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MOW HDOABOR BDilEW
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In this issue:
Earnings differences between men and women,
a new analysis of hours at work,
and b l s ’ role in the Current Population Survey.
WI *
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
JUNE 1984
VOLUME 107, NUMBER 6
Henry Lowenstern, Editor-in-Chief
Robert W. Fisher, Executive Editor
Kent Kunze
3
New BLS survey measures ratio of hours worked to hours paid
A productivity series which includes rest periods and training shows that hours at work
accounted tor 93 percent of hours paid production and nonsupervisory workers in 1982
John E. Bregger
8
The Current Population Survey: a historical view and BLS’ role
BLS assumed major responsibility for the CPS in 1959; despite various changes since
then, the basic concepts of the survey have remained the same since 1940
Janice Shack-Marquez
15
Earl F. Mellor
17
Earnings differences by sex: an introductory note
Investigating differences in weekly earnings of women and men
Standardization of BLS weekly earnings data confirms some of the gap is
explained by age, education, occupation, and hours worked
Mark S. Sieling
29
Staffing patterns prominent in female-male earnings gap
Earnings differences by sex are relatively small in narrowly defined jobs;
however, relatively fewer women fill the higher levels of these positions
IRRA PAPERS
Clark Kerr
34
Industrial relations research: its postwar contributions
Donald R. Williams
36
Young discouraged workers: racial differences explored
A. C. Orr and J. A. Orr
39
Job cuts are only one means firms use to counter imports
Bennett Harrison
41
Plant closures: efforts to cushion the blow
Paula B. Voos
43
Does it pay to organize? estimating the cost to unions
REPORTS
Dave M. O’Neill
45
Comparing rates and proportions: they can be misleading
Donald M. Fisk
47
Measuring productivity in State and local government
Leslie A. Whitener
49
A statistical portrait of hired farmworkers
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DEPARTMENTS
2
34
45
47
49
54
55
60
65
Labor month in review
Conference papers
Communications
Productivity reports
Research summaries
Major agreements expiring next month
Developments in industrial relations
Book reviews
Current labor statistics
Labor M onth
In Review
UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE WEST.
Joblessness in the United States and
Europe generally hit its highest postwar
levels during the recent worldwide reces
sion. With the United States recovering
and signs of recovery appearing in
Europe, policymakers and economic
analysts are increasingly turning their
attention to the kind of unemploy
ment—structural or cyclical—that per
sists in the industrialized world, the
causes of unemployment, and what
policies are likely to alleviate it without
fanning inflation fires.
The Council on Foreign Relations
recently solicited and published the
views of four prominent analysts on
unemployment issues in Western
economies. Some excerpts follow:
Marina v. N. Whitman, Vice President
and Chief Economist of General Motors
Corporation: In both Europe and the
United States, the magnitude and per
sistence of the unemployment problem
have produced analytical confusion and
policy vacillation. The confidence of
policymakers in the effectiveness of
traditional Keynesian countercyclical
measures has been shaken. Policies of
demand stimulus, which were, for the
most part, an effective antidote to high
unemployment during the 1950’s and
1960’s, fell into disfavor in the late
1970’s as spiraling inflation beset the
global economy.
The reluctance to employ more
stimulative macroeconomic policies may
reflect a widespread perception that our
current unemployment problems are to a
significant extent structural in origin.
Although there is a wide range of opinion
in both Europe and the United States
regarding the relative importance of
cyclical and structural factors in the per
sistence of high unemployment, there is
also general agreement that a significant
part of the problem, particularly the
universally sharp rise in unemployment
since 1979, is cyclical in origin. Economic
2
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
growth alone cannot solve all of our
employment problems. But economic ex
pansion could, at a minimum, reverse
much of the sharp rise in unemployment
during the past four years.
Growth is also the best solvent for
structural rigidities. And it would be the
most effective means to help fund pro
grams that address specific structural
problems, such as youth unemployment.
Raymond Barre, former French Prime
Minister, currently a Deputy in the Na
tional Assembly: Both in Europe and
the United States an important and,
without doubt, a growing part o f
unemployment is structural: the jobless
cannot be absorbed into the labor
market even in a period of high
economic activity.
My analysis suggests that both the
United States and Europe will have to
face some lasting difficulties with respect
to unemployment. In both cases, the
sharp slowing down of growth that has
taken place since the first oil shock pro
duced deleterious effects on the labor
market. However, it seems that the dis
equilibrium in the U.S. labor market is
essentially due to the rapid growth of the
work force and to the instability of
employment, while in Europe it is due to
the weakness in the capacity to create
jobs and in the excessive rigidity of ad
justment mechanisms in the labor
market.
James Tobin, Sterling Professor of
Economics, Yale University: Un
employment in the 24 nations of the
Organization for Economic Coopera
tion and Development (OECD) rose from
5.5 percent of the labor force in 1979 to
10 percent in 1983.
The prospects of reducing unemploy
ment to 1979 rates, let alone 1973 rates,
are dismal for the remainder of the
1980’s. For the governments of the
m ajor locomotives of the world
economy—Canada, France, West Ger
many, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom,
and the United States—significant reduc
tion of unemployment is not a high joint
or individual priority. The prevailing
attitudes, among both governors and
governed, are fatalism and complacency.
Macroeconomic expansion is the key to
progress against unemployment. It will
not solve all the problems. The pathology
of urban neighborhoods cannot be cured
by monetary and fiscal policy. Macro
policies and general prosperity will not
restore the old high-wage jobs in
smokestack industries in the American
Midwest or the Ruhr. There is plenty of
room and need for intelligent public
policies to treat these difficult cases. But
they will be hopeless unless general pros
perity and growth are restored.
Shirley Williams, a Professorial Fellow
at the Policy Studies Institute, London:
Perhaps the most serious—and the least
tangible—consequence of mass unem
ployment is the effect on the stand
ing and reputation of the free world. The
staggering economic achievement of the
democracies in the three postwar decades
nullified the appeal of communism in the
West and attracted the new generation in
the Soviet bloc itself. No war fought
against a communist enemy in Vietnam,
or Yemen, or Cuba has won the hearts
and the minds of the people; but Western
economic success, within the political
context of democracy, managed to do
that. Now that achievement is at risk.
Unemployment in Western Europe is ex
pected to continue at one in ten or one in
eight for some years to come, even
assuming the U.S. recovery is not slowed
down.
The full study, Unemployment and
Growth in the Western Economies,
edited by Andrew J. Pierre and with an
introduction by Robert D. Hormats, is
available from The Council on Foreign
Relations, Inc., 58 East 68th Street, New
York, New York 10021.
□
A new BLS survey measures
the ratio of hours worked to hours paid
Hours at work accounted for about 93 percent
o f the hours paid for production and nonsup ervisory
workers in 1982, according to a new annual survey
which includes only the time required to be on the job site
thereby excluding paid holidays, sick leave, and vacations
K ent K unze
For many years the Bureau of Labor Statistics has been
collecting data on the hours of production and nonsupervisory workers in nonagricultural establishments. These hours,
reported in the Current Employment Statistics survey, meas
ure hours paid and thus include paid holidays, sick leave,
and vacations. In 1982, the Bureau of Labor Statistics began
collecting data on hours at work of nonsupervisory and
production workers in nonagricultural business establish
ments. These hours include the time an employee is required
to be on the job site or at the prescribed place of work and
thus exclude holidays, sick leave, and vacations. However,
in addition to the actual time the worker is engaged in
productive activities, this definition includes short rest pe
riods, coffee breaks, standby or ready time, downtime,
portal-to-portal time (if paid), washup time (if paid), travel
time from job site to job site within the working day, travel
time away from home if it cuts across the working day, and
paid training periods.1 In 1982, the most recent year for
which data are available, hours at work accounted for about
93 percent of hours paid for production and nonsupervisory
employees.
The Hours at Work Survey measures the relationship
between hours at work and hours paid in order to provide
the Bureau with the necessary data to construct measures
of labor input which more closely meet the conceptual reKent Kunze is 'an economist in the Office of Productivity and Technology,
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Computation of tables was provided by the
Bureau’s Division of Federal/State Monthly Surveys.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
quirements for productivity measurement: the actual flow
of hours devoted to the production of output.2 This new
T a b le 1.
R a t io o f h o u r s a t w o r k t o h o u r s p a id , b y
i n d u s t r y , 198 1 a n d 1 9 8 2
Industry
1981
1982
Change
Nonagricultural business......................................
M in in g ..............................................................
Construction ....................................................
Manufacturing ..................................................
Durable.........................................................
Lumber and wood ....................................
Furniture and fixtures ...............................
Stone, clay, and glass .............................
Primary metals ........................................
Fabricated m etals......................................
Machinery (excluding electrical) ..............
Electrical machinery .................................
Transportation equipment ........................
Instruments .............................................
Miscellaneous manufacturing ...................
.924
.937
.978
912
.907
.935
.941
.906
.891
.919
.900
.906
.893
.907
927
.926
925
.982
.909
.905
929
.931
.903
.879
.912
.906
.899
.898
.904
.921
.002
-.0 1 2
.004
-.0 0 3
-.0 0 2
-.0 0 6
-.0 1 0
-.0 0 3
-.0 1 2
-.0 0 7
.006
-.0 0 7
.005
- .003
-.0 0 6
Nondurable ..................................................
Food and kindred products .....................
Tobacco ....................................................
Textile mills .............................................
Apparel ....................................................
Paper .......................................................
Printing and publishing.............................
Chemicals ................................................
Petroleum and coal products ...................
Rubber and plastic products.................
Leather ....................................................
.920
.927
.892
.943
.948
.883
.905
.895
.899
.918
.931
.916
.924
.853
.937
.939
.890
.915
882
.892
.906
.930
-.0 0 4
-.0 0 3
-.0 3 9
-.0 0 6
-.0 0 9
.007
.010
-.0 1 3
-.0 0 7
-.0 1 2
-.001
Transportation.......................................................
Communications ..................................................
Electric, gas, and sanitary services .....................
Wholesale trade....................................................
Retail trade............................................................
Finance, insurance, and real estate .....................
Services................................................................
.875
.887
.876
.934
.947
.914
.920
.871
.883
.873
.936
.959
.905
.936
-.0 0 4
-.0 0 4
-.0 0 3
.002
.012
-.0 0 9
.016
3
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Survey o f Hours Worked
survey, therefore, represents another enhancement and ex
pansion of bls ’s productivity measurement program.
Major findings
Based on the first survey years, the major findings are:
• The overall change in the ratio of hours at work to hours
paid from 1981 to 1982 was only 0.2 percent for pro
duction and nonsupervisory workers in nonagricultural
business.
• The overall hours at work to hours paid ratio increased
from 1981 to 1982, with the increases largely concen
trated outside the manufacturing sector. There were de
creases in 20 of 29 industries.
• There is a definite seasonal pattern in the hours at work
to hours paid ratio; the ratio is largest in the first quarter
of the year and smallest in the third.
• Some industries have hours at work to hours paid ratios
which are significantly different from the average.
• There is an inverse relationship between establishment
size (number of employees) and the hours at work to hours
paid ratio.
Data for the successive years are not sufficient for indi
cating trends or cyclical behavior in the ratio of hours at
work to hours paid. Nevertheless, the implications for the
bls productivity measures in these years are important. The
change in output per hour (labor productivity) for employees
in nonfarm business during 1981-82 was 0.4 percent. This
figure becomes 0.2 percent when adjusted for the change
in the hours of work to hours paid ratio. The change in
multifactor productivity for 1981-82 was - 1.9 percent in
nonfarm business; when adjusted for the ratio it is - 2 .0
percent.
Survey background
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has long recognized the
need for timely data on hours at work, which do not include
paid leave time or holidays, in order to measure change in
productivity. The appropriate measure of labor as a factor
input for productivity measurement is the total hours which
workers spend on the production of goods and services—
hours worked. For this purpose, the hours of vacation, hol
iday, or sick leave should not be included.
At present, total hours of labor input are calculated by
aggregating measures of employment and average weekly
hours at the two-digit Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)
industry level. These measures of employment and average
weekly hours are derived from two monthly surveys, the
Current Employment Statistics survey and the Current Pop
ulation Survey. Both surveys collect data for the week (pay
period) which includes the 12th of the month.
Table 2. Ratio of hours at work to hours paid for production and nonsupervisory workers, by firm size and industry, 1981
and 1982
Size of firm (employees)
1981
Industry
Fewer
than 50
50-499
Nonagricultural business ......................................................................................
Mining ..............................................................................................................
Construction.......................................................................................................
Manufacturing....................................................................................................
Durable .........................................................................................................
Lumber and w o o d ......................................................................................
Furniture and fixtures.................................................................................
Stone, clay, and g la s s ...............................................................................
Primary m etals...........................................................................................
Fabricated metals ......................................................................................
Machinery (excluding electrical)................................................................
Electrical machinery....................................................................................
Transportation equipment..........................................................................
Instruments................................................................................................
Miscellaneous manufacturing......................................................... ...........
.944
972
.976
.943
.949
.959
.957
950
.945
.952
.946
.961
.919
.937
.940
Nondurable....................................................................................................
Food and kindred products........................................................................
Tobacco .....................................................................................................
Textile m ills ................................................................................................
Apparel.......................................................................................................
Paper .........................................................................................................
Printing and publishing ............................................................................
Chemicals ..................................................................................................
Petroleum and coal products.....................................................................
Rubber and plastic products .....................................................................
Leather ................................................................. ....................................
Transportation .......................................................................................................
Communications.....................................................................................................
Electric, gas, and sanitary services........................................................................
Wholesale trade ....................................................................................................
Retail trade ............................................................................................................
Finance, insurance, and real estate........................................................................
Services .................................................................................................................
1No response.
4
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1982
500-2,499
More than
2,500
Fewer
than 50
50-499
500-2,499
More than
2,500
.925
.928
.986
.925
.922
.928
.938
.904
924
.928
.906
.927
.930
915
,930
.892
.910
(1)
.893
.885
.911
.939
.882
.874
.890
.880
.877
.882
.891
.912
.866
.897
(1)
.880
.878
(1)
.942
.855
.866
.846
.861
.900
.880
903
.873
.952
.960
.978
.942
.943
.947
.950
.957
916
.945
.942
.940
.954
.935
.940
.926
.933
.983
.920
.917
.929
.935
.891
.909
.920
.917
.921
.920
.904
.917
.905
.873
.997
.893
.886
.882
.912
.881
.889
.878
889
.886
.875
893
.903
.863
.815
(1)
.876
.876
.796
.932
.871
.829
.864
.875
.872
.894
.903
.868
.933
.955
.940
.982
.950
916
895
.924
.947
.955
.947
.927
.931
.913
.940
952
.892
.910
.908
.907
.917
934
.905
.908
.887
.946
.921
866
.911
.873
.891
902
912
.888
(1)
.865
.908
.907
.864
.870
.891
.870
(1)
.916
.940
.953
935
.956
.957
.938
932
.904
.960
.930
.947
.922
.928
.941
.948
.938
893
.911
.893
.900
.903
.931
.902
.908
.883
.924
927
879
.908
.872
.876
.898
.915
.873
.841
.796
.927
.937
.840
.876
.873
.810
.892
(1)
.923
.928
.897
.940
.967
932
.919
.894
.901
889
.931
.920
.919
.927
.873
.846
.855
.878
.921
.879
.918
.794
.860
.860
.824
.896
.851
(1)
.944
.948
.911
.940
.968
917
.952
.910
.899
.869
.931
.953
.896
.924
.852
.863
.865
925
.947
.897
.937
.781
869
.870
.865
.933
.920
.843
Table 3. Ratio of hours at work to hours paid and change in the ratio for production and nonsupervisory workers, by quarter
and industry, 1981 and 1982
Industry
1982
1981
Change, 1981-82
1
II
III
IV
I
II
III
IV
I
II
III
IV
Nonagricultural business.................................
M in in g .........................................................
Construction ................................................
Manufacturing .............................................
Durable.....................................................
Lumber and wood ...............................
Furniture and fixtures ..........................
Stone, clay, and glass ........................
Primary metals ....................................
Fabricated m etals.................................
Machinery (excluding electrical) .........
Electrical machinery .............................
Transportation equipment ...................
Instruments .........................................
Miscellaneous manufacturing ..............
Nondurable .............................................
Food and kindred products .................
Tobacco ................................................
Textile mills .........................................
Apparel ................................................
Paper ..................................................
Printing and publishing........................
Chemicals ...........................................
Petroleum and coal products ..............
Rubber and plastics .............................
Leather ................................................
.934
.955
.983
.933
.928
959
.958
.916
.918
.935
.925
.929
.914
.927
.946
.941
.945
.951
.970
.971
.897
.923
.917
.917
.939
.960
.933
.946
.990
.915
.911
.928
.939
.914
.893
.913
.912
.920
.892
.915
.925
.921
.930
.857
938
.950
.884
.918
.898
.900
.908
.934
.915
.924
.980
.894
.888
.923
933
.901
.873
.921
.866
.866
.892
.875
.911
.903
.903
.895
.929
938
.876
.873
.883
.890
.908
.902
.919
.924
.959
.907
.902
.929
.939
.899
.885
.919
.889
.901
.888
.907
.927
.915
.928
.872
.933
.938
.873
.907
.886
.890
.920
.931
.941
.947
.989
.934
.929
.955
.957
.924
.906
.942
.936
.918
.915
.928
.949
.941
.940
.933
.967
.970
.921
.938
.907
905
.937
.959
.930
.919
.990
.912
.907
.931
.930
.899
.875
.904
.924
.900
.896
.918
.916
.920
.927
.832
.936
.956
.892
.924
.881
.901
.909
.928
.908
.904
.981
.888
.880
.914
.914
.881
.852
.893
.861
.872
.890
.867
.896
.900
.918
.844
.918
.920
.867
.901
.862
.884
.886
.907
.921
.923
.981
.900
.896
.928
.921
.894
.864
.908
.894
.892
.886
.894
920
.904
.905
.818
.929
.932
.878
.906
.877
.871
.888
.927
.007
-.0 0 8
.006
.001
.001
-.0 0 4
-.001
.008
-.0 1 2
.007
.011
-.011
.001
.001
.003
.000
-.0 0 5
-.0 1 8
-.0 0 3
-.001
.024
.015
-.0 1 0
-.0 1 2
-.0 0 2
-.001
-.0 0 3
-.0 2 7
0
-.0 0 3
-.0 0 4
.003
-.0 0 9
-.0 1 5
-.0 1 8
-.0 0 9
.012
.020
.004
.003
-.0 0 9
-.001
-.0 0 3
-.0 2 5
-.0 0 2
.006
.008
.006
-.0 1 7
.001
.001
-.0 0 6
-.0 0 7
-.0 2 0
.001
-.0 0 6
-.0 0 8
-.0 0 9
-.0 1 9
-.0 2 0
-.021
-.0 2 8
-.0 0 5
-.0 0 6
-.0 0 2
-.0 0 8
-.0 1 5
-.0 0 3
.015
-.051
-.011
-.0 1 8
-.0 0 9
.028
-.021
-.0 0 6
-.0 2 2
.005
.002
-.001
.022
-.0 0 7
-.0 0 6
-.001
-.0 1 8
-.0 0 5
-.021
-.011
.005
-.0 0 9
-.0 0 2
-.0 1 3
-.0 0 7
-.011
-.0 2 3
-.0 5 4
-.004
-.0 0 6
.005
-.001
-.0 0 9
-.0 1 9
-.0 3 2
-.0 0 4
Transportation..................................................
Communications .............................................
.900
.908
.888
.943
958
.919
.913
.895
.902
.891
.939
.950
.926
.933
.873
.875
.862
925
.931
.903
.920
.876
.889
.858
.929
.947
.899
.916
.861
.888
.893
.959
.974
.915
.947
.847
.885
.889
.944
.967
.910
.941
.839
.858
.860
.922
.951
.870
.915
.846
.864
.852
.931
.966
.901
.931
-.0 3 9
-.0 2 0
.005
.016
.016
-.0 0 4
.034
• -.0 4 8
-.0 1 7
-.0 0 2
-.0 0 5
-.0 1 7
-.0 1 6
.008
-.0 3 4
-.0 1 7
-.0 0 2
-.0 0 3
-.0 2 0
-.0 3 3
-.0 0 5
-.0 3 0
-.0 2 5
-.0 0 6
.002
-.0 1 9
.002
-.0 1 5
Wholesale trade................................................
Retail trade.......................................................
Finance, insurance, and real estate .................
Services............................................................
Hours of employees covered by the Current Employment
Statistics survey (which includes approximately 180,000
establishments) represent approximately 85 percent of the
total hours used in the b l s measure of productivity in the
business sector. These hours are hours paid, and because
paid leave hours are not used in the actual production of
output, a bias in the productivity growth rate can occur if
there is a year-to-year divergence in the ratio of hours at
work to hours paid.3
The remaining 15 percent of total hours in the private
business sector which are not covered by the Current Em
ployment Statistics survey (the farm sector, the selfemployed, and unpaid family workers) come from the Cur
rent Population Survey data which are collected each month
from approximately 65,000 households. In this survey, the
number of hours “ worked” during the survey week is re
quested for employed persons.4
Results
Nonagricultural business. The ratio of hours at work to
hours paid for nonagricultural business establishments changed
from .924 in 1981 to .926 in 1982. These ratios imply that
the average production or nonsupervisory worker gets 19.5
days of paid leave per year, or slightly less than 4 weeks
if 5 working days per week are assumed. This is, coinci
dentally, approximately equal to the number of national
holidays (9) plus 10 days (two 5-day weeks) of paid leave.3
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Industry. The hours at work to hours paid ratios also vary
considerably by industry and size of firm. (See table 1.) For
example, construction workers had a ratio in 1982 of .982,
which indicates less than 1 week of paid leave per year.
(The highest ratio recorded for either year is .990 for the
second quarter of 1981 in the construction industry.) In
contrast, the hours at work to hours paid ratios for nonsu
pervisory workers in the transportation (.871) and utilities
(.873) industries represent more than 6 weeks of paid leave
time.
The variation of the hours at work to hours paid ratio
was less within manufacturing than for all manufacturing
industries. In 1982, the ratios within manufacturing ranged
from .940 in apparel to .853 in tobacco. The average for
all manufacturing (.909) was slightly less than 5 weeks of
paid leave time. The year-to-year changes in manufacturing
extend from the - .039 in tobacco to .010 in printing and
publishing.
While the change between 1981 and 1982 for the economy
as a whole was positive (and small), the 1981-82 changes
among the industries varied much more, ranging from - .039
in tobacco to .016 in services. Also, the change for the
manufacturing sector was negative.6 While this was a min
ute change ( —.003), 16 of the 20 industries in manufac
turing experienced decreases in the ratio between 1981 and
1982.7 (The exceptions were machinery, transportation
equipment, paper, and printing and publishing.)
Outside of manufacturing, the hours at work to hours paid
5
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Survey of Hours Worked
ratio also fell in most industries (5 of 9). However, there
were large increases in the ratio in both the retail trade (.012)
and the service industries (.016), which together account
for more than 48 percent of employment outside manufac
turing and 38 percent of nonfarm business employment.
Also, the service industry was 1 of only 3 industries to
experience an increase in employment in 1982 (the other
two were mining and finance, insurance, and real estate).
The construction (.004) and the wholesale trade (.002) in
dustries also had increases in the hours at work to hours
paid ratio.
Establishment size. Based on the survey results, there is
also a clear inverse relation between firm size and the hours
at work to hours paid ratio: employees of smaller firms
receive less paid leave. (See table 2.) Furthermore, this
relationship seems to hold for all industries. In 1982, 5
percent of the hours paid were paid leave in establishments
with fewer than 50 employees; 7 percent of the hours paid
were for leave hours in establishments having between 50
and 499 employees; 10 percent, for establishments with 500
to 2,500 employees; and 14 percent, for establishments with
more than 2,500 employees. The pattern was the same in
1981.
Seasonal change. Another source of variation in the hours
at work to hours paid ratio is seasonal change. (See table
3.) In general, the first and second quarters have higher
ratios than the third and fourth quarters with the third quarter
usually posting the lowest ratio. This is expected, as there
are more holidays in the third and fourth quarters than in
the earlier quarters (6 of the 9 holidays are after July 1) and
during the third quarter (July through September) the ma
jority of workers take vacations. In first-quarter 1982, for
the nonagricultural sector, the ratio was .944; in the second
quarter, .930; in the third, .908; and in the fourth, .921.
The pattern was more pronounced in 1982 than in 1981.
This seasonal pattern was also apparent in the manufacturing
sector and the separate industries.
Productivity measures
The magnitude of the change in the hours at work to
hours paid ratio, while, it may be small when observed by
itself, has an appreciable effect in relation to productivity
growth. An annual change of 0.2 percentage point over
several years would be a significant trend in relation to the
currently measured annual rate of growth in productivity.
Labor productivity (output per hour) increased at an annual
rate of 2.4 percent from 1948 to 1983 in the business sector.
--------- IOC
' Report o f the Task Force on Hours Worked (Bureau of Labor Statistics,
1976).
1Trends in Multifactor Productivity, 1948-81 (Bureau of Labor Statis
tics, 1983), pp. 31 and 66-68.
3Early studies by the Bureau of Labor Statistics using data from the
6
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Table 4. Percent change in output per hour for nonfarm
and manufacturing employees from same quarter a year
ago, adjusted for change in hours at work, 1981-82
Quarter
I
Industry
III
II
IV
Unad
Unad
Unad
Unad
Adjusted
Adjusted
Adjusted
justed
justed Adjusted justed
justed
Nonfarm
business
. . . . -0 .1
-0 .8
0.3
0.6
0.1
0.8
1.5
1.3
Manufacturing .
0.1
Durable . . . . -0 .3
Nondurable .
0.7
0.0
-0 .4
0.7
0.2
-0 .2
0.7
0.5
0.2
0.8
1.5
1.4
1.6
2.1
2.2
1.9
3.6
3.4
3.9
4.3
4.0
5.0
A 0.2-percentage-point adjustment to this rate of growth of
output per hour is a difference of over 8 percent.8
Change in the hours at work to hours paid ratio inversely
affects productivity growth rates based on hours paid: an
increase in the ratio means that hours at work rose faster
than hours paid so that (given no change in output) pro
ductivity based on hours at work would increase more slowly.
Conversely, a decrease in the ratio will cause the annual
rate of growth of productivity to rise.
The effects of a change in the hours at work to hours paid
ratio are different for a labor versus a multifactor produc
tivity measure.9 For the labor productivity measure (output
per hour) the effect is equal to the percentage change in the
ratio. For example, the 1981—82 change is 0.2 percentage
point, so the annual rate of growth in output per hour for
the nonfarm business sector would be 0.2 percentage point
less then presently reported.
In contrast, the effect on the rate of growth of multifactor
productivity is smaller than the change in the hours at work
to hours paid ratio because labor (hours) is only one of two
factor inputs. The change in the multifactor productivity
growth rate is equal to the product of labor’s share of income
(about 65 percent) and the percentage change in the hours
at work to hours paid ratio. From 1981 to 1982, this was
about 0 .1 percentage point.
Although sufficient data are not available to develop sea
sonal factors for the hours at work to hours paid ratios, the
changes from the same quarter a year ago can be measured.
Table 4 shows both the presently published and adjusted
output per hour measures for the same quarter a year ago
for both manufacturing and nonfarm business. As indicated
by the table, there are substantial adjustments in the output
per hour measures when the changes in the hours at work
to hours paid ratio are applied to the growth rates from the
same quarter a year ago.
'THS--------now discontinued Survey of Employer Expenditure for Employee Com
pensation showed that hours paid were increasing l percent faster annually
than hours at work between 1967 and 1977. See Report o f the Task Force.
4Though the Current Population Survey (cps) hours are an hours ■‘worked''
concept, it has been noted that there is a great possibility of response error.
because the respondent is frequently a nonworking member of the house
hold. Consequently, the Current Employment Statistics survey and not the
CPS is the primary source of hours for productivity measurement. See Report
o f the Task Force, pp. 25-26.
7The decrease in the hours at work to hours paid ratio for manufacturing
industries may indicate that employees who earn the least amount of paid
leave are laid off first, while firms retain the senior employees who receive
the most leave. This may also account for the rise in the hours at work to
hours paid ratio in the service industry which experienced an increase in
employment and therefore an increase in the proportion of employees with
little seniority.
5These ratios are not, however, adjusted for the number of days worked
in a normal week or the composition of part- and full-time employees.
Hence, for persons who work more or less than 5 days a week on average,
the number of days of leave time will vary accordingly. That is, a person
who only works 2.5 days a week could still have the same hours at work
to hours paid ratio, but would, on average, get only half as many paid
leave days.
*Considering that the annual growth rate of output per hour was only
0.9 percent between 1973 and 1983 in the business sector, the relative
importance of the hours at work to hours paid adjustment may be even
greater.
ftEven though the 1981 response rate was relatively low. an analysis of
the establishments, which reported for both years, suggests that the lindings
of the first year are well within the acceptable range of possible error.
‘'For an explanation of the multifactor productivity measure, see Jerome
A. Mark and William H. Waldorf. "Multifactor productivity: a new bls
measure." Monthly Labor Review, December 1983. pp. 3-15.
APPENDIX: Survey design
The establishments included in the Hours at Work Survey
are a stratified random sample of the Unemployment In
surance reporting system: the ES-202 file. The file, which
consists of approximately 4.5 million establishments, covers
more than 95 percent of nonagricultural employment. Be
tween 4,000 and 4,500 establishments are randomly selected
for the survey. Sample stratification is by industry and num
ber of employees at the establishment.
The Hours at Work Survey is conducted annually by mail.
T a b le A .
H o u r s a t w o r k s u r v e y , u s a b le r e s p o n s e r a te b y
in d u s t r y , 1 98 1 a n d 1 9 8 2
(In percent)
Industry
Nonagricultural business .............................
Mining .............................
Construction......................................
Manufacturing......................................
Durable .........................................
Lumber and w o o d ..........................
Furniture and fixtures..............
Stone, clay, and g la s s .................
Primary m etals........................
Fabricated metals ..........................
Machinery (excluding electrical)........................
Electrical machinery....................................
Transportation equipment..........................
Instruments.....................
Miscellaneous manufacturing........................
Nondurable...............................
Food products .................................
Tobacco ........................................
Textile m ills ..........................
Apparel products ..........................
Paper products...............................
Printing and publishing ..........................
Chemicals ..........................
Petroleum and coal products..............
Rubber and plastic products . . . .
Leather and leather goods............
Transportation .........................................
Communications...............................
Electric, gas, and sanitary services.................
Wholesale trade ....................................
Retail trade ..........................
Finance, insurance, and real estate . .
Services........................
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1981
1982
48
36
36
53
57
56
64
51
64
59
61
50
62
50
51
80
76
80
83
85
88
86
90
87
85
83
80
77
87
84
49
47
54
54
42
62
41
53
38
46
52
80
79
76
88
74
83
78
79
74
88
82
44
19
59
33
31
34
36
77
55
78
79
76
72
71
There are three mailings (beginning in February of each
year) with selected telephone followup. Using two ques
tionnaires (one for manufacturing, mining, and construc
tion. and one for all other industries), establishments are
asked to record the total number of hours paid and the total
number of hours at work for the previous year, by quarter,
for all production and nonsupervisory workers. Ratios of
hours at work to hours paid are calculated by quarter, es
tablishment size, and industry (two-digit Standard Industrial
Classification (sic) industries within manufacturing and one
digit sic industries elsewhere).
In the first year (which is referred to as the 1981 survey,
the year for which the information was collected), the usable
response rate was 48 percent for all industries. The rate was
much higher for manufacturing industries (53 percent) than
for nonmanufacturing (table A). The lowest response was
in the communications industry (19 percent); the highest
was in primary metals and furniture industries (64 percent).
Following the first survey, a response analysis with fol
lowup interviews was conducted for 150 establishments.
This consisted of a personal interview, by Bureau of Labor
Statistics personnel, with the establishment’s representative
responsible for keeping the hours or payroll records. Ques
tions asked concerned the nature and extent of the hours
records. Information derived from this response analysis
survey resulted in new questionnaires designed to aid re
spondents in reporting the correct data. Also, new followup
procedures for contacting respondents were implemented
which helped to increase the number of respondents and
improve the accuracy of the responses. Consequently, for
the second year, the response rate was a remarkably high
80 percent tor all industries, and 83 percent for manufac
turing. Again, the lowest response rate was in the com
munications industry (55 percent). The highest response was
in the stone, clay, and glass industry (90 percent).
7
The Current Population Survey:
a historical perspective and BLS’ role
assumed major responsibility for the CPS in 1959
and since then there have been increases in sample size,
changes in and additions of questions,
and refinements in the household survey s concept,
but, in general, the basic concepts have remained
the same since the survey’s beginnings in 1940
bls
John E. B regger
The Current Population Survey is probably the oldest con
tinuous monthly sample survey of households in the world.
Its roots go back to March 1940, when the Works Progress
Administration, an independent agency established during
the Great Depression of the 1930’s, initiated a small, house
hold survey that would measure the level and change in the
size of the labor force, employment, and unemployment.
In the ensuing period, the survey has grown to its present
size of 60,000 households, and more information is now
collected. But the 44 years have seen few changes in the
basic concepts used to measure employment and unem
ployment, and a remarkably comparable set of historical
data is available for public use. This article describes the
history of the Current Population Survey, with particular
emphasis on its development in the past quarter century,
over which time the Bureau of Labor Statistics has had
primary responsibility for the survey.
The 1940-59 period
During the Great Depression it became obvious to poli
cymakers that accurate statistical information on unem
ployment and related problems was unavailable. Estimates
of employment existed through the survey of nonagricultural
John E. Bregger is chief. Division of Employment and Unemployment
Analysis, Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics. Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
8
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
establishments that had been conducted by bls since 1915,
and counts of “ gainful workers" were obtained in the de
cennial censuses. But throughout the worst years of the
depression, no one knew how many unemployed persons
there were, much less their characteristics. (Later, it was
estimated that the jobless rate had been as high as 25 per
cent.1) The problem of obtaining more accurate estimates
of unemployment was first addressed with the 1937 Census
of Unemployment, a postcard survey covering the entire
country.2 This survey presented numerous problems, be
cause no statistical controls were possible, such as for non
response, but it whetted appetites for more data, leading to
the first sample survey of the population in December 1939.3
The first 3 months of the survey were a testing period, and
March 1940 is generally credited as the beginning date of
what was then called the "Monthly Report of Unemploy
ment." This date coincided with the 1940 census of pop
ulation, which also, for the first time, asked questions on
the labor force, employment, and unemployment based on
a new activity concept.
The activity concept refers to a person's labor market
status being determined by what he or she was doing during
a specified time (which has come to be a specific week).
Prior to the 1937 postcard census, the labor force concept
used was the “ gainful-worker" measure. This referred to
persons who were reporting themselves as having an oc
cupation from which they had earned money or a money
equivalent, or in which they had assisted in the production
of goods, regardless of whether they had worked or looked
for work at the time of the census.4 Consideration of these
responses was useful when interest was focused on broad
measures of potential labor supply and available skills.
However, it was not particularly useful as a measure of
current labor force utilization, because it included not only
currently employed persons but also some people who were
either unemployed or not in the labor force. The activity
concept solved this problem, and. beginning with the post
card census and continuing in the Works Progress Admin
istration-initiated survey, it was established that the population
could be divided into employed, unemployed, or not in the
labor force. Only the amount and type of detail collected
and the degree of sophistication of the questions have changed
since then, although there have been many changes in the
survey and sample design. The conceptual framework has
been revised only around the edges: There has been no
change in the notions that employment means that one is
working (more precisely, has a job), that unemployment
requires that a job is being sought, and that absence of either
activity means a person is not in the labor force.
The Works Progress Administration retained responsi
bility for the survey throughout 1940 and 1941, but as the
agency began to be phased out of existence it became clear
that the survey needed a permanent home. The Bureau of
Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, and Social Security Ad
ministration were all candidates, and in August 1942 the
Bureau of the Budget (now the Office of Management and
Budget) selected the Census Bureau.5 By October 1943, the
Bureau of Census had thoroughly revised the sample, con
verted it to a full probability basis, and expanded the number
of primary sampling units. Within 2 years, the sample size
was increased from about 8,000 to 23,000 housing units/1
The name was changed as well, to the "Monthly Report
on the Labor Force," and still later (1948) it became known
as the Current Population Survey ( c p s ).
The Census Bureau continued to introduce improvements
into the survey over the next 15 years, including further
sample expansions, sampling refinements, and the notion
of collecting special information once a year on an ad hocbasis through supplements. Among the changes were the
use of the decennial censuses as the basis for revising the
sampling frame and population controls and the introduction
of the 4 -8 -4 rotation system for sample households (that
is, a household is in the sample for 4 months, out for 8,
and returns for 4 more months). By 1959, there were some
35,000 households covered monthly in 330 areas throughout
the Nation.
1959— bls takes over
In a memorandum dated November 19, 1958, issued by
the Bureau of the Budget, then Secretaries Lewis Strauss
of the Department of Commerce and James Mitchell of the
Department of Labor agreed to a BLS-Census Bureau swap
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
of responsibilities. The b l s gave up its role in construction
statistics, associated with contracts awarded, building per
mits, housing starts, and construction activity series; the
Census Bureau gave up the responsibility for the content,
analysis, and publication of the "Monthly Report on the
Labor Force." The memorandum indicated that “ the b l s
will purchase from the Census Bureau the collection and
tabulation services," assume "the budget responsibility for
the employment and unemployment statistics portion,” and
that the Census Bureau would retain responsibility for con
ducting specific c p s supplements and issuing those reports.7
The effective date of this transfer of duties was July 1,
1959.
Up to the time of the transfer, the employment and un
employment statistics were issued under Current Population
Reports series P-57, entitled "The Monthly Report on the
Labor Force." Typically 16 pages, this report combined
analysis and tabular material and was sold by the Census
Bureau for 15 cents a copy. Summary statistics in advance
of this report were issued jointly by the Departments of
Commerce and Labor in a "Combined Employment and
Unemployment Release" and included material not only
from the c p s but also data on nonagricultural payroll em
ployment (from b l s ) and State insured unemployment (from
the then Bureau of Employment Security). After the trans
fer, b l s continued the tradition of a combined release of
data from these three programs with its own "Monthly
Report on the Labor Force" and also began to include the
household survey statistics in its monthly magazine Em
ployment and Earnings. Indeed, it was undoubtedly the
desire to centralize the control and analysis of data from
separate sources-—but particularly the household and estab
lishment surveys8— that led to the transfer of functions.
As time passed, a number of changes occurred in the
publication format and amount of detail derived from the
c p s . For example, because c p s data were generally available
earlier than the establishment data, they were issued in sum
mary detail in a news release entitled "Summary Employ
ment and Unemployment Figures." About a week later, the
"Monthly Report on the Labor Force" was published, cov
ered by another news release, "The Employment Situa
tion." This second news release averaged about four pages,
with summary text and one table of highlights, while the
"Monthly Report on the Labor Force" grew to some 20
pages that included text, charts, data from both surveys,
and explanatory material.
In 1966, improvements in the processing of the estab
lishment survey made it possible to release the two sets of
data together, and "The Employment Situation" became
the vehicle for this issuance. At the same time, the "Monthly
Report on the Labor Force" was discontinued as a separate
publication but was retained as part of Employment and
Earnings, which was retitled Employment and Earnings and
Monthly Report on the Labor Force. (In 1969, "Monthly
Report on the Labor Force" was dropped from the title.)
9
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • History o f the CPS
Along with the changes in the mode of issuance of these
reports and releases came improvements in the detail pre
sented. One important advance was in the area of seasonal
adjustment of data series. In the 1950’s, the overall un
employment rate had been the only statistic that was adjusted
for seasonality. Therefore, all analysis was based on un
adjusted data. Analyses in those days contained frequent
references to weather conditions and also to labor force and
other changes that typically occurred at the given time of
year and whether a particular monthly movement was more
or less than usual. The advent of computers gave rise to the
possibility of extensive seasonal adjustment, which elimi
nated much of this problem and clarified analytical inter
pretations. It also facilitated a better understanding of cyclical
movements, as economic comparisons could be made more
easily between pairs of months for periods other than 1-year
intervals.
Changes since the takeover
Growth in sample size. Since the transfer of functions
between b l s and the Census, the number of surveyed house
holds has been expanded on four occasions and reduced
twice. The count remained at 35,000 occupied households
from 1956 through the end of 1966. Then, households that
had been used in a separate panel survey for testing ques
tionnaire changes during 1964-66 were added to increase
the count to 50,000.9 An important reason for increasing
the sample size was to improve the reliability of data on
detailed worker groups, such as that pertaining to race, sex,
and age. The size was subsequently reduced slightly to
47,000 in the early 1970’s, as a result of a redesign of the
sample following the 1970 census of population. However,
certain sampling refinements resulted in increased data re
liability; for example, area coverage was increased from
333 to 449 primary sampling units.10
Later in the 1970’s, demands for State and area data
increased markedly, commensurate with expanded uses of
subnational labor force data. A variety of legislative man
dates, including the Comprehensive Employment and Train
ing Act, required unemployment data for States and areas
as a basis for distributing billions of dollars in revenue
sharing monies. The Current Population Survey as consti
tuted at that time was essentially a national sample designed
to produce national data. Prior to 1976, subnational data
deemed sufficiently reliable to warrant publication, even on
an annual average basis, covered only 10 States.
b l s solved this problem by expanding the number of
sample households for the less-populated States; this was
done in stages. In 1976, 9,000 additional households were
sampled, with all of the expansion in 23 smaller States.
Another 9,000 households were added to the survey in 1980,
this time in 40 States. Initially, these 18,000 households
were used to boost data reliability for State and sub-State
estimation but subsequently were added to the national sam
ple, also in stages. The national sample size thus became
lt)
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56,000 occupied households in 1978 and 65,000 in 1980.
There was a final sample increase of 6,000 households in
1981, designed to improve the reliability of data for 30
specific metropolitan areas, 10 of their central cities, and
the balance of State estimates for those States containing
these areas. (This last increase was never used for national
estimates.)
In 1982, with the advent of Federal budget stringencies,
it became necessary to cut back on some of these added
households. After a careful review of the needs for State
and local labor force estimates, b l s at that time decided that
the final 6,000 addition plus half of the 1980 addition would
have to be rescinded. Thus, a total of 11,000 surveyed
households was eliminated, and the monthly sample size
became the current figure of 60,000 occupied households,
representing 629 areas in 1,148 counties and independent
cities. Because the expansions had not materially improved
the reliability of national estimates— in that they concen
trated on the less-populated States— this reduction in house
holds did not reduce national data reliability.
Conceptual and other changes. As indicated earlier, the
advent of monthly household survey enumeration in the
labor force field brought with it the notion of activity as a
basis for categorizing the population into discrete employ
ment status groupings. This conceptual basis has been sus
tained throughout the ensuing 44 years. There have been
changes in the wording of some of the questions to improve
understanding on the part of survey respondents and thus
produce better results, refinements in the concept, and the
addition of questions to elicit more information about the
population, but the basic concepts have remained the same.
Over time, the statistics that have generated the greatest
interest have been the level and rate of unemployment.
Unemployment is basically defined as being without a job,
looking for one, and being currently available for work.
Exhibit 1, the questionnaire currently used in the survey,
shows how the unemployed are identified through questions
22 (yes), 22A. and 22E. Persons on layoff and those waiting
to start a job within 30 days need not have looked for work
to be counted as unemployed; they are identified in questions
21 and 21 A. Contrast this with the primary question (cor
responding to question 22) asked in 1945: "Was . . . look
ing for work last week?" Layoffs were not identified until
1947. Prior to 1945, interviewers did not even ask specific
questions directly to respondents but were instructed to de
termine if, for example, they had jobs or were seeking them.
By 1947, the "last week” was dropped— it had been spec
ified for all previous questions associated with jobholding—
and the question became: "W as . . . looking for work?”
In the early years, persons on a temporary layoff (less than
30 days) and those awaiting the start of a new job (also
within 30 days) were included among the employed. But,
following recommendations by a 1955 study commission,11
both groups were shifted into the unemployed category be
Extract from Current Population Survey Interviewer Schedule
18. LIN E N U M B ER
19. What was . . . doing most
o f LA ST W EEK -
Did . . . have a job or
Has . . . been looking for work
work around the house?
business from which he/she
during the past 4 weeks?
(N o te : I f farm o r business
was temporarily absent or
u n pa id w o rk .)
J Keeping house
O
^es
Going to school
or something else?
/
^
No O
(Go to 21)
20 A . H ow many hours
did . . . work
j
With a job but not at work . . j
O
LA ST W EEK
88
at all jobs?
Going to school......................S O
20B. IN T E R V IE W E R
49
O
3 5 -4 8
O
Own illness..........
o
o
(Go to
20C)
Placed or answered ads. O
Nothing (S kip to 24) O
New job to begin
(Skip to
O 22B a n d
22C2)
Other (Specify in notes, e.g.,
within 30 days
friends or relatives . . O
(Under 3 0 days)
W EEK for any reason
O
Indefinite layoff
such as illness, holiday
CETA, un ion o r pro f,
register, e tc .). O
O
H ow many hours
did . . . take off?
What is the reason
i f 20A reduced be low 35,
o ff LA ST WEEK?
. . . U S U A L L Y works
correct 20B and f i l l 20C ;
Yes...............
otherwise, skip to 23.)
(M ark the appropriate reason)
N o ...............
-~7-
Self-employed
20E. Did . . . work any overtim e
Slack w o r k ...............................
O
Material shortage.......................
O
Plant or machine repair............
O
O
O
O
Wanted temporary work O
Other (Specify in notes) O
Lost job...........................
Quit j o b .........................
Left school..........
22C . 1) H ow many weeks
o
o
o
/
O
necessary i f extra hours
Holiday (Legal o r religious) . . . .
O
n o t already inclu de d and
Labor d isp u te...........................
O
skip to 23.)
On vacation...............................
O
Too busy w ith housework,
school, personal bus., etc. ..
Did not want full-tim e work. ..
3 3
or
^
for work?
^ ^
O
O
Full-time work week
under 35 h o u rs ................... O
Other reason (S pe cify) ............. O
\
(S kip to 23 and enter jo b
A
B
8 8 8 C
3 3
°r °c
5
G
?
B
5
G
?
8
00
3 up to 4 years ago .
No O
O C C U PA T IO N
O
O
O
D
E
O
O
F
O
G
H
O
O
J
K
O
O
O
O
L
M
■
■
™
©
0
N
i
I
P
O
O
2 8
3 3 3
Q
O
R
O
ar * *
S 5
S
T
O
O
6 6 6
U
O
?
V O
W O
3
?
?
8 S 8
9 9 9
Ref.
O
X
Y
Z
o
O
O
job.........
Temporary illness . . . .
jGoing to school...........
f Other (Specify in
notes)
O
O
O
O
22F. When did . . . last w ork at a
full-tim e job or business lasting
2 consecutive weeks or more?
W ithin last 12 months (Specify) ..
(M o n th )
3
3
5
G
5
6
4 up to 5 years ago. .
5 or more years aga .
(S kip to
24C)
Never worked............
■
™
Personal, fam ily
( Inel. pregnancy) or school.
O
Health.............................................
O
Retirement or old age...................
O
sI «?
0
0
25B. Is . . . paid by the hour
Yes O
No O
O
Temporary
nonseasonal job completed.. . .
Unsatisfactory work
arrangements (Hours, pay, etc.)
O ther..............................................
(Go to 25C)
(Skip to 25D )
25C . H o w much
Dollars
Cents
earn
0 0
0 0
per hour?
II
8 8
II
8 8
3 3
3 3
5 5
5 5
G G
? ?
does . . .
O
O
O
24C. D oes. . . want a regular job now,
either fu ll-o r part-time?
Yes..........................
Maybe -
O
(
it depends O I
(G o to 24D )
(Specify in notes)
N o ..........................
Don't k n o w ...........
O
(
O
|
(S kip to 24 E)
(A skß S D )
24 D . W hat are the reasons . . . is n ot
looking for work?
(M ark each reason m entioned)
25 D . H ow much does .
U S U A L L Y earn
per week at this
cj c)
Part O
Yes O t Already has a
■ ^
(S kip to 23)
I I I
pt
q
22E. Is there any reason why . . . could
not take a job LA ST WEEK?
*
fR Y
O
0
^
0 0 0
jo b B EFOR E
O |
0 0 0
^
22D . Has . . . been looking for full-tim e
o r part-time work?
h e ld last week)
No
j
did . . . start looking
was . . . laid off?
O
No
(C orrect 20A and 20 B as
Could find only part-time work
O
g g
Full
0
w ork a t this job?
at this job?
Yes O
Job terminated during week. . . O
Own illness...............................
j
for work?
3) How many weeks ago
21C. Does . . . usually work
How many extra
hours d id . . . work?
New job started during week . . O
O
has . . . been looking
2) H ow many weeks ago
35 hours or more a week
Bad weather..............................
q q
??
LA ST WEEK?
O
/
U SU A LLY
24B)
Slack work or business conditions
or at more than one job
Yes
1 up to 2 years ago . . .
2 up to 3 years ago .
Seasonal job completed................. O
2 1 B. Is . . . getting wages or
salary for any o f the tim e
O
2 or 6 (G o to 25A )
per week does . . .
or q uit a job at that time (pause)
HI
n o t already deducted;
No
1, 3, 4. 5, 7 or 8 ( S kip to 26)
O
2 5 A . H ow many hours
O \
|
O f
) (Go to
or was there some other reason?
I
O
Other (S pecify) . . O
(C o rre ct 20A i f lost tim e
less than 3 5 hours
regular job or business, either fu ll-o r
for work? Was it because . . . lost
What is the reason
a week?
number is:
O
on this job?
22B. W hy did . . . start looking
[(S k ip
( t°
\ 22C3)
(30 days o r m ore
o r no def. recall
d a te ) ...............
or slack work?
\
. . . worked less than
No
First digit o f S E G M E N T
24B. W hy did . . . leave that job?
Temporary layoff
take any tim e o ff LA ST
3 5 hours LA ST WEEK?
O
employer directly • • • O
Labor dispute.. . .
20D . Did . . . lose any tim e or
Yes O
■
Bad weather........
(G o to 20D )
Yes O
O
pvt. employ, agency
0
(R o ta tio n num ber)
2 4 A . When did . . . last work fo r pay at a
W ithin past 12 months
pub. employ, agency
O
25 . IN T E R V IE W E R C H E C K ITEM
O 1 . 3 , 4 , 5 . 7 or 8 (S kip to 26)
O 2 or 6 (G o to 2 4 A )
-------------------- / ----------------------
part-time?
Checked with —
(S kip to
item 23)
-------- / —
20C. Does . . . U S U A L L Y work 3 5
methods used; do n o t read list.)
w ork LA ST WEEK?
5 5
G G
(G o to 24)
4 weeks to find work? (M a rk a ll
j
(R o ta tio n num ber)
First digit o f S E G M E N T number is:
22 A . W hat has . . . been doing in the last
*
On vacation..........
1 -3 4
hours or more a week at this job?
(G o to 22)
3 3
C H EC K IT E M
O
\
No 0
O
No
V
.
Unable to work (S kip to 24). .U
Yes O
21 A. W hy was . . . absent from
q q
O
Looking for w ork.................LK O
Keeping house.......... ............H O
y — Yes O
on layoff LA ST WEEK?
Working (S kip to 2 0 A ) . . . . WK
Retired.................................... R O
Other (Specify) .....................OT O
24. IN T E R V IE W E R C H E C K ITEM]
22. ( I f L K in 19, S k ip to 2 2 A .)
LA ST W EEK , not counting
operator in hh., ask about
i Working
(
21. ( I f J in 19, skip to 21 A .)
20. Did . . . do any w ork at all
.
Exhibit 1.
Couldn't find any work.
Lacks nec. schooling,
training, skills or experience.
deductions?
I I I
Include any
8 8 8
overtim e pay,
3 3 3
°r °r *r
commissions,
Employers
think too young or too old.
5 5 5
G G G
? ? ?
or tips usually
__
Other pers. handicap in finding job
received.
8 8 8
Can't arrange child care...................
0 0 0
Family responsibilities.....................
In school or other training...............
O
III health, physical disab ility.............
O
Other (Specify in n o te s ) ..................
O
25E . On this job, is . . . a member
of a labor union o r o f an
O
employee association similar
to a union?
S
One to five years ago..................... O
More than 5 years ago................... O
Never worked
full-time 2 wks. or more............ O
Never worked at a ll....................... O
(S K IP to 23. I f la y o ff entered in 21 A,
enter jo b , eith er fu ll o r p a rt time, fro m
w hich la id off. Else enter last fu ll tim e
io b lasting 2 weeks o r m ore, o r
"never w o rke d .")
Yes O
O
Don't kn o w .......................................
No O
24E . Does . . . intend to look for work
o f any kind in the next 12 months?
(Skip to 26)
(A sk 25 F )
2 5 F . On this job, is . . . covered
b y a union or employee
association contract?
O
It depends (Specify in notes)
Yes O
No O
Don't know........................
( I f en try in 24B, describe jo b in 23,
otherwise, skip to 26) __________
(
\
(Go to 26)
23. DESCRIPTION OF JOB OR BUSINESS
23 A . For whom did . . . work? (Name o f com pany, business, organization o r othe r em ployer.)
23E. Was this person
2 3 F . IN T E R V IE W E R
An employee of PRIVATE Co,
bus., or individual for wages, salary or comm. . . P O
23B . What kind o f business or industry is this? (F o r exam ple: T V a n d radio m fg., re ta il shoe store, State La bo r Dept., farm .)
A FEDERAL government employee.......................... F O
i
/
(Go to
sells cars, operates p rin tin g press, finishes concrete.)
ginning in 1957. (Historical data were revised back to 1947.)
Many changes in the questionnaire occurred in 1967,
resulting from recommendations made by the President’s
Committee to Appraise Employment and Unemployment
Statistics (often called the Gordon Committee after its chair,
Professor Robert A. Gordon) in its 1962 report, Measuring
Employment and Unemployment. 12 Changes affecting un-
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
i
A STATE government employee................................S O
A LOCAL government employee............................... L O
23F> !
Self-empl. in OWN bus., prof, practice, or farm
■
i
23C. What kind o f work was . . . doing? (F o r exam ple: electrical engineer, stock clerk, typist, fa rm er.)
23D. What were . . .'s most important activities or duties at this job? (F o r exam ple: types, keeps account books, files,
j
I Yes.....................I O
Is the business incorporated? \
^
I N o ................... SE O
Working WITHOUT PAY in fam. bus. or farm. . . .WP O
NEVER WORKED.................................................NEV O
C H EC K IT E M
Entry (or NA)
in item 20A
t
O
/ (G o to 25
}
a t to p o f
Entry (or NA)
in item 21B O
1 koge)
1
A ll other cases O
(S kip to 26)
i
1
i
i
(S kip
\
to 26 ) \
i
employment counts included moving to a 4-week search
period from the implied 1 week, the requirement of at least
one specific search method (to avoid “ state of mind” sit
uations), and the addition of an “ availability test” to insure
that jobless individuals were searching for a current job as
opposed to one in the future. At the same time, the minimum
age for labor force eligibility was raised from 14 to 16 years
11
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • History of the CPS
(not a Commission recommendation) in order to conform
to age requirements regarding school attendance and work
eligibility. In addition, those persons who volunteered that
they would have looked for work except for the belief that
there were no jobs available in their line of work or in the
community were no longer counted as unemployed; this
change was made in keeping with the specific search method
requirement. Also, persons who had a job but were “ with
a job but not at work” (such as on strike or vacation) and
volunteered that they had looked for another job during their
absence from their current job were switched from the un
employed to the employed count. Neither of these last two
changes was thought to have greatly affected survey re
sults. 13
Note the emphasis on the word volunteered. One of the
Gordon Committee’s tenets was that “ reliance on subjective
attitudes and volunteered information should be mini
mized.” 14 The changes that it recommended and that were
instituted following a period of extensive testing by the b l s
and Census Bureau during 1964-66 clarified several hitherto
gray areas in the measurement of unemployment. Specifi
cally, to be counted as unemployed, a person had to
be; (1) without a job, (2) be available for one “ now”
(excluding temporary illness), and (3) indicate one or more
search methods used sometime in the prior 4 weeks. Thus,
the use of activity as a basis for labor force classification
was strengthened.
While the Gordon Committee suggested the elimination
of volunteered discouragement from the unemployed count,
it also recommended that more information be obtained on
the entire group of persons not in the labor force. The result
was the series of questions now numbered 24. (See exhibit
1.) Labor force discouragement is identified primarily through
questions 24C and 24D. Data on this important group have
been collected regularly since 1967 and published on a
quarterly basis. More recently, another presidential study
group— the National Commission on Employment and Un
employment Statistics, chaired by Professor Sar Levitan—
examined closely the measurement of labor market dis
couragement, among a number of other issues. Though ul
timately concurring that discouraged workers should not be
included among the unemployed, the Commission did rec
ommend that several changes be made in their definition,
foremost of which was a requirement of some previous job
search, which it specified to be within the prior 6 months
(but not, of course, within the last 4 weeks).15 This rec
ommendation was accepted by Secretaries of Labor Ray
Marshall and Raymond J. Donovan,16 but, owing to the
lack of funding to carry out adequate testing, it has not as
yet been introduced into the survey.
Data and analytical advances
As indicated, one of the reasons that the responsibility
for the Current Population Survey was transferred to the
b l s was to integrate the analytical functions. The Bureau
12
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
already had a well-respected journal, the Monthly Labor
Review, which has served as the vehicle for much of the
analysis of c p s data. Numerous articles by b l s staff covering
various aspects of labor force behavior and trends have
appeared in the Review, for example, a review of employ
ment and unemployment developments is published an
nually. 11 The range of topics drawing on c p s data has been
extraordinarily diverse, reflecting the diversity of the survey
itself. Thus, there have been articles on the employment
situation of specific worker groups, for example, youth, the
elderly, women, blacks, and Hispanics; on trends for spe
cific economic sectors; agriculture, self-employment, and
various occupational or industrial groups; and on worker
characteristics such as educational attainment, job tenure,
or moonlighting. The focus may be a snapshot of conditions
at a specific time, a study of secular trends, or an analysis
of cyclical developments. Techniques of analysis range from
relatively simple, cross-sectional comparisons to more com
plex quantitative procedures. Many of the articles, and par
ticularly those based on c p s supplements, also have been
reprinted as Special Labor Force Reports. Beginning with
the first one issued in 1960 on the subject of educational
attainment of workers,18 there have been 252 of these reports
published (as of February 1984). In most cases, these re
printed reports contain special tabular material that does not
appear in the articles.
Responsibility for c p s supplements has been shared by
the b l s and the Census Bureau over the years. Indeed, the
c p s has also been available for other agencies to purchase
space for special inquiries, and the Departments of Agri
culture and Health and Human Services have been frequent
users of the survey, taking advantage of the fact that, al
though it is primarily designed for the collection of em
ployment and unemployment statistics, it is also a general
population survey. At present, the Census Bureau uses the
survey to obtain data on annual income of persons and
families; educational attainment, fertility, birth expecta
tions, and migration of the population; and school enroll
ment of youth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics obtains data
annually on the work experience of the population (in con
junction with the income supplement), the status of schoolage youth and recent school graduates and dropouts, edu
cational attainment of workers, and the marital and family
status of workers. Through 1981. b l s also obtained annual
supplemental information on multiple jobholders, work
schedules, and absences from work. On a less frequent,
sometimes even ad hoe basis, data have been obtained from
BLS-sponsored supplements on job and occupational tenure,
occupational mobility, work history and job search of the
unemployed, and how workers got their jobs. Most recently,
a special supplement was conducted in January 1984 on
displaced workers.
Much effort has gone into expanding the amount of sta
tistical detail published— and also the amount available for
special analyses or for users— principally in “ The Em-
ployment Situation” news releases and in Employment and
Earnings. In addition to this expansion of monthly detail,
new data series have been added on a quarterly basis, cov
ering such features as family status of workers, weekly
earnings of individuals and families, Hispanics, veterans,
metropolitan areas, poverty areas, and persons not in the
labor force (including discouraged workers). For the con
venience of users, b l s has provided additional published
reports on a quarterly basis— for women, minorities, and
workers’ earnings. Chartbooks have also been issued on an
occasional basis.19 A major achievement has been the is
suance of a two-volume historical databook.20 In order to
clarify the survey, the data, and the concepts, b l s has pre
pared a number of special technical reports, including How
the Government Measures Unemployment ,21 which has been
updated and reissued on several occasions.
The data on weekly wage and salary earnings referred to
earlier (see questions 25A-25D in exhibit 1) became a part
of the monthly survey questionnaire in 1979, after having
been previously collected through a c p s supplement. More
recently, b l s has added survey questions eliciting infor
mation on the union affiliation of employed persons (25E
and 25F); publication of these data has not yet been initiated
but will probably begin within a year. Another addition to
the monthly questionnaire, not shown in the exhibit, asks
persons who are 16 to 24 years old whether they are currently
enrolled in school and, if so, whether they attend college
or high school on a full- or part-time basis. This resulted
from a recommendation by the National Commission on
Employment and Unemployment Statistics,22 and, as with
the union membership information, these data have not as
yet been published. In both cases, however, b l s will begin
publishing the data on a continuing basis as soon as the
survey results have been carefully reviewed for accuracy
and consistency.
The future of
c ps
Between April 1984 and July 1985, an entirely new sam
ple is being phased in, based on information and materials
from the 1980 census of population. Redesigns are routine,
in the sense that this process has occurred following every
decennial census since the survey’s inception. However, the
current redesign is not routine but, rather, has involved an
extensive reexamination of the entire survey process. Per
haps the biggest change is that, heretofore, the c p s has had
a national sample design. But as previously discussed, the
demands for subnational data that arose in the 1970’s needed
to be accommodated. In the sampling design now being
introduced, the national sample will be the combination of
51 individual samples— each State plus the District of Co
lumbia.
Further changes in the questionnaire are being contem
plated, but implementation, if feasible, would first require
testing and evaluation. Past experience, particularly with
the introduction of the new questionnaire in 1967, has made
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
it clear that survey revisions cannot be made without ex
tensive testing in a survey panel that is separate and distinct
from the c p s . We have learned, for example, that changes
in wording or in seemingly irrelevant areas can affect the
important measures of employment and unemployment. Thus,
the plan to revise the definition of discouragement cannot
be put into place until after full testing.
In addition to the discouragement measurement change,
consideration is being given to two comparatively minor
changes that can be expected to affect the composition of
unemployment. One of the ways the unemployed are class
ified is by their “ reason for unemployment” — that is, whether
they lost their last job, left it, or entered the labor force.
Within the job-loser category are persons on layoff (who
expect recall to their former job) and persons who have
permanently lost their job (other job losers). As was dis
cussed by Robert W. Bednarzik in “ Layoff and permanent
job losses: workers’ traits and cyclical patterns,” there is a
strong suspicion that the extent of unemployment stemming
from worker layoffs is overstated.22 Through a test con
ducted by the b l s and the Census Bureau in 1982, it was
learned that while the term “ on layoff,” as used in questions
21 and 21 A, is intended to refer to a job from which a
person has been suspended with the expectation o f recall,
the nonstatistical community— including some survey re
spondents— interpret the word more broadly to mean that
a job was lost, whether or not recall was anticipated,24 The
concept of layoff that is meant to be measured with question
21 must be specified more precisely for the respondent, so
that persons reporting themselves on layoff will fit the def
inition intended in the survey. A rewording of the question
would move some unemployed from the layoff to the other
job-losers category, in which persons are searching for work,
but only adequate testing could determine the extent of the
change. Moreover, a few of those currently classified as
being on layoff may not have sought work in the prior 4
weeks and, if so, would properly be classified as not in the
labor force.
The second possible candidate for change in the unem
ployment area concerns “ persons expecting to start a new
job within 30 days.'' As described earlier, this category was
included among the employed prior to 1957 and then shifted
into the unemployed beginning that year. Current thinking
is that the concept need not exist at all. Once again, reporting
depends upon volunteered responses, violating an important
Gordon Committee dictum. If there were a specific ques
tion— as the Canadian government discovered when it added
one.to its own labor force survey22— there would be a much
larger group than the 100,000 or so count we obtain on
average. But most persons in this situation realize that they
do not possess a job until they are in it. Preliminary research
indicates that the bulk of the persons in this category report
recent job search, in any case. Thus, eliminating the concept
will also eliminate yet another volunteered response group
in the survey as well as a jobseeking exception but probably
13
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • History of the CPS
not affect the counts in any way. Because separate test
panels can be quite expensive as well as difficult to institute,
considerably more time will be necessary before imple
mentation of this or the other two changes can be accom
plished, if they can be carried out at all.
A l l o f t h e s e e f f o r t s — the ongoing collection and anal
ysis, data expansion, survey redesign, questionnaire testing,
special supplement planning, and so forth— would not be
possible without full cooperation between the Bureau of
Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau. This has been the
case on a continuing basis from the first day that b l s entered
the picture 25 years ago as the survey’s prime sponsor. A
steering committee composed of b l s and Census represen
tatives meets monthly to resolve problems and monitor prog
ress. Working groups on specific issues come into existence
as the need arises. But the key to its successful operation
has been the almost daily contact between members of both
Bureaus’ staffs. All recognize that the survey is important,
and both agencies have historically geared their efforts to
its continued accuracy and improvement. It is because of
this joint commitment that the Current Population Survey
has been sustained as a vitally important statistical vehicle
for measuring the economic health of our Nation and its
people.
□
FOOTNOTES
'See Stanley Lebergott. "Labor Force. Employment, and Unemploy
ment, 1929—39: Estimating Methods." Monthly Labor Review. July 1948.
The Lebergott estimates were adopted as "official" and are published as
such in bls and Census Bureau publications. Lebergott subsequently made
estimates of unemployment back to 1900 in Manpower and Economic
Growth (New York. McGraw Hill Book Co.. 1964).
2See Gertrude Bancroft, The American Labor Force (New York. John
Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1958). p. 183. The census was conducted on Nov.
16, 1937, by the Bureau of the Census, with the cooperation of the Post
Office Department.
■'See Lester R. Frankel and J. Stevens Stock. "On the Sample Survey
of Unemployment," Journal of the American Statistical Association. March
1942, pp. 77-80.
4See Gertrude Bancroft. The American Labor Force, p. 156. Also see
John D. Durand. The Labor Force in the United States. IS90-I960 (New
York, Social Science Research Council. 1948). pp. 12-13.
5See A. Ross Eckler, The Bureau of the Census (New York. Prat'ger
Publishers. 1972). pp. 70-71.
6See Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. The Current
Population Survey: Design and Methodology. Technical Paper 40 (Wash
ington, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1977), p. 2.
7Executive Office of the President. Bureau of the Budget. Memorandum
for Secretary Strauss and Secretary Mitchell, subject: "Construction and
Labor Force Statistics," Nov. 19. 1958.
"The insured unemployment statistics are no longer published in Em
ployment and Earnings, having been replaced by State and area estimates
of labor force and unemployment.
9See Robert L. Stein. "New Definitions for Employment and Unem
ployment," Employment and Earnings and Monthly Report on the Labor
Force. February 1967. pp. 3-27.
1(1The Current Population Survey: Design and Methodology, p. 4.
11 See “ Interim Report of the Review of Concepts Subcommittee to the
Committee on Labor Supply. Employment and Unemployment Statistics.
Joint Economic Committee. 84th Cong.. 1st sess.. Nov. 7 and 8. 1955.
p. 7.
12President's Committee to Appraise Employment and Unemployment
Statistics, Measuring Employment and Unemployment (Washington. U.S.
Government Printing Office, 1962).
14
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11 An indication of the impact of these changes appears in Robert L.
Stein, "New Definitions for Employment and Unemployment.”
14Measuring Employment and Unemployment, p. 15.
15National Commission on Employment and Unemployment Statistics.
Counting the Labor Force! Washington. U.S. Government Printing Office.
Labor Day 1979). pp. 44-49. 56. For a summary of the Commission’s
recommendations, see Robert L. Stein. "National Commission recom
mends changes in labor force statistics." Monthly Labor Review. April
1980. pp. 11-21.
1,1See Interim Report of the Secretary of Labor on the Recommendations
o f the National Commission on Employment and Unemployment Statistics.
transmitted to the Congress on Mar. 3. 1980. and Final Report of the
Secretary o f Labor on the Recommendations o f the National Commission
on Employment and Unemployment Statistics, transmitted to the Congress
on Oct. 26. 1981.
17See. for example. Eugene H. Becker and Norman Bowers. "E m
ployment and unemployment improvements widespread in 1983." Monthly
Labor Review. February 1984.
'"Arnold Katz. "Educational Attainment of Workers. 1959." Special
Labor Force Report No. I (reprinted from the February 1960 issue of the
Monthly Labor Review).
'‘'Two examples are Women at Work: A Chartbook. Bulletin 2168
(Washington. Bureau of Labor Statistics. April 1983) and Workers Without
Jobs: A Chartbook on Unemployment. Bulletin 2174 (Washington. Bureau
of Labor Statistics. July 1983).
2(1Labor Force Statistics Derived From the Current Population Survey:
A Databook. Bulletin 2096. September 1982.
21 How the Government Measures Unemployment. Report 505 (Wash
ington. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1977).
22Counting the Labor Force, pp. 89-90.
27 Robert W. Bednarzik. "Layoffs and permanent job losses: workers’
traits and cyclical patterns." Monthly Labor Review. September 1983.
p. II.
24Robert W. Bednarzik. "Layoffs and permanent job losses."
25 See "New Job to Start at a Future Date." The Labour Force (Statistics
Canada. Cat. No. 71-001. March 1977).
Earnings differences between men
and women: an introductory note
J anice S hack -M arquez
On average, women earn less than two-thirds as much as men.
Depending upon which median earnings data set is used,
estimates range from 60 to 65 percent, a differential that has
persisted at approximately the same level over several decades.
Survey data on specific occupations in establishments show a
smaller, but nevertheless persistent, gap as well.
What accounts for this earnings gap? Three explanations
have been proposed in the literature: (1) differences in the
productive or labor market characteristics of men and women,
(2) differences in the distribution of men and women among
different jobs, and (3) discrimination in the labor market.
Variations in characteristics
Women may earn less than men because they bring to the
labor market different productive capacities than men. For ex
ample, they may not have invested as heavily in education and
training to develop labor market skills and thus may be less
productive in the labor market.
Empirical studies exploring the productiveness hypothesis
have generally been able to explain only a small propor
tion—usually less than 20 percent—of the earnings differential
by controlling for a variety of individual productive
characteristics, such as education and age. They also control
for personal characteristics such as marital status and race.1
Thus, a substantial proportion of the earnings gap between
men and women remains unexplained.
For purposes of explaining the gap, one problem with most
data sets on individual earnings is the absence of work histories
for individuals (or their actual labor force experience). It is
well known that experience is positively related to earnings.
Because of family responsibilities, many women interrupt their
careers, and it is important to quantify the effect of interrup
tions on earnings paths. Using data on actual years of labor
force experience and on occupational and vocational training,
Mary Corcoran and George Duncan were able to explain 44
percent of the earnings disparity between men and women, one
of the highest proportions of any study.2 To the extent that the
most ambitious studies using individual characteristics still
leave a substantial earnings gap unexplained, there are certain
ly other factors at work.
Janice Shack-M arquez is an economist in the Office o f Research and
Evaluation, Bureau o f Labor Statistics.
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Differences in jobs held
The earnings gap may also arise from the types of jobs men
and women hold. A number of studies have supplemented
data on individual characteristics with data on occupation, in
dustry, and type of employer (for example, government versus
private, or large versus small firm). These studies have been
able to explain a substantially larger portion (as much as 88
percent) of the earnings gap than those using only individual
characteristics.3
The explanatory power of such models increases with the
level of detail used to describe jobs. In other words, studies us
ing only information on broad occupational groups—such as
laborers, professionals, and clerical workers—are less suc
cessful in exploring the earnings gap than those using more
detailed occupational classifications, such as physicians,
nurses, bank managers, and tellers. However, there is usually a
tradeoff involved in choosing a data source for analytic
studies. Data sets on individuals most frequently use
only broad occupational classifications. A few studies carried
out within individual firms have been able to obtain data on
very detailed occupational specifications. Typically, such
studies have shown smaller earnings gaps within job
categories, suggesting that wage difierentials for identical jobs
in the same firm are negligible. However, results of these
studies pertain only to single-firm settings.
Discrimination in the labor market
Most of the studies of the pay disparity between men and
women have been motivated by a desire to quantify the effects
of discrimination in the labor market on women’s earnings.
For example, regression analysis has been used on data sets
containing individual earnings records and the variables
described above. These studies have asked what women would
earn, on average, if they had the same education, training, and
other productive characteristics as men.4 The earnings gap re
maining (that is, the differential that is left “ unexplained” by
education, experience, and so forth) has often been interpreted
as a measure of discrimination.
Using the residual as a measure of discrimination requires
that a number of conditions be met. First, the regressions must
control for all variables that are relevant. Alternatively,
whatever variables are omitted from the equation must be
distributed similarly for both men and women. Data sets are
limited, however, and variables are never measured with ab-
15
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Sex-Earnings Differences: Introduction
solute precision. Thus, an unknown fraction of the residual
really amounts to the effects of omitted productive
characteristics and of errors of measurement.
When occupational controls are added to the analysis,
another problem arises. It is well known that occupational earn
ings carry with them differentials that may be attributable to
skill requirements, difficulty of entry into the occupation, and
working conditions associated with a job (factors such as
riskiness, dirtiness, unpleasantness, and so forth). Thus, oc
cupational variables can, in part, be interpreted as controlling
for some of these other factors that influence earnings but that
usually cannot be controlled directly in the analysis.
However, the introduction of occupational controls simply
changes the question from one of earnings differences between
men and women to the puzzle of differences in occupational
employment patterns by sex. That is, if women’s earnings are
lower than men’s because they are employed in lower paying
jobs, occupational controls in themselves explain nothing. The
question then becomes: Why are women in lower paying
jobs? Labor market discrimination—that is, unequal access to
high-paying occupations—may be only one answer. The ques
tion goes beyond earnings differentials and also requires study
of pre-labor market forces that can affect young men and
women. For example, parents or schools may encourage
young women to pursue educational programs different from
those that young men pursue. Thus, differences in skill ac
quisition or social conditioning may partly explain differences
in the occupational distribution of men and women.
To sum up, analysis of individual earnings data carries with
it one set of problems. Not enough is known about the deter
minants of individual earnings to be confident that all the
labor market variables in which men and women may differ
have been isolated. It is probably true that the inability to in
clude all variables increases the estimated gap, leaving it larger
than the true earnings gap, other things equal. Looking at earn
ings by sex within narrowly defined occupations also has its
limitations. Unequal pay for identical work is only part of the
explanation for the pay disparity; the reasons why occupational
employment patterns of men and women differ require indepen
dent explanation.
bls
data on differentials
The b l s publishes two types of data sets useful for examin
ing male-female earnings differentials: one that provides
substantial detail about individuals (the Current Population
Survey), and another that provides substantial detail about
jobs—occupational wage surveys. In the two articles that
follow, Earl Mellor emphasizes individual characteristics using
the Current Population Survey, while Mark Sieling focuses on
differences in the jobs men and women hold using occupa
tional wage data—in this case, the Survey of Professional,
Administrative, Technical, and Clerical Pay.
The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a national sample of
the U.S. population. Data are collected from respondents who
provide detailed information about members of their
households, including sex, age, and education, as well as some
general information about occupations and earnings. Mellor
uses the weekly earnings (only recently available on a quarterly
basis) of full-time wage and salary workers at the macro, or ag
gregate, level to demonstrate that, on average, women earn ap
proximately 65 percent as much as men. He employs standardiza
tion techniques to examine characteristics of workers (age, years
of schooling, major occupation, major industry, and hours work
ed) one at a time, and estimates what women’s earnings would
have been if their characteristics were distributed the same as
men’s. In his analysis, occupation (at the two-digit Census Oc
cupational Classification level) explains more of the gap (5 percen
tage points) than any other characteristic. His findings are consis
tent with earlier work by other analysts.5
Two important limitations of Mellor’s study are the use of
c p s macrodata (or aggregate information) rather than
microdata (or information from individual records), and the
technique of standardization, which allows him to control for
only one characteristic at a time. The c ps data also impose
limitations on the type of study that can be conducted. For ex
ample, the database includes only total years of education, not
information on the type of education, which is important for
studying occupational choice. (Years of education is not
necessarily a good proxy for the amount and applicability of
job-specific skills learned in school.) Perhaps m o re important
ly, the c ps does not provide information on the work history
of respondents, which is crucial in controlling for the labor
force interruptions that characterize many women’s labor
force experiences. On the positive side, however, the study em
phasizes the importance of the types of jobs men and women
hold in analyzing the earnings differential.
Sieling uses a less comprehensive data set than the c ps to ex
plore the pay gap. The b l s Survey of Professional, Ad
ministrative, Technical, and Clerical Pay covers only whitecollar occupations in medium and large firms. The data are
collected from the establishment, not from the employees.
This data set, although quite specific, allows Sieling to look at
very narrowly defined skill levels within occupations.
He finds that the average pay of men in narrowly defined
white-collar occupational skill levels generally exceeds earnings
of their female counterparts, but the differences (0-16 percen
tage points) are much smaller than those found in studies using
data on less detailed occupations and skill levels. If one con
siders only data from within the same establishment, women’s
earnings are even closer to men’s, although some sizable dif
ferences are found. However, the data are limited to whitecollar occupations in medium and large establishments, and
the findings may not be broadly applicable to other occupa
tions.
T h e s e a r t ic l e s il l u s t r a t e two approaches to the analysis
of earnings differentials. It is readily apparent that more
research is necessary to separate the effects of differences in
men’s and women’s human capital and of the distribution of
the sexes across occupations in the measurement of the earn
ings gap.
□
■FOOTNOTES’For a summary o f these studies, see Donald J. Treim an and Heidi
H artm ann, eds., Women, W ork and Wages: E qual Pay For Jobs o f
E qual Value (W ashington, National Academy Press, 1981).
I.
2Mary Corcoran and George J. Duncan, “ W ork History, Labor
Force Attachm ent, and Earnings Differences Between the Races and
Sexes,” Journal o f H um an Resources, W inter 1979, pp. 3-20.
16
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3Treim an and H artm ann, Women, W ork and Wages.
4For a description o f this method o f estimating the earnings gap,
controlling for both productive characteristics and occupational
distributions by sex, see Ronald Oaxaca, “ M ale-Fem ale Wage Dif
ferentials in Urban Labor M arkets,” International E conom ic Review,
October 1973, pp. 693-709.
5See Treim an and H artm ann, Women, W ork and Wages.
Investigating the differences
in weekly earnings of women and men
Studies report wide variances in the value
offactors explaining the female-male earnings gap;
standardization o f b l s weekly earnings data
shows that some o f the gap is explained
by age, education, occupation, and hours worked
Earl F. M ellor
Studies seeking to identify and rank the most important
reasons for the earnings disparity between men and women
have proliferated in recent years. Although the many compendiums of such studies frequently emphasize different
viewpoints— of business, government, or academia— they
have one aspect in common: each reports an astonishingly
wide variance in the explanatory power of the factors used
in the studies. For example, in a summary of 16 studies
published by various analysts between 1964 and 1979, Cyn
thia Lloyd and Beth Niemi show that the variables in these
studies explained from little or none of the sex-earnings gap
to as much as 71 percent.1 Such large differences arise
mostly from the variables selected for analysis, the measure
of earnings used (for example, hourly, annual), and the
source of the data. In general, models employing only a
small number of variables— for example, age, race, and
educational attainment— explain far less of the earnings gap
than those with many more variables, including occupa
tional detail, hours worked, and several work experience
items.
This article looks at sex-earnings differences using a rel
atively newer data series published by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics. The information comes from the Current PopuEarl F. Mellor is an economist in the Division of Employment and Un
employment Analysis, Office of Employment and Unemployment Statis
tics, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
lation Survey, conducted by the Bureau of the Census for
the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The monthly survey includes
data on how much full-time wage and salary workers usually
earn per week, by race, age, education, occupation, hours
worked, and several other characteristics. (See box.) Most
of the analysis is based on a statistical technique called
standardization. This technique permits us to examine each
characteristic at the macroeconomic level, and then to es
timate what the earnings of women would be if, for each
characteristic, the distribution of women had been the same
as that for men, and all other characteristics remained un
changed.
In the most aggregate terms, median usual weekly earn
ings of full-time workers were $309 in 1982. (See table 1.)
With a median of $241. women earned 65 percent as much
as men ($371). The following discussion illustrates how
part of this 35-percent gap is explained through standard
izations by age, education, occupation, industry, and hours
of work. Also, discussed briefly is the possible effect of
labor force interruptions on male-female earnings differ
ences.
Age, education account for small amount
The age-earnings profile for women peaks at younger ages
than for men. Median usual weekly earnings of women peak
at $261 in the 25-to-34 age group; peak earnings of men
are attained in the 35-to-44 category at a figure $67 higher
17
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Weekly Earnings Differences by Sex
than the median for men 25 to 34. (See table 1.)
Among teenagers, the female-to-male earnings ratio for
full-time workers was 87.6 percent— slightly higher than
that for 20- to 24-year-olds, and considerably higher than
that for other age groups. However, a large number of young
workers have earnings at or near the prevailing minimum
wage ($3.35 per hour in 1982, or $134 for a 40-hour work
week). About one-third of the male teenagers and nearly
half of the female teenagers earned under $150 a week in
1982. The sex-earnings ratio for workers 25 to 34 was 72
percent and was even lower for the groups comprising 35to 64-year-old workers.
The age distribution of women who work full time is
slightly different from that of men. The women tend to be
a bit younger; nearly 20 percent were under 25. compared
to 16 percent for men in 1982. However, age apparently
does little to explain earnings differences between the sexes.
The following shows the actual age distribution of women
in 1982, their distribution if they had the same age profile
as men, and median weekly earnings in both cases:
RedistriActual
16 and over:
T otal, (thousands) .................
Percent ......................................
16 to 19 ................................
20 to 24 ................................
25 to 54 ................................
25 to 34 ............................
35 to 4 4 ............................
45 to 54 ............................
55 and over ..........................
M edian e a r n i n g s .....................
huted
2e
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
28.267
100.0
3.4
16.1
68.6
31.5
11 i
28.267
100.0
3.1
13.2
71.0
31.6
~n ^
.............
.............
.............
16.0
11.9
$241
16.9
12.7
$243
If women who work full time had an age distribution iden
tical to that of men, and all other characteristics had re
mained the same, the estimated median earnings (assuming
the weekly earnings distribution for each age group did not
change) would have been only $2 higher in 1982, and the
sex-earnings ratio would have edged upward by 0.5 per
centage point, from 65.0 to 65.5 percent.
Differences in years of school completed also account for
only a small amount of the earnings gap. If the distribution
of years of school completed by employed women 25 and
over had been the same as that for men, median earnings
of women would have moved up by only $2 and the sexearnings ratio also would have been raised by only 0.5
percentage point. (Age 25 and over is used in looking at
educational attainment because a large number of the pop
ulation 16 to 24 are still in school.)
Occupations play a larger role
More of the earnings gap can be explained by the vari
ations in the employment of women and men among oc
cupations. Information by occupation is published from the
CPS at three levels of detail. The least detailed in 1982 was
the major group, or “ one-digit” level, with 1 1 categories.2
18
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Note on weekly earnings data
The Bureau o f Labor Statistics has been collecting
quarterly and annual average data on the usual w eekly
earnings o f individuals and fam ilies by various dem o
graphic characteristics since the lirst quarter o f 1979.
T hese data have certain distinct advantages over other
sources o f earnings inform ation. They are tim ely, in that
quarterly reports with summary measures are issued about
1 m onth follow ing the close o f each quarter. The series
can be tabulated by the exact num ber o f hours reported
as usually worked; hence, there is no need to make
assum ptions in order to estim ate hours worked as is the
case with the various sources on annual earnings. O f
greater significance is the large sam ple that can be ac
cum ulated over the course o f a year. Even though the
question on w eekly earnings is asked o f only one-quarter
o f the m onthly C urrent Population Survey ( c p s ) sam ple
o f som e 6 0,000 households each m onth, over the course
o f a year there are about 180,000 unduplicated records
o f the earnings for full-tim e w orkers. Such a data base
perm its detailed annual average tabulations, including,
for exam ple, the earnings of w orkers by sex for hundreds
o f occupations. For additional details on the cps and the
m erits and lim itations o f the data on w eekly earnings,
see Earl F. M ellor. Technical D escription o f the Q uart
erly D ata on Weekly E arnings fro m the C urrent P opu
lation Survey, Bulletin 2113 (Bureau o f Labor Statistics,
1982).
The next level of detail (“ two-digit” ) had 40 occupational
groups relevant to wage and salary workers. For example,
professional and technical workers were divided into six
groups and craftworkers into eight. The “ three-digit” level
of detail had 422 occupational titles applicable to wage and
salary workers. However, many of these titles had too few
sample observations to permit the estimation of reliable
earnings medians, especially separately for men and women.
Among the 11 major occupational groups, there are large
and longstanding differences between the sexes. Women
remain underrepresented in some major groups and over
represented in others.3 For example, in 1982, women ac
counted for about 6 percent of all craftworkers and 78 percent
of all clerical workers. However, an analysis of earnings
on the basis of only the major occupational groups does
little to explain the female-male earnings gap. If women
were distributed among the 11 major groups the same as
men (with earnings in each group unchanged), their median
earnings would have risen by $6 to $247. The earnings ratio
in 1982 thus would have been 66.6 percent, closing the
female-male gap by very little (1.6 percentage points).
Because there are both high- and low-paying jobs within
major groups, it is important to know what jobs within each
group are held by women. For example, among wage and
salary workers, women actually are more likely than men
to work in the professional and technical group (20 versus
17 percent) but are less likely to hold the higher paying jobs
within this group. On one hand, they account for only 5
percent of the engineers, 23 percent of the lawyers, and 22
percent of the physicians employed as wage and salary
workers.4 (See table 2.) On the other hand, women make
up very large shares of the lower paying professional and
technical jobs— 94 percent of the registered nurses, 70 per
cent of the health technologists and technicians, 67 percent
of teachers below the college level, and 65 percent of the
social and recreation workers.
Another example is salesworkers, a middle-paying cat
egory in which women are somewhat underrepresented. About
half the women in sales were sales clerks in retail trade,
one of the lowest paying sales occupations. Only about onesixth of the men in sales worked in this category— more of
them were sales representatives in wholesale trade. Large
numbers of men were also employed as sales representatives
in manufacturing; salesworkers, other than sales clerks, in
retail trade;5 and as stock and bond sales agents— all rela
tively high-paying sales jobs.
As noted, the adjustment of the employment distribution
of women to that of men yielded only a small (1.6 percentage
point) increase in the sex-earnings ratio when major groups
were used. However, the ratio moved up 5.1 percentage
points to 70.1 percent when the redistribution method was
applied to 40 two-digit occupations. In dollar terms, median
earnings of women rose $19 to $260. The ratios would
undoubtedly rise even higher if the very detailed three-digit
occupations were redistributed. However, serious data con
straints would complicate such an analysis, as there are
many jobs on the list for which no, or very few, women
(and, in some cases, men) were found in the c p s sample.
Where the exercise can be applied on a more limited scale—
for example, to the 13 categories of salesworkers— a marked
narrowing is apparent. Overall, women in sales jobs earned
only 55 percent as much as men in 1982; but, if women
were distributed among the sales jobs in the same way as
men, the ratio would jump 1 1 points to 66 percent.
Even at the finest level of detail for which the c p s data
are available, women earn less than men in almost all oc
cupations for which comparisons can be made. For most
jobs, full-time usual weekly earnings of women were 60 to
80 percent as much as those of men. For some (for example,
nurses, secondary school teachers, cashiers, postal clerks),
the ratio was 85 percent or more.
It is important to note that the three-digit level of detail
for occupations cannot take into consideration the wide range
of full-time jobs which is found in each category. For ex
ample, under physicians, there are 85 specialties6 (for ex
ample, interns and neurological surgeons) for which data
are not collected and would not be statistically reliable if
they were. For each three-digit occupation, there are nu
merous specialties with differences in skill levels, market
demand for the jobs, and other variables not available from
the c p s , but which affect the earnings of each. Obviously,
earnings differences between men and women reflect these
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Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage
and salary workers, by selected characteristics, 1982
annual averages
Median weekly earnings
Characteristic
Total
Men
Women
Female-tomale ratio
$309
317
247
242
$371
382
281
272
$241
244
223
207
65.0
63.9
79.4
76.1
214
167
226
319
359
350
336
257
231
177
246
364
431
428
409
299
194
155
205
261
260
254
246
210
84.0
87.6
83.3
71.7
60.3
59.3
60.1
70.2
335
248
230
268
354
308
356
444
420
403
298
262
327
424
381
422
525
503
257
189
176
197
273
238
279
351
326
63.8
63.4
67.2
60.2
64.4
62.5
66.1
66.9
64.8
230
318
300
400
411
305
374
355
429
435
213
247
241
311
304
69.8
66.0
67.9
72.5
69.9
Race and Hispanic origin
16 years and over ..........................
W hite...........................................
B la c k...........................................
Hispanic......................................
Age
16 to 24 years ...............................
16 to 1 9 ......................................
20 to 2 4 ......................................
25 to 34 .........................................
35 to 44 .........................................
45 to 54 .........................................
55 to 64 .........................................
65 and over ....................................
Years of school completed
25 years and over ..........................
Less than 4 years of high school
Elementary, 8 years or less . . .
1 to 3 years of high school . . .
4 years or more of high school . .
4 years of high s c h o o l............
1 to 3 years of college............
4 years or more of college . . .
5 years or more of college . . .
Hours usually worked
35 to 39 hours ...............................
40 hours or more ..........................
40 hours ....................................
41 hours or m o re ........................
60 hours or more ...................
variables to some degree.7
Skill level. Some insight into sex-earnings differences by
the skill level of a set of selected, narrowly defined occu
pations is provided in the National Survey of Professional,
Administrative, Technical, and Clerical Pay ( p a t c ) con
ducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. An accompanying
article reports that earnings of women in the March 1981
p a t c survey ranged from 74 to 101 percent of those of men,
and, in all but two occupations, the ratio was under 90
percent. But, when the skill level (based on an examination
of job duties and responsibilities) is taken into consideration,
women earned at least 90 percent as much as men in almost
every job and experience category.8 The p a t c data do not
indicate the number of years workers remain at a given skill
level, that is, how long it takes to be promoted to positions
with greater duties and responsibilities.
Distribution of earnings. The distributions from which the
medians are calculated in the c p s cover a wide range of
usual weekly earnings among workers in job groups for
which there were a reasonably large number of sample ob
servations. Regardless of the median value, there often were
some workers earning under $200 or even under $100, and
others earning hundreds of dollars above the median. For
example, lawyers employed full time as wage and salary
workers had median weekly earnings of $626. but nearly
10 percent reported earnings below $300, and roughly twice
that percentage had earnings of $900 or more. Among retail
19
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Weekly Earnings Differences by Sex
T a b le 2 . W e e k ly e a r n in g s o f w a g e a n d s a la r y w o r k e r s w h o u s u a lly w o r k f u l l t im e in o c c u p a t i o n s e m p lo y in g 5 0 ,0 0 0 o r m o r e ,
b y s e x , 1982 a v e ra g e s
[Numbers in thousands]
Total
Occupation
Employed
Men
Weekly
earnings1
Employed
Women
Weekly
earnings1
Employed
Weekly
earnings1
Total2 ......................................................................................................
70,546
$309
42,279
$371
28,267
$241
Professional, technical, and kindred w orkers...................................................................
Accountants .........................................................................................................
Architects ...........................................................................................................
Computer specialists...............................................................................................
Computer programmers .................................................................................
Computer systems analysts.....................................................................................
Computer specialists, n.e.c.......................................................................................
12,983
968
58
699
386
246
66
410
404
460
492
444
539
611
7,379
585
53
499
263
181
55
484
468
504
529
478
568
636
5,604
383
5
199
123
65
11
342
325
401
382
428
—
Engineers ..................................................................................................................
Aeronautical and astronautical engineers .....................................................................
Chemical engineers....................................................................................................
Civil engineers.............................................................................................................
Electrical and electronic engineers ..............................................................................
Industrial engineers ........................................................................................
Mechanical engineers .....................................................................................
Engineers, n.e.c...................................................................................................
1,471
73
64
187
382
237
239
220
586
628
629
558
599
550
584
592
1.391
71
58
184
366
208
231
207
592
632
641
561
607
566
588
596
80
2
6
3
16
29
9
12
479
_
_
_
_
_
_
—
Foresters and conservationists ...................................................................................
Lawyers and judges ....................................................................................................
Lawyers ....................................................................................................
Librarians, archivists, and curators ............................................................................
Librarians ................................................................................................................
Life and physical scientists..........................................................................................
Biological scientists.................................................................................................
Chemists...........................................................................................................
Operations and systems research analysts................................................................
57
306
284
159
149
279
54
122
232
382
633
626
349
346
519
399
520
508
53
238
218
35
29
225
31
98
159
398
660
653
5
68
66
124
119
54
23
23
73
Personnel and labor relations workers .......................................................................
Physicians, dentists, and related practitioners ...........................................................
Pharmacists.........................................................................................................
Physicians, medical and osteopathic .......................................................................
Nurses, dietitians, and therapists........................................................... .....................
Dietitians..................................................................................................................
Registered nurses ....................................................................................................
Therapists ................................................................................................................
Health technologists and technicians ..........................................................................
Clinical laboratory, technologists and technicians....................................................
Radiologic technologists and technicians ................................................................
Health technologists and technicians, n.e.c...............................................................
390
358
113
217
1.215
55
952
207
499
211
82
163
430
507
501
526
357
295
365
333
316
326
325
293
196
279
85
169
123
6
56
62
153
53
29
66
530
530
517
564
358
Religious w orkers.........................................................................................................
Clergy.......................................................................................................................
Social scientists...........................................................................................................
Economists .............................................................................................................
Psychologists...........................................................................................................
Social and recreation w orkers..............................................................
Social workers ....................................................................................................
Recreation workers .................................................................................................
Teachers, college and university .................................................................................
Teachers, except college and university..................................................................
Adult education teachers..........................................................................................
Elementary school teachers.................................................................................
Prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers ..............................................................
Secondary school teachers .....................................................................................
Teachers, except college and university, n.e.c.................................................
281
243
253
161
71
414
329
85
423
2.621
. 56
1,261
156
1.092
56
299
302
518
581
420
311
328
234
499
360
432
349
284
384
314
251
232
165
117
34
146
113
33
312
861
38
236
3
560
25
305
304
580
638
—
359
382
Engineering and science technicians............................................................................
Chemical technicians ...................................................................................
Drafters....................................................................................................................
Electrical and electronic engineering technicians ......................................
Surveyors ................................................................................................................
Engineering and science technicians, n.e.c................................................................
Technicians, except health, engineering, and science...........................................
Airplane pilots .........................................................................................................
Radio operators ......................................................................................................
Vocational and educational counselors ...............................................
1.022
92
278
292
58
242
171
56
56
142
379
384
365
400
336
380
411
588
296
402
843
69
232
256
58
184
132
54
28
72
394
400
379
411
336
404
465
600
Writers, artists, and entertainers .................................................................................
Designers ...............................................................................................
Editors and reporters........................................................................................
Painters and sculptors .............................................................................................
Public relations specialists and publicity w riters.......................................................
Writers, artists, and entertainers, n.e.c................................................
Research workers, not specified .................................................................................
766
170
157
89
112
72
149
391
461
383
344
411
391
486
477
127
83
49
60
42
100
444
526
451
Managers and administrators, except farm .....................................................................
Bank officers and financial managers ..........................................................................
Buyers, wholesale and retail trade ..............................................................................
Credit and collection managers ...................................................................................
7.908
710
153
63
430
471
334
382
5,595
445
84
32
See footnotes at end of table.
20
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
_
_
553
—
546
547
_
363
348
365
369
—
362
—
528
413
_
411
_
411
—
194
80
28
47
1.092
49
897
145
346
158
53
97
31
11
88
44
38
268
216
52
110
1,760
18
1.025
153
532
31
502
492
340
338
378
_
417
354
421
_
357
366
328
298
317
299
257
_
420
_
291
307
203
415
338
339
283
357
178
23
46
36
0
58
40
2
28
69
307
314
550
_
562
289
44
74
40
52
30
49
507
574
412
—
2.313
264
69
31
_
459
—
308
_
348
325
341
309
336
271
Table 2. Continued — Weekly earnings of wage and salary workers who usually work full time in occupations employing
50,000 or more, by sex, 1982 averages
[Numbers in thousands]
Total
Occupation
Employed
Men
Weekly
earnings1
Employed
Women
Weekly
earnings1
Employed
Weekly
earnings1
Health administrators ........................................................................................
Inspectors, except construction and public administration...............................
Managers and superintendents, building .....................................................................
Office managers, n.e.c......................................................................................
Officials and administrators, public administration, n.e.c..................................
Officials of lodges, societies, and unions.....................................................................
Purchasing agents and buyers, n.e.c.........................................................
Restaurant, cafeteria, and bar managers ..................................................................
205
107
113
444
407
108
254
424
$461
420
285
337
463
479
421
274
104
94
54
124
296
79
166
237
$587
429
353
512
501
525
494
309
101
13
59
320
110
29
88
187
$394
Sales managers and department heads, retail tra d e ....................................................
Sales managers, except retail trade ............................................................................
School administrators, college .........................................................
School administrators, elementary and secondary......................................................
Managers and administrators, n.e.c.........................................................................
Salesworkers ...............................................................................................
Advertising agents and salesworkers .........................................................................
Insurance agents, brokers, and underwriters .............................................
Real estate agents and brokers .........................................................................
Stock and bond sales agents .....................................................................
Sales representatives, manufacturing industries ..........................
Sales representatives, wholesale trade ...........................................
Sales clerks, retail trade.........................................................
Salesworkers, except clerks, retail trade .........................................................
Salesworkers, services and construction ..................................................
321
342
119
269
3.699
3.643
103
444
202
150
338
795
1.020
376
181
302
566
505
517
463
317
344
357
339
549
462
409
188
298
346
193
302
78
181
2.979
386
585
547
566
518
227
2.416
52
297
91
116
278
691
420
333
122
383
449
419
435
642
512
426
239
310
408
128
40
41
87
720
1.227
51
147
111
34
59
104
600
43
59
13.845
453
128
1.321
720
262
71
243
248
199
235
244
176
345
260
225
2.997
32
16
116
112
76
26
62
347
Dispatchers and starters, vehicle..................................................................
Estimators and investigators, n.e.c............................................................
Expediters and production controllers.........................................................
File c le rks...............................................................................
Insurance adjusters, examiners, and investigators.................................
Library attendants and assistants.........................................................................
Mail carriers, post office .....................................................................
Mailhandlers, except post office ............................................................................
Messengers and office helpers .........................................................
97
505
254
180
185
56
239
146
71
335
337
342
220
300
240
420
229
204
67
206
146
23
79
7
209
80
58
Office machine operators............................
Computer and peripheral equipment operators.............................................
Keypunch operators.......................................................................
Office machine operators, n.e.c....................................................
Payroll and timekeeping clerks ..................................................
Postal clerks .......................................................................
988
530
332
54
203
248
259
285
240
261
275
420
257
201
19
19
39
175
Receptionists.....................................................................
Secretaries .....................................................................................
Secretaries, legal ...........................................................
Secretaries, medical .....................................................................
Secretaries, n.e.c................................................................
Shipping and receiving clerks ........................................
Statistical clerks.........................................................
Stock clerks and storekeepers....................................................
442
3.086
151
65
2.870
464
323
439
207
243
285
247
241
258
271
287
9
22
1
0
22
358
67
282
Teachers aides, except school monitors ...........................................
Telephone operators ..............................................................
Ticket, station, and express agents ...............................................
Typists..............................................................................
Miscellaneous clerical workers .........................................................
Not specified clerical workers ..................................................
145
237
133
691
927
340
164
269
434
227
247
245
9
16
72
22
173
68
Craft and kindred workers ................................................................
Bakers ..........................................................................
Brlckmasons and stonemasons.............................................
Bulldozer operators............................................................................
Cabinetmakers............................................................................
Carpenters ........................................................................................
Compositors and typesetters..............................................................
Crane, derrick, and hoist operators ......................................
10.068
97
87
79
52
672
146
111
375
236
392
317
302
341
278
420
9.417
62
86
78
48
664
92
110
69
538
112
257
221
432
441
351
27
528
110
253
Clerical and kindred workers ..................................................
Bank te lle rs..........................................................................
Billing clerks ................................................................
Bookkeepers .....................................................................
Cashiers..........................................................................................
Clerical supervisors, n.e.c............................................................................
Collectors, billing and account .......................................................................
Counter clerks, except food ...........................................
Decorators and window dressers................................................................
Electricians .....................................................................
Electric power line and cable installers and repairers .....................
Excavating, grading, and road machine operators, except bulldozer ..............
_
330
196
474
_
277
370
426
398
_
383
_
423
250
212
343
354
10.848
422
111
1.205
608
185
46
182
31
298
108
158
106
50
30
66
14
253
312
392
319
233
_
338
312
212
286
284
292
315
308
167
252
236
198
233
240
172
313
213
289
294
217
257
236
209
731
329
312
35
164
73
242
253
237
433
3.084
150
65
2.849
106
255
157
206
243
285
247
241
221
256
241
136
221
62
670
754
272
162
267
387
227
239
236
247
341
334
421
651
35
1
1
3
9
54
1
434
441
351
42
10
1
4
_
_
_
427
_
_
_
_
274
341
322
_
_
465
322
297
384
271
395
319
257
403
224
—
See footnotes at end of table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
21
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Weekly Earnings Differences bx Sex
T a b le 2 . C o n t i n u e d — W e e k ly e a r n in g s o f w a g e a n d s a la r y w o r k e r s w h o u s u a lly w o r k f u l l t im e in o c c u p a t i o n s e m p lo y in g
5 0 ,0 0 0 o r m o r e , b y s e x , 1 9 8 2 a v e r a g e s
[Numbers in thousands]
Total
Occupation
Employed
Men
Weekly
earnings1
Employed
Women
Weekly
earnings1
Employed
Weekly
earnings1
Blue-collar worker supervisors, n.e.c................................................................
In s p e c to rs , n .e .c ...........................................................................................................
Job and die setters, metal ..........................................................................................
Machinists .........................................................................................................
1.640
133
70
466
$422
408
358
371
1,448
117
68
451
$438
414
364
375
192
16
2
16
$263
_
_
Mechanics and repairers .............................................................................................
Airconditioning, heating, and refrigeration ..............................................................
Aircraft ...........................................................................................................
Automobile body repairers ...................................................................................
Automobile mechanics .............................................................................................
Data processing machine repairers .......................................................................
Farm implement .................................................................................................
Heavy equipment mechanics, including diesel .........................................................
Household appliance accessory installers and mechanics........................................
Office machine .........................................................................................................
Radio and television.................................................................................................
Miscellaneous mechanics and repairers ................................................................
Millwrights .........................................................................................................
Painters, construction and maintenance .....................................................................
Plumbers and pipe fitte rs .............................................................................................
Printing press operators...............................................................................................
Roofers and slaters......................................................................................................
Sheetmetal workers and tinsmiths ..............................................................................
Stationary engineers ....................................................................................................
Structural metal workers .............................................................................................
Telephone installers and repairers ...............................................................................
Telephone line installers and repairers .......................................................................
Tool and die makers ....................................................................................................
2.801
173
123
135
778
75
50
901
118
75
71
215
91
250
385
171
67
141
182
73
307
101
150
345
360
431
305
307
429
269
366
340
373
338
361
458
294
422
345
306
401
393
497
449
396
437
2,740
173
117
133
772
70
50
889
114
70
65
208
90
240
381
148
66
136
179
72
272
94
148
346
360
435
305
308
433
269
367
340
379
346
362
61
1
7
2
7
6
0
12
4
5
6
7
1
11
3
23
1
5
3
0
35
6
2
318
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
Operatives, except transport.............................................................................................
Assemblers..................................................................................................................
Checkers, examiners, and inspectors, manufacturing..................................................
Clothing ironers and pressers ..........................................................................
Cutting operatives, n.e.c.............................................................................
Drywall installers and lathers ......................................................................................
Filers, polishers, sanders, and buffers .......................................................................
Garage workers and gas station attendants ................................................................
Laundry and dry cleaning operatives, n.e.c...................................................................
8.291
1.016
699
87
188
55
109
190
119
252
246
284
169
232
355
234
184
178
4.998
460
326
22
128
55
78
179
35
311
319
360
249
356
256
186
—
3.294
556
372
65
60
0
32
11
84
198
220
235
156
186
_
Meat cutters and butchers, except manufacturing ......................................................
Meat cutters and butchers, manufacturing....................................................
Mine operatives, n.e.c...................................................................................................
Mixing operatives.........................................................................................................
Packers and wrappers, except meat and produce .......................................................
Painters, manufactured articles ...................................................................................
Photographic process workers ..............................................................................
153
81
212
75
508
117
69
341
279
432
289
218
258
245
147
54
210
71
212
98
33
342
329
432
289
246
279
—
6
27
2
4
296
19
36
Precision machine operatives ......................................................................................
Grinding machine operatives ...................................................................................
Lathe and milling machine operatives .....................................................................
Punch and stamping press operatives..........................................................................
Sawyers....................................................................................................
Sewers and stitchers..................................................................
Shoemaking machine operatives .................................................................................
Furnace tenders and stokers, except metal................................................................
258
92
80
86
100
634
61
67
330
317
362
282
228
166
176
369
227
83
74
50
87
32
16
66
345
326
371
317
230
_
372
31
8
6
35
13
602
45
2
Textile operatives .................................................................................................
Spinners, twisters, and w inders..............................................................................
Textile operatives, n.e.c..............................................................
Welders and flame cutters ................................................................
Machine operatives, miscellaneous specified ..........................
Machine operatives, not specified ................................................................
Miscellaneous operatives ...............................
Not specified operatives....................................
251
90
107
561
1.098
284
549
151
213
220
204
345
288
252
248
300
93
28
49
531
809
191
374
97
232
_
_
351
322
280
287
348
158
62
59
31
289
92
175
54
Transport equipment operatives .........................................................
Bus d riv e rs ........................................
Delivery and route workers..................................................
Forklift and tow motor operators ....................................................
Taxicab drivers and chauffeurs .......................................................
Truck drivers.........................................................
2.638
168
438
312
90
1.519
323
332
307
301
240
330
2.506
123
411
284
85
1.495
328
370
316
307
244
331
133
46
27
28
6
24
237
Laborers, except farm ..................................................
Construction laborers, except carpenters' helpers .......................................................
Freight and material handlers ..................................................................
Garbage collectors ................................................
Gardeners and groundskeepers, except farm ....................................
Stock handlers...............................
Vehicle washers and equipment cleaners...............................
Warehouse laborers, n.e.c.................................
3.092
611
594
61
372
495
127
253
243
254
270
233
209
222
205
275
2.757
595
533
60
356
357
108
235
248
253
274
232
210
237
203
282
335
17
61
1
16
138
19
18
205
See footnotes at end of table.
22
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
460
298
421
362
308
405
391
498
451
398
439
—
—
—
__
__
_
_
_
_
_
_
—
—
__
_
167
_
_
_
204
_
—
__
_
_
_
165
—
198
217
176
213
214
193
250
-
244
191
—
Table 2. Continued — Weekly earnings of wage and salary workers who usually work full time in occupations employing
50,000 or more, by sex, 1982 averages
[Numbers in thousands]
Total
Occupation
Employed
Men
Weekly
earnings’
Employed
Women
Weekly
earnings’
Employed
Weekly
earnings’
Miscellaneous laborers .............................................................................................
Not specified laborers , ...............................................................................................
164
227
$284
241
145
207
$296
244
19
20
Service workers, except private household .....................................................................
Cleaning service workers .............................................................................................
Lodging quarters cleaners........................................................................................
Building interior cleaners, n.e.c..........................................................................
Janitors and sextons ........................................................................................
7,011
1.624
105
515
1.003
207
211
142
192
229
3,518
1.104
6
234
864
246
231
—
217
234
3,493
520
100
281
140
$180
175
140
177
195
Food service workers ........................................................................
Bartenders......................................................................................
Waiter assistants..........................................................................
Cooks................... .......................................................................
Dishwashers ..................................................
Food counter and fountain w orkers.......................................................................
W aiters......................................................................................
Food service workers, n.e.c.........................................
1.960
175
72
724
105
98
531
256
168
196
140
180
140
145
158
169
796
87
62
386
81
25
83
71
192
224
140
205
141
_
229
182
1.164
88
10
338
24
73
448
185
155
177
Health service workers ..........................................................................
Dental assistants.......................................................................................................
Health aides, except nursing ..........................................................................
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants ................................................................
Practical nurses ....................................................................................................
1.410
95
218
826
268
200
202
219
182
255
163
2
30
118
12
222
1.248
93
189
708
255
198
201
216
179
253
Personal service workers ..........................................................................................
Attendants, recreation and amusement ..............................................................
Child care workers ..................................................................................................
Hairdressers and cosmetologists ............................................................................
Housekeepers.......................................................................................................
Protective service workers ..........................................................................................
Firefighters ....................................................................................
Guards .........................................................................................................
Police and detectives ...............................................................................................
Sheriffs and bailiffs ...............................................................................................
662
88
92
184
132
1.355
218
561
487
75
202
197
148
199
221
331
393
241
405
321
211
55
10
24
48
1.245
216
494
455
68
251
222
_
--- •
_
338
393
240
409
336
451
33
82
160
84
110
2
66
32
7
188
Private household w orkers.....................................................................
Child care workers ......................................................................................................
Housekeepers ..............................................................................................................
Cleaners and servants ..................................................................................................
301
125
60
111
111
82
128
127
10
1
2
6
_
—
291
124
58
105
111
83
127
128
Farm workers ................................................................................................
Farm laborers, wage workers ......................................................................................
765
696
190
184
686
623
192
185
79
74
174
170
—
—
211
—
_
—
156
143
149
164
141
194
193
254
241
-
’ Excludes earnings from self employment,
includes data for occupations not shown.
Note: n.e.c. = not elsewhere classified. Dashes indicate earnings not shown where base is less than 50.000.
sales clerks, with a median of $188. a small proportion
(about 1 percent) reported earnings of $900 or more, but a
much larger proportion (81 percent) had earnings under $300
and some (29 percent) were under $150.
As shown in table 3, 1 of 3 full-time wage and salary
female workers earned under $200 a week, compared to 1
of 8 men. For most of the major occupational groups, women
were 2 to 5 times as likely as men to earn under $200. Only
for the three lowest paying groups was the ratio at or below
2. At the upper end of the earnings distribution, men were
at least twice as likely as women to earn $500 or more for
each of the major groups.
The data thus show that differences by sex are greater at
the extremes of the earnings scale than a comparison of
medians alone suggests. These large differences persist even
among the detailed occupations. In each of the 10 lowest
paying and the 10 highest paying occupations in which
50,000 or more of each sex were employed, women were
far more likely than men to earn under $200 and far less
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likely than men to earn $500 or more. However, among the
lowest paying occupations, the proportion of women to that
of men earning under $200 generally was lower than was
the case among the higher paying occupations. This may
reflect, as with teenagers, some effect of the minimum wage
on large differences at the low end of the earnings spectrum.
Another way to look at earnings differences is to find the
top decile of women's earnings and ascertain how much a
woman must earn to be among the highest 10 percent of
women in an occupation, and then estimate the proportion
of men who are earning at least that level. For most major
occupational groups, about 40 percent of the men earn at
least as much as the highest 10 percent of women workers.
(See table 4.)
Unfortunately, this type of analysis cannot be extended
to the 10 lowest and highest paying of each of the detailed
occupations because of the relatively few sample observa
tions in the vicinity of the top decile boundary. (Observa
tions tend to be clustered near average earnings values.)
23
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Weekly Earnings Differences by Sex
However, an examination of the seven three-digit occupa
tions in table 4 in which at least 250,000 workers of each
sex were employed in 1982 produced results similar to those
for the major groups.
Job and occupational tenure
Questions on both job and occupational tenure were asked
in a special cps supplement conducted in January 1983. Job
Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of women and
men, and percent earning under $200 and $500 or more in
major occupations and in selected low- and high-paying
occupations, full-time workers, 1982 annual averages
O c c u p a tio n
M e d ia n
usual
w e e k ly
e a r n in g s
P e rc e n t u n d e r $ 2 0 0
P e rc e n t $ 5 0 0 o r
m o re
M en
W om en
M en
W om en
$309
12.7
32.7
26.7
6.0
410
3.4
8.8
47.8
15.6
430
317
248
3.2
11.8
13.0
16.2
45.8
30.3
51.3
32.6
16.5
14.9
7.5
2.4
375
7.0
28.4
23.9
7.7
252
16.7
50.7
10.1
1.0
323
243
14.4
32.3
35.3
47.5
16.6
5.9
6.8
1.5
111
207
190
(1)
31.9
53.8
90.7
61.7
62.0
(1)
7.8
1.6
0.3
0.8
—
158
36.1
77.5
6.0
—
169
176
60.6
52.7
75.1
66.3
2.8
5.4
0.5
0.2
180
47.4
76.3
0.3
2.8
182
184
188
43.2
57.8
34.5
65.1
63.5
71.0
2.5
1.0
8.8
_
192
196
202
41.0
37.9
33.2
66.2
65.9
56.1
3.8
4.6
7.6
626
586
2.3
0.4
3.0
1.3
74.8
71.3
48.5
45.0
Industry
539
—
4.6
66.9
35.4
519
518
4.0
1.8
11.1
2.3
59.1
61.8
31.5
35.2
517
0.6
20.7
65.2
28.7
2.7
61.6
28.8
Data from a bls survey of business establishments illus
trate the extent to which employed women are concentrated
in lower paying industries and underrepresented in the higher
paying ones.12 In a ranking of 52 industries (from the July
1982 establishment survey), the apparel and other textile
industries ranked first in female employment (82 percent)
but ranked 50th in average hourly earnings. Conversely, the
bituminous coal and lignite mining industry ranked 52nd in
percentage of women employees (5 percent) but first in
average hourly earnings.
Current Population Survey data amplify the above find
ings, showing that women are less likely than men to be
employed in mining, durable goods manufacturing, trans-
M a jo r o c c u p a tio n g ro u p s
T o ta l.................
Professional and technical
w orke rs...................
Managers and
administrators,
except farm ............
Salesworkers ..............
Clerical workers .........
Craft and kindred
w orke rs...................
Operatives, except
transport .................
Transport equipment
operatives ..............
Nonfarm laborers . . . .
Private household
workers .................
Other service workers .
Farm workers ............
L o w e s t p a y in g
o c c u p a tio n s 2
W aiters........................
Food service workers,
n.e.c..........................
Cashiers .....................
Cooks, except private
household ..............
Nursing aides, orderlies,
and attendants . . . .
Farm laborers..............
Sales clerks, retail trade
Building interior cleaners,
n.e.c..........................
Bartenders...................
Personal service workers
0.1
1.2
_
_
3.1
H ig h e s t p a y in g
o c c u p a tio n s 2
Lawyers .....................
Engineers ...................
Computer systems
analysts...................
Life and physical
scientists .................
Social scientists .........
School administrators,
elementary and
secondary ..............
Operations and systems
researchers and
analysts...................
Physicians, dentists, and
related practitioners .
Teachers, college and
university.................
Bank officers and financial
managers.................
508
1.3
507
1.8
7.5
55.2
37.5
499
2.6
6.4
56.1
32.7
471
0.7
7.6
63.6
18.2
'Percent not shown where the base is under 50,000 workers.
2Oc6upations in which at least 50,000 of each sex are employed.
Note: Dashes indicate zero or rounds to zero.
24
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tenure differs from occupational tenure in that it refers to
the time spent with the current employer, while the latter
refers to the number of years in the same occupation without
regard to the number of employers. Job tenure results showed
that men had been with their current employer an average
of 5.1 years, compared to 3.3 years for women. Men in
each 10-year age group 35 years and over also had more
seniority with their employer than did women. Up to about
the mid-30’s, job tenure does not differ significantly by sex.9
In a study of the effect of occupational tenure on the
male-female earnings gap, Nancy Rytina found that the
combination of potential work experience (age minus years
of schooling minus 6), tenure in the same three-digit oc
cupation, marital status, part- versus full-time employment,
residence, and major occupation and industry group ac
counted for 25 percent of the wage difference between the
sexes.10 However, occupational tenure alone accounted for
4 percent of the gap.
The cps contains no information about the work history
of an individual which may encompass several jobs of dif
ferent but closely related titles and several employers. Clearly,
differences in skills and other aspects of career development
accumulated over the worklife may have more impact on
current earnings than the length of time spent working in
the current occupational field or for the current employer.
Several studies of work history have analyzed other mea
sures of education, training, work history, and labor force
attachment— most of which are not available from the cps—
to explain wage differences by race and sex. For example,
in an analysis of work history and other data, Mary Corcoran
and Greg Duncan explained 44 percent of the hourly wage
gap between white men and women. Tenure with the current
employer prior to the present position, combined with the
number of years of training completed in the present po
sition, explained 23 percent of the gap. Although post
training job tenure in the present position contributed to
higher wages, it did not explain any of the wage gap between
the sexes. An additional 8 percent of the gap was associated
with the number of years of worklife that were at full-time
jobs.11
portation and public utilities, and the Federal Government—
groups in which women’s earnings are relatively high. A
redistribution of female employment to that of male em
ployment among an all-inclusive list of 15 private industry
groups and the three levels of government would raise the
1982 sex-earnings ratio 1.0 percentage point, or $4. How
ever, if the standardization exercise is done on a more de
tailed list of 46 industry groups in the private sector and 14
groups among government, the median usual weekly earn
ings of women would rise by $11, narrowing the sexearnings ratio by 2.9 percentage points.
Hours worked
To facilitate comparisons among groups, analysis in this
article is restricted to full-time workers— those who usually
work 35 hours or more per week. Even so, full-time earnings
vary widely, depending on whether the worker is at the low
or high end of the hours range. For example, full-time
workers putting in fewer than 40 hours had median earnings
of $230 per week in 1982. For those working 40 hours, the
median was $300, while those usually working 41 hours or
more averaged $400 a week. The fact that men work more
hours explains some of the differential in weekly earnings.
Among full-time workers, 24 percent of the men, compared
to 10 percent of the women, usually worked more than 40
hours per week in 1982. Thus, men could be expected to
earn more per week even if both sexes earned the same
hourly rate. If the distribution of hours worked by women
were the same as that of men, with women’s earnings in
each category of hours worked unchanged, median usual
weekly earnings of women in 1982 would have been $253,
or 68.2 percent of those of men, instead of $241 or 65
percent. In other words, the $12 increase would represent
9.2 percent of the earnings gap between the sexes, or 3.2
percentage points.
Because some people may associate working more than
40 hours a week with the receipt of overtime pay, men may
be expected to earn more per week than women as a result
of such premium pay. However, the data indicate that pre
mium pay for overtime work may not be a contributing
factor to the $12 disparity attributed to differences in hours
usually worked. In fact, the opposite may be the case.
May 1978 is the latest date for which c p s data on both
weekly earnings and the receipt of premium pay for working
more than 40 hours are available. Among workers who put
in 41 hours or more during the survey reference week, more
than two-thirds of those who usually worked 41 hours or
more did not receive a premium rate for their long work
weeks. 13 Among those usually working 35 to 40 hours, only
about one-third did not receive premium pay. For both groups,
those who did receive premium pay usually earned less per
week than those not paid a higher overtime rate. This was
true for both men and women.
An explanation for this apparent paradox is that higher
paying jobs often are salaried, demand more weekly hours,
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and are not covered by either collective bargaining agree
ments or the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards
Act. The data show that among those working 41 hours or
more during the reference week who usually worked 41 or
more hours, professional-technical workers and managersadministrators accounted for 14 percent of the population
receiving premium pay, but 55 percent of the population
not paid higher rates.
The numbers suggest that the effect on women’s earnings
as a result of their working fewer hours than men is brought
about more because women are less likely to hold higher
paying jobs which demand long workweeks than the fact
that they are less likely to work overtime and receive pre
mium pay. In support of this explanation is the fact that,
for workers putting in 41 hours or more a week in May
1978, women were somewhat more likely than men (45
versus 42 percent) to receive premium pay.
Labor force interruptions
The role labor force interruptions play in sex-earnings
differences has been analyzed using data which are not
available in the c p s . In 1974, Jacob Mincer and Solomon
Polachek used data from the 1967 National Longitudinal
Survey of Work Experience to suggest that because of de
preciation and a shorter overall payoff period, workers who
expect to interrupt their careers will have lower investments
Table 4. Top decile earnings of men and women, and
percent of men earning as much as the highest paid decile
of women for major occupational groups and for selected
occupations, full-time workers, 1982 annual averages
O c c u p a tio n
L o w e r b o u n d a ry of
to p d e c ile
P e rc e n t o f m e n e a r n in g
a t le a s t a s m u c h a s
w o m e n 's to p d e c ile
M en
W om en
$688
$437
37
848
561
37
'900 +
790
571
616
502
568
440
386
470
338
40
40
42
29
43
569
448
(2)
469
315
445
355
197
295
285
24
25
(2)
38
14
776
637
482
477
532
567
290
362
39
18
37
40
358
243
34
540
380
45
'900 +
597
46
M a jo r o c c u p a tio n g ro u p s
Total ........................
Professional and technical
workers.............................
Managers and administrators,
except farm .....................
Salesworkers........................
Clerical workers ...................
Craft and kindred workers . .
Operatives, except transport .
Transport equipment
operatives ........................
Nonfarm laborers .................
Private household workers . .
Other service workers .........
Farm workers .....................
S e le c te d o c c u p a tio n s 3
Accountants ........................
Secondary school teachers . .
Sales clerks, retail trade . . . .
Assemblers..........................
Cooks, except private
household ' . .....................
Checkers, examiners, and
inspectors ........................
Bank officers and financial
managers ........................
'Earnings of $900 or more. Decile boundaries are estimated using linear interpolation
of $50- and $100-wide intervals. Since the $900 + interval is open-ended, the boundary
cannot be estimated.
2Decile boundary and percent not estimated where base is under 50,000.
Occupations in which at least 250,000 of each sex are employed.
25
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Weekly Earnings Differences by Sex
in human capital than those who expect no interruptions.14
In 1981, Polachek showed that if the cost of withdrawing
from the labor force varied among occupations and lifetime
labor force participation differs among individuals, an in
dividual will choose occupations which result in the smallest
atrophy penalty (depreciation and forgone appreciation) in
his or her lifetime.15
Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics,
Mary Corcoran, Greg Duncan, and Michael Ponza found
that even though women earned relatively lower wages when
they returned to work than they had prior to dropping out
of the labor force, they experienced a subsequent rapid wage
growth (a rebound) such that the net long-term loss from
dropping out is small.16 In addition, they found that depre
ciation does not differ significantly between “ male” and
“ female” jobs, confirming research by Paula England, who,
using data from the National Longitudinal Survey, found
that neither the depreciation rate nor returns to work ex
perience were correlated with the percent female in the
current occupation.17 They also showed that there is enough
mobility between “ men’s” and “ women’s” jobs to suggest
that “ the use of current occupation as a proxy for occu
pational history is inappropriate and may provide misleading
information about whether job choice is conditioned by ex
pectations about future work or whether experience garnered
in ‘female’ jobs results in lower wage growth and less de
preciation than experience garnered in ‘male’ jobs.”
A recap and related issues
R e d is trib u te d by:
A g e .........................................
Y e ars o f sc h o o l (ag e 25
a n d o v e r) ......................
O c c u p a tio n .........................
In d u stry ................................
H o u rs w o rk e d ..................
F e m a le -m a le ra tio ,
m e d ia n w eekly
e a rn in g s, 1982
P e r c e n ta g e p o in t c h a n g e
6 5 .0
—
6 5 .5
0 .5
6 4 .3
70.1
6 7 .9
6 8 .2
0 .5
5.1
2 .9
3 .2
Although differences in age, years of school completed,
industry, occupation, and hours worked each account for a
relatively small part of the earnings gap between women
and men, it would be inappropriate to accumulate these
26
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Median weekly earnings
D a te
F e m a le to -m a le
ra tio
T o ta l
M en
W om en
$109
121
130
138
144
159
$ 78
86
94
100
106
116
124
137
145
156
166
62.4
60.6
62.3
61.7
63.1
61.7
169
185
196
211
226
$125
142
151
162
168
188
204
221
233
252
271
1979:
I ....................................
II .................................
I l l .................................
I V .................................
Annual average ............
238
242
243
252
244
290
295
298
309
298
182
183
187
192
186
62.8
62.0
62.8
62.1
62.4
1980:
I ....................................
II ..................................
I l l .................................
I V .................................
Annual average ............
260
261
266
277
266
315
317
321
334
322
200
200
205
211
204
63.5
63.1
63.9
63.2
63.4
1981:
I ....................................
II ..................................
I l l .................................
I V .................................
Annual average ............
283
284
287
300
289
342
343
345
360
347
220
221
224
232
224
64.3
64.4
64.9
64.4
64.6
304
308
307
316
309
363
370
371
379
371
238
240
240
248
241
65.6
64.9
64.7
65.4
65.0
319
320
320
327
322
385
383
388
393
387
252
253
251
260
254
65.5
66.1
64.7
66.2
65.6
May:1
1967 ..................................
1969 .................................
1970 ..................................
1971..................................
1972 ..................................
1973 ..................................
1974 .................................
1975 .................................
1976 .................................
1977 .................................
1978 .................................
1982:
I ....................................
II .................................
I l l .................................
I V .............................
Theories such as human capital theory, dual labor mar
kets, and comparable worth all encompass factors that have
a bearing on earnings differences between men and women.
As discussed, studies focusing on these theories show a
great diversity of views and reveal an exceedingly wide
variance in the explanatory power of their investigations.18
Using data from a relatively new b l s earnings series pub
lished quarterly, I examined separately certain aspects of
employment, and estimated how much the sex-earnings ratio
would change if women were distributed, in employment
more like men. The following summarizes my findings:
A c t u a l .........................................
Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of men and
women, full-time wage and salary workers, May 1967-78,
and quarterly and annual averages, 1979-83
Annual average ............
1983:
I ....................................
II .............................
I l l .................................
I V .............................
Annual average ............
60.8
62.0
62.2
61.9
61.3
1Data for 1967-78 are not strictly comparable to those for later years.
Note: Data are not seasonally adjusted. Earnings data were not collected in 1968.
reductions. They may explain more or less than their sum
depending on their interaction. Clearly, there is an over
lapping of the individual parts. For example, a redistribution
of women among occupations to close the 5.1-percentagepoint gap due to occupational differences may also reduce
some of the differences in both industry and hours worked
as well as any from job or occupational tenure. Although
statistical techniques have been applied to various human
capital variables (education, on-the-job training, and so forth)
using individual c p s records, they cannot establish precisely
to what extent the differences in occupations are based on
human capital factors alone, as opposed to differences caused
by individual selections between higher and lower paying
jobs— voluntarily or otherwise— and differences resulting
from discrimination in hiring, advancement, and pay scales
on the part of employers. The c p s contains no questions on
the last factors. Moreover, many components of human
capital are not available from either the c p s or other sample
survey data; indeed, some may be virtually impossible to
measure.
If an occupation pays little simply because women con
stitute a large share of the total employed, one may expect
the earnings of men employed in these occupations to be
lower than those in which men predominate. A simple
regression equation shows a weak inverse, but not statis
tically significant, relationship. The share of women in an
occupation was associated with only 1.4 percent of the var
iance in men’s earnings.19Thus, this regression alone cannot
suggest that employers pay less for certain jobs simply be
cause women predominate in them.
A regression of women’s median earnings on the percent
employed in a specific occupation (done on 112 occupational
titles with 50,000 women or more) does show a significant
inverse relationship. The slope of the estimated regression
line indicates that for each increase of 10 percent in the
proportion of women in the occupation, median usual weekly
earnings in 1982 would fall by $13. The equation accounted
for about 19 percent of the variance in women’s earnings
among these occupations.20 The relationship shows a cor
relation with, but not a cause for, women earning less than
men.
Recent trends
The overall median weekly earnings ratio of women to
men employed full time did not change much between 1973
and 1978, fluctuating mostly between 61 and 62 percent.
(See table 5.) Among specific age groups, changes were
mixed. The ratio of the medians rose for teenagers and for
workers 25 to 34 years and fell for those 45 to 54 and 55
to 64. Apparent changes for the remaining groups were not
statistically significant.
The overall ratio of female-to-male earnings did change
significantly between 1979 and 1982. For workers 25 and
over, the sex-earnings ratio rose from 61 to 64 percent, and
it rose even after race and years of school completed were
taken into consideration. Among whites age 25 and over,
women gained relative to men for the educational groups
with less than 4 years of college. Although the earnings of
women with 4 years or more of college did not advance
relative to men, they continued to have a higher sex-earnings
ratio (67 percent) than those completing fewer years of
school. Among blacks 25 and over, there were apparent
gains in the earnings ratio for all educational groups between
1979 and 1982. However, because of their smaller sample
size, only gains for those completing 4 years of high school
or less are statistically significant.21
One possible explanation of the recent rise in the femaleto-male earnings ratio could be that there has been a changed
mix of occupations. That is, proportionately more women
than men may have moved into higher paying jobs. The
data, however, do not confirm this. If both women and men
age 16 and over in 1982 were distributed among either the
major or the two-digit occupational groups as their coun
terparts were in 1979, with earnings distributions within
each occupational group the same as they were in 1982, the
ratio of female-to-male earnings would have been 64.9 per
cent— not significantly different from the actual ratio.
Another factor which could affect the earnings ratio is
change in the economic situation, particularly if the un
employment rate and hours worked by men are more, sen
sitive to overall fluctuations than those of women. In such
a case, the sex-earnings ratio would have risen as a result
of recent recessions if more men than women lost higher
paying jobs or had their hours reduced.
□
FOOTNOTES
'Cynthia B. Lloyd and Beth T. Niemi, The Economics of Sex Differ
entials (New York, Columbia University Press. 1979). The table beginning
on page 232 summarizes the results of these studies, most of which use
multiple regression analysis.
2There were actually 12 such categories in the classification system
used for the 1972-82 period, but there are so few farmers and farm
managers employed as wage and salary workers that they are combined
with the farm laborers and supervisors category.
3See Janet L. Norwood, The Female-Male Earnings Gap: A Review of
Employment and Earnings Issues, Report 673 (Bureau of Labor Statistics,
1982), pp. 2 and 8; and Carol Boyd Leon, “ Occupation winners and losers:
who they were during 1972-80,“ Monthly Labor Review, June 1982,
pp. 18—28.
4 Because these proportions exclude the self-employed and unpaid family
workers, they differ from those published in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’
monthly publication, Employment and Earnings, which generally have as
a universe all employed persons.
5Salesworkers in retail trade, excluding clerks, include such job cate
gories as automobile salesworkers, estimators, comparison and investi
gative shoppers, and various sales consultants. See U.S. Bureau of the
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Census, 1970 Census of Population, Classified Index o f Industries and
Occupations (Washington. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1971).
hSee Classified Index, pp. 0 -7 and 0 -8 for a list of these specialties.
7See Michael Finn. “ The Earnings Gap: Discrimination or Economic
Choices.” a paper presented to the Conference on Comparable Worth,
sponsored by The Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund, held
in Washington, D.C.. October 1983.
sThe job titles covered are accountant, auditor, attorney, chemist, di
rector of personnel, job analyst, buyer, engineering technician, drafter,
computer operator, photographer, accounting clerk, messenger, and pur
chasing assistant.
yU.S. Department of Labor. USDL News. 84-86. Mar. 1. 1984.
"’Nancy F. Rytina. "Tenure as a factor in the male-female earnings
gap.” Monthly Labor Review, April 1982. pp. 32-34.
"M ary Corcoran and Greg J. Duncan. “ Work Flistory. Labor Force
Attachment, and Earnings Differences Between the Races and Sexes.”
Journal o f Human Resources. Winter 1979, pp. 3-20.
12The Female-Male Earnings Gap, pp. 2 and 7.
U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unpublished
27
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Weekly Earnings Differences by Sex
data from the May 1978 Current Population Survey.
l4Jacob Mincer and Solomon Polachek, "Family Investments in Human
Capital: Earnings of Women,” Journal o f Political Economy. March/April
1974, pp. S76-S108.
15Solomon Polachek, "Occupational Self-Selection: A Human Capital
Approach to Sex Differences in Occupational Structure,” The Review of
Economics and Statistics, February 1981. pp. 60-69.
16Mary Corcoran, Greg J. Duncan, and Michael Ponza. "Work Ex
perience, Job Segregation, and Wages.” a paper prepared in 1982 for the
National Academy of Science Conference on Job Segregation by Sex.
Much of the discussion in this section is drawn from this paper.
17Paula England, "The Failure of Human Capital Theory to Explain
Occupational Sex Segregation.” Journal of Human Resources. Summer
1982, pp. 358-70.
lsFor an example of two compendiums espousing different viewpoints
on comparable worth, see Donald J. Treiman and Heidi I. Hartman, eds..
Women, Work, and Wages: Equal Pay for Jobs o f Equal Value (Wash
ington, National Academy Press. 1981): and E. Robert Livernash. ed..
Comparable Worth: Issues and Alternatives (Washington. The Equal Em
ployment Advisory Council. 1980).
l9The regression equation for the earnings of men is:
Em = $398.3 - 0.57 P„
(30.02)
(-1 .5 5 )
where
is the usual weekly earning of men, and P, is the percent of
workers in each occupation who are women (numbers in parentheses are
T-statistics.) The slope term is not significant at the 0.1 level, and the Rsquare is only 0.014.
2l,The regression equation for the earnings of women is:
E, = $333.9 - 1.28 P,
(21.04)
(-5 .1 1 )
where E, is the usual weekly earnings of women, and P, is the percent of
workers in each occupation who are women. The slope term is significant
at better than the 0.1 level, and the /^-square is 0.192. The universe of
occupations is those in which 50.000 women or more were employed,
either at the three-digit level of detail or the first lower level of detail
having 50,000 or more female employees.
-'S ee Earl F. Mellor. Technical Description o f The Quarterly Data on
Weekly Earnings from the Current Population Survey. Bulletin 2113 (Bu
reau of Labor Statistics. 1982). for information pertaining to the merits
and limitations of the earnings data from the CPS.
A contemporary social problem
The logic of paying housewives for keeping the work force in good
condition is not likely to appeal to either employers or to husbands. And
certainly there are many hurdles to overcome. But, who knows, by the
21 st century employers may be contributing to a fund to pay for the services
supplied to their workers by wives in the home as routinely as they con
tribute to social security funds, or unemployment accounts. It may be
simply a matter of getting used to the idea. Such a system would require
conceptualizing housewives as part of the labor force and counting their
contribution to the gross national product. It would constitute a major
shrinkage of the segment of social life for which the societal model was
relevant. With what “ unanticipated consequences," we cannot yet say.
But if such a system were inaugurated, it would entitle employers to impose
standards of performance, the implementation of which would no doubt
be rejected by most housewives.
— J e s s ie B e r n a r d
in
28
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P h y l l is
“ Between Two Worlds: The Housewife,”
L. S t e w a r t and M u r ia l G. C a n t o r , eds..
Varieties o f Work
(Beverly Hills, Calif.,
Sage Publications, Inc., 1982), p. 89.
Staffing patterns prominent
in female-male earnings gap
Earnings differences are relatively small
between women and men in narrowly-defined jobs;
however, relatively fewer women fill
the higher levels of these jobs
M
a r k
S . S ie
l in g
In congressional testimony. Commissioner of Labor Statis
tics Janet L. Norwood summed up findings on pay differ
ences between women and men by saying: “ Women in
general earn less than men today and much of the difference
is because the jobs that women hold are generally paid at
lower rates than the jobs held by men.” 1 One need only
look at the office setting to understand the strength of this
statement: women hold nearly 8 of 10 traditionally lower
paid clerical jobs, but fewer than 3 of 10 of the higher
paying managerial and administrative positions. Such staff
ing patterns bring to mind the barriers to women’s entry
and promotion in higher paying occupations, and the pay
differences between the traditionally female-dominated and
male-dominated jobs. This article discusses another aspect
of gender pay differences: How are women and men paid
in jobs they hold in common— to what extent does equal
pay prevail for equal work?
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 1981 national
survey of professional, administrative, technical, and cler
ical pay ( p a t c survey), which covers white-collar employ
ees in medium and large establishments, show that:
• Average pay of men in narrowly defined white-collar
occupational skill levels generally exceeded earnings of
their female counterparts, but the difference was smaller
than other broader-based measurements indicate.
Mark S. Sieling is an economist in the Division of Occupational Pay and
Employee Benefit Levels, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Martin Personick,
a project director in the same division, assisted in the preparation of this
article.
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• Women’s earnings were closer to men's when viewed
within individual establishments.
• Sizable female-male pay differentials existed within some
establishments, but they were not consistently in men’s
favor.
These findings corroborate other research emphasizing
the effect of occupational staffing patterns on female-male
Table 1. Salary levels of women as a percent of the
salaries of men, and women’s share of total employment
in selected occupations, 1981
Femalemale pay
ratio1
Female share of
total employment
Professional:
Accountant .........................................................
Auditor................................................................
A ttorney..............................................................
Chemist ..............................................................
83
86
78
75
23
22
15
14
Administrative:
Director of personnel...........................................
Job ana lyst.........................................................
Buyer ...................................................................
87
79
80
13
62
20
Technical:
Engineering technician........................................
D rafte r................................................................
Computer operator .............................................
Photographer.......................................................
85
82
92
80
8
13
34
7
Clerical:
Accounting clerk ................................................
Messenger .........................................................
Purchasing assistant...........................................
82
101
74
92
46
85
Occupation
'includes data only for workers identified by sex.
29
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Staffing Patterns and Gender Pay Gap
T a b le 2 .
F e m a le - m a le p a y a n d e m p lo y m e n t r a t io s , 1981
Average
monthly
salary^
Femalemale pay
relationship2
Female
share
of total
employment
I ...........................................
II .........................................
I I I .........................................
I V .........................................
V ........................................
$1,377
1.679
1.962
2.402
2.928
99
98
96
95
90
46
34
19
11
5
I ................................................
I I ................................................
III .............................................
IV .............................................
1.364
1.651
2.033
2.456
98
97
92
90
36
27
21
8
Occupational work level
Professional:
Accountant
Accountant
Accountant
Accountant
Accountant
Auditor
Auditor
Auditor
Auditor
Attorney
Attorney
Attorney
Attorney
I .............................................
II .............................................
III ...........................................
IV ...........................................
1.873
2.338
3.031
3.738
103
99
95
94
28
24
13
9
Chemist
Chemist
Chemist
Chemist
I ................................................
II .............................................
I I I .............................................
I V .............................................
1.508
1.757
2.120
2.567
96
94
93
92
38
29
15
10
Administrative:
Buyer I ..................................................
Buyer I I ..................................................
Buyer III ................................................
1.350
1.689
2.100
96
95
92
52
23
9
Director of personnel I ..........................
Director of personnel I I ..........................
Director of personnel III ........................
2.321
2.933
3.574
101
94
90
21
10
7
Job
Job
Job
Job
I ........................................
II ........................................
I I I ........................................
IV ........................................
1.412
1.525
1.900
2.393
87
92
90
94
75
85
66
29
Technical:
Engineering technician I ........................
Engineering technician I I ........................
Engineering technician III .....................
1.137
1.307
1.527
97
98
97
24
17
9
923
1,075
1.301
1.611
103
101
96
94
34
26
18
8
I ...............................
II ............................
I I I .............................
I V .............................
V ............................
906
1.049
1.220
1.475
1.733
99
102
97
97
92
37
49
35
24
17
Photographer I I ......................................
Photographer III ....................................
1.425
1.704
96
106
5
94
IV ...............................
798
953
1.121
1.407
89
84
95
94
91
82
Purchasing assistant I ..........................
Purchasing assistant II .......................
1.002
1.278
93
87
95
84
Messenger.............................................
783
101
46
analyst
analyst
analyst
analyst
Drafter
Drafter
Drafter
Drafter
I ................................................
I I ................................................
III .............................................
IV .............................................
Computer
Computer
Computer
Computer
Computer
operator
operator
operator
operator
operator
Clerical:
Accounting
Accounting
Accounting
Accounting
clerk
clerk
clerk
clerk
I .................................
I I .............................
III ...........................
89
6
’ Includes data for workers not identified by sex.
includes data only for workers identified by sex.
pay differentials; that is, for the jobs and types of estab
lishments studied, overall disparities in earnings between
women and men appear to be more the result of differences
in occupational employment and in advancements within
individual occupations than of pay differences within nar
rowly defined job categories. Moreover, these staffing pat
terns have changed dramatically over the last decade.
Chart 1 traces the employment of women during the 1970’s
30
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in four relatively high-paying professional occupations cov
ered by the p a t c survey. Given the influence of seniority
on progression within occupations, growth in women's em
ployment in the experienced work levels has not been as
noticeable as at the entry level. For example, in 1981, 46
percent of entry-level accountants were women, up from 14
percent in 1970; at the experienced level (III), the corre
sponding figures were 19 percent in 1981 and 4 percent in
1970. (Note, however, that the rate of increase in women’s
employment was, in fact, greater at the experienced level.)
Growth in the employment of women in the professions
reflects the increased number of women who have college
or advanced degrees and have combined work with family
responsibilities. In 1970-71, about 110.000 more bache
lor’s degrees were conferred on men than on women; in
1980-81, this gap narrowed to about 4,600.2 Married women
ages 25 to 34 triggered much of the increased labor force
participation of women. Moreover, 70 percent of married
women with college degrees were either employed or look
ing for work in 1981; 10 years earlier, the ratio was 50
p e rc e n t.2
The
p a t c
survey
Findings from the p a t c survey, despite certain limitations
noted below, provide an opportunity to analyze female-male
occupational earnings differences. They provide the kind of
detail that separates entry-level, experienced, and seniorlevel positions within an occupation to control for differ
ences in skill levels, duties, responsibilities, and other jobrelated factors which help identify “ equal work.” 4 Also,
the survey obtains data from a sample of establishments,
thereby permitting analysis of occupational pay relationships
both within individual establishments and among establish
ments. Because the survey was not designed to compare
earnings of women and men, it does not collect information
on the reasons for female-male pay differences.
The p a t c survey was primarily designed to permit com
parisons of occupational pay rates in the private sector with
those of the Federal Government.5 b l s conducts the survey,
but the occupations and coverage specifications, such as
establishment size and the private sector industries to be
included, are determined by the President's Pay Agent— a
tripartite entity consisting of the Secretary of Labor and the
Directors of the Office of Management and Budget and the
Office of Personnel Management.
The March 1981 p a t c survey covered 96 work levels in
23 occupations.6 The industrial coverage and minimum size
establishment were as follows: manufacturing, 100 or 250
employees; transportation, communications, electric, gas,
and sanitary services, 100 or 250 employees; mining and
construction, 250 employees; wholesale trade, 100 em
ployees; retail trade, 250 employees; finance, insurance, and
real estate, 100 employees; and selected services, 50 or 100
employees.
Chart 1. Women’s share of entry level and fully qualified level of employment in selected
professional occupations, 1970-81
Percent
Percent
NOTE: Entry level (I) employees are recent college graduates; fully qualified (level III) employees are experienced nonsupervisory staff.
The relatively small group of occupations surveyed,
therefore, are not representative of all occupations, and the
medium to large size establishments sampled do not statis
tically represent those employing under 100 workers or those
in industries not covered, such as health and educational
services. Information on occupational earnings of women
and men working in establishments smaller than those cov
ered by the p a t c survey is included in b l s area wage surveys
and industry wage surveys.7
Each occupational work level represents the type of duties
and responsibilities in private industry that are comparable
with those of Federal white-collar employees performing
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the same level of work. The information on occupational
pay relationships between women and men, however, is
limited by two factors: many of the jobs surveyed are over
whelmingly populated by either women or men and collec
tion of earnings data by sex is becoming increasingly difficult
as such identification of individual workers is often absent
from payroll records. Because of these factors, this analysis
of female-male earnings differences was restricted to p a t c
work levels (l) having data identifiable by sex for at least
80 percent of the workers;8 (2) having each sex account for
at least 5 percent of the workers; and (3) having a minimum
of 50 establishments provide pay data for both men and
31
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Staffing Patterns and Gender Pay Gap
women when pay comparisons were made within establish
ments.
The analysis followed a sequential approach that provided
some indication of the relative importance of staffing pat
terns and pay factors in explaining the overall pay differ
ences between women and men.9 Average earnings of women
and men were compared in a given occupation (for example,
accountant); within a narrowly defined skill level of an oc
cupation (for example, entry-level accountant); and within
establishments, again using narrowly defined skill levels of
an occupation.
Earnings differences
Table 1 presents findings on female-male earnings dif
ferences for 14 of the 23 p a t c survey occupations. In only
one occupation, messenger, did women average more than
men. The lowest pay ratios were for purchasing assistants
and chemists— where women averaged 74 and 75 percent
of their male counterparts’ pay. For other occupations, fe
male-male pay relationships ranged from 78 to 92 percent.
The data show no correlation between women's share of
total employment and female-male pay ratios within oc
cupations. For example, messenger, the occupation with the
highest sex earnings ratio, and purchasing assistant, the
occupation with the lowest, both ranked among the four
highest occupations with respect to female employment.10
When comparisons are limited to work levels within oc
cupations, relative earnings of women move closer to those
of men: 43 of 48 female-male pay ratios reach 90 percent
or more. (See table 2.) Thus, the greater earnings disparity
shown in table 1 largely reflects an uneven distribution of
men and women among the work levels of the occupation—
that is, different staffing patterns. For example, a higher
percentage of women than men are classifed below the ex
perienced level (111) of the four professional occupations
surveyed. The following tabulation shows the percent of
women and men in both entry and developmental level
occupations in 1981:
A c c o u n t a n ts ...............................
A t t o r n e y s ....................................
A u d i t o r s ......................................
C h e m i s t s ......................................
...............................
...............................
...............................
................................
W om en
59
60
60
47
M en
28
30
40
I6
Table 2 also shows the share of female employment in
each work level. Consistently, the share for women was
smallest at the highest levels of the occupation and, except
for two occupations, was largest at the lowest levels. Sa
laries, of course, increased progressively from bottom to
top.
The data in tables 1 and 2, however, are influenced by
the distribution of women and men among establishments
with differing pay scales. Table 3 eliminates these disparities
by focusing on wage relationships within individual estab
lishments with both women and men in the same occupa
32
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tional work level.11 It displays the range of female-male
pay ratios developed for such establishments, the frequency
with which these ratios are at or near 100, and the ten
dency— particularly in professional and administrative jobs—
for the percentage of establishments with low pay ratios to
increase at the higher levels of an occupation. For example,
among entry-level accountants (I), women averaged less
than 85 percent of men’s pay in 2 percent of the 260 es
tablishments employing both women and men in the job.
At the senior accountant level (V), 13 percent of 75 estab
lishments had female-male pay ratios under 85. At the upper
extreme, 7 percent of the establishments reported entry-level
female accountants averaging at least 110 percent of their
male counterparts; at the senior accountant level. 4 percent
of the establishments had ratios of 110 or higher.
Table 3. Average salary relationship of women and men
employed in the same job and establishment, selected
occupational work levels, 1981
Occupational work
level
Professional:
Accountant
Accountant
Accountant
Accountant
Accountant
Percent of establishments with average
Number
female-male oav ratio of—
of
Ub 9U 9b 1UU 10b 110
establishto
to
to
to and
ments Under to
85
89
94
99 104 109 over
I ........................
II .....................
I I I .....................
I V .....................
V .....................
260
338
417
220
75
2
5
10
11
13
5
8
12
11
21
16
17
19
24
25
30
27
25
25
23
29
26
16
16
9
11
12
11
7
4
7
6
6
6
4
Auditor I .............................
Auditor I I .............................
Auditor III ..........................
58
91
104
_
3
10
3
10
14
10
19
13
34
29
35
29
19
13
12
12
10
10
9
5
Attorney II ..........................
Attorney III ........................
67
68
9
9
4
12
25
24
18
22
22
22
12
7
9
4
Chemist
Chemist
Chemist
Chemist
I .............................
II ..........................
I I I ..........................
I V ..........................
51
92
93
71
5
6
8
10
4
11
18
27
22
19
20
27
29
33
28
22
26
17
20
8
9
6
3
6
4
6
3
Administrative:
Buyer I ...............................
Buyer I I ...............................
Buyer III .............................
104
264
183
8
10
14
14
12
17
13
22
29
20
26
19
27
17
14
8
6
3
11
7
4
Technical:
Engineering technician I . . .
Engineering technician II . . .
Engineering technician III . ,
71
139
143
4
3
5
4
7
8
8
11
12
30
32
38
25
31
27
17
10
8
11
6
3
Drafter II .............................
Drafter III ..........................
Drafter IV ..........................
178
233
192
3
4
3
3
6
8
15
16
15
28
33
28
33
24
35
10
11
8
8
6
4
Computer
Computer
Computer
Computer
I ............
II .........
I I I .........
I V .........
93
178
403
243
1
1
4
5
1
5
6
8
18
12
13
17
22
24
28
29
35
31
29
25
11
11
10
9
12
16
10
6
I ..............
I I ..............
III ............
IV ............
95
322
319
212
5
5
5
4
6
3
5
7
11
10
14
13
18
29
23
26
22
25
29
30
23
15
12
13
15
14
11
7
Messenger..........................
204
3
6
12
25
30
9
13
operator
operator
operator
operator
Clerical:
Accounting
Accounting
Accounting
Accounting
clerk
clerk
clerk
clerk
_
Note: This table is limited to establishments employing both women and men in the
same occupational work level. For each establishment and work level studied, mean
salaries were computed separately tor women and for men. The mean for women was
then expressed as a percent of the corresponding mean for men. Because of rounding,
sums of individual items may not equal 100.
An earlier b l s study, based on area wage survey results,
also found considerable diversity among establishments with
respect to female-male pay differences, but the extent of
these differences varied by industry division and geographic
region.12 (The p a t c survey sample is not designed to permit
analysis of industrial and regional differences.)
Range-of-rate pay systems partly explain why women and
men may have different earnings, even when they work in
the same establishment and in the same narrowly defined
jobs. Such pay systems typically establish minimum and
maximum pay rates for a company job and provide for
periodic wage increases within this range based on an em
ployee’s length of service or job performance, or both.12
Employees in entry and developmental levels of professional
jobs normally advance to higher work levels before pro-
-------to o
'Statement before the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service.
Subcommittee on Human Resources. Civil Service, and Compensation and
Employee Benefits. U.S. House of Representatives. Sept. 16. 1982. Sub
sequently. this formed the basis for The Female-Male Earnings Gap: A
Review o f Employment and Earnings Issues, Report 673 (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 1982).
2See Digest o f Education Statistics (Washington. National Center for
Education Statistics, 1983).
’See Educational Attainment o f Workers, March 19HI, Bulletin 2159
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1983).
4 See National Survey o f Professional, Administrative. Technical, and
Clerical Pay, March I9SI, Bulletin 2808 (Bureau of Labor Statistics.
1981), pp. 36-71. for descriptions of occupations surveyed. Several of
the occupations in the p a t c survey have exclusions that help narrow their
definitions. For example, the accountant definition does not cover workers
whose principal or sole duties are designing or improving accounting sys
tems or other nonoperating staff work, such as budget or financial analysis.
In addition, workers without college degrees are almost always excluded
from the professional jobs studied.
75 U.S.C.5301 (a) (3). The role of the p a t c survey in the pay-setting
process is described in George L. Steliuto, “ Federal pay comparability:
facts to temper the debate." Monthly Labor Review. June 1979. pp. 1828.
work levels are identified by Roman numerals, the higher the
numeral the greater the duties and responsibilities. The number of work
levels varies by occupation, ranging from I for messenger to 8 for chemist
and engineer. For professional occupations, the first two levels are entry
and developmental positions; the next two arc for experienced workers;
and higher levels generally are for supervisory or managerial positions.
7For a list of these surveys, see Directory of Occupational Wage Surveys,
1974-79, Report 609 (Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1980). Area wage survey
findings are analyzed in John E. Buckley. “ Pay differences between men
and women in the same jobs,” Monthly Labor Review, November 1971.
pp. 36-39. Occupational earnings data by sex are also available from the
household-based Current Population Survey, although without the detailed
job definitions used in establishment-based occupational wage surveys. For
an analysis of c p s data, see Nancy Rytina. “ Earnings of men and women:
a look at specific occupations,” Monthly Labor Review, April 1982. pp.
25-31.
6 patc
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gressing very far into their rate ranges. This pattern changes
abruptly at the experienced levels, as opportunities for pro
motion diminish. Those who are not promoted progress
through the rate range of their current job level, increasing
the variation of earnings among incumbents.14 Because women
tend to have less seniority than men in experienced work
levels, they also tend to have lower pay levels when pay is
related to years of service. Tables 2 and 3 illustrate this
point by generally showing smaller female-male pay dif
ferences in lower work levels where seniority distinctions
between men and women are less significant. More detailed
consideration of this point is not possible here because the
p a t c survey does not collect information on workers’ sen
iority.15 Other explanations for female-male pay differences
also are beyond the scope of this analysis.
)TES--------*The 1981 PATC survey reports salary data for nearly 1.8 million em
ployees. about nine-tenths of whom were identified by sex. Those identified
by sex were divided about evenly between men and women.
’’Many studies employ multiple regression techniques in efforts to ac
count for earnings differences between men and women. These analyses,
often based on data collected in the Current Population Survey, use as
explanatory variables such personal characteristics of workers as job tenure
and educational attainment. A broadly defined occupational variable, along
with such worker characteristics, is at times included in a wage regression.
Nevertheless, except as modified by merit or length-of-service adjustments
under rate-range systems, pay rates typically are set for individual jobs,
rather than for the workers filling them. Worker characteristic variables
thus may function in regression models both as proxies for occupation and
as measures of productivity or skill differences among incumbents within
a job. For a review of this research, see Women, Work, and Wages: Equal
Pay fo r Jobs of Equal Value (Washington. National Academy of Sciences.
1981). See also Wesley Mellow. “ Employer Size. Unionism, and W ages.”
in supplement to Vol. VI of Research in Labor Economics (Greenwich.
Conn.. JAI Press. 1983).
"'For the 14 occupations, the coefficient of correlation between femalemale pay relatives and female share of total employment was only —0.07.
which clearly is not statistically significant.
11 As in other b i s wage surveys, the p a t c job descriptions are usually
more generalized than those of individual establishments.
l2See Buckley. “ Pay differences."
” In the 1968 -70 period— the latest time for which data are available—
approximately two-thirds of the office workers in metropolitan areas were
paid under range-of-rate plans. See John Howell Cox. “ Time and incentive
pay practices in urban areas.” Monthly Labor Review. December 1971,
p. 54.
14In some instances, a p a t c survey occupational work level includes
more than one company job title, for example, technicians and supervisors
in an establishment that meet the survey job description for accountant IV.
If rate ranges differ for company jobs matched to the same p a t c work
level, this adds to the potential for earnings variation.
15 For a general discussion of seniority differences between men and
women, see Job Tenure and Occupational Change, I 9 S I , Bulletin 2162
(Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1983).
33
Conference Papers
The following excerpts are adapted from papers presented
at the Thirty-Sixth Annual Meeting of the Industrial Rela
tions Research Association, December 1983, in San Fran
cisco.
The full text of thepapers appears in the copyrighted ir r a
publication, Proceedings o f the Thirty-Sixth Annual Meet
ings, available from i r r a . University of Wisconsin, Social
Science Building, Madison, Wis. 53706.
Industrial relations research:
its postwar contributions
C l a r k K h rr
This first contribution of an applied and specialized field of
study, such as industrial relations, is to provide a running
description of and commentary upon current developments.
This is the role of the analytical historian of contemporary
events or, more modestly, of the high-level journalist de
scribing and explaining what is happening more or less as
it happens. This is a very important role. It keeps other
scholars informed of developments for the sake of their
teaching and research. It contributes facts and understanding
to practitioners and to policymakers in the field. It adds to
the quality of public perceptions of developments both di
rectly and indirectly. It provides historians of the future with
a rich store of information and analyses. Industrial relations
research in the United States has played this role since World
War II most effectively. A large volume of articles and books
has examined all aspects of the field quite adequately and
generally quite impartially. There is no need for any inter
ested person to be ignorant of any important, and even many
unimportant, developments. An impressive layer of records
has been compiled for current and future use.
Yet some criticisms may be advanced. Reflecting back
Clark Kerr, former president of the University of California, is a professor
at the Institute of Industrial Relations, Berkeley. The title of his full irra
paper is “ A Perspective on Industrial Relations Research—Thirty-Six Years
Later.”
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on the literature as published and reviewed in the leading
journals and at the annual meetings of the Industrial Rela
tions Research Association, one cannot miss seeing the rise
and fall of interest in certain subjects— in the operation of
unions at one time, in manpower planning at another time,
in discrimination in the labor market at still another time,
and so forth. These waves of interests are both understand
able and regrettable. They reflect the current issues before
society, but they deny constant attention to some long-term
developments. Attention has focused now here, now there;
and when picked up again in an old area by a new generation
of scholars they seem often to make no connection with
what was seen and thought the last time around. Related to
this faddish nature of attention is the observation that so
many subjects are treated in so many articles (particularly
by econometricians) with little historical depth or little hor
izontal comparison to other similar contemporary devel
opments— little self-contained compartments unrelated to
time or to place; little dots of data analysis not located
vertically or horizontally on the great map of social expe
rience. May I also suggest, looking at this body of literature
over many years as an observer and occasional participant,
that much of it. and perhaps even more of it than in earlier
times, seems to be written to prove a point of view, mostly
either neoclassical or Marxist, or to demonstrate mastery of
a technique, like econometrics, than to give fresh and fully
rounded illumination to the subject matter.
Policy formation
A second contribution is to be useful in policy formation.
Industrial relations research and commentary has had one.
but only one, spectacular success. This was the contribution
of the Wisconsin School to two related but separable de
velopments. One was to the introduction of the welfare state
to the United States. Members of the Wisconsin School
contributed many of the ideas, in their American formula
tion, and many of the persons who actually implemented
these ideas. The other was to the official acceptance and
even encouragement of the trade union movement in the
United States. This may yet prove to be even more important
than the former. For it may turn out to be the first step
toward a new form of capitalism and even of political gov
ernance in the United States by establishing part of the
framework for the tripartite corporation state, as has de
veloped, for example, in Austria, Sweden, and Germany;
although this evolution now seems to have been set back
temporarily at least. These two contributions together con
stitute certainly one of and perhaps even the greatest of all
contributions of American social scientists to national pol
icy.
Industrial relations research, however, made no major
contribution to the other great revolution of recent times in
American economic behavior— the Keynesian revolution,
except for John T. Dunlop’s important but relatively minor
correction of Keynes. It might have done so. but it largely
has not. One of the failures of the macroeconomy theory
of the Keynesians has been that it has not been grounded
in adequate microeconomy theory, including the behavior
of labor markets. For Keynes, inflation would only com
mence as bottlenecks began to appear as full employment
was approached. He did not contemplate the possibility of
stagflation, and it had, of course, not yet evidenced itself
when he wrote The General Theory. His followers, how
ever, facing the fact of stagflation, have not had an adequate
microeconomy theory to explain it or to suggest solutions,
although this is beginning to change.
In the interim, industrial relations research, very broadly
interpreted, has made contributions to some less significant
new policies. It has helped to elucidate the contribution of
education to skill and of skill to productivity and thus en
couraged the heavy investment in education, particularly in
the 1960’s. It has helped to indicate the degree of discrim
ination by race and by sex in labor markets and thus en
couraged policies of affirmative action. It has helped to
search out and to extend good practices in improving the
quality of working life. It has sought out and encouraged
better management practices toward workers, as, for ex
ample, it did early on in the "human relations in industry"
and in the theory " v ” versus theory " x " analyses of man
agement approaches. These are not inconsiderable contri
butions.
The big policy issue is now stagflation, the equivalent of
the Great Depression of the 1930’s as a challenge waiting
a solution. Here the study of industrial relations can make
a very great contribution both in understanding this phe
nomenon and in solving the policy puzzle of how full em
ployment and stable prices can coexist. The Phillips curve
once looked like both an adequate explanation and an ac
ceptable cure by showing the tradeoff between inflation and
unemployment, but the tradeoff now both explains less and
cures less but at more cost. Industrial relations research can
contribute part of the explanation as it discovers and explains
the realities of labor markets, particularly of internal labor
markets, and of wage-setting policies by firms, unions and
governments; and possibly part of the cure as it studies the
intricacies of incomes policies and their attendant social
conditions and arrangements, and as it studies the means
for increasing labor productivity. In these ways less inflation
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and more employment can possibly be made more com
patible. Here we are, however, dealing at the microeconomy
level and no big solution, as with Keynes at the macro
economy level, is possible.
The relationship to theory
The third potential contribution of an applied and spe
cialized field is to theory. Such a field can (1) test the
explanatory power of an existing theory against actual prac
tice, can (2) contribute better assumptions to modify an old
theory or create a new theory, and can (3) bring to light
new problems to be explained. It can also (4) extend an old
theory into explanations of further corners of practice. In
dustrial relations research has only been clearly successful
in the last of these contributions as the neoclassical labor
economists have applied their system of analysis, particu
larly to a deeper understanding of the supply of labor. In
dustrial relations research has long sought to alert theorists
to the inherent nature and the changing natures of labor
markets, but few of the theorists have really listened— John
R. Hicks and Arthur Okun are prominent among those who
have. Now stagflation is forcing them to listen as mass
unemployment made them listen to new explanations during
the Great Depression.
I should likl to draw a few lessons from this short
review:
•
Theorists like to hear what they want to hear.
•
Only in extremis will they listen to what they do not
want to hear and particularly from scholars in applied
fields.
•
Interdisciplinary barriers are easier to raise than to lower.
Only in biology are the old vertical barriers being torn
down among fields, but only as new barriers are being
built horizontally by levels of complexity of organisms.
It is easier to prove once more or to extend into new
areas of exploration an old theory, whether neoclassical
or Marxist, than to create a new theory or even new
explanations below the level of a general theory.
•
Curiosity about historical antecedents before the current
event and about comparative experiences beyond the
immediate event under study does not seem to flourish
in the current ambience of scholarship. Both Karl Marx
and Joseph Schumpeter are at least temporarily out of
style, as are Adam Smith and Alfred Marshall— all of
them were concerned with philosophical issues, with
historical changes, with the political and sociological
conditions surrounding economic life.
•
Policy advice can only be effective when policies are
about to be made anyway because of the force of cir
cumstances. Policy advice is of no value outside this
context no matter how intrinsically good the advice may
be.
35
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Conference Papers
•
The “ pure” knowledge of the mathematical economist
and what might be called the “ bounded” knowledge of
the econometrician (bounded by a limitation to only such
evidence as is quantifiable) are both more in demand
and easier to supply than the “ realistic” knowledge of
the person who contacts reality at first hand in all its
complexities, such as the researcher in industrial rela
tions.
These half-dozen lessons were not so clear 36 years ago to
those of us who started the Industrial Relations Research
Association. In retrospect. I think I am glad they were not.
but I am not sure— we might have been too discouraged by
contemplating them; however, we might have been much
more sophisticated in our efforts. In any event, always in
the midst of less than perfect knowledge, each new gen
eration of industrial relations scholars must answer for itself
what problems are most worth solving, what methods are
most likely to be most effective, and what efforts are most
worth making.
□
Young discouraged workers:
racial differences explored
Donald
R.
W
il l ia m s
The “ discouraged worker” effect, defined to be the ob
served decline in labor force participation rates associated
with increases in unemployment rates, is frequently an im
portant topic for discussion in both academic, and political
circles. One reason for concern is that the effect seems to
differ across demographic groups. The labor force partici
pation of women and teenagers, for instance, is often found
to be more responsive to changes in employment opportun
ities than is the participation of white prime-aged males.1
This can lead to differentials in the accumulation of human
capital through on-the-job training, and the understatement
of “ unemployment” during periods of loose labor markets.
A recent study has shown that, among the male teenage
group, significant differences also exist by race. The par
ticipation rate declines with rising unemployment for both
whites and blacks, but the magnitude of the response differs
by a factor of up to 5 to 1, with black youth exhibiting the
“ stronger” response.2 To expand on these findings, a timeseries analysis of Current Population Survey gross change
data for the 1972-82 period was conducted.3 The objectives
of the analysis were to estimate the degree to which the
rates of flow by individuals among labor force states respond
to changes in employment opportunities, and to identify
which of these flows contribute most to the racial difference
in the discouraged worker response.
Donald R. Williams is an assistant professor of economics at Kent State
University, Kent, Ohio.
36
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The gross flow approach
By definition, an individual can occupy one of three states
at any time: employment (£), unemployment (£/), or non
participation in the labor force (N ). Over time, he or she
makes transitions between those states and contributes to
flows into and out of the labor force that determine the
levels of and changes in labor force participation rates. The
probability of making such a transition in a specified time
interval is simply the number of people who make the tran
sition, divided by the total number of people in the original
state. Letting A(/ be the probability of making a transition
from state / to state /', we can express the six possible
transition probabilities as \ EU, \ EN, \ UE, \ UN, \ NE, and
h-N U-
The importance of these flow probabilities or “ transition
rates” lies in the fact that they determine the numbers of
people in each of the states E, U, and N at a point in time
and, hence, the labor force participation rate. That rela
tionship can be expressed fairly simply.4 As a result, changes
in participation rates across demographic groups can be
linked to changes or differences in transition probabilities.
In general, the labor force participation rate for a demo
graphic group will vary directly with \ NE, XNU, and \ UE,
and inversely with ˣiV, \ UN, and \ EU.
Determinants of transition rates
Each of the transition probabilities is determined by fac
tors falling into two broad categories: those that affect the
levels and frequencies of wage offers made by firms, and
those that affect the “ value” for workers of nonmarket
activity (leisure). The demand for a firm's product and the
(perceived) productivity of a worker are examples of the
former. Unemployment insurance, schooling, and marital
or parental status are examples of the latter. Some factors
fall into both categories.''
Expectations about the effects of these factors on tran
sition rates are not always clear, but under standard as
sumptions one may postulate three hypotheses:6
( I ) Those factors that decrease the levels of wage offers
by firms should increase the probability of making the
U-to-N transition because the returns to job search have
declined. Likewise, because employed workers will
be less likely to quit work to search for another job
and unemployed workers will be less likely to accept
a job, the E-to-N, E-to-U. and U-to-E rates should
decline. Individuals not in the labor force will also see
lower returns, so that N-to-U and N-lo-E transition
rates should also be lower.
(2) Those factors that decrease the probability or fre
quency of wage offers are hypothesized to have a two
fold effect. First, given a level of job search intensity,
expected returns to search are lower. That, however,
could increase the returns to greater intensity of search.
(3)
Assuming that the first effect dominates, we should
predict the same effects on transition rates as in hy
pothesis (1): higher \ UN and lower \ HU, XUE, \ NU,
and ANE.
Factors that increase the value of nonmarket activity
should decrease the rate of flow out of nonparticipation
and increase the rates of flow into it. Factors that at
the same time lower the costs of job search (or sub
sidize search) will have an ambiguous effect with re
gard to the N-to-U and U-to-N transitions, but can be
expected to decrease the U-to-E transition rate.
The level of aggregate demand can affect the various
transition rates through each of the channels above. First,
a decline in aggregate demand can depress the levels of
wage offers made by firms, leading to the effects described
in hypothesis (1) above. In the extreme, however, wage
offers fall to zero through firing or layoff, in which case
not all of the predictions in hypothesis (1) will hold. In
particular, an increase in firings or layoffs should boost the
E-to-N and E-to-U transition rates. Second, a decline in
aggregate demand should also reduce the probability or fre
quency of given wage offers, and thus have the effects
described in hypothesis (2). Third, a decline in demand can
bring about the unemployment of a spouse or parent, which
can lead to decreases in the value of a worker's nonmarket
activity and corresponding increases in transitions from N
to U and E. The effects of changes in aggregate demand
therefore depend on the relative magnitudes of the responses
described above. In addition to developments in aggregate
demand, the effects of four other variables are also estimated
for analysis. The variables are: the minimum wage, the
level of female labor force activity, the level of Aid to
Families with Dependent Children ( afdc ) payments, and
the existence of the Youth Employment and Demonstrations
Projects Act.
The minimum wage variable can be used to test two of
the above hypotheses. To the extent that the minimum acts
as a proxy for wages offered by firms to teenagers, a rising
minimum can be thought of as rising wages, inducing par
ticipation. On the other hand, to the extent that it lowers
demand for teenage labor, it diminishes the probability of
a teenager receiving a job offer, which can reduce flows
into the participation states and increase flows out ot them.
The female labor force activity variable is included to
account for this latter effect. If teenagers and women are
close substitutes in production then, given a level ot ag
gregate labor demand, the increased labor force participation
of women should decrease the probability of job offers to
youth, and the predictions in hypothesis (2) above should
result.7 However, the increased labor supply of women can
also have the effects described in hypothesis (3), to the
extent that the working women are also teenagers’ mothers.
The afdc variable is included to account for its effects
on the value of nonmarket time. The direct effect ot afdc
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payments is to increase household income or wealth. Any
nonmarket income is seen to increase the value ot one’s
nonmarket activities, and so should decrease flows into and
increase flows out of labor force participation. Because afdc
can be seen as reducing or subsidizing the costs of job
search, it could lower the U-to-E transition rate.8
The Youth Employment and Demonstrations Project Act
of 1977 served to create more than 200,000 jobs for inner
city youth, and so should have boosted the frequency of job
offers, particularly for black youth. The overall effect of
the program should, therefore, be to increase flows into the
labor force after implementation in September 1977, and
decrease flows out of it.
Empirical analysis
The effects of the variables above on transition rates were
estimated from the following equation:9
l o g ( \ y ) , = $ 0 + P / log (RELMIN),
+ (32 (WOMEN), + (3i log (AFDC),
(1)
+ (3^ (YEDPA), + (35 log (UPRIME),
+ (36 (time), + T (month dummies)
+
U,
where r e l m i n is defined to be the basic Federal minimum
wage, relative to the nominal average hourly wage for pro
duction and nonsupervisory workers; w o m e n is the female
percentage of the total labor force; a e d c is the nominal
average monthly afdc payment, relative to nominal average
hourly wages; and YEDPA is the Youth Employment and
Demonstrations Projects variable, taking the value 0 for
months before September 1977. and 1 thereafter.10
The proxy variable for the level of aggregate demand is
the prime-age male unemployment rate. UPRIME. The de
pendent variable. (A,,),, is defined as the number of people
who moved from state / to state j in month t, divided by
the number of people in state i in month t - 1.
Results of the regression, presented in tabular form in the
full paper, were derived from two specifications of equation
(1). The first, a regression of lo g (A,-,), on u p r im e and t im e
alone showed that decreases in the level of aggregate de
mand (increases in UPRIME) are associated with decreases
in flows into employment, increases in flows from employ
ment to unemployment, and decreases in flows from em
ployment to nonparticipation. This latter effect may be
indicative of the propensity for quits to decline as demand
falls. The propensity for the N-to-U transition rate to in
crease as aggregate demand falls may indicate a strong “ added
worker" effect among male teens. The most perplexing
result of this analysis was the tendency, as u p r im e rises,
for the U-to-N transition rate to decline for white males.
This is interesting because the U-to-N transition is the one
most commonly associated with notions of “ discourage
ment." In a 1980 study, Ralph Smith and Jean Vanski found
a similar result using a different measure of demand, clearly
37
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Conference Papers
suggesting that standard behavioral notions of discourage
ment may be inappropriate.11
Racial differences existed for many of the effects, in
addition to the U-Xo-N difference. The decline in the tran
sition rate from nonparticipation to employment seemed
much larger for blacks. And though teens of both races
become more likely to make the out-of-the-labor-force to
unemployment transition, the response was much less (and
statistically insignificant) for blacks.
Estimates using the full specification of equation (1) in
dicate that these results are confirmed after taking account
of the effects on transition rates of the other variables. A
major difference is that the sign of the coefficient on UPRlME
in the U-Xo-N regression changes from positive to negative,
with blacks and whites exhibiting the same type of response,
although the magnitude of the response is much larger for
whites.
Of particular interest is the effect of the influx of women
on the male teens' transition rates. An increase in the labor
market activity of women is associated with a decrease in
flows into employment and an increase in the flow from
unemployment to out-of-the-labor-force, particularly for black
youth. To the extent that the increased participation of women
has been primarily among whites, these results suggest a
significant degree of substitution of white women for black
teens over the sample period. They could also suggest a
significant degree of racial preference on the part of em
ployers. Note that we must be careful when interpreting the
results from the full specification of the equation, because
w o m e n . a e d c , and r e l m in all probably have some cyclic
components. One might wrongly attribute to those variables
some of the effects that should instead be attributed to UPRlME.
Differences in participation responses
Each of the racial differences in the impacts of changes
in UPRlME contributes to racial differences in the discouraged
worker effect. As UPRlME increases. Àv/. decreases more for
blacks than for whites, \ NU increases more for whites than
for blacks, and \ UN decreases more for whites than for
blacks. Each of these effects depressed the labor force par
ticipation rate more for blacks than for whites. The relative
importance of the effects can be ascertained by estimating
the change in the 1972-81 average participation rate for
each race in response to a 1-percent change in a periodaverage transition rate. Results of this analysis show, for
example, that a 1-percent increase in the E-Xo-N transition
rate causes a .2907-percent decrease in the participation rate
for blacks and a .2695-percent decrease in the participation
rate for whites. Overall, the estimates indicate that given
changes in transition rates have greater effects on partici
pation rates for blacks than for whites, for all types of
transitions. This is especially true for the EU, UE, UN, and
NU transitions.
The analysis also suggests that the most important sources
of the racial differences in the participation rate response to
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a change in UPRlME are in the U-Xo-N and N-Xo-E transitions.
A 1-percent increase in UPRlME lowers the labor force par
ticipation rate for blacks by .02 percent through the U-XoN transition rate and by .09 percent through the N-Xo-E rate.
For whites, a 1-percent increase in UPRlME leads to an in
crease in the participation rate of .002 percent through the
U-Xo-N rate, and decreases it by only .05 percent through
N-Xo-E.
I n s u m , the differential discouraged worker effect exhibited
by black and white male teenagers seems to be the result
of racial differences in the magnitudes of the responses to
changes in aggregate demand of the nonparticipation-toemployment, unemployment-to-nonparticipation, and nonparticipation-to-unemployment transition rates. The reasons
tor these differential responses remain unclear; yet, iden
tification of those reasons could answer many important
policy questions: Are the differences behavioral? As un
employment rates rise, does the N-Xo-E transition rate de
cline more for blacks than for whites because whites and
blacks place different values on nonmarket time? Or, does
the frequency of wage offers decline faster for blacks than
tor white due, say, to racial discrimination? These and other
questions beg further research on this important labor force
phenomenon.
--------- EOOTNOTES--------1For evidence of these effects by sex and ace. see Alfred Telia. "The
Relation of Labor Force to Employment." Industrial and Labor Relations
Review. April 1964. pp. 454-69; Alfred Telia. "Labor Force Sensitivity
to Employment by Age and Sex. Industrial Relations. February 1965.
pp. 69-83; Thomas Dernberg and Kenneth Strand. "Hidden Unem
ployment 1953-1962: A Quantitative Analysis by Age and Sc x ." American
Economic Review. March 1966. pp. 71-95: Jacob Mincer. "Labor Force
Participation and Unemployment; A Review of Recent Evidence." in Rob
ert A. Gordon and Margaret S. Gordon, eds.. Prosperity and Unemploy
ment {Hew York. Wiley Press. 1966): William G. Bowen and T. Aldrich
Finegan. "Labor Force Participation and Unemployment." in Arthur M.
Ross. ed.. Employment Policy am! the Labor Market (Berkeley. University
of California Press. 1965): William G. Bowen and T. Aldrich Finegan.
The Economics of Labor Eorce Participation (Princeton. N.J.. Princeton
University Press. 1969); and George L. Perry. "Potential Output and
Productivity." Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. Vol 1 1977
pp. 11-47.
' In Racial Differences in Male Teenage Labor Force Participation."
Ph.Ddiss. (in progress). Donald R. Williams linds that a I-percent increase
in their own age/race-specilic unemployment rates caused .11- and .02percent declines in the labor force participation rates for black and white
teens, respectively, over the 1972-82 period. A 1-percent increase in the
prime-age male unemployment rate (the variable used in this analysis) is
associated w ith participation rate declines of . I I percent for blacks and
.08 percent lor whites. During the last recession, when the prime-aged
male rate went from 5.0 percent in May of 1981 to 7.9 percent in June of
1982 (a 58-percent increase), the black teenage participation rate declined
from 43.8 to 36.5 percent, a drop of 16.6 percent, or more than 75.000
workers.
Data are from unpublished ‘’gross change" tabulations from the Current
Population Survey for the January 1972-December 1981 period (Bureau
of Labor Statistics). For a description of gross change data, see U.S.
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gross blow Data from
the Current Population Survey (Washington. 1982). Also presented there
arc descriptions of the biases inherent in the data. The data used in this
paper are the raw data and so are subject to those biases, although the
biases should not affect the interpretation of our results.
4See Stephen Marston, “ Employment Instability and High Unemploy
ment Rates,” Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. Vol. 1. 1976.
pp. 169-203; and Williams, “ Racial Differences." for discussions of the
exact relationships between labor force participation rates and transition
rates.
5For example, a decline in aggregate demand may decrease the levels
of pay being offered to workers or increase probabilities of layoff, and at
the same time decrease the value of a worker's home time due to the
unemployment of a spouse. See Shelly J. Lundberg. "Unemployment and
Household Labor Supply," Ph.D. diss.. Northwestern University. 1981.
ftI discuss these relationships in general in chapter 4 of Williams. "Racial
Differences."
7For evidence regarding the elasticity of substitution of women for
teenagers, see James H. Grant and Daniel S. Hamcrmesh. “ Labor Market
Competition Among Youth. White Women, and Others." Review of Eco
nomics and Statistics, August 1981. pp. 354-60.
s Michael Wachter and Choongsoo Kim argue that as minimum wage
programs expand, often other government programs (such as m i x ) are
expanded. These programs can have effects which offset those of the
minimum wage. See "Time Series Changes in Youth Joblessness." in
Richard B. Freeman and David Wise. eds.. The Yontli Labor Market
Problem (Chicago. University of Chicago Press. 1982). Charles Betsey
and Bruce Dunson present results indicating that the biases which result
from estimating minimum wage effects without controlling for changes in
these other programs can be substantial. See "Federal Minimum Wage
Laws and the Employment of Minority Youth." American Economic Re
view, May 1981. pp. 379-84. Therefore, another reason that we want to
include a f d c payments is to better estimate the effects of the minimum
wage.
9Empirical analyses similar to the one conducted here have been done
for all race/sex groups, but only through 1976. See Stephen Marston.
"Employment Instability"; Ronald G. Ehrenberg. "The Demographic
Structure of Unemployment Rates and Labor Market Transition Probabil
ities,” mimeo (Ithaca, N.Y.. Cornell University, July 1979); and Ralph
E. Smith and Jean E. Vanski, "The Volatility of the Teenage Labor Market:
Labor Force Entry, Exit, and Unemployment Flows." in Youth Unem
ployment: Its Measurement and Meaning (Washington. U.S. Department
of Labor, 1980).
ll)The jobs were created in the summer of 1977. so this variable does
not really measure the "direct" impact of y k d r a on labor market transi
tions. Instead, it simply divides the sample into "pre-" and " p o s t - v i a x ’A "
periods.
11 See Smith and Vanski. "The Volatility of the Teenage Labor Market."
Job cuts are only one means
firms use to counter imports
A nn C. O rr and James A. O rr
The Trade Adjustment Assistance program, established in
1962 and greatly expanded in 1974, was designed to reduce
the cost of adjustment to workers displaced due to import
competition and to make adjustment more palatable through
the provision of employment services and income mainte
nance during their period of unemployment.1 Alternatively,
tariffs, quotas, and other explicit forms of protection have
as their objective the protection of employment in an inAnn C. Orr is a consultant to the World Bank and the Bureau of the
Census, and James A. Orr is an assistant professor of economics at Man
hattan College. The title of their full ir r a paper is "Employment Adjust
ments in Import-Sensitive Manufacturing Industries, 1960-1980.”
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dustry and thus the prevention of adjustment costs, causing
trade policy to be described as a "protect vs. adjust” option
for the economy.
Overlooked is the role of intra-industry adjustments in
the form of factor mobility and declines in earnings of work
ers remaining employed in the industry. Reductions in wages
and compensation can, under certain conditions, substitute
for reductions in employment as a means of reducing labor
costs. Wage reductions are, of course, not options for all
firms. To the extent that the workers’ training and experience
determine productivity, a wage decline not linked to a de
cline in productivity will simply cause the workers to move
to another firm or industry. Should labor productivity in
crease, however, as a result of, for example, greater capital
investment or more efficient utilization, room exists for varying
wage rates to reduce labor costs.
We used several criteria to identify a sample of industries
that have experienced relatively strong import competition.
Generally, an industry was considered import-sensitive for
purposes of this analysis if the import-penetration rate was
high and rising over the past decade, or employment in the
industry is highly protected by the existing tariff' structure.
Secular increases in import penetration rates suggest that
imports are likely to be permanent features of a market,
rather than the result of short-term movements in exchange
rates or general demand conditions. Tariff-sensitive em
ployment indicates the combination of a high tariff' rate,
high import elasticity of demand, and labor-intensive pro
duction technologies. Based on the import penetration study
of Gregory K. Schoepffe2 and the estimates of employment
opportunity declines resulting from the Tokyo Round tariff'
reductions in Thomas Bayard and James Orr,2 we selected
25 3-digit sic manufacturing industries as import-sensitive
over the period 1960-1980.4 The industries generally met
both criteria. Employment in these industries exceeded 6
million workers, or 30 percent of all manufacturing em
ployment.
An industry was considered to have experienced a decline
in employment if there was a reduction of 10 percent or
more in the average annual number of workers employed
from the industry’s pre-1978 peak employment level to 1978.
(See table 1.)
An industry was considered to have experienced a wage
adjustment if there was a decline of 5 percent or more in
its relative wage, that is, the wage of the industry expressed
as a percentage of the average manufacturing wage. This
form of the industry’s wage was used to control for both
the effects of inflation and manufacturing sector-wide effects
on wages.
Regional employment redistribution was measured over
the 1972-80 period. It was considered to have occurred if
there was both a decline of at least 5,000 workers in an
industry in at least two States and a corresponding increase
in employment in at least two States of the same amount.
The magnitude of the change in the total employment in the
39
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Conference Papers
Table 1.
Adjustment characteristics of 25 import-sensitive industries
[Employment in thousands]
SIC
code
Industry
Manufacturing ................................................
Peak
year
Relative wages in—
Peak
year
1978
Peak
year
Level of employment in—
Peak
year
1978
Significant
regional
distribution
—
—
1979
21.000
20,476
Yes
0.73
0.75
0.76
0.73
0.71
0.79
0.76
0.68
0.72
0.73
0.71
0.64
0.64
0.74
0.71
0.65
1960
1978
1960
1969
1973
1973
1973
1973
245
125
57
32
267
95
66
159
150
125
23
26
240
78
62
139
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
—
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
Broadwoven fabric mills, cotton ....................................
Broadwoven fabric mills, manmade fiber and s i lk .........
Broadwoven fabric mills, wool ......................................
Narrow fabric mills .......................................................
Knitting mills ................................................................
Dyeing and finishing textiles...........................................
Floor covering mills .......................................................
Yarn and thread m ills ....................................................
1969
1969
1966
1960
1970
1967
1970
1969
23
Apparel ..........................................................................
1968
0.73
0.63
1973
1,438
1,333
Yes
224
Wooden containers
.......................................................
1975
0.69
0.66
1973
47
43
Yes
302
314
Rubber and plastics footwear........................................
Nonrubber footw ear.......................................................
1972
1968
0.73
0.72
0.61
0.60
1973
1960
30
245
23
160
Yes
No
326
Pottery and related products
........................................
1963
0.93
0.84
1973
48
46
No
331
Blast furnaces and basic steel products ........................
1982
1.57
1.52
1965
660
570
No
354
355
Metalworking machinery ................................................
Special industry machinery ...........................................
1970
1972
1.22
1.06
1.13
1.04
1980
1980
370
210
350
200
No
No
363
364
365
366
367
Household appliances....................................................
Electric lighting and wiring equipment ..........................
Radio and TV sets .........................................................
Communication equipment.............................................
Electric components and accessories............................
1961
1965
1960
1982
1961
1.08
0.93
0.91
1.13
0.86
0.93
0.88
0.86
1.09
0.79
1973
1979
1966
1982
1982
198
225
165
560
550
184
220
120
490
450
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
371
Motor vehicles and equipment ......................................
1977
1.38
1.37
1978
1.000
1,000
No
0.70
1969
35
30
No
0.77
0.70
1978
1974
65
135
65
122
Yes
Yes
387
Watches, clocks and p arts.............................................
1960
0.87
391
394
Jewelry ..........................................................................
Toys and sporting goods................................................
1970
1970
0.92
0.77
industry was not used in constructing the regional adjust
ment measure.
Relative wage declines most common
Despite the prevalent notion that employment declines
are the predominant means of adjustment in import-sensitive
industries, only three of the 12 industries which experienced
employment declines used employment decline as the sole
means of adjustment. A majority (16) of industries used at
least two adjustment measures. Relative wage declines were
the most common form of adjustment, occurring in 15 in
dustries. Regional redistribution of employment occurred in
10 industries and was accompanied in almost every case by
relative wage decline. This complementarity between the
regional redistribution of employment and declines in rel
ative wages appears in all types of industries and suggests
a much broader impact of imports on domestic employment
than that suggested by observing only aggregate industry
employment levels.
The textile industries provide evidence on the variations
in the process of adjustment within broad categories of in
dustries. The broadwoven fabric mills, cotton, and yarn and
thread mills industries experienced only employment de
clines. No adjustments occurred in either relative wages or
in the regional distribution of employment. Several char
40
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acteristics of these industries, however, limited the adjust
ment options which firms in the industries could pursue. By
1970, employment in these industries was already concen
trated in the South, and wage rates averaged only 70 percent
of manufacturing wages. By contrast, the knitting mills and
floor covering mills industries, although relatively small,
experienced both declines in relative wages and a regional
redistribution of employment from States in the Northeast
to the South. Furthermore, since 1965 both industries have
experienced increases in productivity at least as large as that
in the manufacturing sector. In the case of floor covering
mills, labor productivity growth was much larger.
Employment losses in the apparel industry, the largest
industry and least geographically concentrated in the sam
ple, were not large in the aggregate. There was, however,
a decline in relative wages beginning in 1968 and a signif
icant redistribution of employment away from the Northeast
States toward States in the South and West, particularly
California, where employment increased by more than 25,000
between 1972 and 1978. Again, labor productivity growth
in the industry kept pace with that of the manufacturing
sector throughout the period.
The footwear industries both experienced declines in em
ployment as well as in relative wages. Rubber footwear also
experienced a regional redistribution of its employment while
nonrubber footwear, although concentrated in the Northeast,
did not. Employment declines in the latter also preceded
declines in relative wages, an exception to the pattern ob
served in many industries.
As a group, manufacturers of household appliances, elec
tric lighting equipment, radio and television sets, commu
nication equipment, and electronic components tended to
adjust in a similar pattern. Actual employment declines oc
curred only in the radio and t v industry, which also ex
perienced a sustained decline in its relative wage beginning
in 1960. The remaining industries experienced no employ
ment decline but did, with the exception of communication
equipment, experience declines in relative wages beginning
in the early to mid-1960's and a regional redistribution of
employment. By the end of the 1970’s, relative wages in
all five of these industries had recovered and were, in fact,
increasing. California and Massachusetts had the strongest
gains in employment in these industries, while Ohio, Illi
nois, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey had major employment
losses.
4The list contains many of the industries generally considered to be
trade-sensitive. The 3-digit sic industry was selected because of the desire
to disaggregate the industry as much as possible while still having adequate
time series data on employment, wages, and the regional distribution of
employment. Gregory Schoepfle. and Thomas Bayard and James Orr both
worked at the 4-digit input-output level of analysis. If one of their industries
satisfied our criteria, we included the associated 3-digit sic industry in our
sample.
Plant closures: efforts
to cushion the blow
B l n n l t t H a r r is o n
1Walter Corson, Walter Nicholson, David Richardson, and Andrea Vayda.
Survey o f Trade Adjustment Assistance Recipients (Princeton. N.J., Math
ematical Research Institute Inc., 1979).
In sharp contrast to the European situation, only about one
in five workers in the United States is covered by collective
bargaining agreements. Moreover, of those workers who do
belong to unions, only a small proportion have contracts
containing language providing more than token advance
notification of shutdowns. Of all collective bargaining
agreements in force in 1980 and covering more than 1,000
employees, only 15 percent contained language requiring
either advance notice of a closure or relocation, or explicitly
authorized union participation in the procedure. Of the con
tracts containing such language, 3 of 4 were in manufac
turing, so service sector workers (the fastest growing segment
of the economy) were especially poorly protected. And of
those agreements reporting (to the Bureau of Labor Statis
tics) on length of the prenotification period, more than half
provided less than 3 months' notice, while only 14 percent
called for prenotification of 6 months or more.1 Advocates
of national legislation requiring firms to give workers ad
vance notification of closure regularly point to these data
as evidence that “ voluntary" (including collectively bar
gained) arrangements have been insufficient in their cov
erage to adequately provide the protection they feel is needed.
That vulnerability has been enhanced by a U.S. Supreme
Court decision in June 1981. in First National Maintenance
Carp. v. n l r b . The Court ruled 7 to 2 that a company may
close a plant without bargaining with its union, provided
that the shutdown is “ partial" (one of several plants or units
in a multiunit company, but not the entire firm) and “ purely
for economic reasons" (as opposed to, for example, an
antiunion animus). In their decision, the justices overturned
a number of lower court (and previous Supreme Court)
rulings that unions always had a right to be informed in
advance, if only so they might (said the lower courts) choose
to negotiate a new contract that could conceivably change
the “ economic reasons’’ for the closure.2
2Gregory K. Schoepfle, “ Imports and domestic employment: identifying
affected industries,’’ Monthly Labor Review. August 1982. pp. 13-26.
’Thomas Bayard and James Orr. Trade and Employment Effects of Tariff
Reductions Agreed to in the Tokyo Round o f the Multilateral Trade Ne
gotiations (Washington, U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Interna
tional Affairs, April 1980).
Bennett Harrison is a professor of Political Economy and Planning, De
partment of Urban Studies and Planning. Massachusetts Institute of Tech
nology. The title of his full ir r a paper is. “ Comparing European and
American Experience with Plant Closing Laws.”
Restructuring indicated
The pattern of adjustment in this group of industries sug
gests that a successful restructuring occurred. By the end
of the 1970’s, relative wages in all five of these industries
had recovered and were, in fact, increasing above the pre
vious peak level. Labor productivity growth in this group
of industries, with the exception of electric lighting equip
ment, far exceeded that of the manufacturing sector as a
whole in the 1970’s. Particularly strong growth in labor
productivity was observed in two of these industries (radiot v sets and electronic components) in which such growth
began in the mid-1960’s. Despite this strong growth, these
industries experienced declining relative wages throughout
the 1960’s and until the late 1970’s, which suggests that
their adjustment was based largely on labor cost reductions.
The automobile and steel industries, two of the largest in
the sample, were anomalies in their patterns of adjustment.
The former did not adjust in any of the three dimensions
over the period studied. Labor productivity growth kept pace
with that of the manufacturing sector, while relative wages
increased. The steel industry was the only industry in the
sample which experienced a decline in employment, a de
cline in labor productivity, and an increase in relative
wages.
--------- FOOTNOTES---------
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41
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Conference Papers
Voluntary plant closure practices
In recent years, the managements of some companies
have met with the “ workers’ representatives” to discuss
outplacement or retraining and to plan for the redeployment
of the displaced employees (although almost never to re
consider the decision to close), have negotiated such benefits
for the displaced workers as severance pay, continuation of
health benefits, and transfer rights to jobs elsewhere in the
parent company’s organization. A small body of bestpractice case material is gradually emerging on the ideas
and experiences of these managers and their consultants at
such companies as Ford, the Brown and Williamson To
bacco Co., Goodyear Tire and Rubber, and other firms.3
Moreover, it is widely believed among human resource
professionals that wherever union- or government-initiated
programs to plan for the rapid redeployment of workers who
have been displaced by a closure have been successful (the
leading examples over the last 2 years being the programs
of the Illinois a f l - c i o and the State of California's Eco
nomic Adjustment Team), that outcome is due primarily to
the active involvement and support of the private firms un
dergoing shutdown.
Nevertheless, many American labor, government, and
community activists ask why this country's work force should
have to depend upon voluntary “ statesmanlike” behavior
by managers. If some firms can undertake to give advance
notice, and to join with workers and government to plan
redeployment of displaced labor, then (it is said) that just
proves that all firms can do it— and therefore should be
required to do it. This seems to have been precisely the
argument that most effectively swayed the provincial and
national governments of Canada, most of which now have
mandatory advance notice laws on their statute books.4
Advocates of plant closing legislation in the United States
are as concerned with normalizing and standardizing the
practice of shutdown as they are with achieving a greater
measure of social justice. And especially in American po
litical practice, “ normalizing” and “ standardizing” means
legislating.
State and local legislation
By late 1983, plant closing legislation had been passed
or was being considered in 17 States and 2 cities. Maine
has had a modest law on its books since 1971. In 1983, the
Wisconsin legislature repealed its 1975 law and substituted
another which will go into effect in 1984, replacing pro
visions for mandatory notification with voluntary guidelines
combined with incentives in the form of "positive adjust
ment” assistance. Also in 1983, Connecticut passed a law
requiring a modest continuation of the health benefits of
certain eligible workers displaced by plant closures. Phil
adelphia passed a law in 1982 mandating a 60-day preno
tification period; a recent evaluation of its immediate after
effects notes that a number of large service firms (in petro
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
leum distribution, communications, and insurance) have
moved into the city since the passage of the law.5 In July
1983, the city council of Pittsburgh passed a 3- to 9-month
advance notice bill over the veto of the mayor, only to have
it disallowed in August by two local judges. The city council
is now appealing. Fourteen other States and Connecticut are
currently debating advance notification and positive adjust
ment legislation, including California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minne
sota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and
Rhode Island.
Over the decade, since plant closing legislation became
a subject of political discourse in this country, several central
issues have emerged. Around some of these, positions have
long since hardened, and little compromise seems likely in
the foreseeable future between advocates and opponents.
Other issues seem much more open.
Prenotification. Although the principle of mandatory ad
vance notice is currently in retreat in some places (for ex
ample, the new Wisconsin statute), it remains the essential
core of the plant closing demand. Indeed, the North Amer
ican business community itself seems rather divided on both
the feasibility and the desirability of prenotification of com
pany decisions to shut down, relocate, or permanently lay
off significant numbers of workers. Thus, for example, rep
resentatives of Levi Strauss & C o.. which closed eight plants
during 1982-83, testified at congressional hearings that they
endorsed a national plant closing bill, if only to head off
the “ chaos” which would result with the passage of separate
State laws (Levi Strauss operates in 19 States).6 Earlier, in
May 1980, a survey of executives in 105 Fortune 500 com
panies elicited the rather remarkable finding that 3 of 5
executives thought a prenotification period of at least 3
months was quite feasible, while “ over a third of the re
spondents considered 6 months to a year to be the ideal
period.” 7
One of the more common fears of the negative conse
quences of prenotification requirements is the concern that,
once they are given their notice, workers will slow down
on the job, commit sabotage, or simply leave to take new
employment elsewhere. One way or another, it is feared,
advance notice will wreak havoc with plant productivity.
Because there are already prenotification laws on its statute
books, Canada is a useful place to look for evidence on this
question. And while much more research is needed, prelim
inary inquiries indicate that executives of individual private
corporations and officials of the Canadian Manufacturing
Association have, from personal experience, found such
fears to be unjustified.8
Consultation comparisons. In Europe, consultations be
tween managers and works councils— certainly over the
outplacement of employees, and sometimes over the deci
sion to close itself— form an important part of the plant
closing dispute resolution process. This is, of course, grounded
in the real political power of the labor movement in those
co u n trie s.
(A lthough jo in t
labor-m anagem ent
committees of various kinds are an object of experimentation
in a number of places, American practice clearly eschews
European-style consultations. In this country, “ rights” tend
to get spelled out in detail, and almost every disagreement
ends up in court. And those rights almost entirely concern
the arrangements for separation. Keeping the plant open,
especially under alternative forms of ownership, is simply
not a central subject of discussion in the typical American
(or, for that matter, Canadian) closure.
Severance. In private discussions, employers often indi
cate that they can “ live with” prenotification, but that man
datory severance pay is simply unacceptable, threatening,
as it might, to eliminate the cost advantages of relocating
the operations. From the point of view of local labor and
community leaders, mandatory severance also has its con
tradictory aspects. The oldest and the youngest workers in
the plant tend to show the greatest interest in “ taking the
money and running” — the former because they have little
chance of finding other employment, and the latter because
they have the best chances. It seems typically to be the
middle-aged workers who most resent the shutdown, who
are the most likely to organize resistance, and who are at
the same time most prepared to make wage or benefit
concessions in order to keep the plant open (or to facilitate
a worker buyout). The problem is inherent in the contra
diction between the indivisible nature of the plant closing
decision (“ open” or “ close” ), with its collective impli
cations (“ everyone stays” or “ everyone goes” ), and the
individual consumerist nature of the severance remedy.
Health benefits. In a society with neither universal national
health insurance for people of working age nor easilyavailable, inexpensive, and reliable private individual health
insurance, it should be no surprise that American workers
are increasingly concerned with protecting their claims on
their group health insurance policies made available through
their present employers. This seems to be an issue which
crosses all the usual age, race, and gender boundaries. □
severance pay, 6-month continuation of life and medical insurance, transfer
rights to the Macon plant for 325 of the 3,000 Louisville workers, moving
expense assistance for this group, and counseling, job placement assistance,
and company-financed retraining for the rest. The company even prevailed
on the Governor of Kentucky to obtain a waiver of State law that would
have prevented those laid off from drawing both severance pay and un
employment insurance simultaneously. (See Barry Bluestone and Bennett
Harrison, The Deindustrialization o f America. New York, Basic Books,
1982). Of course, this was all done to effect an orderly, trouble-free con
solidation. And it is true that continuation of the production activities in
Louisville (let alone adaptive reuse of the plant) was never open to dis
cussion. The relationship between the parties was undoubtedly more pa
ternalistic than collaborative. Notwithstanding all of this, such an orderly
transition— triggered by advance notification of the impending closure—
seems to me to be precisely what many planners in Europe would like
their own legislation to achieve.
4 For the purposes of this paper. I have been able to conduct only a
cursory examination of Canadian plant closing laws and practices. Six of
the ten provinces— Ontario. Quebec. New Brunswick. Nova Scotia, New
foundland. and Manitoba— do have mandatory advance notification laws
(although there are also long lists of authorized exceptions where notice
is not required, such as— in the Nova Scotia statute— when closure is due
to “ circumstances beyond the control of the employer"). There is also a
national law. covering about 400.000 employees in certain specific sectors
including transport, banking. Federal Crown Corporations, and so forth.
Prenotification under federal law varies from 8 to 16 weeks. See footnote
7. pp. 133-34).
At both federal and provincial levels, modest sanctions are usually pre
scribed for noncompliance, typically involving entitling workers to sue for
the backpay that would have been earned had the plant stayed open for
the duration of the requisite notification period (the toughest sanctions, at
least on paper, are in Newfoundland, where failure to give notice means
that the employer may not close the plant.) The notice period varies from
one province to another and according to the number of employees in the
plant at the time of the announcement. Thus, for example, in Ontario and
Newfoundland the managers of a plant with 50 to 199 employees must
give 8 weeks' notice: 200 to 499 employees require 12 weeks; and work
forces in excess of 500 must be given 16 weeks' prenotification. Most
provincial laws, as well as the national regulation require that, when viable
firms close a particular plant, severance pay must be provided to all em
ployees (whether or not they are covered by any collective bargaining
agreement) according to the general formula of 1 week’s severance pay
for each year of service up to some maximum (usually 26 weeks). While
there are a variety of labor-management and tripartite “ positive adjust
ment“ programs subsidized by the government, there does not seem to be
anything resembling the right of “ consultation “ as practiced intranationally in Europe and sought internationally through the Vredeiing Directive.
''James A. Craft. “ Plant Closing Legislation." Working Paper No. 550
(Graduate School of Management. University of Pittsburgh. 1983).
hDaily Labor Report. July 12. 1983. pp. A -4. A -5.
7Morris L. Sweet. Industrial Location Policy fo r Economic Revitali
zation: National and International Perspectives (New York. Praeger Pub
lishers. 1981). p. 148.
s Based on Conference Board of Canada (1983). and on interviews with
Canadian business officials conducted by the staff of the Massachusetts
Commission on the Future of Mature Industries.
--------- FOOTNOTES--------'M ajor Collective Bargaining Agreements: Plunt Movement. Interplant
Transfer, and Relocation Allowances. Bulletin 1425-20 (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 1981), pp. 8-10.
2Joseph Cipparone, “ Advance Notice of Plant Closings: Toward Na
tional Legislation,“ University of Michigan Journal o f Law Reform. Winter
1981; and John D. Feerick. “ Plant Closures and Duty to Bargain." New
York: Law Review, March 1981.
3Robert B. McKersie and William McKersie. Plant Closings: What Can
be Learned From Best Practice (Washington. U.S. Department of Labor.
Labor Management Services Administration, 1982).
Brown and Williamson Tobacco Co. in many ways represents the state
of the art. In one series of closures in Louisville, Ky. in 1980, involving
a consolidation of operations at the firm's Macon, Ga. site. Brown and
Williamson provided its workers and their unions with advance notification.
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Does it pay to organize?
estimating the cost to unions
P a u l a B. V o o s
In recent years, the total membership of U.S. labor orga
nizations has been shrinking. Between 1978 and 1980, there
was a drop in worldwide membership of about 355,000
members to approximately 23,883,000. During this same
43
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Conference Papers
period, U.S. membership fell by 391,000 members to
22,366,000.1These recent developments occurred in a longrun context of absolute union growth, but a decreasing per
cent organized, especially in the private sector. This study
explores several issues in union growth and examines new
data on the size of organizing programs.
First, was a decrease in the union commitment to growth
partially responsible for the secular decline in the percent
of workers organized in the private sector, as some re
searchers have contended?2 Second, did a larger expenditure
on organizing enable a union to win bargaining rights for
more employees in National Labor Relations Board repre
sentation elections, and if so, what was the cost to the union
of each new member? Third, how did that estimated mar
ginal cost compare to the marginal benefit existing union
members receive from organizing; that is, is organizing
justifiable in strictly economic terms or is social idealism a
necessary rationale for these programs? And, finally, how
much additional money would U.S. labor organizations need
to spend annually to arrest the long-run decline in the percent
organized?
To answer these questions, estimates of nonlocal organ
izing program expenditures were made from the financial
statements of the following 27 unions: Auto Workers ( u a w ).
Brewery Workers, Carpenters, Chemical Workers, Clothing
Workers, Communications Workers, Electrical Workers
( i b e w ) , Furniture Workers, Glass and Ceramic Workers,
Ladies’ Garment Workers, Longshoremen and Warehouse
men, Machinists, Maintenance of Way Employees. Marine
and Shipbuilding Workers, Meat Cutters, Newspaper Guild,
Office and Professional Employees, Packinghouse Workers
( u p w a ), Painters, Railway and Airline Clerks, Rubber
Workers, Service Employees, Steelworkers, Teamsters,
Textile Workers ( t w u a ). Upholsterers, and Woodworkers.
The trend in inflation-adjusted organizing expenditures was
inferred from a subsample of 20 unions which grew at the
same rate as all U.S. unions for the period 1953-74. A
second subsample of 25 unions which utilized n l r b rep
resentation procedures was used to generate marginal cost
estimates between 1964 and 1977.
Organizing expenditures increased in real terms between
1953 and 1974, using either the Consumer Price Index or
the gross national product ( g n p ) deflator to define constant
dollars. Nonlocal organizing expenditures for the subsample
of 20 unions rose from $24.4 million to $43.6 million (1967
c p i dollars) between 1953 and 1974, an annual real growth
Paula B. Voos is an assistant professor o f economics and industrial
relations at the University of W isconsin, Madison. The title o f her full
paper is “ Labor Organizing Program s, 1954-77” (Ph.D . dissertation,
D epartm ent o f Economics, Harvard University, 1982).
44
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rate of 2.8 percent. Insofar as the union commitment to
growth can be defined as the aggregate amount of real re
sources allocated to organizing, it is obvious that a decrease
in commitment was not responsible for the decline in the
percent organized over this period.
Unions which mounted larger organizing programs be
tween 1964 and 1977 won bargaining rights for more work
ers in n l r b representation elections, controlling for the number
of potential members, the characteristics of the contested
unit, and macroeconomic factors. The regressions estab
lishing this relationship were used to estimate the cost of
recruiting an additional union member. Estimates were ad
justed to reflect the facts that unions do not manage to
negotiate collective bargaining agreements in a significant
minority of units won in n l r b elections, and that a minority
of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements
do not become union members. With these adjustments, the
marginal cost of each additional union member ranged from
$580 to $ 1,568 (1980 dollars). The lower figure was derived
from a “ fixed effects” model controlling for many measured
aspects of the union’s environment and for unmeasured char
acteristics of each union; the higher figure was derived from
models which controlled for neither.
Previous econometric estimates of the extent to which
wages increase when a greater percent of an industry is
organized were utilized to derive estimates of the marginal
benefit going to existing union members from organizing
an additional person/ In 19 of 20 major manufacturing
industries, the discounted present value of this benefit ex
ceeds the highest estimate of the marginal cost of organizing.
Thus, while organizing programs are effective in the
unionization of additional persons, the cost is substantial.
However, the cost of not organizing in terms of the benefits
forgone by existing union members is even higher. Between
1953 and 1978, the proportion of workers who were mem
bers of labor organizations declined by about 0.3 percentage
points per year. Had unions moved to arrest the decline in
1978 by expanding organizing programs, the cost would
have ranged from $163 million to $442 million (1980
dollars).
Q
--------- FOOTNOTES--------'See Directory of U.S. Labor Organizations, 1982-83 Edition (Wash
ington. The Bureau of National Affairs. Inc.. 1982).
-Richard N. Block. '"Union Organizing and the Allocation of Union
Resources," Industrial and Labor Relations Review. October 1980. pp.
101-13: and Richard A. Lester. As Unions Mature: An Analysis o f the
Evolution of American Unionism (Princeton. N.J.. Princeton University
Press. 1958).
’Richard B. Freeman and James L. Medoff. "The Impact of the Percent
Organized on Union and Nonunion W ages." The Review of Economics
and Statistics. November 1981. pp. 561-72.
Communications
Comparing rates and proportions:
they can be misleading
D a v e M . O ’ N e il l
We are all familiar with proportions that measure very im
portant socioeconomic magnitudes. Unemployment rates,
poverty rates, and mortality rates are three of the most
widely used. The unemployment rate is an indicator of a
group’s difficulties in finding a job; the poverty rate is one
measure of the adequacy of a group’s income; and the mor
tality rate is an indicator of a group’s ability to deal with
disease and other life-threatening hazards.
To compare groups on these magnitudes, the ratio of their
rates is almost always used. Thus, the ratio of the unem
ployment rate of blacks to that of whites is watched to detect
changes in their relative difficulty in finding a job. Similarly,
changes in the ratios of poverty rates and mortality rates are
used to measure relative changes in the economic and health
status of groups. However, these ratios can lead to wrong
conclusions about changes in the relative status of groups.
(See a discussion of the “ incremental ratio’’ in Curtis Gil
roy’s “ Black and white unemployment; the dynamics of the
differential,” Monthly Labor Review, February 1974.)
The correct approach is to observe the ratio of the com
plements of each of the well-known rates as well. That is,
the ratios of employment rates, of “ nonpoverty” rates, and
of survivor rates should also be used. Changes in these ratios
will sometimes indicate the same change in the relative
position of the groups as the ratios of the well-known rates.
However, they will often move in the opposite direction.
Proportions and rates as means
The three well-known rates are used so often that it is
easy to forget that a rate or proportion is a special kind of
mean. It is a measure of the level (and dispersion) of a
certain kind of frequency distribution— one in which each
individual either has one value of the characteristic or an
other. Each value is usually nonnumeric (for example, un
employed, employed; dies, lives; poor, not poor). The relative
Dave M. O ’Neill is assistant division chief for socioeconomic studies.
Center for Demographic Studies, U.S. Bureau of the Census.
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frequency in one of the categories (p) of the characteristic
is used to summarize the distribution. No information is
added by (1 - p) if the group’s (p) is only being compared
with itself at different places or times. In these situations,
if (p) goes up, (1 - p ) must go down.
However, when the ratio of the (p)s of two groups is
being compared over time, the information provided by
changes in the ratio of the (1 —p)s can be different from
that shown by the ratio of the (p)s. The only reliable ap
proach is to examine the behavior of both of these ratios.
Changes in the two ratios of rates may indicate the same
change in relative status between the two groups. However,
it is also possible for the two ratios to indicate opposite
changes in relative status. Thus, during almost every reces
sion since World War II, the ratio of black to white un
employment rates fell, and the ratio of black to white
employment rates also fell. This happens because blacks
start out with a significantly higher level for their unem
ployment rate and a lower level for their employment rate
than do whites. Therefore, somewhat higher percentagepoint increases in unemployment for blacks (which tend to
happen during recessions) represent a smaller percentage
increase for the black unemployment rate but, simulta
neously, a greater percentage decrease in their employment
rate.
Which way does relative status move in this situation?
Do blacks become relatively worse off or better off in reces
sions? A precise answer would require assigning values
(dollars, utility) to the employment and unemployment cat
egories. Then, the unemployment and employment rates
could be combined using the values as weights to derive
employment status indices for each group. The behavior of
the ratio of these indices would give the correct change in
the relative status of the two groups.
In the absence of these indices, what can be concluded
when the two ratios of rates show opposite changes? A
conservative approach is to say that the direction of change
in relative status cannot be determined. In effect, there may
have been a change in relative status, but it is too small to
detect with available data.
Cases in point
Some important trends in relative status by sex and race
have probably been misunderstood because only the ratios
45
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Communication
of the (p)s were used to compare the groups. Two such
examples which we will examine are infant mortality by
race and poverty by sex.
Table 1 shows data on infant death rates (p), and infant
survival rates (1 - p) by race during 1940-82. If one com
pares the last two table columns, it becomes clear that the
ratio o f the death rates and the ratio of the survival rates
give opposite answers to the question— what happened to
the relative chances of black infants surviving versus white
infants? The ratio of death rates (black to white) shows the
situation worsening for blacks, while the ratio of survival
rates shows their relative situation improving. Because blacks
started from a higher death rate level, a significantly larger
absolute decline in their mortality rate amounted to a smaller
relative decline than whites experienced. And because their
survival rate started from a lower level than whites, it must
have increased by a greater percentage. As noted, without
data to combine (p) and (1 - p) for each group, we can only
conclude that there was no significant change in relative
status.
Table 2 shows data on poverty rates and nonpoverty rates
for families, by the sex of the family head. 1959-82. As
with infant death rates, use of the ratio of the poverty rates
(p) instead of the nonpoverty rates (1 - p) gives opposite
Table 1. Infant mortality and survival rates by race,
selected years, 1940-82
Mortality rates1
Survival rates2
Year
1940
1950
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1981
1982
.................
.................
.................
.................
.................
.................
.................
.................
.................
Ratio of blacks
to whites
Black
White
Black
White
Mortality
rates
Survival
rates
72.9
43.9
44.3
41.7
32.6
26.2
21.0
20.0
19.3
43.2
26.8
22.9
21.5
17.8
14.2
11.1
10.5
9.9
927.1
956.1
955.7
958.3
967.4
973.8
979.0
980.0
980.7
956.8
973.2
977.1
978.5
982.2
985.8
988.9
989.5
990.1
1.69
1.64
1.93
1.94
1.83
1.84
1.89
1.90
1.95
969
.982
.978
.979
.985
.988
.990
.990
.991
Table 2. Poverty and “nonpoverty” rates of family heads
by type of family, selected years, 1959-82
Year
1959
1960
1965
1970
1975
1979
1980
1981
1982
.................
.................
.................
.................
.................
.................
.................
.................
.................
Female head,
no
husband present
Heads of
all other
families
Ratio of female
head to
other heads
Poverty
rate
Non
poverty
rate
Poverty
rate
Non
poverty
rate
Poverty
rate
Non
poverty
rate
42.6
42.4
38.4
32.5
32.5
30.4
32.7
34.6
36.3
57.4
57.6
61.6
67.5
67.5
69.6
67.3
65.4
63.7
15.8
15.4
11.1
7.2
6.2
5.5
6.3
7.0
7.9
84.2
84.6
88.9
92.8
93.8
94.5
93.7
93.0
92.1
2.69
2.75
3.45
4.51
5.24
5.53
5.19
4.94
4.60
.68
.68
.69
.73
.72
.73
.72
.70
.69
Source: C o n s u m e r In co m e . C u rre n t P o p u la tio n R e p o rts, Series P -60, No. 68 (Bu
reau of the Census. 1969); C o n s u m e r In co m e . C u rre n t P o p u la tio n R e p o rts , Series P60. No. 95 (Bureau of the Census. 1974): and C o n s u m e r In co m e , C u rre n t P o p u la tio n
R e p o rts, Series P-60. No. 140 (Bureau of the Census. 1983).
answers. According to the ratio of poverty rates, families
maintained by women lost ground steadily relative to fam
ilies maintained by men during the period. But the trend in
the ratio of nonpoverty rates, at least until the beginning of
the sharp recession after 1979. leads to the opposite con
clusion. Most discussion of poverty policy has focused on
the ratio of the poverty rates. However, as we have said, a
proper assessment requires that the trend in both (p) and
(1 —p) be examined. And this leads to the conclusion that
between 1959 and 1979 the poverty status families main
tained by women did not decline relative to those maintained
by men.
Poverty rates by sex. infant death rates by race, and
unemployment by race are only three of a large class of
situations. Many educational attainment comparisons use
measures such as "the proportion with a certain level of
attainment or more." which raise the same issues when
used to compare the relative progress of groups. The health
area abounds with further examples.
'Deaths per 1.000 live births.
20ne thousand live births minus the mortality rate.
S ource: Data for 1940—81 : V ita l S ta tis tic s o f the U S . (U.S. National Center for Health
Statistics, 1982): data for 1982: The W id e n in g Gap. The In cid e n ce a n d D is trib u tio n o f
In fa n t M o rta lity a n d L o w B irth W e ig h t in the U .S ., 1 9 7 8 -1 9 8 2 (Washington. Food Re
search and Action Center, Jan. 5. 1984).
46
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In summary , one should always keep in mind that a pro
portion or rate is a mean of a special kind of frequency
distribution, and one must take special care to use the ratios
of both the (p)s and (1 —p)s for comparing groups.
Productivity
Reports
Measuring productivity
in State and local government
Donald
M.
F isk
State and local governments, which employ about 13 million
persons, are the largest single group of establishments for
which productivity indexes are not routinely calculated. The
Joint Economic Committee of the Congress, the National
Academy of Sciences, the General Accounting Office, and
others have suggested additional research into the possibility
of measuring State and local government productivity, and
in response the Bureau of Labor Statistics has conducted an
initial examination into the feasibility of calculating selected
productivity indexes. The results suggest that, while con
ceptual and data problems are difficult to resolve, it is fea
sible to calculate productivity indexes for many State and
local government services.
The b l s study reviewed research, literature, and surveys,
interviewed State and local officials, examined national data
which would be useful in calculating productivity indexes,
summarized the results of the investigation, and outlined a
strategy for further work in the area. The study focused on
ways that national labor productivity trends might be cal
culated on a routine basis, much as they are calculated tor
private-sector industry trends. The conclusions should also
be useful for governments interested in calculating their own
productivity.
Defining and measuring outputs
A number of researchers have discussed the contusion
surrounding the basic concepts and procedures used to mea
sure government productivity. The major problem is in the
definition and measurement of outputs, which alternatively
focus on operational activities, organization or direct out
puts, or program consequences. Each of these three general
types of measures is important. However, the most com
mon, at least nationally, is the second type, the direct output
or technical efficiency measure. It is this type of measure
which is most often computed for the private sector and the
Donald M. Fisk is an economist in the Office ot Productivity and Tech
nology, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
one with which this study was primarily concerned.
Selection of the proper measure of output requires a service-by-service and product-by-product approach. When a
government provides a single service, as in the case of some
of the special districts— solid waste disposal and drinking
water are examples— the output can be simply a count of
the units of service. However, most governments produce
heterogeneous services, and it is often difficult to even iden
tify the basic services. Furthermore, most services are com
posed of a number of different subservices or products which
also are difficult to identify. In addition, each service may
involve quality and other changes.
Data to calculate aggregate national. State, and local gov
ernment output indexes are generally lacking. The Federal
Government collects some data, particularly in those areas
where it has shared responsibilities, such as unemployment
insurance and drinking water. Some data are collected by
national associations and public interest groups. But, more
often than not, national statistics are simply unavailable on
State and local government output. In many cases, individ
ual governments do not collect such statistics.
Labor most useful measure of input
The most frequently used measure of input is labor. Con
stituting more than half of all State and local government
operating expenditures, labor is important for public policy
considerations, is easy to calculate compared with other
factors of production, and is the most accessible of State
and local government factor inputs.
The preferred labor measure is labor hours. However, no
national statistics are available for labor hours of State and
local governments; few governments even collect such data.
A measure often used as a proxy for the number of hours
is the number of full-time-equivalent employees, and many
State, county, and municipal governments maintain such
statistics. Most governments also have statistics on the num
ber of employees, a measure widely used in the private
sector.
However, none of the sources of national statistics is
entirely satisfactory for computing individual service in
dexes. The primary data sources are not divided sufficiently
to compute labor indexes for individual government ser
vices; others do not collect full-time-equivalent employee
statistics, and some contain major errors. Construction of
47
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Productivity Reports
valid labor indexes, either aggregate or individual, requires
detailed comparison and adjustment of data.
Seven State and local services were selected for detailed
examination from the dozens provided by government. The
more important government services, such as education,
police, and firefighting, are not included because of con
ceptual or data problems.
For three services— electric power. State alcoholic bev
erage stores, and unemployment insurance— illustrative in
dexes were calculated. For two services— sanitation and
drinking water— productivity was not calculated because
national data are lacking. For the remaining two services—
transit and the Employment Service— productivity indexes
were not calculated because of unresolved conceptual and
data issues; additional research is being conducted in these
two areas.
These seven services illustrate the problems and oppor
tunities that occur in computing State and local government
productivity indexes. The problems are substantial and in
clude both conceptual and data issues. However, the diffi
culties may not be a n y worse for c a l c u l a t i n g State a n d local
government productivity than for calculating service indus
try productivity in the private sector.
Both sectors produce many of the same services. There
are literally dozens of such services, ranging from electric
power to alcoholic beverage sales, from hospitals to em
ployment counseling. Not every government service has its
48
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private sector counterpart, but most do.
Most of the past discussion on calculating government
productivity has been entangled in questions of effective
ness, consequences, outcome, and impact. Productivity
analysis in these areas has become entrapped in externalities.
As long as the discussion is restricted to direct outputs, the
solutions are at least as tractable as in the private sector.
This is not to say that productivity can be computed for
every State and local government service. Thorny problems
exist in calculating State and local government productivity,
just as in the private sector. However, it should be possible
to compute labor productivity for many State, county, and
municipal services.
Development of these indexes must proceed service by
service. After the development of individual service in
dexes, it should be possible to construct aggregate indexes
for functional or service groupings, such as the social in
surance programs, utilities, and transportation. By using the
building block approach, individual indexes and groups of
indexes might be combined into appropriate functions such
as public works and public safety. Eventually, it may be
possible to develop a national productivity index for State
and local government, but this is probably many years away.
A comprehensive report. Measuring Productivity in State
and Local Government, BLS Bulletin 2166, January 1984,
is available from the Superintendent of Documents, Wash
ington, 20402 for $3.75.
Q
Research
Summaries
A statistical portrait
of hired farmworkers
L
e s l ie
A. W
h it e n e r
Farm labor data from the decennial censuses have been used
in research on occupational trends, labor force stratification,
occupational segregation and inequality, and labor market
structure.1 However, certain limitations should be consid
ered when using these data. Census occupational codes are
determined from the primary work activity of the respondent
in the week prior to completing the census questionnaire,
generally the last week of March. Because of the seasonal
nature of agriculture, many farmworkers are excluded from
the farm labor categories listed in the decennial census if
they were not working on farms in March. These exclusions
suggest a significant undercounting in the number of farm
workers and indicate some caution in the use of census farm
labor data.
Census data are useful for comparing occupational groups
because data on a large number of occupations are collected
simultaneously. However, problems arise when these data
are used to describe work activities which are characterized
by seasonality and a high degree of labor turnover. As noted,
agricultural work is particularly susceptible to this problem.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Hired
Farm Working Force Survey, only about one-third of the
hired farmworkers who worked sometime during 1981 were
employed during March. Instead, they were more likely to
have worked during the months of June. July, and August.
This suggests the census may be missing as many as twothirds of the Nation’s hired farmworkers.
This study uses data from the 1981 Hired Farm Working
Force Survey to evaluate the usefulness of census data for
farm labor research. The analysis focuses on two groups of
workers: (1) those who did hired farmwork during March
and most closely represent the hired farmworker population
as measured by the census and (2) those who were em
ployed at other times of the year and were therefore excluded
from the census farm labor categories.2 This report examines
Leslie A. Whitener is a sociologist in the Economic Research Service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
no 01
a
a
a o
the composition of each group of workers and investigates
differences in socioeconomic characteristics between the two
groups.
Concepts and measurement
The biennial Hired Farm Working Force Survey is con
ducted for the Economic Research Service of the U.S. De
partment of Agriculture by the Bureau of the Census as a
supplementary part of the December Current Population
Survey.2 Data from this survey indicate that there were 2.5
million persons 14 years of age and over who did farmwork
for cash wages or salary at some time during 1981, even if
only for 1 day. For purposes of comparability with decennial
census data, however, population coverage was changed to
include only those workers 16 years of age and over. Ap
proximately 282,000 persons 14 to 15 years old (11 percent
of the total) were excluded from the analysis.
Although data from the Hired Farm Working Force Sur
vey are collected biennially and were not available for the
1980 census year, the 1979 and 1981 survey data show that
the basic employment and demographic characteristics did
not change significantly, suggesting that information for
1981 closely approximates 1980 data.
Hired farmwork, as defined in this survey, includes work
done on the farm for cash wages or salary in connection
with the production, harvesting, and delivery of agricultural
commodities, as well as farm management if done for cash
wages. Exchange work, work done by unpaid family mem
bers, customwork. nonfarmwork done on a farm, or work
done exclusively for "pay in kind" are not included. Exhibit
1 lists the agricultural-related occupations reported in the
1980 census. The data from the Hired Farm Working Force
Survey most closely approximate the hired segment of those
census categories of managers, supervisors, farmworkers,
and nursery workers shown in exhibit 1.
The 1980 census shows there were 792,000 wage and
salary workers in the five agricultural occupations listed in
exhibit 1. In comparison, the Hired Farm Working Force
Survey of 1981 reports there were about 818,000 persons
who did hired farmwork in March. These two numbers were
not significantly different. This suggests that Hired Farm
Working Force Survey data on workers in March approx
imate the hired farmworker population measured by the
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Research Summary
Exhibit 1. Farming, forestry, and fishing occupations
reported in the 1980 decennial census
C ensus
code
Farm operators and managers
473
474
4751
4761
Farmers, except horticultural
Horticultural specialty farmers
Managers, farms, except horticultural
Managers, horticultural specialty farms
Other agricultural and related occupations
4771
4791
483
4841
485
486
487
488
489
Farm occupations, except managerial
Supervisors, farmworkers
Farmworkers
Marine life cultivation workers
Nursery workers
Related agricultural occupations
Supervisors, related agricultural occupations
Groundskeepers and gardeners, except farm
Animal caretakers, except farm
Graders and sorters, agricultural products
Inspectors, agricultural products
Forestry and logging occupations
494
495
496
Supervisors, forestry and logging workers
Forestry workers, except logging
Timber cutting and logging occupations
Fishers, hunters, and trappers
497
498
499
Captains and other officers, fishing vessels
Fishers
Hunters and trappers
'Indicates categories which most closely match the definition of hired farmworker
used in this article. Unpaid family workers are not included in these categories. Some
graders and sorters (488) would be included if this kind of work was done on the farm.
Source: Census of Population and Housing, 1980: Public-use microdata samples
technical documentation (U.S. Bureau of the Census. February 1983).
keeping house, or were otherwise not in the labor force most
of the year.
In 1981, farmworkers employed on farms in March re
ceived mean earnings of $6,979 from all sources of earnings
with over $6,000 from farmwork alone (table 2). Nine of
10 workers received at least half of their total earnings from
farmwork. Most of these workers had no other job. Only
one-iourth did any nonfarm work during the year, and they
worked an average of 101 days at their nonfarm jobs. The
largest proportions were nonfarm laborers or craft workers.
Demographic composition. Workers were generally 20 to
45, with an average age ot 34 (table 3). They were likely
to be household heads and were probably largely responsible
tor their tamilies' support. The majority were male (89
percent) and married (58 percent), and had an average family
size of four. Only 1 of 4 lived on farms.
Economic and educational status. In general, hired farm
workers are one of the more economically and educationally
disadvantaged groups. They have few labor market skills,
little education, and limited opportunity for employment in
higher skilled, better paying jobs.4 The data on workers
employed in March support these conclusions. In 1981,
workers received about $7,000 from all sources (mostly
from farmwork) compared with over $13,000 received by
all U.S. nonagricultural private sector production workers.5
census, and are useful for examining the strengths and weak
nesses of farm labor data from the decennial census.
Farmworkers employed in March
What are the characteristics of hired farmworkers who
work in March? Who are those workers not included in the
census because they work in other months? How do these
two groups of workers differ in terms of demographic and
economic characteristics?
Agricultural dependence. In general, hired farmworkers
employed in March appear to be strongly attached to farmwork as an occupation. About 75 percent of these workers
performed farmwork in at least 9 other months during the
year and more than one-half did farmwork in all 12 months
of 1981. In general, these workers did more than just a few
days of work each month. Only 5 percent were casual work
ers with less than 25 days of farmwork during the year and
22 percent were seasonal workers with 25 to 149 days. The
remaining three-fourths were regular or year-round workers
who performed 150 days or more of farmwork in 1981 (table
1). On balance, these workers averaged 218 days of farmwork during the year.
More than 70 percent of the workers who responded to
a survey question concerning their principal activity during
the year cited hired farmwork as their major job, while the
remainder indicated they were engaged primarily in other
farmwork, nonfarmwork, were unemployed, attending school.
50
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table 1. Employment characteristics of farmworkers in
March and other months, 1981
Worker
characteristic
Number of workers
........................
Total
workers
2.210.000
Workers
employed
in March
Workers
employed
in other
months
818.000
1.392,000
Percent
Proportion of earnings from
farm work..........................
0-24 percent.................................
25-49 ...............................
50-99 ...............................
1 0 0 .........................................
100
22
8
12
58
100
6
5
13
76
100
'32
'9
12
'47
Duration of farmwork:
Fewer than 25 days . . : . . .
25-149 .....................
150-249 .................................
250 and over ........................
37
34
12
17
5
22
26
47
' 55
'41
'4
'0
Principal employment status during year:
In labor force:
Hired farmwork.............................
Other farmwork2 ...................
Nonfarmwork.............................
Unemployed...............................
32
4
19
4
71
4
9
2
'9
4
'25
15
Not in labor force:
Keeping house ..........................
Attending s ch oo l...................
Other ...............................
9
26
6
3
9
2
'12
'37
'8
'Differences between March and other workers are significant at the 95-percent con
fidence level.
includes operating a farm or unpaid family labor.
Source: Hired Farm Working Force Survey of 1981 (U.S. Department of Agriculture
Economic Research Service).
Table 2. Average days worked and earnings received by
farmworkers in March and other months, 1981
Worker
characteristic
Number of workers
........................
Total
workers
2.210.000
Workers
employed
in March
Workers
employed
in other
months
818.000
1.392.000
Average dollars
Total earnings.........................................
Farm earnings....................................
Nonfarm earnings1 .................................
4.756
2.925
4,308
6.979
6.080
3.697
23.449
21.071
24.473
Average days
Days of farmwork ......................................
Days of nonfarm work1 .............................
105
130
218
101
239
2138
'Based on 939,000 persons (199,000 in March; 740.000 in other months) who did
both farm and nonfarm work.
differences between March and other workers are significant at the 95-percent con
fidence level.
Source: Hired Farm Working Force Survey of 1981 (U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Economic Research Service).
However, earnings data should not be used alone to define
the economic well-being of farmworkers. Family income
and family size must also be considered. A modified version
of the 1981 official Federal poverty criteria6 showed that
about 31 percent of farmworkers employed in March were
in low-income families. Among minority workers, low in
come was even more widespread. Hispanic and black and
other workers made up about 17 percent each of all hired
farmworkers employed in March.7 Yet, over 40 percent of
both the Hispanic and black and other groups were in lowincome families, compared with only 25 percent of the white
workers.
Homeownership is also an indicator of economic status.
Less than one-half of the workers employed in March 1981
owned or were buying their own home or lived with a family
that did. The remainder were renting or living in a domicile
that did not require cash rent.
The low economic status of those farmworkers who were
employed in March compared to other U.S. workers is prob
ably a result of a strong dependence on relatively low ag
ricultural earnings, and limited skills and opportunities for
higher paying nonfarm jobs. Low levels of education may
contribute to these workers’ dependence on low-wage jobs.
In 1981, farmworkers 25 years of age and over had com
pleted a median of 10.3 years of school, but there were
differences by race or ethnic group. Hispanic workers had
a median of 5.9 years of schooling; blacks and others had
completed a median of 8.2 years; and whites had a median
educational level of 12.2 years.
Farmworkers employed in other months
Agricultural dependence. Unlike the workers who did
farmwork in March, farmworkers employed in other months
tended to be seasonal workers with a relatively weak at
tachment to hired farmwork. More than half were casual
workers doing less than 25 days of farmwork; 41 percent
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
were seasonal workers doing 25 to 149 days. On average,
these workers completed 39 days of farmwork in 1981.
More than half of these workers were not in the labor
force most of the year and the majority of these were stu
dents. Twenty-five percent cited nonfarm work as their ma
jor activity and relied on farmwork for supplemental earnings.
Less than 10 percent cited hired farmwork as their major
activity during the year.
Workers employed in the other months were dependent
on agriculture for their earnings. About 60 percent received
at least half or more of their total earnings from farmwork.
Generally, this was because a large proportion of these
workers were out of the labor force most of the year and
had no other source of earnings.
Demographic composition. In contrast to workers em
ployed in March, those performing farmwork in the other
months were younger and tended to be single and not the
household head. A large proportion were students and home
makers and they were likely to be white, female, and living
in nontarm places. The majority (61 percent) owned their
own home or lived with a family that did.
Table 3. Demographic characteristics of farmworkers in
March and other months, 1981
Worker
characteristic
Number of workers
Total
workers
Workers
employed
in March
Workers
employed
in other
months
818.000
1.392,000
......................................
2.210.000
.............................................
100
100
100
.......................................................
.......................................................
.......................................................
.......................................................
.......................................................
over .............................................
28
20
23
11
8
10
12
21
27
17
12
11
'38
20
220
'7
'6
9
Race or ethnic group:
W hite.......................................................
Hispanic.....................................................
Black and other .........................................
72
14
14
66
17
17
'76
11
13
Sex:
Male .........................................................
Female..................................................
78
22
89
11
171
'29
Household status:
Head ..........................................................
Spouse .......................................................
Other ..........................................................
48
9
43
65
5
30
'37
112
151
Residence:
Farm ..............................................
Nonfarm.....................................................
17
83
24
76
'13
'87
Homeownership:
Own or buying hom e.................................
Renting ................................................
Other .......................................................
56
29
15
46
27
27
'61
30
'9
Percent
Total
Age:
16-19
20-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55 and
'Differences between workers employed in March and those employed in other months
are significant at the 95-percent confidence level.
differences between workers employed in March and those employed in other months
are significant at the 90-percent confidence level.
Source: Hired Farm Working Force Survey of 1981 (U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Economic Research Service).
51
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Research Summary
Economic and educational status. Workers employed in
the other months generally did farmwork on a casual or
seasonal basis. They worked fewer days at farmwork than
those working in March and received lower farm earnings.
In 1981, their farm earnings averaged $1,071 compared to
$6,080 for those employed in March. Their earnings from
nonfarm work were higher than those working in March,
but their overall earnings were lower. They were probably
not largely responsible for their own or their families’ sup
port. Their average family income was $16,259. slightly
above that of those who did farmwork in March ($14,329).
However, both groups were considerably below the U.S.
average for all families ($25.838).8 Based on family size
and income data, almost a third of the workers who were
employed at other times of the year were living in lowincome families. This proportion was similar to those who
worked in March.
Workers in other months who were 25 years of age and
over had completed more years of schooling (median of
11.8 years) than those who worked in March (median of
10.3 years). However, both groups had less education than
the total population 25 years and older (median of 12.5
years).9
Summary and implications
The decennial census information has some clear advan
tages over other sources of farm labor data. The census is
the only complete enumeration of the national labor force,
including categories for farm labor. It offers geographic
detail not available in other data sources and' provides a
variety of information for all States, counties, and other
areas within States, and various categorizations of place of
residence. Census farm labor data also offer the advantage
of historical comparability, at least at the broadest classi
fication level, and efforts are being made to describe and
improve the comparability at more detailed occupational
levels.10 Finally, census counts are invaluable for examining
characteristics of different occupational categories. How
ever, there are serious limitations which must be considered
in using census farm labor information.
Census occupational data are generally used under the
assumption that workers are employed in the same occu
pation on a year-round basis. This implies that the basic
characteristics of workers in an occupational group would
be similar regardless of the month of data collection. How
ever, these assumptions cannot be extended to all hired
farmworkers. Data on those working in March generally
describe those farmworkers who are committed to and eco
nomically dependent on hired farmwork for most of the
year. Yet, almost one-third of these workers cited nonfarmwork or not in the labor force as their primary activity during
the year. These workers would not identify farmwork as an
occupation. Although almost 9 percent of those who worked
in the other months cited hired farmwork as their major
activity, census counts do not include them in the farm labor
52
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
categories. Thus, census data, which focus on those workers
who are attached to a particular work activity on a yearround basis, do not perfectly measure farmworkers from
this perspective.
Also, census tallies are often used to describe an occu
pational category in terms of the total labor force involved
in that particular activity. Census data are useful for iden
tifying the numbers and characteristics of physicians or
economists, for example, because in all probability, the data
vary little from month to month. However, because of the
seasonality in agriculture and the high turnover of farm
workers, census data collected in March could exclude as
many as two-thirds of all hired farmworkers. Also, the so
cioeconomic characteristics of workers employed in March
differ considerably from those of workers employed in other
months. Thus, census data are not useful for examining
farm laborers from a total labor force perspective.
The Hired Farm Working Force data for March workers,
used as a proxy for census data, characterize hired farm
workers as a group of workers who are economically de
pendent on agriculture The majority are white, male, and
the household heads. They are most likely to live in nonfarm
areas and generally do not own their own homes. These
workers often have low levels of education and they are
highly dependent on their farmwork in terms of days worked
and earnings received. Most have no other source of earn
ings.
However, if workers employed in March are combined
with those working in the other months, these generalities
would change, and in some cases, patterns would be re
versed. With the combination of the two groups, the average
worker becomes younger and more educated. He or she is
less likely to be white and less likely to be a household
head. The employment and economic variables are affected
even more. Workers employed in March report higher farm
earnings than those working in the other months. When the
two groups are combined, overall averages for farm earn
ings, as well as for total earnings and days of farmwork,
decrease to reflect the influx of the more seasonal workers.
Thus, an employment concept based on census data obtained
in March and a labor force supply concept which includes
all persons doing hired farmwork during the year provide
two significantly different descriptions of U.S. farmworkers.
These findings suggest that research using census farm
labor data would have different study results if the data were
modified to include all workers. For example, in an earlier
article. Dixie Sommers used 1970 census data to rank oc
cupations, including farm laborer, by median earnings, and
to examine the effects of age, education, and full-year em
ployment on earnings of men and women." If Sommers
had used data for all hired farmworkers in her study of
occupational rankings, the median earnings of farmworkers
would still be ranked toward the bottom of the occupational
list, although there might be slight shifts with other lowpaying occupations. However, Sommers also examined the
effects of age, education, and duration of employment on
the median earnings of the occupational groups. Had she
included all farmworkers in her analysis, the effects of the
variables on median earnings could have significantly changed
her results because all farmworkers are younger, have more
years of education, and spend less time doing farmwork
than farmworkers reported by the census.
Research findings on historical occupational trends could
also be affected. While the number of hired farmworkers
has been relatively stable during the 1970’s, this stability
has not been evident in all segments of the farmwork force.
Between 1970 and 1981, the number of regular and yearround workers who worked 150 days or more showed a
significant increase of 47 percent. This trend should be
reflected in the analysis of 1970-80 census data. However,
the increase was partially offset by declines in the numbers
of casual and seasonal workers performing less than 75 days
of farmwork. This pattern would not be visible in the census
data. Because the characteristics and employment patterns
of all segments of the hired farmwork force do not change
consistently, historical analysis based on census data may
obscure important patterns and trends relating to hired farm
workers.
Thus, farm labor data from the decennial census require
careful use and explicit caveats as to which group is being
measured and what implications this has for farm labor
research. Census data, improperly used, could lead us to
believe that farmworkers are a relatively established yearround work force that is strongly attached to agriculture in
terms of days worked and earnings received. This is clearly
not the case.
Q]
--------- FOOTNOTES--------1
See Constance Bogh DiCesare. "Changes in the occupational structure
of U.S. jobs," Monthly Labor Review. March 1975. pp. 24-34: Curtis
L. Gilroy. "Investment in human capital and black-white unemployment."
Monthly Labor Review. July 1975. pp. 13-21: David L. Rogers and Willis
J. Goudy, "Community Structure and Occupational Segregation. I960 and
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1970," Rural Sociology. Summer 1981. pp. 263-81; Wendy Wolf and
Neil Fligstein. "Sex and Authority in the Workplace: The Causes of Sexual
Inequality," American Sociological Review. April 1979, pp. 235-52.
2Depending on the time of completion of the census form, an individual
could be reporting his or her occupation based on work activity during a
week in March or in April. However, because census forms are to be
returned by April 1. this study uses March as the month most often reported
by respondents. A comparison of data from the Hired Farm Working Force
Survey for March and April indicates that the numbers and characteristics
of farmworkers in these months did not vary significantly.
3For additional information on survey design and reliability of estimates,
see Susan L. Pollack and William R. Jackson. Jr.. The Hired Farm Working
Force o f 19X1 (U.S. Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Ser
vice, 1983); and The Current Population Survey— Design and Methodology
(U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1978). Paper No. 40.
4See Ray Marshall. Rural Workers in Rural Labor Markets (Salt Lake
City. Utah. Olympus Publishing. 1974): and Leslie Whitener Smith and
Robert Coltrane. Hired Farmworkers: Background and Trends for the
Eighties (U.S. Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service.
1981).
5 Based on average weekly earnings from Employment and Earnings.
January 1983 (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
'’This low-income measure was based on the following family size and
income criteria. Families with annual incomes at or below these thresholds
were considered to be economically disadvantaged for purposes of this
study.
Family size
1 ............................................................................
2 .............................................................................
3 .............................................................................
4 ............................................................................
5 -6 ........................................................................
7 .............................................................................
Family income
$ 4.999
5.999
7.499
9.999
11.999
14.999
7Race or ethnic data are classified into three mutually exclusive groups
based on a self-identification question. The groups are white. Hispanic,
and black and other.
sMoney Income o f Households. Families and Persons in the United
States. Series P-60. No. 138 (U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1983).
''Unpublished data from the March 1981 Current Population Survey
(U.S. Bureau of the Census).
i0The 1980 census adopted a new occupational classification scheme
which greatly affects historical comparability for many occupations. How
ever. efforts are underway to standardize occupational data for previous
census years based on 1980 classification codes. See Charles Nam and
others. "Historial Comparability of Occupation Statistics: Report of a
Project." Proceedings of the American Statistical Association. 1982.
11See "Occupational rankings for men and women by earnings." Monthly
Labor Review. August 1974. pp. 34-51.
53
M ajor Agreements
Expiring Next M onth
This list of selected collective bargaining agreements expiring in July 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
Labor organization1
Industries. Inc.. Amcar Division (In terstate)...............................................
Transportation equipment ..........
Steelworkers ................................
Amalgamated Sugar Co. (Idaho and Oregon) ....................................................
Associated General Contractors of America. Inc.: Mobile Chapter (Alabama
and Florida)
Construction ................................
Building and Construction
Trades Council: Teamsters
find.)
act
Association of Master Painters and Decorators of the Citv of New York.
Inc. (New York)
Number of
w orkers
2.000
■> ()()()
1 100
7.000
4.500
5.000
Employees
Food Employers Council. Inc. and Independent Retail Operators (California)
Food Employers. Inc. (Oregon) ............................................................................
Great Northern Paper Co. (Millinocket. Me.) ...................................................
Greater St. Louis Automotive Association and 1 other (Missouri and
Illinois)
Retail trade ..................................
Retail trade ..................................
Food and Commercial Workers . .
Food and Commercial Workers . .
65.000
4.200
Retail trade ........................ ..
M achinists.....................................
1 6S0
1 600
2.000
Transportation equipment ..........
M achinists.....................................
1.400
Hammermill Paper Co. (Kaukauna. W is .) ...........................................................
International Harvester Co.. Solar Turbines. Inc. (C alifo rn ia)........................
1 ">5()
Joseph E. Seagram and Sons. Inc. and 1 other (Interstate) .............................
1 100
1 400
Missouri River Basin agreement (In terstate)-......................................................
1 400
Meijer. Inc. (M ich ig an )...........................................................................................
Retail trade ..................................
Food and Commercial Workers. .
Pacific Maritime Association (In terstate).............................................................
Water transportation....................
Longshoremen and
Warehousemen <Ind. )
Schenley Distillers. Inc. (Interstate) .....................................................................
Southern Illinois Contractors Association (Illin o is)............................................
Food products .............................
Construction ................................
Distillers' Workers ......................
Laborers .....................................
'Affiliated with AFL-CIO except where noted as independent (Ind.l.
-industry area (group of companies signing same contract).
54
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
9.000
10.050
1.000
2.000
Developments in
Industrial Relations
Lynn Williams to head Steelworkers
After a bitter 4-month campaign, Lynn Williams was
elected to head the United Steelworkers until March 1, 1986,
but there was a possibility that the vote outcome would be
challenged by Frank McKee, the other aspirant. Even if the
issue is dropped when the official vote count is reported to
the union’s executive board in June, it is possible that lin
gering bitterness between the two camps could hinder the
union’s efforts to reverse the recent substantial decline in
membership.
During the campaign to fill the remaining 2 years of the
term of Lloyd McBride who died in November 1983. fol
lowers of both candidates contended that their man had the
qualities and experience required to lead the union out of
its difficulties. Williams, the 59-year-old secretary and act
ing president, pressed his belief that the union must coop
erate more closely with the industry in seeking political and
legislative solutions to problems such as the increasing in
cursions of foreign producers. McKee, the 63-year-old
treasurer— who will retain that post— contended that his 20
years’ experience as a mill hand had given him a better
understanding of the problems of steelworkers, and that
Williams could not properly represent the interests of do
mestic steelworkers because he is a Canadian.
Williams received 193,686 votes, of which 51.610 were
cast by Canadian members. McKee received 135.823 votes.
3,758 were by Canadian members. McKee charged voting
irregularities, contending that ballots were improperly dis
tributed to Canadian members. However, his assertion was
rejected by a Campaign Conduct Administrative Committee
established under the union’s constitution and headed by
former Secretary of Labor W. Willard Wirtz. James W.
English, the associate counsel of the union and a neutral
official in charge of giving advice on election conduct, also
found no evidence of misconduct.
Williams joined the union in 1947, held positions in the
Canadian Labour Congress and the Steelworkers’ Canadian
organization, including a stint as a district director, and was
elected secretary of the international in 1977, when McBride
and McKee also entered office. He was supported by 1. W.
“ Developments in Industrial Relations” is prepared by George Ruben of
the Division of Developments in Labor-Management Relations, Bureau of
Labor Statistics, and is largely based on information from secondary sources.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Abel, the union’s only living ex-president. Williams is the
fourth person to head the union, and is the second Canadian
heading an a f l - c io affiliate, joining Kenneth J. Brown of
the Graphic Communications International Union.
Airline industry update
Reflecting continuing economic difficulties in the air trans
portation industry, union and management representatives
continue to negotiate contracts reducing labor costs. In re
turn. some settlements provide for adoption of plans giving
employees shares of company stock. (See Monthly Labor
Review, January 1984, pp. 36-37, and February 1984,
pp. 64-65. for previous cost-reduction settlements in the
air transportation industry.)
Frontier Airlines, which in 1983 suffered its first full-year
loss since 1971. negotiated cost-reduction contracts with
several unions that established “ two-tier" pay systems. The
accord with the Air Line Employees Association, covering
2.600 customer service and clerical employees, cut the pay
of new hires by 35 percent, compared with an 11-percent
cut for those already on the payroll. Other terms for all
employees represented by the unions included a reduction
in holiday, vacation, and other benefits; adoption of a profitsharing plan; and adoption of split work schedules under
which some employees are on duty for 4 hours, off for 4
hours, and then work another 4 hours. Cockpit crew mem
bers. represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, agreed
to a 35-percent cut in pay for new hires and 8.1 percent for
incumbents, plus elimination of plans to restore a 3.5-per
cent pay cut in September that had been negotiated in 1983.
Terms of a contract for employees represented by the As
sociation of Flight Attendants were not released pending the
outcome of a ratification vote, and bargaining was contin
uing with the Machinists union, which has vowed to resist
steep cuts in compensation and adoption of a two-tier pay
system.
Trans World Airlines asked the Independent Federation
of Flight Attendants for an early start of negotiations on a
contract to succeed one scheduled to expire July 31. The
company said that it would seek “ significant” cuts in com
pensation and permanent changes in work rules from 4,600
workers. In response, union president Arthur Teolis said,
“ We will make reasonable concessions provided we get
55
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Developments in Industrial Relations
certain protections,” including job security guarantees and
stabilization of work schedules.
At United Airlines, 8,500 members of the Association of
Flight Attendants were covered by a 37-month agreement
that provided for one pay increase of 6 percent, effective
on October 1, 1984. For an attendant with 12 years of
service, the increase will raise pay to $2,072 a month, from
$1,955, for 65 hours of work. During their first 5 years of
employment, new employees will be paid about 25 percent
less than current pay scales. Beginning with the sixth year
of service, however, they will move into the appropriate
step of the regular 14-year pay progression schedule for
current employees. At the time of the settlement, United
also was bargaining with the Machinists union for 14,000
mechanics and with the Air Line Pilots Association for 4,800
cockpit crew members.
BraniiF Airways resumed operations on March 1,22 months
after it had filed for protection from creditors under the
Federal Bankruptcy Act. The major factors in the rebirth
were an infusion of money from the Hyatt Corp., the new
principal owner, and new 5-year labor contracts calling for
30- to 40-percent cuts in compensation and some changes in
work rules to increase efficiency. The carrier, which was
the 8th largest in the Nation, now has 2,250 employees,
down from a peak of about 9,000. Virtually all of the current
employees were with Braniff at the time of shutdown.
All of the agreements, negotiated at various times in 1983,
limit paid vacations to 3 weeks a year and limit the carrier’s
health insurance contribution to $100 a month, with em
ployees paying the balance (scheduled to rise to $132 over
the 5-year period). A pension plan has not been established
but Braniff said it will continue to provide sick leave and
airline travel passes, is planning to establish a profit-sharing
plan, and is considering a stock-option plan.
• The 380 pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots As
sociation, are guaranteed 65 flight hours a month at $43.01
an hour in the first year, rising, in steps, to $56.84 in the
fifth year.
• The mechanics’ agreement, which was subject to a legal
dispute regarding its validity, provided for an initial rate
of $9.50 an hour and a final-year rate of $11. compared
with the current industry average of nearly $17. The 340
mechanics are represented by the Machinists union.
• The 675 clerical, office, fleet, and passenger service em
ployees represented by the Teamsters start at $7 an hour
and rise to $8.14 over the term. Their contract is the only
one that provides for automatic cost-of-living pay ad
justments, ranging from 3 to 8 percent a year.
• The 525 employees represented by the Association of
Flight Attendants also will be guaranteed 65 hours a month,
starting at $17.70 an hour and rising to $18.79 in the final
year. Before the shutdown, most of the attendants were
earning the $26.30-an-hour top rate payable after 13 years
of service.
56
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
nlrb
says operations transfer not negotiable
Organized labor, which has been adversely affected by
several recent National Labor Relations Board decisions,
suffered another blow when the Board held that an employer
is generally not required to bargain with unions regarding
transfer of operations to another location. The ruling in
volved United Technologies Corp.’s Otis Elevator Corp.
subsidiary in Mahwah, N.J., and Auto Workers Local 989.
The case arose in 1977 when United Technologies decided
to merge its elevator research and development operations
in Mahwah with a larger operation in East Hartford, Conn.
This resulted in a March 1981 ruling by the Board validating
the union’s complaint that Otis had engaged in an unfair
labor practice by refusing to bargain on the move. But 3
months later, in First National Maintenance Corp. v. n l r b ,
the Supreme Court ruled that an employer could close part
of a business for economic reasons without first bargaining
with employees over the decision. In reversing its Otis de
cision to follow the Court’s ruling, the Board extended
employers’ rights by permitting them to make unilateral
decisions on such matters as subcontracting work or selling
or relocating a plant. In its finding, the Board said employers
are not required to bargain on any “ decisions which affect
the scope, direction or nature of the business.” Continuing,
the Board said that Otis was not required to bargain on the
decision to move because it “ clearly turned upon a fun
damental change in the nature and direction of the business”
that resulted because Otis’ technology was dated and its
product was not competitive. The Board did hold that bar
gaining is required on decisions that “ turn upon a reduction
of labor costs.”
United Auto Workers' attorney Stephen Schlossberg said
the decision has serious ramifications because it “ strikes at
the heart of bargaining” and that, given the chance, the
union “ could have really done something” about the threat
ened transfer. He was referring to the possibility that the
union would have accepted contractual changes that would
have improved Otis' competitive position.
The union said it would appeal, because the decision
“ threatens to unleash a new wave of plant closings, job
lessness and community misery as companies are released
from any obligations to bargain with their workers before
transferring or subcontracting work, or even to supply any
information relative to the move.”
Management officials applauded the decision because it
extends the Supreme Court’s decision to relieve employers
of the obligation to bargain with unions on business matters
that are unrelated to labor costs.
Another case centering on the right of employers to trans
fer operations occurred earlier in 1984 (see Monthly Labor
Review, March 1984, p. 57). In this case, which involved
the Milwaukee Spring Co., the Board held that the em
ployer’s plan to transfer work from a union plant to a non
union plant was based on management’s effort to escape
labor costs of the union contract and therefore was a required
bargaining issue. However, the Board permitted the com
pany to shift the work because the contract did not contain
a work preservation clause and Milwaukee Spring bargained
on the move in good faith, even though the negotiations
ended in an impasse.
Arbitration not equal to judicial factfinding
The Supreme Court held that a discharged police officer
could seek redress in court, even though he had fully utilized
the grievance procedure in his union’s contract, culminating
in an arbitrator’s ruling that the discharge was warranted.
The case, McDonald v. City o f West Branch, Mich., arose
in 1976 when officer McDonald asked a Federal District
Court to assess damages against the chief of police and other
West Branch officials under Section 1983 of the Civil Rights
Acts of 1871, claiming they had discharged him for exer
cising his First Amendment rights of freedom of speech,
freedom of association, and freedom to petition the gov
ernment for redress of grievances. Specifically, he con
tended the action had been taken in reprisal for his activities
as a steward for his bargaining representative, a local of the
United Steelworkers. The city maintained officer McDonald
had been discharged for allegedly participating in a sexual
assault on a minor.
The District Court judge allowed McDonald to proceed
with the action and a jury awarded him an $8,000 judgment
against the police chief. However, on appeal, the Sixth
Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision, finding
that the First Amendment claim was an unwarranted attempt
to litigate a matter that had already been decided by the
arbitrator.
In its decision, written by Justice Brennan, the Supreme
Court recognized that while Title 28 use 1738 provides that
the “judicial proceedings’’ of any court in the United States
must be given full credence by all other courts within the
United States, it did not apply to the case at hand because
arbitration is not a “ judicial proceeding.’’ Continuing, the
Court said that arbitration is well suited to resolving con
tractual disputes, but is not an adequate substitute for a
judicial proceeding in protecting the rights that Section 1983
is designed to safeguard. The Court explained that an ar
bitrator may not have the expertise to resolve complex legal
questions that may arise in Section 1983 actions, or the
authority to enforce Section 1983; that a union's usual ex
clusive control over prosecuting grievances may result in
an employee’s loss of an opportunity to be compensated for
any constitutional deprivation because it was not in the
union’s best interest to press the grievance vigorously; and
that arbitration factfinding is not equivalent to judicial fact
finding.
The Supreme Court remanded the case to the Circuit Court
of Appeals.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
‘Factory surveys’ legal, Supreme Court finds
It is constitutional for Federal agents to conduct “ factory
surveys” to enforce immigation laws, the Supreme Court
has ruled. The case, Immigration and Naturalization Service
[ i n s ] et al. v. Herman Delgato et al., arose in 1977 when
ins conducted such surveys at three garment plants in Cal
ifornia. At two of the plants, the ins acted under authority
of search warrants issued in response to ins assertions that
numerous illegal aliens were employed in the plants. The
survey at the third plant was conducted with the employer’s
consent. During each survey, which lasted from 1 to 2 hours,
some agents were stationed near the exits, while other agents
moved systematically through the factory approaching em
ployees and, after identifying themselves, asking from one
to three questions relating to their citizenship. If an em
ployee gave a credible reply that he or she was a U.S. citizen
or produced immigration papers, the agent moved to another
employee. During the survey, employees continued with
their work and were free to walk around within the factory.
The surveys resulted in the arrests of 164 of the 590 workers.
Four of the employees who were questioned— two Amer
ican citizens and two legally resident aliens—joined with
the Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union in a suit to halt such
surveys, contending that they violated the illegal search and
seizure prohibitions of the Fourth Amendment to the Con
stitution. The Federal District Court ruled in favor of the
i n s , but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the
surveys were an unreasonable seizure of all the employees
and that the ins could not question employees without hav
ing information that particular employees were illegal al
iens.
In the majority opinion, written by Justice Rehnquist, the
Supreme Court held that the factory surveys did not result
in the seizure off the entire work force and the individual
questioning of the employees who initiated the case did not
amount to a detention or seizure under the Fourth Amend
ment. Justice Rehnquist said that a "consensual encounter”
between a police officer and a citizen could be transformed
into a violation of the Fourth Amendment if, in view of all
the circumstances surrounding the incident, a reasonable
person would have believed that he was not free to leave.
According to the Court, this did not occur during the surveys
because employees were free to move about in the normal
course of their duties, and the ins agents were stationed at
the exits to insure that all employees were questioned, not
to prevent them from leaving.
Finally, the Court said that because there was no seizure
of the entire work force, the respondents could litigate only
what happened to them, which, based on their own descrip
tion of their encounters with the agents, were “ classic con
sensual encounters,” rather than violations of the Fourth
Amendment.
In a concurring opinion. Justice Powell said that factory
57
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Developments in Industrial Relations
surveys were reasonable under the Fourth Amendment even
if they resulted in seizures of some of the individuals ques
tioned by the agents. He said that the minimal intrusion on
personal privacy was justified because it is outweighed by
the greater benefit accruing to the public in apprehending
illegal aliens.
Justice Brennan, also writing for Justice Marshall, dis
sented, saying that the majority decision was marked by a
“ studied air of unreality.” Brennan said that the interro
gations of individual employees were, in fact, illegal sei
zures within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment. He
wrote, ” . . . it is beyond cavil that the manner in which
in s agents conducted these surveys demonstrated a ‘show
of authority’ of sufficient size and force to overbear the will
of any reasonable person. Faced with such tactics, a rea
sonable person could not help but feel compelled to stop
and provide answers to the ins agents' questions. The Court's
efforts to avoid this conclusion are rooted more in fantasy
than in the record of this case.”
Flight Attendants union chartered by
afl - cio
The 21,000-member Association of Flight Attendants be
came the 96th member union of the a f l - c i o when the
Federation’s Executive Council granted it a charter. Pre
viously, the Flight Attendants were an autonomous affiliate
of an a f l - c i o affiliate, the Air Line Pilots. The move for
a separate charter was strongly supported by Air Line Pilots
President Henry A. Duffy, as well as by a f l - c i o President
Lane Kirkland and Vice President Joyce Miller, who is
president of the Coalition of Labor Union Women.
The new affiliate is headed by President Linda A. Puchala,
Secretary-Treasurer Pamela Casey, and Vice President Su
san Bianchi Sand, making it the first a f l - c i o union whose
top officers are all women. Puchala said that the Associa
tion’s new status as an autonomous chartered union will
give it recognition as “ the national flight attendants union”
that will be a major boost to organizing activities. Currently,
the union represents cabin crews on 14 airlines.
was to have been paid during the preceding contract but
was postponed to the first month of the 1982 contract.
Although the current contract was negotiated in advance
of the expiration date of the prior contract, there are no
indications that the parties will bargain early under an option
to reopen the current trucking contract after April 1, 1984,
if they “ agree that the financial status of the industry has
either substantially increased or decreased compared to the
date of the ratification of this agreement. ’’ Even if the parties
did bargain early, getting the contract approved could be a
problem for union leaders, in view of the members’ rejection
of an earlier proposal that was backed by union leaders.
That proposal could have led to the recall of some laid-off
workers at reduced compensation levels. (See Monthly La
bor Review, November 1983, p. 73.)
Hawaiian hotel employees get new contract
A 3-year accord between the Council of Hawaii Hotels
and the Hotel and Restaurant Employees union provided for
pay increases of 4 percent in the first and second years and
5 percent in the third year. The contract covers more than
8,000 employees of 15 hotels. It also provides for a 34cent-an-hour increase in the employers’ financing of health
and welfare benefits over the contract term, bringing the
total to 98 cents, and a 6-cent increase in their financing of
pensions, bringing the total to 38 cents. A management
official said that the new financing levels are “ set” amounts,
which was a major objective of the hotels. Previously, the
employers were required to provide whatever financing was
necessary to maintain benefit levels, which had resulted in
an 80-percent rise in their benefit costs over the last 5 years.
In another change beneficial to management, new em
ployees will be paid 80 percent of scale for the first 60 days
of employment. Previously, new employees were paid 10
cents an hour under scale for the first 30 days of employ
ment. Also, employees working “ short shifts” will now be
paid at straight-time rates plus a 10-percent premium. Pre
viously, the premium for these employees ranged from 10
to 25 percent.
Truckers’ pay increase diverted
About 200,000 Teamsters’ members in the trucking in
dustry did not receive a scheduled 35-cent-an-hour auto
matic annual cost-of-living pay increase as a result of a
decision by a committee consisting of officials of the union
and employer associations. Instead, the money will be used
to maintain the existing level of health and welfare and
pension benefits, as permitted in the parties’ 1982 settle
ment. (Sez Monthly Labor Review, April 1982, p. 64.)
A similar diversion occurred with the 33-cent cost-ofliving pay increase that had been scheduled for April 1983.
Thus, the only wage increase during the 38-month term of
the trucking agreement was 47 cents (in April 1982) of a
scheduled 72-cent cost-of-living adjustment. That increase
58
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Steelworkers’ local adopt jobsharing plan
Members of Steelworkers Local 1211 have adopted a plan
under which employed members at Jones & Laughlin Steel
Corp.’s Aliquippa, Pa., steel mill will share jobs with other
members on layoff from the plant. Under the plan, the 200
jobs in the general labor pool will be shared by the current
employees holding the jobs and 225 workers recalled from
layoff. Expectations are that each of the 425 employees will
work 60 percent of the time and be on layoff 40 percent of
the time. While on layoff, they will be eligible for supple
mental unemployment benefits.
During the recession which ended late in 1982, a number
of firms adopted worksharing to aid employees financially
and to help them retain their skills in anticipation of an
economic recovery. The plans were particularly popular in
Arizona, California, and Oregon, the only States which (at
the beginning of 1983) permitted job-sharers to draw State
unemployment benefits for idle periods. Subsequently, such
provisions were enacted in Florida, Illinois, and Washing
ton.
Elsewhere in the industry, Armco, Inc., agreed to a trial
plan suggested by employees for boosting output of steel
slabs at its Middletown, Ohio, mill. Armco had announced
that it would be necessary to import the slabs because of
an unscheduled shutdown of its largest blast furnace to reline
its interior.
The plan calls for employees to make an all-out effort to
attain peak output at each step of the steelmaking process.
If the target production levels— which have never been met
for a sustained period— are not attained, the plan would be
terminated and Armco would purchase the slabs overseas.
The slabs, which are rolled into sheet metal, are not avail
able from domestic mills because of intense demand for
sheet metal, particularly from automobile manufacturers.
Employees at the mill are represented by Armco Em
ployees Independent Federation, Inc.
‘Cooperative approach’ to lead safety standards
In a departure from the contentious relationship that some
times occurs when Federal job safety and health standards
are developed or applied, the Department of Labor's Oc
cupational Safety and Health Administration, (o s h a ), Asarco
Inc., and the United Steelworkers union worked out agree
ments designed to limit worker exposure to lead in three
smelters and a refinery. The agreements gives Asarco extra
time to comply with the various exposure limits of the lead
standard o s h a issued in 1983 in return for adoption of a
system of technical controls and workplace practices which
will demonstrate that the company is striving to attain the
standard. The controls and practices include improving ven
tilation, enclosing some processes or workspaces, improv
ing the method of cleanup, increasing the frequency of
cleanup, providing filtered air for certain rooms and mobile
equipment, periodically inspecting worksites, and conduct
ing research to develop or locate more effective controls.
An o s h a official called the cooperative approach “ very
effective in solving compliance problems in the workplace.”
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
A Steelworkers’ official also lauded the settlement, saying
that it precludes lengthy delays that sometimes result from
employer efforts to win variances from standards.
The agreements are for 2 Vi to 4Vi years. They incorporate
some of the control approaches the parties worked out in
1983 to comply with the arsenic standard, o s h a will retain
authority to inspect the facilities in response to serious ac
cidents and exposure complaints. Prior to the termination
of the agreements, the parties will negotiate renewal agree
ments incorporating the latest exposure controls.
The smelters are in El Paso, Tex.; East Helena, Mont.;
and Glover, Mo. The refinery is in Omaha, Neb.
Black public employees win $15 million award
In a ruling which could result in back pay of more than
$15 million, a U.S. district judge held that the State of
Illinois and Cook County had discriminated against black
welfare workers by paying them less than white workers
performing the same duties. The State, County and Munic
ipal Employees union, which initiated the class action suit
in 1973, said the award could.affect more than 1,000 current
and former employees in the county. In the suit, the union
contended that blacks had been generally assigned as case
trainees and case aides, while whites were case workers and
paid $150 to $200 more per month. The discrimination
ended in 1975 when the State took over the county welfare
department.
About $4 million of the award is to be paid by the county
and the balance by the State. The union calculates that
individual payments could be as much as $40,000.
Hair product company charged with sex bias
A U.S. district judge decided that Johnson Products Co.
had discriminated against female sales employees in hiring,
pay, and promotions, and fired them if they complained to
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commision. The at
torney who filed the class action suit said that more than
100 women could collect damages from Johnson Products,
which makes hair care products, and is one of the largest
black-owned businesses in the country. The attorney also
indicated that negotiations were underway with the company
on the amount of damages. Johnson Products did not in
dicate whether it will appeal the finding.
CH
59
Book Reviews
Keeping informed
Handbook o f Wage and Salary Administration. 2d ed. Ed
ited by Milton L. Rock. New York, McGraw-Hill Book
Co., 1983. 800 pp. $59.95.
The value of a reference work such as the Handbook of
Wage and Salary Administration can be recognized by com
paring pay plans in today’s factories and offices with those
generally used half a century ago. Wages and salaries of
individual workers were usually set on an informal personal
basis, and relatively little thought was given to the idea of
an equitable overall pay structure. Worker performance greatly
influences current-day earnings, but, at least in larger firms,
it now commonly does so within a framework emphasizing
pay progression within specified rate ranges for formally
defined and evaluated jobs.
In addition, employee compensation no longer consists
just of pay rates; it typically includes a host of so-called
“ fringe benefits” — such as paid sick leave, holidays, and
vacations; overtime, shift differentials, and other forms of
premium pay; and various health, insurance, and retirement
benefits. Many of these pay supplements have resulted from
actions of employers alone or of unions and management
through collective bargaining; others, however, stem from
legal enactments, for example, social security, unemploy
ment insurance, and workers’ compensation.
Administrators of present-day compensation plans have
a complex task. Equitable pay relationships must be main
tained among a company’s jobs and, at the same time, wage
and salary rates must be competitive with those paid by
other employers. Furthermore, appropriate incentives must
exist to stimulate a high level of worker performance. Also,
job hierarchies should provide an opportunity for employee
growth and advancement.
To accomplish these goals, compensation specialists must
know the techniques for designing, describing, and evalu
ating jobs; establishing wage and salary structures; planning
and budgeting for merit increases; and appraising and re
warding performance of individual employees. Compen
sation plan administrators must also be familiar with the
availability and use of wage, salary, and benefit surveys;
the details of individual fringe benefits and the creation of
a benefit package; and the various laws affecting employee
60
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
compensation, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, the
Social Security Act, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
This second edition of the Handbook of Wage and Salary
Administration is an encyclopedic review of these topics.
Its 800 pages contain 66 chapters, ranging from 2 to 24
pages in length. Authors of the individual chapters include
corporate compensation specialists, consultants, academic
experts, and government officials. Chapter titles range from
“ Acquiring Competitive Information from Surveys: AbbottLanger Directory of Pay Survey Reports” to “ Evaluating
an Executive Compensation Program.” Reflecting common
practice, separate chapters are devoted to establishing pay
structures for hourly, clerical, and exempt and managerial
employees. Two chapters deal with an equal employment
opportunity issue currently receiving widespread atten
tion— the concept of comparable worth, or equal pay for
jobs of equal value.
Nevertheless, the book does not span the full gamut of
topics pertaining to employee pay. It is concerned essentially
with methods for establishing pay structures within com
panies and for adjusting wages and salaries of individual
employees. General wage increases granted by employers
alone or through collective bargaining receive only inci
dental mention. Within its scope, however, the book is a
useful source of pertinent information, presenting concise
statements of current approaches to issues in wage and salary
administration.
— V i c t o r J. S h e i f e r
O ffice o f W ag e s an d In d u strial R e la tio n s
B u reau o f L a b o r S ta tistic s
Book notes
Données Sociales. 5th ed. Paris, France, Institut National
de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques, 1984. 592
pp.; English abstracts, 12 pp. 160 F.; $19.75.
The English abstract of this new edition of Données So
ciales (Social Data], published by France’s National Insti
tute of Statistics and Economic Studies, notes that the work
provides an informative review of statistical data on France
and seeks to serve as a tool for decision-makers, teachers,
and research workers. It also provides “ a description of
French society taken as a whole and seen from the point of
view of individuals, and an analysis of the ways in which
the state or other institutions intervene to resolve social
problems— unemployment, poverty, old age.”
The study covers the population and social groups; the
labor force; industrial relations; the socialization of re
sources; urbanization; consumption; health; socialization of
the family; services; and new tools for occupational analysis.
Each of the chapters is preceded by an introduction which
links and summarizes the different articles.
Copies of this publication are available from l’observa
toire économique de Paris, Tour gamma A 195, rue de
bercy, 75 582 Paris Cedex 12 (France).
Part-Time Employment in America. Edited by Diane
Rothberg. McLean, Va., Association of Part-Time
Professionals, 1984. 83 pp. $21.95, paper. Available
from APTP, P.O. Box 3419, Alexandria, Va. 22302.
This publication is the outcome of the first national con
ference on part-time employment. The viewpoints repre
sented by the conference speakers draw from a range of
experts and provide an up-to-date look at part-time issues
of concern to employers, workers, and public policy offi
cials.
In their remarks, the speakers point out that the growth
in part-time positions reflects complex demographic, in
dustrial, and managerial changes, for example, preferences
of married women and older workers for reduced work
schedules, the movement from a goods-producing to a services-producing economy, and pressures from the market
place for productivity and cost effectiveness.
White Collar Workers in Transition: The Boom Years, 19401970. By Mark McColloch. Westport, Conn., Green
wood Press, 1983. 193 pp., bibliography. (Contribu
tions in Labor History, 15.) $29.95.
By the late 1950’s, white-collar workers outnumbered
production workers for the first time. This rapid growth has
caused a good deal of speculation about the changing nature
of white-collar work, white-collar workers, and their rela
tionship to other groups in the workplace.
Mark McColloch describes and analyzes changes in the
work process, the composition of the labor force, and the
collective awareness of three specific occupations— whitecollar banking, public welfare, and electrical manufacturing
workers. The period from 1940 to 1970 was one of sharp
change in these occupations.
The impact of automation is examined as well as changes
in the safety and working conditions of the labor force.
Changes in pay and fringe benefits and hours of work are
also discussed.
This is a timely and interesting book and is particularly
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
applicable to courses in labor history, labor relations, eco
nomics, and sociology, and should appeal to anyone inter
ested in the changing workplace.
Determinants o f Female Reentrant Unemployment. By Ethel
B. Jones. Kalamazoo, Mich., The W. E. Upjohn In
stitute for Employment Research, 1983. 74 pp. $6.95,
paper.
In this study, the author focuses on two questions; To
what extent do women undergo a spell of unemployment
upon reentry into the labor force? What factors determine
whether or not a woman undergoes a spell of unemployment
upon reentering the labor force? The empirical data for this
study are from two samples of reentrants that were con
structed from the National Longitudinal Survey for 1972.
The sample of young women included those 20 to 28 years
of age and the sample of mature women included persons
35 to 49 years of age.
The author reports that approximately 1 of every 3 women
actually undergoes a spell of unemployment upon reentr
ance. Five of every 10 young women and 4 of every 10
mature women experienced some type of unemployment
during 1972. The determinants considered included edu
cation, certification in a profession or trade, years of work
experience, marital status, a young child or the number of
young children at home, migration, the potential market
wage, husband’s income, race, a self-reported health lim
itation, the area’s unemployment rate, and an indicator of
prior intentions to seek work.
Labor Force Statistics, 1970-1981. Paris, Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development, Depart
ment of Economics and Statistics, 1983. 477 pp. $24,
o e c d Publications and Information Center, Washing
ton 20006.
This 19th edition of the Labor Force Statistics Yearbook
contains historical time series of the evolution of the pop
ulation and labor force for the 24 Member countries of the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The Yearbook is divided into three parts. Part I contains
general tables referring to the main aggregates from 1968
to 1981. Graphs covering a 20-year period beginning in
1962 show the evolution of some major labor force com
ponents. Part II contains data by country covering 197081. Part III contains a time series for participation rates and
unemployment rates by age and sex for 14 Member countries
covering the period 1970 to 1982.
Facts and Figures on Government Finance. 22d biennial
ed. Washington, Tax Foundation, Inc., 1983. 364 pp.
$20, paper.
In this new edition, the Tax Foundation presents a com
prehensive statistical portrait of the fiscal operations of Fed
eral, State, and local governments. Key areas of the economy
61
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Book Reviews
and government not covered before are documented. Topics
covered for the first time include: How governments raise
and spend each dollar of public funds; how foreign gov
ernments raise their tax revenues compared with the United
States; capital outlays of the Federal Government; Federal
expenditures in each State by type of spending, total amount
spent, and per capita spending; and the Federal tax burden
borne by residents of each State by type of tax.
Tax Foundation, Inc., is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research
and public education organization founded in 1937 to mon
itor tax and fiscal activities at all levels of government.
O v e r se a s B u sin e s s E c o n o m ic R es e a r c h S ta tistic s, B u re a u o f
E c o n o m ic A n a ly s is R e g io n a l P ro jectio n s: V ol. 1, M e th o d
o lo g y, C o n c e p ts a n d S ta te D a ta (S to ck N o. 0 0 3 - 0 1 0 - 0 0 0 9 0 2, $6); V ol. 2, E c o n o m ic A r e a s (S to ck N o. 0 0 3 - 0 1 0 - 0 0 0 9 1 1, $ 7 ); V ol. 3, s m s a ’ s (S to ck N o. 0 0 3 - 0 1 0 - 0 0 0 9 2 - 9 , $8);
V ol. 4 , N e w E n g la n d (S to ck N o. 0 0 3 - 0 1 0 - 0 0 0 9 3 - 7 , $ 4 .5 0 );
V ol. 5 , M id e a s t (S to c k N o. 0 0 3 - 0 1 0 - 0 0 0 9 4 - 5 , $ 5 ), V o l. 6 ,
G r e a t L a k e s (S to ck N o. 0 0 3 - 0 1 0 - 0 0 0 9 5 - 3 , $ 6 ); V o l. 7 ,
P la in s (S to c k N o . 0 0 3 - 0 1 0 - 0 0 0 9 6 - 1 , $ 5 .5 0 ); V ol. 8, S o u th
e a st (S to c k N o. 0 0 3 - 0 1 0 - 0 0 0 9 7 - 0 , $ 7 ); V ol. 9 , S o u th w e s t
(S to c k N o. 0 0 3 - 0 1 0 - 0 0 0 9 8 - 8 , $ 5 ); V ol. 10, R o c k y M o u n
ta in s (S to ck N o. 0 0 3 - 0 1 0 - 0 0 0 9 9 - 6 , $ 4 ,7 5 ); V ol. 11, F a r
W est (S to c k N o. 0 0 3 - 0 1 0 - 0 0 1 0 0 - 3 , $5).
Health and safety
Publications received
Economic growth and development
A c k le y , G a rd n e r, “ T h e E c o n o m ic O u tlo o k and E c o n o m ic P o l
i c y , ” E c o n o m ic O u tlo o k u s a , W in te r 1984, pp. 1 0 -1 1 .
H o o v e r, K ev in D ., “ T w o T y p e s o f M o n e ta r is m ,” T h e J o u r n a l o f
E c o n o m ic L ite r a tu r e , M arch 1984, pp. 5 8 - 7 6 .
H y m a n s, S au l H ., Jo a n P. C ra ry , E. P h ilip H o w rc y . " T h e U .S .
E c o n o m ic O u tlo o k fo r 1 9 8 4 ,” E c o n o m ic O u tlo o k u s a . W in
te r 1984, p p . 3 - 1 0 .
L ie b o w itz , S. J. an d J. P. P a lm e r, “ A sse ssin g the R elativ e Im p acts
o f E co n o m ic s J o u r n a ls ,” T he J o u r n a l o f E c o n o m ic L ite r a
tu re , M a rch 1984, pp. 7 7 - 8 8 .
S trin e r, H e rb ert E ., R e g a in in g the L e a d : P o lic ie s f o r E c o n o m ic
G ro w th . N ew Y ork, P raeger P ublishers, 1984, 205 pp. $ 2 2 .9 5 .
W a c h te l, H o w ard M ., L a b o r a n d th e E c o n o m y . O rla n d o . F la .,
A c a d e m ic P re ss, In c ., 1984, 538 pp.
“ W o m e n in D e v e lo p m e n t— N ew dac [D e v elo p m en t A ssistan c e
C o m m itte e ] G u id in g P rin c ip le s ,” T he o e c d O b s e r v e r. J a n
u a ry 1984. p p . 2 2 - 2 3 .
Economic and social statistics
A rria g a , E d u a rd o E ., “ M e a su rin g an d E x p la in in g the C h a n g e in
L ife E x p e c ta n c ie s ,” D e m o g r a p h y , F e b ru a ry 1984. pp. 8 3 9 6.
D e v ille , J .-C . an d E. M a lin v a u d . “ D ata A n a ly sis in O fficial S o c io
e c o n o m ic S ta tis tic s ,” J o u r n a l o f the R o y a l S ta tistic a l S o c ie ty ,
V o l. 146, Pt. 4 , 1983. pp. 3 3 5 - 6 1 .
U .S . B u re au o f th e C e n su s, A p p r o a c h e s to D e v e lo p in g Q u e s tio n
n a ire s. E d ite d by T h e re sa J. D e M a io . W a s h in g to n , 1983, 164
p p . (S ta tistica l P o licy W o rk in g P a p e r, 10.)
U .S . D e p a rtm e n t o f A g ric u ltu re , E c o n o m ic In d ic a to rs o f the F a rm
S e c to r: S ta te In c o m e a n d B a la n c e S h e e t S ta tistic s, 1982.
W a s h in g to n , U .S . D e p a rtm e n t o f A g ric u ltu re . N atio n al E c o
n o m ic s D iv isio n , E c o n o m ic R e se arc h S e rv ic e , 1984, 194 pp.
(P u b lic a tio n ecifs 2 - 4 . ) A v a ila b le from the S u p e rin te n d e n t
o f D o c u m e n ts, W ash in g to n 2 0 4 0 2 .
U .S . D e p a rtm e n t o f C o m m e rc e , B u reau o f E c o n o m ic A n a ly sis.
T h e fo llo w in g O v e rse a s B u sin e ss E c o n o m ic R esearch S ta tis
tic s R e g io n a l R e p o rts re la te to im p o rt-e x p o rt b u sin e ss and
e c o n o m ic o p p o rtu n itie s fo r U .S . b u sin e sse s o n a reg io n al
b a sis. T h e s e re p o rts sh o u ld be o rd e re d fro m the S u p e rin d en d e n t o f D o c u m e n ts, U .S . G o v e rn m e n t P rin tin g O ffice , W a s h
in g to n , D .C . 2 0 4 0 2 . P a y m e n t m ay be m ad e by c h e c k , m o n ey
o rd e r, d o c u m e n ts d e p o sit a cc o u n t n u m b e r, o r visa o r M a ste r
C a rd a cc o u n t n u m b e r (fu rn ish in g the e x p ira tio n d a te ). 1980
62
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
B ro w n , L. Ja c k so n an d Jack R e id . “ E q u ilib riu m and D ise q u ili
briu m in M a rk ets fo r G e n era l P ra c titio n e rs: N ew E v id e n ce
C o n c e rn in g G e o g ra p h ic D istrib u tio n o f P h y s ic ia n s ,” A d
v a n ce s in H e a lth E c o n o m ic s a n d H e a lth S e r v ic e s R e s e a r c h ,
V ol. 4 , 1983, pp. 3 0 5 - 3 3 .
U .S . D e p a rtm e n t o f H ealth an d H um an S e rv ic e s. D iffu sio n a n d
the C h a n g in g G e o g ra p h ic D istrib u tio n o f P rim a ry C a re P h y
sic ia n s . R o c k v ille . M d ., U .S . D e p a rtm e n t o f H ealth an d H u
m an S e rv ic e s, P u b lic H ealth S e rv ice . H ealth R e so u rc es an d
S e rv ic e s A d m in is tra tio n . 1983, 52 pp. ( dhhs P u b lic a tio n ,
hrs - p- o d - 8 4 - 1 .)
Industrial relations
A a ro n , B e n ja m in , “ F u tu re T re n d s in In d u strial R e la tio n s L a w ,”
In d u s tr ia l R e la tio n s , W in te r 1984, pp. 5 2 - 5 7 .
A m e ric an E n te rp rise In stitu te fo r P u b lic P o licy R e se a rc h . F i
n a n c in g R u r a l E le c tr ific a tio n . W a s h in g to n , 1984, 51 p p . (aei
L e g isla tiv e A n a ly sis, 3 7 , 9 8 th C o n g .. 2d se ss .)
------- P r o p o sa ls to D e re g u la te D e p o sito ry In stitu tio n s. W a s h in g
to n , 1984. 66 pp. ( aei L e g isla tiv e A n a ly sis. 4 0 , 9 8 th C o n g .,
2d se s s .)
------- R e v ie w : 1983 S e ssio n o f th e C o n g re ss. W a s h in g to n , 1984,
42 pp. (aei L eg isla tiv e A n a ly sis. 3 8 . 9 8 th C o n g ., 1st. se s s .)
A s h e n fe lte r, O rle y and D av id E. B lo o m . “ M o d e ls o f A rb itra to r
B eh av io r: T h e o ry an d E v id e n c e .” T h e A m e ric a n E c o n o m ic
R e v ie w , M arch 1984, pp. 1 1 1 -2 4 .
B rin t, S te v en G . an d M artin H. D o d d . P r o fe s sio n a l W o rk ers a n d
U n io n iza tio n : A D a ta H a n d b o o k . W a s h in g to n . D e p a rtm e n t
fo r P ro fe ssio n a l E m p lo y e e s , ael- ci o . 1984, 92 pp . $ 1 1 , p a
p er.
D a y a l, S a h a b , “ U n io n ize d P ro fe ss io n a ls and B a rg ain in g P rio rities:
A n E x p lo ra to ry S tu d y o f U n iv e rsity P r o f e s s o r s ,” J o u r n a l o f
C o lle c tiv e N e g o tia tio n s in th e P u b lic S e c to r , V ol. 13, N o . 1,
1984. pp. 5 5 - 6 6 .
D ic k e n s , W illia m T . an d Jo n a th a n S. L e o n a rd , A c c o u n tin g f o r th e
D e c lin e in U nion M e m b e r sh ip . C a m b rid g e , M a s s ., N a tio n a l
B u reau o f E co n o m ic R e se a rc h , In c ., 1984, 31 p p. (nber
W o rk in g P a p e r S e rie s , 1275.) $ 1 .5 0 .
G a rb a rin o , Jo s e p h W ., “ U n io n ism W ith o u t U n io n s: T h e N ew
In d u strial R e la tio n s ? ” In d u s tr ia l R e la tio n s , W in te r 1984, pp.
4 0 -5 1 .
K o c h a n , T h o m a s A ., R o b e rt B. M c K e rsie , P e te r C a p p e lli, “ S tra
teg ic C h o ic e and In d u strial R e la tio n s T h e o r y ,” In d u stria l
R e la tio n s , W in te r 1984, p p . 1 6 -3 9 .
L e o n a rd , A rth u r S ., “ S p e c ific P e rfo rm a n c e o f C o lle c tiv e B a r
gain in g A g re e m e n ts ,” F o rd h a m L a w R ev ie w , N o v em b er 1983,
pp . 1 9 3 -2 1 8 .
M o s e r, C h ris tin a a n d H a rry E. R a n d le s, “ O p tio n s w ith in the E d
u c a tio n a l B a rg a in in g P r o c e s s ,” J o u r n a l o f C o lle c tiv e N e g o
tia tio n s in th e P u b lic S e c to r , V ol. 13, N o. 1, 1984, pp.
3 9 -5 3 .
S c h a c h te r, H in d y L a u e r, “ T h e R e la tio n s B e tw ee n S u p e rv iso r and
R a n k -a n d -F ile U n io n s D u rin g C o n tra c t N e g o tia tio n s: A C ase
S tu d y A n a ly s is ,” J o u r n a l o f C o lle c tiv e N e g o tia tio n s in the
P u b lic S e c to r , V o l. 13, N o. 1, 1984, pp. 1 5 -2 8 .
S n id e rm a n , M a rk S. an d D an iel A . L ittm a n , “ C o lle c tiv e B a r
g a in in g an d D is in f la tio n ,” E c o n o m ic C o m m e n ta ry , F ed eral
R e se rv e B a n k o f C le v e la n d , F eb . 13, 1984, 4 pp.
S tra u ss, G e o rg e , “ In d u strial R elatio n s: T im e o f C h a n g e ,” In d u s
tria l R e la tio n s , W in te r 1984, pp. 1 -1 5 .
International economics
C o o p e r, R ic h a rd N ., “ W h y C o u n te rtra d e ? ” A c r o s s the B o a rd ,
M a rc h 1984, p p . 3 6 - 4 1 .
D o h n e r, R o b e rt S ., “ E x p o rt P ric in g , F le x ib le E x ch a n g e R ates,
a n d D iv e rg e n c e in the P rices o f T ra d e d G o o d s ,” J o u r n a l o f
I n te r n a tio n a l E c o n o m ic s, F e b ru a ry 1984, pp. 7 9 - 1 0 1 .
D u c k , N ig e l W ., “ P ric es, O u tp u t an d the B alan ce o f P a y m en ts
in an O p e n E c o n o m y w ith R atio n al E x p e c ta tio n s ,” J o u rn a l
o f In te r n a tio n a l E c o n o m ic s , F e b ru a ry 1984. pp . 5 9 - 7 7 .
E n d e rw ic k , P e te r a n d P e te r J. B u c k le y , “ In d u strial R e la tio n s P ra c
tic e s in B ritain : A C o m p a ra tiv e A n a ly sis o f F o re ig n - and
D o m e stic a lly -O w n e d F ir m s ,” L a b o u r a n d S o c ie ty , O c to b e r D e c e m b e r 1 983, pp. 3 1 5 - 3 2 .
F a irla m b , D a v id , “ T h e W o r ld ’s H o ttest N ew C u r r e n c y ,” D u n ’s
B u s in e s s M o n th , A pril 1984, b e g in n in g on p. 84.
C o h e n , Y in o n an d Je ffrey P fe ffer, “ E m p lo y m e n t P ra c tice s in the
D ual E c o n o m y ,” In d u stria l R e la tio n s , W in te r 1 984, pp.
5 8 -7 2 .
G in ig e r, S e y m o u r, A n g e lo D isp e n z ie ri, Jo s e p h E is e n b e rg , “ O ld e r
W o rk e rs in S p e e d and S k ill J o b s ,” A g in g a n d W o rk, V o l. 7 ,
N o . 1, 1984, pp . 7 - 1 2 .
H o lz e r, H arry J ., B la c k Y outh N o n e m p lo y m e n t: D u ra tio n a n d J o b
S e a rc h . C a m b rid g e , M a s s ., N a tio n a l B u reau o f E co n o m ic
R e se a rc h , In c ., 1984, 66 pp. ( nber W o rk in g P a p e r S e rie s ,
12 7 6 .) $ 1 .5 0 .
L e o n a rd , Jo n a th a n S ., E m p lo y m e n t a n d O c c u p a tio n a l A d v a n c e
U n d e r A ffirm a tiv e A c tio n . C a m b rid g e , M a s s ., N a tio n a l B u
reau of E co n o m ic R e se a rc h , In c ., 1984, 30 p p . ( nber W o rk
ing P a p e r S e rie s , 1270.) $ 1 .5 0 .
------- T h e In te r a c tio n o f R e s id e n tia l S e g re g a tio n a n d E m p lo y m e n t
D is c rim in a tio n . C a m b rid g e , M a s s ., N a tio n a l B u reau o f E c o
n o m ic R e se a rc h , In c ., 1984. ( nber W o rk in g P a p e r S e rie s ,
1 274.) $ 1 .5 0 .
M in d e , T h e o d o re A ., N e w J e r s e y ’s H ig h T e c h n o lo g y E c o n o m y :
A P ro file o f R e c e n t D e v e lo p m e n ts a n d C o m p a r a tiv e P e r fo r
m a n c e . T re n to n , N ew Je rse y D e p a rtm e n t o f C o m m e rc e and
E c o n o m ic D e v e lo p m e n t, O ffice o f E c o n o m ic R e se a rc h , 1983,
51 pp.
O rio l, W illia m E ., “ W o rk and R e tire m e n t: V isib le Issu es at U .N .
W o rld A s se m b ly on A g in g ,” A g in g a n d W o rk , V o l. 7 , N o .
1, 1984. pp . 1 3 -2 0 .
S im o n e , V in c en t J ., “ U n e m p lo y m e n t and Its E ffect on W estern
E u ro p e ’s W o rk F o r c e ,” A g in g a n d W o rk, V ol. 7 , N o . 1,
1984, pp . 3 7 - 4 5 .
G re en e , Ja m es, “ T h e N ew T rad in g S tra ta g e m s ,” A cro ss the B o a rd ,
M a rc h 1 9 8 4 , p p . 2 8 - 3 5 .
Management and organization theory
K ra v is, Irv in g B ., “ C o m p a ra tiv e S tu d ies o f N atio n al In co m es and
P r ic e s ,” T h e J o u r n a l o f E c o n o m ic L ite r a tu r e , M a rch 1984,
pp. 1 -3 9 .
B ra d fo rd , D av id L. an d A llan R. C o h e n , M a n a g in g f o r E x c e lle n c e :
T h e G u id e to D e v e lo p in g H ig h P e r fo r m a n c e in C o n te m p o ra ry
O r g a n iz a tio n s. N ew Y o rk , Jo h n W ile y & S o n s , In c ., 1984,
301 pp. $ 1 8 .9 5 .
M a rris, R o b in , “ C o m p a rin g the In c o m e s o f N atio n s: A C ritiq u e
o f th e In te rn a tio n a l C o m p a riso n P r o je c t,” T he J o u r n a l o f
E c o n o m ic L i t e r a tu r e ," M a rch 1984, pp. 4 0 - 5 7 .
P h ip p s, A . J . , “ A u s tra lia n U n e m p lo y m e n t: S om e E v id e n ce from
In d u stry L a b o u r D e m an d F u n c tio n s ,” A u stra lia n E c o n o m ic
P a p e r s , D e c e m b e r 1983, pp. 3 3 - 4 4 .
S e n d e r, H e n rie tte , “ T h e W e a k e r D o llar: W h at It M ean s fo r the
E c o n o m y ,” D u n ’s B u sin e s s M o n th , A pril 1984, b e g in n in g
o n p. 7 2.
“ T e c h n o lo g ic a l In n o v a tio n : K ey to P ro g re ss in L ess- In d u strialise d
C o u n tr ie s ,” T h e o e c d O b s e r v e r, Ja n u a ry 1984, pp. 7 - 1 0 .
W a llis , W . A lle n , “ T h e S tru g g le to D ism a n tle T rad e B a rrie rs ,”
T h e A m e r ic a n J o u r n a l o f E c o n o m ic s a n d S o c io lo g y , Ja n u a ry
1984, pp. 8 9 -9 0 .
Labor and economic history
E in h o m , R o b in L ., “ In d u strial R e la tio n s in the P ro g re ssiv e Era:
T h e U n ited S ta te s an d G re at B r ita in ,” S o c ia l S e rv ic e R e v ie w ,
M a rc h 1984, p p . 9 8 - 1 1 6 .
F ie ld , A le x a n d e r J . , “ A s se t E x c h a n g e s a n d the T ra n s a c tio n s D e
m a n d fo r M o n e y , 1 9 1 9 - 2 9 ,” T h e A m e ric a n E c o n o m ic R e
v ie w , M a rch 1984, pp . 4 3 - 5 9 .
Labor force
A ro n o w itz , S ta n le y , W o rk in g C la ss H e ro . N ew Y o rk , T h e P ilg rim
P re ss , 1 9 8 3 , 2 2 9 pp . $ 1 8 .9 5 .
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
F o rish a -K o v a c h , B a rb ara , T h e F le x ib le O r g a n iz a tio n : A U n iq u e
N e w S y ste m f o r O r g a n iz a tio n a l E ffe c tiv e n e s s a n d S u c c e ss.
E n g le w o o d C liffs, N .J ., P re n tic e -H a ll, I n c ., 1984, 159 p p.
$ 1 6 .9 5 , c lo th ; $ 7 .9 5 , p a p er.
N u k i, T a k a o , “ T h e E ffect o f M ic ro -E le c tro m c s o n the Ja p a n ese
S ty le o f M a n a g e m e n t,” L a b o u r a n d S o c ie ty , O c to b e r - D e c e m b e r 1983, pp. 3 9 3 - 4 0 0 .
S z a fra n , R o b e rt F ., U n iv e r sitie s a n d W o m en F a c u lty : W hy S o m e
O r g a n iz a tio n s D isc rim in a te M o re T h a n O th e rs. N ew Y o rk ,
P ra e g e r P u b lish e rs, 1984. 146 p p ., b ib lio g ra p h y . $ 2 2 .9 5 .
Monetary and fiscal policy
E is n e r, R o b e rt an d P aul J. P ie p er, “ A N ew V iew o f th e F ed eral
D eb t an d B u d g e t D e f ic its ,” T h e A m e r ic a n E c o n o m ic R e v ie w ,
M a rch 1984, p p . 1 1 -2 9 .
H e rsh m a n , A rle n e , “ A T o u g h Y e a r fo r the S to c k M a r k e t,” D u n ’s
B u s in e s s M o n th , A pril 1984, pp. 3 0 - 3 4 .
T ax F o u n d a tio n , In c ., F a c ts a n d F ig u r e s o n G o v e r n m e n t F in a n c e .
2 2 d b ie n n ia l e d . W a s h in g to n , 1983, 3 6 4 pp . $ 2 0 , p a p er.
W e s tfa ll, D a v id , E v e ry W o m a n 's G u id e to F in a n c ia l P la n n in g .
N ew Y o rk , B asic B o o k s, I n c ., P u b lish e rs, 1984, 3 0 6 p p.
$ 1 6 .9 5 .
Productivity and technological change
B a rd h a n , P ra n a b a n d K en K le tz e r, “ D y n a m ic E ffects o f P ro te ctio n
63
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Book Reviews
o n P r o d u c tiv ity ,’’ J o u r n a l o f In te r n a tio n a l E c o n o m ic s , F e b
ru a ry 1984, p p . 4 5 - 5 7 .
o f P u b lic P o lic ie s ,” A g in g a n d W o rk, V ol. 7, N o. 1, 1984
pp. 2 1 -3 4 .
H u lte n , C h a rle s R . an d R o b e rt M . S c h w a b , “ R e g io n a l P ro d u c
tiv ity G ro w th in U .S . M a n u fac tu rin g : 1 9 5 1 - 7 8 ,” T he A m e r
ica n E c o n o m ic R e v ie w , M a rch 1984, pp . 1 5 2 -6 2 .
“ D e v e lo p m e n ts an d T ren d s in S ocial S e c u rity , 1 9 8 1 -1 9 8 3 : A n
O v e rv ie w o f M a jo r T ren d s and I s s u e s ,” In te r n a tio n a l S o c ia l
S e c u r ity R e v ie w , N o . 4 , 1983, pp. 4 3 1 - 5 0 8 .
N o g u c h i, T a s u k u , “ H ig h T e c h n o lo g y and In d u strial S tra te g ies in
J a p a n ,” L a b o u r a n d S o c ie ty , O c to b e r - D e c e m b e r 1983, pp.
3 8 3 -9 2 .
F ish e r, P a u l, “ F in a n c in g th e F ed eral R ep u b lic o f G e rm a n y ’s O ld
A g e S u rv iv o rs an d D isa b ility P r o g r a m ,” A g in g a n d W o rk,
V ol. 7 , N o . 1, 1984, p p . 4 7 - 6 4 .
U .S . B u re au o f L a b o r S ta tistic s , M e a su rin g P ro d u c tiv ity in S ta te
a n d L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t. W a s h in g to n , 1983, 96 p p ., b ib li
o g rap h y . (B u lletin 2 1 6 6 .) S tock N o. 0 2 9 - 0 0 1 - 0 2 7 9 4 - 0 . $ 3 .7 5 ,
S u p e rin te n d e n t o f D o c u m e n ts, W a sh in g to n 2 0 4 0 2 .
H am erm esh , D aniel S. and Jam es Jo h an n es, F o o d S ta m p s a s M o n e y
a n d In c o m e . C a m b rid g e , M a s s ., N atio n al B u reau o f E c o
n o m ic R e se a rc h , In c ., 1983, 20 pp. (nber W o rk in g P a p e r
S e rie s , 12 3 1 .) $ 1 .5 0 .
Social institutions and social change
K a g a n , A rth u r B ., “ A lte rn a tiv e s to P e n sio n P lan T e r m in a tio n ,”
P e n s io n W o rld , M arch 1984, b e g in n in g o n p. 37.
B u ru d , S a n d ra L ., P a m ela R. A s c h b a c h e r, Ja c q u e ly n M c C ro sk e y ,
E m p lo y e r -S u p p o r te d C h ild -C a r e : In v e stin g in H u m a n R e
so u r c e s. D o v e r, M a s s ., A u b u rn H o u se P u b lish in g C o ., 1984,
3 6 2 p p ., b ib lio g ra p h y . $ 2 4 .9 5 , clo th ; $ 1 5 , p ap er.
K o tlik o ff, L a u re n c e J. an d D aniel E. S m ith , P e n s io n s in th e A m e r
ica n E c o n o m y . C a m b rid g e , M a s s ., T h e N atio n al B u reau o f
E c o n o m ic R e se a rc h . 1983, 4 4 9 pp . $ 5 0 , the U n iv e rsity o f
C h ic a g o P re ss, C h ic a g o , 111.,
D u n c a n , G re g J. a n d o th e rs . Y ea rs o f P o v e r ty , Y ea rs o f P le n ty:
T h e C h a n g in g E c o n o m ic F o rtu n e s o f A m e ric a n W o rkers a n d
F a m ilie s . A n n A rb o r, T h e U n iv e rsity o f M ic h ig a n , S u rv ey
R e se arc h C e n te r. In stitu te fo r S ocial R e se arc h , 1984, 184 pp.
$24.
L e a v itt, T h o m a s D ., E a rly R e tir e m e n t In c e n tiv e P ro g ra m s. W a l
th a m , M a s s ., B ra n d eis U n iv e rsity , T h e P o licy C e n te r o n A g
ing, 1983, 25 p p . $ 4 , p ap er.
M itc h e ll, A rn o ld , T h e N in e A m e ric a n L ife s ty le s : W ho W e A re a n d
W h e re W e A r e G o in g . N ew Y o rk , M a c m illa n P u b lish in g C o .,
1 9 8 3 , 3 2 0 p p . $ 1 9 .9 5 .
Wages and compensation
B o rja s , G e o rg e J . , “ R a ce , T u rn o v e r, and M ale E a r n in g s ,” I n
d u s tr ia l R e la tio n s , W in te r 1984, pp. 7 3 - 8 9 .
K n o c h , R o b e rt H ., “ C o m p a ra b le W o rth — a F o rce o r a F iz z le ? ”
P e n s io n W o rld , M a rch 1984, b e g in n in g on p. 29.
R e im e rs , C o rd e lia W ., “ S o u rc e s o f the F am ily In co m e D iffer
e n tia ls A m o n g H isp a n ic s , B lac k s, and W h ite N o n -H isp an i c s , ” A m e ric a n J o u r n a l o f S o c io lo g y , Ja n u a ry 1984, pp.
8 8 9 -9 0 3 .
L ip s k y , M ic h a e l, “ B u re au c ratic D ise n title m e n t in S o cial W elfare
P r o g r a m s ,” S o c ia l S e rv ic e R e v ie w , M arch 1984, pp. 3 - 2 7 .
S a n g e r, M ary B ry n a , “ G e n e ra tin g E m p lo y m e n t fo r afdc [A id to
F a m ilie s w ith D e p e n d e n t C h ild re n ] M o th e r s ,” S o c ia l S e rv ic e
R e v ie w , M a rch 1984, pp. 2 8 - 4 8 .
“ S o cial E x p en d itu re: E ro sio n o r E v o lu tio n ? ” T h e
Ja n u a ry 1984, pp. 3 - 6 .
oecd
O b s e r v e r,
S p rin g e r, P h ilip B ., “ H ealth C are C o v e ra g e o f S u rv iv o r F a m ilies
w ith C h ild re n : D e te rm in a n ts and C o n s e q u e n c e s ,” S o c ia l S e
c u rity B u lle tin , F e b ru a ry 1984, pp. 3 - 1 6 .
“ T h e R o le o f S o cial S e c u rity In stitu tio n s in th e D e v e lo p m e n t o f
S o cial S e rv ice s: R e ce n t T ren d s an d C u rre n t I s s u e s ,” I n te r
n a tio n a l S o c ia l S e c u r in ' R e v ie w , N o. 4 , 1983, pp. 5 0 9 - 2 8 .
Worker training and development
U .S . B u re au o f L a b o r S ta tistic s , In d u stry W age S u rv e y : N o n fe r ro u s M e ta l M a n u fa c tu rin g In d u strie s, F e b r u a ry 1981. W a s h
in g to n , 1 983, 72 pp. (B u lle tin 2 1 6 7 .) S to ck N o. 0 2 9 - 0 0 1 0 2 7 9 1 - 3 . $ 1 , S u p e rin te n d e n t o f D o c u m e n ts, W a sh in g to n
20402.
B rig g s, V ern o n M ., J r ., B rian R u n g e lin g , L ew is H. S m ith , P u b lic
S e rv ic e E m p lo y m e n t in th e R u ra l S o u th . A u s tin , T e x ., U n i
v e rsity o f T e x a s, B u reau o f B u sin e ss R e se a rc h , 1984, 144
p p . $ 8 , p a p er.
Welfare programs and social insurance
D e u tsc h A rn o ld R ., H o w to H o ld Y o u r J o b : G a in in g S k ills a n d
B e c o m in g P r o m o ta b le in D iffic u lt T im e s. E n g le w o o d C lilfs,
N .J ., P re n tic e -H a ll, In c ., 1984. 182 pp. $ 1 5 .9 5 , c lo th ; $ 7 .95^
p a p er.
B a b ic , A n n e L ., “ F le x ib le R e tire m e n t: A n In tern a tio n a l S urv ey
64
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Current
Labor Statistics
Notes on Current Labor Statistics
Schedule of release dates for major BLS statistical series
Employment data from household survey. Definitions and
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
notes
Employment status of the
noninstitutional population. 16 years and over, selected years. 1950-83 .......................
Employment status of the
population, including Armed Forces in the United States, by sex, seasonally adjusted . . . .
Employment status of the
civilian population, by sex. age, race, and Hispanic origin, seasonally adjusted ........
Selected employment indicators, seasonally ad ju sted ...............................................................................................................
Selected unemployment indicators, seasonally ad ju sted ..........................................................................................................
U n em p lo y m en t rates, by sex and ag e, seasonally adjusted ....................................................................................................................
U n em p lo y ed p erso n s, by reason fo r un em ploym ent, seasonally a d j u s t e d .............................................................................
Duration of unemployment, seasonally adjusted.......................................................................................................................
Employment, hours, and earnings data from establishment surveys. Definitions and notes
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Employment by industry, selected years. 1950-83 ..............................................................................................................
Employment by State ....................................................................................................................................................................
Employment by industry division and major manufacturing group, seasonally adjusted ...................................................
Hours and earnings, by industry division, selected years, 1950-83 .....................................................................................
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 ...............................................................................
Indexes of diffusion: industries in which employment increased............................................................................................
67
67
68
69
70
70
71
71
71
72
73
73
74
75
76
77
77
78
78
Unemployment insurance data. Definitions
18.
Unemployment insurance and employment service operations
Price data. Definitions and notes
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
Consumer Price Index, 1967-83 .................................................................................................................................................
Consumer Price Index, U.S. city average, general summary andselected ite m s ...................................................................
Consumer Price Index, cross-classification of region and population size c la s s ...................................................................
Consumer Price Index, selected areas ........................................................................................................................................
Producer Price Indexes, by stage of processing .....................................................................................
Producer Price Indexes, by commodity groupings ...................................................................................................................
Producer Price Indexes, by special commodity groupings ......................................................................................................
Producer Price Indexes, by durability of product .....................................................................................................................
Producer Price Indexes for the output of selected SIC industries .........................................................................................
Productivity data. Definitions and notes
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
Annual indexes of multifactor productivity and related measures, selected years. 1948-82 .............................................
Annual indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices, selected years. 1950-83 ........................
Annual changes in productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices. 1972-83 .................................................
Quarterly indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices, seasonally adjusted ............................
Percent change from preceding quarter and year in productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and p ric e s.............
Wage and compensation data. Definitions and notes
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
Employment Cost Index, by occupation and industry group ..................................................................................................
Employment Cost Index, wages and salaries, by occupation and industry group ..............................................................
Employment Cost Index, private nonfarm workers, by bargaining status, region, and area size ....................................
Wage and compensation change, major collective bargaining settlements. 1978 to d a te ...................................................
Effective wage adjustments in collective bargaining units covering 1.000 workers or more. 1978 to date ...................
Work stoppage data. Definition
38.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Work stoppages involving 1.000 workers or more. 1947 to date
80
81
81
87
88
89
90
92
92
93
94
95
95
96
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
102
103
103
NOTES ON CURRENT LABOR STATISTICS
T h is se c tio n o f th e R e v ie w p re sen ts the p rin cip al sta tistica l scries
quarter to quarter are published for numerous Consumer and Producer
Price Index series. However, seasonally adjusted indexes arc 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 ad
justments 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.
c o lle c te d a n d c a lc u la te d by the B u reau o f L a b o r S ta tistic s. A b rie f
in tro d u c tio n to e a c h g ro u p o f tab le s p ro v id e s d e fin itio n s , n o tes on
th e d a ta , so u rc e s , an d o th e r m aterial u su a lly fo u n d in fo o tn o te s.
R e a d e rs w h o n e ed ad d itio n al in fo rm a tio n are in v ited to c o n su lt
th e B L S re g io n a l o ffices listed on the in sid e fro n t c o v e r o f this
issu e o f th e R e v ie w . S o m e g e n era l n o tes a p p lic a b le to sev eral series
are g iv en b e lo w .
Seasonal adjustment. Certain monthly and quarterly data are adjusted to
eliminate the effect of such factors as climatic conditions, industry pro
duction 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 “ sea
sonally adjusted." Seasonal effects are estimated on the basis of past
experience. When new seasonal factors are computed each year, revisions
may affect seasonally adjusted data for several preceding years.
Seasonally adjusted labor force data in tables 3-8 were revised in the
February 1984 issue of the Review, to reflect experience through 1983.
Beginning in January 1980. the BLS introduced two major modifications
in the seasonal adjustment methodology for labor force data. First, the
data are being seasonally adjusted with a new procedure called X-1 I/
AR1MA, which was developed at Statistics Canada as an extension of the
standard X-l 1 method. A detailed description of the procedure appears in
The X- l I AR1MA Seasonal Adjustment Method by Estela Bee Dagurn
(Statistics Canada Catalogue No. 12-564E. February 1980). The second
change is that seasonal factors are now being calculated for use during the
first 6 months of the year, rather than for the entire year, and then are
calculated at mid-year for the July-December period. Revisions of historical
data continue to be made only at the end of each calendar year.
Annual revision of the seasonally adjusted payroll data shown in tables
11. 13. and 15 were made in July 1983 using the X-l I ARIMA seasonal
adjustment methodology. New seasonal factors for productivity data in
tables 29 and 30 are usually introduced in the September issue. Seasonally
adjusted indexes and percent changes from month to month and from
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. More information from household and establishment surveys
is provided in Employment and Earnings, a monthly publication of the
Bureau. Comparable household information is published in a two-volume
data book—Labor Force Statistics Derived From the Current Population
Survey, Bulletin 2096. Comparable establishment information appears in
two data books-Employment and Earnings, United States, and Employ
ment and Earnings, States and Areas, and their annual supplements. More
detailed information 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.
Symbols
p = preliminary. To improve the timeliness of some series, pre
liminary figures are issued based on representative but in
complete 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 BLS statistical series
S e r ie s
R e le a s e
P e r io d
R e le a s e
P e r io d
R e le a s e
P e r io d
M L R ta b le
d a te
co v e re d
d a te
c o v e re d
d a te
c o v e re d
num ber
Employment situation
...................................
June 1
May
July 6
June
August 3
July
1-11
Producer Price Index
..........................
June 15
May
July 13
June
August 10
July
23-27
Consumer Price Index...................................
June 22
May
July 24
June
August 22
July
19-22
Real earnings..........................
June 22
May
July 24
June
August 22
July
12-16
August 27
2nd quarter
29-32
Productivity and costs:
Nonfinancial corporations..........................
Nonfarm business and manufacturing . . .
July 31
Major collective bargaining settlements . . . .
July 27
Employment Cost In d e x ..........................
July 31
66
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36 37
2nd quarter
33-35
EMPLOYMENT DATA FROM THE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY
E
m p l o y m e n t
d a t a
in th is se c tio n are o b ta in e d fro m the C u rre n t
P o p u la tio n S u rv e y , a p ro g ra m o f p e rso n al in te rv iew s co n d u cted
m o n th ly by th e B u re au o f the C e n su s fo r the B u reau o f L ab o r
S ta tistic s . T h e sa m p le c o n sists o f ab o u t 6 0 .0 0 0 h o u se h o ld s selected
to re p re s e n t th e U .S p o p u la tio n 16 y ears o f age and o ld er. H o u s e
h o ld s are in te rv ie w e d on a ro ta tin g b a sis, so th at th re e -fo u rth s o f
th e sa m p le is th e sa m e fo r an y 2 c o n se c u tiv e m o n th s.
Definitions
Employed persons include (1) all civilians 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. Members of the
Armed Forces stationed in the United States are also included in the em
ployed total. 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 did not look
for work because they were on layoff or waiting to start new jobs within
the next 30 days are also counted among the unemployed. The overall
unemployment rate represents the number unemployed as a percent of
the labor force, including the resident Armed Forces. The unemployment
1.
rate for all civilian workers represents the number unemployed as a percent
of the civilian labor force.
The labor force consists of all employed or unemployed civilians plus
members of the Armed Forces stationed in the United States. Persons not
in the labor force are those not classified as employed or unemployed:
this group includes persons who are retired, those engaged in their own
housework, those not working while attending school, those unable to
work because of long-term 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, sani
tariums, or homes for the aged, infirm, or needy, and members of the
Armed Forces stationed in the United States. The labor force participation
rate is the proportion of the noninstitutional population that is in the labor
force. The employment-population ratio is total employment (including
the resident Armed Forces) as a percent of the noninstitutional population.
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 compara
bility of historical data presented in table 1. A description of these ad
justments and their effect on the various data series appear in the Explanatory
Notes of Employment and Earnings.
Data in tables 2 -8 are seasonally adjusted, based on the seasonal ex
perience through December 1983.
Employment status of the noninstitutional population, 16 years and over, selected years, 1950-83
[Numbers in thousands]
L a b o r fo rc e
U n e m p lo y e d
E m p lo y e d
N o n in s t i
Year
p o p u la tio n
N o t in
C iv ilia n
t u t io n a l
P e rc e n t of
N um ber
p o p u la tio n
P e rc e n t of
R e s id e n t
P e rc e n t ol
N o n a g r i-
A rm e d
T o ta l
p o p u la t io n
F o rce s
T o ta l
A g r ic u ltu re
N um ber
c u ltu ra l
la b o r to rc e
la b o r
fo rc e
in d u s t r ie s
1950
1955
1960
...............
...............
...............
106,164
111,747
119,106
63,377
67,087
71,489
59.7
60.0
60.0
60,087
64,234
67,639
56.6
57.5
56.8
1.169
2.064
1.861
58,918
62,170
65,778
7,160
6.450
5.458
51,758
55,722
60.318
3,288
2,852
3,852
5.2
43
5.4
42.787
44.660
46.617
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
128,459
130,180
132,092
134,281
136,573
76.401
77,892
79,565
80,990
82,972
59.5
59.8
60.2
60.3
60.8
73,034
75.017
76,590
78,173
80,140
56.9
57.6
58.0
58.2
58.7
1,946
2.122
2,218
2,253
2.238
71,088
72,895
74.372
75,920
77,902
4,361
3.979
3,844
3,817
3.606
66.726
68,915
70,527
72.103
74,296
3,366
2.875
2.975
2,817
2.832
4.4
3.7
3.7
3.5
3.4
52,058
52.288
52,527
53,291
53.602
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
139,203
142,189
145,939
148,870
151,841
84,889
86,355
88,847
91,203
93,670
61.0
60.7
60.9
61.3
61.7
80,796
81,340
83,966
86,838
88.515
58.0
57.2
57.5
58.3
58.3
2.118
1,973
1.813
1.774
1,721
78.678
79,367
82,153
85,064
86.794
3.463
3,394
3,484
3.470
3,515
75.215
75,972
78,669
81.594
83,279
4,093
5,016
4.882
4,355
5,156
4.8
5.8
5.5
4.8
5.5
54.315
55,834
57,091
57,667
58,171
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
154,831
157,818
160,689
153,541
166,460
95.453
97,826
100,665
103,882
106,559
61.6
62.0
62.6
63.5
64.0
87,524
90,420
93,673
97,679
100,421
56.5
57.3
58.3
59.7
60.3
1.678
1.668
1,656
1,631
1.597
85,845
88,752
92.017
96,048
98,824
3,408
3,331
3,283
3,387
3,347
82,438
85.421
88,734
92,661
95.477
7,929
7,406
6,991
6,202
6,137
8.3
7.6
6.9
6.0
5.8
59,377
59,991
60.025
59,659
59,900
1980
1981
1982
1983
...............
...............
...............
...............
169,349
171,775
173,939
175,891
108,544
110,315
111,872
113,226
64.1
65.2
64.3
64.4
100,907
102.042
101,194
102,510
59.6
59.4
58.2
58.3
1,604
1,645
1.668
1,676
99.303
100,397
99,526
100,834
3,364
3,368
3,401
3,383
95,938
97,030
96.125
97,450
7,637
8,273
10,578
10,717
7.0
7.5
9.5
9.5
60,806
61,460
62,067
62,665
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67
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Current Labor Statistics: Household Data
2.
Employment status of the population, including Armed Forces in the United States, by sex, seasonally adjusted
[Numbers in thousands]
A n n u al av e ra g e
1983
1984
E m p lo y m e n t s ta tu s a n d s e x
1982
1983
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug.
S e p t.
O c t.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
M ar.
A p r.
TOTAL
Noninstitutlonal population1' 2 .......................
Labor force2 ...............................................
Participation rate3 ..........................
Total employed2
Employment-population rate4 . . . .
Resident Armed Forces1 .....................
Civilian employed................................
Agriculture ......................................
Nonagricultural industries...............
Unemployed............................................
Unemployment rate5 .......................
Not in labor force ......................................
173,939
111,872
64.3
101,194
58.2
1,668
99,526
3,401
96,125
10,678
9.5
62,067
175,891
113,226
64.4
102,510
58.3
1,676
100,834
3,383
97,450
10,717
9.5
62,665
175,465
112,646
64.2
101,277
57.7
1.671
99,606
3,392
96,214
11.369
10.1
62.819
175,622
112,619
64.1
101,431
57.8
1,669
99,762
3,374
96,388
11,188
9.9
63,003
175,793
113,573
64.6
102,411
58.3
1,668
100,743
3,479
97,264
11,162
9.8
62,220
175,970
113,489
64.5
102,889
58.5
1,664
101,225
3,499
97,726
10,600
9.3
62,481
176,122
113,799
64.6
103,166
58.6
1,682
101,484
3,449
98,035
10,633
9.3
62,323
176,297
113,924
64.6
103,571
58.7
1,695
101,876
3,308
98,568
10,353
9.1
62,373
176,474
113,561
64.3
103,665
58.7
1,695
101,970
3,240
98,730
9,896
8.7
62,913
176,636
113,720
64.4
104,291
59.0
1,685
102,606
3,257
99,349
9.429
8.3
62,916
176,809
113,824
64.4
104,629
59.2
1,688
102,941
3,356
99,585
9,195
8.1
62,985
177,219
113,901
64.3
104,876
59.2
1,686
103,190
3,271
99,918
9,026
7.9
63,318
177,363
114,377
64.5
105,576
59.5
1,684
103,892
3,395
100,496
8,801
7.7
62,986
177,510
114,598
64.6
105,826
59.6
1,686
104,140
3,281
100,859
8,772
7.7
62,912
177,662
114.938
64.7
106,095
59.7
1.693
104,402
3,393
101,009
8,843
7.7
62,724
83,052
63,979
77.0
57,800
69.6
1,527
56,271
6,179
9.7
84,064
64,580
76.8
58.320
69.4
1,533
56,787
6,260
9.7
83,856
64,311
76.7
57,589
68.7
1,530
56,059
6,722
10.5
83,931
64,348
76.7
57,744
68.8
1,528
56,216
6,604
10.3
84.014
64,778
77.1
58,369
69.5
1,525
56,844
6,409
9.9
84,099
64,840
77.1
58,592
69.7
1,521
57,071
6,248
9.6
84,173
64,807
77.0
58,607
69.6
1,538
57,069
6,200
9.6
84,261
64,877
77.0
58,828
69.8
1,549
57,279
6,049
9.3
84,344
64,709
76.7
58,950
69.9
1,543
57,407
5,759
8.9
84,423
64,846
76.8
59,389
70.3
1,534
57,855
5,457
8.4
84,506
64,838
76.7
59,580
70.5
1,537
58,043
5,258
8.1
84,745
64,930
76.6
59,781
70.5
1,542
58,239
5,149
7.9
84,811
65,093
76.8
60,147
70.9
1,540
58,607
4,946
7.6
84,880
65,156
76.8
60,290
71.0
1,542
58,748
4,867
7.5
84,953
65,212
76.8
60,293
71.0
1,548
58,745
4,919
7.5
90,887
47,894
52.7
43.395
47.7
139
43.256
4,499
9.4
91,827
48,646
53.0
44,190
48.1
143
44,047
4,457
9.2
91,609
48,335
52.8
43,688
47.7
141
43,547
4,647
9.6
91,691
48,271
52.6
43,687
47.6
141
43,546
4,584
9.5
91,779
48,795
53.2
44,042
48.0
143
43,899
4,753
9.7
91,871
48,649
53.0
44,297
48.2
143
44,154
4,352
8.9
91,949
48,992
53.3
44,559
48.5
144
44,415
4,433
9.0
92,036
49.047
53.3
44,743
48.6
146
44,597
4,304
8.8
92,129
48,852
53.0
44,715
48.5
152
44,563
4,137
8.5
92,214
48,874
53.0
44,902
48.7
151
44,751
3,972
8.1
92,302
48,986
53.1
45,049
48.8
151
44,898
3,937
8.0
92,474
48,971
53.0
45,094
48.8
144
44,950
3,876
7.9
92,552
49,283
53.2
45,429
49.1
144
45,285
3,855
7.8
92,630
49,442
53.4
45,536
49.2
144
45,392
3.905
7.9
92,709
49,725
53.6
45.802
49.4
145
45,657
3,924
7.9
M e n , 1 6 y e a rs an d o ver
Noninstitutlonal population1'2 .......................
Labor force2 ...............................................
Participation rate3 ..........................
Total employed2 ......................................
Employment-population rate4 . . . .
Resident Armed Forces1 ....................
Civilian employed................................
Unemployed............................................
Unemployment rate5 .......................
W o m e n , 1 6 y e a rs an d o ver
Noninstitutlonal population1'2 .......................
Labor force2 ...............................................
Participation rate3 ..........................
Total employed2 ......................................
Employment-population rate4 . . . .
Resident Armed Forces1 ....................
Civilian employed................................
Unemployed............................................
Unemployment rate5 .......................
1The population and Armed Forces figures are not adjusted tor seasonal variation.
includes members of the Armed Forces stationed in the United States.
3Labor force as a percent of the nonlnstitutional population.
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4Total employed as a percent of the noninstitutlonal population.
Unemployment as a percent of the labor force (Including the resident Armed Forces).
3.
Employment status of the civilian population by sex, age, race, and Hispanic origin, seasonally adjusted
[Numbers in thousands]
1984
1983
A n n u al av erag e
E m p lo y m e n t s ta tu s
1982
1983
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug.
S e p t.
O c t.
Nov.
D ec.
Jan.
Feb.
M a r.
A p r.
TOTAL
Civilian noninstitutional population1 ..............
Civilian labor fo rc e ......................................
Participation r a te .............................
Employed ...............................................
Employment-population ratio2 . . . .
Unemployed............................................
Unemployment rate .......................
Not in labor force ......................................
172,271
110,204
64.0
99,526
57.8
10,678
9.7
62,067
174,215
111,550
64.0
100,834
57.9
10,717
9.6
62,665
173,794
110,975
63.9
99,606
57.3
11,369
10.2
62,819
173,953
110,950
63.8
99,762
57.3
11,188
10.1
63,003
174,125
111,905
64.3
100,743
57.9
11,162
10.0
62,220
174,306
111,825
64.2
101,225
58.1
10,600
9.5
62,481
174,440
112,117
64.3
101,484
58.2
10,633
9.5
62,323
174,602
112,229
64.3
101,876
58.3
10,353
9.2
62,373
174,779
111,866
64.0
101.970
58.3
9,896
8.8
62,913
174,951
112,035
64.0
102,606
58.6
9,429
8.4
62,916
175,121
112,136
64.0
102,941
58.8
9,195
8.2
62,985
175,533
112,215
63.9
103,190
58.8
9,026
8.0
63,318
175,679
112,693
64.1
103,892
59.1
8,801
7.8
62,986
175,824
112,912
64.2
104,140
59.2
8,772
7.8
62,912
175,969
113,245
64.4
104,402
59.3
8,843
7.8
62,724
73,644
57,980
78.7
52,891
71.8
2,422
50,469
5,089
8.8
74,872
58,744
78.5
53,4897
71.4
2,429
51,058
5,257
8.9
74,611
58,512
78.4
52,830
70.8
2,421
50,409
5,682
9.7
74,712
58,546
78.4
52,963
70.9
2,440
50,523
5,583
9.5
74,814
58,844
78.7
53,492
71.5
2,497
50,995
5,352
9.1
74,927
58,982
78.7
53.765
71.8
2,521
51,244
5,217
8.8
75,012
58,954
78.6
53,804
71.7
2,475
51,329
5.150
8.7
75,115
59,012
78.6
53,947
71.8
2,431
51,516
5,065
8.6
75,216
58,949
78.4
54,140
72.0
2,376
51,764
4,809
8.2
75,327
59,053
78.4
54,457
72.3
2,336
52,121
4,596
7.8
75,433
59,050
78.3
54,658
72.5
2,374
52,284
4,392
7.4
75,692
59,299
78.3
54,999
72.7
2,356
52,643
4,300
7.3
75,786
59,394
78.4
55,266
72.9
2,409
52,857
4,128
7.0
75,880
59,388
78.3
55,368
73.0
2,364
53,004
4,020
6.8
75,973
59,480
78.3
55,385
72.9
2,453
52,932
4,095
6.9
82.864
43,699
52.7
40,086
48.4
601
39,485
3,613
8.3
84,069
44,636
53.1
41,004
48.8
620
40,384
3,632
8.1
83,794
44,311
52.9
40,531
48.4
621
39,910
3,780
8.5
83,899
44,331
52.8
40,583
48.4
605
39,978
3,748
8.5
84,008
44,684
53.2
40,847
48.6
634
40,213
3,837
8.6
84,122
44,647
53.1
41,123
48.9
613
40,510
3,524
7.9
84,224
44,896
53.3
41,298
49.0
627
40,671
3,598
8.0
84,333
45,062
53.4
41,550
49.3
581
40,969
3,512
7.8
84,443
44,936
53.2
41,570
49.2
597
40,973
3,366
7.5
84,553
44,953
53.2
41,738
49.4
638
41,100
3,215
7.2
84,666
45,024
53.2
41,843
49.4
653
41,190
3,181
7.1
84,860
44,981
53.0
41,798
49.3
625
41,174
3,182
7.1
84,962
45,258
53.3
42,138
49.6
640
41,498
3,120
6.9
85,064
45,459
53.4
42,315
49.7
574
41,741
3,144
6.9
85,168
45,703
53.7
42,517
49.9
619
41,898
3,186
7.0
15,763
8,526
54.1
6,549
41.5
378
6,171
1,977
23.2
15,274
8,171
53.5
6,342
41.5
334
6,008
1,829
22.4
15.389
8,152
53.0
6,245
40.6
350
5,895
1,907
23.4
15,342
8,073
52.6
6,216
40.5
329
5,887
1,857
23.0
15,303
8,377
54.7
6,404
41.8
348
6,056
1,973
23.6
15,257
8,196
53.7
6,337
41.5
365
5,972
1,859
22.7
15,204
8,267
54,4
6,382
42.0
347
6,035
1,885
22.8
15,154
8,155
53.8
6,379
42.1
296
6,083
1,776
21.8
15,120
7,981
52.8
6,260
41.4
267
5,993
1,721
21.6
15,072
8,029
53.3
6,411
42.5
283
6,128
1,618
20.2
15,022
8,062
53.7
6,440
42.9
329
6,111
1,622
20.1
14,981
7,935
53.0
6,392
42.7
290
6,102
1,543
19.4
14,931
8,041
53.9
6,488
43.5
346
6,142
1,553
19.3
14,880
8,065
54.2
6,457
43.4
343
6,114
1,608
19.9
14,828
8,062
54.4
6,500
43.8
321
6,179
1,562
29.4
149,441
96,143
64.3
87,903
58.8
8,241
8.6
150,805
97,021
64.3
88,893
58.9
8,128
8.4
150,518
96,450
64.1
87,854
58.4
8,596
8.9
150,671
96,472
64.0
88,004
58.4
8,468
8.8
150,810
97,235
64.5
88,836
58.9
8,399
8.6
150,959
97,255
64.4
89,260
59.1
7,995
8.2
151,003
97,498
64.6
89,503
59.3
7,995
8.2
151,021
97,507
64.6
89,693
59.4
7,814
8.0
151,175
97,339
64.4
89,851
59.4
7,488
7.7
151,324
97,559
64.5
90,430
59.8
7,129
7.3
151,484
97,724
64.5
90,779
59.9
6,945
7.1
151,939
97,813
64.4
91,044
59.9
6,768
6.9
152,079
98,167
64.6
91,544
60.2
6,623
6.7
152,285
98,424
64.6
91,845
60.3
6,580
6.7
152,178
98,495
64.7
91,933
60.4
6,562
6.7
18,584
11,331
61.0
9,189
49.4
2,142
18.9
18,925
11,647
61.5
9,375
49.5
2,272
19.5
18,851
11,651
61.8
9,245
49.0
2,406
20,7
18,880
11,645
61.7
9,277
49.1
2,368
20.3
18,911
11,718
62.0
9,339
49.4
2,379
20.3
18,942
11,741
62.0
9,443
49.9
2,298
19.6
18,966
11,724
61.8
9,408
49.6
2,316
19.8
18,994
11.720
61.7
9,504
50.0
2,216
18.9
19,026
11,565
60.8
9,449
49,7
2,116
18.3
19,057
11,623
61.0
9,563
50.2
2,060
17.7
19,086
11,650
61.0
9,582
50.2
2,068
17.8
19,196
11,660
60.7
9,707
50.6
1,953
16.7
19,222
11,881
61.8
9,958
51.8
1,923
16.2
19,248
11,867
61.7
9,896
51.4
1,972
16.6
19,274
11,934
61.9
9,923
51.5
2,011
16.8
9,400
5.983
63.6
5,158
54.9
825
13.8
12,771
8,119
63.6
6,995
54.8
1,124
13.8
9,665
6,161
63.7
5,259
54.4
902
14.6
9,747
6,139
63.0
5,284
54.2
855
13.9
9,738
6,202
63.7
5,336
54.8
866
14.0
9,640
6,090
63.2
5,339
55.4
751
12.3
9,690
6,145
63.4
5,350
55.2
795
12.9
9,700
6,202
63.9
5,392
55.6
810
13.1
9,745
6,165
63.3
5,398
55.4
767
12.4
9,677
6,232
64.4
5,463
56.5
769
12.3
9,735
6,267
64.4
5,540
56.9
727
11.6
9,778
6,336
64.8
5,627
57.6
708
11.2
9,906
6,292
63.5
5,652
57.1
639
10.2
10,080
6,484
64.3
5,751
57.1
733
11.3
10,072
6.378
63.3
5,643
56.0
735
11.5
M e n . 2 0 y e a rs an d o ver
Civilian noninstitutional population1 ..............
Civilian labor fo rc e ......................................
Participation r a te .............................
Employed ...............................................
Employment-population ratio2 . . . .
Agriculture............................................
Nonagricultural industries .................
Unemployed............................................
Unemployment rate .......................
W o m e n . 2 0 y e a rs an d o v er
Civilian noninstitutional population1 ...............
Civilian labor fo rc e ......................................
Participation ra te .............................
Employed ...............................................
Employment-population ratio2 . . . .
Agriculture............................................
Nonagricultural industries ..................
Unemployed............................................
Unemployment rate .......................
B o th s e x e s , 1 6 to 1 9 y e a r s
Civilian noninstitutional population1 ..............
Civilian labor fo rc e ......................................
Participation ra te .............................
Employed ...............................................
Employment-population ratio2 . . . .
Agriculture............................................
Nonagricultural industries ..................
Unemployed............................................
Unemployment rate .......................
W h it e
Civilian noninstitutional population1 ...............
Civilian labor fo rc e ......................................
Participation r a te .............................
Employed ...............................................
Employment-population ratio2 . . . .
Unemployed............................................
Unemployment rate .......................
B la c k
Civilian noninstitutional population1 ...............
Civilian labor fo rc e ......................................
Participation ra te .............................
Employed ...............................................
Employment-population ratio2 . . . .
Unemployed............................................
Unemployment rate .......................
H is p a n ic o r ig in
Civilian noninstitutional population1 ...............
Civilian labor fo rc e ......................................
Participation r a te .............................
Employed ...............................................
Employment-population ratio2 . . . .
Unemployed............................................
Unemployment rate .......................
1The population figures are not seasonally adjusted.
2Civilian employment as a percent of the civilian noninstitutional population.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for
the "other races" groups are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black
population groups.
69
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Current Labor Statistics: Household Data
4.
Selected employment indicators, seasonally adjusted
[In thousands]
1983
A n n u al av e ra g e
1984
S e le c t e d c a t e g o r ie s
1982
1983
99,526
56,271
43,256
38,074
24,053
5,099
100,834
56,787
44,047
37,967
24,603
5,091
99,606
56,059
43,547
37,602
24,361
4,969
Agriculture:
Wage and salary workers ................................
Self-employed workers ...................................
Unpaid family workers......................................
1,505
1,636
261
1,579
1,565
240
Nonagricultural industries:
Wage and salary workers ................................
Government...............................................
Private industries......................................
Private households ..........................
Other ..................................................
Self-employed workers ...................................
Unpaid family workers......................................
88.462
15,562
72,945
1,207
71,738
7,262
401
90,552
72,245
5,852
2,169
3,683
12,455
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug.
S e p t.
O c t.
Nov.
D ec.
Jan.
Feb.
M a r.
A p r.
99.762
56,216
43,546
37,616
24,304
4,991
100,743
56,844
43,899
37,911
24,416
5,029
101,225
57,071
44,154
38,254
24,618
5,071
101.484
57,069
44,415
38,281
24,905
5,096
101,876
57,279
44,597
38,232
24,921
5,124
101,970
57,407
44,563
38.240
24,953
5,172
102,606
57.855
44,751
38,388
25.057
5,236
102.941
58.043
44,898
38,494
25,140
5,254
103.190
58,239
44,950
38,682
24,947
5,293
103,892
58,607
45,285
38,911
25,212
5,346
104.140
58,748
45,392
38,927
25,239
5,444
104,402
58,745
45,657
39,062
25,457
5,491
1,578
1.595
219
1,588
1,558
233
1,624
1,591
252
1,631
1,573
251
1,628
1,564
240
1,572
1,515
236
1,505
1,527
227
1,481
1,556
224
1,512
1,572
265
1,443
1,613
233
1,560
1.609
232
1,515
1,580
198
1,661
1,534
207
89,500
15,537
73,963
1,247
72.716
7,575
376
88,390
15,524
72,866
1,221
71,645
7.504
354
88,584
15,530
73,054
1,238
71,816
7,448
345
89,345
15.514
73.831
1,295
72,536
7,510
352
89,687
15,593
74,094
1,276
72,818
7,595
322
90,032
15,671
74.361
1,270
73,091
7,641
375
90,743
15,560
75,183
1,279
73,904
7,656
380
90,617
15,578
75,039
1,278
73,761
7.695
405
91,094
15,585
75.509
1,216
74,293
7,800
474
91,422
15,481
75,941
1.241
74.700
7.734
450
91,641
15.535
76,106
1,197
74,909
7,936
364
92,379
15,822
76,557
1,219
75,339
7,849
330
92,819
15,813
77,006
1,155
75,851
7,755
326
92,931
15,784
77,147
1,296
75,851
7,834
338
92,038
73,624
5,997
1,826
4,171
12,417
92,233
73,567
6,077
1,888
4,189
12.589
91,070
72,949
5,965
1.748
4,217
12,156
90,913
73,071
5,886
1,777
4.109
11.956
92,126
73,844
5,700
1,781
3.919
12,582
91,953
73,499
5,866
1,742
4,124
12,588
93,322
74,666
6,027
1,771
4,256
12,629
93,273
75,047
5,724
1.617
4,107
12.502
93,834
75,398
5,848
1,719
4.129
12,588
94,173
75,802
5,712
1.672
4,040
12.659
94,707
76,237
5,943
1,771
4,172
12,527
95,067
76,715
5,808
1,611
4,197
12,545
94.982
77,004
5,463
1.472
3,991
12,515
96,918
78,276
5,593
1,530
4,063
13,049
C H A R A C T E R IS T IC
Civilian employed, 16 years and over ....................
M e n ....................................................................
W om en.............................................................
Married men, spouse present..........................
Married women, spouse present....................
Women who maintain families .......................
M A J O R IN D U S T R Y A N D C L A S S O F W O R K E R
PERSONS AT W O RK1
Nonagricultural industries.........................................
Full-time schedules .........................................
Part time for economic reasons.......................
Usually work full time .............................
Usually work part tim e .............................
Part time for noneconomic reasons.................
1 Excludes persons "with a job but not at work” during the survey period for such reasons as
vacation, illness, or industrial disputes.
5.
Selected unemployment indicators, seasonally adjusted
[Unemployment rates]
1983
A n n u al av e ra g e
1QRA
S e le c t e d c a te g o r ie s
1982
1983
Total, all civilian workers.........................................
Both sexes. 16 to 19 y e a rs .............................
Men. 20 years and o v e r...................................
Women, 20 years and o v e r .............................
9.7
23.2
8.8
8.3
White, to ta l...............................................
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years ....................
Men. 16 to 19 years .......................
Women. 16 to 19 years .................
Men, 20 years and o v e r ..........................
Women, 20 years and over .................
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug.
S e p t.
O c t.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
M ar.
A p r.
9.6
22.4
8.9
8.1
10.2
23.4
9.7
8.5
10.1
23.0
9.5
8.5
10.0
23.6
9.1
8.6
9.5
22.7
8.8
7.9
9.5
22.8
8.7
8.0
9.2
21.8
8.6
7.8
8.8
21.6
8.2
7.5
8.4
20.2
7.8
7.2
8.2
20.1
7.4
7.1
8.0
19.4
7.3
7.1
7.8
19.3
7.0
6.9
7.8
19.9
6.8
6.9
7.8
19.4
6.9
7.0
8.6
20.4
21.7
19.0
7.8
7.3
8.4
19.3
20.2
18.3
7.9
6.9
8.9
20.3
21.4
19.1
8.5
7.3
8.8
19.9
20.4
19.4
8.4
7.2
8.6
20.1
20.4
19.7
7.9
7.4
8.2
19.4
20.3
18.4
7.7
6.8
8.2
19.5
20.7
18.2
7.7
6.7
8.0
18.2
18.9
17.4
7.7
6.6
7.7
18.5
19.8
16.9
7.3
6.3
7.3
17.2
17.6
16.6
6.9
6.0
7.1
17.0
17.5
16.5
6.7
5.9
6.9
16.2
17.8
14.5
6.3
6.0
6.7
16.5
16.4
16.7
6.1
5.8
6.7
17.1
17.3
16.8
5.8
5.9
6.7
16.2
16.6
15.7
5.9
6.0
Black, to t a l.........................................
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years ....................
Men, 16 to 19 years .......................
Women, 16 to 19 years .................
Men, 20 years and o v e r ..........................
Women, 20 years and over ....................
18.9
48.0
48.9
47.1
17.8
15.4
19.5
48.5
48.8
48.2
18.1
16.5
20.7
49.1
48.6
49 6
20.0
16.9
20.3
48.4
52.1
44.1
19.5
17.0
20.3
49 8
50.7
48.7
18.9
16.9
19.6
48.4
48.3
48.4
18.6
16.2
19.8
51.4
53.7
48.8
18.2
16.4
18.9
51.1
52.7
49.2
16.9
16.1
18.3
48.7
45.6
52.2
16.3
15.9
17.7
47.3
44.9
50 0
15.6
15.6
17.8
49.0
46.4
51.9
15.1
15.9
16.7
47.9
47.1
48.8
14.8
14.3
16.2
43.5
46.7
39.9
14.1
14.4
16.6
46.7
44.4
49.6
15.4
13.5
16.8
44.8
42.8
47.1
16.0
13.4
C H A R A C T E R IS T IC
Hispanic origin, total.........................................
13.8
13.8
14.6
13.9
14.0
12.3
12.9
13.1
12.4
12.3
11.6
11.2
10.2
11.3
11.5
Married men, spouse present..................
Married women, spouse present . . . .
Women who maintain families ....................
6.5
7.4
11.7
6.5
7.0
12.2
7.1
7.4
13.0
7.0
74
12.7
6.7
7.6
12.5
6.2
7.0
11.8
6.3
6.9
11.8
6.1
6.8
12.0
5.7
6.3
11.4
5.5
6.0
10.5
5.2
6.1
10.9
5.0
6.0
10.7
4.9
5.9
11.0
4.7
5.8
11.0
4.7
5.8
10.5
Full-time workers......................................
Part-time workers ................................
Unemployed 15 weeks and over ....................
Labor force time lost1 ................................
9.6
10.5
3.2
11.0
9.5
10.4
3.8
10.9
10.2
10.5
4,0
11.5
10.0
10.9
4.1
11.5
9.7
11.8
4.0
11.1
9.4
10.2
3.9
10.7
9.3
10.2
3.6
10.7
9.1
10.1
3.5
10.5
8.7
10.0
3.3
10.0
8.2
9.8
3.1
9.7
8.0
9.8
3.0
9.4
7.8
9.2
2.9
9.2
7.5
9.3
2.6
8.9
7.5
9.2
2.5
8.8
7.6
9.1
25
8.9
10.1
13.4
20.0
12.3
13.3
10.8
6.8
10.0
6.9
4.9
14.7
9.9
17.0
18.4
11.2
12.1
10.0
7.4
10.0
7.2
5.3
16.0
10.5
20.3
20.0
12.5
13.7
10.8
7.7
10.4
7.3
5.8
16.8
10.4
20.8
20.0
12.3
13.5
10.6
7.3
10.2
7.5
5.6
16.8
10.1
17.9
18.4
11.6
12.5
10.2
7.8
10.2
7.2
5.1
16.5
9.7
16.6
18.0
10.7
11.4
9.7
7.3
9.8
7.3
5.4
15.0
9.8
14.9
17.9
11.2
11.7
10.5
7.7
9.8
7.2
5.1
15.1
9.4
16.9
18.1
10.2
10.9
9.3
7.4
9.5
7.0
5.0
16.5
9.0
12.1
15.8
9.6
10.2
8.7
7.2
98
6.9
5.1
16.2
8.6
12.8
15.6
8.9
9.0
8.7
6.7
9.1
6.7
4.9
15.7
8.3
12.4
16.3
8.3
8.3
8.2
6.5
8.8
6.6
5.0
15.6
7.9
10.9
15.0
8.4
8.0
8.9
5.1
8.4
6.3
5.0
15.5
7.8
12.2
15.1
7.5
7.3
7.8
5.9
8.3
6.3
4.5
14.0
7.6
11.2
13.3
7.5
7.8
7.2
5.0
8.3
6.4
4.4
14.6
7.7
10.3
14.3
7.7
7.5
8.0
5.4
8.7
61
4.4
12.2
IN D U S T R Y
Nonagricultural private wage and salary workers . .
Mining . . . .
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 ....................
1Aggregate 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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6.
Unemployment rates by sex and age, seasonally adjusted
[Civilian workers]
1984
1983
A n n u al av erag e
Sex and age
S e p t.
O c t.
Nov.
D ec.
Jan.
Feb.
M ar.
A p r.
9.5
17.2
22.8
24.8
21.6
14.4
7.3
7.8
5.1
9.2
16.5
21.8
24.0
20.5
13.8
7.2
7.7
5.2
8.8
16.3
21.6
24.0
20.3
13.6
6.8
7.2
5.0
8.4
15.4
20.2
21.9
19.3
13.0
6.5
6.9
4.9
8.2
14.9
20.1
22.9
18.8
12.2
6.4
6.8
4.9
8.0
14.8
19.4
21.9
17.6
12.5
6.2
6.5
4.7
7.8
14.2
19.3
22.1
17.5
11.6
6.1
6.4
4.3
7.8
14.4
19.9
23.1
18.1
11.6
5.9
6.3
4.3
7.8
14.6
19.4
22.3
17.5
12.2
6.0
6.3
4.2
9.9
18.4
23.8
27.3
21.2
15.8
7.6
8.1
5.5
9.8
18.6
24.3
26.0
23.2
15.7
7.5
8.0
5.4
9.6
17.6
22.8
23.9
22.2
15.0
7.5
8.0
5.6
9.1
17.3
22.5
24.3
21.6
14.7
7.0
7.4
5.4
8.6
15.9
20.2
22.0
19.6
13.8
6.8
7.1
5.4
8.3
15.6
20.4
23.3
18.9
13.3
6.5
6.7
5.4
8.1
15.6
20.8
21.6
19.6
13.1
6.2
6.6
4.8
7.8
14.6
19.7
21.6
18.1
12.1
6.1
6.4
4.5
7.7
14.6
20.0
23.0
18.2
11.9
5.9
6.1
4.6
7.7
15.0
19.7
23.7
17.3
12.7
5.9
6.2
4.4
9.0
15.0
21.5
22.6
20.5
11.7
7.1
7.6
5.1
9.1
15.7
21.1
23.4
19.9
12.8
7.0
7.5
4.7
8.8
15.2
20.6
24.0
18.5
12.5
6.9
7.3
4.5
8.5
15.1
20.5
23.6
18.8
12.3
6.5
7.0
4.4
8.2
14.7
20.1
21.8
19.0
12.0
6.2
6.6
4.1
8.1
14.0
19.8
22.5
18.7
11.0
6.3
6.8
4.3
7.9
13.9
18.0
22.2
15.4
11.7
6.2
6.5
4.5
7.8
13.7
18.9
22.6
16.9
11.0
6.1
6.5
4.0
7.9
14.2
19.8
23.1
18.1
11.3
6.0
6.5
3.9
7.9
14.1
19.0
20.8
17.8
11.6
6.0
6.4
3.9
1982
1983
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug
25 years and over ............... .............................
25 to 54 years...............................................
55 years and over .........................................
9.7
17.8
23.2
24.9
22.1
14.9
7.4
7.9
5.0
9.6
17.2
22.4
24.5
21.1
14.5
7.5
8.0
5.3
10.2
18.1
23.4
25.8
21.9
15.4
8.0
8.5
5.5
10.1
18.0
23.0
25.6
21.3
15.5
7.9
8.5
5.3
10.0
17.6
23.6
25.6
22.3
14.5
7.9
8.3
5.5
9.5
16.8
22.7
25.1
20.8
13.9
7.4
7.9
5.3
Men, 16 years and o v e r...................................
16 to 24 years ...............................................
16 to 19 years .........................................
16 to 17 y ea rs ......................................
18 to 19 y ea rs ......................................
20 to 24 years .........................................
25 years and over .........................................
25 to 54 years . . .............................
55 years and over ................................
9.9
19.1
24.4
26.4
23.1
16.4
7.5
8.0
5.1
9.9
18.4
23.3
25.2
22.2
15.9
7.8
8.2
5.6
10.7
19.5
24.4
26.9
22.9
17.0
8.4
8.9
6.1
10.5
19.5
23.9
26.7
22.3
17.3
8.2
8.8
5.8
10.1
18.6
24.0
26.0
22.8
15.9
7.9
8.4
5.5
Women, 16 years and o v e r .............................
9.4
16.2
21.9
23.2
21.0
13.2
7.3
7,7
4.8
9.2
15.8
21.3
23.7
19.9
12.9
7.2
7.7
4.7
9.6
16.6
22.3
24.7
20.7
13.6
7.5
8.0
4.6
9.5
16.3
22.0
24.4
20.2
13.4
7.5
8.1
4.7
9.8
16.4
23.1
25.2
21.7
12.9
7.8
8.1
5.5
Total, 16 years and over .........................................
16 to 24 years .....................................................
16 to 19 y e a rs ..................................................
16 to 17 years...............................................
18 to 19 years...............................................
16 to 17 y ea rs ......................................
18 to 19 y ea rs ......................................
20 to 24 years .........................................
25 years and over .........................................
25 to 54 y e a rs ......................................
55 years and over ................................
7.
Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, seasonally adjusted
[Numbers in thousands]
1983
A n n u al av erag e
1984
R e a s o n f o r u n e m p lo y m e n t
Job losers .................................................................
On layoff ...........................................................
Other job losers ...............................................
Job leavers.................................................................
Reentrants.................................................................
New entrants..............................................................
1982
1983
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug.
S e p t.
O c t.
Nov.
D ec.
Jan.
Feb.
M ar.
A p r.
6.258
2,127
4.141
840
2.384
1.185
6,258
1.780
4,478
830
2.412
1,216
6.767
1.979
4.788
816
2.491
1.251
6.753
1.958
4.795
808
2.404
1,246
6.525
1.841
4.684
799
2,436
1.412
6.235
1.735
4,500
752
2.415
1.229
6.133
1.660
4.473
799
2.479
1,214
5.938
1.562
4.376
858
2.362
1.234
5,601
1.392
4.209
866
2.322
1.127
5.226
1.321
3.905
868
2,250
1.154
5.017
1.283
3.734
855
2,246
1.150
4.825
1.238
3.588
809
2.192
1.175
4.737
1,272
3.465
772
2.153
1,092
4.614
1.254
3.360
756
2,208
1.213
4.527
1.108
3.419
781
2.308
1.216
100.0
58.7
19.9
38.8
7.9
22.3
11.1
100.0
58.4
16.6
41.8
7.7
22.5
11.3
100.0
59.8
17.5
42.3
72
22.0
11.0
100.0
60.2
17.5
42.8
7.2
21.4
11.1
100.0
58.4
16.5
41.9
7.2
21.8
12.6
100.0
58.6
16.3
42.3
7.1
22.7
11.6
100.0
57.7
15.6
42.1
7.5
23.3
11.4
100.0
57.1
15.0
42.1
8.3
22.7
11.9
100.0
56 5
14.0
42.4
8.7
23.4
11.4
100.0
55.0
13.9
41.1
9.1
23.7
12.1
100.0
54.1
13.8
40.3
9.2
24.2
12.4
100.0
53.6
13.7
39.9
9.0
24.4
13.1
100.0
54.1
14.5
39.6
8.8
24.6
12.5
100.0
52.5
14 3
38.2
8.6
25.1
13.8
100.0
51.3
12.5
38.7
8.8
26.1
13.8
5.7
.8
2.2
1.1
5.6
.7
2.2
1.1
6.1
.7
2.2
1.1
6.1
.7
2.2
1.1
5.8
7
2.2
1.3
5.6
.7
2.2
1.1
5.5
.7
2.2
1.1
5.3
.8
2.1
1.1
5.0
8
2.1
1.0
4.7
.8
2.0
1.0
4.5
.8
2.0
1.0
4.3
.7
2.0
1.0
4.2
.7
1.9
1.0
4.1
.7
2.0
1.1
4.0
.7
2.0
1.1
P E R C E N T D IS T R IB U T IO N
Total unemployed.....................................................
Job losers .................................................................
On layoff ...........................................................
Other job losers ...............................................
Job leavers.................................................................
Reentrants.................................................................
New entrants..............................................................
PERCENT OF
C IV IL IA N
LAB O R FO RC E
Job losers .................................................................
Job leavers.................................................................
Reentrants.................................................................
New entrants..............................................................
8.
Duration of unemployment, seasonally adjusted
[Numbers in thousands]
1984
1983
A n n u al av e ra g e
W e e k s o f u n e m p lo y m e n t
Less than 5 weeks .....................................................
5 to 14 w eeks...........................................................
15 weeks and over ..................................................
15 to 26 weeks..................................................
27 weeks and over ............................................
Median duration in weeks.........................................
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1982
1983
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug.
S e p t.
O c t.
Nov.
D ec.
Jan.
Feb.
M a r.
A p r.
3.883
3.311
3,485
1,708
1.776
15.6
8.7
3.570
2,937
4.210
1,652
2,559
20.0
10.1
3,595
3,139
4.396
1,691
2.705
19.2
10.8
3.568
3,012
4,510
1.774
2,736
20.2
11.9
3,630
2.950
4,486
1.593
2,893
21.4
10.8
3.529
2.841
4,398
1,794
2,604
21.3
10.1
3,633
2,951
4.078
1.597
2,481
19.9
9.4
3.740
2.784
3,889
1,383
2.506
20.2
9.4
3,504
2.725
3,655
1.372
2,283
20.1
9.5
3,328
2.616
3,527
1,337
2,190
20.2
9.4
3,382
2,504
3.369
1,284
2,085
19.6
9.0
3,233
2.556
3,201
1.166
2,035
20.5
9.2
3,359
2.484
2,984
1,173
1,810
18.8
8.3
3,386
2,539
2,873
1,114
1,759
18.8
8.3
3,438
2.493
2,855
1.111
1,744
18.5
8.1
71
EMPLOYMENT, HOURS, AND EARNINGS DATA FROM ESTABLISHMENT SURVEYS
E mployment , hours , and earnings data in this, se c tio n are c o m
p ile d fro m p a y ro ll re c o rd s re p o rte d m o n th ly on a v o lu n ta ry basis
to th e B u re au o f L a b o r S ta tistic s an d its c o o p e ra tin g S tate ag en c ie s
b y 1 8 9 ,0 0 0 e sta b lis h m e n ts re p re se n tin g all in d u strie s e x c e p t a g
ric u ltu re . In m o st in d u strie s, th e sa m p lin g p ro b a b ilitie s are b ased
o n th e size o f th e e s ta b lish m e n t; m o st larg e e sta b lish m e n ts are
th e re fo re in th e s a m p le . (A n e sta b lish m e n t is n ot n e c e ssa rily a
firm ; it m ay be a b ra n ch p la n t, fo r e x a m p le , o r w a re h o u s e .) S elf-
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 low-wage industries.
Hours represent the average weekly hours of production or nonsuper
visory workers for which pay was received and are different from standard
or scheduled hours. Overtime hours represent the portion of gross average
weekly hours which were in excess of regular hours and for which overtime
premiums were paid.
e m p lo y e d p e rso n s an d o th e rs not on a re g u la r c iv ilia n p a y ro ll are
o u ts id e th e sc o p e o f the su rv e y b e ca u se th ey are e x c lu d e d fro m
e s ta b lis h m e n t re c o rd s. T h is larg e ly a c c o u n ts fo r the d iffere n ce in
e m p lo y m e n t fig u re s b e tw ee n the h o u se h o ld and e s ta b lish m e n t su r
v e y s.
Definitions
Employed persons are all persons who received pay (including holiday
and sick pay) for any part of the payroll period including the 12th of the
month. Persons holding more than one job (about 5 percent of all persons
in the labor force) are counted in each establishment which reports them.
Production workers in manufacturing include blue-collar worker su
pervisors and all nonsupervisory workers closely associated with produc
tion operations. Those workers mentioned in tables 12-16 include production
workers in manufacturing and mining; construction workers in construc
tion; and nonsupervisory workers in transportation and public utilities; in
wholesale and retail trade; in finance, insurance, and real estate; and in
services industries. These groups account for about four-fifths of the total
employment on private nonagricultural payrolls.
Earnings are the payments production or nonsupervisory workers re
ceive 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 reflect the effects of changes in
consumer prices. The deflator for this series is derived from the Consumer
Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The
Hourly Earnings Index is calculated from average 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
72
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
The Diffusion Index, introduced in table 17 of the May 1983 issue,
represents the percent of 186 nonagricultural industries in which employ
ment was rising over the indicated period. One-half of the industries with
unchanged employment are counted as rising. In line with Bureau practice,
data for the 3-, 6-, and 9-month spans are seasonally adjusted, while that
for the 12-month span is unadjusted. The diffusion index is useful for
measuring the dispersion of economic gains or losses and is also an eco
nomic indicator.
Notes on the data
Establishment data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics are pe
riodically adjusted to com prehensive counts of employment (called
“ benchmarks” ). The latest complete adjustment was made with the release
of May 1983 data, published in the July 1983 issue of the Review. Con
sequently, data published in the Review prior to that issue are not necessarily
comparable to current data. Unadjusted data have been revised back to
April 1981; seasonally adjusted data have been revised back to January
1978. Unadjusted data from April 1982 forward, and seasonally adjusted
data from January 1979 forward are subject to revision in future bench
marks. Earlier comparable unadjusted and seasonally adjusted data are
published in a Supplement to Employment and Earnings (unadjusted data
from April 1977 through February 1983 and seasonally adjusted data from
January 1974 through February 1983) and in Employment and Earnings.
United States, 1909-78. BLS Bulletin 1312-11 (for prior periods).
A comprehensive discussion of the differences between household and
establishment data on employment appears in Gloria P. Green, “ Com
paring employment estimates from household and payroll surveys.” Monthly
Labor Review, December 1969, pp. 9-20. See also BLS Handbook o f
Methods, Bulletin 2134-1 (Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1982).
9.
Employment by industry, selected years, 1950-83
[Nonagricultural payroll data, in thousands]
G o o d s - p r o d u c in g
S e r v ic e -p r o d u c in g
T ra n s p o r
P riv a te
Year
W h o le s a le a n d r e t a il tra d e
C o n s tru c
s e c to r
T o ta l
M a n u fa c
M in in g
T o ta l
tio n
p u b lic
in s u r a n c e ,
W h o le
and
tu rin g
G o v e rn m e n t
F in a n c e ,
t a t io n
T o ta l
T o ta l
s a le
R e t a il
tra d e
tra d e
u t ilitie s
S e r v ic e s
an d real
T o ta l
F e d e ra l
S ta te an d
lo c a l
e s ta te
1950 ................................
1955 ................................
I9601 ..............................
1964 ................................
1965 ................................
45,197
50,641
54,189
58,283
60,765
39,170
43,727
45,836
48,686
50,589
18,506
20,513
20,434
21,005
21,926
901
792
712
634
632
2,364
2,839
2,926
3,097
3,232
15,241
16,882
16,796
17,274
18,062
26,691
30,128
33,755
37,278
38,839
4.034
4,141
4,004
3,951
4,036
9,386
10.535
11,391
12,160
12,716
2,635
2,926
3,143
3,337
3,466
6,751
7,610
8,248
8,823
9,250
1,888
2,298
2,629
2,911
2,977
5,357
6,240
7,378
8,660
9,036
6,026
6,914
8,353
9,596
10,074
1,928
2,187
2,270
2,348
2,378
4,098
4,727
6,083
7,248
7,696
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
................................
................................
................................
................................
................................
63,901
65,803
67,897
70,384
70,880
53,116
54,413
56,058
58,189
58,325
23,158
23,308
23,737
24,361
23,578
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
40,743
42,495
44,160
46,023
47,302
4,158
4,268
4,318
4,442
4,515
13,245
13,606
14,099
14.706
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
1 9 7 1 ................................
1972 ................................
1973 ................................
1974 ................................
1975 ................................
71,214
73,675
76,790
78.265
76,945
58,331
60,341
63,058
64,095
62,259
22,935
23,668
24,893
24,794
22,600
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
48,278
50,007
51,897
53,471
54,345
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
4,045
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
................................
................................
................................
................................
................................
79,382
82,471
86,697
89,823
90,406
64,511
67,344
71,026
73,876
74,166
23,352
24,346
25,585
26,461
25,658
779
813
851
958
1,027
3,576
3,851
4,229
4,463
4,346
18,997
19,582
20,505
21,040
20,285
56,030
58,125
61,113
63,363
64,748
4,582
4,713
4,923
5,136
5,146
17,755
18,516
19.542
20,192
20,310
4,546
4,708
4,969
5,204
5,275
13,209
13,808
14,573
14,989
15,035
4,271
4,467
4,724
4,975
5,180
14,551
15,303
16,252
17,112
17,890
14,871
15,127
15,672
15,947
16,241
2,733
2,727
2,753
2,773
2,866
12,138
12,399
12,919
13,147
13,375
1 9 8 1 ................................
1982 ................................
1983 ................................
91,156
89,596
89,978
75,126
73,793
74,234
25,497
23,907
23,646
1,139
1,143
1,021
4,188
3,911
3,947
20,170
18,853
18,678
65,659
65,689
66,332
5,165
5,081
4.941
20,547
20,401
20,513
5,358
5,280
5,232
15,189
15,122
15,281
5,298
5,340
5,454
18,619
19,064
19,680
16,031
15,803
15,744
2,772
2,739
2,752
13,259
13,064
12,992
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1Data include Alaska and Hawaii beginning in 1959.
10.
Employment by State
[Nonagricultural payroll data, in thousands]
State
Mar. 1983
Feb. 1984
Mar. 1984P
State
Mar. 1983
Feb. 1984
Mar. 1984P
Alabama........................................................
Alaska ...........................................................
Arizona ........................................................
Arkansas .................................................. .
California .....................................................
1,294.4
197.4
1,050.6
721.2
9.775.9
1,330.2
202.1
1.120.4
758.4
10,108.9
1,334.0
205.3
1,132.6
765.0
10,185.0
Montana.......................................................
Nebraska ....................................................
Nevada .......................................................
New Hampshire............................................
New Jersey.................................................
266.2
598.4
391.1
390.0
3,061.4
266.5
606.4
413.6
413.8
3,170.0
269.1
609.6
416.4
415.7
3,190.8
Delaware
1.336.6
1,447.4
263.7
589.5
4,085.5
1,346.4
1 457.8
266.6
591.9
4,109.5
North Carolina
Florida...........................................................
1,303.9
1,412.2
258.3
588.4
3,856.2
O hio.............................................................
468 7
7,172.9
2,354.0
241.5
3,995.3
485.1
7,296.8
2,449.3
244.2
4,095.2
487.9
7,350.0
2,464.5
245.2
4,119.8
Georgia ........................................................
Hawaii...........................................................
Idaho ...........................................................
Illinois...........................................................
Ind.ana ........................................................
2,219.2
406.6
307.8
4,458.7
1,972.3
2,318.2
405.7
318.4
4,479.3
2,011.4
2,343.4
407.0
320.3
4,500.3
2,024.0
Oklahoma....................................................
Oregon .......................................................
Pennsylvania ..............................................
Rhode Is la n d ...............................................
South Carolina ............................................
1,164.6
940.1
4,432.1
384.1
1,160.1
1,168.4
972.2
4,506.8
396.2
1,202.6
1,175.9
980.0
4,538.8
399.1
1,213.8
Io w a ..............................................................
1,011.5
907.0
1,132.8
1,551.7
402.7
1,016.0
924 0
1,158.9
1,562.5
411.6
1,020.4
928 8
1,165.5
1,566.9
414,0
South Dakota..............................................
Kentucky .....................................................
louisiana .....................................................
M a in e ...........................................................
Texas ..........................................................
U ta h .............................................................
Vermont.......................................................
225.6
1,681.2
6,127.0
554.1
202.3
230.0
1.760.6
6.262.6
579.0
205.8
231.8
1.772.0
6.287.0
583.1
206.3
Maryland .....................................................
Massachusetts ............................................
Michigan .....................................................
Minnesota .....................................................
Mississippi ..................................................
Missouri........................................................
1,672.5
2,621.4
3,129.6
1,658.3
775.7
1,889.6
1.699.9
2,664.6
3,240.5
1,725.7
795.4
1,908.2
1.720.1
2.688.1
3,252.3
1.738.1
799.4
1,925.5
Virginia .......................................................
Washington..................................................
West Virginia...............................................
Wisconsin....................................................
Wyoming ....................................................
2,139.6
1,544.1
566.7
1,804.2
198.5
2,224.1
1,589.1
581.9
1,851.1
197.9
2,240.4
1,605.1
584.3
1,859.0
197.5
Virgin Islands..............................................
36.1
35.6
35.7
.....................................................
............................................
p = preliminary.
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73
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Current Labor Statistics: Establishment Data
11.
Employment by industry division and major manufacturing group, seasonally adjusted
[Nonagricultural payroll data, in thousands]
A n n u al av e ra g e
1983
1984
In d u s t r y d iv is io n a n d g r o u p
1982
TOTAL
P R IV A T E S E C T O R
G O O D S -P R O D U C IN G
M in in g
..........................................................................................................................
1983
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug.
S e p t.
O c t.
Nov.
D ec.
Jan.
Feb.
M a r .P
A p r .P
89,596
89,978
89,101
89.421
89.844
90.152
89.735
90.851
91.087
91,355
91,599
91,930
92,357
92,506
92,913
73,793
74,234
73,377
73.677
74.123
74.472
74,074
74.990
75,312
75,579
75,829
76.188
76,584
76.750
77,156
23,907
23,646
23,159
23.347
23,518
23.724
23.830
23.935
24.168
24,311
24,415
24,617
24,784
24,783
24,966
1,143
1.021
997
994
1.003
1.017
1.023
1.026
1,044
1,045
1.047
1.051
1,052
1,053
1,061
3.911
3.947
3.786
3.860
3.933
3,974
4.014
4.038
4.060
4,094
4,088
4,177
4,233
4,170
4.244
.........................................
18.853
12,790
18.678
12.696
18,376
12,435
18.493
12.531
18.582
12,615
18,733
12,756
18,793
12,803
18.871
12.859
19,064
13,043
19.172
13,147
19,280
13,230
19,389
13,322
19,499
13,402
19,560
13,451
19,661
13,546
.........................................
11,100
7.35C
10.932
7.246
10,689
7,035
10.788
7.115
10,844
7.169
10.961
7.278
11,022
7.329
11.081
7,378
11.235
7,522
11,320
7,601
11,406
7,665
11,477
7,725
11,572
7,801
11,621
7,838
11,683
7,894
Lumber and wood products .............................
Furniture and fixtures.........................................
Stone, clay, and glass products .......................
Primary metal industries ...................................
Fabricated metal products...................................
603
433
578
922
1.435
677
451
575
839
1,396
651
440
565
820
1,369
662
446
570
828
1.379
679
450
573
830
1.384
688
459
577
839
1.391
699
457
582
840
1,410
703
459
585
849
1.411
712
465
590
867
1.430
714
470
590
871
1,438
715
473
589
881
1,449
717
477
593
872
1,458
719
483
602
878
1,464
726
486
603
876
1,471
730
485
603
882
1,474
Machinery, except electrical .............................
Electric and electronic equipment ....................
Transportation equipment...................................
2,267
2,016
1.744
2,088
2,045
1,785
2,031
1,999
1,743
2.064
2.010
1,757
2.066
2.030
1.762
2.094
2.047
1,794
2.109
2.043
1.807
2,115
2.082
1,801
2,131
2.107
1,848
2,158
2,128
1,862
2,172
2,146
1.887
2,187
2,165
1,909
2,203
2,191
1,928
2,216
2,211
1,925
2,237
2,221
1,941
Instruments and related products ....................
Miscellaneous manufacturing.............................
716
386
694
382
690
381
689
383
687
383
687
385
692
383
696
380
699
386
701
388
701
393
706
393
707
397
710
397
710
400
Production workers.........................................
7.753
5.440
7,747
5.450
7.705
5,400
7.738
5.416
7.772
5.446
7.771
5,478
7,790
5,474
7,829
5.481
7,852
5.521
7,874
5,546
7,912
5,565
7,912
5,597
7,927
5,601
7,939
5,613
7,978
5,652
Food and kindred products................................
Tobacco manufactures ......................................
Textile mill products............................................
Apparel and other textile products....................
Paper and allied products...................................
1.638
68
750
1.164
662
1.630
65
744
1,169
659
1,633
66
733
1.149
654
1.632
66
736
1,153
656
1.643
65
745
1.159
657
1.638
65
746
1.180
658
1,627
62
752
1.175
659
1.630
63
753
1.177
662
1,628
64
759
1,191
665
1,633
61
758
1,199
666
1,632
62
759
1,206
670
1,642
61
766
1.210
671
1,639
61
764
1,213
674
1,637
62
766
1,217
673
1,656
64
764
1,222
673
Printing and publishing......................................
Chemicals and allied products ..........................
Petroleum and coal products.............................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products . .
Leather and leather products.............................
1.269
1.079
201
701
221
1.283
1.059
196
727
216
1,274
1.058
199
707
214
1,276
1.058
198
716
214
1.281
1.056
198
721
213
1,284
1,059
197
732
213
1,289
1,056
195
739
217
1.290
1.060
195
742
218
1.297
1,061
193
753
218
1,301
1,061
193
762
218
1,303
1,064
192
769
217
1.310
1,065
192
777
218
1,313
1,065
192
788
218
1,317
1,065
191
795
216
1,329
1,069
192
795
214
65,689
66.332
65.942
66.074
66.326
66.428
65,905
66,916
66.919
67,044
67,184
67,313
67,573
67,723
67,947
5.081
4.941
4.988
4,993
4.992
4,984
4.341
5.031
5,019
5,019
5,015
5,057
5,063
5,073
5,085
C o n s tr u c tio n
M a n u f a c t u r in g
Production workers
D u ra b le g o o d s
Production workers
N o n d u r a b le g o o d s
S E R V IC E -P R O D U C IN G
T r a n s p o r t a tio n a n d p u b lic u t ilitie s
20,401
20.513
20.329
20.356
20.494
20.529
20.580
20.612
20,666
20,718
20,781
20,860
20,918
20 975
20 990
5.280
5.232
5,180
5.197
5.222
5,229
5.249
5.274
5,287
5,291
5,313
5,343
5,363
5,382
5,395
15,122
15,281
15,149
15.159
15.272
15,300
15.331
15,338
15.379
15,427
15,468
15,517
15,555
15,593
15,595
5.340
5.454
5,423
5.435
5,451
5.465
5.488
5.499
5,503
5,515
5,525
5,553
5,570
5,580
5.599
S e r v ic e s
19.064
19,680
19,478
19.546
19,668
19.770
19.835
19,913
19.956
20,016
20,093
20,101
20,249
20,339
20,516
G o v e rn m e n t
15.803
2,739
13.064
15,744
2,752
12.992
15,724
2,749
12,975
15.744
2,756
12,988
15.721
2.742
12.979
15,680
2,738
12,942
15.661
2.733
12.928
15.861
2.773
13.083
15,775
2,764
13,011
15,776
2,763
13,013
15,770
2,768
13,002
15,742
2,762
12,980
15,773
2,760
13,013
15,756
2,761
12,995
15,757
2,765
12,992
W h o le s a le tra d e
R e ta il tra d e
F in a n c e , in s u r a n c e , a n d r e a l e s t a t e
Federal................................................................
State and local.....................................................
p
preliminary.
74
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
NOTE: See "Notes on the data" for a description of the most recent benchmark revision.
12.
Hours and earnings, by industry division, selected years, 1950-83
[G ro s s a v e r a g e s , p r o d u c tio n
o r n o n s u p e r v is o r y w o r k e r s o n n o n a g r ic u ltu r a l p a y r o lls ]
A v e ra g e
A v e ra g e
A v e ra g e
A v e ra g e
A v e ra g e
A v e ra g e
A v e ra g e
A v e ra g e
w e e k ly
w e e k ly
h o u r ly
w e e k ly
w e e k ly
h o u r ly
w e e k ly
w e e k ly
h o u r ly
w e e k ly
w e e k ly
h o u r ly
e a r n in g s
h o u rs
e a r n in g s
e a r n in g s
h o u rs
e a r n in g s
e a r n in g s
h o u rs
e a r n in g s
e a r n in g s
h o u rs
e a r n in g s
Year
A v e ra g e
P r iv a t e s e c t o r
A v e ra g e
M in in g
A v e ra g e
C o n s t r u c tio n
A v e ra g e
M a n u f a c t u r in g
1950 .....................
1955 .....................
I9601 ..................
1964 .....................
1965 .....................
$53.13
67.72
80.67
91 33
95.45
39 8
39.6
38 6
38.7
38 8
$1.34
1.71
2.09
2.36
2.46
$67.16
89.54
105.04
117.74
123.52
37.9
40.7
40.4
41.9
42.3
51.77
2.20
2.60
2.81
2 92
569 68
90.90
112.57
132.06
138.38
37.4
37.1
36.7
37.2
37.4
$1 86
2 45
3 07
3 55
3.70
$58.32
75.30
89.72
102 97
107.53
40.5
40.7
39.7
40.7
41.2
$1.44
1.85
2.26
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
1 9 7 1 .....................
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
1979
1980
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
175 45
189.00
203.70
219.91
235.10
36.1
36.0
35.8
35.7
35.3
4 86
5.25
5.69
6.16
6.66
273.90
301.20
332.88
365.07
397.06
42.4
43.4
43.4
43.0
43.3
6.46
694
7.67
8.49
9.17
283.73
295.65
318.69
342.99
367.78
36.8
36.5
36.8
37.0
37.0
7.71
8.10
8.66
9.27
9.94
209.32
228.90
249.27
269.34
288.62
40.1
40.3
40.4
40.2
39.7
5.22
5.68
6.17
6.70
7.27
1 9 8 1 .....................
1982 ....................
1983 ....................
255.20
266.92
280.35
35.2
34 8
35 0
7.25
7.67
8.01
439.75
459.23
480.25
43 7
42.6
42.5
10 04
10.78
11.30
299.26
426.45
441.86
36.9
36.7
37.1
10.82
11.62
11.91
318.00
330.65
354.48
39 8
38.9
40.1
7.99
8 50
8.84
.....................
.....................
....................
T r a n s p o r t a t io n a n d p u b lic
1950 ....................
1955 .....................
I9601 ..................
1964 ....................
1965 ....................
F in a n c e , in s u r a n c e , a n d
W h o le s a l e a n d r e t a il t r a d e
u t il it ie s
S e r v ic e s
r e a l e s ta te
$118.78
125.14
41.1
41.3
$2.89
3 03
544.55
55.16
66.01
74.66
76.91
....................
....................
....................
.....................
.....................
128.13
130 82
138.85
147.74
155.93
412
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
1 9 7 1 .....................
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
1979
1980
.....................
.....................
.....................
.....................
.....................
256.71
278.90
302.80
325.58
351.25
39.8
39.9
40.0
39 9
39.6
6.45
6.99
7.57
8.16
8.87
133.79
142.52
153.64
164 96
176.46
33.7
33.3
32.9
32.6
32.2
3.97
4 28
4.67
5.06
5.48
155.43
165.26
178.00
190.77
209.60
36.4
36.4
36.4
36.2
36.2
4.27
4.54
4.89
5.27
5.79
143.52
153.45
163.67
175.27
190.71
33.3
33.0
32.8
32.7
32.6
4.31
4 65
4.99
5.36
5.85
1 9 8 1 .....................
1982 .....................
1983 .....................
382.18
401.70
421.59
39.4
39.0
39.0
9.70
10.30
10.81
190.62
198.10
207 03
32.2
31.9
31.9
5.92
6.21
6.49
229.05
245.44
264.26
36.3
36.2
36.2
6.31
6.78
7.30
208 97
224.94
237.40
32.6
32 6
32.7
6.41
690
7.26
1966
1967
1966
1969
1970
40.5
39.4
38.6
37.9
37.7
$1.10
1.40
1.71
1.97
2.04
550.52
63.92
75.14
85.79
88.91
37.7
37 6
37 2
37.3
37.2
$1 34
1.70
2 02
2.30
2.39
570.03
73.60
36.1
35.9
$1.94
2.05
’ Data include Alaska and Hawaii beginning in 1959.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
75
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Current Labor Statistics: Establishment Data
13.
Weekly hours, by industry division and major manufacturing group, seasonally adjusted
[Gross averages, production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls]
A n n u al a v e ra g e
1983
1984
In d u s t r y d iv is io n a n d g r o u p
1982
1983
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug.
S e p t.
O c t.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
M a r .P
A p r .P
...............................................................................
34.8
35.0
34.9
35.1
35.1
35.0
35.0
35.2
35.3
35.2
35.3
35.5
35.4
35.2
35.6
M A N U F A C T U R I N G ...............................................................................................
38.9
2.3
40.1
3.0
40.1
2.9
40.0
2.7
40.1
2.9
40.2
3.0
40.3
3.1
40.8
3.3
40.6
3.3
40.6
3.4
40.5
3.4
41.0
3.5
41.0
3.6
40.6
3,4
41.2
3.7
Overtime h ours.........................................
39.3
2.2
40.7
3.0
40.5
2.8
40.4
2.6
40.6
2.8
40.8
3.0
40.8
3.1
41.5
3.4
41.2
3.4
41.2
3.5
41.1
3.5
41.8
3.7
41.7
3.7
41.2
3.6
41.9
3.9
Lumber and wood products.............................
Furniture and fixtures ......................................
Stone, clay, and glass products ....................
Primary metal industries...................................
Fabricated metal products................................
38.0
37.2
40.0
38.6
39.2
40.0
39.4
41.4
40.5
40.6
40.0
39.3
41.0
39.9
40.5
39.8
39.2
41.2
40.3
40.4
40.0
39.6
41.6
40.3
40.5
39.9
39.7
41.7
40.8
40.7
40.2
39.7
41.7
40.9
40.9
40.5
40.1
42.1
41.2
41.6
40.3
39.8
41.7
41.7
41.2
39.7
39.7
41.7
41.6
41.4
39.7
40.1
41.6
41.8
41.4
40.8
40 2
23.3
41.9
41.8
40.4
39.7
42.6
42.0
41.9
39.9
39.1
41.7
41.7
41.1
40.5
40.0
42.5
42.0
41.9
Machinery, except electrical . .......................
Electric and electronic equipment....................
Transportation equipment................................
Instruments and related products....................
39.7
39.3
40.5
39.8
40.5
40.5
42.1
40.4
40.2
40.4
42.3
40.5
40.0
40,3
41.6
40.4
40.4
40.5
41.9
40.1
40.7
40.8
42.0
40.7
40.7
40.7
41.8
40.4
41.2
41.1
43.5
41.0
41.3
41.1
42.5
40.7
41.3
41.1
42.5
40.6
41.4
40.9
41.9
40.7
41.8
41.4
43.4
41.4
41.9
41.3
43.2
41.3
41.5
40.7
42.9
41.0
42.4
41.3
43.6
42.0
Overtime hours.........................................
38.4
2.5
39.4
3.0
39.5
3.0
39.4
2.9
39.6
3.0
39.5
3.0
39.5
3.1
39.9
3.1
39.7
3.1
39.7
3.1
39.7
3.2
40.0
3.2
40.0
3.3
39.7
3.2
40.2
3.4
Food and kindred products .............................
Textile mill products.........................................
Apparel and other textile products ..................
Paper and allied products................................
39.4
37.5
34.7
41.8
39.5
40.4
36.2
42.6
39.6
40.6
36.2
42.4
39.4
40.4
36.1
42.7
39.8
40.7
36.1
42.8
39.4
40.7
35.8
42.9
39.6
40.9
36.2
42.9
39.9
41.3
36.8
43.3
39.7
40.7
36.5
43.2
39.5
40.7
36.4
43.0
39.6
40.7
36.5
43.0
39.6
41.1
37.3
43.2
39.8
40.9
37.1
43.3
39.7
40.5
36.6
42.8
40.2
41.3
37.2
43.2
Printing and publishing ...................................
Chemicals and allied products..........................
Petroleum and coal products..........................
Leather and leather products ..........................
37.1
40.9
43.9
35.6
37.6
41.6
43.9
36.8
37.7
41.5
43.5
37.0
37.4
41.6
43.6
36.8
37 6
41.9
43.8
36.8
37.7
41.8
43.7
37.4
37.5
41.6
43.5
37.2
37.8
41.7
43.2
37.7
38.0
41.7
43.5
37.5
37.9
41.8
43.6
37.2
37.6
41.9
44.5
37.0
37.9
42.2
45.1
37.3
37.9
42.2
44.6
37.1
37.8
41.8
44.3
36.5
38.4
41.9
42.8
37.6
P R IV A T E S E C T O R
Overtime hours.........................................
D u ra b le g o o d s
...............................................................................................
N o n d u r a b le g o o d s
....................................................................................
T R A N S P O R T A T I O N A N D P U B L I C U T I L I T I E S .....................
39 0
39.0
38.8
38.9
38.9
38 9
39.3
39.4
39.4
39.2
39.4
39.5
39.2
39.1
39.3
W H O L E S A L E A N D R E T A IL T R A D E
31.9
31.9
31.7
31.9
32.0
31.9
31.8
31.8
32.1
32.0
32.4
32.2
32.1
32.0
32.2
W HO LESALE TRADE
38 4
38.6
38.5
38.6
38.7
38.6
38.5
38.7
38.7
38.7
38.7
38.8
38.7
38.6
39.0
R E T A IL T R A D E
29.9
29.8
29.6
29.9
29.9
29.8
29.7
29.7
30.0
30.0
30.4
30.1
30.0
29.9
30.1
S E R V IC E S
32.6
32.7
32.7
32.9
32.7
32.6
32.7
32.8
32.9
32.7
32.6
32.8
32.7
32.7
32.9
....................................................................................
p = preliminary.
76
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
NOTE: See "Notes on the data" for a description of the most recent benchmark revision.
14.
Hourly earnings, by industry division and major manufacturing group
[Gross averages, production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls]
A n n u al av erag e
1983
1984
In d u s t r y d iv is io n a n d g r o u p
1982
1983
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug.
S e p t.
O c t.
Nov.
D ec.
Jan.
Feb.
M a r .P
A p r .P
$7.67
$8.01
(1)
(1)
$7.94
7.95
$7.97
7.97
$7.97
8.00
$8.00
8.03
$7.94
7.98
$8.11
8.08
$8.15
8.13
$8.16
8.13
$8.16
8.16
$8.26
8.23
$8.24
8.23
$8.24
8.25
$8.29
8.30
M IN IN G
10.78
11.30
11.28
11.20
11.25
11.29
11.28
11.35
11.35
11.43
11.44
11.56
11.51
11.63
11.63
C O N S T R U C T IO N
11.62
11.91
11.90
11.80
11.74
11.78
11.84
12.03
12.04
11.89
12.01
12.07
11.98
11.97
11.92
8.50
8.84
8.77
8.78
8.81
8.86
8.79
8.90
8.92
8.99
9.06
9.09
9.08
9.11
9.13
Lumber and wood products....................
Furniture and fixtures................................
Stone, clay, and glass products..............
Primary metal industries..........................
Fabricated metal products.......................
9.06
7.46
6.31
8.86
11.33
8.78
9.40
7.79
6.62
9.28
11.33
9.14
9.31
7.74
6.51
9.16
11.25
9.07
9.34
7.78
6.52
9.20
11.28
9.08
9.37
7.85
6.60
9.28
11.23
9.11
9.40
7.82
6.65
9.34
11.37
9.10
9.34
7.83
6.67
9.31
11.28
9.12
9.48
7.88
6.73
9.43
11.33
9.21
9.49
7.87
6.71
9.39
11.28
9.22
9.56
7.80
6.72
9.41
11.31
9.27
9.63
7.80
6.77
9.41
11.35
9.38
9.66
7.88
6.76
9.43
11.37
9.34
9.66
7.89
6.74
9.39
11.49
9.34
9.68
7.86
6.76
9.41
11.43
9.34
9.70
7.93
6.76
9.52
11.49
9.36
Machinery, except electrical....................
Electric and electronic equipment............
Transportation equipment .......................
Instruments and related products............
Miscellaneous manufacturing .................
9.29
8.21
11.12
8.10
6.43
9.63
8.67
11.68
8.54
6.82
9.48
8.60
11.53
8.46
6.76
9.59
8.60
11.52
8.48
6.82
9.63
8.63
11.63
8.48
6.81
9.65
8.69
11.62
8.57
6.82
9.61
8.64
11.53
8.53
6.81
9.71
8.75
11.80
8.61
6.85
9.74
8.73
11.88
8.60
6.85
9.81
8.78
12.02
8.62
6.86
9.91
8.86
12.06
8.70
6.97
9.92
8.89
12.08
8.74
7.03
9.94
8.87
12.02
8.72
6.99
9.95
8.90
12.14
8.76
6.99
9.97
8.91
12.12
8.82
6.98
7.73
7.89
9.78
5.83
5.20
9.32
8.07
8.17
10.32
6.18
5.37
9.93
8.03
8.20
10.61
6.14
5.35
9.72
8.03
8.18
10.74
6.14
5.33
9.81
8.04
8.17
10.91
6.16
5.36
9.91
8.11
8.17
10.84
6.17
5.35
10.06
8.05
8.12
10.24
6.19
5.35
10.02
8.11
8.14
9.90
6.23
5.39
10.11
8.11
8.13
9.67
6.24
5.43
10.10
8.18
8.23
10.74
6.26
5.45
10.19
8.24
8.33
10.18
6.31
5.46
10.23
8.27
8.38
10.74
6.40
5.51
10.22
8.24
8.34
11.09
6.41
5.46
10.21
8.26
8.37
11.21
6.43
5.47
10.25
8.28
8.41
11.39
6.44
5.48
10.30
8.75
9.96
12.46
9.12
10.59
13.28
9.03
10.43
13.27
9.05
10.50
13.17
9.06
10.52
13.17
9.10
10.58
13.20
9.14
10.61
13.16
9.25
10.69
13.36
9.24
10.78
13.36
9.27
10.86
13.44
9.31
10.89
13.57
9.28
10.90
13.47
9.32
10.89
13.43
9.31
10.92
13.44
9.30
10.98
13.35
7.65
5.32
8.02
5.53
7.95
5.52
7.97
5.51
7.96
5.49
8.06
5.52
8.03
5.50
8.08
5.56
8.12
5.55
8.10
5.56
8.18
5.60
8.20
5.67
8.20
5.66
8.22
5.67
8.27
5.68
10.30
10.81
10.72
10.74
10.73
10.86
10.68
10.90
10.93
11.01
10.98
11.05
10.99
10.99
11.01
6.21
6.49
6.45
6.46
6.46
6.48
6.47
6.54
6.57
6.58
6.55
6.70
6.70
6.70
6.73
8.02
8.41
8.34
8.36
8.35
8.42
8.41
8.48
8.54
8.54
8.60
8.69
8.66
8.67
8.78
5.47
5.73
5.69
5.71
5.71
5.72
5.71
5.77
5.78
5.81
5.77
5.89
5.89
5.89
5.90
6.78
7.30
7.23
7.31
7.26
7.30
7.25
7.33
7.45
7.39
7.43
7.55
7.54
7.54
7.54
6.90
7.26
7.20
7.23
7.20
7.18
7.18
7.31
7.39
7.41
7.44
7.54
7.51
7.50
7.56
P R IV A T E S E C T O R
Seasonally adjusted...................................
M A N U F A C T U R IN G
D u ra b le g o o d s
N o n d u r a b le g o o d s
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 ..................
T R A N S P O R T A T IO N A N D P U B L IC U T IL IT IE S
W HO LESALE AND
R E T A IL T R A D E
W HO LESALE TRADE
....................................................................................
R E T A IL T R A D E
F IN A N C E , IN S U R A N C E , A N D
REAL ESTATE
S E R V IC E S
1Not available.
p = preliminary.
15.
NOTE: See “ Notes on the data” for a description of the most recent benchmark revision.
Hourly Earnings Index, for production workers on private nonagricultural payrolls, by industry
[1977 = 100]
N o t s e a s o n a lly a d ju s t e d
S e a s o n a lly a d ju s t e d
P erce n t
P erce n t
change
In d u s t r y
P R IV A T E S E C T O R ( in c u r r e n t d o ll a r s )
Mining ........................................................
Construction...............................................
Manufacturing............................................
Transportation and public utilities ............
Wholesale and retail trade .......................
Finance, insurance, and real estate............
Services .....................................................
P R IV A T E S E C T O R ( in c o n s ta n t d o ll a r s )
Feb.
M a r.
A p r.
fro m :
A p r.
D ec.
Jan.
Feb.
M a r.
A p r.
fro m :
1983
1984
1984P
1984P
A p r. 1 9 8 3
1983
1983
1984
1984
1984P
1984P
M a r. 1 9 8 4
to
to
A p r. 1 9 8 4
A p r. 1 9 8 4
154.0
158.6
158.7
159.5
3.6
154.0
157.6
158.3
158.2
158.8
159.6
0.5
165.7
144.3
157.1
155.5
150.9
157.4
154.2
171.0
145.2
161.1
160.0
155.7
164.3
160.4
172.5
145.2
161.4
159.9
155.7
164.3
160.2
172.7
145.0
162.0
160.2
157.0
164.9
161.8
4.2
.5
3.2
3.1
4.1
4.8
5.0
(1)
145.9
157.0
155.9
150.5
(1)
145.2
160.1
158.9
154.8
I1)
146.2
160.7
160.0
155.2
(')
146.1
161.1
159.3
155.2
(1)
146.5
161.7
160.8
155.5
(1)
146.7
162.0
160.7
156.6
(1)
.1
.2
-.1
.7
(1)
154.0
(1)
159.2
(1)
159.8
(1)
159.2
(1)
159.5
(1)
161.7
(1)
1.4
94.7
94.9
94.9
(2)
(2)
94.7
94.7
94.7
94.6
94.9
1This series is not seasonally adjusted because the seasonal component is small relative to the trendcycle, irregular components, or both, and consequently cannot be separated with sufficient precision.
2Not available.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
change
A p r.
(2)
(2)
p = preliminary,
NOTE: See “ Notes on the data" for a description of the most recent benchmark revision.
77
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Current Labor Statistics: Establishment Data
16.
Weekly earnings, by industry division and major manufacturing group
[Gross averages, production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls]
1983
A n n u a l a v e ra g e
1984
In d u s tr y d iv is io n a n d g ro u p
1982
1983
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug.
S e p t.
O c t.
Nov.
D ec.
Jan.
Feb.
M a r .P
A p r .P
$266.92
$280.35
(1)
167.87
<1>
171.15
$275.52
277.46
169.55
$278.15
279.75
170.33
$280.54
280 80
171.37
$283.20
281.05
172.37
$281.08
279.30
170.35
$286.28
284.42
172.77
$287.70
286.99
173.31
$286.42
286.18
172.44
$289.68
288.05
174.40
$289.10
292.17
173.32
$289.22
291.34
173.08
$289.22
290.40
173.08
$293.47
295.48
P R IV A T E S E C T O R
Current dollars..................................................
Seasonally adjusted......................................
Constant (1977) dollars...................................
<1)
M IN IN G
459.23
480.25
469.25
472.64
478.13
475.31
481.66
489.19
490.32
490.35
497.64
501.70
494.93
497.76
$497 76
C O N S T R U C T IO N
426.45
441.86
436.73
441.32
444.95
450.00
449.92
455.94
449.09
431.61
441.97
438.14
443.26
439.30
449.38
330.65
207.96
354.48
216.41
349.05
214.80
350.32
214.53
355.04
216.88
354.40
215.70
353.36
214.16
363.12
219.14
363.04
218.70
366.79
220.82
373.27
224.73
369.05
221.25
369.56
221.16
370.78
221.89
373.42
Lumber and wood products .............................
Furniture and fixtures.........................................
Stone, clay, and glass products .......................
Primary metal industries ...................................
Fabricated metal products...................................
356.06
283.48
234.73
354.40
344.18
344.18
382.58
311.60
260.83
384.19
458.87
371.08
375.19
308.05
253.89
374.64
451.13
364.61
377.34
312.76
254.28
380.88
452.33
366.83
382.30
320.28
263.34
390.69
454.82
371.69
379.76
313.58
258.69
391.35
460.49
365.82
380.14
319.46
267 47
391.95
457.97
372.10
392.47
320.72
271.22
399.83
469.06
381.29
391.94
318.74
271.08
395.32
464.74
380.79
396.74
308.88
269.47
395 22
470.50
385.63
404.46
310.44
277.57
394.28
478.97
396.77
398.96
310.47
263.64
385.69
476.40
386.68
399.92
313.23
263.53
389.69
482.58
387.61
400.75
312.83
266.34
390.52
480.06
385.74
$404.49
319.58
268.37
403.65
484,88
389.38
Machinery except electrical................................
Electric and electronic equipment ....................
Transportation equipment...................................
Instruments and related products ....................
Miscellaneous manufacturing.............................
368.81
322.65
450.36
322.38
247.56
390.02
351.14
491.73
345.02
266.66
379.20
344.86
484.26
339.25
263.64
382.64
345.72
482.69
341.74
264.62
388.09
350.38
491.95
340.90
264.91
386.97
350.21
484.55
344.51
264.62
387.28
349.92
475.04
343.76
266.27
399.08
358.75
505.04
353.01
270.58
400.31
358.80
506.09
350.02
272.63
408 10
363.49
515.66
353.42
273.71
422.17
370.35
522.20
360.18
279.50
414.66
366.27
518.23
359.21
273.47
416.49
364.56
515.66
359.26
276.80
416.91
364.90
522.02
360.91
276.11
419.74
365.31
524.80
366.91
278.50
296.83
310.87
369.68
218.63
180.44
389.58
317.96
322.72
385.97
249 67
194.39
423.02
313.97
318.98
395.75
246.83
192.07
410.18
315.58
321.47
401.68
248.67
192.41
415.94
319.19
325.17
420.04
253.18
196.18
425.14
319.53
322.72
398.91
248.03
193.14
429.56
319.59
324.80
386.05
254.41
195.81
428.86
325.21
328.86
380.16
257.92
198.35
439.79
323.59
323.57
370.36
256.46
199.82
436.32
327.20
327.55
431.75
256 66
200.02
440.21
330.42
332.37
384.80
258.71
199 65
448.07
326.67
330.17
409.19
257.92
198.91
440.48
326.30
326.93
402.57
260.25
200.38
438.01
327.10
328.94
414.77
261.06
200.75
437.68
330.37
332 20
433.96
263.40
202.21
442.90
324.63
407.36
546.99
342.91
440.54
582.99
337.72
432.85
581.23
337.57
435.75
575.73
338.84
440.79
579.48
341.25
440.13
584.76
344.58
439.25
572.46
351.50
447.91
591.85
351.12
449.53
585.17
353.19
457.21
590.02
357.50
461.74
602.99
348.00
457.80
594.03
350.43
457.38
584.21
353.78
456.46
584.64
354.33
460.06
575.39
302.94
189.39
330.42
203.50
326.75
201.48
327.57
204.42
328.75
207.52
329.65
207.00
330.84
206.25
338.55
208.50
340.23
206.46
340.20
207.39
347.65
208.88
344.40
208.09
344.40
208.29
342.77
205.25
348.99
210.73
M A N U F A C T U R IN G
Current dollars..................................................
Constant (1977) dollars...................................
D u r a b le g o o d s
N o n d u r a b le g o o d s
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)
T R A N S P O R T A T IO N A N D P U B L IC U T IL IT IE S
401.70
421.59
413.79
415.64
419.54
425.71
421.86
429.46
430.64
432.69
435.91
432.06
428.61
428.61
430.49
W H O L E S A L E A N D R E T A IL T R A D E
198.10
207.03
203.18
205.43
207.37
210.60
209.63
209.28
210.24
209.90
214.19
211.72
211.05
212.39
215.36
W H O LE S A LE TR A D E
307.97
324.63
319.42
321.86
323.15
326.70
325.47
328.18
331.35
331.35
335.40
335.43
332.54
333.80
340.66
R E T A IL T R A D E
163.55
170.75
167.29
169.59
171.87
175.03
174.16
172.52
172.82
173.14
177.72
173.17
173.17
173.76
176.41
F IN A N C E . IN S U R A N C E . A N O R E A L E S T A T E
245.44
264.26
261.00
265.35
262.09
264.99
261.73
263.88
270.44
266 78
268.97
276.33
273.70
273.70
275.96
S E R V IC E S
224.94
237.40
234.72
236.42
236.88
237.66
237.66
239.04
242.39
241.57
242.54
245.80
244.83
244.50
247.97
1Not available.
p --- preliminary.
17.
NOTE:
See “ Notes on the data" for a description of the most recent benchmark revision.
Indexes of diffusion: industries in which employment increased
[In percent]
T im e
Year
span
Jan.
-
Feb.
M a r.
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug.
S e p t.
O c t.
Nov.
D ec.
45.4
45.7
72.0
36.0
62.4
P66.9
39.0
69.1
P68.5
47.6
71.0
32.8
64.5
38.4
68.5
37.1
68.0
34.1
60.8
29.3
70.7
32.0
64.5
42.2
64.0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
32.5
76.1
33.6
77.2
27.2
73.9
27.2
79.6
26.1
79.6
25.5
74.2
24.7
72.0
40.6
75.0
35.8
P80.9
Over
1-month
span
1982
1983
1984
....
...
....
Over
3-month
span
1982
1983
. .
....
25.3
79.3
28.8
P80.1
32.0
P79.0
34.1
75 8
Over
6-month
span
1982
1983
1984
....
....
....
20.2
50.5
P81.5
23.7
63.2
25.3
73.4
29.8
76.3
26.1
79.3
26.1
83.6
23.4
82.5
19.1
80.4
21.2
82.0
26.1
84.1
26.6
83.1
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Over
12-month
span
1982
1983
....
...
22.0
48 9
20.7
58.3
18.0
62.6
19.4
73.4
18.3
76.1
20.7
81.2
20.7
84.4
22.8
88.4
24.2
P85.8
31.5
P87.4
37.6
44.1
p
28.5
56.5
66.9
"
preliminary.
NOTE:
Figures are the percent of industries with employment rising. (Half of the unchanged components
78
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
-
“
are counted as rising.) Data are centered within the spans. See the “ Definitions" in this section.
See "Notes on the data” for a description of the most recent benchmark revision.
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA
N a t i o n a l u n e m p l o y m e n t i n s u r a n c e d a t a are compiled monthly
by the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. De
partment of Labor from monthly reports of unemployment insur
ance activity prepared by State agencies. Railroad unemployment
insurance data are prepared by the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board.
persons in unemployment insurance programs to indicate they are out of
work and wish to begin receiving 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 in
sured unemployed as a percent of the average insured employment in a
12-month period.
Definitions
Average weekly seasonally adjusted insured unemployment data are
computed by BLS’ Weekly Seasonal Adjustment program. This procedure
incorporated the X-l 1 Variant of the Census Method II Seasonal Adjust
ment program.
Data for all programs represent an unduplicated count of insured un
employment under State programs, Unemployment Compensation for ExServicemen, and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees,
and the Railroad Insurance Act.
An application for benefits is filed by a railroad worker at the beginning
of his first period of unemployment in a benefit year; no application is
required for subsequent periods in the same year. Number of payments
are payments made in 14-day registration periods. The average amount
of benefit payment is an average for all compensable periods, not adjusted
for recovery of overpayments or settlement of underpayments. However,
total benefits paid have been adjusted.
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 unemployed. Persons
not covered by unemployment insurance (about 10 percent of the labor
force) and those who have exhausted or not yet earned benefit rights are
excluded from the scope of the survey. Initial claims are notices filed by
18.
Unemployment insurance and employment service operations
[All items except average benefits amounts are in thousands]
1983
M a r.
All programs:
Insured unemployment..........................
State unemployment insurance program:'
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 ................................
A p r.
5,134
M ay
4,642
June
3,947
J u ly
3,481
1984
Sept.
Aug.
3,275
2,917
O c t.
2,580
Nov.
2,478
D ec.
2,620
Jan.
2,915
Feb.
3,374
M a r .P
3,174
2,958
2,075
1,874
1,666
1,740
1,804
1.668
1,381
1,522
1,757
2,105
2,356
1,551
1,459
4,401
5.0
'19,539
3,906
4.5
14,986
3,361
3.9
13,133
3,063
3.5
12,819
3,049
3.5
10,959
2,766
3.2
11,305
2,449
2.8
9,383
2,358
2.7
8.417
2,508
2.9
9,301
2,805
3.3
10,168
3,249
3.8
'12,232
3,056
3.6
11,639
2,843
3.3
11,731
'$125.56
$124.85
$124.49
$123.44
$121.42
$121.36
$123.00
$122.19
$121,59
$122.61
'$123.60
$124.19
$125.83
$2,370,746 $1,816,539 $1,587,888 $1,549,758 $1,298,189 $1,337,442 $1,104,362 $1,002,141 $1,099,862 $1,203,605 '$1,457,983 $1,401,099 $1,430,563
State unemployment insurance program:'
(Seasonally adjusted data)
Initial claims2 .........................................
2,148
1,952
1,993
1,836
1,723
1,841
1,664
1,656
1,717
1,620
1,606
1,591
1,582
w e e k ly v o l u m e ) .....................................................
3,884
4 .5
3,538
4.1
3,301
38
3,303
3.8
3,026
3.5
3,088
3.6
2,617
3.1
2,677
3.1
2,721
3.2
2,486
2.9
2,416
2.8
2,505
R a te o f in s u re d u n e m p l o y m e n t ......................
3,774
4.3
18
15
14
16
16
19
17
16
15
14
15
13
14
26
108
$13,855
27
106
$13,519
28
107
$14,074
28
116
$15,121
27
113
$14,815
27
112
'$14,532
24
96
$12,583
$ 1 2 ,1 1 2
In s u r e d u n e m p lo y m e n t (a v e ra g e
2 .9
U n e m p lo y m e n t c o m p e n s a t io n f o r e x s e r v ic e m e n : 3
In itia l c l a i m s ' ..............................................................
In s u r e d u n e m p lo y m e n t (a v e ra g e
34
w e e k ly v o l u m e ) .....................................................
.................................................
30
26
156
117
104
$ 1 9 ,5 8 8
$ 1 4 ,7 7 6
$ 1 3 ,1 1 1
W e e k s o f u n e m p lo y m e n t c o m p e n s a t e d
T o t a l b e n e f it s p a id
25
107
$ 1 3 ,5 8 8
25
94
$12,118
22
92
U n e m p lo y m e n t c o m p e n s a t io n f o r
F e d e ra l c iv ilia n e m p lo y e e s : 4
In it ia l c l a i m s ...................................................................
11
10
9
13
12
11
11
15
13
13
16
10
9
31
26
22
21
22
94
$10,760
22
83
$9,522
25
88
$10,144
27
110
$12,415
29
119
$13,888
32
133
'$15,588
31
129
$14,988
$ 1 4 ,8 3 2
In s u r e d u n e m p lo y m e n t ( a v e r a g e
146
109
93
90
$ 1 6 ,8 7 1
$ 1 2 ,4 2 2
$ 1 0 ,6 0 3
$ 1 0 ,2 7 2
23
85
$9,640
8
e9
4
C31
55
14
9
7
8
8
10
4
3
65
79
c 70
49
49
92
$199 87
$17,551
46
107
$214.21
$21,789
41
103
$214.77
$20,239
48
92
$211.41
$19,531
40
92
$212.36
$19,536
43
95
$213.71
$19,870
51
121
$210.73
$23,866
49
104
$209 56
41
$208 96
$ 2 3 ,2 2 8
$ 2 0 ,1 1 2
w e e k ly v o lu m e )
W e e k s o f u n e m p lo y m e n t c o m p e n s a t e d
T o t a l b e n e f it s p a id
28
123
R a ilr o a d u n e m p lo y m e n t in s u ra n c e :
A p p l i c a t i o n s ...................................................................
In s u r e d u n e m p lo y m e n t (a v e ra g e
w e e k ly v o l u m e ) .....................................................
169
N u m b e r o f p a y m e n ts
172
183
123
A v e r a g e a m o u n t o f b e n e f it p a y m e n t
$213 44
$203 87
$ 2 1 5 15
$ 2 0 3 54
T o t a l b e n e f it s p a id
$ 3 6 ,2 4 3
c $ 2 4 .7 8 3
c$ 2 0 , 6 2 2
$ 1 4 ,9 8 4
.................................................
99
E m p lo y m e n t s e r v ic e : 5
N e w a p p lic a t io n s a n d re n e w a ls
8 .3 8 1
1 1 ,9 8 7
N o n f a r m p la c e m e n t s
1 .1 8 4
1 ,9 2 1
............................................
' i n i t i a l c la im s a n d S t a te in s u re d u n e m p lo y m e n t in c lu d e d a t a u n d e r t h e p r o flr a m f o r
93,775
9677
Cumulative total for fiscal year (October 1-September 30). Data computed quarterly.
NOTE: Data for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Included. Dashes Indicate data not
ig a r c a n e w o r x e r s
E x c l u d e s tr a n s it io n c la im s u n d e r S t a te p r o g r a m s .
E x c l u d e s d a t a o n c la im s a n d p a y m e n ts m a d e jo in t ly
w it h o t h e r p r o g r a m s
^ E x c lu d e s d a t a o r c la im s a n d p a y m e n ts m a d e jo in t ly
w it h S t a te p r o g r a m s
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Puerto Rican
15,595
3,012
a v a ila b le .
c corrected.
r = revised.
p = preliminary
79
PRICE DATA
P rice data 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).
Definitions
The Consumer Price Index is a monthly statistical measure of the average
change in prices in a fixed market basket of goods and services. Effective
with the January 1978 index, the Bureau of Labor Statistics began pub
lishing CPI’s for two groups of the population. It introduced a CPI for All
Urban Consumers, covering 80 percent of the total noninstitutional pop
ulation, and revised the CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers,
covering about half the new index population. The All Urban Consumers
index covers in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, professional,
managerial, 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, doctors’ and dentists’ fees, and other goods and ser
vices that people buy for day-to-day living. The quantity and quality of
these items is kept essentially unchanged between major revisions so that
only price changes will be measured. Data are collected from more than
24,000 retail establishments and 24,000 tenants 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 ex
penditures of two population groups in 1972-73, they may not accurately
reflect the experience of individual families and single persons with dif
ferent buying habits.
Though the CPI is often called the "Cost-of-Living Index,” it measures
only price change, which is just one of several important factors atfecting
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 indexes contains
about 2,800 commodities and about 10,000 quotations per month selected
to represent the movement of prices of all commodities 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 sim
ilarity of end-use or material composition.
80
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
To the extent possible, prices used in calculating Producer Price Indexes
apply to the first significant commercial transaction in the United States,
from the production or central marketing point. Price data are generally
collected monthly, primarily by mail questionnaire. Most prices are ob
tained directly from producing companies on a voluntary 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 various
commodities are averaged together with implicit quantity weights repre
senting their importance in the total net selling value of all commodities
as of 1972. The detailed data are aggregated to obtain indexes for stage
of processing groupings, commodity groupings, durability 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 (Washing
ton, 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 industrial censuses conducted
by the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Notes on the data
Regional CPI’s cross classified by population size were introduced in
the May 1978 Review. These indexes 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 appropriate population size class measure for their region.
The cross-classified indexes are published bimonthly. (See table 20.)
For details concerning the 1978 revision of the CPI, see The Consumer
Price Index: Concepts and Content Over the Years, Report 517, revised
edition (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 1978).
As of January 1976, the Producer Price Index incorporated a revised
weighting structure reflecting 1972 values of shipments.
Additional data and analyses of price changes are provided in the CPI
Detailed Report and Producer Prices and Price Indexes, both monthly
publications of the Bureau.
For a discussion of the general method of computing producer, and
industry price indexes, see BLS Handbook o f Methods, Bulletin 2134-1
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1982), chapter 7. For consumer prices, see
BLS Handbook o f Methods fo r Surveys and Studies (1976), chapter 13.
See also John F. Early, "Improving the measurement of producer price
change,” Monthly Labor Review, April 1978. For industry prices, see also
Bennett R. Moss, "Industry and Sector Price Indexes,” Monthly Labor
Review, August 1965.
19.
Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, annual averages and clTanges, 1967- 33
[1967 = 1001
H o u s in g
P e rc e n t
P e rc e n t
In d e x
change
P erce n t
P erce n t
In d e x
In d e x
a n d s e r v ic e s
In d e x
change
P e rc e n t
P e rc e n t
P erce n t
P erce n t
In d e x
change
change
change
E n te r ta n m e n t
M e d ic a l c a re
T r a n s p o rta tio n
upkeep
b e v e ra g e s
Year
In d e x
O th e r g o o d s
A p p a re l an d
Food and
A ll It e m s
In d e x
In d e x
change
change
ch ange
..................
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
115.8
5.2
4.9
5.8
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
3.3
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
..................
121.3
125.3
133.1
147 7
161.2
1980
..................
170 5
181 5
195.3
217.7
247.0
5.8
6.5
7.6
11.5
13.5
177.4
188.0
206.2
228.7
248.7
3.1
8.0
9.7
10.9
8.7
174.6
186.5
202.6
227.5
263.2
6.1
6.8
8.6
12.3
15.7
147.6
154.2
159.5
166.4
177.4
3.7
4.5
3.4
4.3
6.6
165.5
177.2
185.8
212.8
250.5
9.9
7.1
4.9
14.5
17.7
184.7
202.4
219.4
240.1
287.2
9.5
9.6
8.4
9.4
11.3
159.8
167.7
176.2
187.6
203.7
5.0
4.9
5.1
6.5
8.5
162.7
172.2
183.2
196.3
213.6
5.7
5.8
6.4
7.2
8.8
1982
1983
..................
..................
272.3
288.6
297.4
10.2
6.0
3.0
267.8
278.5
284.7
7.7
4.0
2.2
293.2
314.7
322.0
11.4
7.3
2.3
186.6
190.9
195.6
5.2
2.3
2.5
281.3
293.1
300.0
12.3
4.2
2.4
295.1
326.9
355.1
10.4
10.8
8.6
219.0
232.4
242.4
7.5
6.1
4.3
233.3
257.0
286.3
9.2
10.2
11.4
1970
1972
1975
1978
20. 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]
U r b a n W a g e E a r n e r s a n d C le r ic a l W o r k e r s
A ll U r b a n C o n s u m e rs
M a r.
O c t.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
1984
1983
1984
1983
G e n e ra l s u m m a ry
M a r.
M a r.
O c t.
Nov.
Dec
Jan.
Feb.
M a r.
293.4
302 6
303.1
303.5
305.2
306.6
307.3
293.0
301.3
301.4
301.5
302.7
303.3
303.3
Other goods and services...............................................................................
283.2
318.6
194.5
287.4
352.3
244.6
281.9
285.7
326.8
200.7
305.0
362.9
249.1
296.8
285.3
327.0
200.7
306.3
364.9
249.5
298.1
286.5
327.4
199.3
306.3
366.2
249.5
298.6
291.6
329.2
196.4
306.0
369.5
249.9
300.5
294.2
331.0
196.2
305.8
373.2
251.5
301.5
294.3
331.5
198.8
306.9
374.5
251.7
302.1
283.5
319.2
194.0
288.6
350.0
240.8
280.0
285.9
325.2
199.8
306.9
360.9
245.4
294.1
285.6
324.5
199.7
308.2
362.9
245.7
295.5
286.8
324.2
198.1
308.2
364.3
245.8
295.9
291.9
324.7
195.3
307.9
367.5
246.2
298.1
294.4
324.2
195.4
307.7
371.3
247.7
299.2
294.5
322.9
198.0
308.9
372.6
248.0
299.7
Commodities less food and beverages..................................................
Nondurables less food and beverages..............................................
Durables..............................................................................................
266.7
254.3
263.4
247.4
275.0
265.8
275.2
258.7
275.2
266.3
274.5
261.0
275.5
266.0
273.5
261.8
276.8
265.2
272.3
261.4
278.3
266.0
274.0
260.9
278.7
266.6
274.2
262.2
268.4
257.4
265.0
249.7
276.1
267.3
277.4
257.7
276.2
267.5
276.6
258.7
276.3
267.1
275.4
258.9
277.3
266.4
274.2
258.4
278.0
266.2
276.0
256.9
278.1
266.4
276.1
257.1
339.4
233.6
101.6
299.8
382.2
272.9
350.2
240.4
104.8
307.8
392.9
285 2
351.0
241.3
104.2
310.1
395.0
286.5
351.6
242.0
104.1
310.8
396.3
287.2
353 9
242.9
105.1
314.1
400.2
288.0
355.3
243.6
105.7
314.4
404.4
289.1
356.5
244.8
105.8
315.4
405.3
290.4
338.5
233.1
348.1
239.8
348.2
240.7
348.4
241.3
349.8
242.3
350.1
242.9
349.9
244.1
296.7
379.0
270.6
303.9
390.2
282.2
306.0
392 3
283.6
306.9
393.8
284.3
310.3
397.5
285.0
310.6
401.8
286.1
311.6
402.7
287.6
292.4
100.3
303.2
103.5
303.9
103.6
304.0
103.7
304.8
104.3
305.9
104.8
306.8
105.1
292.4
302.1
302.3
302.1
302.3
302.4
302.4
252.4
258.9
296.5
274.4
101.3
332.7
268.4
272 6
399.9
388.3
285.6
282.6
239.1
333.1
263.6
270.2
310.2
281.7
104.5
343.3
268.5
265.6
425.1
418.2
293.4
291.8
247.6
343.3
264.1
269.5
309.3
281.1
104.7
344.1
267.7
265.3
419.9
414.4
294.4
293.2
248.9
344.9
263.8
268.5
308.6
281.2
104.8
344.5
269.7
265.5
418.0
411.8
295.0
293.6
249.0
345.5
263.0
267.4
308.6
283.2
105.7
346.6
277.2
274.6
416.7
409.9
297.0
294.6
248.3
348.1
263 8
269.1
311.2
285.3
106.3
347.8
280.7
280.8
420.2
414.5
298.2
295.5
248.5
349.5
264.4
269.3
310.3
285.5
106.5
349.0
279.9
279.7
418.1
410.7
299.2
296.7
249.9
350.7
279.7
255.4
260.6
297.4
275.3
288.1
265.1
272.3
311.9
282.7
288.3
264.9
271.5
310.9
282.1
288.5
264.9
270.4
310.1
282.2
290.0
264.2
269.4
310.0
284.1
290.9
264.1
271.1
312.4
286.3
291.3
264.3
271.3
311.6
286.4
332.0
267.6
274.0
399.8
388.7
284.4
281.6
240.0
331.9
341.3
267.4
266.7
425.8
419.6
291.3
289.5
247.1
340.8
341.3
266.7
266.4
420.8
415.8
291.8
290.3
247.8
341,6
341.3
268.7
266.6
418.7
412.9
292.1
290.3
247.7
341.8
342.6
276.0
275.8
417.0
410.7
293.5
290.7
247.2
343.4
342.4
279.4
282.1
420.2
414.7
293.8
290.4
246.6
343.6
342.1
278,6
281.3
418.2
411,3
294.0
290.7
247.2
343.3
SO.341
$0,330
$0,330
$0,329
$0,328
$0,326
$0,325
$0,341
$0,332
$0,332
$0,332
$0,330
$0,330
$0,330
A l l i t e m s ..............................................................................................................................................................................................
Rent, residential .....................................................................................
Household services less rent of shelter (12/82 - 100) .......................
Other services
........................................................................................
S p e c ia l In d e x e s :
Nondurables less food and apparel................................................................
Services less rent of shelter (12/82 = 100)
.................................................
Domestically produced farm food s................................................................
Commodities less food and energy.......................................................
Services less energy...............................................................................
Purchasing power of the consumer dollar, 1967 = $1
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
................................
81
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Current Labor Statistics: Consumer Prices
20.
Continued— Consumer Price Index— U.S. city average
[1967 = 100 u n le ss o th e rw is e specified]
A ll U r b a n C o n s u m e r s
FOOD AND BEVERAGES
U r b a n W a g e E a r n e r s a n d C le r ic a l W o r k e r s
1984
1983
G e n e ra l s u m m a ry
1983
1984
M a r,
O c t.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
M a r.
M ar.
O c t.
Nov.
Dec
Jan.
Feb.
M a r.
283.2
285.7
285.3
286.5
291.6
294.2
294.3
283.5
285.9
285.6
286.8
291.9
294.4
294.5
Food
290.5
292.9
292.5
293.9
299.4
302.1
302.2
290.7
292.9
292.6
294.0
299.4
302.1
302.1
Food at home ................................................................................................
Cereals and bakery products ................................................................
Cereals and cereal products (12/77 = 100) ................................
Flour and prepared flour mixes (12/77 = 1 0 0 )....................
Cereal (12/77 = 100) ..........................................................
Rice, pasta, and cornmeal (12/77 = 100) ..........................
Bakery products (12/77 = 1 0 0 )....................................................
White bre ad ............................................................................
Other breads (12/77 = 1 0 0 )..................................................
Fresh biscuits, rolls, and muffins (12/77 = 100) ..............
Fresh cakes and cupcakes (12/77 = 100) ..........................
Cookies (12/77 = 100) .......................................................
Crackers, 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 = 1 0 0 ) ...............
281.9
289.8
155.0
139.4
171.3
146.0
152.8
252.0
149.0
152.0
153.8
155.1
146.0
154,2
282.3
294.0
158.1
141,4
177.6
145.5
154.8
254.4
149.8
154.4
156.2
156.0
147.7
155.8
281.4
295.7
157.9
140.8
177.3
146.1
156.0
257.0
151.9
155.7
157.9
157.6
147.8
156.8
283.0
297.1
158.2
140.1
178.0
146.8
156.9
257.4
152.0
157.8
159.7
159.2
148.1
157.7
290.2
299.8
159.3
143.0
178.6
146.7
158.4
259.1
153.7
157.9
161.5
161.1
151.2
159.7
293.6
300.3
160.3
143.4
180.4
147.2
158.5
257.3
153.9
158.7
160.4
162.6
152.3
160.4
293.1
301.5
161.9
144.6
182.3
148.8
158.8
258.9
153.0
158.8
160.0
162.9
153.9
160.5
281.2
288.5
155.8
139.9
173.5
147.0
151.6
247.8
151.1
148.0
152.1
156.0
147.3
156.9
281.3
292.6
158.8
141.9
179.8
146.6
153.5
250.0
151.8
150.6
154.5
156.8
149.1
158.5
280.5
294.3
158.6
141.3
179.4
147.2
154.8
252.7
154.1
151.7
156.2
158.4
149.2
159.6
282.1
295.7
158.9
140.4
180.1
148.0
155.7
253.2
154.1
153.7
157.9
159.9
149.6
160.4
289.1
298.3
160.0
143.3
180.8
147.9
157.1
254.8
155.8
153.9
159.5
161.9
152.6
162.4
292.4
298.9
161.0
143.8
182.5
148.4
157.2
253.0
156.0
154.7
158.6
163.4
153.6
163.2
291.9
300.0
162.6
145.1
184.4
150.0
157.5
254.6
155.2
154.9
158.1
163.7
155.2
163.3
156.2
161.9
160.6
161.5
163.3
163.9
163.8
149.4
154.9
154.0
154.9
156.5
157.1
157.0
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .............................................................
Meats, poultry, and f i s h ................................................................
Meats .....................................................................................
Beef and v e a l......................................................................
Ground beef other than canned ......................................
Chuck roast ...................................................................
Round r o a s t...................................................................
Round s te a k ...................................................................
Sirloin s te a k ...................................................................
Other beef and veal (12/77 = 100) .............................
P ork.....................................................................................
Bacon ............................................................................
Chops ............................................................................
Ham other than canned (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .......................
Sausage .........................................................................
Canned h a m ...................................................................
Other pork (12/77 = 100) ............................................
Other meats ......................................................................
Frankfurters ...................................................................
Bologna, liverwurst, and salami (12/77 = 100) . . . .
Other lunchmeats (12/77 = 100) ................................
Lamb and organ meats (12/77 = 100) .......................
Poultry.....................................................................................
Fresh whole chicken.......................................................
Fresh and frozen chicken parts (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ............
Other poultry (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).........................................
Fish and seafood ...................................................................
Canned fish and seafood ...............................................
Fresh and frozen fish and seafood (12/77 = 100) . . .
Eggs................................................................................................
264.2
271.4
272.8
272.8
263.6
284.8
239.9
257.9
262.8
164.4
271.1
288.7
246.4
125.6
336.9
277.3
148.1
269.7
270.8
155.2
139.0
138.2
193.7
190.7
126.6
126.6
380.1
138.3
148.6
175.0
257.1
261.9
260.4
266.2
250.9
265.8
234.4
251.5
268.4
164.0
246.4
262.5
227.2
111.6
307.4
251.9
134.4
262.2
260.8
152.8
135.2
133.7
199.6
199.1
132.2
126.0
374.1
133.5
147.8
200.1
256.6
260.8
258.6
265.7
251.6
266.2
235.3
250.0
265.3
163.2
241.1
253.7
222.3
109.1
305.0
248.0
131.5
262.6
259.7
152.8
135.8
134.6
201.7
207.6
134,1
120.6
374.9
132.6
148.8
208.2
259.3
261.8
258.3
266.0
251.3
266.9
231.3
249.9
262.7
164.7
240.3
253.0
219.0
111.8
303.4
246.5
129.9
261.3
259.0
150.4
134.7
136.1
209.8
219.4
139.4
122.3
376.4
132.5
149,9
234.0
268.9
269.8
266.4
274.9
256.9
282.8
246.2
256.2
265.7
169.7
250.8
259.0
236.5
113.0
311.0
252.4
139.7
262.5
260.0
150.6
135.2
137.6
217.5
228.7
144.7
125.4
383.4
133.1
153.7
266.5
273.0
273.9
270.0
280.9
261.1
293.1
253.5
264.5
274.6
172.3
250.6
267.9
230.7
109.8
320.0
251.1
139.3
265.0
263.5
152.4
136.2
138.2
225.5
235.9
152.2
128.5
386.2
132.9
155.5
270.3
269.6
272.6
268.8
279.9
260.9
286.6
251.2
261.6
278.7
172.2
248.6
258.9
229.6
112.2
315.2
251.5
137.8
265.1
264.2
153.1
136.3
137.2
223.2
232.6
150.7
127.9
385.3
132.1
155.4
237,2
264.0
271.1
272.4
273.5
264.7
293.0
242.8
257.1
264.5
163.0
270.4
293.1
244,7
122.4
337.0
282.2
147.3
269.3
270.1
155.1
137.0
140.9
191.6
188.4
125.1
125.6
378.9
137.8
148.3
175.8
256.6
261.4
260.0
266.7
252.1
273.1
237.2
250.9
270.1
162.6
246.0
266.4
225.6
108.8
308.4
257.7
133.9
262.0
259.7
152.8
133.3
136.8
197.6
196.7
130.5
125.5
372.0
132.9
147.1
201.0
256.1
260.2
258.1
266.1
252.5
274.0
238.1
248.6
266.9
161.8
240.7
256.8
220.3
106.4
305.9
254.3
131.1
262.4
258.8
152.8
133.9
137.8
199.7
205.1
132.1
120.3
373.4
132.1
148.5
209.3
258.6
261.0
257.7
266.4
251.7
275.2
233.9
248.0
264.1
163.5
239.8
256.4
217.5
108.8
304.2
252.0
129.3
260.7
257.5
150.2
132.8
139.3
207.8
216.7
137.2
122.1
374.9
132.0
149.5
235.3
268.3
269.1
265.8
275.4
257.7
291.6
250.0
253.0
266.0
168.5
250.1
262.4
234.5
110.0
312.2
257.5
138.9
262.0
258.9
150.4
133.2
140.9
215.4
226.1
142.5
124.9
382.4
132.6
153.7
268.1
272.4
273.2
269.4
281.6
261.9
302.0
257.3
264.0
276.5
170.8
250.1
271.6
228.7
107.0
321.1
255.7
138.7
264.4
262.0
152.3
134.2
141.6
223.5
233.4
150.2
127.9
384.6
132.4
155.2
271.8
269.0
272.0
268.3
280.8
262.1
295.8
254.5
261.3
280.9
171.0
248.0
262.7
227.8
109.1
315.6
256.3
137.1
264.6
263.0
152.9
134.3
140.5
221.2
229.8
148.7
127.6
383.9
131.7
155.2
238.7
Dairy products........................................................................................
Fresh milk and cream (12/77 = 1 00 )............................................
Fresh whole milk ...................................................................
Other fresh milk and cream (12/77 = 1 0 0 )..........................
Processed dairy products .............................................................
Butter .....................................................................................
Cheese (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..........................................................
Ice cream and related products (12/77 = 1 0 0 )....................
Other dairy products (12/77 = 100) ...................................
249.6
136.8
223.4
137.7
147.2
253.5
145.5
150.7
143.9
250.1
135.9
221.9
136.6
149,2
256.2
146.7
154.9
145.2
250.2
135.9
222.1
136.4
149.3
254.8
146.8
155.3
145.7
249.9
135.9
222.3
136.2
148.8
254.1
146.4
154.0
146.0
250.8
136.4
222.7
137.3
149.3
254.7
147.0
154.8
146.1
250.9
136.6
223.3
137.0
149.3
253.4
146.8
155.6
146.2
250.8
136.5
222.9
137.3
149.2
254.4
146.3
155.3
146.9
248.9
136.3
222.6
137.1
147.4
256.1
145.8
149.8
144.6
249.2
135.2
220.9
136.0
149.4
258.7
147.0
154.0
145.8
249.3
135.3
221.2
135.8
149.5
257.4
147.1
154.2
146.1
249.0
135.3
221.4
135.6
149.0
256.6
146.7
153.0
146.5
249.8
135.8
221,7
136.7
149.6
257.1
147.3
153.8
146.7
250.1
136.0
222.3
136.4
149.5
255.9
147.1
154.4
146.7
249.8
135.8
221.9
136.7
149.4
256.9
146.6
154.3
147.4
Fruits and vegetables ............................................................................
Fresh fruits and vegetables ..........................................................
Fresh fruits ............................................................................
Apples ............................................................................
Bananas .........................................................................
Oranges .........................................................................
Other fresh fruits (12/77 = 1 0 0 )...................................
Fresh vegetables ...................................................................
Potatoes .........................................................................
Lettuce............................................... ........................
Tomatoes ......................................................................
Other fresh vegetables (12/77 = 1 0 0 )..........................
286.9
288.6
282.8
249.3
257.1
299.1
154.4
294.0
241.1
247.9
352.2
175.8
296.7
304.9
304.4
271.8
272.8
299.0
171.1
305.5
316.9
360.4
241.9
163.0
288.9
288.7
279.5
265.9
233.1
307.8
148.5
297.4
305.0
329.8
243.0
163.0
292.6
294.2
270.4
270.0
230.0
283.4
143.0
316.6
317.6
371.8
222.2
177.2
311.0
327.8
289.6
277.0
244.3
301.3
156.9
363.6
342.3
328.3
285.6
226.1
321.0
342.8
296.0
287.9
263.2
303.0
158.2
386.6
359.6
278.5
332.8
252.1
323.2
344.3
300.5
298.6
264.1
309.6
159.1
385.4
363.5
290.5
318.5
249.4
282.9
383.0
272.5
249.6
254.6
272.7
149.0
292.5
236.1
246.6
358.1
174.9
292.7
298.9
293.4
273.8
270.3
271.3
164.7
303.9
311.7
360.9
246.8
161.7
285.1
283.4
269.3
267.3
230.7
279.3
142.9
296.2
300.1
330.0
246.9
162.3
289.3
289.8
261.1
270.8
227.8
257.5
137.8
315.7
314.3
375.0
224.7
176.1
307.3
322.5
279.5
277.6
242.4
275.1
151.1
361.4
337.5
329.8
290.4
224.0
317.2
337.4
286.2
289.3
260.7
276.2
152.6
383.8
353.2
280.2
337.6
249.7
319.4
339.0
290.8
298.7
262.2
284.2
153.4
382.7
357.7
292.6
322.7
247.0
Processed fruits and vegetables.....................................................
Processed fruits (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ............................................
Frozen fruit and fruit juices (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .................
Fruit juices other than frozen (12/77 = 100) ..............
Canned and dried fruits (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .......................
287.6
151.3
145.0
156.6
151.0
290.3
150.6
142.1
155.1
152.9
291.6
151.2
143.3
155.5
153.2
293.3
152.0
143.6
155.7
155.0
295.1
152.3
144.7
155.7
155.0
299.9
156.8
154.9
158.4
156.8
302.8
159.5
159.4
160.8
158.3
285.3
151.0
144.1
155.6
151.5
288.2
150.3
141.3
154.0
153.4
289.5
150.8
142.6
154.6
153.5
291.2
151.6
142.9
154.8
155.1
292.9
151.9
143.9
154.7
155.3
297.4
156.3
154.0
157.3
157.1
300.2
159.0
158.6
159.7
158.5
82
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
20.
Continued— Consumer Price Index— U.S. city average
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
A ll U r b a n C o n s u m e r s
G e n e ra l s u m m a ry
1983
U r b a n W a g e E a r n e r s a n d C l e r ic a l W o r k e r s
1984
1983
1984
M a r.
O c t.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
M a r.
M a r.
O c t.
Nov.
D ec
Jan.
Fruits and vegetables— Continued
Processed vegetables (12/77 ^ 1 0 0 ) ...................................
Frozen vegetables (12/77
100) ................................
Cut corn and canned beans except lima (12/77 = 100)
Other canned and dried vegetables (12/77 = 100) . . . .
Other foods at hom e...............................................................................
Sugar and sweets .........................................................................
Candy and chewing gum (12/77 = 100)
Sugar and artificial sweeteners (12/77 = 1 0 0 )....................
Other sweets (12/77 = 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 = 1 0 0 )............
Nonalcoholic beverages ................................................................
Cola drinks, excluding diet cola ............................................
Carbonated drinks, including diet cola (12/77 = 100) . . . .
Roasted coffee.........................................................................
Freeze dried and instant coffee...............................................
Other noncarbonated drinks (12/77 = 100) .......................
Other prepared foods......................................................................
Canned and packaged soup (12/77 = 1 0 0 )..........................
Frozen prepared foods (12/77 = 100) ................................
Snacks (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ...........................................................
Seasonings, olives, pickles, and relish (12/77 = 100) . . .
Other condiments (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .........................................
Miscellaneous prepared foods (12/77 = 100) ....................
Other canned and packaged prepared foods (12/77 = 100) .
137.7
149.7
138 9
131.1
339.1
372.8
150.3
166.9
153.4
258.4
255.8
151.4
130.4
432.7
314.1
146.7
363.2
349.2
141.1
276.0
140.0
153.1
157.9
161.6
154.9
151.7
146.8
141.1
150.6
142.4
135.7
342.7
375.5
151.8
169.3
152.2
271.1
264.6
151.6
140.7
436.4
317.2
150.8
352.8
350.2
141.9
276.8
141.3
154.7
159.0
159.6
156.0
151.8
146.2
141.8
151.8
143.2
136.0
343.4
376.0
152 0
170.4
151.7
275.4
268.9
151.8
143.8
435.2
315.7
149.4
355.4
352.4
141.8
277.9
142.0
156 4
158.6
160.7
155 4
152.8
147.0
142 8
151.5
145.8
136.8
343.6
377.7
152.8
171.1
152.3
278.2
273.7
151.4
145.4
433.7
314.3
148.8
354.2
351.2
141,8
278.2
142.8
155.5
158.9
160.6
155.5
153.3
148.0
144.2
153.3
145.9
138.7
346.6
380.0
154.0
170.9
153.9
279.7
278.2
152.2
145.4
439.1
319.9
149.1
359.2
353.7
143.8
279.9
142.6
157.2
159.5
161.6
156.6
154.3
149.1
144.6
154.2
146.2
138.8
348.4
381.2
154.5
171.8
154.0
281.1
280.5
153.9
145.5
441.8
318.3
152.6
364.3
357 2
144.5
281.4
143.2
156.8
162.8
162.3
156.6
154.6
149.7
144.9
153.5
148.2
138.8
349.7
384.8
156.0
172.5
156.5
280.7
280.1
153.7
145.2
443.5
319.1
153.2
367.6
359.8
144.9
282.1
143.6
156.0
163.3
162.9
156.6
155.0
151.6
136 6
151.3
136.4
129.7
339.9
372.5
150.3
168.3
151.0
258.4
254.5
149.7
131.0
434.5
311.5
144.5
357.9
348.8
141.3
277.5
141.9
152.2
160.1
160.4
156.7
151.9
148.0
140.0
152.0
140.0
134.2
343.5
375 3
151.6
170.8
150.1
271.2
262.6
149.8
141.5
438.4
314.7
148.7
347.6
349.3
142.2
278.2
143.2
153.7
160.8
158.7
157.9
152.0
147.4
140.7
153.4
140.8
134.5
344.2
375.7
151.8
171.7
149.5
275.5
267.1
150.1
144.5
437.3
313.2
147.5
350.2
351.6
142.1
279.4
143.9
155.7
160.7
159.9
157.2
153.0
148.2
141.6
153.2
143.2
135.3
344.4
377.6
152.7
172.4
150.0
278.2
271.7
149.6
146.1
435.7
311.6
146.9
349.0
350.5
142.2
279.7
144.6
154.5
161.0
159.5
157.4
153.5
149.2
143.0
154.9
143.3
137.1
347.4
379.7
153.9
172.0
151.8
279.5
276.4
150.4
145.9
441.1
317.2
147.0
353.9
353.1
144.2
281.5
144.4
156.5
161.6
160.5
158.4
154.5
150.4
143.3
155.8
143.7
137.1
349.1
380.7
154.3
173.0
151.7
280.9
278.8
151.9
146.1.
443.5
315.8
150.3
358.9
356.5
144.8
283.0
145.2
156.1
164.9
161.4
158.4
154 8
150.9
143.6
155.2
145.5
137.1
350.2
384.5
155.9
'173.7
154.2
280.2
278.1
151.8
145.6
444.9
316.1
150.7
362.0
359.1
145.2
283.7
145.5
155.1
165.4
161.9
158.4
155.1
152.8
Food away from home ..................................................................................
lunch (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ............................................................................
Dinner (12/77 = 1 0 0 )............................................................................
Other meals and snacks (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ...............................................
316.5
153 7
152 0
156.0
323.9
156.7
155.5
160.7
324.8
157.1
156.2
160.8
325.5
157.5
156.5
161.0
327.2
158.0
157.6
162.0
328.5
158.5
158.1
162.9
329.8
159.0
158.9
163.4
319.7
155.3
153.7
156.5
327.2
158.3
157.2
161.2
328.0
158.7
157.9
161.2
328.7
159.0
158.3
161.4
330.4
159.5
159.3
162.5
331.7
160.1
159.9
163.4
333.0
160.6
160.8
163.9
A lc o h o lic b e v e r a g e s
215.1
218.9
218 6
218.1
219.0
219.9
220.7
217.3
221.8
221.5
221.2
222.0
223.0
223.8
Alcoholic beverages at home (12/77 = 100) ............ .............................
Beer and ale ...........................................................................................
Wh'Skey........................................................................................
Wine ..............................................................................................
Other alcoholic beverages (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ............................................
Alcoholic beverages away from home (12/77 = 100) .............................
139.1
219.8
151.3
239.1
121.5
145.7
141.4
226.1
153.5
237.1
122.3
148.7
140.9
225.9
152.9
234.8
121.5
149.9
140.4
225.5
152.4
232.1
121.4
150.4
140.8
225.7
153.5
233.2
121.7
151.6
141.5
227.7
153.2
232.4
122.8
152.0
142.0
228.7
153.6
233.6
122 8
152.6
140.6
218.6
151.9
246.8
121.2
146.9
143.4
225.3
154.0
245.5
122.2
149.8
143.0
225.2
153.4
242.3
121.5
150.9
142.6
224.8
152.9
239.9
121.3
151.5
142.8
224.9
153.7
241.0
121.6
153.0
143.6
226.8
153.5
239.8
122.6
153.2
144.1
227.8
153.8
241.5
122.8
153.9
H O U S IN G
319.2
325.2
324.5
324.2
324.7
324.2
322.9
318.6
326.8
327.0
327.4
329.2
331.0
331.5
.............................................................................................................................................
339.3
349.8
351.1
351 8
353.2
354.0
355.5
Renters’ c o sts ...........................................................................................
Rent, residential ....................................................................
Other renters’ costs .........................................................................
Homeowners’ c o s ts ...........................................................
Owners’ equivalent r e n t .........................................................................
Household insurance........................................................
Maintenance and repairs ...................................................................
Maintenance and repair services ........................................................
Maintenance and repair commodities.....................................................
101.4
233.6
340.6
100.9
100.8
101.5
339.9
376.7
257.7
104.8
240.4
362.0
103.9
103.8
105.5
351.1
397.2
259.5
105.0
241.3
359.8
104.3
104.2
106.1
353.4
398.5
262 3
105.1
242.0
356.1
104.5
104.5
106.1
354.7
400.8
262.6
105.7
242.9
361.7
104.9
104.8
106.6
356.7
402.4
264.6
106.0
243.6
362.5
105.1
105.1
107.1
353.5
400.9
260.4
106.5
244.8
364.5
105.6
105.5
107.1
355.3
405.9
259.3
S h e lte r (C P I-U )
Feb.
M a r.
S h e l t e r ( C P I - W ) ..............................................................................................................
341.1
347.6
347.1
346.6
346.1
343.7
342.0
Rent, residential..................................................................................
233.1
239.8
240.7
241.3
242.3
242.9
244.1
Other renters' costs .........................................................................
Lodging while out of town..............................................................
Tenants' insurance (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ........................................................
339.0
353.1
152.6
359.3
374.2
158.6
357.3
370.9
159.4
352.9
363.9
159.4
359.1
374.0
160.4
360.9
377.9
161.1
363.0
381.3
161.1
Homeownership.....................................................
Home purchase .....................................................................................
Financing, taxes, and insurance..............................................................
Property insurance.........................................................................
Property taxes ...............................................................................
Contracted mortgage interest c o s ts ...............................................
Mortgage interest rates........................................................
Maintenance and repairs....................................................................
Maintenance and repair services...............................................
379.9
298.9
491.8
419.2
231.7
625.7
207.5
337.5
376.6
385.9
301.3
500.6
437.4
239.1
634.7
208.8
348.1
392.5
384.9
300.0
499.2
438.0
239.6
632.2
208.6
349.1
393.3
384.1
298.9
497.6
437.2
240.7
629.4
208.7
351.0
395.6
382.9
298.0
494.8
438.3
242.7
624.1
207.6
353.0
397.6
379.4
294.4
490.5
439.3
243.2
617.2
207.7
351.9
396.8
376.6
292.5
484.8
439.9
244.1
607.9
205.4
353.8
400.3
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
83
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Current Labor Statistics: Consumer Prices
20.
Continued— Consumer Price Index— U.S. city average
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
A ll U r b a n C o n s u m e rs
M a r.
O c t.
U r b a n W a g e E a r n e r s a n d C le r ic a l W o r k e r s
1984
1983
G e n e ra l s u m m a ry
Nov.
D ec.
Jan.
Feb.
1983
M a r.
Homeownership— Continued
Maintenance and repair commodities....................................................
Paint and wallpaper, supplies, tools, and
equipment (12/77 = 1 0 0 )..................................................
Lumber, awnings, glass, and masonry (12/77 = 1 0 0 )............
Plumbing, electrical, heating, and cooling
Miscellaneous supplies and equipment (12/77 = 1 0 0 )............
1984
M a r.
O c t.
Nov.
Dec
Jan.
Feb.
M a r.
254.2
254.7
255.9
257.0
259.0
257.4
256.3
146.0
124.1
145.7
124.2
147.3
123.8
149.1
123.7
150.8
125.2
147.6
125.6
147.3
124.3
137.5
142.4
141.3
141.9
139.1
144.0
138.4
143.7
139.9
143.1
139.4
144.3
138.6
144.0
F u e l a n d o t h e r u t i l i t i e s ...................................................................................................................................................
363.8
374.4
371.3
370.6
376.0
383.0
380.1
365.2
375.7
372.8
372.0
377.3
384.2
381.3
F u e ls ...............................................................................................................
Fuel oil, coal, and bottled gas................................................................
Fuel oil ...........................................................................................
Other fuels (6/78 = 100) .................... ........................................
Gas (piped) and electricity......................................................................
Electricity........................................................................................
Utility (piped) gas .........................................................................
Other utilities and public services ................................................................
Telephone services..................................................................................
Local charges (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .......................................................
Interstate toll calls (12/77 = 100) ...............................................
Intrastate toll calls (12/77 = 100) ...............................................
Water and sewerage maintenance..........................................................
459.7
625.3
636.4
185.9
418.0
321.2
568.3
211.4
172.1
140.3
121.8
116.3
345.6
474.4
624.7
632.6
191.0
435.6
339.2
582.4
215.8
174.1
142.2
121.5
119.0
361.7
468.1
623.9
631.5
191.4
428.2
331.8
576.3
217.3
175.4
143.8
121.5
119.8
363.6
467.4
623.9
631.5
191.4
427.5
329.8
578.2
216.5
174.3
142.2
121.4
119.7
364.3
470.4
642.8
652.7
193.6
427.3
332.8
571.1
224.6
183.3
154.3
121.4
122.1
367.4
479.6
688.6
705.0
197.4
429.0
334.2
573.6
228.0
186.8
159.0
122.4
122.1
369.0
475.2
660.0
671.6
196.4
429.5
335.8
571.4
227.4
185.9
157.7
122.4
122.0
369.5
459.5
627.3
637.9
187.0
417.5
320.7
565.9
212.2
172.5
140.6
122.2
116.2
349.0
474.0
627.2
635.1
191.9
434.5
338.8
578.3
216.9
174.7
142.8
121.9
119.1
366.2
467.8
626.4
633.9
192.4
427.5
330.8
574.0
218.4
176.0
144.4
121.9
119.8
367.8
467.2
626.4
633.9
192.3
426.7
329.0
575.7
217.4
174.7
142.6
121.9
119.8
368.5
469.9
645.1
654.9
194.4
426.2
331.9
568.1
225.7
183.9
154.8
121.9
122.2
371.7
479.1
691.4
707.6
198.1
427.9
333.3
570.1
229.2
187.5
159.6
122.8
122.1
373.2
474.7
662.4
673.9
197.1
428.4
335.1
567.9
228.5
186.6
158.4
122.8
122.0
373.9
H o u s e h o ld fu r n is h in g s a n d o p e ra tio n s
237.6
239.4
239 9
240.5
240.4
240.4
241.2
234.6
236.2
236.7
237.3
237.3
237.4
238.0
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 = 1 0 0 ) .............................
Other furniture (12/77 = 100) ....................................................
Appliances including TV and sound equipment ...................................
Television and sound equipment .................................................
Television ...............................................................................
Sound equipment (12/77 = 100) .........................................
Household appliances ...................................................................
Refrigerators and home freezers............................................
Laundry equipment................................................................
Other household appliances (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .......................
Stoves, dishwashers, vacuums, and sewing
machines (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ...............................................
Office machines, small electric appliances, and
air conditioners (12/77 = 100) ...................................
Other household equipment (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .........................................
Floor and window coverings, infants', laundry,
cleaning, and outdoor equipment (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ....................
Clocks, lamps, and decor items (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..........................
Tableware, serving pieces, and nonelectric
kitchenware (12/77 = 1 0 0 )........................................................
Lawn equipment, power tools, and other
hardware (12/77 = 100) ..........................................................
197.1
230.3
136.7
198.0
228.8
136.0
198.4
229.6
135.7
198.8
230.3
135.6
197.9
227.6
133.0
197.6
232.0
137.4
198.3
236.1
140.1
195.3
234.8
137.9
196,0
232.0
137.0
196.4
233.0
136.4
196.9
233.1
136.2
196.3
230.9
134.1
196.0
235.5
138.5
196.7
240.0
141.2
150.9
215.8
148.9
118.3
122.0
139.7
151.9
106.9
101.2
113.1
187.7
193.3
142.5
124.6
149.6
219.8
152.9
118.8
125.4
141.2
151.2
104.9
99.1
111.0
190.3
194.0
142.7
127.0
151.1
220.1
152.6
119.8
125.6
141.4
151.0
105.0
98.8
111,6
189.2
193.0
144.1
125.9
152.0
221.3
154.9
120.2
124.4
142.3
150.9
104.8
99.0
111,0
189.4
, 195.8
144.4
125.5
151.3
219.5
154.4
119.4
124.8
139.2
151.0
104.9
98.8
111.3
189.5
196.5
145.7
125.2
152.3
216.7
148.7
118.5
124.5
139.7
151.1
104.5
98.1
111.2
190.7
196.2
145.9
126.4
154.6
218.4
149.1
119.8
124.5
142.1
150.5
103.6
97.9
109.7
191.0
197.2
147.4
126.2
156.2
213.2
146.0
118.9
122.6
136.0
151.7
105.9
99.9
111.9
188.0
198.9
142.9
122.7
153.6
216.6
149.0
119.2
126.5
137.2
151.7
103.9
97.8
110.0
190.5
200.0
144.1
125.2
155.6
217.1
149.5
120.0
126.6
137.1
151.6
104.1
97.4
110.7
190.1
198.9
145.2
124.6
156.1
218.3
151.3
120.3
125.7
138.2
151.7
103.9
97.6
110.1
190.5
201.7
145.1
124.2
155.5
216.7
151.1
119.2
125.9
135.4
151.9
104.0
97.5
110.5
190.7
202.1
146.6
123.6
156.6
213.7
145.3
118.3
125.7
135.9
152.2
103.5
96.7
110.2
192.1
201.9
147.1
125.3
159.5
215.3
145.9
119.7
125.7
137.9
151.9
102.5
96.5
108.6
192.8
203.1
148.6
125.2
124.2
125.9
125.8
124.5
123.3
127.2
127.1
122.4
124.1
124.6
123.5
122.3
126.4
126.4
125.2
140.7
128.3
141,3
126.2
142.1
126.6
142.3
127.2
142.1
126.1
141.7
125.8
141.6
122.9
138.6
126.4
138.9
124.6
139.7
124.9
140.1
125.2
140.0
124.0
139.5
123.8
139.2
143.0
133.9
146.5
134.0
147.3
135.5
146.6
134.1
145.5
130.9
145.9
132.0
145.4
132.8
135.0
129.2
138.2
129.3
138.8
131.0
138.4
129.6
137.5
126.6
137.6
128.1
137.0
128.5
146.4
145.6
146.2
147.4
149.6
148.2
148.2
142.6
141.7
142.4
143.6
145.5
144.1
144.2
135.5
135.9
136.6
137.2
136.9
136.1
135.3
140.9
141.2
141.8
142.4
142.2
141.0
140.1
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 = 1 0 0 )............................................
295.4
292.3
149.5
149.3
139.3
154.4
145.0
296.6
295.2
151.6
147.8
139.5
155.9
144.1
297.0
296.7
151.5
148.2
140.9
155.5
143.0
298.6
295.9
152.7
148.6
141.7
156.6
145.4
299.4
296.3
153.6
149.2
141.7
157.4
145.0
300.0
296.5
154.5
148.8
141.7
158.3
145.2
300.6
296.1
153.7
149.3
141.7
159.5
146.6
292.2
288.1
148.3
149.1
142.3
149.2
138.5
293.6
291.1
150.5
148.0
142.6
150.4
137.2
293.9
292.7
150.2
148.3
144.0
150.0
136.0
295.3
291.8
151.5
148.6
144.7
151.1
138.3
296.3
292.2
152.3
149.4
144.8
152.0
138.0
296.9
292.3
153.2
149.0
145.0
152.8
138.3
297.1
291.7
152.4
149.4
144.7
154.0
138.9
Housekeeping services ..................................................................................
Postage....................................................................................................
Moving, storage, freight, household laundry, and
drycleaning services (12/77 = 1 0 0 )..................................................
Appliance and furniture repair (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ......................................
316.4
337.5
321.6
337.5
322.3
337.5
322.8
337.5
324.1
337.5
324.8
337.5
326.1
337.5
316.1
337.5
321.7
337.5
322.3
337.5
322.9
337.5
324.4
337.5
325.3
337.5
326.0
337.5
160.6
141.5
167.1
145.8
168.1
146.2
168.4
147.1
171.0
147,5
171.7
148.3
171.7
148.8
160.7
139.8
167.3
144.0
168.2
144.3
168.5
145.2
171.1
145.6
171.9
146.5
172.0
146.9
APPAREL AND UPKEEP
194.5
200.7
200.7
199.3
196.4
196.2
198.8
194.0
199.8
199.7
198.1
195.3
195.4
198.0
A p p a r e l c o m m o d i t i e s .........................................................................................................................................................
182.8
188.7
188.6
186.9
183.6
183.2
185.9
182.9
188.4
188.2
186.3
183.1
183.0
185.8
Apparel commodities less footwear.......................................................
Men's and boys .....................................................................................
Men s (12/77 = 100) ...................................................................
Suits, sport coats, and jackets (12.77
100) .................
Coats and rackets...................................................................
Furnishings and special clothing (12 77
1 0 0 ) .................
178.9
186.7
117,1
109.1
100.0
141.4
185.4
192.1
120.8
113,7
105.7
145.7
185.2
193.0
121.6
114.8
105.5
147.3
183.4
191.8
120.9
112.9
104.4
147.8
179.8
189.7
119.3
110.8
101.7
145.9
179.3
187.9
118,1
107.6
98.1
145.2
182.3
189.9
119.4
110.6
98.1
146.1
178.9
187.0
117.6
102.1
102.2
137.6
185.0
192.5
121.4
106.9
108.9
141.9
184.5
193.4
122.2
107.7
108.8
143.6
182.5
192.1
121.5
105.8
107.6
144.1
178.9
190.2
119.8
104.0
104.3
141.9
178.9
188.7
118.9
101.2
101.3
141.2
181.9
190.5
120.1
104.1
101.4
142.1
84
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
20.
Continued— Consumer Price Index— U.S. city average
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
A ll U r b a n C o n s u m e rs
U r b a n W a g e E a r n e r s a n d C le r ic a l W o r k e r s
1984
1983
G e n e ra l s u m m a ry
1984
1983
M a r.
O c t.
Nov.
D ec.
Jan.
Feb.
M ar.
M ar.
O c t.
Nov.
Dec
Jan.
Feb.
M a r.
Men's— Continued
Shirts (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).............................................................
Dungarees, jeans, and trousers (12/77 = 100) .................
Boys' (12/77 = 100) ...................................................................
Coats, jackets, sweaters, and shirts (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ...........
Furnishings (12/77 = 100) .................................................
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 = 100) ..........................
Underwear, nightwear, and hosiery (12/77 = 100) ............
Suits (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .............................................................
Girls’ (12/77 = 1 0 0 )......................................................................
Coats, jackets, dresses, and suits (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..............
Separates and sportswear (12/77 = 100) ..........................
Underwear, nightwear, hosiery, and
accessories (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..............................................
Infants' and toddlers' ............................................................................
Other apparel commodities ...................................................................
Sewing materials and notions (12/77 = 100) .............................
Jewelry and luggage (12/77 = 100) ...........................................
121.7
111.5
123.2
115.5
134.0
124.9
160.0
106.2
170.1
158.5
98.5
131.0
83.7
107.6
98.4
105.6
125.1
113.1
125.4
120.9
136.2
124.7
168.6
112.3
175.9
173.8
103.9
135.6
89.9
111.4
105.8
106.8
125 2
113.9
125.2
119.9
137.6
124.4
167.0
110.9
173.3
171.9
102.0
136.1
85.7
111.8
106.2
107.6
125.7
112.9
123.9
118.8
137.0
122.7
164.9
109.5
170.3
172.0
98.9
136.5
81.7
110.2
101.8
106.7
125.7
111.4
124.0
118.8
136.2
123.3
158.8
105.4
162.8
164.1
94.5
134.8
75.2
106.6
98.1
102.6
125.7
112.1
123.1
118.4
136.2
121.6
159.0
105.6
162.9
166.5
93.0
135.5
75.2
106.4
98.9
102.2
127.0
112.4
124.1
119.7
137.9
122.1
163.3
108.7
167.2
175.9
92.5
136.8
85.0
108.0
100.6
103.9
124.4
117.4
121.4
116.4
129.6
122.3
162.8
108.4
178.4
144.4
99.2
130.7
104.7
108.0
97.6
107.5
127.8
119.1
123.9
122.7
131.9
121.8
170.4
114.0
181.2
158.9
104.2
135.3
112.6
110.4
103.1
107.4
127.8
120.1
123.8
122.1
133.3
121.6
168.6
112.4
177.4
158.0
102.4
135.7
105.8
110.8
103.3
108.3
128.5
118.8
122.4
120.6
132.9
120.0
166.0
110.8
174.8
157.1
99.4
136.2
100.2
108.8
98.8
106.3
128.9
117.1
122.7
121.1
132.1
120.6
160.0
106.8
166.9
150.5
94.7
134.4
93.9
104.8
95.1
101.4
128.8
117.8
121.7
120.7
131.9
119.0
160.7
107.2
166.9
153.7
93.3
135.2
95.0
105.6
96.6
102.7
130.0
118.3
122.8
122.0
133.4
119.6
165.3
110.5
172.8
162.9
93.0
136.5
106.4
107.4
98.3
104.6
126.4
280.1
213.4
120.4
145.4
129.0
289.0
215.5
120.4
147.4
128.7
288.7
216.6
118.6
149.2
130.5
282.7
215.6
121.4
147.0
128.0
283.6
215.5
119.8
147.6
126.3
286.2
216.1
122.4
147.0
128.0
288.0
217.2
120.8
148.8
125.6
291.1
201.9
118.4
136.1
127.6
299.9
204.0
118.5
138.0
127.5
298.1
205.2
116.8
140.0
129.1
292.1
204.2
119.3
137.8
126.5
292.4
203.7
117.7
138.1
125.2
297.0
204.4
121.1
137.2
126.9
298.6
205.3
119.7
138.7
Footwear.........................................................................................................
Men's (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ............................................................................
Boys' and girls' (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).............................................................
Women's (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ......................................................................
206.6
133.2
131.1
125.5
208.6
135.0
131.1
127.1
209.1
135.8
131.8
126.7
207.9
134.7
132.9
125.2
206.7
134.4
132.6
123.7
206.4
135.0
131,4
123.5
207.7
135.2
131.2
125.5
206.1
134.8
133.2
121.1
208.1
136.9
133.2
122.6
209.1
137.6
134.0
122.9
208.3
136.6
135.2
121.7
207.3
136.4
135.0
120.3
207.0
136.9
133.9
120.3
208.3
137.1
133.8
122.3
A p p a r e l s e r v ic e s
...................................................................................................................................................................
286.7
294.6
296.2
297.0
298.3
299.7
300.8
284.9
292.6
294.3
295.0
296.1
297.6
298.8
Laundry and drycleaning other than coin operated (12/77 = 100) ............
Other apparel services (12/77 = 1 0 0 )..........................................................
170.8
150.4
176.0
153.8
177.0
154.5
177.7
154.5
179.0
154.2
180.2
154.4
180.7
155.3
169.3
151.4
174.3
154.9
175.4
155.6
176.0
155.6
177.3
155.4
178.5
155.5
179.1
156.5
T R A N S P O R T A T IO N
287.4
305.7
306.3
306.3
306.0
305.8
306.9
288.6
306.9
308 2
308.2
307.9
307.7
308.9
P - i v a t e ..................................................................................................................................................................................................
282.7
300.4
301.7
301.8
300 9
300.8
301.9
285.0
303.6
304.9
305.0
304.1
303.9
305.2
New c ars .........................................................................................................
Used cars ......................................................................................................
Gasoline .........................................................................................................
Automobile maintenance and repair .............................................................
Body work (12/77 = 100) ...................................................................
Automobile drive train, brake, and miscellaneous
mechanical repair (12/77 = 100) ....................................................
Maintenance and servicing (12/77 = 1 0 0 )............................................
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 = 100) .......................
T ire s .......................................................................................
Other parts and equipment (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..........................
Other private transportation services....................................................
Automobile insurance ...................................................................
Automobile finance charges (12/77 = 100) ................................
Automobile rental, registration, and other fees (12/77 = 100) . .
State registration ...................................................................
Drivers' licenses (12/77 = 1 0 0 )............................................
Vehicle inspection (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).........................................
Other vehicle-related fees (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).............................
201.2
309.3
348.6
326.6
163.6
204.3
350.4
382.4
333.5
169.0
206.2
356.1
378.1
335.2
169.5
207.0
357.6
375.2
335.4
169.6
207.2
357.3
370.3
336.1
170.2
207.2
357.2
368.8
337 4
170.3
207.2
362.2
368.6
338.3
170.7
200.9
309.3
350.3
327.4
162.5
203.8
350.4
384.3
334.1
167.8
205.7
356.1
380.1
335 6
168.2
206.5
357.6
377.0
335.9
168.3
206.7
357.3
372.1
336.6
168.9
206.7
357.2
370.7
338.1
169.0
206.7
362.2
370.5
339.0
169.3
156.3
150.9
156.2
259.2
213.3
154.8
135.5
188.1
133.9
273.9
297.0
161.9
141.1
186.6
133.9
129.2
157.0
161.9
152.5
159.1
263.3
208.1
152.7
131.9
181.7
133.0
280.5
309.4
157.2
147.1
195.4
154.0
139.8
160.2
163.4
152.7
160.2
265.6
209.2
152.9
132.7
183.1
133.0
283.1
312.8
159.1
147.3
195.4
154.5
139.8
160.5
163.6
152.8
160.1
266.8
208.4
153.3
132.4
182 7
132.9
284.8
315.0
160.0
147.5
195.6
154.5
139 8
160.7
163.8
152.9
160.9
267.6
203.3
153.3
128.3
175.7
132.1
287.2
318.8
160.1
148.9
195.1
158.0
139.2
163.5
164.4
153.5
161.8
267.7
202.8
153.8
127 8
174.2
132.0
287.5
319.8
159.3
149.1
195.1
158.0
139.2
163.9
165.1
153.9
162.1
268.3
201.3
152.5
126.9
171.8
133.2
288.7
322.3
159.2
149.1
195.5
158.0
139.2
163.5
160.3
150.3
155.6
260.5
215.8
153.8
137,4
191.7
133.8
274.8
296.3
161.0
141.9
186.3
134.1
130.5
165.1
165.7
151.7
158.5
264.4
210.7
152.2
133.8
185.4
132.8
281.1
308.8
156.8
148.2
195.2
154.4
140.5
167.6
167.2
151.9
159,5
266.6
211.7
151.7
134.6
187.0
132.9
283.7
312.1
158.7
148.3
195.2
154.8
140.5
167.7
167.4
152.0
159.5
267.9
211.4
152.3
134.3
186.5
132.7
285.4
314.3
159.7
148.6
195.4
154.8
140.5
167.9
167.6
152.0
160.4
268.4
205.6
152.2
130.0
178.5
131.9
287.6
318.0
159.6
149.8
195.0
158.3
139 9
170.4
168.4
152.8
161.2
268.5
205.2
152.7
129.6
177.9
131.8
287.7
318.9
158.7
150.1
195.0
158.3
139.9
171.1
169.1
153.1
161.6
269.1
203.5
152 3
128.5
175.1
132.7
289.0
321.5
158.7
150.1
195.4
158.3
139.9
170.7
P u b lic
...................................................................................................................................................................................................
354.5
368.2
370.3
369.0
378.2
377.4
377.4
347.3
358.5
359.9
359.0
371.1
370.1
370.2
Airline fa r e ......................................................................................................
Intercity bus fare ..........................................................................................
Intracity mass tra n s it.....................................................................................
Taxi fare .........................................................................................................
Intercity train f a r e ..........................................................................................
402 9
389.4
320.1
300.8
351.9
426.6
417.7
324.8
303.1
365.4
431.6
416.0
324.3
304.7
364.8
428 5
405.5
324.5
307.6
370.7
430.3
425.3
342.8
308.2
373.7
429.5
428.2
341.4
308.3
373.5
429.0
427.6
342.0
308.5
373.4
398.9
392.0
319.0
310.4
352.3
422.5
417.6
323.0
312.2
366.1
427.2
416.9
322.5
313.5
365.6
424.4
402.6
322.7
316.7
371.3
426.4
423.9
342.8
317.2
374.0
425.5
427.1
341.3
317.5
373.8
424.9
426.8
341.8
317.7
373.7
........................................................................................................................................................................
352.3
362.9
364.9
366.2
369 5
373.2
374.5
350.0
360.9
362.9
364.3
367.5
371.3
372.6
M e d i c a l c a r e c o m m o d i t i e s .........................................................................................................................................
218.6
227.5
228.9
229 9
231.2
232 9
235.0
219.0
227.8
229.1
230.1
231.5
233.2
235.3
Prescription drugs..........................................................................................
Anti-infective drugs (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).......................................................
Tranquilizers and sedatives (12/77 = 100) .........................................
Circulatories and diuretics (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ............................................
Hormones, diabetic drugs, biologicals, and
prescription medical supplies (12/77 = 1 0 0 )...................................
208.7
153.8
171.4
151.2
218.6
158.6
182.8
158.1
220.8
159.1
186.9
159.9
222.3
161.2
188.4
160.6
223.7
161.4
190.1
161.5
226.4
163.4
193.0
164.7
228.2
163.9
195.5
164.7
209.9
155.8
171.2
151.0
219.9
160.8
182.6
157.9
222.1
161.5
186.7
159.7
223.1
163.5
188.3
160.3
225.0
164.2
190.0
161.1
227.9
165.8
192.9
164.4
229.7
166.3
195.4
164.3
192.4
201.9
204.0
205 0
205.8
207.2
209.7
194.2
204.0
206.1
207.1
207.9
209.4
211.9
M E D IC A L C A R E
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
85
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Current Labor Statistics: Consumer Prices
20.
Continued— Consumer Price Index— U.S. city average
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
A ll U r b a n C o n s u m e r s
G e n e ra l s u m m a ry
1983
U r b a n W a g e E a r n e r s a n d C le r ic a l W o r k e r s
1984
M a r.
O c t.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
1983
M a r.
M a r.
1984
O c t.
Nov.
Dec
Jan.
Feb.
M a r.
Prescription drugs— Continued
Pam and symptom control drugs (12 77
1 0 0 ) ................................
Supplements, cough and cold preparations, and
respiratory agents (12/77
1 0 0 ) .....................................................
170.0
178.7
180.5
181.1
182.1
183.8
185.5
171.7
180 6
182.4
183.0
184.2
185.9
187.7
157.8
164.2
164.7
165.7
167.1
169.8
171.4
158.1
164.5
165.1
166.2
167.4
170.4
172.0
Nonprescription drugs and medical supplies (12 77
1 0 0 ).......................
Eyeglasses (12 77 ■ 100) ...................................................................
Internal and respiratory over-the-counter d ru g s ...................................
Nonprescription medical equipment and supplies (12,77
100) . . .
152.3
134.9
245.5
148.0
157.5
137.3
256.1
151.8
157.9
137.8
256.4
152.7
158.3
137.7
257.5
152.6
159.2
137.9
259.4
153.4
159.6
138.0
260.1
154.6
161.2
138.4
263.1
155.8
153.1
133.7
246.8
149.4
158.3
136.2
257.4
153.0
158.8
136.6
257.7
154.1
159.1
136.5
258.8
154.0
160.1
136.8
260.6
155.0
160.6
137.0
261.4
155.7
162.1
137.3
264 4
157.5
M e d ic a l c a r e s e r v ic e s
............................................................................................
382.2
392.9
395.0
396.3
400.0
404.4
405 3
379.0
390.2
392 3
393 8
397.5
401.8
402.7
Professional services .....................................................................................
Physicians' services...............................................................................
Dental services........................................................................................
Other professional services (12/77 -- 100) .........................................
316.7
346.4
294.6
151.6
329.7
358.5
310.7
155.4
331.7
360.5
312.9
155.9
332.9
362.0
314.0
156.2
335.9
366.0
316.0
157.4
339.8
370.4
319.8
158.7
341.1
372.2
321.1
158.8
316 9
349.8
292 3
148.3
330.1
362.3
308.5
151.8
332.0
364.3
310.7
152 5
333.3
365.9
311.8
152.7
336.3
369.9
313.9
153.8
340.3
374 4
317 8
155.0
341.6
376.1
319.0
155.0
Other medical care services................................................................
Hospital and other medical services (12/77
1 0 0 ).............................
Hospital r o o m .....................................................................................
Other hospital and medical care services (12 77
100) ..............
461.4
189.5
606.2
185.6
469 3
199 4
638.0
195.1
471.5
201.0
641.9
197.1
473.0
202.2
643.5
198.8
477.9
204.3
650.2
200.9
482.5
2064
657.9
202.7
482.8
207.0
659.4
203.3
457.1
187.8
598.8
184.3
465.6
197.3
630.2
193.3
467 9
199.0
633.9
195.4
469 5
200.1
635.9
197.0
474.1
202 1
641.9
199.1
479.0
204.4
650.4
201.0
479.3
204.9
651.7
201.5
E N T E R T A IN M E N T
244.6
249.1
249.5
249.5
249.9
251.5
251.7
240.8
245.4
245.7
245.8
246.2
247.7
248.0
E n t e r t a in m e n t c o m m o d it ie s
246.8
249 3
249.0
248.7
248.9
250.7
250.6
240.8
243.7
243.4
243.1
243.6
245.3
245.3
Reading materials (12/77
100) ........................................................
Newspapers ...........................................................................................
Magazines, periodicals, and books (12 77 = 100).............................
159.3
299.6
167.1
163 4
306.9
171.7
162 9
307.7
170 2
162.3
308.2
168.6
160.7
308.6
165.0
164.1
310.2
171.2
162.4
311.8
166.6
158 7
299.8
167 3
162 8
307.0
172.0
162.3
307.8
170.4
161.8
308 3
168.7
160.3
308.6
164.9
163.4
310.4
171.3
161.9
312.0
166.5
Sporting goods and equipment (12 77
1 0 0 ) ...................................
Sport vehicles (12 77
100) .............................................................
Indoor and warm weather sport equipment (12 77
1 00 ).................
Bicycles.....................................................................................
Other sporting goods and equipment (12 77
1 0 0 ) ..........................
134.2
137.3
120.8
197.0
131.6
134.5
137.3
118.6
199 9
134.0
134.7
137.3
118.1
198.6
134.5
135 0
138.5
117.4
198.2
134.8
136.1
139.8
117.8
200.1
135.2
135.9
139.5
117.4
201.5
134.6
136.1
139 9
117.1
201 5
134 0
127.2
126 4
118.4
198.0
131.5
128.6
128.2
116.4
200.7
133.8
128.7
128.5
116.0
199.3
134.4
129.1
129 2
115.3
199.0
134.7
130.1
130.5
115.8
200.9
134.6
130.3
130.7
115.3
202 4
134.2
130.0
130.4
115.1
202.5
133.8
Toys, hobbies, and other entertainment (12 77
100) .............................
Toys, hobbies, and music equipment (12 77
1 0 0 )..........................
Photographic supplies and equipment (12 77
100) .......................
Pet supplies and expenses (12 77
1 0 0 ).........................................
138.6
137.6
131.6
145.6
139 3
137.3
131 9
148.5
139.1
136.7
131.7
148.8
138.8
136.6
130.2
148.9
139.3
137.0
130.1
150.1
139 8
137.3
131.9
149.9
140.5
138.6
132 6
149.7
137.3
133.7
132.8
146.5
138.1
133.5
133.0
149.6
137.8
132 8
132.7
149.9
137.6
132.9
131.2
150.1
138.2
133.4
131.2
151.1
138.7
133.8
133.0
150.9
139 5
135.2
133.8
150.8
E n t e r t a in m e n t s e r v ic e s
241.9
249 2
250 5
251.1
251.8
253.1
253.8
242.1
249 7
251.0
251.7
252.1
253.2
253.9
Fees for participant sports (12 77
1 00 )..................................................
Admissions (12 77
1 0 0 ).....................................................
Other entertainment services (12 77
100) ......................................
150 9
140.1
131.0
155.6
145.8
132 6
156.4
146.6
133.3
156.9
147.2
133.0
157.8
147.3
132.9
158 6
148.3
133.4
158.5
148.9
134.5
152 2
139.1
131.8
156 9
144.8
133.6
157.7
145.6
134,4
158.1
146.3
134.0
158 8
146.2
133.9
159.2
147.2
134.4
159.2
147,8
135.7
299.2
299.7
O T H E R G O O D S A N D S E R V IC E S
281.9
296 8
298 1
298.6
300.5
301.5
302.1
280.0
294.1
295.5
295.9
298.1
T o b a c c o p ro d u c ts
283 3
299.0
299.9
299.9
304.3
305 4
305.6
282 7
298 8
299.7
299 6
304 0
305.1
305.2
Cigarettes ...................................................................
Other tobacco products and smoking accessories (12 77
290 4
148.6
307.4
151 4
308.2
152.7
308.0
153.9
312.8
154.9
313.8
156.1
313.8
157.0
289 3
148.5
306.5
151.4
307.3
152.7
307.0
153.9
311.8
154.9
312.7
156.0
312.8
157.0
1 0 0 )..............
P e rs o n a l c are
257 8
263.3
265 6
266.3
266 9
267.9
267.8
255 8
261.5
263 7
264.4
265.0
266.1
265.7
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 (1277
100) . . .
257.1
148.5
160.4
263.0
152.7
163.1
265.7
154.5
166 7
266.3
154.0
167.3
266.8
154.3
167.8
267.9
154.7
168.1
265.9
154.1
164.6
257.8
147.8
158.9
263.9
151.9
161.2
266.6
153.6
165.1
267.1
153.1
165.6
267.5
153.2
166.0
268.7
153.8
166.3
266.6
153.3
162.9
146 0
144.9
147.7
148.9
150.5
149.8
150.7
150.0
151.0
150.6
152.4
150.0
151.8
146.7
150.5
148.5
148.9
154.1
150.1
154.1
151.1
154.4
151.1
154.8
151.7
156.2
1508
155.4
Personal care services ................................
Beauty parlor services for women .................
Haircuts and other barber shop services for men (12 77
259.5
262.4
143.7
264 6
267.5
146 8
266.6
269.8
147.5
267.4
270.7
147.8
268.1
271 2
148.4
269.0
272.3
148.7
270.4
273.4
149.9
254.3
255.5
142.6
259 6
260.7
145.6
261.4
262.9
146.3
262.1
203.7
146.7
263.0
264.5
147.2
264.0
265.7
147.5
265 3
266.6
148.6
P e r s o n a l a n d e d u c a t io n a l e x p e n s e s
323 9
350.9
351 3
352 1
353.5
354.4
356.4
325.7
352.4
352.9
353.7
355.4
356.4
359.2
Schoolbooks and supplies .................
Personal and educational services .
Tuition and other school fees . . .
College tuition (12/77 = 100) . ,
Elementary and high school tuition (12/77
Personal expenses (12/77 = 100)
292.3
331.5
167.4
167.0
168.8
181.2
308.5
360.6
182 9
182.7
183.9
193.4
308.8
361.0
182.9
182.7
183.9
194.6
308 9
361.9
182.9
182.8
183 9
196.8
314.4
362.7
183.0
182.9
183.9
198.6
317.2
363.3
183.2
183.0
183.9
199.6
317.1
365.7
184.3
184.5
183.9
201.2
296.3
333.2
167.9
167.1
169.8
181.1
312.9
362.0
183.3
182.6
184.9
193.9
313.0
352.9
183 3
182.6
184.9
195 2
313.0
363.6
183.3
182.7
184.9
197.3
318.8
364.5
183.4
182.7
184.9
199.1
321.7
365.2
183.5
182.9
184.9
200.2
321.6
368.6
185.2
185.4
184.9
202.1
346.7
411.8
330 4
357 9
379.5
419.7
341.8
369.7
375.5
419.8
339.4
370.4
372.5
419.4
338.5
372.0
367 9
418.4
343.6
373.9
366.0
415.7
345.5
373.8
366.5
412.6
345.5
376.1
100)
100)
....................
S p e c i a l in d e x e s :
Gasoline, motor oil. coolant, and other products
Insurance and finance..................
Utilities and public transportation .
Housekeeping and home maintenance services
86
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
345.2
377 8
373.7
370 9
366.3
365.1
364.7
331.1
356.0
343.0
363.4
340.7
364 2
339.8
364.9
344.6
366.4
346.6
366.9
346.5
368.7
21. 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]
C a te g o ry a n d g ro u p
(3 8 5 ,0 0 0 -1 .2 5 0
1984
1983
O c t.
Dec.
S iz e c la s s C
S iz e c la s s D
(7 5 ,0 0 0 -3 8 5 ,0 0 0 )
( 7 5 , 0 0 0 o r le s s )
S iz e c la s s B
S iz e c la s s A
(1 . 2 5 m illio n o r m o re )
Feb.
1984
1983
O c t.
m illio n )
D ec.
1984
1983
Feb.
O c t.
j
1984
1983
D ec.
Feb.
O c t.
j
D ec.
Feb.
N o rth e a s t
E X P E N D IT U R E C A T E G O R Y
All Items .................................................................................................................................
Food and beverages ......................................................................................................
Housing...........................................................................................................................
Apparel and upkeep ......................................................................................................
Transportation ...............................................................................................................
Medical care ..................................................................................................................
Entertainment..................................................................................................................
Other goods and services .............................................................................................
156.5
148.2
160.5
125.5
165 8
166.5
145.8
166.9
157.2
148.8
161.7
122.7
166.5
168.3
145.9
167.9
159.5
152.4
164.3
121.1
168.4
171.8
146.6
169.1
163.1
147.3
171.4
130.0
173.4
167.3
142.8
167.1
163.7
146.7
172.6
129.5
174.2
170.7
140.3
167.7
165.9
151.8
176.9
124.0
172.6
175.1
140.3
168.7
167.1
150.7
178.4
132.3
172.0
171.4
146.2
170.5
168.3
151.9
179.5
133.0
172.9
174.2
149.0
172.3
170.5
155.0
183.7
128.7
173.2
176.5
149.9
173.5
161.6
146.6
166.3
131.9
171.9
172.6
153.0
171.3
162.3
147.6
166.4
134.1
172.5
177.5
152.3
171.8
164.9
152.4
170.1
132.6
172.2
181.1
152.4
173.6
151.2
153.0
163.2
151.4
152.9
164.4
153.6
154.0
166.9
157.4
162.1
171.8
157.1
162.0
173.6
159.3
162.5
175.8
156.4
158.9
184.2
157.0
159.2
186.3
159.1
160.7
188.6
154.7
158.3
171.9
155.5
159.0
172.7
158.6
161.1
174.4
C O M M O D IT Y A N D S E R V IC E G R O U P
Commodities...........................................................................................................................
Commodities less food and beverages .........................................................................
Services....................................................................................................................................
N o r th C e n t r a l R e g io n
E X P E N D IT U R E C A T E G O R Y
All items .................................................................................................................................
Food and beverages ......................................................................................................
Housing...........................................................................................................................
Apparel and upkeep ......................................................................................................
Transportation ...............................................................................................................
Medical care ..................................................................................................................
Entertainment..................................................................................................................
Other goods and services .............................................................................................
167.3
144.6
185.6
122.3
168.8
169.8
144.3
162.9
167.6
145.2
185.8
120.3
168.9
172.4
144.2
163.8
168.7
149.4
186.2
116.7
168.6
176.2
144.6
165.9
162.6
142.8
170.3
131.8
170.1
173.1
134.7
175.8
163.6
143.8
171.5
131.2
171.6
173.9
133.6
177.4
165.2
148.0
173.4
126.6
170.9
176.9
135.7
177.4
161.1
144.8
167.8
131.6
171.8
167.6
149.9
161.1
161.6
144.7
169.0
132.3
172.1
168.0
148.4
161.7
162.5
148.6
169.9
129.0
171.1
170.2
148.3
163.0
162.1
153.2
165.9
129.2
169.4
175.5
138.9
172.4
162.8
152.9
167.0
127.5
170.8
177.6
139.1
172.3
163.7
155.9
167.0
123.0
170.0
183.2
144.2
175.0
155.6
161.2
184.6
155.6
160.9
185.2
156.8
160.0
186.3
153.7
158.4
176.9
154.2
158.7
178.6
155.7
158.6
180.4
152.7
156.5
174.7
152.6
156.3
176.2
153.6
155.7
176.8
153.0
153.0
176.5
152.9
153.0
178.3
153.8
152.7
179.3
C O M M O D IT Y A N D S E R V IC E G R O U P
Commodities...........................................................................................................................
Commodities less food and beverages .........................................................................
Services....................................................................................................................................
S o u th
E X P E N D IT U R E C A T E G O R Y
All Items .................................................................................................................................
Food and beverages ......................................................................................................
Housing...........................................................................................................................
Apparel and upkeep ......................................................................................................
Transportation ...............................................................................................................
Medical care ..................................................................................................................
Entertainment..................................................................................................................
Other goods and services ..............................................................................................
163.3
151.4
169.6
130.7
171.1
171.7
143.4
166.2
163.5
151.9
169.3
130.5
171.5
173.6
142.9
166.6
165.7
156.3
172.4
129.9
171.0
176.2
142.9
169.6
164.9
150.5
171.0
129.0
174.2
172.4
153.7
168.5
164.9
149.8
170.9
128.7
174.4
174.0
154.6
169.1
166.9
154.8
172.0
129.6
174.1
177.0
157.7
171.5
163.5
148.3
169.6
126.5
172.4
182.3
148.1
166.2
163.7
148.5
169.4
126.7
172.5
182.7
150.0
167.5
165.3
153.2
170.7
124.8
171.8
186.7
151.4
169.5
165.1
151.4
173.9
116.3
170.4
187.8
148.6
164.0
165.7
152.3
174.6
116.0
170.2
189.9
147.5
167.3
166.6
157.5
174.2
110.9
170.2
193.3
148.5
167.9
155.5
157.3
174.1
155.9
157.7
174.0
157.9
158.1
176.5
157.2
160.1
176.6
156.9
160.1
176.9
159.2
160.7
178.4
154.8
157.9
177.1
154.8
157.8
177.5
156.5
157.7
178.4
155.4
157.1
179.6
155.6
157.1
180.8
159.9
156.1
181.2
C O M M O D IT Y A N D S E R V IC E G R O U P
Commodities...........................................................................................................................
Commodities less food and beverages .........................................................................
Services....................................................................................................................................
W est
E X P E N D IT U R E C A T E G O R Y
All Items .................................................................................................................................
Food and beverages ......................................................................................................
Housing...........................................................................................................................
Apparel and upkeep ......................................................................................................
Transportation ...............................................................................................................
Medical care ..................................................................................................................
Entertainment..................................................................................................................
Other goods and services .............................................................................................
163.5
151.9
170.0
122.8
172.0
177.4
141.3
168.0
164.0
152.7
169.4
122.7
174.2
178.0
142.6
168.8
165.7
155.8
171.7
123.8
172.9
181.2
144.3
171.1
163.8
153.6
168.1
127.6
174.3
175.6
146.8
168.4
164.0
154.4
167.2
127.9
175.3
176.5
147.5
170.0
165.3
158.4
168.4
124.9
175.0
178.2
148.1
171.3
155.9
149.4
154.2
125.0
169.9
180.6
147.4
164.6
156.3
150.2
153.9
123.4
171.1
180.9
148.8
166.2
157.6
153.7
154.6
123.8
170.5
184.5
151.8
166.8
163.9
154.9
164.9
146.2
169.8
179.0
160.6
175.3
164.0
156.0
164.4
144.4
171.1
178.9
161.2
174.5
164.8
160.3
165.2
141.2
168.6
183.8
161.4
175.3
152.4
152.7
177.8
153.5
153.9
177.8
154.1
152.9
180.6
155.7
156.8
174.9
156.3
157.2
174.7
157.3
156.2
176.2
153.4
155.0
159.1
154.3
156.0
158.8
155.3
155.3
160.4
153.8
153.4
178.6
154.3
153.6
178.3
154.6
151.5
179.9
C O M M O D IT Y A N D S E R V IC E G R O U P
Commodities...........................................................................................................................
Commodities less food and beverages .........................................................................
Services....................................................................................................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
87
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Current Labor Statistics: Consumer Prices
22.
Consumer Price Index— U.S. city average, and selected areas
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
A ll U r b a n C o n s u m e r s
U r b a n W a g e E a r n e r s a n d C le r ic a l W o r k e r s
1984
1983
A re a 1
1983
1984
M a r.
O c t.
Nov.
D ec.
Jan.
Feb.
M a r.
M a r.
O c t.
Nov.
Dec
Jan.
Feb.
M a r.
U.S. city average2 ......................................................................
293.4
302.6
303.1
303.5
305.2
306.6
307.3
293.0
301.3
301.4
301.5
302.7
303.3
303.3
Anchorage, Alaska (10/67 = 100) ............................................
Atlanta, Ga.....................................................................................
Baltimore, Mb................................................................................
Bostor. Mass.................................................................................
Buffalo, N.Y...................................................................................
261.0
274.4
253.9
310.4
302.0
295.0
285.1
Chicago, III.-Northwestern Ind......................................................
Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind................................................................
Cleveland, O hio............................................................................
Dallas-Ft. Worth, Tex.....................................................................
Denver-Boulder, Colo....................................................................
293.7
307.6
305.4
320.0
291.4
307.6
344.7
326.8
Detroit, Mich..................................................................................
292.4
298.2
304.1
289.8
298.9
287.1
276.4
324.3
303.3
297.0
300.7
289.6
285.9
322.4
303.9
299 0
165.6
316.8
159.7
311.0
299.9
293.0
280.3
280.6
296.7
285.5
298.0
302.7
349.8
283.0
293.2
315.4
310.2
305.1
290.8
294.6
Honolulu, H aw aii.........................................................................
Houston, Tex.................................................................................
Kansas City, Mo.-Kansas ..........................................................
Los Angeles-Long Beach, Anaheim, Calif.....................................
270.4
304.4
292.8
286.6
302.3
303.9
316.8
159.0
305.0
Philadelphia, Pa.-N.J.....................................................................
Pittsburgh, Pa................................................................................
Portland, Oreg.-Wash....................................................................
St. Louis, Mo.-Ill...........................................................................
San Diego, Calif.............................................................................
283.0
284.7
293.2
327.5
San Francisco-Oakland, Calif.........................................................
Seattle Everett. Wash....................................................................
Washington, D.C.-Md.-Va.............................................................
297.8
289.3
283.5
278.9
303.9
299.9
300.1
296.5
278.4
320.7
303.0
297.7
291.2
313.7
291.7
317.5
294.3
291.8
314.3
88
297.3
291.0
294.4
319.6
299.0
296.4
315.5
311.1
303.4
294.5
301.3
297.8
288.2
317.9
300.0
299.9
164.9
328.9
294.2
304.7
294.8
312.5
288.2
294.3
302.6
296.0
313.8
318.2
317.7
341.7
307.9
304.7
302.9
297.9
284.3
323.5
296.6
299.0
297.9
165.9
327.5
289.6
299.3
323 7
290.2
293.2
296.7
166.3
335.3
318.6
290.5
298.5
299.6
289.9
294.0
298.8
292.2
297.3
326.6
289.5
296.8
329.6
306.1
299.0
302.7
296.9
336.0
301.8
287.3
290.9
307.2
298.2
285.9
298.3
313.4
314.9
313.5
301.4
used for New York and Chicago.
2Average of 85 cities.
294.2
338.4
312.7
288.7
265.9
309.6
303 8
294.4
285.6
295.7
316.0
317.6
314.7
311.7
307.3
309.5
298.6
1The 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
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
299.1
280.7
323.6
306.4
300.2
295.1
300.9
346.6
293.9
299.6
342.3
305.7
303.1
165.0
314.0
164.0
312.5
293.9
288.5
301.3
264.0
309.7
302.4
292.5
286.8
331.1
322.7
343.0
339.8
316.8
292.9
305.0
264.0
306.3
290.5
305.2
318.4
330.7
317.6
332.5
318.5
329.6
309.3
307.6
296.6
288.2
288.5
Miami, Fla. (11/77 = 100) .......................................................
Milwaukee, WIs.............................................................................
Minneapolls-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis..................................................
New York, N.Y.-Northeastern N.J................................................
Northeast, Pa. (Scranton) . : ....................................................
271.5
307.3
304.7
294.0
308.7
299.4
308.1
299.9
308.2
23.
Producer Price Indexes, by stage of processing
[1967 = 100]
Annual
C o m m o d it y g r o u p in g
1983
1984
av erag e
1983
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug.
S e p t.
O c t.
Nov.
D e c .1
Jan.
Feb.
M ar.
A p r.
F IN IS H E D G O O D S
Finished go o d s ............................................................................
285.2
283.1
284.2
285.0
285.7
286.1
285.1
287.6
286.8
r287.2
289.4
290.6
291.7
291.4
Finished consumer goods .................................................
Finished consumer foods ..............................................
Crude ............................................................................
Processed ...................................................................
Nondurable goods less fo o d s .........................................
Durable goods ................................................................
Consumer nondurable goods less food and energy . . .
Capital equipment................................................................
284.6
261.8
259.5
259.9
335.3
233.1
231.4
287.3
282.3
262.9
265.8
260.5
328.7
232.2
230.1
286.2
283.6
262.6
267.2
260.1
332.0
232.9
230.3
286.5
284.6
261.2
251.2
260.0
335.7
233.1
230.7
286.7
285.2
260.7
247.1
259.8
337.7
233.4
232.0
287.2
285.7
260.7
259.9
258.7
338.6
233.8
232.7
287.7
285.1
263.0
267.4
260.5
338.6
229.2
233.0
285.1
287.0
263.7
287.3
259.5
338.1
235.3
233.6
289.9
285.9
261.9
270.4
259.0
336.8
235.4
234.1
r290.0
r286.3
r264.3
r266.0
r262.0
r335.2
r235.9
r234.0
290.4
288.8
272.2
309.2
266.7
335.0
235.9
235.8
291.5
290.1
274.7
315.9
268.9
335.9
236.2
236.1
292.5
291.4
277.0
332.5
269.8
337.0
236.6
237.2
292.7
290.6
275.0
307.9
269.9
336.7
236.7
237.6
294.1
Intermediate materials, supplies, and components....................
312.4
308.7
309.7
311.3
312.8
314.0
315.5
315.6
315.5
r315.7
316.6
317.4
319.5
320.2
Materials and components for manufacturing....................
293.3
291.0
291.9
292.4
294.1
294.7
296.7
296.4
296.5
r297.6
298.6
299.5
301.7
302.6
Materials for food manufacturing...................................
Materials for nondurable manufacturing .......................
Materials for durable manufacturing .............................
Components for manufacturing......................................
258.4
279.9
319.3
280.3
255.1
277.3
316.6
278.9
257.0
277.7
318.4
279.4
257.0
277.7
319.0
280.3
257.4
279.7
320.9
281.6
260.5
281.1
320.9
281.5
269.4
282.7
323.1
281.8
263.5
283.3
322.3
282.6
260.0
284.6
321.6
283.0
r262.9
r285.7
r322.8
r283.5
268.3
287.0
322.9
284.0
267.9
286.9
325.2
284.9
269.2
290.2
328.3
285.2
271.3
291.4
329.0
285.9
IN T E R M E D IA T E M A T E R IA L S
Materials and components for construction.......................
301.7
300.9
301.2
302.4
302.9
303.7
303.1
303.6
303.9
r304.9
305.4
307.5
309.2
310.1
Processed fuels and lubricants...........................................
Manufacturing industries.................................................
Nonmanufacturing industries .........................................
566.8
481.9
641.1
543.3
460.4
615.9
547.8
462.9
622.2
562.0
475.9
637.5
567.9
480.9
644.1
572.0
485.1
648.0
573.4
487.2
648.8
574.2
490.5
647.2
568.1
484.9
640.6
r561.7
r478.8
r634.0
562.4
482.8
631.5
561.7
478.3
634.5
568.4
484.2
641.8
564.2
482.7
635.1
Containers............................................................................
286.6
284.8
285.8
285.9
286.1
286.3
287.1
288.1
289.3
r289.9
291.5
293.2
295.5
298.4
Supplies...............................................................................
Manufacturing industries.................................................
Nonmanufacturing industries .........................................
Feeds ............................................................................
Other supplies.............................................................
277.0
269.9
280.9
225.5
292.7
275.5
268.6
279.3
219.8
291.9
275.6
268.9
279.3
218.1
292.2
275.6
269.8
278.8
213.4
292.5
276.2
270.1
279.6
216.2
291.9
277.9
270.5
282.0
230.7
293.0
280.2
270.8
285 3
249.6
293.4
280.6
271.8
285.3
246.7
294.0
281.6
272.2
286.7
251.0
294.8
r281.6
r273.3
r286.1
r243.9
r295.5
282.5
274.0
287.1
244.5
296.5
282.2
275.9
285.7
227.8
298.0
283.1
276.2
286.9
232.3
298.6
284.1
277.7
287.7
233.5
299.3
Crude materials for further processing ......................................
323.6
325.8
325.8
323.3
320.6
327.1
328.5
324.8
324.0
r327.5
333.7
332.8
339.4
340.1
Foodstuffs and feedstuffs....................................................
252.3
256.8
256.5
252.1
248.4
256.4
257.2
253.7
251.8
r256.0
264.2
260 7
270.7
270.4
C R U D E M A T E R IA L S
Nonfood materials................................................................
477.2
474.6
475.4
476.8
476.2
479.6
482.5
478.2
479.4
r481.6
483.6
488.2
487.9
490.4
Nonfood materials except fu e l.........................................
Manufacturing industries ............................................
Construction................................................................
372.0
381.6
271.1
367.0
376.1
270.0
369.0
378.3
270.3
370.5
379.9
271.3
371.6
381.6
270.9
375.6
385.7
271.0
378.1
388.3
272.5
377.1
387.4
270.5
377.7
387.9
272.1
r379.1
r389.4
r272.7
380.3
390.5
273.9
385.5
395.5
280.2
388.1
399.1
276.8
389.0
399.8
278.2
Crude fu e l.........................................................................
Manufacturing industries ............................................
Nonmanufacturing Industries......................................
931.5
1,094.8
816.2
941.6
1,107.6
824.0
935.9
1,100.9
819.1
936.7
1,102.3
819.4
927.8
1,090.4
813.0
926.9
1,088.9
812.5
931.0
1,093.9
816.1
910.9
1,067.1
801.1
915.3
1,071.8
805.3
r921.1
r1,079.0
r810.1
927.0
1,087.7
813.7
927.4
1,087.5
814.6
911.5
1,066.1
803.2
922.2
1,081.1
810.3
Finished goods excluding foo d s .................................................
Finished consumer goods excluding foods .......................
Finished consumer goods less energy................................
290.9
291.3
249.9
287.7
287.3
249.5
289.3
289.4
249.7
290.8
291.6
249.4
291.8
292.6
249.9
292.5
293.5
250.2
290.3
291.4
249.7
293.4
293.9
252.1
293.0
293.2
251.7
292.6
292.5
r252.6
292.9
292.5
256.0
293.6
293.1
257.1
294.3
293.9
258.4
294.6
293.7
257.9
Intermediate materials less foods and feeds .............................
Intermediate materials less energy......................................
317.2
295.1
313.6
293.2
314.6
293.9
316.4
294.4
318.0
295.6
318.7
296.5
319.5
298.1
320.0
298.2
319.9
298.5
r320.2
r299.4
320.9
300.3
322.1
301.2
324.2
303.0
324.8
304.1
Intermediate foods and feeds
....................................................
247.8
243.6
244.4
242.8
244.0
250.9
263.2
258.2
257.4
r256.9
260.7
254.9
257.3
259.1
Crude materials less agricultural products ................................
Crude materials less energy ...............................................
538.4
246.5
536.1
248.6
536.2
249.0
537.5
246.2
536.8
243.9
540.0
251.2
542.9
252.5
538.8
249.6
540.3
248.3
r543 2
r252.0
546.6
258.5
552.1
257.4
550.4
265.8
553.3
266.0
S P E C IA L G R O U P IN G S
1Data for December 1983 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.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
r = revised.
89
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Current Labor Statistics: Producer Prices
24.
Producer Price Indexes, by commodity groupings
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
1983
A nnual
C o m m o d ity g ro u p a n d s u b g ro u p
Code
A p r.
M ay
303.1
321.6
300.6
318.9
301.5
319.9
253.9
315.8
254.7
312.4
1983
A ll c o m m o d itie s
.........................................................................................................................................
A ll c o m m o d itie s ( 1 9 5 7 - 5 9
F a rm
=
100)
....................................................................................
p ro d u c ts a n d p ro c e s s e d fo o d s a n d fe e d s
In d u s t r ia l c o m m o d i ti e s
FARM
1984
a v e ra g e
June
O c t.
Nov.
D e c .1
Jan.
Feb.
M a r.
A p r.
305.3
323.9
306.0
324.7
305.5
324.1
'306.1
r324.8
308.1
326.9
308.8
327.6
311.1
330.1
311.4
330.4
255.5
317.3
259.1
317.1
257.5
318.5
256.0
318.3
r257.9
318.4
264.4
319.2
263.5
320.4
268.3
321.9
267.9
322.5
244.3
258.2
236.7
240.7
214.5
230.4
278.7
177.2
227.3
282.5
253.5
270.4
251.8
242.2
221.4
240.7
281.7
189.5
262.8
285.7
256.4
276.0
258.0
231.5
242.2
238.7
284.4
200.1
297.8
287.3
255.2
308.1
253.7
229.4
208.5
234.5
284.1
251.0
275.2
257.5
220.5
238.5
243.6
283.2
254.0
r276.1
243.6
238.2
241.2
244.1
281.4
(2)
288.8
283.7
(2)
287.6
283.5
(2)
282.2
276.9
263.3
290.4
245.5
250.7
252.6
229.3
279.1
282.4
287.3
280.2
261.5
311.5
235.3
251.9
251.3
232.7
275.7
280.7
265.4
278.9
267.4
307.0
250.9
260.8
258.4
250.3
274.2
235.8
281.4
278.6
265.4
262.8
262.1
260.8
240.8
252.3
272.7
264.4
282.1
281.0
J u ly
Aug.
302.4
320.8
303.2
321.7
304.7
323.3
254.7
313.6
252.5
315.3
251.5
316.5
250.4
260.1
242.2
258.0
186.9
223.8
279.8
185.1
227.3
281.0
247.4
264.4
241.5
251.7
199.3
229.7
278.6
169.3
213.3
284.4
S e p t.
PRO DU CTS AND PRO CESSED FOODS
A N D FEEDS
01
01-1
01-2
01-3
01-4
01-5
01-6
01-7
01-8
01-9
Farm products..................................................................................
Fresh and dried fruits and vegetables.........................................
Grains..........................................................................................
Livestock ....................................................................................
Live poultry..................................................................................
Plant and animal fibers .............................................................
Fluid m ilk ....................................................................................
Eggs.............................................................................................
Hay, hayseeds, and oilseeds ....................................................
Other farm products...................................................................
248.2
261.7
240.4
243.1
206.5
227.0
282.0
<2)
246.8
282.1
250.5
266.6
243.8
260.6
170.8
213.6
280.8
170.0
226.3
279.2
02
02-1
02-2
02-3
02-4
02-5
02-6
02-7
02-8
02-9
Processed foods and feeds.............................................................
Cereal and bakery products.......................................................
Meats, poultry, and fis h .............................................................
Dairy products ............................................................................
Processed fruits and vegetables..................................................
Sugar and confectionery.............................................................
Beverages and beverage materials ............................................
Fats and oils ...............................................................................
Miscellaneous processed fo o d s .................................................
Prepared animal fe e d s ................................................................
256.0
260.9
249.4
250.6
277.1
292.8
263.6
239.6
254.4
228.5
256.0
258.8
259.1
251.0
273.7
287.4
263.0
214.6
249.9
222.8
256.1
259.1
257.8
250.9
275.3
289.9
263.6
220.0
249.9
221.3
254.3
260.3
250.2
250.4
277.1
296.0
263.0
219.3
251.5
217.1
254.4
261.4
247.3
250.4
277.1
296.4
263.7
222.2
255.0
220.0
255.5
262.8
243.2
250.4
278.3
298.9
263.9
245.6
252.7
233.0
259.6
263.6
242.9
250.6
278.6
300.2
264.3
303.5
258.4
249.3
257.8
264.6
237.0
251.3
281.1
298.0
265.2
281.7
262.1
248.6
257.6
265.2
234.7
251.4
280.9
297.7
266.3
274.5
264.8
252.1
r259.0
r265.1
r242.3
r248.9
r282.9
'297.5
266.5
271.7
r266.2
'245.6
263.9
266.1
256.9
248.5
285.3
299.0
268.4
278.7
266.7
246.0
263.5
267.0
255.6
248.6
291.8
300.6
270.0
269.1
275.3
231.1
267.8
267.9
267.7
249.0
293.2
299.3
270.2
282.5
274.7
235.3
268.2
268.2
265.3
249.2
295.6
301.8
271.6
290.9
276.0
236.3
03
03-1
03-2
03-3
03-4
03-81
03-82
Textile products and apparel..........................................................
Synthetic fibers (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) .................................................
Processed yarns and threads (12/75 = 100) ..........................
Gray fabrics (12/75 = 1 0 0 ).......................................................
Finished fabrics (12/75 = 1 0 0 ).................................................
Apparel .......................................................................................
Textile housefurnishings.............................................................
204.9
156.8
138.3
146.9
123.1
197.1
235.6
203.5
153.8
136.0
145.8
123.1
195.8
234.2
204.3
155.6
137.4
146.2
122.8
196.5
237.6
204.7
155.9
137.6
145.8
122.5
197.9
235.2
205.3
158.3
138.5
146.1
122.4
198.4
234.8
206.0
157.5
140.2
146.7
123.6
198.7
234.5
206.2
158.0
140.3
147.3
123.4
198.7
235.3
207.0
160.5
141.3
149.4
123.8
198.8
234.5
207.7
159.3
141,7
151.4
124.4
199.4
234.4
'207.8
'158.1
'142.9
'152.0
'124.8
'199.0
'235.3
208.0
159.2
142.3
152.8
125.0
198.7
236.6
209.3
161.5
144.0
152.8
126.3
199.8
236.2
209.9
161.2
143.8
152.9
127.1
200.7
237.1
209.6
166.6
143.7
153.0
126.6
200.3
238.0
04
04-2
04-3
04-4
Hides, skins, leather, and related products...................................
Leather .......................................................................................
Footwear ....................................................................................
Other leather and related products ...........................................
271.4
330.8
250.1
253.7
267.4
320.5
250.0
251.0
269.4
326.6
248.7
251.7
271.2
335.9
249.9
251.7
272.3
337.9
249.9
253.5
274.7
343.4
250.9
253.7
274.4
339.4
251.6
253.5
273.7
336.6
251.3
253.5
277.0
340.5
257.3
255.8
'277.3
'344.1
'250.3
'255.6
280.1
346.4
251.7
258.9
283.2
361.3
251.6
259.1
287.0
372.6
253.3
260.9
287.4
381.7
251.8
261.6
05
05-1
05-2
05-3
05-4
05-61
05-7
Fuels and related products and power............................................
C o a l.............................................................................................
Coke.............................................................................................
665.9
536.8
447.8
1,147.9
418.0
681.5
686.4
651.9
644.8
535.2
538.0
438.4
447.3
1,156.1 1,156.7
409.2
412.2
678.0
678.0
645.9
659.3
665.5
534.1
438.4
1,155.1
419.4
677.9
684.2
668.7
671.7
534.8
536.6
453.9
431.6
1,148.9 1,145.9
426.4
427.2
675.7
675.1
688.7
694.9
672.3
537.9
453.9
1,147.0
427.9
675.7
695.3
669.5
663.7
'658.0
538.2
542.3
'543.9
453.1
453.8
'415.4
1,128.4 1,122.0 '1,120.4
423.6
418.7
'417.3
675.7
675.8
'674.4
695.3
688.2
'678.3
655.8
541.0
418.3
1,126.8
420.9
676.0
669.7
656.7
543.4
418.3
1,123.8
424.4
676.0
670.1
06
06-1
06-21
06-22
06-3
06-4
06-5
06-6
06-7
Chemicals and allied products.......................................................
Industrial chemicals6 ...................................................................
Prepared paint
Paint materials............................................................................
Drugs and pharmaceuticals .......................................................
Fats and oils, inedible................................................................
Agricultural chemicals and chemical products ..........................
Plastic resins and materials.......................................................
292.9
342.9
264.7
305.6
226.2
283.7
280.7
290.2
273.7
291.3
338.7
264.7
299.8
225.1
278.3
282.8
285.4
274.7
291.1
338.8
264.7
300.2
225.2
287.1
282.4
288.0
272.0
290.8
338.5
264.7
299.5
225.2
276.9
280.6
289.1
272.4
293.7
347.0
265.2
300.5
227.6
260.9
278.1
291.3
274,2
294.4
347.6
265.4
305.7
227.3
278.1
277.1
293.7
274.2
295.9
345.6
264.5
316.2
227.4
329.0
276.0
302.6
274.3
295.5
344.9
264.2
316.9
229.3
318.6
276.4
299.1
274.4
296.4
346.2
264.5
316.5
231.0
321.6
280.4
297.9
273.8
'297.7
'349.2
264.9
315.5
'230.9
'318.8
'281.9
'301.5
'273.6
298.5
347.7
265.7
316.3
233.3
334.4
279.2
304.2
275.9
296.7
338.0
266.9
313.9
234.4
348.9
287.1
305.0
273.7
300.8
346.0
267.6
317.3
237.5
362.4
289.6
306.6
275.7
301.8
345.1
267.3
327.6
239.9
382.1
288.3
308.6
277.1
07
07-1
07-11
07-12
07-13
07-2
Rubber plastic products ................................................................
Rubber and rubber products.......................................................
Crude rubber ...............................................................................
Tires and tubes............................................................................
Miscellaneous rubber products ..................................................
Plastic products (6/78 = 100) ..................................................
243.4
266.6
280.9
245.4
286.0
135.3
243.0
267.0
281.3
246.5
285.7
134.6
243.2
267.0
280.6
246.3
286.0
134.8
243.1
265.6
280.2
243.7
285.9
135.5
243.4
265.2
283.2
242.4
285.7
136.0
243.7
265.1
284.6
242.8
284.5
136.4
243.2
263.9
284.4
242.5
281.6
136.6
244.4
264.8
284.3
242.6
283.8
137.4
243.6
264.3
282.7
242.4
283.5
136.7
'243.8
'264.6
'282.2
'242.3
'284.6
'136.8
244.1
265.6
282.9
242.9
286.2
136.7
245.4
266.6
282.8
243.0
288.7
137.6
246.1
265.9
282.0
242.3
287.9
138.8
246.5
266.7
282.5
243.2
288.8
138.8
08
08-1
08-2
08-3
08-4
Lumber and wood products ..........................................................
Lum ber.......................................................................................
Millwork.......................................................................................
Plywood.......................................................................................
Other wood products...................................................................
307.3
353.1
302.3
244.1
230.6
307.2
354.2
302.8
239.4
230.8
308.0
358.6
299.0
241.1
231.1
314.8
372.8
294.9
255.5
229.6
314.6
373.1
296.3
252.5
229.7
313.9
366.6
306.6
246.2
229.3
305.6
346.6
305.9
242.2
229.4
305.6
344.7
307.4
246.6
229.6
304.9
342.8
307.9
244.6
229.8
'308.7
'351.3
'308.5
'247.2
'230.6
309.2
353.2
308 5
248.3
229.8
315.6
365.4
308.5
249.5
230.7
316.0
369.2
309.7
248.7
232.0
315.4
369.6
307.7
244.0
233.3
IN D U S T R IA L C O M M O D IT IE S
Electric power ............................................................................
Crude petroleum4 ......................................................................
Petroleum products, refined5 ....................................................
See footnotes at end of table.
90
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
659.6
656.5
546.0
543.0
434.4
429.5
1,096.4 1,115.2
427.1
431.9
674.3
676.0
667.3
680.7
24.
Continued— Producer Price Indexes, by commodity groupings
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
1983
Annual
Code
C o m m o d it y g r o u p a n d s u b g r o u p
1984
a verag e
1983
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
A ug.
S e p t.
298.8
271.1
346.4
<2)
280.9
250.1
264.7
252 1
299.9
273.1
34.4
194.4
286.0
254.0
265.0
252 8
O c t.
Nov.
D e c .1
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
A p r.
303.6
277.4
356.7
215.0
288.5
259.4
267.9
254 7
'304.0
'277.4
'355.5
211.5
'289.3
'260.9
268.0
r?5n 4
307.6
280.0
364.4
211.5
294.3
262.2
269.4
310.5
283.3
371.5
229.3
296.6
269.3
271.6
312.7
286.4
376.0
242.9
299.2
273.6
274.1
315.3
290.1
392.5
258 8
300.6
275.4
277.7
I N D U S T R IA L C O M M O D IT IE S — C o n t in u e d
09
09-1
09-11
09-12
09-13
09-14
09-15
09-2
Pulp, paper, and allied products....................................................
Pulp, paper.and products.excluding building paper and board
Woodpuip.....................................................................................
Wastepaoer..................................................................................
Paper ...........................................................................................
Paperboard ..................................................................................
Converted paper and paperboard products................................
Building paper and board ..........................................................
297.7
271.0
346 6
295.4
268.5
342.5
296.0
268.7
343.2
297.0
269.2
344.9
<2)
281.9
250.5
265.4
250.0
<2)
278.5
248.1
264.2
247.0
(2)
279.0
248.7
264.1
249 3
(2)
279.5
249.4
264.5
255 7
297 8
270 2
345.8
183 3
279 2
249 7
264.1
256 2
10
10-1
10-17
10-2
10-3
10-4
10-5
10-6
10-7
10-8
Metals and metal products..........................................................
Iron and steel...............................................................................
Steel mill products......................................................................
Nonferrous m e tals ......................................................................
Metal containers ...................................................................
Hardware.....................................................................................
Plumbing fixtures and brass fittings .........................................
Heating equipment......................................................................
Fabricated structural metal products .........................................
Miscellaneous metal products....................................................
307 1
343.3
352 6
276 0
335 2
290 0
289.1
243.4
303.3
283.8
304 6
341.5
349.7
271.8
331.9
288 6
287.7
242.3
302.5
280.7
306 1
340.9
349.8
277.7
337.1
288.5
289.1
242.7
302.1
280.8
306 3
341.3
350.1
275.7
337 4
291.5
290.8
243.0
302.0
283.4
307 3
342.1
350.8
278.4
336.5
292.1
290 4
244.9
302.2
283.7
308 2
343.2
351.7
279.8
336.6
292.2
290.2
245.1
303.0
284.0
310 7
810 0
348.1
358.1
282.0
338.5
292.5
292.4
246 6
304.3
284.3
348.5
358.7
279.3
338.3
292.7
292.7
245.3
304.2
289.0
349.5
359.5
276.6
338.2
293.1
294.1
245.5
305.3
289.5
'350.9
'360.0
'278.2
'340.3
'293.5
'294.0
'245.7
'306.0
'289.6
354.1
362.8
276.1
344.5
292.5
293.9
247.3
306.5
289.9
356.3
363.5
279.5
344.9
292.9
296.9
248.4
306 9
290.7
356.1
363.6
286.1
345.6
293.2
299 9
248.8
308.5
291.7
356.5
364.3
289.0
345.5
293.6
301.4
250.3
309.3
292.7
11
11-1
11-2
11-3
11 4
11-6
11-7
11-9
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 ..........................................................
286 4
326.3
351.9
326.2
368.2
337.1
240.0
274.5
285.4
323.9
350.9
326.2
308.2
334.5
238.4
274.2
286.0
326.4
352.3
326.7
308.4
335.8
238.5
275.3
286 2
326.4
352.5
327.0
308.4
336.7
238.8
275.0
287.4
327.1
352.8
326.6
308.5
338.0
241.7
275.2
287.4
327.3
352.9
326.5
307.9
339.0
241.7
275.3
287.9
287.6
328.5
328.0
353.5
353.6
326.6
327.0
308.1
307.8
339.8 ■ 340.6
242.9
242.6
274.5
273.3
288.0
328.6
353.9
327 3
308.6
341.0
242 8
273.7
288 8
'330.1
'353.6
'328.7
'309.8
'342.0
'243.8
'273.9
289.6
330.9
354.3
328.3
310 3
341.0
244.6
276.3
290.4
331.1
355.9
330.4
310.7
343.3
245.5
275.5
291.2
332.7
355.8
330.2
311.7
345.0
246.5
276.0
292.4
335.5
357.6
332.4
313.1
347.1
247.3
276.2
12
12-1
12-2
12-3
12-4
12-5
12-6
Furniture and household durables..................................................
Household furniture ...................................................................
Commercial furniture................................................................
Floor coverings......................................................................
Household appliances ................................................................
Home electronic equipment..................................................
Other household durable goods...............................................
213.9
234.7
286.5
185 0
206.8
86.2
312.5
212.8
231.8
286.2
182.2
206.3
86 6
312.0
213 6
234.4
285.9
182.1
207.5
86.4
312.7
214.0
235.0
286 9
181.4
207.5
86 5
314.3
214.8
235 4
287.5
186.6
207.8
85.9
314.8
214.9
236.3
286.5
188.9
207.7
85.5
313.9
215.4
236.6
287.3
189.5
208.0
85 8
314.5
215.3
236.9
287.4
189.5
207.6
85 8
314.0
215.7
237.4
289.9
189.3
208.0
85.1
315.1
'215.7
'237.2
'289.5
'189.4
'208.5
'84.5
'315.2
216.3
238.2
290.8
189.0
209.4
84.3
315.9
216.9
239.2
293.9
187.7
210.6
84.4
315.2
217.4
240.0
296.4
187.5
210.8
84.3
315.0
217.9
240.7
297.5
187.4
210.7
84.1
317.9
13
13-11
13-2
13-3
13-4
13-5
13-6
13-7
13-8
13-9
Nonmetallic mineral products ............................................
Flat g la s s .....................................................................................
Concrete ingredients...................................................................
Concrete products ......................................................................
Structural clay products, excluding refractories ....................
Refractories.................................................................
Asphalt roofing.....................................................
Gypsum products .....................................................
Glass containers .........................................................................
Other nonmetallic minerals .........................................
325.3
229.7
314.0
301.8
277.6
341.6
383 0
284.9
352.6
480.1
324.1
229.7
312.8
301.0
275.7
338.2
384.0
271.9
353 5
478.7
324.1
229.7
313.7
301.1
277.6
338.2
380.0
275.7
351.8
478.5
324.5
229 7
314.2
301.6
281.5
336.8
379.6
273.8
351.8
479.5
325.1
229.8
314.0
302 3
282.4
338.2
385.3
276 0
351.6
479.7
326.3
229.7
316.4
302.7
282.4
339 4
383.4
289.3
351.3
481.9
327.2
229.5
317.2
303.5
282.4
340.2
387.2
297.8
351.1
482.5
328 0
229.6
316.7
303.3
283.5
344.7
387.9
312 8
350.2
483.2
328 9
230.1
314.8
304.1
284.1
353.3
387.8
315.1
350.4
487.4
'328.9
'229.9
'314.6
'304.2
'284.2
'353.3
'384.2
'322.6
'350.4
'486.8
328.8
229.5
312.9
305.6
283.7
355.0
381.4
328.5
351.0
485.4
332.3
230.0
321.3
306.4
283.0
357.0
390.4
339.4
350.9
486.8
14
14-1
14-4
Transportation equipment (12/68 = 1 0 0 )................................
Motor vehicles and equipment.....................................................
Railroad equipment......................................................................
256.7
256.8
352.5
255.6
255.9
350.0
255.8
256.2
350.4
256.1
256.7
350.1
256.2
256.6
351.3
256.8
256.8
351.0
250.4
249.1
350.7
260.6
260.6
348.6
260.5
260.5
348.6
260.7
'260.6
'350.5
261.7
261.0
359.2
262.3
261.2
359.2
262.4
261.3
359.7
262.9
::á .8
3F1.2
15
15-1
15-2
15-3
15-4
15-5
15-9
Miscellaneous products................................................................
Toys, sporting goods, small arms, ammunition.......................
Tobacco products ......................................................................
Notions........................................................................................
Photographic equipment and supplies ......................................
Mobile homes (12/74 = 1 0 0 ).........................................
Other miscellaneous products.....................................................
289.5
225.2
365.3
280.1
215.8
163.2
351.5
287.4
226.3
354.1
280.3
216.6
162.3
350.3
287.1
226.0
353.8
280.3
216 6
162.4
349 2
288.0
225 9
352.1
280.3
216.5
163.1
353.4
291.5
224 3
373.4
280 3
216.5
163.5
353.7
292.0
224.5
376.7
279.7
216.6
163.7
352.9
291.4
224.8
376.9
279.7
216.6
164.3
349.6
291.7
225.9
376.8
279.7
216.8
164.8
349.2
291.7
225.2
377.0
279 6
216.8
165.0
349.3
'292.8
'225.3
'377.1
280.1
'216.8
'165.1
'353.2
295.3
228.0
389.4
281.4
295.0
228.4
390.3
282.2
218.2
162.8
350.2
295.0
228.2
390.3
282.2
213.3
162.7
354.0
294.5
226.6
390.4
283.0
213.9
164.0
351.5
1Data for December 1983 have been revised to reflect the availability of late reports and corrections
by respondents. All data are subiect to revision 4 months after original publication.
^Not available.
3Prices for natural gas are lagged 1 month.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
302.2
275.2
347.4
216.2
287.2
257.3
266.5
254 7
<2)
162.4
350.2
333.6
229.7
325.8
306.3
283.6
362.1
383.7
339.5
351.7
490.3
335.6
229.5
323.8
308.8
284.3
362 9
394.2
353 1
358.4
490.8
4 Includes only domestic production,
5Most prices for refined petroleum products are lagged 1 month.
6Some prices for industrial chemicals are lagged 1 month.
r = revised.
91
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Current Labor Statistics: Producer Prices
25.
Producer Price Indexes, for special commodity groupings
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
1983
A nnual
C o m m o d it y g r o u p in g
A p r.
M ay
Aug.
S e p t.
306.7
257.5
258.8
303.8
258.2
259.5
304.8
258.2
259.6
306.0
256.6
257.9
307.1
256.2
257.7
308.0
257.1
257.6
308.3
260.7
260.9
Industrial commodities less fu e ls ...............................................
Selected textile mill products (Dec. 1975 = 1 0 0 ) ....................
Hosery ........................................................................................
Underwear and nightwear ..........................................................
Chemicals and allied products, including synthetic rubber
and fibers and yarns................................................................
279.2
138.1
144.7
223.7
277.6
137.4
144.5
223.4
278.2
137.7
144.5
223.5
278.7
137.4
144.5
222.7
279.8
143.0
144.5
223.3
280.4
139.0
145.6
223.5
283.5
281.8
Pharmaceutical preparations.......................................................
Steel mill products, including fabricated wire products ............
Finished steel mill products, excluding fabricated wire
products ..................................................................................
Finished steel mill products, including fabricated wire
oroducts ..................................................................................
224.8
321.6
351.0
223.3
320.8
348.4
281.6
281.5
284.6
223.5
324.3
348.5
223.6
338.8
348.7
226.3
338.1
349.3
351.4
348.4
348.5
348.8
Special metals and metal products ............................................
Fabricated metal products..........................................................
Copper and copper products.......................................................
Machinery and motive products..................................................
Machinery and equipment, except electrical .............................
349.7
347.0
347.1
292.5
294.2
196.6
279.8
313.6
290.7
292.2
200.9
278.7
312.9
291.7
292.6
206.7
279.2
313.8
Agricultural machinery, including tractors ................................
Metalworking machinery.............................................................
Total tractors...............................................................................
Agricultural machinery and equipment less parts.......................
341.5
357.1
369.9
330.0
338.2
356.3
366.1
327.1
Farm and garden tractors less parts .........................................
Agricultural machinery, excluding tractors less parts ..............
Construction materials................................................................
347.5
336.9
297.7
342.2
335.2
296.1
1983
A ll c o m m o d i t i e s — le s s f a r m
A ll fo o d s
p ro d u c ts
.........................................................................................................................................................
P ro c e s s e d fo o d s
..............................................................................................................................
June
Nov.
D e c .1
Jan.
Feb.
M ar.
A p r.
309.2
260.5
258.6
309.1
258.0
258.0
309.4
r260.2
r260.4
310.8
268.3
266.2
311.8
270.3
267.1
313.7
273.5
271.9
314.2
271.6
272.1
280.0
139.1
145.6
224.5
281.8
139.4
145.6
224.7
282.2
139.8
145.6
224.6
r282.9
r140.1
145.6
r225.4
284.0
140.3
145.8
227.0
285.2
141.1
147.2
229.8
286.6
141.5
147.4
229.5
287.5
141.3
147.4
229.8
285.0
285.6
285.6
286.3
r287.4
288.0
286.4
289.9
290.6
226.0
331,5
350.1
227.1
316.5
355.9
229.4
316.7
356.4
231.3
314.7
357.4
231.8
r321.4
r357 8
234.1
323.0
360.4
235.8
331.7
361.0
238.7
334.0
361.2
241.6
332.8
361.8
349.4
350.3
357.1
357.8
358.6
r359.2
362.1
363.1
363.2
363.5
347.4
347.9
348.7
354.8
355.4
356.4
r356.9
359.5
360.4
360.6
360.9
292.0
294.0
201.3
279.4
313.9
292.6
294.2
201.6
280.1
314.2
293.5
294.7
201.2
280.4
314.2
291.5
295.5
198.2
277.7
314.3
296.4
297.2
190.7
282.2
314.1
296.3
297.9
182.6
282.4
314.6
r297.0
r298.4
r185 0
283.0
315.3
297.7
299.1
182.1
283.9
316.1
298 8
299.7
185.2
284.6
316.8
300.1
300.9
194.0
285.1
317.5
301.0
301.7
199.8
286.0
318.9
341.7
358.0
370.5
330.1
341.8
357.8
370.6
330.2
342.7
357.8
370.7
331.0
342.8
357.5
370.0
331.2
344.0
357.1
372.5
332.6
343.6
357.6
372.6
331.8
344.0
358.2
373.1
332.2
r346.4
r359.3
373.8
r334.2
346.7
359.8
374.0
334.8
347.1
362.6
374.5
335.2
349.2
362.0
376.1
337.2
352.9
363.2
384.3
340.4
348.8
336.2
296.8
348.8
336.4
298.6
348.8
338.0
310.6
347.5
339.2
299.8
350.6
338.9
299.9
350.7
338.2
300.4
350.9
338.7
300.4
r352.0
r342.2
r301.3
352.2
342.5
302.3
352.9
342.7
304.8
355.2
344.6
306.4
362.1
345.7
306.8
O c t.
Nov.
D e c .1
Jan.
Feb.
M ar.
A p r.
1Data for December 1983 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.
26.
1984
av e ra g e
J u ly
O c t.
r = revised.
Producer Price Indexes, by durability of product
[1967 = 100]
1984
1983
A nnual
C o m m o d it y g r o u p in g
av e ra g e
1983
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug.
S e p t.
Total durable goods ...................................................................
Total nondurable goods .............................................................
286.7
315.8
285.3
312.4
286.0
313.5
286.7
314.5
287.4
315.4
287.8
317.8
286.8
319.7
289.2
319.1
289.3
318.1
r290 1
r318.4
290.7
321.6
292.2
321.7
293.2
325.0
294.0
324.9
Total manufactures......................................................................
Durable ...............................................................................
Nondurable .........................................................................
295.7
287.3
304.4
292.7
286.0
299.7
293.7
286.7
301.0
295.0
287.3
303.1
296.1
288.0
304.5
296.9
288.3
305.9
297.2
287.2
307.8
298.5
289.6
307.7
298.4
289.8
307.4
r298.8
r290.5
307.5
300.0
291.1
309.4
301.0
292.4
310.0
302.7
293.3
312.5
303.0
294.1
312.3
Total raw or slightly processed goods ......................................
Durable
...................................................................
Nondurable .........................................................................
339.9
249.6
345.5
340.4
244.1
346.5
340.9
246.1
346.8
339.0
249.4
344.6
338.3
249.9
343.7
343.8
256.8
349.1
345.9
260.7
351.0
343.6
259.8
348.6
340.6
258.5
345.6
r341.8
r263.3
r346.5
348.9
267.7
353.8
348.2
275.4
352.4
353.7
279.2
358.0
354.1
280.2
358.4
1Data for December 1983 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.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
r = revised.
27.
Producer Price Indexes for the output of selected SIC industries
[1967 = 100 unless otherwise specified]
1972
1983
A nnual
In d u s try d e s c rip tio n
S IC
code
1984
av e ra g e
1983
A p r.
M ay
June
J u ly
Aug.
S e p t.
O c t.
Nov.
D e c .1
Jan.
Feb.
177.1
269.7
921.7
164.3
177.1
272.9
922.1
164.3
177.1
268.7
921.8
164.3
177.1
254.1
924.2
164.3
177.1
237.5
916.6
164.3
177.1
231.2
915.8
1364.3
177.1
243.3
920.0
164.3
177.1
283.3
907.2
171.7
177.1
287.5
909.4
172.9
177.1
277.0
r909.4
172.9
177.1
275.8
915.1
172.9
177.1
245.4
913.8
172.9
177.1
250 0
903.5
174.1
177.1
267.9
910.1
174.1
M a r.
A p r.
M IN IN G
1011
1092
1311
1455
Iron ores (12/75 = 1 0 0 )............................................
Mercury ores (12/75 = 100) ...................................
Crude petroleum and natural gas .............................
Kaolin and ball clay (6/76 = 1 0 0 ).............................
2021
2044
2067
2074
2083
Creamery butter..........................................................
Rice milling ................................................................
Chewing g u m .............................................................
Cottonseed oil m ills....................................................
Malt ............................................................................
275.8
193.4
326.8
204.5
234.1
275.6
188.9
326.1
186.8
232.6
275.6
191.3
326.1
186.2
232.6
275.6
194.5
327.2
179.2
232.6
275.6
193.7
327.2
192.4
232.6
276.1
198.1
327.3
220.6
232.6
278.4
201.1
327.3
262.9
232.6
278.1
196.7
327.3
253.5
232.6
278.1
199.6
327.5
233.1
241.6
269.5
199.6
327.5
223.3
241.6
267.3
199.6
327.9
229.2
241.6
267.6
198.1
328.1
201.2
241.6
268.4
198.1
328.3
212.2
241.6
268.4
198.1
328.8
222.4
241.6
2091
2098
2251
2261
2262
Canned and cured seafoods (12/73 = 100) ...........
Macaroni and spaghetti..............................................
Women's hosiery, except socks (12/75 = 100) . . .
Finishing plants, cotton (6/76 = 100) ..............
Finishing plants, synthetics, silk (6/76 = 100) . . . .
174.0
256.8
122.5
135.3
126.6
177.7
255.5
122.7
139.8
127.2
175.7
255.5
122.7
138.0
126.9
173.4
255.5
122.7
132.9
125.9
173.7
255.5
122.7
132.8
125.1
169.4
255.5
122.9
133.8
127.2
169.8
255.5
122.9
133.5
125.8
170.2
258.6
122.9
132.8
127.2
169.2
261.9
122.9
138.4
127.4
r169.7
261.9
r122.9
r139.4
r127.9
169.0
261.9
123.1
138.5
128.8
168.8
261.9
123.2
141.2
129.7
168.5
261.9
123.2
145.2
129.9
166.7
261.9
123.2
140.0
129.4
2284
2298
2361
2381
2394
Thread mills (6/76 = 1 0 0 ).........................................
Cordage and twine (12/77 = 100) ..........................
Children's dresses and blouses (12/77 = 100) . . . .
Fabric dress and work gloves ...................................
Canvas and related products (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ............
164.9
139.3
116.6
293.3
147.2
165.7
137.6
115.5
291.0
146.2
165.7
137.6
115.5
291.7
146.2
165.7
137.6
117.0
291.7
146.2
165.7
137.6
117.0
296.3
146.2
165.7
137.6
117.0
296.3
146.2
166.1
139.0
117.0
296.3
146.2
166.1
139.0
117.0
296.3
147.8
166.1
138.9
117.0
296.3
147.8
166.1
139.0
117.0
297.6
r147.8
166.1
139.1
118.2
295.2
151.3
166.2
139.3
117.8
299.1
151.2
166.2
139.3
117.8
302.3
151.2
168.1
139.3
118.5
304.8
151.3
2448
2521
2654
2655
2911
Wood pallets and skids (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) ....................
Wood office furniture..................................................
Sanitary food containers ............................................
Fiber cans, drums, and similar products (12/75 = 100)
Petroleum refining (6/76 = 100) .............................
149.2
281.6
266.6
186.5
254.1
146.9
282.5
265.2
185.6
240.6
148.5
282.5
265.2
185.6
246.0
149.5
282.5
265.2
185.9
254.0
150.9
283.5
267.1
187.7
255.4
151.3
283.6
267.1
187.7
257.2
151.0
283.6
267.8
187.7
256.8
151.5
283.6
269.0
187.8
257.1
151.9
283.6
269.0
189.5
253.5
153.6
r283.6
r269.0
r189.6
r249.7
154.0
286.3
270.6
189.6
245.5
155.9
290.3
274.9
189.7
246.9
157.8
290.3
280.0
191.4
250.1
161.6
290.3
282.2
193.1
245.5
2952
3251
3253
3255
3259
Asphalt felts and coating (12/75 = 100) .................
Brick and structural clay t i l e ......................................
Ceramic wall and floor tile (12/75 = 100) ..............
Clay refractories..........................................................
Structural clay products, n.e.c.....................................
166.5
332.6
145.1
356.1
230.4
166.9
332.2
140.7
352.2
232.7
165.1
333.8
142.4
352.2
234.7
164.9
334.6
149.6
349.4
234.7
167.4
336.4
149.6
352.1
234.8
166.4
336.4
149.6
354.4
234.9
168.0
336.4
149.6
355.9
234.9
168.4
338.4
149.6
364.3
235.1
168.6
339.7
149.6
366.6
235.0
M67.0
r339.9
r149.6
r366.5
r235.0
165.9
341.3
146.8
369.3
235.6
169.9
341.0
146.8
369.7
232.6
166.9
342.2
146.8
371.4
232.9
171.3
343.7
146.8
373.5
232.8
3261
3263
3269
3274
3297
Vitreous plumbing fixtures.........................................
Fine earthenware food utensils...................................
Pottery products, n.e.c. (12/75 = 100) .................
Lime (12/75 = 100) ..................................................
Nonclay refractories (12/74 = 1 0 0 )..........................
278.1
365.8
186.2
185.8
205.3
275.3
365.7
186.6
187.8
203.8
276.1
365.9
186.6
185.2
203.6
276.9
366.5
186.6
186.2
203.6
277.0
366.5
186.6
187.1
203.7
277.0
366.5
186.6
187 6
203.8
281.3
366.5
186.6
186.3
203.8
283.7
366.5
186.6
185.9
203.9
284.5
368.5
189.9
182.4
212.8
285.4
r368.5
r189.9
r182.5
r212.8
285.6
375 9
188.7
183.0
213.1
287.0
381.4
189.3
184.6
215.4
290.1
373.3
189.1
184.2
220.6
290.4
375.4
189.1
184.2
220.2
3482
3623
3648
3671
3942
Small arms ammunition (12/75 = 1 00 )....................
Welding apparatus, electric (12/72 = 1 0 0 )..............
Lighting equipment, n.e.c. (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) ..............
Electron tubes, receiving type ...................................
Dolls (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) .................................................
182.5
241.9
172.8
435.4
137.4
181.6
243.3
172.6
432.1
137.7
181.6
243.1
172.6
432.1
137.7
181.6
242 3
173.1
432.2
137.7
181.6
243.5
173.4
432.5
137.7
181.6
243.5
173.4
432.5
137.7
181.6
243.6
173.5
432.8
137.7
181.6
243.9
173.7
432.9
137.7
181.6
243.9
173.9
432 9
137.7
r181.6
r244.7
172.6
469.8
r137.7
196.6
241.0
173.5
490.4
137.2
196.6
241.7
173.5
490.7
137.4
196.6
242.2
184.8
490.9
137.4
196.6
243.7
184.9
490.8
131.3
3944
3955
3995
3996
Games, toys, and children’s vehicles.......................
Carbon paper and inked ribbons (12/75 = 100) . . .
Burial caskets (6/76 = 1 0 0 )......................................
Hard surface floor coverings (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) ............
237.3
139.2
153.5
161.3
242.2
139 2
152.1
159.7
242.2
139.2
152.1
159.6
242.2
139.2
152.1
159.6
236.1
139.2
155.4
162.2
236.2
139.2
155.4
163.4
236.3
139.2
155.4
163 5
236.4
139.3
156.0
165.5
236.2
139.3
156.0
163.5
r236.2
139 3
156.0
163.5
235.4
144.3
156.0
165 2
236.5
149.0
157.2
165.2
235.9
149.1
157.3
165 2
235.5
149.1
158.8
166.3
M A N U F A C T U R IN G
1Data for December 1983 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.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
r = revised.
93
PRODUCTIVITY DATA
P roductivity data are c o m p iled by the B u reau o f L a b o r S ta tistics
fro m e s ta b lis h m e n t d a ta and fro m m ea su re s o f c o m p e n sa tio n and
o u tp u t su p p lie d by the U .S . D e p artm en t o f C o m m e rc e and the
F e d e ral R e se rv e B o ard .
Definitions
Output is the constant dollar gross product produced by the particular
sector. Output per hour of all persons (labor productivity) measures the
value of goods and services in constant prices produced per hour of labor.
Output per unit of capital services (capital productivity) measures the
value of goods and services in constant dollars per unit of capital services
input.
Multifactor productivity measures the output per unit of combined
labor and capital input. The traditional measure of output per hour reflects
changes in capital per hour and a combination of other factors— such as.
changes in technology, shifts in the composition of the labor force, changes
in capacity utilization, research and development, skill and efforts of the
work force, management, and so forth. The multifactor productivity meas
ure differs from the familiar b l s measure of output per hour of all persons
in that it excludes the effects of the substitution of capital for labor.
Compensation per hour includes wages and salaries of employees 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 compensation per hour is com
pensation per hour adjusted by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban
Consumers.
Unit labor costs measure the labor compensation costs required to
produce a unit of output and is derived by dividing compensation by output.
Unit nonlabor payments include profits, depreciation, interest, and in
direct taxes per unit of output. They are computed by subtracting com
pensation of all persons from current dollar gross product and dividing by
output. Unit nonlabor costs contain all the components of unit nonlabor
payments except unit profits. Unit profits include corporate profits and
the value of inventory adjustments per unit of output.
The implicit price deflator is the price index for the gross product of
the sector reported. It is derived by dividing the current dollar gross product
by the constant dollar figures.
Hours of all persons measures the labor input of payroll workers, selfemployed persons, and unpaid family workers. Output per all employee
94
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
hour describes labor productivity in nonfinancial corporations where there
are no self-employed. The capital services input index used in the mul
tifactor productivity computation is developed by Bi.s from measures of
the net stock of physical assets— equipment, structures, land, and inven
tories— weighted by rental prices for each type of asset. Combined units
of labor and capital input are computed by combining changes in labor
and capital inputs with weights which represent each component's share
of total output. The indexes for capital services and combined units of
labor and capital are based on changing weights which are averages of the
shares in the current and preceding year (the’Tornquist index-number
formula).'
Notes on the data
In the business sector and the nonfarm business sector, the output meas
ure employed in the computation of output per hour is constructed from
Gross Domestic Product rather than Gross National Product. Multifactor
productivity measures (table 28) for the private business and private non
farm business sectors differ from the business and nonfarm business sector
measures used in the traditional labor productivity indexes (tables 29-32)
in that they exclude the activities of government enterprises. There is no
difference in the sector definition for manufacturing.
Output measures for the business sectors are derived from data 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. Com
pensation and hours data are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the
Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The productivity and associated cost measures in the tables describe the
relationship between output in real terms and the labor time and capital
services involved in its production. They show the changes from period
to period in the amount of goods and services produced per unit of input.
Although these measures relate output to hours and capital services, they
do not measure the contributions of labor, capital, or any other specific
factor of production. Rather, they reflect the joint effect of many influences,
including changes in technology; capital investment; level of output; uti
lization of capacity, energy, and materials; the organization of production;
managerial skill; and the characteristics and efforts of the work force. For
a more complete description of the methodology underlying the multifactor
productivity measures, see Bulletin 2178, "Trends in Multifactor Produc
tivity, 1948-81” (September 1983).
28.
Annual indexes of multifactor productivity and related measures, selected years, 1948-82
[1977 = 100]
Ite m
1948
1950
1960
1970
1973
1974
1975
1976
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
45.3
99.0
60.0
36.8
49.7
98.6
63.6
39.5
64.8
98.5
75.4
53.3
86.1
98.5
90.2
78.3
94.7
103.0
97.5
91.8
92.4
96.5
93.8
89.9
94.5
92.0
93.6
88.0
97.6
96.1
97.1
93.7
100.6
101.8
101.0
105.5
99.3
100.3
99.7
107.9
98.8
95.5
97.7
106.4
101.2
95.8
99.3
109.8
101.1
90.9
97.5
106.6
81.3
37.2
61.3
45.7 ,
79.5
40.1
62.1
50.4
82.2
54.1
70.7
65.8
90.9
79.4
86.8
87.4
96.9
89.1
94.1
92.0
97.2
93.1
95.8
95.8
93.1
95.7
94.0
102.8
95.9
97.5
96.5
101.6
104.9
103.6
104.4
98.8
108.6
107.5
108.2
99.0
107.7
111.4
108.9
103.4
108.4
114.6
110.5
105.7
105.4
117.3
109.4
111.3
51.2
97.9
64.6
35.6
55.6
98.2
68,1
38.3
67.9
98.4
77.6
52.3
86.8
98.6
90.6
77.8
95.3
103.2
97.9
91.7
92.9
96.5
94.1
89.7
94.7
91.7
93.6
87.6
97.8
96.1
97.2
93.6
100.6
101.9
101.1
105.7
99.0
100.1
99.4
108.0
98.3
95.2
97.3
106.4
100.2
95.0
98.4
109.3
100.2
90.1
96.6
106.2
69.6
36.4
55.2
52.3
69.0
39.0
56.3
56.6
77.0
53.2
67.4
69.0
89.7
78,9
85.9
88.0
96.2
88.8
93.6
92.3
96.6
93.0
95.4
96.3
92.5
95.6
93.6
103.4
95.7
97.4
96.3
101.8
105.1
103.7
104.6
98.7
109.0
107.9
108.6
99.0
108.2
111.7
109.4
103.2
109.0
115.1
111.0
105.5
106.0
118.0
110.0
111.2
45.1
93.9
56.1
35.8
49.4
94.5
59.9
38.6
60.0
88.0
67.0
50.7
79.1
91.8
82.3
77.0
93.0
108.2
96.8
95.9
90.8
99.6
93.0
91.9
93.4
89.4
92.2
85.4
97.5
96.1
97.1
93.6
100.8
101.5
101.0
105.3
101.5
99.5
101.0
108.2
101.7
90.7
98.7
103.5
105.3
90.2
101.2
106.5
106.5
82.7
99.9
99.1
79.4
38.1
63.8
48.0
78.2
40.9
64.6
52.3
84.4
57.5
75.6
68.2
97.3
83.9
93.6
86.2
103.2
88.6
99.1
85.9
101.2
92.2
98.8
91.1
91.4
95.5
92.6
104.4
95.9
97.4
96.4
101.5
104.5
103.8
104.3
99.3
106.6
108.8
107.2
102.1
101.8
114.1
104.8
112.1
101.2
118.0
105.2
116.7
93.0
119.9
99.2
128.8
P R IV A T E B U S IN E S S S E C T O R
Productivity:
Output per hour of all persons..........................
Output per unit of capital services....................
Multifactor productivity......................................
Output.......................................................................
Inputs:
Hours of all persons . ..........................................
Capital services ..................................................
Combined units of labor and capital input . . . .
Capital per hour of all persons .............................
P R IV A T E N O N F A R M
B U S IN E S S S E C T O R
Productivity:
Output per hour of all persons..........................
Output per unit of capital services....................
Multifactor productivity ......................................
Output.................................................................
Inputs:
Hours of all persons.........................................
Capital services ..................................................
Combined units of labor and capital input . . . .
Capital per hour of all persons .............................
M A N U F A C T U R IN G
Productivity:
Output per hour of all persons..........................
Output per unit of capital services....................
Multifactor productivity......................................
Output.......................................................................
Inputs:
Hours of all persons............................................
Capital services ..................................................
Combined units of labor and capital input . . . .
Capital per hour of all persons .............................
29.
Annual indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices, selected years, 1950-83
[1977 = 100]
Ite m
Business sector:
Output per hour of all persons..........................
Compensation per h o u r......................................
Real compensation per hour .............................
Unit labor c o s ts ...................................
Unit nonlabor payments......................................
Implicit price deflator.........................................
Nonfarm business sector:
Output per hour of all persons..........................
Compensation per h o u r.......................
Real compensation per hour ........................
Unit labor c o s ts ......................................
Unit nonlabor payments...................................
Implicit price deflator.........................................
Nonfinancial corporations:
Output per hour of all persons..........................
Compensation per h o u r................................
Real compensation per hour .............................
Unit labor c o s ts ......................................
Unit nonlabor payments................................
Implicit price deflator.........................................
Manufacturing:
Output per hour of all persons..........................
Compensation per h o u r...................................
Real compensation per hour .............................
Unit labor c o s ts ......................................
Unit nonlabor payments......................................
Implicit price deflator................................
1Not available.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1976
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
50,4
20.0
50.5
39.8
43.4
41 0
58.3
26.4
59.6
45.2
47.6
46.0
65.2
33.9
69.5
52.1
50.6
51.6
78.3
41.7
80.1
53.3
57.6
54.7
86.2
58.2
90.8
67.5
63.2
66.0
94.5
85.5
96.3
90.5
90.4
90.4
97.6
92.9
98.9
95.1
94.0
94,7
100.6
108.6
100.9
108.0
106.7
107.5
99.4
118.7
99.1
119.5
112.8
117.2
98.9
131.2
96.5
132.7
119.0
128.1
101.3
143.9
95.9
142.1
136.2
140.1
101.2
'55.1
P/.4
153.3
136.9
147.7
103.9
'163.0
99.2
r156.9
r146 1
M53.2
56.3
21.8
55.0
38.8
42.7
40.1
62.7
28.3
64.0
45.1
47.8
46.0
68.3
35.7
73.0
52.3
50.4
51.6
80.5
42.8
82.2
53.2
58.0
54.8
86.8
58.7
91.5
67.6
63.8
66.3
94.7
86.0
96.8
90.8
88.5
90.0
97.8
93.0
99.0
95.1
93.5
94.6
100.6
108.6
100.9
108.0
105.3
107.1
99.1
118.4
98.9
119.5
110.4
116.5
98.4
130.7
96.1
132.8
118.5
128.1
100.3
143.5
95.6
143.0
135.0
140.4
100.2
154.7
97.1
154.4
137.0
148.6
103.4
163.4
99.4
'157.9
'146.6
154.2
<1)
<1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
<1)
68.0
37.0
75.8
54.4
54.6
54.5
81.9
43.9
84.3
53.5
60.8
56.1
87.4
59.4
92.7
68.0
63.1
66.3
95.5
86.1
96.9
90.2
90.8
90.4
98.2
92.9
98.9
94.6
95.0
94.7
100.9
108.5
100.7
107.5
104.2
106.4
100.7
118.7
99.1
117.8
106.9
114.1
99.8
130.9
96.3
131.2
117.4
126.4
102.3
143.6
95.7
140.3
134.4
138.3
102.8
154.8
97.2
150.6
137.6
146.1
'106.2
'162.2
98.7
'152.8
'148.8
151.4
49.4
21.5
54.0
43.4
54.3
46.6
56.4
28.8
65.1
51.0
58.5
53.2
60.0
36.7
75.1
61.1
61.1
61.1
74.5
42.8
82.3
57.5
69.3
61.0
79.1
57.6
89.8
72.7
65.0
70.5
93.4
85,4
96.2
91.5
87.3
90.3
97.5
92.3
98.3
94.6
93.7
94.4
100.8
108.3
100.6
107.4
102.5
106.0
101.5
118.8
99.2
117.0
99.9
112.0
101.7
132.7
97.6
130.5
97.7
120.9
105.3
145.8
97.2
138.5
110.2
130.2
106.5
158.2
99.3
148.5
109.2
137.0
'113.1
'166.7
'101.4
'147.4
P(1)
P(1)
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
95
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Current Labor Statistics: Productivity
30.
Annual changes in productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices, 1972-83
A n n u a l ra te
Year
of change
It e m
1974
1973
Business sector:
Output per hour of all persons ...............
Compensation per h o u r ..........................
Real compensation per hour .................
Unit labor costs ......................................
Unit nonlabor payments..........................
Implicit price deflator .............................
Nonfarm business sector:
Output per hour of all persons ...............
Compensation per h o u r ..........................
Real compensation per hour .................
Unit labor costs ......................................
Unit nonlabor payments..........................
Implicit price deflator .............................
Nonfinancial corporations:
Output per hour of all employees............
Compensation per h o u r ..........................
Real compensation per hour .................
Unit labor costs ......................................
Unit nonlabor payments..........................
Implicit price deflator .............................
Manufacturing:
Output per hour of all persons ...............
Compensation per h o u r ..........................
Real compensation per hour .................
Unit labor costs ......................................
Unit nonlabor payments..........................
Implicit price deflator .............................
1975
1976
1977
1978
1980
1981
1982
1983
1 9 5 0 -8 3
1 9 7 2 -8 3
2.6
8.0
1.6
5.3
5.9
5.5
-2 .4
9.4
-1 .4
12.1
4.4
9.5
2.2
9.6
0.5
7.3
15.1
9.8
3.3
8.6
2.6
5.1
4.0
4.7
2.4
7.7
1.2
5.1
6.4
5.6
0.6
8.6
0.9
8.0
6.7
7.5
-1 .2
9.4
- 1 .7
10.7
5.8
9.0
- 0 .5
10.5
-2 .6
11.1
5.5
9.2
2.4
9.7
-0 .6
7.1
14.4
9.4
-0 .1
7.7
1.5
7.9
0.5
5.4
r2.7
r5.1
1.9
r2.4
r6.7
r3.7
2.2
6.6
2.1
r4.2
3.7
4.1
1.1
8.6
0.3
7 .6
6.8
7.2
2.4
7.6
1.3
5.0
1.3
3.8
- 2 .5
9.4
-1 .4
12.2
5.9
10.2
2.0
9.6
0.4
7.5
16.7
10.3
3.2
8.1
2.2
4.8
5.7
5.1
2.2
7.5
1.0
5.2
6.9
5.7
0.6
8.6
0.9
8.0
5.3
7.1
-1 .5
9.0
- 2 .0
10.7
4.8
8.8
-0 .7
10.4
-2 .8
11.1
7.4
10.0
1.9
9.8
- 0 .6
7.7
13.9
9.6
-0 .1
7.8
1.6
7.9
1.4
5.8
r3.2
5.6
2.3
r2.3
7 .0
3.8
1 .9
6.3
1.8
4.3
3.8
4.2
1.0
8.6
0.3
7 .4
r6.9
7.3
2.4
7.5
1.2
4.9
1.5
3.8
-3 .7
9.4
-1 .5
13.6
7.1
11.4
2.9
9.6
0.4
6.5
20.1
10.9
2.9
7.9
2.0
4.9
4.6
4.8
1.8
7.6
1.1
5.7
5.3
5.6
0.9
8.5
0.7
7.5
4.2
6.4
-0 .2
9.4
-1 .7
9.6
2.6
7.2
- 0 .9
10.3
- 2 .8
11.3
9.8
10.8
2.5
9.7
- 0 .6
7.0
14.5
9.4
0.5
7.8
r1.5
7.3
2.4
5.7
r3.3
r4.8
7 .5
r1.4
r8.1
3.6
<1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
1.1
8.4
0.2
7.2
7.1
7.2
5.4
7.2
0.9
1.7
- 3 .3
0.3
-2 .4
10.6
-0 .3
13.3
- 1 .8
9.0
r2.9
11.9
2.5
8.8
25.9
13.1
4.4
8.0
2.1
3.4
7.4
4.6
2.5
8.3
1.8
5.7
6.7
6.0
0.8
8.3
0.6
7.4
2.5
6.0
0.7
9.7
-1 .4
9.0
- 2 .6
5.7
0.2
11.7
-1 .6
11.5
-2 .2
7.9
3.5
9.9
-0 .4
6.1
12.8
7.7
1.2
8.5
2.2
7.2
- 0 .9
5.2
r6.2
r5.4
r2.1
- 0 .8
2.5
6.4
1.9
3.8
2.2
3.4
2.3
r9.2
0.8
6.6
4.1
6.5
1Not available.
31.
1979
(1)
(1)
r = revised.
Quarterly indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices, seasonally adjusted
[1977 = 100]
Q u a rte r ly in d e x e s
Annual
av e ra g e
Ite m
Business sector:
Output per hour of all persons .......................
Compensation per hour ...................................
Real compensation per hour.............................
Unit labor costs..................................................
Unit nonlabor payments ...................................
Implicit price deflator.........................................
Nonfarm business sector:
Output per hour of all persons .......................
Compensation per hour ...................................
Real compensation per hour.............................
Unit labor costs..................................................
Unit nonlabor payments ...................................
Implicit price deflator.........................................
Nonfinancial corporations:
Output per hour of all employees....................
Compensation per hour ...................................
Real compensation per h our.............................
Total unit costs..................................................
Unit labor costs.........................................
Unit nonlabor costs...................................
Unit profits ........................................................
Implicit price deflator.........................................
Manufacturing:
Output per hour of all persons .......................
Compensation per hour ...................................
Real compensation per hour.............................
Unit labor costs..................................................
1Not available.
96
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1981
III
1982
IV
1
II
1983
III
IV
I
II
1984P
1982
1983
III
101.2
155.1
97.4
153.3
136.9
147.7
r103.9
r163.0
99.2
7 56.9
746,1
753.2
102.3
145.5
95.6
142.3
139.9
141.5
101.2
148.2
95.8
146.4
140.2
144.3
101.1
151.6
97.1
149.9
137.0
145.5
100.7
754.0
97.3
152.9
137.0
147.5
101.1
156.5
97.2
154.7
136.3
148.5
101.9
758.6
98.1
155.6
137,4
149.4
702.4
7 60.6
r99.3
156.9
740.9
151.5
103.9
762.0
r99.1
156.0
145.7
152.5
104.2
7 63.5
99.0
156.9
147.6
153.8
705.3
766.2
r99.5
757.9
749.9
7 55.2
106.0
168.6
99.8
159.1
151.6
156.5
100.2
154.7
97.1
154.4
137.0
148.6
103.4
163.4
99.4
757.9
746.6
154.2
101.1
145.1
95.3
143.5
138.3
141.8
99.9
147.7
95.5
147.8
139.5
145.0
100.0
151.3
96.9
151.3
136.4
146.4
99.9
153.5
97.0
153.6
137.7
148.3
700.5
156.1
97.0
155.4
136.5
149.1
700.7
158.3
97.9
157.1
137.2
150.5
701.6
760.8
r99.4
158.3
140.7
152.4
703.4
762.6
r99.4
157.2
745.8
153.4
104.0
764.1
r99.3
157.8
148.3
154.7
7 04.7
765.9
r99.3
758.4
751.3
156.1
105.3
168.3
99.6
159.8
151.6
157.0
102.8
154.8
97.2
153.5
150.6
161.8
88.9
146.1
706.2
762.2
98.7
755.2
752.8
762.1
722.1
151.4
103.0
145.0
95.2
143.6
140.7
151.9
108.6
139.6
102.2
147.8
95.5
147.7
144.6
156.6
104.2
142.7
102.4
151.7
97.1
150.9
148.1
158.9
90.8
144,0
102.3
153.7
97.1
153.1
150.2
161.2
90.3
145.9
703.3
156.1
96.9
153.8
151.1
161.3
91.2
146.6
103.4
158.1
97.8
156.3
152.9
165.9
83.0
147.9
704.2
760.3
r99.1
156.7
153.9
164.7
96.1
149.7
705.8
761.4
r98.7
155.3
152.5
163.1
115.0
150.7
706.9
762.6
r98.5
154.5
152.1
161.2
131.5
151.8
P107.8
P164.5
P98.5
P154.4
P152.6
P159.6
P143.6
P153.2
(1>
(1>
<1>
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
106.5
158.2
99.3
148.5
713.1
766.7
701.4
747.4
106.1
147.0
96.6
138.5
104.4
150.5
97.2
144.1
105.1
755.2
99.4
147.6
7 05.4
757.2
99.3
149.1
107.8
159.6
99.1
148.1
708.0
761.2
r99.7
149.3
7 09.9
765.1
702.1
150.2
712.3
766.0
701.5
147.8
715.6
7 67.1
701.2
144.5
716.7
768.7
701.1
144.5
117.5
171.4
101.4
145.9
IV
I
32. Percent change from preceding quarter and year in productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices,
seasonally adjusted at annual rate
Q u a rte r ly p e rc e n t c h a n g e a t a n n u a l ra te
III 1982
Business sector:
Output per hour of all persons..................
Compensation per hour.............................
Real compensation per h o u r ....................
Unit labor costs.........................................
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 costs.........................................
Unit nonlabor payments ..........................
Implicit price deflator................................
Nonflnancial corporations:
Output per hour of all employees ............
Compensation per hour.............................
Real compensation per h o u r....................
Total units costs ......................................
Unit labor costs ...................................
Unit nonlabor costs .............................
Unit profits ...............................................
Implicit price deflator................................
Manufacturing:
Output per hour of all persons.................
Compensation per hour.............................
Real compensation per h o u r ....................
Unit labor costs.........................................
1Not available.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
IV 1982
11983
I11983
P e rc e n t c h a n g e fro m
III 1982
IV 1983
IV 1981
11982
I11982
s a m e q u a rte r a y e a r ag o
III 1982
IV 1982
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
IV 1982
11983
II 1983
III 1983
IV 1983
I 1984P
IV 1982
11983
I11983
III 1983
IV 1983
11984P
'3.2
r5.6
r4.0
2.3
3.2
2.6
r1.9
r5.2
'4.9
3.3
r10.6
5.5
5.9
3.5
-0 .8
-2 .2
14.4
2.8
1.2
3.6
0.6
2.3
5.4
3.3
r4.2
r6.9
'2.3
r2.5
r6.2
r3.7
2.9
6.0
1.0
3.0
4.6
3.5
0.7
7 .0
r2.4
6.3
-2 .0
3.5
1.3
r6.0
r2.3
4.7
2.8
4.1
r3.1
r5.2
1.9
2.1
r6.4
3.4
'3.0
4.5
'1.8
1.4
8.3
3.6
'3.3
4.8
'1.4
'1.5
'9.1
'3.8
3.5
5.0
0.5
1.4
7.6
3.3
r1.2
r5.6
r4.0
4.4
r2.1
3.7
r3.5
'6.6
r6.3
3.0
10.6
5.3
7.1
r4.4
0.0
-2 .6
r15.1
2.7
2.3
3.8
-0 .3
1.5
7.3
3.3
'2.7
r4.3
r -0 .1
r1.6
r8.3
3.7
2.6
6.1
1.0
3.4
0.7
2.5
0.8
7.1
'2.5
6.3
- 1 .6
3.7
1.7
r6.3
r2.6
4.6
3.1
4.1
r3.5
'5.9
'2.5
2.3
5.9
3.4
'3.5
'5.1
2.5
1.5
'8.7
3.7
'3.9
4.8
'1.4
'0.8
'10.3
3.7
3.7
4.6
0.2
1.0
2.7
3.0
r0.4
r5.2
'3.6
6.7
4.8
11.9
-3 1 .4
3.6
r3.2
r5.7
'5.4
1.0
2.5
-2 .8
79.9
5.1
r6.6
2.9
-1 .4
-3 .5
-3 .4
-3 .8
104.7
2.5
4.2
3.0
-1 .1
-2 .1
-1 .1
-4 .7
71.0
3.1
P3.4
P4.6
P0.2
PO.2
P1.2
P4.0
P42.4
P3.5
(1)
(1)
(1>
(1)
(1)
<1)
(1)
(1)
r1.1
'6.9
2.4
5.8
5.7
6.0
-2 0 .3
3.6
'1.7
'5.7
r2.0
3.8
3.9
3.7
5.8
4.0
r3.5
'5.0
'1.7
1.4
1.5
1.2
27.3
3.3
'3.6
'4.2
'1.6
0.4
0.6
-0 .1
44.2
3.6
P4.3
P4.1
P0.7
P -1 .2
P -0 .2
P -3 .8
P73.1
P3.6
(1)
<1)
<1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1>
(1)
'0.7
r4.0
r2.4
r7.4
r10.0
r9.7
2.5
r9.1
2.1
-2 .2
-6 .4
12.2
-2 .7
1.4
-8 .4
r4.0
4.0
-0 .4
-0 .2
2.5
6.3
1.3
3.7
3.5
7.3
2.7
- 3 .6
r4.6
'6.4
r2.7
1.8
'6.6
'5.6
'2.2
-0 .9
7 .2
'4.7
'2.0
'8.1
'4.7
'1.3
-3 .2
6.9
3.8
-0 .7
-2 .9
3.3
-2.4
11983
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
97
WAGE AND COMPENSATION DATA
D a t a f o r t h e e m p l o y m e n t c o s t i n d e x are re p o rte d to the B u reau
o f L a b o r S ta tistic s by a sa m p le o f 2 ,0 0 0 p riv ate n o n fa rm e s ta b
lis h m e n ts an d 7 5 0 S ta te a n d local g o v e rn m e n t u n its se lec te d to
re p re se n t to tal e m p lo y m e n t in th o se se c to rs. O n a v e ra g e , eac h
re p o rtin g u n it p ro v id e s w ag e an d c o m p e n sa tio n in fo rm a tio n on
fiv e w e ll-s p e c ifie d o c c u p a tio n s.
Data on negotiated wage and benefit changes are
o b ta in e d fro m
c o n tra c ts o n file at the B u re a u , d irec t c o n ta c t w ith th e p a rtie s , and
s e c o n d a ry so u rc es.
Definitions
The Employment Cost Index (ECI) is a quarterly measure of the average
change in the cost of employing labor. The rate of total compensation,
which comprises wages, salaries, and employer costs for employee ben
efits. is collected for workers performing specified tasks. Employment in
each occupation is held constant over time for all series produced in the
ECI, except those by region, bargaining status, and area. As a consequence,
only changes in compensation are measured. Industry and occupational
employment data from the 1970 Census of Population are used in deriving
constant weights for the ECI. While holding total industry and occupational
employment fixed, in the estimation of indexes by region, bargaining
status, and area, the employment in those measures is allowed to vary over
time in accord with changes in the sample. The rate of change (in percent)
is available for wages and salaries, as well as for total compensation. Data
are collected for the pay period including the 12th day of the survey months
of March, June, September, and December. The statistics are neither an
nualized nor adjusted for seasonal influence.
Wages and salaries consist of earnings before payroll deductions, ex
cluding premium pay for overtime, work on weekends and holidays, and
shift differentials. Production bonuses, incentive earnings, commissions,
and cost-of-living adjustments are included; nonproduction bonuses are
included with other supplemental pay items in the benefits category; and
payments-in-kind, free room and board, and tips are excluded. B en efits
include supplemental pay, insurance, retirement and savings plans, and
hours-related and legally required benefits.
Data on negotiated wage changes apply to private nonfarm industry
collective bargaining agreements covering 1.000 workers or more. Data
on compensation changes apply only to those agreements covering 5.000
workers or more. First-year wage or compensation changes refer to average
negotiated changes for workers covered by settlements reached in the period
98
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
and implemented within the first 12 months after the effective date of the
agreement. Changes over the life o f the agreement refer to all adjustments
specified in the contract, expressed as an average annual rate. These meas
ures exclude wage changes that may occur under cost-of-living adjustment
clauses, that are triggered by movements in the Consumer Price Index.
Wage-rate changes are expressed as a percent of straight-time hourly earn
ings; compensation changes are expressed as a percent of total wages and
benefits.
Effective wage adjustments reflect all negotiated changes implemented
in the reference period, regardless of the settlement date. They include
changes from settlements reached during the period, changes deferred from
contracts negotiated in an earlier period, and cost-of-living adjustments.
The data also reflect contracts providing for no wage adjustment in the
period. Effective adjustments and each of their components are prorated
over all workers in bargaining units with at least 1,000 workers.
Notes on the data
The Employment Cost Index data series began in the fourth quarter of
1975, with the quarterly percent change in wages and salaries in the private
nonfarm sector. Data on employer costs for employee benefits were in
cluded in 1980, to produce a measure of the percent change in employers’
cost for employees’ total compensation. State and local government units
were added to the ECI coverage in 1981, providing a measure of total
compensation change in the civilian nonfarm economy.
Data for the broad white-collar, blue-collar, and service worker groups,
and the manufacturing, nonmanufacturing, and service industry groups are
presented in the ECI. Additional occupation and industry detail are pro
vided for the wages and salaries component of total compensation in the
private nonfarm sector. For State and local government units, additional
industry detail is shown for both total compensation and its wages and
salaries component.
Historical indexes (June 1981 = 100) of the quarterly rates of changes
presented in the ECI are also available.
For a more detailed discussion of the ECI, see chapter 11. “ The Em
ployment Cost Index,” of the BLS H a n d b o o k o f M e th o d s (Bulletin 2134I ). and the M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w articles; “ Employment Cost Index: a
measure of change in the ‘price of labor.” ’ July 1975; “ How benefits will
be incorporated into the Employment Cost Index,” January 1978; and
"The Employment Cost Index: recent trends and expansion.” May 1982.
Additional data for the ECI and other measures of wage and compen
sation changes appear in C u r r e n t W a g e D e v e lo p m e n ts , a monthly publi
cation of the Bureau.
33.
Employment Cost Index, by occupation and industry group
[June 1981 = 100]
P erce n t ch an g e
1982
S e r ie s
M a rc h
June
1983
S e p t.
D ec.
M a rc h
June
1984
S e p t.
D ec.
M a rc h
3 m o n th s
1 2 m o n th s
ended
ended
M a rc h 1 9 8 4
106.3
107.5
110.1
111.4
113.2
114.5
116.5
117.8
119.8
1.7
5.8
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar workers.........................................................................
Blue-collar workers .........................................................................
Service workers ...............................................................................
Workers, by industry division
Manufacturing ..................................................................................
Nonmanufacturing............................................................................
Servces ........................................................................................
Public administration2 ................................................................
106.5
105.7
107.2
107.7
107.1
108.3
110.7
109.2
110.8
111.9
110.5
112.4
113.7
112.3
114.3
114.9
113.6
115.1
117.6
114.8
116.7
118.9
115.8
119.1
120.9
117.7
122.0
1.7
1.6
2.4
6.3
4.8
6.7
106 0
106.4
108.2
108.1
107.2
107.7
109.2
109.1
109.3
110.5
113.5
112.8
110.4
111.8
115.0
113.6
112.5
113.5
116.6
116.2
113.5
114.9
117.1
117.0
115.0
117.2
121.1
119.8
116.0
118.6
122.6
121.4
117.9
120.7
125.0
122.9
1.6
1.8
2.0
1.2
4.8
6.3
7.2
5.8
P r i v a t e in d u s t r y w o r k e r s
105.8
107.2
109.3
110.7
112.6
113.9
115.6
117.0
119.0
1.7
5.7
105.8
105.6
106.7
107.2
107.0
107.9
109.5
109.0
109.6
110.8
110.3
111.8
112.8
112.1
113.8
114.2
113.5
114.6
116.5
114.6
115.1
117.9
115.7
117.9
119.9
117.5
121.5
1.7
1.6
3.1
6.3
4.8
6.8
106.0
105.7
107.2
107.1
109 3
109 3
110.4
110.8
112.5
112 6
113.5
114.2
115.0
116.0
116.0
117.5
117.9
119.6
1.6
1.8
4.8
6.2
C iv ilia n w o r k e r s 1
.........................................................................................................................................................
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar workers ...................................................................
Blue-collar workers ......................................................................
Service workers....................... ....................................................
Workers, by industry division
Manufacturing...............................................................................
Nonmanufacturing.........................................................................
S t a t e a n d l o c a l g o v e r n m e n t w o r k e r s ..........................................................................................
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar workers ...................................................................
Blue-collar workers ......................................................................
Workers, by industry division
Services ........................................................................................
Schools.....................................................................................
Elementary and secondary .................... .............................
Hospitals and other services3 ..................................................
Public administration2 ................................................................
'Excludes farm, household, and Federal workers.
^Consists of legislative, judicial, administrative, and regulatory activities.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
108.8
109 3
114.3
115.1
116.5
117.1
120.8
122.0
123.9
1.6
6.4
109.1
108.2
109.5
108.9
114.9
112.7
115.8
113.0
117.0
114.9
117.5
115.8
121.5
118.0
122.6
119.2
124.5
121.9
1.5
2.3
6.4
6.1
109.0
108.9
109.3
109.5
108.1
109 4
109.1
109.5
110.3
109.1
114.9
114.8
115.6
115.3
112.8
115.9
115.8
116.6
116.0
113.6
116.8
116.6
117.2
117.5
116.2
117.4
116.9
117.4
118.8
117.0
121.7
121.9
123.3
121.1
119.8
122.6
122.6
123.9
122.6
121.4
124.5
124.5
125.4
124.4
122.9
1.5
1.5
1.2
1.5
1.2
6.6
6.8
7.0
5.9
5.8
3lncludes, for example, library, social, and health services.
99
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Current Labor Statistics: Wage and Compensation Data
34.
Employment Cost Index, wages and salaries, by occupation and industry group
[June 1981 = 100]
P erce n t ch an g e
1983
1982
S e r ie s
1984
M arch
June
S e p t.
D ec.
M arch
June
S e p t.
D ec.
M arch
3 m o n th s
1 2 m o n th s
ended
ended
M a rc h 1 9 8 4
.........................................................................................................................................................
106.3
107.3
109.7
110.9
112.2
113.4
115.3
116.5
117.9
1.2
5.1
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar workers.........................................................................
Blue-collar workers .........................................................................
Service workers ...............................................................................
106.7
105.5
106.8
107.6
106.7
107.9
110.4
108.6
110.1
111.4
109.8
111.8
113.0
110.8
113.2
114.2
112.0
113.9
116.7
113.1
115.1
117.9
114.0
117.4
119.3
115.3
120.0
1.2
1.1
2.2
5.6
4.1
6.0
Workers, by industry division
Manufacturing ..................................................................................
Nonmanufacturing............................................................................
Services ........................................................................................
Public administration2 ................................................................
105.9
106.5
108.6
107.5
107.0
107.5
109.5
108.4
108.8
110.1
113.2
111.9
109.8
111.3
114.4
112.6
111.0
112.7
115.8
114.6
112.0
114.0
116.3
115.4
113.3
116.1
120.1
118.2
114.5
117.4
121.3
119.4
115.7
118.9
123.3
120.4
1.0
1.3
1.6
.8
4.2
5.5
6.5
5.1
C iv ilia n w o r k e r s 1
P r i v a t e i n d u s t r y w o r k e r s ..............................................................................................................................
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar workers ...................................................................
Professional and technical w orkers.........................................
Managers and administrators ..................................................
Salesworkers............................................................................
Clerical workers.........................................................................
Blue-collar w orkers......................................................................
Craft and kindred w orkers.......................................................
Operatives, except transport....................................................
Transport equipment operatives...............................................
Nonfarm laborers......................................................................
Service workers............................................................................
Workers, by industry division
Manufacturing...............................................................................
Durables.....................................................................................
Nondurables ............................................................................
Nonmanufacturing.........................................................................
Construction ............................................................................
Transportation and public utilities............................................
Wholesale and retail tr a d e .......................................................
Wholesale trade ...................................................................
Retail trade............................................................................
Finance, insurance, and real estate .........................................
Services.....................................................................................
S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t w o rk e rs
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar workers ...................................................................
Blue-collar w orkers......................................................................
Workers, by industry division
Services ........................................................................................
Schools.....................................................................................
Elementary and secondary ...............................................
Hospitals and other services3 ..................................................
Public administration2 ................................................................
Excludes farm, household, and Federal workers.
Consists of legislative, judicial, administrative, and regulatory activities.
100
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105.9
107.1
109.0
110.3
111.6
112.9
114.5
115.8
117.2
1.2
5.0
106.2
108.0
105.8
102.2
107.0
105.4
106.2
105.4
103.2
104.1
106.7
107.3
109.4
107.2
101.8
108.3
106.6
107.6
106.6
104.1
105.1
107.9
109.4
111.8
108.5
104.5
110.3
108.5
109.6
108.3
106.0
106.5
109.3
110.6
112.9
109.3
106.2
111.6
109.7
111.2
109.3
106.9
107.8
111.4
112.2
114.8
112.0
105.7
113.4
110.7
112.2
110.0
108.0
109.0
112.9
113.6
115.9
114.0
107.1
114.6
111.9
113.4
111.1
110.3
109.8
113.5
115.9
119.9
114.8
108.4
116.7
112.9
114.3
112.3
110.7
110.8
113.7
117.2
120.4
115.7
111.2
118 3
113.9
115.4
113.6
110.2
112.1
116.5
118.5
122.2
118.0
110.2
119.8
115.1
116.5
114.9
111.7
112.9
119.8
1.1
1.5
2.0
-.9
1.3
1.1
1.0
1.1
1.4
.7
2.8
5.6
6.4
5.4
4.3
5.6
4.0
3.8
4.5
3.4
3.6
6.1
105.9
106.3
105.3
105.9
105.9
105.7
103.9
106.3
103.0
103.7
108.8
107.0
107.4
106.3
107.1
107.3
106.9
105.8
108.9
104.5
102.4
110.0
108.8
109.0
108.5
109.1
109.1
109.5
106.5
109.0
105.5
106.1
112.5
109.8
110.3
109.1
110.5
109.7
111.1
107.2
109.8
106.1
109.0
114.3
111.0
111.1
110.9
112.0
110.4
112.9
108.5
111.8
107.2
110.6
116.0
112.0
111.8
112.3
113.4
112.1
114.7
110.8
114.1
109.4
111.1
116.6
113.3
112.9
113.9
115.2
112.2
115.7
111.5
115.7
109.9
113.5
120.4
114.5
114.4
114.6
116.5
112.9
116.8
112.3
116.5
110.6
116.9
121.9
115.7
115.7
115.8
118.0
113.3
118.5
114.3
118.2
112.8
116.1
124.2
1.0
1.1
1.0
1.3
.4
1.5
1.8
1.5
2.0
-.7
1.9
4.2
4.1
4.4
5.4
2.6
5.0
5.3
5.7
5.2
5.0
7.1
108.2
108.7
113.5
114.0
115.1
115.7
119.2
120.0
121.6
1.3
5.6
108.5
107.5
108.9
107.9
114.2
111.5
114.6
112.0
115.6
113.3
116.1
114.3
119.8
116.4
120.6
116.9
122.2
119.1
1.3
1.9
5.7
5.1
108.4
108.3
108.7
108.8
107.5
108.8
108.5
108.8
109.5
108.4
114.2
114.2
114.9
114.3
111.9
114.6
114.5
115.1
114.9
112.6
115.5
115.2
115.6
116.5
114.6
115.9
115.4
115.8
117.7
115.4
119.8
119.9
121.1
119.7
118.2
120.6
120.6
121.7
120.6
119.4
122.2
122.2
122.9
121.9
120.4
1.3
1.3
1.0
1.1
.8
5.8
6.1
6.3
4.6
5.1
includes, for example, library, social, and health services.
35.
Employment Cost Index, private industry workers, by bargaining status, region, and area size
[June 1981 = 100]
P erce n t ch an g e
1982
S e r ie s
1983
1984
3 m o n th s
1 2 m o n th s
ended
ended
M a rc h
June
S e p t.
Dec.
M a rc h
June
S e p t.
D ec.
M a rc h
Workers, by bargaining status1
Union ....................................................................................................
Manufacturing ..................................................................................
Nonmanufacturing............................................................................
106.5
106.3
106.8
108.4
108.0
108.7
110.6
110.3
111.0
112.3
111.8
112.8
114.5
114.0
114.9
116.0
114.8
117.1
117.8
116.3
119.2
118.8
117.2
120.4
120.6
119.3
121.9
1.5
1.8
1.2
5.3
4.6
6.1
Nonunion ..............................................................................................
Manufacturing ..................................................................................
Nonmanufacturing............................................................................
105.3
105.7
105.2
106.5
106.6
106.4
108.5
108.4
108.6
109.7
109.2
109.9
111.5
111.2
111.6
112.8
112.3
113.0
114.4
113.8
114.7
115.9
114.9
116.4
118.0
116.6
118.6
1.8
1.5
1.9
5.8
4.9
6.3
111.7
110.6
108.6
112.9
112.6
112.5
110 9
115 4
114.3
113.5
112.5
116 6
116.0
115 6
113 9
118 0
117
117
114
120
118
119
117
121
9
7
2
0
12
22
22
8
56
64
57
4.9
M a rc h 1 9 8 4
C O M P E N S A T IO N
Workers, by region1
Workers, by area size1
Metropolitan areas ...............................................................................
Otner areas ...........................................................................................
5
1
7
0
105.7
106.2
107.2
107.0
109.4
108.6
110.9
109.1
112.9
110.8
114.2
112.3
116.0
113.4
117.4
114.5
119.4
116.7
1.7
1.9
5.8
5.3
Workers, by bargaining status1
Union ....................................................................................................
Manufacturing ..................................................................................
Nonmanufacturing............................................................................
106.5
105.9
107.0
108.1
107.3
108.8
110.3
109.5
111.1
111.8
110.8
112.7
112.9
111.4
114.3
114.2
112.3
116.0
116.0
113.7
118.3
116.9
114.8
118.9
118.1
116,1
120.1
1.0
1.1
1.0
4.6
4.2
5.1
Nonunion ..............................................................................................
Manufacturing ..................................................................................
Nonmanufacturing............................................................................
105.6
105.9
105.5
106.5
106.7
106.4
108.3
108.2
108.3
109.5
109.1
109.6
110.9
110.7
111.0
112.2
111.8
112.4
113.7
113.0
114.0
115.2
114.2
115.6
116.7
115.4
117.2
1.3
1.1
1.4
5.2
4.2
5.6
Workers, by region1
Northeast ..............................................................................................
South ....................................................................................................
North Central ........................................................................................
W e s t.......................................................................................................
106.1
105.7
104.7
107.9
106.7
107.4
106.1
108.6
109.7
108.8
107.6
110.7
111.5
109.8
108.6
112.0
112.0
111.4
110.1
114.1
113.6
112.5
111.5
114.9
115.3
114.3
112.8
116.5
116.6
115.7
113.6
118.5
117.4
117.9
115.5
118.8
.7
1.9
1.7
.3
4.8
5.8
4.9
4.1
Workers by area size1
Metropolitan areas ...............................................................................
Other areas ...........................................................................................
105.9
106.0
107.1
106.8
109.1
108.3
110.5
108.8
111.9
110.1
113.2
111.4
114.9
112.3
116.2
113.4
117.6
115.1
1.2
1.5
5.1
4.5
W A G E S A N D S A L A R IE S
1The indexes are calculated differently from those for the occupation and industry groups. For a
detailed description of the index calculation, see BLS Handbook o f M ethods. Bulletin 1910.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
101
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW June 1984 • Current Labor Statistics: Wage and Compensation Data
36.
Wage and compensation change, major collective bargaining settlements, 1979 to date
[In percent]
Q u a r t e r ly a v e r a g e
M e a s u re
1982
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1983
1
II
III
IV
1
1984P
II
I II
IV
1
Total compensation changes, covering
5,000 workers or more, all
industries:
First year of contract ....................
Annual rate over life of contract. . .
9.0
6.6
10.4
7.1
10.2
8.3
3.2
2.8
3.4
3.0
1.9
1.2
2.6
2.1
6.2
4.7
3.3
4.8
-1 .6
1.4
4.4
3.6
5.0
4.3
4.9
3.1
5.3
5.0
First year of contract ....................
Annual rate over life of contract. . .
7.4
6.0
9.5
7.1
9.8
7.9
3.8
3.6
2.6
2.8
3.0
2.8
3.4
3.2
5.4
4.5
3.8
4.8
-1 .2
2.2
2.7
2.8
3.7
3.6
4.2
2.8
3.0
3.4
Manufacturing:
First year of contract ....................
Annual rate over life of contract. . .
6.9
5.4
7.4
5.4
7.2
6.1
2.8
2.6
0.4
2.1
2.5
2.7
1.8
1.7
5.1
3.9
4.1
4.5
-3 .4
.9
1.3
1.7
3.4
3.5
2.9
3.1
3.1
2.7
Nonmanufacturing (excluding
construction):
First year of contract ....................
Annual rate over life of contract. . .
7.6
6.2
9.5
6.6
9.8
7.3
4.3
4.1
5.0
3.7
2.7
2.1
6.6
6.1
5.5
4.8
3.6
5.2
3.3
5.3
5.9
5.2
5.8
4.3
4.8
2.7
4.3
4.9
Construction:
First year of contract ....................
Annual rate over life of contract. . .
8.8
8.3
13.6
11.5
13 5
11.3
6.5
6.3
1.5
2.4
8.6
8.2
6.2
6.3
6.3
5.9
3.4
2.9
.7
2.4
1.7
2.1
1.5
2.9
1.1
2.6
-5 .4
- 4 .2
Wage rate changes covering at least
1,000 workers, all industries:
p = preliminary.
37.
Effective wage adjustments in collective bargaining units covering 1,000 workers or more, 1979 to date
Y e a r a n d q u a r te r
Year
M e a s u re
1982
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1
II
1983
I II
IV
1
II
1984P
I II
IV
'
Average percent adjustment (including no change):
All industries......................................................................
Manufacturing .............................................................
Nonmanufacturing ........................................................
9.1
9.6
8.8
9.9
10.2
9.7
9.5
9.4
9.5
6.8
5.2
7.9
4.0
2.7
4.8
1.0
.9
1.1
2.0
1.0
2.7
2.4
1.7
2.9
1.3
1.5
1.2
0.3
-.5
.9
1.3
1.1
1.5
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.1
.9
1.2
0.9
1.2
.7
From settlements reached in p e rio d ................................
Deferred from settlements reached in earlier period . . . .
From cost-of-living clauses...............................................
3.0
3.0
3.1
3.6
3.5
2.8
2.5
3.8
3.2
1.7
3.6
1.4
8
2.5
.6
.2
.6
.3
.4
1.4
.2
.5
1.3
.6
.6
.4
.3
-.2
.4
.1
.3
1.0
.1
.2
.8
.2
.6
.3
.2
.1
.4
.4
8.648
7,852
6 530
2,878
3 423
3,760
3.441
2,875
3,061
3,025
2,887
2,926
Total number of workers receiving wage change
From settlements reached
in period ......................................................................
Deferred from settlements
reached In earlier period...............................................
From cost-of-living clauses...............................................
Number of workers receiving no adjustments
(in thousands) ..............................................................
—
—
2,270
1,907
2,327
204
511
620
825
448
561
599
996
272
—
—
—
—
6,267
4,593
4,846
3,830
3,260
2,327
1.001
1,920
1,594
1,568
2.400
2,251
860
1,970
812
1,938
1.405
1,299
1,317
1,218
669
1.290
1,049
1,640
—
—
145
483
1,187
5,457
4,912
4,575
4,895
4,842
4,656
4,693
4,830
4,791
1The total number of workers who received adiustments does not equal the sum ot workers that received
each type of adjustment, because some workers received more than one type of adjustment during the
period.
102
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p - preliminary.
WORK STOPPAGE DATA
W ork stoppages in clu d e all k n o w n strik es o r lo ck o u ts in v o lv in g
1 ,0 0 0
E stim a te s o f d a y s idle as a p e rc e n t o f e stim a te d w o rk in g tim e
w o rk e rs o r m o re an d lastin g a full sh ift o r lo n g er. D ata are
m e a su re o n ly the im p a c t o f la rg e r strik e s ( 1 ,0 0 0 w o rk e rs o r m o re).
b a se d la rg e ly o n n e w s p a p e r a c c o u n ts an d c o v e r all w o rk e rs idle
F o rm e rly , th e s e e s tim a te s m e a su re d the im p a c t o f strik es in v o lv in g
o n e sh ift o r m o re in e sta b lis h m e n ts d ire c tly in v o lv e d in a sto p p a g e.
6 w o rk e rs o r m o re; th at is, th e im p a c t o f v irtu a lly a ll strik es. D ue
T h e y d o n o t m e a su re th e in d ire ct o r s e c o n d a ry effect on o th er
to b u d g e t strin g e n c ie s , c o lle c tio n o f d a ta on strik e s in v o lv in g fe w er
e s ta b lis h m e n ts w h o s e e m p lo y e e s are idle o w in g to m ate ria l o r
th an 1 ,0 0 0 w o rk e rs w as d isc o n tin u e d w ith th e D e c e m b e r 1981
se rv ic e s h o rta g e s .
d a ta .
38.
Work stoppages involving 1,000 workers or more, 1947 to date
N u m b e r o f s to p p a g e s
Month and year
In e f fe c t
m o n th o r y e a r
d u r in g m o n th
B e g i n n i n g in
In e f f e c t
m o n th o r y e a r
d u r in g m o n t h
(in th o u s a n d s )
1947
1948
1949
1950
D a y s id le
W o r k e r s in v o lv e d
B e g i n n i n g in
N um ber
( in th o u s a n d s )
(in th o u s a n d s )
P e rc e n t of
e s t im a t e d
w o r k in g t im e
.................................................................................................
.................................................................................................
.................................................................................................
.................................................................................................
270
245
262
424
1 629
1 435
2 537
1 698
25.720
26.127
43.420
30.390
195 1 ..................................................................................................
1952 .................................................................................................
1953 ..................................................................................................
1954 .................................................................................................
1955 .................................................................................................
415
470
437
265
363
1 462
2 746
1 623
1 075
2 055
15.070
48,820
18,130
16.630
21,180
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
.................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
.................................................................................................
.................................................................................................
.................................................................................................
287
279
332
245
222
1 370
887
1 587
1 381
896
26,840
10.340
17,900
60,850
13,260
1 9 6 1 .................................................................................................
1962 .................................................................................................
1963 ............................................................................................
1964 .................................................................................................
1965 .................................................................................................
195
211
181
246
268
1 031
793
512
1 183
999
10.140
11,760
10,020
16.220
15.140
.07
.08
.07
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
.................................................................................................
.................................................................................................
.................................................................................................
.................................................................................................
.................................................................................................
321
381
392
412
381
1 300
2 192
1 855
1 576
2 468
16,000
31,320
35,567
29,397
52,761
.10
1 9 7 1 .................................................................................................
1972 .................................................................................................
1973 ............................................................................................
1974 .................................................................................................
1975 .................................................................................................
298
250
317
424
235
2 516
975
1 400
1 796
965
35,538
16,764
16,260
31,809
17,563
.19
09
.08
16
.09
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
.................................................................................................
.................................................................................................
.................................................................................................
......................................................................................
.................................................................................................
231
298
219
235
187
1 519
1 212
1 006
1 021
795
23,962
21,258
23,774
20,409
20,844
.12
1 9 8 1 .................................................................................................
1982 .................................................................................................
1983 .................................................................................................
145
96
81
729
656
909
16,908
9.061
17,461
.07
.04
.08
1983
January .......................................................................
February.......................................................................
M a rc h .......................................................................
1
5
5
2
3
7
10
9
1.6
14.0
10.5
2.8
38.0
50.4
54.9
52.4
794.8
844.4
1,131.5
789.5
.04
.05
.05
.04
1984“
January .......................................................................
February .......................................................................
M a rc h ..........................................................................
5
2
2
5
11
12
9
11
27.8
8.7
3.0
24.9
41,9
37.2
14,6
34.5
506.2
365.5
284.2
641.4
.03
A p r il.............................................................................
A p r il ............................................................................
.22
.38
.26
.12
.38
.14
.13
.16
.20
.07
.13
.43
.09
.11
.10
.18
.20
.16
.29
10
.11
.09
.09
.02
.01
.03
p = preliminary.
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