ard
W a sil e w s k i
This year, at least 4.9 million workers in the private
nonfarm sector are scheduled to receive wage increases
under major collective bargaining agreements negotiated
in earlier years. As in 1978 and 1979, the deferred in
creases will average 5.1 percent. In addition, approxi
mately 5.5 million workers are under major agreements
(covering 1,000 workers or more)1which have escalator
clauses, many with multiple reviews in 1980.2
Of the 9.4 million workers in major collective
bargaining units, the data exclude some 1.1 million
workers whose contracts expired late in 1979 but had
not been renegotiated or, if replaced, the terms were not
available.3
Cost-of-living provisions
If the inflation rate continues to rise as it did during
the first 9 months of 1979, cost-of-living escalator
(COLA) reviews are likely to have a large impact on
the total wage change effective in 1980. Fifty-nine per
cent of all workers are covered by major contracts that
have clauses which provide for the periodic automatic
adjustment of wage rates based on the movement of the
Consumer Price Index. The number of workers having
escalator clauses dropped to 5.5 million from 5.6 mil
lion a year ago.4 The slight decline was because of em-
Edward Wasilewski is an economist in the Division of Trends in Em
ployee Compensation, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
ployment shrinkage in some bargaining units retaining
their clauses, rather than from the termination of a sig
nificant number of clauses. The following are the num
ber of workers (in millions) under cost-of-living reviews
on January 1, 1971-80:
Year
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
.................
.................
.................
.................
.................
Workers
Year
3.0
4.3
4.1
4.0
5.3
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
Workers
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
...
...
...
...
6.0
6.0
5.8
5.6
5.5
While only 40 percent of all major contracts have
cost-of-living clauses, escalator provisions tend to be in
cluded most often in the contracts that cover the
greatest number of workers. Large blocks of workers
are covered under national contracts with large compa
nies; for example, the Auto Workers with General Mo
tors Corporation (460,000 workers); the Steelworkers
and the nine companies that comprise the Steel Indus
try Coordinating Committee (280,000 workers); the
Teamsters and Trucking Employers, Inc. (300,000
workers); and the Communications Workers and the
American Telephone and Telegraph Co. (500,000 work
ers). (See table 1 for the industry breakdown.)
The Auto Workers represent the largest number of
workers (1,093,000) under major agreements with esca
lator protection. They are followed by these unions:
9
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Scheduled Wage Increases and Escalator Provisions in 1980
Table 1.
Prevalence of escalator clauses in major collective bargaining agreements, November 1979
[Workers in thousands]
Industry
Total ...........................
Metal mining ............
Anthracite mining . . .
Bituminous coal and
lignite m in in g ..........
Building construction
general contractors
Construction other
than building cons tru c tio n .................
Construction — special
trade contractors .
Food and kindred
p ro d u c ts .................
Tobacco manufactures
Textile mill products .
Apparel and other textile p ro d u c ts ..........
Lumber and wood
p ro d u c ts .................
Furniture and fixtures
Paper and allied produ c t s .........................
Printing and publishing
Chemical and allied
p ro d u c ts .................
Petroleum refining and
related industries .
Rubber and plastic
p ro d u c ts .................
Leather and leather
p ro d u c ts .................
Stone, clay, and glass
p ro d u c ts .................
Primary metal indust r ie s .........................
2-digit
standard
industrial
classifi
cation
(SIC)
10
11
Contracts with
escalator clauses
All contracts
Workers
covered
Number
of
contracts
Workers
covered
9,428
56
2
2,046
14
1
5,547
55
2
12
160
1
15
668
184
Percent of
workers
covered
Number
by escala
of
contracts tor clauses
816
13
1
58.8
97.6
100.0
0.0
17
7
2.5
16
480
119
60
9
12.6
17
462
205
73
24
15.8
20
21
22
334
29
54
108
8
19
120
28
14
42
7
3
35.8
96.2
25.8
23
497
55
186
11
37.5
24
25
58
32
20
19
1
13
1
9
2.0
4.1
26
27
102
65
70
37
19
10
0.0
28.8
28
93
48
29
14
31.2
29
40
21
30
84
16
74
11
88.5
31
52
18
1
1
1.9
32
95
37
32
15
33.8
33
558
120
535
106
95.8
0.0
NOTE: Because of rounding, sums of individual items may not equal totals, and percentages
may not reflect shown ratios.
Communications
Workers
(616,000),
Teamsters
(583,000), Steelworkers (579,000), Food and Commer
cial Workers (417,000) and Machinists (250,000). All
other unions have fewer than 200,000 workers under
major agreements with COLA provisions.
Adjustment formulas. The rate of inflation is only one of
several factors that determines the amount of any in
crease or decrease under the provisions of an escalator
clause. Another is the presence of a “ceiling,” or maxi
mum limit on an increase. Of the 5.5 million workers
under cost-of-living clauses as of November 1979, 1.2
million were under contracts with such limits. An addi
tional 635,000 were guaranteed some minimum adjust
ment, regardless of the movement of the CPI.5
As of November 1979, the most popular formula
used to calculate cost-of-living adjustments was a 1-cent
hourly wage change for each 0.3-point movement in the
CPI—covering a total of slightly more than 2.2 million
workers, up from 2.1 million as of November 1978. The
next most popular formula, covering 820,000 operating
and manufacturing employees in the Bell Telephone
10
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Industry
Fabricated metal products ..............................
Machinery, except
electrical ......................
Electrical equ ip m e nt. . . .
Transportation equipm e n ! .............................
Instruments and related
products ......................
Miscellaneous manufacturlng industries ..........
Railroad transportation . .
Local and urban transit .
Motor freight transportat io n ................................
Water transportation . . .
Transportation by air . . .
Communications ............
Electric, gas, and
sanitary services . . . .
Wholesale trade ............
Retail trade — general
merchandise ...............
Food s to re s ......................
Automotive dealers and
service stations ..........
Apparel and accessory
s t o r e s ...........................
Eating and drinking
p la c e s ...........................
Miscellaneous retail
stores ...........................
Finance, insurance, and
real e s ta te ....................
S e rv ic e s ...........................
2-digit
standard
industrial
classifi
cation
(SIC)
All contracts
Workers
covered
Number
of
contracts
Contracts with
escalator clauses
Workers
covered
Percent of
workers
covered
Number
by escala
of
contracts tor clauses
34
115
56
86
38
76 8
35
36
290
456
97
102
266
416
82
80
91.2
91.4
37
1,170
115
1,100
95
94 0
38
32
16
13
7
39.8
39
40
41
21
437
16
12
20
4
4
437
15
2
20
3
18.0
100.0
93 8
42
44
45
48
522
99
163
762
28
17
43
46
513
36
118
727
23
7
25
33
98 2
36 3
72.4
95 4
49
50 & 51
206
87
76
34
45
44
12
14
21 8
50 9
53
54
89
537
23
104
30
380
6
64
33 8
70 6
55
19
11
2
1
08
56
10
5
1
1
11 2
58
73
24
59
18
7
8
3
43 5
6 0 -6 5
7 0 -8 9
87
296
15
71
32
13
6
9
36 7
4.4
00
Dashes indicate absence of cost-of-living coverage
System, calls for adjustments of 50 cents a week plus
0.6 percent of each employee’s weekly rate for each
1-percent movement in the CPI. About 512,000 workers
have a formula that calls for a 1-cent wage change for
each 0.4-point change in the CPI.
The number of workers whose escalator adjustments
are based on a 1-cent wage change for each 0.3- or
0.4-percent CPI change is down to 149,000 from
370,000 last year. This drop can be attributed to recent
General Electric Co. and Westinghouse Electric Corp.
settlements, which provided for escalator adjustments of
1 cent an hour for each 0.2-percent movement in the
CPI, instead of the previous 1 cent for each 0.3-percent
movement.
The formulas become somewhat more diverse and
complex when they are liberalized in steps during the
course of the contract, are linked to a deferred wage in
crease, or have monies diverted from cash payments to
offset fringe benefit costs. In the 1979 rubber industry
contracts, for instance, the escalator formula changes
from 1 cent for each 0.3-point change in the CPI to 1
cent for each 0.26-point change in the second contract
year; in the 1979 auto industry contracts the same
change takes place, but not until the third year of the
contract. Some contracts in the construction industry
tie the cost-of-living increase with deferred increases by
giving percent-for-percent increases based on any rise in
the CPI above the percent amount of any deferred in
crease scheduled for the year. One example of a diver
sion of money is in the aerospace industry, where some
contracts provide that 1 cent will be withheld from each
quarterly adjustment to help defray the cost of im
provements in early retirement provisions. Another ex
ample is in the automobile industry, where agreements
provide for the diversion of a total of 14 cents an hour
from escalator adjustments to help defray the cost of
the settlements. The diversion will be 1 cent from each
of the first eight quarterly adjustments and 2 cents from
each of the last three adjustments.
In the first 9 months of 1979, all workers receiving
COLA increases under major agreements recovered an
average 56 percent of the rise in consumer prices. The
proportion actually recovered under individual bar
gaining agreements depends on the type of COLA for
mula, the timing of COLA reviews, and a possible
“cap” on the amount of COLA increase.
Review timing and indexes. The timing of reviews has an
impact on the size of individual changes under an esca
lator clause. As table 2 shows, approximately 50 per
cent of the workers covered by 1980 COLA reviews are
under formulas providing quarterly reviews, 35 percent
have semiannual reviews, and 13 percent annual re
Table 2.
views. Of course, the frequency of review in any year is
also affected if the particular agreement expires during
the year.
The year 1967 is the most common CPI base year for
escalator formulas and is specified in contracts for over
3.7 million workers. The 1957-59 base is second most
common, occurring in 87 contracts covering nearly
900.000 workers. A very small group, some 6,400 work
ers, still uses the 1947-49 = 100 base.
The national all-cities index continues to be the most
prevalent trigger in escalator provisions: Nearly 80 per
cent of the clauses designate that index. One unusual
clause is in the automobile industry, where a composite
index is used that is derived from the official U.S. and
Canadian indexes. This is done because the contracts
cover workers in both countries. Specific city indexes
are used in the remaining clauses.
Deferred increases
The 5.1-percent average deferred wage increase sched
uled for 1980 amounts to an hourly rise of 45.0 cents.
(See table 3.) Of the 4.9 million workers affected, 1.7
million will receive an average increase of 5.5 percent in
1980 as a result of 1978 negotiations. About 2.9 million
workers whose new contracts were settled in the first 10
months of 1979 will receive an average increase of 5.0
percent. The average 1980 deferred increase for nearly
216.000 workers whose agreements were negotiated in
1977 is 4.2 percent. For 7,000 workers whose agree
ments were negotiated prior to that year, the average is
also 4.2 percent.
Timing of 1980 cost-of-living reviews in major contracts, by year of contract expiration and frequency of review
[Workers in thousands]
Type of contract, by expiration
and frequency of escalator review
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Full year1
Fourth quarter
Number of
contracts
Workers
covered
Number of
contracts
Workers
covered
Number of
contracts
Workers
covered
Number of
contracts
Workers
covered
Number of
contracts
Workers
covered
372
288
60
24
2,534
1,777
601
155
331
241
48
42
2,475
1,642
659
173
210
143
49
18
1,860
1,207
585
68
153
97
43
13
1,760
1,057
638
65
521
291
108
99
23
3,591
1,781
1,260
472
77
226
199
13
14
809
732
23
54
162
151
5
6
628
595
21
12
58
53
2
3
174
161
7
6
6
6
11
11
248
199
18
23
8
884
732
45
72
36
146
89
47
10
1,724
1,046
578
101
169
90
43
36
1,846
1,047
638
162
152
90
47
15
1,686
1,046
578
62
147
91
43
13
1,750
1,047
638
65
273
92
90
76
15
2,707
1,049
1,216
400
42
All contracts
Total ..................................................................................
Q u a rte rly ..........................................................................
Semiannual .....................................................................
A n n u a l...............................................................................
O ther2 ...............................................................................
Contracts expiring in 19803
Total ..................................................................................
Q u a rte rly ..........................................................................
Semiannual .....................................................................
A n n u a l...............................................................................
O th e r2 ...............................................................................
Contracts expiring in later years
Total ..................................................................................
Q u a rte rly ..........................................................................
Semiannual .....................................................................
A n n u a l...............................................................................
O the r2 ...............................................................................
1 Contracts that have at least one review in the year.
2 Includes monthly, combinations of annual and quarterly, combinations of annual and semiannual, other, and reviews dependent upon levels of the Consumer Price Index.
3 Includes only those reviews through the termination of the present agreements, it does not
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assume the continuation of existing reviews after contract expiration dates.
NOTE: Because of rounding, sums of individual items may not equal totals. Dashes indicate
that there is no coverage for a particular review in the quarter.
11
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Scheduled Wage Increases and Escalator Provisions in 1980
Table 3.
Workers receiving deferred wage increases in 1980, by major industry group and size of increase
[Workers in thousands]
Manufacturing
Average hourly
increases
Number
of
contracts
All
private
non
agricultural
industries
865
4,865
25
44
70
78
65
68
73
39
128
68
60
45
102
T o ta l..................................
Nonmanufacturing
Paper
and
allied
products
Food and
kindred
products
Apparel
2,175
222
360
37
1,326
75
260
298
931
278
49
204
241
783
175
2
4
45
20
6
3
1
9
16
90
1
779
484
253
496
247
337
130
297
161
186
104
142
68
36
17
9
6
72
7
19
25
1
8
6
42
67
70
60
45.0
34.1
59.2
37.5
32.7
26.8
45.2
27.1
41.2
23.7
48.7
40.0
40.8
28.7
43.8
44.0
5
1
Total1
Communi
cations,
gas, and
electric
utilities
Ware
housing,
wholesale
and retail
trade
Services
406
146
Contract
construc
tion
Trans
portation
2,691
834
1,010
30
193
173
722
47
26
56
57
148
104
3
2
16
19
1
4
17
43
32
14
27
16
25
3
619
298
149
354
179
301
113
288
11
57
12
120
113
123
102
256
567
170
120
50
39
5
8
30
27.6
26.0
48.3
27.1
54.9
42.6
66.1
48.2
80.0
78.0
80.1
75.0
43.7
41.6
113.2
37.8
46.8
22.3
58.6
51.2
40.0
42.9
37.1
42.0
28 8
38 6
28.3
28.7
996
152
42
19
15
68
628
484
333
451
26
76
102
97
164
1
449
308
134
50
8
13
30
50
30
62
153
37
8
34
44
58
20
17
110
110
43
24
82
41
26
11
7
1
1
1
1
7
2
47
28
4
9
384
172
51
32
88
3.2
2.9
7.1
2.8
5.6
4.5
6.7
5.1
6.9
6.0
7.0
6.6
4.3
4.2
8.4
4.1
6.1
6.3
7.7
6.4
Metal
working
Total2
60
CENTS PER HOUR
Under 15 cents ...............
15 and under 20 ............
20 and under 25 ............
25 and under 30 ............
30 and under 35 ............
35
40
45
50
60
70
80
90
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
under 40 ............
under 45 ............
under 50 ............
under 60 ............
under 70 ............
under 80 ............
under 90 ............
over ......................
Mean in cre a se .................
With e s c a la to rs ..........
Without escalators . .
Median increase ............
3
2
2
1
14
6
4
6
59.6
59.6
56.2
4
17
2
3
19
12
20
11
23
69
24
23
39
11
161
15
11
2
40
15
20
40
17
5
4
2
1
1
2
PERCENT3
Under 3 percent ............
3 and under 4 .................
4 and under 5 .................
5 and under 6 .................
6 and under 7 .................
98
104
90
96
155
1,142
812
590
487
613
1,073
183
106
155
162
52
11
2
84
13
7 and under 8 .................
8 and under 9 .................
9 and under 10 ...............
10 and under 11 ............
11 and over ......................
127
109
38
20
28
496
474
101
38
112
112
303
51
6
24
14
18
25
1
1
13
232
2
5.1
3.8
6.8
4.7
4.5
3.3
7.2
3.0
5.6
3.0
6.7
5.8
7.7
6.5
7.9
8.0
Mean in cre a se .................
With e s c a la to rs ..........
Without escalators . .
Median increase ............
11
83
Approximately 213,000 workers will receive a deferred
increase in 1980 before their contracts expire later in the
year. Nearly 260,000 workers, whose contracts were ne
gotiated prior to 1980 have neither a deferred wage in
crease nor a cost-of-living review scheduled for 1980.
Another 34,000 with post-1980 expirations will have an
escalator review but no deferred increase in 1980.
As table 3 shows, out of a total 2.2 million workers
receiving deferred wage increases in 1980 in the manu
facturing sector, the largest single block of workers (1.3
million) is in the metalworking industries. The average
gain in these industries— 3.2 percent—is smaller than
in 1979. In the nonmanufacturing sector, over 800,000
construction industry workers will receive an average
gain of 6.9 percent, about the same as in 1979.6 The
nonmanufacturing sector as a whole continues to have a
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3
5
20
4
5
14
11ncludes workers in the following Industry groups for which separate data are not shown:
Tobacco (1,000); textiles (11,000); lumber (4,000); furniture (12,000); printing (30,000); chemi
cals (31,000); petroleum refining (6,000); rubber (65,000); leather (30,000); stone, clay, and
glass products (19,000); instruments (4,000); and miscellaneous manufacturing (16,000).
2 Includes 164,000 workers In mining and 70,000 in finance, insurance and real estate for
which separate data are not shown.
3 Percent of straight-time average hourly earnings.
NOTE: Workers are distributed according to the average adjustment for all workers in each
12
1
8.0
8.0
8.0
15
14
3
2
5.7
55
6.0
6.1
54
58
54
5.9
bargaining unit considered. Deferred wage increases include guaranteed minimum adjustments
under cost-of-living escalator clauses. The number of workers affected In each industry is
based on data available in early November 1979 and, thus, may understate the number of
workers receiving deferred wage increases. Only bargaining units in the private, nonagricultural
economy covering 1,000 workers or more are considered in this table. Because of rounding,
sums of individual items may not equal totals. Dashes indicate there are no workers having
wage increases that fall within that stated range.
higher average deferred increase than the manufacturing
industries. This is true whether the increase is consid
ered in percentage or cents per hour terms: non
manufacturing averages 5.6 percent and 54.9 cents, and
manufacturing averages 4.5 percent and 32.7 cents. A
possible explanation is that escalator clauses are more
prevalent in manufacturing industries (70 percent of
workers) than in nonmanufacturing industries (50 per
cent).
Workers in the paper industry will have the largest
percent deferred wage gains of any group, an average of
8.0 percent. Construction workers will receive the larg
est hourly raise, 80.0 cents. Workers in the transporta
tion industries, a group that accounts for a substantial
portion of all those receiving deferred increases in 1980,
will receive an average 4.3 percent or 43.7 cents. Work-
ers in transportation equipment manufacturing will re
ceive an average wage-rate increase of about 3 percent.
Table 4 shows when in 1980 workers will receive de
ferred wage increases. The heavy concentration of
increases in July largely reflects changes scheduled for
432,000 workers in the railroad industry, and the Sep
tember concentration is primarily made up of increases
scheduled for 650,000 Auto Workers at General Motors
Corp. and Ford Motor Co.
For contracts covering 5,000 workers or more, the
1980 average increase in the cost of both deferred wages
and benefits is 5.4 percent. (See table 5.) This is an in
crease from the 1979 average of 4.7 percent and the
1978 average of 5.3 percent.
An important influence on the negotiation of deferred
increases implemented over the term of a contract is the
possibility of any additional wage gains under escalator
provisions. The likelihood of wage changes based on the
Table 4. Workers receiving deferred increases in 1980
in bargaining units covering 1,000 workers or more, by
month
[W orkers in thousands]
Effective month
Principal industries affected
4,865
T o ta l1
January ......................
F e b ru a ry ......................
M a rc h ...........................
April ..............................
May ..............................
J u n e ..............................
July
..............................
September .................
October
Workers
covered
......................
Construction;
Food stores
Mining; cans;
Construction;
Construction
Construction;
Electric
Construction;
railroads
apparel; General
380
117
456
696
468
828
Westinghouse;
948
transportation
Chrysler
rubber; trucking
Meatpacking; General Motors and
Ford
Farm equipment
176
864
135
86
62
1This total is smaller than the sum of individual items because 350,000 workers will re
ceive more than one increase. This total is based on data available as of Nov. 1 ,1979 and,
thus, may understate the number of workers receiving deferred increases for the entire year.
Table 5. Workers receiving deferred wage and benefit
increases in 1980 in bargaining units covering 5,000
workers or more, by size of increase
[W orkers in thousands]
Percentage increase
Workers covered
All settlements providing deferred changes1 ......................
3,124
Under 3 p e rc e n t........................................................................
3 and under 4 ..........................................................................
4 and under 5 ..........................................................................
5 and under 6 ..........................................................................
6 and under 7 ..........................................................................
7 and under 8 ..........................................................................
8 and under 9 ..........................................................................
9 and under 10 ........................................................................
10 and under 11 .....................................................................
11 percent and o v e r ................................................................
Mean increase (p e rc e n t).........................................................
Median increase (p e rce n t)......................................................
82
451
1,225
355
383
254
249
76
42
6
5.4
4.6
'T h is total excludes workers covered by contracts expiring in 1980 who receive a deferred benefit change only.
NOTE: Only bargaining units in the private, nonagricultural economy are considered in this
table. Because of rounding, sums of individual items may not equal totals.
inflation rate tends to hold down the amount of the
guaranteed deferred increases. This tendency is evident
in 1980, as in previous years, in an average 6.8 percent
deferred wage rate increase for contracts without a costof-living clause versus only a 3.8 percent gain in con
tracts with such provisions.
The total of 4.9 million workers scheduled for de
ferred wage increases in 1980 is fairly close to the
number of workers who received such increases in 1979,
but substantially lower than the number who received
deferred increases in 1978.7 This difference in coverage
is attributable to the cyclical nature of collective
bargaining negotiations. Eighty percent of the workers
in major bargaining units are under 3-year contracts;
therefore, a pattern has emerged in which two years of
heavy bargaining are followed by a third year with sub
stantially fewer expirations and wage reopenings. In the
pattern’s lighter bargaining years, such as 1978 and
1981, a maximum number of deferred wage changes is
put into effect.
□
FOOTNOTES
'They include multiplant or multifirm agreements covering 1,000
workers or more, even though individual units may be smaller. About
1 in 10 members of the civilian labor force is covered by a major
bargaining agreement.
2 For an analysis of the bargaining schedule for 1980, see Mary A.
Andrews and Winston Tillery, “Heavy bargaining again in 1980,”
Monthly Labor Review, December 1979, pp. 20-28.
3 Information was not available for 60 agreements that expired be
tween November 1, 1979, and December 31, 1979, covering 221,000
workers; 243 agreements that expired earlier in the year but for which
negotiations were continuing or terms of the new agreement were not
yet available, covering 892,000 workers; and 12 agreements with no
specified expiration date, covering 42,000 workers.
4The 5.5 million workers in major contracts include those under
expired contracts containing such clauses, in which new agreements
had not been negotiated at the time this article was prepared. This
discussion excludes workers whose contracts provide for possi
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ble reopeners based on increases in the Consumer Price Index. Virtu
ally all of these workers are represented by the Ladies Garment
Workers Union.
’ The guaranteed minimum portion of a cost-of-living increase is
treated as a scheduled wage increase and is included in the tabula
tions for deferred increases in 1980. Some 431,000 workers are cov
ered by clauses that have both minimum and maximum limits.
6About 304,000 of these are construction workers who will receive
deferred increases under settlements in which the parties agreed to a
total wage and benefit package, with the ultimate allocation between
wages and benefits to be determined by the union. Because the final
division was not known at the time this article was prepared, the en
tire amount has been treated as a wage increase and may be expected
to change as the data become available.
7 For an analysis of the 1979 data, see Beth A. Levin, “Scheduled
wage increases and escalator provisions in 1979,” Monthly Labor Re
view, January 1979, pp. 20-25.
13
Labor and the Supreme Court:
significant decisions of 1978-79
The Court approved voluntary efforts to
eliminate the effects of discrimination,
rejected NLRB attempts at balancing conflicting
interests in the workplace, and amplified
public employers' constitutional rights
to set hiring policies and work restrictions
G
regory
J.
M ounts
Significant labor cases decided by the Supreme Court
during its 1978-79 term were highlighted by discrimi
nation issues, but the broad range of the remaining top
ics prevented the emergence of a dominant theme or
direction. Some decisions forged new statutory interpre
tations that protected existing policies threatened by
new claims of individual or institutional rights.1At oth
er times, the Court elevated individual rights to block
existing policies.2Another important group of cases fur
ther reduced constitutional restrictions on the employ
ment practices of governments.3
In the year’s most celebrated case, the Court en
dorsed the right of employers and unions to jointly
eliminate a work force’s racial imbalance through volun
tary affirmative action programs.4 The Court’s permis
sive interpretation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights
Act in this case was a marked change from the more re
strictive readings of the law it has made in recent years.5
The Court also expanded individuals’ rights to file
discrimination suits under both the 1964 law and the
Constitution,6 but it found that, where it applied, Title
VII was the sole remedy for proven acts of job discrimi
nation.7
The Court rejected the position of the National La
bor Relations Board in three of four cases involving tra
ditional labor law issues—a considerable shift from the
Gregory J. Mounts, an economist on the staff of the Monthly Labor
Review, writes “Significant Decisions in Labor Cases.”
14
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
clean sweep the Board achieved a year earlier. In a pair
of cases, the Court ruled that the Board had given too
much weight to the interests of unions in soliciting new
members among hospital employees and in obtaining
information from an employer.8The interests of hospital
patients for a quiet environment and those of workers
for the privacy of psychological test information place
limits on union activities, the Court concluded. The
Court also restricted the Board’s claimed jurisdiction
over religious schools,9 but it agreed that in-plant food
prices and food services are mandatory subjects of
bargaining.10
Public employment cases decided by the Court last
term suggest that there are few constitutional restric
tions on the hiring decisions of public employers. Ex
cluding aliens from public teaching positions," barring
persons involved in methadone programs from transit
system jobs,12 and preferring veterans over all other job
applicants (despite the acknowledged disparate impact
upon women)13 are all permissible public employment
practices, the Court ruled. Another ruling extended
public employers’ constitutional authority to impose
mandatory retirement on certain groups of workers.14
The Constitution was held to protect workers whenever
and wherever they voice their views to their employer;15
but the Court also made clear that workers have no
constitutional right to compel their employers to re
spond to their remarks or even listen to what they have
to say.16
In other cases, the Court ruled that the status of cer-
tain pension benefits prevented any significant enforce
ment of workers’ pre-1974 rights to benefits;17 that
future Federal pension benefits cannot be divided under
State community property laws;18 and that the Social
Security Act cannot constitutionally deny benefits to
unemployed mothers when it permits benefits for unem
ployed fathers,|q but can constitutionally deny benefits
to the mother of a wage earner’s illegitimate children,
providing those benefits only to the worker’s spouse or
former spouses who care for their children.20
Employment discrimination
Discrimination cases decided by the Supreme Court
in recent years, including the 1978 Bakke decision,21 of
fered no clue as to how the Court would rule on the is
sue of voluntary affirmative action programs in employ
ment. The Court’s approval of such plans under Title
VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act rejected the argument
of ‘reverse’ discrimination and should identify Weber2'
as perhaps the single most important interpretation of
the job bias law for a long time to come.
The Court specifically ruled in Weber that Congress
did not intend to forbid all private, race-conscious af
firmative action programs; the law does not require
preferential treatment of minorities, but neither does it
prohibit such treatment. Thus, the Court concluded
that private parties could voluntarily agree to correct
racial imbalances resulting from “traditionally segregat
ed job categories.” This holding rested on the recogni
tion that a racially imbalanced workforce can be the
result of general societal discrimination, and it allows
employers to correct such imbalances without incurring
any liability for discriminatory practices that may have
dictated their hiring decisions. One important aspect of
this approach is that it permits the correction of racial
imbalances created before 1964 and, therefore, outside
the possible reach of the law’s prohibitions. Another re
sult is that a guilty employer need not admit guilt to
correct the effects of past violations.
There were several significant qualifications laid out
by the Court concerning what kind of voluntary affirm
ative action programs are permissible. Specifically, the
Court required that such preferential plans be tempo
rary, that incumbent employees not be displaced, and
that the advancement of white employees not be “undu
ly impeded.” However, the Court’s only comment
about the contours of these criteria was that the plan in
Weber fell within them. Thus, questions about how long
a plan may operate, when it “unduly” impedes the ad
vancement of whites, and which “traditionally segregat
ed job categories” it may address will likely be the
subjects of future court challenges. Some preliminary
answers may be found within the framework of courtimposed preference schemes; Equal Employment Op
portunity Commission guidelines may also provide
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some answers to these difficult questions.
Untouched by Weber is the separate issue of whether
courts may impose racial quotas or goals to remedy
proven violations of Federal civil rights laws. Los
Angeles v. Davis22 decided just prior to Weber, involved
this issue, but the Court found that the underlying ques
tion of alleged discrimination had become moot. Be
cause the imposed quotas had eliminated the
discriminatory effect of earlier hiring practices and be
cause those practices were unlikely to be repeated, the
Court refused to consider whether the judicial imposi
tion of quotas was permissible under these or any other
circumstances. Interestingly, two pairs of dissenting jus
tices who would have ruled on the merits of the case in
dicated that the lower court had probably gone too far
in imposing the quotas; it is unlikely that the five-justice
majority would have been unanimous on the same issue.
In another Title VII case last term, the Court issued a
brief per curiam opinion on the nature of an employer’s
burden in rebutting a prima facie case of discrimination.
Earlier Supreme Court cases specified that an employer
must “prove an absence of discriminatory intent” in
such circumstances.24 However, in the same cases, the
Court also identified the requirement as the need to “ar
ticulate some legitimate nondiscriminatory reason” for
the apparent violation. Sweeney pointedly required only
the latter, possibly less demanding, standard to be used
in such cases.
In its 1978 Furnco decision,25 the Court indicated for
the first time that an employer could use statistics on the
racial composition of its work force to help defend an al
leged discriminatory hiring practice. Sweeney's clarifi
cation of an employer’s burden in such a defense may
therefore be a necessary element in a Court formula
allowing employers greater leeway in hiring decisions.
In three separate cases, the Court considered impor
tant questions about how individuals may seek in Feder
al courts to redress alleged acts of discrimination.
Novotny26 established that Title VII provides the sole
statutory protection against employment discrimination
for all private workers, extending an earlier ruling that
had the same result for Federal workers.27The Court re
jected a claim that an alleged victim of job bias could
seek relief under the Civil Rights Act of 1871, reasoning
that to allow such a bypass of Title VII would defeat the
important administrative framework for resolving such
claims established by that law.
In two other cases, however, the Court broadened the
opportunities for individuals to bring discrimination
suits in Federal courts. In Cannon,2* the Court
interpreted Title IX of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to
provide a private right of action for alleged acts of sex
discrimination by educational institutions that receive
Federal funds. In Passman,29 the Court found similar
private rights to redress alleged acts of job discrimina15
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Labor and the Supreme Court
tion under the Constitution. Although Congress
exempted its members when it outlawed discrimination
in employment, the Court extended the reasoning of
earlier cases30 and found that congressional employees
may sue their employers directly under the due process
clause of the Fifth Amendment. In cases like Passman,
where the defendant is no longer a member of Con
gress, the Court also ruled that money damages would
be an appropriate remedy instead of reinstatement.
However, the question of whether the constitutional
protection of congressmen’s “speech and debate”
shields them from such liability remains to be sorted
out by the lower court. The Court’s ruling in Passman
would also seem to apply to all Federal judicial
branch employees, who are similarly unprotected by
Title VII.
Traditional labor law
Of the four Supreme Court cases involving the Na
tional Labor Relations Board during the 1978-79 term,
the Court rejected the Board’s position in three. Two of
these three involved the Board’s policymaking and re
medial authority under the National Labor Relations
Act to balance competing interests in the workplace. In
both, the Court substituted its judgment for that of the
specialized labor agency. In the third, the Court denied
the Board jurisdiction over church-operated schools,
based on a new interpretation of the act.
In Detroit Edison,31 the Court ruled, contrary to the
Board’s view, that the privacy rights of employees who
were denied promotion consideration based on psycho
logical tests outweighed the interests of their union in
obtaining the test materials for use in a grievance
against the employer. Although the relevance of the test
information to the union’s needs was not an issue in the
case,32 the fact that other competing interests may out
weigh those of a union in such cases was a signficant
modification of the High Court’s earlier rulings in this
area.33 The Court suggested that the employer’s willing
ness to supply the test materials only with the consent
of the employees satisfied its statutory obligations under
the NLRA. The fact that employers may now cite their
employees’ substantial and overriding interests in not
releasing some information may result in more tests of
unions’ informational rights under Section 8(a)(5) of the
act.
The Board’s basic prescription for balancing the or
ganizing interests of unions with the interests of em
ployers and patients in medical care institutions was se
riously questioned by the Court in Baptist Hospital. 34
The decision reaffirmed a 1978 case invalidating a hos
pital’s no-solicitation rule in first floor eating or conces
sion areas not frequented by patients.35 However, the
Court refused to endorse the Board’s view that such
rules were also invalid when applied to hospital corri
16
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
dors above the first floor and in sitting rooms adjacent
to patient rooms as well. The Board had wanted to lim
it no-solicitation rules to “immediate patient care
areas,” which it defined as treatment and operating
rooms and patient rooms. But the Court made clear
that the narrowness of the Board’s interpretation was
completely unsatisfactory for the special circumstances
of health care environments.
The Court has generally taken a limited role in re
viewing Board policies. But in Baptist Hospital, the
Court cited the inadequacy of the Board’s policy for
mulation in this area—and essentially required the
Board to perform a more sophisticated factual analysis
of the potential effects of its decisions. The questions
that the Board must confront in this area are complex,
and, as suggested by the Court, may not lend them
selves to line drawing. Rather, each case may have to
be examined on its specific merits, using a more analyt
ical framework.
In Catholic Bishop of Chicago,36 the Court interpreted
the NLRA as not covering lay teachers in parochial
schools. The act is silent on the issue, but the Court re
fused to permit representational activity in church-oper
ated schools, stating that it would invariably raise First
Amendment questions on the separation of church and
state. The decision replaces the Board’s previous stan
dard for claiming jurisdiction in this area. In the past, it
had asserted jurisdiction over schools that were “merely
religiously associated” — those offering some secular
subjects. Now, however, the Board is barred from
claiming jurisdiction over all “church-operated”
schools. As was the case in Catholic Bishop, church-op
erated schools may offer both religious and secular sub
jects.
Ford Motor Co?1 was the single case last term in
which the Court agreed—unanimously— with the
Board’s position. The Board has long held that in-plant
food prices and services are mandatory subjects of
bargaining, but Federal appeals courts had never
enforced such a Board bargaining order until recently.
The High Court expanded the 7th Circuit’s approval of
the specific facts of this case into a general rule applica
ble to all employers with existing food services, noting
that the Board was authorized to define the “terms and
conditions of employment” subject to mandatory
bargaining under the act.
Some aspects of the Court’s opinion appear to require
employers with existing food services to consider major
changes at the bargaining table. For example, the Court
compared food services with other employee benefits
contracted for by the employer, where the terms of such
services can be altered through subsidies. In addition,
an employer may also be required to change suppliers
as a means of exercising “leverage” over food prices and
services.
A union’s duty to fairly represent the grievances of its
members is based on judicial interpretation of the nation
al labor laws. When workers have won suits against their
unions for violations of this implied responsibility, some
lower courts have allowed punitive damages—in excess
of the amount of injury sustained—when the union or its
officers acted in a particularly inappropriate manner.38
Last term, however, the Supreme Court ruled in IBEW v.
Foust*9 that under no circumstances could a union be
held liable for such excess damages in fair-representation
cases.
The Court recognized that a union’s decisions in han
dling grievances often involve judgments that reflect its
collective responsibility. The threat of substantial mone
tary penalties under such circumstances, the Court con
cluded, could “disrupt responsible decisionmaking
essential to peaceful labor relations.’’ Although Foust
was based on implied rights under the Railway Labor
Act, the Court made clear that its ruling should extend
to the NLRA. However, some question remains as to
whether it goes even further.
Punitive damages have been imposed under the
Landrum-Griffin Act when a union violated its statutory
obligations to its members. The law specifically provides
“such relief as may be appropriate” for violations of
those rights. Although the majority in Foust wrote that
its decision involved only judicially created remedies for
judicially implied rights, four justices who concurred in
the result felt that the Court’s rationale concerning the
financial threat to unions could also act to bar punitive
damages under Landrum-Griffin.
Although it is well established that Federal labor laws
prevail over State laws where they conflict, it has been
less clear what State regulations are permissible in areas
left unregulated by Federal law. Last term, the Court
found that the National Labor Relations Act did not
preempt a New York law providing unemployment bene
fits to strikers.40 The NLRA is silent on the issue, and the
result appeared to conflict with a pair of earlier rulings
barring State actions not specifically preempted by the
act because they would have altered the economic bal
ance of power between labor and management.41 The
Court acknowledged that this balance was disturbed by
the New York law, but a majority ruled that the legisla
tive history of the NLRA in conjunction with the nearly
concurrent history of the Social Security Act left the
States free to shape their own unemployment compensa
tion statutes.
John Paul Stevens, who was joined by only two other
justices, wrote the main opinion for the split majority,
offering a potential cutting edge for deciding similar pre
emption cases. He suggested that where a State law (as in
this case) was designed to assist all workers in the State
rather than to interfere in labor disputes, it should be
preempted only if Congress clearly intended to forbid the
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
challenged activity. The limited support for this ap
proach among other members of the Court means that
these kinds of preemption issues will continue to be de
cided on a case-by-case basis.
Public employment
Several Supreme Court decisions broadened the consti
tutional authority of public employers to deny jobs to
certain groups, while permitting them to prefer other
groups of jobseekers for public employment.
Ambach42 marked the second time in 2 years that the
Court has broadened the scope of permissible State re
strictions on the employment of aliens. In 1978, Foley43
upheld a citizenship requirement for State police officers
because of their important governmental responsibilities.
This decision paved the way for a similar requirement for
public schoolteachers a year later, when the Court up
held a New York law barring aliens who have not ap
plied for citizenship. Ambach permitted States to limit
alien participation “when exercising the functions of gov
ernment,” a somewhat broader area than the “important
nonelective . . . officers” covered by Foley. In both cases,
the Court ruled that State laws imposing such qualifica
tions on public employment must be “rationally related”
to some legitimate interest to pass the constitutional test
—a less restrictive measure than the “strict scrutiny”
standard that had long been used to test classifications
based on alienage. Also in its 1978-79 term, the Court
let stand a Federal appeals court ruling that upheld the
constitutionality of Executive Order 11935 barring aliens
from Federal civil service positions.44
Another restriction on public employment held consti
tutional by the Court last term was the exclusion of per
sons involved in methadone programs from jobs with a
city transit authority.45 The excluded workers claimed
that the line drawn by the transit authority grouped a
disproportionately high percentage of minority workers
and violated Title VII as well as the Constitution. Based
on statistical evidence, however, the Court found no Title
VII violation; it also ruled that the Fourteenth Amend
ment’s equal protection clause does not prevent a public
employer from drawing such a line to exclude persons
from employment for the legitimate interests of safety
and efficiency in operating public transportation. Howev
er, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (enacted after this case
began) may prohibit such discrimination in federally
funded programs.
A third public employment practice held constitution
al by the Court last term was a State’s authority to grant
absolute hiring preference to veterans. In Feeney,46 the
Court recognized that such laws have a tremendous dis
parate effect on women, but upheld the classification in
Massachusetts because the State’s lawmakers had not
granted veterans preference for the purpose of discrimi
nating against women. This standard for measuring
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Labor and the Supreme Court
whether a governmental classification is discriminatory
under the Constitution was first established in the
Court’s 1976 Washington v. Davis decision.47 But in that
case, a test that had a discriminatory effect was ap
proved partly because it was found predictive of subse
quent success in a job training program. Thus, the tool
of discrimination in Davis was upheld on two grounds: it
did not purposefully discriminate and it was job related.
In this respect, Feeney appears to expand the dimen
sions of Davis by permitting States to establish selection
criteria— veteran status— not related to job perfor
mance, as long as any disparate effect on an identi
fiable group of workers was not a purposeful act. But
some have suggested that the Court’s treatment of vet
erans recognizes their important contribution to the Na
tion’s well being, and that certain exceptions involving
their status may not be easily adapted in other cases.
In a pair of cases decided during its 1978-79 term,
the Court also added to the wide range of restrictions
that public employers may constitutionally impose upon
their employees.48 In 1976, the Court found no equal
protection violation in a State law requiring mandatory
retirement at age 50 for uniformed State police.49 Such a
restriction was found to be rationally related to the
State’s legitimate interest in maintaining the physical
condition of its police. Last term, the Court used essen
tially the same rationale in upholding a Federal law re
quiring mandatory retirement of Foreign Service Offi
cers at age 60.50 The age restriction was rationally
related to the Government’s legitimate interest of main
taining the “professional competence” of this important
group of public servants, the Court ruled.
In Martin,51 the Court also found no equal protection
violation for a school board to enforce a continuing ed
ucation requirement for its employees by not renewing
their contracts. Before the legislature made annual sala
ry increases mandatory, the board had denied raises to
noncomplying teachers. The greater penalty of contract
nonrenewal, the Court ruled, was rationally related to
the board’s legitimate objective of enforcing the educa
tion requirement.
The theme that appears to unite most of last term’s
public employment decisions is the substantial constitu
tional freedom the Court has approved for public em
ployers to make hiring decisions and impose restrictions
based on legitimate objectives. This freedom should, per
haps, be viewed as balanced by the expression of the
electorate in the political process. Organized groups of
citizens can often exercise some influence over the em
ployment decisions of public agencies.
First Amendment issues
Even though Court decisions involving public em
ployment in 1979 appeared to emphasize employers’
broad freedoms under the Constitution, the Court also
18
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
extended Constitutional protections afforded public em
ployees. In Givhan?2 the Court ruled that the First
Amendment protects a public employee from discharge
or other discipline for expressing critical remarks in a
private conversation with a superior. Earlier rulings in
Pickering and Mt. Healthy53 recognized this free speech
protection for public employees’ comments to the public
about their employers. In extending this rationale to pri
vate conversations, the Court also imposed its Mt.
Healthy test for a worker’s reinstatement: a discharged
employee must be reinstated if the employer fails to
show that the worker would have been terminated “but
for” the protected speech.
Thus, the Court has found that the Constitution guar
antees workers the right individually or collectively to
voice their views to their employer; but the Court also
made clear in a pair of cases last term that the First
Amendment does not afford workers the right to compel
either public or private employers to engage in a dia
logue or even listen to their comments.
In Babbitt,54 Arizona’s agricultural labor relations
statute was challenged for allegedly curtailing workers’
First Amendment freedom of association by requiring
representation elections not coincident with seasonal em
ployment peaks and by restricting those employees eligi
ble to vote. The Court ruled, however, that Arizona was
under no constitutional obligation to provide a law that
required employers to negotiate with worker representa
tives. Its enactment of such a law with a poorly written
provision for representation elections does not raise any
constitutional problems, the Court concluded. Several
other provisions of the law were also challenged on con
stitutional grounds. On those, the Court ruled that pro
visions limiting consumer publicity and imposing
criminal penalties must first be interpreted by State
courts before any constitutional claims could be consid
ered; provisions concerning union access to workers on
farms and the arbitration of disputes also should not be
ruled on, the Court said, because of insufficient experi
ence in their operation.
In Smith,55 the Court resolved a conflict between cir
cuit courts of appeals by ruling that the First
Amendment’s neutral effect on private employers’ re
sponsibility to listen to their employees applies to public
employers as well. The First Amendment is not a substi
tute for a labor relations statute, the Court reasoned; it
does not impose any affirmative obligation on the gov
ernment to respond to its employees’ legally elected
bargaining agent. The Court indicated that the same ac
tion by a private employer might constitute an unfair la
bor practice. But for public employers not under
statutory constraints as well as for private employers not
covered by Federal labor laws, as in Babbitt, representa
tional efforts by unions may only be successful based on
voluntary recognition.
Pensions and other benefits
Two pension questions were resolved by the Court
during 1978-79. In Daniel56 the Court refused to in
clude compulsory, noncontributory pensions as invest
ments under the securities laws. A worker made
ineligible for benefits under such a plan because of a
break in employer contributions had sought relief under
the antifraud provisions of the securities statutes. He
had hoped to charge the union with fraud for not mak
ing known that any break in contributions invalidated
his benefits. Although the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974 offers greater protection of work
ers’ pension benefits, it provides no coverage to those
who retired prior to 1974, as in Daniel.
The Court’s ruling, however, was limited to those
plans where the employer alone makes contributions.
The Court may be more likely to consider plans where
employees have made some monetary contribution as a
form of investment under the securities laws.
In a case involving Federal pension benefits, the Court
ruled that expected payments to the retired worker can
not be divided based on State community property laws.
Hisquierdo 57 reversed a California Supreme Court ruling
splitting the expected benefits of a retired railroad
employee with his former spouse. The High Court
interpreted the language of the Railroad Retirement Act
to require that benefits be distributed only to the retired
worker and that no benefits be “anticipated.” This latter
provision was apparently meant to protect beneficiaries
from creditors, but was constructed in broad enough
terms to apply to all those—including a spouse-—who
may seek to claim a worker’s earned benefits.
Benefits available under the Social Security Act were
the subject of a pair of decisions by the Court during
1978-79. In Califano v. Westcott,58 the Court ruled that
a program providing benefits to unemployed fathers
with dependent children but not to unemployed moth
ers violated the Fifth Amendment’s due process clause.
Instead of cutting off all benefits to the unemployed fa
thers of some 300,000 children, the Court chose to re
quire that unemployed mothers receive payments for
their dependent children. In Califano v. Boles,59 the
Court ruled that a program providing mothers’ insur
ance benefits was not unconstitutional for denying bene
fits to mothers of illegitimate children which had been
earned by their fathers. The Court found that restricting
a worker’s benefits to legal dependents defined by a
marriage contract was rationally related to the legiti
mate interests of the state. Any impact on illegitimate
children as a class, the Court said, was speculative and
incidental to the operation of the law.
In another case involving the Social Security Act, the
Court limited the ability of individuals to file suits in
Federal court challenging provisions of the law. In
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Chapman,60 the Court ruled that Federal court jurisdic
tion under Sec. 1983 of the 1871 Civil Rights Act is
limited to rights secured by the Constitution or by Fed
eral laws providing for equal rights or civil rights. Be
cause the jurisdictional statute creates no substantive
rights itself and because the Social Security Act does
not provide the rights specified, claims that State wel
fare regulations conflict with the Federal law cannot be
brought in Federal courts under the 1871 law.
Other Federal laws
The Supreme Court resolved an important procedural
question of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act
last term which had created a conflict among the circuit
courts of appeals. In Oscar Mayer v. Evans,61 the Court
ruled that alleged victims of discrimination under the
act must first resort to State administrative agencies,
where available, before filing a claim at the Federal lev
el. Such Federal claims can only be filed after 60 days
following the commencement of State proceedings, the
Court ruled. The Court also resolved the issue— for the
sake of expediency—of what rights a claimant has if
State jurisdictional requirements (such as a time limit)
cannot be met. In such a case, the Court ruled, an indi
vidual’s Federal rights remain intact, but the individual
must first make the potentially futile act of filing a State
claim.
In its first interpretation of some of the requirements
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Court ruled that
the law does not require institutions receiving Federal
funds to accept as a student (nor presumably as an em
ployee) a person whose handicap prevents him or her
from meeting the requirements of a particular program
(occupation).62 Such an institution is also not required
to provide “extensive modifications” that would make
the student’s (worker’s) participation physically possi
ble. The Court’s ruling was an extremely narrow inter
pretation of the law’s requirement that “no otherwise
qualified handicapped individual” can be excluded
“solely by reason of his handicap” from participation in
any program receiving Federal funds. The Court ap
peared to focus on the financial and administrative bur
dens of institutions in meeting the needs of handicapped
persons. Thus, in situations where such burdens are less
significant, institutions may be required to make greater
accommodations.
Another case of great significance for both business
and labor in 1979 involved a challenge to the President’s
authority to deny Government contracts to companies
that do not comply with voluntary wage and price
guidelines. The Supreme Court refused to review a Fed
eral appeals court ruling that Presidential authority for
such action rested in the Federal Property and Admin
istrative Services Act of 1949.63 The act authorizes the
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Labor and the Supreme Court
President to secure “economy” and “efficiency” in Fed
eral procurement, and the court reasoned that this lan
guage, coupled with the intent of Congress in enacting
the law, permitted the President to maintain a restric
tive procurement policy that could hold down current
and future costs. The appeals court also noted that no
one has a right to a Government contract and that
those wishing to do business with the Government must
do so on its terms. This reasoning would also appear to
support the Government’s practice of denying contracts
to those companies not in compliance with Federal re
quirements barring employment discrimination.
In 1979, a question involving the political influence
and employee leave policies of public employers arose
under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. A county school
board in Alabama required employees who also were
candidates for political office to take unpaid leave of ab
sence regardless of whether they campaigned during
work hours. In White,64 the first black in many years to
run for State office from the county challenged the
board’s leave policy.
Extending the reasoning of earlier cases,65 the Court
found that the board qualified as a political subdivision
under the act because it had the power to impose dis
abling qualifications on citizens’ right to vote for the
candidate of their choice. Based on this classification,
the Court ruled that the board’s leave policy was a
“standard, practice, or procedure with respect to vot
ing” subject to preclearance by the Department of Jus
tice for any discriminatory impact. The Court may have
broadened its definition of a political subdivision in or
der to fulfill the congressional purpose of eliminating
the possibilities for subtle forms of voting discrimina
tion in areas with a history of restrictive practices.
□
FOOTNOTES
' Steelworkers v. Weber, 47 U.S.L.W. 4851 (U.S., June 27, 1979, Jus
tices Lewis Powell and John Paul Stevens took no part in the
consideration or decision of the case), see Monthly Labor Review, Au
gust, 1979, pp. 56-57; and NLRB v. Catholic Bishop o f Chicago, 47
U.S.L.W. 4283 (U.S., Mar. 21, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, May
1979, pp. 52-53.
-Detroit Edison Co. v. NLRB, 47 U.S.L.W. 4233 (U.S., Mar. 5,
1979), see Monthly Labor Review, June 1979, pp. 44; and NLRB v.
Baptist Hospital, 47 U.S.L.W. 4789 (U.S., June 20, 1979), see Monthly
Labor Review, November 1979, pp. 54.
Ambach v. Norwick, 47 U.S.L.W. 4387 (U.S., Apr. 17, 1979), see
Monthly Labor Review, July 1979, pp. 40-41; New York City Transit
Authority v. Beazer, 47 U.S.L.W. 4291 (U.S., Mar. 21, 1979), see
Monthly Labor Review, May 1979, pp. 53-54; Personnel Administrator
o f Massachusetts v. Feeney, 47 U.S.L.W. 4650 (U.S., June 5, 1979), see
Monthly Labor Review, August 1979, pp. 57-58; Vance v. Bradley, 47
U.S.L.W. 4176 (U.S., Feb. 22, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, May
1979, p. 53; and Harrah Ind. Sch. Dist. v. Martin, 1979 D aily L ab .
R ep. 39, D -l (U.S., Feb. 26, 1979, per curiam), see Monthly Labor Re
view, May 1979, p. 54.
4Steelworkers v. Weber, 47 U.S.L.W. 4851 (U.S., June 27, 1979), see
Monthly Labor Review, August 1979, pp. 56-57.
' General Electric Co. v. Gilbert, 45 U.S.L.W. 4031 (U.S., Dec. 7,
1976), see Monthly Labor Review, March 1977, pp. 73-74, and Janu
ary 1978, pp. 12-17; Teamsters v. United States, 45 U.S.L.W. 4506
(U.S., May 31, 1977), see Monthly Labor Review, August 1977, pp.
4 8 -49, and January 1978, pp. 12-17; Trans World Airlines v.
Hardison, 45 U.S.L.W. 4672 (U.S., June 16, 1977), see Monthly Labor
Review, September 1977, pp. 39-40, and January 1978, pp. 12-17.
" Cannon v. University o f Chicago, 47 U.S.L.W. 4549 (U.S., May 14,
1979); and Davis v. Passman, 47 U.S.L.W. 4643 (U.S., June 5, 1979),
see Monthly Labor Review, August 1979, p. 58.
Novotny v. Great American Savings and Loan Assn., 47 U.S.L.W.
4681 (U.S., June 11, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, November
1979, pp. 55-56.
*NLRB v. Baptist Hospital, 47 U.S.L.W. 4789 (U.S., June 20, 1979),
see Monthly Labor Review, November 1979, pp. 54; and Detroit Edison
Co. v. NLRB, 47 U.S.L.W. 4233 (U.S., Mar. 5, 1979), see Monthly La
bor Review, June 1979, p. 44.
"NLRB v. Catholic Bishop of Chicago, 47 U.S.L.W. 4283 (U.S.,
Mar. 21, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, May 1979, pp. 52-53.
111Ford Motor Co. v. NLRB, 47 U.S.L.W. 4498 (U.S., May 14, 1979),
see Monthly Labor Review, September 1979, p. 58.
20
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"Ambach v. Norwich, 47 U.S.L.W. 4387 (U.S., Apr. 17, 1979), see
Monthly Labor Review, July 1979, pp. 40-41.
' New York Transit Authority v. Beazer, 47 U.S.L.W. 4291 (U.S.,
Mar. 1, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, May 1979, pp. 53-54.
" Personnel Administrator of Massachusetts v. Feeney, 47 U.S.L.W.
4650 (U.S., June 5, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, August 1979,
pp. 57-58.
14 Vance v. Bradley, 47 U.S.L.W. 4176 (U.S., Feb. 22, 1979), see
Monthly Labor Review, May 1979, p. 53.
15 Givhan v. Western Line Consolidated Sch. Dist., 47 U.S.L.W. 4102
(U.S., Jan. 9, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, April 1979, pp. 6 0 61.
Babbitt v. United Farm Workers National Union, 47 U.S.L.W.
4659 (U.S., June 5, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, November 1979,
pp. 54-55; and Smith v. Arkansas State Highway Employees, Local
1315, 1979 D aily L ab . R ep. 84, E-l (U.S., Apr. 30, 1979, per curiam),
see Monthly Labor Review, July 1979, p. 41.
17 Teamsters v. Daniel, 47 U.S.L.W. 4135 (U.S., Jan. 16, 1979), see
Monthly Labor Review, March 1979, pp. 62-63.
'* Hisquierdo v. Hisquierdo, 47 U.S.L.W. 4141 (U.S., Jan. 22, 1979),
see Monthly Labor Review, April 1979, p. 60.
1,1Califano v. Westcott, 47 U.S.L.W. 4817 (U.S., June 25, 1979), see
Monthly Labor Review, October 1979, p. 69.
'"Califano v. Boles, 47 U.S.L.W. 4874 (U.S., June 27, 1979), see
Monthly Labor Review, October 1979, p. 70.
Regents of the University o f California v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265
(1978), see Monthly Labor Review, July 1978, p. 46, and January
1979, pp. 51-57.
Steelworkers v. Weber, 47 U.S.L.W. 4851 (U.S., June 27, 1979),
see Monthly Labor Review, August 1979, pp. 56-57.
47
U.S.L.W. 4317 (U.S., Mar. 27, 1979), see Monthly Labor Re
view, June 1979, p. 43.
4 Keene St. College v. Sweeney, 1978 D aily L ab . R ep. 219, D -l (U.S.,
Nov. 13, 1978), see Monthly Labor Review, March 1979, pp. 61-62.
25 Furnco Construction Co. v. Waters, 46 U.S.L.W. 4966 (U.S., June
29, 1978), see Monthly Labor Review, January 1979, pp. 51-57.
26 Novotny v. Great American Savings and Loan Assn., 47 U.S.L.W.
4681 (U.S., June 11, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, November
1979, pp. 55-56.
Brown v. GSA, 425 U.S. 820 (1976), see Monthly Labor Review,
August 1976, pp. 4 2 -43, and January 1977, pp. 36-41.
2I<Cannon v. University o f Chicago, 47 U.S.L.W. 4549 (U.S., May 14,
1979).
* Davis v. Passman, 47 U.S.L.W. 4643 (U.S., June 5, 1979), see
Monthly Labor Review, August 1979, p. 58.
0 Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents o f the Federal Bureau of
Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971), finding a private right to sue under the
Fourth Amendment, was the basis for similar findings by lower courts
for at least six other Amendments; see Monthly Labor Review, August
1979, p. 58.
" Detroit Edison Co. v. NLRB, 47 U.S.L.W. 4233 (U.S., Mar. 5,
1979), see Monthly Labor Review, June 1979, p. 44.
12 In earlier proceedings before the Board, the employer did not
contest the issue of whether the test materials were relevant to the
union in filing its grievance; therefore, the Court dealt only with
whether the Board’s remedy— requiring the employer to turn over the
materials — was correct.
33NLRB v. Acme Industrial Co., 385 U.S. 482 (1967), had
established that a union was entitled to a broad range of information,
based on the probability that it was relevant and useful in carrying
out the union’s statutory duties; see Monthly Labor Review, March
1967, pp. 53-54.
4 NLRB v. Baptist Hospital, 47 U.S.L.W. 4789 (U.S., June 20,
1979), see Monthly Labor Review, November 1979, p. 54.
35 Beth Israel v. NLRB, 437 U.S. 483 (1978), see Monthly Labor Re
view, November 1978, p. 40, and January 1979, p. 51-57.
36 NLRB v. Catholic Bishop o f Chicago, 47 U.S.L.W. 4283 (U.S.,
Mar. 21, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, May 1979, pp. 52-53.
17 Ford Motor Co. v. NLRB, 47 U.S.L.W. 4498 (U.S., May 14, 1979),
see Monthly Labor Review, September 1979, p. 58.
38 Harrison v. United Transportation Union, 530 F.2d 558 (4th Cir.,
1975), cert, denied, 425 U.S. 958 (1976); and Butler v. Local Union
823, Intn'l Brotherhood of Teamsters, 514 F.2d 442 (1975), cert, de
nied, 423 U.S. 924 (1975).
, , 47 U.S.L.W. 4600 (U.S., May 29, 1979), see Monthly Labor Re
view, September 1979, p. 59.
40 New York Telephone Co. v. New York Dept, of Labor, 47 U.S.L.W.
4303 (U.S., Mar. 21, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, May 1979,
p. 52.
41 Teamsters v. Morton, 377 U.S. 252 (1964); and Lodge 76 v. Wis
consin Employment Relations Commission, A ll U.S. 132 (1976), see
Monthly Labor Review, January 1977, pp. 36-41.
42 Ambach v. Norwick, 47 U.S.L.W. 4387 (U.S., Apr. 17, 1979), see
Monthly Labor Review, July 1979, pp. 40-41.
43 Foley v. Connelie, 435 U.S. 291 (1978), see Monthly Labor Review,
June 1978, p. 53, and January 1979, pp. 51-57.
44 Vergara v. Chariman, Merit Systems Protection Board, 47 U.S.L.W.
3680 (U.S., Apr. 17, 1979, Review Denied), see Monthly Labor Re
view, July 1979, p. 41.
45 New York City Transit Authority v. Beazer, 47 U.S.L.W. 4291
(U.S., Mar. 1, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, May 1979, pp. 5 3 54.
46 Personnel Administrator of Massachusetts v. Feeney, 47 U.S.L.W.
4650 (U.S., June 5, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, August 1979,
pp. 57-58.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
47 426 U.S. 229 (1976), see Monthly Labor Review, August 1976, pp.
41-42.
48 In earlier cases, the Court has ruled that States are free under the
Constitution to set pay scales and overtime compensation for their
employees, National League o f Citites v. Usery, 44 U.S.L.W. 4974
(1976), see Monthly Labor Review, September 1976, pp. 50-51; the
Court has also upheld a regulation limiting the hair length of police
(Kelly v. Johnson, 425 U.S. 238 (1976), see Monthly Labor Review,
June 1976, pp. 53-54) and an ordinance requiring city employees to
live within city limits ( McCarthy v. Philadelphia Civil Service Comm'n,
44 U.S.L.W. 3530 (1976), see Monthly Labor Review, June 1976, p.
54).
4< Massachusetts Board of Retirement v. Murgia, 44 U.S.L.W. 5077
(1976), see Monthly Labor Review, October 1976, p. 44, and January
1977, pp. 36-41.
50 Vance v. Bradley, 47 U.S.L.W. 4176 (U.S., Feb. 22, 1979), see
Monthly Labor Review, May 1979, p. 53.
51 Harrah Ind. Sch. Dist. v. Martin, 1979 D aily L ab . R ep. 39, D -l
(U.S., Feb. 26, 1979, per curiam), see Monthly Labor Review, May
1979, p. 54.
52 Givhan v. Western Line Consolidated Sch. Dist., 47 U.S.L.W. 4102
(U.S., Jan. 9, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, April 1979, pp. 6 0 61.
53 Pickering v. Board o f Ed., 391 U.S. 563 (1968); Mt. Healthy Sch.
Dist. v. Doyle, 429 U.S. 274 (1977), see Monthly Labor Review, March
1977, pp. 75-76, and January 1978, pp. 12-17.
54 Babbitt v. United Farm Workers National Union, 47 U.S.L.W.
4659 (U.S., June 5, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, November 1979,
pp. 60-61.
” Smith v. Arkansas State Highway Employees, Local 1315, 1979
D aily L ab . R ep. 84, E-l (U.S., Apr. 30, 1979, per curiam) see Month
ly Labor Review, July 1979, p. 41.
56 Teamsters v. Daniel, 47 U.S.L.W. 4135 (U.S., Jan. 1979), see
Monthly Labor Review, March 1979, pp. 62-63.
1 Hisquierdo v. Hisquierdo, 47 U.S.L.W. 4141 (U.S., June 25, 1979),
see Monthly Labor Review, April 1979, p. 60.
5847 U.S.L.W. 4817 (U.S., June 25, 1979), see Monthly Labor Re
view, October 1979, p. 69.
5947 U.S.L.W. 4874 (U.S., June 27, 1979), see Monthly Labor Re
view, October 1979, p. 70.
60 Chapman v. Texas Dept, o f Human Resources, 47 U.S.L.W. 4528
(U.S., May 14, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, November 1979, pp.
55-56.
61 47 U.S.L.W. 4569 (U.S., May 21, 1979), see Monthly Labor Re
view, September 1979, p. 59.
62 Southeastern Community College v. Davis, 47 U.S.L.W. 4689
(U.S., June 11, 1979), see Monthly Labor Review, October 1979, p. 70.
“ AFL-CIO v. Kahn, 47 U.S.L.W. 3838 (U.S., July 2, 1979, Review
Denied), see Monthly Labor Review, August 1979, p. 57.
64 Dougherty County Board o f Education v. White, 47 U.S.L.W. 4001
(U.S., Nov. 28, 1978), see Monthly Labor Review, April 1979, p. 61.
65 Allen v. State Board o f Elections, 393 U.S. 544 (1969); and United
States v. Board o f Commissioners Sheffield, Alabama, 435 U.S. 110
(1978).
21
State labor legislation
enacted in 1979
During a heavy legislative year, States banned most types
of employment discrimination, eased child labor
and mandatory retirement requirements,
called for flexible work hours, and provided
for other improvements in working conditions
R ichard R. N elson
In 1979, a large volume of State labor legislation was
enacted, involving minimum wage rates, flexible work
hours, child labor restrictions, mandatory retirement re
quirements, and employee privacy.1
The subject of minimum wage once again received
much attention. Rates were increased by legislation or
wage order in nine jurisdictions this year— Arkansas,
District of Columbia, Minnesota, New Jersey, New
Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon and
Rhode Island—and in 15 States and Guam by prior
law, wage order, or administrative action. Sixteen juris
dictions now have a minimum rate for some or all occu
pations equal to or greater than the $2.90-an-hour
Federal standard. In addition, provision was made in
the laws of 23 jurisdictions for an automatic rate in
crease in 1980, though not necessarily to the Federal
$3.10 rate. In more than half of the jurisdictions, the
minimum wage established for tipped employees was at
least equal to that payable under the Fair Labor Stan
dards Act.
In North Carolina, the minimum wage, maximum
hours, child labor, and wage payment laws were consol
idated into a single wage and hour act. Among its pro
visions were an increase in the minimum wage rate, a
requirement for payment of overtime after 45 hours
Richard R. Nelson is a labor standards adviser in the Division of
State Employment Standards, Employment Standards Administration.
U.S. Department of Labor.
22
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
(previously 50 hours), and extension of minimum wage
coverage to public employees. Coverage of the mini
mum wage law also was extended in other States, in
cluding to school district employees in Arkansas and to
all public employees in Maine.
Prevailing wage legislation came under attack in sev
eral States. While most attempts to repeal or weaken
existing laws failed, the law in Florida was repealed and
the Alabama law will be repealed at the close of the
1980 session, unless it is continued by legislative action.
In Colorado, State highway construction is no longer
subject to the law, and dollar thresholds governing cov
erage were increased in Connecticut, New Mexico, and
Wyoming.
Wage garnishment or assignment was another area of
legislative interest, with laws enacted in 11 States. Most
of the laws involved either the amount of earnings that
may be garnished, or court-ordered assignment of
wages for delinquent child support payments. As a re
sult of the January 1 increase in the Federal minimum
wage rate, the amount of employee earnings protected
from wage garnishment automatically increased under
both State and Federal law which link the limit on gar
nishment to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Resolutions in Alaska and California and laws in Col
orado and Illinois called for the establishment of flex
ible working hours or flexible positions in State
government. Under another California law, State em
ployees in agencies that plan to reduce personnel by at
least 1 percent or more now may voluntarily reduce
their worktime (and corresponding compensation) to
preserve jobs through a redistribution of work.
Child labor legislation continued the trend towards
easing employment restrictions. Most common this year
were provisions permitting employment in places where
alcoholic beverages are sold, as long as the jobs do not
directly involve serving drinks. Restrictions concerning
night work and maximum hours were eliminated for 16and 17-year-old minors in North Carolina and Virginia.
In Maryland, the labor commissioner was authorized to
grant individual exceptions to the hours and nightwork
restrictions of minors under age 16, if such exceptions
do not endanger their health and welfare or interfere
with their schooling.
Compulsory retirement based solely upon age, a sub
ject examined in recent years at both the Federal and
State level was addressed by legislation in 23 jurisdic
tions. Mandatory retirement of most State employees
was eliminated in Iowa and Tennessee; it was extended
to include private employment in Maine; and was
abolished for both private and public sector employees
in New Hampshire. Several other States raised the man
datory retirement age from 65 to 70 for various catego
ries of workers—most frequently public employees. In
some instances, employees are permitted to continue
working beyond the established mandatory retirement
age with periodic employer approval and upon submis
sion of proof of fitness.
A majority of the States enacted legislation addressing
one or more forms of employment discrimination. Most
notable were new comprehensive human rights laws in
North Dakota prohibiting employment discrimination
by both public and private sector employers and in
South Carolina, replacing a law formerly applicable to
public sector employees only. In Nebraska, the State
was prohibited from discriminating on the basis of reli
gion, sex, disability, marital status, or national origin, as
well as race and color as before. Other laws prohibited
employment discrimination on the basis of a physical or
mental handicap and some established affirmative action
programs and policies to eliminate sex and age discrimi
nation. Refusal to reinstate a worker disabled on the job
to his or her former position or other suitable employ
ment was made an unlawful emloyment practice in Ore
gon, and in Iowa, a proposed equal rights amendment to
the State constitution was adopted, subject to approval
in the November 1980 general election.
Help for displaced homemakers continued to attract
considerable legislative attention. During 1979, an addi
tional eight States—Arkansas, Nevada, New Hamp
shire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota,
South Dakota and Washington—passed laws to pro
vide for employment services and other aids to help
homemakers displaced because of dissolution of mar
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riage or other loss of family income. In addition, Mary
land continued its displaced homemaker program and
in Oregon, coverage was extended to include certain
persons on public assistance or underemployed. Indiana
established opportunities industrialization centers to
provide job training and other services for all economi
cally disadvantaged, unemployed, and underemployed
persons.
“Right-to-work” measures were proposed but
defeated in 13 jurisdictions. Ten of the measures were
attempts to enact legislation where none currently exists
and three were attempts to supplement existing statutes
with a constitutional amendment.
Among other labor standards areas receiving atten
tion in 1979, a law prohibiting the employment or refer
ral of illegal aliens was enacted in Louisiana, and
prohibitions on the use of lie detector or stress evalua
tion tests as conditions of employment were enacted for
the first time or amended in five jurisdictions. Addition
al laws restricted employers’ access to employees’ crimi
nal records, guaranteed employees the right to review
their personnel files, protected employees against retalia
tion because of required jury service, and regulated the
transportation and handling of nuclear and other
hazardous wastes. A new provision in Maine required
employers to furnish employees with information on the
identities and hazards of chemicals in the workplace.
No additional States ratified the proposed Equal
Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Approval
by three additional States is necessary by June 30, 1982,
for adoption. Resolutions in Arizona and Utah opposed
the 3-year time extension granted in 1978.
The following is a summary by jurisdiction of labor
legislation during 1979.
Alabama
Wages. The prevailing wage law automatically will be repealed
at the end of the 1980 legislative session unless continued by
the legislature.
Other laws. The director of the State department of public
safety may collect “reasonable” fees from employers for
searching criminal records of employees or applicants for em
ployment in a nuclear powered electric-generating facility li
censed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Alaska
Wages. By prior law (which sets the minimum wage at 50
cents above the Federal rate), the State rate rose to S3.40 an
hour in 1979 and will increase each year, reaching $3.85 on
January 1, 1981.
Hours. A concurrent resolution requested the Governor to
pursue a policy of granting State employees the option of
flexible working hours if such hours show promise of provid
ing better and more efficient service.
Occupational safety and health. The labor department is di
rected to perform elevator inspections in accordance with the
23
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • State Labor Legislation Enacted in 1979
American National Standards Institute Inspector’s Manual,
establish inspection fees, and maintain records of inspections
and fees collected.
Arizona
Wages. The section of the prevailing wage act establishing the
method for rate determination (use of collectively-bargained
rates) was declared unconstitutional by the State court of ap
peals as an unlawful delegation of legislative power to private
persons over whom the legisrature has no supervision. Earlier
in the year, the Governor had vetoed a bill to repeal the law.
Equal employment opportunity. A concurrent resolution re
quested the attorney general to institute legal action challeng
ing the legality of the extension of the deadline for ratification
of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Other laws. Elected or appointed officials were prohibited from
using their political influence or position to cause the firing,
promotion, or demotion of any public employee or the hiring
of or failure to hire an applicant for public employment.
Arkansas
Wages. The minimum wage rate will rise from $2.30 an hour
to $2.55 on January 1, 1980, and to $2.70 on January 1, 1981.
Tip allowances will increase to $1.25 an hour on January 1,
1980, and to $1.35 on January 1, 1981. Coverage of the mini
mum wage law was extended to employees of public schools
and school districts.
Court-ordered assignment of wages for delinquent child
support payments was authorized.
Equal employment opportunity. Age discrimination in State
and local public employment against persons at least 40 years
of age but under 70 is now prohibited, with certain excep
tions. Employees over age 70 may continue in employment
with annual written authorization from their employers.
The State policy of providing public employment for visual
ly or otherwise handicapped persons, who are able to perform
the job, on the same terms as nonhandicapped persons was
amended to specifically include persons with hearing impair
ments.
Labor relations. A new law to assure the impartiality and in
tegrity of the State mediation and conciliation service required
that all information and materials prepared or received be
held confidential and prohibited disclosure without prior writ
ten consent of both parties to the dispute.
By amendment to the teacher fair dismissal law, teachers
now are protected against “arbitrary, capricious, and discrimi
natory” firings and may inspect their personnel files and com
ment on any material included in them. Formerly, teachers
had only the right to know the reason for their firing and to
have a hearing before the school board. Procedures now in
clude the board’s decision and appeal to the circuit court, if
desired. Also, a distinction was made between the rights of
probationary and nonprobationary teachers.
Occupational safety and health. A State Fire Prevention Com
mission was created with responsibilities including the devel
opment and maintenance of a Statewide fire prevention
program and the coordination of activities with other State
and Federal agencies involved in fire prevention.
Displaced homemakers. A displaced homemakers act required
the local services department to establish a pilot multipurpose
24
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
service center to develop job counseling, training, placement,
and other services for homemakers displaced by dissolution of
marriage, death of spouse, or other loss of family income.
Whenever possible, staff positions will be filled by displaced
homemakers.
Other laws. The legislature provided for the continuation of a
number of boards, commissions, and agencies, including the
labor department, formerly scheduled to terminate on June
30, 1979, under a sunset law.
California
Wages. A previous wage order provided for an increase in the
minimum wage rate from $2.65 an hour to $2.90 on January
1, 1979.
A minimum wage provision, due to expire on January 1,
1980, set a subminimum weekly salary for student employees
in organized camps at 85 percent of the minimum rate for a
40-hour week, regardless of the weekly hours worked.
Appeals of an order, decision, or award of the labor com
missioner relating to wage recovery previously heard by the
Superior Court, now may be heard by a municipal court as
well.
Employers who pay wages in cash must keep adequate writ
ten records of all deductions and give a statement listing the
deductions to each employee semimonthly or at the time of
payment. An employer’s records must be kept for 3 years and
be available for inspection by the employee upon reasonable
request. Employers in violation now are subject to civil penal
ties.
Hours. State employees in agencies planning a reduction in
personnel of 1 percent or more may voluntarily reduce their
worktime, with a corresponding reduction in compensation, so
that employment opportunities can be preserved through re
distribution of work.
A Senate resolution urged the Governor to consider the es
tablishment of a 40-hour, 4-day workweek for State employ
ees.
A law was reenacted authorizing the chief of the Division of
Labor Standards Enforcement to exempt employers or em
ployees from any mandatory days-off requirement if the chief
determines a hardship will result. This exemption will expire
January 1, 1981.
Agriculture. The Employee Housing Act, which includes the
regulation of labor camps, was removed from the labor code
and added, in amended form, to the health and safety code.
Operators of labor camps, including camps on dairy farms
consisting only of permanent housing, now may request ex
emptions from the requirement of obtaining an annual permit
to operate. The operators may not terminate or modify a ten
ancy agreement or intimidate, threaten, restrain, coerce, black
list, or discharge employees or tenants because they exercise
their rights in connection with employee housing.
Equal employment opportunity. Changes were made in the fair
employment practices law to permit mandatory retirement of
tenured professors after age 65 prior to July 1, 1982, and age
70 thereafter, and to permit mandatory retirement of employ
ees in executive or high policymaking positions at age 65.
Physical handicap, medical condition, sex, and age were
added to the list of discriminatory practices disputes which
the Fair Employment Practices Division is authorized to assist
communities in resolving. Previously, this help was limited to
disputes involving race, religious creed, color, national origin,
marital status, or ancestry.
Employers may not require employees or job applicants to
obtain copies of their criminal record or supply any notificat
ion that such a record exists.
L abor relations. State managerial and confidential employees
and employees of the Maritime Academy are expressly exclud
ed from coverage under the State Employer-Employee Rela
tions Act, and managerial and confidential employees now are
prohibited from holding elective office in an employee organi
zation.
Contracts between the State and the regional developmental
disabilities centers, which provide services for the developmentally disabled, may not prohibit the center’s employees from
forming a labor organization, bargaining collectively, or en
gaging in other activities for mutual aid or protection.
Private em ploym ent agencies. Required employment agency
surety bonds were increased from $1,000 to $3,000.
O ccupational safety a n d health. The health and safety code
was amended to codify changes made by the Governor’s Re
organization Plan Number 1 of 1978, including abolishing the
Division of Industrial Safety and creating a Division of Occu
pational Safety and Health within the Department of Industri
al Relations.
Inspection warrants may be issued if employers refuse to
permit places of employment to be inspected, and an order
may be issued to preserve physical materials or the accident
site as it was at the time of an accident.
Employers who successfully appeal occupational safety and
health violation citations to the Occupational Safety and
Health Appeals Board are permitted to seek costs, up to
$5,000, where such citations were arbitrary or capricious.
Public employees must report the spill or otherwise acciden
tal release of pesticides to the local health department.
O ther laws. A worksite education and training program was
established to provide funding to integrate classroom instruc
tion with entry level and career training for youth and the
economically disadvantaged.
Employees may no longer be required to assign rights to an
invention to their employers if no equipment, supplies, facili
ties, or trade secret information of the employer was used and
if the invention was developed on the employee’s own time,
does not relate to the employer’s business or actual or antici
pated research, or does not result from any work performed
by the employee for the employer.
Colorado
Wages. Statutory provisions requiring the payment of prevail
ing wage rates on State highway construction were repealed.
Public works payment bond requirements for contractors
were amended by enacting a $10,000 contract threshold
amount where none existed before, and by replacing references
to “cities and towns” with “municipalities.”
The proportion of wages exempt from garnishment was
changed from 70 percent for the head of a family or 35 per
cent for a single person, to conform with the Federal law lim
iting garnishment to either 25 percent of disposable weekly
earnings or earnings exceeding 30 times the Federal minimum
hourly wage, whichever is less.
Hours. County employers were given greater flexibility in
scheduling their work force, by permitting them to establish
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
workweek formulas providing for work in excess of 40 hours
during consecutive 7-day calendar periods by averaging work
hours over a longer period of time.
C hild labor. Private vocational schools were added to and pro
prietary schools removed from the list of institutions author
ized to provide student-learner programs and administer tests
to determine minors’ ability to perform the work for which
they seek an exemption from the child labor laws.
E qual em ploym ent opportunity. The mandatory retirement age
was raised to 70 years, from 65, for State employees but em
ployees may continue to apply annually for a continuance in
employment beyond the retirement age.
The termination date for the Civil Rights Commission and
the Civil Rights Division, scheduled for July 1, 1979, under
sunset legislation, was extended to July 1, 1985.
O ther laws. Retaliation against State employees who disclose
evidence of mismanagement and abuse within State govern
ment was prohibited.
Connecticut
Wages. By prior law, the hourly minimum wage increased to
$2.91 on January 1, 1979, with further increases on January 1
of each year— to $3.12 in 1980 and $3.37 in 1981.
Public sector coverage under the minimum wage law was
clarified by redefining “employer” to include the State and its
political subdivisions. The law also was amended to permit
agricultural employers of fewer than 8 workers during the pre
ceding calendar year to pay workers under age 18 a
subminimum rate of 70 percent of the basic minimum. For
minors employed by other agricultural employers, the
subminimum rate continues at 85 percent of the adult rate.
The prevailing wage threshold amount was increased from
$5,000 to $50,000 for new construction and from $5,000 to
$10,000 for remodeling, alteration, or repair.
E qual em ploym ent opportunity. The State Fair Employment
Practices Act was amended to permit involuntary retirement
at age 65 for executives and policymakers employed in such
positions for 2 years before attaining age 65 and who are enti
tled to an immediate annual retirement income of at least
$27,000. The act also was amended to prohibit discrimination
because of present or past history of mental disorder.
A pregnant employee who gives written notice of her preg
nancy to her employer may be transferred temporarily to a
new position if either the employer or employee believes that
injury could result from continued work in her regular job.
A pilot program will be established to recruit, support, and
train women for skilled industrial jobs where labor shortages
exist.
The Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities re
places the Department of Administrative Services as the agen
cy that adopts regulations to assure affirmative action for
equal employment opportunity in State agencies, and the pro
gram to promote employment of the handicapped was trans
ferred from the commissioner of human resources to the labor
commissioner.
L abor relations. The law governing teacher and administrator
contract disputes was amended, replacing advisory arbitration
with final and binding arbitration based on the last best offer
of either party, with each disputed issue being resolved sepa
rately.
For a 3-year period, State contracts are not to be awarded
to persons or firms found in violation of the National Labor
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • State Labor Legislation Enacted in 1979
Relations Act on at least three occasions during the past 5
years.
If the State Labor Relations Board has not determined
whether a prohibited practice is being committed by a munici
pal employer or employee organization within 30 days after
the filing of a complaint alleging the violation, the Board may
order the questioned activity stopped until the issue is
decided.
Local or regional boards of education may enter into agree
ments with exclusive bargaining representatives to require
that, as a condition of employment, teachers pay the represen
tative an annual fee through payroll deduction to help defray
the cost of collective bargaining, contract administration, and
grievance adjustment.
rate and persons hired under the Youth Employment Act and
the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act who must
be paid at least $2.65 and $2.90 an hour, .respectively.
Two 90-day emergency laws were enacted (the first expired
August 21, 1979, and the second, November 20, 1979) to pro
vide summer and other employment opportunities for youth.
Other laws. A law enacted late in 1978 prohibits the admin
istration of lie detector tests to current or prospective employ
ees. Violators may be subject to both criminal and civil
penalties.
Florida
Wages. The State prevailing wage law was repealed.
Occupational safety and health. Responsibility for safety regu
lations on installation of oil burners was transferred from the
labor commissioner to the commissioner of public safety.
Other laws. The labor department, in cooperation with munici
palities, public and private agencies, and business and indus
try, will develop and implement work-training programs for
the chronically unemployed. Any employable person receiving
support from any town may be required to participate, and
will receive compensation for the time spent in training.
Employers now are required to permit employees to inspect
their personnel records and to allow inspection of medical re
cords by a physician chosen or approved by the employee.
Records may not be disclosed without the employee’s consent,
except by subpoena.
Employers in the machine tool and metal trades who con
duct apprenticeship training programs will receive a tax credit
for each apprentice hired above the average number hired in
the past 5 years.
State departments are to purchase, for their own use,
supplies and services produced or made available by State cor
rectional industries.
Delaware
Equal employment opportunity. The upper limit for protection
from age discrimination in private or public sector employ
ment was raised from 65 to 70 years. The lower limit remains
at age 40.
In addition to matters regarding race, color, creed, national
origin, or ancestry, the State Human Relations Commission
now may act as conciliator in matters regarding discrimina
tion based on sex, physical handicap, age, or marital status.
Occupational safety and health. A Hazardous Materials Trans
portation Act of 1979 was adopted to regulate the
transportation of hazardous materials in the State. A commis
sion was created to administer and enforce the act, and to
study the necessity of additional legislation.
Other laws. The law prohibiting employer use of lie detector
tests as a condition of employment or continuation of employ
ment was expanded to ban use of voice stress analyzers.
District of Columbia
Wages. A revised wage order became effective August 5, 1979,
for manufacturing, wholesale trade, and printing and publish
ing occupations. Among other changes, the revision increased
the minimum wage from $2.46 to $3.50 an hour and eliminat
ed a differential for young workers, except full-time students
who must be paid a rate equal to the Federal minimum wage
26
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Agriculture. The migrant labor program was transferred from
the Department of Community Affairs to the Executive Office
of the Governor.
A Farmworker Housing Assistance Act was enacted to pro
vide for financial and technical assistance to public bodies and
nonprofit groups who will provide for the sponsorship of
farmworker housing in areas of the State where a clear need
exists.
Labor relations. Changes were made in the procedures for fil
ing and processing unfair labor practice complaints, and pro
vision was made for the circuit courts to enforce the orders of
the Public Employees Relations Commission.
An Office of Labor Relations was established in the State
government with duties including representing the Governor
in collective bargaining negotiations.
The position of part-time alternate member of the Public
Employees Relations Commission was abolished and a provi
sion that the three full-time members serve at the Governor’s
pleasure was removed. Public employee organizations are still
required to register with the Commission prior to requesting
recognition by a public employer for purposes of collective
bargaining, but now must also register prior to requesting
certification as an exclusive bargaining agent.
Occupational safety and health. A “loss prevention program”
was established requiring each State department, except the
legislature, to have a safety coordinator trained by the insur
ance department in all areas of safety. Previously, each depart
ment had a coordinator that dealt with fire safety only. The
coordinators, along with representatives from the Divisions of
State Fire Marshall and Risk Management, will make up the
Interagency Advisory Council on Loss Prevention.
Other laws. The criteria for apprentice occupations were re
vised, and include a requirement that the occupation must in
volve manual, mechanical, or technical skills and knowledge
which require a minimum of 2,000 hours of on-the-job train
ing.
All State agencies, in the purchase of goods and services
during the next 2 years, are to require that the bidders’ wage
and price behavior is in compliance with standards established
by the President's Council on Wage and Price Stability.
The State Manpower Planning Act was renamed the State
Employment and Training Act and its administration was
transferred from the Department of Community Affairs to the
labor department.
An employer may not threaten an employee with dismissal
because of the nature or length of time served on jury duty.
Previously, only actual dismissal was prohibited.
Georgia
Idaho
Equal employment opportunity. The definition of age discrimi
nation in the merit system and personnel law relating to State
employees was amended to include only those between 40 and
70 years of age. Previously, no limits were included. In 1978,
the fair employment practices law prohibited age discrimina
tion against public employees between age 40 and 65.
A House resolution continued the study committee on serv
ices for the aged which was established to examine the needs
of the elderly and the adequacy of existing programs. The
committee is to report its findings and recommendations to
the General Assembly by January 1, 1980.
Wages. Public bodies that require contractors to provide pay
ment or performance bonds exceeding 50 percent of the total
contract may not withhold more than 5 percent of the amount
payable, pending acceptance of the project.
The civil service law was amended to exempt holidays from
being considered as hours worked for overtime computation.
School attendance. A requirement that each county auditor
publish an annual summary of the compulsory school atten
dance provisions was repealed.
Illinois
Guam
Wages. The minimum wage rose to $2.90 an hour and will
continue to increase each year to match Federal rates under a
prior law which adopted the Fair Labor Standards Act rates
by reference.
Equal employment opportunity. The prohibition on employ
ment discrimination based on age will be limited to persons
who are at least age 40. Previously, no age was specified.
Other laws. Summer youth employment programs were
established involving both the public and private sectors.
Funds were provided to the labor department’s Senior Com
munity Service Employment Division to provide meaningful
employment to needy senior citizens.
Hawaii
Wages. By prior law, the minimum wage rate was raised from
$2.65 to $2.90 an hour effective July 1, 1979, with future in
creases to $3.10 on July 1, 1980, and $3.35 on July 1, 1981.
Court-ordered wage assignments were authorized for delin
quent child support payments, and employers are prohibited
from disciplining employees whose wages are subject to this
assignment.
A concurrent resolution urges Congress to review the aver
age annual wage limitation for the State’s public service em
ployment participants under the Comprehensive Employment
and Training Act, and to exempt such participants from the
mandated average wage provisions.
Equal employment opportunity. It is now an unlawful employ
ment practice for an employer to deny reemployment or other
rights to an employee who returns from National Guard duty.
A Senate resolution encouraged employers to consider epi
leptics for employment.
Other laws. Several resolutions aimed at improving the em
ployment situation in Hawaii were adopted. The U.S.
Secretary of Labor was petitioned to raise the average annual
wage limitation for the State’s public service employment par
ticipants, to waive the time limitations on participation in
CETA programs, and to release available discretionary funds
for the continued full implementation of the CETA programs
in Hawaii. The Commission on Manpower and Full Employ
ment was requested to study the feasibility of the State creat
ing part-time jobs for the elderly at the minimum wage or
better, and the State Occupational Information Coordinating
Committee was urged to utilize an advisory committee struc
ture to permit increased participation of those interested in
the development of a comprehensive occupational information
system.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wages. Students employed by the college or university they
are attending and who are covered under the Federal Fair La
bor Standards Act are now exempt from coverage under the
State minimum wage law.
The labor department may assist in the collection of all
wages due, instead of the previous limitation of $1,000 per
employee. Permissible wage deductions were restricted to
those required by law, for the employee’s benefit, with the em
ployee’s freely given written consent, or for valid wage assign
ments or orders. Employers must pay terminated employees
their earned vacation.
Benefits and refunds payable by pension or retirement
funds, employee assets held by such funds, and required em
ployee payments to such funds are no longer subject to gar
nishment.
Hours. The provision authorizing flexible hours positions in
State employment was amended to define such positions as in
cluding part-time jobs of 20 hours or more a week, a job
shared by two employees, or a job involving normal weekly
hours but performed in fewer days than ordinarily required.
Goals for the number of flexible hours positions are to be
established in every department or agency and procedures
were established for réévaluation when the goals are met.
Child labor. Hearings upon complaint of a violation or to re
voke any certificate are to be conducted in accordance with
the Administrative Procedure Act, after which the department
may issue cease and desist orders, revoke certificates, and de
termine civil penalties.
Minors under age 16 may work where liquor is served as
“busboys” and in the kitchen of private clubs or fraternal or
veterans organizations. Also, they may work in skating rinks
owned and operated by a school or unit of local government.
Agriculture. The requirement that farm labor contractors de
posit a surety bond with the labor department as a condition
of certification was made optional. A provision was continued
permitting persons aggrieved by the misconduct of any certi
fied farm labor contractor to sue for equitable relief.
Equal employment opportunity. Fair Employment Practices
Act affirmative action requirements now specifically empower
hearing officers to order reinstatement, hiring, backpay (for up
to 2 years prior to filing of the complaint), costs, and reason
able attorney fees. A provision was also added permitting the
award of attorney fees to the respondent if the complaint is
found to be frivolous or unreasonable.
Labor relations. In cases of teacher reduction, dismissal must
begin with those having the least continuous service with the
school district, unless an alternative plan is established by col27
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • State Labor Legislation Enacted in 1979
lective bargaining. Affirmative action programs are exempt
from this provision.
Private employment agencies. The labor department may pre
scribe information required in contracts between agencies and
job applicants. Agency license applicants need no longer be
U.S. citizens but must furnish proof of good moral character
and business integrity and that they have never been party to
a fraud, have no jail record, and do not belong to subversive
organizations.
Employer-paid agencies are no longer restricted with re
spect to contacting prospective and existing job applicants
(except those they have already placed) and do not have to
identify themselves as agencies in advertisements, but must
state that they are acting as a representative of an employer.
Occupational safety and health. The Department of Public
Health was authorized to inspect and investigate the personnel
of radiation installations, as well as the premises and opera
tions as before, to study and evaluate past, current, and po
tential health hazards. Monthly inspection reports will be
made to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and will be
available to the public.
Employers are now required to provide information con
cerning prevention of injury or disease by contact with poi
sonous materials or fumes to any employee whose work
involves entering an underground sewer and to have safety in
formation and equipment available at the work site. Violation
is a business offense punishable by a fine of up to $5,000.
ments formerly applicable to gassy coal mines to all under
ground coal mines, establishing new ventilation and electrical
equipment standards, providing for the certification of assis
tant mine foremen, and specifying new escape procedures.
Other laws. Opportunities industrialization centers were
established to provide comprehensive job training and related
services for economically disadvantaged, unemployed, and un
deremployed individuals.
The Office of Manpower Development became the Office of
Occupational Development, and the Manpower Development
Council became the Employment and Training Council.
Iowa
Equal employment opportunity. Mandatory retirement of State
employees was eliminated; other public sector employees may
work beyond age 70 with employer approval, except for police
officers and firefighters, who must retire at age 65. State con
servation officers age 21 to 65 may now be appointed; former
ly the age limits were 22 to 31.
A proposed equal rights amendment to the State con
stitution was adopted, subject to approval in the November
1980 general election.
Kansas
Wages. Individuals employed by a unified school district are
exempted from the minimum wage and overtime law if they
spend more than one-half of their working hours in an execu
tive, administrative, or professional capacity.
Overtime pay for public or private emergency medical serv
ice personnel will be based on hours after 258 in 28 days (the
same as for police and firefighters), instead of after 46 hours a
week. Also, hours worked by police and firefighters voluntari
ly substituting for one another on regular tours of duty are
not to be counted in computing overtime pay.
A three-debt limit on protection from discharge because of
wage garnishment was removed. Court-ordered support may
now be enforced by garnishment.
Other laws. After receiving reasonable notice of an employee’s
summons to jury duty, an employer must give the employee
time off to serve. Also, it is unlawful for an employer to dis
charge or retaliate in any way against an employee who is ab
sent from work to appear in court as a witness in a criminal
proceeding pursuant to a subpoena. In neither case is the em
ployer required to pay wages for the period of such absence.
The Commission on Labor Laws was continued to study la
bor and employment laws and decisions and their en
forcement.
The Board of Vocational Rehabilitation was abolished and
a Department of Rehabilitation Services was created with es
sentially the same powers and duties and an 11-member Reha
bilitation Services Advisory Council was established to advise
the director of the department.
Labor relations. When professional negotiations between a
school board and professional employees’ organization are at
an impasse, the parties may jointly notify the Secretary of Hu
man Resources so that impasse resolution procedures can be
gin. Previously, a district court was required to find that an
impasse existed before resolution procedures could commence.
Indiana
Kentucky
Wages. Employers required to make garnishment deductions
from employee’s wages are entitled to $8, or 2 percent of the
total amount deducted, whichever is greater, to be paid equal
ly by the creditor and the debtor.
Wages. By prior law, the minimum wage rate was raised from
$2 to $2.15 an hour on July 1, 1979.
Equal employment opportunity. The State age discrimination in
employment act is no longer applicable to those covered by
the Federal law, and the upper limit for State protection was
raised from age 65 to 70. The mandatory retirement age for
teachers was raised from age 66 to 71, with provision for
work beyond that age with a doctor’s certificate proving phys
ical and mental ability.
The State Civil Rights Commission and local civil rights
agencies were authorized to refer complaints to each other for
further action.
Occupational safety and health. Numerous changes were made
in the mining safety law, including extending safety require
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Louisiana
Wages. A resolution requested that student workers at Louisi
ana State University be paid the Federal minimum wage or
that the present student wage rate be increased by the same
percentage as the Federal rate.
Equal employment opportunity. A resolution requested a study
of employment discrimination in the State.
Labor relations. A concurrent resolution requested the estab
lishment of a joint legislative committee to study public sector
employer-employee relations, including collective bargaining
and strikes.
Occupational safety and health. Plants and other industrial fa
cilities which manufacture, store, or maintain toxic sub-
stances must prepare emergency plans for notifying proper
public safety authorities in case of accident. Violators may be
fined up to $25,000.
Undocumented workers. Knowingly employing or referring il
legal aliens for employment was prohibited in all industries,
except agriculture. A first violation (regardless of the number
of aliens employed) carries a fine of up to $100; a second vio
lation is punishable by a fine of up to $150 for each employed
alien; and subsequent violations are punishable by fines of
from $500 to $2,000 for each alien.
Other laws. The labor department, scheduled to terminate on
July 1, 1980 under the State’s sunset law, was continued to
July 1, 1984.
A person serving as an official, officer, or employee of the
State will be insured against financial loss arising from claims,
demands, suits, or judgments for actions performed in the dis
charge of duties, provided damages did not result from a will
ful act or gross negligence, and he or she is entitled to be
represented in any action by the attorney general.
An Office of Elderly Affairs and an Aging Advisory Board
were established in the Governor’s office each with powers
and duties to promote the welfare of the elderly.
Maine
Wages. The minimum wage was increased to $2.90 an hour on
January 1, 1979, under a prior law which mandated matching
State increases to the Federal rate, up to a maximum $3 rate.
A 1979 law increased the maximum limit for matching the
Federal rate to $4 an hour.
Minimum wage coverage was extended to employees of the
State, counties, municipalities, and school administrative units.
These employees were exempted from overtime pay require
ments.
Railroad corporations in the State are required to furnish
all operating personnel working on trains individual wage
statements with each payment, listing accrued total earnings
and taxes to date and a separate listing of daily wages and
how they were computed. Violation may result in a penalty of
up to $100 for each offense.
Child labor. Children under age 14 are prohibited from work
ing in agricultural employment involving direct contact with
hazardous machinery or hazardous substances. Such work now
comes within the limitations on hours and days of work as
that for minors under age 16, and now requires work permits
and recordkeeping. Other work in agriculture remains exempt.
School attendance. A child who has attained age 15 or has
completed the ninth grade will be exempted from school at
tendance otherwise required to age 17, if he or she has permis
sion from the parent or guardian and from local school of
ficials, and has agreed, in writing, to meet at least annually
with such persons until reaching age 17, to review the possi
bility of returning to day or evening school.
Equal employment opportunity. Beginning January 1, 1980, the
prohibition against mandatory retirement at any age or upon
completion of specified years of service (formerly, applying
only to public employment) will be extended to private em
ployment.
Sex discrimination under the State Human Rights Act was
redefined to include pregnancy and medical conditions result
ing from pregnancy.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
A polygraph examiners law was enacted to regulate that
business and to prohibit employers (except law enforcement
agencies) from requiring a polygraph test as a condition of
employment or of continued employment.
Labor relations. Unions engaged in collective bargaining with
an employer may negotiate on behalf of retired and disabled
former employees regarding pensions and retirement benefits.
Retaliation against an employee who has sought the assist
ance of or has cooperated with the State board of arbitration
and conciliation is prohibited.
The law requiring employers to provide terminated employ
ees with a written statement of the reason for termination was
amended to provide for a 15-day time limit and a penalty of
from $50 to $500 for violation.
Mediation services by members of the Public Employees
Tabor Relations Board, offered to parties free of charge, were
limited to 3 days per case. The costs for factfinding will be
added to other costs shared equally by the parties to the dis
pute.
Either party to negotiations involving State employees may
publicize the written initial collective bargaining proposals 10
days after both parties have made their initial proposal.
The provisions of the municipal collective bargaining law
limiting the period during which questions concerning repre
sentation can be raised will not apply to matters of unit clari
fication.
Occupational safety and health. An employee who believes he
or she was discharged or discriminated against for reporting a
safety violation may file a discrimination complaint with the
labor director, who may bring civil action. Relief may include
rehiring or reinstatement to the former position with backpay.
Previously, discrimination was prohibited, but no course of
action was specified.
A new provision requires employers to furnish employees
with information on the identities and hazards of chemicals in
the workplace through means such as education and training
programs and substance data sheets.
The State fire marshal or fire inspectors may prohibit the
use of any building not conforming to the laws, ordinances, or
rules and regulations of the commissioner of public safety.
Previously, such prohibition had to be based upon specific
building conditions listed in the statute.
Other laws. Entries in personnel records of State, county, and
municipal employees, including medical records, confidential
personal references, credit and personal history, and references
to performance evaluations or disciplinary action were guaran
teed confidentiality by excluding these items from the def
inition of “public records.” Also, a new law clarifies what per
sonal information pertaining to school employees is to be
open to public inspection and requires that employees be per
mitted to review their personnel files.
Employers must include in personnel files any nonprivileged
medical records they have relating to employees. Failure to al
low employees to review their personnel files could result in a
fine against the employer.
Maryland
Wages. The minimum wage rose to $2.90 an hour and will
continue to increase each year to match the Federal rate under
a prior State law which adopted the FLSA rates by reference.
The amount of tips an employer may credit against the
minimum wage was decreased from 50 to 45 percent with a
further reduction to 40 percent scheduled for January 1, 1980.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • State Labor Legislation Enacted in 1979
Employers may not use tip credits unless the employee is in
formed and retains all tips received.
The State equal pay law was amended to remove the exclu
sion of employers covered by the Federal Equal Pay Act of
1963.
Child labor. Upon written parental permission, the labor com
missioner may grant exceptions to the hours and nightwork
restrictions for minors under age 16, if there will be no hazard
to the health and welfare of the minor and it will not create
any problems with fulfilling school requirements for gradua
tion.
Equal employment opportunity. In consultation with the secre
tary of personnel, the director of aging is to establish a 3-year
demonstration employment program for persons age 70 and
over to determine the feasibility of finding employment for
them in State agencies. A final report is to be submitted to
the legislature in January 1982.
A joint resolution was approved urging an end to job and
other discrimination against fat people and requesting that the
State Commission on Human Relations study such discrimi
nation and report to the General Assembly by January 1,
1980, with proposals to alleviate such discrimination.
Labor Relations. Employers are prohibited from discharging
employees because of their participation in civil defense, civil
air patrol, or volunteer rescue squads and fire department ac
tivities in response to emergencies declared by the Governor
at the request of a local government.
Occupational safety and health. The labor commissioner is
now authorized to order a review of hearings held under the
occupational safety and health law. Previously, a review was
required only upon appeal of an interested party.
Displaced homemakers. The displaced-homemaker program
was extended from a pilot project to a permanent program.
Additional centers, or extension of the programs of the cur
rent center to other areas of the State, are authorized if funds
become available.
Massachusetts
Wages. The minimum wage rose to $2.90 an hour on January
1, 1979, and will increase to $3.10 on January 1, 1980, and
$3.35 on January 1, 1981, under the provisions of a 1977
amendment.
Child labor. The minimum age for obtaining a license to sell
alcoholic beverages or for purchasing such beverages was in
creased from 18 to 20. Persons 18 or over still may be
employed to handle and sell alcoholic beverages, and minors
under 18 may still be employed provided they do not directly
handle, sell, mix, or serve alcoholic beverages.
Equal employment opportunity. Credit unions may not elect di
rectors who have attained age 72, but directors 72 years and
older currently holding office may be reelected.
Labor relations. All petitions alleging an impasse in negotia
tions involving municipal police and firefighter collective
bargaining must be reviewed by the joint labor-management
committee in the labor department before being accepted by
the Board of Arbitration and Conciliation. The committee
also may exercise jurisdiction over disputes and is empowered
to conduct formal or informal conferences and take other
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
steps, including mediation, to encourage resolution of the dis
pute.
Employers who fail to make payments to an employee
health or welfare or pension or other such plan as required by
the terms of an agreement, within 60 days after they become
due, will be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined from $100 to
$500 for each offense.
Binding “last-best-offer” arbitration procedures were es
tablished to help resolve impasses in collective bargaining ne
gotiations between public employers and employee organiza
tions representing uniformed State police or metropolitan
district commission police below the rank of captain. These
procedures expire June 13, 1982.
Successor clauses in collective bargaining agreements are to
be binding and enforceable against successor employers for up
to 3 years from the effective date of the agreement between
the contracting employer and labor organization. Exempted
are public employers, employers subject to either the National
Labor Relations Act or the Railway Labor Act, and receivers
or trustees in bankruptcy.
Other laws. Provisions were continued to July 1, 1981,
allowing the labor commissioner to suspend the operation of
certain labor laws, including those limiting or prohibiting the
employment of minors over age 16, in case of industry emer
gency or hardship.
Michigan
Wages. By an amendment adopted in 1977, the minimum
wage increased to $2.90 on January 1, 1979, with future in
creases to $3.10 on January 1, 1980, and $3.35 on January 1,
1981. These increases equal those under Federal law.
Additional employees now are subject to State overtime pay
requirements, and optional methods of computing overtime
pay were made available for police officers, firefighters, securi
ty personnel in correctional institutions, and resident employ
ees of public hospitals.
Equal employment opportunity. Under the State Civil Rights
Act, employers, employment agencies, and unions may not re
quire employees or job applicants to take a polygraph exami
nation, lie detector test, psychological stress evaluation, or
similar tests. An earlier separate law forbidding employers to
require employees to submit to polygraph and lie detector
tests was retained.
The availability of a polygraph test may be announced if
employees are informed that it is not a condition of employ
ment. An employee’s statement directly related to a job quali
fication or a violation of State law may be investigated
through other means.
The recovery of attorney fees and lost benefits or privileges
was added to backpay and reinstatement as possible remedies
for public employees whose political activity protections are
violated.
Other laws. The labor department will annually submit to the
Governor a 5-year full employment plan, including projected
levels of employment and unemployment, and recommenda
tions for increasing job opportunities and effectiveness of
training. The Governor will submit the plan to the legislature
which must alter or reject the plan or it will be automatically
implemented.
Upon request, the labor department in cooperation with the
commerce department, will establish a program to assist in
developing employee-owned corporations when an establish-
merit is closing or transferring operations, resulting in a loss
of jobs.
department an annual statistical report
wages, and other specified information.
Minnesota
Montana
Wages. Minimum hourly wage rates were increased from
$2.30 an hour effective January 1, 1980, with further increases
to $3.10 on January 1, 1981, and $3.35 on January 1, 1982.
Differential minimums for workers under age 18 also were
raised.
Wages. Premium overtime pay after 40 hours a week is no
longer required by law in certain occupations. Among those
exempted are taxicab drivers, employees subject to the maxi
mum hours provisions set by the U.S. Secretary of Transpor
tation, foster parents, and employees of small forestry and
lumbering operations.
Public employees separated from service may be paid on the
next regular payday, or 15 days from the date of separation,
instead of within 3 days as required for private sector employ
ees. If they are discharged for cause, all unpaid wages become
due and payable immediately.
Child labor. Authority of the labor commissioner to issue or
ders compelling compliance with the child labor laws was
broadened to allow him to apply for restraining orders.
Equal employment opportunity. The effective date of a prohibi
tion on mandatory retirement before age 70, for most private
and public sector employees, was changed from June 1, 1980,
to April 24, 1979. The later date will remain for employers of
fewer than 20 employees.
Before scheduling a hearing on an alleged unfair discrimina
tory practice, the commissioner of human rights must deter
mine that attempts to eliminate the unfair practice by
conciliation have been or would be unsuccessful.
Vietnam-era veterans (those serving the Armed Forces be
tween July 1, 1964 and December 31, 1976) will be included
in the affirmative action program of the State civil service sys
tem until 1989.
Private employment agencies. Management consultants and
management search firms were exempted from the employ
ment agency regulatory law.
Other laws. The director of the division of voluntary appren
ticeships will establish a plan for equal employment
opportunity in apprenticeships, and now may grant reciprocal
approval to properly registered, multistate apprenticeship pro
grams in all industries except the construction industry, if
such programs are in accordance with Federal regulations.
Requirements for completion of apprenticeships were reduced
from 4,000 hours or 2 years of reasonably continuous employ
ment, to 2,000 hours or 1 year of employment.
Certain personnel data relating to public employees now are
considered public information, including salary, benefits, job
description, education and training, previous work experience,
and disciplinary action.
Mississippi
Occupational safety and health. The State Board of Health
may refuse to issue or may suspend, revoke or amend licenses
to use or handle sources of radiation if the licensee or appli
cant has been refused a license, or has had one suspended, re
voked, or restricted in another jurisdiction.
Other laws. The boards of supervisors of Hancock, Harrison,
and Stone Counties, and their municipalities were authorized
to enter into a mutual agreement to provide employment and
training services.
Missouri
Private employment agencies. Agencies may no longer accept
deposits on placement fees, and now are subject to class ac
tion suits for damages caused by their acts.
Other laws. The law was repealed which required that all fac
tories and manufacturing establishments submit to the labor
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on
employment,
Hours. The provisions establishing a maximum 8-hour day for
bus drivers or attendants and a minimum 12-hour rest be
tween work shifts were amended to exempt employees of a
city, town, county, or political subdivision.
Child labor. A joint legislative resolution requested that a
committee study the State child labor laws in relation to the
present work environment and Federal child labor laws, and
report its findings and recommendations on proposed modern
izing legislation to the next session of the legislature.
Equal employment opportunity. A new law permitted court en
forcement of the labor commissioner’s decision on maternity
leave complaints.
Labor relations. Binding “last-best-offer” arbitration was pro
vided for in firefighter disputes if an impasse occurs and medi
ation and factfinding have failed. Strikes are prohibited.
The public employee collective bargaining law was amended
to exempt confidential employees from coverage and to re
strict union representation of Board of Personnel Appeals em
ployees to organizations which do not represent any other
em ployees.
Private employment agencies. Musical booking agencies were
exempted from the employment agency regulatory law.
Occupational safety and health. Inspection of passenger eleva
tors and escalators in public places by maintenance and insur
ance company representatives certified by the Department of
Administration may now be permitted, in lieu of inspection
by State inspectors.
Other laws. The required period of on-the-job work experience
for apprentices was reduced from 4,000 to 2,000 hours, and
provision was made for granting apprentices full or partial
credit for prior training or experience in the trade, on the rec
ommendation of the employer or the joint apprenticeship
committee and with the approval of the labor department.
Nebraska
Wages. Any teacher or administrator employed by a school
district may authorize, in writing, deductions from wages for
payments to a professional or labor organization.
Equal employment opportunity. The upper limit for protection
from employment discrimination based on age was raised
from 65 to 70 years (the lower limit remains at age 40), as
was the mandatory retirement age of State employees. An ad
ministrative advisory committee for older Nebraskans was
31
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • State Labor Legislation Enacted in 1979
established to prepare a comprehensive Statewide plan for serv
ices to the aging.
The State, its governmental agencies and political subdivi
sions are now prohibited from employment discrimination on
the basis of religion, sex, disability, marital status, or national
origin, as well as race and color as before, and such agencies
may now be sued under the Fair Employment Practices Act.
An affirmative action program was implemented and an af
firmative action office established to insure equal opportunity
in State employment.
Labor relations. The Court of Industrial Relations was
renamed the Commission of Industrial Relations and was giv
en new powers, including authority to order bargaining begun
or resumed for all public employees including teachers, rather
than only public utility employees, and to require mediation
and factfinding. The commission was authorized, in cases of
violations, to make findings and enter orders as necessary to
provide adequate remedies and resolve the dispute.
Occupational safety and health. Public power and irrigation
districts now must comply with State safety and health regu
lations.
the maximum extent possible, staff positions will be filled by
displaced homemakers. Also, the board will study the feasibil
ity of placing displaced homemakers in programs established
or benefits provided under Federal and State unemployment
compensation laws which extend eligibility to full-time home
makers.
Other laws. A Criminal History Records Act was passed, pro
viding for the maintenance and dissemination of criminal
records. An employer, upon request, is to be furnished records
on a prospective employee which reflect convictions only or
which pertain to an incident for which the prospective em
ployee is currently within the system of criminal justice, in
cluding parole or probation.
The minimum hours of reasonably continuous employment
required to complete an apprenticeship agreement was re
duced from 4,000 hours to 2,000, and the requirement that
apprentices be at least age 16 and preferably under 21 was re
moved.
Time spent as a member of the State legislature will not be
considered a break in service for purposes of calculating em
ployee benefits under private pension plans.
New Hampshire
Other laws. Discharging or penalizing an employee for serving
on jury duty is prohibited and will be considered a misde
meanor.
Nevada
Wages. The minimum wage rate increased to $2.75 an hour on
January 1, 1979.
A work-hour limit on public works contracts of 8 hours
daily and 56 weekly, except in emergencies, was repealed.
Child labor. The prohibition of employment of minors in pub
lic dance halls was restricted to those in which alcoholic bev
erages are dispensed, and the limited definition of public
dance halls as those where women or girls are employed or at
tend for profit was removed.
Labor relations. Employee organizations, recognized by a local
government employer, will now be required to file an annual
report with the Employee-Management Relations Board. The
report will include information on the organization’s constitu
tion, officers, membership, and any collective bargaining
agreements in effect.
Private employment agencies. Maximum applicant-paid place
ment fees were increased from 40 percent to 55 percent of the
first month’s wages.
Occupational safety and health. The State inspector of mines
now will conduct as well as develop mine safety education
programs and training and is authorized to accept funds from
private and public sources for administration of the mine safe
ty law. Mine operators are to notify the inspector of mines
prior to the opening and closing of mines.
A joint resolution urged Congress to enact legislation to re
turn to the States the right to regulate or participate in the
regulation of safety and health in mines.
Displaced homemakers. A displaced homemakers act directed
the State Board for Vocational Education to establish a center
to provide services for displaced homemakers, including job
counseling, training, and placement, as well as information on
subjects such as financial management and health services. To
32
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Wages. The minimum wage rose to $2.90 an hour and will
continue to increase each year to match Federal rates.
Permissible deductions from the minimum wage for food
and lodging furnished to employees working in hotels, motels,
and restaurants were increased.
The minimum wage law was amended to prohibit employ
ers from hiring students at a subminimum wage rate or with
out compensation, to replace existing or laid off workers.
Child labor. Minors age 16 and 17 may now handle wine if
working as grocery clerks, cashiers, or baggers. They now
may also clean tables and lounge areas and move cases of al
coholic beverages in establishments serving such beverages, as
long as they are not involved in serving drinks and an adult is
in attendance.
Equal employment opportunity. Mandatory retirement was
abolished for all public sector employees and for those in the
private sector whose employers employ six workers or more.
Labor relations. The public employee labor relations law was
amended to provide for three alternate members of the public
employees labor relations board, and to increase from 30 to
45 days the time allowed both for holding hearings and mak
ing decisions on unfair labor practice charges. The issuance of
a cease-and-desist order was made mandatory in cases of vio
lation, and the board was given new authority to order pay
ment of costs incurred by the injured party.
Displaced homemakers. A new law directed the labor com
missioner to establish two pilot multipurpose centers to
provide displaced homemakers with counseling, training, and
job referral services to help them become gainfully employed.
Other laws. The minimum time for completion of an appren
ticeship was reduced from 4,000 hours to 2,000.
The minimum contract amount on which public works con
tractors and subcontractors must furnish payment bonds was
increased from $10,000 to $25,000.
Several State agencies are scheduled for sunset review and
termination between July 1, 1981 and July 1, 1985, unless re
newed by the legislature, including the labor department’s di-
visions of administration and support, inspection, labor statis
tics, and workmen’s compensation and the workmen’s com
pensation commission.
Private employment agencies. All regulation of private employ
ment agencies ceased as of July 1, 1979, the result of pre
viously adopted sunset legislation.
New Jersey
Wages. The minimum wage rate was increased from $2.50
$2.90 an hour on March 1, 1979, with a further increase
$3.10 on January 1, 1980. Full-time students may
employed by their college or university at not less than
percent of the minimum wage.
to
to
be
85
Child labor. Summer employment of minors between 16 and
18 years of age by a summer resident camp, conference, or re
treat operated by a nonprofit or religious organization was
exempted from the hours and nightwork restrictions of the
child labor law, unless the work is primarily general mainte
nance or food service. Also they were exempted from posting
and record-keeping requirements.
The ban on employment of minors where liquor is sold no
longer applies to minors (between age 16 and 18) working in
executive offices, maintenance departments, or pool or beach
areas of hotels, motels, and guesthouses.
Displaced homemakers. A displaced homemakers act was
passed requiring the Division on Women in the Department
of Community Affairs to identify and maximize the use of
existing displaced homemaker programs. The division is also
to provide technical assistance and encouragement for the ex
pansion of other multipurpose programs to provide displaced
homemakers with job counseling, training and placement, and
other services.
Other laws. Under a revision of the State penal code misde
meanor offense in other statutes which carries a penalty of 6
months imprisonment or less is reclassified as a disorderly
persons offense. Violations of numerous laws, including child
labor, minimum wage, prevailing wage, wage payment, indus
trial homework, and worker’s compensation laws, are thereby
reduced from crime class offenses to disorderly persons of
fenses. Among other consequences, these offenses now carry a
statute of limitation of only 1 year, are lowered to the juris
diction of magistrates’ courts, and extradition authority is no
longer available.
New Mexico
Wages. The minimum wage was increased from $2.30 an hour
to $2.65 on July 1, 1979, with further increases to $2.90 on
July 1, 1980, and to $3.35 on July 1, 1981. The farm rate will
increase in four steps to $3.35 on July 1, 1982. All persons 18
years of age and under were exempted from the minimum
wage law, except graduates of secondary, vocational, or train
ing schools.
An increase from $2,000 to $20,000 was made in the
threshold amount for coverage of public works contracts un
der the prevailing wage law.
The maximum amount of disposable earnings exempt from
garnishment for child support was reduced to 50 percent; for
all other types of garnishment, the exemption remained at the
greater of 75 percent of disposable earnings or an amount
each week equal to 40 times the Federal minimum hourly
wage.
Equal employment opportunity. A State Agency on Aging was
established which, among other duties, is to encourage training
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
programs and opportunities for older workers and develop
new job placement methods.
Occupational safety and health. Any civil penalty assessed the
State or any political subdivision for a serious violation of the
occupational health and safety act will be considered paid if
the violation is corrected within the time permitted. Also, an
employer now may be assessed a civil penalty of up to $1,000
for each violation of the law that is not of a serious nature.
Other laws. The Labor and Industrial Bureau in the Depart
ment of Human Services was abolished and an independent
three-member Labor and Industrial Commission and an Office
of Labor Commissioner established.
An employer who discharges or threatens to discharge an
employee because of jury service will be guilty of a misde
meanor.
New York
Wages. By prior law, the minimum wage rate for nonagricultural workers was increased to $2.90 on January 1,
1979, with additional increases to $3.10 on January 1, 1980,
and to $3.35 on January 1, 1981.
In resort hotels, tip credit allowances and maximum per
missible deductions for meals and lodging were increased.
Child labor. Minors serving as members of a certified volun
teer ambulance service now must be at least 15 years of age,
have current Red Cross training, be under the supervision of
an emergency medical technician, and be covered by workers’
compensation.
Equal employment opportunity. Under the antidiscrimination
law, the criterion for ascertaining disability for job purposes
was redefined to cover a condition which does not prevent the
person from performing the job in a reasonable manner, in
stead of a condition unrelated to ability to engage in activities
involved in the job sought.
Labor relations. The provisions relating to mediation and arbi
tration for police and fire department contract disputes were
extended to July 1, 1981, and the statute permitting an agency
shop fee deduction from the wages of State employees was ex
tended to September 1, 1981.
Occupational safety and health. An Office of Fire Prevention
and Control was created in the Department of State to advise
and assist in arson suppression, detection, investigation and
prosecution, fire prevention and control, and other fire-service
related problems. The office will be assisted by a fire safety
advisory board in such functions as the evaluation and mak
ing of recommendations on Federal and State legislation and
programs relating to fire safety service, policies, and pro
grams.
Other laws. The education department was directed to make
rules and regulations for school districts to supervise pro
grams for minors required by the courts to perform public
service work, assuring that certain labor standards are ad
hered to, including wages and other conditions of work, and
workers' compensation coverage, and assuring that such mi
nors are not used to replace regular employees.
33
M O N T H L Y L A B O R R E V IE W January 1980 • S ta te L a b o r L egislation E n a c te d in 1979
A Long Island Job Development Authority was created to
develop employment opportunities in Nassau and Suffolk
Counties by assisting in the financing of business facilities
likely to stimulate those opportunities, by advancing the de
velopment of eligible business enterprises, and by the annual
formulation of an overall economic development plan for the
bicounty region.
North Carolina
Wages. The former minimum wage, maximum hours, child la
bor, and wage payment laws were consolidated into a single
wage and hour act. Major changes included an increase in the
minimum wage rate from $2.50 to $2.75 an hour on July 1,
1979, with a future increase to $2.90 on July 1, 1980,
extending minimum wage coverage to public employees, and
requiring that overtime be paid after 45 hours a week instead
of after 50 hours. The law also restricts what may be de
ducted from a worker’s pay and makes violators of the mini
mum wage, overtime, and wage payment provisions liable for
the unpaid wages plus up to an equal amount of exemplary
damages.
The maximum amount of a parent’s monthly disposable in
come subject to garnishment for court-ordered child support
was increased from 25 to 40 percent.
Child labor. Several changes were made in the child labor pro
visions including adoption by reference of the federally
banned hazardous occupations; elimination of work-hour re
strictions for 16- and 17-year-olds; revision of the hour restric
tions for 14- and 15-year-olds; and authorization for the labor
commissioner to issue waivers in special circumstances and to
impose civil penalties for violation of the law.
Pages working in the General Assembly or Governor’s of
fice were exempted from coverage under the minimum wage,
overtime, child labor, and recordkeeping laws.
Agriculture. The Department of Human Resources was appro
priated funds to pay for inpatient hospital care and related
services for migrant farmworkers and their dependents while
in the State.
Equal employment opportunity. The mandatory retirement age
of public employees was raised from age 65 to 70, and the
provision retained permitting continued employment beyond
the retirement age on a year-to-year basis with employer ap
proval.
The Wilmington city charter was amended to enable the
city council to adopt ordinances prohibiting discrimination in
employment and to establish an enforcement agency which
will receive, initiate, and investigate complaints, and issue
cease-and-desist orders for unlawful practices. New Hanover
County was authorized to adopt ordinances prohibiting acts
of employment discrimination based on race, color, national
origin, gender, religion, handicap, or age.
Labor relations. Cities or counties may request that the Gover
nor temporarily assign the State police to assist in local law
enforcement if local police strike or engage in other job ac
tions.
Private employment agencies. A new private employment agen
cy law was enacted, replacing one that expired through sunset
legislation. The new law includes establishment of an advisory
council with authority to approve regulations promulgated by
the labor commissioner.
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Displaced homemakers. The Council on the Status of Women
was authorized to establish a multipurpose center to provide
counseling, training, education, and placement services to help
displaced homemakers seeking employment. Whenever possi
ble, the center will be staffed by displaced homemakers.
Other laws. The Governor now is to appoint a public member
as chairperson of the Employment and Training Council,
rather than serving as the chairperson himself. The council is
to prepare an annual report to the Governor on its activities.
The number of hours of required on-the-job training in ap
proved apprenticeship programs was reduced from 4,000
hours to 2,000.
Public utilities were permitted to obtain criminal records of
applicants for or employees with jobs permitting or requiring
access to nuclear power facilities or nuclear materials.
Vocational rehabilitation service functions for physically
and mentally disabled persons were transferred from the State
Board of Education to the Department of Human Resources,
which is authorized to cooperate with the Federal Rehabilita
tion Services Administration in administering the Federal Re
habilitation Act.
North Dakota
Wages. Wage orders were revised to increase minimum rates
for covered employee occupations, effective July 1, 1979. The
new minimum for manufacturing is $2.95 an hour, and $2.60
an hour for public housekeeping with an additional increase to
$2.80 on July 1, 1980. The new rates for mercantile employees
and professional, technical, and clerical employees are $2.55
and $2.80 an hour, but will increase to $3.10 on January 1,
1980.
The $1,000 maximum was eliminated for the amount of any
one wage claim which may be assigned to the labor commis
sioner for recovery by civil action.
Courts must now include in each judgment containing child
support provisions an order directing the assignment of wages
to meet the required payments. In the absence of a wage as
signment, the courts are authorized to order employers to
withhold wages for overdue child support. Employees are not
to be discharged or disciplined because of such actions.
A concurrent resolution directs the legislative council to
conduct a study of the feasibility and benefits of revising or
repealing the State’s wage garnishment law.
Equal employment opportunity. An equal employment oppor
tunity law was enacted banning discrimination by employers
of more than 15 employees on the basis of race, color, reli
gion, sex, or national origin. The labor department is autho
rized to receive complaints and negotiate settlements within
60 days; district courts have jurisdiction over actions claiming
violations.
Veterans previously granted preference in public employ
ment if physically and mentally able to perform the duties of
the position sought are now specifically required to meet the
education and experience qualifications of the position as well.
Labor relations. A concurrent resolution requested that eligi
bility requirements of the Federal Food Stamp Act of 1964 be
amended to prohibit striking employees from receiving gov
ernment assistance.
Occupational safety and health. A new act gave the Industrial
Commission authority to regulate the storage and disposal of
nuclear and other wastes, including issuing permits and bring-
ing civil action in the event of violation.
Provision was made for an annual fire inspection of all State
institutions and buildings by the State fire marshal or by the
fire department of the city or fire protection district in which
the institution or building is located.
Displaced homemakers. A new law, effective until June 30,
1981, directed the Employment Security Bureau to establish a
multipurpose service center and mobile unit to provide
displaced homemakers with counseling, training, education,
and placement services. Whenever possible, the centers will be
staffed by displaced homemakers.
Other laws. The Sheltered Workshop Program became the Vo
cational Rehabilitation Facilities Program.
A resolution urges State agencies, departments, boards, and
commissions to furnish the State employment service with in
formation on their employment opportunities.
Ohio
Wages. Employers with less than $150,000 gross annual sales
must pay a minimum wage of at least $1.50 per hour, com
pared to the $2.30 rate applicable to larger employers. Prior
wage orders which set subminimum rates for certain industries
with gross annual sales less than $95,000 were repealed.
A law enacted in late 1978 increased from $1,000 to $2,500
the amount of final wages an employer may pay to eligible
survivors of a deceased employee without letters of testament.
Equal employment opportunity. Age discrimination is now pro
hibited under the Civil Rights Act for persons between 40 and
70. An earlier separate age discrimination law, enforceable
through civil action by the aggrieved individual, was extended
to include these ages, instead of 40 to 65.
Prohibitions on discrimination because of sex will now in
clude pregnancy or illness arising from pregnancy or child
birth. Employers are not required to pay for health insurance
benefits for abortions, except where the mother’s life is endan
gered or where complications arise from an abortion.
Other laws. The required period of on-the-job work experience
for apprentices was reduced from 4,000 hours to 2,000. A new
law gives employees the right, upon written request, to obtain
copies of all their medical records that are in the possession of
their current or past employer. Violation of the law will be a
misdemeanor.
Oklahoma
Private employment agencies. The private employment agency
advisory council was terminated on July 1, 1979, the result of
previously adopted sunset legislation.
Oregon
Wages. The minimum wage rate in the nonfarm sector was in
creased from $2.30 to $2.65 an hour on July 1, 1979, with ad
ditional increases to $2.90 on January 1, 1980, and $3.10 on
January 1, 1981.
The Wage and Hour Commission is no longer authorized to
set subminimum wage rates for minors under 18 years of age.
Instead, it may set a rate at 75 percent of the regular rate for
student-learners who are employed on a part-time basis pursu
ant to a bona fide vocational training program. The State
Board of Education is to adopt certificate procedures for this
new student-learner category.
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Seasonal educational or organized camps with an annual
gross income of less than $275,000 and nonprofit conference
centers operated for educational, charitable, or religious pur
poses were exempted from the minimum wage law.
The labor commissioner now may seek collection of wage
claims through administrative proceedings, in addition to tak
ing court action. Wage claims were changed to specifically in
clude damages or civil penalties due employees in connection
with claims for unpaid wages.
A worker’s weekly disposable wages which exceed 36 times
the Federal minimum (previously 40 times) is now subject to
garnishment, with the same maximum of 25 percent of dispos
able earnings remaining in effect.
The Support Enforcement Division of the Justice Depart
ment may now use contempt proceedings to enforce garnish
ments or orders for withholding of wages for support
payments, whether or not a request has been made by the
designated recipient.
State employees are permitted to authorize the direct depos
it of their salary or wages and loan payments to designated
banks, savings and loan associations, or credit unions.
Child labor. State law now permits minors 16 and 17 years of
age to work as assistants on chartered fishing or pleasure
boats, and those age 14 and 15 to work at the dock areas. Mi
nors under age 18 may work on commercial fishing vessels
without an employment permit, when employed and super
vised by a relative.
Agriculture. Each application for a license to operate as a farm
labor contractor now must contain a written sworn declara
tion appointing the labor commissioner as the contractor’s
agent to accept a service of summons when the contractor is
not available to accept service. The labor commissioner was
given new authority to assess civil penalties, and workers were
guaranteed a right of action against a contractor who violates
the law.
Equal employment opportunity. The provision making it an un
lawful employment practice for an employer to discriminate
on the basis of physical or mental handicap was expanded to
apply to labor organizations and employment agencies. Hand
icap was redefined as an impairment which substantially limits
one or more major life activities.
Refusal of an employer to reinstate a disabled worker to his
former position or to available and suitable employment if dis
abled on the job now will be considered an unlawful employ
ment practice.
Labor relations. The Employment Relations Board may award
attorney fees to the prevailing party in a hearing to determine
if a public employer engaged in unfair labor practices.
Economic or financial inconvenience to the public or public
employer normally incident to a strike by public employees is
no longer a basis for the granting of an injunction.
Group health insurance policies now must contain provi
sions permitting employees to continue their coverage by pay
ing both employer and employee contributions during a strike
or lockout.
It was made an unlawful employment practice for an em
ployer to require an employee to pay for a medical examina
tion or health certificate as a condition of continued
employment, unless the examination is required by a collective
bargaining agreement or by statute or ordinance or payment
is made by a health benefit plan financed entirely by the em
ployer.
35
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • State Labor Legislation Enacted in 1979
Private employment agencies. Management consultants or exec
utive recruiters may not make placements in positions paying
less than $30,000 per year, instead of the previous $20,000, to
qualify for exemption from the employment agency law.
Occupational safety and health. The Department of Energy
was made primarily responsible for establishing rules for
health protection and for the evacuation of people and com
munities affected by radiation in the event of an accident or
castastrophe involving a nuclear power plant or installation.
Displaced homemakers. The displaced homemaker law extend
ed coverage to persons who are on public assistance because
of dependent children in the home (especially in cases where
aid will terminate within a year because of the youngest child
reaching age 18) and to persons underemployed and experi
encing difficulty in getting better jobs. Job placement and job
development were added to existing services.
Other laws. Courses of study for apprentices and trainees were
expanded to include all trades and crafts. These courses may
be implemented without approval of the State Apprenticeship
and Training Council and State Apprenticeship Committee, if
the industry provides the facilities, and the instructors m eet
industry skill and training requirements.
The number of reasonably continuous hours of employment
required to complete apprenticeship training was reduced
from 4,000 hours to 2,000, and provision was made for the re
ciprocal approval of multistate apprenticeship programs and
standards of employers and unions in industries other than
building and construction.
Workers who incur damages as a result of being induced to
change their place of employment through false advertising or
false pretenses now are entitled to recover all damages, or
$500, whichever is greater, instead of actual damages alone.
It is now unlawful, under the fair employment practices act,
for an employer to require an employee or prospective em
ployee to take a polygraph examination or psychological
stress test. The State has a separate law prohibiting the use of
lie detector tests as a condition of employment or continued
employment.
Pennsylvania
Wages. As provided for in a prior law, the minimum wage
rate was increased from $2.65 to $2.90 an hour on January 1,
1979, with future increases to $3.10 on January 1, 1980, and
$3.35 on January 1, 1981. The increases are identical to those
under the Federal law. As of January 1, 1979, entitlement to
overtime pay for hotel, motel, and restaurant employees began
after 40 hours a week rather than the previous 44. The maxi
mum tip credit will be reduced from 45 to 40 percent of the
minimum rate on January 1, 1980.
By an amendment adopted in
late 1978, it is not an unlawful employment practice for a reli
gious corporation or association, because of its religious be
liefs or practices, to refuse to hire or employ on the basis of
sex.
Equal employment opportunity.
Other laws. A Criminal History Information Act was enacted
late in 1978 providing for the protection of individual right to
privacy and establishing regulations concerning the dissemina
tion of criminal history record information. Individuals or
their legal representatives may review, challenge, correct, and
appeal the accuracy and completeness of the information. The
State may refuse to license and employers may refuse to hire
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
persons who have been convicted of a felony or of a misde
meanor which relates to the trade or occupation for which a
license is sought or which relates to the applicant’s suitability
for employment.
Another law, enacted late in 1978, gave employees the right
to inspect their personnel files, upon written request, and to
insert counter statements in the event of an alleged error. Em
ployers are to make these records available during regular
business hours, but may require the employees to use their
free time for inspection.
Rhode Island
Wages. The minimum wage rate was increased from $2.30 an
hour to $2.65 on July 1, 1979, with additional increases to
$2.90 on July 1, 1980, $3.10 on July 1, 1981, and $3.35 on
July 1, 1982. Youth and student rates were also increased.
Employees of organized camps, which do not operate for
more than 7 months a year, who are not employed on an an
nual full-time basis are now exempt from the minimum wage
law.
Court-ordered wage garnishment for the payment of delin
quent child support was authorized, and firing employees or
discriminating against job applicants as a result of such courtordered payments was prohibited.
Equal employment opportunity. The fair employment practices
act was amended to prohibit age discrimination against per
sons between age 40 and 70. The State has a separate age dis
crimination law protecting the 45 to 65 age group.
A State police arbitration law was enacted
providing for binding arbitration of all contract disputes, in
cluding those involving wages, and reaffirming the public poli
cy that full-time members of the State police force have all the
rights of organized workers, except the right to strike or en
gage in a work stoppage or slowdown.
An employer’s failure to implement an arbitrator’s award
will be an unfair labor practice unless a court issues a stay of
the award.
Labor relations.
The distribution of goods for processing
to any person in any industry where it has been proven that
homework is not susceptible to effective regulation, is now
prohibited, unless the person receiving the goods has been is
sued a contractor’s permit by the labor department. The pro
cessing of goods owned by another is prohibited without such
a permit, and no contract shop may operate in a home.
Industrial homework.
Occupational safety and health. Various changes were made in
provisions dealing with electrical, boiler, and fire safety codes,
and the health and safety law on explosives was revised.
Other laws. The required period of on-the-job experience for
apprentices was reduced from 4,000 to 2,000 hours, and a
statement was included providing for conformance of the ap
prenticeship program with State law, including equal employ
ment opportunity standards and regulations.
To aid and promote the development of the domestic steel
industry, all public work contracts must include a provision
that domestic steel will be used unless its cost exceeds by 15
percent any other steel products obtainable.
South Carolina
Agriculture. The migrant farmworkers commission is to devel
op an accurate statewide census of migrant and seasonal farm
workers and to determine the cost of supportive programs as
sociated with such workers. The migrant labor division of the
labor department was designated the administration agency of
the commission.
Equal employment opportunity. The human affairs law, former
ly applicable to public employees only, was extended to pri
vate sector employers of 15 or more workers, labor organ
izations, employment agencies, and joint apprenticeship
committees and was revised to become a comprehensive
antidiscrimination law prohibiting employment discrimination
on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age (between 40 and
70), or national origin. Violation will be an unlawful employ
ment practice. The commission on human affairs was given
enforcement authority, including authority to order hiring, re
instatement, and backpay.
The mandatory retirement age for teachers was increased
from 65 to 70, with an extension to 72 possible upon approval
of annual requests.
Occupational safety and health. The labor commissioner was
empowered to seek administrative search warrants from the
circuit court when authorized inspectors make proper requests
to inspect certain premises or property for occupational safety
or health purposes and are denied access.
South Dakota
Child labor. The alcoholic
beverage control law was amended
to prohibit persons under 21 years of age from selling, serv
ing, or dispensing alcoholic beverages in “off-sale” liquor es
tablishments.
Equal employment opportunity. The mandatory retirement age
was raised from 65 to 70 years for public employees, except
law enforcement officers and firemen for whom the retirement
age remains at 55.
A legislative study will be made of handicapped persons’
access to employment, programs, and services. A plan out
lining changes which can be made by State and local govern
ments will be presented to the next legislature.
Private employment agencies. A requirement that all registra
tions for employment or help be shown on the monthly
report submitted to the labor department was removed from
the law.
Occupational safety and health. The Secretary of the Depart
ment of Transportation was authorized to adopt rules and reg
ulations providing for the safe transportation of radioactive
materials on the State’s roads and highways and to provide ap
propriate emergency procedures in the event of any accident.
Displaced homemakers. The secretary of the labor department
was authorized to establish a pilot multipurpose service center
to provide job counseling and placement, health, financial, ed
ucational, and legal services to displaced homemakers. When
ever possible, staff positions will be filled by displaced home
makers.
Tennessee
Wages. Deductions
will be required from the pay of “em
ployed releasees” from prison toward the cost of their
supervision and rehabilitation, and for contributions to the
criminal injuries compensation fund.
Equal employment opportunity. The mandatory retirement age
of 70 was eliminated from the retirement system for State em
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ployees, except for police officers, firefighters, wildlife officers,
and State university employees.
A procedure was established permitting persons alleging
discrimination in employment on the basis of a handicap to
file complaints with the State human development commis
sion.
Employment discrimination against a blind person because
of the use of a guide dog is now prohibited.
A joint resolution was adopted urging county legislative
bodies to establish human development commissions and to
adopt ordinances prohibiting discrimination on the basis of
race, creed, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Labor relations. Labor negotiating sessions between employee
unions and public employers must be open to the public.
Occupational safety and health. A mine rescue corps was cre
ated under the direction and control of the labor department,
replacing the previous system of owner or union-selected res
cue units subsidized by the State.
Other laws. Procedures were established for the issuance of ad
ministrative warrants authorizing labor department employees
to make inspections and seize evidence.
Violation of the law requiring the deposit of pension and
retirement funds in a separate trust account was made a felo
ny punishable by imprisonment of 1 to 3 years, a fine of up to
$10,000, or both.
A joint resolution requested the establishment of a special
legislative committee to study the problem of teenage unem
ployment, focusing on minors 16 to 20 years of age.
All employable persons receiving assistance under the Aid
to Families with Dependent Children program now must ac
cept jobs or training through the public employment service,
or lose the public assistance.
Texas
Child labor.
Students or apprentices enrolled in public school
vocational education programs were exempted from the child
labor law.
Private employment agencies. The private employment agency
law administered by the labor department was repealed and a
new law enacted which limits the labor department’s authority
to the issuance of operating licenses. Parties aggrieved by the
activités of agencies must now institute court action to obtain
relief.
School districts were prohibited from listing job vacancies
with private employment agencies, paying them a fee, and
employing applicants referred by such agencies.
The labor agency law which applies primarily to the recruit
ment of agricultural workers was amended to authorize the la
bor commissioner to suspend as well as revoke the licenses of
labor agents. Each worker recruited must now be furnished
with information on the terms and conditions of employment.
Other laws. The home addresses and telephone numbers of
peace officers were listed among the items specifically excluded
from records available to the public under the State open re
cords act.
Utah
Wages.
An increase in the minimum wage to $2.45 an hour,
authorized by a 1978 administrative action, took effect on Jan
uary 1, 1979 for the retail trade, public housekeeping, restau
rant, and laundry, cleaning, dyeing and pressing industries in
37
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • State Labor Legislation Enacted in 1979
Salt Lake, Weber, Utah and Davis counties and in all cities
with a population of 5,000 or more. Further increases to $2.60
and $2.75 are scheduled for January 1, 1980, and January 1,
1981. The minimum for other areas was raised to $2.20 an
hour with further increases scheduled on the above dates to
$2.35 and $2.50
Equal employment opportunity. The antidiscrimination act was
amended to include coverage for physically and mentally
handicapped persons, and to remove the 65-year upper age
limit on age discrimination protection. State officers and em
ployees will now be governed by the antidiscrimination or un
fair employment practices provisions of the act. The
Antidiscrimination Division of the Industrial Commission will
investigate any alleged violation and report its findings to the
newly created Personnel Review Board.
The legislature approved an amendment to the State consti
tution, to be voted on at the next general election, which
would remove the prohibition against women working under
ground in mines and would permit work release and similar
programs for prisoners.
A joint resolution opposed granting an extension of the time
limit for ratification of the proposed Federal Equal Rights
Amendment or any other amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Occupational safety and health.
A Hazardous Wastes Commit
tee was established in the Division of Health to issue regula
tions for managing and controlling the transportation,
storage, treatment and disposition of hazardous waste, and to
carry out inspections, hold hearings, and secure compliance.
Vermont
Wages. By
prior law, the minimum wage rate was raised to
$2.90 an hour on January 1, 1979, with future increases to
$3.10 on January 1, 1980, and $3.35 on January 1, 1981.
The Federal wage garnishment exemptions of 75 percent of
disposable weekly earnings or 30 times the Federal minimum
wage, whichever is greater, were adopted. Discharge of em
ployees as a result of wage garnishment was prohibited.
Equal employment opportunity. The responsibilities and func
tions of the Governor’s Committee on Employment of the
handicapped were transferred to the nonprofit organization,
Handicapped Opportunities and Programs in Employment, to
create Statewide interest and cooperation in promoting reha
bilitation and employment of the handicapped.
Virginia
Wages. Students
enrolled in work-study or equivalent pro
grams administered by any secondary school, college, or trade
school now may be paid monthly, rather than biweekly as
usually required.
Child labor. Restrictions concerning night work, maximum
hours, and employment certificates were eliminated for 16and 17-year-old minors. Other changes gave the labor com
missioner specific authority to declare occupations hazardous,
and remove the exemption for any minor employed in the
gathering or processing of seafood. Minors age 14 to 16 now
may work in parking lots, as swimming pool lifeguards, as
gatekeepers, or in concessions at any public hotel or motel
pool. Minors under age 16 employed by their parents in
nonhazardous occupations were exempted from the child la
bor law, and badges are no longer required for street trade
employment.
38
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
The alcoholic beverage control law was amended to permit
establishments which serve alcoholic beverages to employ per
sons under 18 years of age to bus tables and seat customers in
areas where meals are purchased.
Equal employment opportunity. A 16-member equal employ
ment opportunity committee was created to monitor the State’s
practices in providing equal opportunity to all public employ
ees and job applicants.
The commission for the visually handicapped was directed
to cooperate with the Federal Government in administering
laws which provide vocational education and other services
necessary for the rehabilitation of blind or visually handi
capped persons.
Labor relations. If a utility, its employees, or the union fail to
give the required 30 days’ notice of a proposed termination or
modification of a collective bargaining contract or work stop
page, the other party may file for an injunction against such
action. The court may impose a fine of up to $100 against
each person and up to $1,000 against a union for each day the
action continues.
Private employment agencies. Payment of per diem and ex
penses to members of the employment agency advisory board
was authorized.
Occupational safety and health. Several changes were made in
the occupational safety and health law, including prohibiting
retaliation against employees who have filed complaints, testi
fied or otherwise exercised their rights under the act; revising
the provisions on issuing and appealing citations and the im
position of penalties; and permitting the labor commissioner
to delegate authority concerning occupational health to the
State health commissioner.
The labor commissioner was given authority to make occu
pational safety and health inspections of any workplace with
the consent of the owner or under an inspection warrant.
Also, the law providing for court-ordered inspection warrants
relating to toxic substances was amended to specifically pro
vide for entry to the premises and for testing or collection of
samples for testing during the inspection.
Several revisions were made in sections of the health law
pertaining to migrant labor camps. Specific sanitary and safety
requirements were deleted and are now left to regulations
adopted by the board of health and the safety and health
codes commission. These requirements may be no more strin
gent than those actually enforced by the U.S. Department of
Labor pursuant to Federal law.
By January 1, 1980, the office of emergency services was to
monitor the transportation within the State of those hazard
ous radioactive materials that could pose a significant poten
tial danger in the event of accidental spillage or release.
Other laws. Prior to starting work on construction contracts
of more than $500,000 let by the State or any water, sewer, or
sanitation authority, bidders must submit written assurances
that they operate an apprenticeship program registered with
the State apprenticeship council or are exploring the feasibility
of establishing and registering such a program.
Permits issued by the U.S. Department of Labor will no
longer constitute proof of eligibility for employment of aliens
in the State. U.S. Department of Justice permits will continue
to be acceptable and employment of an alien worker who can
not provide this document is illegal.
Washington
A migrant labor housing project in Yakima
County, scheduled to end December 1, 1978, was continued
until June 30, 1981.
Agriculture.
on January 1, 1979, with further increases on January 1 to $3
in 1980, and $3.25 in 1981. The farm rates were increased
from $2.35 to $2.60 an hour on January 1, 1979, with further
increases to $2.80 and $3.05 scheduled for 1980 and 1981.
Equal employment opportunity. The mandatory retirement age
was raised from 65 to 70 for all public employees, except po
lice officers and firefighters, and compulsory retirement at age
70 may be waived by an individual’s employer.
Wyoming
Wages. An increase from $5,000 to $25,000 was made in the
dollar threshold of the prevailing wage law.
Private employment agencies. The State’s sunset law was
amended to remove the employment agency advisory board
from the list of agencies scheduled for termination on June 30,
1979.
Hours. Nonemergency overtime beyond 8 hours and up to 16
hours a day now is permitted in underground mines by mutu
al agreement of the employee and employer. Employers may
not take punitive action against employees who decline to
agree.
Displaced homemakers. A 2-year pilot project was established
under which the council for postsecondary education is to
contract for multipurpose service centers and programs to
provide training opportunities, counseling, job placement, and
other services for displaced homemakers. Staff positions at the
centers are to be filled by displaced homemakers, where possi
ble.
Other laws. Hours of training required under apprenticeship
agreements were reduced from 4,000 to 2,000 hours of reason
ably continuous employment.
A sunset law abolished several regulatory agencies and
boards on various future dates, including the labor depart
ment’s contractor registration program scheduled for termina
tion on June 30, 1983.
Employers may not require assignment of an employee’s
rights to an invention for which no equipment, supplies, facili
ties, or trade secrets of the employer were used and which was
developed entirely on the employee’s own time, unless the in
vention relates directly to the employer’s business, actual or
anticipated research, or results from work performed by the
employee for the employer.
Wisconsin
Wages. By administrative action, taken in 1978, the nonfarm
minimum hourly wage rate was increased from $2.55 to $2.80
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Child labor. Minors under age 16 may now be employed as
dishwashers, “busboys” or delivery persons in places where
alcoholic liquors and malt beverages are sold.
A discriminatory or unfair em
ployment practice complaint now must be filed with the fair
employment practice commission within 90 days of the al
leged violation, and the commission was directed to issue
cease-and-desist orders within 6 months of the hearing. Time
limits previously were not included in the law.
Equal employment opportunity.
Other laws. A sunset law terminated several regulatory agen
cies and boards, including the occupational safety and health
commission, on July 1, 1981, unless continued or reestablished
by the legislature.
--------- FOOTNOTE---------1Kentucky was the only State where the legislature did not meet in
1979. Session was held in West Virginia, but no significant labor legis
lation was enacted. Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands were not in
cluded in the study.
39
Productivity
Reports
Productivity increased in 1978
in most industries measured
A rthur S. H erman
Productivity in 1978, as measured by output per em
ployee-hour, increased in about two thirds of the indus
tries for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly
publishes data. However, productivity growth was low
er and declines were greater for more than half of the
industries, during 1978, as compared with 1977. This
slowdown is consistent with the state of the nonfarm
business sector of the economy, where productivity
grew 0.5 percent in 1978 as compared with 1.6 percent
in 1977. Table 1 shows productivity trends in industries
measured by the Bureau and includes new measures for
the fluid milk, folding paperboard boxes, and soaps and
detergents industries.1It also includes, for the first time,
a number of series that are components of previously
published measures, and were developed by dis
aggregating the existing measures: canned fruits and
vegetables; raw and refined cane sugar; beet sugar; brick
and structural clay tile; ceramic wall and floor tile;
household cooking equipment; household refrigerators
and freezers; household laundry equipment; household
appliances, not elsewhere classified; and primary copper.
cent as compared with a gain of 6.4 percent in 1977.
Output in this industry was below the average gain of
2.7 percent, while employee hours grew 4.4 percent. Pro
ductivity was affected by a substantial shift to smaller
cars resulting in production cutbacks and slower assem
bly line speeds in large-car plants, as well as by addi
tional hiring and capacity strains in small-car plants.
Among other manufacturing industries, the largest
gain was posted in the household cooking equipment in
dustry, up 9.3 percent. Output grew 14.4 percent,
buoyed by rapid sales gains for microwave ovens. Large
gains were also posted for malt beverages, up 8.4 per
cent; household appliances, not elsewhere classified, up
7.0 percent; cigarettes, up 5.5 percent; and soft drinks,
up 5.1 percent. Conversely, sharp declines were record
ed by a number of industries, including primary copper,
lead, and zinc (6.6 percent); household laundry equip
ment (5.4 percent); primary smelting and refining of
copper (5.1 percent); sugar (4.2 percent); folding paperboard boxes (3.5 percent); and primary aluminum (3.1
percent).
Manufacturing. The steel industry, one of the more im
portant industries surveyed, recorded an above-average
gain in productivity of 4.4 percent. Demand was up in a
number of steel markets, including the construction,
and machinery and equipment industries, resulting in a
gain in output of 7.4 percent, while employee hours
grew by 2.9 percent. The motor vehicles industry, on
the other hand, posted a productivity decline of 1.6 per-
Mining. Most of the mining industries experienced pro
ductivity increases. Coal mining recorded a large gain of
8.7 percent in 1978, in contrast to the declines recorded
in almost every year over the past decade. This gain re
flected a decline in output of 5.1 percent, and a sharp
drop in production worker hours of 12.6 percent; the
industry was affected by a major strike in 1978. Copper
mining (recoverable metal) also posted a large increase,
8.3 percent. Output was down 0.5 percent in this indus
try while production worker hours declined further, 8.1
percent. In iron mining (usable ore) productivity grew
by 4.7 percent as the industry recovered from a strike in
1977. Output in the iron ore industry showed a very
large gain of 45.5 percent, with production worker
hours up 38.8 percent. Nonmetallic minerals, however,
had a slight decline in productivity of 0.3 percent.
Arthur S. Herman is an economist in the Division of Industry Pro
ductivity Studies, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Transportation. Productivity was up in most transporta
tion industries, as their output grew because of general-
Productivity changes in 1978, by industry
40
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
ly favorable conditions in the overall economy. In the
railroad industry, productivity was up by a record
breaking 12.2 percent, as output grew 3.3 percent and
employee hours fell 7.9 percent. Productivity in air
transportation showed a high gain of 9.3 percent, based
on an above average gain in output of 13.9 percent, and
a gain in employment of 4.2 percent. Conversely,
intercity trucking, posted a small productivity decline of
0.2 percent, with general freight showing a much great
er decline of 1.4 percent.
Chart 1. Selected industries with substantial
gains and declines in productivity, 1973-78
Industries w ith gains . . .
Other industries. Telephone communications posted a
productivity gain of 6.6 percent, hotels and motels was
up 4.3 percent, gasoline service stations grew 4.0 per
cent, and laundry and cleaning services was up 1.0 per
cent. Declines were posted by eating and drinking
places (4.2 percent), retail food stores (3.9 percent), new
car dealers (2.0 percent), and gas and electric utilities
(1.6 percent).
Trends 1973-78
All of the industries registered gains over the long
term (generally 1947 or 1958 to 1978). During the most
recent 5 year period, 1973-78, more than half of the in
dustries recorded gains that were equal to or greater
than the 1.3-percent rate of the nonfarm business sector
of the economy. Chart 1 shows industries with signifi
cant productivity changes over the 1973-78 period.
Gains. In recent years the wet corn milling industry
posted the highest productivity gain, 11.2 percent dur
ing 1973-77. (1978 data were not available.) Productivi
ty in this industry was aided by a sharp rise in output,
as markets for high fructose syrup, one of the industry’s
key products, expanded greatly. In addition, a number
of new plants, utilizing the latest computerized controls,
came into operation during this period. Other industries
with high rates over the 1973-1978 period, included ho
siery and telephone communications, which both grew
at an 8.1 percent annual rate. Recent advances in ho
siery knitting machine speeds, automated dyeing tech
niques, and new packaging equipment have contributed
to the advance in output per employee-hour. In tele
phone communications the utilization of electronic
switching for long-distance service has contributed to
growth in productivity.
Another industry posting a high rate of productivity
gain was malt beverages, which grew at a rate of 7.5
percent. Productivity benefited from the introduction of
large automated breweries, and a decline in small, ineffi
cient establishments. Other industries with high rates of
gain included copper mining (recoverable metal), 7.0
percent; synthetic fibers, 6.4 percent; bottled and
canned soft drinks, 6.2 percent; and prepared feeds for
animals and fowl, 6.2 percent.
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. . . and those w ith declines
Ready mixed
concrete1
Iron mining
(usable ore)
Primary aluminum, eating
and drinking places
Blended and prepared
flour1
Coal mining
1 R a t e o f c h a n g e is f o r 1 9 7 3 - 7 7
Declines. Among the industries that experienced declin
ing productivity rates over the 1973-78 period, the coal
mining industry fell the most, down 3.5 percent per
year on the average. Others included blended and pre
pared flour (1.9 percent); primary aluminum, and eating
and drinking places (1.5 percent); iron mining usable
ore (1.3 percent); ready mixed concrete (0.9 percent);
steel, and motors and generators (0.7 percent); steel
foundries, wood household furniture, and soaps and de
tergents (0.6 percent); retail food stores (0.2 percent);
and folding paperboard boxes (0.1 percent).
41
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Productivity Increased in 1978 in Most Selected Industries
Table 1.
Indexes of output per employee hour1in selected industries, 1972-78, and percent changes 1977-78, 1973-78
[1967 = 100]
SIC Code2
Industry
Percent
change
1977-78
Annual
average
percent
change
1973 78
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
19783
124.4
118.8
118.1
102.5
84.2
83.9
121.7
128.2
130.6
123.6
118.6
97.8
85.8
85.9
128.5
141.6
124.0
114.2
114.7
86.9
84.1
83.9
123.3
138.6
129.7
118.6
122.2
91.3
72.7
72.1
120.7
139.6
130.6
116.8
140.5
110.6
71.4
70.8
126.4
140.2
126.0
110.5
145.4
117.1
69.5
69.0
130.7
148.5
134.4
115.7
160.5
126.7
75.5
74.7
130.4
151.6
6.6
4.7
10.4
8.3
8.7
8.2
-.3
2.0
0.6
-1 .3
7.0
7.0
-3 .5
-3 .6
.8
1.6
135.4
114.8
117.3
116.9
114.3
112.8
115.3
103.6
138.9
115.9
113.7
117.4
107.3
134.5
128.7
139.3
113.2
110.0
106.1
120.1
139.2
120.6
129.3
119.5
121.8
111.8
119.9
130.2
130.0
113.1
121.6
162.2
134.9
120.0
119.5
120.5
118.2
103.1
107.7
123.7
127.3
130.4
130.2
127.4
116.4
113.7
104.8
112.7
118.9
106.0
135.2
124.5
112.2
112.2
140.5
108.0
109.9
133.0
128.9
141.7
123.9
134.2
106.2
122.4
132.2
122.1
140.1
125.6
130.3
116.1
113.7
111.0
100.3
103.5
123.3
118.5
113.1
114.0
105.6
127.2
137.3
153.2
117.3
108.1
104.9
116.8
147.7
112.9
126.7
123.3
127.9
113.7
119.9
138.3
135.4
114.1
130.2
176.8
132.1
127.5
112.1
132.4
116.7
102.0
112.9
129.7
131.7
133.0
128.6
133.5
125.6
115.9
109.0
123.5
124.2
107.6
140.6
129.6
111.1
117.7
154.7
109.2
115.4
135.1
134.9
141.3
131.5
126.7
104.0
126.0
128.7
123.9
143.6
123.0
128.1
124.4
119.2
105.3
115.2
116.4
150.6
127.1
112.9
110.0
103.7
119.7
149.0
157.2
119.9
111.9
106.5
128.6
168.5
108.2
127.4
121.2
122.8
114.2
114.3
147.8
135.2
120.4
137.7
173.1
141.3
132.7
123.7
121.4
116.3
100.3
121.6
119.0
134.6
130.7
132.3
128.1
143.9
116.4
105.7
123.5
128.0
118.5
127.6
116.1
122.8
106.3
157.9
113.3
114.8
134.9
138.4
143.1
126.0
125.9
104.5
121.2
124.4
118.8
150.3
124.9
126.0
125.5
120.8
107.7
111.7
104.6
152.7
129.5
112.7
108.1
97.8
124.3
136.0
175.3
129.6
114.2
110.3
126.5
191.6
112.7
142.2
123.6
120.5
120.8
119.0
152.7
128.0
119.9
142.2
187.2
145.4
123.3
129.1
123.7
115.7
104.8
120.9
110.6
132.0
132.2
133.7
131.8
127.6
113.3
102.7
107.6
126.7
113.6
126.4
118.7
105.8
94.7
142.5
116.0
106.7
140.7
152.8
139.9
138.5
132.9
113.3
119.1
125.7
127.1
156.1
132.7
138.9
131.0
119.7
112.8
109.7
108.0
168.7
136.9
112.8
111.4
102.0
128.6
126.9
192.9
139.7
119.3
114.1
137.1
219.5
118.2
142.4
126.4
124.4
122.2
121.7
157.0
140.2
124.4
148.0
198.4
155.4
127.0
133.2
128.3
127.6
105.5
121.2
120.7
138.3
140.2
147.2
131.6
130.3
116.3
104.0
114.5
125.6
111.5
142.7
136.3
110.8
105.4
166.0
124.8
109.9
145.2
156.1
139.6
145.9
140.3
119.7
128.3
137.3
136.0
156.2
130.4
136.1
143.7
136.4
111.4
1238
97.7
198.4
154.3
120.4
116.9
111.1
126.2
144.7
199.6
147.7
122.4
117.5
139.8
208.9
116.4
144.2
127.0
123.5
124.5
125.4
161.8
144.0
118.0
144.2
224.4
151.3
126.2
137.0
136.2
129.6
104.5
124.0
131.6
146.4
148.6
143.5
152.4
137.1
120.9
105.1
115.6
129.8
106.3
148.6
143.7
109.5
120.7
163.7
131.0
114.0
150.4
153.3
148.6
146.1
154.9
116.3
128.9
136.3
144.7
163.3
4.5
(5)
(5)
(5)
135.3
(5)
(5)
(5)
-.8
(5)
(5)
(5)
(5)
(5)
(5)
(5)
<5)
4.2
-4 .2
3.1
«1.5
61.7
64.9
3.7
6.8
63.8
6-1 .9
611.2
66.2
2.1
.4
6.9
Mining4
1011
1011
1021
1021
111, 121
121
14
142
Iron mining, crude ore ...........................................................
Iron mining, usable ore ......................................................
Copper mining, crude ore .................................................
Copper mining, recoverable metal ......................................................
Coal mining ..................................................................
Bituminous coal and lignite mining ......................................................
Nonmetallic m in e ra ls ............................................................................
Crushed and broken s to n e ...........................................................
Manufacturing
2026
203
2033
204
2041
2043
2044
2045
2046
2047, 48
205
2 0 6 1 ,6 2 ,6 3
2061,62
2063
2065
2082
2086
2111,21,31
2111,31
2121
2251,52
2421
2435, 36
251
2511, 17
2512
2514
2515
2 61 1 ,2 1 ,3 1 ,6 1
2651
2653
2823, 24
2834
2841
2851
2911
3011
314
3221
3241
325
3251,53, 59
3251
3253
3255
3271,72
3273
331
3321
3324, 25
3331,32, 33
3331,
3334
3351
3353, 54, 55
3411
3621
3631,32, 33, 39
3631
3632
3633
3639
3641
3645, 46, 47, 48
3651
371
Fluid milk ........................................................
Preserved fruits and ve g e ta b le s ...........................................................
Canned fruits and vege tab le s................................................................
Grain mill products ...........................................................
Flour and other grain mill p ro d u c ts ......................................................
Cereal breakfast" foods .......................................................................
Rice m illin g .....................................................................
Blended and prepared f lo u r ..............................................................
Wet corn milling ......................................................................................
Prepared feeds for animals and f o w ls .................................................
Bakery p ro d u c ts ......................................................................................
S u g a r..........................................................................................................
Raw and refined cane sugar ................................................................
Beet s u g a r ................................................................................................
Candy and confectionery p ro d u c ts ......................................................
Malt b e ve ra ge s.........................................................................................
Bottled and canned soft d rin k s ..............................................................
Tobacco products-total ..........................................................................
Cigarettes, chewing and smoking to b a c c o ..........................................
Cigars .......................................................................................................
Hosiery .....................................................................................................
Sawmills and planing mills, general ....................................................
Veneer and p ly w o o d ...............................................................................
Household fu rn itu re .................................................................................
Wood household furniture .....................................................................
Upholstered household fu rn itu re ...........................................................
Metal household furniture .....................................................................
Mattresses and bedsprings ..................................................................
Paper, paperboard and pulp m ills .........................................................
Folding paperboard b o x e s .....................................................................
Corrugated and solid fiber boxes .........................................................
Synthetic fib e r s .........................................................................................
Pharmaceutical preparations ................................................................
Soaps and d e te rg e n ts ............................................................................
Paints and allied products .....................................................................
Petroleum re fin in g ....................................................................................
Tires and inner tu b e s ..................................................................
F o o tw e a r......................................................................................
Glass co n ta in e rs ..........................................................................
Hydraulic cement ....................................................................................
Structural clay p ro du cts..........................................................................
Clay construction products ..................................................................
Brick and structural clay t i l e ..................................................................
Ceramic wall and floor t i l e .....................................................................
Clay re fra cto rie s ..................................................................
Concrete products ..........................................................................
Ready-mixed c o n cre te ............................................................................
Steel ................................................................................................
Gray iron fo u n d rie s .......................................................................
Steel fo u n d rie s .................................................................................
Primary copper, lead and zinc ...........................................................
Primary c o p p e r..........................................................................
Primary a lu m in u m ..........................................................................
Copper rolling and drawing ...........................................................
Aluminum rolling and d ra w in g ................................................................
Metal c a n s ............... ............................................
Motors and generators ..................................................................
Major household a ppliances..............................................................
Household cooking e q u ip m e n t.................................. ......................
Household refrigerators and freezers .................................................
Household laundry equipment ..............................................................
Household appliances N.E.C...................................................................
Electric la m p s ...........................................................................................
Lighting fix tu re s ......................................................................................
Radio and television receiving s e t s ......................................................
Motor vehicles and equipment .............................................................
42
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
(5)
(5)
125.5
112.0
(5)
(5)
143.8
216.3
155.3
126.7
123.9
140.2
217.9
117.7
142.0
128.6
(5)
(5)
-.6
8.4
5.1
3.5
5.5
.3
4.3
1.1
-1 .5
1.2
(5)
(5)
(5)
(5)
(5)
148.4
113.8
150.2
230.7
156.1
(5)
(5)
(5)
3.1
-3 .5
4.2
2.8
3.2
(5)
137.2
132.8
130.5
103.6
128.2
130.6
151.3
153.5
149.2
(5)
.1
-2 .5
.6
-.9
3.4
-.7
3.3
3.3
4.0
(5)
142.0
(5)
3.6
(5)
(5)
120.7
130.4
110.5
138.8
136.4
106.1
118.8
166.2
135.1
(5)
(5)
4.4
.5
4.0
-6 .6
-5 .1
-3.1
-1 .6
1.6
3.2
(5)
154.6
167.4
149.9
138.2
165.7
119.6
(5)
2.8
9.3
.8
-5 .4
7.0
2.8
(5)
(5)
142.3
<5)
(5)
-1 .6
6.5
.2
7.5
6.2
3.2
3.4
3.6
8.1
1.4
2.7
1.1
6- . 6
62.5
*1.5
63.8
2.1
-.1
2.6
6.4
3.2
6- . 6
3.9
1.1
2.8
.6
2.0
1.2
2.9
3.4
3.1
63.0
1.4
6.8
6- . 9
-.7
.8
-.6
1.5
3.0
-1 .5
1.5
1.8
4.6
6- . 7
3.0
4.1
1.2
2.2
5.9
3.1
61.0
62.1
3.9
Table 1. Indexes of output per employee hour1in selected industries, 1972-78, and percent changes, 1977-78, 19 73 -78—
Continued
[1967 = 100]
SIC Code2
Industry
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
19783
Percent
change
1977-78
121.7
115.5
120.9
114.7
128.7
142.9
123.1
128.1
112.5
117.2
128.1
105.0
108.7
104.0
133.2
119.2
123.4
122.1
131.3
150.4
128.8
129.9
107.3
119.2
136.6
106.7
108.7
104.0
129.6
116.2
119.3
124.3
133.0
146.6
137.3
127.5
104.3
116.2
140.5
101.7
103.2
103.9
123.9
115.5
114.1
117.6
134.6
147.4
149.6
131.9
105.0
120.5
138.4
102.9
101.9
103.0
131.9
117.5
128.2
127.9
146.7
146.6
165.8
135.8
107.7
126.9
153.2
102.2
106.9
104.5
138.4
117.5
127.9
133.2
153.6
154.0
175.9
137.8
107.8
131.2
164.0
101.1
106.1
108.0
155.3
125.8
127.6
131.3
167.9
12.2
7.1
-.2
- 1 .4
9.3
(5)
187.5
135.6
103.5
128.6
170.6
96.8
110.6
109.0
(6)
6.6
- 1 .6
- 3 .9
- 2 .0
4.0
-4 .2
4.3
1.0
Annual
average
percent
change
1973-78
Other
401 Class I
401 Class I
4213 PT
4213 PT
4511
4612, 13
4811
491,92, 93
54
5511
5541
58
7011
721
Railroads, revenue t r a ffic ........................................................................
Railroads, car-miles ...............................................................................
Intercity trucking7 ....................................................................................
Intercity trucking (general freight)7 ......................................................
Air transportation7 ..................................................................................
Petroleum p ip e lin e s..................................................................................
Telephone communications ...................................................................
Gas and electric u tilitie s ..........................................................................
Retail food stores8 ..................................................................................
Franchised car dealers ..........................................................................
Gasoline service stations8 .....................................................................
Eating and drinking places8 ...................................................................
Hotels and m otels8 ..................................................................................
Laundry and cleaning services8 ...........................................................
1Although the output per employee-hour measures relate output to the hours of all employ
ees engaged in each industry, they do not measure the specific contributions of labor, capital,
or any other single factor of production. Rather, they reflect the joint effects of many influences,
including new technology, capital investment, the level of output, capacity utilization, energy
use, and managerial skills, as well as the skills and efforts of the work force. Some of these
measures use a labor input series that is based on hours paid, and some use a labor input se
ries that is based on plant hours.
2 As defined in the 1972 Standard Industrial Classification Manual, published by the Office of
A full report, “Productivity Indexes for Selected In
dustries,” 1979 Edition, Bulletin 2054, is being prepared
and will be available from the Superintendent of Docu
ments, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington,
D.C. 20402.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
3.0
.9
1.4
1.9
5.1
6.5
8.1
1.4
-.2
2.3
4.9
-1 .5
.6
1.1
Management and Budget.
3 Preliminary.
4 Mining data refer to output per production worker hour.
5 Not available.
6 Average annual rate of change is for 197 3-77 .
7 Output per employee.
8 Output per hour of all persons.
,For a detailed report on these industries see the Monthly Labor
Review articles: Elmer S. Persigehl and James D. York, “Substantial
productivity gains in the fluid milk industry,” July 1979, pp 22-27;
Patricia S. Wilder, “Productivity in the soaps and detergent industry”
(forthcoming); and James D. York, “Productivity in the folding pa
perboard boxes industry” (forthcoming).
43
Family Budgets
Family budget increases in 1978
were the largest in 4 years
couple, food and medical care expenditures reflected the
largest increases. (See table 1.)
Measuring hypothetical spending patterns
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ hypothetical budgets for
a family of four and a retired couple increased at faster
rates between the autumns of 1977 and 1978 than in
the previous 3 years. The increases, reflecting only price
and personal income tax changes, ranged from 8.8 per
cent to 10.2 percent for the four-person family, and 7.7
percent to 8.5 percent for the retired couple.
Budget costs for an urban family of four averaged
$11,546 a year at the lower level, $18,622 at the inter
mediate level, and $27,420 at the higher level. The costs
for a retired couple, excluding taxes and deductions, av
eraged $5,514 at the lower level, $7,846 at the interme
diate level, and $11,596 at the higher level.1 For the
four-person family, food costs and personal taxes in
creased by the greatest amount, while for the retired
Significant changes were made in the method of
updating family budgets for some local areas as a result
of the Consumer Price Index Revision Program, which
was completed in January 1978.
The family budgets represent the costs of three hypo
thetical lists of goods and services that were specified in
the mid-1960’s to portray three relative standards of liv
ing—lower, intermediate, and higher— for each of two
precisely specified types of family. The four-person family
consists of a 38-year-old husband employed full time, his
nonworking wife, a boy of 13, and a girl of 8. The retired
couple consists of a husband, age 65 or over, and his wife.
For each budget level, the families have average in
ventories of clothing, housefurnishings, major durables,
Table 1. Annual budgets for urban families of four and for retired couples, at three levels of living, autumn 1978, and
percent changes, autumn 1977 to autumn 1978
Lower
Four-person
Component
Total budget
Amount
Percent
change,
autumn
1977 - 78
Intermediate
Retired couple
Amount
Percent
change,
autumn
1977-78
Four-person
Amount
Percent
change,
autumn
1977 - 78
Higher
Retired couple
Amount
Percent
change,
autumn
1977 - 78
Four-person
Retired couple
Amount
Percent
change,
autumn
1977 - 78
Amount
Percent
change,
autumn
1977 - 78
$11,546
10.2
$5,514
8.5
$18,622
8.9
$7,846
8.2
$27,420
8.8
$11,596
7.7
Total family consum ption.......................................
Food ................................................................
Housing ...........................................................
T ra nsportation.................................................
Clothing ...........................................................
Personal c a r e .................................................
Medical ca re 2 .................................................
Other family consumption3 ...........................
9,391
3,574
2,233
856
847
301
1,065
515
8.5
12.0
7.2
6.5
2.3
6.7
8.7
5.3
5,276
1,725
1,831
360
220
156
765
220
8.5
12.4
4.9
6.8
2.8
6.8
13.2
j5 . 3
14,000
4,609
4,182
1,572
1,209
403
1,070
956
7.4
12.5
'4 .1
6.8
2.3
6.9
8.6
5.2
7,374
2,299
2,641
701
369
229
769
366
8.2
13.0
4.9
6.5
2.5
7.0
13.1
5.5
19,225
5,806
6,345
2,043
1,768
570
1,116
1,578
7.1
12.5
1 4.3
6.8
2.2
6.5
8.7
5.3
10,721
2,884
4,139
1,299
568
335
774
722
7.8
12.9
5.2
6.9
2.3
7.0
13.0
5.1
Other item s4 ...........................................................
502
6.4
237
8.2
810
6.2
472
8.3
1,365
6.0
875
7.1
Taxes and deductions5 ..........................................
Social security and d isa b ility .........................
Personal income ta x e s ..................................
1,654
719
935
22.3
13.8
29.9
3,811
1,073
2,738
15.4
11.7
16.9
6,830
1,091
5,739
14.5
10.8
15.2
10 n the assumption that the home was purchased 6 years ago, these costs reflect changes
in principal payments and mortgage interest rates from 1971 to 1972, and changes in property
taxes, insurance, fuel and utilities, and repairs and maintenance from 1977 to 1978.
4 For 4-person families, "other items” includes allowances for gifts and contributions, life
insurance and occupational expenses. For retired couples the categories includes allowance for
gifts and contributions and, in the higher budget, life insurance.
2 For retired couple, “ medical care" includes a preliminary estimate for “ out-of-pocket" costs
for medicare.
5 Beginning with the autumn 1973 updating of the budget for a retired couple, the total budget
is defined as the sum of “ total family consumption" and “ other items." Therefore, income taxes
are not included in the total budgets for retired couples.
3 For both families, "other family consumption” includes average costs for reading, recre
ation, tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, and miscellaneous expenditures. Costs for educa
tion are also included for 4-person families.
44
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
NOTE: Because of rounding, sums of individual items may not equal totals.
families do or should spend their money.
and other articles. The budgets pertain only to urban
families with these specified characteristics. No budgets
are available for rural families. The budgets are not in
tended to represent a minimum level of adequate income
or a subsistence level of living, nor do they indicate how
Table 2.
Consumption costs. For the four-person family, consump
tion costs rose 8.5 percent in the lower budget, 7.4 per
cent in the intermediate budget, apd 7.1 percent in the
Indexes of comparative costs based on an intermediate budget for a 4-person family,1autumn 1978
[U.S. urban average cost = 100]
Cost of family consumption
Area
Total
budget
Food
Total
consump
tion
Housing
Transportation2
Clothing
Personal
care
Medical
care6
Other
family
consump
tion7
Total
Food
at
home
Total3
Renter“
Homeowner 5
Total
Auto
mobile
owners
Personal
income
taxes
Urban United S ta t e s ...........................
Metropolitan a reas8 ......................
'Nonmetropolitan areas9 .................
Northeast:
Boston, Mass ..................................
Buffalo, N.Y .....................................
'H artford, Conn ................................
‘ Lancaster, P a ...................................
New York-Northeastern, N.J . . . .
Philadelphia, Pa-N.J ......................
Pittsburgh, P a ...................................
'Portland, M a in e ................................
'Nonmetropolitan a reas9 .................
100
102
91
100
102
92
100
101
94
100
101
98
100
102
90
100
104
83
100
103
84
100
100
98
100
102
93
100
100
98
100
102
92
100
103
87
100
104
85
100
104
83
119
105
104
97
116
104
97
103
100
116
103
108
96
112
102
96
105
100
106
101
107
103
112
111
103
105
100
108
102
106
103
110
110
103
107
103
138
104
110
94
127
99
90
107
107
114
103
110
100
114
89
86
109
88
156
106
114
92
140
103
88
109
115
117
108
110
99
93
96
100
105
103
134
102
105
94
104
109
99
99
98
104
120
104
103
94
84
89
121
100
97
93
129
87
103
98
97
88
84
92
83
93
73
105
102
86
95
90
111
104
113
96
110
101
102
102
84
144
116
87
96
145
120
98
92
101
North Central:
'C e d ar Rapids, Io w a .........................
'Champaign-Urbana, I I I ....................
Chicago, III.-Northwestern Ind . . ..
Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind .................
Cleveland, Ohio ..............................
'D ayton, O h io .....................................
Detroit, M ic h .....................................
'G reen Bay, W is ................................
'Indianapolis, I n d ................................
Kansas City, Mo.-Kans .................
Milwaukee, W is ................................
Minneapolis-St. Paul, M in n ............
St. Louis, Mo -III ..............................
'W ichita, Kans ..................................
'Nonmetropolitan a reas9 .................
98
102
101
99
102
94
103
99
98
98
108
104
96
95
93
97
104
102
99
103
95
102
95
99
99
102
98
97
97
94
91
98
102
102
101
97
99
90
95
101
96
98
103
95
94
90
99
103
103
99
99
97
91
95
102
94
96
104
96
98
96
106
103
95
104
89
103
98
97
91
108
98
90
91
92
107
129
108
83
88
81
94
95
93
90
99
100
83
103
99
93
103
105
98
111
86
110
95
99
88
113
99
87
85
88
102
102
103
100
100
96
98
97
109
105
101
98
105
102
97
97
97
117
95
99
91
97
92
103
100
96
94
104
97
92
115
124
94
112
108
104
105
103
108
110
113
98
93
109
103
104
108
105
89
122
91
106
105
93
110
106
107
102
104
96
91
97
107
93
102
93
111
85
98
95
95
89
89
100
84
102
101
105
101
107
106
102
104
108
100
105
107
101
105
87
103
98
95
94
95
82
109
120
87
93
139
138
89
84
90
South:
Atlanta, G a ........................................
'A ustin, Tex .......................................
Baltimore, M d ..................................
'B aton Rouge, L a ..............................
Dallas, T e x .......................................
'Durham , N . C .....................................
Houston, Tex ..................................
'Nashville, Tenn ................................
'O rlando, Fla .....................................
Washington, D .C .-M d.-V a...............
'Nonmetropolitan a reas9 .................
91
87
100
90
90
97
92
89
88
108
86
92
92
97
93
94
95
96
94
92
105
88
96
90
96
99
94
93
96
92
89
102
92
96
88
94
100
91
94
93
93
88
102
96
82
82
95
79
86
94
86
89
86
111
81
77
82
114
74
95
101
85
83
89
111
70
76
75
84
74
81
91
81
85
80
112
71
95
101
96
97
102
94
100
98
96
103
97
90
96
95
92
97
89
95
94
91
101
92
103
107
102
108
92
95
104
116
104
90
93
102
97
102
113
101
102
109
91
89
109
90
92
93
102
90
111
106
113
84
104
104
85
100
102
101
101
100
101
97
98
104
111
83
79
60
118
71
64
104
67
63
61
130
70
West:
'Bakersfield, C a lif .............................
Denver, Colo ...................................
Los Angeles-Long Beach, C a lif. . .
San Diego, Calif ..............................
San Franciso-Oakland, C a lif ..........
Seattle-Everett, Wash ....................
H o n o lu lu ............................................
'Nonmetropolitan a reas9 .................
Anchorage, Alaska ..............................
92
100
95
95
104
100
124
93
141
94
99
97
97
105
104
117
92
138
95
98
97
93
101
100
122
93
122
95
99
94
89
100
99
125
96
126
84
94
90
92
104
104
124
89
163
101
85
116
103
145
125
142
91
216
76
90
82
90
95
98
124
81
148
107
101
103
104
107
102
107
95
132
102
96
102
99
107
97
102
91
125
86
126
93
97
108
111
103
104
117
94
90
97
97
118
116
112
99
135
121
95
125
119
116
111
108
92
170
97
103
94
100
105
103
111
85
105
74
101
79
79
98
81
171
94
178
'F o r these urban areas, 1978 costs were estimated using CPI price changes for the
appropriate region/population size class.
1The family consists of an employed husband, age 38, a wife not employed outside the
home, an 8-year-old girl, and a 13-year-old boy.
2 The average costs of automobile owners and nonowners in the intermediate budget were
weighted by the following proportions of families: Boston, New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia,
80 percent for owners, 20 percent for nonowners; Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles,
Pittsburgh, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. with populations of 1.4 million or
more in 1960, 95 percent for automobile owners and 5 percent for nonowners; all other areas,
100 percent for automobile owners.
3 Housing includes shelter, house furnishings, and household operations.
“ Renter costs include average contract rent plus the cost of required amounts of heating
fuel, gas, electricity, water, specified equipment, and insurance on household contents.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
5 Homeowners costs include interest and principal payments plus taxes; insurance on house
and contents; water, refuse disposal, heating fuel, gas, electricity and specified equipment; and
home repairs and maintenance costs.
6 In total medical care, the average costs of medical insurance were weighted by the follow
ing proportions: 30 percent for families paying full cost of insurance, 26 percent for families
paying half cost; 44 percent for families covered by noncontributory insurance plans (paid by
employer).
'O th e r family consumption includes average costs for reading, recreation, tobacco products,
alcoholic beverages, education, and miscellaneous expenditures.
8 As defined in 196 0-61 . For a detailed description of these and previous geographical
boundaries, see the 1967 edition of Standard M etropolitan S ta tistica l Areas, prepared by the
Office of Management and Budget.
9 Places with population of 2,500 to 50,000.
45
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Family Budgets
Table 3.
Indexes of comparative costs based on an intermediate budget for a retired couple,1autumn 1978
[U.S. urban average costs = 100]
Family consumption
Area
Total
Total
budget2 consump
tion
Food
Housing
Total
Food at
home
Total3
Renter
costs4
Homeowner
costs5
Transpor
tation 6
Clothing
Personal
care
Medical
care
Other
Family
consump
tion7
Urban United S ta te s ..........................................
Metropolitan A reas8 ..................................
'Nonmetropolitan A reas9 ...........................
100
103
90
100
103
90
100
101
96
100
101
98
100
107
80
100
108
77
100
106
83
100
101
97
100
102
95
100
98
106
100
101
98
100
108
77
Northeast:
Boston, Mass ......................................
Buffalo, N Y ....................................
'Hartford, Com .............................................
'Lancaster, PA .............................................
New York - Northeastern, N .J ........................
Philadelphia, Pa - N .J ......................................
Pittsburgh, P a .............................................
'Portland, M a in e ..........................................
'Nonmetropolitan Areas9 ................................
118
108
111
99
115
104
102
106
99
118
108
111
99
115
104
102
106
99
107
102
107
102
113
112
104
105
102
108
103
106
104
110
110
103
107
104
141
113
116
97
138
108
100
108
97
130
108
123
90
125
106
90
109
102
172
120
115
98
165
114
102
108
116
104
117
116
107
74
88
111
111
106
105
121
104
103
94
83
92
123
102
90
91
125
84
102
91
90
82
100
97
94
97
93
101
99
98
97
98
116
107
116
96
111
105
106
107
77
North Central:
'C edar Rapids, Io w a .....................................
'C ham paign-U rbana, III .............................
Chicago, III. - Northwestern I n d .................
Cincinnati, Ohio - Ky, - Ind .........................
Cleveland, Ohio ..........................................
'Dayton, O h io .................................................
Detroit, M ic h .......................................
'G reen Bay, W is ............................................
'Indianapolis, I n d ............................................
Kansas City, Mo. K a n s .............................
Milwaukee, W is .............................
M inneapolis-St. Paul, Minn ......................
St. Louis, M o .-Ill .......................................
'W ichita, Kans ...............................................
'Nonmetropolitan A reas9 ...........................
99
104
99
98
104
97
102
97
100
100
103
101
99
99
92
99
104
99
98
104
97
102
97
100
100
103
101
99
99
92
91
99
101
102
101
98
97
90
95
101
96
97
103
94
97
90
100
103
104
99
99
97
92
96
102
94
97
104
96
99
100
106
97
92
106
92
102
98
100
94
107
103
93
98
85
99
119
107
83
108
89
105
97
97
82
105
108
81
101
91
99
98
87
93
108
84
101
85
100
91
110
98
87
89
90
106
107
92
101
108
103
109
103
110
109
109
105
112
107
94
118
127
97
112
109
106
108
108
109
111
118
101
95
110
105
99
105
97
82
116
85
98
96
91
105
99
101
89
99
112
99
99
101
99
97
99
101
100
99
102
99
96
96
99
97
105
109
110
108
112
111
110
109
111
107
109
113
103
108
78
South:
Atlanta, G a ....................................................
"Austin, Tex ....................................................
Baltimore, M d ...............................................
'B aton Rouge, L a ..........................................
Dallas, T e x ....................................................
'Durham, N . C .................................................
Houston, Tex ...............................................
'Nashville, Tenn ............................................
'O rlando, Fla .................................................
Washington, D . C . - M d . - V a ......................
'Nonmetropolitan A reas9 ...........................
91
94
98
91
95
96
97
94
93
107
86
91
94
98
91
95
96
97
94
93
107
86
97
89
96
100
93
93
96
92
88
102
95
96
89
96
101
91
95
93
93
88
102
96
78
92
96
72
89
94
92
89
88
112
73
75
92
104
64
94
82
81
88
93
112
61
60
81
75
54
79
93
89
78
73
109
72
100
106
107
106
110
103
106
104
106
114
97
102
106
101
107
91
96
100
116
103
93
84
97
88
103
104
96
95
103
87
86
118
100
99
100
100
98
104
103
105
98
100
104
98
108
102
104
103
102
102
99
104
107
115
76
West:
'Bakersfield, C a lif ..........................................
Denver, Colo ...............................................
Los Angeles - Long Beach, C a lif ...............
San Diego, Calif ..........................................
San Francisco - Oakland, C a lif .................
Seattle - Everett, Wash ..............................
H o n o lu lu .........................................................
'Nonmetropolitan A reas9 ...........................
Anchorage, A la s k a ............................................
94
99
97
95
106
108
115
91
139
94
99
97
95
106
108
115
91
139
94
99
97
93
101
101
125
95
126
96
99
95
89
101
100
126
96
127
86
93
90
88
103
115
109
82
160
87
82
121
109
125
127
150
86
213
70
82
62
69
81
106
77
82
152
112
106
117
112
123
110
127
95
133
83
123
92
94
107
108
100
106
135
90
90
94
91
118
111
108
118
175
109
99
108
105
108
103
102
100
126
99
105
99
102
110
110
114
80
97
*For these urban areas, 1978 costs were estimated using CPI price changes for the appro
priate region/population size class.
' The family consists of a retired husband and wife, age 65 years or over.
2 Total budget costs do not include personal income taxes.
3 Housing includes shelter, housefurnishings, and household operations.
4 Renter costs include average contract rent plus the cost of required amounts of heating
fuel, gas, electricity, water, specified equipment, and insurance on household contents.
5 Homeowner costs Include property taxes, Insurance on house and contents, water, refuse
disposal, heating fuel, gas, electricity, specified equipment, and home repair and maintenance
costs.
weighted by the following proportions of families: New York, 25 percent for owners, 75 percent
for nonowners; Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, 40 percent for owners, 60 percent for
nonowners; all other metropolitan areas, 60 percent for owners; 40 percent for nonowners;
nonmetropolitan areas, 68 percent for owners, 32 percent for nonowners.
7 Includes average costs for reading, recreation, tobacco products, alcoholic beverages and
miscellaneous expenditures.
8 As defined in 196 0-61 . For a detailed description of current and previous geographical
boundaries, see the 1967 edition of S tandard M etropolitan S ta tistica l Areas, prepared by the
Office of management and Budget.
9 Places with population of 2,500 to 50,000.
6 The average costs of automobile owners and nonowners in the intermediate budget were
higher budget. For the retired couple, costs for con
sumption increased 8.5 percent in the lower budget, 8.2
percent in the intermediate budget, and 7.8 percent in
the higher.
Medical care costs increased approximately 13 per
cent for the retired couple. The prior year’s medical
care costs for a retired couple were revised to reflect a
46
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
large upward revision in preliminary out-of-pocket
Medicare costs. (Copies of the 1977 revised data for the
budget areas are available from any BLS regional office.)
Homeowner costs increased about 2 percent for both
families due to reduction of property taxes in California,
and small changes in principal and interest payments
for the four-person family. The Bureau’s methodology
assumes that the retired couple has completed its mort
gage payments. Changes in the retired couple’s housing
expenses reflect changes in the other homeowner costs.
Tax changes. Personal income taxes shown in the three
budgets include estimated 1978 Federal, State, and local
payments. Changes in the Federal tax code between
1977 and 1978 did not apply to the type of family as
sumed in the budgets. However, changes in tax codes
affecting these budgets did occur in a number of States.
The Federal income tax structure, as well as that of
many States, calls for higher rates corresponding to
higher incomes. The net result between the 2 years was
that personal income taxes increased approximately 30
percent at the lower level, 17 percent at the intermedi
ate level, and 15 percent at the higher level.
The increases contrast sharply to the 1977 income tax
changes, when budget taxes decreased 12.7 percent for
the lower level, but the intermediate and higher levels
rose 4.7 and 9.1 percent from the prior year. As a net
result of increases in budget costs, the 1977 Federal tax
changes, and State and local tax changes between 1976
and 1978, the ratio of personal income taxes to total
budget has remained 8 percent for the lower level fami
lies. The ratio for the intermediate increased from 13.8
to 14.7 percent, and for the higher, from 19.2 to 20.9
percent.
Differences among urban areas. Area indexes in table 2
and 3 for both families reflect differences not only in
price levels but also in consumption patterns, climate,
types of transportation facilities, and, in the four-person
b udget, in State and local in co m e tax reg u la tio n s.2
Method of updating budgets
The 1978 consumption budgets were estimated by ap
plying price changes for individual areas between
autumn 1977 and autumn 1978, as reported in the
Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and
Clerical Workers (CPI-W), to the appropriate autumn
1977 budget costs for each main class of goods and serv
ices. The budgets have been updated by the CPI-W
since 1969 when the last direct pricing took place. This
method of updating is approximate because the CPI-W
reflected spending patterns and prices paid for commod
ities and services purchased by urban wage earners and
clerical workers generally, without regard to their type
of family and level of living, and because the updating
is done at a relatively aggregated level.
Users should note that the procedures used in
updating the budgets to 1978 differ from procedures
used previously, because the area sample was changed
in January 1978 when the CPI revision program was
completed. As a result, individual area price changes
between autumn 1977 and autumn 1978 were available
for only 25 of the budget areas.
Some data on individual area price changes were
available for the remaining 19 budget areas through
April/May/June 1978 when the unrevised CPI-W was
discontinued. These data, along with price change data
for appropriate region and population size classes, were
used to update the remaining 19 areas. Thus, these
areas were updated with some price data that do not
specifically pertain to them.
In line with past revisions of the program, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics intends to comprehensively revise the
family budget series. A committee of experts has been
formed to conduct research and develop approaches to
be used in this revision. The num ber of areas for which
budgets will be published in the future will depend
upon the resources available, and upon the revision
methodology chosen. Users will be informed about the
progress of this revision.
□
FOOTNOTES
' For a general description of the 4-person budgets, see Jean
Brackett, “New BLS budgets provide yardsticks for measuring living
costs,” Monthly Labor Review, April 1969, pp. 3-16. The source of
data, methods of calculations, and quantities of goods and services for
each budget level are described in BLS Bulletin 1570-5, Three Stand
ards of Living for an Urban Family of Four Persons (spring 1967), and
Bulletin 1570-6, Three Budgets for a Retired Couple in Urban Areas of
the United States (1967-68). Copies of these publications may be
obtained from the National Technical Information Service, U.S. De
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
partment of Commerce, Springfield, Virginia 22151, at a cost of $6
each for Bulletin 1570-5, accession number PB 227542/LK and Bul
letin 1570-6, accession number PB 227521 /AS.
For a general description of the retired couple’s budgets, see Mary
Hawes, “Measuring retired couple’s living costs in urban areas,”
Monthly Labor Review, November 1969, pp. 3-16.
: Tables for the lower and higher budget levels, for both types of
family, are available from any BLS regional office.
Research
Summaries
Seasonal variations in employment
and unemployment during 1951-75
Morris J. N ewman
Each June, thousands of young people enter the labor
force, and the levels of employment and unemployment
jump markedly from the May figures. In January, large
numbers of retail store employees, hired to help out in
the Christmas rush, leave employment, and the employ
ment level drops. In the same month, many construc
tion workers are laid off because it is too cold to work
outdoors. These three events are examples of labor force
seasonality— annual events that affect the levels and
rates of employment and unemployment.
Much of the data published by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics is “seasonally adjusted,” that is, estimates of
the approximate level of the seasonal variations that
usually occur from one month to the next are identified
and distributed over the course of a year. This adjust
ment allows analysts to focus on changes in the data
that may have resulted from economic and other
nonseasonal forces. Without such adjustments, short
term movements in labor force series due to changes in
underlying economic conditions would be far more diffi
cult to discern, because seasonal variations account for
an overwhelming proportion of the month-to-month
changes in labor force data. For example, usually more
than 90 percent of the monthly variation in the level of
unemployment results from seasonal conditions.1
Economists have frequently identified three major
types of unemployment: cyclical, caused by business cy
cle downturns or recessions; frictional, the result of vol
untary job changes, entrances into and exits from the
labor force, and industrial movements; and structural,
an imbalance caused when jobseekers lack the skills re
quired for available jobs. Some argue that there is a
fourth type— seasonal unemployment— while others see
seasonality as an aspect of the other three types. What
ever the preference, seasonality is an important and ofMorris J. Newman is an economist formerly in the Office of Current
Employment Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
a
ten significant part of the unemployment picture. Thus,
although most labor force data are adjusted to remove
the effects of seasonality, seasonal variations should be
studied. A worker who is laid off because of a cold win
ter is just as unemployed as a worker who is a victim of
recession.2
This article provides an analysis of labor force
“seasonality.” Using monthly Current Population Sur
vey data from 1951 to 1975, disaggregated by sex and
age, the article describes the variations in patterns of
seasonal factors of employment and unemployment
among various population (age/sex) groups and exam
ines the changes in these patterns which have occurred
over the 25-year period.3These seasonal factors are used
to adjust original monthly data to produce seasonally
adjusted series of employment and unemployment. Sea
sonally adjusted data are constructed by dividing a giv
en month’s actual data by the seasonal factor for that
month. For example, if actual employment is 10,000
persons and the seasonal factor is 0.95, the seasonally
adjusted employment estimate would be 10,526 persons.
Over the course of the year, seasonal factors average
1.0, with factors greater than 1.0 indicating months of
seasonally induced high employment and factors less
than 1.0 indicating seasonally induced employment
lows.
This method is called “multiplicative” seasonal ad
justment. An alternative is “additive” adjustment,
where the adjustment factor represents the number of
persons added or substracted from the original data to
yield the seasonally adjusted level. In the above exam
ple, the additive factor would be +526. Additive ad
justment is usually preferred for adjusting data for
groups in which more or less set numbers of individuals
move into, or out of, the labor force in response to sea
sonal conditions. For example, a relatively constant
number of teenagers enter the labor force at the end of
the school year.
The data presented in this article are “de facto” multi
plicative factors: factors derived by dividing the actual
level of a statistic by its seasonally adjusted level
(whether derived through additive or multiplicative ad
justment). This, in effect, recreates multiplicative factors
and converts additive factors into a multiplicative form.4
Teenagers: the school years
Teenagers exhibit stronger, and somewhat different,
seasonal patterns than do adults. These differences are
caused primarily by the effect of the school year on
teenage employment availability. Further, lack of labor
force experience means that young people are more like
ly to have jobs that are less stable seasonally, and they
are therefore usually the first to be laid off because of
seasonal slowdowns.
The timing of the school year was the dominant
event influencing teenage unemployment seasonality
during 1951-75. In each year, peak unemployment oc
curred in June, as the closing of schools for summer va
cation enabled many teenagers to seek work. However,
there was a shift in the timing of the seasonal low. Prior
to 1967, the low occurred in October; beginning in
1967, the yearly low shifted to May, accompanied by a
concurrent change in magnitude in the unemployment
peak. These developments resulted directly from a defi
nitional change in unemployment made in 1967.5 Be
tween 1967 and 1975, the seasonality of teenage unem
ployment declined, the peak June factor dropping from
1.7 to 1.3 and the May low increasing from 0.74 to
0.86. (The movement of factors toward 1.0 indicates de
clining seasonality.) Chart 1 shows the patterns of sea
sonal factors for 1951, 1967, and 1975.
Among male teens, employment seasonality was con
sistently dominated by a July peak and a January low.
The July peak was caused by the employment surge
during summer vacation. August, another vacation
month, was consistently the second highest month of
employment for male teens. Further, many of the jobs
in which young people are employed, such as landscap
ing, housepainting, and other maintenance work, are
most prevalent in the summer months. Conversely, the
January employment low occurs when students return
to school after the Christmas-New Year’s break and
employment levels are typically at a low ebb.
Employment seasonality for female teenagers, while
influenced by the same school-related conditions as male
teens, displayed a somewhat different pattern. Again the
dominant peak seasonality occurred in July, with Au
gust the second highest month. However, after a sharp
drop in September, employment increased somewhat in
October and November, reaching a secondary peak in
December, a likely result of retail store hiring for the
Christmas buying season. A similar trend did not occur
among male teenagers. As with their male counterparts,
the winter months—except for December— were the
time of lowest employment among these young women.
The seasonal patterns of teenage employment and un
employment were not mirror images, that is, months of
peak employment seasonality were not necessarily
months of trough unemployment seasonality. This re
sults because some seasonal occurrences affect employ
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
ment and unemployment levels in a similar way. For
example, when school closes for summer vacation,
many students have already found jobs, pushing up the
employment level immediately. Others enter the labor
force unemployed, but soon find work, pushing the em
ployment level still higher in July and August. Further,
because of this summer labor force surge, unemploy
ment remains relatively high through July and August
as some fail to find jobs and others experience short
spells of unemployment between jobs.
Young adults: in transition
The years between age 20 and 25 are often a period
of transition from school and adolescence to the world
of work and adulthood.6 Therefore, patterns of season
ality in young adult employment and unemployment are
comparable in some instances to those of adults and in
others to those of teenagers.
Unemployment. Two periods of peak unemployment
among young adult men occurred in each year of the
1951-75 period. The highest, and most consistent, of
the two peaks corresponded to the winter slack period
that also dominated adult unemployment. The second
ary peak recurred each June, apparently related to the
timing of the school vacation period.
This June peak was not as consistent throughout the
period as was the winter peak. Instead, the June peak
remained at the same level throughout the 1950’s, in
creased from 1960 to 1967, and decreased thereafter.
The variation in June seasonality is probably related to
movements in the likelihood of young adult school en
rollment. In 1960, some 20 percent of men age 20 to 24
were enrolled in school; by 1969, this percentage in
creased to 32 percent, and in 1975, it was down to 26
percent.7
Young adult women showed highest seasonal unem
ployment in June during 1958-75, with a lower peak in
January-February. This June peak for young women
differed from that of young men in several respects.
Women had June increases in unemployment sea
sonality from 1951 to 1967 and decreases thereafter.
However, the change in the magnitude of these factors
for young women was far more gradual than for young
men. Among the women, the relationship between June
unemployment seasonality and school enrollment is not
as clear as it apparently is among men: despite their
June unemployment peak, women in this age group
were considerably less likely than men to have been en
rolled in school throughout the period. Further, despite
the decrease in June unemployment seasonality among
women from 1967-75, the incidence of school enroll
ment among young women increased throughout the pe
riod, not tapering off as it had among young men from
1968 to 1975.8
These apparently anomalous seasonality movements
49
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Research Summaries
in June among young adults probably resulted in part
from different responses to winter-induced seasonality.
Seasonality in the context of this analysis relates all the
months in the year to each other. Therefore, if JanuaryFebruary high unemployment does not affect young
women as much as it does young men, the remaining
period of high unemployment (June) would be relatively
more important among women.
Divergent occupational distributions between men
and women in this age group may be central to their
differential seasonal patterns of unemployment. Em
ployed young men are much more heavily concentrated
50
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
in occupations that have high winter unemployment
than are women (61 versus 15 percent in 1975).9
Employment. Young adult men showed much stronger,
yet more stable, employment seasonality than women.
Peak employment for these men occurred in July or
August. Lowest employment in each year occurred in
the January-February period. The timing of the peaks
and valleys was similar to that for teenagers, although
the magnitude of the seasonal variation was far less.
There were no strong changes in the magnitude of
seasonality, nor were any secondary employment peaks
or troughs apparent.
Young adult women had very different employment
seasonality than men. First, the magnitude of the sea
sonal variation was much less, probably due to their
relatively low school enrollment and high concentration
in service and clerical occupations, which have stable
seasonality. Second, there were two peak periods of em
ployment: prior to 1973, the dominant months of high
employment were from October to December, a likely
result of the Christmas buying season; while, in 1961, a
secondary employment peak developed in the month of
August, probably because of school enrollment. As
school enrollment grew among this population, from
about 8 percent in 1961 to nearly 19 percent in 1975,10
the August employment peak gained importance, sur
passing the December peak in 1973.
Patterns of low employment among young adult
women shifted considerably over the period studied.
The winter months had the lowest seasonal employment
from 1951 to 1967. The dominant low then shifted to
September (when school starts) until 1971, when it
moved to May (just before school ends). In 1974, low
employment among these women returned to February.
Adult patterns: moderation
Adults exhibited patterns of seasonality distinctly dif
ferent from youth in several respects. First, the timing
of the school year had almost no effect on the employ
ment or unemployment of adult men, although a major
effect on women age 25 to 44 was apparent. Second, the
magnitude of seasonality was much less among adults
because of their longer seniority and their greater need
in many cases for stable “breadwinning” jobs. There are
also major differences between the seasonality of adult
men and adult women.
Unemployment. Men age 25 and over had very stable
unemployment seasonality, both in magnitude and tim
ing, throughout the 1951-75 period. In each year, peak
unemployment occurred in February, while low unem
ployment occurred in October or September. A slight
decrease in the magnitude of seasonality occurred in
1967, probably resulting from the change in the defi
nition of unemployment that occurred in that year. (See
footnote 5.)
Unemployment seasonality of adult men in 10-year
age groups over age 25 varied only slightly. Among
women, however, there was an important variation be
tween those age 35 to 44, who had unemployment
seasonality patterns similar to those age 25 to 34, and
women age 45 to 54, whose patterns were similar to
those age 55 and over.
As with younger women, unemployment seasonality
among those in each age group over 25 was less strong
and more complex than that for men of the same ages.
Each year during 1951-75, women age 35 to 44 had
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more than 1 month of both peak and low unemploy
ment. From 1951 to 1966, unemployment was highest
in the winter. However, there were 2 other months in
which unemployment peaked as well. During 1951-66,
a peak occurred in November. This peak abruptly dis
appeared in 1967; undoubtedly, the 1967 definitional
change which made work availability a necessary pre
condition for unemployment, resulted in its demise."
The other peak period of unemployment was AugustSeptember.
The August-September peak grew steadily in impor
tance from 1951 until 1967, when it became the period
of highest unemployment for women age 35 to 44. This
peak in unemployment was probably, caused by the
combination of September’s opening of schools and the
dramatic increases in labor force participation among
married women with school-age children. The labor
force participation rate of these women, 30.3 percent in
April 1951, increased to 45.0 percent by March 1967
and 52.3 percent by March 1975.12It is quite likely that
many left the workforce in the summer months when
their children were at home and then returned in Sep
tember when schools opened. This would also explain
why the unemployment peak for them shifted from Au
gust to September in 1967, as it is likely that these
women began searching in August for work to begin in
September. (See footnote 5.) Unemployment among
women age 35 to 44 was lowest in December, perhaps
because of Christmas hiring, and in May, the month be
fore school closes.
Women age 45 to 54 also had a September unem
ployment peak that emerged in 1967 but never became
dominant over the prevailing January-February peak.
The relative lack of strength of the September unem
ployment peak was probably because the children of
women in this age group are older than those of young
er women and do not need the degree of parental atten
tion that younger children require. From 1951 to 1957,
unemployment among these women was at its lowest in
October, while, from 1958 to 1970, December was the
low month. From 1971 to 1975, however, June was the
month when their unemployment seasonality reached a
low point.
Employment. Among men 25 or over, employment
seasonality was very slight. In 1975, for example, peak
seasonality for this group was 1.01 (October), and low
seasonality was 0.99 (January-February). In compari
son, men age 20 to 24 had peak seasonality of 1.07 and
low of 0.95, while teenage males had a range of from
1.31 to 0.87. Peak seasonality among men 25 or over
consistently occurred in September or October, while
low seasonality occurred in January-February.
Employment seasonality among women age 25 or
over was slightly greater than among men, in contrast
51
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Research Summaries
to the situation for teenagers and those age 20 to 24,
where women had less overall seasonality than men of
the same ages. Peak employment seasonality occurred
among women in October or November, with a lesser
peak in May during 1951-66.
Although lowest employment for adult women initial
ly occurred in January, the months with lowest employ
ment were July and August from 1961 to 1975. This
movement is probably related to the effects of the
school year discussed earlier.
seasonality are
dominated by the effects of winter and the timing of the
school year. Young people have more seasonality than
older workers, primarily because their availability for
work is strongly tempered by the demands of school.
During 1951-75, with the exception of employment
seasonality among those over age 25, there was a great
er magnitude between seasonal peaks and troughs
among men than women. Women, however, were sub
ject to more shifts in patterns of employment and un
employment seasonality than were men, both in the
number of peaks and troughs in a given year and in the
timing of the dominant seasonal highs and lows over
the 25-year period. There was little evidence of any
significant change in the magnitude of either employ
ment or unemployment seasonality, with the exception
of some decline among teenagers.
□
E m ploym ent
and
unem ploym ent
--------- FOOTNOTES---------' Although seasonal adjustment of labor force data is necessary to
isolate the effects on nonseasonal forces, seasonally adjusted data are
subject to greater error than original data due to uncertainties in the
seasonal adjustment process.
See The Economic Report o f the President, February 1975, for a dis
cussion on the four types of unemployment.
The January 1951 and December 1975 starting-ending dates for
this analysis were chosen because they are, respectively, 3 years from
January 1948, when monthly disaggregation of comparable CPS data
by age and sex began, and 3 years from December 1978, when the
data for this study were organized. The first and last 3 years of data
are excluded because seasonal factors are computed from original se
ries data on a weighted moving average basis, 3 years forward and 3
years back in time.
4 See The X -ll Variant of the Census Method II Seasonal Adjustment
Program (Washington, D.C., Bureau of Economic Analysis, Novem
ber 1976, and U.S. Department of Commerce, National Technical In
formation Service, No. PB-261 432).
Prior to 1967, persons were classified as unemployed if they had
not worked during the survey reference week (the week containing the
12th day of the month) and had been actively seeking work. Since
1967, however, a 4-week search period was introduced (instead of an
implied “last week”), and jobless persons also had to be available for
work during the reference week to be classified unemployed. There
fore, many students who were seeking summer work in April, May,
or June prior to the end of the school year were no longer measured
as unemployed in those months. This caused unemployment to drop
sharply in April and May and to a lesser extent in June, because
many schools had not closed by the week of the 12th of June. Con
versely, this definition change caused unemployment in the other 9
52
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months of the year to rise relative to April, May, and June.
"See, Carol Leon, “Young adults: a transitional group with chang
ing labor force patterns,” Monthly Labor Review, May 1978, pp. 3 -9 .
7See Employment and Training Report o f the President 1978
(Washington, Employment and Training Administration, 1978), table
B - 6 .
*Ibid.
Occupations with consistently high winter unemployment sea
sonality include managers and administrators except farm, craft and
kindred, operatives except transport, transport equipment operatives,
and nonfarm laborers.
10See Employment and Training, table B -6 .
"The end of the November unemployment peak did not result
from a decline in the November seasonal factor (from 1.04 in 1966 to
1.05 in 1967). Rather, it was caused by 1966-67 declines in January
(1.10 to 1.06), February (1.13 to 1.09), April (0.97 to 0.94), and De
cember (0.88 to 0.85), which in turn resulted in increases in Septem
ber (1.09 to 1.17) and October (0.98 to 1.07). Therefore, November
became part of a steady decline from August-September highs to De
cember’s low seasonal unemployment.
"See tables B -2 and B -4 of Employment and Training Report of
the President 1978. It should be noted that the labor force participa
tion rates cited in the text of this article for women with children are
for all women with children age 6 to 17. However, the participation
rates for women age 35 to 44 who were married with spouse present
were nearly identical to those for all women with children age 6 to
17, 30.5 percent in April 1951, 42.7 percent in March 1967, and 52.1
percent in March 1975. Further, among single women in this age
group, participation actually declined slightly, from 81.7 percent in
April 1951 to 78.1 percent in March 1975. Among those who were
widowed, separated, or divorced, participation was essentially
unchanged, 69.0 in April 1951 and 69.5 in March 1975.
Individual hourly earnings
in men’s apparel, 1978
Individual hourly earnings in men’s shirts and separate
trousers manufacturing ranged from $2.65 (the Federal
minimum wage at that time) to $5 or more in May
1978. Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys show that, ex
cluding the upper and lower fourths of the workers in
the industries’ earnings arrays, the range for the remain
ing middle half of the distribution was still relatively
large— a spread of $1 an hour— for these low-paying
industries. About four-fifths of the production and re
lated workers employed in the shirts (85,000) and trou
sers (55,000) industries were under individual piece rate
systems.
Substantial proportions of shirt and trousers workers
were at or hovered near the Federal minimum wage—
about one-fifth in spring 1978. Subsequently, the hourly
pay levels for shirts ($3.28) and for trousers ($3.46)
were about 60 percent below the all-manufacturing fig
ures. Worker attachment to the Federal minimum wage
for these industries in 1978, however, was only half that
of 10 years earlier.1 Sewing machine operators, a rela
tively low-paying occupational group, continue to be a
majority of each industry’s production work force.
Highlights of other survey findings followed patterns
found in most American industries under study by the
Bureau. As illustrated in table 1, workers in metropoli
tan areas averaged higher earnings than those in the
smaller communities, worker’s earnings in the larger
mills outgained those in the smaller plants, and the av
erage earnings of union workers exceeded the pay rates
of employees in nonunion plants. Establishments oper
ating under labor-management agreements employed
nearly three-tenths of the shirt workers and slightly un
der four-tenths of the separate trousers work force. The
Southeast was the principal region in both industries.
Approximately nine-tenths of the shirts and separate
trousers production workers were provided paid holi
days, paid vacations (after qualifying years of service),
and life, hospitalization and surgical insurance plans.
Also granted to at least six-tenths of both worker
groups were accidental death and dismemberment
plans, and major medical coverage. One-half of the shirt
workers and about three-fifths in trouser factories were
provided pension plans, most of which were financed
entirely by the employer.
Table 1. Average straight time hourly earnings1of
production and related workers in men’s and boy’s shirts
and separate trousers manufacturing establishments,
May 1978
Characteristic
All production workers ..................................
Men ..............................................................
W o m e n .........................................................
Size of community:
Metropolitan a re as3 ...................................
Nonmetropolitan a r e a s ..............................
Size of establishment:
Under 250 w orkers4 ...................................
250 workers or more ................................
Labor management contract coverage
establishments with:
Majority of workers covered ....................
None or minority of workers covered . . .
Selected occupations5 ..............................
Adjusters and repairers, sewing machine . .
Cutters, cloth, m a ch ine ...................................
Garment re p a ire rs ..........................................
Inspectors, f in a l...............................................
J a n ito rs ..............................................................
Markers ...........................................................
Pressers, finish, machine ..............................
Sewing machine o p e ra to rs ...........................
Shipping clerks ...............................................
S p re a o e rs .........................................................
Thread trimmers ............................................
Work d is trib u to rs ............................................
Men’s and boy’s
shirts
Men’s and boy’s
trousers
United
States 2
South
east
United
States2
South
east
$3.28
3.72
3.24
$3.20
3.67
3.15
$3.46
3.93
3.41
$3.40
3.79
3.35
3.43
3 23
3.28
3.18
3 62
3.40
3.52
3.39
3.20
3.37
3.05
3.31
3.39
3.51
3.27
3.55
3.65
3.14
3.54
3.13
3.72
3.30
3.72
3.34
4.98
4.36
3.10
3.13
2.97
4.10
3 66
3.23
3 70
3.49
335
3.06
4.99
4.22
3.01
3.03
2.91
3.86
3.38
3.14
3.66
3.40
2.95
2.96
4.96
4.59
3.24
3.48
3.03
3 90
381
3.41
3.73
3 90
3.46
3.27
4.82
4.57
3.09
3.51
2.99
3.87
3.68
3.36
3.64
4 00
3.51
3.22
' Excludes premium pay for overtime and for work on weekends, holidays, and late shifts.
2 Includes data for regions in addition to those shown separately. The comprehensive bul
letin provides data for regions in addition to Southeast.
Survey coverage nationwide in separate trousers industry reflected only 88 percent of the
workers in firms classified in the industry because of few large firms did not furnish data and
could not be adequately represented by others visited.
3 Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas as defined by the U.S. Office of Management
and Budget through February 1974.
“ The minimum size plant within scope of the survey was 20 workers in shirts
nonmanufacturing and 50 workers for separate trousers.
5The comprehensive bulletin on the surveys provides data for occupations in addition to
those presented below.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
The comprehensive report on both surveys (Industry
Wage Survey: Men's Shirts and Separate Trousers, May
1978, Bulletin 2035), as well as a national and regional
summary for each industry, and separate releases for 13
areas of concentration for shirt manufacturing and 8 lo
calities for men’s separate trousers, may be obtained
from the Bureau or its regional offices.
FOOTNOTE--------1Carl Barsky, “Shirt industry loosens ties to minimum wage,”
Monthly Labor Review, September 1975, pp. 48-50.
Cost-of-living indexes
for Americans living abroad
The U.S. Department of State has prepared new in
dexes of living costs abroad for Americans in Buenos
Aires, Hong Kong, New Delhi, and Stockholm. The
new indexes are 4 percent higher for Buenos Aires, es
sentially unchanged for Stockholm, and 4 and 7 percent
lower than the previous indexes for New Delhi and
Hong Kong. (See table 1.) The periods between survey
dates were 4 months for Buenos Aires, 13-14 months
for Hong Kong and Stockholm, and 22 months for
New Delhi.
The new indexes for Buenos Aires and New Delhi
were computed using new expenditure weights derived
from the 1972-73 Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer
Expenditure Survey data for Washington, D.C. The new
weights are being used to compute all indexes based on
retail price surveys dated July 1979 and later. For
Buenos Aires and New Delhi, the new weights do not
make a significant difference in the local index levels.
For Americans in Buenos Aires, average prices were up
20 percent more than in Washington, D.C., between
surveys, but the peso depreciated 16 percent against the
dollar and offset most of the relative price rise. For
Americans in New Delhi, however, average prices in the
new survey were up 10 percent less than in Washington,
D.C., but the rupee appreciated 6 percent relative to the
dollar.
For Americans in Stockholm also, a 5-percent appre
ciation of the krona against the dollar offset a decline in
relative prices in national currency. The 8-percent de
preciation of the H.K. dollar relative to the U.S. dollar
accounts for the decline in the local index for Hong
Kong, as prices paid by Americans rose at the same
rate as in Washington, D.C.
Because currency exchange rates are subject to sud
den shifts, it is advisable to check the prevailing rates
whenever using the indexes of living costs abroad. The
indexes for these and all other reporting cities are
53
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Research Summaries
Table 1. Indexes of living costs abroad, excluding
housing and education, November 1979
Table 1. Union wage rates for printing trades, annual
percent changes and indexes, July 1967 to July 1977
[Washington, D.C. = 100]
[1967 = 100]
Survey
date
Country and city
Monetary
unit
Rate of
exchange
per
US $1
Local
index
Year
Argentina: Buenos Aires . . .
Australia: Canberra ............
Belgium: Brussels ...............
Brazil: Sao P a u lo .................
Canada: Ottawa .................
July
Apr.
Mar.
Apr.
Dec.
1979
1979
1979
1979
1978
Peso
Dollar
Franc
Cruzeiro
Dollar
1317
0.8751
30.0
23.0
1.17
133
121
158
115
99
France: P a r is .........................
Germany: F ra n k fu rt............
Flonq Konq: Honq Konq . . .
India: New D e lh i....................
Italy: Rome ...........................
Mar.
Mar.
May
July
Oct.
1979
1979
1979
1979
1978
Franc
Mark
Dollar
Rupee
Lira
4.32
1.87
5.08
8.11
840
166
164
112
93
114
Japan: Tokyo ......................
Mexico: Mexico, D.F..............
Netherlands: The Hague . . .
Philippines: M a n ila ...............
South Africa: Johannesburg
Mar.
Feb.
Feb.
Jan.
Dec.
1979
1977
1979
1979
1977
Yen
Peso
Guilder
Peso
Rand
212
22.0
2.06
7.38
0.8697
183
78
154
89
91
Spain: Madrid ......................
Sweden: S to c k h o lm ............
Switzerland: Geneva ..........
United Kingdom: London . .
Venezuela: C a ra c a s ............
Dec.
June
May
Jan.
Aug.
1978
1979
1979
1979
1978
Peseta
Krona
Franc
Pound
Bolivar
69.0
4.24
1.65
0.4831
4.28
120
173
184
123
140
SOURCE: U.S. Department of State, Allowances Staff.
published in quarterly reports entitled U.S. Department
of State Indexes of Living Costs Abroad and Quarters
Allowances, available on request from the Office of
Publications, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Printers’ wage increases
lowest in 4 years
Union wage rate increases for the printing trades
spanning July 1976-77 were the smallest since 1972—
73, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics survey of
unions in large cities.1The average advance for printing
trade members was 6.6 percent, compared with 6.9 per
cent in mid-1975-76. (See table 1.)
Between July 1976 and July 1977, wage rates in
creased by 7.0 percent in book and job shops, 6.2
percent in newspaper plants, and 6.6 percent in lithog
raphy shops. Wage rates increased for nearly all of the
union membership covered by the survey: 92 percent of
union workers in book and job shops received increases,
80 percent of those in newspaper plants, and 99 percent
in lithography shops.
The average wage rate for union workers was $8.46
an hour on July 1, 1977. By industry, averages were
$7.91 for book and job shops; $8.74 for newspaper
plants ($8.48 for day shifts and $9.01 for night shifts);
54
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Percent change
Index
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
4.1
5.0
6.6
8.3
10.2
8.0
100.0
105.0
111.9
121.1
133.6
144.2
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
6.3
8.1
8.5
6.9
6.6
153.3
165.7
179.8
192.2
204.9
and $9.26 for commercial lithography shops. Occupa
tional averages in book and job shops ranged from
$5.42 for bindery workers to $9.69 for photoengravers.
Average daywork rates in newspaper plants ranged
from $8.24 for mailers to $9.22 for photoengravers. In
commercial lithography shops, the lowest average was
for press assistants and feeders ($8.23), and the highest
for lithographic artists ($9.76), which was also the
highest day-shift average for the survey as a whole.
Regionally, the printing trades pay spread was 33
percent, with the Middle Atlantic States having the
highest wage levels and the Southeast and Southwest,
the lowest. Although less important than location, city
population size also seemed to be related to wage levels.
For example, wage rates in cities of at least one million
inhabitants averaged $9.27— 11 percent more than
those in cities of 500,000 to 1 million ($8.32); 15 per
cent more than those in cities of 250,000 to 500,000
($8.09); and 23 percent more than those in cities of
100,000 to 250,000 ($7.52).
Individual city listings and a summary of nationwide
results of the survey are available from the Bureau or
its regional offices. A comprehensive bulletin, providing
more detailed information on wage rates and employer
benefit fund payments, is in preparation.
□
--------- FOOTNOTE---------1The survey of printing trades was designed to reflect union wage
rates in the 153 cities having 100,000 inhabitants or more, based on
the 1970 Census of Population. Data for the 66 cities studied were
obtained from local union officials through mail questionnaire, tele
phone, or personal interview. Union wage rates are the basic (mini
mum) wage rates (excluding holiday, vacation, or other benefit
payments made or regularly credited to the employee) agreed upon
through collective bargaining. Overtime pay for hours beyond the
established daily and weekly maximums is also excluded. Averages do
not reflect rates for apprentices or premium rates, except for
nightwork in newspaper plants. Thus, the averages do not represent
total hourly earnings of organized printing trades members.
M ajor Agreements
Expiring Next M onth
This list of collective bargaining agreements expiring in February is based on contracts on file in the
Bureau’s Office of Wages and Industrial Relations. The list includes agreements covering 1,000
workers or more.
Employer and location
Industry
Number of
workers
Union1
A. O. Smith Corp. (Granite City, 111.) ...........................................................
Allis-Chalmers Corp. (Independence, M o .) ...................................................
Associated General Contractors of New Jersey ............................................
Transportation equipment . . . .
Machinery..................................
Construction.............................
Auto Workers (In d .).............................
Steelworkers ..........................................
Laborers.................................................
1,850
1,300
4,500
Beet Sugar Companies (California)2 ................................................................
Burroughs Corp. (Michigan)............................................................................
Food products...........................
Machinery..................................
Distillery Workers ................................
Auto Workers (In d .).............................
3,500
2,000
Calumet Supermarket Forum, Inc. (Lake County, Ind.) .............................
Colt Industries, Chandler Evans Inc. (West Hartford, Conn.) ...................
Retail trade................................
Machinery..................................
Food and Commercial Workers ..........
Auto Workers (In d .).............................
1,500
1,000
Dow Chemical Co., Michigan Division (Midland, Mich.) ...........................
Chemicals..................................
Steelworkers
..........................................
4,450
Eastern Labor Advisory Association-Cement Division (Interstate) ............
Eaton Corp., 6 Divisions (Interstate).............................................................
Trucking.....................................
Transportation equipment . . . .
Teamsters (In d .).....................................
Auto Workers (In d .).............................
2,300
3,000
3,000
Farah Manufacturing Co., Inc. (El Paso, Tex.) ............................................
Apparel .....................................
Clothing and Textile Workers...............
1,400
GTE Automatic Electric, Inc. (Huntsville, Ala.) ..........................................
Electrical products....................
Communications Workers ....................
2,250
Independent Grocers Agreement (California)2 ...............................................
Retail trade................................
Food and Commercial Workers ..........
1,300
Life Savers, Inc. (Canajoharie, N Y . ) .............................................................
Food products...........................
1,050
..................................
T ob acco.....................................
Long Beach and Orange County Restaurant Association (California) . . . .
Restaurants................................
Bakery, Confectionery, and Tobacco
Workers
Bakery, Confectionery, and Tobacco
Workers
Hotel and Restaurant Employees . . . .
McGraw-Edison Co., Bussman Division (St. Louis, Mo.) ...........................
Master Food & Liquor Agreement, 3 agreements (California)2 ....................
Electrical products....................
Retail trade................................
Independent Fuse Workers....................
Food and Commercial Workers ..........
Montgomery Ward & Co., Inc., Detroit Stores (Michigan) ........................
Retail trade................................
Food and Commercial Workers ..........
2,000
7,400
2,700
1,200
Electrical Workers (IBEW)
.................
1,550
Loews Corp., Lorillard Division (Greensboro, N.C.)
2,300
6,500
Philadelphia Food Store Employers’ Labor Council (Pennsylvania)............
Retail trade................................
Teamsters (In d .).....................................
1,000
R. H. Macy & Co., Inc., Bamberger Division (Newark, N.J.) ....................
Rockwell International Corp. (Interstate)......................................................
Retail trade................................
Transportation equipment . . . .
Food and Commercial Workers ..........
Auto Workers (In d .).............................
1,700
5,350
San Diego Gas & Electric Co. (San Diego, Calif.) .......................................
Spiegel, Inc. (Chicago and Oakbrook, 111.) ...................................................
St. Paul Food Retailers Association (St. Paul, M inn.)..................................
Utilities .....................................
Retail trade................................
Retail trade................................
Electrical Workers (IBEW) .................
Teamsters (In d .).....................................
Food and Commercial Workers ..........
2,200
2,700
2,800
Whirlpool Corp. (Evansville, In d .)..................................................................
Electrical products....................
Electrical Workers (IU E )......................
5,000
Government activity
Ohio: Cuyahoga County Hospitals, Nonprofessional Employees.................
Public Health ...........................
Cuyahoga County Welfare Department...............................................
Social Service.............................
'Affiliated with AFL-CIO except where noted as independent (Ind.).
"Industry area (group of companies signing same contract).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Employee organization 1
American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees
American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees
2,800
1,500
Developments in
Industrial Relations
Newport News shipyard recognizes Steelworkers
Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. ac
quiesced to a Federal circuit court of appeals ruling and
recognized the Steelworkers union as bargaining repre
sentative for its 15,500 production and maintenance em
ployees. Company President Edward J. Campbell said
that a contract would be negotiated “as soon as practi
cable.”
Steelworkers’ officials hailed the representation victo
ry at Virginia’s largest private employer as a break
through in their efforts to organize workers in the
South.
The dispute began in 1978, when the Steelworkers
opposed the Peninsula Shipbuilders Association, a com
pany union, in a National Labor Relations Board elec
tion at the yard. The vote was 9,093 to 7,548 in favor
of the Steelworkers. The Board certified the results but
the company appealed the decision, contending irregu
larities in the balloting. A district judge ordered the
Board to reconsider its decision. After hearings, the
Board decided the voting irregularities were not suffi
ciently widespread to affect the election results. The
company appealed this decision to the circuit court of
appeals, which issued the final ruling in the case.
The Steelworkers had begun a strike against the yard
in January 1979, in an effort to force negotiations. The
strike was suspended in April because many employees
had returned to work.
Union wins access, vote at J. P. Stevens plants
The Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers’
16-year attempt to organize employees of J. P. Stevens
& Co. was aided by a National Labor Relations Board
ruling that the company allow union organizers access
to its plants and the winning of a representation elec
tion in the South.
The Board ordered J. P. Stevens to grant ACTWU
organizers access to its plants during the next 2 years.
The Board ruled that the company had repeatedly vio
lated the National Labor Relations Act and had ig
nored remedial orders of the Board and, on occasion, of
Federal courts. Accordingly, the panel declared that
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“the imposition of extraordinary remedies” sought by
the union was justified.
This ruling resulted from a 1976 organizing campaign
at Stevens’ Angle and Ferrum plants in Rocky Mount,
Va., during which the union charged the company with
violations of labor laws. In 1978, an administrative law
judge ordered Stevens to reinstate a worker allegedly
fired for union activity and to stop threatening other
workers who engage in union activity. This current rul
ing broadened the judge’s remedies to include that (1)
on request, Stevens furnish the union with a list of all
its workers and their addresses, (2) ACTWU officials be
given access to company bulletin boards and allowed to
address workers in all plants, and (3) in the event of a
National Labor Relations Board election at any Stevens
facility, the company permit at least two union officials
to enter the plant to deliver a 30-minute speech to em
ployees during working time.
The tally at the representation election at a Stevens
plant in High Point, N.C., was 68 votes for the
ACTWU and 48 for “no union.” The win, the union’s
second at Stevens in the 16-year-period, came despite
union claims of unlawful tactics by Stevens. The first
victory was in 1978 at a Stevens plant in Roanoke Rap
ids, N.C., but an initial contract has not yet been nego
tiated.
Stock payment plan established for meatpackers
The round of bargaining between a number of major
meatpackers and the Food and Commercial Workers
concluded when Rath Packing Co. settled. Unlike the
earlier accords which followed the pattern established
by the John Morrell & Co. settlement (Monthly Labor
Review, October 1979, p. 72), the Rath agreement pro
vided for a stock-wage payment plan.
Under the plan, the 1,800 workers will receive the
same hourly wage increases as those at the other com
panies, but they will receive part of their weekly earn
ings in Rath common stock until a total of 1.8 million
shares has been distributed. Employees will receive at
least $20 of their weekly earnings in cash and stock that
will be deposited in individual accounts. The initial split
will be $4 in cash and eight shares of stock at a
fixed price of $2 a share.
UMW, mine operators sign safety pledge
The Bituminous Coal Operators Association and the
United Mine Workers signed a pledge to cooperate in
improving health and safety conditions in the mines. The
pledge was in the form of a memorandum to Governor
John D. Rockefeller of West Virginia, chairman of a
commission appointed by President Carter to recom
mend changes to improve collective bargaining ap
proaches, health and safety conditions, and productivity
in the coal industry. The memorandum was written by a
union-industry-government mine safety study group,
which included representatives of the Mine Safety and
Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor.
The agreement commits members of the BCOA to
work through the joint study group for improved
“mandatory health and safety standards based on factu
ally justified needs.” This includes close cooperation
with the agencies responsible for formulating regula
tions to protect mine workers.
Despite this indication of improved cooperation be
tween the UMW and the BCOA, there was another
development that may have an adverse impact on future
bargaining in the industry. The Consolidated Coal Co.,
the Nation’s second largest producer, withdrew from
the BCOA and announced that it would bargain sepa
rately with the union. There also was a possibility of
further withdrawals; talks were reportedly underway
within the BCOA on a demand by member steel com
panies that they be given a greater role in negotiations
with the UMW.
The BCOA member companies are centered in the
Appalachian region and produce about half of the Na
tion’s soft coal, usually in underground mines.
Income taxes urged for funding social security
The controversy over the current and future condition
of the social security system was renewed when the Advi
sory Council on Social Security presented its recommen
dations to Congress. One of the major recommendations
of the Council was that part of the system be funded
from income taxes, rather than from payroll taxes. Ac
cording to the Council, this would reduce the present
6.13-percent payroll tax rate for both employees and
their employers to 5.6 percent this year and preclude the
need for any future increase until the year 2000.
In a 400-page report, the 13-member panel made up
of academic experts and representatives from labor,
government, and business recommended:
• Phasing into the system all employees of government
and nonprofit organizations.
• Reducing slightly the maximum portion of workers’
wages subject to payroll tax. (Effective January 1,
1980, the 6.13-percent tax applied to the first $25,900
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of annual earnings.)
• Improving benefits for divorced women, widows,
and workers at the low and high end of the wage range.
• Increasing the age at which a person is eligible for
maximum social security retirement benefits from 65 to
68 .
• Strengthening the benefit funds during periods of
high unemployment by diverting money from general
revenues.
• Subjecting half of all social security benefits to in
come taxes.
The Council found the current system financially
sound, stating that the present low levels of funds are
temporary and have “little bearing on the long-run fi
nancial strength” of the system.
A panel is appointed every 4 years to assess the so
cial security system. The current Council was headed by
Henry Aaron of the Brookings Institution.
Initial contract for Southern furniture workers
The AFL-CIO’s Industrial Union Department, which
for 2 years has been coordinating a drive to organize
Southern furniture plants, announced that the United
Furniture Workers of America has negotiated an initial
contract with the Phoenix Chair Division of Thomasville Furniture Industries. The accord covered 500
workers in West Jefferson, N.C.
The IUD organizing director Harold Mclver called
the settlement a major breakthrough which will spur
efforts to organize other Thomasville Furniture plants,
as well as other furniture companies in the South. He
said that Thomasville Furniture employs a total of
5,000 workers at 21 plants in North Carolina and Vir
ginia.
The 1-year contract provides for a 9.5-percent wage
increase, an additional paid holiday, and improvements
in pension and health benefits.
Recording musicians approve new contract
American Federation of Musicians (AFM) members
ratified a 25-month contract with the recording industry
that provided for an 8-percent increase in wage scales,
retroactive to November 1, and a 7-percent increase in
November 1980. After the November 1980 increase,
musicians’ rates will be $146.81 for a basic 3-hour com
mercial session and $96.90 for a 1-1/2 hour session. For
symphonic sessions, the new scales will be $115.62 for 3
hours and $207.49 for 4 hours.
AFM President Victor W. Fuentealba said that the
union also gained provisions setting terms and condi
tions for recording chamber music and a new formula
for “on location” recording of symphony and opera
music. According to Fuentealba, these new provisions
will improve employment opportunities for AFM mem57
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Developments in Industrial Relations
bers in the United States and Canada and eventually re
duce the “flood of foreign recordings in the classical
musical field.”
The contract was approved by a 1,550 to 240 vote in
a mail referendum. About 6,200 AFM members who
earned at least $1,000 from phonograph recording in
1978 were eligible to vote.
More settlements in electrical equipment industry
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
and the International Union of Electrical Workers set
tled with RCA Corp., on terms that union sources said
were similar to the General Electric Co. settlements
that led off the round of bargaining in the electrical
equipment industry (see Monthly Labor Review, Septem
ber 1979, p. 61). The RCA accords were negotiated 2
weeks before the expiration date of existing contracts
and covered 13,000 workers represented by the IBEW
and 6,000 workers represented by IUE. The IBEW
agreement is for 3 years and the IUE agreement is for 4
years, with a provision for reopening wage bargaining
after the third year.
Wage provisions of the IBEW contract included in
creases of 12 cents an hour in the first year, 17.5 cents
in the second, and 15 cents in the third. In addition,
employees received an immediate cost-of-living increase
of 38 cents an hour, and they will receive future auto
matic semiannual adjustments at the rate of 1 cent for
each 0.2-percent movement in the Consumer Price In
dex. (The previous contract provided for annual adjust
ments of 1 cent for each 0.3-percent movement in the
CPI, with no credit for that portion of any rise between
7 and 9 percent in a year.)
A major insurance improvement was the adoption of
a company-financed dental plan for employees and de
pendents, effective January 1, 1981. The plan provides
full coverage of usual and customary fees for diagnostic
and preventive procedures and 50 percent coverage for
restorative services, up to a maximum annual benefit of
$750 per person. Other insurance improvements includ
ed $400,000 lifetime major medical coverage per disabil
ity (formerly $100,000); full payment of all family
hospital-medical costs in excess of $1,000 a year; full
payment for a second surgical opinion; maximum $200
a week sickness and accident benefits (formerly $175);
and additional optional life insurance for dependents, fi
nanced by the employee.
The employee’s share of the cost of the pension plan
was reduced to 3 percent of that portion of annual
earnings in excess of $9,000 (formerly $6,600). Mini
mum pension rates were increased to a range of $10 to
$16 a month for each year of credited service, compared
with $10 to $15 at General Electric.
□
A note on communications
The Monthly Labor Review welcomes communications
that supplement, challenge, or expand on research pub
lished in its pages. To be considered for publication, com
munications should be factual and analytical, not polemi-
58
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
cal in tone. Communications should be addressed to the
Editor-in-Chief, M onthly Labor Review, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C.
20212.
Book Reviews
People and jobs— taking the long view
Local Population and Employment Projection Tech
niques. By Michael R. Greenberg, Donald A.
Kruekeberg, Connie O. Michaelson with Richard
Mautner and Nancy Neuman. New Brunswick,
N.J., The Center for Urban Policy Research, 1978.
277 pp.
The purpose of this monograph is to present and ana
lyze models for the projection of population for minor
civil divisions for up to 50 years and employment of
counties for up to 25 years. Each set of models is intro
duced by a very clear, concise discussion of the useful
ness and limitations of the variety of models currently
available for projections.
Three classes of models for the projection of the pop
ulation of minor civil divisions are given. As the au
thors explain, the simplest model is an extrapolation of
the trend of historical growth rates; the second is based
on distributional properties of projections made by re
gional or county agencies; the third increases or de
creases populations on the basis of density limits. The
monograph provides a thorough explanation of the pop
ulation models described, including a summary based
on empirical tests and informed judgments which exam
ine the time or spatial appropriateness of each projec
tion method. Both component, for example, cohortsurvival and composite, and noncomponent, for
example, trend extrapolation and housing unit methods,
are analyzed.
The summary, along with the concise discussion
which accompanies each method, is an excellent starting
point for students of population projection methods. It
also serves as a good review for those who have become
“attached” to a particular methodology which may no
longer fit the changing population trends of their area
— or those who have accepted and long since forgotten
the limitations inherent in a given method.
The discussion is followed by chapters describing the
job set up and a listing of the input deck for a sample
program. Because the boundaries of minor political
units are frequently artificial, and thus inappropriate for
many planning purposes, the authors have included an
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excellent chapter on allocations of population to other
geographic delineations, such as river basins, market
areas, and grid zones.
The second section of the monograph begins with an
overview of employment projection techniques followed
by a description of four models. The models include
Constant Share, Simple Linear Regression, Population/
Employment, and OBERS. The popularity (or criti
cisms, depending on one’s point of view) of the OBERS
projections makes this section extremely helpful.
The complexity and interdependences characteristic of
our modern economic system encourage everyone, indi
viduals, business firms, and government agencies to get
into the projection ball game, often with disastrous re
sults. There is no argument as to the need for construc
tive long term planning at the level of each political
unit, especially the minor civil divisions. In addition, al
locations of moneys from higher to lower political units
are a widely used technique designed to accomplish the
goal of local participation in current budgeting and ex
penditure planning. In some cases, funds are available
to local units for the research necessary to develop long
range programs and plans. However, more often than
not, local expertise to carry out the research even with
trained personnel may be less than adequate. No book
can provide a complete solution to this problem. But
for those not thoroughly familiar with projection tech
niques, as well as for those who need to update their
expertise, this book provides an invaluable tool.
Lest one conclude that it is simply a technical manu
al for population and employment projections, I would
reiterate its contribution in the summarization of the
available methodology, specifically its emphasis on the
appropriateness, complexity, and limitations of each
method. The authors make excellent use of references to
other more detailed works on projection methodology
and empirical testing. Thus, from many standpoints, as
a reference book, as a manual of projection models, and
as a thorough analysis of methodology, the book serves
its reader well.
— M a d e l y n M. Lo ck h a rt
Professor of Economics
University of Florida
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Book Reviews
Landing a good blue-collar job
Blue-Collar Jobs for Women. By Muriel Lederer. New
York, E. P. Dutton, 1979. 257 pp. $12.95, cloth;
$7.95, paper.
The subtitle on the front cover of Blue-Collar Jobs for
Women, “A Complete Guide to Getting Skilled and
Getting a High-Paying Job in the Trades,” is not that
far off in its self-description, although it isn’t until the
final section of the book and the appendix that the au
thor addresses both of these tasks. But Blue-Collar Jobs
for Women, in spite of its title and like its predecessor,
New Job Opportunities for Women, published in 1974, is
a book not just for women. Rather, it is a book for mi
norities, the handicapped, and even men, who want to
find out about skilled jobs and how to get them. In this
regard, the book accomplishes its purpose.
In the first and largest section of the book, however,
“Best Bets for Jobs that Pay,” Lederer has assembled a
compendium of craft and blue-collar job descriptions
in a format similar to that of New Job Opportunities for
Women. For each occupation the book describes in
depth what the work entails, necessary training and
abilities, potential earnings, and the occupational out
look. Although it appears that Lederer relies on data
compiled and published by the Bureau of Labor Statis
tics, she does not mention the source of her figures nor
to which year the salary figures refer.
Lederer also neglects to define clearly what she
means by the blue-collar classification. The Bureau of
the Census defines blue-collar occupations to include
craftworkers (workers in construction and mechanics
and repairers), as well as operatives and laborers. This
distinction is crucial since it represents the wide skill lev
el and salary range of blue-collar work. In giving salary
estimates it perhaps would have been helpful for Lederer
to point out that a particularly high figure— that for a
skilled carpenter, for example— might refer to a union
member in a metropolitan area, but be unrealistic for an
unskilled worker in another area. It would be erroneous
for women to assume that blue-collar work automatical. ly provides an opportunity to make more money.
In reading this first section, one also wonders to what
the ending of the chapter head “Best Bets for Jobs that
Pay” refers. Is it money? Opportunity? One assumes it
means both. Yet, some of the salary ranges are vast—
electroplaters, for example, are quoted as making $2.75
to $9.80 per hour. And some of the openings for jobs,
like printing occupations, are very few or declining.
But for the most part, Lederer conveys the job de
scriptions of the blue-collar occupations in an interest
ing and timely manner, chiefly by peppering the text
with lots of remarks by women working in blue-collar
jobs. For example, in her passage describing the plumb
er’s occupation she writes:
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Mary Gardner admits that lady plumbers are rare so far.
‘But my hands get between some tight-fitting pipes,’ she
says, waving a wrench in one hand and a piece of pipe in
the other. ‘I put a wet bar into a space 2 feet by 2 feet and
I could hardly get my own two feet in to run the pipes to
the existing kitchen system back-to-back.’
In general, these working women’s comments inter
spersed throughout the text do more than hold the
reader’s attention. They are particularly illuminating to
women interested in following the footsteps of the first
successful few, for they give personal insights as to
what the jobs are like, in the everyday working atmos
phere, the rewards of working in skilled occupations,
and what the obstacles were in breaking into the jobs.
These passages are realistic. All of the women don’t
have instant success stories to tell. They have entered
the skilled and craft trades in a variety of ways, some
with more delays and difficulties than others. But they
have entered and succeeded and their comments are tes
timony to their achievement.
Another passage on the job of the operating engineer
repudiates the myth of women’s physical incapacity for
blue-collar jobs. It reads: “You wouldn’t think that
Lisa O’Malley, a petite redhead, could move tons of
steel everyday in her job, but as a crane operator, that’s
exactly what she does. It’s quite simple to operate a
crane, she says. There are three controls for different di
rections, plus a brake and an alarm to warn people
when the load is moving.” At another point in the text
Lederer makes the comment that men try to put women
down for thinking they can excel in blue-collar jobs by
telling them, “It’s heavy work.” Lederer asserts that
women should best answer with a reply like, “But so is
housework, gardening, nursing, and raising kids.”
Besides describing blue-collar and skilled occupations,
a big purpose of the book, as described by the subtitle,
is explaining how to get into these jobs. Although
Lederer begins the mission in the third chapter “Mov
ing Toward Your Job” it is not until the appendix that
she makes the forthright statement: “Here are some
things you can do to start breaking into a blue-collar
program.” She suggests some organizations to contact
and lists addresses of organizations devoted to women’s
upward mobility. The appendix of 40 pages is one of
the most valuable parts of the book, containing a glos
sary and information on apprenticeships. Unfortunately,
some of the addresses given by Lederer are out of date,
undoubtedly a problem related to getting to press her
lengthy research efforts.
In yet another respect the book proves valuable. Al
though the author glamorizes the economic rewards of
blue-collar work, she tries not to glamorize other as
pects of the occupations. Lederer says, “Are you willing
to overlook the disadvantages of the job? Have you
looked behind the scenes of what appears to be a glam-
orous job to see what the disadvantages are?” This may
be an important assertion to the audience Lederer is
chiefly concerned about, because to many women unknowledgeable about skilled and craft jobs, they may
appear overly attractive for any number of reasons.
In the introduction, Lederer reminds us that millions
of Rosie the Riveters performed innumerable skilled
jobs during World War II. During the period from De
cember 1941 to March 1944, 6.7 million women entered
the labor force. Of these, 2.9 million were blue-collar
workers. After the war their numbers diminished to the
extent that census takers did not even count the remain
ing female blue-collar workers. In recent times, this has
changed. Since 1970, the number of women in bluecollar jobs has almost doubled.
One of the reasons Lederer attributes to the recent in
crease in female blue-collar workers is economic benefit,
and she reiterates this theme throughout the book, both
in her own words and in her selection of comments
from women workers themselves. But it is a point per
haps overemphasized. Lederer says: “Women are find
ing out what men have known for a long time: A
skilled trade pays twice as much as a traditional wom
en’s white-collar job.” While no one could argue with
the credibility of money as a motivating factor, it is not
the total nor necessarily the best explanation. For many
women, the right to a skilled or craft job is not merely
a matter of equal economic rights, but is a matter of
equal rights to a job that will prove enormously satisfy
ing. For some women, as well as for some men, mean
ing and satisfaction are the prime benefits in using their
hands and minds in a skillful and complementary man
ner. These jobs provide an opportunity to use agility,
strength, coordination, intelligence, and mechanical ap
titudes, qualities over which men have no exclusive pos
session. So, the right to blue-collar jobs is not just an
economic flight from the pink-collar ghetto. It is the
flight for women to satisfying and fulfilling—economic
and otherwise—jobs and opportunities.
— G a il M a r t in
Office of Publications,
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Alienation in the organization
Life in Organizations: Workplaces as People Experience
Them. Edited by Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Barry
A. Stein. New York, Basic Books, Inc., Publishers,
1979. 444 pp. $17.50 cloth; $6.95, paper.
“The [organization] is too much with us soon and
late, getting and spending we lay waste our powers . . .”
seems to be one of this book’s major implications which
applies to organizational life in either the top or the
bottom ranks. Those in the top cadre are typically too
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exhausted from the struggle to get ahead to understand
fully why matters go as they do at the bottom; while
those at the bottom devolve into cynicism because they
feel they are never taken seriously enough by manage
ment to have a genuine effect on their own or their or
ganization’s performances. The author-editors through
their selections and their contributions have shed much
light on the ways that an imperfect human nature con
founds and frustrates workers and managers alike in to
day’s bureaucratic-organizational life.
A little more than a century ago, most people dwelt
and earned their living in nearly the same physical loca
tion— the modest farm, store, workshop, and so on.
Now the vast majority work far from their dwellings in
large and complex organizations, which has generated
an ethos often quite remote from the familiarity, loyal
ty, and sense of challenge of the earlier period. The gain
in overall output and productivity during this transition
was enormous; the resultant feelings of irritation and
unease, beginning to border on an outright alienation
among employees at the bottom, is what this collection
seems to point to in the present work force.
Twenty-two selected essays or case studies, four of
which are the editors’ individual or collaborative work,
are presented in two sections. First are those which ex
amine separately top managers, middle managers, and
ordinary workers, and, second, more generalized selec
tions. Even through most of the latter, there continues
to run a flavor of the officer (top and middle managers)
versus enlisted man (worker) confrontation. The editors
see in all of this a power struggle going on overtly and
covertly at all levels of the modern social entities for
producing and servicing which we call organizations.
At the top, power becomes a riddle intimately inter
twined with the protagonist’s vanity and ego fulfillment.
A top manager is given authority or license to exert
power, but quickly finds that the exercise of that power
is dependent upon the covert sanctions and permissions
granted by the follower managers, and that followers
make this grant only when the top manager fills their
needs or fits their expectations. When this does not oc
cur, the struggle among the combatants drains energy
away from the primary task of managing the overall or
ganization.
Those at the bottom also want power, say the editors,
but this is a highly localized power over the particular
conditions of work of individuals or small groups. Where
formal organizational rules successfully oppose worker
controls of this nature, power can be exercised negatively
by a rapid decline in responsibility for the quality of out
put or service, or even some forms of sabatoge.
Informal systems, operating around or beneath the
formal rules, as described in several of the selections,
particularly the Lordstown studies, illustrate how work
ers take power by controlling the way in which they
61
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Book Reviews
work, without regard to management rules or collective
bargaining agreements.
Much of managerial theory and training focuses on
maintaining a flow of communications between manag
ers, especially those in the middle range, and workers at
the bottom. But, except in a few cases like the Scanlon
Plan or the Lincoln Electric system, there is almost no
earnest attempt to tap the common-sense knowledge the
imaginative worker builds up over the years at a
workplace. Management is most typically too preoccu
pied in “making it” up the executive ladder to invest the
time and energy required. The employees joke that
“there’s the right way to do the job and the company
way,” and become increasingly indifferent to the goals of
augmented quantity or quality of output. An officer-en
listed man culture persists as the chasm widens between
the largely college trained managers and the less formal
ly educated at the bottom. The trained professionals
can’t or won’t accept the thoughts or ideas of those at
the bottom, and this is often deeply resented, causing a
pervasive dilution of the organization’s potential.
In addition to the more common scenes of industrial
workplaces, the collected selections here range over
such organizations as universities, retail stores, govern
ment agencies, editorial offices, and others. The authoreditors see this work as a practical book of advice, and
there is much good advice and object lessons to be
drawn. One case study presents a well-balanced account
of participatory management in an insurance organiza
tion in which those at the top and at the bottom share
control and power in some unique, and sometimes tenu
ous, ways.
In addition to the selections themselves, the introduc
tory and summarizing commentary of the editors is
knowledgeable and thoroughly straightforward, in fact,
refreshingly free of the jargon and cliches so often
found in this type of book. This is a solid piece of work
that deserves to be read by all persons who are curious
about, or have a stake in, modern organizations.
— K e n n e t h G . V a n A u k e n , jr .
Special Assistant to the Commissioner
o f Labor Statistics
Book notes
American Labor Sourcebook. Compiled by Bernard and
Susan Rifkin. New York, McGraw-Hill Book Co.,
1979, 928 pp. $39.95.
Anyone who spends $39.95 for this book on the basis
of the publisher’s claim that it “compiles all the essen
tial information on labor-management negotiations” is
likely to be disappointed. A reader with more modest
expectations, who wants a lot of information in a single
volume, may find it useful.
The 928-page book organizes into 20 sections a
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wealth of material photographically reproduced from
publications of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, other
U.S. government agencies, and the AFL-CIO.
The book begins with a review of “Labor in 1977 and
1978,” consisting of “Developments in Industrial Rela
tions” sections from 23 issues of the Monthly Labor Re
view, and ends with a selection of labor force and
consumer price tables from the Monthly Labor Review
and other BLS publications. In between, are sections
describing the structure of the labor movement, labor
and the courts, Federal labor laws and agencies, labor
history, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensa
tion, other State labor legislation, and labor in the pub
lic sector, in politics, in foreign affairs, and in foreign
countries. Also included are a glossary of labor terms,
sample labor contract clauses, and Monthly Labor Re
view indexes from 1971 through 1978.
The Rifkins forthrightly credit most of this material
to the Monthly Labor Review, the BLS Directory of Na
tional Unions and Employee Associations, the Handbook
o f Labor Statistics, the Employment and Training Report
of the President, Federal Labor Laws and Programs, and
the U.S. Government Manual. Nevertheless, the Sourcebook carries a standard copyright admonition that “no
part of this publication may be reproduced . . . without
prior written permission of the publisher.”
McGraw-Hill has announced plans to produce bien
nial updates of the Sourcebook “to insure the continuing
analysis of contemporary developments in the American
labor movement.” Monthly Labor Review subscribers
may have the advantage of being able to preview these
updates in the Review.
— HL
National Directory o f Women's Employment Programs:
Who They Are; What They Do. Washington, Wider
Opportunities for Women, Inc., 1979. $7.50.
This book contains comprehensive information on or
ganizations serving the needs of women entering the
work force. Such organizations typically provide job
counseling, development, training and placement ser
vices; assistance to employers, unions, schools, and oth
er institutions regarding women’s employment; and
research, organizing, or advocacy activities related to
women’s employment.
The Directory describes 140 organizations— their
names, addresses, telephone numbers, objectives and
histories, programs and services, contact persons, publi
cations, and also gives information on the number of
employees in the organization and its funding.
The organizations are listed by States in four regions:
Midwest— Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,
Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin; Northeast
— Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Mary-
land, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island; South— Ala
bama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia; West— Arizo
na, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and
Washington.
Publications received
Agriculture and natural resources
Bergman, Elihu, Hans A. Bethe, Robert E. Marshak, eds.,
American Energy Choices Before the Year 2000. Lexing
ton, Mass., D.C. Heath and Co., 1978, 150 pp. $14.50.
Gordon, Richard L., Coal in the U.S. Energy M arket: History
and Prospects. Lexington, Mass., D.C. Heath and Co.,
1978, 224 pp., bibliography. $17.
Grove, Ernest W., “Present and Prehistoric Problems of N at
ural Resources,” American Journal o f Agricultural Eco
nomics, November 1979, pp. 6 1 2 -1 9 .
Sharp, Basil M. H., and Daniel W. Bromley, “Agricultural
Pollution: The Economics of Coordination,” American
Journal o f Agricultural Economics, November 1979, pp.
591-600.
Mothers’ Occupations Reported on Live Birth Certifi
cates and on a Survey Questionnaire,” Public Health R e
ports, September-October 1979, pp. 4 3 2 -3 7 .
Industrial relations
Center to Protect Worker’s Rights, The War on Wage Protec
tion: The Business Offensive. Washington, Center to Pro
tect Worker’s Rights, 1979, 76 pp.
Korsnes, Olav, “Duality in the Role of Unions and Unionists:
The Case of Norway,” British Journal o f Industrial R ela
tions, November 1979, pp. 3 6 2 -7 5 .
Lewin, David, Raymond D. Horton, James W. Kuhn, Collec
tive Bargaining and Manpower Utilization in Big City
Governments. Montclair, N.J., Allanheld, Osmun & Co.,
Publishers, 1979, 155 pp. $21.50.
Perry, Charles R., “Teacher Bargaining: The Experience in
Nine Systems,” Industrial and Labor Relations Review,
October 1979, pp. 3 -1 7 .
Industry and government organization
Hartman, Raymond S., Kirkor Bozdogan, Ravindra M.
Nadkarni, “The economic impacts of environmental regu
lations on the U.S. copper industry,” The Bell Journal o f
Economics, Autumn 1979, pp. 5 8 9 -618.
Smith, Lee, “The Neglected Promise of Our Forests,” Fortune,
Nov. 5, 1979, beginning on p. 111.
Sylos-Labini, Paolo, “Prices and income distribution in manu
facturing industry,” Journal o f Post Keynesian Economics,
Fall 1979, pp. 3 -2 5 .
Economic and social statistics
Weidenbaum, Murray L., “The High Cost of Government
Regulation,” Challenge, November-December 1979, pp.
3 2 -3 9 .
Anderson, Ronald W., “Perfect Price Aggregation and Empir
ical Demand Analysis,” Econometrica, September 1979,
pp. 1209-30.
International economics
Feige, Edgar L., “How Big is the Irregular Economy?” Chal
lenge, November-December 1979, pp. 5 -1 3 .
Cohen, Benjamin J., “Europe’s Money, America’s Problem,”
Foreign Policy, Summer 1979, pp. 3 1 -4 7 .
Francese, Peter K., The 1980 Census: The Counting o f Am eri
ca. Washington, Population Reference Bureau, 1979, 40
pp. (Population Bulletin 34, No. 4.) $2.
Spulber, Nicolas, Organizational Alternatives in Soviet-type
Economies. New York, Cambridge University Press,
1979, 290 pp. $29.95.
Freeman, Richard B., “The Effect of Demographic Factors on
Age-Earnings Profiles,” The Journal o f Human Resources,
Summer 1979, pp. 2 8 9 -3 1 8 .
“The Prospects for Industry Worldwide,” The OECD Observ
er, September 1979, pp. 2 9 -3 3 .
Education
Goodman, Jerry D., “The Economic Returns of Education:
An Assessment of Alternative M odels,” Social Science
Quarterly, September 1979, pp. 2 6 9 -8 3 .
Labor and economic history
North, Douglass, C., “A Framework for Analyzing the State
in Economic History,” Explorations in Economic History,
July 1979, pp. 2 4 9 -5 9 .
Hanushek, Eric A., “Conceptual and Empirical Issues in the
Estimation of Educational Production Functions,” The
Journal o f Human Resources, Summer 1979, pp. 3 5 1 -8 8 .
Shils, Edward B. and others, Industrial Peacemaker: George
W. Taylor's Contributions to Collective Bargaining.
Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1979, 242
pp. $22.
Health and safety
Vatter, Harold G., “Perspectives on the Forty-sixth Anniver
sary of the U.S. Mixed Economy,” Explorations in Eco
nomic History, July 1979, pp. 29 7 -3 3 0 .
Aubry, Francine, Graham W. Gibbs, Margaret R. Becklake,
“Air Pollution and Health in Three Urban Communi
ties,” Archives o f Environmental Health, September-October 1979, pp. 3 6 0 -6 8 .
Labor force
Berkowitz, Monroe, The Economics o f Work Accidents in New
Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand, Victoria University
of Wellington, Industrial Relations Centre, 1979, 211 pp.
(Industrial Relations Research Monograph 5.)
Allen, Kevin and Douglas
Forecasting: Data and
Saxon House, Teakfield,
tributed in the United
Brookfield, Vt.
Carucci, Peter M. and Sidheshwar Prasad, “A Comparison of
Barron, John M. and Wesley Mellow, “Search Effort in the
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Yuill, Sm all Area Employment
Problems. Westmead, England,
Ltd., 1978, 248 pp. $25.25. D is
States by Renouf USA, Inc.,
63
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Book Reviews
Labor Market,” The Journal o f Human Resources, Sum
mer 1979, pp. 389 -4 0 4 .
Bosanquet, Nick, “ ‘Structuralism’ and ‘Structural Unemploy
ment’,” British Journal o f Industrial Relations, November
1979, pp. 299-313.
Needham, Barrie, Guidelines fo r a Local Employment Study,
Westmead, England, Saxon House, Teakfield, Ltd., 1979,
248 pp. $23. Distributed in the United States by Renouf
USA, Inc., Brookfield, Vt.
Management and organization theory
Famularo, Joseph J., Organization Planning Manual. Rev. ed.
New York, AM ACOM , a division of American Manage
ment Associations, 1979, 372 pp. $27.95.
Hart, Lois B. and J. Gordon Schleicher, A Conference and
Workshop Planner's Manual. New York, AM ACOM , a
division of American Management Associations, 1979,
various pagings. $15.95.
International Labor Organization, New form s o f work organi
zation. Geneva, International Labor Organization, 1979,
145 pp. $6.25. Distributed in the United States by Wash
ington Branch of ILO.
Jenkins, John A., Creating the Future: Corporate Strategists
Shape the 21st Century. Washington, The Bureau of N a
tional Affairs, Inc., 1979, 21 pp.
Ruch, Richard S.,f “A Path Analytic Study of the Structure of
Employee Job Satisfaction: The Critical Role of Top
Management,” Journal o f Vocational Behavior, December
1979, pp. 2 7 7 -9 3 .
(Schneider, Harold L., “Personnel managers look to the ’80s,”
The Personnel Administrator, November 1979, pp. 4 7 -5 4 .
Schrank, Robert, ed., American Workers Abroad: A Report to
the Ford Foundation. Cambridge, Mass., The M IT Press,
1979, 189 pp. $12.50.
Seear, Baroness, “Where do we go from here? Equal pay and
equal opportunity,” Departm ent o f Employment Gazette,
September 1979, pp. 8 6 3 -6 7 .
Monetary and fiscal policy
Pechman, Joseph A., ed., Setting National Priorities: The 1980
Budget. Washington, The Brookings Institution, 1979,
229 pp. $11.95, cloth; $4.95, paper.
Pinchin, Hugh M cA, The Regional Im pact o f the Canadian
Tariff. Hull, Quebec, Canada, Economic Council of Can
ada, 1979, 205 pp., bibliography. $4.50, Canada; $5.40,
other countries. Available from Canadian Government
Publishing Center, Supply and Services Canada, Hull,
Quebec.
Schechter, Henry B., “Exploring the Monetary Maze,” The
A F L -C IO American Federationist, October 1979, pp. 1 2 -
20.
Larwood, Laurie, Patrice Rand, Aida der Hovanessian, “Sex
Differences in Response to Simulated Employee D isci
pline Cases,” Personnel Psychology, Autumn 1979, pp.
5 3 9 -5 0 .
“The Role of Operating Guides in U.S. Monetary Policy: A
Historical Review,” Federal Reserve Bulletin, September
1979, pp. 6 7 9 -9 1 .
Lipton, Mark, “An Unmentionable Personnel Problem of the
1980’s,” Personnel, September-October 1979, pp. 5 8 -6 5 .
Prices and living conditions
Murray, Thomas J., “A New High-Level Executive,” Dun's
Review, November 1979, pp. 6 3 -6 4 .
O ’Toole, James, “The uneven record of employee ownership,”
Harvard Business Review, November-December 1979, pp.
185-97.
Oxenfeldt, Alfred R., Cost-Benefit Analysis fo r Executive Deci
sion Making: The Danger o f Plain Common Sense. New
York, AM ACOM , a division of American Management
Associations, 1979, 432 pp. $24.95.
------ David W. Miller, Roger A. Dickinson, A Basic Approach
to Executive Decision Making. New York, AM ACOM , a
division of American Management Associations, 1978,
229 pp. $12.95.
Peskin, Dean B., Sacked! What to Do When You Lose Your
Job. New York, AM ACOM , a division of American
Management Associations, 1979, 177 pp. $12.95.
64
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Boehm, William T. and Rodney C. Kite, Food Prices and Poli
cy. Washington, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Eco
nomics, Statistics, and Cooperatives Service, 1979, 7 pp.
Gallo, Anthony E., Larry E. Salathe, William T. Boehm,
Senior Citizens: Food Expenditure Patterns and Assistance.
Washington, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economics,
Statistics, and Cooperatives Service, 1979, 11 pp. (Agri
cultural Economic Report 426.)
------ William Boehm, Corinne LeBovit, Changes in Food E x
penditures
by Income
Group.
Washington,
U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Economics, Statistics, and
Cooperatives Service, 1979, 11 pp., bibliography.
Robinson, Joan, “Employment and Inflation,” Quarterly R e
view o f Economics and Business, Autumn 1979, pp. 7 -1 6 .
------ “Solving the Stagflation Puzzle,” Challenge, NovemberDecember 1979, pp. 4 0 -4 6 .
Current
Labor Statistics
Notes on Current Labor Statistics
.............................................................................................................................
Schedule of release dates for major BLS statistical series
...........................................................................
Employment data from household survey. Definitions and notes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
.............................................................
Employment status of noninstitutional population, selected years,1950-78 ..................................................................
Employment status by age, sex, and race, seasonally adjusted .......................................................................................
Selected employment indicators, seasonally adjusted ........................................................................................................
Selected unemployment indicators, seasonally adjusted .....................................................................................................
Unemployment rates, by age and sex, seasonally adjusted ................................................................................................
Unemployed persons, by reason for unemployment, seasonally adjusted . ...................................................................
Duration of unemployment, seasonally adjusted ..........................................................................................................
Employment, hours, and earnings data from establishment surveys. Definitions and notes
8 . Employment by industry, 1949-78
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
........................................................................................................................................
Employment by State ................................................................................................................................................................
Employment by industry division and major manufacturing g r o u p ................................................................................
Employment by industry division and major manufacturing group, seasonally adjusted ........................................
Labor turnover rates in manufacturing, 1976 to date ........................................................................................................
Labor turnover rates in manufacturing, by major industry group ...................................................................................
Hours and earnings, by industry division, 1947-78 ...........................................................................................................
Weekly hours, by industry division and major manufacturing g r o u p ..............................................................................
Weekly hours, by industry division and major manufacturing group, seasonally adjusted .....................................
Hourly earnings, by industry division and major manufacturing group ........................................................................
Hourly Earnings Index, by industry division ........................................................................................................................
Weekly earnings, by industry division and major manufacturing group ........................................................................
Gross and spendable weekly earnings in current and 1967 dollars, 1960 to date ........................................................
Unemployment insurance data. Definitions and notes
21 . Unemployment insurance and employment service operations
........................................................................................
........................................................................................
Price data. Definitions and notes
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
...........................................................................................................................................
Consumer Price Indexes, 1967-78
Consumer Price Index, U.S. city average, general summary and selected items ............................................................
Consumer Price Index, cross classification of region and population size class ............................................................
Consumer Price Index, selected areas ...............................................................................................................................
Producer Price Indexes, by stage of processing ...................................................................................................................
Producer Price Indexes, by commodity grouping ................................................................................................................
Producer Price Indexes, for special commodity groupings ................................................................................................
Producer Price Indexes, by durability of product ................................................................................................................
Price indexes for the output of selected SIC industries .....................................................................................................
Productivity data. Definitions and notes
31.
32.
33.
34.
Indexes
Annual
Indexes
Percent
........................................................................................................................
of productivity and related data, 1950-78
percent change in productivity and related data, 1968-78 ................................................................................
of productivity, hourly compensation, and unit costs ........................................................................................
change in productivity, hourly compensation, and unit costs ...........................................................................
Labor-management data. Definitions and notes
........................................................................................................
35. Wage and benefit settlements in major collective bargaining units ................................................................................
36. Effective wage rate adjustments going into effect in major collective bargaining units ..............................................
37. Work stoppages, 1946 to date ................................................................................................................................................
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
66
66
67
67
68
69
70
71
71
71
12
73
73
74
75
76
76
77
78
79
80
80
81
82
83
83
84
85
85
91
92
93
94
96
96
96
99
99
100
100
101
102
102
103
103
65
NOTES O N CURRENT LABOR STATISTICS
This section of the Review presents the principal statistical se
ries collected and calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A brief introduction to each group of tables provides defi
nitions, notes on the data, sources, and other material usually
found in footnotes.
Readers who need additional information are invited to
consult the BLS regional offices listed on the inside front cov
er of this issue of the Review. Some general notes applicable to
several series are given below.
Seasonal adjustment. Certain monthly and quarterly data are adjusted
to eliminate the effect of such factors as climatic conditions, industry
production schedules, opening and closing of schools, holiday buying
periods, and vacation practices, which might otherwise mask short
term movements of the statistical series. Tables containing these data
are identified as “seasonally adjusted.” Seasonal effects are estimated
on the basis of past experience. When new seasonal factors are com
puted each year, revisions may affect seasonally adjusted data for sev
eral preceding years. For a technical discussion of the method used to
make seasonal adjustments, see “Appendix A. The BLS Seasonal Fac
tor Method,” BLS Handbook of Methods for Surveys and Studies, Bul
letin 1910 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1976), pp. 272-78, and X -ll
Variant o f the Census Method II Seasonal Adjustment Program, Techni
cal Paper No. 15 (Bureau of the Census, 1967). Seasonally adjusted
employment data in tables 2 - 7 were last revised in the February 1979
issue of the Review to reflect the preceding year’s experience. Annual
revision of the seasonally adjusted payroll data in tables 11, 13, 16,
and 18 was last introduced in the November 1979 issue of the Review.
New seasonal factors for productivity data in tables 33 and 34 are
usually introduced in the September issue. Seasonally adjusted indexes
and percent changes from month to month and from quarter to quar
ter are published for numerous Consumer and Producer Price Index
series. However, seasonally adjusted indexes are not published for the
U.S. average All Items CPI. Only seasonally adjusted percent changes
are available for this series.
Adjustments for price changes. Some data are adjusted to eliminate
the effect of changes in price. These adjustments are made by dividing
current dollar values by the Consumer Price Index or the appropriate
component of the index, then multiplying by 100. For example, given
a current hourly wage rate of $3 and a current price index number of
150, where 1967 = 100, the hourly rate expressed in 1967 dollars is
$2 ($3/150 X 100 = $2). The resulting values are described as
“real,” “constant,” or “ 1967” dollars.
Availability of information. Data that supplement the tables in this
section are published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in a variety of
sources. Press releases provide the latest statistical information
published by the Bureau; the major recurring releases are published
according to the schedule given below. The Handbook of Labor Statis
tics 1977, Bulletin 1966, provides more detailed data and greater his
torical coverage for most of the statistical series presented in the
Monthly Labor Review. More information from the household and es
tablishment surveys is provided in Employment and Earnings, a
monthly publication of the Bureau, and in two comprehensive data
books issued annually— Employment and Earnings, United States and
Employment and Earnings, States and Areas. More detailed informa
tion on wages and other aspects of collective bargaining appears in
the monthly periodical, Current Wage Developments. More detailed
price information is published each month in the periodicals, the CPI
Detailed Report and Producer Prices and Price Indexes. Selected key
statistical series are presented graphically in the monthly Chartbook
on Prices, Wages, and Productivity.
Symbols
p = preliminary. To improve the timeliness of some series,
preliminary figures are issued based on representative
but incomplete returns.
r = revised. Generally this revision reflects the availability
of later data but may also reflect other adjustments,
n.e.c. = not elsewhere classified.
Schedule of release dates for major BLS statistical series
Title and frequency
(monthly except where indicated)
Release
date
Period
covered
Release
date
Period
covered
MLR table
number
Producer Price Indexes................................................................
Employment situation..................................................................
Consumer Price Index ................................................................
Real earnings ............................................................................
Productivity and costs (quarterly):
Nonfarm business and manufacturing ......................................
Nonfinancial corporations ........................................................
Work stoppages..........................................................................
Labor turnover in manufacturing ..................................................
January 10
January 11
January 25
January 25
December
December
December
December
February 15
February 1
February 22
February 22
January
January
January
January
26-30
1-11
22-25
14-20
December
December
February 27
February 28
February 29
January
January
31-34
31-34
37
12-13
66
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
January 28
January 29
January 30
EM PLO YM ENT DATA FROM THE H O U SEH O LD SURVEY
E m p lo y m e n t
d a t a
in this section are obtained from the
Current Population Survey, a program of personal interviews
conducted monthly by the Bureau of the Census for the
Bureau of Labor Statistics. The sample consists of about
56,000 households, selected to represent the U.S. population
16 years of age and older. Households are interviewed on a
rotating basis, so that three-fourths of the sample is the same
for any 2 consecutive months.
Definitions
Employed persons are (1) those who worked for pay any time
during the week which includes the 12th day of the month or who
worked unpaid for 15 hours or more in a family-operated enterprise
and (2) those who were temporarily absent from their regular jobs
because of illness, vacation, industrial dispute, or similar reasons. A
person working at more than one job is counted only in the job at
which he or she worked the greatest number of hours.
Unemployed persons are those who did not work during the survey
week, but were available for work except for temporary illness and
had looked for jobs within the preceding 4 weeks. Persons who were
available for work but did not work because they were on layoff or
waiting to start new jobs within the next 30 days are also counted
among the unemployed. The unemployment rate represents the
number unemployed as a percent of the civilian labor force.
The civilian labor force consists of all employed or unemployed
persons in the civilian noninstitutional population; the total labor
force includes military personnel. Persons not in the labor force are
those not classified as employed or unemployed; this group includes
persons retired, those engaged in their own housework, those not
1.
working while attending school, those unable to work because of
longterm illness, those discouraged from seeking work because of
personal or job market factors, and those who are voluntarily idle.
The noninstitutional population comprises all persons 16 years of age
and older who are not inmates of penal or mental institutions,
sanitariums, or homes for the aged, infirm, or needy.
Full-time workers are those employed at least 35 hours a week;
part-time workers are those who work fewer hours. Workers on parttime schedules for economic reasons (such as slack work, terminating
or starting a job during the week, material shortages, or inability to
find full-time work) are among those counted as being on full-time
status, under the assumption that they would be working full time if
conditions permitted. The survey classifies unemployed persons in
full-time or part-time status by their reported preferences for full-time
or part-time work.
Notes on the data
From time to time, and especially after a decennial census,
adjustments are made in the Current Population Survey figures to
correct for estimating errors during the preceding years. These
adjustments affect the comparability of historical data presented in
table 1.
Data for periods prior to January 1978 are not strictly comparable
with current data because of the introduction of an expansion in the
sample and revisions in the estimation procedures. For an explanation
of the supplementation procedures and an indication of the differ
ences, see “Revisions in the Current Population Survey in January
1978,” Employment and Earnings, February 1978, pp. 7-10.
Data in tables 2 - 7 are seasonally adjusted, based on the seasonal
experience through December 1978.
Employment status of the noninstitutional population, 16 years and over, selected years, 1950-78
[Numbers in thousands]
Total labor force
Year
Total non
institutional
population
Civilian labor force
Employed
Number
Percent of
population
Total
Unemployed
Total
Agriculture
Nonagricultural
industries
Number
Percent of
labor
force
Not in
labor force
1950 .............................................................
1955 .............................................................
1960 .............................................................
1964 .............................................................
1965 .............................................................
106,645
112,732
119,759
127,224
129.236
63,858
68,072
72,142
75,830
77,178
59.9
60.4
60.2
59.6
59.7
62,208
65,023
69,628
73,091
74,455
58,920
62,171
65,778
69,305
71,088
7,160
6,449
5,458
4,523
4,361
51,760
55,724
60,318
64,782
66,726
3,288
2,852
3,852
3,786
3,366
5.3
4.4
5.5
5.2
4.5
42,787
44,660
47,617
51,394
52,058
1966 .............................................................
1%/ .............................................................
1968 .............................................................
1969 .............................................................
1970 .............................................................
131,180
133,319
135,562
137,841
140,182
78,893
80,793
82,272
84,239
85,903
60.1
60.6
60.7
61.1
61.3
75,770
77,347
78,737
80,733
82,715
72,895
74,372
75,920
77,902
78,627
3,979
3,844
3,817
3,606
3,462
68,915
70,527
72,103
74,296
75,165
2,875
2,975
2,817
2,831
4,088
3.8
3.8
3.6
3.5
4.9
52,288
52,527
53,291
53,602
54,280
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
.............................................................
.............................................................
.............................................................
.............................................................
.............................................................
142,596
145,775
148,263
150,827
153,449
86,929
88,991
91,040
93,240
94,793
61.0
61.0
61.4
61.8
61.8
84,113
86,542
88,714
91,011
92,613
79,120
81,702
84,409
85,936
84,783
3,387
3,472
3,452
3,492
3,380
75,732
78,230
80,957
82,443
81,403
4,993
4,840
4,304
5,076
7,830
5.9
5.6
4.9
5.6
8.5
55,666
56,785
57,222
57,587
58,655
1976
1977
1978
.............................................................
.............................................................
.............................................................
156,048
158,559
161,058
96,917
99,534
102,537
62.1
62.8
63.7
94,773
97,401
100,420
87,485
90,546
94,373
3,297
3,244
3,342
84,188
87,302
91,031
7,288
6,855
6,047
7.7
7.0
6.0
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
'
59,130
59,025
58,521
67
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Household Data
2.
Employment status by sex, age, and race, seasonally adjusted
[Numbers in thousands]
Employment status
1978
Annual Average
1979
1977
1978
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
158,559
99,534
156,426
97,401
90,546
3,244
87,302
6,855
7.0
59,025
161,058
102,537
158,941
100,420
94,373
3,342
91,031
6,047
6.0
58,521
162,033
103,745
159,916
101,628
95,751
3,275
92,476
5,877
5.8
58,288
162,250
103,975
160,142
101,867
95,855
3,387
92,468
6,012
5.9
58,275
162,448
104,277
160,353
102,183
96,300
3,232
93,068
5,883
5.8
58,170
162,633
104,621
160,539
102,527
96,647
3,311
93,335
5,881
5.7
58,012
62,909
04,804
60,819
02,714
96,842
3,343
93,499
5,871
5.7
58,105
163,008
104,193
160,926
102,111
96,174
3,186
92,987
5,937
5.8
58,815
163,260
104,325
161,182
102,247
96,318
3,184
93,134
5,929
5.8
58,935
163,469
104,604
161,393
102,528
96,754
3,260
93,494
5,774
5.6
58,865
163,685
105,141
161,604
103,059
97,210
3,262
93,949
5,848
5.7
58,545
163,891
105,139
161,801
103,049
96,900
3,322
93,578
6,149
6.0
58,752
164,106
105,590
162,013
103,498
97,513
3,400
94,113
5,985
5.8
58,515
164,468
105,567
162,375
103,474
97,293
3,288
94,005
6,182
6.0
58,901
164,682
105,777
162,589
103,685
97,646
3,426
94,221
6,039
5.8
58,904
65,796
52,464
49,737
2,308
47,429
2,727
5.2
13,332
67,006
53,464
51,212
2,361
48,852
2,252
4.2
13,541
67,486
53,938
51,825
2,337
49,488
2,113
3.9
13,548
67,600
54,033
51,838
2,403
49,435
2,195
4.1
13,567
67,726
54,333
52,133
2,293
49,841
2,200
4.0
13,393
67,816
54,485
52,331
2,324
50,007
2,154
4.0
13,331
67,939
54,444
52,264
2,355
49,909
2,180
4.0
13,495
67,997
54,243
52,056
2,271
49,785
2,187
4.0
13,754
68,123
54,261
52,157
2,274
49,883
2,105
3.9
13,862
68,227
54,395
52,299
2,306
49,993
2,096
3.9
13,832
68,319
54,567
52,319
2,323
49,996
2,249
4.1
13,752
68,417
54,527
52,227
2,385
49,843
2,300
4.2
13,890
68,522
54,653
52,382
2,395
49,987
2,271
4.2
13,869
68,697
54,696
52,366
2,372
49,994
2,330
4.3
14,001
68,804
54,683
52,347
2,465
49,882
2,336
4.3
14,121
74,160
35,685
33,199
537
32,662
2,486
7.0
38,474
75,489
37,416
35,180
586
34,593
2,236
6.0
38,073
76,001
38,095
35,887
571
35,316
2,208
5.8
37,906
76,119
38,217
35,990
591
35,399
2,227
5.8
37,902
76,228
38,185
36,019
586
35,433
2,166
5.7
38,043
76,332
38,429
36,252
608
35,644
2,177
5.7
37,903
76,476
38,642
36,440
613
35,827
2,201
5.7
37,834
76,532
38,345
36,165
580
35,584
2,180
5.7
38,187
76,670
38,560
36,323
543
35,780
2,237
5.8
38,110
76,784
38,596
36,373
592
35,781
2,223
5.8
38,188
76,897
39,010
36,861
584
36,276
2,150
5.5
37,887
77,006
39,292
36,968
596
36,371
2,324
5.9
37,714
77,124
39,331
37,178
640
36,538
2,153
5.5
37,793
77,308
39,317
37,039
556
36,483
2,279
5.8
37,991
77,426
39,516
37,325
632
36,693
2,190
5.5
37,910
16,470
9,252
7,610
399
7,211
1,642
17.7
7,218
16,447
9,540
7,981
395
7,586
1,559
16.3
6,907
16,429
9,595
8,039
367
7,672
1,556
16.2
6,834
16,422
9,617
8,027
393
7,634
1,590
16.5
6,805
16,400
9,665
8,148
354
7,794
1,517
15.7
6,735
16,391 16,404
9,613 9,628
8,064 8,138
380
375
7,684 7,763
1,549 1,490
16.1
15.5
6,778 6,776
16,397
9,523
7,953
335
7,618
1,570
16.5
6,874
16,389
9,426
7,839
368
7,471
1,587
16.8
6,963
16,381
9,537
8,082
362
7,720
1,455
15.3
6,844
16,387
9,481
8,031
355
7,676
1,450
15.3
6,906
16,377
9,230
7,705
341
7,364
1,525
16.5
7,147
16,367
9,514
7,953
365
7,588
1,561
16.4
6,853
16,370
9,461
7,888
360
7,528
1,573
16.6
6,909
16,360
9,487
7,974
329
7,645
1,513
15.9
6,873
137,595
86,107
80,734
5,373
6.2
51,488
139,580
88,456
83,836
4,620
5.2
51,124
140,332
89,468
85,013
4,455
5.0
50,864
140,507
89,747
85,125
4,622
5.2
50,760
140,683
90,093
85,543
4,550
5.1
50,590
41,063
90,415
85,938
4,478
5.0
50,648
141,123
89,923
85,479
4,444
4.9
51,200
141,331
90,018
85,515
4,503
5.0
51,313
141,492
90,279
85,871
4,409
4.9
51,213
141,661
90,554
86,093
4,460
4.9
51,107
141,822
90,662
85,829
4,832
5.3
51,161
141,981
91,081
86,395
4,687
5.1
50,900
142,296
90,997
86,243
4,755
5.2
51,299
142,461
91,280
86,579
4,702
5.2
51,181
18,831
11,294
9,812
1,482
13.1
7,535
19,361
11,964
10,537
1,427
11.9
7,397
19,585
12,163
10,746
1,417
11.7
7,422
19,635
12,153
10,758
1,395
11.5
7,482
19,670
12,077
10,725
1,352
11.2
7,593
19,714 19,755
12,228 12,251
10,775 10,878
1,452 1,374
11.9
11.2
7,486 7,504
19,802
12,175
10,734
1,442
11.8
7,627
19,850
12,176
10,767
1,409
11.6
7,674
19,901
12,272
10,883
1,389
11.3
7,629
19,943
12,364
11,025
1,338
10.8
7,579
19,979
12,340
10,987
1,353
11.0
7,639
20,032
12,408
11,095
1,313
10.6
7,264
20,079
12,546
11,083
1,463
11.7
7,533
20,128
12,392
11,057
1,335
10.8
7,736
TOTAL
Total noninstitutional population’ ..........................
Total labor force ......................................
Civilian noninstitutional population1 ......................
Civilian labor force ................................
Employed ......................................
Agriculture ..............................
Nonagricultural industries ........
Unemployed ..................................
Unemployment rate ........................
Not in labor force ..................................
Men, 20 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population1 ......................
Civilian labor force ......................................
Employed ............................................
Agriculture ....................................
Nonagricultural industries ................
Unemployed ........................................
Unemployment rate ..............................
Not in labor force ........................................
Women, 20 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population1 ......................
Civilian labor force ......................................
Employed ............................................
Agriculture ....................................
Nonagricultural industries ................
Unemployed ........................................
Unemployment rate ..............................
Not in labor force ........................................
Both sexes, 16-19 years
Civilian noninstitutional population1 ......................
Civilian labor force ......................................
Employed ............................................
Agriculture ....................................
Nonagricultural industries ................
Unemployed ........................................
Unemployment rate ..............................
Not in labor force ........................................
WHITE
Civilian noninstitutional population1 ......................
Civilian labor force ......................................
Employed ............................................
Unemployed ........................................
Unemployment rate ..............................
Not in labor force ........................................
140,825
90,395
85,941
4,453
4.9
50,430
BLACK AND OTHER
Civilian noninstitutional population1 ......................
Civilian labor force ......................................
Employed ............................................
Unemployed ........................................
Unemployment rate ..............................
Not in labor force ........................................
1As in table 1, population figures are not seasonally adjusted.
68
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
3.
Selected employment indicators, seasonally adjusted
[ In thousands]
Annual average
1978
1979
Selected categories
1977
1978
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
90,546
53,861
36,685
38,397
20,976
94,373
55,491
38,882
38,688
21,881
95,751
56,096
39,655
38,944
22,274
95,855
56,072
39,783
39,039
22,297
96,300
56,449
39,851
39,202
22,410
96,647
56,549
40,098
39,374
22,632
96,842
56,559
40,283
39,291
22,700
96,174
56,267
39,907
38,917
22,355
96,318
56,352
39,966
38,988
22,490
96,754
56,638
40,116
39,055
22,580
97,210
56,595
40,615
39,163
22,890
96,900
56,316
40,585
39,146
22,777
97,513
56,653
40,860
39,175
22,965
97,293
56,539
40,754
39,135
22,922
97,646
56,545
41,101
38,809
22,937
45,187
13,692
47,205
14,245
47,888
14,297
48,040
14,629
48,275
14,743
49,001
15,034
49,133
15,083
49,160
15,226
49,104
15,220
49,165
15,053
49,573
15,063
49,615
14,983
49,779
15,078
49,648
14,929
49,869
14,941
9,662
5,728
16,106
30,211
11,881
10,354
3,476
4,501
12,392
2,756
10,105
5,951
16,904
31,531
12,386
10,875
3,541
4,729
12,839
2,798
10,030
6,192
17,369
32,202
12,646
11,177
3,640
4,739
13,009
2,739
10,217
6,092
17,102
31,962
12,610
10,887
3,640
4,825
13,007
2,826
10,322
6,055
17,154
32,491
12,842
11,047
3,678
4,924
12,777
2,759
10,414
6,141
17,412
32,331
12,932
10,953
3,618
4,829
12,770
2,742
10,407
6,067
17,577
32,085
12,808
11,060
3,565
4,652
12,856
2,803
10,409
6,079
17,446
31,582
12,697
10,651
3,550
4,684
12,909
2,624
10,374
6,091
17,418
31,826
12,790
10,664
3,667
4,706
12,754
2,600
10,565
6,065
17,481
31,958
13,003
10,759
3,596
4,600
12,946
2,683
10,675
6,161
17,673
31,949
12,832
10,853
3,610
4,652
12,697
2,657
10,772
6,085
17,774
31,767
12,755
10,880
3,571
4,561
12,591
2,703
10,640
6,114
17,947
32,287
13,057
10,987
3,622
4,621
12,796
2,736
10,648
6,247
17,825
32,191
12,974
10,989
3,561
4,667
12,977
2,702
10,530
6,451
17,947
32,169
12,912
11,048
3,648
4,561
12,935
2,760
1,331
1,570
344
1,419
1,607
316
1,424
1,563
293
1,478
1,625
318
1,365
1,547
293
1,429
1,550
348
1,419
1,595
324
1,362
1,531
282
1,439
1,490
270
1,445
1,525
293
1,403
1,552
294
1,363
1,632
310
1,391
1,678
327
1,373
1,617
312
1,504
1,631
313
80,804
15,153
65,651
1,376
64,275
6,005
492
84,253
15,289
68,966
1,363
67,603
6,305
472
85,578
15,373
70,205
1,335
68,870
6,370
455
85,579
15,360
70,219
1,316
68,903
6,515
460
86,169
15,217
70,952
1,245
69,707
6,529
478
86,346
15,293
71,053
1,334
69,719
6,632
456
86,592
15,224
71,368
1,255
. 70,112
6,585
443
86,195
15,356
70,839
1,160
69,679
6,468
471
86,129
15,635
70,494
1,177
69,317
6,625
466
86,309
12,257
71,051
1,236
69,816
6,600
482
86,277
15,382
70,895
1,217
69,678
6,753
529
86,227
15,260
70,967
1,205
69,761
6,649
443
86,891
15,450
71,441
1,332
70,109
6,682
453
87,032
15,549
71,483
1,270
70,213
6,814
421
86,983
15,393
71,590
1,212
70,378
6,760
409
81,999
67,262
3,297
1,257
2,040
11,440
85,693
70,543
3,216
1,249
1,967
11,934
86,653
71,394
3,131
1,279
1,852
12,128
87,046
71,787
3,058
1,209
1,849
12,201
87,490
72,209
3,159
1,208
1,951
12,122
87,592
72,250
3,147
1,205
1,942
12,195
87,955
72,623
3,179
1,235
1,944
12,154
86,345
71,554
3,312
1,265
2,048
11,479
87,727
72,476
3.307
1,246
2,061
11,943
87,843
72,230
3,416
1,416
2,000
12,198
89,074
73,138
3,340
1,394
1,946
12,597
89,154
73,222
3,355
1,478
1,877
12,577
88,824
73,252
3,111
1,255
1,856
2,461
88,487
73,164
3,230
1,293
1,937
12,093
88,372
72,785
3,358
1,419
1,939
12,228
CHARACTERISTIC
Total employed, 16 years and over ........................
Men ...................................................................
W om en...............................................................
Married men, spouse present ...........................
Married women, spouse present ......................
OCCUPATION
White-collar w orke rs.................................................
Professional and technical ...............................
Managers and administrators, except
‘arm ..............................................................
Salesworkers......................................................
Clerical workers.................................................
Blue-collar workers...................................................
Craft and kindred workers ...............................
Operatives, except transport.............................
Transport equipment operatives ......................
Nonfarm laborers...............................................
Service workers ........................................................
Farmworkers ............................................................
MAJOR INDUSTRY AND CLASS
OF WORKER
Agriculture:
Wage and salary w orkers.................................
Self-employed workers......................................
Unpaid family workers ......................................
Nonagricultural industries:
Wage and salary w orkers.................................
Government ...............................................
Private industries........................................
Private households .............................
Other industries .................................
Self-employed workers......................................
Unpaid family workers ......................................
PERSONS AT WORK1
Nonagricultural industries ........................................
Full-time schedules ..........................................
Part time for economic re a s o n s ..........................
Usually work full tim e .................................
Usually work part tim e ...............................
Part time for noneconomic reasons..................
'Excludes persons “ with a job but not at work" during the survey period for such reasons as
vacation, illness, or industrial disputes.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
69
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Household Data
4.
Selected unemployment indicators, seasonally adjusted
Annual average
1978
1979
Employment status
1977
1978
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Total, 16 years and o ver..........................................
Men, 20 years and o v e r...................................
Women, 20 years and over .............................
Both sexes, 16-19 years ...............................
7.0
5.2
7.0
17.7
6.0
4.2
6.0
16.3
5.8
3.9
5.8
16.2
5.9
4.1
5.8
16.5
5.8
4.0
5.7
15.7
5.7
4.0
5.7
16.1
5.7
4.0
5.7
15.1
5.8
4.0
5.7
16.5
5.8
3.9
5.8
16.8
5.6
3.9
5.8
15.3
5.7
4.1
5.5
15.3
6.0
4.2
5.9
16.5
5.8
4.2
5.5
16.4
6.0
4.3
5.8
16.6
5.8
4.3
5.5
15.9
White, total ........................................................
Men, 20 years and over ...........................
Women, 20 years and o v e r ......................
Both sexes, 16-19 years ........................
6.2
4.6
6.2
15.4
5.2
3.7
5.2
13.9
5.0
3.4
5.0
13.8
5.2
3.5
5.1
14.2
5.1
3.6
5.0
13.7
4.9
3.4
5.0
13.6
5.0
3.4
5.0
13.6
4.9
3.4
4.9
13.9
5.0
3.3
5.1
14.3
4.9
3.4
5.0
13.0
4.9
3.6
4.7
13.3
5.3
3.8
5.2
14.9
5.1
3.7
4.8
14.6
5.2
3.7
5.1
14.4
5.2
3.8
4.9
14.0
Black and other, to ta l........................................
Men, 20 years and over ...........................
Women, 20 years and over ......................
Both sexes, 16-19 years ........................
13.1
10.0
11.7
38.3
11.9
8.6
10,6
36.3
11.7
8.3
10.3
36.5
11.5
8.4
10.2
34.9
11.2
7.8
10.6
32.7
11.9
8.6
10.6
35.5
11.2
8.8
9.8
31.5
11.8
8.6
10.8
34.5
11.6
8.4
9.9
369
11.3
7.9
10.8
34.0
10.8
8.3
9.8
30.9
11.0
8.3
10.3
30.7
10.6
7.9
9.6
31.5
11.7
9.0
10.1
35.7
10.8
8.3
9.3
33.1
Married men, spouse present...........................
Married women, spouse present......................
Women who head fam ilie s...............................
Full-time workers...............................................
Part-time workers ............................................
Unemployed 15 weeks and o ve r......................
Labor force time lost1 ......................................
3.6
6.5
9.3
6.5
9.8
2.0
7.6
2.8
5.5
8.5
5.5
9.0
1.4
6.5
2.4
5.5
7.7
5.2
8.9
1.2
6.2
2.5
5.6
7.7
5.3
9.2
1.2
6.2
2.6
5.3
7.8
5.2
9.1
1.2
6.2
2.6
5.1
8.3
5.2
8.6
1.2
6.2
2.6
5.1
8.3
5.1
9.2
1.3
6.1
2.7
5.2
8.4
5.3
8.8
1.2
6.5
2.5
5.2
8.9
5.2
9.6
1.2
6.3
2.6
5.2
9.1
5.1
8.6
1.1
6.3
2.9
4.8
8.1
5.3
8.2
1.0
6.4
3.0
5.4
7.9
5.4
8.8
1.2
6.5
2.8
4.7
7.6
5.4
8.3
1.1
6.2
2.9
5.3
8.4
5.5
9.0
1.2
6.4
2.9
4.8
8.3
5.4
8.2
1.1
6.4
4.3
3.0
3.5
2.6
3.2
2.4
3.5
3.0
3.3
2.5
3.4
2.3
3.4
2.1
3.3
2.2
3.2
2.0
3.4
2.5
3.2
2.5
3.6
2.6
3.3
2.5
3.5
2.8
3.1
2.4
2.8
5.3
5.9
8.1
5.6
9.5
6.6
12.0
8.2
4.6
2.1
4.1
4.9
6.9
4.6
8.1
5.2
10.7
7.4
3.8
2.2
3.1
4.5
6.4
4.0
7.5
4.2
11.6
7.4
3.2
1.9
3.6
4.6
6.8
4.7
7.7
5.3
11.0
7.7
3.4
2.0
3.8
4.6
6.4
4.5
7.6
4.9
9.4
7.9
2.8
1.9
4.3
4.7
6.4
4.7
7.6
5.0
9.3
7.1
3.6
2.2
4.1
4.9
6.6
4.6
7.7
5.2
10.3
7.2
3.2
2.3
4.0
4.5
6.9
4.2
8.6
6.0
10.5
7.4
3.4
2.2
4.0
4.6
6.7
4.0
8.3
5.4
11.1
7.2
3.5
2.0
4.5
4.6
6.5
4.2
7.7
5.5
10.3
7.2
3.1
1.9
3.5
4,4
6.8
4.2
8.3
5.2
10.9
7.2
4.5
2.3
4.2
5.0
7.6
4.9
9.3
6.8
11.5
7.0
3.8
2.2
3.9
4.5
7.1
4.1
9.2
6.2
10,8
6.7
4.2
2.3
3.8
4.7
7.3
4.8
9.2
5.6
10.6
7.0
4.3
1.9
3.5
4.3
7.5
4.9
8.9
4.9
12.7
6.6
4.4
7.0
12.7
6.7
6.2
7.4
4.7
8.0
6.0
4.2
11.1
5.9
10.6
5.5
4.9
6.3
3.7
6.9
5.1
3.9
8.8
5.6
10.8
5.1
4.6
5.8
3.3
6.5
5.0
3.9
7.9
5.8
12.1
5.0
4.4
6.0
3.3
6.8
5.1
4.0
7.7
5.7
10.6
5.0
4.4
5.9
3.5
6.5
5.1
4.0
7.2
5.6
11.5
4.8
4.1
5.8
3.0
6.6
4.8
3.7
8.9
5.5
10.2
5.2
4.3
6.4
4.0
6.2
4.7
4.1
7.7
5.7
10.3
5.4
4.6
6.5
2.9
6.6
4.8
3.6
8.6
5.7
9.6
5.4
4.4
7.0
3.5
6.4
5.0
3.5
9.3
5.6
9.6
5.3
4.8
6.2
3.0
6.8
4.7
3.6
7.7
5.7
9.5
5.8
5.5
6.2
3.9
6.2
4.9
3.5
10.4
6.1
9.5
6.2
5.7
6.9
3.8
6.6
5.4
3.8
9.9
5.8
8.8
6.1
5.3
7.3
4.1
6.4
4.7
3.3
10.3
6.0
10.1
6.2
5.6
7.0
3.8
6.5
4.9
4.1
9.8
5.9
105
5.9
5.7
6.1
4.3
6.5
4.6
3.6
10.2
CHARACTERISTIC
OCCUPATION
White-collar workers ...............................................
Professional and technical ...............................
Managers and administrators, except
farm ..............................................................
Salesworkers ...................................................
Clerical workers ...............................................
Blue-collar workers .................................................
Craft and kindred workers ...............................
Operatives, except transport ...........................
Transport equipment operatives ......................
Nonfarm laborers ............................................
Service workers........................................................
Farmworkers............................................................
INDUSTRY
Nonagricultural private wage and salary workers2
Construction ......................................................
Manufacturing...................................................
Durable goods ..........................................
Nondurable goods......................................
Transportation and public utilities ....................
Wholesale and retail trade ...............................
Finance and service industries ........................
Government workers ...............................................
Agricultural wage and salary workers ....................
' Aggregate hours lost by the unemployed and persons on part time for economic reasons as a
percent of potentially available labor force hours
70
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2 Includes mining, not shown separately,
5.
Unemployment rates, by sex and age, seasonally adjusted
Sex and age
Annual average
1978
1979
1977
1978
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Total, 16 years and o ve r..........................................
16 to 19 years .................................................
16 to 17 years ..........................................
18 to 19 years ..........................................
20 to 24 years .................................................
25 years and o v e r.............................................
25 to 54 years ..........................................
/— 55 years and o ve r......................................
7.0
17.7
19.9
16.2
10.9
4.9
5.1
4.1
6.0
16.3
19.3
14.2
9.5
4.0
4.2
3.2
5.8
16.2
19.3
14.0
9.0
3.8
4.0
2.9
5.9
16.5
20.2
13.8
9.3
3.9
4.2
2.9
5.8
15.7
18.4
13.6
8.6
3.9
4.2
2.9
5.7
16.1
18.4
14.6
8.6
3.9
4.1
3.0
5.7
15.5
18.9
13.1
8.8
3.9
4.1
3.1
5.8
16.5
19.1
14.3
85
4.0
4.2
3.1
5.8
16.8
19.2
15.2
8.9
3.8
4.0
3.2
5,6
15.3
16.7
14.1
8.9
3.8
4.0
2.9
5.7
15.3
17.1
14.4
9.0
3.9
4.0
3.2
6.0
16.5
18.1
15.5
9.3
4.1
4.3
3.2
5.8
16.4
16.8
16.0
9.2
3.8
4.1
2.9
6.0
16.6
18.5
15.3
9.5
4.0
4.3
2.9
5.8
15.9
17.4
14.8
8.8
4.0
4.3
2.8
Men, 16 years and o v e r....................................
16 to 19 years ..........................................
16 to 17 y e a rs ....................................
18 to 19 y e a rs ....................................
20 to 24 years ..........................................
25 years and o ve r......................................
25 to 54 y e a rs ....................................
55 years and over .............................
6.2
17.3
19.5
15.6
10.7
4.2
4.3
3.9
5.2
15.7
19.2
13.2
9.1
3.3
3.4
3.1
5.0
15.9
20.1
12.7
8.5
3.1
3.2
2.5
5.1
16.7
20.7
13.6
8.9
3.2
3.4
2.6
5.1
16.1
19.1
13.5
8.4
3.2
3.3
2.8
5.0
16.5
19.2
14.7
8.2
3.2
3.2
2.8
5.0
16.0
19.9
13.2
8.4
3.2
3.3
2.8
5.1
16.2
18.0
14.2
7.8
3.3
3.4
3.0
4.9
16.1
19.0
14.1
8.0
3.1
3.1
2.9
4.7
14.1
158
13.5
8.0
3.1
3.1
3.1
5.0
14.9
15.2
14.9
8.8
3.3
3.3
3.4
5.2
16.0
17.3
15.3
8.9
3.5
3.6
3.2
5.2
16.2
166
15.6
8.8
3.4
3.5
2.9
5.2
15.7
17.1
14.6
9.5
3.4
3.6
2.7
5.2
15.9
18.3
13.9
8.4
3.5
3.8
2.6
Women, 16 years and over .............................
16 to 19 years ..........................................
16 to 17 y e a rs ....................................
18 to 19 y e a rs ....................................
20 to 24 years ..........................................
25 years and o ve r......................................
25 to 54 y e a rs ....................................
55 years and over .............................
8.2
18.3
204
16.8
11.2
6.0
6.4
4.5
7.2
17.0
19.5
15.3
10.1
5.1
5.4
3.3
6.9
16.5
18.3
15.5
9.6
4.9
5.2
3.5
6.9
16.3
19.6
14.1
9.7
5.0
5.3
3.3
6.7
15.3
17.5
13.6
8.9
5.0
5.4
3.1
6.7
15.7
17.4
14.4
9.1
4.9
5.3
3.3
6.7
14.8
17.8
13.0
9.4
4.8
5.2
3.6
6.9
16.8
20.2
14.4
9.4
4.9
5.2
3.1
7.0
17.7
19.3
16.4
9.9
5.0
5.2
3.7
6.9
16.6
17.7
14.8
9.9
4.8
5.3
2.7
6.6
15.8
19.2
13.8
9.3
4.7
5.0
2.9
7.0
17.1
18.9
15.8
9.9
5.0
5.4
3.3
6.6
16.7
17.0
16.5
9.7
4.6
4.9
3.0
7.0
17.6
20.0
16.0
9.6
4.9
5.3
3.4
6.6
16.0
16.3
15.9
9.3
4.7
5.0
3.1
6.
Unemployed persons, by reason for unemployment, seasonally adjusted
[Numbers in thousands]
1978
Reason for unemployment
1979
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
2,372
746
1,626
825
1,754
872
2,442
715
1,727
871
1,937
826
2,454
753
1,701
927
1,692
823
2,481
792
1,689
829
1,756
874
2,440
789
1,652
863
1,788
822
2,521
846
1,675
847
1,790
811
2,361
710
1,652
951
1,762
841
2,358
796
1,562
867
1,738
787
2,532
793
1,739
838
1,737
694
2,724
960
1,765
894
1,798
720
2,608
836
1,771
818
1,785
803
2,771
916
1,855
825
1,788
793
2,745
1,008
1,737
843
1,665
737
100.0
40.7
12.8
27.9
14.2
30.1
15.0
100.0
40.2
11.8
28.4
14.3
31.9
13.6
100.0
41.6
12.8
28.9
15.7
287
14.0
100.0
41.8
13.3
28.4
14.0
29.6
14.7
100.0
41.3
13.3
27.9
14.6
302
13.9
100.0
42.2
14.2
281
14.2
30.0
13.6
100.0
39.9
12.0
27.9
16.1
29.8
14.2
100.0
41.0
13.8
27.2
15.1
30.2
13.7
100.0
43.7
13.7
30.0
14.4
29.9
12.0
100.0
44.4
15.6
28.8
146
29.3
11.7
100.0
43.4
13.9
29.5
13.6
29.7
13.4
100.0
44.9
14.8
30.0
13.4
29.0
12.8
100.0
458
16.8
29.0
14.1
27.8
12.3
2.3
.8
1.7
.9
2.4
.9
1.9
.8
2.4
.9
1.7
.8
2.4
8
1.7
9
2.4
8
1.7
8
2.5
8
1.8
.8
2.3
.9
1.7
.8
2.3
.8
1.7
.8
2.5
.8
1.7
.7
2.6
.9
1.7
.7
2.5
.8
1.7
.8
2.7
.8
1.7
.8
2.6
.8
1.6
.7
NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED
Lost last job ................................................................................................
On layoff ..............................................................................................
Other job losers ..................................................................................
Lett last jo b ..................................................................................................
Reentered labor force ................................................................................
Seeking first jo b ...........................................................................................
PERCENT DISTRIBUTION
Total unemployed .......................................................................................
jo b lo se rs....................................................................................................
On layoff ..............................................................................................
Other job losers ..................................................................................
Job le ave rs..................................................................................................
Reentrants ..................................................................................................
New entrants................................................................................................
UNEMPLOYED AS A PERCENT OF
THE CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE
Job lo se rs....................................................................................................
Job le ave rs..................................................................................................
Reentrants ..................................................................................................
New entrants................................................................................................
7.
Duration of unemployment, seasonally adjusted
[Numbers in thousands]
Weeks of unemployment
Annual average
1977
Less than 5 w e eks...................................................
5 to 14 weeks ..........................................................
15 weeks and over .................................................
15 to 26 w e e ks.................................................
27 weeks and over ..........................................
Average (mean) duration, in weeks ........................
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
2,856
2,089
1,911
896
1.015
14.3
1978
2,793
1,875
1,379
746
633
11.9
1978
1979
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
2,833
1,774
1,196
685
511
11.0
2,876
1,979
1,208
726
482
10.7
2,713
1,877
1,251
728
523
11.2
2,743
1,870
1,260
712
548
11.3
2,751
1,857
1,305
729
576
11.7
2,939
1,874
1,235
692
543
11.0
2,787
1,935
1,213
705
508
11.1
2,927
1,782
1,086
616
470
10.4
2,784
1,970
1,052
600
451
10.0
3,226
1,743
1,191
662
529
10.5
2,743
2,050
1,133
627
507
10.6
2,963
1,965
1,223
703
520
10.5
2,970
1,795
1,190
665
524
10.5
71
EMPLOYMENT, HOURS, AND EARNINGS DATA FROM ESTABLISHMENT SURVEYS
E m p l o y m e n t , h o u r s , a n d e a r n in g s d a t a in this section are
compiled from payroll records reported monthly on a volun
tary basis to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and its cooperat
ing State agencies by 162,000 establishments representing all
industries except agriculture. In most industries, the sampling
probabilities are based on the size of the establishment; most
large establishments are therefore in the sample. (An estab
lishment is not necessarily a firm; it may be a branch plant,
for example, or warehouse.) Self-employed persons and others
not on a regular civilian payroll are outside the scope of the
survey because they are excluded from establishment records.
This largely accounts for the difference in employment figures
between the household and establishment surveys.
L a b o r t u r n o v e r d a t a in this section are compiled from per
sonnel records reported monthly on a voluntary basis to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics and its cooperating State agencies.
A sample of 40,000 establishments represents all industries in
the manufacturing and mining sectors of the economy.
Definitions
Employed persons are all persons who received pay (including holi
day and sick pay) for any part of the payroll period including the
12th of the month. Persons holding more than one job (about 5 per
cent of all persons in the labor force) are counted in each establish
ment which reports them.
Production workers in manufacturing include blue-collar worker
supervisors and all nonsupervisory workers closely associated with
production operations. Those workers mentioned in tables 1 4-20 in
clude production workers in manufacturing and mining; construction
workers in construction; and nonsupervisory workers in transporta
tion and public utilities, in wholesale and retail trade, in finance, in
surance, and real estate, and in service industries. These groups
account for about four-fifths of the total employment on private
nonagricultural payrolls.
Earnings are the payments production or nonsupervisory workers
receive during the survey period, including premium pay for overtime
or late-shift work but excluding irregular bonuses and other special
payments. Real earnings are earnings adjusted to eliminate the effects
of price change. The Hourly Earnings Index is calculated from aver
age hourly earnings data adjusted to exclude the effects of two types
of changes that are unrelated to underlying wage-rate developments:
fluctuations in overtime premiums in manufacturing (the only sector
for which overtime data are available) and the effects of changes and
seasonal factors in the proportion of workers in high-wage and lowwage industries. Spendable earnings are earnings from which estimat
ed social security and Federal income taxes have been deducted. The
Bureau of Labor Statistics computes spendable earnings from gross
72
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
weekly earnings for only two illustrative cases: (1) a worker with no
dependents and (2) a married worker with three dependents.
Hours represent the average weekly hours of production or
nonsupervisory workers for which pay was received and are different
from standard or scheduled hours. Overtime hours represent the por
tion of gross average weekly hours which were in excess of regular
hours and for which overtime premiums were paid.
Labor turnover is the movement of all wage and salary workers
from one employment status to another. Accession rates indicate the
average number of persons added to a payroll in a given period per
100 employees; separation rates indicate the average number dropped
from a payroll per 100 employees. Although month-to-month changes
in employment can be calculated from the labor turnover data, the re
sults are not comparable with employment data from the employment
and payroll survey. The labor turnover survey measures changes dur
ing the calendar month while the employment and payroll survey
measures changes from midmonth to midmonth.
Notes on the data
Establishment data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics are
periodically adjusted to comprehensive counts of employment (called
“benchmarks”). The latest complete adjustment was made with the re
lease of September 1979 data, published in the November 1979 issue of
the R eview . Consequently, data published in the R e view prior to that
issue are not necessarily comparable to current data. Complete compa
rable historical unadjusted and seasonally adjusted data are published
in a Supplement to Employment and Earnings (unadjusted data from
April 1977 through June 1979 and seasonally adjusted data from Jan
uary 1974 through June 1979) and in E m p lo y m e n t a n d Earnings, U nit
e d States, 1 9 0 9 - 78, BLS Bulletin 1312-11 (for prior periods).
Data on recalls were shown for the first time in tables 12 and 13 in
the January 1978 issue of the Review . For a detailed discussion of the
recalls series, along with historical data, see “New Series on Recalls
from the Labor Turnover Survey,” E m p lo y m e n t a n d Earnings, Decem
ber 1977, pp. 10-19.
A comprehensive discussion of the differences between household
and establishment data on employment appears in Gloria P. Green,
“Comparing employment estimates from household and payroll sur
veys,” M o n th ly L a b o r R eview , December 1969, pp. 9 -2 0 . See also
B L S H a n d b o o k o f M e th o d s f o r S u rveys a n d Studies, Bulletin 1910 (Bu
reau of Labor Statistics, 1976).
The formulas used to construct the spendable average weekly earn
ings series reflect the latest provisions of the Federal income tax and
social security tax laws. For the spendable average weekly earnings
formulas for the years 1977-79, see E m p lo y m e n t a n d E arnings, Sep
tember 1979, pp. 6 -8 . Beginning with data for January 1978, real
earnings data are adjusted using the revised Consumer Price Index for
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. Data prior to January
1978 are based on the unrevised Consumer Price Index for Urban
Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.
8.
Employment by industry, 1949- 78
[Nonagricultural payroll data, in thousands]
Year
Total
Mining
Construetion
Manufacturing
Transportation
and
public
utilities
Wholesale
and
retail
trade
Government
Finance,
insurance,
and real
estate
Services
Total
Federal
State
1949 .................................................................
1950 .................................................................
43,754
45,197
930
901
2,194
2,364
14,441
15,241
4,001
4,034
9,264
9,386
2,602
2,635
6,662
6,751
1,828
1,888
5,240
5,357
5,856
6,026
1,908
1,928
3,948
4,098
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................
47,819
48,793
50,202
48,990
50,641
929
898
866
791
792
2,637
2,668
2,659
2,646
2,839
16,393
16,632
17,549
16,314
16,882
4,226
4,248
4,290
4,084
4,141
9,742
10,004
10,247
10,235
10,535
2,727
2,812
2,854
2,867
2,926
7,015
7,192
7,393
7,368
7,610
1,956
2,035
2,111
2,200
2,298
5,547
5,699
5,835
5,969
6,240
6,389
6,609
6,645
6,751
6,914
2,302
2,420
2,305
2,188
2,187
4,087
4,188
4,340
4,563
4,727
1956
1957
1958
1959'
1960
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................
...............................................................
.................................................................
52,369
52,853
51,324
53,268
54,189
822
828
751
732
712
3,039
2,962
2,817
3,004
2,926
17,243
17,174
15,945
16,675
16,796
4,244
4,241
3,976
4,011
4,004
10,858
10,886
10,750
11,127
11,391
3,018
3,028
2,980
3,082
3,143
7,840
7,858
7,770
8,045
8,248
2,389
2,438
2,481
2,549
2,629
6,497
6,708
6,765
7,087
7,378
7,278
7,616
7,839
8,083
8,353
2,209
2,217
2,191
2,233
2,270
5,069
5,399
5,648
5,850
6,083
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................
53,999
55,549
56,653
58,283
60,765
672
650
635
634
632
2,859
2,948
3,010
3,097
3,232
16,326
16,853
16,995
17,274
18,062
3,903
3,906
3,903
3,951
4,036
11,337
11,566
11,778
12,160
12,716
3,133
3,198
3,248
3,337
3,466
8,204
8,368
8,530
8,823
9,250
2,688
2,754
2,830
2,911
2,977
7,620
7,982
8,277
8,660
9,036
8,594
8,890
9,225
9,596
10,074
2,279
2,340
2,358
2,348
2,378
6,315
6,550
6,868
7,248
7,696
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................
63,901
65,803
67,897
70,384
70,880
627
613
606
619
623
3,317
3,248
3,350
3,575
3,588
19,214
19,447
19,781
20,167
19,367
4,158
4,268
4,318
4,442
4,515
13,245
13,606
14,099
14,705
15,040
3,597
3,689
3,779
3,907
3,993
9,648
9,917
10,320
10,798
11,047
3,058
3,185
3,337
3,512
3,645
9,498
10,045
10,567
11,169
11,548
10,784
11,391
11,839
12,195
12,554
2,564
2,719
2,737
2,758
2,731
8,220
8,672
9,102
9,437
9,823
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................
...............................................
.................................................................
71,214
73,675
76,790
78,265
76,945
609
628
642
697
752
3,704
3,889
4,097
4,020
3,525
18,623
19,151
20,154
20,077
18,323
4,476
4,541
4,656
4,725
4,542
15,352
15,949
16,607
16,987
17,060
4,001
4,113
4,277
4,433
4,415
11,351
11,836
12,329
12,554
12,645
3,772
3,908
4,046
4,148
4,165
11,797
12,276
12,857
13,441
13,892
12,881
13,334
13,732
14,170
14,686
2,696
2,684
2,663
2,724
2,748
10,185
10,649
11,068
11,446
11,937
1976 .................................................................
1977 .................................................................
1978 .................................................................
79,382
82,423
86,446
779
813
851
3,576
3,851
4,271
18,997
19,682
20,476
4,582
4,713
4,927
17,755
18,516
19,499
4,546
4,708
4,957
13,209
13,808
14,542
4,271
4,467
4,727
14,551
15,303
16,220
14,871
15,079
15,476
2,733
2,727
2,753
12,138
12,352
12,723
’ Data include Alaska and Hawaii beginning in 1959.
9.
E m p lo y m e n t b y S ta te
•
[Nonagricultural payroll data, in thousands]
State
Oct. 1978
Sept. 1979
Oct. 1979 p
State
Oct. 1978
Sept. 1979
Oct. 1979 p
Alabama ................................................................
Alaska ....................................................
Arizona ................................................
Arkansas ............................................................
California......................................................................
1,359.5
166.1
914.8
737.5
9,404.0
1,359.0
171.4
955.0
751.6
9,764.0
1,362.8
167.4
971.6
753.6
9,811.6
Montana..................................................................
Nebraska................................................................
Nevada ..................................................................
New Hampshire ......................................................
New Jersey ..........................................................
281.6
608.8
367.6
372.3
3,014.3
300.2
621.9
383.5
391.1
3,042.4
294.3
620.1
3829
389.2
3,052.3
Colorado ....................................................................
Connecticut ............................................................
Delaware................................................................
District of Columbia............................................
Florida................................................................
1,166.0
1,377.6
252.0
589.1
3,148.8
1,198.1
1,409.8
248.4
592.9
3,259.4
1,206.9
1,414.5
250.5
595.5
3,293.8
New Mexico..................................................
New York................................................................
North Carolina ........................................................
North Dakota ..........................................................
Ohio ......................................................................
454.4
7,108.3
2,307.5
241.4
4,471.7
474.2
7,123.6
2,363.3
249.8
4,527.7
473.5
7,161.4
2,372.0
252.2
4,528.4
Georgia ....................................................................
Hawaii..................................................................
Idaho1 ........................................................................
Illinois ..............................................
Indiana............................................................
2,010.4
379.7
344.4
4,831.9
2,228.3
2,025.5
390.3
344.2
4,886.8
2,262.6
2,028.8
392.5
342.4
4,849.4
2,263 1
Oklahoma ............................................................
Oregon ..................................................................
Pennsylvania ..........................................................
Rhode Island ..........................................................
South Carolina ........................................................
1,045.9
1,032.3
4,721.0
410.0
1,150.6
1,091.2
1,067.1
4,698.5
406.8
1,167.7
1,091.7
1,072.2
4,734.5
405.2
1,176.2
Iowa ..........................................................
Kansas ..............................................................
Kentucky ......................................................................
Louisiana..............................................................
Maine ......................................................
1,126.7
922.6
1,266.8
1,428.2
413.6
1,143.7
953.2
1,287.2
1,447.3
418.1
1,130.5
958.4
1,287.8
1,454.6
416.2
South Dakota..........................................................
Tennessee ............................................................
Texas ....................................................................
Utah ......................................................................
Vermont....................................................
2362
1,736.7
5,341.1
542.7
195.1
238.2
1,737.8
5,562.4
571.5
199.2
236.6
1,745.5
5,593.4
573.7
200.2
Maryland ................................................................
Massachusetts..............................................................
Michigan ................................................................
Minnesota ....................................................................
Mississippi ........................................................
Missouri..................................................................
1,618,3
2,551.2
3,651.7
1,725.7
831.9
1,958.7
1,628.5
2,597.4
3,580.0
1,779.7
834 1
1,975.1
1,626.3
2,6024
3,610.1
1,795.6
838.9
1,978.5
Virginia....................................................................
Washington ............................................................
West Virginia ..........................................................
Wisconsin..........................................................
Wyoming ................................................................
2,089.6
1,550.4
637.6
1,932.1
196.7
2,121.6
1,638.8
640.8
1,994.9
220.5
2,126.3
1,641.3
NA
2,006.1
221.5
1Revised series; not strictly comparable with previously published data.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
73
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Establishment Data
10.
Employment by industry division and major manufacturing group
[Nonagricultural payroll data, in thousands]
Annual average
1978
1979
Industry division and group
TOTAL ........................................................
MINING
1977
1978
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.p
Nov.p
82,423
86,446
88,622
88,893
87,128
87,331
88,207
88,820
89,671
90,541
89,618
89,673
90,211
90,667
90,987
..........................................................
813
851
920
916
910
915
926
932
944
968
976
986
980
983
987
CONSTRUCTION ..............................................
3,851
4,271
4,584
4,402
3,998
3,957
4,226
4,413
4,662
4,881
4,993
5,048
4,984
4,975
4,897
MANUFACTURING............................................
19,682
14,135
20,476
14,714
20,903
15,058
20,902
15,047
20,763
14,910
20,775
14,908
20,887
14,993
20,907
15,002
20,988
15,061
21,234
15,240
20,965
14,946
20,996
14,960
21,192
15,172
21,085
15,076
21,017
15,004
Production workers ..........................................
11,597
8,307
12,246
8,786
12,583
9,057
12,616
9,081
12,561
9,016
12,579
9,018
12,664
9,081
12,697
9,105
12,739
9,129
12,877
9,223
12,712
9,031
12,598
8,907
12,805
9,116
12,729
9,052
12,687
9,004
Lumber and wood products .............................
Furniture and fixtures........................................
Stone, clay, and glass products ......................
Primary metal industries....................................
Fabricated metal products ...............................
Machinery, except electrical.............................
Electric and electronic equipment....................
Transportation equipment.................................
Instruments and related products ....................
Miscellaneous manufacturing ...........................
721.9
464.3
668.7
1,181.6
1,582.8
2,174.7
1,878.0
1,871.5
615.1
438.4
752.4
491.1
698.0
1,212.7
1,673.4
2,319.2
1,999.5
1,991.7
653.5
454.0
757.2
498.0
712.9
1,236.1
1,717.9
2,384.5
2,057.2
2,073.4
672.0
473.4
753.9
498.4
703.6
1,243.0
1,723.6
2,415.7
2,062.4
2,087.6
675.6
452.3
739.0
497.0
681.6
1,243.8
1,716.0
2,428.7
2,060.9
2,075.2
677.5
441.2
737.7
495.2
680.6
1,244.8
1,715.6
2,446.4
2,071.0
2,062.7
680.2
444.8
745.5
491.8
697.2
1,251.1
1,719.8
2,459.5
2,082.6
2,083.9
683.2
449.0
748.8
487.8
706.6
1,259.0
1,723.7
2,468.0
2,086.1
2,082.2
686.5
448.0
763.8
483.9
7186
1,258.6
1,727.8
2,463.6
2,095.2
2,091.8
686.5
448.9
783.2
484.2
733.1
1,274.3
1,749.0
2,491.2
2,128.2
2,077.9
698.8
457.4
776.8
475.5
727.1
1,260.7
1,715.7
2,485.1
2,111.7
2,027.7
692.9
438.6
780.0
483.5
728.2
1,244.5
1,716.1
2,467.1
2,089.5
1,933.2
695.3
460.6
776.3
485.3
723.6
1,244.3
1,735.3
2,496.4
2,136.1
2,051.0
692.7
463.8
771.8
487.9
720.2
1,224.1
1,738.7
2,443.3
2,141.1
2,040.1
6950
466.5
749.6
490.6
716.8
1,221.0
1,741.2
2,451.6
2,144.9
2,011.4
696.9
463.1
Production workers ..........................................
8,086
5,828
8,230
5,928
8,320
6,001
8,286
5,966
8,202
5.894
8,196
5,890
8,223
5,912
8,210
5,897
8,249
5,932
8,357
6,017
8,253
5,915
8,398
6,053
8,387
6,056
8,356
6,024
8,330
6,000
Food and kindred products...............................
Tobacco manufactures ....................................
Textile mill products..........................................
Apparel and other textile products ..................
Paper and allied products ...............................
Printing and publishing......................................
Chemicals and allied products ........................
Petroleum and coal products ...........................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products
Leather and leather products ...........................
1,711.0
70.7
910.2
1,316.3
691.6
1,141.4
1,073.7
202.3
713.5
254.8
1,721.2
69.6
900.2
1,332.5
700.9
1,193.1
1,096.3
208.7
751.9
255.6
1,740.9
74.2
901.8
1,345.0
702.4
1,215.1
1,103.2
210.7
771.9
255.1
1,717.2
73.9
899.9
1,327.4
704.1
1,226.4
1,103.0
209.0
773.5
251.5
1,678.0
69.8
896.3
1,313.6
700.0
1,221.0
1,100.0
205.8
771.0
246.3
1,658.1
66.4
8964
1,320.6
703.4
1,225.7
1,099.7
206.4
773.8
245.1
1,666.9
64.4
894,4
1,326.6
708.8
1,229.5
1,103.9
208.3
774.4
245.7
1,657.3
62.5
890.4
1,323.7
710.8
1,231.0
1,106.7
210.8
772.0
245.1
1,669.6
61.9
892.5
1,327.5
712.7
1,234.7
1,110.9
212.9
777.0
249.2
1,716.6
62.1
900.4
1,333.1
724.6
1,243.4
1,126.6
216.8
779.4
253.7
1,737.8
62.1
875.5
1,278.7
719.6
1,245.8
1,123.0
218.0
767.4
224.7
1,810.0
69.0
890.4
1,308.9
723.3
1,245.4
1,121.2
218.3
765.8
245.8
1,814.1
72.2
888.9
1,309.1
718.5
1,246.1
1,114.9
218.1
762.0
243.1
1,765.9
722
889.0
1316.2
717.6
1,255.4
1,116.1
218.0
762.5
243.0
1,731.2
64.6
893.6
1,312.5
717.5
1,264.8
1,118.8
219.1
762.1
245.3
Production workers ..........................................
Durable goods
Nondurable goods
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE
WHOLESALE TRADE
RETAIL TRADE..................................................
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL ESTATE . .
4,713
4,927
5,063
5,084
5,010
5,028
5,060
4,989
5,125
5,231
5,200
5,210
5,242
5,243
5,259
18,516
19,499
20,095
20,523
19,765
19,548
19,690
19,957
20,119
20,222
20,118
20,137
20,260
20,315
20.557
4,708
4,957
5,069
5,092
5,066
5,067
5,098
5,112
5,146
5,211
5,208
5,211
5,206
5,234
5,254
13,808
14,542
15,026
15,431
14,699
14,481
14,592
14,845
14,973
15,011
14,910
14,926
15,054
15,081
15,303
4,467
4,727
4,817
4,832
4,829
4,845
4,870
4,900
4,936
5,003
5,032
5,053
5,002
5,013
5,046
SERVICES
15,303
16,220
16,537
16,547
16,353
16,545
16,749
16,897
17,039
17,239
17,314
17,312
17,225
17,295
17,317
GOVERNMENT ..................................................
15,079
2,727
12,352
15,476
2,753
12,723
15,703
2,746
12,957
15,687
2,733
12,954
15,500
2,730
12,770
15,718
2,738
12,980
15,799
2,740
13,059
15,825
2,750
13,075
15,858
2,773
13,085
15,763
2,824
12,939
15,020
2,838
12,182
14,931
2,844
12,087
15,326
2,751
12,575
15,758
2,756
13,002
15,907
2,760
13,147
Federal..............................................................
State and local .................................................
74
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
11.
Employment by industry division and major manufacturing group, seasonally adjusted
[Nonagricultural payroll data, in thousands]
1978
1979
Industry division and group
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.»
Nov.p
TOTAL ..........................................................................................
87,840
88,133
88,433
88,700
89,039
89,036
89,398
89,626
89,713
89,762
89,803
89,967
90,185
MINING ..............................................................................................
919
922
927
937
940
940
944
949
956
968
973
980
986
CONSTRUCTION ................................................................................
4,429
4,469
4,497
4,486
4,614
4,559
4,648
4,662
4,688
4,674
4,671
4,693
4,731
MANUFACTURING ..............................................................................
20,772
14,933
20,881
15,021
20,958
15,085
21,025
15,128
21,073
15,153
21,066
15,134
21,059
15,112
21,063
15,096
21,079
15,090
20,957
14,956
20,949
14,957
20,886
14,890
20,887
14,877
Production w orke rs..........................................................................
12,510
8,983
12,583
9,042
12,640
9,085
12,715
9,138
12,751
9,158
12,752
9,146
12,739
9,119
12,760
9,123
12,786
9,124
12,714
9,044
12,737
9,066
12,640
8,965
12,614
8,928
Lumber and wood products ...................................................................
Furniture and fixtures..............................................................................
Stone, clay, and glass products ............................................................
Primary metal industries..........................................................................
Fabricated metal products .....................................................................
Machinery, except e lectrical...................................................................
Electric and electronic equipment..........................................................
Transportation equipment.......................................................................
Instruments and related products ..........................................................
Miscellaneous manufacturing .................................................................
760
492
704
1,242
1,706
2,382
2,037
2,057
670
460
765
494
710
1,247
1,718
2,404
2,050
2,063
674
458
768
497
709
1,250
1,725
2,419
2,065
2,069
679
459
768
496
712
1,256
1,733
2,437
2,079
2,094
682
458
769
493
718
1,259
1,732
2,450
2,093
2,094
685
458
761
490
714
1,260
1,732
2,466
2,101
2,084
689
455
762
487
715
1,254
1,730
2,471
2,106
2,077
688
449
757
485
715
1,257
1,737
2,484
2,124
2,057
693
451
753
488
711
1,256
1,730
2,500
2,131
2,073
694
450
752
484
710
1,245
1,714
2,492
2,092
2,079
695
451
758
480
708
1,236
1,716
2,496
2,117
2,086
692
448
760
482
708
1,225
1,723
2,451
2,122
2,024
696
449
752
485
708
1,227
1,729
2,449
2,124
1,995
695
450
Production w orke rs..........................................................................
8,262
5,950
8,298
5,979
8,318
6,000
8,310
5,990
8,322
5,995
8,314
5,988
8,320
5,993
8,303
5,973
8,293
5,966
8,243
5,912
8,212
5,891
8,246
5,925
8,273
5,949
Food and kindred products.....................................................................
Tobacco manufactures ..........................................................................
Textile mill products................................................................................
Apparel and other textile products ........................................................
Paper and allied products .....................................................................
Printing and publishing............................................................................
Chemicals and allied products ..............................................................
Petroleum and coal products .................................................................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products ........................................
Leather and leather products .................................................................
1,725
69
897
1,330
■ 700
1,212
1,102
210
763
254
1,736
69
899
1,333
703
1,218
1,106
211
770
253
1,735
68
900
1,339
706
1,225
1,109
211
774
251
1,729
68
899
1,327
711
1,229
1,108
212
779
248
1,736
69
897
1,324
716
1,232
1,108
213
780
247
1,728
69
892
1,325
717
1,234
1,111
213
781
244
1,725
70
893
1,324
714
1,236
1,114
213
784
247
1,720
69
892
1,312
715
1,242
1,119
212
775
247
1,707
68
892
1,324
718
1,250
1,116
212
777
229
1,696
64
886
1,302
717
1,247
1,111
213
764
243
1,691
65
884
1,294
714
1,245
1,110
215
751
243
1,706
65
886
1,298
715
1,253
1,114
216
750
243
1,716
60
889
1,298
715
1,261
1,118
219
753
244
Production w orke rs..........................................................................
Durable goods ................................................................................
Nondurable goods
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES ......................................
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE
5,038
5,054
5,071
5,094
5,116
5,024
5,130
5,190
5,169
5,194
5,180
5,217
5,233
19,829
19,858
19,965
20,016
20,054
20,088
20,129
20,116
20,122
20,126
20,169
20,244
20,285
WHOLESALE TRADE ..........................................................................
5,054
5,077
5,102
5,118
5,134
5,138
5,156
5,180
5,182
5,185
5,190
5,208
5,238
RETAIL TRADE....................................................................................
14,775
14,781
14,863
14,898
14,920
14,950
14,973
14,936
14,940
14,941
14,979
15,036
15,047
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL ESTATE ......................................
4,827
4,847
4,868
4,884
4,899
4,915
4,936
4,958
4,972
5,003
4,997
5,018
5,056
SERVICES ..........................................................................................
16,554
16,630
16,670
16,763
16,833
16,880
16,954
17,051
17,092
17,141
17,191
17,260
17,334
GOVERNMENT ....................................................................................
15,472
2,757
12,715
15,472
2,734
12,738
15,477
2,758
12,719
15,495
2,757
12,738
15,510
2,757
12,753
15,564
2,758
12,806
15,598
2,770
12,828
15,637
2,788
12,849
15,635
2,785
12,850
15,699
2,813
12,886
15,673
2,762
12,911
15,669
2,770
12,899
15,673
2,771
12,902
Federal....................................................................................................
State and local .......................................................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
75
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Establishment Data
12.
Labor turnover rates in manufacturing, 1976 to date
[Per 100 employees]
Year
Annual
average
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
3.9
3.7
3.8
4.0
3.5
3.7
3.2
3.4
4.2
4.0
3.8
3.8
3.9
3.8
4.0
3.9
4.5
4,6
4.7
4.7
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.3
5.1
5.3
5.4
4.9
4.4
4.6
4.9
4.4
2.9
3.0
3.3
3.1
3.6
4.0
4.2
3.7
1.1
.9
.8
.9
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
3.5
3.9
4.3
»4.1
2.9
3.1
3.3
2.2
2.4
2.4
3.2
3.5
3.9
3.4
2.5
3.0
3.5
»3.1
1.9
2.2
2.6
1.3
1.6
1.7
1.1
1.0
.9
.9
.8
.8
.7
.8
.7
.6
.6
0.7
.7
.6
.5
.7
6
.5
4.3
4.3
4.1
4.3
4.9
5.1
5.3
5.7
4.7
4.9
4.8
4.7
4.1
3.8
4.1
»4.2
3.4
3.4
3.5
3.5
3.4
3.4
1.9
1.9
2.1
2.0
2.8
3.1
3.5
3.3
2.5
2.8
3.1
2.7
1.7
1.9
2.3
»2.1
1.2
1.5
1.7
1.0
1.2
1.3
1.6
1.5
1.0
1.4
1.1
1.0
.8
1.3
1.3
1.1
.8
1.1
1.5
1.1
.9
»1.2
1.5
1.1
1.0
1.8
1.5
1.4
Total accessions
1976
1977
1978
1979
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
3.9
4.0
4.1
4.8
4.9
4.9
4.8
New hires
1976
1977
1978
1979
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
2.6
2.8
3.1
2.1
2.2
2.5
2.8
2.1
2.1
2.2
2.5
2.7
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.6
2.7
2.9
2.9
3.1
3.5
3.6
3.6
1976
1977
1978
1979
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
1.0
.9
.7
1.4
1.2
1.0
.9
1.0
1.3
.7
.7
1.2
1.1
8
.7
1.0
.9
.8
.7
1.0
.8
.8
.8
1976
1977
1978
1979
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
3.8
3.8
3.9
3.7
3.9
3.6
3.8
3.0
3.4
3.1
3.2
3.5
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.6
3.4
3.6
3.6
3.4
3.5
3.7
3.8
1976
1977
1978
1979
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
1.7
1.8
2.1
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.8
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.6
1.6
1.6
1.8
1.9
1.7
1.7
2.0
2.0
1.7
1.9
2.1
2.1
1976
1977
1978
1979
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
1.3
1.1
.9
1.6
1.7
1.2
1.1
3.6
3.7
3.9
3.8
Recalls
.9
.8
.7
.7
Total separations
3.6
3.5
3.8
3.9
Quits
1.8
1.9
2.2
2.1
Layoffs
13.
1.0
1.4
9
.8
1.1
1.0
.9
.8
1.1
.9
.8
.9
.9
.8
.7
.7
.9
.8
.7
.8
Labor turnover rates in manufacturing, by major industry group
[Per 100 employees]
Accession rates
Major industry group
MANUFACTURING..................................
Seasonally adjusted.............
Durable goods..................................
Lumber and wood products...........
Furniture and fixtures ....................
Stone, clay, and glass products . . .
Primary metal industries ...............
Fabricated metal products.............
Machinery, except electrical...........
Electric and electronic equipment ..
Transportation equipment .............
Instruments and related products ..
Miscellaneous manufacturing.........
Nondurable goods............................
Food and kindred products ...........
Tobacco manufacturers..................
Textile mill products ......................
Apparel and other products...........
Paper and allied products .............
Printing and publishing....................
Chemicals and allied products . . . .
Petroleum and coal products.........
Rubber and miscellaneous
plastics products........................
Leather and leather products.........
76
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Total
Separation rates
New hires
Recalls
Total
Quits
Layoffs
Oct.
1978
Sept.
1979
Oct.
1979»
Oct.
1978
Sept.
1979
Oct.
1979»
Oct.
1978
Sept.
1979
Oct.
1979»
Oct.
1978
Sept.
1979
Oct.
1979»
Oct.
1978
Sept.
1979
Oct.
1979»
Oct.
1978
Sept.
1979
Oct.
1979»
4.3
4.3
4.4
3.8
4.1
4.1
3.5
3.3
3.4
2.8
3.1
2.9
0.6
0.8
0.7
4.1
3.9
4.7
3.9
4.2
3.9
2.3
2.2
2.7
1.9
2.1
2.0
0.9
.9
1.1
1.2
1.2
1.1
4.0
5.8
6.6
3.8
2.7
4.6
3.4
3.9
3.5
3.1
6.5
4.0
5.7
5.8
3.8
2.4
4.6
3.0
3.7
4.4
3.0
6.9
3.7
5.1
5.5
3.6
2.5
4.4
2.9
3.3
3.3
5.2
6.0
3.2
1.9
3.9
2.8
3.0
2.5
2.7
5.6
3.0
4.9
5.2
3.1
1.6
3.6
2.5
2.9
2.2
2.5
5.9
2.8
4.6
4.8
2.9
1.5
3.5
2.4
2.6
.4
.4
.4
.5
.6
.4
.3
.3
.6
.1
.7
.6
.4
.6
.6
.7
.3
.4
1.7
.2
.7
3.6
6.4
5.9
3.9
2.6
4.2
2.6
3.4
2.8
2.8
6.5
4.1
6.4
5.4
4.6
3.9
4.6
3.0
3.7
4.0
3.4
6.7
3.7
6.7
5.3
4.4
3.6
4.4
2.7
3.0
1.9
4.1
4.1
2.1
1.0
2.3
1.4
1.8
1.2
1.8
3.9
2.2
4.5
3.6
2.6
1.3
2.5
1.7
2.2
1.4
2.4
4.0
1.8
3,6
3.2
2.0
1.0
2.1
1.3
1,6
.6
1.1
5
8
.7
.9
.3
.6
.6
.3
1.2
.9
.7
.6
1.0
1.6
1.1
.5
.5
1.8
.3
1.1
1.0
1.9
.8
1.5
1.8
1.3
.6
.5
4.8
6.8
3.4
5.1
5.8
2.9
3.8
1.7
1.8
5.1
8.0
5.4
4.9
6.2
2.9
4.1
1.7
3.5
4.0
6.0
2.2
4.0
4.4
2.5
3.6
1.4
3.3
4.1
4.5
2.1
3.4
1.4
2.3
.8
1.6
.6
.5
1.1
.3
.3
.2
.1
9
1.8
2.1
.5
1.5
.3
.4
.2
.1
4.9
7.9
3.3
5.1
5.7
2.8
3.3
1.6
1.6
5.5
8.9
3.4
5.1
6.2
3.6
4,0
2.2
2.5
5.0
6.1
2.7
3.5
1.6
2.2
2.8
3.7
1.5
3.4
3.5
1.4
2.2
.7
8
3.4
5.1
1.5
3.5
3.9
2.0
2.8
1.2
1.4
3.1
3.4
13
2.3
.7
.8
1.3
3.2
9
.7
1.2
.6
.6
.4
.2
1.3
2.7
1.0
6
1.4
.7
.5
.4
.5
1.4
3.2
5.1
6.2
2.7
3.9
1.7
2.5
3.8
5.0
2.4
4.2
4.4
2.4
3.4
1.4
1.6
5.7
7.1
5.3
7.3
4.8
6.6
4.9
5.7
4.3
5.6
3.8
5.1
.5
1.0
.6
1.2
5.1
8.2
6.1
8.6
5.3
7.1
3.1
5.0
3.6
5.3
2.8
4.3
.7
2.1
1.3
2.2
1.2
1.7
3.2
6.4
4.7
6.5
.
2.6
5.3
3.6
4.9
.7
.6
.4
.6
.5
.7
.7
.2
.4
.3
.9
8
1.3
6
1.5
.4
.4
1.2
.6
1.1
2.9
6.5
5.0
8.1
1.7
3.4
2.7
4.0
.6
1.7
8
1.7
.7
.6
.4
.8
14.
Hours and earnings, by industry division, 1947-78
[Gross averages, production or nonsupervisory workers on nonagricultural payrolls]
Year
Average
weekly
earnings
Average
weekly
hours
Average
hourly
earnings
Average
weekly
earnings
Average
weekly
hours
Average
hourly
earnings
Average
weekly
earnings
Average
hourly
earnings
Average
weekly
earnings
Average
weekly
hours
Average
hourly
earnings
Manufacturing
Construction
Mining
Total private
Average
weekly
hours
1947
1948
1949
1950
....................
....................
....................
....................
$45.58
49.00
50.24
53.13
40.3
40.0
39.4
39.8
$1,131
1.225
1.275
1.335
$59.94
65.56
62.33
67.16
40.8
39.4
36.3
37.9
$1,469
1.664
1.717
1.772
$58.87
65.27
67.56
69.68
38.2
38.1
37.7
37.4
$1,541
1.713
1.792
1.863
$49.17
53.12
53.88
58.32
40.4
40.0
39.1
40.5
$1,217
1.328
1.378
1.440
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
57.86
60.65
63.76
64.52
67.72
39.9
39.9
39.6
39.1
39.6
1.45
1.52
1.61
1.65
1.71
74.11
77.59
83.03
82.60
89.54
38.4
38.6
38.8
38.6
40.7
1.93
2.01
2.14
2.14
2.20
76.96
82.86
86.41
88.91
90.90
38.1
38.9
37.9
37.2
37.1
2.02
2.13
2.28
2.39
2.45
63.34
66.75
70.47
70.49
75.30
40.6
40.7
40.5
39.6
40.7
1.56
1.64
1.74
1.78
1.85
1956 ....................
1957 ....................
1958 ....................
19591 ..................
1960 ....................
70.74
73.33
75.08
78.78
80.67
39.3
38.8
38.5
39.0
38.6
1.80
1.89
1.95
2.02
2.09
95.06
98.25
96.08
103.68
105.04
40.8
40.1
38.9
40.5
40.4
2.33
2.45
2.47
2.56
2.60
96.38
100.27
103.78
108.41
112.67
37.5
37.0
36.8
37.0
36.7
2.57
2.71
2.82
2.93
3.07
78.78
81.19
82.32
88.26
89.72
40.4
39.8
39.2
40.3
39.7
1.95
2.04
2.10
2.19
2.26
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
82.60
85.91
88.46
91.33
95.45
38.6
38.7
38.8
38.7
38.8
2.14
2.22
2.28
2.36
2.46
106.92
110.70
114.40
117.74
123.52
40.5
41.0
41.6
41.9
42.3
2.64
2.70
2.75
2.81
2.92
118.08
122.47
127.19
132.06
138.38
36.9
37.0
37.3
37.2
37.4
3.20
3.31
3.41
3.55
3.70
92.34
96.56
99.23
102.97
107.53
39.8
40.4
40.5
40.7
41.2
2.32
2.39
2.45
2.53
2.61
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
98.82
101.84
107.73
114.61
119.83
38.6
38.0
37.8
37.7
37.1
2.56
2.68
2.85
3.04
3.23
130.24
135.89
142.71
154.80
164.40
42.7
42.6
42.6
43.0
42.7
3.05
3.19
3.35
3.60
3.85
146.26
154.95
164.49
181.54
195.45
37.6
37.7
37.3
37.9
37.3
3.89
4.11
4.41
4.79
5.24
112.19
114.49
122.51
129.51
133.33
41.4
40.6
40.7
40.6
39.8
2.71
2.82
3.01
3.19
3.35
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
127.31
136.90
145.39
154.76
163.53
36.9
37.0
36.9
36.5
36.1
3.45
3.70
3.94
4.24
4.53
172.14
189.14
201.40
219.14
249.31
42.4
42.6
42.4
41.9
41.9
4.06
4.44
4.75
5.23
5.95
211.67
221.19
235.89
249.25
266.08
37.2
36.5
36.8
36.6
36.4
5.69
6.06
6.41
6.81
7.31
142.44
154.71
166.46
176.80
190.79
39.9
40.5
40.7
40.0
39.5
3.57
3.82
4.09
4.42
4.83
1976 ....................
1977 ....................
1978 ....................
175.45
189 00
203.70
36.1
36.0
35.8
4.86
5.25
5.69
273.90
301.20
332.11
42.4
43.4
43.3
6.46
6.94
7.67
283.73
295.65
318.32
36.8
36.5
36.8
7.71
8.10
8.65
209.32
228.90
249.27
40.1
40.3
40.4
5.22
5.68
6.17
Transportation and public
utilities
Finance, insurance, and
real estate
Wholesale and retail trade
Services
1947 ....................
1948
1949 . .
1950 ....................
$38.07
40.80
42.93
44.55
40.5
40.4
40 5
40.5
$0,940
1.010
1.060
1.100
$43.21
45.48
47.63
50.52
37.9
37.9
37.8
37.7
$1,140
1.200
1.260
1.340
1 9 5 1 ....................
1952 ....................
1953 ....................
1954 ....................
1955 ....................
47 79
49.20
51.35
53.33
5516
40.5
40.0
39.5
39.5
39 4
1.18
1.23
1.30
1.35
1.40
54.67
57.08
59.57
62.04
63 92
37.7
37.8
37.7
37.6
37.6
1.45
1.51
1.58
1.65
1.70
1956 ....................
1957 ..
1958 ....................
19591 ..................
1960 ....................
57.48
59.60
61.76
64.41
66.01
39.1
38.7
38.6
38.8
38.6
1.47
1 54
1.60
1.66
1.71
65.68
67.53
70.12
72.74
75.14
36.9
36.7
37.1
37.3
37.2
1.78
1.84
1.89
1.95
2.02
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
....................
....................
$118.78
125.14
41.1
41.3
$2.89
3.03
67.41
69.91
72.01
74.66
76.91
38.3
38.2
38.1
37.9
37.7
1.76
1.83
1 89
1.97
2.04
77.12
80.94
84.38
85.79
88.91
36.9
37.3
37.5
37.3
37.2
2.09
2.17
2.25
2.30
2.39
$70.03
73.60
36.1
35.9
$1.94
2.05
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
128.13
130.82
138.85
147.74
155.93
41.2
40.5
40.6
40.7
40.5
3.11
3.23
3.42
3.63
3.85
79.39
82.35
87.00
91.39
96.02
37.1
36.6
36.1
35.7
35.3
2.14
2.25
2.41
2.56
2.72
92.13
95.72
101.75
108.70
112.67
37.3
37.1
37.0
37.1
36.7
2.47
2.58
2.75
2.93
3.07
77.04
80.38
83.97
90.57
96.66
35.5
35.1
34.7
34.7
34.4
2.17
2.29
2.42
2.61
2.81
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
168.82
187.86
203.31
217.48
233.44
40.1
40.4
40.5
40.2
39.7
4.21
4.65
5.02
5.41
5.88
101.09
106.45
111.76
119.02
126.45
35.1
34.9
34.6
34.2
33.9
2.88
3.05
3.23
3.48
3.73
117.85
122.98
129.20
137.61
148.19
36.6
36.6
36.6
36.5
36.5
3.22
3.36
3.53
3.77
4.06
103.06
110.85
117.29
126.00
134.67
33.9
33.9
33.8
33.6
33.5
3.04
3.27
3.47
3.75
4.02
1976 ....................
1977 ....................
1978 ....................
256.71
278.90
302.80
39.8
39.9
40.0
6.45
6.99
7.57
133.79
142.52
153.64
33.7
33.3
32.9
3.97
4.28
4.67
155.43
165.26
178.36
36.4
36.4
36.4
4.27
4.54
4.90
143.52
153.45
163.67
33.3
33.0
32.8
4.31
4.65
4.99
....................
....................
' Data Include Alaska and Hawaii beginning in 1959.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
77
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Establishment Data
15.
Weekly hours, by industry division and major manufacturing group
[Gross averages, production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls]
1979
1978
Annual Average
Industry division and group
1977
1978
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
OcU1
Nov.p
TOTAL PRIVATE..........................................
36.0
35.8
35.8
36.1
35.2
35.4
35.7
35.1
35.5
35.9
36.0
36.0
35.8
35.7
35.5
MINING..............................................................
43.4
43.3
43.8
43.4
42.4
42.6
42.9
42.6
42.8
43.3
41.7
43.1
43.5
43.6
43.8
CONSTRUCTION................................................
36.5
36.8
36.5
37.0
34.6
35.4
37.0
35.5
37.2
37.9
37.7
38.0
37.9
37.6
36.5
MANUFACTURING ............................................
40.3
3.5
40.4
3.6
40.9
3.8
41.4
3.9
40.1
3.5
40.2
3.5
40.6
3.6
38.9
2.5
40.1
3.3
40.4
3.4
39.9
3.2
40.0
3.3
40.3
3.6
40.3
3.4
40.2
3.3
Overtime h o u rs ..........................................
41.0
3.7
41.1
3.8
41.6
4.1
42.3
4.3
40.9
3.8
41.1
3.9
41.4
3.9
39.3
2.6
40.8
3.6
41.0
3.6
40.4
3.4
40.4
3.4
40.8
3.6
40.8
3.5
40.7
3.4
Lumber and wood products .............................
Furniture and fixtures ........................................
Stone, clay, and glass products.........................
Primary metal industries....................................
Fabricated metal products ...............................
39.8
39.0
41.3
41.3
41.0
39.8
39.3
41.6
41.8
41.0
39.9
394
42.1
42.2
41.4
40.1
40.1
42.2
42.5
42.2
38.5
38.3
40.5
42.2
40.8
39.0
38.1
40.6
42.1
40.9
39.7
39.0
41.8
41.9
41.3
39.1
37.5
41.1
41.7
38.8
39.6
38.2
41.9
41.4
40.7
40.2
38.8
42.1
41.6
41.0
39.4
38.0
41.5
41.3
40.3
39.9
38.6
41.7
40.8
40.5
40.1
39.0
41.7
41.3
40.8
39.7
39.3
41.7
40.9
40.9
38.6
39.1
41.7
40.4
40.9
Machinery except electrical...............................
Electric and electronic equipment ....................
Transportation equipment..................................
Instruments and related products ....................
Miscellaneous manufacturing ...........................
41.5
40.4
42.5
40.6
38.8
42.0
40.3
42.2
40.9
38.8
42.5
40.7
43.0
41.3
39.4
43.6
41.3
44.5
41.7
39.4
42.1
40.3
41.9
40.6
38.6
42.5
40.5
42.1
41.0
38.6
42.6
40.7
42.3
41.3
39.2
40.3
38.8
37.9
40.0
37.6
41.7
40.2
41.6
40.8
38.5
42.0
40.5
41.3
40.7
39.0
41.2
39.6
40.9
40.3
38.7
41.3
39.7
40.5
40.3
38.9
41.9
40.5
40.7
40.7
39.3
41.6
40.3
41.2
40.8
39.4
41.8
40.9
40.5
41.7
39.8
Overtime h o u rs ..........................................
39.4
3.2
39.4
3.2
39.7
3.3
39.9
3.3
38.9
3.0
38.9
3.0
39.3
3.1
38.2
2.5
39.1
2.9
39.4
3.0
39.2
3.0
39.4
3.2
39.6
3.5
39.4
3.2
39.5
3.2
Food and kindred products...............................
Tobacco manufactures......................................
Textile mill products...........................................
Apparel and other textile products....................
Paper and allied products.................................
40.0
37.8
40.4
35.6
42.9
39.7
38.1
40.4
35.6
42.9
40.0
38.7
40.6
35.9
43.2
40.3
38.8
40.8
35.8
43.4
39.5
36.1
39.9
34.6
42.6
39.2
36.2
39.9
34.9
42.2
39.6
38.1
40.4
35.4
42.6
39.0
37.6
38.6
33.9
41.6
39.6
38.9
40.1
35.1
42.4
39.8
39.0
40.6
35.6
42.8
40.1
36.1
39.9
35.4
42.5
40.3
37.6
40.3
35.6
42.6
40.6
39.1
40.8
35.4
42.7
40.1
38.8
40.8
35.5
42.7
40.0
38.8
41.1
35.5
42.7
Printing and publishing ......................................
Chemicals and allied products...........................
Petroleum and coal products ...........................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products
Leather and leather products ...........................
37.7
41.7
42.7
41.0
36.9
37.6
41.9
43.6
40.9
37.1
38.1
42.3
44.5
41.4
37.0
38.3
42.3
43.7
42.0
37.1
37.1
41.7
42.8
41.1
36.3
37.3
41.7
42.7
41.2
35.9
37.7
41.9
43.8
41.4
35.9
36.8
41.9
43.9
39.4
35.3
37.3
41.8
43.7
40.5
36.4
37.4
41.8
43.4
40.7
37.1
37.4
41.7
44.1
40.2
36.9
37.9
41.8
43.6
40.0
36.6
37.9
41.8
44.7
40.5
36.8
37.5
41.7
44.2
40.4
36.5
37.9
42.1
44.0
40.1
36.8
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES .. ..
39.9
40.0
39.9
40.2
39.6
39.9
39.8
39.0
39.6
40.0
40.0
40.3
39.9
39.8
39.7
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE ....................
33.3
32.9
32.5
33.1
32.0
32.1
32.4
32.5
32.4
32.9
33.3
33.2
32.7
32.5
32.4
WHOLESALE TRADE..........................................
38.8
38.8
38.8
39.1
38.4
38.4
38.9
38.6
38.9
39.0
39.0
38.9
38.8
38.9
39.0
RETAIL TRADE..................................................
31.6
31.0
30.6
31.3
29.9
30.1
30.3
30.6
30.4
31.0
31.5
31.4
30.7
30.5
30.4
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL
ESTATE ..........................................................
36.4
36.4
36.3
36.3
36.4
36.4
36.3
36.4
36.1
36.2
36.4
36.2
36.3
36.3
36.4
SERVICES..........................................................
33.0
32.8
32.6
32.5
32.4
32.4
32.6
32.5
32.5
32.9
33.3
33.2
32.7
32.6
32.6
Overtime h o u rs ...........................................
Durable goods ..............................................
Nondurable goods
78
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
16.
Weekly hours, by industry division and major manufacturing group, seasonally adjusted
[Gross averages, production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls]
1979
1978
Industry division and group
TOTAL PRIVATE ..............................................
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.p
Nov . p
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
35.8
35.8
35.8
35.7
35.9
35.3
35.7
35.6
35.6
35.6
35.7
35.6
35.6
41.6
43.2
43.1
43.0
43.3
36.8
37.2
37.5
36.6
36.8
40.2
3.2
40.2
3.2
40.0
3.2
MINING ..................................................................
43.3
43.4
43.4
43.1
43.1
42.9
42.8
43.0
CONSTRUCTION ....................................................
36.8
37.0
37.1
36.6
37.1
35.5
37.1
37.2
40.6
3.7
40.6
3.7
40.6
3.7
40.6
3.7
40.6
3.7
39.1
2.7
40.2
3.5
40.1
3.4
40.2
3.3
40.1
3.2
Overtime hours.................................................
41.3
4.0
41.4
4.0
41.4
4.1
41.4
4.1
41.4
4.0
39.5
2.7
40.9
3.8
40.7
3.6
40.7
3.5
407
3.3
40.7
3.3
40.7
3.3
40.5
3.3
Lumber and wood products ....................................
Furniture and fixtures...............................................
Stone, clay, and glass products .............................
Primary metal industries..........................................
Fabricated metal products ......................................
40.0
39.1
41.9
42.2
41.1
39.9
39.2
41.9
42.2
41.3
39.9
38.9
41.8
42.3
41.1
39.6
38.8
41.6
42.2
41.3
40.0
39.1
42.0
42.0
41.3
39.1
38.1
41.2
41.8
39.1
39.4
38.5
41.7
41.4
40.7
39.4
38.5
41.6
41.2
40.7
39.3
38.4
41.4
41.3
40.8
39.5
38.3
41.3
41.0
40.6
39.7
38.6
41.5
41.0
40.7
39.3
38.8
41.3
41.1
40.8
38.7
38.8
41.5
40.4
40.6
Machinery, except electrical....................................
Electric and electronic equipment...........................
Transportation equipment........................................
Instruments and related products ...........................
Miscellaneous manufacturing .................................
42.2
40.4
42.7
40.9
38.9
42.4
40.5
42.8
40.9
38.9
42.3
40.5
42.8
41.1
39.0
42.5
40.7
42.7
41.2
39.0
42.4
40.7
42.3
41.2
39.0
40.5
39.0
37.9
40.3
37.6
42.0
40.4
41.5
40.8
38.6
42.0
40.3
40.8
40.6
38.9
41.9
40.2
40.9
40.7
39.3
41.6
39.8
41.7
40.5
39.1
41.9
40.3
40.6
40.6
39.1
41.6
40.3
41.2
40.7
39.2
41.5
40.6
40.3
41.3
39.3
Overtime h ours.................................................
39.5
3.2
39.4
3.2
39.5
3.2
39.3
3.2
39.4
3.3
38.6
2.7
39.2
3.0
39.2
3.0
39.2
3.0
39.2
3.0
39.3
3.1
39.3
3.0
39.3
3.1
Food and kindred products......................................
Tobacco manufactures ..........................................
Textile mill products.................................................
Apparel and other textile products ........................
Paper and allied products ......................................
39.8
37.5
40.4
35.6
43.0
39.9
38.1
40.4
35.5
42.8
40.0
37.2
40.7
35.3
42.8
39.8
36.9
40.1
35.4
42.7
40.0
38.0
40.3
35.4
42.8
39.6
37.6
38.8
34.2
41.8
39.8
38.9
40.0
35.2
42.6
39.8
37.6
40.1
35.2
42.5
39.8
38.5
40.1
35.5
42.5
39.7
38.0
40.1
35.3
42.6
40.0
38.6
40.6
35.3
42.4
40.0
38.3
40.8
35.3
42.7
39.8
37.6
40.9
35.2
42.5
Printing and publishing.............................................
Chemicals and allied products ...............................
Petroleum and coal products .................................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products .........
Leather and leather products .................................
37.8
42.1
44.1
41.1
36.9
37.6
41.8
43.8
41.2
36.7
37.7
42.0
43.5
41.4
36.8
37.7
42.0
43.6
41.2
36.4
37.7
41.9
44.0
41.3
36.3
37.1
41.7
43.9
39.7
35.6
37.4
41.9
43.7
40.9
36.1
37.4
41.7
43.3
40.7
36.4
37.5
41.9
43.6
40.6
36.6
37.7
42.0
43.7
40.2
36.5
37.5
41.7
44.1
40.3
37.0
37.4
41.7
43.8
40.2
36.5
37.6
41.9
43.6
39.8
36.7
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES ..........
39.9
40.0
40.0
40.0
40.0
39.2
39.8
39.8
39.7
39.9
39.9
39.8
39.7
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE..........................
32.8
32.8
32.5
32.5
32.7
32.8
32.6
32.6
32.6
32.5
32.6
32.7
32.7
WHOLESALE TRADE ..............................................
38.8
38.9
38.7
38.7
39.0
38.7
39.0
38.8
38.8
38.7
38.7
38.8
39.0
RETAIL TRADE........................................................
30.9
30.9
30.6
30.6
30.7
30.9
30.6
30.6
30.6
30.5
30.7
30.7
30.7
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL
ESTATE ..............................................................
36.4
36.3
36.3
36.4
36.4
36.5
36.1
36.2
36.3
36.1
36.4
36.2
36.5
SERVICES
32.7
32.6
32.6
32.6
32.8
32.7
32.7
32.7
32.8
32.7
32.7
32.6
32.7
MANUFACTURING..................................................
Overtime h ours.................................................
Durable goods
Nondurable goods
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
79
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Establishment Data
17.
Hourly earnings, by industry division and major manufacturing group
[Gross averages, production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls]
Annual average
1978
1979
Industry division and group
TOTAL PRIVATE..................................................
1977
1978
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.p
No v . p
$5.25
$5.69
$5.88
$5.91
$5.97
$6.00
$6.02
$6.03
$6.09
$6.12
$6.16
$6.19
$6.31
$6.32
$6.34
MINING..................................................................
6.94
7.67
8.05
8.06
8.20
8.21
8.27
8.54
8.45
8.49
8.52
8.48
8.57
8.57
8.71
CONSTRUCTION........................................................
8.10
8.65
8.89
8.92
8.98
9.02
8.97
9.02
9.14
9.13
9.24
9.32
9.51
9.49
9.49
MANUFACTURING ....................................................
5.68
6.17
6.38
6.48
6.49
6.52
6.56
6.54
6.63
6.66
6.71
6.69
6.80
6.82
6.85
Lumber and wood products ...............................
Furniture and fixtures..........................................
Stone, clay, and glass products .........................
Primary metal industries......................................
Fabricated metal products .................................
6.06
5.10
4.34
5.81
7.40
5.91
6.58
5.60
4.68
6.32
8.20
6.34
6.82
5.75
4.80
6.54
8.52
6.54
6.93
5.79
4.86
6.58
8.56
6.62
6.92
5.79
4.87
6.57
8.62
6.60
6.96
5.83
4.93
6.58
8.75
6.65
6.99
5.84
4.95
6.64
8.75
6.72
6.95
5.90
4.94
6.73
8.92
6.62
7.07
5.97
4.97
6.78
8.83
6.77
7.11
6.16
5.05
6.85
8.91
6.81
7.15
6.23
5.04
6.89
9.04
6.80
7.12
6.23
5.10
6.90
9.10
6.83
7.24
6.32
5.18
6.98
9.16
6.93
7.25
6.25
5.20
6.99
9.11
6.97
7.28
6.24
5.22
7.03
9.20
7.00
Machinery, except e lectrical...............................
Electric and electronic equipment......................
Transportation equipment....................................
Instruments and related products ......................
Miscellaneous manufacturing .............................
6.26
5.39
7.28
5.29
4.36
6.77
5.82
7.91
5.71
4.69
7.01
5.97
8.27
5.84
4.79
7.15
6.09
8.41
5.95
4.86
7.10
6.11
8.34
5.99
4.93
7.16
6.13
8.35
6.02
4.95
7.19
6.16
8.42
6.04
4.95
7.10
6.11
8.26
6.03
4.96
7.25
6.21
8.56
6.11
5.00
7.34
6.25
8.53
6.11
4.99
7.35
6.27
8.55
6.16
5.03
7.35
6.36
8.44
6.14
5.04
7.48
6.46
8.59
6.21
5.07
7.47
6.49
8.65
6.32
5.11
7.52
6.52
8.66
6.41
5.13
Food and kindred products..................................
Tobacco manufactures........................................
Textile mill products.............................................
Apparel and other textile products ....................
Paper and allied products....................................
5.11
5.37
5.54
3.99
3.62
5.96
5.53
5.80
6.13
4.30
3.94
6.52
5.70
5.97
6.02
4.45
4.04
6.75
5.75
6.02
6.18
4.48
4.08
6.79
5.81
6.09
6.36
4.52
4.17
6.80
5.82
6.10
6.53
4.51
4.17
6.83
5.85
6.12
6.64
4.52
4.19
6.88
5.90
6.19
6.80
4.48
4.19
6.92
5.91
6.22
6.83
4.52
4.20
6.96
5.94
6.22
6.82
4.54
4.21
7.05
6.03
6.28
6.83
4.65
4.23
7.17
6.04
6.28
6.59
4.77
4.21
7.22
6.11
6.33
6.54
4.82
4.28
7.32
6.14
6.36
6.42
4.83
4.32
7.33
6.20
6.49
7.01
4.85
4.33
7.40
Printing and publishing........................................
Chemicals and allied products ...........................
Petroleum and coal products .............................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products . . .
Leather and leather products .............................
6.12
6.43
7.83
5.17
3.61
6.50
7.01
8.63
5.52
3.89
6.66
7.22
8.78
5.71
3.98
6.70
7.28
8.89
5.77
4.01
6.72
7.32
9.01
5.82
4.13
6.73
7.32
9.10
5.84
4.14
6.77
7.36
9.31
5.86
4.17
6.72
7.50
9.44
5.82
4.18
6.83
7.47
9.39
5.90
4.18
6.88
7.53
9.32
5.91
4.19
6.90
7.60
9.39
5.95
4.19
6.94
7.65
9.35
5.94
4.22
7.04
7.73
9.51
6.03
4.29
7.06
7.81
9.50
6.13
4.31
7.09
7.87
9.57
6.11
4.33
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES..............
6.99
7.57
7.78
7.85
7.90
7.92
7.90
7.88
7.94
8.03
8.23
8.32
8.45
8.46
8.49
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE ............................
4.28
467
4.80
4.81
4.96
4.97
4.98
5.00
5.00
5.02
5.05
5.06
5.13
5.14
5.18
Durable goods
Nondurable goods
WHOLESALE TRADE..................................................
5.39
5.88
6.07
6.14
6.18
6.21
6.23
6.30
6.29
6.34
6.39
6.41
6.51
6.51
6.58
RETAIL TRADE........................................................
3.85
4.20
4.31
4.31
4.47
4.47
4.47
4.49
4.49
4.50
4.51
4.52
4.58
4.59
4.62
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL
ESTATE ................................................................
4.54
4.90
5.03
5.07
5.13
5.19
5.16
5.23
5.22
5.22
5.29
5.29
5.38
5.38
5.39
SERVICES........................................................
4.65
4.99
5.13
5.16
5.23
5.27
5.26
5.29
5.27
5.27
5.29
5.30
5.45
5.48
5.52
18.
Hourly Earnings Index for production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls, by industry division
[Seasonally adjusted data: 1967 = 100]
1978
1979
Percent change
Industry
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
OctP
Nov . p
Oct. 1979
to
Nov. 1979
Nov. 1978
to
Nov. 1979
TOTAL PRIVATE (in current dollars) ..
219.2
220.9
222.6
224.0
225.2
226.8
227.5
229.0
230.9
232.2
234.3
235.0
236.9
0.8
8.1
M ining...............................................
Construction ....................................
Manufacturing ..................................
Transportation and public utilities . . .
Wholesale and retail trade .............
Finance, insurance, and real estate
Services ..........................................
249.9
211.6
222.4
236.3
213.0
200.7
217.7
250.9
213.0
224.2
239.0
214.6
202.1
219.3
252.1
213.8
225.4
240.8
217.7
202.4
220.8
253.7
216.7
227.2
241.7
218.1
204.2
222.2
256.1
216.5
228.7
243.1
219.4
204.8
223.3
264.1
218.1
231.0
241.7
220.9
207.5
225.0
262.7
220.4
232.3
243.7
221.0
207.0
224.3
264.9
220.4
233.9
246.4
222.6
208.0
225.7
266.9
222.1
235.4
251.3
223.8
210.8
227.0
265.6
223.1
236.9
252.6
225.4
211.5
228.4
266.1
224.4
238.7
255.6
227.0
214.4
231.5
268.0
223.9
240.0
256.6
227.3
213.6
232.2
271.4
225.6
241.9
258.2
229.6
215.3
233.8
1.3
.8
.8
.6
1.0
.8
.7
8.6
6.6
8.7
9.3
7.8
7.3
7.4
108.6
1Q8.7
108.5
107.8
107.3
106.9
106.1
105.7
105.6
105.1
104.9
104.3
( ')
TOTAL PRIVATE (in constant dollars)
1 Not available.
80
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
(’ )
( 1)
19.
Weekly earnings, by industry division and major manufacturing group
[Gross averages, production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls]
1979
1978
Annual average
Industry division and group
1977
TOTAL PRIVATE......................................
$189.00
1978
$203.70
Nov.
$210.50
Dec.
$213.35
Jan.
$210.14
Feb.
Mar.
$212.40
$214.91
Apr.
$211.65
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.p
Nov.p
$216.20
$219.71
$221.76
$222.84
$225.90
$225.62
$225.07
367.62
355.28
365.49
372.80
373.65
381.50
MINING ..............................................................
301.20
332.11
352.59
349.80
347.68
349.75
354.78
363.80
361.66
CONSTRUCTION ................................................
295.65
318.32
324.49
330.04
310.71
319.31
331.89
320.21
340.01
346.03
348.35
354.16
360.43
356.82
346.39
265.86
269.06
267.73
267.60
274.04
274.85
275.37
MANUFACTURING..............................................
228.90
249.27
260.94
268.27
260.25
262.10
266.34
254.41
Durable goods..................................................
Lumber and wood products .............................
Furniture and fixtures ........................................
Stone, clay, and glass products........................
Primary metal industries....................................
Fabricated metal products ...............................
248.46
202.98
169.26
239.95
305.62
242.31
270.44
222.88
183.92
262.91
342.76
259.94
283.71
229.43
189.12
275.33
359.54
270.76
293.14
232.18
194.89
277.68
363.80
279.36
283.03
222.92
186.52
266.09
363.76
269.28
286.06
227.37
187.83
267.15
368.38
271.99
289.39
231.85
193.05
277.55
366.63
277.54
273.14
230.69
185.25
276.60
371.96
256.86
288.46
236.41
189.85
284.08
365.56
275.54
291.51
247.63
195.94
288.39
370.66
279.21
288.86
245.46
191.52
285.94
373.35
274.04
287.65
248.58
196.86
287.73
371.28
276.62
295.39
253.43
202.02
291.07
378.31
282.74
295.80
248.13
204.36
291.48
372.60
285.07
296.30
240.86
204.10
293.15
371.68
286.30
Machinery except electrical...............................
Electric and electronic equipment ....................
Transportation equipment..................................
Instruments and related products ....................
Miscellaneous manufacturing ...........................
259.79
217.76
309.40
214.77
169.17
284.34
234.55
333.80
233.54
181.97
297.93
242.98
355.61
241.19
188.73
311.74
251.52
374.25
248.12
191.48
298.91
246.23
349.45
243.19
190.30
304.30
248.27
351.54
246.82
191.07
306.29
250.71
356.17
249.45
194.04
286.13
237.07
313.05
241.20
186.50
302.33
249.64
356.10
249.29
192.50
308.28
253.13
352.29
248.68
194.61
302.82
248.29
349.70
248.25
194.66
303.56
252.49
341.82
247.44
196.06
313.41
261.63
349.61
252.75
199.25
310.75
261.55
356.38
257.86
201.33
314.34
266.67
350.73
267.30
204.17
201.33
214.80
209.41
161.20
128.87
255.68
217.88
230.26
233.55
173.72
140.26
279.71
226.29
238.80
232.97
180.67
145.04
291.60
229.43
242.61
239.78
182.78
146.06
294.69
226.01
240.56
229.60
180.35
144.28
289 68
226.40
239.12
236.39
179.50
145.53
288.23
229.91
242.35
252.98
182.61
148.33
293.09
225.38
241.41
255.68
172.93
142.04
287.87
231.08
246.31
265.69
181.25
147.42
295.10
234.04
247.56
265.98
184.32
149.88
302.74
236.38
251.83
246.56
185.54
149.74
304.73
237.98
253.08
247.78
192.23
149.88
307.57
241.96
257.00
255.71
196.66
151.51
312.56
241.92
255.04
249.10
197.06
153.36
312.99
244.90
259.60
271.99
199.34
153.72
315.98
230.72
268.13
334.34
244 40
293.72
376.27
253.75
305.41
390.71
256.61
307.94
388.49
249.31
305.24
385.63
251.03
305.24
388.57
255.23
308.38
407.78
247.30
314.25
414.42
254.76
312.25
410.34
257.31
314.75
404.49
258.06
316.92
414.10
263.03
319.77
407.66
266.82
323.11
425.10
264.75
325.68
419.90
268.71
331.33
421.08
211.97
133.21
225.77
144.32
236.39
147.26
242.34
148.77
239.20
149.92
240.61
148.63
242.60
149.70
229.31
147.55
238.95
152.15
240.54
155.45
239.19
154.61
237.60
154.45
244.22
157.87
247.65
157.32
245.01
159.34
278.90
302.80
310.42
315.57
312.84
316.01
314.42
307.32
314.42
321.20
329.20
335.30
337.16
336.71
337.05
142.52
153.64
156.00
159.21
158.72-
159.54
161.35
162.50
162.00
165.16
168.17
167.99
167.75
167.05
167.83
256.62
Nondurable goods
Food and kindred products...............................
Tobacco manufactures......................................
Textile mill products..........................................
Apparel and other textile products....................
Paper and allied products.................................
Printing and publishing ......................................
Chemicals and allied products...........................
Petroleum and coal products ...........................
Rubber and miscellaneous
plastics products.............................................
Leather and leather products ...........................
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES
...
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE
WHOLESALE TRADE
209.13
228.14
235.52
240.07
237.31
238.46
242.35
243.18
244.68
247.26
249.21
249.35
252.59
253.24
RETAIL TRADE....................................................
121.66
130.20
131.89
134.90
133.65
134.55
135.44
137.39
136.50
139.50
142.07
141.93
140.61
140.00
140.45
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL ESTATE
165 26
178.36
182.59
184.04
186.73
188.92
187.31
190.37
188.44
188.96
192.56
191.50
195.29
195.29
196.20
SERVICES ..........................................................
153.45
163.67
167.24
167.70
169.45
170.75
171.48
171.93
171.28
173.38
176.16
175.96
178.22
178.65
179.95
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
81
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Establishment Data
20.
Gross and spendable weekly earnings, in current and 1967 dollars, 1960 to date
[Averages for production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls]
Private nonagricultural workers
Year and month
1960 ...............................................
Gross average
weekly earnings
Manufacturing workers
Spendable average weekly earnings
Worker with no
dependents
Spendable average weekly earnings
Married worker with
3 dependents
weekly earnings
Current
dollars
1967
dollars
Current
dollars
1967
dollars
Current
dollars
1967
dollars
Current
dollars
1967
dollars
Worker with no
dependents
Married worker with
3 dependents
Current
dollars
1967
dollars
Current
dollars
1967
dollars
$80.67
$90.95
$65.59
$73.95
$72.96
$82.25
$89.72
$101.15
$72.57
$81.82
$80.11
$90.32
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
...............................................
...............................................
...............................................
...............................................
...............................................
82.60
85.91
88.46
91.33
95.45
92.19
94.82
96.47
98.31
101.01
67.08
69.56
71.05
75.04
79.32
74.87
76.78
77.48
80.78
83.94
74.48
76.99
78.56
82.57
86.63
83.13
84.98
85.67
88.88
91.67
92.34
96.56
99.23
102.97
107.53
103.06
106.58
108.21
110.84
113.79
74.60
77.86
79.51
84.40
89.08
83.26
85.94
86.71
90.85
94.26
82.18
85.53
87.25
92.18
96.78
91.72
94.40
95.15
99.22
102.41
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
...............................................
...............................................
...............................................
...............................................
...............................................
98.82
101.84
107.73
114.61
119.83
101.67
101.84
103.39
104.38
103.04
81.29
83.38
86.71
90.96
96.21
83.63
83.38
83.21
82.84
82.73
88 66
90.86
95.28
99.99
104.90
91.21
90.86
91.44
91.07
90.20
112.19
114.49
122.51
129.51
133.33
115.42
114.49
117.57
117.95
114.64
91.45
92.97
97.70
101.90
106.32
94.08
92.97
93.76
92.81
91.42
99.33
100.93
106.75
111.44
115.58
102.19
100.93
102.45
101.49
99.38
1 9 7 1 ...............................................
1972 ...............................................
1973 ...............................................
1974 ...............................................
1975 ...............................................
127.31
136.90
145.39
154.76
163.53
104.95
109.26
109.23
104.78
101.45
103.80
112.19
117.51
124.37
132.49
85.57
89.54
88.29
84.20
82.19
112.43
121.68
127.38
134.61
145.65
92.69
97.11
95.70
91.14
90.35
142.44
154.71
166.46
176.80
190.79
117.43
123.47
125.06
119.70
118.36
114.97
125.34
132.57
140.19
151.61
94.78
100.03
99.60
94.92
94.05
124.24
135.57
143.50
151.56
166.29
102.42
108.20
107.81
102.61
103.16
1976 ...............................................
1977 ...............................................
1978 ...............................................
175.45
189.00
203.70
102.90
104.13
104.30
143.30
155.19
165.39
84.05
85.50
84.69
155.87
169.93
180.71
91.42
93.63
92.53
209.32
228.90
249.27
122.77
126.12
127.63
167.83
183.80
197.40
98.43
101.27
101.08
181.32
200.06
214.87
106.35
110.23
110.02
1978: Novem ber...........................
Decem ber...........................
210.50
213.35
104.31
105.15
170.28
172.31
84.38
84.92
185.81
187.95
92.08
92.63
260.94
268.27
129.31
132.22
205.21
210.12
101.69
103.56
223.76
229.40
110.88
113.06
1979: January...............................
February.............................
M a rch ..................................
210.14
212.40
214.91
102.66
102.56
102.68
170.88
172.53
174.35
83.48
83.31
83.30
187.22
188.98
190.93
91.46
91.25
91.22
260.25
262.10
266.34
127.14
126.56
127.25
206.40
207.69
210.65
100.83
100.28
100.65
225.48
226.89
230.10
110.15
109.56
109.94
April ....................................
May ....................................
J u n e ....................................
211.65
c 216.20
219.71
99.93
100.89
101.30
171.98
175.29
177.85
81.20
81.80
82.00
188.39
191.93
194.67
88.95
89.56
89.75
254.41
265.86
269.06
120.12
124.06
124.05
202.32
c 210.32
212.51
95.52
98.14
97.98
221.05
229.74
232.17
104.37
107.20
107.04
J u ly ......................................
August ...............................
September ........................
221.76
222.84
225.90
101.08
100.60
100.98
179.35
180.13
182.36
81.75
81.32
81.52
196.26
197.11
199.42
89.45
88.99
89.15
267.73
267.60
274.04
122.03
120.81
122.50
211.61
211.52
215.89
96.45
95.49
96.51
231.16
231.06
235.94
105.36
104.32
105.47
October" ...........................
N ovem be r"........................
225.62
225.07
100.01
182.16
181.76
80.74
199.21
198.79
88.30
274.85
275.37
121.83
216.44
216.79
95.94
236.56
236.95
104.86
(’ )
( ')
'Not available,
c = Corrected.
NOTE: The earnings expressed in 1967 dollars have been adjusted for changes in price level
as measured by the Bureau’s Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
82
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
(’ )
( ')
( 1)
( 1)
(revised). These series are described in "The Spendable Earnings Series: A Technical Note on its
Calculation” , Employment and Earnings and Monthly Report on the Labor Force, February 1969,
pp. 6 -1 3 , See also “ Spendable Earnings Formulas, 1977-79” Employment and Earnings, September
1979, pp. 6 -8 .
U N EM PLO Y M EN T INSURANCE DATA
U
are compiled monthly by
the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. De
partment of Labor from records of State and Federal unem
ployment insurance claims filed and benefits paid. Railroad
unemployment insurance data are prepared by the U.S. Rail
road Retirement Board.
n e m p l o y m e n t
in s u r a n c e
ployed. Persons not covered by unemployment insurance (about onethird of the labor force) and those who have exhausted or not yet
earned benefit rights are excluded from the scope of the survey. Ini
tial claims are notices filed by persons in unemployment insurance
programs to indicate they are out of work and wish to begin receiv
ing compensation. A claimant who continued to be unemployed a
full week is then counted in the insured unemployment figure. The
rate of insured unemployment expresses the number of insured unem
ployed as a percent of the average insured employment in a
12-month period.
d a t a
Definitions
An application for benefits is filed by a railroad worker at the be
ginning of his first period of unemployment in a benefit year; no ap
plication is required for subsequent periods in the same year. Num
ber of payments are payments made in 14-day registration periods.
The average amount of benefit payment is an average for all com
pensable periods, not adjusted for recovery of overpayments or set
tlement of underpayments. However, total benefits paid have been
adjusted.
Data for all programs represent an unduplicated count of insured
unemployment under the State, Ex-Servicemen, and UCFE programs,
and the Railroad Insurance Act.
Under both State and Federal unemployment insurance programs
for civilian employees, insured workers must report the completion of
at least 1 week of unemployment before they are defined as unem
21.
Unemployment Insurance and employment service operations
[All items except average benefits amounts are in thousands]
1979
1978
Item
All programs:
Insured unemployment.........................
State unemployment Insurance
program:1
Initial claims2 ........................................
Insured unemployment (average
weekly volume) ...............................
Rate of insured unemployment.............
Weeks of unemployment
compensated....................................
Average weekly benefit amount
for total unemployment....................
Total benefits paid ...............................
Unemployment compensation for exservicemen: 3
Initial claims' ........................................
Insured unemployment (average
weekly volume) ...............................
Weeks of unemployment
compensated ....................................
Total benefits paid ...............................
Unemployment compensation for
Federal civilian employees:4
Initial claim s...........................................
Insured unemployment (average
weekly volume) ...............................
Weeks of unemployment
compensated ....................................
Total benefits paid ...............................
Jan.
Dec.
Nov.
Oct.
Apr.
Mar.
Feb.
Aug.
July
June
May
Sept.
2,164
1,999
2,148
2,567
3,198
3,209
2,921
2,610
2,230
2,119
2,429
2,377
1,289
1,526
1,882
2,421
1,576
1,396
1,589
1,309
1,400
1,976
1,545
1,219
2,245
2.7
2,024
2.4
2,750
3.6
2,440
3.1
2,078
2.6
1,991
2.5
2,300
2.8
1,816
2.4
2,009
2.7
2,421
3.2
3,037
3.9
3,053
4.0
6,405
6,744
7,907
11,371
10,762
11,105
8,956
8,442
7,197
7,889
8,830
6,993
$89.25
$777,699
$88.37
$725,229
$87.25
$610,269
$86.40
$665,687
$88.56
$767,025
$89.07
$606,095
20
20
24
28
28
23
52
52
$83.42
519,726
$83.99
$550,691
$85.34
$645,084
$88.28
$972,820
$90.31
$915,146
$90.28
$975,641
23
23
24
24
21
21
49
48
50
54
53
52
48
45
45
51
203
$18,887
244
$20,591
228
$21,040
262
$24,425
219
$20,489
241
$22,794
207
$19,617
214
$20,440
193
$18,623
216
$20,965
234
$22,550
211
$19,634
18
16
18
21
13
12
12
12
13
16
13
13
34
32
34
37
35
33
27
24
23
2.5
25
25
91
$8,456
120
$10,414
135
$11,826
136
$12,174
158
$14,222
133
$12,256
143
$13,168
112
$10,345
106
$9,330
91
$8,341
96
$8,802
107
$9,829
8
15
10
8
6
5
3
3
9
15
8
13
Railroad unemployment Insurance:
Applications...........................................
Insured unemployment (average
weekly volume) ...............................
Number of payments ...........................
Average amount of benefit
payment.............................................
Total benefits paid ...............................
18
53
17
33
17
30
26
50
24
50
23
23
18
40
10
29
8
19
11
20
12
26
21
32
$192.38
$10,070
$171.54
$5,394
$189.59
$5,678
$200.80
$9,634
$200.54
$9,871
$204.72
$10,538
$195.55
$7,276
$177.39
$5,681
$183.13
$3,314
$190.10
$3,699
$195.61
$3,767
$189.08
$5,747
Employment service:5
New applications and renewals
Nonfarm placements ...........................
1,670
467
3,026
827
414
1,120
5,630
1,414
8,059
1,991
9,180
2,291
10,452
2,616
11,907
3,051
13,186
3,482
14,479
3,935
'Initial claims and State insured unemployment include data under the program for Puerto Rican
sugarcane workers.
2 Includes interstate claims for the Virgin Islands. Excludes transition claims under State programs.
3 Excludes data on claims and payments made jointly with other programs.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Oct.
2,236
2,057
2.4
52
28
4 Includes the Virgin Islands. Excludes data on claims and payments made jointly with State
programs.
5 Cumulative total for fiscal year (October 1 - September 30).
NOTE: Data for Puerto Rico included. Dashes indicate data not available.
83
PRICE DATA
P
are gathered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
from retail and primary markets in the United States. Price
indexes are given in relation to a base period (1967 = 100,
unless otherwise noted).
r ic e
d a t a
Definitions
The Consumer Price Index is a monthly statistical measure of the
average change in prices in a fixed market basket of goods and ser
vices. Effective with the January 1978 index, the Bureau of Labor Sta
tistics began publishing CPI’s for two groups of the population. One
index, a new CPI for All Urban Consumers, covers 80 percent of the
total noninstitutional population; and the other index, a revised CPI
for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, covers about half the
new index population. The All Urban Consumers index includes, in
addition to wage earners and clerical workers, professional, manageri
al, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the
unemployed, retirees, and others not in the labor force.
The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, fuel, drugs,
transportation fares, doctor’s and dentist’s fees, and other goods and
services that people buy for day-to-day living. The quantity and quali
ty of these items is kept essentially unchanged between major revi
sions so that only price changes will be measured. Prices are collected
from over 18,000 tenants, 24,000 retail establishments, and 18,000
housing units for property taxes in 85 urban areas across the country.
All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are
included in the index. Because the CPI’s are based on the expendi
tures of two population groups in 1972-73, they may not accurately
reflect the experience of individual families and single persons with
different buying habits.
Though the CPI is often called the “Cost-of-Living Index,” it mea
sures only price change, which is just one of several important factors
affecting living costs. Area indexes do not measure differences in the
level of prices among cities. They only measure the average change in
prices for each area since the base period.
Producer Price Indexes measure average changes in prices received
in primary markets of the United States by producers of commodities
in all stages of processing. The sample used for calculating these in
dexes contains about 2,800 commodities and about 10,000 quotations
per month selected to represent the movement of prices of all com
modities produced in the manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, fishing,
mining, gas and electricity, and public utilities sectors. The universe
includes all commodities produced or imported for sale in commercial
transactions in primary markets in the United States.
Producer Price Indexes can be organized by stage of processing or
by commodity. The stage of processing structure organizes products
by degree of fabrication (that is, finished goods, intermediate or
semifinished goods, and crude materials). The commodity structure
organizes products by similarity of end-use or material composition.
To the extent possible, prices used in calculating Producer Price In
dexes apply to the first significant commercial transaction in the Unit
ed States, from the production or central marketing point. Price data
are generally collected monthly, primarily by mail questionnaire.
84
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Most prices are obtained directly from producing companies on a vol
untary and confidential basis. Prices generally are reported for the
Tuesday of the week containing the 13th day of the month.
In calculating Producer Price Indexes, price changes for the vari
ous commodities are averaged together with implicit quantity weights
representing their importance in the total net selling value of all com
modities as of 1972. The detailed data are aggregated to obtain in
dexes for stage of processing groupings, commodity groupings, dura
bility of product groupings, and a number of special composite
groupings.
Price indexes for the output of selected SIC industries measure av
erage price changes in commodities produced by particular industries,
as defined in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual 1972
(Washington, U.S. Office of Management and Budget, 1972). These
indexes are derived from several price series, combined to match the
economic activity of the specified industry and weighted by the value
of shipments in the industry. They use data from comprehensive in
dustrial censuses conducted by the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Notes on the data
Beginning with the May 1978 issue of the Review, regional CPI’s
cross classified by population size, were introduced. These indexes will
enable users in local areas for which an index is not published to get a
better approximation of the CPI for their area by using the appropri
ate population size class measure for their region. The cross-classified
indexes will be published bimonthly. (See table 24.)
For further details about the new and the revised indexes and a
comparison of various aspects of these indexes with the old unrevised
CPI, see Facts About the Revised Consumer Price Index, a pamphlet in
the Consumer Price Index Revision 1978 series. See also The
Consumer Price Index: Concepts and Content Over the Years. Report
517, revised edition (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 1978).
For interarea comparisons of living costs at three hypothetical stan
dards of living, see the family budget data published in the Handbook
o f Labor Statistics, 1977, Bulletin 1966 (Bureau of Labor Statistics,
1977), tables 122-133. Additional data and analysis on price changes
are provided in the CPI Detailed Report and Producer Prices and Price
Indexes, both monthly publications of the Bureau.
As of January 1976, the Wholesale Price Index (as it was then
called) incorporated a revised weighting structure reflecting 1972 val
ues of shipments. From January 1967 through December 1975, 1963
values of shipments were used as weights.
For a discussion of the general method of computing consumer,
producer, and industry price indexes, see BLS Handbook o f Methods
for Surveys and Studies, Bulletin 1910 (Bureau of Labor Statistics,
1976), chapters 13-15. See also John F. Early, “Improving the mea
surement of producer price change,” Monthly Labor Review, April
1978, pp. 7 -1 5 . For industry prices, see also Bennett R. Moss, “In
dustry and Sector Price Indexes,” Monthly Labor Review, August
1965, pp. 974-82.
22.
Consumer Price index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, annual averages and changes, 1967-78
[1967 = 100]
Food and
beverages
All items
Year
Index
Percent
change
Index
Apparel and
upkeep
Housing
Percent
change
Index
Percent
change
Index
Transportation
Percent
change
Index
Percent
change
Medical care
Percent
change
Index
Other goods
and services
Entertainment
Index
Percent
change
Index
Percen
change
1967
1968
1969
1970
100.0
104.2
109.8
116.3
4.2
5.4
5.9
100.0
103.6
108.8
114.7
3.6
5.0
5.4
100.0
104.0
110.4
118.2
4.0
6.2
7.1
100.0
105.4
111.5
116.1
5.4
5.8
4.1
100.0
103.2
107.2
112.7
3.2
3.9
5.1
100.0
106.1
113.4
120.6
6.1
6.9
6.3
100.0
105.7
111.0
116.7
5.7
5.0
5.1
100 0
105.2
110.4
116.8
5.2
4.9
5.8
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
121.3
125.3
133.1
147.7
161.2
4.3
3.3
6.2
11.0
9.1
118.3
123.2
139.5
158.7
172.1
3.1
4.1
13.2
13,8
8.4
123.4
128.1
133.7
148.8
164.5
4.4
3.8
4.4
11.3
10.6
119.8
122.3
126.8
136.2
142.3
3.2
2.1
3.7
7.4
4.5
118.6
119.9
123.8
137.7
150.6
5.2
1.1
3.3
11.2
9.4
128.4
132.5
137.7
150.5
168.6
6.5
3.2
3.9
9.3
12.0
122.9
126.5
130.0
139.8
152.2
5.3
2.9
2.8
7.5
8.9
122.4
127.5
132.5
142.0
153.9
4.8
4.2
3.9
7.2
8.4
1976
1977
1978
170.5
181.5
195.3
5.8
6.5
7.6
177.4
188.0
206.2
3.1
6.0
9.7
174.6
186.5
202.6
6.1
6.8
8.6
147.6
154.2
159.5
3.7
4.5
3.4
165.5
177.2
185.8
9.9
7.1
4.9
184.7
202.4
219.4
9.5
9.6
8.4
159.8
167.7
176.2
5.0
4.9
5.1
162.7
172.2
183.2
5.7
5.8
6.4
23. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers and revised CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers,
U.S. city average— general summary and groups, subgroups, and selected items
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (revised)
All Urban Consumers
General summary
1979
1978
1979
1978
Oct.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Oct.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
All items
200.9
214.1
216.6
218.9
221.1
223.4
225.4
200.7
214.3
216.9
219.4
221.5
223.7
225.6
Food and beverages .................................................
Housing........................................................................
Apparel and upkeep...................................................
Transportation ............................................................
Medical care ..............................................................
Entertainment ............................................................
Other goods and services..........................................
211.6
209.5
163.3
189.7
224.7
179.3
188.3
228.2
222.4
166.1
207.7
236.3
187.8
193.9
229.3
2255
165.7
212.6
237.7
188,2
194.5
230.7
228.4
164.3
216.6
239.9
189.1
195.2
230.2
231.5
166.3
219.6
241.8
190.2
197.0
231.0
234.6
169.8
221.4
243.7
191.1
201.7
232.1
237.7
171.0
222.7
245.9
192.0
202.3
211.5
209.1
163.6
190.3
224.9
178.3
187.6
228.2
222.3
165.7
208.6
236.3
187.1
193.8
229.3
225.5
165.3
213.7
238.2
187.5
194.3
230.9
228.4
164.5
217.8
240.5
188.6
195.1
230.4
231.5
166.2
220.7
242.6
188.9
197.2
231.2
234.5
169.3
222.4
244.7
190.2
200.6
232.3
237.7
170.8
223.4
247.2
191.4
201.4
Commodities ..............................................................
Commodities less food and beverages .............
Nondurables less food and beverages...........
Durables ..........................................................
191.8
180.2
180.1
178.8
205.8
192.9
195.7
189.2
208.4
196.0
200.5
191.1
210.5
198.4
204.2
192.6
212.2
200.9
208.8
193.6
214.1
203.3
213.2
194.5
215.6
204.9
214.9
196.0
191.8
180.0
180.2
178.5
206.1
193.1
196.6
188.9
208.7
196.3
201.6
190.8
211.0
198.8
205.6
192.2
212.6
201.3
210.5
192.9
214.4
203.5
214.8
193.5
215.8
205.0
216.6
194.8
Services .....................................................................
Rent, residential...............................................
Household services less rent ........................
Transportation services....................................
Medical care services......................................
Other services.................................................
217.6
167.4
2443
2004
241.5
189.9
229.5
173.8
260.2
209.8
254.4
197.6
232.1
174.7
264.5
210.9
255.9
198.4
234.7
175.9
268.6
212.6
258.5
199.3
237.6
177.5
272.8
214.9
260.6
200.5
240.7
179.0
276.7
216.6
262.8
204.7
243.6
181.4
280.7
218.5
265.3
205.7
217.3
167.4
244.2
200.7
241.6
189.8
229.7
173.7
261.1
210.5
254.0
198.0
232.3
174.7
265.6
211.6
256.1
198.7
235.1
175.8
269.8
213.3
258.8
200.1
237.9
177.3
274.1
215.3
261.2
201.2
241.0
178.9
278.2
216.8
263.8
204.9
244.0
181.2
282.3
218.6
266.8
206.4
All items less food ......................................................
All items less mortgage interest costs ......................
Commodities less fo o d ...............................................
Nondurables less food ...............................................
Nondurables less food and app arel...........................
Nondurables ..............................................................
Services less rent ......................................................
Services less medical c a re ........................................
Domestically produced farm foods ...........................
Selected beef c u ts ......................................................
Energy ........................................................................
All items less energy .................................................
All items less food and energy ......................
Commodities less food and energy.............
Energy commodities ....................................
Services less energy....................................
196 7
196.9
179.1
178.1
188.8
196.6
226.7
213.6
205.1
212.6
226.5
199.2
194.0
175.1
218.0
215.8
208.9
208.7
191.6
193.2
210.2
212.8
239.8
225.3
224.2
271.9
260.8
210.7
204 1
183.6
266.4
227.8
211.8
211.0
194,7
197.6
217.0
215.7
242.6
228,0
224.9
268.3
275.4
212.2
205.8
184.8
284.9
229.9
2142
213.0
197.0
201.1
222.8
218.3
2456
2306
225.9
267.8
287.1
213.8
207.3
1856
300.8
232.4
216.9
214.7
199.5
205.4
228.3
2204
248.8
233.6
223.5
253.0
296.3
215.4
209.4
186.8
314.5
235.4
219.6
216.7
201.8
2096
232.7
223.1
252.1
236.7
223.7
255.3
304.3
217.3
211.5
188.2
325.3
238.4
221.8
218.3
203.4
211.3
234.8
224.5
255.1
239.6
224.1
257.3
307.5
219.2
213.6
189 6
329,0
241.3
196.4
196.7
179.0
178.3
188.9
196.7
226.4
213.2
204.9
2134
226.4
199.0
193.7
174.9
218.3
215.5
209.1
209.1
191.8
194.0
211.0
213.2
240.1
225.6
223.9
273.1
262.2
210.8
204.0
183.3
267.3
228,0
212.0
211.5
194.9
198.6
2180
216.3
243.0
228.2
224.6
269.9
277.3
212.3
205.5
184.5
286.2
230.1
214.6
213.7
197.4
202.5
223.9
219.2
246.1
231,0
225.8
270.1
289.2
213.9
207.2
185.4
301.9
232.7
217.3
215.3
199.9
207.0
229.7
221.3
249.2
2339
223.4
255.5
2988
215.3
209.0
186.4
315.8
235.7
219.8
217.2
202.0
211.0
234.2
223.9
252.6
236.9
223.6
258.0
307.0
217.0
211.0
187.5
326.5
238.7
2220
218.7
203.5
212.9
236.3
225.3
255.7
2399
224.0
259.1
310.2
218.8
213.0
188.7
330.2
241.7
Purchasing power of the consumer dollar, 1967 = $1
$0.498
$0.467
$0.462
$0.457
$0.452
$0.448
$0.444
$0.498
$0.467
$0.461
$0.456
$0.451
$0.447
$0.443
Special Indexes:
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
85
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Consumer Prices
23.
Continued — Consumer Price Index - U.S. city average
[1967 = 1 0 0 unless otherwise specified]
All Urban Consumers
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (revised)
General summary
Oct.
May
BEVERAGES
Food
June
July
Aug
229.3
Sept.
Oct.
May
July
Aug.
Sept.
231.0
......................................................................................................
216.8
234.3
235.4
236.9
2363
237.1
238.2
216.7
234.2
235.4
237.1
236.5
237.3
238.3
Food at home .........................................................................................
Cereals and bakery p roducts..........................................................
Cereals and bakery products (12/77 = 100) .........................
Flour and prepared flour mixes (12/77 = 100 )................
Cereal (12/77 = 100) ......................................................
Rice, pasta, and cornmeal (12/77 = 100) ......................
Bakery products (12/77 = 100) .............................................
White b re a d ........................................................................
Other breads (12/77 = 100) ...........................................
Fresh biscuits, rolls, and muffins (12/77 = 100)
Fresh cakes and cupcakes (12/77 = 100) ....................
Cookies (12/77 = 100) ....................................................
215.4
205.1
110.5
111
109.2
111.3
107.9
178.0
108.5
108.7
107.4
106.8
107.5
106.0
233.4
216.2
114.6
116.7
115.1
111
114.4
189.0
114
114.7
113.3
113.4
113.3
113.7
234.2
217.8
115.5
117.
115.8
235.5
234.7
225.6
235.4
227.0
215.1
206.0
120.0
120.8
124.0
119.2
120.4
119.9
202.5
120.5
119.4
117.6
116.6
115.0
118.9
235.0
221.1
117.0
120.3
117.4
113.4
117.0
194.3
118.5
115
115.9
117.2
112.9
117.8
234.8
227.9
121.4
125.0
119.3
108.6
108.2
107.9
107.6
107.5
233.6
218.2
115.4
118.4
116.0
111
115.5
189.5
117.1
115.4
114
116.2
112.7
117.8
233.5
224 1
119.0
123.3
118.5
115.8
118.5
198.0
117.7
116.3
117.2
114.9
119.3
116.8
117.
114.9
115.9
123.4
11
118.6
119.2
200.7
119.6
119.0
116.7
115.9
114
118.8
232.8
216.8
114.7
117.0
115.4
111.7
114.7
189.0
116.2
114.5
113.9
114.9
113.2
115.3
234.2
226.6
116.6
119.4
117.0
113.6
116.4
194.2
116.2
116.1
114.8
114.8
112.7
116.0
233.9
223.7
118.5
122.5
118.0
115.7
118.3
198.4
118.6
118.1
116.6
115.6
114.7
117.5
121.6
120.3
202.3
123.8
118.7
118.1
118.3
115.0
120.7
109.9
116.6
117.6
119.1
120.8
121.7
122.5
108.7
114.1
113.9
116.5
117.1
118.6
118.8
211.7
216.1
215.3
211.3
210.5
213.0
192.0
242.2
247.9
252.1
270.3
280.6
285.7
244.4
256.5
259.0
152.8
230.2
235.8
237.8
251.9
260.3
257.5
231.0
2360
238.1
254.2
261.4
261.0
229.2
239.2
251.0
145.6
206.5
194.0
198.1
95.2
258.4
216.6
117.4
240.2
235.9
133.2
230.3
235.9
238.6
256.2
263.4
263.3
230.3
242.2
2504
147.1
204.3
190.5
195.1
94.8
257.6
218.2
115.2
240.7
236.8
134.2
120.3
137.7
170.3
159.7
211.1
241.2
246.9
250.9
271.3
280.0
293.1
244.1
253.2
259.3
153.4
239.0
245.3
248.8
268.2
278.8
286.0
2400
247.5
261.1
151.6
217.2
206.0
207.4
97.0
276.0
226.4
124.4
245.2
249.0
133.4
238.3
244.2
247.4
268.4
274.7
288.7
242.7
246.4
260.7
152.8
214.9
229.6
235.3
237.6
254.1
261.9
264.0
225.9
235.4
247.3
146.0
207.6
195.0
196.2
94.9
263.2
218.9
118.4
239.9
242.6
129.7
230.5
235.4
237.7
256.4
263.5
267.9
231.0
235.7
253.9
146.6
206.1
195.6
196.1
94.3
258.4
215.3
117.5
236.6
236.1
129.5
119.0
136.9
172.8
165.8
110.9
119.8
3044
113.5
117.5
170.5
229.7
235.3
238 1
257.5
265.8
268.3
233.0
239.4
249.6
147.0
204.7
194.4
194.9
94.0
258.1
215.8
115.1
238.0
237.7
130.7
118.8
138.8
168.3
157.7
108.4
119.8
306.5
114.5
118.1
160.3
212.0
120.7
115.6
214.0
120.4
197.4
119.8
121.7
216.6
121.1
121.9
116.9
240.3
185.6
113.3
229.6
232.9
271.2
243.1
208.4
291.8
152.3
198.4
193.4
222.9
179.2
108,0
230.2
233.6
260.6
212.9
199.7
290.3
149.7
209.4
183.8
264.2
194.1
112.5
2269
119.0
114.4
118.2
123.8
109.5
109.9
227.9
119.8
114.9
119.7
123.9
109.9
109.4
228.3
120.3
115.2
120.7
124.0
109.8
Crackers and bread and cracker products (12/77 = 100)
Fresh sweetrolls, coffeecake, and donuts (12/77 = 100)
Frozen and refrigerated bakery products
and fresh pies, tarts, and turnovers (12/77 = 100) . . .
Meats, poultry, fish, and e g g s ..........................................................
Meats, poultry, and f is h ............................................................
Meats ................................................................................
Beef and v e a l.................................................................
Ground beef other than canned ...............................
Chuck roast ..............................................................
Round roast ..............................................................
Rojnd steak ..............................................................
Sirloin steak ..............................................................
Other beef and veal (12/77 = 100) ........................
P ork................................................................................
Bacon ..........................................................................
Pork chops .................................................................
Ham other than canned (12/77 = 100 )....................
Sausage .....................................................................
Canned ham ..............................................................
Other pork (12/77 = 1 0 0 )..........................................
Other m e a ts...................................................................
Frankfurters ................................................................
Bologna, liverwurst, and salami (12/77 = 100) .........
Other lunchmeats (12/77 = 1 0 0 )...............................
Lamb and organ meats (12/77 = 1 0 0 )......................
Poultry ................................................................................
Fresh whole chicken ...................................................
Fresh and frozen chicken parts (12/77 = 100) .........
Other poultry (12/77 = 100) ......................................
Fish and seafood .................................................................
Canned fish and seafood (12/77 = 100 )....................
Fresh and frozen fish and seafood (12/77 = 100) .. .
E gg s..............................................................................
Dairy Products ............................................................................
Fresh milk and cream (12/77 = 100) ...............................
Fresh whole m ilk ..............................................................
Other fresh milk and cream (12/77 = 100) ..................
Processed dairy products (12/77 = 100)...........................
Butte-................................................................................
Cheese (12/77 = 1 0 0 )...............................................
Ice cream and related products (12/77 = 100 ).............
Other dairy products (12/77 = 100) .............................
Fruits and vegetables .................................................................
Fresh fruits and vegetables.................................................
Fresh fru its .......................................................................
Apples .........................................................................
Bananas .......................................................................
Oranges .......................................................................
Other fresh fruits (12/77 = 100) ...............................
Fresh vegetables ............................................................
Potatoes ..........................................................................
Lettuce ..........................................................................
Tomatoes .....................................................................
Other fresh vegetables (12/77 = 100) ......................
Processed fruits and vegetables ........................................
Processed fruits (12/77 = 1 0 0 )......................................
Frozen fruit and fruit juices (12/77 = 100) ................
Fruit juices and other than frozen (12/77 = 100) . . . .
Canned and dried fruits (12/77 = 1 0 0 )......................
Processed vegetables (12/77 = 100) ...........................
Frozen vegetables (12/77 = 100) .............................
86
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
112.8
115.2
190.3
115.3
115.
114.0
114.1
112.2
113.2
116.9
177.3
177.6
112.4
117.2
281.7
105.8
108.2
159.1
138.5
188.0
185.9
120.4
125.1
297.2
109.8
115.2
172.9
239.8
246.1
249.6
2669
278.7
279.7
236.8
250.0
2598
151.3
217.2
203.9
206.4
99.5
276.1
226.0
124.4
248.9
249.3
136.7
123.1
143.9
187.2
185.8
120.3
123.4
301.0
110.3
117.2
161.9
191.1
107.8
176.5
107.6
108 3
189.3
107 8
108.0
107.0
203.8
114.7
188.1
114.3
115.8
199.4
116.3
115.2
112.7
205.5
115.7
189.4
115.6
116.8
199.9
116.9
116.9
114.5
216.3
221.5
244.4
195.3
181.4
312.9
132.4
2268
231.0
249.6
229.9
233.8
243.3
266.0
232.9
225.3
311.5
141.4
202.6
212.1
123.7
218.7
220.5
207.5
103.2
265.3
2239
120.2
216.7
210.9
120.6
222.2
2158
210.1
101.8
276.1
229.5
127.0
244.0
245.2
134.1
121.8
212.6
159.5
116.5
267.1
135.4
213.6
203.9
194.1
219.7
122.9
212.5
107.9
108.0
107.0
108.8
105.5
105.4
224.2
116.8
112.6
115.6
121.8
108.5
107.2
200.1
198.5
202.6
220.1
239.0
245.0
2480
266.4
274.5
280.5
239.1
248.1
260.7
151.8
215.1
200.0
207.7
97.2
270.4
224.4
124.2
245.1
243.2
135.4
222.2
238.1
247.5
145.0
207.4
192.5
195.3
96.4
263.8
221.1
118.3
243.5
241.9
134.3
122.7
137.6
177.1
171.3
112.1
123.0
306.5
112.7
119.2
161.8
135.6
174.8
169.9
111.8
119.2
309.7
113.9
120.4
170.7
117.7
208.6
117.7
192.8
117.4
118.2
203.0
118.4
211.3
119.0
195.4
118.1
120.1
209.9
120.1
117.0
114.5
117.8
115.4
120.1
115.5
238.1
249.4
278.2
250.2
231.8
234.7
271.6
244.7
210.3
312.3
147.1
200.3
199.3
219.6
178.5
109.5
2306
122 0
141.0
186.2
184.1
119.4
123.6
304.3
111.4
118.6
165.8
206.3
116.1
190.0
116.3
117.3
200.6
128.1
185.8
132.1
237.8
247.5
286.9
275.2
202.3
316.2
157.5
210.7
211.4
235.7
187.0
113.8
225.4
117.6
114.3
115.6
122.5
108.9
107.1
227.8
118.5
114.3
117.0
123.8
110.4
109 6
229.2
119.7
115.5
117.9
125.0
110.7
109.7
222.0
221.5
193.1
222.0
221.0
313.5
151.3
222.4
225.7
200.0
121.6
120.6
116.3
119.3
125.5
111.2
109.8
110.6
112.1
109.5
110.7
108.5
178.9
110.0
215.5
214.8
212.0
211.3
216.7
192.8
200.2
212.7
123.9
217.9
222.8
207.0
103.9
262.9
219.9
118.3
214.6
210.0
119.4
111.6
120.3
311.5
115.2
120.7
161.3
116.5
174 9
173.8
111.7
115.8
279.6
105.7
107.0
159.1
213.3
120.3
197.6
119.2
120.9
213.3
121.0
120.4
116.4
232.0
235.5
260.4
212.7
2066
306.7
143.9
110.1
212.2
191.1
2629
194.4
114.0
230.1
120.4
116.3
119.8
124.6
110.9
110.2
221.6
216.7
211.3
99.6
274.2
229.6
126.5
240.0
242.4
132.2
118.6
140.0
186.2
183.9
120.6
145.9
185.1
181.5
201.6
209.2
96.1
269.5
222.3
123.2
241.0
243.0
132.3
119.4
141.1
184.0
179.6
119.1
123.2
298.3
120.8
120.8
137.9
174.3
166.7
120.2
120.1
122.9
292.7
108.6
113.2
171.5
122.7
295.9
109.2
114.9
161.6
191.7
107.9
176.8
107.8
109 0
189.9
108.1
109.9
107.1
204.3
115.2
188.7
114.9
116.0
201.5
116.1
115.7
205.9
116.0
189.8
116.0
117.0
206.7
116.3
190.3
116.5
117.6
202.0
202.6
116.3
117.8
114.6
117.4
118.4
114.3
208.9
117.9
193.0
117.7
118.4
205.7
118.4
118.1
115.4
214.0
217.9
241.4
197.6
181.5
2966
133.0
196.8
196.2
195.6
163.5
114.1
224.9
228.7
245.7
224.2
209.1
259.7
134.7
213.4
203.5
195.1
217.9
123.0
231.5
240.4
261.1
233.7
221.7
293.0
140.7
236.6
248.1
278.2
248.4
218.5
3061
154.2
237.0
247.9
288.9
275.9
202.5
298.6
163.5
221.8
221.0
224.3
186.0
223.0
128.7
227.9
195.9
189.4
130.2
211.5
108.1
107.6
107.9
108.8
104.5
104.8
222.5
116.8
113.3
115.7
223.5
117.0
114.4
115.1
120.8
121.2
107.4
107.2
1081
107.7
225.8
118.1
113.6
117.4
122.7
109.3
109.7
112.6
110.2
115.7
165.4
111.1
122.1
301.4
111.5
116.9
160.5
211.0
212.1
120.6
125.1
118.7
119.1
119.7
200.5
122.5
11-8.6
119.5
195.6
119.3
120.5
212.3
120.2
120.8
110.2
23.
Continued— Consumer Price Index — U.S. city average
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (revised)
All Urban Consumers
General summary
1979
1978
1979
1978
Oct.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Oct.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
112.2
107.4
266.0
276.3
117.1
115.3
111.7
225.3
238.8
112.4
117.0
349.3
237.4
115.1
341.2
329.8
113.5
206.6
111.4
118.3
113.1
114.0
113.1
114.5
114.6
113.2
107.7
267.1
277.4
117.4
115.4
1126
226.3
239.1
112.8
117.8
350.4
237.9
115.3
347.3
330.2
113.4
207.8
112.6
119.2
113.3
114.4
113.6
115.1
115.6
114.3
108.8
269.5
279.4
118.5
115.4
113.8
227.4
240.2
113.7
118.3
354.6
238.3
115.6
376.5
335.6
113.1
209,1
113.2
121.4
114.0
115.0
114.3
115.3
115.8
113.9
109.7
272.8
281.0
119.4
115.6
114.6
228.9
240.3
114.0
119.7
361.8
239.2
116.2
411.7
349.5
114.2
210.5
113.2
120.7
115.7
115.9
115.2
116.3
116.8
114.7
110.1
276.0
2820
119.7
115.9
115.3
231.5
245.5
114.6
120.6
367.7
242.7
117.9
425.9
3599
114.0
212.6
113.1
123.1
118.4
117.4
115.9
116.8
116.7
113.6
109.9
278.0
283.1
119.7
119.9
115.9
231 9
244.4
115.1
121.1
372.1
246.4
118.5
432.4
366.5
114.8
213.4
113.4
123.1
119.6
118.8
115.8
117.2
116.7
107.1
103.1
254.7
262.2
110.4
110.5
105.9
217.1
232.2
107.6
112.5
341.0
223.1
108.2
372.0
346.4
108.3
193.3
103.4
107.5
104.6
108.9
107.8
108.4
107.8
111.0
105.7
265.3
275.6
116.9
115.4
110.4
225.1
236.9
112.1
117.4
348.4
235.6
112.9
340.3
328.6
112.3
206.5
111.6
117.3
113.6
113.6
113.9
114.2
114.2
112.0
106.3
266.2
276.6
117.0
115.3
111.9
226.6
238.4
112.5
118.2
348.5
234.7
112.5
347.3
328.9
112.3
207.9
112.6
118.6
113.7
114.0
114.9
114.8
115.3
112.4
107.5
268.7
278.3
118.1
115.4
112.6
227.6
239.7
113.6
118.5
353.6
236.5
113.0
3/5.1
336.2
112.2
208.8
113.1
119.5
114.8
114.2
115.2
115.2
115.3
112.0
108.1
271.8
279.9
c 119.0
115.5
113.6
228.9
239.8
114.0
119.6
360.0
236.9
114.2
406.1
349.4
113.0
210.4
113.3
118.7
116.4
115.4
116.2
116.3
116.7
112.6
108.7
274.7
281.2
119.3
116.4
114.0
230.7
242.8
114.5
120.4
365.0
240.1
115.7
418.2
358.9
112.7
212.4
113.3
121.1
119.0
116.3
117.5
116.3
116.7
111.9
108.5
276.5
282.2
119.6
Freeze dried and instant co ffe e ...............................................
Other noncarbonated drinks (12/77=100)
Other prepared foods .....................................................................
Canned and packaged soup (1 2 /7 7 = 1 00 ).............................
Frozen prepared foods (1 2/77=100)......................................
Snacks (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 )..............................................................
Seasonings, olives, pickles, and relish (1 2 /7 7 = 1 0 0 ).............
Other condiments (12/77 = 100) ............................................
Miscellaneous prepared foods (12/77=100) ........................
Other canned and packaged prepared foods (12/77=100) .
108.2
104.3
254.5
262.3
110.1
110.5
1069
216.3
231.6
107.4
111.9
340.4
223.4
109.1
371.8
346.7
108.5
193.2
103.9
107.9
104.1
109.1
107.0
108.3
108.0
Lunch (12/77-100) ..............................................................................
Dinner (12/77-100) ..............................................................................
Other meals and snacks (12/77=100) .................................................
224.6
109.4
108.8
108.6
241.1
117.7
116.8
115.9
242.7
118.5
117.7
116.6
244.9
119.6
118.9
117.3
246.5
120.3
119.8
117.8
247.6
120.7
120.3
118.6
249.6
121.3
121.6
119.5
224.5
109.1
108.8
108.8
242.0
118.5
116.8
116.6
244.4
119.6
118.2
117.4
246.5
120.4
119.7
118.2
248.3
121.3
120.5
119.1
249.3
121.7
120.9
119.9
251.3
122.2
122.4
120.5
163.1
171.5
172.1
172.7
173.3
174.2
176.0
163.8
171.9
172.4
173.3
173.6
174.9
176.9
114.3
171.8
130.4
202.7
105.3
113.4
115.7
175.2
131.0
202.5
105.9
114.2
FOOD AND BEVERAGES
Food
Continued
Continued
Food at home — Continued
Fruits and vegetables — Continued
Cut corn and canned beans except lima (12/77=100)
Other canned and dried vegetables (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 ).............
Sugar and sw e ets...................................................................................
Candy and chewing gum (12/77=100) ........................................
Sugar and artificial sweeteners (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 )........................
Fats and oils (12/77-100) ............................................................
Margarine ................................................................................
Nondairy substitutes and peanut butter (12/77 = 100) ...........
Other fats, oils, and salad dressings (12/77-100) ................
Nonalcoholic beverages .................................................................
Cola drinks, excluding diet c o la ...............................................
Carbonated drinks, including diet cola (1 2 /7 7 = 1 0 0 ).............
Alcoholic beverages
114.8
231.9
244.9
114.6
121.0
368.2
242.0
116.1
424.4
365.3
113.5
213.4
113.3
122.0
120.6
116.7
117.0
116.7
116.9
Other alcoholic beverages (1 2 /7 7 =1 00 )...............................................
Alcoholic beverages away from home (12/77=100)....................................
106.0
158.1
123.4
1809
102.7
108.2
111.5
169.2
126.5
192.7
104 7
113.7
111.9
170.0
126.8
193.2
105.2
113.9
112.2
170.3
127.4
194.1
105.2
114.5
112.7
170.6
128.4
196.0
105.4
114.6
113.3
172.3
129.0
195.2
105.5
115.1
114.6
175.1
129.4
198.0
105 9
115.9
107.0
159.1
124.3
185.9
182.3
106.6
112.4
169.2
127.8
195.9
105.0
111.2
112.7
169.8
128.2
196.2
104.9
111.7
113.3
170.5
129.2
197.8
105.0
112.3
113.4
170.3
129.9
199.4
105.1
112.8
HOUSING............................................................................................
209.5
222.4
225.5
228.4
231.5
234.6
237.7
209.1
222.3
225.5
228.4
231.5
234.5
237.7
Shelter................................................................................................
218.6
233.5
236.7
240.1
243.9
247.4
251.5
218.5
234.1
237.2
240.7
244.5
248.2
252.4
181.2
Alcoholic beverages at home (12/77=100) .................................................
Whiskey ..................................................................................................
Rent, residential..............................................................................................
167.4
173.8
174.7
175.9
177.5
179.0
181.4
167.4
173.7
174.7
175.8
177.3
178.9
Lodging while out of tow n .......................................................................
Tenants’ insurance (12/77=100) ..........................................................
213.8
220.3
103.5
230.3
242.1
107.2
232.3
244.3
108.0
236.0
248.8
110.9
238.2
251.2
112.0
239.3
251.8
113.7
241 6
254.2
114.1
213.5
219.7
103.5
229.6
240.5
107.5
231.8
243.1
108.2
235.2
246.7
111.5
237.6
249.5
112.6
238.6
249.9
114.1
241.3
253.0
114.7
237.0
2034
272.4
287.9
195.4
314.6
152.1
240.7
260.2
195.0
254.9
217.6
297.2
307.1
181.2
358.4
162.0
252.4
273.2
203.8
258.8
220.9
302.2
310.6
181.3
366.0
163.0
255.5
277.4
204.4
263.0
224.0
308.6
312.6
181.8
375.6
164.9
257.9
280.0
206.1
267.6
226.9
316.4
314.6
183.1
387.2
167.7
259.7
281.8
208 1
271.9
229.8
323.0
316.7
184.7
396.7
169.7
262.5
284.4
211.5
276.7
233.4
330.5
319.9
185.1
408 1
172.0
264.7
287.0
212.5
237.1
203.4
273.1
106.3
196.0
118.8
152.2
2386
258,0
194.8
255.9
217.6
299.2
306.9
182.7
358.9
162.2
253.4
275.5
204.0
259.9
220.8
304.2
310.1
182.8
366.2
163.1
2567
280.2
204.9
264.2
224.0
310.6
312.1
183.3
375.8
164.9
2591
282.8
206.5
268.9
227.0
318.7
314.2
184.6
387.4
167.8
260.8
284.2
209.0
273.3
230.0
325.6
318.5
186.1
397.1
169.7
263.4
287.2
210.8
278.3
233.6
333.5
321.9
186.5
408.8
172.0
265.3
289.4
211.9
106.7
107.4
110.7
112.6
111.8
112.9
112.5
113.7
114.3
113.7
117.0
115.2
117.4
116.0
106.1
108.4
110.8
113.3
112.1
113.9
112.8
114.4
115.0
114.8
116.1
115.7
116.6
116.2
103.4
104.9
108.4
110.2
108.6
109.3
110.1
110.3
110.8
111.1
111.9
112.9
112.8
113.3
104.0
103.8
109.5
108.6
109.3
107.6
110.2
109.5
111.5
110.3
112.6
111.2
113.8
111.9
Fuel and other utilities
220.1
232.2
239.0
243.5
247.2
251.2
252.9
220.3
232.5
239.4
244.1
247.7
251.7
253.4
Fuels
254.0
300.1
300.1
98,5
240.0
207.7
276.2
274.6
364.3
375.3
1001
251.6
214.3
296.8
286.2
391.2
405.9
102 6
259.9
223.7
301.8
293.8
412.9
429.5
106.2
264.5
227.4
307.7
2997
438.6
458.2
109.3
266.5
229.2
309.7
3066
461.6
482.5
114.4
270.1
230.6
317.5
310.3
470.8
491.2
118.5
272.5
228.7
329.1
253.9
300.3
300.2
98.8
239.9
208.1
275.0
274.6
364.8
375.7
100.2
251.4
214.7
295.4
286.1
391.6
406.1
102.6
259.8
224.3
300.1
293.9
413.5
430.0
106.5
264.6
228.0
306.5
299.8
439.0
458.5
109.4
266.5
299.7
308.5
306.6
462.5
4833
114.6
269.9
231.1
315.8
310.1
471.7
491.9
118.8
272.2
228.8
327.4
Financing, taxes, and insurance ............................................................
Property taxes ................................................................................
Contracted mortgage interest c o s t .................................................
Maintenance and repair commodities ............................................
Paint and wallpaper, supplies, tools, and
equipment (12/77-100) .....................................................
Lumber, awnings, glass, and masonry (1 2 /7 7 = 1 00 ).............
Plumbing, electrical, heating, and cooling
supplies (12 /7 7 =1 00 )..........................................................
Miscellaneous supplies and equipment (12/77=100) ...........
Gas (piped) and electricity .....................................................................
Electricity.........................................................................................
Utility (piped) gas ............................................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
87
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Consumer Prices
23.
Continued— Consumer Price Index— U.S. city average
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
All Urban Consumers
General summary
1978
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (revised)
1979
1978
1979
Oct.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Oct
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
158.9
133.0
101.4
99.1
100.3
2359
159.0
132.2
100.6
98.3
100.7
241.4
159.2
132.0
100.0
98.4
101.2
243.1
159.4
132.1
100.1
98.4
101.3
244.0
159.8
132.5
100.5
98.5
101.5
244.6
159.8
132.4
100.4
98.4
101.4
245.3
158.8
131.2
98.7
98.4
101.7
245.6
159.0
133.0
101.5
99.2
100.2
236.0
159.1
132.2
100.6
98.3
100.6
241.5
159.2
132.0
100.1
98.5
101.1
243.3
159.4
132.2
100.2
98.5
101.2
244.0
159.8
132.5
100.6
98.5
101.4
244.6
159.8
132.4
100.5
98.4
101.3
245.5
158.9
131.3
98.8
98.4
101.5
245.8
181.9
189.2
190.1
190.4
191.2
192.2
193.3
180.5
188.1
188.8
189.0
189.8
190.6
191.7
157.7
167.9
103.5
105.8
170.7
107.9
104.0
103.0
108.2
132.6
102.8
102.1
104.6
150.4
150.1
105.5
105.7
162.6
173.1
106.1
109.7
176.9
112.8
106.2
103.7
114.7
135.6
104.0
102.8
106.1
155.4
152.4
109.8
109.7
163.1
174.9
106.8
111.4
177.5
112.9
107.8
103.5
114.7
135.6
104.0
102.7
106.3
155.4
151.9
110.8
109.5
162.9
173.6
104.3
112.4
176.8
113.2
106.2
104.5
113.3
135.4
103.9
102.6
106.1
155.1
152.9
110.7
108.7
163.2
172.8
103.6
112.0
177.1
114.0
106.3
104.9
112.7
135.8
104.3
102.8
106.8
155.5
154.6
110.7
108.6
164.1
175.3
106.7
112.0
178.3
114.8
107.1
105.1
113.9
136.2
104.7
102.9
107.5
155.8
154.1
110.9
109.1
165.2
177.8
107.7
114.2
180.0
116.4
107.3
106.2
115.0
136.9
104.9
103.4
107.4
156.9
155.3
112.1
109.8
156.6
167.9
103.1
106.4
168.9
105.9
103.9
102.8
106.7
132.1
101.7
101.2
103.2
150.7
153.3
105.2
105.1
162.4
173.1
105.8
110.3
176.4
110.8
108.4
105.4
112.9
135.8
103.8
102.2
106.3
156.0
156.9
109.9
108.8
162.8
174.0
105.1
112.3
177.6
111.7
110.1
105.4
113.3
135.3
103.3
102.0
105.5
155.6
156.0
110.5
108.3
162.5
171.6
103.1
111.4
177.2
112.1
108.7
106.2
112.5
135.0
103.3
101.6
105.8
154.9
157.3
110.1
107.1
163.0
173.0
103.7
112.7
177.3
112.7
108.2
106.1
112.5
135.5
104.0
101.9
106.7
155.1
157.9
110.2
107.1
163.5
174.9
106.3
112.2
178.5
113.0
108.6
106.7
114.2
135.7
104.4
101.9
107.4
155.2
156.5
111.2
107.2
164.4
177.2
107.4
114.1
180.3
114.8
109.6
107.5
114.7
135.7
104.1
102.0
106.9
155.6
157.9
111.3
107.2
HOUSING — Continued
Fuel and other utilities
Continued
Other utilities and public services ...................................................
Telephone services ........................................................
Local charges (12/77 = 100) ........................................................
Interstate toll calls (12/77 = 100) ...................................................
Intrastate toll calls (12/77 = 100) ...................................................
Water and sewerage maintenance ......................................................
Household furnishings and operations
..............................
Housefurnishings ......................................................
Textile housefurnishings.................................................................
Household linens (12/77 = 1 0 0 )..................................
Curtains, drapes, slipcovers, and sewing materials (12/77 = 100) .
Furniture and bedding ............................................................................
Bedroom furniture (12/77 = 100) ..........................................
Sofas (12/77 = 100) .....................................................................
Living room chairs and tables (12/77 = 100) ..................................
Other furniture (12/77 = 1 0 0 )........................................................
Appliances including TV and sound equipment........................................
Television and sound equipment (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ....................
Television .....................................................................
Sound equipment (12/77 = 100) .............................................
Household appliances.......................................................................
Refrigerators and home freezer...............................................
Laundry equipment (12/77 = 100) ..........................................
Other household appliances (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).............................
Stoves, dishwashers, vacuums, and sewing
machines (12/77 = 100) ...................................................
Office machines, small electric appliances,
and air conditioners (12/77 = 1 00 )....................................
Other household equipment (12/77 = 100)....................................
Floor and window coverings, infants' laundry
cleaning and outdoor equipment (12/77 = 100) ........................
Clocks, lamps, and decor items (12/77 = 100) ..................
Tableware, serving pieces, and nonelectric
kitchenware (12/77 = 100) ..........................................
Lawn equipment, power tools, and other hardware (12/77 = 100) .
107.3
110.0
109.8
109.0
108.5
108.6
109.0
105.9
109.6
108.9
107.6
107.7
107.7
106.9
103.8
105.2
109.3
109.3
109.2
109.5
108.5
110.3
108.8
110.7
109.7
110.9
110.7
111.2
104.1
103.9
108.0
109.0
107.6
109.6
106.5
110.4
106.4
110.6
106.8
110.3
107.6
110.8
104.9
102.9
108.5
105.2
108.5
105.9
109.1
107.5
109.5
107.1
111.1
108.0
109.8
108.6
100.3
103.5
104.6
105.9
104.2
106.3
104.6
107.2
105.9
106.7
105.8
107.0
105.5
107.1
107.7
103.7
113.0
107.9
113.2
107.9
114.4
107.6
115.1
108.5
114.7
107.6
115.4
108.5
105.3
104.5
111.7
110.1
112.9
110.6
114.1
111.0
113.9
111.5
114.5
109.5
114.7
111.0
Housekeeping supplies........................................
Soaps and detergents ......................................
Other laundry and cleaning products (12/77 = 100) ..
Cleansing and toilet tissue, paper towels and napkins (12/77 = 100) .,
Stationery, stationery supplies, and gift wrap (12/77 = 100) .............
Miscellaneous household products (12/77 = 100)
Lawn and garden supplies (12/77 = 100 )...............
210.0
202.0
106.6
108.5
103.2
107.3
102.7
220.5
209.6
110.1
116.3
107.3
111.6
111.7
221.5
210.2
110.7
116.7
108.2
111.8
112.3
222.3
210.9
111.3
116.5
108.9
112.3
113.0
223.4
212.5
112.0
116.2
109.5
112.9
113.8
224.1
215.1
112.3
116.4
109.9
113.3
112.7
2248
217.9
113.7
117.2
109.5
114.3
110.0
209.3
201.2
105.9
109.7
103.2
105.8
101.1
219.4
208.2
110.0
117.1
106.7
110.4
110.0
219.9
208.8
110.8
117.2
107.0
110.1
110.3
220.7
210.5
111.3
116.9
107.5
110.5
110.4
221.6
210.9
111.9
116.3
108.5
111.3
111.3
222.6
214.5
112.4
117.1
108.3
111.6
109 9
223.9
216.3
113.5
117.9
108.6
112.7
108.8
Housekeeping services......................................
Postage .............................................
Moving, storage, freight, household laundry, and
drycleaning services (12/77 = 100) ........................
Appliance and furniture repair (12/77 = 100) ...........
233.7
257.3
246.2
257.3
248.0
257.3
249.7
257.3
251.6
257.3
253.4
257.3
254.6
257.3
233.2
257.2
244.9
257.2
247.0
257.2
248.6
257.2
250.4
257.2
252.1
257.2
253.9
257.2
107.6
104.2
113.8
108.5
115.1
109.1
116.3
109.5
117.3
110.7
118.1
111.7
118.8
112.3
107.8
103.9
114.1
107.6
115.5
108.8
116.5
109.4
117.7
110.3
1186
111.1
119.7
112.1
170.8
APPAREL AND UPKEEP............................
163.3
166.1
165.7
164.3
166.3
169.8
171.0
163.6
165.7
165.3
164.5
166.2
169.3
Apparel commodities
159.3
160.8
160.2
158.6
160.6
164.2
165.2
159.6
160.6
160.0
159.1
160.7
163.9
165.3
157.7
159.1
100.9
100.3
99.7
103.0
100.9
100.6
100.4
96.3
104.1
102.1
154.0
102.6
172.5
165.2
101.2
102.6
99.4
101.5
101.2
101.6
158.4
160.1
101.1
98.5
94.8
107.4
103.9
100.0
102.8
99.3
107.1
103.8
153.2
102.4
164.3
170.4
99.7
105.4
93.5
99.1
98.1
96.3
157.4
160.4
101.1
98.5
94.5
108.1
103.5
99.9
103.5
100.0
108.3
104.4
150.8
100.8
162.4
163.5
98.4
105.6
91.7
98.0
95.8
95.7
155.6
159.2
100.0
96.8
94.4
108.4
100.9
99.0
104.2
101.7
108.0
104.8
147.8
98.4
162.1
157.2
95.0
105 6
87.3
98.1
98.7
939
157.7
159.6
100.6
97.1
95.5
109.3
103.2
98.1
103.3
101.1
107.9
103.1
151.3
100.7
170.4
162.8
963
106.2
89.8
100.5
100.8
98.3
161.5
162.7
102.7
100.0
96.5
110.6
107.2
99.0
104.8
102.7
109.4
104.5
155.9
103.9
174.1
171.1
99.8
106.2
96.7
102.4
102.8
100.3
162.3
164.2
103.5
101.6
97.8
109.9
108.5
99.5
106.3
103.9
110.8
106.5
155.5
103.4
173.9
167.2
99.6
106 6
97.1
103.6
102.8
102.5
158.2
159.8
101.7
99.8
101.8
103.1
102.6
101.7
99.9
95.6
103.1
101.9
154.0
102.7
172.8
165.9
100.2
103.1
99.7
101.2
99.2
103.0
158.1
160.8
101.8
97.2
97.9
106.1
105.0
102.1
101.9
98.1
106.1
103.2
152.0
102.2
173.0
162.0
98.7
106.1
95.6
96.3
95.8
92.2
157.2
160.9
101.6
96.8
97.8
106.2
104.5
101.7
103.1
99.4
107.8
104.1
149.9
100.6
166.9
156.6
98.5
106.5
924
95.9
93,4
93.8
156.0
160.6
101.3
95.8
97.6
106.6
104.1
101.5
103.5
101.3
107.1
103.9
147.5
98.7
166.8
-152.8
987
106.1
87.9
95.5
94.6
92.5
157.9
161.1
101.9
96.2
99.2
107.0
104.9
101.9
102.7
100.3
107.0
102.9
150.5
100.4
173.1
152.8
97.7
107.0
91.0
98.8
95.9
99.7
161.2
163.2
103.2
98.3
99.1
108.6
107.1
102.5
103.9
102.0
108.8
103.5
154.4
103.0
175.7
158.5
100.4
107.4
98.1
101.1
98.5
102.1
162.4
164.4
103.8
99.1
99.5
109.1
108.3
102.8
105.3
103.8
110.1
104.7
154.8
103.3
174.1
159.1
100.4
107.9
99.9
101.5
97,9
103.5
102.0
105.8
105.7
104.6
104.1
105.7
106.7
101.5
104.3
103.4
102.0
101.8
103.5
103.9
Apparel commodities less footwear.............................
Men s and boys’ .............................
Men's (12/77 = 100) ..........................................
Suits, sport coats, and jackets (12/77 = 100) ................
Coats and jackets (12/77 = 1 0 0 )......................
Furnishings and special clothing (12/77 = 100) ......................
Shirts (12/77 = 1 0 0 )..........................................
Dungarees, jeans, and trousers (12/77 = 100) ..................
Boys' (12/77 = 100) .................................................
Coats, jackets, sweaters, and shirts (12/77 = 100) .............
Furnishings (12/77 = 1 0 0 )........................................
Suits, trousers, sport coats, and jackets (12/77 = 100) .........
Women's and girls' ........................................
Women's (12/77 = 100 )..........................................
Coats and jackets ..........................................
Dresses ...................................................................
Separates and sportswear (12/77 = 1 0 0 )....................
Underwear, nightwear, and hosiery (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).............
Suits (12/77 = 100).................................................
Girls (12/77 = 100) ...............................................
Coats, jackets, dresses, and suits (12/77 = 1 00 )....................
Separates and sportswear (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).............................
Underwear, nightwear, hosiery, and
accessories (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).................................................
88
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
23.
Continued — Consumer Price Index — U.S. city average
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (revised)
All Urban Consumers
General summary
1979
1978
1979
1978
Oct.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Oct.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Apparel commodities less footwear — Continued
Infants' and toddlers’ ..............................................................................
Other apparel commodities ...................................................................
Sewing materials and notions (12/77 - 100) ...............................
Jewelry and luggage (12/77 - 100) ............................................
220.0
161.9
99.4
107.0
221.2
166.9
101.2
110.7
220.9
167.3
101.0
111.3
219.0
167.9
101.3
111.7
221.2
169.8
102.3
113.0
223.4
172.6
102.3
115.6
224.8
175.5
102.2
118.3
219.3
164.1
990
109.4
223.6
167.3
96.4
113.5
223.9
167.8
95.7
114.3
221.9
168.4
95.6
114.9
224.2
170.2
96.8
116.1
226.0
174.9
100,4
118.9
228.7
178.7
100.8
122.3
Men's (12/77 - 100) ............................................................................
Boys’ and girls' (12/77 - 100) ............................................................
Womens'(12/77 = 1 0 0 ).......................................................................
167.8
105.9
103.8
105.4
175.0
111.8
109.3
108.3
176.7
114.0
110.3
108.4
176.6
113.4
111.0
108.3
177.5
114.5
112.0
108.1
180.1
115.0
111.6
112.0
182.6
116.7
113.0
113.5
167.0
105.6
104.6
103.9
175.2
112.2
109.8
107.7
176.0
113.2
110.0
107.9
176.6
114.5
111.2
106.9
176.9
115.2
111.4
106.5
179.4
116.3
111.6
109.6
181.9
118.0
113.0
111.1
Laundry and drycleaning other than coin operated (12/77 - 1 00 ).............
Other apparel services (12/77 = 100) ........................................................
190.1
109.2
106.9
203.1
118.4
111.2
204.8
119.7
111.4
205.7
120.6
111.2
207.7
122.1
111.9
210.2
123.6
113.0
212.5
125.2
114.0
190.2
109.8
106.2
202.6
118.4
110.9
203.6
119.2
111.1
204.9
120.3
111.2
206.7
121.8
111.5
208.7
123.2
112.3
210.8
124.7
112.9
TRANSPORTATION
189.7
207.7
212.6
2166
219.6
221.4
222.7
190.3
208.6
213.7
217.8
220.7
222.4
223.4
222.0
223.1
189.8
208.8
214.1
218.3
221.2
222.7
223.7
165.9
202.9
302.3
247.5
119.2
167.4
199.9
305.2
249.4
120.4
119.0
116.8
117.0
202.3
178.7
114.5
115.7
158.1
118.6
210.6
233.5
117.0
108.4
143.9
104.3
115.5
120.3
120.2
117.3
118.0
204.0
181.6
115.9
117.6
161.1
120.0
211.9
233.7
119.4
108.6
143.9
104.2
115.5
120.8
APPAREL AND UPKEEP
Apparel commodities
Continued
Continued
Apparel services ................................................................................
Private................................................................................................
189.4
208.1
213.3
217.4
220.4
155.5
195.4
201.9
226.4
107.8
165.8
2054
247.7
240.1
114.1
166.3
208.9
265.0
242.0
116.0
166.7
209.2
280.0
244.0
117.4
166.6
207.0
292.0
245.7
118.6
166.1
202.9
301.0
247.1
119.4
167.5
199.9
303.8
249.1
120.6
155.1
195.4
202.0
226.8
108.3
165.3
205.4
248.5
240.5
115.2
165.9
208.9
266.2
242.3
116.0
166.6
209.2
281.0
244.2
117.6
166.3
207.0
293.3
246.0
118.6
Other parts and equipment (12/77 - 100) ...........................
Other private transportation services......................................................
Automobile insurance .....................................................................
Automobile finance charges (12/77 - 100) .................................
Automobile rental, registration, and other fees (12/77 = 100) . . .
State registration .....................................................................
Drivers’ license (12/77 - 100) ...............................................
Vehicle Inspection (12/77 - 100) ..........................................
Other vehicle related fees (12/77 - 100) .............................
108.4
107.5
107.1
186.9
161.2
104.2
104.2
143.0
105.8
195.5
218.7
105.0
103.5
143.8
104.1
109.5
106.1
114.9
114.3
113.1
196.4
171.0
109.9
110.6
151.4
113.0
205.1
2265
115.5
106.5
144.0
104.5
112.7
113.0
115.8
115.0
113.9
197.3
171.8
110.3
111.2
151.9
114.1
206.0
227.3
116.3
106.8
144.0
104.5
114.6
113.6
116.7
115.9
114.8
198.5
173.3
110.5
112.3
153.7
114.8
207.1
229.1
116.8
106.9
144.0
104.5
114.6
114.0
117.4
116.3
116.0
200.5
175.1
112.2
113.4
154,7
116.7
209.1
232.3
117.2
107.5
144.0
104.5
114.6
115.5
118.1
116.9
116.7
201.7
177.7
114.4
114.9
156.4
119.1
210.1
233.5
117.7
107.8
144.0
104.5
114.6
116.1
119.4
117.5
117.8
203.7
182.0
115.9
117.9
160.7
121.8
211.4
233.8
120.4
107.9
144.0
104.5
114.6
116.4
109.1
107.1
107.3
187.2
162.9
104.8
105.4
144.7
107.0
195.4
218.8
104.6
103.5
143.5
103.9
110.8
106.9
115.8
113.8
113.3
196.9
172.1
108.6
111.6
153 8
112.4
205.4
226.4
114.8
106.8
143.9
104.3
113.5
115 8
116.7
114.6
114.3
197.7
172.6
109.3
111,9
153.7
113.4
206.3
227.2
115.6
107.2
143.9
104.3
115.5
116.6
117.5
115.3
115.2
199.1
174.4
109.9
113.2
155.7
114.3
207.6
229.0
116.4
107.3
143.9
104.3
115.5
118.2
116.0
116.3
201.0
176.1
112.0
114.1
156.1
116.8
209.6
232.3
116.4
108.1
143.9
104.3
115.5
119.3
Public..................................................................................................
189.3
193.3
194.0
197.1
200.8
205.2
209.1
190.2
194.2
194.8
197.6
200.6
204.1
207.3
Intercity train fa r e ...........................................................................................
189.5
243.7
185.4
206.7
195.1
193.7
250.1
187.9
216.2
205.2
194.3
253.9
188.4
217.2
205.3
198.5
258.8
189.8
220.6
216.1
205.2
263.2
190.5
224.7
2206
214.1
268.0
190.5
228.5
221.0
220.6
276.0
191.3
233.6
221,1
189.1
244.1
185.3
210,9
194.9
193.2
249.2
188,0
221.8
205.2
193.8
253.2
188.4
223.3
205.2
198.4
258.5
189.7
226.5
217.1
205.2
263.0
190.2
230.3
220.8
214.2
268.0
190,2
233.9
221.3
220.7
275.5
191.0
238.7
221.4
MEDICAL CARE
224.7
236.3
237.7
2399
241.8
243.7
245.9
224.9
236.3
238.2
240.5
242.6
244.7
247.2
155.0
155.8
156.6
146.6
153.3
154.5
155.3
156.2
156.7
157.4
141.5
111.7
113.7
108,5
142.4
112.9
114.2
109.2
143.0
113.0
114.4
109.1
143.7
113.2
114.8
109.7
144.4
114.1
115.0
110.0
145.2
114.8
115.6
110.6
Automobile maintenance and repair..............................................................
Body work (12/77 - 1 0 0 ).....................................................................
Automobile drive train, brake, and miscellaneous
mechanical repair (12/77 - 100) .....................................................
Maintenance and servicing (12/77 - 100) ..........................................
Power plant repair (12/77 = 100) ........................................................
Other private transportation ..........................................................................
Other private transportation commodities .............................................
Motor oil, coolant, and other products (12/77 - 100) ..................
Automobile parts and equipment (12/77 - 1 0 0 )...........................
Medical care commodities
Prescription drugs .........................................................................................
Anti-infective drugs (12/77 = 1 0 0 )........................................................
Tranquillizers and sedatives (12/77 - 100 )..........................................
Circulatories and diuretics (12/77 - 1 0 0 )............................................
Hormones, diabetic drugs, biologicals, and
prescription and supplies (12/77 - 100) ..........................................
Pain and symptom control drugs (12/77 - 100) .................................
Supplements, cough and cold preparations, and
respiratory agents (12/77 = 1 0 0 )......................................................
145.9
152.4
153.3
154.1
116.9
134 0
105.4
106.5
104.6
140.6
110,7
113.3
107.9
141.3
112.0
113.7
108.3
141.9
112.0
114.0
108.6
142.8
112.5
114.6
109.3
143.5
113.1
114.9
109.3
144.5
113.5
115.8
109.7
134.7
106.4
106.6
105.6
110.8
106.3
117,5
111.8
117.9
112.1
118.9
113.1
120.3
113.7
120.9
114.8
122.5
115.6
111.7
106.5
117.5
112.9
118.0
113.4
119.3
114.7
120.4
115.2
120.8
116.0
122.2
116.3
105.3
109.2
109.4
109 5
110.3
110.9
111.3
105.8
110.1
110.9
111.0
111.7
112.2
112.6
110.3
107.0
170.6
109.3
111.2
107.7
172.0
110.3
111.9
108.5
173.2
110.7
112.5
108.9
174.3
111.3
112.8
109.3
174.7
111.2
113.2
110.0
175.2
111.8
Nonprescription drugs and medical supplies (12/77 - 100) ......................
Eyeglasses (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ...................................................................
Internal and respiratory over-the-counter drugs ....................................
Nonprescription medical equipment and supplies (12/77 - 100 ).........
105.2
103.5
161.9
104.5
109.4
106.7
169.3
108.1
110.2
107.4
170.3
109.1
110.8
108.2
171.3
109.7
111.4
108.7
172.2
110.4
112.0
109.2
173.0
110.8
112.5
110.2
173.7
111.0
105 7
103.5
162.4
105.7
Medical care services
241.5
254.4
255.9
258.5
260.6
262.8
2653
241.6
254.0
256.1
258.8
261.2
263.8
2668
Dental services.......................................................................................
Other professional services (12/77 - 1 0 0 )..........................................
213.7
228.1
202.9
106.4
224.3
240.7
212.4
110.2
2257
241.8
214.3
110.6
227.6
224.7
215.2
111.5
228.9
246.6
216.0
111.9
230.3
248.4
217.2
112.4
231.6
249.7
218.5
112.7
214.3
228.4
204.5
105,8
225.3
241.4
214.6
109.4
2273
243.6
216.5
110.0
229.3
246.8
217.1
111.0
231.1
248.7
219.0
111.5
233.1
251.5
220.7
111.7
234.9
254.4
221.2
112.1
Hospital and other medical services (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).............................
Hospita. ro o m ...................................................................................
Other hospital and medical care services......................................
275.2
109.4
343.7
108.7
290.9
115.6
363.9
114.7
292.5
116.2
366.0
115.2
295.8
117.3
369.7
116.4
299.0
118.6
374.2
117.4
302.0
119.6
376.4
118.8
306.2
121.3
380.2
120.8
274.8
109.3
343.7
108.5
289.0
114.7
361.3
113.7
291.2
115.3
362.9
114.3
294.9
116.6
367.5
115.6
298.1
117.8
371.7
116.7
301.3
118.9
374.1
118.0
305.9
120.5
3794
119.5
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
89
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Consumer Prices
23.
Continued— Consumer Price Index — U.S. city average
[1967 = 1 0 0 unless otherwise specified]
All Urban Consumers
General summary
1978
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (revised)
1979
1978
1979
Oct.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Oct.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
ENTERTAINMENT
179.3
187.8
188.2
189.1
190.2
191.1
192.0
178.3
187.1
187.5
188.6
188.9
190.2
191.4
Entertainment commodities
179,7
188.1
188.7
189.7
191,0
192.0
193.1
178.4
186.8
187.4
188.2
188.4
189.9
190.7
Reading materials (12/77 = 100) ..
Newspapers ..................
Magazines, periodicals, and books (12/77 = 100)
104.3
202.1
106.0
109.4
212.2
111.2
109,5
211.6
111.6
110.0
212.6
112.0
111.1
214.0
113.7
111.9
214.5
115.0
113.8
217.7
117.2
104.0
201.7
106.0
109.1
211.7
111.0
109.1
211.1
111.6
109.5
212.2
111.7
110.7
213 7
113.5
111.4
2142
114.8
113.3
2174
117.2
Sporting goods and equipment (12/77 = 100) ..
Sport vehicles (12/77 = 100) ....................
Indoor and warm weather sport equipment (12/77 = 100)
Bicycles ...........................
Other sporting goods and equipment (12/77 = 100) ,
103.4
103.1
103.3
154.1
102.7
109.2
110.6
105.9
158,7
106,8
109.3
110.3
106,1
160.1
106.9
110.0
110.8
106.7
162.2
107.8
110.4
111.3
105.9
163.8
108.6
111.3
112.3
106.1
165.6
109.3
111.2
111.5
107.5
167.1
110.0
101.1
100.3
101.5
152.7
101.3
106.4
107.0
102.9
158.1
104.7
106.6
107.0
103.3
160.0
105.4
107.0
106.9
104.7
161.8
106.5
105.4
103.9
104.7
162.9
107.2
107 5
106.7
104.7
164 7
108.5
1067
104.6
106.0
166 9
109.8
Toys, hobbies and other entertainment (12/77 = 100)
Toys, hobbies and music equipment (12/77 = 100) . . .
Photographic supplies and equipment (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).,.
Pet supplies and expense (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .........
104.1
104.6
103.9
103.4
108.2
108,9
107.3
107.5
108.9
109.2
107.6
109.2
109.4
109.3
108.4
110.3
110.2
110.0
108.2
111.8
110.4
110.4
108.9
111.6
110.8
110.7
109.4
112.1
104.1
103.2
104.4
105.4
108.6
109.0
107.1
108.6
109.0
109.0
107.3
110.0
109.6
109.1
107.7
111.6
110.2
109.8
107.6
112.6
1104
109 6
108 8
112.9
1110
110 1
109 3
113.9
Entertainment services
179.1
187.6
187.9
188.6
189.4
190.2
190.8
178.9
188.5
188.8
190.1
190.7
191.8
193.5
Fees for participant sports (12/77 = 100) . . .
Admissions (12/77 = 1 0 0 )................
Other entertainment services (12/77 = 100)
106.0
107.5
105.4
111,6
113.2
108.1
111.6
113.3
109.0
111.9
114.3
109.1
112.3
114.7
109.7
113.0
115.2
109.4
113.2
115.7
110.0
106.4
107.9
102.9
111.6
113.9
108.8
111.5
113.2
111.0
112.1
115.3
110.5
112.3
115.9
110.9
1134
1163
110.9
1149
1168
111.4
OTHER GOODS AND SERVICES
188.3
193.9
194.5
195.2
197.0
201.7
202.3
187.6
193.8
194.3
195.1
197.2
2006
201.4
Tobacco products
181.0
186.3
186.4
186.8
189.9
190.9
191.3
180.8
186.3
186 5
186.9
190.1
190.9
191.2
Cigarettes.................................................
Other tobacco products and smoking accessories (12/77 = 100)
183.5
106.4
188.6
110.3
188.8
110.3
189.2
110.8
192.6
111.1
193.6
112.2
193.8
113.0
183.5
105.3
188.9
109.4
189.0
109.8
189.4
110.3
193.1
110.0
193.7
111.0
193 9
112.3
Personal care
185.6
193.9
195.0
196.4
197.5
199.0
199.8
185.0
193.7
194.6
196.0
197.6
198.4
199.4
Toilet goods and personal care appliances . . . .
Products for the hair, hairpieces and wigs (12/77 = 100)
Dental and shaving products (12/77 = 100) ..
Cosmetics, bath and nail preparations, manicure
and eye makeup implements (12/77 = 100) ...........
Other toilet goods and small personal care appliances (12/77 = 100)
180.1
103.9
106.2
187.3
107.1
111.5
187.9
108.8
112.6
188.6
109.4
113.2
189.7
111.1
113.6
191.4
111.6
114.3
192.5
111.9
114.1
179.0
102.0
105.9
187.7
107.0
110.7
187.8
108.9
110.2
188.1
108.5
111.0
190.2
110.5
112.1
191 0
1106
1125
191 6
111 1
1127
104.7
103.7
109.5
107.1
108.6
106.9
109.5
106.2
108.9
107.6
110.4
108.6
110.7
110.9
103.7
104.9
108.7
110.4
107.8
109.8
109.0
108.8
110.0
109.7
110.6
110.3
110 1
111.7
Personal care services........................
Beauty parlor services for women...........................
Haircuts and other barber shop services for men (12/77 = 100)
191.0
192.5
106.6
200.4
202.4
111.4
202.0
203.7
112.6
203.9
205.2
114.1
205.0
206.1
115.1
206.4
207.7
115.5
207,0
2083
115.9
191.1
193.2
106.0
199.8
202.0
110.7
201.4
203.6
111.7
204.0
205.9
113.6
205.0
206.7
114.2
205.8
207 4
114.7
207 3
209 1
115.4
Personal and educational expenses
206.3
208.8
209.1
209.3
210.8
223.3
224.0
206.5
209.3
209.6
209.8
211.2
223.5
224.2
School books and supplies......................
Personal and educational services................
Tuition and other school fees .............
College tuition (12/77 = 100) .........
Elementary and high school tuition (12/77 = 100)
Personal expenses (12/77 = 100) . . . .
187.8
211.0
108.4
108.6
107.5
107.4
191.6
213.2
108.7
108.9
107.5
112.3
191.6
213.6
108.8
109.1
107.5
112.6
191.6
213.8
108.9
109.2
107.5
113.0
192 6
215.4
109,4
109.7
108.3
114.8
201.5
228.6
117.7
116.9
120 9
115.1
202.3
229.4
118.1
117.3
120.9
115.8
189.7
210.9
108.3
108.6
107.4
107.5
194.2
213.4
108.6
108.9
107.4
112.3
194.2
213.7
108.7
109.1
107.4
112.6
194.2
214.0
108.8
109.2
107.4
113.0
195.2
215.5
109.4
109.7
108.4
114.4
205 0
228 4
117.9
116.8
120.7
114.4
205 8
229 0
1182
1173
120 7
114.9
2004
244.9
203.0
254.0
245.1
264.5
208.8
267.1
261.9
268.2
212.7
270.2
2766
272.8
215.3
272.5
288.2
278.7
217.0
274.4
297.1
283.5
219.3
276.6
2998
288.9
220.7
278.7
2005
244.3
203.3
252.5
245.8
264.4
209.3
267.8
263.1
267.9
213.2
271.4
277.5
272.5
215.9
273.7
289.5
278.3
217.4
275.3
298.3
283 1
2195
277.8
301 2
228 5
220 7
279.9
Special Indexes:
Gasoline, motor oil, coolant and other products .........
Insurance and finance ....................
Utilities and public transportation........................
Housekeeping and home maintenance services
90
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
24. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Cross classification of region and population size class by expenditure
category and commodity and service group
[December 1977 = 100]
Size class A
(1.25 million or more)
Category and group
Aug.
Oct.
June
Aug.
1979
1979
1979
1979
June
Size class D
(75,000 or less)
Size class C
(75,000 385,000)
Size class B
(385,000 1.250 million)
June
Oct.
Aug.
Oct.
June
Aug.
Oct.
Northeast
EXPENDITURE CATEGORY
Other goods and services .....................................................................................
113.2
117.3
112.9
103.8
115.6
112.0
109.2
107.1
115.0
117.9
114.8
104.9
119.6
113.6
110.6
108.3
117.3
119.2
117,9
107.7
121.1
115.4
111.4
111.7
115.3
118.5
114.5
106.2
119.6
112.5
108.3
110.0
117.3
118.9
116.7
106.1
123.4
115.3
110.9
111.4
120.2
119.6
121.3
109.2
125.0
118.5
113.6
114.1
117.2
120.8
118.7
102.8
119.1
112.8
108.4
111.4
120.2
121.7
122.5
104.3
123.6
114.8
110.4
113.0
123.0
121.9
127.7
107.8
124.9
117.0
110.0
115.6
115.5
119.3
114.9
106.2
118.5
114.0
112,4
108.5
116.9
120.4
116.1
103.4
122.5
114.8
113.6
109.2
119.2
119.4
119.9
108.3
124.5
116.3
114.1
112.5
114.7
113.2
111.2
116.6
115.8
113.0
118.6
118.3
115.6
116.7
115.9
112.9
119,0
119.0
114.6
121.8
122.8
117.8
117.6
116.1
116.5
120.8
120.4
119.1
122.8
123.2
123.3
116.0
114.4
114.8
117.7
116.5
115.7
120.0
120.4
117.9
COMMODITY AND SERVICE GROUP
Commodities less food and beverages .................................................................
Services .........................................................................................................................
North Central
EXPENDITURE CATEGORY
All items .........................................................................................................................
Food and beverages ..............................................................................................
Housing ..................................................................................................................
Apparel and upkeep ..............................................................................................
Transportation.........................................................................................................
Medical c a re ...........................................................................................................
Entertainment .........................................................................................................
Other goods and services .....................................................................................
118.2
120.0
121.8
101.7
118.8
112.9
110.8
108.0
121.0
120.2
125.8
102.8
122.8
115.0
111.9
109.0
123.2
121.2
128.7
105.3
125.0
115.9
112.6
112.5
118.0
117.6
121.2
104.0
118.8
114.5
108.2
114.4
120.5
118.6
124.1
104.6
122.9
117.2
109.2
114.9
122.3
119.2
125.7
109.9
125.2
118.6
110.7
117.8
116.8
120.2
117.3
104.0
120.5
114.1
110.9
108.5
119.0
120.4
120.3
105.3
123.7
116.4
110.5
110.0
121.9
121.6
124.5
107.4
126.0
117.5
112.7
112.3
116,6
121.4
115.9
103.7
120.1
115.7
110.8
110.5
119.5
122.0
120.5
104.0
123.2
117.5
111.3
112.7
122.0
122.8
124.0
110.0
124.3
119.1
112.7
115.7
118.2
117.3
118.4
120.7
120.9
121.5
122.5
123.0
124.3
117.0
116.7
119.7
119.4
119.7
122.4
120.8
121.5
124.7
117.1
115.8
116.3
119.1
118.5
118.8
121.7
121.7
122.2
116.2
114.0
117.2
118.9
117.6
120.4
121.1
120.4
123.3
COMMODITY AND SERVICE GROUP
Commodities..................................................................................................................
Commodities less food and beverage ...................................................................
Services .........................................................................................................................
South
EXPENDITURE CATEGORY
All items ........................................................................................................................
Food and beverages ..............................................................................................
Housing ..................................................................................................................
Apparel and upkeep ..............................................................................................
Transportation.........................................................................................................
Medical c a re ...........................................................................................................
Entertainment .........................................................................................................
Other goods and services .....................................................................................
116.9
120.6
118.0
108.0
118.7
111.6
107.7
110.2
118.7
121.1
119.9
107.5
122.6
113.3
108,1
111.5
120.7
122.2
122.0
111.2
124.2
116.0
109.4
114.4
117.5
119.5
118.8
107.2
119.8
114.0
111.5
109.9
120.1
120.3
122.4
107.3
123.5
115.7
111.9
110.8
122.4
121.3
125.8
110.8
124.5
116.9
113.2
114.0
117.5
120.5
119.7
103.3
118.2
114,1
111.1
109.6
119.9
121.6
122.7
104.5
121.8
115.5
111.8
111.4
122.1
122.1
125.9
106.4
123.2
117.6
113.6
114.2
115.6
119.7
115.1
103.8
1182
115.9
112.4
111.7
118.5
120.0
119.3
102 8
122.4
118.5
115.9
114.3
120.6
121.0
121.6
103.9
124.4
122.5
117.1
117.3
117.3
115.8
116.5
118.9
118.0
118.4
120.5
119.8
121.0
117.1
116.1
118.1
119.3
118.9
121.2
121.2
121.2
124.3
116.9
115.3
118.5
119.3
118.3
120.8
120.7
120.1
124.2
115.9
114.3
115.1
118.6
118.0
118.5
120.2
119.9
121.1
COMMODITY AND SERVICE GROUP
Commodities..................................................................................................................
Commodities less food and beverages .................................................................
Services .........................................................................................................................
West
EXPENDITURE CATEGORY
All items .........................................................................................................................
Food and beverages ..............................................................................................
Housing ..................................................................................................................
Apparel and upkeep ..............................................................................................
Transportation.........................................................................................................
Medical c a re ...........................................................................................................
Entertainment .........................................................................................................
Other goods and services .....................................................................................
116.0
119.8
115.3
106.0
120.5
114.7
108.2
110.2
118.7
119.4
119.0
104.8
125.3
116.8
109.3
112.4
120.8
121.2
121.2
107.9
127.2
119.8
109 3
115.2
118.7
121.6
119.5
108.3
121.0
114.6
113.2
110.9
120.9
121.4
122.4
108.8
124.8
116.6
114.4
112.5
123.6
1231
126.2
111.0
126.7
117.8
115.6
115.3
116.9
119.6
117.4
103.4
121.4
113.8
109.9
109.4
119.5
120.1
120.5
103.9
125.0
116.5
112.6
110.7
122.2
121.1
124.8
104.4
126.3
118.4
113.8
113.0
115.1
119.2
112.6
109.4
119.2
116.9
114.5
113.0
118.8
121.6
117.8
109.5
123.1
119.0
115.7
114.4
122 8
121.5
124.8
114.0
124.6
120.7
117.8
116.0
117.1
116.0
114.5
118.7
118.3
118.8
120.5
120.2
121.3
119.3
118.3
117.9
120 8
120.6
121.0
123.1
123.1
124.4
117.4
116.5
116.3
119.4
119.1
119.6
121.7
121.9
122.8
116.1
114.8
113 6
119.1
118.0
118.5
120.7
120.4
125.9
COMMODITY AND SERVICE GROUP
Commodities..................................................................................................................
Commodities less food and beverage ...................................................................
Services .........................................................................................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Consumer Prices
25.
Consumer Price Index — U.S. city average, and selected areas
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
All Urban Consumers
Area'
U.S. city average 2 .....................................................................
Anchorage, Alaska (10/67 = 100) ..........................................
Atlanta, Ga...................................................................................
Baltimore, Mo...............................................................................
Boston. Mass................................................................................
Buffalo, N.Y..................................................................................
Chicago, li .-Northwestern Ind......................................................
Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind................................................................
Cleveland, O h io ..........................................................................
Dallas-Ft. Worth, Tex...................................................................
Denver-Boulder, Colo...................................................................
Detroit, Mich.................................................................................
Honolulu, Hawaii ........................................................................
Houston, Tex................................................................................
Kansas City, Mo -Kansas ..........................................................
Los Angeles-Long Beach, Anaheim, Calif...................................
Miami, Fla. (11/77 = 100) ........................................................
Milwaukee, Wis............................................................................
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis...................................................
New York, N.Y.-Northeastern N.J................................................
Northeast, Pa. (Scranton)..........................................................
1978
1979
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Oct.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
200.9
214.1
216.6
218.9
221.1
223.4
225.4
200.7
214.3
216.9
219.4
221.5
223.7
225.6
220.8
198.3
207.4
203.5
198.6
212.6
215.3
209.5
198.1
195.4
213.5
213.9
211.0
215.4
204.4
235.5
219.5
212.9
San Francisco-Oakland, Calif......................................................
Seattle-Everett, Wash..................................................................
Washington, D.C.-Md.-Va.............................................................
203.2
219.5
214.7
210.6
222.2
207.2
240.6
224.6
217.5
2 1 2 .5
2 1 4 .0
213.8
214.5
216.1
2 1 5 .4
'The areas listed include not only the central city but the entire portion of the Standard
Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined for the 1970 Census of Population, except that the
Standard Consolidated Area is used for New York and Chicago.
220.7
2 1 8 .1
217.7
219.1
219.5
217.5
2204
200.5
200.1
221.4
213.7
209.7
209.6
223.1
213.2
227.2
210.5
244.2
229.9
221.8
200.7
188.7
213.7
197.2
197.2
214.1
212.4
113.8
219.5
231.2
206.1
2199
1 9 9 .2
2 1 0 .3
223.4
212.2
198.9
201.5
211.4
221.5
222.6
222.9
2 Average of 85 cities.
219.8
216.8
214.5
215.0
216.9
210.9
217.8
222.6
207.2
239.0
223.1
219.6
223.5
223.0
2 1 5 .3
2330
2 1 7 .8
2193
217.1
218.1
220.0
220.3
221.3
226.1
232.6
222.5
237.7
218.6
215.9
221.9
226.9
211.1
241.8
2279
224.0
118.7
228.7
227.9
217.4
233.1
213.7
202.6
225.5
228.0
228.5
2 1 4 .1
221.7
243.6
213.4
221.9
210.3
226.1
218.6
220.6
230.8
222.6
223.0
116.9
225.0
209.6
220.1
226.0
218.2
2393
215.5
203.6
234.5
218.4
214.5
223.5
224.9
217.9
215.3
216.8
226.5
221.2
218.0
233.2
232.2
222.2
240.4
2183
212.5
224.7
228.2
215.4
227.4
216.9
236.1
212.4
216.0
197.8
195.2
117.4
226.0
211.7
220.7
211.1
228.3
223.7
227.0
222.3
2 1 0 .5
218.7
221.8
210.9
219.0
214.5
216.0
208.7
240.8
115.7
222.7
207.3
221.3
229.0
221.4
222.9
236.5
112.5
217.1
206.2
2002
2186
206.4
202.5
224.9
218.1
214.6
217.4
224.8
219.9
217.5
231.1
200.9
188.8
214.9
197.0
197.8
213.2
2169
221.0
214.2
209.3
210.1
221.5
199.9
199.8
198.4
202.7
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1978
Oct.
Philadelphia, Pa.-N.J....................................................................
Pittsburgh Pa...............................................................................
Portland, Oreg.-Wash..................................................................
St. Louis, Mo.-lll............................................................................
San Diego, Calif...........................................................................
92
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (revised)
1979
220.8
221.0
224.4
26.
Producer Price Indexes, by stage of processing
[1967 = 100]
Commodity grouping
1979
Annual
average
1978
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
194.6
200.3
202.5
205.4
207.7
209.1
211.4
212.7
213.7
216.2
217.3
220.4
223.7
225.9
215.6
224.9
224.9
222.8
227.1
181.6
217.2
223.2
231.6
220.5
233.0
181.2
221.3
227.8
213.9
226.8
238.9
182.0
224.1
226.7
215.4
225.4
243.0
187.4
226.6
230.5
228.0
228.6
245.2
188.5
1978
FINISHED GOODS
Finished goods............................................................................
Finished consumer goods...................................................
Finished consumer foods ...............................................
Crude ..........................................................................
Processed ...................................................................
Other nondurable g oo d s.................................................
Durable g o o d s.................................................................
192.6
206.7
215.5
204.1
195.4
165.8
197.9
211.7
220.8
209.0
201.1
170.7
200.5
215.8
232.1
212.5
202.7
173.0
203.7
220.2
236.7
216.9
205.4
175.2
206.3
225.1
257.2
220.5
207.2
176.2
207.9
226.3
244.6
222.8
209.8
176.8
210.2
227.8
241.8
224.6
213.1
178.4
211.6
226.6
226.7
224.4
217.1
179.5
212.7
223.6
227.1
221.3
221.7
180.4
Capital Equipment...............................................................
199.1
206.1
207.0
209.3
210.8
211.7
214.0
215.1
215.8
217.2
217.1
217.7
222.5
223.8
215.5
222.0
223.0
225.7
228.5
231.5
235.8
238.2
240.3
244.6
247.1
250.7
254.6
256.1
215.6
210.7
201.2
246.4
196.2
218.6
214.4
203.2
252.0
197.2
221.6
217.3
205.3
256.8
199.0
224.5
219.6
208.7
r 260.0
200.3
229.0
222.2
213.7
266.0
203.1
230.9
222.5
216.7
267.2
204.5
232.1
222.3
218.1
268.9
205.3
236.0
226.7
222.5
273.3
207.7
237.4
225.1
224.5
274.8
208.8
240.5
228.6
227.3
278.7
210.9
243.9
225.3
231.2
284.5
212.5
245.2
227.7
233.1
284.2
214.5
INTERMEDIATE MATERIALS
Intermediate materials, supplies, and components....................
Materials and components for manufacturing....................
Materials for food manufacturing....................................
Materials for nondurable manufacturing.........................
Materials for durable manufacturing...............................
Components for manufacturing......................................
208.3
202.3
195.8
237.2
189.1
215.0
207.9
201.0
245.9
195.4
Materials and components for construction ......................
224.4
232.1
232.5
236.1
239.0
241.3
244.5
245.2
245.6
247.4
249.0
251.6
254.4
253.8
302.0
268.3
334.0
304.8
269.0
339.1
312.9
275.4
348.9
323.9
280.7
365.9
336.8
287.4
385.5
349.5
293.8
404.9
364.8
304.0
425.5
384.1
310.4
458.6
399.4
317.2
483.0
410.5
322.5
500.4
416.5
325.3
509.7
Processed fuels and lubricants...........................................
Manufacturing industries.................................................
Nonmanufacturing industries..........................................
296.4
270.4
320.0
297.6
268.0
325.2
300.4
268.7
330.3
Containers ..........................................................................
212.5
221.7
222.6
223.9
224.3
229.3
231.8
234.5
234.9
235.4
237.2
237.1
240.8
243.5
S upplies..............................................................................
Manufacturing industries.................................................
Nonmanufacturing industries..........................................
Manufactured animal feeds ........................................
Other supplies ............................................................
196.9
183.6
204.0
200.2
201.9
204.0
190.4
211.2
209.1
208.6
206.1
192.0
213.6
216.9
209.7
207.4
193.1
215.0
215.9
211.6
209.6
194.3
217.7
221.6
213.6
211.1
197.4
218.4
219.3
215.0
212.8
199.4
219.9
219.5
216.8
213.7
201.5
220.3
214.6
218.3
216.1
202.7
223.2
226.2
219.2
219.6
204.2
227.8
241.3
221.5
219.1
208.3
224.9
221.1
222.5
220.8
209.1
227.0
224.3
224.3
224.4
211.8
231.1
229.2
228.1
226.0
213.1
232.9
227.3
230.7
240.1
248.4
252.5
260.2
270.4
276.6
279.9
282.3
283.0
287.1
281.7
287.9
289.2
290.8
243.6
248.7
247.1
246.4
CRUDE MATERIALS
Crude materials for further processing......................................
Foodstuffs and feedstuffs...................................................
215.3
220.9
224.8
233.0
243.7
• 247.4
251.5
251.9
248.2
254.1
Nonfood materials...............................................................
286.7
300.2
304.6
311.5
320.7
331.6
333.3
339.6
348.7
349.3
353.5
362.1
368.9
374.8
293.3
302.8
209.9
298.6
308.5
212.2
304.6
314.9
214.6
599.4
646.0
574.2
611.4
660.5
584.4
616.8
667.0
589.0
Nonfood materials except fu e l........................................
Manufacturing industries .............................................
Construction.................................................................
235.4
240.8
185.7
246.6
252.7
191.8
249.6
255.9
192.1
255.6
261.8
198.8
264.7
271.9
200.4
275.5
283.8
201.9
276.5
284.8
203.6
276.6
284.7
204.5
286.6
295.9
205.4
285.2
294.0
207.2
286.1
294.9
208.5
Crude f u e l........................................................................
Manufacturing industries .............................................
Nonmanufacturing industries ......................................
463.7
481.9
459.6
485.0
505.6
479.0
495.1
518.0
487.2
504.3
529.6
494.9
513.9
541.6
502.7
525.2
555.4
512.1
529.2
560.0
515.8
556.8
593.8
538.8
563.1
601.3
544.3
570.7
610.4
550.7
586.0
628.9
563.5
188.9
194.8
196.4
198.8
200.2
201.7
204.2
206.3
208.5
211.4
213.4
215.9
220.6
222.2
194.9
196.7
199.3
202.1
205.2
208.4
212.1
215.9
220.6
222.4
229.1
232.3
236.7
238.8
241.3
245.4
248.6
252.1
256.4
257.8
231.0
223.2
226.6
226.0
227.0
391.7
396.8
407.6
416.5
423.9
SPECIAL GROUPINGS
Finished goods excluding fo o d s .................................................
Finished consumer goods excluding
Foods ..............................................................................
Intermediate materials, supplies, and
Components, excluding intermediate
materials for food manufacturing
and manufactured animal feeds ........................................
183.7
189.1
191.0
193.3
216.4
222.0
223.7
226.5
Intermediate foods and feeds ...................................................
201.0
207.7
212.2
214.3
218.2
218.9
220.7
219.3
223.0
Crude materials for further processing
excluding crude foodstuffs and
feedstuffs, plant and animal fibers,
oilseeds, and leaf tobacco .................................................
316.6
331.0
335.9
344.2
356.4
370.6
372.4
379.2
389.5
NOTE: Data for July 1979 have been revised to reflect the availability of late reports and correc
tions by respondents. All data are subject to revision 4 months after original publication.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
93
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Producer Prices
27.
Producer Price Indexes, by commodity groupings1
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
Code
Annual
average
1978
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
All commodities ........................................................
All commodities (1957 - 59 = 100) ......................................
209.3
222.1
215.7
228.9
217.5
230.8
220.8
234.2
224.1
237.7
226.7
240.5
230.0
243.7
232.0
245.7
233.5
247.7
236.9
251.4
238.1
252.3
241.7
256.1
245.2
260.2
246.9
262.0
Farm products and processed foods and feeds........................
Industrial commodities ............................................................
206.6
209.4
212.3
216.0
216.2
217.2
221.1
220.0
227.2
222.5
229.0
225.4
244.0
229.0
230.8
231.6
229.0
234.0
232.2
237.5
227.3
240.3
231.7
243.8
230.6
248.5
232.3
250.2
Commodity group and subgroup
1978
1979
FARM PRODUCTS AND PROCESSED FOODS
AND FEEDS
01
01-1
0 1 -2
0 1 -3
0 1 -4
0 1 -5
0 1 -6
0 1 -7
0 1 -8
0 1 -9
Farm products .....................................................................................
Fresh and dried fruits and vegetables .............................................
Grains...................................................................................
jvestock ..........................................................................................
Live p ou ltry .......................................................................................
Plant and animal fibers.................................................................
Fluid milk ..........................................................................................
E ggs...................................................................................................
Hay, hayseeds, and oilseeds ..........................................................
Other farm products ........................................................................
212.5
216.5
182.5
220.1
199.8
193.4
219.7
158.6
215.8
274.9
218.2
207.0
189.0
222.4
192.4
211.5
235.8
177.9
227.7
285.9
222.7
221.6
184.7
230.1
198.5
212.8
241.2
189.0
234.0
271.0
230.4
233.7
184.4
247.3
206.0
213.6
241.8
178.5
240.1
269.7
240.9
263.0
189.3
266.5
217.8
205.1
244.6
176.7
246.1
253.6
242.8
235.7
192.0
275.8
217.6
197.8
243.7
199.9
249.5
254.6
223.3
234.7
198.3
284.0
209.4
197.8
242.4
185.5
248.3
255.1
245.4
228.2
210.3
280.7
216.3
207.6
242.0
163.8
240.7
264.1
242.8
226.4
218.7
264.0
182.9
219.5
243.8
170.7
258.4
281.0
246.8
226.7
247.4
256.0
183.8
207.6
247.6
167.6
260.1
311.9
238.5
241.6
229.1
240.2
171.9
207.9
250.0
166.8
251.9
310.8
241.0
208.2
224.4
256.4
173.5
211.3
258.5
175.4
240.6
315.9
239.5
217.8
229.0
251.7
162.0
212.9
258.5
155.9
235.1
317.6
240.2
216.4
226.6
248.3
195.5
215.4
262.5
178.7
229.8
318.3
02
02-1
0 2 -2
0 2 -3
0 2 -4
0 2 -5
0 2 -6
0 2 -7
0 2 -8
0 2 -9
Processed foods and fe e d s .................................................................
Cereal and bakery products............................................................
Meats, poultry, and fish ...................................................................
Dairy products...................................................................................
Processed fruits and vegetables......................................................
Sugar and confectionery .................................................................
Beverages and beverage materials.................................................
Fats and o ils .....................................................................................
Miscellaneous processed foods ......................................................
Manufactured animal feeds ............................................................
202.6
190.3
217.1
188.4
202.6
197.8
200.0
225.3
199.0
197.4
208.2
196.2
220.9
199.6
216.3
202.6
201.4
227.6
203.8
205.3
211.8
196.8
229.2
202.8
218.4
204.5
201.0
227.6
204.1
211.9
215.2
197.2
240.3
203.5
218.5
204.8
200.9
229.7
206.7
211.3
218.9
199.1
248.5
203.2
219.5
208.4
201.1
237.5
208.0
217.2
220.5
200.1
250.6
204.9
219.6
2084
201.2
238.6
217.5
215.7
222.3
203.0
253.0
207.1
220.5
208.7
201.5
246.2
219.3
215.6
222.0
204.9
250.4
207.9
221.4
207.6
205.3
241.8
220.2
210.8
220.6
206.3
241.4
208.4
221.5
211.1
208.5
243.6
211.1
220.5
223.3
212.4
237.7
209.0
223.6
215.7
214.1
253.2
212.7
234.9
220.3
215.1
225.5
215.2
224.4
218.3
215.9
251.9
217.6
216.5
225.7
217.7
239.8
218.3
225.0
217.3
217.9
253.5
218.8
219.5
224.8
219.2
234.4
218.2
223.3
218.6
219.2
246.2
220.6
224.3
227.1
222.3
239.5
219.0
222.5
222.7
221.4
242.1
222.1
222.7
03
03-1
0 3 -2
0 3 -3
0 3 -4
03-81
0 3-82
Textile products and apparel ...............................................................
Synthetic fibers (12/75 = 100)........................................................
Processed yarns and threads (12/75 = 100) ...............................
Gray fabrics (12/75 = 1 0 0 )............................................................
Finished fabrics (12/75 = 100) ......................................................
Apparel..........................................................................................
Textile housefurnishings...................................................................
159.8
109.6
102.4
118.6
103.8
152.4
178.6
163.2
110.6
105.3
126.7
104.8
155.3
180.5
163.6
110.6
104.7
125.9
106.0
155.5
183.4
164.1
113.0
105.3
125.6
103.5
157.4
181.8
164.2
113.5
105.3
123.2
104.1
157.6
186.0
165.2
113.6
107.0
123.1
105.4
158.3
187.4
166.4
115.1
106.8
124.5
105.9
159.8
188.0
167.2
117.4
107.8
124.7
107.0
159.8
188.0
168.4
118.5
108.6
125.4
107.6
160.2
189.3
169.3
119.5
109.5
128.3
108.2
160.3
189.9
170.4
120.9
110.3
128.9
108.9
161.1
190.5
171.3
123.9
111.7
128.7
109.0
161.6
193.9
171.9
125.6
112.2
129.8
108.7
162.1
194.6
172.4
124.9
113.0
130.6
108.5
162.9
194.8
04
04-1
0 4 -2
0 4 -3
0 4 -4
Hides, skins, leather, and related products ........................................
Hides and skin s..........................................................................
Leather...............................................................
Footwear ........................................................................
Other leather and related products...............................................
200.0
360.5
238.6
183.0
177.0
215.8
417.0
278.7
192.2
185.1
216.2
401.3
279.6
194.3
185.3
223.4
452.8
292.8
196.4
190.7
232.2
497.8
309.2
203.0
192.2
253.3
639.6
371.9
209.9
195.9
258.9
642.2
393.6
212.0
200.4
2696
666.9
429.4
216.3
209.1
268.0
611.0
414.6
221.1
212.3
261.9
566.5
385.2
221.8
212.1
258.0
511.9
365.9
225.6
211.0
250.7
465.3
330.0
226.2
210.2
253.6
478.8
343.6
226.9
209.8
248.5
447.6
319.8
227.3
208.5
05
05-1
0 5 -2
0 5 -3
0 5 -4
05-61
0 5 -7
Fuels and related products and power ......................................
C o a l............................................................................
Coke ............................................................................
Gas fu e ls '..........................................................
Electric p o w e r.....................................................................
Crude petroleum2 .................................................................
Petroleum products, refined3 ....................................................
322.5
430.0
411.8
428.7
250.6
300.1
321.0
329.7
442.2
418.8
433.9
250.3
310.5
331.9
334.3
443.7
418.8
444.6
250.7
312.4
338.2
338.1
443.6
421.2
449.9
251.0
316.4
343.9
342.5
444.0
423.7
458.1
251.1
322.3
350.0
350.9
445.3
428.5
471.0
257.3
324.2
360.3
361.5
447.1
430.1
477.4
260.6
326.2
378.6
377.6
450.8
430.6
507.2
265.9
335.7
400.0
393.7
452.0
430.6
522.3
269.9
356.4
423.6
411.8
452.5
430.6
548.4
274.8
370.6
449.8
432.5
454.5
430.6
569.0
279.0
385.7
482.8
454.4
452.8
430.6
599.7
280.5
422.1
513.6
468.8
454.9
431.2
619.1
283.6
436.7
534.4
476.7
455.4
431.2
637.1
282.1
450.4
544.9
06
06-1
06-21
0 6-22
0 6 -3
0 6 -4
0 6 -5
0 6 -6
0 6 -7
Chemicals and allied products..........................................
Industrial chemicals4 ......................................................
Prepared paint........................................................
Paint materials ..........................................................
Drugs and pharmaceuticals ......................................................
Fats and oils, inedible ......................................................
Agricultural chemicals and chemical products ...............................
Plastic resins and materials .................................................
Other chemicals and allied products..................................
198.8
225.6
192.3
212.7
148.1
315.8
198.4
199.8
181.8
202.3
227.4
196.5
219.5
162.1
361.2
202.3
199.3
184.3
202.3
229.1
198.7
220.7
153.2
332.9
201.9
201.1
182.3
205.0
234.0
198.9
222.5
155.4
336.1
201.7
204.2
184.3
207.3
237.4
202.3
224.3
156.2
367.9
203.1
206.3
184.7
209.9
239.7
202.3
227.0
156.6
398.5
206.3
210.9
186.5
215.1
248.2
203.3
231.6
157.5
448.7
2098
220.6
186.9
218.0
255.6
201.3
236.1
157.7
418.3
210.0
228.5
188.9
219.2
259.3
201.3
239.5
159.0
374.1
209.2
230.1
190.5
225.0
270.4
205.3
246.7
159.2
381.6
211.2
244.5
191.8
227.3
275.6
205.3
245.1
159.6
376.4
213.5
246.2
193.9
230.3
278.9
206.0
251.2
161.1
379.9
217.9
252.2
195.8
233.5
284.2
206.7
253.5
162.9
366.9
223.7
259.2
196.5
235.6
287.2
206.9
254.8
163.0
344.3
229.2
261.7
199.3
07
07-1
07-11
0 7-12
0 7-13
0 7 -2
Rubber and plastic products ...............................................
Rubber and rubber products......................................................
Crude rubber .................................................................
Tires and tu b e s ..............................................................................
Miscellaneous rubber products...............................
Plastic products (6/78 = 100) ...............................................
174.8
185.3
187.2
179.2
189.6
179.4
192.5
197.3
187.7
199.2
101.8
179.7
192.8
197.3
188.8
193.7
102.0
180.8
194.7
197.9
191.5
195.1
102.3
183.2
197.6
201.1
194.1
198.1
103.5
185.9
199.4
204.8
195.0
200.3
105.7
188.8
201.2
211.6
196.1
201.3
108.0
190.8
202.6
214.2
197.3
202.6
109.5
193.1
204.8
222.0
198.9
203.5
111.0
195.5
209.5
226.1
206.2
205.4
111.2
197.9
212.4
232.2
210.1
206.1
112.3
200.3
216.7
231.2
214.6
211.7
112.8
202.4
219.7
235.2
217.9
214.2
113.6
204.3
223.3
236.4
222.7
216.9
113.8
08
08-1
0 8 -2
0 8 -3
0 8 -4
Lumber and wood products........................................................
Lum ber............................................................................
Millwork ...................................................
Plywood ............................................................
Other wood products........................................................
276.0
322.4
235.4
235.6
211.8
290.0
342.0
241.4
250.0
221.5
288.6
339.1
241.6
249.0
222.1
290.2
336.6
244.5
257.4
223.2
293.9
339.9
251.5
257.1
226.2
300.5
350.5
257.8
254.7
232.2
304.9
355.4
266.0
252.4
235.5
302.8
354.8
261.6
249.3
238.4
299.8
354.8
258.9
238.6
238.5
300.1
3550
252.5
249.7
237.6
304.4
365.2
249.2
253.9
237.4
309.7
373.8
250.9
258.1
238.0
308.8
370.2
255.6
254.4
237.7
299.0
355.5
252.3
242.9
239.9
INDUSTRIAL COMMODITIES
See footnotes at end of table.
94
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
27.
Continued— Producer Price Indexes, by commodity groupings1
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
Annual
Code
1979
1978
Commodity groups and subgroups
1978
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
INDUSTRIAL COMMODITIES-Continued
09
09-1
09-11
0 9-12
0 9-13
0 9-14
0 9-15
0 9 -2
Pulp, paper, and allied products ........................................................
Pulp, paper, and products, excluding building paper and board . . .
Woodpulp..........................................................................................
Wastepaper .....................................................................................
Paper................................................................................................
Pape'board .....................................................................................
Converted paper and paperboard products....................................
Building paper and board.................................................................
195.6
195.6
266.5
191.2
206.1
179.6
185.6
187.4
203.9
204.2
281.6
191.5
214.0
186.9
195.3
188.7
205.2
205.7
281.6
192.2
214.6
187.4
197.4
186.6
207.0
207.7
291.3
192.9
217.9
188.5
198.3
184.1
208.8
209.5
291.4
194.1
221.2
190.2
199.8
183.6
212.3
213.2
294.3
203.2
223.3
192.9
204.1
182.6
215.0
216.0
303.8
206.5
226.3
197.9
205.8
183.4
216.2
217.2
306.9
206.2
227.2
199.2
207.0
183.3
216.6
217.8
308.3
207.2
227.5
199.8
207.6
180.8
218.3
219.6
320.3
207.9
228.2
201.7
209.0
178.0
221.9
223.2
322.5
206.6
229.6
205.0
213.7
180.9
222.8
224.1
322.5
206.7
230.6
209.5
213.9
184.4
227.2
228.6
339.4
206.7
239.0
211.2
216.5
185.5
229.3
230.9
339.9
220.0
242.1
212.8
218.4
183.6
10
10-1
10-13
1 0 -2
1 0-3
10-4
1 0-5
1 0 -6
1 0-7
1 0-8
Metals and metal products ............................. ...................................
Iron and steel ...................................................................................
Steel mill products ..........................................................................
Nonferrous metals ..........................................................................
Metal containers..............................................................................
Hardware.........................................................................................
Plumbing fixtures and brass fittings.................................................
Heating equipment ..........................................................................
Fabricated structural metal products...............................................
Miscellaneous metal products ........................................................
227.1
253.6
254.5
207.8
243.4
200.4
199.1
174.4
226.4
212.0
235.5
261.7
262.0
218.2
254.5
208.4
202.2
177.2
232.4
219.9
236.6
263.2
262.1
219.0
254.4
210.7
203.6
179.1
233.5
220.8
241.9
272.4
271.5
223.5
256.8
211.7
204.3
180.1
238.4
222.0
247.3
274.9
271.8
239.2
256.8
213.3
207.8
180.9
240.5
223.4
251.7
279.9
272.5
246.6
264.5
214.2
209.7
183.4
241.3
225.2
256.0
280.2
275.0
259.6
270.1
215.8
212.0
183.8
243.8
227.0
256.2
279.5
276.7
258.2
268.5
216.9
213.8
185.7
247.0
228.5
258.2
283.2
277.3
259.7
267.3
217.1
217.0
185.2
248.2
2301
2608
286.8
284.6
262.3
267.2
218.5
219.6
186.0
250.5
231.8
261.6
285.9
284.6
262.3
267.7
220.3
222.2
187.9
252.3
236.3
263.6
285.3
284.8
269.3
267.0
221.4
222.9
191.3
253.2
237.4
269.4
289.0
288.4
282.8
276.7
223.8
223.4
191.9
255.6
239.1
270.9
291.6
288.7
283.7
280.7
225.4
225.4
192.7
256.6
239.4
11
11-1
1 1-2
1 1 -3
1 1-4
1 1 -6
1 1 -7
1 1 -9
Machinery and equipment...................................................................
Agricultural machinery and equipment ..........................................
Construction machinery and equipment..........................................
Metalworking machinery and equipment........................................
General purpose machinery and equipment .................................
Special industry machinery and equipment....................................
Electrical machinery and equipment ...............................................
Miscellaneous machinery.................................................................
196.1
213.1
232.9
217.0
216.6
223.0
164.9
194.7
202.7
220.6
242.3
226.3
223.8
232.8
169.6
200.2
203.8
221.9
243.8
228.2
225.1
233.9
170.5
200.6
205.1
222.8
245.5
230.4
226.3
236.2
171.2
202.7
206.5
223.9
247.9
232.0
227.7
237.0
172.8
203.4
207.9
224.8
248.7
233.0
230.4
239.1
173.8
204.0
209.8
226.4
251.7
235.3
232.6
243.4
175.0
205.4
211.4
228.3
253.7
237.6
234.0
245.1
176.5
207.1
212.4
229.4
254.0
239.1
235.1
246.1
177.6
207.4
214.8
231.2
257.0
241.4
237.1
249.8
179.9
209.7
215.7
232.4
258.0
243.2
237.8
250.8
181.0
209.8
217.6
236.6
258.5
246.1
239.6
251.5
182.7
211.8
219.6
238.8
262.9
249.1
242.1
253.9
184.1
212.9
221.0
241.4
264.5
251.4
243.7
255.3
185.0
214.5
12
12-1
1 2-2
1 2 -3
12-4
1 2-5
1 2 -6
Furniture and household durables ......................................................
Household furniture..........................................................................
Commercial furniture .....................................................................
Floor coverings................................................................................
Household appliances.....................................................................
Home electronic equipment............................................................
Other household durable g o o d s ......................................................
160.4
173.5
201.5
141.6
153.0
90.2
203.1
163.5
178.8
204.9
142.0
155.6
91.5
208.7
164.6
179.3
207.3
142.3
155.7
92.3
212.3
166.6
181.0
214.4
143.4
157.0
92.2
216.0
167.9
181.3
221.2
143.6
158.3
92.3
216.6
168.3
181.8
221.2
144.0
158.8
92.3
217.9
168.7
182.7
221.7
144.4
158.7
92.3
218.6
169.6
184.8
221.9
146.0
159.3
92.4
219.5
170.2
185.3
221.8
146.5
160.0
92.8
220.6
170.7
185.8
222.7
149.1
161.1
90.2
223.7
170.7
186.2
222.7
149.9
161.9
87.7
224.8
171.7
188.0
222.7
150.3
162.7
87.8
227.4
174.1
189.3
223.3
151.8
163.2
87.8
244.1
175.6
192.4
223.3
152.8
164.5
879
246.6
13
13-11
1 3-2
1 3-3
1 3-4
1 3-5
1 3 -6
1 3 -7
1 3-8
1 3-9
Nonmetallic mineral products ............................................................
Flat g la s s .........................................................................................
Concrete Ingredients........................................................................
Concrete products ..........................................................................
Structural clay products excluding refractories .............................
Refractories .....................................................................................
Asphalt ro o fing ................................................................................
Gypsum products ............................................................................
Glass containers..............................................................................
Other nonmetallic minerals ............................................................
222.8
172.8
217.7
214.0
197.2
216.5
292.0
229.1
244.4
275.6
230.0
174.0
223.4
222.9
204.4
226.1
305.2
242.1
250.7
283.6
231.1
178.7
223.5
224.2
206.5
226.1
305.2
242.7
250.7
283.6
238.3
181.1
235.9
235.6
209.7
227.5
306.8
247.6
250.7
288.8
240.5
183.1
238.2
236.4
210.7
227.8
317.8
250.6
250.7
293 7
240.8
183.1
239.8
237.8
212.8
228.3
303.1
251.0
250.7
294.5
243.4
183.1
242.0
240.5
214.8
228.4
316.4
252.2
250.7
300.0
245.6
183.1
242.5
241.6
215.7
228.5
317.9
248.8
265.2
303.0
246.9
184.0
243.3
243.7
216.5
232.6
323.0
251.3
265.2
302.0
249.5
184.1
245.1
245.2
220.3
240.8
328.4
251.8
265.2
310.5
249.6
184.1
244.7
246.4
222.4
242.4
322.2
252.3
265.5
309.9
252.2
184.5
245.6
248.6
223.8
243.1
332.7
254.9
265.5
318.8
255.6
184.7
246.9
249.4
221.1
245.0
334.0
255.3
265.5
341.2
257.1
185.4
248.4
250.5
221.1
248.2
345.9
256.2
265.5
342.2
14
14-1
1 4-4
Transportation equipment (12/68 - 1 00 )..........................................
Motor vehicles and equipment ........................................................
Railroad equipment..........................................................................
173.5
176.0
252.8
180.1
182.5
261.5
180.5
182.8
261.8
182.7
185.0
2664
183.5
185.9
268.0
183.8
186.1
268.9
186.8
189.4
271.7
187.2
189.8
271.6
187.5
190.1
274.7
188.4
190.8
280.6
187.2
189.2
280.9
186.2
188.1
281.6
193.6
196.3
286.3
194,4
197.0
288.2
15
15-1
1 5-2
1 5 -3
1 5-4
15-51
1 5 -9
Miscellaneous products .....................................................................
Toys, sporting goods, small arms, ammunition...............................
Tobacco products............................................................................
Notions ............................................................................................
Photographic equipment and supplies.............................................
Mobile Homes (12/74 - 100) ........................................................
Other miscellaneous products ........................................................
184.3
163.2
198.5
182.0
145.7
126.4
210.6
189.2
165.3
204.0
183.4
148.7
130.3
218.7
193.6
164.8
204.0
183.4
148.7
130.8
234.8
197.7
170.4
213.5
188.2
150.1
131.7
237.8
199 8
171.0
213.6
188.2
150.2
132.5
244.0
200.6
171.5
214.0
190.2
150.2
133.8
245.5
201.4
173.2
214.4
190.2
150.1
135.2
246.1
203.3
174.3
214.4
190.6
150.6
137.2
250.6
205.2
174.7
214.4
190.6
151.6
137.9
255.8
207.0
176.9
214.8
192.0
152.0
138.2
259.8
208.2
177.9
221.1
192.1
152.0
137.7
260.1
212.3
179.9
221.7
192.1
154.1
139.5
270.5
216.8
181.2
221.9
195.8
157.3
142.5
280.9
219.0
181.7
221.9
196.0
161.3
143.5
284.9
1 Prices for natural gas are lagged 1 month.
2 Includes only domestic production.
3 Most prices for refined petroleum products are lagged 1 month.
4 Some prices for industrial chemicals are lagged 1 month.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
5 Not available.
NOTE: Data for July 1979 have been revised to reflect the availability of late reports and corrections by respondents. All data are subject to revision 4 months after original publication.
95
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Producer Prices
28.
Producer Price Indexes, for special commodity groupings
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
Commodity grouping
Annual
average
1978
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
208.4
206.4
206.7
197.2
108.8
106.3
158.9
214.8
211.7
211.9
203.6
110.0
109.1
160.3
216.3
215.5
215.7
204.6
110.9
108.7
162.5
219.3
219.9
219.8
207.3
109.1
110.1
164.6
222.0
225.0
223.5
209.6
110.8
109.9
166.3
224.7
225.9
225.6
211.9
111.6
110.5
167.1
228.0
227.7
227.8
214.7
112.3
112.5
167.3
230,1
226.4
227.5
216.0
112.8
112.5
167.7
232.0
223,8
224.7
217.0
113.5
112.7
168.3
235,4
225.4
226.4
219.0
114.0
114.1
168,5
237.3
224.5
224.5
220.1
115.0
113.0
170.8
241.0
228.2
230.6
221.6
115.7
112.7
170.8
244.9
226.8
228.9
225.4
116.0
113.0
171.2
246.7
229.0
231.8
2264
116.1
114.6
171,6
All commodities less farm products
All foods ..................................
Processed foods
1978
1979
Industrial commodities less fu e ls ....................................
Selected textile mill products (Dec. 1975 = 100)
H osiery........................................................
Underwear and nightwear...............................
Chemicals and allied products, including synthetic rubber
and manmade fibers and yarns .............................................
Pharmaceutical preparations...................................................
Lumber and wood products, excluding millwork and
other wood products..............................................................
Special metals and metal products ..........................................
Fabricated metal products ........................................................
Copper and copper products ...................................................
Machinery and motive products.................................................
190.5
140.6
193.1
144.7
193.6
145.8
196.3
148.1
198.0
149.0
200.0
149.4
204.1
150.0
207.6
150.1
209.5
151.7
215.0
151.7
217.4
152.0
220.5
153.6
223.7
155.6
226.0
155.4
298.3
209.6
216.2
155.6
190.4
313.9
217.1
223.5
161.6
196.8
314.1
217.9
224.5
164.1
197.7
314.8
220.0
227.0
168.8
199.6
317.0
225.6
228.6
188.2
200.8
323.7
2282
230.6
197.9
201.7
326.4
232.7
232.9
212.1
204.1
325.1
232.4
234.6
199.0
205.3
321.7
233.7
235.7
193.0
206.0
325.3
235.5
237.4
191.9
207.7
333.7
235.4
240.1
196.6
207.7
341.0
236.1
241.0
200.5
208.3
337.4
242.9
243.7
211.5
212.8
323.5
244.2
244.8
213.6
214.0
Machinery and equipment, except electrical.............................
Agricultural machinery, including tra c to rs .................................
Metalworking machinery.............................................
Numerically controlled machine tools (Dec. 1971 = 100) . . . .
Total tractors..............................................................................
Agricultural machinery and equipment less parts ....................
Farm and garden tractors less parts ........................................
Agricultural machinery excluding tractors less parts ...............
Industrial va lve s...................................................................
Industrial fittings........................................................
Abrasive grinding wheels .................................................
Construction materials ..............................................................
214.3
216.3
228.8
179.1
228.7
212.7
216.1
216.7
232.3
232.7
208,1
228.3
221.7
224.2
239.9
186.2
2369
220.1
223.3
225.2
239.1
244.5
220.2
236.3
223.0
225.2
242.5
186.3
238.3
221.2
224.6
225.9
240.7
244.5
220.2
237.0
224.9
227.6
245.2
188.9
240.8
223.5
225.6
229.5
245.4
249.9
220.2
241.4
226.1
228.5
247.4
190.9
242.5
224.4
225.8
230.9
247.8
2499
220.2
244.1
227.7
229.6
248.9
192.6
243.1
225.5
226.7
232 1
249.5
252.0
220.3
246.9
230.0
230.8
251.2
192.7
245.4
226.7
228.5
233.0
252.4
255.5
2203
250.0
231.8
232.1
254.3
195.7
247.7
228.1
230.5
233.6
255.0
259.3
221.6
250.3
232.6
233.8
256.8
195.8
248.2
229.5
231.8
235.7
2558
260.4
222.8
250.3
235.1
235.8
260.1
202.2
251.2
231.4
233.9
237.6
257.0
260.8
222.8
252.3
235.9
237,1
261.5
204.4
252.5
232.5
237.0
237.4
257.0
260.8
224.6
254.1
237.8
242.6
265.3
206.6
254.8
237.5
243.4
2422
259 1
262.8
224.6
2566
240.2
244.7
269.5
208.7
2594
239.5
246.3
243.7
260,3
271.7
235.3
258.2
242.0
247.9
272.5
209.0
260.9
242,4
248.8
247.4
261.1
276.8
235.3
256.5
NOTE: Data for July 1979 have been revised to reflect the availability of late reports and correc
tions by respondents. All data are subject to revision 4 months after original publication.
29.
Producer Price Indexes, by durability of product
[1967 = 100]
Annual
1978
Commodity grouping
1979
1978
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Total durable g o o d s ..........................................................
Total nondurable goods .....................................................
2049
211.9
212.1
217,5
213.0
219.9
216.3
223.4
218.9
2273
221.0
230.4
223.9
234.1
224.7
236.9
225.8
238.8
227.6
243.7
228.0
245.5
229.7
250.8
234.0
253.5
2349
256.0
Total manufactures .............................................
Durable ..............................................................
Nondurable.....................................................................
204.2
204.7
203.0
210.7
211.8
2086
212.0
212.7
210.5
215.0
215.8
213.4
217.5
218.0
216.1
219.7
219.8
219.0
223.1
222.7
222.8
225.0
223.8
225.6
226.5
224.6
227.8
229.8
2266
232.5
231.5
227.2
235.5
234.9
229.0
240,9
238.6
2333
243.7
2402
234.1
246.3
Total raw or slightly processed g o o d s ....................
Durable ..........................................................................
Nondurable......................................................
234.6
2096
235.6
240.5
220.0
241.2
244.3
225.0
244.9
250.2
235.4
250.4
258.5
253.9
258.0
263.3
273.6
261.6
266.1
272.5
264.7
268.2
2629
267.6
269.7
272.8
2685
274.3
265.4
274.0
271.8
259.8
271.8
276.6
255.7
277.2
278.6
259.0
279.1
281.1
2658
281.3
NOTE: Data for July 1979 have been revised to reflect the availability of late reports and correc
tions by respondents. All data are subject to revision 4 months after original publication.
30.
Producer Price Indexes for the output of selected SIC Industries
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
1972
SIC
code
Annual
1978
Industry Description
1979
1978
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
121.9
126.6
430.2
358.2
194,6
111.8
127.3
125.4
442.6
373,9
199.6
123.2
127.3
136.2
441.0
3806
200.2
123.2
127.3
153.3
444.0
388.2
208.0
125.4
127.3
168.7
444.4
397.2
210.4
125.4
127.3
178.3
445.7
403.8
210.9
125,4
131.9
202.1
447.5
407.6
214.1
125.4
131.9
237.5
451.3
427.2
216.0
125.4
136.0
277.0
452.5
444.1
217.0
125.5
136.0
270.8
453.1
457.5
219.3
125.5
138 8
245.8
455.1
475.8
219.9
125.5
138.1
252.1
453.2
506.8
220.9
125.5
140.2
275.0
455.4
522.0
223.5
126.7
140.2
252.1
455.8
533.5
224.3
114.7
216.7
215.2
192.5
205.2
2186
225.9
187.0
225.3
226.8
2287
192.1
227.0
243.6
223.8
194.6
211.9
250.8
230.4
204.6
211.1
256.6
235.6
206.1
2161
265.0
224.4
199.7
224.7
259,2
227.7
2035
225.3
249.1
217.1
177,8
225.3
243.8
214.7
178.4
227.5
229.3
203.3
169.6
237.9
247.2
211.6
171.2
240.6
239.1
213.0
163,1
240.1
241.6
214.2
188.3
241.7
MINING
1011
1092
1211
1311
1442
Iron ores (12/75 = 100 )...............................................
Mercury ores (12/75 = 100) ...............................................
Bituminous coal and lignite ...............................................
Crude petroleum and natural gas ....................................
Construction sand and gravel ........... ...............................
Kaolin and ball clay (6/76 = 1 0 0 ).................................
2011
2013
2016
2021
Meat packing p la n ts..........................................
Sausages and other prepared m e a ts.............................
Poultry dressing p la n ts ..........................................................
Creamery butter..........................................................
MANUFACTURING
See footnotes at end of table.
96
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
30.
Continued
Producer Price Indexes for the output of selected SIC Industries
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
1972
SIC
code
Industry description
MANUFACTURING
Annual
average
1978
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
1979
1978
Continued
2022
2024
2033
2034
2041
2044
2048
2061
2063
2067
Cheese natural and processed (1 2 /7 2 = 100)...........
Ice cream and frozen desserts (12/72 - 100) ...............
Canned fruits and vegetables.............................................
Dehydrated food products (12/73 = 100) ......................
Flour mills (12/71 - 1 0 0 ).................................................
Rice milling..........................................................................
Prepared foods, n.e.c. (12/75 - 100) ......... ...................
Raw cane s u g a r.................................................................
Bee! s u g a r..........................................................................
Chewing g u m .....................................................................
169.6
154.8
193.2
131.3
147.0
207.6
107.3
190.7
188.5
218.0
182.9
160.0
201.3
178.3
159.0
166.0
110.8
193.0
194.3
2227
184.4
162.1
202.8
179.6
156.8
168.6
114.7
196.2
194.4
241.5
184.2
166.2
203.3
179.6
155.8
163 6
115.6
191.6
197.0
241.6
179.4
166.7
204.4
181.2
160.5
166 6
118.4
198.2
197.0
242.5
182.5
166.7
205.2
180.9
157.5
171.0
118.3
195.7
198.6
242.5
186.8
167.3
206.2
181.7
158.1
206.8
117.5
197.5
199.3
242.6
185.2
171.0
207.2
182.1
166.7
206.8
115.2
195.6
199.7
242.2
185.6
171.5
207.5
181.0
174.6
206.8
118.9
207.0
199.7
242.2
186,3
171.5
209.9
182.0
190.9
206.8
128.1
209,0
202.0
242.9
195.4
175.0
210.5
180.7
176.9
218.7
119.7
216.8
199.2
242.9
200.8
176.1
211.9
170.0
183.4
223.5
121.2
216.7
200.2
242.9
196.8
177.5
213.0
158.2
184.6
227.3
123.9
224.3
202.6
242.9
193.4
178.4
212.4
156.3
184,9
231.8
124.6
223.3
209.6
262.2
2074
2075
2077
2083
2085
2091
2092
2095
2098
2111
Cottonseed oil m ills ............................................................
Soybean oil m ills.................................................................
Animal and marine fats and o ils ........................................
M a lt.....................................................................................
Distilled liquor, except brandy (12/75 = 100) ..................
Canned and cured seafoods (12/73 = 1 0 0 )....................
Fresh or frozen packaged fish ..........................................
Roasted coffee (12/72 - 100) ........................................
Macaroni and spaghetti......................................................
Cigarettes ..........................................................................
183.1
225.6
287.9
181.5
106.7
136.4
303.8
262.3
176.9
204.6
192.3
224.0
323.1
180.7
107.8
137.2
331.6
241.8
184.7
210.7
196.4
237.7
305.1
190.8
108.9
137,4
339.0
235.7
184.7
210.7
198.7
233.1
305.0
190.8
108.9
137.3
338.1
229.4
184.7
221.1
204.5
241.2
344.5
190.8
109.4
137.9
361.9
222.5
184,7
221.2
202.8
242.0
362.6
190.8
109.4
138.5
359.4
221.6
184.7
221.3
198.5
244.7
393.1
190.8
109.4
139.2
375.8
220.5
184.7
221.4
192.5
237.7
363.8
190.8
113.6
140.9
382.4
231.7
186.6
221.4
210.4
251.1
335.3
201.4
113.6
142.1
397.6
244.2
188.6
221.4
224.5
262.8
352.0
201.4
113.6
148.5
403.7
271.0
203.5
221.5
214.1
250.0
321.4
201.4
116.2
146.1
392.4
276.6
195.7
228.9
217.9
248.4
333.8
201.4
117.1
150.8
390.1
279.2
199.5
229.1
214.9
244.8
333.7
214.9
117.1
151.1
400.9
280.0
210.4
229.2
204.7
242.6
315.2
228.2
118.1
155.6
392.4
287.5
221.5
229.2
2121
2131
2211
2221
2251
2254
2257
2261
2262
2271
Cigars ................................................................................
Chewing and smoking tobacco..........................................
Weaving mills, cotton (12/72 - 100) ...............................
Weaving mills, synthetic (12/77 - 100) ...........................
Women's hosiery, except socks (12/75 = 100) .............
Knit underwear mills ..........................................................
Circular knit fabric mills (6/76 = 100) .............................
Finishing plants, cotton (6/76 - 1 0 0 )...............................
Finishing plants, synthetics, silk (6/76 = 1 0 0 )..................
Woven carpets and rugs (12/75 = 100)...........................
141.4
222.0
181.1
109.0
91.5
164.1
98.5
111.0
101.4
114.7
142.0
224.7
186.1
116.1
95.7
165.1
98.8
114.2
104.1
115.8
141.7
225.1
187.9
115.5
94.8
166.9
99.2
115.9
105.4
115.8
142.8
235.3
188.8
114.5
95.1
169,3
91.2
116.5
104.6
115.8
143.0
236.4
190.1
112.7
94.3
169.9
91.7
117.4
105.0
115.8
145.0
240 9
190.4
112.4
94.4
172.6
939
118.2
105,2
116.0
145,4
245.9
191.8
113.3
97.3
172.8
93.2
119.0
105.9
116.0
145.4
245.9
192.7
113,6
97.3
173.1
94.1
120.8
106.3
116.7
145.3
245.9
194.3
114.1
97.6
173.3
95.8
120.9
107.0
117.1
149.8
246.4
196.1
116.2
99.6
172.9
96.1
122.5
107.5
147.6
246.4
196.8
116.3
98.1
174.0
96.3
123.2
107.9
147.6
255.8
198.6
116.3
97.5
174.0
96.0
124.0
108.3
147.4
260.4
200.7
116.9
98.0
174.3
96,4
126.1
109.2
147.2
260.8
200.1
116.9
100.3
174.6
96.4
123.1
108.9
(')
(’ )
(’ )
(’ )
2272
2281
2282
2284
2298
2311
2321
2322
2323
2327
Tufted carpets and rugs ...................................................
Yarn mills, except wool (12/71 = 1 0 0 ) .............................
Throwing and winding mills (6/76 = 1 0 0 )........................
Thread mills (6/76 = 100) ...............................................
Cordage and twine (12/77 = 100 )....................................
Men’s and boys’ suits and coats ......................................
Men's and boys' shirts and nightwear...............................
Men's and boys’ underwear...............................................
Men’s and boys’ neckwear (12/75 = 1 0 0 )......................
Men's and boys' separate trousers....................................
125.3
167.4
99.2
114.6
99.3
194.3
180.8
180.6
102.3
152.7
125.5
170.6
103.3
119.1
98.4
202.5
185.3
181.2
103.4
157.4
125.8
170.5
101.7
119.2
98.4
200.5
187.7
182.6
103.4
157.4
125.8
170.9
103.1
120.3
98.5
199.3
191.2
184.5
103.4
157.7
126.0
171.4
102.7
120.3
98.6
199.6
191.4
184.6
103.4
157.8
126.5
172.3
106,0
120.3
98.6
199.9
’ 191.6
188.7
103.4
157.8
127.0
173.1
104.4
120.4
101.7
203.9
191.8
188.7
103.4
162.3
127.7
174.5
106.3
120.4
102.8
204.2
192.4
188.7
103.4
162.3
128.1
175.7
107.5
120.4
105.4
204.5
193.5
188.7
103.4
162.5
127.6
177.5
108.5
120.5
105.4
205.8
194.7
188.7
103.4
162.5
128.5
177.2
109.8
125.7
113.5
206.4
195.9
190.0
103.4
162.7
129.0
179.4
111.3
128.1
115.1
206.4
195.8
190.0
110.9
162.7
129.5
181.2
111.0
128.3
114.9
206.6
194.5
190.0
110.9
162.9
130.0
182 9
111.0
128.4
114.9
206.8
194.7
190.0
110.9
163.4
2328
2331
2335
2341
2342
2361
2381
2394
2396
2421
Men’s and boys' work clothing..........................................
Women's and misses' blouses and waists (6/78 = 100) ,
Women's and misses' dresses (12/77 - 100) ...............
Women's and children's underwear (12/72 = 1 0 0 ).........
Brassieres and allied garments (12/75 = 1 0 0 )................
Children’s dresses and blouses (12/77 = 1 00 )...............
Fabric dress and work gloves ..........................................
Canvas and related products (12/77 = 100) ..................
Automotive and apparel trimmings (12/77 = 100 )...........
Sawmills and planing mills (12/71 = 1 0 0 ) ......................
195.2
(’ )
214.4
99.6
106.3
228.9
195.4
102.2
101.1
133.7
112.4
105.7
226.2
98.5
107.1
244.1
195.7
102.3
101.1
138.7
112.5
105.4
226.4
996
107.1
240.1
198.5
102.6
105.0
141.2
113.5
105.4
227.3
105.9
107.1
239.5
199.8
99.1
104.9
142.3
116.0
105.4
232.2
105.9
107.1
241.9
200.0
99.2
106.6
142.3
116.0
105.5
232.2
105.9
107.1
249.5
206,5
99.1
106.6
142.6
116.1
106.7
241.5
105.9
107.1
252.5
206.5
100.3
105.9
143.3
116.2
106.7
243.9
105.9
107.1
251.6
209.0
100.5
105.9
143.3
117.5
102.1
243.9
106.9
114.3
250.9
2089
102.6
106.4
144.2
117.5
102.4
245.4
108.4
114.3
251.3
2105
102.7
107.5
145.3
1178
102.4
245.4
108.4
114.3
259.0
210.7
102.8
108.3
145.3
117.8
103.7
245.4
111.4
114.3
265.6
213.1
103.0
108.7
146.7
117.8
105.7
245.4
111.4
114.3
262.2
2189
105.9
108.8
147.4
117.8
105.7
246.9
112.1
114.3
250.1
2436
2439
2448
2451
2492
2511
2512
2515
2521
2611
Softwood veneer and plywood (12/75 - 100) ...............
Structural wood members, n.e.c. (12/75 = 1 0 0 ).............
Wood pallets and skids (12/75 = 100) ...........................
Mobile homes (12/74 = 100) ..........................................
Particleboard (12/75 - 1 0 0 ).............................................
Wood household furniture (12/71 = 1 0 0 )........................
Upholstered household furniture (12/71 = 1 0 0 ) .............
Mattresses and bedsprings ...............................................
Wood office furniture..........................................................
Pulp mills (12/73 - 100) .................................................
150.1
136.2
149.4
126.5
159.7
152.4
143.1
156.3
194.4
178.5
158.8
142.3
158.9
130.3
150.0
158.4
145.7
157.5
2004
183.7
157.6
142.3
159.8
130.8
146.9
158 5
145.8
160.0
200.5
183.7
164.2
142.3
160.6
131.8
143.0
160.3
146.9
162.3
2072
187.1
162.2
148.1
161.8
132.5
141.9
160 3
146.9
162.9
213.1
187.3
160.1
148.3
163.8
133.8
142.7
160.9
147.6
162.9
213.1
189.9
157.3
150.1
166.8
135.3
143.8
162.7
147,4
163.1
214.2
192.5
151.1
150.1
166.7
137.3
141.6
164.6
149.2
163 2
214.3
195.2
140.7
150.0
167.0
138.0
137.4
164.0
149.4
164.1
214.2
196.6
148.1
150.0
166,9
138.2
134.3
164.5
150.0
164.5
216.8
205.4
153.2
149.9
166.8
137.7
134.7
164.6
150.3
165.7
216.8
207.4
156.2
150.8
167.9
139.6
138.5
167.1
151.6
165.7
216.8
207.5
153.3
158.2
167.9
142.5
139.6
168.1
151.8
168.8
217.6
215.2
143.3
158.2
171,0
143.5
136.9
171.3
153.9
172.1
217.6
215.6
2621
2631
2647
2654
2655
2812
2821
2822
2824
2873
Paper mills, except building (12/74 = 100)......................
Paperboard mills (12/74 = 100) ......................................
Sanitary paper products ...................................................
Sanitary food containers ...................................................
Fiber cans, drums, and similar products (12/75 = 100) ..
Alkalies and chlorine (12/73 = 100) ...............................
Plastics materials and resins (6/76 = 1 00 )......................
Synthetic ru b b e r................................................................
Organic fiber, noncellulosic ...............................................
Nitrogenous fertilizers (12/75 - 1 00 )...............................
115.7
106.4
251.4
170.8
123.0
198.8
103.8
180,5
107.6
966
121.2
110.8
262.9
175.5
126.2
202.2
103.7
185.8
108.4
95.5
121.5
111.1
267.3
177.1 .
127.4
203.0
104.5
187.8
108 3
95.3
123.7
112.0
267.4
178.8
130.0
202.4
106.0
189.4
110.7
95.4
124.7
112.9
267.6
179.4
130.4
2032
106.9
191.4
111.0
96.6
126.0
114.4
269.2
179.5
130,8
201.8
109.2
192.7
111.5
98.0
128.5
117.1
270.8
184.1
130.9
203.7
113.8
196.5
113.1
101.5
129.3
118.1
271.7
189.1
132.2
204.9
117.7
200.9
115.9
101.9
129.5
118.5
271.9
189,1
134.0
206.3
118.6
206.6
117.4
101.4
130.2
119.7
276.4
189.6
136.6
209.5
124.9
214.2
118.6
102.8
131.2
121.4
283.6
189.6
135.8
211.7
126.0
222,5
120.1
1035
131.6
123.6
283.6
191.0
135.8
212.2
129,0
222.8
123.8
106.1
135.2
125.4
286.4
195.8
136.6
213.6
132.5
224,4
124.7
107.9
136.7
126.4
286.5
198.1
137.2
216.5
133.9
227.0
124.1
111.7
2874
2875
2892
Phosphatic fertilizers..........................................................
Fertilizers, mixing o n ly ........................................................
Explosives .........................................................................
Petroleum refining (6/76 = 100) .............................
Paving mixtures and blocks (12/75 - 100) ....................
Asphalt felts and coatings (12/75) = 100) ......................
Tires and inner tubes (12/73 = 100) ...............................
166.0
181.9
217.3
119.6
117.1
128.2
154.0
170.1
184.0
225.9
123.3
120.4
134.0
161.0
168.7
185.2
226.3
125.4
120,2
134.0
161.8
167.8
185.2
226.6
173.3
187.5
227.1
185.2
197.3
227.9
185.1
197.8
239.0
184.2
197.8
239.3
129.3
124.8
139,3
166.2
138.8
128.5
138.6
168.0
146.6
130.1
139.3
169.2
155.1
131.2
141.6
170.6
188 9
198.1
240.1
165.5
134.4
143.6
176.8
195.5
205.6
240.5
127.3
123.5
134.7
164.0
179.1
192.8
226.9
132.8
125 9
132.8
167.1
201 5
210.7
250.1
188.4
138.3
145.7
183.9
211.9
218.4
250.6
196.3
145.5
146.1
186.5
221.2
226.9
251.8
200.9
145.6
151.6
190.9
2911
2951
2952
3011
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
100.7
132.1
111.7
176.5
134.9
141.1
179.9
97
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Producer Prices
30.
Continued — Producer Price Indexes for the output of selected SIC Industries
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
1972
SIC
code
Industry description
Annual
average
1978
1978
1979
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
164.1
156.4
102.0
140.1
127.1
133.9
173.7
114.3
147.5
250.6
168.7
161.3
102.1
135.9
129.6
135.2
176.3
123.0
149.0
250.7
169.0
161.3
103.4
143.7
134.7
141.0
178.4
123.0
150.8
250.7
169.0
162.1
105.4
173.8
136.3
145.6
189.2
123.0
150.8
250.7
169.0
164.5
107.5
182.9
136.3
147.6
190.3
123.0
150.8
250.7
169.5
167.6
109.0
201.3
138.5
152.8
192.2
131.7
150.8
265.2
169.6
169.1
110.7
195.8
142.0
155.4
195.4
131.8
151.8
265.2
171.0
169.2
111.4
181.8
135.0
155.4
198.7
131.8
151.9
265.2
173.2
167.3
112.4
172.9
136.2
158.2
201.5
131.8
151.9
2654
173.4
170.5
112.9
155.2
136.2
159.0
201.6
131.8
152.3
265.4
173.4
171.7
113.9
161.9
136.9
159.3
202.3
131.8
152.6
265.4
173.4
177.1
114.1
150.8
137.0
159.2
204.0
131.8
153.3
2655
3021
3031
3079
3111
3142
3143
3144
3171
3211
3221
Rubber and plastic footwear (12/71 = 1 0 0 )........................................
Reclaimed rubber (12/73 = 100) ........................................................
Miscellaneous plastic products (6/78 = 100) ......................................
Leather tanning and finishing (12/77 = 1 00 )........................................
House slippers (12/75 = 1 00 )..............................................................
Men’s footwear, except athletic (12/75 = 1 0 0 )....................................
Women's footwear, except a thletic........................................................
Women's handbags and purses (12/75 = 100) .................................
Flat glass (12/71 = 100) .....................................................................
Glass containers.....................................................................................
119.1
122.5
127.1
164.1
111.4
142.7
244.3
164.1
155.4
101.8
139.8
127.2
133.9
173.7
114.3
143.5
250.9
3241
3251
3253
3255
3259
3261
3262
3263
3269
3271
Cement, hydraulic...................................................................................
Brick and structural clay tile ...................................................................
Ceramic wall and floor tile (12/75 = 100) ..........................................
Clay refractories.....................................................................................
Structural clay products, n.e.c.................................................................
Vitreous plumbing fixtures .....................................................................
Vitreous china food utensils ...................................................................
Fine earthenware food utensils..............................................................
Pottery products, n.e.c. (12/75 = 1 00 ).................................................
Concrete block and b rick .......................................................................
251.2
230.8
107.7
221.4
176.3
189.7
268.8
228.1
122.2
202.0
256.0
240.7
111.5
231.7
179.4
192.6
284.1
237.1
127.9
211.8
256.0
243.9
111.5
231.7
179.6
194.3
284.4
242.4
129.6
211.9
275.4
248.9
111.6
233.4
184.1
195.1
284.4
242.4
129.6
223.0
278.8
250.9
111.6
233.2
184.4
198.6
290.6
237.0
129.2
223.1
280.3
252.8
113.0
234.1
186,7
198.9
290.6
237.1
129.2
227.0
283.1
256.7
113.0
234.4
186.8
201.6
290.6
237.1
129.2
230.8
283.2
258.3
113.0
234.6
186.8
204.6
290.6
237.1
129.2
232.6
283.7
259.7
113.0
236.9
187.8
206.4
290.6
236.4
129.0
232.7
285.4
261.0
120.2
246.5
188.2
210.1
297.5
238.8
131.0
232.7
282.8
236.3
120.2
248.1
192.5
212.4
297.5
238.6
130.9
235.7
282.8
265.9
120.2
248.5
192.5
212.8
297.5
238.6
130.9
237.8
282.8
260,4
120.1
251.7
193.2
214.5
297.9
245.8
133.2
240.0
282.9
261.3
120.2
254.4
192.6
215.7
305.3
246.9
135.0
240.0
3273
3274
3275
3291
3297
3312
3313
3316
3317
3321
Ready-mixed concrete............................................................................
Lime (12/75 = 100) ..............................................................................
Gypsum products ...................................................................................
Abrasive products (12/71 = 100) ........................................................
Nonclay refractories (12/74 = 1 0 0 )......................................................
Blast furnaces and steel mills ..............................................................
Electrometallurgical products (12/75 = 100) ......................................
Cold finishing of steel shapes.................................................................
Steel pipes and tubes ............................................................................
Gray iron foundries (12/68 = 100)........................................................
217.6
129.5
229.5
172.3
133.6
262.3
94,8
241.0
255.2
233.5
225.9
131.6
242.5
178.9
139.0
270.5
96.3
247.4
258.6
240.0
227.7
133.1
243.1
178.9
139.0
270.7
98.4
247.4
258.7
240.0
240.0
136.2
248.1
181.1
139.8
279.9
103.5
258.1
265,0
244.9
241.1
136.6
251.1
182.2
140.3
280.3
104.0
258.3
265.1
244.7
241.7
137.5
251.5
182.4
140.4
281.1
104.0
258.4
265.8
249.4
244.5
139.9
252.7
184.0
140.5
283.5
106.8
259.1
265.0
253.9
245.2
139.8
249.4
185.1
140.5
285.3
111.7
259.8
264,5
253.3
247.5
140.1
251.9
185.8
143.9
285.8
112.3
261.3
264.5
254.5
249.6
141.8
252.3
187.7
148.1
292.8
116.5
270.6
271.9
253.9
250.5
142.9
252.8
188.6
149.1
292.9
116.5
271.0
270.2
252.6
252.2
144.3
255.4
190.3
149.7
293.2
116.0
271.0
271.4
253.6
253.0
144.7
255.9
193.9
150.1
296.3
116.2
271.9
272.8
265.6
254.5
144.4
256.8
194.7
152.3
297.0
117.5
273.2
272.8
266.0
3333
3334
3351
3353
3354
3355
3411
3425
3431
3465
Primary z in c ..................................................- . ......................................
Primary aluminum..................................................................................
Copper rolling and drawing ...................................................................
Aluminum sheet plate and foil (12/75 = 1 0 0 )......................................
Aluminum extruded products (12/75 = 100 )........................................
Aluminum rolling, drawing, n.e.c. (12/75 = 100) .................................
Metal c a n s ..............................................................................................
Hand saws and saw blades (12/72 = 100) ........................................
Metal sanitary w a re ................................................................................
Automotive stampings (12/75 = 100) .................................................
223.2
217.4
170.2
137.6
134.3
119.7
238.5
147.9
209.1
118.8
243.2
220.3
177.2
142.4
137.3
121.9
248.3
153.8
213.0
123.0
243.2
220.3
179.0
143.2
138.6
122.8
248.3
155.5
214.1
123.0
243.2
220.3
184.2
145.8
141.1
125.2
252.7
157.7
214.7
123.6
260.6
226.1
199.9
146.4
141.6
126.5
253.9
157.8
217.4
125.0
260.9
232.4
211.0
146.5
142.5
127.5
260.9
157.9
219.2
125.7
274.2
235.8
220.1
148.0
146.1
129.6
264.4
159.6
220.8
126.2
274.5
237.4
215.6
148.7
147.5
131.5
263.8
161.9
222.2
127.0
275.2
238.5
211.7
148.8
147.6
131.6
262.2
162.5
224,1
127.1
281.4
244.9
211.2
149.6
150.3
132.7
262.2
162.8
226.4
127.8
265.1
244.2
213.4
149.7
151.8
132.2
263.1
165.7
228.9
131.2
264.2
248.2
216.8
150.0
152.2
133.5
261.5
166.2
229.2
131.9
265.2
256.0
223.3
150.8
153.5
136.8
270.2
166.9
230,1
132.7
257.0
263.2
222.7
151.5
157.3
139.9
273.8
169.4
231.7
132.7
3482
3493
3494
3498
3519
3531
3532
3533
3534
3542
Small arms ammunition (12/75 = 100) ...............................................
Steel springs, except wire .....................................................................
Valves and pipe fittings (12/71 = 1 00 ).................................................
Fabricated pipe and fittings ...................................................................
Internal combustion engines, n.e.c...........................................................
Construction machinery (12/76 = 100) ...............................................
Mining machinery (12/72 = 1 0 0 )..........................................................
Oilfield machinery and equipment..........................................................
Elevators and moving stairways............................................................
Machine tools, metal forming types (12/71 = 1 0 0 ).............................
119,5
204.6
185.5
265.5
220.1
114.0
209.5
246.2
204 2
213.6
121.2
210.6
192.8
276.4
288.5
118.5
217.5
274.6
210.8
225.5
124.2
210.7
193.4
276.4
228.4
119.2
218.1
275.6
211.5
228.8
129.3
210.9
196.1
276.6
232.7
120.0
222.5
279.5
211.7
231.6
129.3
212.6
197.6
276.7
233.8
121.1
223.4
281.4
214.1
233.3
125.9
216.7
199.0
276.8
234,0
121.6
224.2
281.8
213.4
234.1
128.3
218.1
201.4
284.9
237.1
123.0
2280
283.5
213.8
2379
130.4
218.7
203.6
2882
2390
123.9
228.4
288.4
213.6
238.8
131.4
220.5
204.2
290.7
2392
124.0
226.4
290.0
214.2
240.6
134.0
221.6
205.3
294.8
242.3
125.6
231.2
292.0
215.4
244.6
138.3
222.1
205.0
294.8
244.6
126.0
231.4
293.2
214.6
245.0
138.3
222,7
206.4
294.9
249.5
126.3
232.7
296.7
216.5
247.9
137.5
223.5
209.5
297.0
2528
128.4
233.1
300.5
216.8
249.6
137.9
2239
211.6
297.4
253.7
129.0
234.7
301.3
220.6
253.5
3546
3552
3553
3576
3592
3612
3623
3631
3632
3633
Power driven hand tools (12/76 = 1 0 0 )...............................................
Textile machinery (12/69 = 1 00 )..........................................................
Woodworking machinery (12/72 = 100 )...............................................
Scales and balances, excluding laboratory ..........................................
Carburetors, pistons, rings, valves (6/76 = 1 0 0 ).................................
Transformers .........................................................................................
Welding apparatus, electric (12/72 = 1 0 0 )..........................................
Household cooking equipment (12/75 = 100)......................................
Household refrigerators, freezers (6/76 = 100) ..................................
Household laundry equipment (12/73 = 1 0 0 )......................................
111.1
179.9
168.1
179.7
128.2
158,3
114.1
184.7
173.9
185.3
133.7
164.1
116.9
190.4
179.2
191.1
136.9
167.0
118.7
192.6
184.5
193.7
138.7
168.5
119.2
195.0
185.9
194.8
139.2
167.9
121.9
199.2
193.0
192.9
141.5
171.4
122.7
200.6
193.1
196.6
143.5
170.5
186.6
120.2
112.7
146.9
191.5
120.7
111.9
147.0
191.9
120.9
112.6
147.2
193.5
122.0
113.6
148.8
119.9
196.8
188.1
195.3
139.2
167.8
193.8
123.3
114.0
151.1
120,3
198.2
188.4
195.4
140.3
168.6
186.0
119.2
112.5
146.3
117.7
191.6
181.0
191.3
137.6
168.5
187.3
120.3
111.8
146.9
117.8
191.7
183.2
192.8
138.6
168.0
182.6
117.9
110.7
144.4
115.4
189.0
177.9
188.8
135.0
163.2
184.8
119.1
111.4
145,4
116.3
189.6
177.3
191.1
135.7
165.4
178.1
114.8
109.6
141.0
114,4
186.4
174.1
188.4
134.3
163.1
184.0
118.3
110.7
144.4
194.9
124.2
114.7
151.8
196.2
124.3
114.8
152.1
197.9
125.8
115.3
153.5
3635
3636
3641
3644
3646
3648
3671
3674
3675
3676
Household vacuum cleaners .................................................................
Sewing machines (12/75 = 1 0 0 )..........................................................
Electric lam ps.........................................................................................
Noncurrent-carrying wiring devices (12/72 = 100) .............................
Commercial lighting fixtures (12/75 = 100) ........................................
Lighting equipment, n.e.c. (12/75 = 100) .............................................
Electron tubes receiving ty p e .................................................................
Semiconductors and related devices ...................................................
Electronic capacitors (12/75 = 100) ...................................................
Electronic resistors (12/75 = 100 )........................................................
135.5
111.2
214.7
185.8
112.7
114.6
2009
853
111.5
118.3
137.5
115.4
226.1
193.9
117.2
118.3
210.5
84.2
112.6
122.6
137.6
115.4
226.1
195.4
117.2
118.3
210.6
84.4
112.2
122.7
138.1
119.8
226.6
196.1
117.6
121.2
210.8
84.1
112.7
122.7
138.1
119.8
226.8
197.1
119.6
121.9
210.9
84.2
114.4
122.8
140.4
119.8
227.1
198.0
121.2
122.3
211.0
84.4
115.9
123.1
140.4
121.1
229.8
200.4
124.3
123.5
211.2
84.7
119.8
123.2
141.2
121.1
229.8
202.6
126.8
124.0
211.3
84.7
120.1
123.2
141.5
121.1
229.7
203.0
127.4
124.6
2264
84.7
122.1
123.2
141.6
121.8
240.8
203.0
127.9
127.6
226.5
84.2
126.7
124.0
141.6
121.6
244.4
206.9
128.4
127.7
226.6
83.9
129.1
128.6
141.9
121.6
242.7
211.4
129.5
128.3
227.2
84.4
133.6
130.2
144.3
122.0
244.8
212.8
130.3
129.3
227.2
84,7
134.0
127.8
144.7
122 0
240.8
214.2
132.0
129.8
227.3
85.0
134.9
127.8
3678
3692
3711
3942
3944
3955
3995
3996
Electronic connectors (12/75 = 1 0 0 )...................................................
Primary batteries, dry and w e t ..............................................................
Motor vehicles and car bodies (12/75 = 100)......................................
Dolls (12/75 = 1 0 0 )..............................................................................
Games, toys, and children’s vehicles ...................................................
Carbon paper and inked ribbons (12/75 = 100) .................................
Burial caskets (6/76 = 100) .................................................................
Hard surface floor coverings (12/75 = 1 0 0 )........................................
118.9
162.0
115.9
103.2
172.3
105.1
113.0
116.3
123.7
162.1
119.9
104.5
174,0
106.1
115.8
117.0
123.6
162.1
120.2
104.5
174.0
106.2
117.8
117.0
123.7
162.4
122.0
107.8
177.3
109,3
117.8
120.7
125.4
162.7
122.3
109.0
178.8
114.3
120.9
120.7
125.6
164.8
122.3
108.6
179.2
115.5
120.9
120.7
125.8
167.9
124.5
109.3
179 6
119.6
121.0
120.7
126.6
172.1
124.6
109.3
182.3
120.2
121.7
123.7
126.9
172.7
124.8
109.3
183.1
116.7
121.7
124.5
133.4
172.8
125.1
111.8
183.5
117.1
123.3
128.3
134.1
172.8
123.6
112.9
184.0
118.2
123.8
128.3
137.6
172.8
122.3
112.9
184.7
118.7
1248
128.3
138.4
173.1
129.6
112.9
185.7
121.5
124 8
131.0
140.7
173.1
129 8
113.0
186.3
125.5
124 8
134.1
1 Not available.
98
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
158.7
154.3
NOTE: Data for July 1979 have been revised to reflect the availability of late reports and
corrections by respondents. All data are subject to revision 4 months after original publication.
P R O D U C T IV IT Y D A T A
P r o d u c t i v it y d a t a are compiled by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics from establishment data and from estimates of com
pensation and output supplied by the U.S. Department of
Commerce and the Federal Reserve Board.
D efin ition s
Output is the constant dollar gross domestic product produced in a
given period. Indexes of output per hour of labor input, or labor pro
ductivity, measure the value of goods and services produced per hour
of labor. Compensation per hour includes wages and salaries of em
ployees plus employers’ contributions for social insurance and private
benefit plans. The data also include an estimate of wages, salaries, and
supplementary payments for the self-employed, except for nonfinancial corporations, in which there are no self-employed. Real com
pensation per hour is compensation per hour adjusted by the
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.
Unit labor cost measures the labor compensation cost required to
produce one unit of output and is derived by dividing compensation
by output. Unit nonlabor payments include profits, depreciation, in
terest, and indirect taxes per unit of output. They are computed by
subtracting compensation of all persons from the current dollar gross
domestic product and dividing by output. In these tables, Unit
nonlabor costs contain all the components of unit nonlabor payments
except unit profits. Unit profits include corporate profits and invento
ry valuation adjustments per unit of output.
The implicit price deflator is derived by dividing the current dollar
estimate of gross product by the constant dollar estimate, making the
deflator, in effect, a price index for gross product of the sector reported.
31.
The use of the term “man-hours” to identify the labor component
of productivity and costs, in tables 31 through 34, has been discontin
ued. Hours of all persons is now used to describe the labor input of
payroll workers, self-employed persons, and unpaid family workers.
Output per all-employee hour is now used to describe labor productiv
ity in nonfinancial corporations where there are no self-employed.
N o tes on the data
In the private business sector and the nonfarm business sector, the
basis for the output measure employed in the computation of output
per hour is Gross Domestic Product rather than Gross National
Product. Computation of hours includes estimates of nonfarm and
farm proprietor hours.
Output data are supplied by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S.
Department of Commerce, and the Federal Reserve Board. Quarterly
manufacturing output indexes are adjusted by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics to annual estimates of output (gross product originating)
from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Compensation and hours data
are from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
Beginning with the September 1976 issue of the Review, tables 3 1 34 were revised to reflect changeover to the new series— private busi
ness sector and nonfarm business sector— which differ from the
previously published total private economy and nonfarm sector in
that output imputed for owner-occupied dwellings and the household
and institutions sectors, as well as the statistical discrepancy, are
omitted. For a detailed explanation, see J. R. Norsworthy and L. J.
Fulco, “New sector definitions for productivity series,” Monthly Labor
Review, October 1976, pages 40-42.
Indexes of productivity and related data, selected years, 1950-78
[1967 = 100]
Item
Private business sector:
Output per hour of all persons
Compensation per hour .............
Real compensation per hour
Unit labor c o s t.............................
Unit nonlabor payments ...........
Implicit price deflator ................
Nonfarm business sector:
Output per hour of all persons .
Compensation per hour ...........
Real compensation per hour . . .
Unit labor c o s t...........................
Unit nonlabor payments ...........
Implicit price deflator ...............
Nonfinancial corporations:
Output per hour of all employees
Compensation per hour ...........
Real compensation per hour . . .
Unit labor c o s t...........................
Unit nonlabor payments ...........
Implicit price deflator ................
Manufacturing:
Output per hour of all persons .
Compensation per hour ...........
Real compensation per hour . . .
Unit labor c o s t ...........................
Unit nonlabor payments ...........
Implicit price deflator ................
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
61.0
42.4
58.9
69.6
73.2
70.8
70.3
55.8
696
79.4
80.5
79.8
78.7
71.9
81.1
91.3
85.5
89.3
95.0
887
93.8
933
95.9
94.2
104.2
123.1
105.8
118.2
105.8
113.9
107.7
131.4
108.3
122.0
113.0
118.9
111.4
139.7
111.5
125.4
119.0
123.2
113.6
151.2
113.6
133.1
124.9
130.3
110.1
164.9
111.7
149.8
130.4
143.1
112.4
181.3
112.5
161.3
150.4
157.5
116.4
197.2
115.6
169.4
158.0
165.5
118.6
213.0
117.3
179.6
165.6
174.8
119.2
231.2
118.3
194.0
174 3
187.2
669
45.4
630
67.9
71.5
69.1
74.3
58.7
73.2
79.1
80.1
79.4
80.9
74.2
83.7
91.7
845
89.2
95.9
89.4
94.6
93.2
95.8
94.1
103.0
121.7
104.6
118.1
106.0
114.0
106.2
129.9
107.1
122.3
113.1
119.2
110.1
138 4
110.4
125.7
117.5
122.9
112.0
149.2
112.1
133.2
117.8
127.9
108.5
162.8
110.2
150.0
124.7
141.4
110.5
178.9
111.0
161.8
146.0
156.4
114.4
193.8
113.7
169.4
156.0
164.8
116.2
209.3
115.3
180.1
163 9
174.5
116.8
227.3
116.3
194.5
169.9
186.1
(’ )
(’ )
( r)
( )
(’ )
(’ )
(’ )
(’ )
( ')
968
90.0
95.3
93.0
100.1
95.5
103 5
121.5
104.4
117.4
103.5
112.5
107.0
129.0
106.4
120.6
111.1
117.2
110.5
136.7
109.1
123.7
114.8
120.5
112.8
147.5
110.8
130.7
116.8
125 8
108.5
161.4
109.3
148.8
124.8
140.2
111.9
177.4
110.1
158.6
148.1
154 9
115.5
192.2
112.7
166.4
156.8
163.0
116.8
207.6
114.4
177.7
164.4
173.0
117.9
224.8
115.0
190.6
170.6
183.5
98.3
91.0
96.3
92.6
103.3
95.9
104.5
121.8
104.7
116.5
96.2
110 3
110.1
129.5
106.7
117.6
105.0
113.7
115.7
136.6
109.0
118.1
107.4
114.8
118.8
146.4
110.0
123.2
106.4
118.0
112.6
161.1
109.1
143.1
105.6
131.6
118.2
180.2
111.8
152.4
128 4
145.1
123.4
195.1
114.5
158.2
139 6
152.5
127.2
212.0
116 8
166.6
147.4
160.7
128.0
229.5
117.5
179.4
152.4
171.1
(’ )
(’ )
( ')
80.2
75.7
85.4
94.3
90.8
93.1
65.0
45.1
62.5
69.4
82.4
73.3
74.1
60.5
75.4
81.6
88.6
83.8
78.9
77.1
87.0
97.7
92.4
96.1
1
1 Not available.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
99
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW January 1980 • Current Labor Statistics: Productivity
32.
Annual percent change in productivity and related data, 1968-78
Private business sector:
Output per hour of all persons ...............................
Compensation per h o u r...........................................
Real compensation per hou r....................................
Unit labor c o s t..........................................................
Unit nonlabor paym ents...........................................
Implicit price d e fla to r...............................................
Nonfarm business sector:
Output per hour of all persons ...............................
Compensation per h o u r ...........................................
Real compensation per hou r....................................
Unit labor co s t..........................................................
Unit nonlabor paym ents...........................................
Implicit price d e fla to r...............................................
Nonfinancial corporations:
Output per hour of all em ployees...........................
Compensation per h o u r ...........................................
Real compensation per h ou r....................................
Unit labor co s t..........................................................
Unit nonlabor paym ents...........................................
Implicit price d e fla to r...............................................
Manufacturing:
Output per hour of all persons ...............................
Compensation per h o u r ...........................................
Real compensation per hou r....................................
Unit labor co s t..........................................................
Unit nonlabor paym ents...........................................
Implicit price deflator ...............................................
Annual rate
of change
Year
Item
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1950-78
1960-78
3.3
7.6
3.3
4.1
3.5
3.9
0.2
6.8
1.4
6.6
1.0
4.7
0.7
7.1
1.1
6.4
1.2
4.7
3.3
6.7
2.4
3.3
6.8
4.4
3.5
6.3
2.9
2.8
5.2
3.6
1.9
8.2
1.9
6.2
5.0
5.8
-3 .0
9.1
-1 .7
12.5
4.4
9.8
2.1
9.9
.7
7.7
15.3
10.1
3.5
8.8
2.8
5.0
5.1
5.0
1.9
8.0
1.5
6.0
4.8
5.6
0.5
8.5
0.8
8.0
5.3
7.1
2.6
5.8
2.6
3.2
2.8
3.1
2.2
6.8
2.1
4.5
4.0
4.3
3.2
7.3
3.0
4.0
3.9
4.0
-.3
6.3
.9
6.7
.4
4.5
.1
6.7
.7
6.5
1.6
4.9
3.1
6.7
2.3
3.5
6.7
4.5
3.7
6.5
3.1
2.8
3.8
3.1
1.7
7.8
1.5
6.0
.3
4.1
-3.1
9.1
-1 .7
12.7
5.9
10.5
1.9
9.9
.7
7.9
17.1
10.6
3.5
8.3
2.4
4.7
6.9
5.4
1.6
8.0
1.4
6.3
5.0
5.9
0.5
8.6
0.9
8.0
3.7
6.6
2.2
5.5
2.3
3.2
2.8
3.1
2.0
6.5
1.9
4.5
3.9
4.3
3.3
6.8
2.5
3.4
3.0
3.3
.3
6.7
1.2
6.3
0
4.1
-.1
6.7
.7
6.8
.5
4.6
3.4
6.2
1.9
2.7
7.3
4.2
3.3
5.9
2.5
2.5
3.3
2.8
2.1
7.9
1.6
5.7
1.8
4.4
-3 .8
9.4
-1 .4
13.8
6.8
11.5
3.1
10.0
.7
6.6
18.7
10.5
3.2
8.3
2.4
4.9
5.8
5.2
1.1
8.0
1.5
6.8
4.9
6.1
1.0
8.3
0.6
7.3
3.8
6.1
( ')
( 1)
(’ )
(’ )
( 1)
( ')
2.0
6.3
1.7
4.2
3.4
3.9
3.6
7.0
2.7
3.3
3.9
3.5
1.1
6.4
1.0
5.2
-4 .4
2.3
-.3
6.9
.9
7.2
-3 .2
4.2
5.3
6.3
'2.0
.9
9.2
3.1
5.1
5.5
2.1
.4
2.3
1.0
2.7
7.2
.9
4.3
-1 .0
2.8
-5 .2
10.1
-.8
16.1
-.7
11.5
4.9
11.8
2.4
6.6
21.6
10.2
4.4
8.3
2.4
3.8
8.8
5.1
3.1
8.6
2.0
5.3
5.5
5.4
'.6
'8.3
r .6
7.7
3.4
6.5
2.6
5.4
2.2
2.7
1.8
2.5
2.6
6.3
1.6
3.6
2.3
3.3
1 Not available.
33.
Indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices, seasonally adjusted
[1967 = 1 0 0 ]
Item
Private business sector:
Output per hour of all persons ...............................
Compensation per h o u r ...........................................
Real compensation per hou r....................................
Unit labor co s t..........................................................
Unit nonlabor paym ents...........................................
Implicit price d e fla to r...............................................
Nonfarm business sector:
Output per hour of all persons ...............................
Compensation per h o u r ...........................................
Real compensation per hou r....................................
Unit labor co s t..........................................................
Unit nonlabor paym ents...........................................
Implicit price d e fla to r...............................................
Nonfinancial corporations:
Output per hour of all em ployees...........................
Compensation per h o u r ...........................................
Real compensation per hou r....................................
Total unit c o s ts ........................................................
Unit labor cost .................................................
Unit nonlabor c o s ts ...........................................
Unit profits ...............................................................
Implicit price deflator ...............................................
Manufacturing:
Output per hour for all persons...............................
Compensation per h o u r...........................................
Real compensation per hou r....................................
Unit labor co s t..........................................................
100
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Quarterly indexes
Annual
average
1977
1978
1979
1977
1978
I
II
III
IV
I
II
III
IV
I
II
III
118.6
213.0
117.3
179.6
165.6
174.8
119.2
231.2
118.3
194.0
174.3
187.2
118.5
207.7
117.2
175.2
161.4
170.5
117.9
210.8
116.7
178.8
164.7
173.9
119.4
215.3
117.6
180.2
167.9
176.0
118.8
218.5
117.9
183.8
168.6
178.6
r 118.4
r 224.2
r 118.7
'189.4
'164.8
180.9
119.0
228.5
118.1
192.1
173.9
185.8
119.7
233.6
118.2
195.2
177.0
188.9
119.8
238.4
'118.0
199.0
181.3
192.9
118.9
244.8
118.0
205.9
180.8
197.2
118.2
250.3
116.9
211.7
183.7
202.0
'118.0
' 255.6
'115.8
'216.6
'185.5
'205.9
116.2
209.3
115.3
180.1
163.9
174.5
116.8
227.3
116.3
194.5
169.9
186.1
116.4
204.1
115.2
175.4
159.1
169.8
115.8
207.3
114.7
179.0
163.2
173.6
116.7
211.2
115.4
180.9
167.1
176.2
116.3
214.8
115.9
184.7
166.0
178.3
116.0
220.6
116.8
190.2
161.1
180.2
116.5
224.6
116.1
192.7
169.2
184.7
117.3
229.4
116.1
195.6
173.0
187.8
117.6
234.3
116.0
199.3
176.1
191.4
116.6
240.2
115.8
206.0
174.3
195.1
115.4
244.8
114.3
212.1
177.6
200.3
'115.2
' 249.8
'113.2
'216.9
'180.4
'204.4
116.8
207.6
114.4
181.8
177.7
194.3
122.7
173.0
117.9
224.8
115.0
193.3
190.6
201.8
127.2
183.5
116.8
202.5
114.3
177.7
173.4
191.0
114.1
168.3
116.5
205.7
113.8
180.5
176.6
192.4
123.3
172.0
117.4
209.5
114.5
182.4
178.4
194.8
130.9
174.7
116.7
2128
114.8
186.3
182.3
198.7
122.2
176.8
116.7
218.5
115.7
190.8
187.3
201.5
107.1
178.3
117.8
222.3
114.9
191.6
188.7
200.8
129.2
182.3
118.4
226.9
114.8
194.0
191.5
201.6
132.7
184.9
118.8
231.3
114.5
196.8
194.8
203.1
138.7
188.2
118.1
237.4
114.5
202.3
201.0
206.5
130.3
191.6
117.3
242.1
113.1
208.0
206.4
213.2
129.2
196.3
117.5
247.1
111.9
212.6
210.3
219.9
129.0
200.2
127.2
212.0
116.8
166.6
128.0
229.5
117.5
179.4
125.4
206.4
116.5
164.6
127.3
209.7
116.1
164.7
128.4
214.1
117.0
166.7
127.8
217.5
117.4
170.2
125.7
223.2
118.1
177.5
127.2
226.6
117.1
178.1
129.2
231.4
117.0
179.1
129.8
236.5
117.1
182.2
129.0
242.4
116.9
187.9
130.0
248.2
115.9
190.9
131.0
'253.1
114.6
193.1
34. Percent change from preceding quarter and year in productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices,
seasonally adjusted at annual rate
[1967 = 100]
Percent change from same quarter a year ago
Quarterly percent change at annual rate
Item
Private business sector:
Output per hour of all persons ......................
Compensation per hour ..................................
Real compensation per h o u r...........................
Unit labor c o s t.................................................
Unit nonlabor payments ..................................
Implicit price deflator ......................................
Nonfarm business sector:
Output per hour of all persons ......................
Compensation per hour ..................................
Real compensation per h o u r...........................
Unit labor c o s t.................................................
Unit nonlabor payments ..................................
Implicit price deflator ......................................
Nonfinancial corporations:
Output per hour of all employees ..................
Compensation per hour ..................................
Real compensation per h o u r...........................
Total unit costs ...............................................
Unit labor costs ..........................................
Unit nonlabor c o s ts ......................................
Unit p rofits........................................................
Implicit price deflator ......................................
Manufacturing:
Output per hour of all persons ......................
Compensation per hour ..................................
Real compensation per h o u r...........................
Unit labor c o s t.................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
11978
to
I11978
II 1978
to
III 1978
III 1978
to
IV 1978
IV 1978
to
I 1979
I 1979
to
I11979
II 1979
to
III 1979
I11977
to
II 1978
III 1977
to
III 1978
IV 1977
to
IV 1978
I 1978
to
I 1979
II 1978
to
I11979
III 1978
to
III 1979
2.0
7.9
-2.1
5.8
24.0
11.2
2.4
9.2
.3
6.6
7.4
6.9
0.3
8.5
-.7
8.1
9.9
8.7
-3 .0
11.1
.1
14.6
-1 .0
9.3
-2 .2
9.3
-3 .8
11.8
6.5
10.1
' -.7
'8.8
' -3 .6
r 9.6
'4.0
r 7.8
0.9
8.4
1.2
7.4
5.6
6.8
0.2
8.5
0.4
8.3
5.4
7.4
0.8
9.1
.1
8.3
7.5
8.0
0.4
9.2
-.6
8.7
9.7
9.0
-0 .6
9.5
-1 .0
10.2
5.6
8.7
' —1.4
9.4
' -2 .0
'11.0
4.8
9.0
1.9
7.5
-2 .5
5.4
21.5
10.2
2.7
8.8
.0
6.0
9.4
7.0
.8
8.8
- .4
8.0
7.3
7.8
-3 .2
10.4
-.6
14.0
-4 .0
8.1
-4.1
7.9
-5 .0
12.5
7.8
11.0
' -1
'8.5
'- 3 . 9
'9.3
'6.4
'8.4
.6
8.4
1.2
7.7
3.7
6.4
5
8.7
.6
8.1
3.5
6.6
1.1
9.1
.1
7.9
6.1
7.3
'+ . 5
8.9
-.8
8.3
8.2
8.3
-1 .0
9.0
-1 .5
10.1
5.0
8.5
' -1 .8
'8.9
'- 2 . 5
'10.9
'4.3
'8.8
4.1
7.2
-2 .7
1.8
2.9
-1 .3
111.3
9.3
2.0
8.4
-.4
5.1
6.2
1.7
11.4
5.7
1.1
8.1
-1 .0
5.9
6.9
2.9
19.5
7.3
-2.1
11.0
.0
11.7
13.4
6.8
-22.1
7.6
-2 .8
8.0
-4 .9
11.8
11.2
13.5
-3 .4
10.2
0.7
8.5
-3 .9
9.2
7.8
13.3
-0 .7
8.2
1.2
8.1
0.9
6.2
6.8
4.3
4.7
6.0
0.8
8.3
.2
6.4
7.4
3.5
1.4
5.8
1.8
8.7
-.3
5.6
6.8
2.2
13.6
6.4
1.3
8.7
-1 .0
6.1
7.3
2.5
21.7
7.5
'- . 5
8.9
-1 .6
8.6
9.4
6.2
0
7.7
- .8
8.9
-2 .5
9.6
9.8
9.1
-2 .8
8.3
4.8
6.3
-3 .5
1.4
6.3
8.7
-.1
2.2
2.0
9.3
0
7.1
-2 .4
10.3
-.6
13.0
2.9
9.8
-3 .4
6.7
'3.3
'8.1
'- 4 . 2
'4.7
-1
8.0
.9
8.1
.6
8.1
0
7.4
1.6
8.7
-3
7.1
2.6
8.6
-1.1
5.9
2.2
9.5
' —1.0
7.2
1.4
9.4
-2.1
7.8
101
L A B O R -M A N A G E M E N T D A T A
M a j o r c o l l e c t iv e b a r g a i n i n g d a t a are obtained from
contracts on file at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, direct
contact with the parties, and from secondary sources. Addi
tional detail is published in Current Wage Developments, a
monthly periodical of the Bureau. Data on work stoppages
are based on confidential responses to questionnaires mailed
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to parties involved in work
stoppages. Stoppages initially come to the attention of the
Bureau from reports of Federal and State mediation agencies,
newspapers, and union and industry publications.
the agreement. Changes over the life of the agreement refer to total
agreed upon settlements (exclusive of potential cost-of-living escalator
adjustments) expressed at an average annual rate. Wage-rate changes
are expressed as a percent of straight-time hourly earnings, while wage
and benefit changes are expressed as a percent of total compensation.
Effective wage-rate adjustments going into effect in major
bargaining units measure changes actually placed into effect during the
reference period, whether the result of a newly negotiated increase, a
deferred increase negotiated in an earlier year, or as a result of a costof-living escalator adjustment. Average adjustments are affected by
workers receiving no adjustment, as well as by those receiving in
creases or decreases.
D efin ition s
Work stoppages include all known strikes or lockouts involving six
workers or more and lasting a full shift or longer. Data cover all
workers idle one shift or more in establishments directly involved in a
stoppage. They do not measure the indirect or secondary effect on
other establishments whose employees are idle owing to material or
service shortages.
Data on wage changes apply to private nonfarm industry agree
ments covering 1,000 workers or more. Data on wage and benefit
changes combined apply only to those agreements covering 5,000
workers or more. First-year wage settlements refer to pay changes go
ing into effect within the first 12 months after the effective date of
35.
Wage and benefit settlements in major collective bargaining units, 1973 to date
[In percent]
Annual average
Quarterly average
Sector and measure
1978
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1979
1978
II
III
IV
I
II
III
Wage and benefit settlements, all industries:
First-year settlements ...................................................
Annual rate over life of contract.................................
7,1
6.1
10.7
7.8
11.4
8.1
8.5
6.6
9.6
6.2
8.3
6.3
6.8
6.0
7.2
5.9
6.1
5.2
2.5
5.2
10.6
7.7
9.0
6.0
Wage rate settlements, all industries:
First-year settlements.............................................
Annual rate over life of contract...............................
5.8
5.1
9.8
7.3
10.2
7.8
8.4
6.4
7.8
5.8
7.6
6.4
6.9
6.2
7.5
6.4
7.4
5.9
4.8
6.6
9.0
7.0
6.6
4.8
Manufacturing:
First-year settlements .................................
Annual rate over life of contract ........................
5.9
4.9
8.7
6.1
9.8
8.0
8.9
6.0
8.4
5.5
8.3
6.6
7.1
5.8
8.4
7.2
9.5
7.4
8.7
8.6
9.9
8.1
6.2
4.6
Nonmanufacturing (excluding construction):
First-year settlements ............................................
Annual rate over life of contract .............................
6.0
5.4
10.2
7.2
11.9
8.0
8.6
7.2
8.0
5.9
8.0
6.5
7.7
6.9
7.4
5.9
6.4
5.1
2.3
5.6
8.5
5.7
9.1
5.8
Construction:
First-year settlements ............................................
Annual rate over life of contract ...........................
5.0
5.1
11.0
9.6
8.0
7.5
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.3
6.5
6.2
6.4
6.0
7.0
7.2
8.4
7.1
11.0
7.7
9.1
8.2
10.4
9.1
102
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
36.
Effective wage adjustments going into effect in major collective bargaining units, 1973 to date
[In percent]
Average quarterly changes
Average annual changes
Sector and measure
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1977
1979
1978
IV
I
II
III
IV
1
II
III
Total effective wage rate adjustment, all Industries................
Change resulting from —
Current settlement ...................................................
Prior settlement ........................................................
Escalator provision ...................................................
7.0
9.4
8.7
8.1
8.0
8.2
1.1
1.3
2,6
2.7
1.4
' 1.4
'2.4
2.9
3.0
2.7
1.3
4.8
2.6
1.9
2.8
3.7
2.2
3.2
3.2
1.6
3.0
3.2
1.7
2.0
3.7
2.4
.5
.3
.3
.5
.6
.3
.6
1.4
.6
.5
1.2
1.0
.4
.5
,5
.2
.6
'.6
'1.0
'.9
.5
,9
1.0
1.0
Manufacturing...................................................................
Nonmanufacturing............................................................
7.3
6.7
10.3
8.6
8.5
8.9
8.5
7.7
8,4
7.6
8.6
7.9
1.4
.8
1.4
1.3
2.2
2.9
2.9
2.5
1,9
1.1
1.4
r 1.4
'2.2
2.6
2.6
3.2
NOTE: Because of rounding and compounding, the sums of individual items may not equal totals.
37.
Work stoppages, 1947 to date
Number of stoppages
Month and year
Beginning in
month or year
In effect
during month
Days Idle
Workers involved
Beginning in
month or year
(thousands)
In effect
during month
(thousands)
Number
(thousands)
Percent of
estimated
working time
..................................................................................
........................
......................................................
3,693
3,419
3,606
4,843
2,170
1,960
3,030
2,410
34,600
34,100
50,500
38,800
.30
.28
.44
.33
1951
.........................................................................................
1952
1953
.......................................................................................
1954
.......................................................................
1955 ..................................................................................................
4,737
5,117
5,091
3,468
4,320
2,220
3,540
2,400
1,530
2,650
22,900
59,100
28,300
22,600
28,200
.18
.48
.22
.18
.22
1956
1957 ..................................................................................................
1958
1959
I960
......................................
3,825
3,673
3,694
3,708
3,333
1,900
1,390
2,060
1,880
1,320
33,100
16,500
23,900
69,000
19,100
.24
.12
.18
.50
.14
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
..............................................................................
........................................................
....................................
................................................................................
3,367
3,614
3,362
3,655
3,963
1,450
1,230
941
1,640
1,550
16,300
18,600
16,100
22,900
23,300
.11
.13
.11
.15
.15
1966
......................................
1967
1968
1969
1970 ..................................................................................................
4,405
4,595
5,045
5,700
5,716
1,960
2,870
2,649
2,481
3,305
25,400
42,100
49,018
42,869
66,414
.15
.25
.28
.24
37
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
5,138
5,010
5,353
6,074
5,031
3,280
1,714
2,251
2,778
1,746
47,589
27,066
27,948
47,991
31,237
.26
.15
.14
.24
.16
2,420
2,040
37,859
35,822
.19
.17
1947
1948
1949
1950
.
...........................................................................................
..............................................................................
1976
1977
.....................................................
5,648
5,506
1978:
September.........................................................................
453
854
448
551
4,446
.25
O ctob er..............................................................................
November ..........................................................................
December ..........................................................................
389
290
157
740
591
408
106
63
49
205
135
139
2,277
1,776
1,440
.12
.10
.08
January ..............................................................................
February ............................................................................
March ................................................................................
301
326
447
405
528
664
101
105
169
177
251
280
1,810
1,465
1,501
.09
.09
.08
A p ril.....................................................................................
M a y .....................................................................................
June ..................................................................................
553
598
543
822
919
873
411
157
162
520
370
277
5,193
3,768
3,335
.28
.18
.17
J u ly .....................................................................................
A ugust................................................................................
September..........................................................................
554
493
513
900
899
842
202
135
174
324
286
282
3,128
3,423
2,693
.16
.16
.15
O ctob er..............................................................................
November .........................................................................
438
333
776
622
225
104
329
268
3,428
3,395
.17
.18
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