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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
J.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
March 1982
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Employment
in 1981
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Raymond J. Donovan, Secretary
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Janet L. Norwood, Commissioner
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
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MARCH 1982
VOLUME 105, NUMBER 3
L IB R A R V
Henry Lowenstern, Editor-in-Chief
Robert W. Fisher, Executive Editor
m 91m
R o b e rt W . B e d n a rz ik an d o th e rs
3
The employment situation in 1981: new recession takes its toll
By yearend, joblessness had surged, propelled by cutbacks in housing, auto,
and related industries; the number of discouraged workers reached a new high
S h irle y J. S m ith
15
New worklife estimates reflect changing profile of labor force
The working life expectancy of men continued to level off during 1970-77;
however, that of women increased, especially among those 25 to 34 years old
J. P. G o ld b e rg , W . T. M o y e
21
The AFL and a national BLS: labor’s role is crystallized
From the labor federation’s first convention in 1881 to the establishment
of the Labor Department in 1913, interests of the AFL and BLS often converged
J a m e s D. Y o rk
30
Nonwool yarp mills experience slow gains in productivity
Although new equipment and techniques aided productivity growth in 1958-79,
the 2.3-percent rate of increase was less than for manufacturing as a whole
REPORTS
D a w n E. D o u g h e rty
R ic h a rd W . R iche
F ra n cis W . H o rv a th
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34
37
40
L a b o r a nd m a te ria l re q u ire m e n ts fo r h o sp ita l c o n s tru c tio n
Im p a c t o f n e w e le c tro n ic te c h n o lo g y
F o rg o tte n u n e m p lo y m e n t: re c a ll bia s in re tro s p e c tiv e d a ta
DEPARTM ENTS
2
34
40
45
47
49
57
L a b o r m o n th in re vie w
P ro d u c tiv ity re p o rts
R e s e a rc h s u m m a rie s
M a jo r a g re e m e n ts e xp irin g n e x t m onth
D e v e lo p m e n ts in in d u stria l re la tio n s
B o o k re v ie w s
C u rre n t la b o r s ta tis tic s
Labor M onth
In Review
ECONOMIC HARDSHIP. To what ex
tent has the link between unemployment
and economic hardship been weakened?
A new Bureau of Labor Statistics study
sheds some light on that question. Data
for the study are drawn from the March
1980 Current Population Survey. Ex
cerpts:
Economic and social changes over the
past 40 years have altered the relation
ship between a worker’s experience of
unemployment and the family’s income
position. Unemployment compensation
and other forms of social insurance have
helped to offset at least part of the
reduction in family income resulting
from the loss of a job. In addition, the
growth of two-earner families has made
family income less sensitive to fluctua
tions in the earnings of a single family
member.
Poverty-jobless link. If it is an over
simplification to say that unemployment
always means hardship for families, it is
equally an oversimplification to say that
the connection between the two has been
broken.
The data confirm that today poverty
does not always accompany unemploy
ment. Of the 18 million workers who ex
perienced some spells of unemployment
during 1979, only 14 percent belonged to
families whose incomes were below the
poverty level. Similarly, about 13 per
cent of the workers who worked part
time involuntarily belonged to families
in poverty. Even for fully employed
workers whose hourly earnings were at
or near the minimum wage, the tie be
tween the earnings level of individual
workers and the income of their families
was not a tight one. Approximately 4.8
million workers had annual earnings
that implied that they were working at or
near the minimum wage; less than onequarter of these (1.1 million) were in
families of households below the pover
ty level.
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2
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Family make-up link. On the other
hand, a more intensive examination of
the data suggests that the overall
numbers hide important relationships.
The links between a worker’s low earn
ings, or an interruption in those earn
ings, and family income depend greatly
on the composition of the family to
which the worker belongs. For workers
other than husbands in married-couple
families (these workers include wives
and “others,” mostly youth), low earn
ings or interruptions in earnings occa
sioned by unemployment or part-time
work are not, in the vast majority of
cases, associated with family income
that falls below the poverty level.
However, the contrary is the case for
workers who do not reside in a marriedperson household and who experience
low earnings, unemployment, or parttime work. For example, the poverty
rate reaches 51 percent for families
maintained by women who could only
find part-time work, and nearly one-half
of the families of unemployed women
who maintain families are below the
poverty level. Much the same picture
emerges for unrelated individuals (per
sons who do not maintain families) and,
to a somewhat lesser extent, for men
who maintain families.
Thus, the analysis suggests that, for
many families, poverty is not a direct
and inevitable result of unemployment,
short workweeks, or low earnings ex
perienced by one or more family mem
bers. But it is primarily in marriedcouple households having two or more
earners that the traditional relationship
between labor market status and the
economic condition of the family is
broken. For other types of
households—men and women who
maintain families and persons who live
by themselves outside of family
units—low earnings, unemployment,
short workweeks, and part-year work
are linked fairly closely with economic
hardship.
Qualification. These conclusions must
be qualified in the sense that there are
many cases which cannot be thoroughly
explored from the data available. For ex
ample, when a middle-income worker is
laid off from a well paying job, the fami
ly may have sufficient resources to avoid
falling all the way to the poverty level;
nevertheless, possible consequences such
as foreclosures or mounting debt can en
tail substantial economic hardship, even
if not as extreme as a decline to poverty
status. In addition, there are many cases
where the interruption of labor income
means severe economic distress which
cannot be evaluated with existing data.
For example, it is known that the
unemployment rate for wives whose
husbands are unemployed is much
higher than that of wives whose
husbands are employed. When two
workers in a married-couple household
are unemployed, the implications for
family income are undoubtedly severe,
but the present data are not detailed
enough to analyze these cases.
Data include, in addition to normal
wage and salary income, cash payments
from such sources as unemployment
compensation and other forms of social
insurance. Not included are noncash
forms of assistance (such as food
stamps) to which a low-income family
may be entitled. They are, however, the
most comprehensive data on family in
come yet assembled that can be related
to the labor force status and activities of
individual family members.
The 58-page study also analyzes other
aspects of insufficient employment and
links these individual employment pro
blems to family income and poverty.
Unking Employment Problems to
Economic Status, BLS Bulletin 2123, is
available from the Superintendent of
Documents, Government Printing Of
fice, Washington, D.C. 20402, and from
BLS regional offices listed on the inside
front cover. Price $4.50.
□
The employment situation in 1981:
new recession takes its toll
By y earend, joblessness had surged, propelled
by cutbacks in housing, auto, and related industries;
employment was back to its year-ago level;
the employment-population ratio was at a 4-year low;
and the number o f discouraged workers and
involuntary part-timers topped previous records
R o b e r t W . B e d n a r z ik , M
and
M
ic h a e l
A.
U
a r il l y n
A.
H
ew so n ,
rquhart
The labor market turned sour in mid-1981 as the econo
my entered its eighth postwar recession following a
rather weak and brief recovery. High interest rates con
tinued to plague the housing and automobile industries,
which never totally recovered from 1980, and the weak
ness of these two critical industries had begun to spread
to related industries as 1981 unfolded. Product orders
were reduced, leading to increased inventories, sharp
cutbacks in production, and eventually to increased
layoffs and other job losses.
The labor market, which received its second jolt in as
many years, was experiencing precipitous declines by
the final quarter of 1981. The number of unemployed
reached 9.6 million— 8.8 percent of the work force— by
the end of the year. There were also large increases in
the number of persons reporting discouragement over
job prospects and the number still employed but report
ing reduced workweeks.
Robert W. Bednarzik and Michael A. Urquhart are economists in the
Division of Employment and Unemployment Analysis, and Marillyn
A. Hewson is an economist in the Division of Monthly Industry Em
ployment Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Although by the end of 1981 total employment was
near its year ago level, the pattern during the year was
one of growth through spring, stagnation in the sum
mer, and pronounced cutbacks at the end of the year.
The percentage of the population employed was at a
4-year low by December.1
Unemployment rises sharply at yearend
The recovery from the 1980 recession had only a
marginal impact on the Nation’s unemployment rate,
which never dipped below the 7.2-percent mark (season
ally adjusted) during 1981. Despite an increase in total
employment of 1.8 million between the second quarters
of 1980 and 1981, the growth was insufficient to have a
marked improvement on joblessness, as the unemploy
ment rate only dropped from the 1980 high of 7.8 per
cent to 7.2 percent in July 1981. As economic activity
declined in the second half, the number of jobless per
sons jumped by nearly 2 million from July to Decem
ber, and the overall unemployment rate reached 8.8
percent, very close to the post-World War II high of 9.0
percent recorded in May 1975.
Given the persistently high rates of unemployment
3
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • The Employment Situation in 1981
since mid-1980, the fourth quarter surge pushed the un
employment rates for many worker groups beyond
those reached during the 1980 recession and, in some
cases, exceeded the postwar records of the 1973-75 re
cession. The following tabulation shows the peak
monthly jobless rates (seasonally adjusted) for major
demographic groups in 1975, 1980, and 1981:
1975
9.0 (May)
All workers . .
Men, age 20 and
over ..................
7.3 (May)
Women, age 20 and
over ..................
8.5 (Apr.)
Teenagers............. 20.9 (June)
W hite....................
8.4 (May)
Blacks .................. 15.4 (Sept.)
1980
7.8 (July)
1981
8.8 (Dec.)
6.7 (July)
7.9 (Dec.)
6.7 (July)
19.1 (July)
6.9 (July)
15.2 (July)
7.4 (Dec.)
21.5 (Dec.)
7.7 (Dec.)
17.3 (Dec.)
Joblessness among men (20 years and over), which
had shown some improvement early in the recent recov
ery period, increased 2.2 percentage points between July
and December 1981 to 7.9 percent, exceeding the post
war high reached in 1975. The rate for women showed
virtually no improvement in the recovery period, re
maining at about 6.7 percent before rising to 7.4 per
cent by December. While this was more than half a
point above the 1980 high for women, it was still more
than a point below the 1975 record. The greater in
crease in unemployment among men was primarily due
to their predominance in industries experiencing exten
sive job cutbacks. In December, the rate for men actu
ally exceeded that for women, an unusual labor market
occurrence.
The employment situation for teenagers continued to
worsen; their unemployment rate has shown a step-like
pattern of deterioration since mid-1979. By the end of
1981, the teenage rate of 21.5 percent was the highest
ever recorded, more than half a point above that
reached in 1975. Joblessness among women who main
tain families followed a similar pattern, rising from 8.1
to 9.1 percent between the third quarters of 1979 and
1980 before leaping to 10.7 percent in the third quarter
of 1981, about a point above their 1975 peak.
The rise in unemployment among blacks2 affected
both adults and teenagers and occurred earlier in the
year than was the case for white workers. Indeed, un
employment among blacks showed virtually no recovery
from the 1980 recession and their jobless rate was hit
ting new records by summer. Their overall rate was
17.3 percent by December. The black share of total un
employment was 21 percent in 1981, double their labor
force share. This was little changed from 1980, but
higher than their share during the early 1970’s. Unem
ployment for Hispanic workers seesawed over the year,
ending the year at slightly above 11 percent, about a
point higher than a year ago. Most of the increase was
accounted for by women age 20 and over. Persons of
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Puerto Rican origin experienced the highest rate of job
lessness in 1981, averaging 13.6 percent for the year; the
unemployment rate for persons of Mexican origin aver
aged 10.5 percent and those of Cuban origin, 9 percent.
Industry and occupation. Substantial fourth quarter in
creases pushed joblessness among workers in most
major industry groups above 1980 recession rates by
yearend.3 (See table 1.) Attention during the year was
focused on those industries directly affected by contin
ued high interest rates, most notably housing construc
tion, automobile manufacturing, and related industries.
There was some slight improvement in the unemploy
ment rate for workers in the construction industry from
the third quarter of 1980 to the first quarter of 1981.
The rate moved steadily higher, as the year progressed,
reaching 18.1 percent in December. The patterns for the
housing-related lumber and wood products, furniture
and fixtures, and stone, clay and glass industries were
similar. Two of the three detailed manufacturing indus
tries whose 1981 peak jobless rates exceeded those
reached in both 1980 and in 1975 were housing related;
the other, food processing, has undergone several tech
nological changes in recent years to better insulate itself
against inflationary pressures. The following tabulation
show peak monthly unemployment rates in selected
manufacturing industries:
1975
1980
1981
Lumber and wood
products.........
16.0 (May) 17.0 (June) 22.0 (Dec.)
Stone, clay and
glass................ 11.8 (Apr.) 10.7 (May) 12.7 (Dec.)
Food processing .. 11.5 (June) 10.4 (Dec.) 12.1 (Dec.)
Except for furniture and fixtures, the manufacturing
industries whose 1981 peak jobless rates exceeded those
attained in 1980, but not those in 1975, were auto relat
ed:
1975
Furniture and fixtures................
Textiles .............
Chemicals...........
Rubber and plas
tics ..................
1980
1981
16.4 (Feb.) 11.3 (Sep.)
17.9 (Jan.) 11.9 (Oct.)
7.9 (May) 5.3 (Aug.)
13.2 (Dec.)
14.1 (Dec.)
6.2 (Dec.)
15.5 (Mar.) 12.9 (July)
15.1 (Jan.)
December unemployment rates for workers in prima
ry and fabricated metals, machinery, and electrical
equipment, while up from earlier in the year, were still
below 1980 highs.
Joblessness among workers in the automobile indus
try showed improvement between the third quarter of
1980 and the second quarter of 1981, dropping from
22.4 percent to 11.8 percent, but hit 21.7 percent in De
cember. Most of the reduction was due to workers find
ing jobs elsewhere (although some auto workers were
Table 1.
Selected unemployment indicators, seasonally adjusted quarterly averages, 1980-81
[Unemployment rates]
1981
1980
C a te g o ry
I
II
III
IV
I
II
III
IV
Total, 16 years and over ........................................
Men, 20 years and over .....................................................
Women, 20 years and o v e r .................................................
Both sexes, 16 to 19 y e a r s .................................................
6.3
4.9
5.8
16.4
7.3
6.2
6.4
17.9
7.6
6.6
6.5
18.7
7.5
6.3
6.7
18.2
7.4
6.0
6.6
19.1
7.4
6.1
6.7
19.2
7.4
6.0
6.7
19.1
8.3
7.2
7.2
21.1
W hite....................................................................................
B lack.....................................................................................
Hispanic origin .....................................................................
5.5
12.8
9.1
6.5
14.3
10.1
6.8
15.0
10.9
6.6
15.1
10.1
6.5
14.6
11.0
6.5
15.1
9.8
6.4
15.8
9.8
7.3
17.0
11.1
Married men, spouse present ............................................
Married women, spouse present ........................................
Women who maintain families ............................................
3.4
5.3
8.8
4.4
5.9
8.7
4.8
6.1
9.1
4.4
5.9
10.1
4.1
5.9
9.9
4.0
5.8
10.3
4.1
5.7
10.7
5.2
6.4
10.6
Full-time workers .................................................................
Part-time w orkers.................................................................
5.9
8.7
7.0
8.9
7.5
8.7
7.3
8.7
7.1
9.1
7.1
9.3
7.0
9.5
8.1
9.6
White-collar w orkers............................................................
Blue-collar workers..............................................................
Service w o rkers...................................................................
Farmworkers .......................................................................
3.4
8.2
7.2
4.3
3.7
10.5
8.0
4.8
3.8
11.1
8.3
4.9
3.9
10.6
8.2
4.3
3.9
10.1
8.4
5.0
4.0
9.8
9.0
5.1
4.0
9.7
8.6
4.7
4.3
11.8
9.5
6.3
Nonagricultural private wage and salary workers’ .............
Construction.....................................................................
Manufacturing...................................................................
Durable goods ............................................................
Nondurable go o d s........................................................
Transportation and public utilities ...................................
Wholesale and retail tra d e ...............................................
Finance and service industries........................................
Government workers ..........................................................
Agricultural wage and salary workers.................................
6.3
12.0
6.8
6.7
6.9
4.2
6.6
4.8
4.0
10.0
7.7
15.3
9.0
9.8
8.0
4.9
7.5
5.4
4.0
11.4
7.9
16.1
9.4
10.1
8.3
5.6
7.7
5.6
4.2
11.7
7.7
14.2
9.0
9.2
8.6
5.2
7.9
5.6
4.3
10.8
7.5
14.0
8.4
8.4
8.4
5.7
7.7
5.8
4.4
11.8
7.4
15.4
7.6
7.3
8.1
5.4
7.8
5.8
4.7
11.2
7.4
15.9
7.4
7.1
7.9
4.4
8.1
5.8
4.6
11.3
8.5
17.8
9.7
10.0
9.2
5.5
8.6
6.2
5.0
14.1
'Includes mining, not shown separately.
recalled to their jobs), because employment growth in
the industry was essentially nonexistent after mid-1979.
The dramatic yearend surge in joblessness brought
the jobless rate for all factory workers to 11.0 percent
in December, 11.8 percent for those in durables and 9.6
percent for nondurables.
Among the major occupational groups, the jobless
pattern showed generally little or no improvement for
the first three quarters followed by a surge in the
fourth, especially among blue-collar workers. Their job
less rate was up to 12.7 percent by December, as
craftworkers, operatives, and nonfarm laborers all re
corded increases. White-collar unemployment was also
up in December to 4.5 percent, with the sharpest in
crease occurring among professional and technical
workers, whose December rate of 3.4 percent almost
equaled its previous high in 1975. Unemployment
among clerical workers was also up at yearend.
Reasons for unemployment. In the household survey,
jobless persons are categorized according to whether
they lost their last job (due to either a layoff or a per
manent separation), voluntarily left a job, entered the
labor force for the first time, or began to search for
work after a period of absence from the labor market.
The distribution of total unemployment by these groups
changes over the business cycle. During economic con
tractions, there, of course, are sharp increases in jobloss unemployment, especially in that due to layoff. In
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contrast, there is normally a decline in the number of
persons who began looking for work because they quit
their last job.
As a result of the weak recovery from the 1980 reces
sion, job losers’ share of total unemployment remained
high throughout the year. (See table 2.) The first quar
ter level of 4 million, the low for the year, was still
more than a million above pre-1980 recession levels.
While historically the percentage of job losers usually
drops to around 40 percent during recoveries, in 1981
they represented about 50 percent of total unemploy
ment through the third quarter. At 56 percent in De
cember, the percentage of job losers was very close to
the 58-percent high reached in the 1973-75 recession.
The number of persons on layoff, a very sensitive cy
clical measure, did show a decline of a half million be
tween the third quarters of 1980 and 1981, before rising
sharply in the final quarter. At 2 million in December,
the number on layoff was at the peak level reached in
the 1975 recession.
Duration o f unemployment. An important consideration
in the evaluation of overall unemployment is the aver
age duration of joblessness. Short spells of unemploy
ment are often considered to be only a result of
frictions in the labor market, as workers move from job
to job and labor supply adjusts to changes in demand.
The longer a period of unemployment, the greater the
economic hardship that is normally associated with it.
5
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • The Employment Situation in 1981
Table 2.
Reason for and duration of unemployment, seasonally adjusted quarterly averages, 1980-81
[Numbers in thousands]
1980
1981
R e as o n a n d d uration
I
II
III
IV
1
II
III
IV
100.0
47.4
16.9
30.4
12.6
27.6
12.5
100.0
52.4
21.6
30.7
12.0
24.9
10.8
100.0
54.2
21.9
32.4
11.0
23.7
11.1
100.0
53.2
19.0
34.2
11.0
24.6
11.2
100.0
50.4
16.5
33.9
11.5
25.8
12.4
100.0
50.5
16.5
34.1
11.6
25.7
12.1
100.0
51.3
16.3
34.9
11.3
25.5
11.9
100.0
54.1
20.1
34.0
10.3
24.7
11.0
Less than 5 w e e k s ..............................................................
5-14 w e e k s .........................................................................
15 weeks and o v e r..............................................................
15-26 weeks ...................................................................
27 weeks and o v e r ..........................................................
3,132
2,163
1,385
825
560
3,498
2,636
1,745
1,012
733
3,351
2,685
2,146
1,229
917
3,196
2,455
2,347
1,235
1,113
3,278
2,370
2,327
1,084
1,243
3,290
2,500
2,260
1,112
1,148
3,393
2,455
2,212
1,107
1,105
3,865
2,861
2,343
1,195
1,148
Median duration, in w e e ks...................................................
Average (mean) duration, in weeks ....................................
5.7
10.7
6.1
11.2
7.3
12.4
7.4
13.4
7.2
14.1
7.2
13.8
7.0
14.0
6.8
13.2
R e as o n
Percent distribution..............................................................
Lost last jo b .........................................................................
On layoff .........................................................................
O th e r................................................................................
Left last j o b .........................................................................
Reentered labor fo rc e ..........................................................
Seeking first j o b ...................................................................
D u ratio n
The two average measures of unemployment duration
— the mean and the median— differ in regard to their
sensitivity to changes in the number of persons experi
encing either short- or long-term joblessness, the medi
an being less sensitive to extreme values. While both
generally move in the same direction as the overall un
employment rate, there is a definite lagged response at
economic turning points. For example, during the 1980
recession, very long-term unemployment (27 weeks or
longer) continued to increase—from 915,000 in the
third quarter of 1980 to more than 1.2 million in the
first quarter of 1981. (See table 2.) Due to the brevity of
the recovery, such joblessness declined only slightly in
the subsequent two quarters before increasing again in
the last quarter.
The lag in the response of long-term joblessness to an
economic upturn has different implications for the mean
and median duration figures. For example, although the
rate of unemployment in the 1980 recession never
exceeded the 7.8-percent figure attained in July, the
mean duration of unemployment continued upward
through the first quarter of 1981. In economic down
turns, the mean duration will frequently decline for a
few months, as the newly unemployed enter the jobless
stream. Thus, in 1981, mean duration actually fell in
the fourth quarter. The median duration measure, by
contrast, usually responds much faster to changing eco
nomic conditions and moves more in tandem with over
all unemployment, because it is dominated by the
movement of the shorter-term duration groups. During
the 1980 recession, for example, the increase in the me
dian generally followed that of the overall rate, though
lagging somewhat in the recovery phase. In 1981, how
ever, the yearend rise in unemployment was so steep
that median duration also declined a bit in the fourth
quarter. Both measures can be expected to increase in
the months ahead.
6
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Shortened workweeks and discouragement
Just as the health of the economy influences unem
ployment, it similarly influences the number of people
who report that they want a job but are not looking for
one because they believe no work is available— socalled “discouraged workers.” In addition, as the Na
tion enters a recession, employers frequently reduce
hours where possible before laying off employees. Per
sons on such shortened workweeks are termed involun
tary part-time workers. They, along with discouraged
workers, are not reflected in the official count of unem
ployment, although information on both groups is im
portant in achieving a full appreciation of the nature
and magnitude of the underutilization of human re
sources.
Nonagriculturai workers involuntarily on part-time
schedules totaled more than 5 million, or 5.6 percent of
the nonfarm “at-work” population, in the fourth quar
ter of 1981. This was the highest level recorded since
collection of the data began in 1955. Slack work, the
most cyclical component of involuntary part-time work,
accounted for half of this total. The following tabula
tion shows the distribution of involuntary part-time
workers (seasonally adjusted quarterly averages):4
1980:
I
II
III
IV
1981:
I
II
III
IV
Part time due to—
Slack
Could find
work
only part time
Number
Percent
3,546
4,171
4,290
4,216
3.9
4.6
4.8
4.7
1.9
2.5
2.5
2.3
1.5
1.7
1.8
1.9
4,323
4,166
4,460
5,108
4.7
4.6
4.9
5.6
2.4
2.2
2.4
2.8
2.0
2.0
2.1
2.3
The number of persons on shortened workweeks had
remained high during the recovery period between the
1980 and 1981 recessions, perhaps an indication of the
general sluggishness and weakness in the labor market
that prevailed at that time. There has been a growing
tendency in recent years for employers to keep workers
on a shortened workweek for a longer spell than in ear
lier years.5 Also, as shown above, the proportion of in
voluntary part-timers who reported they could only find
part-time work has continued to grow in recent years,
as it has for the last decade. Thus, just as the job pic
ture is now characterized by higher overall average un
employment, it is also characterized by a higher
proportion of involuntary part-time work.
Discouraged workers have neither worked nor have
they looked for work during the 4-week period prior to
enumeration. Historically, the number of such workers
tends to move in tandem with overall unemployment.6
Given the generally weak economy and higher than av
erage unemployment during 1981, the number of dis
couraged workers remained above the million mark
throughout the year. (See table 3.) Even the deep 1973—
75 recession did not result in such consistently high lev
els. The increase in the number of discouraged workers
in the fourth quarter of 1981 brought the level to 1.2
million, slightly above the previous high recorded in the
third quarter of 1975 and about 140,000 above the level
of a year earlier. Nearly three-fourths of the recently
discouraged cited job market factors as the reason for
not looking for work, the component which gives
discouragement its cyclical nature. Most of the 1981 in
crease occurred in the last quarter. Women and blacks
are disproportionately represented among the discour
aged. They made up 64 and 30 percent of these workers
Table 4.
Table 3. Discouraged workers, seasonally adjusted
quarterly averages, 1980-81
[In thousands]
1981
1980
C a te g o ry
I
II
III
IV
I
II
III
IV
948
955
1,006
1,063
1,093
1,043
1,094
1,199
Job-market factors .
Personal factors . . .
601
347
648
307
687
319
720
343
849
244
718
325
801
293
883
316
Men ......................
W om en..................
358
591
332
623
382
624
361
702
375
718
414
630
383
711
435
764
White ....................
Black and other . . .
670
301
640
309
699
310
684
356
744
387
708
326
744
351
807
364
T o ta l......................
in the last quarter of 1981, compared with 43 and 12
percent of the labor force.
The employment picture
With strong growth during the first half of 1981, to
tal employment, as measured by the survey of house
holds, appeared to have regained much of the
momentum lost during the 1980 downturn. The number
of persons employed rose by 2.1 million between June’s
1980 low and July 1981, reaching the 100.9-million
mark in July. As the economy turned downward again
in the third quarter, however, it was evident that a new
recession was at hand. Especially sharp declines in the
fourth quarter resulted in cutbacks totaling 1.3 million
between July and December. Table 4 traces these devel
opments on a quarterly basis for a number of worker
groups.
The employment-population ratio, which measures
the proportion of the population that is employed, is a
useful statistic for putting these changes into perspec
tive.7 It is particularly helpful in discerning the cyclical
Employed persons by selected categories, seasonally adjusted quarterly averages, 1980-81
[In thousands]
1981
1980
S e le c te d c a te g o rie s
1
Total, 16 years and o v e r ..........................................
Men, 20 years and o v e r ........................................................
Women, 20 years and over .................................................
Both sexes, 16 to 19 ye a rs ...................................................
Professional and technical workers .................................
Managers and administrators, except fa rm ......................
Farmworkers.........................................................................
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II
III
IV
I
II
III
IV
99,784
53,478
38,351
7,955
98,953
52,887
38,349
7,717
99,006
52,849
38,564
7,593
99,498
53,211
38,714
7,573
100,125
53,448
39,202
7,476
100,784
53,767
39,677
7,341
100,654
53,786
39,692
7,176
100,043
53,327
39,802
6,914
88,183
9,370
5,028
87,466
9,267
5,066
87,388
9,305
5,156
87,846
9,312
5,257
88,381
9,387
5,277
89,039
9,419
5,336
89,006
9,308
5,349
88,414
9,304
5,431
51,408
15,738
10,954
6,363
18,353
32,397
13,029
10,875
3,650
4,844
13,247
2,756
51,680
15,967
11,067
6,162
18,485
31,325
12,759
10,507
52,177
16,015
11,255
6,329
18,578
30,860
12,653
10,343
3,463
4,401
13,253
2,720
52,280
16,161
11,287
6,357
18,475
31,297
12,724
10,540
3,484
52,754
16,225
11,638
6,384
18,506
31,211
12,710
10,556
3,439
4,505
13,358
2,748
52,943
16,227
11,505
6,455
18,756
31,673
12,828
10,703
3,481
4,661
13,384
2,761
52,985
16,528
11,524
6,435
18,499
31,486
12,675
10,634
3,521
4,656
13,400
2,741
53,123
16,704
11,500
6,423
18,496
30,660
12,434
10,266
3,462
4,497
13,611
2,744
3,529
4,529
13,213
2,712
4,549
13,209
2,793
7
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • The Employment Situation in 1981
Chart 1. Employment-population ratios for
selected workers, 1979-81
Percent (seasonally adjusted)
N o te : S h aded a re a in d ic a te s th e 1980 re c e s s io n .
8
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impact of an economic downturn on workers. Because
the population is continually growing for most worker
groups, a decline in the overall employment population
ratio, even while employment is showing some growth,
clearly reflects the inability of the economy to generate
enough jobs.
From a record high of 59.4 percent in late 1979, the
ratio dropped to 58.3 percent by the end of 1980, re
flecting the recession and an initially weak recovery.
Some improvement occurred in the first half of 1981 —
as the ratio inched up to 58.8 percent— but with the
precipitous decline of the economy in the second half,
the ratio was down to 57.5 percent by December, its
lowest level in more than 4 years. During the second
half, declines in the ratio were heavy among men and
teenagers, while the proportion of women who were
employed dipped slightly.8(See chart 1.)
During the first half of 1981, strong job growth was
evident among men, as they regained the job losses ex
perienced during the 1980 downturn. By midyear, this
group had registered a 550,000 advance in employment.
However, employment rose only marginally during the
third quarter, and then dropped by more than 400,000
in the closing months of 1981. These developments,
when coupled with an increase in population, caused
the employment-population ratio for men to decrease by
1.1 percentage points over the year, to 71.5 percent, a
new low for this group. As industrial production de
clined in response to an involuntary build-up in inven
tories, the demand for labor in the goods-producing
sector slackened accordingly. Because roughly 7 of 10
workers in the goods-producing sector are adult men, it
is not surprising that they were severely affected by pro
duction cutbacks.
By contrast, women increased their employment over
the year despite the recession. Their jobs are concen
trated in the service-producing sector, which historically
has been less responsive to cyclical movements in the
economy than the goods sector. However, employment
among women grew very little in the second half of the
year as the downturn became more broadly based. By
the fourth quarter, employment among women stood at
39.8 million, up 1.1 million from its year-earlier level.
The employment-population ratio for women reached a
new high of 48.7 percent in the second quarter and then
slipped a bit in the last half of the year to 48.4 percent.
However, this figure was still above the year-earlier lev
el, as the percentage of employed working-age women
continued its secular uptrend.
Employment among teenagers declined throughout
1981, as it has every quarter since the end of 1979.
These reductions stem largely from a diminishing popu
lation, but they also reflect a marked vulnerability to
cyclical fluctuations. Being less skilled and lacking the
work experience of adults, teenagers suffer greater em
ployment declines in economic downturns than the oth-
er major age-sex groups. (See chart 1.) By the end of
1981, the teenage employment-population ratio had fall
en nearly 3 percentage points from the fourth quarter
1980 level and more than 5 percentage points over the
2-year period.
Employment of black workers, at 9.3 million in the
fourth quarter, was unchanged from a year earlier and,
in fact, has fluctuated within the narrow range of 9.2 to
9.5 million since the last quarter of 1978, while the pop
ulation for this group has continued to grow. As a re
sult, the employment-population ratio for blacks de
clined 3 percentage points over the last 2 years, to 50.7
percent. Inadequate job growth has also affected whites,
especially men, although to a considerably lesser extent.
At 58.8 percent, the ratio for all whites was down
slightly over the year, while their employment rose by
600,000.
The situation facing black teenagers grew bleaker in
1981, as their employment declined by 60,000 over the
year to 480,000 in the last quarter. The result was a fur
ther decline in their employment-population ratio, from
23 to about 21 percent between the fourth quarters of
1980 and 1981. The ratio had been 25 percent in the
late 1970’s.9In contrast, almost half of all white teenag
T a b le 5 .
ers were working in the last quarter of 1981.
Hispanic employment increased gradually over the
year and by the fourth quarter was about 175,000
above the level of a year earlier. Gains were about
equally split among men and women, while teenage em
ployment was down slightly. However, these gains did
not keep pace with the growth of the Hispanic popula
tion and their employment-population ratio declined 0.7
point during the year, to 56.9 in the last quarter.
Industry employment. During the first half of 1981, non
farm payroll employment showed some improvement
from the recessionary levels of 1980. However, employ
ment growth slowed markedly during the third quarter.
By the fourth quarter, the weakness which had been
visible all year in the housing and automobile industries
had clearly spread, and nonfarm employment dropped
by almost half a million. (See table 5.) The Bureau of
Labor Statistics’ diffusion index of private nonagricultural payroll employment provides further evidence of
the pervasiveness of the 1981 decline10. In the last quar
ter, job gains were registered in only one-third of the
172 industries included in the index, compared to more
than three-fifths a year earlier.
N o n a g r ic u ltu r a l p a y r o ll e m p lo y m e n t, s e a s o n a lly a d ju s t e d q u a r t e r ly a v e r a g e s , 1 9 8 0 -8 1
fNumbers in thousands!
1981
1980
Industry
Total nonagricultural payroll employment...............
1
90,808
II
90,450
III
90,213
IV
90,820
I
91,232
II
III
'Vp
91,546
91.938
91,483
25,399
1,170
4,226
20,003
11,925
635
472
633
1,088
1,545
2,520
2,119
1,777
719
417
8,078
1,673
70
823
1,248
686
1,301
1,105
210
733
229
66,084
5,141
20,826
5,353
15,473
5,361
18,825
15,931
2,748
13,183
Goods-produclng Industries.................................................
Mining ..............................................................................
Construction.....................................................................
Manufacturing...................................................................
Durable goods ............................................................
Lumber and wood products ....................................
Furniture and fixture s...............................................
Stone, clay, and glass products .............................
Primary metal industries..........................................
Fabricated metal products ......................................
Machinery, except electrical ....................................
Electric and electronic equipment ...........................
Transportation equipment........................................
Instruments and related products ...........................
Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ..................
Nondurable g oo ds.......................................................
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 .................................
26,329
999
4,527
20,803
12,603
738
487
694
1,217
1,682
2,533
2,141
1,968
708
436
8,201
1,721
68
874
1.285
706
1,256
1,115
176
761
238
25,678
1,017
4,381
20,280
12,165
672
471
663
1,156
1,612
2,510
2,106
1,845
708
423
8,115
1,704
70
855
1,266
694
1,256
1,112
194
731
233
25,306
1,012
4,319
19,976
11,911
671
455
651
1,080
1,562
2,460
2,072
1,841
708
412
8,064
1,713
69
838
1,259
686
1,257
1,099
208
706
229
25,594
1,051
4,385
20,158
12,060
683
463
656
1,124
1,580
2,487
2,095
1,854
711
407
8,098
1,706
70
844
1,253
692
1,265
1,103
209
725
231
25,670
1,091
4,398
20,181
12,086
691
466
653
1,139
1,579
2,483
2,112
1,841
712
410
8,095
1,697
72
839
1,243
690
1,272
1,108
210
732
231
25,741
1,006
4,345
20,390
12,246
704
483
657
1.144
1,601
2,508
2,142
1,879
716
414
8.144
1,691
71
844
1,257
693
1,282
1,109
212
751
232
25,933
1,148
4.273
20,512
12,325
688
487
658
1,142
1,610
2,542
2,164
1,888
726
421
8,187
1,676
72
851
1.274
699
1,295
1,109
212
761
237
Service-producing industries ...............................................
Transportation and public utilities ....................................
Wholesale and retail tra d e ...............................................
Wholesale trade ..........................................................
Retail tra d e ...................................................................
Finance, insurance, and real estate ...............................
Services............................................................................
Government.....................................................................
Federal.........................................................................
State and local ............................................................
64,479
5,178
20,370
5.285
15,085
5,104
17,656
16,170
2,832
13,338
64,772
5,153
20,303
5,269
15,034
5,142
17,796
16,377
3,004
13,373
64,907
5,123
20,406
5,275
15,131
5,189
17,988
16,201
2,828
13,373
65,227
5,120
20,465
5,297
15,168
5,237
18,162
16,242
2,797
13,445
65,562
5,133
20,588
5,311
15,277
5,281
18,338
16,222
2,792
13,431
65,805
5,153
20,689
5,343
15,346
5,324
18,525
16,114
2,776
13,338
66,005
5,174
20,843
5,368
15,475
5,355
18,694
15.938
2,771
13,167
p = preliminary
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9
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • The Employment Situation in 1981
The economy’s slow recovery from the recession of
1980, which halted before all industries had rebounded
fully, was largely due to the extremely high interest
rates prevailing throughout most of 1981. The major
victims of the 1980 recession were concentrated in the
goods-producing sector— primarily in construction and
automobile manufacturing and supplier industries tied
to these two industries. As the cost of borrowing re
mained high, these highly interest-rate sensitive indus
tries, after showing slightly higher employment in the
first part of 1981, fell to more depressed levels than
those experienced in 1980. The major source of employ
ment strength during the year was generally in indus
tries less sensitive to rising interest rates, such as
services and mining. However, in the closing months of
the year, the recession had begun to adversely affect vir
tually all industries. The goods-producing sector was
clearly the hardest hit, notably manufacturing and con
struction. (See chart 2.) But even the service-producing
sector felt the impact of the recession, as reflected in the
considerably reduced pace of employment growth for
some industries and sizable declines in the usually ro
bust retail trade industry as the year drew to a close.
Employment in construction deteriorated significantly
in 1981, following steady growth in the last half of 1980
and a modest increase in the first quarter. Mortgage in
terest rates remained high throughout most of the year,
and the resulting sharp contraction in residential con
struction activity gave rise to steep job declines in con
struction employment. Housing starts, falling below
900.000 units in the last quarter, were the lowest since
1966; building permits, which provide an indication of
future construction activity, declined steadily from
April to November. By the third quarter of 1981, em
ployment in the industry had plummeted to a level that
was below its July 1980 recession low, and an addition
al 47,000 jobs were lost in the last quarter. The job loss
totaled 192,000 from April’s employment high. More
over, the situation would have been worse were it not
for relative continued strength in heavy construction.
After rising 350,000 in the first three quarters of
1981, the number of jobs in manufacturing declined by
500.000 in the final quarter to 20 million, almost 1.2
million below the all-time high reached in July 1979.
More than two-thirds of this decrease was in durable
goods, where every industry experienced a decline in
employment in the fourth quarter. By December, dura
ble goods manufacturing employment was 11.7 million,
a level below its 1980 recession low.
The hardest hit manufacturing industry was transpor
tation equipment, where the deterioration in the job sit
uation has continued for nearly 3 years. After reaching
a high of more than 2 million workers in early 1979,
more than 330,000 jobs were lost by the end of 1981.
The small recovery which took place in the first part of
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1981 was due to automobile buyer and dealer incentive
programs such as rebates, discounts, and low-interest fi
nancing that served to temporarily boost sales; however,
automobile sales virtually collapsed in the fourth quar
ter, forcing automobile manufacturers to slash produc
tion and layoff workers. As a result, automobile em
ployment fell by more than 50,000 in the final quarter.
These declines, in turn, meant a drop in orders for a
number of other manufacturing industries, ranging from
primary and fabricated metals to textiles and rubber
and plastics. With reduced orders and rising inventories,
sharp cutbacks in industrial production were soon evi
dent throughout durable goods manufacturing and
among nondurable goods industries as well.
With the prolonged slump in housing activity, there
were also sizable cutbacks in industries heavily depen
dent upon construction activity. Most notably, employ
ment in lumber and wood products slipped significantly
during the year, falling to a level 24,000 below its June
1980 recession low. Stone, clay and glass and major ap
pliances— which are closely tied to construction activity
— also witnessed significant declines over the year. (See
table 5.)
Employment in nondurable goods manufacturing rose
in the first 3 quarters of 1981 but then dropped sharply
in the final quarter. The largest cutback occurred in
food processing, which has been following a long-term
downtrend. Conversely, the only major nondurable in
dustry to post a significant increase for the year was
printing and publishing; this industry had also been
largely unaffected by the 1980 downturn, possibly be
cause of its strong ties with the less-cyclically vulnerable
service-producing sector.
In marked contrast to the job declines registered in
construction and manufacturing, mining grew rapidly in
1981, sustaining the pattern of growth that began in the
aftermath of the 1973 oil embargo. While representing
slightly more than half of the employment in the indus
try division, the oil and gas extraction industry
accounted for more than 90 percent of the job gains
during the year, a reflection of the rapid expansion in
exploration and development activity. Despite a slight
drop in employment in the second quarter, relating to
temporary losses that stemmed from a coal strike, min
ing industry employment rose at a faster rate than any
other nonfarm industry, climbing 11.3 percent in 1981.
(See chart 2.)
Employment in the service-producing sector expand
ed throughout 1981, more than offsetting the employ
ment decline in the goods sector. However, as evidence
that the sector is not totally immune to recessions, the
rate of increase was significantly below that witnessed
during the few years just prior to the 1980 and 1981 re
cessions. The number of jobs rose by 860,000 from the
fourth-quarter 1980 level to 66.1 million at the end of
Chart 2. Nonfarm payroll employment by selected industries, 1979-81
Thousands (seasonally adjusted)
M
0
N ote: D ata fo r N o v e m b e r and D e c e m b e r 1981 are p re lim in a ry .
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11
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • The Employment Situation in 1981
1981. The advance was dominated by increases in the
division comprising such diverse industries as legal,
health, business, and educational services, hotels and
other lodging, amusement and recreation, and auto re
pair. This amalgam of service industries posted a gain
of 660,000 jobs. The increases were concentrated in the
fast-growing health and business service industries. Jobs
in wholesale and retail trade, after sustaining growth
through the first three quarters, tapered off near
yearend, as pre-Christmas hiring in 1981 was less than
normal. Employment in transportation, public utilities,
and finance, insurance, and real estate followed a simi
lar pattern. These three divisions posted gains for the
year, however. In contrast, government employment
dropped by more than 300,000 in 1981, to 15.9 million,
as a result of stringent budgets and severe staffing limi
tations, particularly in primary and secondary educa
tion. State and local government had the largest decline,
falling 260,000 over the year to 13.2 million, while Fed
eral government employment dropped almost 50,000.
The varied impact of the weak recovery and subse
quent economic contraction are summarized in table 6.
As can be seen, the goods-oriented industries were the
principal job losers in 1981. For example, job losses
amounted to at least 7 percent in the automobile manu
facturing and lumber industries. Government— State
and local as well as Federal— was the only service-pro
ducing area to register over-the-year job losses. Among
job gainers, the fast-growing mining industry experi
enced the largest relative increase, while the other gain
ers were concentrated in the service-producing sector.
Hours. One of the earliest signs of the stifled recovery
and subsequent downturn in economic activity was the
manufacturing workweek, which began decreasing rap
idly from its May 1981 peak of 40.3 hours. By the
fourth quarter, the factory workweek had fallen to 39.3
Table 6. Major payroll employment changes, by industry,
fourth quarter 1980 to fourth quarter 1981
[Numbers in thousands]
Industry
Job losers:
Construction.............................
Residential building construction . . .
Lumber and wood products ..
Stone, clay, and glass products...........
Primary metal industries ...............
Fabricated metal industries .............
Transportation equipment ....................
Motor vehicles and equipment . . . .
Food and kindred products ...........
Textile mill products .............
State and local government...........
Job gainers:
Mining ........................
Printing and publishing...............................
Retail trade ........................ ..
Finance, insurance, and real estate ...............
Services.............................
12for FRASER
Digitized
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Number
Percent
-159
-3 2
-4 8
-2 3
-3 6
-3 5
-7 7
-55
-3 3
-21
-2 6 2
-3 .6
-5 .3
-7 .0
-3.5
-3 .2
2.2
-4.2
-7.4
-1.9
-2.5
-1 .9
119
36
305
124
663
11.3
2.8
2.0
2.4
3.7
hours, only 0.1 hour above its 1980 recession low. Fac
tory overtime hours, which were largely responsible for
the decline in the manufacturing workweek, had de
clined by 0.7 hour to 2.5 hours by the end of the year.
As a further indication of the weakening economic
environment, the index of aggregate weekly hours for
production or nonsupervisory workers, which reflects
changes in both employment and the workweek, peaked
in July and declined steadily throughout the remainder
of the year.11 Likewise, the manufacturing hours index
began falling at midyear and continued to decline so
that by yearend, it was at its lowest level in more than
5 years.
Occupations. Because employment in the goods indus
tries is more vulnerable to cyclical contractions, it fol
lows that the occupations which are concentrated in
these industries— blue-collar—are also more adversely
affected by economic downturns. Exhibiting a decline of
nearly 1.9 million between the third quarters of 1979
and 1980, the number of blue-collar workers increased
by only 800,000 during the short recovery through
mid-1981. Subsequently, the economic situation wors
ened and blue-collar employment dropped 1.0 million
by the end of the year. At 30.7 million in the last quar
ter, employment of blue-collar workers was 200,000 be
low the fhird-quarter 1980 level and 600,000 below the
same quarter a year before. (See table 4.)
All of the major blue-collar occupational groups reg
istered declines from their second quarter 1981 levels.
Because 80 percent of the workers who are operatives
(excluding transport) are employed in the goods-producing sector, it is not surprising that this group
showed the largest decline when employment turned
downward in the second half of the year. Among the
other major groups, the larger the share of their em
ployment that was in the goods sector—craft workers
(60 percent), nonfarm laborers (40 percent), and trans
port equipment operatives (30 percent)— the greater the
extent of their decline.
Employment growth in white-collar occupations was
sustained through the second quarter of 1981 but
slowed markedly in the last half of the year, as the eco
nomic deterioration which set in for blue-collar workers
at midyear spread. The 850,000-million job gain be
tween the fourth quarters of 1980 and 1981 occurred al
most exclusively among persons in the professional and
technical and managerial fields, as salesworkers and
clerical workers together accounted for only about 10
percent of the total increase in white-collar employ
ment.
Among the other occupational categories, the number
of service workers increased by 400,000 above the
fourth quarter 1980 level, while the number of
farmworkers, which had been on a slow downtrend
throughout the postwar period until the late 1970’s,
showed little movement.
Table 7. Labor force participation rates for selected
demographic groups, annual averages, 1951-81
1951
1961
1971
1981
T o ta l..........................................
59.3
59.3
60.2
63.9
Teenagers, 16-19 years ......................
52.2
46.9
49.7
55.4
Men, 20 years and o v e r........................
20-24 years ......................................
25-34 years ......................................
35-54 years ......................................
55-64 years ......................................
65 years and o v e r .............................
88.2
88.4
96.9
96.8
87.2
44.9
85.7
87.8
97.5
96.6
87.3
31.7
82.1
83.0
95.9
95.2
82.1
25.5
79.0
85.5
94.9
93.5
70.6
18.4
Women, 20 years and o v e r ..................
20-24 years ......................................
25-34 years ......................................
35-54 years ......................................
55-64 years ......................................
65 years and o v e r .............................
34.0
46.5
35.4
39.7
27.6
8.9
38.0
47.0
36.4
46.8
37.9
10.7
43.3
57.7
45.6
52.9
42.9
9.5
52.1
69.6
66.7
64.2
41.4
8.0
The labor force
The civilian labor force grew at a slower pace in 1981
than in the late 1970’s. Between the fourth quarters of
1980 and 1981, the labor force was up by 1.6 million,
slightly above the increase of the previous year but
down from increases of about 3 million or more in the
years following the 1973-75 recession. Diminished
growth has not been altogether unexpected, however.
The number of persons reaching labor force age has
been smaller in recent years because the baby-boom
generation, now aged 20 to 30, was followed by a
“baby-bust” generation. The growth in the number of
women in the labor force continued, although it did
slow considerably in the latter half of the year. Such
growth still accounted for two-thirds of the total labor
force increase. At 6.9 million in the last quarter, women
accounted for about 43 percent of the work force.
Overall, the percentage of the working-age population
employed or unemployed— the labor force participation
rate— was up slightly in 1981 to 63.9 percent. (See ta
ble 7.) The participation of women has increased from
rates slightly above 30 percent in the late 1940’s to
more than 52 percent in 1981, while the rates for men
declined. Early postwar increases were concentrated
among older women, those who had largely completed
the time-consuming portion of their child-rearing re
sponsibilities. But in the past two decades, the greatest
labor force increases have occurred among women un
der age 35. Many of these women delayed marriage,
and childbearing, to pursue careers. Even when they
had children, many retained their jobs rather than leave
the labor force, as in earlier times. The trend may have
gotten an added push in the 1970’s by a desire to main
tain family buying power in the face of inflationary
pressures. The labor force participation rate for women
near normal retirement ages has recently turned down
ward, joining a long-standing trend for men.
The participation rate for men, down slightly to 79.0
1Data on labor force, total employment, and unemployment are de
rived from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a sample survey of
households conducted and tabulated by the Bureau of the Census for
the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Statistics on nonagricultural payroll
employment and hours from the Current Employment Statistics Pro
gram (CES) are collected by State agencies from employer reports of
payroll records and are tabulated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A
description of the two surveys appears in the Bureau of Labor Statis
tics monthly publication, Em ploym ent and Earnings.
2The proportion of blacks in the “black and other” group has been
declining; it was 83 percent in 1980. This has resulted from a gradual
influx of Asians, particularly Vietnamese, into the U.S. labor force in
the 1970’s. For this reason, and because of the availability and in
creased reliability of data for blacks, it is not as necessary as in the
past to use data for “black and other” when discussing black work
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
percent between 1980 and 1981, has declined fairly
steadily over the postwar years, primarily a result of the
continued early labor force withdrawal among older
men. For example, there was an especially large decline
among those 55 to 64 years in the past decade, indica
tive of an improved financial ability to retire. Participa
tion rates have actually increased for young adults, and
they remained quite high (and little changed) for men in
the prime working ages. The rate for teenagers had in
creased steadily since 1965, reaching a high of 57.9 per
cent in 1979, before declining in the last 2 years.
As 1981 ENDED, the country was mired in a recession,
the eighth in the post-World War II era. All recessions
are separate and distinct in terms of magnitude, dura
tion and breadth. However, this episode is unique from
the previous seven by the fact that there was a rather
limited recovery from its 1980 predecessor, and that
two key industries— notably construction and automo
bile— were essentially in a continued depressed state
through the recovery period. While, as of this writing, it
is too early to see the end of the tunnel, it was clear at
yearend that most leading economic indicators were
pointing toward further deterioration and that industri
al production was still heading downward.
□
ers. Thus, unless otherwise stated, the term black in this article refers
exclusively to the “black only” population and not to the “black and
other” category, which, in addition to blacks, includes American
Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Asian and Pacific Islanders.
3Because of movement between industries and into and out of the
labor force, unemployment rates by detailed industry are difficult to
interpret. For example, a decline in joblessness among workers in a
particular industry does not necessarily indicate the reemployment
of laid-off workers. It could mean that these workers have found work
elsewhere or simply left the labor force.
4 Data do not include the small number of workers on shortened
workweeks because of material shortages and those who began or
ended a job during the survey week.
5See Robert W. Bednarzik, “Worksharing in the U.S.: its preva13
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • The Employment Situation in 1981
lence and duration,” M onthly Labor Review, July 1980, pp. 3-12.
6For futher detail on this subject, see Paul O. Flaim, “Discouraged
workers and changes in unemployment,” Monthly Labor Review,
March 1973, pp. 8-16, and Carol M. Ondeck, “Discouraged workers’
link to jobless rate reaffirmed,” M onthly Labor Review, October 1978,
pp. 40-42.
7For a discussion of the employment-population ratio as a cyclical
indicator, see Carol Boyd Leon, “The employment-population ratio:
its value in labor force analysis,” M onthly Labor Review, February
1981, pp. 36-45, and Julius Shiskin, “Employment and unemploy
ment: the doughnut or the hole?” M onthly Labor Review, February
1976, pp. 3-10.
8For a discussion of the relative impact of recessions on different
14
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
demographic groups, see Norman Bowers, “Have employment pat
terns in recessions changed?” M onthly Labor Review, February 1981,
pp. 15-28.
’ The employment-population ratio for black and other youth was
down about 13 points over the past quarter century.
10For a detailed discussion of indexes of diffusion of changes in the
number of employees on nonagricultural payrolls, see John F. Early,
“Introduction of Diffusion Indexes,” Em ploym ent and Earnings, De
cember 1974, pp. 7-11.
11Aggregate hours is a joint measure of the change in both hours
and employment. For basic industries, aggregate hours are the prod
uct of average weekly hours and production-worker or nonsupervisory-worker employment.
The role of apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is only one of the many ways in which a vocational
aptitude may be gained. In most occupations, training is acquired on
the job, in trade or vocational schools, in the Armed Forces, or in
Federal or State training courses, or principally by ‘picking up the
trade’— that is, working with journeymen on a variety of jobs until
proficiency is achieved. Only about one-fourth of all unions actually
participate in apprenticeship regulation. Moreover, most employees
who do work in apprenticeable trades have learned their trade with
out having served an apprenticeship. Thus, studies have estimated
that as many as 80 percent of all carpenters and 30 percent of all
electricians became journeymen without serving apprenticeships.
These studies also show that it is more difficult to become a journey
man in the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trades without formal
training than in the carpentry, painting, and trowel trades (bricklay
ing, cement finishing, and so on).
— G o r d o n F. B loom
and
H
erbert
R. N
orthrup
Economics of Labor Relations,
9th ed. (Homewood, 111., Richard D. Irwin,
Inc., 1981), p. 228.
New worklife estimates reflect
changing profile of labor force
The worklife expectancy of men continued
to level off between 1970 and 1977,
while that of women increased significantly
S h ir l e y
J.
S m it h
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has developed a new set
of working life tables based on labor force patterns ob
served in 1977. On the basis of these patterns, the Bu
reau estimates that the average man 16 years of age can
expect to spend 38.5 years in the labor force while a
typical woman of that age can expect 27.7 years of la
bor force involvement.
Patterns of lifetime labor force attachment for both
men and women are constantly changing. Comparisons
of labor force participation rates from year to year sug
gest evolving patterns of labor force entry and with
drawal, as well as significant changes in economic
activity at midlife. However, it is difficult to identify the
current “lifetime pattern of labor force involvement”
from these rates alone.
Working life tables were developed to isolate such
lifetime patterns. The results of the model are synthetic.
That is, they summarize the behavior of all age groups
in the population during a given year, rather than trace
the history of any one group through its lifetime. The
tables estimate how frequently members of a population
would enter and leave the labor force, and how long the
average person would remain economically active, if
Shirley J. Smith is a demographic statistician in the Division of Labor
Force Studies, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
rates of behavior remained as they were in the reference
year.
Recent participation trends affect methodology
Of course, these rates do not remain constant over
time. In fact, activity rates of men and women have
changed substantially since 1970, the reference year of
the Bureau’s previous working life tables. Between 1970
and 1977, the entire cross-sectional profile of participa
tion for both sexes changed. (See table 1.) Persons age
16 to 24 became increasingly active; those above age 55
showed a weakening attachment to the labor force. The
participation rates of younger women showed the most
remarkable change, increasing by more than one per
centage point per year. The rate for those 25 to 34 in
creased by 14.5 percentage points in just 7 years. At the
same time, rates of older persons were dropping, with
that of men 60 to 64 declining by 12.1 percentage
points.
In the prime working ages, the labor force attach
ment of men slackened somewhat, while that of women
increased substantially. The net effect was a decline in
the mean age of labor force members, reinforcing the
drop related to the age structure of the population it
self. The magnitude and character of these changes have
rendered the 1970 worklife estimates obsolete.
15
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • New Worklife Estimates
Table 1. Civilian labor force participation rates by sex
and age, annual averages, 1970 and 1977
Men
C h an g e
W om en
Change
Age
16-19
20-24
25 34
35 44
.............
.............
.............
.............
45-54
55-59
60-64
65 and
.............
.............
.............
over . . .
1970
1977
1 9 7 0 -7 7
1970
1977
1 9 7 0 -7 7
56.1
83.3
96.4
96.9
94.2
89.5
75.0
26.8
61.0
85.7
4.9
2.4
-1 .0
-1 .2
-3 .0
-6 .3
-12.1
-6 .7
44.0
57.7
45.0
51.1
54.4
49.0
36.1
9.7
51.4
66.5
59.5
59.6
55.8
48.0
32.9
8.1
7.4
8.8
14.5
8.5
1.4
-1 .0
-3 .2
-1 .6
95.4
95.7
91.2
83.2
62.9
20.1
Moreover, there is now much evidence that adults,
particularly women, move in and out of the labor force
repeatedly during their lifetimes. This movement contra
dicts a basic assumption of conventional worklife meth
odology, that workers remain in the labor force
continuously from age of entry to age of final withdraw
al. The growing conflict between model and reality ap
pears to have adversely affected estimates published for
the years 1950-70.
The new worklife estimates for 1977 are drawn from
a dynamic new model known as the increment-decre
ment working life table. This model is markedly differ
ent from the original (or conventional) worklife tech
nique used to produce the estimates previously pub
lished by the Bureau. The new values are not entirely
comparable with previously published figures,1 because
they reflect not only changes in the behavior of Ameri
can adults, but also several fundamental changes in
modeling procedures.2
The key feature of this model is that it rests on ob
served probabilities of movement into and out of the la
bor force—a flow variable, rather than labor force
participation rates, which are a measure of stocks. In
the new tables, persons are assumed to pass through
life, at each age facing the “probabilities of transition”
observed for that age group in the base population dur
ing the reference year. Worklife expectancies summarize
the length of time the average adult would spend in the
labor force during his or her lifetime, if these probabili
ties did not change. Rates of labor force accession and
separation summarize the volume of labor turnover
which would occur within each age group if mobility
patterns remained constant.
Unlike previously published estimates for women, the
new tables do not spell out expectancies separately by
marital or parental status. Such tables imply a fixed sta
tus for life. Instead, the new model presents a summary
table for all women. The transition probabilities under
lying this table reflect the impact of normal life cycle
changes on labor force attachment at each age.
For purposes of comparison, 1970 estimates have
been reestimated using the new increment-decrement
16
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methodology. Selected revised values are included in
this report.
New estimates and trends in worklife expectancy
Tables of working life for 1977, estimated by the in
crement-decrement method, indicate that given a con
tinuation of mortality and labor force behavior observed
at that time, a boy born in 1977 was likely to spend
37.9 years in the labor force and a girl, 27.5 years. (See
table 2.) Those surviving to age 16 would have slightly
higher average worklife expectancies— 38.5 and 27.7
years, respectively. At age 50, the average man could
anticipate 11.7 more years of labor force involvement,
the average woman, 7.5 years.
Within any age group, persons currently active have a
higher worklife expectancy than those not in the labor
force. Although previous studies have hinted at this re
lationship, the new estimates for the first time spell out
the magnitude of the differential. Among teenagers it is
relatively small; most are likely to enter and leave the
labor force repeatedly before settling into adult roles.
However, at midlife the active and inactive groups are
no longer so similar. For those not in the labor force,
the probability of reentry declines with age. At age 45
the active group is expected to work about 4 years
longer than its inactive counterpart.
Historic comparisons of the worklife index are imped
ed by the fact that patterns of labor force attachment
have changed, forcing a revision in methodology. Dur
ing the first half of this century, when worklives tended
to be more continuous, the conventional model gave rel
atively unbiased estimates of their duration. However,
as work patterns became increasingly irregular after
World War II, the quality of the estimates declined.
The problem was greatest for groups having high rates
of labor turnover. For such groups, the conventional
model tended to underestimate the size of the labor
force, and to overstate the average worklife duration.
Estimates for women workers were especially tenuous,
Table 2. Worklife expectancies of the population and of
active and inactive persons by age and sex, 1977
[In years]
M en
W om en
Age
T o ta l
At b irth .............
16 ....................
2 0 ....................
25 ....................
30 ....................
35 ....................
40 ....................
45 ....................
50 ....................
5 5 ....................
60 ....................
65 ....................
7 0 ....................
37.9
38.5
36.8
33.4
29.2
24.7
20.3
15.9
11.7
7.8
4.3
1.9
.9
A c tiv e
In ac tiv e
Total
A c tiv e
In ac tiv e
39.6
37.3
33.7
29.3
24.9
20.4
16.2
12.2
8.5
5.2
3.4
2.6
37.9
38.1
35.9
32.0
27.2
21.7
16.9
12.0
7.2
3.6
1.9
1.1
.6
27.5
27.7
26.0
23.0
19.9
16.8
13.7
10.5
7.5
4.8
2.5
1.1
.5
28.8
26.7
23.7
20.9
17.9
14.9
11.9
9.3
6.8
4.4
3.1
2.4
27.5
27.4
25.2
21.7
18.2
14.8
11.4
8.0
4.9
2.5
1.2
.6
.2
Table 3.
Changes in life and worklife expectancies, by sex, 1900-77
R atio o f
W o rk life e x p e c ta n c y
Life e x p e c ta n c y
In ac tiv e y ea rs
P e rc e n t o f
fe m a le to
(to ta l popu latio n )
lifes p a n a c tiv e
m a le w o rk life
e x p e c ta n c ie s
W o rk life m o d el,
s ex , a n d y e a r
W o rk e rs
All p e rso n s
At
A t ag e
birth
20
A t age
From
From
birth
a g e 20
birth
a g e 20
39.4
41.3
43.1
42.9
41.5
14.2
23.1
24.0
25.7
27.0
4.4
7.1
7.5
8.7
10.2
69.3
62.3
63.4
61.5
59.8
89.6
84.8
84.7
82.5
79.4
At
A t ag e
A t ag e
birth
20
20
32.1
38.1
41.5
41.1
40.1
37.8
39.7
41.4
40.9
39.4
20
M en
Conventional model:
1900 .....................................................................
1940 .....................................................................
1950 .....................................................................
1960 .....................................................................
1970 .....................................................................
46.3
61.2
65.5
66.8
67.1
42.2
48.6
48.9
49.6
49.6
Increment-decrement model:
1970 .....................................................................
1977 .....................................................................
67.1
69.3
49.6
51.3
37.8
37.9
37.3
36.8
38.0
37.3
29.4
31.5
12.3
14.5
56.3
54.7
75.2
71.7
(’
( l)
Change:
1900-772 ..............................................................
1970-773 ............................................................
23.0
2.2
9.1
1.7
5.7
0.1
-1 .0
-0 .5
-2.1
-0.7
17.3
2.1
10.1
2.2
-14.8
-1 .7
-17.9
—3.5
(')
Conventional model:
1900 ...................................................................
1940 .....................................................................
1950 .....................................................................
1960 .....................................................................
1970 .....................................................................
48.3
65.7
71.0
73.1
74.8
43.8
50.4
53.7
55.7
56.7
6.3
12.1
15.1
20.1
22.9
11.9
14.5
18.6
22.0
37.3
40.6
42.0
53.6
55.9
53.0
51.9
38.5
39.2
37.1
34.7
13.0
18.4
21.3
27.5
30.6
13.7
23.6
27.0
33.4
38.8
30.0
35.0
45.0
55.8
Increment-decrement model:
1970 .....................................................................
1977 .....................................................................
74.8
77.1
56.7
58.6
22.3
27.5
21.3
26.0
22.1
26.7
52.4
49.7
35.4
32.6
29.8
35.7
37.6
44.4
57.1
70.7
Change:
1900-77" ..............................................................
1970-773 ............................................................
28.8
2.3
14.8
1.9
21.1
5.0
(3)
(3 )
4.6
7.7
-2 .7
( 3)
4.7
-2 .8
22.5
5.6
30.7
6.8
13.6
.
(')
( 1)
(')
(’)
( 1)
n
W om en
n
( 4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
'Not applicable.
"Based on conventional model estimates for 1900 and Increment-decrement model estimates for 1977.
"Based on the increment-decrement model.
4Data not available.
growing increasingly biased from 1950 to 1970. Only
the 1970 values have been reestimated using the incre
ment-decrement model. Conventional estimates for 1950
through 1970 seriously overstate work durations for
women in the labor force during that period. When
these data are excluded, however, the results of previous
models give a credible picture of the evolution of labor
force attachments in this century. (See table 3.)
In 1900, the life and worklife expectancies of men
were very similar. At age 20, the average man could ex
pect to spend only 4.4 years outside of the labor force.
During the next 77 years, men’s life span increased by
23 years, with the bulk of the increase—about 17 years
— going into nonlabor force activities. The growth in
worklife expectancy was less than 6 years. Between
1970 and 1977, virtually the entire increase in life ex
pectancy (2.2 years) went to nonlabor force activities.
At the turn of the century, the average man spent 69
percent of his lifetime in the labor force, but by 1977,
this figure had dropped to about 55 percent.
In contrast, the formal worklife of women has in
creased dramatically during this century. In 1900, wom
en averaged little more than 6 years of formal labor
force involvement. Over the next 77 years, their average
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life span increased by almost 29 years, of which 21 were
allocated to labor market activities. The shift has been
especially pronounced in recent years. Between 1970
and 1977, worklife durations rose by 5 years, while life
expectancy increased by only 2.3 years. This was ac
complished by a reallocation of time—nearly 3 years
per woman—from home to labor market activities. At
the turn of the century, women spent an average of 13
percent of their lifetimes in the labor force, compared to
nearly 36 percent in 1977.
Because of these countervailing trends, the worklife
durations of men and women have been converging. It
is estimated that in 1940, the average expectation of
working life for young women was just 30 percent of
that for men. By 1970, it was 57 percent and by 1977,
it represented 71 percent that for men. While these fig
ures do not take account of differences in hours worked,
an important distinction, they do illustrate how funda
mentally the roles of men and women have changed.
Measures of labor force mobility
A second function of the working life table is to
quantify movements into and out of the labor force.
The conventional model derived aggregate estimates of
17
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • New Worklife Estimates
these flows from age-to-age comparisons of labor force
participation rates. The results, taken to describe net
flows, gave little insight into the process of labor turn
over. The new model rests on observed probabilities of
labor force entry and exit at each age. It estimates both
net and gross rates of mobility, and provides informa
tion on the frequency and timing of these movements in
the average person’s life.
The new estimates indicate that most people establish
their first contact with the labor force as teenagers. In
the 1977 life table population, half of all young men
had become members of the labor force by age 16.4.
(See table 4.) The median age of first entry for women
was marginally higher, 16.6 years. Because entries and
reentries occur at all ages, the mean age of male labor
force entrants was 26.9 years, and that of female en
trants was even higher, 28.7 years.
Given a continuation of the work life patterns ob
served in 1977, it is estimated that the average man
would enter the labor force 3 times in his lifetime. The
average woman would do so 4.5 times. Men are likely
to complete the phase of intermittent work more quick
ly than women. At age 25, they would anticipate an av
erage of just 1.1 more labor force entries, while women
could look forward to 2.7 additional entries.
According to the 1977 tables, men would average
12.6 years of labor force involvement for every entry
Table 4. Selected indexes of working life by sex, 1970
and 1977
M en
W o rk life m e a s u re
W om en
1970
1977
1970
Median age at first labor force
entry .................................................
16.5
16.4
16.8
16.6
Mean age of all first and repeat
labor force entrants...........................
26.6
26.9
29.2
28.7
Worklife expectancy (in years):
At b irth ..........................................
At age 2 5 ......................................
37.8
34.4
37.9
33.4
22.3
19.0
27.5
23.0
Number of labor force entries per:
Person born .................................
Person age 25 .............................
2.9
1.2
3.0
1.1
4.6
2.8
Expected duration in labor force
per entry remaining (in years):
At b irth ..........................................
At age 2 5 ......................................
13.0
29.4
12.6
29.1
4.8
6.8
6.1
8.6
Number of voluntary exits
from labor force per:
Person born .................................
Person age 25 ...........................
2.6
1.9
2.7
2.0
4.5
3.3
4.4
3.3
Percent of workers expected to
die while in the labor fo rc e ...............
36.3
27.0
10.8
9.5
Mean age of all persons leaving
the labor force:
Total first and repeat e x its ...........
Voluntary withdrawals......................
Deaths of w orkers........................
38.7
36.1
57.3
38.7
37.0
55.6
33.5
32.9
58.1
33.9
33.4
56.3
Median age of persons leaving
labor force at age 50 and
above ...............................................
65.0
63.4
61.4
60.6
18
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1977
4.5
2.7
Table 5. Population-based rates of labor force accession
and separation by age and sex, 1977
[Per 1,000 persons in the stationary population]
A c ce s sio n s
S ep a ra tio n s
N et flo w
Age
M en
16-19
10-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45 49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
211.6
136.3
54.4
23.8
14.9
15.5
16.4
17.1
19.1
30.8
44.5
35.7
W om en
207.2
158.3
109.6
88.4
75.2
66.3
57.9
46.8
37.4
32.0
27.8
16.1
M en
124.3
93.9
38.6
23.0
17.6
21.6
28.2
37.1
59.3
113.1
92.9
56.3
W om en
127.9
142.0
116.0
84.1
73.5
69.0
68.1
63.7
66.2
77.8
52.2
27.1
M en
W om en
87.3
42.5
15.8
0.8
-2.7
-6.1
-11.8
-20.0
-40.2
-82.3
-48.4
-20.6
79.3
16.2
-6.5
4.3
1.7
-2 .7
-10.2
-16.9
-28.8
-45.8
-24.4
-11.1
during their lifetime. The average duration per entry for
women was expected to be less than half this figure, or
6.1 years. Because most men were firmly attached to the
job market by age 25, they would spend an average of
29.1 years in the labor force for every entry beyond that
age, but the typical woman would engage in several
shorter periods of activity, averaging just 8.6 years per
entry.
Working life tables show two forms of labor force
withdrawal: voluntary separation and death. Given the
work and mortality patterns of 1977, the average young
man could expect to leave the labor market voluntarily
2.7 times. About 27 percent of men would die before
reaching retirement. The average young woman was
likely to leave the labor force voluntarily 4.4 times, and
fewer than 1 in 10 were likely to die before retiring.
Because the age distribution of labor force withdraw
als is bimodal, with heavy outflows at both ends of the
age spectrum, the mean age of all exits (38.7 years for
men and 33.9 years for women) tells us little about final
retirement. It is very difficult to identify retirement
norms, because the retiree can and often does reenter
the labor force. However, the 1977 tables indicate that
among persons leaving the labor market at or beyond
the age of 50, the life table median age of exit was 63.4
years for men, and 60.6 years for women. It appears
that the age at retirement has dropped for both sexes
since 1970. This may help to explain the concurrent
drop in proportions likely to die as members of the la
bor force.
At the aggregate level, the new tables show a much
greater volume of movement in and out of the labor
force than has been quantified in the past. Although
men and women in their teens have roughly comparable
rates of labor force entry and withdrawal, the retention
of young men exceeds that of women in this age group.
(See table 5.) The pace of labor force entries for both
sexes slows by age 20. However, as men begin to settle
into their role as workers—as evidenced by a drop in
their separation rate—female labor force exits actually
rise. By age 25, the share of all men in the labor force
substantially exceeds that of all women. Because a larg
er proportion of the female population remains outside
the job market but may enter at any time, the accession
rates of women are greater than those of men through
out midlife. Net retirements peak between the ages of
60 and 64. Thereafter, men are more likely than women
to reenter the labor force. The rise in male entry rates
at age 60 highlights the fact that retirement is often a
temporary state.
The separation rates shown in table 5 are expressed
as a ratio of withdrawals to population. A more com
mon form is the ratio of withdrawals to labor force
members. (See table 6.) Changing the denominator in
this way has little effect on the rates of separation for
prime working-age men, because most members of this
population are also in the labor force. However, because
of the disparity between population and labor force
counts for other groups, the change to a labor force
base inflates the rates of these other groups. This gives
a better illustration of their relative propensities to leave
the job market. Among persons working in the prime
ages, women are as much as five times more likely than
men to withdraw from economic activity. Only at age
65 and above do working men show a greater propensi
ty to retire.
Trends in mobility rates
The pace of net labor force entries for young people
increased markedly between 1970 and 1977. (See table
7.) Although the gross accession rates of teenagers rose
slightly during this period, they had less bearing on the
net influx than did the drop in labor force withdrawals.
As young people showed increasing reluctance to leave
the job market, the process of labor force expansion
with age became more efficient. At the same time, the
pace of net labor force withdrawals among persons age
45 and older accelerated. The separation rates of men
45 to 64 increased sufficiently to outweigh (and perhaps
to have caused) slight increases in labor force entries.
Table 6. Labor force based rates of separation by age
and sex, 1977
[Per 1,000 workers in the stationary labor force]
Age
1 6 -1 9 ...................................................................
20-24 ...................................................................
25 29 ...................................................................
30-34 ...................................................................
35-39 ...................................................................
40-44 ...................................................................
45-49 ...................................................................
50 54 ...................................................................
55 59 ...................................................................
60-64 ...................................................................
65-69 ...................................................................
70-74 ...................................................................
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M en
254.7
125.0
42.7
24.3
18.5
22.9
30.5
42.1
74.6
209.7
376.2
441.9
W om en
290.5
226.3
182.9
134.7
112.8
105.3
107.7
110.8
136.2
251.9
369.7
388.7
Table 7. Comparison of labor force mobility rates by age
and sex, 1970 and 1977
[Life table rates per 1,000]
S ex and a g e
A c c e s s io n s in
S e p a ra tio n s in
N e t flo w s in
population
lab o r fo rc e
p o pula tio n
1970
1977
1970
1977
1970
1977
Men:
16-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
191.9
145.7
72.0
27.6
14.8
13.5
14.6
14.5
18.8
32.2
38.2
36.7
211.6
136.3
54.4
23.8
14.9
15.5
16.4
17.1
19.1
30.8
44.5
35.7
299.0
160.6
47.1
20.5
20.6
24.3
27.6
35.3
58.7
137.5
264.2
343.1
254.7
125.0
42.7
24.3
18.5
22.9
30.5
42.1
74.6
209.7
376.2
441.9
66.9
41.7
32.4
8.0
-5.1
-9 .5
-11.0
-17.3
-31.1
-64.9
-75.1
-38.1
87.3
42.5
15.8
0.8
-2 .7
-6.1
-11.8
-20.0
-40.2
-82.3
-48.4
-20.6
Women:
16-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
.........
204.1
164.6
102.2
90.7
83.7
72.3
60.3
49.7
43.3
38.9
29.4
16.0
207.2
158.3
109.6
88.4
75.2
66.3
57.9
46.8
37.4
32.0
27.8
16.1
455.7
321.0
231.2
206.3
162.6
132.7
121.9
115.4
131.5
200.8
308.9
402.8
290.5
226.3
182.9
134.7
112.8
105.3
107.7
110.8
136.2
251.9
369.7
388.7
54.3
14.5
-7 .6
-1.1
7.2
4.7
-2 .9
-8 .7
-17.4
-33.0
-33.4
-19.9
79.3
16.2
-6 .5
4.3
1.7
-2 .7
-10.2
-16.9
-28.8
-45.8
-24.4
-11.1
The increased frequency of retirement in these age
groups contributed to a drop in participation rates.
The situation for women was more complex. They
too showed a rise in net labor force separations between
the ages of 45 and 64. However, the increased net out
flow of those 45 to 54 was evidence of a tightening,
rather than a loosening of female labor force attach
ments. Below the age of 55, working women showed a
drop in propensity to leave the job market. The slow
down of youthful separations limited the size of the la
bor reserve from which to draw older entrants. Hence,
entries at midlife also declined. The decrease in labor
turnover led to higher participation rates for women 45
to 54. Nonetheless, the share of women attached to the
labor force, and at risk of leaving, had increased. Be
tween 1970 and 1977, the ratio of withdrawals to popu
lation increased, and with it net labor force losses for
women in this age range. Only among women over 55 is
there evidence that intentions to retire were becoming
stronger. Within this group, an increase in separation
rates was accompanied by a drop in rates of labor force
reentry.
worklife expectancies of men and women in
the United States have been converging since the end of
World War II. This trend accelerated between 1970 and
1977, primarily because of the strengthening of female
labor force attachments. Although the average worklife
duration of men remained nearly constant, that for
women increased by about 12 years. There remained
T he
19
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • New Worklife Estimates
significant differences in time allocation by sex; women
were far more likely than men to withdraw from and
reenter the labor force at midlife. Nevertheless, by 1977,
women spent an average of 70 percent as many years in
the labor force as did men.
The new worklife model quantifies a substantial flow
of persons into and out of the labor force for both sexes
at every age. The pace of entries for teenagers increased
between 1970 and 1977. For men 20 to 34, and for
most women above age 20, entries actually slowed.
However, a greater drop in withdrawals brought about
the net expansion of the labor force seen as increased
participation rates for many age groups during this
period.
The complete increment-decrement working life tables
for men and women, 1970 and 1977, are available upon
request from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and will ap
pear in reprints of this article.
□
' Previous BLS publications on this subject include Howard N Ful
lerton, Jr. and Janies J. Byrne, “Length of working life for men and
women, 1970,” Monthly Labor Review, Feburary 1976, pp. 31-35;
Howard N Fullerton, Jr., “A new type of working life table for men,”
M onthly Labor Review, July 1972, pp. 20-27; Howard N Fullerton,
Jr., “A table of expected working life for men, 1968,” M onthly Labor
Review, June 1971, pp. 49-55; Stuart H. Garfinkle, Work life expec
tancy and training needs o f women, Manpower Report No. 12 (Bureau
of Labor Statistics, 1967); Stuart H. Garfinkle, “Table of working life
for men, 1960,” M onthly Labor Review, July 1963, pp. 820-23; Stuart
H. Garfinkle, The length o f working life fo r males, 1900-60, Manpow
er Report No. 8 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1963); Stuart H.
Garfinkle, Tables o f working life fo r women, 1950, Bulletin 1204
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1957); and Seymour L. Wolfbein and
Harold Wool, Tables o f working life: the length o f work life fo r men,
Bulletin 1001 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1950).
2They are comparable with estimates published by Robert Schoen
and Karen Woodrow in “Labor Force Status Life Tables for the
United States, 1972,” Demography, August 1980, pp. 297-322. The
technical details of the increment-decrement model are described in a
forthcoming BLS report. For other discussions of multistate working
life tables, see Jan Hoem and Monica Fong, “A Markov Chain Model
of Working Life Tables,” Working Paper 2 (Laboratory of Actuarial
Mathematics, University of Copenhagen, 1976), and Frans Willekens,
“Multistate Analysis: Tables of Working Life,” Environment and
Planning, Vol. 12, pp. 563-88.
20
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A note on communications
The Monthly Labor Review welcomes communications that supple
ment, challenge, or expand on research published in its pages. To be
considered for publication, communications should be factual and an
alytical, not polemical in tone. Communications should be addressed
to the Editor-in-Chief, Monthly Labor Review, Bureau of Labor Statis
tics, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. 20212.
A centennial view
The AFL and a national BLS:
labor’s role is crystallized
From the labor federation \s first convention in 1881
to the establishment of the Labor Department in 1913,
relations between the union movement and the BLS
often were influenced by the needs o f the times
and by the personalities o f Samuel Gompers,
and Commissioners Carroll Wright and Charles Neill
Joseph P. G oldberg
and
William T. M oye
The American trade union movement, which last year
celebrated the centennial of its founding, and the Bu
reau of Labor Statistics, which soon will observe its
own 100th anniversary, grew up together, sometimes in
confrontation, but more often in mutual— though dis
tant— respect. The relationship between the American
Federation of Labor and the Bureau was affected both
by the needs of the times and by the personalities of the
leaders, AFL President Samuel Gompers and BLS Com
missioners Carroll D. Wright and Charles P. Neill.
This article reports on some of the common and di
vergent interests of the two organizations, from their
beginnings until 1913, when BLS became part of the
present Department of Labor.
Campaign for a bureau
The convention in 1881 of the Federation of Orga
nized Trades and Labor Unions of the United States
Joseph P. Goldberg is special assistant to the Commissioner of Labor
Statistics. William T. Moye is a historian in the Office of Publications.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
and Canada, which marks the centennial beginning of
the AFL-ciO, included in its statement of principles and
action a call for a national Bureau of Labor Statistics:
“. . . we recognize the wholesome effects of a Bureau of
Labor Statistics as created in several States, and we
urge upon the Congress the passage of an act
establishing a national Bureau of Labor Statistics, and
recommend for its management the appointment of a
proper person identified with the laboring classes of the
country.”1
Earlier, the short-lived National Labor Union had
called for a Department of Labor in 1867. By 1878,
when the Knights of Labor called for national and ad
ditional State bureaus of labor statistics, Massachusetts
(1869), Pennsylvania (1872), Missouri (1876), and Ohio
(1877) had established such bureaus.2
The efforts of the labor organizations, and the grow
ing awareness of the national political parties of the po
tential governmental influence of labor and the socio21
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • The AFL and a National BLS
economic effects of industrial growth, culminated in the
establishment of a Bureau of Labor within the Depart
ment of Interior in 1884. The uncertainty of Federal
policies during this period resulted in metamorphoses of
the agency as an autonomous, but non-Cabinet-level
Department of Labor from 1888 to 1903; combination
with other agencies in the new Cabinet-level Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor in 1903; and ultimately
transference to the new Department of Labor in 1913.
Samuel Gompers, along with other union officials,
strongly supported the establishment of a national Bu
reau in the Senate hearings on Capital and Labor in
1883. He felt that there had been excessive pleading of
ignorance by Congress of workers’ conditions to justify
Congressional inaction on labor matters. A national Bu
reau “would give our legislators an opportunity to
know, not from mere conjecture, but actually, the con
dition of our industries, our production, and our con
sumption, and what could be done by law to improve
both [sic].” He cited the useful role of existing State
statistical agencies as exemplified by a recent investiga
tion of factory working conditions by the Massachusetts
Bureau of Labor under the direction of Carroll D.
Wright.3
Wright also appeared as an expert witness at the
hearings, providing a look at such a bureau’s role,
which largely paralleled Gompers’ view. He had admin
istered the State bureau “as a scientific office, not as a
Bureau of agitation or propaganda, but I always take
the opportunity to make such recommendations and
draw such conclusions from our investigations as the
facts warrant.” He stressed the need for Federal “inves
tigations into all conditions which affect the people,
whether in a moral, sanitary, educational, or economic
sense,” and thus “add to the educational forces of the
country a sure and efficient auxiliary.” He saw the re
sultant statistical progress of the Nation as indicating
“its great progress in all other matters.”4 This back
ground and philosophy were major factors in Wright’s
subsequent appointment as U.S. Commissioner of La
bor.
In 1884, backed by the then powerful Knights of La
bor and the newly organized Federation, the estab
lishment of a national Bureau was part of both parties’
platform.5 In that same year, overwhelming majorities
in both houses of Congress voted to establish the Bu
reau of Labor in the Department of the Interior. Ap
proved by President Chester Arthur on June 27, the
action provided for a Commissioner of Labor ap
pointed by the President for a 4-year term. The Com
missioner’s mission was to “collect information upon
the subject of labor, its relation to capital, the hours of
labor and the earnings of laboring men and women,
and the means of promoting their material, social, in
tellectual and moral prosperity.” After considering sev
Digitized22
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eral candidates, President Arthur finally appointed
Wright, whom the Senate confirmed about 6 months
after the act’s passage.6
Wright swiftly established professionalism and impar
tiality in the national Bureau, as he had in Massachu
setts. Striving to obtain labor interest, he invited Gom
pers and other delegates to visit the Bureau during the
1885 Federation convention. Gompers had known
Wright for years, and had long been actively interested
in the role of government labor agencies. The two men
had previously discussed the plans and methods of the
newly established New York State Bureau of Labor Sta
tistics. Their meeting left mutual favorable impressions.7
The Bureau’s value was further confirmed by the Com
missioner’s first annual report, a comprehensive treat
ment of the causes of the depression of 1882-86. The
study was included in Gompers’ periodic references to
the intensification of the displacement of manual labor
by machinery over the years.8 While the report noted
the advantages of mechanization, it also asserted that
the effect of the temporary displacement of labor was to
assist “in crippling the consuming power of the commu
nity.”9 Among the remedies suggested for coping with
the depression, Wright included some general proposals
suggesting that capital and labor “each shall treat with
the other through representatives” in disputes, and that
“the party which declines resort to conciliatory methods
of arbitration [is] morally responsible for all ill effects
growing out of the contest.” 10
The growing status of the Bureau, and a campaign by
the still powerful Knights of Labor resulted in the
transformation of the Bureau in 1888 into an indepen
dent Department of Labor, without Cabinet status. Re
flecting Wright’s concerns, the enabling act specifically
called for studies of: the domestic and foreign costs of
production of dutiable goods for the ongoing tariff de
bates, national trade and industrial production, the
causes and circumstances of strikes, and other special
topics. The basic functions of the agency had not
changed, but for 15 years it was more independent.
Moreover, Congress, in a separate statute relating solely
to railroad disputes (Arbitration Act of 1888), had au
thorized the President to designate the Commissioner of
Labor, with two other ad hoc commissioners, to act as
a board of inquiry in such disputes. This investigatory
provision was used only once— during the aftermath of
the Pullman strike of 1894.11
Gompers and Wright
Although the AFL had not pressed for an independent
labor department, it maintained a keen interest in the
work of the agency. Gompers’ thoughts on the develop
ment and expansion of information on the status of
workers, labor-management relations, and the statistical
supports for these developments, were expressed regu-
larly during Wright’s stewardship. He requested studies
that would explore “the influence of the labor organiza
tions upon the moral and national welfare of the wage
earners in particular, and the whole community in gen
eral.” Increased contact between the Department of La
bor and State bureaus, according to Gompers, would
achieve greater uniformity, simultaneous investigation,
and assistance by the States.12
Asked to comment on the forthcoming 1890 census,
Gompers called for inclusion of the number of unem
ployed, and the duration of their unemployment.13
Gompers endorsed the establishment of a permanent
Census Bureau in the Department of Labor, citing
Wright’s performance in Massachusetts.14
By 1893, there were a national Department of Labor
and 32 State Departments of Labor and Bureaus of La
bor Statistics, with factory inspectors in 19. Gompers
could cite these as the results of successful labor efforts
in obtaining measures which “a few years ago were re
garded as chimerical and useless expenditures of public
money [which] have come to be looked upon as a prime
necessity to the proper conduct of governmental af
fairs.” He also suggested that the men appointed as ad
ministrators should be sympathetic to the laws enacted
and should not be subject to political change. Further
more, he proposed that the U S. Department of Labor
follow the example of its British counterpart, by pub
lishing a regular journal or bulletin which would pro
vide information on existing industrial and other
working conditions.15 (In 1895, the Bureau began pub
lishing a bimonthly Bulletin, a forerunner of the Month
ly Labor Review.)
Congress was soon to authorize the establishment of
the Bulletin of the Department of Labor in response to
an AFL proposal, which drew conditional support from
Wright. By endorsing the proposal he obtained congres
sional approval for departmental independence from
Congress in the preparation and publication, and the
opportunity to deal with current issues of vital impor
tance, “rather than theoretical or debatable matters.”16
Direct requests from labor organizations to the De
partment of Labor were infrequent. However, proposals
which Wright circulated to the unions did cause Gom
pers to react. He advised the Department to conduct a
study of the padrone system, publish abstracts of gov
ernment contracts so that unions could check on en
forcement of the 8-hour law, and he opposed a proposal
for a census of unions.17These suggestions were met ex
peditiously.18 Gompers duly noted Commissioner
Wright’s response at the annual AFL convention.19
While opposed to a census of unions, Gompers had
only limited success in persuading the affiliated unions
to provide information to the AFL which could be used
to reflect the status of membership, finances, and sup
port recognition for the AFL. This only made him more
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
alert to Department of Labor reports on the subject, as
he responded quickly to the release of the 10th Annual
Report on strikes, “which sets forth clearly that in
those States or localities, the industries in which the
workers were organized, the largest numbers of
successes were secured and concessions granted.”20
When Wright found that unions did not always cooper
ate in investigations and studies, Gompers urged coop
eration. “Let there be light,” he wrote, “confident that
impartial investigations create numberless sympathizers
in our great cause.”21
Labor-management disputes
Wright and Gompers played prominent roles in two
landmark labor-management disputes during this peri
od. The investigative reports and recommendations on
the Pullman dispute in 1894 and the anthracite coal
strike in 1902 bore the imprint of Wright’s evolving
awareness of the importance of labor organization and
its capacity to balance employer domination and
achieve stability and continuity through agreement.
Gompers could appreciate the fair treatment accorded
the labor position in these reports, trailblazing in an era
of employer opposition to incipient union organization.
But he was against the recommendations for legislation
for government involvement in strikes.
During the Pullman dispute, marked by Presidential
use of Federal troops and injunction, the U.S. Strike
Commission, with Wright as chairperson, was
established by President Grover Cleveland. This was
only after the failure of the strike by the American
Railway Union led by Eugene Debs. The commission
was established as an investigative body under the Act
of 1888. Gompers, along with Debs and others, ap
peared before the commission. During the hearings,
Wright asked Gompers whether sympathetic strike ac
tion such as that of the Pullman strike was justifiable
when it could “paralyze, to any degree, the commercial
industry of the country.” Gompers replied, “I believe
that labor has the right— the natural as well as the in
herent right to endeavor to improve its condition . . . If
industry or commerce is incidentally injured it is not
their fault; the better course and the most reasonable
course would be for employers to grant the reasonable
requests that labor usually makes and thus avert the di
saster of commerce or industry that you have men
tioned.” The social losses of widespread unemployment,
both persistent and intermittent, were greater than dis
advantages from strikes, he insisted, citing Wright’s ear
lier reports. To Wright’s queries regarding legislation
for arbitration, Gompers expressed opposition, fearing it
would lead to compulsory arbitration, with labor at a
disadvantage.22
The recommendations of the Wright-chaired commis
sion cited the quasi-public nature of railroad corpora23
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tions as permitting the exercise of congressional
authority over strikes in protecting the public. It urged
employers to recognize unions, stressing that their inter
ests were reciprocal, though not identical. A permanent
commission was proposed to investigate and make rec
ommendations in disputes having a major impact on
the public, with enforcement by the courts. It was ad
vised that yellow dog contracts be outlawed.23
Gompers eloquently praised the commission’s report,
although he implicitly disagreed about special legisla
tion for mediation and arbitration in the railroad indus
try. He wrote, “Whatever may be the ultimate result of
U.S. interference between the railroad managers and the
railroad laborers of this country, we have confidence
that none today will refuse to bestow a generous meed
of praise on Carroll D. Wright and his companion com
missioners for their lucid and conscientious report on
the Chicago strike of 1894.”24
The commission’s recommendations became the basis
for the consideration of legislation to deal with disputes
having a major impact on the public. Ultimately, the re
sult was to revise the 1888 statute by the Erdman Act
of 1898, applicable to the railroads, providing for medi
ation, and for arbitration on request. The Commissioner
of Labor and the Chairman of the Interstate Commerce
Commission were designated as mediators. Yellow dog
contracts were prohibited, but this provision was later
voided by judicial decision.25
President Theodore Roosevelt’s handling of the an
thracite coal strike of 1902 contrasted with the Pullman
situation. Wright and Gompers helped to ensure impar
tiality on the part of the Federal Government in the in
vestigation of the ongoing strike, the dispute resolving
machinery, and the resultant findings and recommenda
tions.
At the President’s request, Wright personally investi
gated the dispute. He also acted as intermediary
between Roosevelt and Gompers as to means of settling
the dispute. Wright prepared a well-received report.
Subsequently, with the United Mine Workers willing to
accept arbitration, Roosevelt prevailed on the mine op
erators to cooperate, and a commission was appointed.
Wright was a member and recorder of the commission,
and his earlier recommendations were apparent in the
commission’s award, which settled the strike. A side ef
fect of the commission’s role was abortive congressional
consideration of a so-called national arbitration bill,
which Gompers feared would lay the groundwork for
compulsory arbitration. As he stated before the 1902
a f l Convention, Gompers believed that “the men of or
ganized labor want arbitration, but only arbitration as a
last resort after conciliation has absolutely failed, and
then arbitration only, voluntarily entered into by both
the organized workers and employers, the award volun
tarily and faithfully adhered to by both sides.”26
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Department of Commerce and Labor
The labor effort to obtain a Cabinet-level Department
of Labor was not a primary concern of the AFL for
much of Wright’s stewardship. This issue was only ar
ticulated as the pressure for a Department of Commerce
and Industry representing business needs intensified in
the late 1890’s. Raising the Department of Labor to
Cabinet-level status was proposed in a bill in 1894, and
discussed in an article in the American Federationist en
titled “Should the Commissioner of Labor be Made a
Cabinet Officer?” The writer, who responded to
Wright’s opposition to the bill on the grounds that it
would politicize the office, called attention to the
growth in the importance of labor and labor-manage
ment developments as warranting such action.27 In
1897, Gompers expressed his opposition to a proposal
for a Department of Commerce and Industries to ab
sorb the autonomous Department of Labor “introduced
by a U.S. Senator, generally known for his hostility to
labor’s interests,” and instead supported a bill for a De
partment of Labor with a seat in the Cabinet. The need
was reasserted in 1901.28
President Roosevelt’s enthusiasm for a Department of
Commerce and Industries, with Republican control of
the Congress, made the matter a foregone conclusion.
But the Democratic minority fought hard. The propo
nents of the bill, including Senator Mark Hanna of
Ohio, prominent in the National Civic Federation,
which included Gompers along with leading industrial
ists, saw no conflict in the interests of capital and labor,
and insisted that the interests of labor would be well
represented in such a department. Wright was praised
on all sides in the congressional debate, and it was
urged that his role and that of his agency would only
gain if transferred to the new department. The AFL and
the unaifiliated railroad unions opposed the merger,
supporting the establishment of a Cabinet Department
of Labor. Only the near defunct Knights of Labor fa
vored the merger.29
The controversy was resolved by altering the name to
the Department of Commerce and Labor, which was
established in 1903.30There was ambivalence in the AFL
reaction to the new agency. Shortly thereafter, Gompers
expressed some hope in that: “while there is cause for
regret that the Department of Labor has been deprived
of its independent existence, we yet have the assurance
of the Honorable George B. Cortelyou, Secretary of the
Department of Commerce and Labor, that it is his pur
pose to have the Department serve the best interests of
labor.”31
AFL interest in a separate Department of Labor
waxed during the following decade, as its political inter
ests and influence grew. But the AFL relations with
Wright and his successor in 1905, Charles P. Neill, in-
creased and were generally constructive. This was en
hanced by President Roosevelt’s concern with labormanagement relations and the important role he
assigned to Wright, and later, to Neill. Roosevelt wrote
that the anthracite strike brought him “into contact
with more than one man who was afterward a valued
friend and fellow worker. On the suggestion of Carroll
Wright, I appointed Charles P. Neill as assistant re
corder to the Commission, whom I afterward made la
bor commissioner, to succeed Wright himself.”32
As Gompers sized it up, Neill was recognized by
labor officials “as the man in the administration closest
to the President.” Neill was regularly present when the
President discussed major matters with union officials.
Gompers’ own respect for Neill was reflected in his as
sessment of the steel industry study, saying that “Dr.
Neill performed a very comprehensive and valuable
piece of work which caused the officials of the steel cor
poration to ‘cuss him’ and gnash their teeth.”33
Compulsory investigation
The role of Government in the 1902 anthracite strike
settlement was an augury of the Roosevelt policy of
seeking to reduce the impact of strikes on the Nation,
recognizing the right of unions to organize, and urging
the need for public airing of labor dispute issues. Roo
sevelt’s message to Congress in 1904 cited the positive
role of Government in labor matters “merely by giving
publicity to certain conditions,” and praised the Bureau
of Labor for doing excellent work of this kind. He
asked that the Department of Commerce and Labor’s
Labor Bureau provide Congress with information on
the labor laws of the various States, and be given “the
means to investigate and report to the Congress upon
the labor conditions in the manufacturing and mining
regions throughout the country, both as to wages and
hours of labor, as to the labor of women and children,
and as to the effect on the various labor centers of im
migration from abroad.”34 All of these subjects were
concerns of the AFL, and their study was to be ef
fectuated by the Bureau in the next few years.
Subsequently, Roosevelt proposed the compulsory in
vestigation of disputes by the Federal Government, as a
means of reducing the incidence of strikes.35 In the hear
ings on proposed legislation, Commissioner Neill testi
fied in support of this proposal, but only for controver
sies which became “sufficiently large and sufficiently
troublesome to the public as to be a grave menace.”36
Although legislation was not enacted, the Bureau was
called upon by the President and Congress to make in
vestigations of several difficult situations. Although the
AFL did not support labor dispute-handling legislation,
the Bureau’s investigative reports generally were cited
with approbation.
After the anthracite coal report there was a series of
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landmark investigations of labor-management relations.
They covered the background, origin, and points of
view of labor organizations and management. President
Roosevelt called for publication of the Bureau’s report
on the labor disturbance in a Colorado gold field, and
coal mines in 1903-04, which contained an account of
the violations of civil law and constitutional rights of
the State’s striking miners. While unaffiliated with the
AFL, the Western Federation of Miners received the
Federation’s support. Wright, in his introduction to the
lengthy report, referred to the public attention given to
the deportation of striking miners by State militia,
pointing to similar actions by citizens committees over a
25-year period.37
Under Neill’s stewardship, the demands on the Bu
reau for investigative reports became more frequent.
Neill’s personal involvement in dispute situations was
also compounded by the activation of the Erdman Act
mediation provisions on the railroads from 1906 for
ward, and by his participation in mediation efforts in
other situations as a member of the National Civic Fed
eration. A threatened strike of telegraphers against the
Postal Telegraph and Western Union Companies was
referred to Neill by Roosevelt. Neill, Gompers, and
Ralph Easley of the National Civic Federation failed in
their effort to mediate the dispute. Subsequently, an in
tensive study of the telegraph companies, their methods
of handling public business, and their labor relations
and working conditions was prepared by the Bureau at
the request of Congress. Among the findings regarding
the situation after the unsuccessful 1907 strike, was that
the Postal Telegraph Company formed “an organization
of its own employees . . . restricted to employees of the
Postal Company, and each employee desiring member
ship is required to agree not to retain membership or
accept membership in any union while in the employ of
the company.”38 A strike in the Nevada gold field dis
trict in 1907 resulted in Roosevelt’s sending Federal
troops in response to the Governor’s appeal, but follow
ing this up promptly with an investigating commission
which included Neill. Within 5 days, the commission re
ported that there was no insurrection when the troops
were called, and that there, was no statutory basis for
such action; Roosevelt withdrew the troops.39
A series of strikes among immigrant workers in unor
ganized or partially organized situations involved Neill
and the Bureau of Labor, with AFL activity and interest
affected by the varying circumstances. A strike at the
Pressed Steel Car Company of McKees Rock, Pa.,
where immigrant workers protested the failure to post
rates of pay, was investigated by Neill, and cited by
Gompers as evidence of the need for legislative provi
sions for better regulation of immigration.40
The steel industry became the focus of strike activity
in 1909-10, and the AFL was forced to draw on both
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economic and political actions, as union organization
faltered. In June 1909, U.S. Steel Corp. announced that
it would henceforth operate completely on an openshop basis, provoking a walkout by the Amalgamated
Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers. During the
unsuccessful strike which persisted for a year, the AFL
provided support through organizers, and presented
grievances against U.S. Steel at a meeting with Presi
dent William H. Taft.
Conditions in the steel industry were again
highlighted when a widely publicized strike of several
thousand unorganized workers occurred at Bethlehem
Steel in February 1910. The Senate passed a resolution,
supported by the AFL, authorizing the Bureau of Labor
to investigate the strike.41 Authorized in March, with
daily findings released almost immediately, and a final
report published in May, the investigation had much
impact. Conducted under the direction of Ethelbert
Stewart, later Commissioner of Labor Statistics, the re
port pointed to the company’s widespread practice of a
12-hour workday, 7-day workweek. U.S. Steel was not
ed as abolishing most Sunday work, as the Bethlehem
study got underway.42 When Charles Schwab of Bethle
hem Steel protested that the report was unfair in failing
to clarify that these conditions existed throughout the
American steel industry, Commissioner Neill did issue
such a statement.43 Gompers commented that the re
ported conditions emphasized the physical hazards of
overwork.44
A month after the publication of the Bethlehem re
port, the Senate authorized the Bureau to examine
working conditions in the iron and steel industry. The
resultant study, published within a year, was based on
personal visits to plants with about 90 percent of the in
dustry’s employees. Wages, hours of work, and acci
dents were covered in the report. Its four volumes
showed continued 6- and 7-day workweeks with 12hour days, and questioned the need for Sunday work in
view of U.S. Steel’s workweek adjustment. The majority
of the labor force was found to consist of recent immi
grants who had come from rural backgrounds, were un
skilled, and could neither speak nor understand the
language of supervisors and skilled workers. Attention
was called to the dilution of skills in the industry as
mechanical developments spread, adding further to the
large proportion of unskilled workers.45 Gompers cited
excerpts from the report to reply to “public opinion”
that labor was well-treated in the industry.46
Gompers had occasion to analyze the findings of the
Bureau of Labor concerning the Lawrence, Mass., strike
of textile workers in 1912. He commented on the low
wages of women employed in the mills, and the “out
burst of unorganized workers” over the unannounced
pro rata reduction of earnings because of the statutory
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
reduction in hours of work for women and children,
from 56 to 54 hours per week. The Bureau commented
on the onset of the strike “started by a few unskilled,
non-English speaking employees, which developed into
an organized strike of more than 20,000 employees,
with increases obtained.”47
Field of work expands
The basic statistical work of the Bureau grew during
its residence in the Department of Commerce and La
bor. Despite the extensive demands on Commissioner
Neill and the Bureau for special studies, new continuous
statistical series were developed. The food price collec
tion in 150 cities was continued from Wright’s time.
The annual collection of union wage scales in many cit
ies was begun in 1907, and a regular strike statistics se
ries was launched. Special studies and reports were
directed at particular industrial situations.48
The involvement of Commissioner Neill and the Bu
reau of Labor in other matters of direct concern to the
AFL was prominent and regular. During the Roosevelt
and Taft administrations, labor’s political influence
grew, despite the opposition by much of industry to
dealings with the unions. The Bureau was more actively
sought as an avenue to enlightenment on a variety of is
sues and as an administrative agent to the enforcement
of the Government’s 8-hour law.
The presentation of Labor’s Bill of Grievances to
President Roosevelt in March 1906 produced prompt
presidential concern for the negligence of the executive
departments in enforcing the 8-hour law on Govern
ment contracts which had been on the statute books for
a long time. Neill was immediately requested to investi
gate the charges. He found that there were violations of
work laws, but enforcing them was difficult. Neill made
recommendations which were followed by the President
in an executive order. The next year, Gompers reported
that there were fewer violations with the Bureau serving
as a clearinghouse for complaints which were investigat
ed and rectified.49
The immigration issue
The subject of immigration figured prominently
among labor’s grievances, and Neill was called upon by
President Roosevelt to play a role. The Immigration Act
of 1903, while making it unlawful to pay for the trans
portation or to encourage the importation of aliens or to
advertise for them in foreign countries, did not apply to
State agencies. Subsequently, South Carolina’s establish
ment of a Department of Agriculture, Commerce, and
Immigration to encourage immigration, with agents
maintained abroad, was upheld by the attorney general.50
Roosevelt called on Secretary of Commerce Oscar
Straus to review the matter thoroughly, because “a
great deal of feeling has arisen over the decision and
many of the people most affected sincerely believe that
it is the end of any effort to stop the importation of la
borers under contract in the Southern States, and that
this means further damage to laborers in the Northern
States.” Roosevelt also consulted with Neill because he
had “exceptional advantages in the way of keeping in
touch with the labor people and of knowing their feel
ings as well as their interests.”51
The Immigration Act of 1907 subsequently closed the
loophole. A provision in the new act setting up a Bu
reau of Information was originally viewed by the AFL as
permitting “workmen lawfully coming to the United
States . . . a more intelligent choice in which to seek
employment and if administered fairly is calculated to
be of least injury to labor.”52 Within a year, widespread
domestic unemployment and the promotional activities
of the Bureau of Information, headed by Terence
Powderly, precipitated criticism of the Bureau. Secretary
Straus called a conference of labor union officials
attended by Gompers and Commissioner Neill. Straus
and Powderly proposed extending the Bureau’s activi
ties to aid the domestic unemployed. The AFL position
was that strengthening the Bureau would only make for
more immigration, and that the Department of Com
merce and Labor should devote its energies solely to
meeting the problem of the domestic unemployed.
Neill also spoke out on aid to the domestic unem
ployed. He cited the deplorable wages and hours of
work in the steel industry as largely caused by the con
stant stream of immigrants, who replaced other workers
at lower wages. Further dissemination of information
abroad would only increase the flow of immigrants, and
there would be opposition to any information by the di
vision to discourage immigration into any part of the
country.53
Industrial education
Special reports were also prepared at the initiation of
the AFL, with participation from other public interest
groups. The Bureau had covered U.S. industrial educa
tion in 1892 and 1902 reports; but there was growing
and intensified interest from the AFL, which correspond
ed with educators, academicians, and social work
groups on the subject in 1908. In that year a committee
was formed, which included Neill, union officials, and
public interest representatives. Industrial education,
along with the raising of the age limit of child employ
ees and compulsory school attendance were basic prin
ciples of labor, and as Gompers expressed it, “working
methods of manufacturing with their division and sub
division and specialization have, to a large extent, ren
dered nearly superfluous and therefore largely
eliminated the all-around skilled worker. Some so-called
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
modern apprenticeship systems are narrow, producing a
line of trained specialists.”54At the committee’s request,
the Bureau of Labor conducted a study of industrial ed
ucation in 1910.55 The AFL termed the resultant report
the “most comprehensive inquiry ever made on the sub
ject in the United States.” The study provided support
for legislative proposals by the AFL for Federal aid to
the States for industrial education on the basis that, as
Gompers expressed it, “the fact that industrial educa
tion, like academic education [has] become a public
function and . . . that it should be paid for by public
funds, is fast gaining supporters.”56 Success on the legis
lative front was finally achieved in 1917.
Women and children at work
A historic study of the conditions of working women
and children, conducted by the Bureau over a 5-year
period beginning in 1907, came after much encourage
ment by the AFL and welfare reform organizations to do
so. The complementary interests of the Bureau and the
AFL were reflected in a 1903 symposium in the Ameri
can Federationist on employment of women and chil
dren. An article by Ethelbert Stewart called attention to
results of the 1900 census, which showed the 10-year
rates of growth of industrial employment were largest
among children under age 16 and greater for women
than for men more than 16 years old.57When Roosevelt
asked for a sociological investigation with Commission
er Neill’s support, Gompers and other union officials
encouraged Congressional approval of the study, urging
that it was necessary, and was not covered by the sta
tistical records and work of the Census Bureau.58 As
signment of the study to the Commissioner met with
approval. The AFL and representatives of welfare orga
nizations agreed at a conference to “cooperate with the
Commissioner of Labor in the investigation, if neces
sary, to ascertain all the facts obtainable with a view to
such cooperative action as shall at an early date free
our country and our people from the stigma of
exploiting young people for profit.”59 As the investiga
tion proceeded, AFL representatives met with Neill to
set up a division in the Bureau of Labor to deal with
the conditions of working women and children.60
The 19 volumes of the study appeared over a 3-year
period. Personal inspections and interviews, along with
the analysis of published and establishment data, were
used by Bureau staff and outside experts from universi
ties, welfare organizations, and medical facilities in the
conduct of the study. Among the subjects covered were
the working and living conditions of workers in such in
dustries as cotton textiles, men’s clothing, glass, silk, re
tail trade, metal trades, and laundries; State legislation
on child labor; causes of school leaving; the effect of
employment on juvenile delinquency, on infant mortali27
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ty and on criminality of women; family budgets of cot
ton mill workers; causes of death among female and
child cotton mill operatives; and women in trade
unions.61
Gompers claimed that the results of the study had
“fully justified the action of the AFL in behalf of such
an inquiry being made.” Calling specific attention to the
findings on accidents in metal trades, which showed ha
zards for women equal to those of men, hazards for
children rare and decreasing, and that the most frequent
accidents were largely preventable, Gompers went on to
say: “what more can be said other than to extend a
creditable recognition to the public officials who will
make such a faithful, honest report.”62
The scope and probing character of such a sensitive
type of study made some adverse reaction inevitable.
Compounded by public accusations by two disaffected
Bureau employees, controversy arose in the Senate. Sev
eral southern members charged that the report over
stepped the bounds of governmental investigations.63 Al
though the study received resounding support from
many sources, Neill was confronted with opposition
which delayed his reappointment by President Taft.
Appointed by Woodrow Wilson and confirmed shortly
after the establishment of the new Department of Labor,
in which the Bureau was to be lodged as the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, Neill resigned soon afterward for finan
cial reasons.64
r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n the a f l and the Bureau
during the pre-Department of Labor period was one of
mutual awareness and generally high regard. The AFL,
and notably Gompers, followed the work of the Bureau,
and used it in organizational, political, and educational
activities. The Bureau’s broad-gauge projects were selfdetermined, with substantial support from Presidents
and Congress. These shed light on socioeconomic devel
opments, national and international labor news, and in
dustrial characteristics, reflecting the needs of the time
for growing comprehension of the status of labor. While
Gompers differed with Wright and Neill over the role of
Government in handling strikes with a national impact,
the commissioners’ fair and balanced analyses of major
disputes was accepted as a tempering influence on possi
bly more stringent approaches. With its growing politi
cal influence, the AFL pressed for and achieved a Cabi
net-level Department of Labor. Although the Bureau
then became one of several bureaus in the new Depart
ment of Labor, that did not obscure its unique role in
furnishing a major foundation for the new agency.
□
The
FO O TN O TES
' Samuel Gompers, Seventy Years o f Life and Labor (New York,
E. P. Dutton, 1925), vol. 1, p. 224; and Federation o f Organized
Trades and Labor Unions, Proceedings, 1881, p. 4. For a contemporary
account of the 1881 convention see Stuart Bruce Kaufman, “Birth of
a federation: Gompers strives ‘not to build a bubble’,” M onthly Labor
Review, November 1981, pp. 23-26.
2Terence V. Powderly, Thirty Years o f Labor (Philadelphia, Excelsi
or Press, 1890), pp. 158-63.
Senate Com m ittee on Labor and Education, Hearing on Capital and
Labor, 1883, vol. 1, pp. 271, 382.
4Ibid, vol. 2, pp. 278-80.
5Federation o f Organized Trades and Labor Unions, Proceedings,
1883, pp. 10-11.
'Arthur had received assurances from President-elect Cleveland
that Wright would continue in office after March 4. See John
Lombardi, Labor s Voice in the Cabinet: A History o f the Department
o f Labor from Its Origins to 1921 (New York, Columbia, 1942), pp. 31
-35.
Federation o f Organized Trades and Labor Unions, Proceedings,
1885; and Gompers, Seventy Years, vol. 1, p. 229.
8American Federation o f Labor, Proceedings, 1887, p. 9; Ibid, Pro
ceedings, 1888, p. 9.
9 Commissioner o f Labor, First Annual Report, Causes o f Depression
1886, p. 76.
10Ibid, pp. 290-93.
" Lombardi, Labor's Voice, p. 43.
2AFL, Proceedings, 10th Convention, 1890, pp. 16, 18.
13 Ibid, 9th Convention, 1889, p. 16
14Ibid, Proceedings, 11th Convention, 1891, p. 17.
15 Ibid, Proceedings, 13th Convention, 1893, p. 15.
Carroll D. Wright, to the National Association of Officials of Bu
reau of Labor Statistics, Proceedings, 1895; Carroll D. Wright, The
Digitized 28
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Working o f the United States Bureau o f Labor, Bulletin of the Bureau
of Labor, No. 54, September 1904, pp. 975-76.
James Leiby, Carroll Wright and Labor Reform (Cambridge,
Mass., Harvard, 1960), pp. 103-04.
In Department of Labor Bulletin 6, Recent Governmental Con
tracts, September 1896, pp. 690-91; Ibid, Bulletin 9, The Padrone Sys
tem an d Padrone Banks, March 1897, pp. 113-29.
AFL, Proceedings, 15th
Convention, 1896, p. 18.
Convention,
1895,
p. 38; Ibid, 16th
20 Ibid, 1896, p. 20.
21 American Federationist, vol. IV, no. 4, June 1897, p. 76.
22 US. Strike Commission o f 1894, Report, 1895, pp. 194-201.
23 Ibid, p. 52.
24American Federationist, vol. 1, no. 10, 1894, pp. 231-33.
25The AFL opposed the legislation, and, as Gompers later stated,
when the unaffiliated railway brotherhoods continued to support the
legislation, the AFL considered itself successful in eliminating any
possible application but to the railway unions. American Federationist,
vol. V, no. 3, May 1898. pp. 70-1; Ibid, vol. IX, no. 6, June 1902; In
dustrial Commission, 1901, vol. XVII, pp. cv-cvi; AFL, Proceedings
16th Convention, 1906, pp. 28-29; Gompers, Seventy Years, vol. 2, p.
137.
26Gompers, Seventy Years, vol. 2, p. 120; AFL, Proceedings o f 22nd
Annual Convention, 1902, pp. 12—13; House Committee on Labor,
Hearings National Arbitration Bill, 1904, p. 63.
Geo.
95-96.
L. McMurphy, American Federationist, vol. 1, no. 4, pp
28AFL, Proceedings, 17th Convention, 1897, p. 22; AFL, Proceedings,
21st Convention, 1901.
Organization o f the Departm ent o f Commerce and Labor, 1904, pp
478-79, 520-22.
30 Ibid, p. 499.
31 AFL, Proceedings, 23rd Convention, 1903, p. 24, 173.
32Theodore Roosevelt, Autobiography, Works, vol. XX, 1925, p.
460.
33 Gompers, Seventy Y ears, vol. 1, pp. 530-32, vol. 2, pp. 129-30.
34American Federationist, vol. XIII, no. 1, January 1905.
35 Message to the Congress, 59th Cong., 2nd sess., Dec. 3, 1906 in
The Works o f Theodore Roosevelt, vol. V, pp. 924—26; Message to the
Congress, 60th Cong., 1st sess., Dec. 3, 1907 in The Works o f
Theodore Roosevelt, vol. VI, pp. 152-55.
36 Neill expressed the view that: “the employers’ side generally has
the advantage in getting a hearing before the public,” and compulsory
investigation and a public report would force “both sides to show up
the actual things that were being done, and the actual merits of their
claims.” House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce,
Hearing, Investigation o f Controversies Affecting Interstate Commerce,
1906, pp. 6, 11.
37 Senate Document 122, 58th Cong., 3d sess., Labor Disturbances in
the State o f Colorado, 1880 to 1904; 1905; pp. 31-34; 278-80.
38 The New York Times, June 17, 1907, p. 1; July 13, 1907; p. 2;
Aug. 12, 1907, p. 2; National Civic Federation Review, September
1907, p. 17; Senate Document No. 725, 60th Cong., 2nd sess.; Investi
gation o f Western Union and Postal Telegraph Cable Cos., 1909, pp. 39
-42.
39 Edward Berman, Labor Disputes and the President o f the United
States (New York, Columbia University Press, 1924), pp. 64-65.
40 The New York Times, Sept. 7, 1909; Sept. 11, 1909; AFL, Pro
ceedings o f 29th Convention, 1909, p. 30.
41AFL, Report o f Proceedings o f 30th Convention, 1910, pp. 20-21;
American Federationist, vol. XVII, no. 2, February 1910, pp. 113-15.
42Senate Document No. 521, 61st Cong., 2nd sess., Report on Strike
a t Bethlehem Steel Works, 1910, pp. 70, 128.
43 The New York Times, May 12, 1910, p. 9.
44American Federationist, vol. XVII, no. 6, June 1910.
45 Senate Document No. 110, 62nd Cong., 1st sess., Report on the
Iron an d Steel Industry, 1911, vol. 1, pp. XIV-XVI; vol. 3, 1913, pp.
13-15.
46American Federationist, vol. XIX, no. 2, February 1912, pp. 101—
14.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
47 Senate Document No. 870, 62nd Cong., 2nd sess., Report o f the
Strike o f Textile Workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, 1913, p. 17.
48 Ewan Clague, The Bureau o f Labor Statistics (New York, Freder
ick Praeger, 1968), p. 13.
49AFL, Proceedings, 27th Convention, 1907, pp. 38-39.
50 Richard G. Balfe, “Charles P. Neill and the United States Bureau
of Labor,” Ph. D. diss. (University of Notre Dame, 1956), p. 112.
51 Oscar S. Straus Papers; Correspondence from Roosevelt to Straus,
Jan. 18, 1907.
52AFL, Proceedings, 27th Convention, 1907, p. 40.
53 Department of Labor and Commerce, Labor Conference, 1909,
pp. 11, 29, 31, 46, 80-81; AFL, Proceedings, 29th Convention, 1909,
pp. 34—35.
54AFL, Proceedings, 29th Convention, 1909, p. 35.
55 Commissioner of Labor, 25th Annual Report, Industrial Education
in the United States, 1910, 1911.
56AFL, Proceedings, 30th Convention, 1910, pp. 41-43; AFL, Pro
ceedings, 32nd Convention, 1912, pp. 137-39; 269-76.
57American Federationist, vol. X, no. 5, May 1903, p. 354.
58AFL, Proceedings, 26th Convention, 1906, p. 30-31.
59AFL, Proceedings, 27th Convention, 1907, p. 28.
60 Legislation was also pending calling for the establishment of a
Children’s Bureau in the Department of Commerce and Labor. AFL,
Proceedings, 30th Convention, 1910, pp. 124, 224—25.
61 Senate Document No. 645, 61st Cong., 2nd sess., Report on the
Condition o f Women and Child Wage-Earners in the United States,
vols. 1-19, issued between 1910 and 1913.
62AFL, Proceedings, 31st Convention, 1911, p. 35.
63 Daniel J. B. Mitchell, “A furor over working children and the
Bureau of Labor,” M onthly Labor Review, October 1975, pp. 34-36;
and Judson McLaury, “A senator’s reaction to report on working
women and children,” pp. 36-38.
64 Balfe, “Neill and the Bureau of Labor,” pp. 139-40: See also Jon
athan Grossman, “The origin of the U.S. Department of Labor,”
M onthly Labor Review, March 1973, pp. 3-7.
29
Nonwool yarn mills experience
slow gains in productivity
During 1958-80, new equipment and techniques
aided productivity growth; although the 2.3-percent rate
o f increase was less than for manufacturing as a whole,
it accelerated during the last 8 years o f the period
J ames D. Y ork
As measured by output per employee hour, productivity
in the nonwool yarn mill industry increased at an aver
age of 2.3 percent during 1958-80, somewhat below the
2.8-percent rate for all manufacturing.1 (See table 1.)
Output increased at an average annual rate of 4.5 per
cent while employee hours advanced at a rate of 2.1
percent. For the most recent period, 1973-80, produc
tivity has risen at a faster annual rate—averaging 3.0
percent. Improved preparatory and spinning equipment
have contributed to these gains.
Growth varied over the period of study. From 1958
to 1965, productivity increased every year, rising at an
average annual rate of 5.2 percent. The largest jump oc
curred in 1961 with a rise of 9.3 percent. The 5.2-per
cent average gain in productivity reflected an average
annual growth of 6.7 percent in output and 1.5 percent
in employee hours. Since 1965, productivity gains have
slowed considerably. During 1965-73, output per em
ployee hour grew at an average annual rate of only 1.2
percent. Output increased at a 4.6-percent rate—just
slightly faster than that of 3.4 percent for employee
hours. Productivity movements displayed much year-toyear fluctuation during this time. There were increases
in only 5 of 9 years, with the largest— 7.1 percent— oc
curring in 1971.
In contrast to productivity movements for most in
dustries, the growth in this industry accelerated during
James D. York is an economist in the Division of Labor Force
Studies, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
30
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1973-80, rising at an average annual rate of 3.0 percent.
Output grew at a rate of 2.6 percent, while employee
hours declined at a rate of 0.4 percent. Recessionary
conditions in the economy in 1974 and 1975 had a
strong impact on the trends in output and employee
hours. In 1974, the yarn industry began sharp reduc
tions in employee hours, as output fell 3.5 percent. The
more than proportional drop in employee hours of 7.9
percent led to a 4.8-percent rise in productivity. In
1975, output posted a further decline of 4.2 percent. In
the face of this continuing deterioration in output, em
ployee hours experienced their largest single-year de
cline in the entire 1958-80 period, 15.7 percent. The
resulting productivity increase, 13.6 percent, was the
largest of the two-decade period.
Employment and plant size
Total employment in the spun yarn industry in
creased by more than 28 percent between 1958 and
1980, rising at an average annual rate of 2.1 percent.
There were 67,800 employees in 1958, but by 1980 the
total had risen to 86,900. However, the increase in em
ployment was not steady; cyclical patterns were evident
throughout the period, which were related to trends in
the overall economy.
The establishments which produce yarn vary in size
but, generally, are rather large. According to the 1977
Census of Manufactures, nearly 40 percent of all estab
lishments employ 100 to 249 employees and these ac
count for more than 30 percent of industry value of
Table 1. Productivity and related indexes for nonwool
yarn mills, 1958-80
[1977=100]
O u tp ut p er
Y ea r
e m p lo y e e h our
O utput
E m p lo ye e hours
E m p lo ye es
1958 ................
1959 ................
1960 ................
59.5
62.3
65.3
39.4
44.8
42.5
66.2
71.9
65.1
72.9
72.9
68.6
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
71.4
74.7
76.3
80.6
84.6
45.1
48.7
50.3
57.4
66.5
63.2
65.2
65.9
71.2
78.6
65.6
66.3
66.3
69.1
73.8
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
81.8
77.5
80.2
84.5
84.3
66.7
61.7
68.2
74.4
70.9
81.5
79.6
85.0
88.0
84.1
78.0
80.1
83.3
89.3
86.3
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
90.3
91.0
85.0
89.1
101.2
82.0
91.2
88.9
85.8
82.2
90.8
100.2
104.6
96.3
81.2
89.2
96.4
102.7
101.2
87.7
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
...............
................
...............
...............
...............
93.5
100.0
104.2
103.9
106.1
89.7
100.0
103.8
99.0
97.5
95.9
100.0
99.6
95.3
91.9
97.7
100.0
100.3
95.8
93.4
A v e ra g e annual ra te s o f c h a n g e (in p e rc e n t)
1958-80 .........
1975-80 .........
2.3
1.7
4.5
3.4
2.1
1.7
2.1
0.7
shipments. Of the 456 establishments in the industry,
almost 20 percent employ 250 to 499 employees and
also account for more than 30 percent of total value of
shipments. Only about 7 percent of all establishments
employ 500 to 999 employees but these produce more
than 20 percent of industry value of shipments.
Production workers have always represented a high
proportion of total industry employment and that pro
portion has changed very little over time. In 1958, they
accounted for slightly more than 94 percent of total em
ployment and in 1980 their share was still about 92 per
cent. The proportion of female employees has increased
in recent years, rising from approximately 44 percent of
the work force in 1972 to 46 percent in 1980.
Average hourly earnings in the spun yarn industry
have remained well below those of all manufacturing. In
1972, the first year for which such data are available,
average hourly earnings were $2.53, significantly less
than the $3.82 for all manufacturing. By 1980, average
hourly earnings in the industry had risen about 89 per
cent to $4.78. However, this was still well below the av
erage for all manufacturing, which was up to $7.27.
Diverse industry markets
Spun yarn is used for the manufacture of the great
majority of textile products; household items which
contain yarn include carpets and rugs, bedspreads,
draperies, and towels. Its demand can be influenced by
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population changes, housing starts, changes in lifestyle
or consumer tastes, and general economic conditions.
Non wool yarn is purchased by many different manu
facturers. Broad woven fabric mills are major users of
spun yarn. These mills produce goods made from cot
ton, synthetic fibers, and silk, such as sheets, pillow
cases, draperies, and towels. The firms which use
synthetic fibers and silk are the largest purchasers of
spun yarn. From 1963 to 1977, purchases by nonwool
spinning mills increased nearly 90 percent, but those by
broad woven cotton mills changed very little.2
Mills which produce knit fabric also account for a
large proportion of total spun yarn purchases. These
mills knit tubular or flat fabric and dye or finish knit
fabric; their output increased rapidly from 1963 for
ward. This increase in output translated into rising yarn
purchases by these mills. It is estimated that between
1963 and 1967, purchases of spun yarn by both circular
and warp knit fabric mills increased by approximately
136 percent.
Other types of knitting mills also use spun yarn, in
cluding knit outerwear and underwear mills and hosiery
mills. The first type manufactures products such as
suits, slacks, shirts, neckties, and skirts. Although com
plete information is not available for all years, estimates
indicate that purchases of spun yarn by knit outerwear
mills decreased during the 1963-77 period.
Exports have historically accounted for a negligible
portion of the total market. In 1979 and 1980, although
exports increased rapidly, they only accounted for ap
proximately 2 percent of yarn shipments. Imports have
had little impact on the domestic market, making up
less than 1 percent of apparent consumption in recent
years.3
Advances in technology
The production of spun yarn involves a number of dif
ferent operations. Improvements in technology have
taken place at different stages of the production process
and have contributed to the industry’s overall growth.
Much of the advance has resulted from gradual im
provements in the equipment over time.
The raw material arrives at the mill as bales. The
adoption of automatic bale opening and blending equip
ment, which eliminates the need for manual perfor
mance of this operation, has led to greater efficiency in
this initial stage of the production process.
Likewise, improvements have occurred in the carding
operation. In it, the fibers of the raw material are made
parallel to each other and most of the foreign matter is
removed. The fibers emerge in a form known as sliver.
Formerly, the yarn entered a picker which formed it
into a roll before being fed into the carding machine.
However, the introduction of the automatic chute feed
which permits the blended fibers to be fed directly into
31
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Productivity in Nonwool Yarn Mills
the carding machine, has eliminated the need for a pick
er. The carding machinery itself has increased in speed,
further contributing to productivity gains.
The drawing and roving operations follow the
carding process. The drawing operation makes the sliv
ers more uniform. In the roving process, a twist is
imparted to the sliver by the roving frame. This results
in greater strength. The product that emerges is known
as roving and is wound onto bobbins which are taken
up when full. The adoption of larger bobbins has re
duced the amount of tending necessary because they do
not have to be removed as often. Improved roving
equipment has been introduced which is faster and
eliminates the need to remove the flyers (which insert
twist into the fibers) for doffing (removal of the bob
bins).
After the roving operation, the roving bobbin pro
ceeds to the spinning operation. The spinning drafts
(draws out) the fibers to size the yarn and puts the de
sired twist into it, providing necessary strength. Yarn is
spun onto bobbins; the use of larger ones on spinning
machines has reduced the frequency with which bobbins
have to be removed. The introduction of automatic doff
ing equipment—equipment which removes the full bob
bins and replaces them with empty ones—has also im
proved productivity. Increased operating speed of the
spinning equipment itself has also contributed to pro
ductivity gains.
After spinning, the yarn is taken to the winding de
partment. Here, winding machines remove the yarn
from the spinning bobbins and wind it onto cones for
direct customer shipment or onto tubes for dyeing. Au
tomation in winding equipment has taken place and has
increased productivity growth immensely.4
A number of plants have introduced open-end spin
ning, which has also aided productivity. This combines
into one process the three separate operations of roving,
spinning, and winding, thus eliminating the need for a
separate roving and winding operation. Open-end spin
ning can wind the yarn onto a package rather than a
spinning bobbin; thus, a separate winding operation to
transfer the yarn from the spinning bobbin to a cone is
no longer needed.5
Capital spending
Rises in labor productivity are frequently linked to
increases in capital formation. Data available through
1979 indicate that, over 1958-79 as a whole, currentdollar new capital expenditures rose at an average annu
al rate of 9.4 percent. However, the advances were not
uniform throughout the period, and the most rapid ones
took place in the earlier years. From 1958 to 1966, new
capital expenditures increased at a 22.1-percent rate.
This acceleration in capital spending coincided with
Digitized32
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
rapid productivity growth. During 1958-66, the rate of
increase in output per employee hour was 4.6 percent.
Both productivity and capital expenditures posted in
creases in all but one year of the 1958-66 subperiod.
The tremendous growth in capital expenditures dur
ing this time caused the ratio of capital expenditures per
employee to go up far more rapidly than for all manu
facturing. In 1958, capital spending per employee was
only $229 in the spun yarn industry, compared with
$619 for all manufacturing. However, by 1966, capital
spending per employee in the industry had risen to
$1,368, compared with $1,112 for all manufacturing.
From 1966-79, the trends in both capital expendi
tures and productivity were quite different from the pre
ceding years. The rate of increase in capital expend
itures declined to 4.9 percent. There were even
substantial decreases in a number of years. Productivity
growth likewise experienced a slowdown, dropping to
an average annual rate of increase of 2.2 percent. As in
the case of capital expenditures, there were declines in
some years. The decline in the growth rate of capital ex
penditures caused the rate of increase in the ratio of
capital expenditures per employee to fall behind that of
all manufacturing. From 1966-79, capital spending per
employee in the spun yarn industry advanced at an av
erage annual rate of only 3.0 percent, compared with a
rate of 9.2 percent for all manufacturing. Consequently,
capital spending per employee was only $1,607 in 1979,
compared with $3,118 for all manufacturing.
P roductivity should continue to increase as im
provements in production equipment take place and as
more manufacturers take advantage of these. Some of
the newer equipment, which embodies more advanced
technologies than past models, is capable of producing
better quality yarn with fewer imperfections and weak
spots. This top quality is increasingly demanded by cus
tomers as they adopt higher speed weaving and knitting
machinery.6 This is accelerating the adoption of more
modern production equipment by nonwool yarn mills.
Some industry officials expect labor market condi
tions to provide added stimulus for use of improved
production equipment.7Relocation of the manufacturing
operations of many industries into major textile produc
ing areas exerts additional pressure on existing labor
and wages. This, in turn, is impelling more yarn manu
facturers to utilize the equipment and techniques which
provide the greatest levels of output per employee hour.
Open-end spinning will continue to contribute to pro
ductivity gains as it becomes more widely adopted. This
form of spinning has a particularly favorable effect on
production efficiency because, as noted earlier, it com
bines the separate operations of roving, spinning, and
winding into a single process.
□
FOOTNOTES
1The nonwool yam mill industry consists of establishments primar
ily engaged in spinning yarn wholly or chiefly by weight of cotton,
synthetic fibers, or silk. It is designated as industry 2281 in the 1972
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Manual. All average annual
rates of change are based on the linear least squares trend of the loga
rithms of the index numbers. Extension of the indexes will appear in
the annual BLS Bulletin, Productivity Measures f o r Selected Industries.
2 The discussion of yam purchases from nonwool yarn mills by the
consuming industries is based on constant-dollar estimates.
3 U.S. Industrial Outlook (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1981),
p. 402.
4 See McAllister Isaacs III, “Winding a 138 Percent Boost in Oper
ator Pounds,” Textile World, February 1980, pp. 79-82.
5 See Brenda V. Lloyd, “Meeting the Challenges of Modernization,”
Textile Industries, September 1979, pp. 114-17. Also, see McAllister
Isaacs III, “Avondale Open-End Cuts Labor, Ups Output,” Textile
World, May 1980, pp. 63-66.
6W. Bud Newcomb, “U.S. Sales-Yarn Firms Are Poised For Fu
ture Growth,” Textile World, September 1980, p. 203.
7 See Douglas A. Bowen, “Linn-Corriher: Yam Making Pioneer,”
Textile Industries, March 1980, p. 50. Also, see Joseph L. Lanier Jr.,
“Plants and Equipment,” America's Textiles, June 1976, p. 21.
APPENDIX: Measurement techniques and limitations
Indexes of output per employee hour measure chang
es in the relation between the output of an industry and
employee hours expended on that output. An index of
output per employee hour is derived by dividing an in
dex of output by an index of industry employee hours.
The preferred output index for manufacturing indus
tries would be obtained from data on quantities of the
various goods produced by the industry, each weighted
(multiplied) by the employee hours required to produce
one unit of each good in some specified base period.
Thus, those goods which require more labor time to
produce are given more importance in the index.
In the absence of adequate physical quantity data,
the output index for this industry was constructed by a
deflated value technique. The value of shipments of the
various product classes were adjusted for price changes
by appropriate Producer Price Indexes to derive real
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output measures. These, in turn, were combined with
employee hour weights to derive the overall output
measure. The result is a final output index that is con
ceptually close to the preferred output measure.
Employment and employee hour indexes were derived
from data published by the Bureau of the Census be
cause BLS data were not available. Employees and em
ployee hours are each considered homogeneous and
additive, and thus do not reflect changes in the qualita
tive aspects of labor, such as skill and experience.
The indexes of output per employee hour do not meas
ure any specific contributions, such as that of labor or
capital. Rather, they reflect the joint effect of factors
such as changes in technology, capital investment, ca
pacity utilization, plant design and layout, skill and ef
fort of the work force, managerial ability, and labormanagement relations.
33
D awn E. D ougherty
In 1980, each $1,000 of contract cost for hospital con
struction generated an estimated 51.4 hours of work,
according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics survey.1This
means that each $1 billion spent on hospital construc
tion in 1980 would have created 27,129 jobs— 12,850 in
the construction industry and 14,279 in industries
which produce and deliver the materials, equipment,
and supplies used in construction. The 1975 survey in
dicated that each $1 billion of hospital construction
would have provided 21,528 jobs in construction and
24,256 in related industries.2
The survey covered hospital and nursing home con
struction. However, this summary presents data for hos
pitals only; a detailed report covering both hospital and
nursing home construction is being prepared. This was
the third survey for hospitals and the second for nurs
ing homes. It measured employee hours per $1,000 of
contract cost and per 100 square feet of construction. A
sample of 34 hospitals and 8 nursing homes completed
in 1976 was drawn to represent a universe of 90 hospi
tals and 16 nursing homes. All projects were funded
under the former Department of Health, Education,
and Welfare’s Hill-Burton program. Data for onsite em
ployee hours, material and labor costs, and project
characteristics were obtained through visits to general
and special trade contractors.
Employee hours
For each $1,000 of contract cost for hospitals com
pleted in 1976, 87.7 employee hours were required. The
following tabulation shows the distribution of employee
hours per thousand current dollars for hospitals con
structed in 1975, and estimates for 1980.
Dawn E. Dougherty is an economist in the Office of Productivity and
Technology, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Digitized34
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Onsite
Offsite ......................................
Manufacturing .............................
Trade, transportation, and services .
Mining and all other industries . . .
34.7
4.5
29.3
15.1
4.1
20.7
2.7
16.5
9.1
2.4
Nearly 89 percent of the hours required in the con
struction industry in 1975 were spent onsite. The re
maining hours represent builders’ offsite administrative,
office, and warehousing duties.3 The employee-hour re
quirements in other industries, which were greater than
construction employee hours, composed 55 percent of
all hours.4 Manufacturing accounted for the largest
number of these indirect hours with 60 percent.
Onsite hours. Onsite employee-hour requirements per
$1,000 of contract cost decreased between each of the
three studies. Hospitals surveyed in 1960 and 1966 re
quired 88.8 and 76.1 onsite hours, respectively, com
pared with 34.7 in 1975.5 In constant (1972) dollars,
46.7 employee hours were required in 1975, compared
with 52.7 in 1960 and 49.9 in 1966. This means that
onsite hours declined at an average annual rate of 0.8
percent between 1960 and 1975 and 0.7 percent between
1966 and 1975. Factors contributing to the decline in
clude improvements in construction methods, changes
in the types of materials used, differences in individual
project characteristics, and increases in productivity.
Although onsite hours cannot be used as an exact mea
sure of productivity, changes in onsite hours give an in
dication of productivity trends in the construction
industry.
By occupation. Skilled workers contributed 68.6 percent
of all onsite hours in 1975 (table 1). In 1960, skilled
workers accounted for 67.8 percent of all hours and in
1966, 70.3 percent. Plumbers (including pipefitters and
steamfitters), carpenters, and electricians accounted for
the largest proportion of skilled employee hours in all
three studies. The proportion of hours contributed by
electricians increased with each study, reflecting a grow
ing sophistication and complexity in the electrical
equipment and lighting systems used by hospitals.
Semiskilled and unskilled workers accounted for 22.4
percent of all onsite hours in 1975; in 1960 and 1966,
they represented 28.4 percent and 26.4 percent, respec
tively. The proportion of hours contributed by profes
sional, clerical, and supervisory workers, which was 3.9
percent in 1960 and 3.2 percent in 1966, increased to
8.6 percent in 1975. Supervisory workers’ hours ac
counted for most of this increase.
By type of contractor. General contractors accounted for
the greatest proportion in onsite hours with 26.6 per
cent. In comparison, general contractors contributed
39.1 percent in 1960 and 36.5 percent in 1966. This de
cline indicates that general contractors are subcon
tracting more of their onsite duties to special trade con
tractors. Plumbing and heating, ventilating, and airconditioning contractors had the second highest propor
tion of onsite hours, reflecting the extensive amount of
plumbing done in hospital construction. Electrical con
tractors made up the third largest group. This was true
for both of the earlier studies, although the proportion
contributed by electrical contractors increased between
the studies.
Project characteristics
Hospitals completed in 1976 were larger and cost
more to build than those previously studied (table 2).
Table 1. Onsite labor requirements per $1,000 of contract
cost, by occupation and type of contractor, 1975 ______
Occupation
All occupations ...........
Skilled workers........................
Brickmasons........................
Carpenters...........................
Concrete finishers...............
Drywall installers..................
Electricians...........................
Elevator Installers ...............
Glaziers ...............................
Insulation w o rkers...............
Lathers.................................
Operating engineers ...........
Painters ...............................
Pipefitters and steamfitters ..
Plasterers.............................
Plumbers .............................
Reinforcing ironworkers . . . .
Roofers ...............................
Sheet metal w o rke rs...........
Structural metal and ornamental ironworkers .........
Tile setters, h a rd ..................
Other skilled workers...........
Semiskilled and unskilled
workers ...............................
Laborers ...........................
Helpers ...........................
Truck drivers and other
semiskilled or unskilled
workers........................
Supervisory, professional, technical, and clerical w orkers...
N ote:
Percent
100.0
68.6
3.5
12.5
2.5
1.0
11.9
0.7
0.5
2.2
2.1
2.1
1.6
6.0
1.5
6.6
1.6
0.6
5.4
2.6
0.6
3.1
Type of contractor
Total ...........................
100.0
General contractors...............
26.6
Special trade contractors . . . .
Plumbing, heating and airconditioning ....................
Electrical.............................
Plastering and lathing.........
Masonry .............................
Concrete w o rk ....................
Roofing and sheet metal
work ...............................
Ornamental and structural
metal work ....................
Wallboard ...........................
Painting and wallpapering ..
Terrazzo and tile work . . . .
Carpentry ..........................
Excavations, foundations,
footings, and grading . . .
Elevators.............................
Insulating.............................
All other ty p e s ....................
73.4
22.4
19.0
1.6
1.8
8.6
Detail may not add to totals due to rounding.
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Percent
23.8
13.0
6.5
5.5
4.4
2.4
2.2
2.1
1.9
1.7
1.6
1.4
1.2
1.1
4.6
Table 2. Selected project characteristics for hospital
construction, 1960, 1966, and 1975 _________________
C h a ra c te ris tic
Number of projects...............................
Floor space (1,000 square fe e t) ...........
Average total c o s t.................................
Cost per square fo o t .............................
Number of beds per proje ct..................
Cost per bed ........................................
Proportion of average total cost for—
Onsite wages and salaries................
Materials, built-in equipment, and
supplies ........................................
Construction equipment....................
Residual.............................................
1960
1966
1975
46
56.5
$1,463,723
$25.93
86
$16,947
61
63.5
$1,811,459
$28.51
82
$22,172
90
163.6
$8,097,826
$49.48
128
$63,448
28.2
29.6
27.7
53.2
1.2
17.4
50.4
1.3
18.7
42.2
2.4
27.7
Additions to existing hospitals continued to outnumber
new hospital buildings. The proportion of additions in
creased from 57.4 percent of all projects in 1966 to 81.9
percent in 1975, which may help to explain the large in
crease in project cost between the two studies. Cost per
square foot is generally higher for additions than for
new hospitals, because extensive alterations to the origi
nal building are often required before new construction
can begin.
Between the earliest and latest studies, the average
number of square feet per project increased twice as
much as the number of beds. This suggests that the
newer hospitals contain more space for equipment and
special purpose areas (such as diagnostic and therapy
rooms, laboratories, and x-ray rooms) than the hospi
tals in the earlier studies.
Costs
Components o f cost. The proportion of total hospital
contract cost for onsite wages and salaries declined be
tween 1966 and 1975, after increasing between the first
and second studies (table 2). Materials, built-in equip
ment, and supplies showed a large decrease, from 53.2
percent of total contract cost in 1960 to 42.2 percent in
1975. The proportion of total cost for contractor’s
equipment increased slightly between the first and most
recent studies. Profit and overhead (which includes in
terest expenses, salaries of offsite workers, supplementa
ry wage benefits, office and other overhead expenses,
and profit) jumped from 17.4 percent in 1960 to 27.7
percent in 1975. Higher interest rates and increases in
salaries and supplementary benefits were the major fac
tors contributing to this rise.
Materials costs. Materials, built-in equipment, and
supplies accounted for the largest proportion of con
tract cost. Of the types of materials used, fabricated
metal products had the highest cost per $1,000 of con
struction value (table 3). Stone, clay, glass, and concrete
products were next, followed by electrical machinery
and equipment. These three product groups accounted
for more than half of all the materials used in hospital
35
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Productivity Reports
construction in 1975. The proportion of total material
cost for electrical products increased between 1966 and
1975, replacing built-in equipment and nonelectrical
machinery as the third most important product group.
Regional data
Project characteristics. Data compiled by region6 reflect
differences in project design, size, and cost (table 4). On
average, the largest projects were in the South. Hospi
tals built in the South had the highest average cost, the
most floor space, and took longer to build than those in
all other regions. Hospitals in the Northeast were the
smallest and the most expensive (per square foot). The
majority of projects in the Northeast were small addi
tions to existing hospitals; they contained relatively lit
tle floor space, and several included extensive re
habilitation work. Fewer hospitals were built in the
West than in any of the other regions; thus, the differ
ence between the proportion of additions and new
buildings for that region and the United States as a
whole.
Hours and wages. The South had both the lowest aver
age hourly wage and the smallest ratio of wages to total
contract cost. Onsite employee-hour requirements per
$1,000 were highest in the South, which suggests that
the relatively low wage rates in the region encouraged
the use of labor intensive construction methods. Thus,
the low wage rate is thought to be responsible for the
South having the smallest ratio of wages to total con
tract cost, even though employee-hour requirements
were highest. The North Central region had the highest
average hourly wage, and was tied with the West for
the largest ratio of wages to total cost. Employee-hour
requirements were lowest in the Northeast, where the
Table 3. Cost of materials, equipment, and supplies used
in hospital construction, 1975
C o s t pe r
T y p e o f m a terial
$1,0 00 o f
P e rc e n t
c o n tra c t c o s t
All materials, equipment, and supplies...............
$442.24
100.0
Materials, built-in equipment, supplies..................
Agricultural products........................................
Mining of nonmetallic minerals, except fuels .............
Textile mill products ...........
Lumber and wood products, except furniture.............
Furniture and fixtures ..................
Paper and allied products .............
Chemicals and allied products.............
Petroleum refining and related products .
Rubber and miscellaneous plastic products ..
Stone, clay, glass, and concrete products . . .
Primary metal products...........................
Fabricated metal products.................................
Machinery, except electrical...............................
Electrical machinery, equipment, and supplies...........
Measuring, analyzing, and controlling instruments . . .
Other materials and supplies....................
Construction equipment..................
417.84
.40
1.44
1.06
13.18
10.06
1.73
4.48
4.96
4.65
81.90
43.73
105.26
58.77
66.74
15.11
4.36
24.40
95.5
.1
.3
.2
3.0
2.3
0.4
1.0
1.1
1.0
18.5
9.9
23.8
13.3
15.1
3.4
1.0
5.5
Note:
Detail may not add to totals due to.rounding.
Digitized36
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Table 4. Selected project characteristics for hospital
construction, by region, 1975
P ro je c t c h a ra c te ris tic
U nited
S ta te s
N o rth ea st
N orth
C entral
South
W est
Average number of square
feet per project (100 sq.
1,636.4
859.5
ft.) .................................
1,798.9
2,091.1
990.0
Average cost per project.. $8,097,826 $6,400,883 $7,963,530 $10,009,634 $5,435,938
Average cost per square
foot ...............................
$49.48
$74.48
$44.27
$47.87
$54.91
Average number of weeks
of construction .............
154
145
149
174
121
Additions as a percent of all
projects ........................
81.9
87.7
85.7
84.3
49.5
New buildings as a percent
of all projects ...............
18.2
12.3
14.6
15.7
49.5
Percent of projects in metro
politan a re a s ..................
49.9
62.6
44.5
48.9
49.5
Percent of projects in nonmetropolitan areas .........
50.1
37.4
55.5
51.1
49.5
Employee hours per $1,000
of contract c o s t.............
34.7
32.0
33.8
36.3
35.4
Average hourly wage . . . .
$7.99
$8.60
$8.70
$7.18
$8.29
Wages as a percent of total
contract c o s t..................
27.7
27.5
29.4
26.1
29.4
majority of projects were located in metropolitan areas.
Because hourly wages and the availability of skilled
workers are usually greater in metropolitan areas, em
ployee-hour requirements tend to be lower for projects
built in metropolitan rather than nonmetropolitan
areas.
q
--------- FOOTNOTES ---------' Employee-hour estimates for 1980 were based on 1975 onsite em
ployee-hour data, adjusted for price and productivity change. The de
flator used to adjust the onsite hours for price change was the Bureau
of the Census’ cost index for nonresidential buildings: 1965-66— 65.6;
1974-75— 134.65; 1980— 217. Productivity change was calculated by
adjusting the change in onsite hours for prices between the 1966
study and the latest study. The average annual rate of change was 0.7
percent. Although most of the projects in the latest survey were com
pleted in 1976, most of the construction value was put in place during
1974-75.
2Employment estimates were derived using 1,800 hours per year for
onsite construction; 2,000 for offsite construction; 2,068 for manufac
turing; 1,779 for trade, transportation, and services; and 2,025 for
mining and all others.
3Offsite employee hours were estimated using the ratio of
nonconstruction employees to total employees for special trade con
tractors in the contract construction industry, as reported in Em ploy
m ent and Earnings, Bulletin 1312-11 (Bureau of Labor Statistics,
1979). This ratio was applied to the onsite hours obtained in the sur
vey, which had been adjusted for the hours worked by administrative
and clerical employees.
4 Indirect employee hours were calculated using inter-industry
growth models. Data on materials and equipment were grouped by
type, and the dollar amounts for each group were adjusted by the ap
propriate producer price index. The data were then processed through
the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ input-output model to determine the
number of employee hours required per $1,000 of construction for
each industry group.
'The first two surveys are referred to as the 1960 and 1966 studies;
however, most of the construction occurred during 1959-60 and 1965
-66, respectively. See Labor Requirements fo r Hospital Construction,
Bulletin 1340 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1962); Herman J. Rothberg,
“Labor requirements for hospital construction, 1959-60,” Monthly
Labor Review, October 1962, pp. 1120-24; Labor and M aterial R e
quirements fo r Hospital an d Nursing H om e Construction, Bulletin 1691
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1971); and Martha Farnsworth Riche,
“Man-hour requirements decline in hospital construction,” Monthly
Labor Review, November 1970, p. 48.
6 Data were provided for the continental United States and four
broad geographic regions. The States included in each region were:
Northeast — Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont;
North Central — Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wis
consin; South — Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia,
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North
Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and
West Virginia; and West— Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wy
oming.
Impact of new
electronic technology
R ic h a r d W . R ic h e
The steady stream of technological progress that has
characterized our society in America has resulted in
higher productivity, elimination of many menial and
dangerous jobs, higher wages and shorter hours, and a
continuous flow of new products and services which
have resulted in a higher standard of living. New indus
tries employing thousands of workers have been formed
to manufacture computers, electronic products, and
technologies to provide energy and control the environ
ment.
To be sure, innovation in industries such as longshoring, agriculture, and printing, to name a few, has
eliminated jobs and required workers to acquire the un
familiar skills associated with new technology. For
some, the adjustment has been painful. But on balance,
there is general agreement that the benefits of new tech
nology far outweigh the disadvantages, and that innova
tion has led to economic progress, new job oppor
tunities, and a more prosperous society.
At this point, early in the decade of the 1980’s, there
is widespread agreement that the pace of diffusion of
technologies which incorporate advanced electronics
will be accelerated over the next few years. The experi
ence in the United States suggests that as long as the
economy is growing, the introduction of innovations
with potential for productivity gains can be compatible
with rising employment. When computers were first in
troduced for office data applications, for example, freRichard W. Riche is an economist in the Office of Productivity and
Technology, Bureau of Labor Statistics. This report was adapted from
his presentation at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development’s Second Special Session on Information Technologies,
Productivity, and Employment, held in Paris, France, Oct. 19-21,
1981.
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quently predictions were made that large numbers of
clerical and kindred workers would be displaced and
that job opportunities for millions would be curtailed.
What actually did happen was quite different. In 1960,
clerical workers in the United States numbered about
10 million and accounted for about 15 percent of total
employment. By 1980, there were more than 18 million
clerical workers and they accounted for about 19 per
cent of the total. Thus, instead of decreasing as had
been predicted, clerical employment increased about 85
percent. And, it is projected to grow significantly to
1990.
Why did clerical employment increase instead of de
creasing as predicted? First, normal growth in the vol
ume of clerical work exceeded jobs eliminated by the
computer. Second, computers made possible work that
was previously impractical because it would have been
too costly and too time consuming. Using computers,
managers can now prepare reports and analyses that
previously were desirable but too costly.
In addition to creating employment by expanding the
scope of activities for many industries, the computer re
quired new occupations such as systems analysts, pro
grammers, keypunch operators, console operators, and
tape librarians. And new industries were established to
manufacture computers and related equipment, creating
a variety of occupations and employing thousands.
Technological change can cause job displacement, es
pecially when the industry is concentrated in a particu
lar region or locality. Sometimes the employment
impact is direct, as in the case of agriculture. In most
cases, however, the effect is less obvious. Output does
not advance at the same rate as productivity in all in
dustries or plants, and consequently some industries
register employment declines while others register in
creases. Regardless of the reason, displacements are
costly for both the individual and the Nation.
This report examines four major technological chang
es under way in the United States and discusses pros
pects for their further diffusion. The four areas are
microelectronics, industrial robots, telecommunications,
and office automation.
The development of microprocessors and microcomput
ers in the early 1970’s, and their widespread diffusion as
we enter the 1980’s, is a major innovation in electron
ics. Over the past three decades, the transistor that re
placed the bulky vacuum tube was a first step in the
development of miniaturized semiconductor integrated
circuits which provide more power and reliability in a
significantly smaller package. A microprocessor unit
contains thousands of electronic components and com
plex circuits on a silicon chip less than one centimeter
square. The unit can be combined with memory and in
put-output capability to build a microcomputer.
The use of microelectronics has had a significant im37
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Productivity Reports
pact on American consumers, workers, and manu
facturing operations. A vast array of products—calcu
lators, digital watches, video games, TV sets, and mi
crowave ovens, to name a few—incorporate micro
processors and microcomputers. But behind the scenes
in American manufacturing plants, production technol
ogies and manufacturing methods are undergoing equal
ly dramatic changes. Microelectronics are being
incorporated in systems which control key production
equipment, such as industrial robots and numericallycontrolled machine tools. Moreover, microelectronic de
vices increase the processing capability of word proces
sors, computers, data transmission and copying devices,
automatic checkout counters, and other such equipment
used by banks, insurance companies, and retail and
wholesale establishments.
The industrial robot is a second major technological
innovation capturing current attention. The Robot In
stitute of America defines a robot as “a repro
grammable multifunctional manipulator designed to
move material, parts, tools, or specialized devices
through variable programmed motions for the perfor
mance of a variety of tasks.” According to the institute,
about 4,000 robots are in use in U.S. establishments,
with a large share in automobile manufacturing plants.
They perform tasks such as material transfer, die cast
ing, spot welding, spray painting, and limited assembly.
Although U.S. industry is increasing its use of robots,
Japan leads the world in robot use with more than tri
ple the number of installations in the United States.
There is little information on the impact of robots on
productivity and employment. However, evidence sug
gests that, following installation of robots, productivity
is increased, unit labor requirements frequently are low
ered, and quality control is improved. At one large
manufacturer of refrigerators, for example, a robot
sprays paint on refrigerator liners twice as fast as the
two-person crew that it replaced.1The future impact of
robots on productivity and employment will depend on
the extent of development and diffusion of new genera
tions of robots that can “see and feel.”
Technological changes in telecommunications are un
derway in all major segments of the industry. These
innovations are boosting productivity and changing the
type of labor required in the two basic processes of tele
phone communication— call switching and signal trans
mission. The electronic computer is used extensively in
both processes, as well as in other operational tasks and
in management and accounting functions.
In call switching, electronic switching systems use
high speed computers to handle local and long-distance
calls. A growing share of calls is handled by electronic
switching systems; total conversion is anticipated by the
year 2000. These systems can handle three to four times
more calls than electromechanical systems.
Digitized 38
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Sharp gains in long-distance volume have led to two
innovative and important technologies in signal trans
mission— the millimeter waveguide and fiber optic ca
bles. Both have far greater call-handling capabilities
than the existing coaxial cables and microwave relays.
The millimeter waveguide is essentially an underground
tube through which signal-carrying waves are transmit
ted. It is designed for use on high density communica
tion routes. Currently, this technology is being tested;
future diffusion will depend on call volume growth.
Fiber optic cables for signal transmission are
expected to become a major transmission medium in
the 1980’s. In this technology, glass fiber cables are
combined with semiconductor light sources for very
high capacity transmission. The fiber cables are com
pact, resist electrical interference, and interface well
with digital switching and transmission techniques.
Other major changes anticipated for the telecommu
nications industry include further expansion of satellite
communication, digital transmission, computerized sys
tems for maintenance and testing, and automation of
switching and billing tasks. Experts also foresee
nontraditional uses of the communications network for
electronic funds transfer in banking, electronic postal
service functions, and data systems for the home which
will combine communications and data processing capa
bilities.
Office data handling and communication is a fourth
area where major technological change has occurred. A
large segment of the Nation’s work force, including
more than 18 million clerical workers, is engaged in
producing and processing data. Historically, capital in
vestment in the office has lagged that of other opera
tions, with investment per office worker amounting to
less than $2,000, compared with about $25,000 per fac
tory worker.2
This “investment gap” may be closed in the years
ahead. Investment in office technologies will likely ac
celerate during the 1980’s, as managers turn to modern
data handling technologies to reduce labor, material,
and related expenses. The largest share of office costs
are deemed to be labor-related— a strong incentive for
further mechanization.
Specific technologies to be diffused more widely in
clude more powerful electronic computers; advanced
model word processors; new equipment and techniques
to store, retrieve, and transmit data on microfilm; and
electronic mail networks. Increasingly, paper will be re
placed by electronic images on a screen which can be
transmitted by telecommunication methods.
General impact of innovations
Following are conclusions from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics’ research on the implications of technological
change for the work force.
• While all industries are experiencing technological
change, the pace varies among and within industries.
Each industry has its own story and it is not always
in terms of computer technology and advanced auto
mation. But even conventional changes, such as mate
rials handling mechanization or the installation of
larger capacity equipment or machines with faster
speeds, are often major developments requiring work
ers to obtain new skills.
• The size of investment required, the rate of capacity
utilization, and institutional arrangements are some
of the factors that act as an “economic governor” on
the speed of diffusion of technological change and, in
turn, possible employment implications.
• Industries with greater application of technological
advances generally experience larger increases in pro
ductivity (examples, air transportation and telephone
communication); industries lagging in application of
technological advances generally experience smaller
or negative changes in productivity (examples, foot
wear and wood household furniture).
• The content of jobs and the qualities required of
workers are being modified by technological changes.
There is less demand for manual dexterity, physical
strength for material handling, and for traditional
craftsmanship. In contrast, employers are placing
more emphasis on formal knowledge, precision, and
perceptual aptitudes. As many manual tasks are
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mechanized, unskilled workers become monitors of
very expensive equipment. The reduction in repetitive
tasks that are so dissatisfying to the industrial worker
may be welcomed, but the isolation and constant
monitoring associated with advanced technology can
create new stresses.
• Higher educational achievement of workers is becom
ing essential. The ability to read and write at a func
tional level is mandatory to interpret operating
instructions of complex equipment, and to be re
trained for the new skills demanded by changing
technology.
• Many new occupations created by new technologies
can be filled by retraining employees. Most retraining
is accomplished in-plant and includes on-the-job and
classroom instruction.
• In general, relatively few employees have been laid off
because of technological change. This is due, in part,
to the use of various techniques by the private sector
to minimize adverse effects to the worker— tech
niques such as providing advance notice, retraining,
and reassigning displaced employees to new jobs. □
--------- F O O T N O T E S ---------' “Robots Join the Labor Force,” Business Week, June 9, 1980, pp.
62-76.
2 Philip H. Dorn, “The Automated Office— The Road to Disaster?”
Datamation, Nov. 15, 1978, pp. 154-62.
39
Research
Summaries
Forgotten unemployment:
recall bias in retrospective data
F r a n c is W . H o r v a t h
It is a well documented fact that the ordering and speci
fic wording of a survey questionnaire can produce dif
ferent “readings” of the same underlying event. Dif
ferences can also arise when the same general question
is asked of individuals at different times.
One area in which such discrepancies have been
found is in comparisons of unemployment data collect
ed on a monthly basis with those obtained from a onceyearly survey. The source of the monthly unemploy
ment figures is the Current Population Survey ( c p s ),
conducted by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of La
bor Statistics. Each month, representatives of approxi
mately 60,000 households are asked questions about
their labor force activity and that of other household
members during a given reference week. Annual unem
ployment estimates are constructed by averaging
monthly data for the year.
Annual unemployment data are also obtained, on a
retrospective basis, from the Work Experience Supple
ment to the Current Population Survey in March of
each year. Persons responding to the supplement ques
tions are asked to recall events which occurred from
January through December of the previous year. These
respondents are asked to aggregate the year’s labor
force activities into summary figures. That is, they are
asked questions such as: “How many weeks was (house
hold member’s name) looking for work?” and “How
many weeks was (household member’s name) working?”
However, no attempt is made to ascertain the months
in which these events took place.
The supplement data reflect the number of persons
with unemployment at any time during the previous
year; a person experiencing two or more spells of unem
ployment is counted only once. Recently, this estimate
has been about 18 to 21 million persons a year. In conFrancis W. Horvath is an economist in the Division of Labor Force
Studies, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
a
trast, the annual average of the unemployment data col
lected monthly— simply the sum of the 12 monthly es
timates (unadjusted for seasonality), divided by 12—
represents the mean number of persons unemployed
during a “typical” week of the year. This figure was
about 5 to 7 million during 1975-79. On the surface,
these two figures appear unconnected. However, be
cause the Work Experience Supplement also includes
questions on the duration of unemployment in the pre
vious year, it is possible to directly relate the retrospec
tive supplement information to the annual averages of
the monthly data.
The basic method, developed by Daniel Suits and
Richard Morgenstem,1 derives the total number of
weeks of unemployment occurring in the labor force
during the full year from the Work Experience Supple
ment. Specifically, persons are grouped according to the
supplement information into “duration of unemploy
ment” intervals. Multiplying the number of persons in
each group by the midpoint (in weeks) of the duration
interval yields an estimate of the total weeks of unem
ployment occurring to persons within that particular
cell. The sum over all cells provides an estimate of the
total weeks of unemployment occurring in the labor
force over the year. Dividing this total by 52 gives the
adjusted supplement estimate of a typical week’s unem
ployment, roughly comparable to the results from the
monthly studies.
Exhibit 1 shows this basic relationship, using hypo
thetical data. Over a given year, there are 155 individu
als reporting some unemployment. Suppose that most
of these are unemployed in 1 month only, and during
all other months they are either employed or not in the
labor force. However, assume that 25 of the 155 report
unemployment in 2 consecutive months. In the monthly
survey, then, the total reported instances of unemploy
ment would be 180; annual average unemployment
would be 180 divided by 12, or 15 individuals. With an
accurate annual retrospective survey, the number of per
sons reporting some unemployment during the entire
year would be 155— 180 less the 25 who were unem
ployed over a 2-month period. Dividing reported weeks
of total unemployment by 52 yields the “adjusted” ret
rospective estimate, which is exactly equal to the annual
which took place long ago than for that which occurred
in the recent past.
Two studies on underreporting of past unemployment
form the basis for this hypothesis. During 1969-71, the
Census Bureau conducted a special reinterview program
in which the same respondents were asked labor force
questions in 2 consecutive months.3 The second month’s
survey included a retrospective interview on events oc
curring in the first month. Analysis of the results re
vealed that people did not consistently place themselves
in the same labor force categories they had earlier. In
particular, unemployment in the first month was under
stated significantly in the second interview. Analysts not
ed that: “biases in labor force status due to recall are
quite high and at an unacceptable level of quality.” A
follow-up study found the same pattern among both
men and women. Apparently, recall errors are a serious
problem even over as brief an interval as 1 month.
The question of “recall bias” has also been the sub
ject of an inquiry by Statistics Canada in relation to its
retrospective Annual Work Patterns Survey.4 During
January of each year since 1978, the Canadian statisti
cal agency has conducted this supplemental survey, in
which respondents are asked labor force questions per
taining to the previous calendar year. The Canadian
survey differs from the U. S. Work Experience Supple
ment in that persons are asked to describe their labor
force activities in each of the 12 preceding months. For
example, the Canadian respondent actually identifies
“July” as a month in which he or she worked or. looked
for work. When Canadian analysts compared the an
swers to these retrospective questions to their ongoing
monthly labor force surveys, they found a “substantial,
systematic recall bias.” In the early months of the year,
Exhibit 1. Derivation of annual average
unemployment from the monthly CPS and from the
annual Work Experience Survey
Based on monthly measurements:
«
.
180 reports
Hc
• Annual average = ----------— = 15
unemployment
12 months
Based on retrospective annual survey:
• Of 155 persons with any unemployment,
130 were unemployed for 1 month (4.33 weeks) and
25 were unemployed for 2 months (8.67 weeks).
• Annual average unemployment =
(130 persons
x
4.33 weeks) + (25 persons
x
8.67 weeks) _
52 weeks per year
average from the monthly survey.
It has previously been noted that these adjusted
Work Experience Supplement estimates are usually less
than the comparable annual average figures, particularly
among women and youth.2However, the reasons offered
for the overall understatement have been largely conjec
tural.
One plausible reason for the difference between the
two sets of estimates is that respondents to the supple
ment forget events which took place further in the past.
Unless very recent or relatively long, a spell of unem
ployment might be forgotten by the person who en
countered it, and it is even more likely to be overlooked
by another household member who may be answering
the work experience questions for the entire household.
This forgetting should be greater for unemployment
Table 1. Comparison of adjusted Work Experience Survey unemployment with annual average of monthly unemployment
from the c p s , 1967-79
[Numbers in thousands]
Annual u n e m p lo y m e n t d a ta fro m W o rk E x p e rie n c e S u rve y
Y ear
T o ta l w ith u n e m p lo ym e n t
A v e ra g e du ratio n o f
A d ju s te d e s tim a te o f
d uring th e y e a r
u n e m p lo y m e n t (in w e e k s )
w e e k ly u n e m p lo y m e n t1
(D
(2)
(3 )
Annual a v e ra g e o f C P S
u n e m p lo ym e n t
P e rc e n t u n d e rs ta te m e n t2
fo r a ty p ica l w e e k
(5 )
(4)
1967 ............................................................................
1968 ............................................................................
1969 ............................................................................
11,561
11,372
11,741
10.05
9.55
9.73
2,234
2,088
2,197
2,976
2,817
2,832
24.9
25.9
22.4
1970 ............................................................................
197 1............................................................................
1972 ............................................................................
1973 ............................................................................
1974 ............................................................................
1975 ............................................................................
1976 ............................................................................
1977 ............................................................................
1978 ............................................................................
1979 ............................................................................
14,565
15,852
15,280
14,499
18,535
21,101
20,447
19,512
17,758
17,972
12.33
14.06
13.41
11.99
13.04
16.27
15.82
14.64
13.73
13.27
3,453
4,286
3,941
3,343
4,647
6,601
6,221
5,495
4,682
4,585
4,088
4,993
4,840
4,304
5,076
7,830
7,288
6,855
6,047
5,963
15.5
14.2
18.6
22.3
8.5
15.7
14.6
19.8
22.6
23.1
Average .....................................................................
16,167
12.91
4,136
5,069
19.1
1(Column 1xColumn 2J/52.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
2(Column 3-Column 4)/Column 4.
41
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Research Summaries
Table 2.
Half-year averages of monthly unemployment from the
cps,
1967-79
[Numbers in thousands]
To al
Men
Women
Year
January
through
June
July
through
December
January
through
June
July
through
December
January
through
June
July
through
December
1967 ...............
1968 ...............
1969 ...............
3,008
2,950
2,798
2,944
2,683
2,865
1,602
1,555
1,419
1,413
1,284
1,387
1,406
1,395
1,379
1,531
1,400
1,478
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
................
................
................
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
3,756
5,101
5,090
4,476
4,788
8,143
7,430
7,281
6,264
6,022
4,421
4,885
4,590
4,134
5,364
7,516
7,146
6,430
5,830
5,905
2,092
2,927
2,916
2,438
2,600
4,676
4,195
3,993
3,302
3,129
2,379
2,625
2,355
2,043
2,735
4,093
3,742
3,183
2,800
2,907
1,664
2,174
2,175
2,037
2,188
3,467
3,235
3,288
2,962
2,893
2,042
2,260
2,236
2,091
2,628
3,423
3,404
3,247
3,030
2,998
Average...........
5,162
4,978
2,834
2,534
2,328
2,447
unemployment is seriously understated, with the bias de
clining and then reversing towards the end of the year.
That is, some of the unemployment in January of the
previous year is “forgotten,” while recent unemploy
ment in December is overstated.
Because the U. S. Work Experience Supplement relies
on recall of events which took place as much as 15
months earlier, it seems logical to expect the forgetting
of past unemployment to affect this survey as well. The
following discussion illustrates one method with which
this intuitive expectation can be tested.
A new look at retrospective bias
Table 1 lists annual averages from the monthly sur
veys and the adjusted supplement estimates for the
years 1967-79. As previously indicated, the retrospec
tive unemployment figures from the supplement are
consistently less than the annual averages from monthly
data. For the labor force as a whole, the degree of un
derstatement ranged from about 9 to 25 percent and av
eraged 19.1 percent over the period.5 The understate
ment appeared to be smaller during periods of
increasing unemployment, such as 1974-75.
The annual averages in table 1 treat each month
equally, in the sense that each month constitutes onetwelfth of the average. If the Work Experience survey
provided completely parallel estimates of both the inci
dence and total duration of unemployment, figures from
the supplement and from the monthly surveys should
be exactly equal. Because the annual averages weight
each month equally, it is perfectly acceptable to com
bine the monthly data into two sets—January through
June, and July through December—and treat them
each as contributing one-half the annual average. While
this treatment is nothing more than a mathematical
identity, it provides a convenient tool which may be
used to examine the retrospective bias of the March
Digitized for
42 FRASER
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
supplement. That is, each half year average of monthly
information can be examined for correspondence with
the Work Experience data.
Table 2 shows the 6-month averages of monthly un
employment figures for the total, and by sex, for the
1967-79 period. In general, total unemployment has
been greater during the 6 six months of the year. Note,
however, that this does not hold for women, who report
higher levels of unemployment during the last 6
months.
Because the corresponding adjusted supplement fig
ures (not shown) all fall below these half-year averages,
a simple comparison of the data would make it appear
that the 6-month period with lower observed unemploy
ment is “closer” to the Work Experience estimates. For
men, the second half of the year is “more similar” to
the supplement figures, while the first-half averages are
closer for women.
Obviously, each of the 6-month averages contributes
one-half to the annual average. If the adjusted supple
ment count is exactly analogous to the annual average
of monthly data, then it too should be a composite of
the two periods. That is, given:
(1) Annual average = (0.5) January-June + (0.5) July-December
unemployment
6-month average
6-month average
and
(2) Annual average = Adjusted Work Experience
unemployment
unemployment
then
(3) Adjusted Work = (0.5) January-June + (0.5) July-December
Experience
6-month average
6-month average
unemployment
A simple test is proposed to examine this relation
ship. The adjusted Work Experience figure, W , is re-
gressed on the two 6-month averages as:
We = a + b, (JJAV) + b2 (JDAV) + u
where a is a constant term, JJAV is the 6-month aver
age of the unemployment counts for January through
June, JDAV is the average for July through December,
and u is the disturbance term, assumed to be indepen
dently distributed, with a zero mean and constant vari
ance.
Because both halves of the year should figure equally
into the cumulative total, we should expect b, = b2.
More specifically, if the adjusted supplement unemploy
ment were an exact measure of the incidence and the
length of unemployment, we should find a = 0, and
b, = b2 = 0.5. That is, there would be no understate
ment, and each half of the year would count equally to
wards the cumulative total. This should hold regardless
of any size differences in unemployment between the
two halves of the year.
Table 3 shows the coefficients obtained when the rela
tionship was tested on total, male, and female unem
ployment. The differences between expectations and the
results of this simple test are stunning.
In each case, the second half of the year appears to
have much more weight in the adjusted supplement es
timates than the first half. The coefficients for the sec
ond half of the year are all greater than 0.5, and are
significantly related to the degree of unemployment re
ported in the Work Experience Supplement. On the oth
er hand, the coefficients for the first half of the year
indicate little relationship at all; no estimate of b t was
significantly different from zero at a 90-percent confi
dence level. All of the second-half coefficients are at
least four times as great as those of the first half.
These results seem to support the contention that un
employment in the first half of the year is “forgotten”
in the Work Experience Supplement relative to the
more recent second half, which is closer to the week in
March when supplement questions are asked. The Work
Experience data still unexplainably understate the un-
Table 3. Regression of adjusted Work Experience
unemployment on half-year averages of monthly
unemployment from the c p s , 1967-79
[t-statistics in parentheses]
E stim a te s o f —
A d ju s te d
J a n u a ry -J u n e
J u ly -D e c e m b e r
c o e ffic ie n t
c o e ffic ie n t
»,
»3
-416.30
(-2.20)
0.07
(0.53)
0.84
(5.34)
0.98
-107.28
(-1.17)
.18
(1.64)
.81
(6.26)
.98
-222.93
(-1.78)
.06
(0.25)
.73
(2.95)
.96
W o rk E x p e rie n c e
u n e m p lo y m e n t
Total .............
M en....................
Women .............
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a
R2
—
—
—
employment of certain demographic groups by differen
tial amounts. However, the foregoing analysis indicates
that recall bias does play an important part in the gen
eral shortfall, which appears strongly in evidence even
when the data are disaggregated by sex.
□
--------- FOOTNOTES ---------1Daniel B. Suits and Richard D. Morgenstern, “Duration as a Di
mension of Unemployment,” Paper presented at the Econometric So
ciety Meetings, Washington, December 1967.
2 Richard D. Morgenstern and Nancy S. Barrett, “The Retro
spective Bias in Unemployment Reporting by Sex, Race and Age,”
Journal o f the American Statistical Association, June 1974, pp. 355-57;
and Wayne Vroman, “Measuring Annual Unemployment,” Unpub
lished paper (Washington, The Urban Institute, 1979).
3See Louis E. Williams, “Methods Tests Phase III, First Report on
the Accuracy of Retrospective Interviewing and Effects of Nonself
Response on Labor Force Status,” Memo, Bureau of the Census, June
24, 1969; Charles Jones and Robert Aquilino, “Methods Tests Phase
III, Second Report . . .,” Memo, Bureau of the Census, Jan. 29, 1970;
and Robert Aquilino, “Methods Tests Phase III, Third Report . . .,”
Memo, Bureau of the Census, Apr. 2 1971. These special studies
should not be confused with the regular CPS reinterview program, in
which a percentage of households are reinterviewed as a quality check
on the data. The special program allowed separate study of proxy re
sponse versus self-response, as well as “recall” bias.
4 For a description of the Canadian Annual Work Patterns Surveys
and selected data from them, see Patterns o f Full- and Part-Year E m
ploym ent and Unemployment: Results From the Annual Work Patterns
Surveys fo r 1977 to 1980 (Statistics Canada, Catalog No. 71-531,
forthcoming).
5These figures are slightly higher than estimates provided by
Barrett and Morgenstern, and Vroman. One reason for the difference
is that this study used unpublished Work Experience data which
shows finer detail for duration-of-employment intervals. The mid
points of the most detailed interval size available were used for all
years. For the open-ended interval, “40 weeks or more” of unemploy
ment, 44 weeks was used as the midpoint, rather than 46. The proce
dure indicated was used by Morgenstern and Barrett in the original
article on unemployment underreporting. Unpublished information on
persons unemployed 27-39 weeks was also used.
Easing the hardship
of plant shutdowns
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 1980-81 study of major
collective bargaining agreements found that companies
are providing more protection for covered employees af
fected by plant shutdowns and movements, greater op
portunities for interplant transfers, and more frequent
relocation allowances. The study reviewed 1,593 agree
ments, each covering 1,000 workers or more in private
industry, excluding railroads and airlines.
Among a sample of 522 of the contracts, 36 percent
placed some restriction on management’s right to close
or relocate plants—up from 22 percent in a 1966-67
study. Although the majority of the sample agreements
were in the nonmanufacturing sector, more than twothirds of the contracts imposing restrictions were in
manufacturing.
43
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Research Summaries
Interplant transfer provisions were included in 552,
or 35 percent, of the 1,593 contracts surveyed. Such
clauses appeared in 37 percent of the manufacturing
agreements, and 33 percent of those in nonman
ufacturing. When a similar study was conducted 13
years earlier, 32 percent of all agreements dealt with in
terplant transfers.
In 1980-81, provisions that required a company to
pay all or part of an employee’s relocation expenses
were found in 41 percent of the agreements having in
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
terplant transfer clauses, compared with 34 percent in
1966-67. In manufacturing, 36 percent of the contracts
specified these payments, compared with 46 percent in
nonmanufacturing.
The detailed report on the study, Major collective
bargaining agreements: plant movement, interplant trans
fer, and relocation allowances, BLS Bulletin 1425-20, is
available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.
Price $4.75.
□
Bilateral protection
The mutual accommodations and adjustments to the hard issues of
collective bargaining that the parties have displayed in regard to
wages, employee benefits, and institutional issues is no less in evidence
when one inspects the current status of the administrative issues in
our labor-relations system. Management has increasingly recognized
the job-protection and working-condition problems of the industrial
employee and has made important concessions in these areas. At the
same time, however, there has been reciprocal recognition on the part
of unions that the protection of the employee cannot be at the ex
pense of the destruction of the business firm. The axiom that employ
ees cannot receive any protection from a business that has ceased to
exist appears to have been fully appreciated by all but the extreme re
calcitrants of the labor movement, and workable compromises have
been possible with respect to the areas of seniority, discipline, and the
various other dimensions discussed no less than in the case of previ
ous topics.
— A
rthur
A . Sl o a n e
and
F r e d W it n e y
Labor Relations, 4th ed.
(Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall,
Inc., 1981), p. 442.
M ajor Agreements
Expiring Next M onth
This list of collective bargaining agreements expiring in April is based on contracts on file in the Bu
reau’s Office of Wages and Industrial Relations. The list includes agreements covering 1,000 workers
or more.
Employer and location
Number of
workers
U nion1
Industry
A ll-Steel, Inc. (Aurora, 111.) .........................................................................................
American Can Co. (W is c o n s in )...................................................................................
A ssociated General Contractors of America, Inc.:
Baton R ouge Chapter, 2 a g r e e m e n ts ..................................................................
C hattanooga Chapter (Interstate) ........................................................................
East Tennessee K noxville Chapter, 2 a g re em en ts...........................................
Furniture ........................................
P a p e r .................................................
Boilermakers .................................................
P a p erw o rk ers.................................................
1,300
1,650
C o n s tr u c tio n ..................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ..................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ..................................
4,500
2,500
3,600
Florida W est Coast C h a p te r ...................................................................................
Lake Charles C h a p t e r ...............................................................................................
Michigan C h a p te r .............................................. .........................................................
M id-Florida C h a p te r ..................................................................................................
N ortheast Florida C h a p te r ......................................................................................
O hio Chapter, 2 a g r e e m e n ts....................................................................................
W isconsin C h a p t e r .....................................................................................................
A ssociated Producers & Packers, Inc. (W a sh in g to n )...........................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ...................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ...................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ...................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ...................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ...................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ..................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ..................................
Food p r o d u c ts ................................
Operating Engineers; C a rp en ters............
C a rp en ters.......................................................
Operating Engineers; Laborers;
Teamsters (Ind.)
L a b o r e r s .........................................................
C a rp en ters.......................................................
L a b o r e r s .........................................................
C a rp en ters.......................................................
C a rp en ters.......................................................
Laborers; C a rp en ters...................................
C a rp en ters.......................................................
Teamsters ( I n d . ) ...........................................
B.F. Goodrich Co. (Interstate) ....................................................................................
Bloom ingdale Brothers, Inc. (N ew York, N . Y . ) ....................................................
R u b b e r ..............................................
Retail t r a d e .....................................
9,350
5,600
Building Trades Employers A ssociation and 1 other,
2 agreements (N ew York)
Building Trades Employers A ssociation, 2 agreements (Interstate) ..............
C o n s tr u c tio n ...................................
Rubber W o rk er s...........................................
Bloom ingdale D epartm ent Store
Em ployees Union; D istributive
Workers U nion (Ind.)
Laborers; C a rp en ters..................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ..................................
Carpenters; Bricklayers .............................
6,300
California Conference of M ason Contractors A ssociation, Inc...........................
Carpenters Contractors A ssociation of Cleveland and 2 others (Ohio) . . . .
Carpenters General Contracting Agreement (Georgia and Florida)2 ............
Central M aine Power Co. (A ugusta, M aine) .........................................................
Chicago Bear W holesalers A ssociation ( I llin o is )....................................................
Cleveland Plumbing Contractors A ssociation (Ohio) ........................................
C olt Industries, Inc., Firearms D ivision (Connecticut) ......................................
C onsolidated Papers, Inc. and Consow eld Corp. (W is c o n s in )..........................
Construction Employers A ssociation and 3 others,
2 agreements (Ohio and K entucky)
Construction Employers A ssociation, Inc., and 2 others (K e n tu c k y )............
Contractors A ssociation of W estchester, Putnam and D utchess
Counties, Inc. (N ew York)
C o n s tr u c tio n ..................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ..................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ..................................
U tilities ...........................................
W holesale t r a d e .............................
C o n s tr u c tio n ...................................
M iscellaneous m anufacturing . .
P a p e r .................................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ...................................
Bricklayers ....................................................
C a rp en ters.......................................................
C a rp en ters.......................................................
Electrical Workers (IBEW ) ....................
Teamsters ( I n d . ) ...........................................
P lu m b e r s .........................................................
A uto Workers ( I n d . ) ..................................
P ap erw o rk ers.................................................
L a b o r e r s ..........................................................
4,000
5,000
1,500
1,100
1,350
1,300
1,300
2,700
5,100
C o n s tr u c tio n ...................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ..................................
L a b o r e r s .........................................................
Operating Engineers ...................................
2,100
1,250
Emhart Industries, Inc., Berlin Plant Hardware D ivision (Connecticut) . . .
Fabricated metal products . . . .
M a c h in ists .......................................................
1,900
Firestone Tire & Rubber C o., Master Agreem ent (In te rsta te)..........................
R u b b e r ..............................................
Rubber W o r k e r s...........................................
15,250
General Foods Corp., Food Products D ivision (W oodbum , O r e g .) ..............
General Telephone Co. of Indiana, Inc.......................................................................
G oodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (I n te r s ta te )...............................................................
G T E A utom atic Electric, Inc., 2 agreements (I llin o is ) ........................................
Food p r o d u c t s ................................
C o m m u n ic a tio n .............................
R u b b e r ..............................................
Electrical p r o d u c t s .......................
Teamsters ( I n d . ) ...........................................
C om m unications Workers .......................
Rubber W o r k e r s ...........................................
Machinists; Electrical Workers (IBEW )
1,400
2,200
22,300
4,500
Hawaiian Telephone C o....................................................................................................
C o m m u n ic a tio n .............................
Electrical Workers (IBEW )
....................
3,700
Ingersoll-R and Co. (Painted Post, N . Y . ) ..................................................................
Iow a Beef Processors, Inc. (D akota City, N ebr.) .................................................
M a c h in e ry ........................................
Food p r o d u c t s ................................
Electrical Workers (U E ) ..........................
Food and Commercial Workers ...........
1,600
2,300
Johns-M anville Sales Corp. (Waukegan, 1 1 1 .)..........................................................
Stone, clay, and glass products. . Chemical W orkers
K eystone Building Contractors A ssociation and Central Pennsylvania
Subcontractors A ssociation (Pennsylvania)
Lynchburg Foundry C o., 2 agreements (V irg in ia ).................................................
1,400
1,900
1,000
1,700
1,200
4,000
2,400
1,500
5,800
......................................
1,000
C o n s tr u c tio n ...................................
C a rp en ters.......................................................
4,000
Primary m etals
Steelworkers
3,200
.............................
.................................................
See footnotes at end of table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
45
Continued— Major Agreements Expiring Next Month
Employer and location
Industry
Number of
workers
U nion1
M agnavox Co., M agnavox Government & Industrial Electronics Co.
(Ft. Wayne, Ind.)
Mason Contractors A ssociation (Cleveland, O h i o ) ..............................................
M eat Industry Independent Shops in C hicago (Illinois)2 ...................................
M echanical Contractor’s A ssociation of Cleveland, Inc. (Ohio) ....................
M ilton Bradley Co. (Springfield and East Long M eadow , M a s s . ) .................
Electrical p r o d u c t s .......................
Allied Industrial Workers
.......................
1,200
C o n s tr u c tio n ...................................
Food p r o d u c ts ................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ...................................
M iscellaneous manufacturing
1,950
2,950
1,700
1,800
N ational Electrical Contractors A ssociation, 2 agreements
(M innesota and Ohio)
Norris Industries, Price Pfister Brass M anufacturing Co., Inc.
(California)
Northeastern Florida Construction M anagement N egotiating Council . . . .
N orthwestern M utual Life Insurance Co. (M ilwaukee, W is.) ..........................
C o n s tr u c tio n ...................................
Bricklayers ...................................................
Food and Commercial Workers ............
P lu m b e r s .........................................................
Retail, W holesale, and Department
Store
Electrical Workers (IBEW ) ....................
Fabricated metal products . . . .
Teamsters ( I n d . ) ...........................................
1,200
C o n s tr u c tio n ..................................
Insurance ........................................
Operating Engineers ..................................
Office and Professional Em ployees . . . .
1,000
1,500
Ohio Contractors A ssociation (I n te r s ta te )...............................................................
Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp. (South C a ro lin a ).................................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ..................................
Stone, clay, and glass products .
C a rp en ters......................................................
G lass Bottle B lo w e r s ..................................
1,400
1,400
Pan American W orld Airlines (Interstate)3 ............................................................
Public Service Electric & G as Co. (N ew J e r s e y )....................................................
Air transportation .......................
U tilities ...........................................
Airline P i l o t s .................................................
Electric Workers ( I B E W ) ..........................
2,300
4,100
Quaker C ity Lumber Products A ssociation (Pennsylvania)
Lumber
.............................
2,900
...........................................
C a rp en ters......................................................
1,500
R alston Purina Co., Van Camp Sea Food Co. (D e la w a r e )................................
Food p r o d u c t s ................................
Real estate .....................................
Retail t r a d e .....................................
T e x tile s ..............................................
M ining and q u a r ry in g .................
The Congress of Industrial
U nions of Puerto R ico (Ind.)
Service Em ployees .....................................
Food and Commercial Workers ...........
C lothing and Textile W o r k e r s.................
Teamsters ( I n d . ) ...........................................
1,850
R ealty A dvisory Board on Labor R elations, Inc. (N ew Y o r k ) .......................
Retail Meat Cutters Contract (Kansas and M issouri)2 .....................................
R ock Hill Printing & Finishing Co. (South C a r o lin a )........................................
R ock Products & R eady M ixed Concrete Employers of Southern
California
Schiffli Lace & Embroidery Manufacturers A ssociation, Inc.
(N ew Jersey)
Southwestern Michigan Contractors A ssociation and 1 o t h e r ..........................
Steel & Iron Contractors A ssociation (Cleveland, Ohio) ...................................
Apparel
Textile Workers
...........................................
1,000
C o n s tr u c tio n ..................................
C o n s tr u c tio n ..................................
L a b o r e r s .........................................................
Iron W o r k e r s .................................................
1,450
2,100
Truck Owners A ssociation of Seattle, Inc. (W a s h in g to n )...................................
T r u c k in g ...........................................
Teamsters ( I n d . ) ...........................................
1,000
Uniroyal, Inc., Production & Maintenance Employees (Interstate) ..............
U nited Parcel Service, Inc., 8 agreements ( I n te r s ta te ) ........................................
U pholstered Furniture Manufacturers A ssociation of Southern
California
R u b b e r ..............................................
T r u c k in g ...........................................
Furniture ........................................
Rubber W o rk er s...........................................
Teamsters ( I n d . ) ...........................................
Upholsterers .................................................
8,300
43,600
1,550
W agner Electric Corp. and 1 other (St. Louis, M o . ) ...........................................
W aldbaum Inc., Food Mart D ivision (Connecticut and Western
M assachusetts)
Warner Lambert & Co. (M ichigan) ...........................................................................
Electrical p r o d u c t s .......................
Retail t r a d e .....................................
Electrical Workers ( I U E ) ..........................
Food and Commercial Workers ............
1,700
1,500
C h e m ic a ls ........................................
Oil, Chemical and A tom ic W orkers . . .
1,100
1Affiliated with AFL-CIO except where noted as independent (Ind.).
2Industry area (group of companies signing same contract).
46
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
...........................................
3Information is from newspaper reports.
20,000
1,200
1,250
5,000
Developments in
Industrial Relations
Second round of concessions at Uniroyal
The 4,200 Uniroyal, Inc., employees represented by
the Rubber Workers have agreed to a second round of
wage and benefit concessions expected to save the com
pany $54.9 million. The first round, in July 1980, to
taled $40 million. (See Monthly Labor Review,
September 1980, p. 60.) Although Uniroyal earned a
profit of $38.7 million during the first 9 months of
1981, compared with a $12.5 million loss during the
first months of 1980, the company said the latest con
cessions were needed to further its “long-term plan for
financial viability.” Uniroyal also said the concessions
will reduce the possibility that it will have to sell any of
its operations to obtain money to strengthen its “core”
operations.
Under the new concession accord, the union agreed
to accept the same new contracts as the union negoti
ates with other major rubber companies when current
agreements expire on April 20, 1982, modified to pro
vide for up to $10 million a year less in wage and bene
fit improvements. They also agreed to continue the
suspension of 69 cents an hour in cost-of-living adjust
ments that was initiated as part of the 1980 concession
settlement (this amounts to about $8.3 million dollars a
year, including the impact on those benefits that change
when wages change).
There was speculation that the action would lead the
other companies to press the union for concessions to
maintain their competitive position relative to Uniroyal,
even though their compensation costs are reportedly
about $5 an hour less than Uniroyal’s. These companies
have won concessions at a few plants but not on a
companywide basis as at Uniroyal.
In return for the union concessions, Uniroyal agreed
to—
• Study its work force to determine if it has too many
salaried employees.
• Establish a joint council to discuss mutual problems.
• Permit union president Milan Stone to make annual
“Developments in Industrial Relations” is prepared by George Ruben
and other members of the staff 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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presentations to the company’s board of directors.
• Open its financial records to the union.
• Establish a profit-sharing plan.
• Seek comparable wage and benefits concessions from
other unions that represent some of its employees and
to impose cuts on nonunion employees.
Gulf contract sets pattern for petroleum industry
Gulf Oil Corp. and the Oil, Chemical and Atomic
Workers ( o c a w ) negotiated a 2-year contract which set
a pattern for the petroleum refining, pipeline, and petro
chemical industries. The terms covered more than
50,000 workers at 400 facilities owned by 100 compa
nies. The only work stoppages were at the Texaco, Inc.,
and American Petrofina refineries in Port Arthur, Tex.,
where the companies declined to extend the current
agreements on a day-by-day basis, pending completion
of negotiations. The Texaco negotiations were further
complicated by company efforts to reduce the lump-sum
amount employees may choose to receive at retirement
in lieu of receiving regular monthly pensions.
The Gulf accord provided for a 9-percent wage in
crease in January 1982 and for a 90-cent-an-hour in
crease in January 1983 that will average about 7.1
percent. The union did not win its demand for a no
layoff clause to protect workers from the recent job cut
backs that have hit the industry. According to union
president Robert F. Goss, the companies have closed 50
facilities since 1980, eliminating 5,000 jobs in OCAW
bargaining units. The industry is currently operating at
about 70 percent of capacity.
The contracts also provide for the employers to raise
their obligation for family health benefits by $17.50 a
month in the first year and $13.50 in the second, bring
ing the total to $151.50 at Gulf. Gulf employees, who
had been paying $30 a month, will pay the full amount
of any increase in premium above $151.50. Gulf’s obli
gation for single employees’ health benefits also was
raised, by $6 a month in the first year and $4 in the
second. Gulf previously paid $47 a month, which cov
ered the full premium cost fdr these employees.
The agreements also call for the companies that have
instituted pension improvements for nonunion employ
ees to extend those improvements to unionized employ47
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Developments in Industrial Relations
ees. Among the companies that settled were Cities
Service, Exxon, Shell, and Arco.
Shipyard employees paid for settling early
After 3 months of negotiations, General Dynamics
Corp.’s Electric Boat Division and 11 unions agreed on
a 3-year contract that supersedes the balance of a con
tract scheduled to expire July 1, 1982. In return for set
tling early, the 12,000 covered employees at the Groton,
Conn., shipyard received a 25-cent-an-hour wage in
crease effective January 3. On July 1, 1982, they will re
ceive an increase ranging from 20 cents an hour for
those in the lowest pay grade to 75 cents for those in
the highest grade, followed by a 30- to 65-cent increase
July 1, 1983, and a 30- to 60-cent increase on July 1,
1984. All employees will also receive a 10-cent cost-ofliving adjustment on November 27, 1983, and Decem
ber 2, 1984, regardless of the movement of the
Consumer Price Index. Prior to the settlement, pay
rates ranged from $4.75 for certain accounting clerks to
$10.83 for some skilled trades workers, with about 70
percent of the workers clustered at the $8.97 rate for
first class mechanics.
The agreement also provided for each employee to re
ceive a $100 payment in settlement of several thousand
grievances they had filed over job assignments; a $2 in
crease in the pension rate, raising the amount to $14 a
month for each year of credited service; adoption of a
“magic 85“ pension clause permitting workers to retire
when their age and years of service total 85; and a
change in the investment plan permitting employees to
invest 10 percent of their earnings, instead of the previ
ous 4 percent, with the company continuing to match
half the amount.
compared with $56 million in 1980.
In conjunction with the settlement, McLouth an
nounced a 27.5-percent reduction in its nonunion work
force. A 10-percent pay reduction and a cut in paid va
cation also were imposed on the retained nonunion em
ployees.
Many of McLouth’s problems resulted because the
severe decline in automobile sales in the last few years
has reduced the demand for flat-rolled steel, the compa
ny’s major product.
Court bans withdrawal from multiemployer talks
In a 5 to 4 decision, the Supreme Court held that a
contract bargaining stalemate does not justify employer
withdrawal from a multiemployer collective bargaining
association. The ruling validated the position of the Na
tional Labor Relations Board, which permits employers
to withdraw before contract bargaining begins, but per
mits withdrawal only in “unusual circumstances” dur
ing the talks. Generally, the board has held that
bargaining impasses and strikes are not unusual circum
stances.
The court’s ruling was in accord with the position of
most unions, which view the prohibition of employer
withdrawals as vital to the collective bargaining process.
On the other hand, employers generally contend that
the prohibition gives unions an unfair advantage and
will reduce the number of firms joining multiemployer
units.
The case arose in 1975 when Charles D. Bonanno
Linen Service, Inc. of Medford, Mass., attempted to
withdraw from an association of linen supply companies
after bargaining with a Teamsters local reached an im
passe, leading to a strike against the Bonanno company
and a lockout of employees by the other companies.
Employee concessions aid steel company
McLouth Steel Corp.’s efforts to reorganize its opera
tions under protection of Federal bankruptcy laws were
aided when its 3,000 employees represented by the
Steelworkers agreed to give up a 15- to 47-cent an hour
wage increase scheduled for October 1982, all of the
quarterly cost-of-living adjustments that would normal
ly be effective in 1982, and $1.45 in wage increases that
had gone into effect in the last 5 months of 1981. They
also voted to give up 3 of the 11 holidays scheduled for
1982, and a week of vacation. McLouth estimated that
the changes would save about $14 million in labor costs
in 1982.
The settlement provides for restoration of wages and
benefits to the proper level at the end of 1982— subject
to court approval—if McLouth resumes dividend pay
ments. The company lost about $40 million in 1981,
48
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Plumbers accept lower pay
In the Portland, Oreg., area, members of Plumbers
Local 51 agreed to lower compensation for residential
and repair work to counter a 38-percent unemployment
rate for the local’s 900 members. The manager of one
plumbing company said the action will enable him to
compete more effectively with nonunion companies by
reducing the cost for a service call to $35-$40, from the
$48.90 “break even” rate previously charged.
The new $14.39-an-hour compensation level the local
negotiated with the Plumbing, Heating and Contractors
Association consists of $12.25 in pay and $2.14 in em
ployer payments for various benefits. The previous
$23.74-an-hour level ($20.08 in pay and $3.66 for bene
fits) continues to apply to commercial work.
□
Book Reviews
Jevons, labor, and the state,
100 years later— a centennial essay
H. M. D outy
W. Stanley Jevons’ The State in Relation to Labour1ap
peared in 1882, the year of his death by drowning at
the age of 46 off the south coast of England. Milton R.
Konvitz, then professor of industrial and labor relations
and of law at Cornell University, observed in 1948 that
this book, together with some related lectures, “ . . .
will always have significance for persons concerned with
principles of social legislation and the theoretical as
pects of labor relations.”2
The appearance of Jevons’ book was one indication,
among many, that the final quarter of the 19th century,
and perhaps the 1880’s in particular, marked ideological
and institutional turning points for labor in the econo
mies of both Great Britain and the United States.3 In
essence, the book provided a case for limited govern
ment intervention in the labor market within the con
fines of a generally competitive economic system. It also
contained analyses of particular issues, such as arbitra
tion and conciliation in labor disputes, that have not
lost their force. Such general observations as, “All clas
ses of society are trade-unionist at heart, and differ
chiefly in the boldness, ability, and secrecy with which
they push their respective interests” have a distinct air
of modernity. In his preface, Jevons acknowledges in
debtedness to two Americans, Joseph D. Weeks and
Francis A. Walker, and there is a text citation to a
study coauthored by Carroll D. Wright, then chief of
the Massachusetts Bureau of Labor Statistics, and later
the first U.S. Commissioner of Labor Statistics. Jevons
was well known in academic circles in the United
States, and The State in Relation to Labour circulated
here.
Jevons was a man of extraordinary ability. He
occupies a secure position in the history of economic
doctrine through the development in his Theory of PolitH. M. Douty is a former Assistant Commissioner for Wages and In
dustrial Relations, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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ical Economy (1871) of the marginal utility theory of
value. But his interest also extended to a wide range of
economic and social problems of his day. His first sub
stantial publication (1865) dealt with the extent to
which British industrial power rested on the exhaustible
resource of coal. His investigations of problems of cur
rency and finance, and of seasonal and cyclical move
ments in business activity, were inductive studies
representing an immense achievement at a time when
statistical data were hand-tabulated. In his monetary
studies, Jevons solved virtually all the basic problems in
the construction of price indexes.
Early in life, Jevons evidenced an interest in the
working poor. His Letters and Journals (edited by his
wife, 1886) indicate that Jevons, during his first years at
University College in the early 1850’s, took long walks
through the poorest parts of London in an effort to
gain practical insight into their condition. He continued
to take such walks in Sidney, Australia, where, from
1853 to 1858, he worked as assayer at the mint, after
the bankruptcy of his father’s firm interrupted his for
mal education. Among his early projects, of which ap
parently only fragments were completed, were social
studies of London and Sidney. More than a quarter of a
century was to elapse before the appearance of his only
major work relating directly to labor.
In The State in Relation to Labour, Jevons begins
with a chapter on the principles of industrial legislation.
A firm believer in individual liberty, he nevertheless
suggests that a difficult question arises “whether, out of
respect to some supposed principle of individual liberty,
the state ought to allow men to go on working and liv
ing in the midst of needless risks.” He concludes that
“the first step must be to rid our minds of the idea that
there are any such things as abstract rights, absolute
principles, indefeasible laws, inalterable rules, or any
thing whatever of an eternal and inflexible nature.” He
draws a useful distinction between science, as embodied
in general economic principles, and the adaptations and
exceptions to principles that may be necessary for the
practical betterment of society.
As a Benthamite, Jevons argues that the state is justi
fied in passing any law “which, without ulterior conse
quences, adds to the sum of total happiness.” Social
49
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Book Reviews
legislation “becomes a complex calculus of good and
evil. All is a question of probability and degree.”
Jevons warns that legislation should be approached
cautiously in an effort to anticipate its consequences. It
should be rooted in experience and, if possible, based
upon direct experiment. He cites the Poor Law Reform
of 1834 as an instance of legislation based upon much
empirical evidence, and Robert Owen’s humane treat
ment of the workers in his cotton mills in New Lanark
as an experiment that greatly contributed to the origin
of the Factories Acts. Surely Jevons would have ap
proved of recent experiments in this country with in
come maintenance programs.4 Other “experiments”
relating to proposed labor legislation can be imagined.
After legislation has been enacted, Jevons holds that
“the common practice of . . . remedying its mistakes,
oversights, omitted cases, inconveniences, or unforeseen
wrongs in successive amendment acts is really an appli
cation of the tentative or experimental method.”
Jevons points to the need, in effect, for cost-benefit
analysis in the enactment of social legislation. It is nec
essary not only to show, by evidence or direct experi
ment, that a measure will add to the sum of happiness
within the community, but that there will not be an
equivalent or greater subtraction of happiness. He be
lieves this second factor is the more difficult to deter
mine, but something for which science may offer some
general guidance to the legislator, who “must gather to
a focus the complex calculus of probabilities, the data
of which are supplied by separate investigators.” In the
case of social legislation, the science primarily involved
is economics, but the legislator should not “attribute
exclusive value to the economic probabilities, and over
look moral, sanitary, political, and other probabilities.”
After a discussion of general principles, Jevons con
siders the practical application of legislation as it relates
to the liberty of the citizen. He begins with legislation
for the inspection of certain commodities such as butter
and meat, for weights and measures, and for sanitation.
In these cases, the general criterion is the ability of the
purchaser or consumer to make an informed judgment.
Where this ability is poor or lacking altogether, there is
room for government intervention, which, if judiciously
undertaken, may increase rather than diminish the liber
ty of the individual.
A similar effect may result from state intervention in
the labor market. Jevons notes that in England prior to
the 19th century, “Legislation with regard to labour has
almost always been class legislation . . . the effort of
some dominant body to keep down a lower class, which
had begun to show inconvenient aspirations.” The Fac
tories Acts, which had their origin in 1802, were differ
ent. He terms their consolidation in 1878 “one of the
brightest achievements of legislation in this or any other
country.” This legislation had gradually improved the
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hours of work of children, young people, and women in
manufacturing employment. Jevons justifies this legisla
tion on the pragmatic grounds that its effects on health,
the education of children, and the family enhanced gen
eral social well-being. He argues further that the princi
ple of individual liberty would not preclude state
imposition of labor standards on behalf of men, where,
as in factory employment, workers must conform, in
terms of working conditions, to the wishes of the ma
jority, the will of the employers, or the customs of the
trade “if it could be clearly shown that the existing cus
toms are injurious to health, and that there is no other
possible remedy.”
Jevons presented a case, in light of 19th century con
ditions, for the prohibition of factory employment of
married women, especially those with young children.
Out of such work, he wrote, “arises a considerable part
of the shocking infantile mortality prevailing in many
parts of the manufacturing districts, accompanied by
much immorality and intemperance not unnaturally
produced by the destruction of home influences.” He
cites at some length a report on this subject issued in
1875 by the Massachusetts Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Jevons’ discussion of trade union legislation is preced
ed by an analysis of the economics of wage determina
tion, drawing in part upon the work of the American
economist, Francis A. Walker. He concludes that “the
rate of wages which workmen can demand will depend
upon the relation of supply to demand of [each] partic
ular kind of labour. The demand depends upon the
expected value of the produce.” He explicitly rejects the
wages fund doctrine. There is certainly a foretaste of
current human capital theory in his observation that
one can argue, “In his education and training a skilled
operative expends no small amount of capital, which re
mains invested in him, to be repaid by an annuity of
higher wages during his available working life.” But he
rejects this argument when it involves restrictions on
entry to employment, except where necessary in the
public interest to ensure adequate worker training. His
general view is that “whosoever tries to raise his own
wages by preventing other persons from working at his
trade, and thus makes his own kind of labour scarce,
attempts to levy contributions from other people. It is
simply a case of private taxation.”
One might suppose that Jevons, in light of his general
position on the adverse effects of trade restraint, would
be sympathetic to state action to curb trade union inter
vention in the labor market. But, for two reasons, he re
jects any return to the Combination Laws, which were
intended for this purpose, and which had been effective
ly repealed many years earlier. The first reason was
practical— “Our grandfathers and great-grandfathers,
not to speak of earlier ancestors, did their best to crush
all societies of working men, and ignominious was their
failure. Are we likely to succeed better when the work
ing-class order has become immensely increased in
numbers, and increased almost equally in intelligence,
organization, wealth, and general resources?” The sec
ond reason was that the prohibition of trade unionism,
even if possible, “would suppress with much evil many
germs of good.” Jevons expresses approval of legisla
tion, enacted in 1871 and 1876, that enabled British
unions to register as friendly societies and thus secure
protection of their funds and other property.5
At the same time, in a brief but interesting analysis,
he assigned a minor role to strikes as a factor in wage
advance, citing other causes, including changes in tech
nology and in the capital-labor ratio, that had influ
enced the upward movement in wages in Great Britain
in recent years. He pointed out that the rise in wages
had been general, and had extended to mercantile and
bank clerks, government employees, and other unorga
nized groups of workers. The law of supply and de
mand had even operated advantageously for “domestic
servants, an exceedingly numerous class of persons
quite devoid of organization, and often of an age and
character little suited, it might be thought, to enforce
concessions.”
Jevons’ book concludes with chapters on the law of
industrial conspiracy, which considers the implications
of the substantial repeal, in 1875, of the old common
law doctrine regarding industrial disputes; on coopera
tion and industrial partnership, where profit-sharing is
suggested as the ultimate solution to labor-management
conflict; and on arbitration and conciliation. On arbitra
tion, Jevons comes out strongly for grievance or rights
arbitration, as now found almost universally in labormanagement contracts in the United States but not in
Britain. However, he argues against interest arbitration,
because in the settlement of new contract terms, “There
can be no certainty that the arbitrator knows better
than the other parties.” He sees, however, an important
role for conciliation, and remarks that “a trade dispute,
especially when it has reached the acute phase of a
strike, has little or nothing to do with economics . . .
and there is no theoretic reason why conciliators should
not be called in, if experience shows that they are usual
ly able to compose matters.” He cites an 1879 report on
arbitration and conciliation in England by an Ameri
can, Joseph D. Weeks, as “probably the most valuable
document published on the subject, describing both the
successes and failures of the system,” and an 1881 re
port on the same subject, also by Weeks, relating to
New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Jevons’ final sug
gestion is that “in all probability success will best be
obtained in the settlement of trade disputes by keeping
lawyers and laws as much at a distance as possible.”
Jevons wrote with admirable clarity. His small book
on the role of the state in labor standards and labor re
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lations was intended primarily for the lay reader. It
presented a case for legislative intervention in the indus
trial relations process, based upon the careful accumula
tion and evaluation of evidence and, if possible, the use
of experimentation, and divorced, to use John Stuart
Mill’s terminology when he repudiated the wages fund
doctrine, from the unbending necessities of political
economy. As such, it helped usher in the modern era in
industrial relations in both Great Britain and the Unit
ed States. In this country, it was cited as late as 1905 as
supplementary reading in the admirable text on labor
problems by Thomas Adams and Helen Sumner.6
And after 100 years it can still be read with interest and
profit.
D
--------- F O O T N O T E S ---------1W. Stanley Jevons, The State in Relation to Labour (London: Mac
millan, 1882). The book went through four editions, the most recent
in 1910.
2See Milton R. Konvitz, “An Empirical Theory of the Labor
Movement: W. Stanley Jevons,” The Philosophical Review, January
1948, p. 60.
3In terms of ideology, a major development was the attack on and
gradual abandonment among economists of the wages fund doctrine
in both Great Britain and the United States. Institutionally, a relative
ly stable trade union movement had been created by 1880 in Great
Britain through “new model” unions mainly of skilled workers, fea
turing high dues, sickness and other benefits, and apprenticeship pro
grams. Union legal disabilities had been removed, and protective
legislation for women and children in factory employment had been
consolidated and improved. In the United States, the 1880’s witnessed
the meteoric rise and fall of the Knights of Labor, the establishment
of the American Federation of Labor as a permanent trade union cen
ter, and the growth of labor statistics through State agencies and a
Federal bureau.
4 Robert A. Moffitt, “The negative income tax: would it discourage
work?” M onthly Labor Review, April 1981, pp. 23-27.
5Jevons’ views on trade unionism were also set forth in an address
to the Trades Unionists’ Political Association, Manchester, in 1868.
The address was published after his death by his wife in a collection
of papers entitled M ethods o f Social Reform (London, Macmillan,
1883), pp. 101-21.
6Thomas Sewall Adams and Helen L. Sumner, Labor Problems
(New York, Macmillan, 1905), p. 501.
Probing labor market dualism
Dualism and Discontinuity in Industrial Societies. By
Suzanne Berger and Michael J. Piore. New York,
Cambridge University Press, 1980. 159 pp. $17.95.
In this work, Michael Piore continues to develop the
theory of labor market dualism which he was among
the first to articulate in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.
Here he identifies the sources of dualism as located in
the division of labor, the instability of market econo
mies, and the rigidities of large-scale production.
Suzanne Berger lends a political dimension to the analy
sis: a dual labor force is fostered not only by economic
conditions requiring cheap labor or the performance of
51
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Book Reviews
“undesirable” jobs. It is also associated with the surviv
al of “traditional” social classes or strata of small entre
preneurs.
The authors in effect reject conventional (that is,
neoclassical) approaches to labor market theory. They
hold that the segmentation of labor markets, exempli
fied by the “internal” labor markets of corporate and
government bureaucracies, or by the relegation of racial
and national minorities to the less desirable and less
stable jobs, cannot be explained by the assumption that
individuals seek to maximize their personal well-being
in a presumptively competitive society. “In our perspec
tive,” they write, “the variations in human behavior and
values are explained as responses elicited by different in
stitutions, not as differences intrinsic to the persons who
manifest them.” Thus, they approach labor market
analysis from the demand side. The reactions of work
ers to their labor market situation are never ignored—
Piore devotes long chapters to them in his other recent
work, Birds of Passage, in which he deals with migrant
and immigrant workers, the prime examples of the work
force that populates secondary labor markets. Yet, the
authors see the dominant force in labor markets as orig
inating among those who organize and control the pro
duction process, and in whose interest it is to secure a
“variable” labor force so as to complement their “fixed”
capital. True, labor, by means of collective bargaining,
can to some extent impose the requirement of stable
employment. But the persistence, even expansion, of
dual labor markets demonstrates the resistance of own
ers of capital to accept labor as a “fixed” factor. The
fragmentation of jobs incident to the division of labor
in the workplace represents an added source of demand
for “variable” labor: although meant to raise efficiency,
the capacity demand for which such fragmentation is
ultimately designed cannot be sustained over the busi
ness cycle. Labor’s struggle for job tenure and job in
tegrity thus tends to be rendered ineffective when it is
not repressed. The assumption of a harmony of interests
between labor and capital, implied by neoclassical labor
market theory, is vitiated.
The dual labor market theory and the conflicts it pos
tulates is akin to aspects of Marxism. Yet, the authors
reject the relevant Marxist teachings of struggle be
tween broadly defined classes, inasmuch as their own
concerns— the differentiation within both the class of
workers and the class of capitalists—are not central to
Marxism. In fact, the persistence of the “traditional”
sector of small, often still craft-based entrepreneurs and,
more generally, of a large self-employed middle class in
all industrial and industrializing countries has been a
puzzle to scholars who accept Marxism as paradigmatic
social science. They have conventionally assumed that
this strata of capitalist society is doomed to disappear.
Berger and Piore in contrast believe that small entrepre
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neurs constitute a permanent feature of industrial soci
ety, essential to its survival. Cleavages, whether they in
volve racial and national minorities; the traditional and
the modern sector; secondary or primary workers; small
business or large corporations—cleavages transcend, so
the authors argue, the “unitary” forces in importance.
Hence they reject the idea of modernization— that is,
the notion that social structures in time adapt to the
modes of large-scale production and distribution. Like
wise, the authors dismiss the idea that industrial societ
ies tend to converge, that is, become similar in
structure, for the cleavages mentioned— and they are
major themes of the work reviewed here—extend his
torically across all these societies, and create profound
differences in the ways the problems of industrialization
are dealt with.
Now these are interesting propositions, but they are
not consistently argued. The authors indeed recognize
the universality of the sources of labor market dualism,
yet they insist that the operation of dual labor markets,
and the ways by which they resolve the problems that
give rise to them in the first place, are specific to indi
vidual societies, hence differ from one society to the
other, since value systems and the status of the tradi
tional sector (or its equivalent in such countries as the
United States where no traditional sector exists) have
undergone different historical evolutions. But why do
those problems— uncertainty, cyclical instability, frag
mentation of work— occur and recur everywhere, not
withstanding the supposed historical individuality of
given societies and social processes? Whence the univer
sality of dual labor markets (or, more generally, of
wage labor—a phenomenon that stamps like no other
the capitalistic or, to use a more aseptic term, the mod
ern character of industrial societies)? Isn’t the historical
individuality of the various industrial societies dimin
ished by the supersession of the universal processes, of
which dual labor markets are one manifestation?
True, Marx was not much concerned about the diver
sity and segmented nature of labor markets; nor were
any of his contemporaries. However, he established the
centrality of wage labor to industrial society and its de
velopment. This development stems from the accumula
tion of capital. The accumulation of capital is
essentially intolerant of national borders and cultural
barriers to its expansion. It is a process that subordi
nates “cleavages,” rather than being subordinate to
them. As Piore and Berger themselves show, labor mar
ket segmentation and secondary labor markets represent
decidedly subordinate processes; they arise from the re
current need to deal with the rigidities and uncertainties
generated by the industrial system. It is not precluded
that the progressive cheapening of the supply of labor
that is associated with the spread of dualism will gradu
ally undermine some of the foundations of industrialism
(for example, consumer durables manufacture). But if as
this happens, the primary labor force should shrink,
and the secondary labor force come to dominate the la
bor market, which would thus lose its “dual” character,
a new epoch in the evolution of the labor market would
emerge.
Both authors cite the events in Italy in 1969, when
widespread industrial protests and strikes transformed
labor-management relations. These could no longer be
confined to wage issues, they now began to involve
broadranging negotiations which, for the first time, con
cerned work discipline, promotion and discharge, work
allocation, as well as work content and technology, as
matters bearing upon job satisfaction. All this spelled a
shift of power to the workers and their organizations,
and a corresponding loss of management control over
the production process. For example, management was
rendered unable to discipline workers for infractions of
work rules or tardiness, or to institute layoffs when de
mand slowed. “The response of management to this
rigidification has been an effort to restore its flexibility
by transferring productive activity to a secondary sec
tor.” In time, this meant what Berger calls a “massive
decentralization of industrial production.” What effects
this shift had upon the primary work force, Piore and
Berger do not discuss, but it surely weakened it gravely.
Management’s ability to weaken the primary work
force which it employs is often noted by Piore. It un
dermines his argument bearing on the cleavage within
the working class and raises questions about the validi
ty of the entire dual labor market theory. At the risk of
repeating some thoughts alluded to earlier, I quote from
Piore’s Birds o f Passage, where he comments upon la
bor’s unceasing effort to impose “upon the system the
obligation to treat it . . . like a fixed factor” — so that it
cannot be used to compensate for market-caused
instabilities in demand, nor for efficiency-related chang
es in the workplace. But management resists this effort
and labor remains unable to dominate the process of
production so as to safeguard its interests. Where it
does begin to succeed, the burden of rigidity and uncer
tainty may be shifted to a secondary work force (the
role assumed by migrants and immigrants in Birds of
Passage, but by broader strata in the book here re
viewed). It may well be that organized labor often helps
promote this shift so as to secure the tenure of its mem
bers. But its primary position is not necessarily assured
thereby. This, Piore himself confirms, pointing to such
management practices as avoidance of permanent hiring
by using temporary help; subcontracting; long proba
tion periods; locating of plants in nonunion areas; and
hiring of youths and women, who appear to have a low
er propensity than men to join unions. The status of the
primary work force is thus, if not uniformly threatened,
certainly at risk. The differentiation between a primary
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
and secondary work force—already made less sharp by
Piore’s dividing the primary work force into two or
three segments characterized by a hierarchy of intellec
tual skills—loses force.
Piore also theorizes on the technological foundations
of dual labor markets. There are many interesting ob
servations in the pertinent chapter, but his argument is
not clear; a case for the existence of a “dualistic” tech
nology is not convincingly set forth. As I understand it,
the argument briefly runs as follows: Adam Smith relat
ed the division of labor in the workplace— and there
fore productivity— to the expansion of the market. That
is, the division of labor would become ever more re
fined, and productivity would rise, as the market
expanded. The worker would innovate labor-saving ap
paratus as he became more specialized, permitting fur
ther increases in productivity. Smith’s theory did not
leave room for demand uncertainty and instability. The
large-scale enterprise, which the extent of the market
eventually permitted and required, adjusts to demand
uncertainty by attuning its output to only the stable
segment of the market, leaving the unstable segment to
smaller firms. The “technological base for duality” re
sides in the declining average cost curves of the large
firm and the traditional U-shaped average cost curves of
the smaller firm. There is much evidence for the validity
of the proposition that there are stable and unstable
segments of demand, and I will not dwell upon this
question. However, it is not at all clear how this tech
nological dualism is related to the duality of the labor
market.
Insofar as the concepts of the primary and the sec
ondary labor market have anything to do with skill hi
erarchies, one could, in fact, argue the opposite of what
is implied by Piore— namely that the rise of manufac
tures signified the rise of a “secondary” work force that
gradually displaced the “primary” work force of arti
sans and craftsmen. Smith’s famous example of the pin
factory demonstrates what the division of labor meant
in terms of simplifying and thus deskilling the task of
the worker. Yet, this became the dominant trend in
manufacturing, a trend that was accentuated as machin
ery was introduced, which the great mass of workers
tended and only a minority of workers and engineers
built. The introduction of assembly lines simply contin
ued the trend toward simplification of tasks. Job spe
cialization and task simplification have been pervasive
tendencies in all commercialized industrial and service
activities; they do not appear to be related to labor
market dualism. Nor is size of enterprise necessarily a
characteristic of such dualism: until perhaps the
mid-1940’s, ladies’ garment workers would have had to
be counted among “primary” workers despite the small
size of the firms for which they worked, thanks chiefly
to the strength of their union and the ethnic homogene53
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Book Reviews
ity of its membership. The evolution of the ladies’ gar
ment work force and of its conditions does, however, il
lustrate another aspect of Piore’s theory: the industry’s
average hourly wage declined from above 100 percent of
the total nondurables average in the 1940’s to 75 per
cent in the mid-1970’s, as plants located in areas where
the union was weak or could not organize.
The conception of labor market dualism originated in
a search to explain low wages and job instability among
minorities in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Workers
in the primary sector appeared then to be much more
secure in their tenure than today. The theory could not
likely have been formulated in the 1930’s when unem
ployment, job instability, and low pay was the lot of a
very large proportion of workers. The line between pri
mary and secondary labor markets will probably again
blur, as workers in the primary sector—for example, in
automotive and steel manufacturing— are drawn into
the maelstrom of insecurity.
— H orst B rand
Office of Productivity and Technology
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Publications received
Economic and social statistics
Lutz, Mark A., “Stagflation as an Institutional Problem,”
Journal of Economic Issues, September 1981, pp. 745-68.
Industrial relations
Barrett, Jerome T. and Lucretia Dewey Tanner, “The FM CS
Role in Age Discrimination Complaints: New Uses of Me
diation,” Labor Law Journal, November 1981, pp. 74554.
Feldman, Roger and Richard Scheffler, “The Union Impact
on Hospital Wages and Fringe Benefits,” Industrial Rela
tions Review, January 1982, pp. 196-206.
Freeman, Richard B., Union Wage Practices and Wage Disper
sion Within Establishments. Cambridge, Mass., National
Bureau of Economic Research, Inc., 1981, 35 pp. ( n b e r
Working Paper Series, 752.) $1.50.
Gacek, Stanley A., “The Employer’s Duty to Bargain on Ter
mination of Unit Work,” Labor Law Journal, November
1981, pp. 699-724.
Hendricks, Wallace E. and Lawrence M. Kahn, “The Deter
minants of Bargaining Structure in U.S. Manufacturing
Industries,” Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Janu
ary 1982, pp. 181-95.
Hogler, Raymond L., “Equal Pay, Equal Work, and the Unit
ed States Supreme Court,” Labor Law Journal, Nov
ember 1981, pp. 737-44.
Jacobs, James B., “The Role of Military Forces in Public Sec
tor Labor Relations,” Industrial and Labor Relations
Review, January 1982, pp. 163-80.
Medoff, James L. and Katharine G. Abraham, Involuntary
Terminations Under Explicit and Implicit Employment
Contracts. Cambridge, Mass., National Bureau of Eco
nomic Research, Inc., 1981, 58 pp. ( n b e r Working Paper
Series, 634.) $1.50.
Neufeld, Maurice F., “The Persistence of Ideas in the Ameri
can Labor Movement: The Heritage of the 1830s,” Indus
trial and Labor Relations Review, January 1982, pp. 207-
Drazen, Allan, Daniel S. Hamermesh, Norman P. Obst,
Quantity and Elasticity Spillovers Onto the Labor market:
Theory and Evidence of Sluggishness. Cambridge, Mass.,
National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc., 1981, 29
pp. ( n b e r Working Paper Series, 676.) $1.50.
Hausman, Jerry A., Stochastic Problems in the Simulation of
Labor Supply. Cambridge, Mass., National Bureau of
Economic Research, Inc., 1981, 33 pp. ( n b e r Working
Paper Series, 788.) $1.50.
Phelps, Edmund S., “Okun’s Micro-Macro System: A Review
Article,” Journal of Economic Literature, September
1981, pp. 1065-73.
U.S. Bureau of the Census, Measurement of Subjective Phe
nomena. Edited by Denis F. Johnston. Washington, U.S.
Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1981,
193 pp. (Special Demographic Analyses cds -80-3.) Stock
No. 003-024-03167-1. $5.50, Superintendent of Docu
ments, Washington 20402.
U.S. Department of Transportation, National Transportation
Statistics: Annual Report. Cambridge, Mass., U.S. Depart
ment of Transportation, Research and Special Programs
Administration, Transportation Systems Center, Trans
portation Information Management Division, 1981, 220
pp. Stock No. 050-000-00213-6. $7, Superintendent of
Documents, Washington 20402.
Industry and government organization
Caves, Douglas W., Laurits R. Christensen, Joseph A.
Swanson, “Economic Performance in Regulated and
Unregulated Environments: A Comparison of U.S. and
Canadian Railroads,” The Quarterly Journal of Econom
ics, November 1981, pp. 559-81.
“Industry Outlooks, 1982,” Business Week, Jan. 11, 1982, be
ginning on p. 61.
Sloan, Frank A. “Regulation and the Rising Cost of Hospital
Care,” The Review of Economics and Statistics, November
1981, pp. 479-87.
Economic growth and development
Bell, Daniel and Irving Kristol, eds., The Crisis in Economic
Theory. New York, Basic Books, Inc., Publishers, 1981,
226 pp. $15.50, cloth; $6, paper.
International economics
Ball, Robert, “Europe’s Durable Unemployment Woes,” For
tune, Jan. 11, 1982, beginning on p. 66.
54
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
20.
Silverman, Lewis H. and Michael J. Soltis, “Weingarten: An
Old Trumpet Plays the Labor Circuit,” Labor Law Jour
nal, November 1981, pp. 725-36.
Weiler, Paul C. and others, Mega Projects: The Collective
Bargaining Dimension. Ottawa, Ontario, Canadian Con
struction Association, 1981, 595 pp.
Bertrand, O., J. Timar, F. Achio, “The Planning of Training
in the Third World,” International Labour Review, September-October 1981, pp. 531-44.
Lipsey, Robert E. and Merle Yahr Weiss, “Foreign Produc
tion and Exports in Manufacturing Industries,” The
Review of Economics and Statistics, November 1981, pp.
488-94.
Smith, E. Owen, ed., Trade Unions in the Developed Econo
mies. New York, St. Martin’s Press, Inc., 1981, 218 pp.
$32.50.
“The 67th Session of the International Labour Conference,
June 1981, International Labour Review, November-December 1981, pp. 667-92.
Watanabe, Susumu, “Multinational Enterprises, Employment
and Technology Adaptations,” International Labour Re
view, November-December 1981, pp. 693-710.
Labor and economic history
Pursell, Carroll. “Women Inventors in America,” Technology
and Culture, July 1981, pp. 545-49.
Sinclair, Bruce with James P. Hull, A Centennial History of
the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1880-1980.
Buffalo, N.Y., 1980, 256 pp. $15, University of Toronto
Press, Buffalo, N.Y.
Wright, Gavin, “Cheap Labor and Southern Textiles, 1880—
1930.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, November
1981, pp. 605-29.
Labor force
Brown, Charles, Curtis Gilroy, Andrew Kohen, Time-Series
Evidence of the Effect of the Minimum Wage on Youth
Employment and Unemployment. Cambridge, Mass., Na
tional Bureau of Economic Research, Inc., 1981, 41 pp.
$1.50.
Grant, James H. and Daniel S. Hamermesh, Labor Market
Competition Among Youths, White Women and Others.
Reprinted from The Review of Economics and Statistics,
August 1981, pp. 354-60. Cambridge, Mass., National
Bureau of Economic Research, Inc., 1981. ( n b e r Reprint,
204.)
Gustman, Alan L. and Thomas L. Steinmeier, “The Impact of
Wages and Unemployment on Youth Enrollment and La
bor Supply,” The Review of Economics and Statistics, No
vember 1981, pp. 553-60.
Lundberg, Shelly, The Added Worker Effect: A Reappraisal.
Cambridge, Mass., National Bureau of Economic Re
search, Inc., 1981, 40 pp. ( n b e r Working Paper Series,
706.) $1.50.
McCarthy, Maureen E. and Gail S. Rosenberg, with Gary
Lefkowitz, Work Sharing: Case Studies. Kalamazoo,
Mich., W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Re
search, Inc., 1981, 277 pp., bibliography. $9.95, cloth;
$7.95, paper.
Medoff, James L. and Katharine G. Abraham, Unemployment,
Unsatisfied Demand for Labor, and Compensation Growth
in the United States, 1956-1980. Cambridge, Mass., Na
tional Bureau of Economic Research, Inc., 1981, 48 pp.
( n b e r Working Paper Series, 781.) $1.50.
Princeton University, Employee Absenteeism. Prepared by
Kevin Barry. Princeton, N.J., Princeton University, In
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
dustrial Relations Section, November 1981, 4 pp. (Select
ed References, 208.) 50 cents.
Schlottmann, Alan M. and Henry W. Herzog, Jr.,
“Employment Status and the Decision to Migrate,” The
Review of Economics and Statistics, November 1981, pp.
590-98.
Scotland, Manpower Services Commission, Shetland Manpow
er Studies. Edinburgh, Manpower Services Commission,
Office for Scotland, 1981, 80 pp.
Standing, Guy, “The Notion of Voluntary Unemployment,”
International Labour Review, September-October 1981,
pp. 563-79.
Management and organization theory
Baron, Alma S. and Ken Abrahamsen, “Will He—Or Won’t
He—Work With a Female Manager?” Management Re
view, November 1981, pp. 48-53.
Bolt, James F. and Geary A. Rummler, “How to Close the
Gap in Human Performance,” Management Review, Janu
ary 1982, pp. 38-44.
Cameron, Kim S. and David A. Whetten, “Perceptions of Or
ganizational Effectiveness Over Organizational Life
Cycles,” Administrative Science Quarterly, December
1981, pp. 525-44.
Clegg, Stewart, “Organization and Control,” Administrative
Science Quarterly, December 1981, pp. 545-62.
Gehrman, Douglas B., “Objective Based Human Resources
Planning,” Personnel Journal, December 1981, pp. 94246.
Hoy, Frank W., Wray Buchanan, Bobby C. Vaught, “Are
Your Management Development Programs Working?”
Personnel Journal, December 1981, pp. 953-57.
Littlejohn, Robert F., “Team Management “A How-to-Approach to Improved Productivity, Higher Morale, and
Longer Lasting Job Satisfaction,” Management Review,
January 1982, pp. 23-28.
Machovec, Frank M. and Howard R. Smith, “Fear Makes the
World Go Round: The ‘Dark’ Side of Management,”
Management Review, January 1982, pp. 8-17.
Novick, Harold J., “How to Keep Managerial Mistakes from
Turning Into Organizational Failures,” Management Re
view, November 1981, pp. 56-61.
Rowe, David L., “How Westinghouse Measures White Collar
Productivity,” Management Review, November 1981, pp.
42-47.
Staw, Barry M., Lance E. Sandelands, Jane E. Dutton,
“Threat-Rigidity Effects in Organizational Behavior: A
Multilevel Analysis,” Administrative Science Quarterly,
December 1981, pp. 501-24.
Weihrich, Heinz, “A Hierarchy and Network of Aims: Get
ting More Out of m b o , ” Management Review, January
1982, pp. 47-54.
Monetary and fiscal policy
Cacy, J. A., “Monetary Policy in 1981 and 1982,” Economic
Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, December
1981, pp. 3-14.
55
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Book Renews
Johnson, Terry R. and John H. Pencavel, “Forecasting the
Effects of a Negative Income Tax Program,” Industrial
and Labor Relations Review, January 1982, pp. 221-34.
Mintz, Jack M., “Some Additional Results on Investment,
Risk Taking, and Full Loss Offset Corporate Taxation
with Interest Deductibility,” The Quarterly Journal of
Economics, November 1981, pp. 631-42.
Pakes, Ariel, Patents, R&D, and the Stock Market Rate of Re
turn. Cambridge, Mass., National Bureau of Economic
Research, Inc., 1981, 45 pp. ( n b e r Working Paper Series,
786.) $1.50.
Productivity and technological change
Bernhardt, Irwin, “Sources of Productivity Differences Among
Canadian Manufacturing Industries,” The Review of Eco
nomics and Statistics, November 1981, pp. 503-12.
Berndt, E. R. and G. C. Watkins, Energy Prices and Productivi
ty Trends in the Canadian Manufacturing Sector, 195776. Ottawa, Ontario, Economic Council of Canada, 1981,
42 pp., bibliography. $4.95, Canada; $5.95, other
countries. Available from Canadian Government Publish
ing Center, Supply and Services Canada, Ottawa.
Kahaner, Larry, “How Technology Is Changing Journalism,”
Washington Journalism Review, December 1981, pp. lb21 .
Moomaw, Ronald L., “Productivity and City Size: A Critique
of the Evidence,” The Quarterly Journal of Economics,
November 1982, pp. 675-88.
Nelson, Richard R., “Research on Productivity Growth and
Productivity Differences: Dead Ends and New Depar
tures,” Journal of Economic Literature, September 1981,
pp. 1029-64.
Stokes, H. Kemble, Jr., “An Examination of the Productivity
Decline in the Construction Industry,” The Review of
Economics and Statistics, November 1981, pp. 495-502.
Wages and compensation
Boschen, John F. and Herschel I. Grossman, Employment Ef
fects of the Federal Minimum Wage. Cambridge, Mass.,
National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc., 1981, 38
pp. ( n b e r Working Paper Series, 812.) $1.50.
Chelius, James R., “The Influence of Workers’ Compensation
on Safety Incentives,” Industrial and Labor Relations Re
view, January 1982, pp. 235-42.
Ehrenberg, Ronald G. and Paul L. Schumann, Compliance
with the Overtime Pay Provisions of the Fair Labor Stan
dards Act. Cambridge, Mass., National Bureau of Eco
nomic Research, Inc., 1981, 39 pp. ( n b e r Working Paper
Series, 815.) $1.50.
Hamermesh, Daniel S., The Interaction Between Research and
Public Policy: The Case of Unemployment Insurance.
Cambridge, Mass., National Bureau of Economic Re
search, Inc., 1981, 12 pp. ( n b e r Working Paper Series,
771.) $1.50.
Lindroth, Joan, “Inflation, Taxes and Perks: How Compensa
tion Is Changing,” Personnel Journal, pp. 934-40.
Nollen, Stanley D., New Work Schedules in Practice: Manag
ing Time in a Changing Society. New York, Van
Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1982, 281 pp. (Work in America
Institute Series.) $18.95.
Digitized 56
for FRASER
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Ohio Bureau of Employment Services, Annual Salaries of Sal
aried State Legislators, 1981. Columbus, Ohio Bureau of
Employment Services, Division of Research and Statis
tics, 1981, 10 pp.
Pencavel, John H. The Effects of Incomes Policies on the Fre
quency and Size of Wage Changes. Cambridge, Mass.,
National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc., 1981, 24
pp. ( n b e r Working Paper Series, 778.) $1.50.
Schonberger, Richard J., and Harry W. Hennessey, Jr., “Is
Equal Pay for Comparable Work Fair?” Personnel Jour
nal, December 1981, pp. 964-68.
Starr, Gerald, “Minimum Wage Fixing: International Experi
ence With Alternative Roles,” International Labour
Review, September-October 1981, pp. 545-62.
Swaigen, John Z., Compensation of Pollution Victims in Cana
da. Ottawa, Ontario, Economic Council of Canada, 1981,
91 pp., bibliography. $7.95, Canada: $9.55, other
countries. Available from Canadian Government Publish
ing Center, Supply and Services Canada, Ottawa.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Area Wage Surveys: Boston,
Massachusetts, Metropolitan Area, August 1981 (Bulletin
3010-48, 52 pp., $3.25); Albany-Schenectady-Troy, New
York, Metropolitan Area, September 1981 (Bulletin 301049, 30 pp., $2.50); Trenton, New Jersey, Metropolitan
Area, September 1981 (Bulletin 3010-50, 39 pp., $3).
Washington, 1981, Available from the Superintendent of
Documents, Washington 20402, g p o bookstores, or b l s
regional offices.
Work in America Institute, New Work Schedules for a Chang
ing Society: A Work in America Institute Policy Study and
Executive Summary. Scarsdale, N.Y., Work in America
Institute, 1981, 128 and 55 pp., respectively.
Welfare programs and social insurance
Burtless, Gary and Jerry A. Hausman, “Double-Dipping”: The
Combined Effects of Social Security and Civil Service Pen
sions on Employee Retirement. Cambridge, Mass., Nation
al Bureau of Economic Research, Inc., 1981, 30 pp.
( n b e r Working Paper Series, 800.) $1.50.
Danziger, Sheldon, Robert Haveman, Robert Plotnick, “How
Income Transfer Programs Affect Work, Savings, and the
Income Distribution: A Critical Review,” Journal of Eco
nomic Literature, September 1981, pp. 975-1028.
Freeman, Roger A., The Wayward Welfare State. Stanford,
Calif., Stanford University, Hoover Institution Press,
1981, 528 pp. (Hoover Press Publication, 249.) $35.
Jenkins, Michael, “Social Security Trends in the EnglishSpeaking Caribbean,” International Labour Review, Sep
tember-October 1981, pp. 631-43.
Morrison, Malcolm H., ed., Economics of Aging: The Future
of Retirement. New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.,
1982, 294 pp. $24.
Worker training and development
Doeringer, Peter B. and Bruce Vereulen, eds., Jobs and Train
ing in the 1980s: Vocational Policy and the Labor Market.
Boston, Martinus Nijhoff Publishing, 1981, 206 pp. $21.
Evans, Richard and Robert Weinstein, “Ranking Occupations
as Risky Income Prospects,” Industrial and Labor Rela
tions Review, January 1982, pp. 252-59.
□
Current
Labor Statistics
Notes on Current Labor Statistics
....................................
Schedule of release dates for major BLS statistical series
Employment data from household survey. Definitions and notes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Employment status of noninstitutional population, selected years, 1950-81
Employment status by sex, age, and race, seasonally adjusted .....................
Selected employment indicators, seasonally adjusted .....................................
Selected unemployment indicators, seasonally adjusted ...................................
Unemployment rates, by sex and age, seasonally adjusted .............................
Unemployed persons, by reason for unemployment, seasonally adjusted . .
Duration of unemployment, seasonally adjusted .............................................
Employment, hours, and earnings data from establishment surveys. Definitions and notes
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Employment by industry, 1951-80 .....................................................................................................................................
Employment by State .............................................................................................................................................................
Employment by industry division and major manufacturing group .............................................................................
Employment by industry division and major manufacturing group, seasonally adjusted .....................................
Labor turnover rates in manufacturing, 1977 to date .....................................................................................................
Labor turnover rates in manufacturing, by major industry group ................................................................................
Hours and earnings, by industry division, 1950-80 ........................................................................................................
W e e k ly h o u r s, b y in d u s tr y d iv is io n a n d m a jo r m a n u fa c tu r in g g r o u p ............................................................................................
Weekly hours, by industry division and major manufacturing group, seasonally adjusted ...................................
Hourly earnings, by industry division and major manufacturing group .....................................................................
Hourly Earnings Index, by industry division, seasonally adjusted .............................................................................
Weekly earnings, by industry division and major manufacturing group .....................................................................
Gross and spendable weekly earnings, in current and 1967 dollars, 1961 to date ...................................................
59
59
60
61
62
63
63
63
64
65
65
66
67
68
68
69
70
71
72
72
73
74
Unemployment insurance data. Definitions ...............
21. Unemployment insurance and employment service operations
Price data. Definitions and notes .....................................................
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
Consumer Price Index, 1967-80 .............................................................................
Consumer Price Index, U.S. city average, general summary and selected items
Consumer Price Index, cross classification of region and population size class
Consumer Price Index, selected areas .....................................................................
Producer Price Indexes, by stage of processing ...................................................
Producer Price Indexes, by commodity groupings .............................................
Producer Price Indexes, for special commodity groupings ................................
Producer Price Indexes, by durability of product ................................................
Producer Price Indexes for the output of selected SIC industries ...................
76
77
77
83
84
85
86
88
88
88
Productivity data. Definitions and notes .....................................................................................
31.
32.
33.
34.
Annual indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices, selected years, 1950-81 ................
Annual changes in productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices, 1971-81 ...........................................
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 prices . .
Labor-management data. Definitions
...................................................
35. Wage and benefit settlements in major collective bargaining units, 1976 to date .
36. Effective wage rate adjustments in major collective bargaining units, 1976 to date
37. Work stoppages, 1947 to date ........................................................................................
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57
NOTES ON CURRENT LABOR STATISTICS
This section of the Review presents the principal statistical se
ries collected and calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A brief introduction to each group of tables provides defi
nitions, notes on the data, sources, and other material usually
found in footnotes.
changes from month to month and from quarter to quarter are
published for numerous Consumer and Producer Price Index series.
However, seasonally adjusted indexes are not published for the U.S.
average All Items CPI. Only seasonally adjusted percent changes are
available for this series.
Readers who need additional information are invited to
consult the BLS regional offices listed on the inside front cov
er of this issue of the Review. Some general notes applicable to
several series are given below.
Adjustments for price changes. Some data are adjusted to eliminate
the effect of changes in price. These adjustments are made by dividing
current dollar values by the Consumer Price Index or the appropriate
component of the index, then multiplying by 100. For example, given
a current hourly wage rate of $3 and a current price index number of
150, where 1967 = 100, the hourly rate expressed in 1967 dollars is
$2 ($3/150 X 100 = $2). The resulting values are described as
“real,” “constant,” or “ 1967” dollars.
Seasonal adjustment. Certain monthly and quarterly data are adjusted
to eliminate the effect of such factors as climatic conditions, industry
production schedules, opening and closing of schools, holiday buying
periods, and vacation practices, which might otherwise mask short
term movements of the statistical series. Tables containing these data
are identified as “seasonally adjusted.” Seasonal effects are estimated
on the basis of past experience. When new seasonal factors are com
puted each year, revisions may affect seasonally adjusted data for sev
eral preceding years.
Seasonally adjusted labor force data in tables 2-7 are revised in the
March 1982 issue of the Review to reflect experience through 1981.
The original estimates have also been revised to 1970 to reflect
1980 census population controls.
Beginning in January 1980, the BLS introduced two major modifi
cations in the seasonal adjustment methodology for labor force data.
First, the data are being seasonally adjusted with a new procedure
called X -ll/A R IM A , which was developed at Statistics Canada as an
extension of the standard X -11 method. A detailed description of the
procedure appears in The X - l l ARIM A Seasonal Adjustm ent M ethod
by Estela Bee Dagum (Statistics Canada Catalogue No. 12-564E, Feb
ruary 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 in tables
11, 13, 16, and 18 begins with the August 1980 issue using the
X -ll ARIM A seasonal adjustment methodology. New seasonal fac
tors for productivity data in tables 33 and 34 are usually intro
duced in the September issue. Seasonally adjusted indexes and percent
Availability of information. Data that supplement the tables in this
section are published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in a variety of
sources. Press releases provide the latest statistical information
published by the Bureau; the major recurring releases are published
according to the schedule given below. The B L S H andbook o f Labor
Statistics, Bulletin 2070, provides mote detailed data and greater his
torical coverage for most of the statistical series presented in the
M onthly Labor Review. More information from the household and es
tablishment surveys is provided in Em ploym ent and Earnings, a
monthly publication of the Bureau, and in two comprehensive data
books issued annually— Em ploym ent and Earnings, United States and
Em ploym ent and Earnings, States and Areas. More detailed informa
tion on wages and other aspects of collective bargaining appears in
the monthly periodical, Current Wage Developments. More detailed
price information is published each month in the periodicals, the CPI
Detailed Report and Producer Prices and Price Indexes.
Symbols
p = preliminary. To improve the timeliness of some series,
preliminary figures are issued based on representative
but incomplete returns.
r = revised. Generally this revision reflects the availability
of later data but may also reflect other adjustments,
n.e.c. = not elsewhere classified.
Schedule of release dates for major BLS statistical series
Senes
Release
date
Period
covered
March 1
4th quarter
March 5
February
Release
date
Period
covered
April 29
1st quarter
April 2
March
1-11
MLR table
number
Productivity and costs:
Nonfinancial corporations .............................
Nonfarm business and manufacturing
Employment s itu a tio n ...........................
.................
31-34
31-34
Producer Price Index ........................
March 12
February
April 9
March
Consumer Price Index
...............................
26-30
March 23
February
April 23
March
..............................................
22-25
March 23
February
April 23
March
14-20
Real earnings
58
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EM PLO YM ENT DATA FRO M THE H O U SE H O L D SURVEY
d a t a
in this section are obtained from the
Current Population Survey, a program of personal interviews
conducted monthly by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau
of Labor Statistics. The sample consists of about 60,000
households beginning in May 1981, selected to represent the
U.S. population 16 years of age and older. Households are
interviewed on a rotating basis, so that three-fourths of the
sample is the same for any 2 consecutive months.
E m plo ym en t
Definitions
Employed persons are (1) those who worked for pay any time
during the week which includes the 12th day of the month or who
worked unpaid for 15 hours or more in a family-operated enterprise
and (2) those who were temporarily absent from their regular jobs
because of illness, vacation, industrial dispute, or similar reasons. A
person working at more than one job is counted only in the job at
which he or she worked the greatest number of hours.
Unemployed persons are those who did not work during the survey
week, but were available for work except for temporary illness and
had looked for jobs within the preceding 4 weeks. Persons who 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 unemployment rate represents the number unemployed as a
percent of the civilian labor force.
The civilian labor force consists of all employed or unemployed
persons in the civilian noninstitutional population; the total labor
force includes military personnel. Persons not in the labor force are
1.
those not classified as employed or unemployed; this group includes
persons 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,
sanitariums, or homes for the aged, infirm, or needy.
Full-time workers are those employed at least 35 hours a week;
part-time workers are those who work fewer hours. Workers on parttime schedules for economic reasons (such as slack work, terminating
or starting a job during the week, material shortages, or inability to
find full-time work) are among those counted as being on full-time
status, under the assumption that they would be working full time if
conditions permitted. The survey classifies unemployed persons in
full-time or part-time status by their reported preferences for full-time
or part-time work.
Notes on the data
From time to time, and especially after a decennial census,
adjustments are made in the Current Population Survey figures to
correct for estimating errors during the preceding years. These
adjustments affect the comparability of historical data presented in
table 1. A description of these adjustments and their effect on the
various data series appear in the Explanatory Notes of Em ploym ent
and Earnings.
Data in tables 2-7 are seasonally adjusted, based on the seasonal
experience through December 1981.
Employment status of the noninstitutional population, 16 years and over, selected years, 1950-81
[Numbers in thousands]
Civilian labor force
Total labor force
Year
Total non
institutional
population
Unemployed
Employed
Number
Percent of
population
Total
Total
Agriculture
Nonagricultural
industries
Number
Percent of
labor
force
Not in
labor force
1950
106,645
63,858
59.9
62,208
58,918
7,160
51,758
3,288
5.3
42,787
1955
112,732
68,072
60.4
65,023
62,170
6,450
55,722
2,852
4.4
44,660
1960
119,759
72,142
60.2
69,628
65,778
5,458
60,318
3,852
5.5
47,617
64,782
3,786
5.2
51,394
1964
127,224
75,830
59.6
73,091
69,305
4,523
1965
129,236
77,178
59.7
74,455
71,088
4,361
66,726
3,366
4.5
52,058
1966
131,180
78,893
60.1
75,770
72,895
3,979
68,915
2,875
3.8
52,288
1967
133,319
80,793
60.6
77,347
74,372
3,844
70,527
2,975
3.8
52,527
1968
135,562
82,272
60.7
78,737
75,920
3,817
72,103
2,817
3.6
53,291
1969
137,841
84,240
61.1
80,734
77,902
3,606
74,296
2,832
3.5
53,602
1970
140,272
85,959
61.3
82,771
78,678
3,463
75,215
4,093
4.9
54,315
1971
143,033
87,198
61.0
84,382
79,367
3,394
75,972
5,016
5.9
55,834
1972
146,574
89,484
87,034
78,669
4,882
5.6
149,423
89,429
82,153
85,064
3,484
1973
61.1
61.4
3,470
81,594
4,365
4.9
57,091
57,667
86,794
3,515
83,279
5,156
5.6
58,171
91,756
1974
152,349
94,179
61.8
91,949
1975
155,333
95,955
61.8
93,775
85,846
3,408
82,438
7,929
8.5
59,377
1976
158,294
98,302
62.1
96,158
88,752
3,331
85,421
7,406
7.7
59,991
1977
161,166
101,142
62.8
99,009
92,017
3,283
88,734
6,991
7.1
60,025
1978
164,027
104,368
63.6
102,251
96,048
3,387
92,661
6,202
6.1
59,659
1979
166,951
107,050
64.1
104,962
98,824
3,347
95,477
6,137
5.8
59,900
106,940
99,303
3,364
95,938
7,637
7.1
60,806
108,670
100,397
3,368
97,030
8,273
7.6
61,460
1980
169,848
109,042
64.2
1981
172,272
110,812
64.3
Note:
Data for 1970-81 have been revised to reflect 1980 census population controls.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
59
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Household Data
2.
Employment status by sex, age, and race, seasonally adjusted
[N u m b e rs in th o u sa n d s]
Annual average
1981
Employment status
1980
1981
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
1982
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
TOTAL
Total noninstitutional population' ........................
Total labor force
..................................
Civilian noninstitutional population1 ...........................
Civilian labor force
Employed
........................
........................
Agriculture
....................................
Nonagricultural Industries
Unemployed
..........
..................................
Unemployment rate
169,848
172,272
171,229
171,400
171,581
171,770
109,042
110,812
110,048
110,155
110,492
110,906
111,420
110,565
110,827
110,978
110,659
111,170
111,430
111,348
111,038
167,745
170,130
169,104
169,280
169,453
169,641
169,829
170,042
170,246
170,399
170,593
170,809
170,996
171,166
171,335
106,940
108,670
107,923
108,034
108,364
108,777
109,293
108,434
108,688
108,818
108,494
109,012
109,272
109,184
108,879
99,303
100,397
99,901
100,069
100,406
100,878
101,045
100,430
100,864
100,840
100,258
100,343
100,172
99,613
99,581
3,364
3,368
3,445
3,346
3,343
3,470
3,405
3,348
3,342
3,404
3,358
3,378
3,372
3,209
3,411
95,938
97,030
96,456
96,723
97,063
97,408
97,640
97,082
97,522
97,436
96,900
96,965
96,800
96,404
96,170
7,637
8,273
8,022
7,965
7,958
7,899
8,248
8,004
7,824
7,978
8,236
8,669
9,100
9,571
9,298
171,956
172,172
172,385
172,559
172,758
172,966
173,155
173,330
173,495
..........................
7.1
7.6
7.4
7.4
7.3
7.3
7.5
7.4
7.2
7.3
7.6
8.0
8.3
Not in labor force .......................................
8.8
8.5
60,806
61,460
61,181
61,246
61,089
60,864
60,536
61,608
61,558
61,581
62,099
61,797
61,724
61,982
62,456
71,138
72,419
71,850
71,951
72,037
72,142
72,251
72,359
73,020
73,120
56,455
57,197
56,803
56,816
57,028
57,157
57,479
57,094
57,172
57,250
57,262
57,355
57,459
57,665
57,368
53,101
53,582
53,342
53,383
53,618
53,820
53,884
53,597
53,874
53,791
53,693
53,504
53,354
53,122
53,047
2,396
2,384
2,409
2,349
2,352
2,419
2,390
2,379
2,383
2,422
2,383
2,413
2,382
2,311
2,390
50,706
51,199
50,933
51,034
51,266
51,401
51,494
51,218
51,491
51,369
51,310
51,091
50,972
50,811
50,657
3,353
3,615
3,461
3,433
3,410
3,337
3,595
3,497
3,298
3,459
3,569
3,851
4,105
4,543
Men, 20 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population' ........................
Civilian labor force .........................................
Employed
..................................
Agriculture
...........................................
Nonagricultural industries
Unemployed
...................
.........................................
Unemployment rate
....................................
72,472
72,559
72,670
72,795
72,921
4,322
5.9
6.3
6.1
6.0
6.0
5.8
6.3
6.1
5.8
6.0
6.2
6.7
7.1
7.9
7.5
14,683
15,222
15,047
15,135
15,009
14,985
14,772
15,265
15,300
15,309
15,408
15,440
15,462
15,355
15,752
........................
80,065
81,497
80,856
81,076
81,193
81,308
81,434
81,561
81,671
81,792
81,920
............................................
41,106
42,485
41,833
41,974
42,152
42,332
42,608
42,581
42,682
42,666
42,344
42,831
42,987
42,888
42,868
38,492
39,590
39,029
39,211
39,365
39,536
39,737
39,757
39,810
39,841
39,426
39,814
39,878
39,713
39,764
...........................................
584
604
626
616
610
609
605
585
590
609
608
596
635
572
649
Nonagricultural industries ...................
38,818
39,218
39,243
39,141
39,115
Not in labor force
.......................................
Women, 20 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population'
Civilian labor force
Employed
...............................
Agriculture
80,966
82,038
82,151
82,260
37,907
38,986
38,403
38,595
38,755
38,927
39,132
39,172
39,220
39,232
................................................
2,615
2,895
2,804
2,763
2,787
2,796
2,871
2,824
2,872
2,825
Unemployment rate ....................................
Not in labor force ................................................
6.4
6.8
6.7
6.6
6.7
6.6
6.7
6.6
6.9
7.0
7.2
7.4
7.2
39,012
39,023
38,992
6.6
38,924
6.6
38,959
38,861
38,700
38,853
38,879
39,005
39,448
39,089
39,051
39,263
39,392
16,543
16,214
16,397
16,363
16,341
16,305
16,270
16,249
16,213
16,169
16,131
16,093
16,037
15,995
15,955
Unemployed
2,918
3,017
3,109
3,175
3,104
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years
Civilian noninstitutional population'
Civilian labor force
........................
..............................................
9,378
8,988
9,287
9,244
9,184
9,288
9,206
8,759
8,834
8,902
8,888
8,826
8,826
8,631
8,643
7,710
7,225
7,530
7,475
7,423
7,522
7,424
7,076
7,180
7,208
7,139
7,025
6,940
...........................................
6,778
6,771
385
380
410
381
381
442
410
384
369
373
367
369
355
326
373
Nonagricultural industries ...................
Unemployed ................................................
7,325
6,845
7,120
7,094
7,042
7,080
7,014
6,692
6,811
6,835
6,772
6,656
6,585
6,452
6,398
1,669
1,763
1,757
1,769
1,761
1,766
1,782
1,683
1,654
Employed
..............................................
Agriculture
Unemployment rate
Not in labor force
....................................
...........................................
1,694
1,749
1,801
1,886
1,853
1,872
17.8
19.6
18.9
19.1
19.2
19.0
19.4
19.2
18.7
19.0
19.7
20.4
21.4
21.5
21.7
7,165
7,226
7,110
7,119
7,157
7,017
7,064
7,490
7,379
7,267
7,243
7,267
7,211
7,364
7,312
146,122
147,908
146,976
147,132
147,335
147,539
147,670
147,804
147,976
148,144
148,370
148,562
148,631
148,755
148,842
93,600
95,052
94,332
94,552
94,756
95,199
95,666
94,887
95,126
95,163
94,884
95,365
95,535
95,329
95,120
87,715
88,709
88,101
88,388
88,653
89,080
89,237
88,799
89,170
89,221
88,628
88,734
88,498
88,010
87,955
5,884
6,343
6,231
6,164
6,103
6,119
6,429
6,088
5,956
5,942
6,256
6,631
7,037
7,319
7,165
6.3
6.7
6.6
6.5
6.4
6.4
6.7
6.4
6.3
6.2
6.6
7.0
7.4
7.7
7.5
52,522
52,856
52,644
52,580
52,579
52,340
52,004
52,917
52,850
52,981
53,486
53,197
53,096
53,426
53,722
White
Civilian noninstitutional population'
Civilian labor force
Employed
..........................
..................................
...........................................
Unemployed
....................................
Unemployment rate ..........................
Not In labor force .............................
Black
Civilian noninstitutional population' ......................
Civilian labor force ...............................
Employed
...........................................
Unemployed
....................................
18,219
18,045
18,076
18,105
18,137
18,170
18,206
18,239
18,266
18,297
18,333
18,362
18,392
18,423
11,086
10,998
10,951
11,036
11,126
11,126
11,033
10,971
11,069
11,134
11,188
11,207
11,226
11,188
9,313
9,355
9,428
9,350
9,383
9,488
9,460
9,310
9,338
9,267
9,319
9,313
9,321
9,279
9,314
1,666
1,723
1,633
1,802
1,815
1,875
1,886
1,947
1,874
1,553
1,731
1,570
1,601
1,653
1,638
........................
14.3
15.6
14.3
14.6
15.0
14.7
15.0
15.6
14.9
16.3
16.3
....................................
16.8
16.8
17.3
16.8
6,959
7,133
7,047
7,125
7,069
7,011
7,044
7,173
7,268
7,197
7,163
7,145
7,155
7,166
7,235
Unemployment rate
Not in labor force
17,824
10,865
'A s in table 1, population figures are not seasonally adjusted.
Note:
Effective with January 1982 data, population counts derived from the 1980 census are
incorporated into the estimation procedures used in the Current Population Survey. Data for
Digitized 60
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1970-81 have been revised. Also, seasonally adjusted data have been revised based on the seasonal
experience through December 1981.
3.
Selected employment indicators, seasonally adjusted
[ Numbers in thousands]
Annual average
1980
1981
1982
1981
Selected categories
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
CHARACTERISTIC
99,613
99,581
Total employed, 16 years and over ..........................
99,303
100,397
99,901
100,069
100,406
100,878
101,045
100,430
100,864
100,840
100,258
100,343
100,172
........................................................................
57,186
57,397
57,323
57,331
57,531
57,792
57,793
57,279
57,640
57,551
57,471
57,266
57,051
56,725
56,629
42,952
Men
W o m e n ....................................................................
42,117
43,000
42,578
42,738
42,875
43,086
43,252
43,151
43,224
43,289
42,787
43,077
43,121
42,888
39,120
38,930
38,961
38,961
38,855
38,746
38,553
38,342
38,234
Married men, spouse present .............................
39,004
38,882
38,959
38,944
39,036
39,186
Married women, spouse p r e s e n t........................
23,532
23,915
23,806
23,824
23,920
23,979
24,192
24,106
24,159
24,043
23,626
23,874
23,820
23,691
23,744
51,882
52,949
52,662
52,739
52,860
52,855
53,016
52,957
52,907
53,141
52,908
53,199
53,086
53,084
52,836
15,968
16,420
16,270
16,185
16,219
16,178
16,093
16,410
16,364
16,621
16,598
16,681
16,657
16,774
16,803
11,616
11,488
11,411
11,578
11,460
11,533
11,616
11,461
11,424
11,091
OCCUPATION
W hite-collar w o r k e r s .....................................................
Professional and technical
..................................
Managers and administrators, except
farm
....................................................................
11,138
11,540
11,561
11,629
11,725
S a le sw o rke rs..........................................................
6,303
6,425
6,384
6,397
6,372
6,290
6,562
6,513
6,373
6,490
6,441
6,400
6,418
6,450
6,520
Clerical w o rk e rs .....................................................
18,473
18,564
18,447
18,528
18,544
18,771
18,873
18,623
18,592
18,570
18,336
18,502
18,550
18,436
18,423
Blue-collar w o rk e rs .......................................................
31,452
31,261
31,151
31,193
31,288
31,685
31,796
31,538
31,580
31,611
31,266
30,953
30,683
30,344
30,203
..................................
12,787
12,662
12,621
12,684
12,826
12,825
12,911
12,749
12,787
12,724
12,514
12,446
12,411
12,446
12,370
Operatives, except tra n s p o rt...............................
10,565
10,540
10,586
10,618
10,464
10,691
10,716
10,703
10,719
10,658
10,524
10,410
10,220
10,169
9,966
........................
3,531
3,476
3,425
3,446
3,447
3,483
3,466
3,493
3,526
3,530
3,506
3,580
3,438
3,368
3,415
C raft and kindred workers
Transport equipment operatives
Nonfarm la b o re rs ...................................................
4,567
4,583
4,519
4,445
4,551
4,686
4,703
4,593
4,548
4,699
4,722
4,517
4,614
4,361
4,451
Service w o r k e r s ............................................................
13,228
13,438
13,250
13,347
13,478
13,468
13,470
13,214
13,526
13,282
13,391
13,525
13,670
13,639
13,709
Farmworkers .................................................................
2,741
2,749
2,786
2,728
2,730
2,826
2,748
2,710
2,727
2,753
2,743
2,770
2,802
2,660
2,817
W age and salary w o rk e rs ....................................
1,425
1,464
1,505
1,389
1,391
1,560
1,499
1,437
1,495
1,501
1,461
1,502
1,436
1,352
1,377
Self-employed w o rk e rs .........................................
1,642
1,638
1,650
1,637
1,638
1,661
1,654
1,664
1,593
1,638
1,643
1,631
1,641
1,602
1,674
297
266
284
306
299
286
235
263
244
256
256
261
321
228
380
Wage and salary w o rk e rs ....................................
88,525
89,543
89,104
89,592
90,402
89,508
89,995
89,376
Government ...................................................
15,912
15,689
15,988
15,875
15,930
15,885
15,776
15,707
15,637
15,526
15,475
15,491
15,397
15,585
15,578
73,853
73,017
73,229
73,662
74,028
74,626
73,801
74,334
74,469
73,901
73,969
73,841
73,406
73,181
MAJOR INDUSTRY AND CLASS
OF WORKER
Agriculture:
Unpaid family workers
.........................................
Nonagricultural industries:
Private in d u s trie s ...........................................
72,612
89,005
89,913
89,971
89,460
89,238
88,991
88,759
Private households ...............................
1,192
1,208
1,214
1,190
1,242
1,249
1,192
1,177
1,216
1,259
1,102
1,162
1,204
1,291
1,248
....................................
71,420
72,645
71,803
72,039
72,420
72,779
73,434
72,624
73,118
73,210
72,799
72,807
72,637
72,115
71,932
7,057
6,971
410
410
Other industries
Self-employed w o rk e rs .........................................
Unpaid family workers
.........................................
7,000
7,097
7,028
7,080
7,065
7,150
6,966
7,128
7,071
7,103
7,217
7,152
7,141
413
390
421
384
374
325
356
376
389
387
399
451
425
PERSONS AT WORK1
...........................................
90,209
91,377
91,322
91,287
91,405
91,094
91,745
91,500
92,532
91,569
90,878
91,384
91,323
90,922
90,125
Full-time schedules ..............................................
Part time for economic re a s o n s ..........................
73,590
4,064
74,339
4,499
74,387
4,451
74,482
4,227
74,453
4,290
74,259
4,200
74,871
4,264
74,693
4,033
75,620
4,374
74,467
4,350
73,794
73,886
5,009
73,915
5,026
73,360
5,288
72,803
5,071
Nonagricultural industries
4,656
Usually work full t im e ....................................
1,714
1,738
1,688
1,650
1,660
1,593
1,657
1,465
1,680
1,729
1,759
2,006
1,945
2,121
1,783
Usually work part t i m e ..................................
2,350
2,761
2,763
2,577
2,630
2,607
2,607
2,568
2,694
2,621
2,897
3,003
3,081
3,167
3,287
Part time for noneconomic re a s o n s ...................
12,555
12,539
12,484
12,578
12,662
12,635
12,610
12,774
12,538
12,752
12,428
12,489
12,382
12,274
12,251
'Excludes persons "w ith a job but not at work” during the survey period for such reasons as
Note:
Effective
with
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
January
census are incorporated into the estimation procedures used in the Current Population Survey. Data for
1970-81 have been revised. Also, seasonally adjusted data have been revised based on the seasonal
vacation, illness, or industrial disputes.
1982
data,
population
counts
derived
from
the
1980
experience through December 1981.
61
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Household Data
4.
Selected unemployment indicators, seasonally adjusted
[Unemployment rates]
Annual average
1981
1982
Selected categories
1980
1981
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
CHARACTERISTIC
Total, 16 years and o v e r ..............................................
7.1
7.6
7.4
7.4
7.3
7.5
7.4
7.2
7.3
8.3
8.8
Men, 20 years and o v e r .......................................
5.9
6.3
6.1
6.0
6.0
5.8
6.3
6.1
5.8
6.0
6.2
6.7
7.1
7.9
7.5
Women, 20 years and o v e r ..................................
6.4
6.8
6.7
6.6
6.6
7.3
6.6
6.7
6.6
6.7
6.6
6.9
7.0
7.2
7.4
7.2
Both sexes, 16 to 19 y e a r s ..................................
18.9
19.1
19.2
19.0
19,4
19.2
18.7
19.0
19.7
20.4
21.4
21.5
21.7
6.5
6,4
6.4
7.6
8.0
8.5
17.8
19.6
............................................................
6.3
6.7
6.7
6.4
6.3
6.2
7.7
7.5
Men, 20 years and o v e r ...............................
5.3
5.6
5.5
5.4
5.3
5.2
5.6
5.3
5.0
5.2
5.5
5.9
6.4
6.9
6.6
Women, 20 years and over ........................
5.6
5.9
5.9
5.7
5.7
5.7
5.9
5.7
5.8
5.5
5.9
6.1
6.3
6.4
6.3
1.5.5
17.3
16.6
17.2
16.8
17.0
17.5
16.8
16.4
16.1
17.2
17.7
19.0
19.0
19.6
White, total
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years
Black, total
........................
6.6
6.6
7.0
7.4
............................................................
14.3
15.6
14.3
14.6
15.0
14.7
15.0
15.6
14.9
16.3
16.3
16.8
16.8
17.3
Men, 20 years and o v e r ...............................
12.4
13.5
11.5
12.0
12.1
12.1
13.0
13.7
12.7
13.6
14.5
14.7
15.5
16.5
16.3
Women, 20 years and over ........................
11.9
13.4
12.3
13.2
13.6
12.9
13.1
13.3
13.1
13.8
14.0
13.9
13.6
14.1
13.3
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years
41.2
16.8
........................
38.5
41.4
39.7
38.3
39.7
40.2
36.9
40.9
40.0
49.0
40.8
45.6
44.1
42.2
Married men, spouse present .............................
4.2
4.3
4.2
4.1
4.1
3.8
4.0
4.2
3.9
4.0
4.4
4.8
5.2
5.7
5.3
Married women, spouse p r e s e n t........................
5.8
6.0
6.0
5.8
5.9
5.9
5.8
5.7
5.7
5.5
6.0
6.1
6.5
6.6
6.2
Women who maintain fa m ilie s .............................
9.2
10.4
10.3
9.9
10.4
10.7
11.2
10.1
10.7
10.6
10.8
9.8
9.6
10.5
10.4
Full-time w o r k e r s ...................................................
6.9
7.3
7.2
7.1
7.1
6.9
7.1
7.1
6.8
6.9
7.3
7.7
8.1
8.7
8.4
Part-time w o rk e rs ...................................................
8.8
9.4
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.2
9.6
9.2
9.3
9.6
9.6
9.5
10.2
9.2
9.6
Unemployed 15 weeks and o v e r ........................
1.7
2.1
2.2
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.0
2.2
2.0
2.0
2.1
2.1
2.2
2.2
2.2
Labor force time lost'
7.9
8.5
8.3
8.2
8.2
8.2
8.6
7.9
7.9
7.9
8.5
9.1
9.5
10.1
10.0
.........................................
OCCUPATION
White-collar w o r k e r s .....................................................
Professional and technical
..................................
3.7
4.0
3.9
3.8
3.9
4.0
4.0
3.9
4.0
3.9
4.1
4.1
4.2
4.5
4.2
2.5
2.8
2.8
2.6
2.7
3.1
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.5
2.8
2.6
2.7
3.4
2.9
2.5
2.5
2.4
2.6
/
2.7
2.6
2.7
2.7
2.8
3.0
3.1
2.7
4.1
4.1
4.2
4.6
4.3
4.9
4.7
5.0
4.9
5.0
4.9
5.4
5.7
5.6
5.6
5.4
5.7
5.7
5.8
6.0
6.0
6.2
6.3
10.2
10.2
10.0
9.7
9.9
9.8
9.5
9.5
10.2
10.9
11.8
12.7
12.5
6.9
7.1
7.1
6.8
7.2
7.1
6.9
7.0
7.7
8.3
8.5
9.3
9.0
12.2
12.1
11.7
11.6
11.8
11.1
11.1
11.1
11.6
12.8
14.1
15.5
15.4
Managers and administrators, except
farm ....................................................................
2.4
2.7
2.5
S a le sw o rke rs..........................................................
4.4
4.6
4.3
Clerical w o rk e rs .....................................................
5.3
5.7
5.6
Blue-collar w o rk e rs .......................................................
10.0
10.3
..................................
6.6
7.5
Operatives, except tra n s p o rt...............................
12.2
12.2
Craft and kindred workers
Transport equipment operatives
4.5
........................
8.8
8.7
9.1
8.6
9.1
8.1
8.2
8.1
7.3
8.0
8.7
8.0
10.4
10.5
10.2
Nonfarm la b o re rs ...................................................
14.6
14.7
14.8
14.9
14.2
14.0
13.5
14.7
14.4
13.2
14.6
15.6
16.0
16.9
16.9
Service w o r k e r s ............................................................
7.9
8.9
8.2
8.7
8.3
8.5
9.4
8.9
8.0
8.9
9.0
9.3
9.7
9.6
9.2
Farmworkers .................................................................
4.6
5.3
5.0
4.9
5.2
3.9
5.2
6.2
4.8
5.4
4.0
6.2
6.2
6.4
6.9
INDUSTRY
Nonagricultural private wage and salary w orkers2
7.4
7.7
7.6
7.6
7.5
7.3
7.7
7.4
7.2
7.3
7.7
8.1
8.4
..........................................................
14.1
15.6
13.7
13.7
14.7
14.5
15.7
16.1
15.2
16.2
16.3
17.6
17.8
18.1
18.7
Manufacturing ........................................................
8.5
8.3
8.5
8.5
8.1
7.6
7.8
7.4
7.3
7.0
7.9
8.6
9.4
11.0
10.4
11.0
Construction
Durable goods
9.1
8.8
..............................................
8.9
8.2
8.4
8.7
8.0
7.5
7.4
7.1
7.1
6.5
7.7
8.6
9.5
11.8
Nondurable g o o d s .........................................
7.9
8.4
8.5
8.3
8.3
7.8
8.6
7.9
7.6
7.9
8.3
8.6
9.3
9.6
Transportation and public u tilitie s ........................
4.9
5.2
5.5
5.4
6.1
5.5
5.7
4.9
4.1
4.8
4.2
4.8
5.5
6.0
6.4
Wholesale and retail trade
7.4
8.1
7.7
7.7
7.6
7.5
8.3
7.7
7.9
7.9
8.5
8.4
8.6
8.9
8.7
..................................
Finance and service in d u strie s.............................
Government workers
5.3
5.9
5.8
5.9
5.6
5.8
5.8
5.8
5.7
5.7
6.0
6.2
6.1
6.4
9.5
5.9
...................................................
4.1
4.7
4.4
4.3
4.6
4.7
4.7
4.6
4.6
4.5
4.7
4.7
5.2
5.0
4.8
Agricultural wage and salary w o rk e rs ........................
11.0
12.1
11.5
11.9
12.1
9.4
11.0
13.3
10.7
12.0
11.0
13.4
14.1
14.8
16.2
'A g g re g a te hours lost by the unemployed and persons on part time for economic reasons as a
percent of potentially available labor force hours.
2 Includes mining, not shown separately.
Digitized62
for FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Note:
Effective with January 1982 data, population counts derived from the 1980 census are
incorporated into the estimation procedures used in the Current Population Survey. Data for 1970-81
have '3een revise(i- Also, seasonally adjusted data have been revised based on the seasonal experience
through December 1981.
5.
Unemployment rates, by sex and age, seasonally adjusted
1980
1981
1982
1981
Annual average
Sex and age
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
July
June
Aug.
Sept
Nov.
Oct
Jan.
Dec.
Total, 16 years and o v e r ..............................................
7.1
7.6
7.4
7.4
7.3
7.3
7.5
7.4
7.2
7.3
7.6
8.0
8.3
8.8
8.5
16 to 19 y e a r s ........................................................
17.8
19.6
18.9
19.1
19.2
19.0
19.4
19.2
18.7
19.0
19.7
20.4
21.4
21.5
21.7
16 to 17 y e a r s ................................................
20.0
21.4
20.9
21.3
21.4
21.6
21.3
22.6
19.8
20.8
21.4
21.5
22.6
21.9
21.9
18 to 19 y e a r s ................................................
16.2
18.4
17.4
17.7
17.6
17.2
17.7
17.5
17.8
17.6
18.5
20.0
20.5
21.2
21.3
20 to 24 y e a r s ........................................................
11.5
12.3
11.9
11.9
11.8
12.0
12.6
12.1
11.5
12.1
12.3
12.7
13.0
13.5
13.5
5.2
5.4
5.7
6.0
6.5
6.3
6.7
25 years and over ................................................
5.1
5.4
5.3
5.2
5.2
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.2
25 to 54 y e a r s ................................................
5.5
5.8
5.7
5.6
5.6
5.4
5.6
5.6
5.5
5.5
5.8
6.2
6.5
6.9
55 years and o v e r .........................................
3.3
3.6
3.5
3.5
3.6
3.4
3.4
3.5
3.5
3.5
3.8
3.8
3.8
4.1
4.2
6.7
7.1
7.3
7.7
8.3
9.0
8.6
Men, 16 years and o v e r .......................................
16 to 19 y e a rs ................................................
7.4
6.9
7.3
20.1
20.0
20.0
19.8
19.5
20.0
20.0
18.8
19.8
19.9
20.1
21.8
22.3
22.1
22.0
22.5
22.1
21.7
22.5
22.3
24.0
19.9
21.5
21.5
21.1
22.7
22.6
23.0
7.2
7.2
7.1
16 to 17 years
.......................................
18 to 19 years
.......................................
16.7
18.8
18.3
18.5
18.5
17.4
18.0
18.2
17.9
18.3
18.7
19.3
21.0
22.2
21.4
20 to 24 y e a r s ................................................
12.5
13.2
12.9
12.9
13.0
13.0
13.8
12.9
11.6
12.9
13.1
13.8
14.4
14.8
14.9
4.8
4.6
4.7
5.0
4.7
4.9
5.0
5.5
5.8
6.5
6.3
5.1
4.9
5.1
5.2
5.0
5.2
5.5
5.9
6.3
6.9
6.7
25 years and o v e r .........................................
4.8
5.1
4.9
4.9
25 to 54 years .......................................
5.1
5.5
5.2
5.2
55 years and o v e r ..................................
3.3
3.5
3.4
3.3
3.3
3.2
3.4
3.4
3.4
3.4
3.5
3.7
3.7
4.4
4.3
7.7
7.7
7.7
7.8
7.7
7.8
7.7
8.0
8.2
8.4
8.5
8.4
20.5
7.9
7.7
16 to 19 y e a r s ................................................
17.2
19.0
17.7
18.2
18.5
18.4
18.7
18.4
18.6
18.2
19.5
20.7
20.9
16 to 17 years .......................................
19.6
20.7
19.1
20.3
21.2
20.5
20.2
21.1
19.7
20.0
21.2
21.9
22.5
21.1
20.6
18.3
20.6
19.9
20.0
21.1
11.9
Women, 16 years and o v e r ..................................
7.4
21.2
18 to 19 years .......................................
15.6
17.9
16.3
16.8
16.6
17.1
17.4
16.8
17.7
16.9
20 to 24 y e a rs ................................................
10.4
11.2
10.9
10.9
10.5
10.9
11.2
11.2
11.3
11.1
11.4
11.5
11.3
12.0
25 years and o v e r .........................................
5.5
5.9
5.8
5.6
5.8
5.7
5.8
5.7
5.8
5.6
6.0
6.1
6.4
6.4
6.3
25 to 54 years .......................................
6.0
6.3
6.3
6.0
6.2
6.1
6.4
6.1
6.1
6.0
6.3
6.5
6.8
6.9
6.7
3.7
3.7
4.3
4.0
3.8
3.7
4.1
Dec.
Jan.
5,205
55 years and o v e r ..................................
6.
7.2
6.9
18.3
20.4
3.2
3.8
3.6
3.8
4.2
3.7
3.4
3.5
Unemployed persons, by reason for unemployment, seasonally adjusted
[N u m b e rs in th o u sa n d s]
1982
1981
Reason for unemployment
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept
Oct
Nov.
Lost last j o b ..........................................................................................................
3,982
4,050
3,989
3,958
4,032
4,173
3,867
4,106
4,426
4,573
4,905
5,343
On la y o ff........................................................................................................
1,305
1,312
1,323
1,303
1,357
1,302
1,225
1,276
1,452
1,631
1,826
2,042
1,860
Other job lo s e rs ............................................................................................
2,677
2,738
2,666
2,655
2,675
2,871
2,642
2,830
2,974
2,942
3,079
3,301
3,345
NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED
Left last job ..........................................................................................................
923
911
901
903
1,004
896
926
879
921
976
916
923
835
Reentered labor f o r c e .........................................................................................
2,051
2,020
2,069
2,044
2,106
2,039
2,078
2,034
2,058
2,178
2,339
2,244
2,079
956
973
940
971
977
1,002
996
1,021
1,055
100.0
Seeking first j o b ...................................................................................................
1,015
943
988
988
PERCENT DISTRIBUTION
Total u n e m p lo y e d .................................................................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Job losers .............................................................................................................
50.0
51.1
50.2
50.1
49.8
51.6
49.5
51.4
52.8
52.4
53.6
56.1
On la y o ff........................................................................................................
16.4
16.6
16.6
16.5
16.8
16.1
15.7
16.0
17.3
18.7
19.9
21.4
20.3
35.5
33.8
35.4
35.5
33.7
33.6
34.6
36.5
Other job lo s e r s ............................................................................................
33.6
34.6
33.5
33.6
33.0
56.7
..........................................................................................................
11.6
11.5
11.3
11.4
12.4
11.1
11.9
11.0
11.0
11.2
10.0
9.7
9.1
R e e n tra n ts .............................................................................................................
25.7
25.5
26.0
25.9
26.0
25.2
26.6
25.5
24.6
25.0
25.5
23.5
22.7
11.5
4.8
Job leavers
New entrants ........................................................................................................
12.7
11.9
12.4
12.5
11.8
12.0
12.0
12.2
11.7
11.5
10.9
10.7
UNEMPLOYED AS A PERCENT OF
THE CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE
Job losers .............................................................................................................
3.7
3.7
3.7
3.7
3.7
3.8
3.6
3.8
4.1
4.2
4.5
4.9
Job leavers ..........................................................................................................
.9
.8
.8
.8
.9
.8
.9
.8
.8
.9
.8
.8
R e e n tra n ts .............................................................................................................
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.1
2.1
1.9
.9
.9
.9
.9
.9
1.0
New entranjs ........................................................................................................
7.
.9
.9
.9
.9
.9
.9
.9
.8
Duration of unemployment, seasonally adjusted
[N u m b e rs in th o u sa n d s]
1980
1982
1981
Annual average
Weeks of unemployment
1981
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept
Oct
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Less than 5 weeks ........................................................
3,295
3,449
3,290
3,267
3,277
3,189
3,378
3,303
3,323
3,326
3,529
3,707
3,852
4,037
3,852
5 to 14 weeks
...............................................................
2,470
2,539
2,324
2,379
2,408
2,472
2,606
2,423
2,312
2,469
2,585
2,686
2,882 •
3,016
3,068
15 weeks and o v e r ........................................................
1,871
2,285
2,391
2,322
2,269
2,187
2,231
2,363
2,170
2,217
2,248
2,292
2,364
2,372
2,399
15 to 26 weeks .....................................................
1,052
1,122
1,123
1,072
1,057
1,048
1,061
1,227
1,096
1,078
1,146
1,166
1,229
1,189
1,210
1,135
1,183
1,190
13.1
12.8
13.5
27 weeks and o v e r ................................................
Average (mean) duration, in weeks
Note:
...........................
820
11.9
1,162
13.7
1,268
14.4
1,250
14.1
1,212
1,139
1,170
1,136
1,074
1,139
1,102
1,126
13.9
13.7
13.3
14.3
14.1
14.3
13.7
13.6
Effective with January 1982 data, population counts derived from the 1980 census are incorporated into the estimation procedures used in the Current Population Survey. Data for 1970-81 have been revised.
Also, seasonally adjusted data have been revised based on the seasonal experience through December 1981.
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63
EM PLO YM ENT, H O U R S, A N D EARNINGS DATA FROM ESTABLISH M ENT SURVEYS
E m p l o y m e n t , h o u r s , a n d e a r n i n g s d a t a in this section are
compiled from payroll records reported monthly on a volun
tary basis to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and its cooperat
ing State agencies by 166,000 establishments representing all
industries except agriculture. In most industries, the sampling
probabilities are based on the size of the establishment; most
large establishments are therefore in the sample. (An estab
lishment is not necessarily a firm; it may be a branch plant,
for example, or warehouse.) Self-employed persons and others
not on a regular civilian payroll are outside the scope of the
survey because they are excluded from establishment records.
This largely accounts for the difference in employment figures
between the household and establishment surveys.
L a b o r t u r n o v e r d a t a in this section are compiled from per
sonnel records reported monthly on a voluntary basis to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics and its cooperating State agencies.
A sample of 40,000 establishments represents all industries in
the manufacturing and mining sectors of the economy.
Bureau of Labor Statistics computes spendable earnings from gross
weekly earnings for only two illustrative cases: (1) a worker with no
dependents and (2) a married worker with three dependents.
Hours represent the average weekly hours of production or
nonsupervisory workers for which pay was received and are different
from standard or scheduled hours. Overtime hours represent the por
tion of gross average weekly hours which were in excess of regular
hours and for which overtime premiums were paid.
Labor turnover is the movement of all wage and salary workers
from one employment status to another. Accession rates indicate the
average number of persons added to a payroll in a given period per
100 employees; separation rates indicate the average number dropped
from a payroll per 100 employees. Although month-to-month changes
in employment can be calculated from the labor turnover data, the re
sults are not comparable with employment data from the employment
and payroll survey. The labor turnover survey measures changes dur
ing the calendar month while the employment and payroll survey
measures changes from midmonth to midmonth.
Notes on the data
Definitions
Employed persons are all persons who received pay (including holi
day and sick pay) for any part of the payroll period including the
12th of the month. Persons holding more than one job (about 5 per
cent of all persons in the labor force) are counted in each establish
ment which reports them.
Production workers in manufacturing include blue-collar worker
supervisors and all nonsupervisory workers closely associated with
production operations. Those workers mentioned in tables 14-20 in
clude production workers in manufacturing and mining; construction
workers in construction; and nonsupervisory workers in transporta
tion and public utilities, in wholesale and retail trade, in finance, in
surance, and real estate, and in 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
receive during the survey period, including premium pay for overtime
or late-shift work but excluding irregular bonuses and other special
payments. Real earnings are earnings adjusted to eliminate the effects
of price change. The Hourly Earnings Index is calculated from aver
age hourly earnings data adjusted to exclude the effects of two types
of changes that are unrelated to underlying wage-rate developments:
fluctuations in overtime premiums in manufacturing (the only sector
for which overtime data are available) and the effects of changes and
seasonal factors in the proportion of workers in high-wage and lowwage industries. Spendable earnings are earnings from which estimat
ed social security and Federal income taxes have been deducted. The
Digitized for
64FRASER
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Establishment data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics are
periodically adjusted to comprehensive counts of employment (called
“benchmarks”). The latest complete adjustment was made with the re
lease of June 1981 data, published in the August 1981 issue of the R e
view. Consequently, data published in the Review prior to that issue
are not necessarily comparable to current data. Complete comparable
historical unadjusted and seasonally adjusted data are published in a
Supplement to Employment and Earnings (unadjusted data from April
1977 through March 1981 and seasonally adjusted data from January
1974 through March 1981) and in Em ploym ent and Earnings, United
States, 1909-78, BLS Bulletin 1312-11 (for prior periods).
Data on recalls were shown for the first time in tables 12 and 13 in
the January 1978 issue of the Review. For a detailed discussion of the
recalls series, along with historical data, see “New Series on Recalls
from the Labor Turnover Survey,” Em ploym ent an d Earnings, Decem
ber 1977, pp. 10-19.
A comprehensive discussion of the differences between household
and establishment data on employment appears in Gloria P. Green,
“Comparing employment estimates from household and payroll sur
veys,” M onthly Labor Review, December 1969, pp. 9-20. See also BLS
Handbook o f Methods fo r Surveys an d Studies, Bulletin 1910 (Bureau
of Labor Statistics, 1976).
The formulas used to construct the spendable average weekly earn
ings series reflect the latest provisions of the Federal income tax and
social security tax laws. For the spendable average weekly earnings
formulas for the years 1979-81, see Em ploym ent an d Earnings,
November 1981, pp. 7-8. Real earnings data are adjusted using the
Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
(CPI-W).
8.
Employment by industry, 1951-80
[Nonagricultural payroll data, In thousands]
Year
Total
Mining
Construc
tion
Manufac
turing
Trans
portation
and
public
utilities
Whole
sale
and
retail
trade
Wholesale
trade
Retail
trade
Government
Finance,
insur
ance,
and real
estate
Services
Total
Federal
State
and local
......................................................................
47,819
929
2,637
16,393
4,226
9,742
2,727
7,015
1,956
5,547
6,389
2,302
4,087
1952 ......................................................................
48,793
898
2,668
16,632
4,248
10,004
2,812
7,192
2,035
5,699
6,609
2,420
4,188
1953 ......................................................................
50,202
866
2,659
17,549
4,290
10,247
2,854
7,393
2,111
5,835
6,645
2,305
1954
....................................................................
48,990
791
2,646
16,314
4,084
10,235
2,867
7,368
2,200
5,969
6,751
2,188
4,563
1955 ......................................................................
50,641
4,727
5,069
1951
792
2,839
16,882
4,141
10,535
2,926
7,610
2,298
6,240
6,914
2,187
4,244
10,858
3,018
7,840
2,389
6,497
4,340
1956 ......................................................................
52,369
822
3,039
17,243
7,278
2,209
1957 ......................................................................
52,853
828
2,962
17,174
4,241
10,886
3,028
7,858
2,438
6,708
7,616
2,217
5,399
1958
51,324
751
2,817
15,945
3,976
10,750
2,980
7,770
2,481
6,765
7,839
2,191
5,648
8,045
2,549
7,087
8,083
2,233
5,850
.................................................................
............................................................
53,268
732
3,004
16,675
4,011
11,127
3,082
I9 6 0 ......................................................................
54,189
712
2,926
16,796
4,004
11,391
3,143
8,248
2,629
7,378
8,353
2,270
6,083
6,315
19591
1961
....................................................................
53,999
672
2,859
16,326
3,903
11,337
3,133
8,204
2,688
7,620
8,594
2,279
1962
.................................................................
55,549
650
2,948
16,853
3,906
11,566
3,198
8,368
2,754
7,982
8,890
2,340
6,550
1963
.................................................................
56,653
635
3,010
16,995
3,903
11,778
3,248
8,530
2,830
8,277
9,225
2,358
6,868
1964
....................................................................
58,283
634
3,097
17,274
3,951
12,160
3,337
8,823
2,911
8,660
9,596
2,348
7,248
1965 ......................................................................
60,765
632
3,232
18,062
4,036
12,716
3,466
9,250
2,977
9,036
10,074
2,378
7,696
1966
............................................................
63,901
627
3,317
19,214
4,158
13,245
3,597
9,648
3,058
9,498
10,784
2,564
8,220
1967
....................................................................
65,803
613
3,248
19,447
4,268
13,606
3,689
9,917
3,185
10,045
11,391
2,719
1968
.................................................................
67,897
606
3,350
19,781
4,318
14,099
3,779
10,320
3,337
10,567
11,839
2,737
9,102
3,512
11,169
12,195
2,758
9,437
3,645
11,548
12,554
2,731
9,823
3,772
11,797
12,881
2,696
10,185
....................................................................
70,384
619
3,575
20,167
4,442
14,705
3,907
10,798
1970 ......................................................................
70,880
623
3,588
19,367
4,515
15,040
3,993
11,047
18,623
4,476
1969
8,672
....................................................................
71,214
609
3,704
15,352
4,001
11,351
1972 ......................................................................
73,675
628
3,889
19,151
4,541
15,949
4,113
11,836
3,908
12,276
13,334
2,684
10,649
4,656
16,607
4,277
12,329
4,046
12,857
13,732
2,663
11,068
11,446
1971
1973 ......................................................................
76,790
642
4,097
20,154
1974
.................................................................
78,265
697
4,020
20,077
4,725
16,987
4,433
12,554
4,148
13,441
14,170
2,724
1975 ......................................................................
76,945
752
3,525
18,323
4,542
17,060
4,415
12,645
4,165
13,892
14,686
2,748
11,937
18,997
4,582
17,755
4,546
13,209
4,271
14,551
14,871
2,733
12,138
13,808
1976 ......................................................................
79,382
779
3,576
1977
.................................................................
82,471
813
3,851
19,682
4,713
18,516
4,708
4,467
15,303
15,127
1978
............................................................
86,697
851
4,229
20,505
4,923
19,542
4,969
14,573
4,724
16,252
15,672
2,753
12,919
4,975
17,112
15,947
2,773
13,147
5,168
17,901
16,249
2,866
13,383
1979
...............................................................
1980 ......................................................................
89,823
90,564
958
1,020
4,463
21,040
5,136
20,192
5,204
14,989
4,399
20,300
5,143
20,386
5,281
15,104
2,727
12,399
'D a ta include Alaska and Hawaii beginning in 1959.
9.
Employment by State
[Nonagricultural payroll data, in thousands]
State
C a lifo rn ia .....................................................................................
Colorado .....................................................................................
F lo rid a ..........................................................................................
In d ia n a .........................................................................................
Maine
.........................................................................................
State
1,366.9
1,349.2
1,348.3
M on ta n a ................................................................................
280.7
284.3
285.1
163.9
179.0
176.1
N e b ra s k a .............................................................................
634.1
636.2
634.0
403.5
423.2
420.8
391.5
389.3
390.3
3,096.3
1,028.6
1,028.7
1,033.5
749.7
746.9
742.9
Nevada ................................................................................
New Hampshire .................................................................
9,967.3
10,016.1
10,032.4
New Jersey .........................................................................
3,074.8
3,105.7
1,277.0
1,297.6
1,298.5
New M e x ic o ........................................................................
462.8
468.4
469.4
1,443.6
1,432.3
1,435.0
New Y o r k .............................................................................
7,269.9
7,290.0
7,295.4
2,407.6
2,393.6
257.1
260.3
North Carolina ....................................................................
247.1
255.0
253.3
4,380.0
4,341.9
...........................................................................
1,159.6
1,199.2
1,204.5
................................................................................
1,027.8
1,001.4
990.1
4,765.0
4,682.4
4,649.9
606.1
607.0
3,711.6
3,826.2
3,868.4
2,176.2
2,166.4
2,165.4
407.7
403.3
406.9
Oregon
332.0
325.3
323.1
Pennsylvania
......................................................................
Ohio
2,416.1
4,420.1
North Dakota ......................................................................
616.5
....................................................................................
Oklahoma
4,879.4
4,851.9
4,828.2
Rhode Island
......................................................................
404.3
404.9
402.3
2,145.1
2,106.6
2,085.5
South Carolina ....................................................................
1,195.5
1,189.8
1,189.7
1,097.0
1,078.1
1,071.8
South D a k o ta ......................................................................
237.2
953.0
954.9
953.8
Tennessee ...........................................................................
1,736.8
1,719.3
1,706.3
6,273.9
568.1
1,227.0
1,191.8
1,187.1
1,616.9
1,649.9
1,652.7
421.2
413.9
411.9
237.1
235.8
6,027.2
6,251.5
....................................................................................
557.4
569.3
V e rm o n t................................................................................
203.9
201.9
203.4
2,174.7
2,176.9
1,561.6
Texas
Utah
..................................................................................
V irg in ia ..................................................................................
2,150.4
2,677.5
2,685.0
2,690.5
Washington
.........................................................................
1,608.6
1,571.8
3,514.2
3,447.4
3,385.0
West Virginia
......................................................................
650.1
632.2
628.0
1,769.7
1,770.4
1,765.1
W isconsin.............................................................................
1,959.3
1,957.9
1,940.0
216.2
214.3
35.4
3b.7
1,694.6
1,696.8
Mississippi ..................................................................................
838.8
821.2
821.1
Wyoming .............................................................................
213.4
M is s o u ri.......................................................................................
1,965.1
1,976.1
1,966.4
Virgin Islands ......................................................................
36.9
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Dec. 1981 P
Dec. 1981 »
1,716.8
M assa ch u se tts...........................................................................
Nov. 1981
Nov. 1981
263.2
District of C olum bia....................................................................
Dec. 1980
Dec. 1980
65
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Establishment Data
10.
Employment by industry division and major manufacturing group
[Nonagricultural payroll data, in thousands]
Annual average
1981
Industry division and group
TOTAL ....................................
MINING ..............
CONSTRUCTION ........................
MANUFACTURING ........................................
Production w o r k e r s .........................................
Durable goods ....................................
Production w o r k e r s ..................................
Lumber and wood products ...............
1982
1979
1980
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.p
Jan.p
89,823
90,564
89,988
90,138
90,720
91,337
91,848
92,481
91,600
91,598
92,159
92,424
92,293
91,915
89,781
958
1,020
1,066
1,071
1,084
941
957
1,132
1,155
1,169
1,169
1,164
1,170
1,167
1,154
4,463
4,399
3,995
3,901
4,048
4,246
4,356
4,477
4,554
4,579
4,516
4,493
4,369
4,153
3,691
21,040
20,300
20,075
20,065
20,160
20,253
20,342
20,531
20,337
20,473
20,600
20,368
20,122
19,818
19,449
15,068
14,223
13,975
13,971
14,049
14,127
14,195
14,325
14,108
14,230
14,376
14,147
13,904
13,601
13,295
12,760
12,181
12,072
12,042
12,120
12,197
12,235
12,334
12,198
12,188
12,292
12,163
11,999
11,799
11,582
9,110
8,438
8,305
8,279
8,345
8,412
8,438
8,500
8,347
8,323
8,440
8,313
8,153
7,953
7,774
766.9
690.3
674.6
674.5
678.3
686.9
703.4
711.0
708.6
701.5
691.0
664.5
638.7
618.2
592.8
Furniture and fix tu re s ......................
497.8
483.5
Stone, clay, and glass products . . . .
476.5
472.2
461.8
708.7
665.6
635.0
630.6
639.5
652.6
659.7
671.0
666.7
669.1
664.5
652.8
641.2
618.4
590.7
1,253.9
1,144.1
1,136.7
1,137.7
1,141.3
1,149.9
1,147.5
1,155.5
1,135.5
1,140.3
1,138.8
1,109.3
Primary metal in d u s trie s ...................
468.8
469.6
471.7
472.1
478.0
479.0
480.5
472.0
480.6
484.7
1,087.8
1,060.6
1,048.2
Fabricated metal products ...................
1,717.7
1,609.0
1,580.2
1,578.1
1,585.4
1,593.7
1,596.1
1,606.8
1,584.5
1,590.9
1,607.5
1,584.2
Machinery, except e le c tric a l..................................
1,563.5
1,530.9
1,495.7
2,484.8
2,497.0
2,496.9
2,498.4
2,504.3
2,506.1
2,508.6
2,531.3
2,517.4
2,511.4
2,540.7
2,528.4
2,512.3
Electric and electronic e q u ip m e n t........................
2,497,8
2,473.9
2,116.9
2,103.2
2,114.0
2,112.3
2,119.5
2,129.7
2,134.7
Transportation e q u ip m e n t....................................
2,152.7
2,138.9
2,146.1
2,164.8
2,158.3
2,131.3
2,102.2
2,082.8
2,077.2
1,875.3
1,854.9
1,824.8
1,860.4
1,874.3
1,877.4
1,882.7
1,840.3
1,799.6
1,848.3
1,832.3
1,803.0
Instruments and related products ........................
1,766.9
1,732 7
691.2
708.5
712.4
710.1
712.1
714.4
715.2
723.2
722.1
726.2
723.1
720.0
718.6
717.3
Miscellaneous manufacturing ...............................
711 7
444.8
419.3
398.0
403.3
406.7
411.3
413.4
419.5
412.3
421.8
428.7
429.9
426.2
414.2
391.9
Nondurable goods
Production w o r k e r s .......................................
Food and kindred p ro d u c ts ...............................
Tobacco manufactures
........................
..
Textile mill p ro d u c ts ......................
Apparel and other textile products
Paper and allied products
......................
....................................
8,280
8,118
8,003
8,023
8,040
8,056
8,107
8,197
8,139
8,285
8,308
8,205
8,123
8,019
7,867
5,958
5,786
5,670
5,692
5,704
5,715
5,757
5,825
5,761
5,907
5,936
5,834
5,751
5,648
5,521
1,732.5
1,710.8
1,645.2
1,639.2
1,632.5
1,631.0
1,648,1
1,673.4
1,714.8
1,773.2
1,776.1
1,729.0
1,689.2
1,657.5
1,6149
70.0
69.2
72.0
70.6
68.3
66.2
65.2
66.4
66.3
75.6
77.7
77.0
74.9
72.8
885.1
852.7
841.0
841.1
840.9
841.6
844.3
851.0
836.5
847.3
850.2
826.8
817.8
795.7
1,304.3
1,265.8
1,222.8
1,238.7
1,250.2
1,255.2
1,265.9
1,283.9
1,231.1
1,276.8
1,287.3
834.3
1,274.1
1,259.5
1,223.9
1,185 1
71.7
706.8
694.0
687.7
687.7
688.6
690.9
693.1
701.0
696.4
700.3
702.0
Printing and p u b lis h in g .........................................
1,235.1
1,258.3
1,269.0
1,273.6
1,278.2
1,280.4
1,281.8
1,286.2
1,286.5
1,289.4
1,294.1
1,299.7
1,305.1
Chemicals and allied products .............................
1,310.7
1,301 8
1,109.3
1,107.4
1,100.1
1,102.9
1,106.8
1,106.2
1,110.3
1,121.1
1,116.6
1,112.0
1,110^5
1,104.4
1,100.2
1,098.2
1,092 0
212.7
691.4
686.4
682.1
675.3
Petroleum and coal products ......................
209.8
196.6
206.5
205.7
207.0
209.5
212.9
215.4
216.1
215.4
210.4
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products . . .
207.2
781.6
730.7
731.8
734.2
737.2
743.5
749.2
759.0
747.0
756.8
760.8
748.2
Leather and leather products ..........................
738.6
726.6
718.5
245.7
232.6
226.9
229.5
230.4
231.7
235.9
239.1
227.5
238.6
237.0
235.7
232.1
222.3
212.3
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES . . .
5,136
5,143
5,063
5,076
5,095
5,120
5,148
5,195
5,177
5,175
5,222
5,204
5,183
5,140
5,047
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE......................
20,192
20,386
20,366
20,196
20,290
20,513
20,672
20,795
20,735
20,811
20,919
20,999
21,148
21,403
20,726
5,204
5,281
5,276
5,273
5,293
5,317
5,335
5,381
5,376
5,386
5,370
5,381
5,379
5,353
5,304
14,989
15,104
15,090
14,923
14,997
15,196
15,337
15,414
15,359
15,425
15,549
15,618
15,769
16,050
15,422
4,975
5,168
5,235
5,245
5,263
5,295
5,326
5,384
5,408
5,408
5,361
5,349
5,344
5,351
5,327
SERVICES ............................
17,112
17,901
17,972
18,126
18,287
18,512
18,633
18,764
18,847
18,835
18,812
18,826
18,800
18,754
18,503
GOVERNMENT ..................................
15,947
16,249
16,216
16,458
16,493
16,457
15,148
15,560
16,157
16,129
2,773
2,866
2,773
2,774
2,769
2,773
2,782
2,825
2,833
2,803
2,735
2,737
2,729
2,726
2,708
13,174
13,383
13,443
13,684
13,724
13,684
13,632
13,378
12,554
12,345
12,825
13,284
13,428
13,403
13,176
WHOLESALE TRADE ..........................
RETAIL TRADE..........................
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL ESTATE . . .
F e d e ra l........................................................
State and local ................................................
Digitized for
66 FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
16,414
16,203
15,387
211.4
16,021
199 2
15,884
11.
Employment by industry division and major manufacturing group, seasonally adjusted
[N o n a g ric u ltu ra l p a y ro ll da ta , in th ousands]
1982
1981
Industry division and group
TOTAL ........................................................................................
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept
Oct
Nov.
Dec."
Jan.p
91,091
91,258
91,347
91,458
91,564
91,615
91,880
91,901
92,033
91,832
91,522
91,096
90,859
1,151
1,162
1,162
1,172
1,176
1,172
4,275
4,272
4,259
4,229
4,191
4,052
20,241
20,017
19,750
19,537
MINING ..............................................................................................
1,083
1,091
1,098
950
957
1,110
1,132
CONSTRUCTION ................................................................................
4,390
4,389
4,416
4,418
4,334
4,284
4,272
MANUFACTURING..............................................................................
Production workers
.............................................................................
Production workers
.............................................................................
20,174
20,177
20,191
20,332
20,414
20,424
20,535
20,505
20,496
14,053
14,053
14,074
14,187
14,247
14,245
14,327
14,294
14,281
14,030
13,797
13,532
13,366
12,084
12,074
12,099
12,207
12,254
12,278
12,333
12,332
12,311
12,115
11,932
11,727
11,588
8,306
8,297
8,325
8,412
8,442
8,455
8,491
8,485
8,465
8,267
8,083
7,880
7,772
Lumber and wood p ro d u c ts .........................................................................
689
691
692
702
710
699
702
686
677
652
634
618
606
Furniture and fixtures
464
466
467
478
484
486
488
487
485
480
470
465
456
..................................................................................
Stone, clay, and glass p ro d u c ts .................................................................
654
654
651
656
658
658
658
660
655
644
634
621
608
Primary metal industries .............................................................................
1,137
1,140
1,141
1,145
1,142
1,144
1,140
1,148
1,139
1,114
1,090
1,061
1,048.
1,514
1,494
Fabricated metal p ro d u c ts ...........................................................................
1,579
1,577
1,581
1,595
1,604
1,604
1,614
1,610
1,606
1,575
1,546
Machinery, except electrical
......................................................................
2,487
2,481
2,480
2,491
2,511
2,521
2,533
2,542
2,551
2,549
2,522
2,490
2,464
2,077
Electric and electronic e q u ip m e n t...............................................................
2,110
2,110
2,117
2,134
2,143
2,148
2,163
2,166
2,163
2,150
2,119
2,088
Transportation equipment ...........................................................................
1,840
1,833
1,849
1,878
1,872
1,886
1,886
1,889
1,889
1,811
1,783
1,736
1,719
Instruments and related p ro d u c ts ...............................................................
713
711
712
714
716
717
723
727
727
723
719
716
712
Miscellaneous m a n u fa ctu ring......................................................................
411
411
409
414
414
415
426
417
419
417
415
418
404
8,202
8,173
8,185
8,126
8,085
8,023
7,949
5,836
5,809
5,816
5,763
5,714
5,652
5,594
1,665
Nondurable goods..........................................................................
Production workers
.............................................................................
8,090
8,103
8,092
8,125
8,160
8,146
5,747
5,756
5,749
5,775
5,805
5,790
Food and kindred products .........................................................................
1,696
1,705
1,691
1,697
1,703
1,673
1,691
1,668
1,669
1,675
1,676
1,669
Tobacco manufactures ................................................................................
71
72
72
72
71
71
71
73
71
70
70
69
71
Textile mill products .....................................................................................
841
839
838
842
843
846
856
849
849
833
823
814
795
Apparel and other textile p r o d u c ts ............................................................
1,244
1,243
1,243
1,250
1,258
1,264
1,278
1,272
1,273
1,259
1,233
1,206
Paper and allied products ...........................................................................
691
691
689
691
694
695
696
698
703
691
686
682
678
1,301
1,302
1,302
1,300
1,302
1,097
Printing and publishing..................................................................................
1,269
1,272
1,276
1,280
1,283
1,284
1,290
1,295
1,251
Chemicals and allied p ro d u c ts ....................................................................
1,106
1,109
1,108
1,107
1,109
1,111
1,110
1,106
1,112
1,108
1,104
1,102
Petroleum and coal p ro d u c ts ......................................................................
211
210
210
211
213
212
212
212
211
210
210
209
203
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics p ro d u c ts ...........................................
730
731
734
744
753
757
760
764
760
744
733
722
716
238
236
236
234
230
223
216
Leather and leather p ro d u c ts ......................................................................
231
231
231
231
233
232
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES ......................................
5,124
5,135
5,139
5,161
5,148
5,149
5,167
5,170
5,186
5,168
5,147
5,109
5,108
20,796
20,862
20,872
20,916
20,838
20,725
20,893
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE ....................................................
20,529
20,600
20,635
20,636
20,714
20,717
WHOLESALE TRADE..........................................................................
5,305
5,313
5,316
5,333
5,346
5,349
5,360
5,375
5,370
5,360
5,363
5,337
5,331
15,368
15,436
15,487
15,502
15,556
15,475
15,388
15,562
RETAIL TRADE ..................................................................................
15,224
15,287
15,319
15,303
15,368
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL ESTATE ......................................
5,268
5,283
5,293
5,316
5,326
5,331
5,344
5,354
5,366
5,360
5,355
5,367
5,359
18,475
18,540
18,560
18,642
18,667
18,774
18,788
18,838
18,848
18,842
16,170
16,131
16,040
15,992
15,926
15,930
SERVICES..........................................................................................
18,300
18,343
18,371
GOVERNMENT ..................................................................................
16,223
16,240
16,204
2,799
2,795
2,781
2,767
2,779
2,781
2,777
2,770
2,765
2,759
2,748
2,738
2,733
13,423
13,403
13,352
13,259
13,215
13,147
13,140
13,179
13,178
13,192
13,163
State and lo c a l..............................................................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
13,424
13,445
15,917
15,905
15,938
15,896
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Establishment Data
12.
Labor turnover rates in manufacturing, 1977 to date
[Per 100 employees]
Annual
average
Year
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Total accessions
1977 ........................................................
4.0
3.7
3.7
4.0
3.8
4.6
4.9
4.3
5.3
4.6
3.9
3.1
2.4
1978 .......................................................
4.1
3.8
3.2
3.8
4.0
4.7
4.9
4.4
5.4
4.9
4.3
3.3
2.4
1979 .......................................................
4.0
4.0
3.4
3.8
3.9
4.7
4.8
1980 ........................................................
3.5
1981 ........................................................
4.3
5.0
4.1
3.0
3.8
3.3
3.5
3.1
3.4
3.9
3.8
4.5
4.3
3.6
2.7
2.2
3.4
3.0
3.4
3.3
3.5
4.0
3.6
4.0
3.5
4.5
2.8
2.4
01.7
2.2
2.1
2.6
2.7
3.5
3.7
3.0
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.2
1.6
2.2
2.7
2.9
3.6
3.9
3.3
4.2
3.9
3.5
2.6
1.7
2.2
2.2
New hires
1977 ........................................................
2.8
1978 ........................................................
3.1
2.5
1979 ........................................................
2.9
2.8
2.5
2.8
2.9
3.4
3.1
1980 ........................................................
2.1
2.4
2.2
2.3
2.0
2.1
2.4
2.1
2.5
2.6
2.2
1.6
1.2
1.8
1.8
2.0
2.0
2.3
2.8
2.4
2.7
2.3
1.8
1.3
p .8
.9
1.2
1.3
1.1
.9
.8
.8
.9
1.0
.8
.6
.6
.6
1.0
.7
.8
.8
.8
.7
.8
.9
.7
.6
.5
.5
1981 ........................................................
3.6
3.8
3.1
3.7
1.5
Recalls
1977 ........................................................
1978 ........................................................
.7
1979 ........................................................
.7
1980 .......................................................
1.1
1981 ........................................................
.9
.7
.7
.7
.8
.7
.9
.9
.8
.7
1.1
.9
.9
.8
1.0
1.2
1.5
1.7
1.4
1.1
.9
.8
1.3
1.0
1.1
1.1
1.0
.9
1.0
1.0
.9
.8
.9
0.7
3.9
3.4
3.4
3.4
3.5
3.5
4.3
5.1
4.9
3.8
3.4
3.4
3.7
3.8
4.1
5.3
4.9
4.1
3.5
.6
.5
Total separations
1977 .......................................................
3.8
1978 ........................................................
3.9
3.6
3.1
3.5
3.6
1979 ........................................................
4.0
3.8
3.2
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
4.3
5.7
4.7
4.2
3.8
3.5
1980 ........................................................
4.0
4.1
3.5
3.7
4.7
4.8
4.4
4.2
4.8
4.1
3.8
3.0
3.1
3.6
3.1
3.2
3.1
3.1
3.2
3.6
4.4
4.1
4.2
4.1
0 4.0
1.4
1.3
1.6
1.7
1.9
1.2
1981 ........................................................
3.4
Quits
1977 .......................................................
1.8
1.9
1.9
3.1
2.8
1.9
1.5
1978 ........................................................
2.1
1.5
1.4
1.8
2.0
2.1
2.2
2.1
3.5
3.1
2.3
1.7
1.3
1979 ........................................................
2.0
1.8
1.6
1.9
2.0
2.1
2.1
2.0
3.3
2.7
2.1
1.6
1.1
1980 .......................................................
1.5
1.6
1.5
1.6
1.5
1.5
1.4
1.4
2.2
1.9
1.4
1.1
.9
1.2
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.3
1.4
1.5
2.1
1.8
1.3
.9
0.7
1981 .......................................................
Layoffs
1977 .......................................................
1.1
1.7
1.4
1.0
.8
.8
1.5
1.0
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.5
1978 .......................................................
.9
1.2
.9
.9
.8
.7
.7
1.1
.8
.8
.9
1.0
1.4
1979 .......................................................
1.1
1.1
.8
.8
.9
.7
.9
1.4
1.3
1980 ........................................................
1.7
1981 ........................................................
13.
.9
1.1
1.2
1.5
1.7
1.6
1.2
1.3
2.3
2.5
2.2
2.0
1.7
1.4
1.5
1.4
1.6
1.6
1.2
1.2
1.0
1.0
1.1
1.3
1.3
1.5
2.2
2.6
0 2.7
Labor turnover rates in manufacturing, by major industry group
[Per 100 employees]
Accession rates
Major Industry group
Total
Dec.
1980
Nov.
1981
Separation rates
New Hires
Dec.
1981 p
Dec.
1980
Nov.
1981
Recalls
Dec.
1981 p
Dec.
1980
Nov.
1981
Total
Dec.
1981 p
Dec.
1980
Nov.
1981
Quits
Dec.
1981 p
Dec.
1980
Nov.
1981
Layoffs
Dec.
1981 p
Dec.
1980
Nov.
1981
Dec.
1981 p
MANUFACTURING..................................
2.2
2.4
1.7
1.2
1.3
0.8
0.8
0.9
0.7
3.1
4.1
4.0
0.9
0.9
0.7
1.6
2.6
Seasonally a d ju s te d .................
3.5
3.1
2.7
2.1
1.6
1.4
1.1
1.2
1.0
3.5
4.1
3.9
1.5
1.1
1.1
1.2
2.3
2.1
Durable goods..................................
2.0
2.1
1.5
1.0
1.0
.7
.7
.9
.6
2.6
4.2
3.9
.7
.7
.5
1.4
2.8
2.8
2.7
2.8
2.8
2.6
1.6
1.3
.8
1.0
1.4
1.6
4.9
7.6
5.9
1.4
1.3
1.0
2.8
5.5
4.1
......................
2.8
2.3
1.6
1.7
1.5
.8
1.0
.7
.7
3.3
4.5
3.9
1.3
1.2
.8
1.3
2.7
2.5
Stone, clay, and glass products . . .
2.0
2.0
.6
Primary metal industries
Lumber and wood p ro d u c ts ............
Furniture and fixtures
1.4
1.1
.9
.6
.8
1.0
.7
4.7
4.8
6.4
.8
.7
3.1
3.5
.................
2.3
2.7
1.6
.6
.4
.3
1.5
2.1
1.2
2.5
5.4
5.0
.3
.3
.3
1.6
4.4
4.3
Fabricated metal p ro d u c ts ..............
1.9
2.1
1.5
1.1
1.1
.6
.7
.8
.6
2.9
4.7
4.4
.8
.7
.6
1.6
3.2
3.3
Machinery, except e le c tric a l............
1.7
1.7
1.2
1.0
1.1
.7
.5
.4
.3
1.7
2.7
2.3
.6
.6
.4
.6
1.6
1.4
Electric and electronic equipment . .
Transportation equipment ..............
1.8
2.1
1.5
1.0
1.2
.8
.5
.5
.4
2.0
3.4
3.4
.7
.7
.6
.7
2.0
2.0
1.8
2.3
1.4
.6
.8
.5
.6
1.2
.7
2.5
4.9
4.0
.4
.5
.4
1.4
3.7
5.3
3.1
Instruments and related products . .
1.5
1.6
1.0
1.2
1.2
.8
.2
.2
.1
1.4
1.9
1.9
.7
.7
.6
.3
.7
.8
Miscellaneous m a n u fa ctu rin g..........
2.5
3.0
2.1
1.5
2.0
1.2
.8
.8
.8
5.9
6.1
6.8
1.1
1.3
.9
4.0
3.9
5.3
1.2
1,4
.9
1.1
2.1
2.2
2.6
4.1
3.8
3.8
.5
2.8
5.3
2.7
Nondurable goods
2.5
3.4
2.7
2.0
1.5
1.6
1.1
.9
.8
3.8
4.0
4.1
1.1
............
3.7
3.0
1.8
2.0
1.5
1.4
1.5
1.3
6.3
5.9
5.6
1.5
Tobacco m anu fa ctu re rs...................
4.8
4.4
2.8
1.5
1.1
1.0
2.7
2.7
1.6
3.7
6.5
3.6
.4
1.4
.8
.7
2.6
3.7
3.6
1.1
1.1
.8
.9
1.9
2.3
1.3
1.2
5.3
5.6
5.9
1.6
1.8
1.2
3.2
3.1
4.0
1.7
2.0
Food and kindred products
Textile mill products
........................
2.0
2.4
1.6
1.4
1.4
.8
Apparel and other p ro d u c ts ............
3.0
3.9
2.6
1.5
2.3
1.2
Paper and allied products ...............
1.7
1.7
1.3
.9
.9
.3
.4
.8
.5
.6
2.5
2.6
2.9
.5
.5
.4
1.4
Printing and p u blishing......................
2.5
2.7
2.1
1.9
2.1
1.6
.5
.5
.4
3.0
2.8
2.7
1.0
.8
.8
.7
.5
.2
.2
.2
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.5
.4
1.3
.3
.8
1.1
1.5
.4
.9
Chemicals and allied products . . . .
.5
.7
,9
8
Petroleum and coal p ro d u c ts ..........
1.4
1.1
1.1
1.1
.8
.9
.2
.2
.2
2.0
1.7
3.1
.4
.4
.4
1.1
.8
2.3
2.6
3.4
2.2
1.5
2.4
1.4
1.2
.8
1.0
.7
.6
3.3
4.8
4.3
1.0
.9
.7
1.7
3.1
3.0
2.2
2.1
1.2
1.0
1.0
1.1
6.0
5.5
9.6
1.8
2.0
1.4
3.5
2.7
7.5
.7
.7
Rubber and miscellaneous
plastics p r o d u c ts ...........................
Leather and leather p ro d u c ts ..........
Notic e : After release of final December 1981
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
68
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
3.4
data in the April issue, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will discontinue computation and publication of the data in tables 12 and 13.
14.
Hours and earnings, by industry division, 1950-80
[Gross averages, production or nonsupervisory workers on nonagricultural payrolls]
Year
Average
weekly
earnings
Average
weekly
hours
Average
hourly
earnings
Average
weekly
earnings
Average
weekly
hours
Average
hourly
earnings
Average
weekly
earnings
Average
hourly
earnings
Average
weekly
earnings
Average
weekly
hours
Average
hourly
earnings
Manufacturing
Construction
Mining
Total private
Average
weekly
hours
1950 ......................
$53.13
39.8
$1.335
$67.16
37.9
$1.772
$69.68
37.4
$1.863
$58.32
40.5
$1.440
1951 ......................
57.86
39.9
1.45
74.11
38.4
1.93
76.96
38.1
2.02
63.34
40.6
1.56
1952 ......................
60.65
39.9
1.52
77.59
38.6
2.01
82.86
38.9
2.13
66.75
40.7
1953 ......................
63.76
39.6
1.61
83.03
38.8
2.14
86.41
37.9
2.28
70.47
40.5
1.74
88.91
37.2
2.39
70.49
39.6
1.78
90.90
37.1
2.45
75.30
40.7
1.85
1954 ......................
64.52
39.1
1.65
82.60
38.6
2.14
1955 ......................
67.72
39.6
1.71
89.54
40.7
2.20
1.95
39.3
95.06
40.8
2.33
96.38
37.5
73.33
38.8
1.89
98.25
40.1
2.45
100.27
37.0
2.71
81.19
39.8
2.04
75.08
38.5
1.95
96.08
38.9
2.47
103.78
36.8
2.82
82.32
39.2
2.10
1.80
78.78
40.4
70.74
1957 ......................
1958 ......................
1956 ......................
2.57
1.64
...................
78.78
39.0
2.02
103.68
40.5
2.56
108.41
37.0
2.93
88.26
40.3
2.19
1960 ......................
80.67
38.6
2.09
105.04
40.4
2.60
112.67
36.7
3.07
89.72
39.7
2.26
1 9 6 1 ......................
82.60
38.6
2.14
106.92
40.5
2.64
118.08
36.9
3.20
92.34
39.8
2.32
1962 ......................
85.91
38.7
2.22
110.70
41.0
2.70
122.47
37.0
3.31
96.56
40.4
2.39
99.23
40.5
1959'
41.6
2.75
127.19
37.3
3.41
2.45
1963 ......................
88.46
38.8
2.28
114.40
1964 ......................
91.33
38.7
2.36
117.74
41.9
2.81
132.06
37.2
3.55
102.97
40.7
2.53
42.3
2.92
138.38
37.4
3.70
107.53
41.2
2.61
3.05
146.26
37.6
3.89
112.19
41.4
2.71
1965 ......................
95.45
38.8
2.46
123.52
1966 ......................
98.82
38.6
2.56
130.24
42.7
1967 ......................
101.84
38.0
2.68
135.89
42.6
3.19
154.95
37.7
4.11
114.49
40.6
2.82
3.35
164.49
37.3
4.41
122.51
40.7
3.01
1968 ......................
107.73
37.8
2.85
142.71
42.6
1969 ......................
114.61
37.7
3.04
154.80
43.0
3.60
181.54
37.9
4.79
129.51
40.6
3.19
1970 ......................
119.83
37.1
3.23
164.40
42.7
3.85
195.45
37.3
5.24
133.33
39.8
3.35
1971 ......................
127.31
36.9
3.45
172.14
42.4
4.06
211.67
37.2
5.69
142.44
39.9
3.57
1972 ......................
136.90
37.0
3.70
189.14
42.6
4.44
221.19
36.5
6.06
154.71
40.5
3.82
1973 ......................
145.39
36.9
3.94
201.40
42.4
4.75
235.89
36.8
6.41
166.46
40.7
4.09
1974 ......................
154.76
36.5
4.24
219.14
41.9
5.23
249.25
36.6
6.81
176.80
40.0
4.42
1975 ......................
163.53
36.1
4.53
249.31
41.9
5.95
266.08
36.4
7.31
190.79
39.5
4.83
1976 ......................
175.45
36.1
4.86
273.90
42.4
6.46
283.73
36.8
7.71
209.32
1977 ......................
189.00
36.0
5.25
301.20
43.4
6.94
295.65
36.5
8.10
228.90
40.3
5.68
8.66
249.27
40.4
6.17
35.8
5.69
318.69
36.8
219.91
35.7
6.16
365.07
43.0
8.49
342.99
37.0
9.27
269.34
40.2
6.70
1980 ......................
235.10
35.3
6.66
396.14
43.2
9.17
367.04
37.0
9.92
288.62
39.7
7.27
203.70
Transportation and public
utilities
332.88
7.67
5.22
1979 ......................
1978 ......................
43.4
40.1
Finance, insurance, and
real estate
Wholesale and retail trade
Services
$44.55
40.5
$1.100
$50.52
37.7
$1.340
1951
47.79
40.5
1.18
54.67
37.7
1.45
1952 . . .
49.20
40.0
1.23
57.08
37.8
1.51
1953
51.35
39.5
1.30
59.57
37.7
1.58
1954
53.33
39.5
1.35
62.04
37.6
1.65
1955
5 516
39.4
1.40
63.92
37.6
1.70
39.1
1.47
65.68
36.9
1.78
1957
59.60
38.7
1.54
67.53
36.7
1.84
1958
61.76
38.6
1.60
70.12
37.1
1.89
1959'
64.41
38.8
1.66
72.74
37.3
1.95
1960
6601
38.6
1.71
75.14
37.2
2.02
1961
67.41
38.3
1.76
77.12
36.9
2.09
1962
69 91
38.2
1.83
80.94
37.3
84.38
37.5
2.25
57.48
1956
2.17
72.01
38.1
1.89
1964 ......................
$118.78
41.1
$2.89
74.66
37.9
1.97
85.79
37.3
2.30
$70.03
36.1
1965 ......................
125.14
41.3
3.03
76.91
37.7
2.04
88.91
37.2
2.39
73.60
35.9
2.05
37.1
2.14
92.13
37.3
2.47
77.04
35.5
2.17
1963
$1.94
128.13
41.2
3.11
79.39
1967 ......................
130.82
40.5
3.23
82.35
36.6
2.25
95.72
37.1
2.58
80.38
35.1
2.29
1968 ......................
138.85
40.6
3.42
87.00
36.1
2.41
101.75
37.0
2.75
83.97
34.7
2.42
1969 ......................
147.74
40.7
3.63
91.39
35.7
2.56
108.70
37.1
2.93
90.57
34.7
2.61
1970 ......................
155.93
40.5
3.85
96.02
35.3
2.72
112.67
36.7
3.07
96.66
34.4
2.81
35.1
1966 ......................
103.06
33.9
3.04
117.85
187.86
40.4
4.65
106.45
34.9
3.05
122.98
36.6
3.36
110.85
33.9
3.27
1973 ......................
1974 ......................
203.31
40.5
5.02
111.76
34.6
3.23
129.20
36.6
3.53
117.29
33.8
3.47
217.48
40.2
5.41
119.02
34.2
3.48
137.61
36.5
3.77
126.00
33.6
3.75
1975 ......................
233.44
39.7
5.88
126.45
33.9
3.73
148.19
36.5
4.06
134.67
33.5
4.02
168.82
40.1
4.21
101.09
36.6
3.22
2.88
1972 ......................
1971 ......................
1976 ......................
256.71
39.8
6.45
133.79
33.7
3.97
155.43
36.4
4.27
143.52
33.3
4.31
1977 ......................
278.90
39.9
6.99
142.52
33.3
4.28
165.26
36.4
4.54
153.45
33.0
4.65
1978 ......................
302.80
40.0
7.57
153.64
32.9
4.67
178.00
36.4
4.89
163.67
32.8
5.36
5.85
1979 ......................
1980 ......................
325.58
351.25
39.9
8.16
164.96
32.6
5.06
190.77
36.2
5.27
175.27
32.7
39.6
8.87
176.46
32.2
5.48
209.24
36.2
5.78
190.71
32.6
4.99
1 Data include Alaska and Hawaii beginning in 1959.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
69
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Establishment Data
15.
Weekly hours, by industry division and major manufacturing group
[G ro s s a ve ra g e s, p ro d u c tio n o r n o n supervisory w o rke rs on private n onagricultural payro lls]
Annual average
1981
Industry division and group
1982
1979
1980
Jan.
Feb.
35.7
35.3
35.1
35.0
35.2
35.2
35.2
35.4
35.6
35.6
35.0
35.1
35.1
35.2
33.7
MINING
43.0
43.2
43.6
42.8
42.3
43.6
43.8
42.1
43.5
44.1
43.8
44.5
44.3
44.8
42.4
CONSTRUCTION................................................
37.0
37.0
36.4
35.0
37.2
36.9
36.9
37.2
37.7
37.3
35.7
37.5
37.0
37.0
33.4
MANUFACTURING ............................................
40.2
39.7
39.9
39.5
39.9
39.7
40.1
40.2
39.6
39.8
39.5
39.7
39.6
39.9
36.8
Overtime h o u r s ..............................................
3.3
2.8
2.9
2.8
2.8
2.6
2.9
3.0
2.8
3.0
2.9
2.8
2.6
2.6
2.2
40.8
40.1
40,4
39.9
40.5
40.3
40.6
40.6
39.9
40.2
39.8
40.1
40.0
40.4
37.4
3.5
2.8
2.9
2.8
2.9
2.7
3.0
3.0
2.8
2.9
2.8
2.7
2.5
2.6
2.0
38.2
37.6
TOTAL PRIVATE..................................
Durable goods
Overtime h o u r s ..............................................
Lumber and wood products
...............................
39.4
38.6
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.p
Jan.p
38.8
38.5
Furniture and fixtures ............................................
38.7
38.1
38.1
38.3
38.8
38.2
38.5
38.9
37.8
38.6
37.7
38.6
38.1
38.8
32.5
Stone, clay, and glass p ro d u c ts ...........................
41.5
40.8
40.3
39.6
40.6
40.9
41.1
41.2
40.8
41.0
40.6
40.5
40.5
40.2
37.1
39.0
39.1
39.6
39.5
38.7
39.0
37.9
38.3
33.7
Primary metal in d u s trie s .......................................
41.4
40.1
41.1
40.7
41.1
41.2
40.9
40.9
40.3
40.3
40.8
39.6
39.7
39.6
38.0
Fabricated metal products
40.7
40.4
40.4
40.0
40.6
40.2
40.7
40.8
39.9
40.3
39.6
40.1
40.0
40.5
37.8
..................................
Machinery except e le c tric a l..................................
41.8
41.0
41.2
40.8
41.2
40.8
41.2
41.1
40.4
40.7
40.4
40.6
40.9
41.6
39.1
Electric and electronic equipment
40.3
39.8
40.1
39.6
40.2
39.8
40.1
40.2
39.7
40.0
39.7
39.9
39.8
40.4
37.6
40.8
41.4
37.2
......................
Transportation e q u ip m e n t....................................
41.1
40.6
40.9
40.1
41.1
41.0
41.6
41.3
40.7
40.5
39.9
40.9
Instruments and related products
......................
40.8
40.5
40.6
40.5
40.6
39.9
40.3
40.4
39.9
40.4
40.4
40.4
40.8
40.5
38.0
.............................
38.8
38.7
38.6
38.4
38.9
38.6
38.9
39.0
38.5
39.0
38.7
39.3
39.5
39.1
36.5
Nondurable goods ........................................
39.3
39.0
39.2
38.9
39.1
38.9
39.4
39.5
39.1
39.4
39.1
39.1
39.1
39.3
35.8
Overtime h o u r s ..............................................
3.1
2.8
2.9
2.8
2.7
2.6
2.9
2.9
2.8
3.0
3.1
2.9
2.8
2.7
2.4
Food and kindred p ro d u c ts ..................................
39.9
39.7
40.0
39.3
39.2
39.3
39.8
39.8
39.6
40.0
39.8
39.6
39.9
40.3
38.7
Tobacco m a n u fa c tu re s.........................................
Textile mill p ro d u c ts ..............................................
38.1
38.6
38.5
37.2
37.2
38.6
38.5
38.6
40.7
40.2
39.4
38.8
38.1
40.4
40.1
39.9
39.9
40.1
39.4
40.3
40.4
39.7
40.0
38.9
39.4
39.2
39.0
30.6
Apparel and other textile p ro d u c ts ......................
35.3
35.4
35.2
35.3
35.8
35.2
36.0
36.4
36.0
36.3
35.2
35.8
35.8
35.5
29.2
Paper and allied p ro d u c ts ....................................
42.6
42.3
42.7
42.2
42.4
42.3
42.5
42.7
42.4
42.5
43.2
42.4
42.3
42.7
40.9
Printing and publishing .........................................
37.5
37.1
37.1
36.9
37.1
37.0
37.3
37.2
37.2
37.4
37.2
37.3
38.0
36.1
41.5
40.4
Miscellaneous manufacturing
38.0
35.6
41.6
41.5
41.6
41.6
41.6
41.6
41.5
37.5
41.4
42.2
41.5
41.7
42.0
43.8
41.8
42.6
42.5
42.6
43.9
43.6
43.5
43.7
43.0
44.4
43.1
43.0
42.7
43.9
..
40.5
40.1
41.0
40.2
40.7
40.4
40.9
40.9
40.0
40.4
39.8
40.2
39.9
40.0
37.3
.............................
36.5
36.7
36.5
36.7
36.8
36.3
37.4
38.1
36.6
36.9
36.0
36.7
36.6
36.4
34.8
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES . . . .
39.9
39.6
39.4
39.5
39.4
39.3
39.3
39.8
39.8
39.5
39.2
39.1
39.3
39.2
38.5
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE ....................
32.6
32.2
31.7
31.7
31.9
32.1
32.0
32.3
32.8
32.8
32.2
31.9
31.9
32.2
31.0
WHOLESALE TRADE..........................................
38.8
38.5
38.5
38.3
38.5
38.5
38.5
38.6
38.8
38.7
38.5
38.7
38.6
38.7
37.7
RETAIL TRADE..................................................
30.6
30.2
29.5
29.6
29.8
30.0
29.9
30.4
30.9
30.9
30.2
29.8
29.8
30.2
28.9
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL
ESTATE ..........................................................
36.2
36.2
36.4
36.4
36.4
36.3
36.1
36.1
36.3
36.3
36.0
36.2
36.2
36.1
36.1
SERVICES................................................
32.7
32.6
32.5
32.6
32.6
32.6
32.5
32.7
33.0
32.9
32.4
32.5
32.5
32.6
32.1
Chemicals and allied p ro d u c ts .............................
Petroleum and coal products
.............................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products
Leather and leather products
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
41.9
16.
Weekly hours, by industry division and major manufacturing group, seasonally adjusted
[Gross averages, production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls]
1982
1981
Industry division and group
TOTAL PRIVATE................................................
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.P
Jan.p
35.3
35.2
35.3
35.4
35.3
35.2
35.3
35.2
34.9
35.0
35.0
34.9
34.1
39.0
36.9
MANUFACTURING ..................................................
40.1
39.8
39.9
40.2
40.3
40.1
40.0
40.0
39.3
39.5
39.3
Overtime h o u r s .....................................................
3.0
2.8
2.8
2.9
3.2
3.0
3.0
3.0
2.7
2.7
2.5
2.4
2.2
Durable goods ....................................................
40.6
40.1
40.4
40.8
40.8
40.5
40.5
40.5
39.7
39.9
39.7
39.3
37.5
Overtime h o u r s .....................................................
3.0
2.8
2.8
3.0
3.2
3.0
3.0
3.0
2.6
2.6
2.4
2.4
2.1
39.8
39.1
39.1
39.6
39.8
39.0
38.8
38.6
37.3
37.6
37.5
37.8
34.6
Furniture and fixtures ...................................................
38.5
38.6
38.6
38.8
39.0
38.9
38.5
38.6
37.5
38.1
37.7
37.6
32.8
Stone, clay, and glass products
41.3
40.6
40.7
41.2
41.0
40.8
40.9
40.8
40.3
40.0
40.0
39.6
38.0
40.6
39.8
39.7
39.2
38.0
Lumber and wood products
.......................................
...............................
Primary metal in d u s trie s ..............................................
41.1
40.7
41.0
41.2
41.0
40.8
40.5
40.7
Fabricated metal products
.........................................
40.5
40.2
40.4
40.9
40.9
40.7
40.5
40.5
39.5
40.0
39.6
39.3
37.9
Machinery, except electrical .......................................
41.1
40.8
40.9
41.3
41.4
41.1
41.1
41.2
40.3
40.7
40.6
40.3
39.0
Electric and electronic equipment .............................
40.1
39.6
40.0
40.2
40.4
40.2
40.5
40.4
39.6
39.9
39.3
39.3
37.6
Transportation e q u ip m e n t............................................
41.3
40.5
40.9
42.0
41.8
41.4
41.2
41.3
39.9
40.5
40.3
39.4
37.5
Instruments and related products
38.0
.............................
40.6
40.5
40.5
40.1
40.4
40.4
40.5
40.8
40.5
40.4
40.3
39.7
....................................
38.8
38.6
38.7
38.9
39.2
39.1
39.2
39.1
38.4
39.0
39.0
38.4
36.7
Nondurable goods ..............................................
39.5
39.2
39.2
39.3
39.6
39.4
39.3
39.3
38.9
39.0
38.8
38.6
36.1
Overtime h o u r s .....................................................
3.0
2.9
2.8
2.9
3.1
3.0
2.9
2.9
2.8
2.8
2.7
2.5
2.4
39.0
Miscellaneous manufacturing
Food and kindred p ro d u c ts .........................................
40.3
39.9
39.7
40.1
40.0
39.8
39.4
39.4
39.2
39.6
39.7
Textile mill p r o d u c ts .....................................................
40.0
40.0
39.9
39.8
40.5
40.2
40.4
40.3
38.9
39.3
38.8
38.2
30.7
Apparel and other textile p ro d u c ts .............................
36.1
35.6
35.7
35.5
36.0
36.1
35.9
36.1
35.2
35.7
35.6
35.1
29.9
Paper and allied p ro d u c ts ...........................................
42.6
42.4
42.4
42.6
42.8
42.7
42.7
42.7
43.1
42.4
41.9
41.8
40.8
37.3
37.3
37.1
37.1
36.9
37.3
36.4
39.5
Printing and publishing ................................................
37.5
37.3
37.1
37.6
37.4
Chemicals and allied p ro d u c ts ....................................
41.6
41.6
41.5
41.5
41.7
41.7
41.8
41.7
42.3
41.5
41.3
41.5
40.4
Petroleum and coal products
43.8
43.8
43.5
44.1
43.8
43.4
43.1
42.8
43.3
42.1
42.3
42.7
45.2
40.9
40.3
40.5
40.7
41.3
41.0
40.5
40.6
39.6
40.0
39.6
39.3
37.2
36.9
36.1
36.8
36.7
36.1
35.1
....................................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products
Leather and leather products
..........
....................................
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE
37.3
36.8
37.0
37.1
36.6
37.1
37.1
36.5
32.2
32.2
32.2
32.3
32.1
32.1
32.2
32.1
32.1
31.9
32.0
31.9
31.5
38.6
38.5
38.5
38.6
38.4
37.9
30.1
30.1
29.9
29.9
29.8
29.5
32.4
32.4
32.5
32.6
32.7
32.3
WHOLESALE TRADE ..............................................
38.8
38.6
38.6
38.6
38.5
38.5
38.7
RETAIL TRADE........................................................
30.1
30.2
30.2
30.3
30.1
30.1
30.1
SERVICES................................................................
Note:
The
Industry
divisions
of
mining;
32.7
construction;
tobacco
32.8
32.8
32.8
manufactures
(a
major
manufacturing group, nondurable goods); transportation and public utilities; and finance, insurance,
and real estate are no longer shown. This is because the seasonal component In these is
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
32.7
32.5
32.5
small relative to the trend-cycle, or irregular components, or both, and consequently cannot be precisely
separated.
71
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Establishment Data
17.
Hourly earnings, by industry division and major manufacturing group
[Gross averages, production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls]
Annual average
1981
1982
Industry division and group
1979
1980
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.p
Jan.p
$6.16
$6.66
$7.03
$7.06
$7.10
$7.13
$7.17
$7.20
$7.24
$7.30
$7.40
$7.42
$7.46
$7.44
$7.53
MINING..................................................
8.49
9.17
9.77
9.86
9.85
9.70
9.68
9.94
10.11
10.15
10.29
10.28
10.42
10.41
10.58
CONSTRUCTION..........................................
9.27
9.92
10.42
10.41
10.44
10.43
10.53
10.60
10.74
10.87
11.02
11.10
11.12
11.19
11.57
MANUFACTURING ............................................
6.70
7.27
7.73
7.75
7.80
7.88
7.92
7.97
8.02
8.02
8.15
8.15
8.20
8.25
8.38
TOTAL PRIVATE........................................
Durable goods..................................
7.13
7.75
8.23
8.26
8.32
8.40
8.52
8.55
8.57
8.68
8.71
8.75
8.80
8.86
Lumber and wood products ........................
6.07
6.53
6.79
6.81
6.79
6.83
6.92
7.10
7.16
7.13
7.15
7.09
7.15
7.14
7.39
Furniture and fix tu r e s ....................................
5.06
5.49
5.71
5.74
5.76
5.78
5.83
5.89
5.91
5.98
6.00
6.05
6.04
6.10
6.21
Stone, clay, and glass products .................
6.85
8.45
7.50
7.87
7.89
7.94
8.11
8.20
8.31
8.39
8.41
8.53
8.50
8.54
8.55
8.61
Primary metal in d u s trie s...............................
8.98
9.77
10.36
10.56
10.52
10.76
10.68
10.76
10.79
10.99
11.22
10.97
11.10
11.09
11.14
Fabricated metal products ...........................
6.85
7.45
7.89
7.91
8.01
8.05
8.17
8.23
8.22
8.27
8.34
8.39
8.43
8.53
8.55
Machinery, except e le c tric a l........................
7.32
8.00
8.53
8.56
8.62
8.67
8.75
8.81
8.85
8.86
8.98
9.05
9.10
9.19
9.18
Electric and electronic e q u ip m e n t..............
6.32
6.95
7.43
7.47
7.51
7.55
7.60
7.69
7.76
7.79
7.84
7.86
7.92
7.96
Transportation e q u ip m e n t.............................
8.53
9.32
9.96
9.93
10.08
10.14
10.25
10.36
10.35
10.30
10.41
10.65
10.66
10.67
10.58
Instruments and related products ..............
6.17
6.80
7.19
7.20
7.23
7.25
7.31
7.34
7.44
7.56
7.60
7.61
7.70
7.72
7.75
Miscellaneous manufacturing ......................
5.03
5.47
5.82
5.83
5.85
5.91
5.93
5.93
5.98
5.97
6.07
6.06
6.12
6.21
6.34
Nondurable goods......................................
6.01
6.56
6.97
6.98
7.01
7.41
7.08
r.11
/.14
7.23
7.24
7.37
7.34
7.39
7.45
7.69
Food and kindred p ro d u c ts ..........................
6.27
6.86
7.21
7.24
7.29
7.37
7.43
7.43
7.47
7.50
7.58
7.53
7.63
7.71
7.83
Tobacco m a nufactures..................................
Textile mill p ro d u c ts .......................................
6.67
4.66
7.73
5.08
8.50
8.61
5.36
8.90
5.36
9.03
5.40
9.33
5.42
9.43
5.35
8.56
5.35
8.61
5.66
8.66
5.69
8.58
5.72
8.96
5.74
8.92
5.73
9.13
5.76
Apparel and other textile products
5.51
............
4.23
4.57
4.89
4.87
4.94
4.96
4.98
5.00
4.94
4.98
5.06
5.07
5.06
5.04
5.17
Paper and allied p ro d u c ts .............................
7.13
7.84
8.27
8.28
8.30
8.37
8.42
8.55
8.73
8.67
8.95
8.82
8.89
8.96
9.06
Printing and p u b lis h in g ..................................
6.94
Chemicals and allied products
7.53
7.92
7.96
8.02
8.04
8.10
8.13
8.22
8.27
8.40
8.42
8.44
8.47
8.56
...................
7.60
8.30
8.74
8.80
8.84
8.94
8.99
9.07
9.16
9.19
9.38
9.37
9.42
9.47
9.67
Petroleum and coal products ......................
9.36
10.09
11.06
11.33
11.23
11.40
11.28
11.29
11.41
11.31
11.53
11.46
11.57
11.52
12.05
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products
Leather and leather products ......................
5.97
6.56
7.06
7.04
7.07
7.15
7.22
7.23
7.28
7.32
7.38
7.39
7.41
7.50
7.61
4.22
4.58
4.86
4.88
4.90
4.93
4.95
4.98
4.96
4.97
5.08
5.09
5.10
5.14
5.21
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES . . . .
8.16
8.87
9.33
9.45
9.42
9.54
9.59
9.63
9.69
9.89
9.97
9.96
10.07
10.07
10.12
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE ....................
5.06
5.48
5.80
5.84
5.85
5.87
5.89
5.89
5.91
5.94
6.04
6.00
6.03
6.00
6.16
WHOLESALE TRADE..........................................
6.39
6.96
7.32
7.38
7.42
7.47
7.51
7.51
7.59
7.67
7.71
7.74
7.81
7.81
7.93
RETAIL TRADE..................................................
4.53
4.88
5.18
5.20
5.20
5.22
5.23
5.23
5.24
5.26
5.37
5.29
5.32
5.30
5.44
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL
ESTATE ..........................................................
5.27
5.78
6.10
6.21
6.19
6.20
6.24
6.24
6.27
6.37
6.38
6.42
6.51
6.47
6.57
SERVICES....................................................
5.36
5.85
6.21
6.27
6.29
6.30
6.33
6.33
6.34
6.41
6.51
6.57
6.67
6.65
6.77
18.
Hourly Earnings Index for production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls, by industry division
[Seasonally adjusted data: 1977=100]
1981
1982
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.»
Jan.p
Dec. 1981
to
Jan. 1982
Jan. 1981
to
Jan. 1982
TOTAL PRIVATE (in current dollars) ..
133.8
135.0
135.8
136.7
137.7
138.4
139.0
140.7
141.5
141.9
143.2
143.3
144.8
1.0
8.2
M ining1 ................................................
142.1
143.2
144.0
145.7
145.6
147.2
148.9
149.4
151.5
151.3
153.3
152.7
154.5
1.2
8.8
Construction
.......................................
127.6
128.0
128.6
129.0
129.4
130.4
131.8
132.5
132.9
134.3
135.4
136.1
140.8
3.5
10.4
....................................
136.5
137.5
138.5
139.9
140.7
141.6
142.5
143.6
144.8
145.5
146.4
146.8
148.3
1.0
8.6
Industry
Manufacturing
Transportation and public utilities . . .
133.7
135.4
136.1
137.3
138.9
139.8
141.8
141.7
142.0
144.0
144.2
145.1
.7
8.5
...............
133.7
135.0
135.8
136.4
137.4
137.8
138.4
140.0
141.2
140.5
141.5
141.4
142.0
.5
6.2
Finance, insurance, and real estate .
133.2
135.0
136.0
135.4
136.8
137.1
137.4
140.4
140.3
140.9
143:2
142.1
143.3
.9
7.6
Services
132.0
133.2
134.0
134.8
136.0
136.6
136.9
139.4
139.8
140.7
142.6
142.4
143.7
.9
8.8
92.8
92.7
92.8
93.0
93.1
92.9
92.2
92.7
92.1
92.0
92.4
92.1.
(2)
<2 )
(2)
Wholesale and retail trade
..............................................
TOTAL PRIVATE (In constant dollars)
1 This series is not seasonally adjusted because the seasonal component is small relative to the trend-cycle,
irregular components, or both, and consequently cannot be separated with sufficient precision.
Digitized 72
for FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
139.3
2 Not available
19.
Weekly earnings, by industry division and major manufacturing group
1982
1981
Annual average
Industry division and group
1979
1980
D e c .p
J an .p
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept
Oct.
Nov.
$257.74
$259.88
$259.00
$260.44
$261.85
$261.89
$253.76
TOTAL PRIVATE..............................
$219.91
$235.10
$246.75
$247.10
$249.92
$250.98
$252.38
$254.88
MINING........................................................
365.07
396.14
425.97
422.01
416.66
422.92
423.98
418.47
439.79
447.62
450.70
457.46
461.61
466.37
448.59
404.90
405.45
393.41
416.25
411.44
414.03
386.44
CONSTRUCTION..........................................
342.99
367.04
379.29
364.35
388.37
384.87
388.56
394.32
MANUFACTURING ......................................
269.34
288.62
308.43
306.13
311.22
312.84
317.59
320.39
317.59
319.20
321.93
323.56
324.72
329.18
308.38
344.51
345.46
349.27
350.00
355.52
331.36
273.46
249.04
Durable goods..........................................
Lumber and wood products....................
Furniture and fixtures ............................
Stone, clay, and glass products..............
Primary metal industries ........................
Fabricated metal products......................
Machinery except electrical....................
Electric and electronic equipment............
Transportation equipment ......................
Instruments and related products............
Miscellaneous manufacturing..................
Nondurable goods
Food and kindred products ....................
Tobacco manufactures ..........................
Textile mill products ..............................
Apparel and other textile products..........
Paper and allied products ......................
Printing and publishing............................
Chemicals and allied products................
Petroleum and coal products..................
Rubber and miscellaneous
plastics products................................
Leather and leather products..................
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES
290.90
310.78
332.49
329.57
336.96
338.52
343.07
345.91
341.15
239.16
252.06
263.45
262.19
264.81
267.05
274.03
280.45
277.09
278.07
270.99
270.84
268.84
195.82
209.17
217.55
219.84
223.49
220.80
224.46
229.12
223.40
230.83
226.20
233.53
230.12
236.68
201.83
319.43
284.28
306.00
317.16
312.44
322.36
331.70
337.02
342.37
342.31
344.81
346.32
344.25
345.87
343.71
371.77
391.78
42580
429.79
432.37
443.31
436.81
440.08
434.84
442.90
457.78
434.41
440.67
439.16
423.32
278.80
300.98
318.76
316.40
325.21
323.61
332.52
335.78
327.98
333.28
330.26
336.44
337.20
345.47
323.19
358.94
305.98
328.00
351.44
349.25
355.14
353.74
360.50
362.09
357.54
360.60
362.79
367.43
372.19
382.30
254.70
276.61
297.14
294.23
300.29
298.90
302.76
305.52
305.29
310.40
309.26
312.82
312.83
319.97
299.30
350.58
378.39
407.36
398.19
414.29
415.74
426.40
427.87
421.25
417.15
415.36
435.59
434.93
441.74
393.58
251.74
275.40
291.91
291.60
293.54
289.28
294.59
296.54
296.86
305.42
307.04
307.44
314.16
312.66
294.50
195.16
211.69
224.65
223.87
227.57
228.13
230.68
231.27
230.23
232.83
234.91
238.16
241.74
242.81
231.41
236.19
255.84
273.22
271.52
274.09
275.41
280.13
282.03
282.69
285.26
288.17
286.99
288.95
292.79
275.30
250.17
272.34
288.40
284.53
285.77
289.64
295.71
295.71
295.81
300.00
301.68
298.19
304.44
310.71
303.02
253.46
294.51
328.10
329.56
320.29
331.08
348.56
359.21
364.00
350.43
348.13
338.05
347.65
339.85
325.03
225.37
225.01
223.47
176.26
188.26
203.71
213.47
213.47
214.94
211.18
217.62
218.97
218.75
226.40
221.34
149.32
161.78
172.13
171.91
176.85
174.59
179.28
182.00
177.84
180.77
178.11
181.51
181.15
178.92
150.96
303.74
331.63
353.13
349.42
351.92
354.05
357.85
365.09
370.15
368.48
386.64
373.97
376.05
382.59
370.55
260.25
279.36
293.83
293.72
297.54
297.48
302.13
302.44
305.78
310.13
314.16
313.22
314.81
321.86
309.02
318.44
344.45
363.58
365.20
367.74
371.90
373.98
377.31
380.14
380.47
395.84
388.86
392.81
397.74
390.67
409.97
421.76
471.16
481.53
478.40
500.46
491.81
491.12
498.62
486.33
511.93
493.93
497.51
491.90
529.00
295.66
300.00
283.85
241.79
263.06
289.46
283.01
287.75
288.86
295.30
295.71
291.20
295.73
293.72
297.08
154.03
168.09
177.39
179.10
180.32
178.96
185.13
189.74
181.54
183.39
182.88
186.80
186.66
187.10
181.31
325.58
351.25
367.60
373.28
371.15
374.92
376.89
383.27
385.66
390.66
390.82
389.44
395.75
394.74
389.62
194.83
194.49
191.40
192.36
193.20
190.96
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE ..............
164.96
176.46
183.86
185.13
186.62
188.43
188.48
190.25
193.85
WHOLESALE TRADE ................................
247.93
267.96
281.82
282.65
285.67
287.60
289.14
289.89
294.49
296.83
296.84
299.54
301.47
302.25
298.96
162.17
157.64
158.54
160.06
157.22
RETAIL TRADE..........................................
138.62
147.38
152.81
153.92
154.96
156.60
156.38
158.99
161.92
162.53
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL ESTATE
190.77
209.24
222.04
226.04
225.32
225.06
225.26
225.26
227.60
231.23
229.68
232.40
235.66
233.57
237.18
206.73
206.99
209.22
210.89
210.92
213.53
216.78
216.79
217.32
SERVICES..................................................
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
175.27
190.71
201.83
204.40
205.05
205.38
73
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Establishment Data
20.
Gross and spendable weekly earnings, in current and 1977 dollars, 1961 to date
[Averages for production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls]
Private nonagricultural workers
Year and month
Gross average
weekly earnings
Current
dollars
1977
dollars
Manufacturing workers
Spendable average weekly earnings
Worker with no
dependents
Current
dollars
1977
dollars
Spendable average weekly earnings
Married worker with
3 dependents
Current
dollars
1977
dollars
weekly earnings
Current
dollars
1977
dollars
Worker with no
dependents
Current
dollars
1977
dollars
Married worker with
3 dependents
dollars
1977
dollars
1961 ...................................................
$82.60
$167.21
$67.08
$135.79
$74.48
$150.77
$92.34
1962 ...................................................
$186.92
$74.60
$151.01
85.91
$82.18
172.16
69.56
$166.36
139.40
76.99
154.29
96.56
1963 ...................................................
193.51
77.86
156.03
88.46
85.53
175.17
171.40
71.05
140.69
78.56
155.56
99.23
1964 ...................................................
196.50
79.51
157.45
91.33
87.25
178.38
172.77
75.04
146.56
82.57
161.27
102.97
1965 ..............................................
201.11
84.40
164.84
95.45
92.18
183.21
180 04
79.32
152.25
86.63
166.28
107.53
206.39
89.08
170.98
96.78
185.76
1966 .......................................
98.82
184.37
81.29
151.66
88.66
165.41
112.19
1967 ....................................
209.31
91.45
170.62
101.84
99.33
184.83
185.32
83.38
151.32
90.86
164.90
114.49
1968 ..............................................
207.79
92.97
168.73
107.73
100.93
187.68
86.71
183.18
151.06
95.28
165.99
122.51
312.43
97.70
170.21
106.75
185.98
1969 ..............................................
114.61
189.44
90.96
150.35
99.99
165.27
129.51
1970 .......................................
214.07
101.90
168.43
111.44
119.83
186.94
184 20
96.21
150.09
104.90
163.65
133.33
208.00
106.32
165.87
115.58
180.31
1971 ..................................
127.31
190.58
103.80
155.39
112.43
1972 ...................................................
136.90
124.24
198.41
185.99
112.19
162.59
121.68
176.35
154.71
1973 ...................................................
224.22
125.34
145.39
181.65
135.57
198.35
117.51
196 48
160.31
127.38
173.78
166.46
227.09
132.57
180.86
143.50
195.77
168.31
142.44
213.23
114.97
172.11
1974 .............................
154,76
190.12
124.37
152.79
134.61
165.37
176.80
1975 ..............................................
217.20
140.19
172.22
163.53
151.56
184.16
186.19
132.49
149.20
145.65
164.02
190.79
214.85
151.61
170.73
166.29
187.26
19310
200.06
1976 ....................................
175.45
189.00
186.85
189.00
143.30
155.19
152.61
155.19
155.87
169.93
166.00
169.93
209.32
228.90
222.92
167.83
1978 ..............................................
228.90
183.80
178.73
183.80
203.70
189.31
181.32
200.06
165.39
153.71
180.71
167.95
249.27
231.66
197.40
183.46
214.87
199.69
1979 ....................................
219.91
183.41
178.00
148.46
194.82
162.49
269.34
1980 ................................................
224.64
212.70
177.40
235.10
172.74
232.38
193 81
188.82
138.74
206.06
151.65
288.62
212.06
225.79
165.90
247.01
181.49
1981: January
...............................
246.75
171.83
195.68
138.37
213.96
149.00
308.43
F e b ru a ry...............................
247.10
170.18
195.92
134.93
214.22
147.53
306.13
M a rc h ..................................
210.83
236.08
162.59
249.92
258.70
171.06
178.17
197.88
135.44
216.34
148.08
311.22
213.02
239.37
163.84
262.38
179.59
214.78
237.6Ö
165.46
260.36
181 31
A p r i l .......................................
250.98
170.73
198.61
M a y .......................................
252.38
163.53
263.55
170.18
179.29
199.59
134.59
218.20
147.13
317.59
J u n e .......................................
214.15
243.40
164.13
254.88
266.99
170.49
18003
201.32
134.66
220.08
147.21
320.39
214.31
245.18
164.00
135.11
217.14
147.71
312.84
212.82
240.39
269.01
179.94
July .......................................
257.74
170.35
203.30
134.37
222.24
146.89
317.59
209.91
August ..................................
243.40
259.88
160.87
266.99
170.64
204.79
176.46
134.46
223.85
146.98
319.20
209.59
244.42
160.49
268.15
176 07
September ..........................
259.00
168.40
204.18
132.76
223.19
145.12
321.93
O ctober ...............................
209.32
246.15
160.05
260.44
169.01
270.13
175 64
207.07
134.37
225.23
146.16
323.56
N o v e m b e r.............................
209.97
249.93
162.19
261.85
272.84
169.48
208.07
134.67
226.30
146.47
324.72
210.17
D ecem ber15 ........................
250.68
162.25
261.89
273.69
169.07
177.05
177 15
208.09
134.34
226.33
146.11
329.18
212.51
253.57
163.70
276.97
178.81
1982: January p .............................
253.76
(')
n
[')
n
n
308.38
( 1)
( 1)
(’ )
(’ )
(’)
1 Not available.
Note: The earnings expressed in 1977 dollars have been adjusted for changes in price level
as measured by the Bureau's Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.
These series are described in “ The Spendable Earnings Series: A Technical Note on its Calculation,”
Employment and Earnings and Monthly Report on the Labor Force, February 1969,
Digitized74
for FRASER
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
pp. 6-13. See also “ Spendable Earnings Formulas, 1979-81,"
1981, pp. 7-8.
Employment and Earnings, November
N otice : After release of final December 1981 data in the April issue, the Bureau of Labor Statistics
will discontinue computation and publication of the spendable earnings data. The real earnings series
published here will appear with the data in the preceding table.
U N EM PLO YM ENT 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. Department of Labor from monthly records of unem
ployment insurance activity prepared by State agencies. Rail
road unemployment insurance data are prepared by the U.S.
Railroad Retirement Board.
ployed. 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. Ini
tial claims are notices filed by persons in unemployment insurance
programs to indicate they are out of work and wish to begin receiv
ing compensation. A claimant who continued to be unemployed a
full week is then counted in the insured unemployment figure. The
rate of insured unemployment expresses the number of insured unem
ployed as a percent of the average insured employment in a
12-month period.
Definitions
An application for benefits is filed by a railroad worker at the be
ginning of his first period of unemployment in a benefit year; no ap
plication is required for subsequent periods in the same year. Num
ber of payments are payments made in 14-day registration periods.
The average amount of benefit payment is an average for all com
pensable periods, not adjusted for recovery of overpayments or set
tlement of underpayments. However, total benefits paid have been
adjusted.
Data for all programs represent an unduplicated count of insured
unemployment under State programs, Unemployment Compensation
for Ex-Servicemen, and Unemployment Compensation for Federal
Employees, and the Railroad Insurance Act.
Under both State and Federal unemployment insurance programs
for civilian employees, insured workers must report the completion of
at least 1 week of unemployment before they are defined as unem-
21.
Unemployment insurance and employment service operations
[All Items except average benefits amounts are in thousands]
1981
1980
Item
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Apr.
Mar.
May
June
July
Sept.
Aug.
Oct.
Dec.p
Nov.
All programs:
4,085
4,621
4,264
3,948
3,453
3,111
2,949
3,012
2,874
2,680
2,753
3,221
3,935
2,544
2,653
1,806
1,684
1,647
1,417
1,741
2,114
1,610
1,681
1,996
2,286
3,273
weekly v o lu m e )....................................
3,321
3,844
3,669
3,382
2,988
2,691
2,596
2,743
2,656
2,488
2,592
3,054
3,778
............
3.8
4.4
4.2
3.9
3.4
3.1
3.0
3.1
3.0
2.9
3.0
3.6
4.3
Insured unemployment ...........................
State unemployment insurance
program :'
Initial claims2 ...........................................
Insured unemployment (average
Rate of insured unemployment
Weeks of unemployment
compensated .......................................
Average weekly benefit amount
12,603
14,228
12,882
13,504
11,871
9,790
9,928
10,486
9,594
9,565
9,424
10,047
14,584
fo r total unemployment ......................
$101.43
$102.34
$101.89
$105.63
$105.96
$105.49
$99.02
$103.47
$105.94
$107.39
$108.92
$110.44
$112.89
$1,242,957 $1,416,513
$1,313,507
$1,393,612 $1,226,815
$1,006,341
$1,012,764
$1,061,899
$1,004,864
$1,001,020
$997,757
15
19
22
19
15
11
9
Total benefits paid
..................................
$1,079,704 $1,592,546
Unemployment compensation for exservicemen: 3
Initial claim s'
...........................................
21
17
19
18
16
11
Insured unemployment (average
weekly v o lu m e )....................................
55
57
54
51
46
43
42
44
44
34
26
22
19
261
257
221
234
214
183
192
203
190
153
116
91
93
$27,015
$26,646
$22,517
$24,668
$23,048
$19,965
$21,145
$22,785
$21,425
$17,144
$12,952
$10,068
$10,155
18
22
13
12
12
11
13
15
17
18
20
16
17
37
41
40
36
31
27
25
25
25
29
32
36
39
Weeks of unemployment
compensated
.......................................
Total benefits paid
..................................
Unemployment compensation for
Federal civilian em ployees:4
Initial c la im s ..............................................
Insured unemployment (average
weekly v o lu m e )....................................
Weeks of unemployment
compensated
.......................................
Total benefits paid
..................................
150
160
148
156
135
107
105
105
102
100
112
127
174
$14,184
$15,432
$14,573
$15,561
$13,701
$11,023
$10,705
$10,805
$9,543
$10,495
$11,719
$13,463
$18,891
Railroad unemployment insurance:
Applications ..............................................
11
13
5
5
6
6
26
41
13
15
21
13
39
53
50
44
41
35
30
28
29
34
40
44
Insured unemployment (average
weekly v o lu m e )....................................
83
118
104
115
94
79
86
32
63
74
86
83
$212.27
$209.38
$214.56
$214.93
$201.12
$199.43
$201.06
$199.63
$202.53
$207.98
$197.26
$207.08
..................................
$18,046
$20,303
$22,049
$23,233
$19,239
$15,428
$16,206
$11,541
$7,071
15,046
15,994
$16,377
New applications and renewals ............
4,476
871
Number of payments
.............................
Average amount of benefit
p a y m e n t................................................
Total benefits paid
Employment service:5
Nonfarm p la c e m e n ts...............................
8,778
12,868
1,595
2,446
1 1nitial claims and State insured unemployment include data under the program for Puerto Rican
4 Includes the Virgin islands. Excludes data on claims and payments made jointly with State programs,
sugarcane workers.
5 Cumulative total for fiscal year (October 1-September 30). Data computed quarterly.
Note: Data for Puerto Rico Included. Dashes indicate data not available.
2 Includes interstate claims for the Virgin Islands. Excludes transition claims under State programs.
3 Excludes data on claims and payments made jointly with other programs.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
__
75
PRICE DATA
P r i c e d a t a 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 ser
vices. Effective with the January 1978 index, the Bureau of Labor Sta
tistics began publishing CPI’s for two groups of the population. One
index, a new CPI for All Urban Consumers, covers 80 percent of the
total noninstitutional population; and the other index, a revised CPI
for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, covers about half the
new index population. The All Urban Consumers index includes, in
addition to wage earners and clerical workers, professional, manageri
al, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the
unemployed, retirees, and others not in the labor force.
The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, fuel, drugs,
transportation fares, doctor’s and dentist’s fees, and other goods and
services that people buy for day-to-day living. The quantity and quali
ty of these items is kept essentially unchanged between major revi
sions so that only price changes will be measured. Prices are collected
from over 18,000 tenants, 24,000 retail establishments, and 18,000
housing units for property taxes in 85 urban areas across the country.
All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are
included in the index. Because the CPI’s are based on the expendi
tures of two population groups in 1972—73, they may not accurately
reflect the experience of individual families and single persons with
different buying habits.
Though the CPI is often called the “Cost-of-Living Index,” it meas
ures only price change, which is just one of several important factors
affecting living costs. Area indexes do not measure differences in the
level of prices among cities. They only measure the average change in
prices for each area since the base period.
Producer Price Indexes measure average changes in prices received
in primary markets of the United States by producers of commodities
in all stages of processing. The sample used for calculating these in
dexes contains about 2,800 commodities and about 10,000 quotations
per month selected to represent the movement of prices of all com
modities produced in the manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, fishing,
mining, gas and electricity, and public utilities sectors. The universe
includes all commodities produced or imported for sale in commercial
transactions in primary markets in the United States.
Producer Price Indexes can be organized by stage of processing or
by commodity. The stage of processing structure organizes products
by degree of fabrication (that is, finished goods, intermediate or
semifinished goods, and crude materials). The commodity structure
organizes products by similarity of end-use or material composition.
To the extent possible, prices used in calculating Producer Price In
dexes apply to the first significant commercial transaction in the Unit
ed States, from the production or central marketing point. Price data
are generally collected monthly, primarily by mail questionnaire.
Digitized76for FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Most prices are obtained directly from producing companies on a vol
untary and confidential basis. Prices generally are reported for the
Tuesday of the week containing the 13th day of the month.
In calculating Producer Price Indexes, price changes for the vari
ous commodities are averaged together with implicit quantity weights
representing their importance in the total net selling value of all com
modities as of 1972. The detailed data are aggregated to obtain in
dexes for stage of processing groupings, commodity groupings, dura
bility of product groupings, and a number of special composite
groupings.
Price indexes for the output of selected SIC industries measure av
erage price changes in commodities produced by particular industries,
as defined in the Standard Industrial Classification M anual 1972
(Washington, U.S. Office of Management and Budget, 1972). These
indexes are derived from several price series, combined to match the
economic activity of the specified industry and weighted by the value
of shipments in the industry. They use data from comprehensive in
dustrial censuses conducted by the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Notes on the data
Beginning with the May 1978 issue of the Review, regional CPI’s
cross classified by population size, were introduced. These indexes will
enable users in local areas for which an index is not published to get a
better approximation of the CPI for their area by using the appropri
ate population size class measure for their region. The cross-classified
indexes will be published bimonthly. (See table 24.)
For further details about the new and the revised indexes and a
comparison of various aspects of these indexes with the old unrevised
CPI, see Facts About the Revised Consumer Price Index, a pamphlet in
the Consumer Price Index Revision 1978 series. See also The
Consumer Price Index: Concepts and Content Over the Years, Report
517, revised edition (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 1978).
For interarea comparisons of living costs at three hypothetical stand
ards of living, see the family budget data published in the Handbook
o f Labor Statistics, 1977, Bulletin 1966 (Bureau of Labor Statistics,
1977), tables 122-133. Additional data and analysis on price changes
are provided in the CPI D etailed Report and Producer Prices and Price
Indexes, both monthly publications of the Bureau.
As of January 1976, the Wholesale Price Index (as it was then
called) incorporated a revised weighting structure reflecting 1972 val
ues of shipments. From January 1967 through December 1975, 1963
values of shipments were used as weights.
For a discussion of the general method of computing consumer,
producer, and industry price indexes, see B L S Handbook o f Methods
fo r Surveys an d Studies, Bulletin 1910 (Bureau of Labor Statistics,
1976), chapters 13-15. See also John F. Early, “Improving the meas
urement of producer price change,” M onthly Labor Review, April
1978, pp. 7-15. For industry prices, see also Bennett R. Moss, “In
dustry and Sector Price Indexes,” M onthly Labor Review, August
1965, pp. 974-82.
22.
Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, annual averages and changes, 1967-80
[1 9 6 7 = 100]
Food and
beverages
All items
Year
Index
Percent
change
Index
Apparel and
upkeep
Housing
Percent
change
Index
Percent
change
Percent
change
Index
Percent
change
Medical care
Index
Percent
change
Other goods
and services
Entertainment
Index
Percent
change
Index
Percent
change
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Index
Transportation
1967 ......................
100.0
1968 ......................
104.2
4.2
103.6
3.6
104.0
4.0
105.4
5.4
103.2
3.2
106.1
6.1
105.7
5.7
105.2
5.2
1969 ......................
109.8
5.4
108.8
5.0
110.4
6.2
111.5
5.8
107.2
3.9
113.4
6.9
111.0
5.0
110.4
4.9
6.3
116.7
5.1
116.8
5.8
1970 ......................
116.3
5.9
114.7
5.4
118.2
7.1
4.1
116.1
112.7
5.1
120.6
4.8
122.4
1971 ......................
121.3
4.3
118.3
3.1
123.4
4.4
119.8
3.2
118.6
5.2
6.5
122.9
5.3
1972 ......................
125.3
3.3
123.2
4.1
128.1
3.8
122.3
2.1
119.9
1.1
132.5
3.2
126.5
130.0
2.9
127.5
4.2
3.9
2.8
132.5
3.9
128.4
1973 ......................
133.1
6.2
139.5
13.2
133.7
4.4
126.8
3.7
123.8
3.3
137.7
1974 ......................
147.7
11.0
158.7
13.8
148.8
11.3
136.2
7.4
137.7
11.2
150.5
9.3
139.8
7.5
142.0
7.2
1975 ......................
161.2
9.1
172.1
8.4
164.5
10.6
142.3
4.5
150.6
9.4
168.6
12.0
152.2
8.9
153.9
8.4
5.0
162.7
5.7
4.9
172.2
5.8
183.2
6.4
1976 ......................
170.5
5.8
177.4
3.1
174.6
6.1
147.6
3.7
165.5
9.9
184.7
9.5
159.8
1977 ......................
181.5
6.5
188.0
6.0
186.5
6.8
154.2
4.5
177.2
7.1
202.4
9.6
167.7
1978 ......................
195.3
7.6
206.2
9.7
202.6
8.6
159.5
3.4
185.8
4.9
219.4
8.4
176.2
5.1
1979 ......................
217.7
11.5
228.7
10.9
227.5
12.3
166.4
4.3
212.8
14.5
240.1
9.4
187.6
6.5
196.3
7.2
8.5
213.6
8.8
247.0
1980 ......................
13.5
248.7
8.7
263.2
15.7
177.4
250.5
6.6
17.7
267.2
11.3
203.7
23. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers and revised CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers,
U.S. city average— general summary and groups, subgroups, and selected items
[ 1 9 6 7 = 1 0 0 un le ss o th e rw is e specified]
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (revised)
All Urban Consumers
General summary
All items......................................................................................
1981
1980
1981
1980
Dec.
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct
Nov.
Dec.
Dec.
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct
Nov.
Dec.
258.4
274.4
276.5
297.3
279.9
280.7
281.5
258.7
274.6
276.5
279.1
279.7
280.4
281.1
..................................................................................
259.3
268.9
270.1
270.7
270.3
269.9
270.5
260.5
269.4
270.6
271.0
270.7
270.3
270.8
H o u s in g ..........................................................................................................
276.9
297.0
299.7
303.7
303.5
304.2
305.2
277.1
297.0
299.6
303.6
303.3
303.8
304.7
Apparel and u p k e e p .....................................................................................
183.9
184.7
187.4
190.7
191.5
191.3
190.5
182.9
185.5
187.9
190.5
190.6
190.5
189.4
T ra n s p o rta tio n ..............................................................................................
261.1
282.6
283.7
285.2
287.2
289.1
289.8
261.9
283.9
285.1
286.6
288.9
290.8
291.5
Food and beverages
Medical care .................................................................................................
275.8
295.6
299.3
301.7
304.8
308.2
310.2
277.6
295.4
298.6
300.9
304.0
307.1
309.1
Entertainment
212.0
221.1
222.3
224.0
225.5
226.8
227.3
210.1
218.7
219.9
221.5
223.4
224.3
224.4
245.9
246.7
223.0
232.4
233.5
239.3
241.4
242.5
243.5
..............................................................................................
Other goods and s e rv ic e s ...........................................................................
224.6
234.4
235.6
243.0
245.2
C o m m o d itie s .................................................................................................
Commodities less food and beverages ...........................................
243.8
232.9
255.0
244.7
256.2
245.8
257.7
247.6
257.9
248.0
258.0
248.3
258.4
248.7
244.3
233.1
255.7
256.9
246.7
258.2
258.4
258.5
258.8
245.5
248.4
248.7
Nondurables less food and b e v e ra g e s .........................................
246.8
262.9
263.9
265.8
266.4
266.7
266.7
248.8
266.0
266.8
268.5
268.6
249.1
269.0
249.3
268.9
D u ra b le s ............................................................................................
221.1
229.6
230.9
232.6
232.9
233.2
233.7
219.7
228.4
229.9
231.5
232.0
232.3
232.7
309.6
207.4
312.7
317.7
319.2
321.1
322.4
209.9
211.5
213.2
214.5
216.0
Services ........................................................................................................
284.7
308.8
312.2
317.3
318.6
320.6
321.8
285.5
Rent, re s id e n tia l................................................................................
199.6
207.8
210.3
211.9
213.6
215.0
216.5
199.4
.......................................................
338.4
374.8
379.9
387.4
390.4
341.9
Transportation s e rv ic e s ...................................................................
255.8
275.0
275.7
277.7
281.0
283.2
284.2
254.7
273.8
274.3
276.3
279.9
282.3
283.6
333.7
335.7
300.0
318.5
322.1
324.7
328.3
332.0
334.0
243.6
246.6
247.2
248.0
280.1
280.7
Household services less rent
387.2
389.2
379.4
384.2
392.2
391.8
393.6
394.8
Medical care s e rv ic e s ......................................................................
297.9
319.2
323.4
326.1
329.7
Other s e rv ic e s ..................................................................................
228.1
237.6
239.1
245.8
247.8
248.7
249.5
228.4
236.8
238.3
All items less food .......................................................................................
255.5
272.7
274.9
278.2
279.0
280.1
280.8
255.7
273.1
275.2
All items less mortgage interest costs .....................................................
245.9
259.3
260.9
262.9
263.6
264.2
264.9
246.7
260.0
261.5
263.3
264.0
264.6
265.2
246.3
246.6
247.0
247.2
262.9
263.0
263.4
263.3
Special indexes:
Commodities less f o o d ................................................................................
Nondurables less food ................................................................................
231.0
242.6
243.8
245.5
245.9
246.2
246.5
231.2
243.5
244.7
242.0
257.5
258.4
260.3
260.7
261.1
261.1
243.9
260.4
261.2
278.2
279.1
302.0
302.5
Nondurables less food and a p p a re l..........................................................
274.7
297.8
298.0
299.1
299.5
300.1
300.7
276.6
299.8
300.0
301.3
301.5
Nondurables
254.1
267.1
268.1
269.5
269.5
269.5
269.8
255.6
268.7
269.7
270.7
270.7
270.7
270.9
332.6
338.3
339.7
341.6
342.9
.................................................................................................
331.7
337.5
340.8
342.0
302.0
329.3
300.7
281.2
305.4
308.8
314.1
315.1
316.9
318.1
281.9
306.3
309.4
314.6
315.8
317.5
318.7
251.1
259.5
260.6
260.8
259.5
258.3
259.1
259.0
259.9
259.9
258.6
257.8
258.2
276.2
275.3
251.1
278.4
277.9
277.2
279.7
273.2
271.9
Services less rent
328.1
338.7
.......................................................................................
Services less medical c a r e ........................................................................
Domestically produced farm foods ..........................................................
270.7
276.5
275.5
271.9
..........................................................................................................
370.4
415.7
416.1
417.1
414.9
414.1
414.6
373.7
418.9
418.9
420.1
417.9
417.3
417.6
All items less energy ..................................................................................
249.7
263.5
265.6
268.6
269.4
270.4
271.1
249.3
262.7
264.7
267.5
268.3
269.2
269.9
.....................................................
244.5
259.0
261.3
264.8
267.9
243.6
263.6
264.8
265.9
211.7
219.4
220.9
222.9
265.9
223.4
267.2
Commodities less food and e n e rg y ...........................................
223.8
224.2
210.6
218.7
220.2
222.1
222.6
223.0
223.3
448.0
405.9
451.9
450.6
450.0
448.9
449.0
448.7
Selected beef c u t s .......................................................................................
Energy
All items less food and energy
276.7
277.9
258.1
260.3
266.6
Energy commodities ....................................................................
404.9
451.3
449.9
449.3
448.2
448.2
Services less e n e rg y ....................................................................
282.4
304.9
308.3
313.6
315.3
317.7
318.9
283.4
305.7
308.9
314.0
316.0
318.2
319.5
$0,387
$0,364
$0,362
$0,358
$0,357
$0,356
$0,355
$0,387
$0,364
$0,362
$0,358
$0,358
$0,357
$0,356
Purchasing power of the consumer dollar, 1967 - $1
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
........................
77
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Consumer Prices
23.
Continued— Consumer Price Index— U.S. city average
[ 1 9 6 7 = 1 0 0 u nless o th e rw is e sp e cified]
All Urban Consumers
General summary
1980
Dec.
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (revised)
1981
July
Aug.
Sept
1980
Oct
Nov.
Dec.
Dec.
1981
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
FOOD AND BEVERAGES ....................................................................
259.3
268.9
270.1
270.7
270.3
269.9
270.5
260.5
269.4
270.6
271.0
270.7
270.3
270.8
Food.....................................................................................................
266.4
276.2
277.4
278.0
277.6
277.1
277.8
267.6
276.6
277.7
278.1
277.8
277.4
277.9
Food at h o m e ..........................................................................................................
263.9
271.6
272.8
273.2
272.1
271.0
271.7
263.9
271.1
272.2
272.3
271.3
270.4
270.8
......................................................................
258.5
272.4
272.6
274.3
275.0
276.3
277.7
259.5
271.5
272.0
273.2
274.0
275.5
276.6
Cereals and cereal products (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ....................................
140.8
149.0
149.5
150.1
150.0
149.9
151.5
142.3
150.6
151.3
151.2
151.5
152.1
152.5
Flour and prepared flour mixes (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ........................
139.5
139.3
138.4
137.8
134.4
141.9
142.0
141.1
140.9
140.2
138.4
Cereals and bakery products
133.5
139.5
139.6
Cereal (12/77 = ' 1 0 0 ) .................................................................
143.8
153.4
154.6
155.7
156.1
157.4
160.2
145.0
154.8
156.4
157.2
157.9
158.9
162.1
Rice, pasta, and commeal (12/77 = 100)
143.1
151.2
151.4
151.6
151.1
149.6
151.7
145.8
153.2
153.1
152.6
152.7
153.9
152.9
135.4
142.5
142.4
143.5
144.0
144.9
145.4
135.7
141.4
141.5
142.4
142.8
143.7
144.3
226.3
236.4
235.6
238.2
238.4
241.3
241.5
226.6
237.4
................................
Bakery products (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ....................................
.................
White bread ......................................................................
233.9
233.0
235.9
235.5
237.6
Other breads (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .......................................................
134.1
140.6
140.8
141.5
141.6
142.8
143.4
137.9
142.9
143.4
143.4
143.6
144.9
145.3
Fresh biscuits, rolls, and muffins (12/77 = 100) ......................
135.4
142.4
143.4
143.3
144.8
145.2
145.9
135.1
141.7
141.0
140.1
141.7
141.9
141.9
Fresh cakes and cupcakes (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ...............................
135.3
142.7
142.7
144.4
143.9
145.0
144.9
134.2
141.4
141.2
142.3
141.7
143.2
143.7
Cookies (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).................................................................
134.9
143.0
143.9
145.7
146.3
147.6
136.1
142.6
144.1
144.6
146.4
146.8
148.4
Crackers, bread, and cracker products (12/77 = 100) ..........
126.9
131.6
130.6
132.0
133.2
133.1
134.2
126.5
131.2
130.9
132.2
134.0
133.4
135.6
Fresh sweetrolls, coffeecake, and donuts (12/77 = 100)
...
135.9
143.9
143.9
143.1
144.3
144.4
144.8
145.4
136.4
142.8
143.4
144.8
144.9
145.8
147.8
............
137.5
147.2
147.1
148.0
148.9
149.2
149.3
134.0
140.9
141.5
142.1
142.8
143.1
143.0
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ......................................................................
255.7
254.1
257.7
263.4
256.4
262.2
254.2
259.2
253.7
258.4
255.0
259.2
254.1
260.5
255.5
261.8
257.5
263.2
256.0
261.7
254.0
258.8
253.1
257.7
263.4
262.5
259.6
258.7
259.3
259.7
261.3
263.3
262.1
259.3
257.9
274.9
271.5
270.5
276.8
276.5
275.3
272.2
270.9
Frozen and refrigerated bakery products
and fresh pies, tarts, and turnovers (12/77 = 100)
259.9
260.7
255.8
262.2
..............................................................................................
260.0
259.6
262.0
Beef and veal .............................................................................
Meats, poultry, and fish .........................................................................
Meats
275.3
274.5
275.9
277.1
275.9
278.3
Ground beef other than c a n n e d ...........................................
276.1
264.5
267.4
270.3
267.4
266.1
264.5
281.0
267.9
269.4
273.8
268.6
268.0
265.8
Chuck r o a s t .............................................................................
288.5
283.5
285.3
289.4
287.8
282.6
282.2
296.0
295.5
295.5
299.9
297.2
292.6
291.5
Round r o a s t.............................................................................
Round steak ...........................................................................
245.7
245.6
247.2
244.1
245.1
242.6
246.6
249.8
247.3
249.1
250.1
248.2
260.2
258.9
256.0
255.9
259.0
245.0
256.7
254.6
257.6
257.0
251.5
252.5
254.9
254.8
252.2
Sirloin s te a k .............................................................................
267.6
284.3
282.2
281.9
273.3
262.0
260.1
269.7
285.6
279.2
281.9
275.1
260.7
260.7
162.8
239.4
161.3
159.2
159.1
239.3
235.9
233.8
245.9
Other beef and veal (12/77 = 100) ..................................
P o r k ................................................................ ..............................
160.4
163.5
164.9
163.4
161.1
161.0
159.2
162.4
162.6
229.1
231.5
235.3
238.1
238.6
235.6
234.3
228.2
232.6
236.5
Bacon .......................................................................................
231.9
228.1
231.1
237.1
240.1
238.1
237.2
234.1
230.5
234.5
241.1
245.1
242.9
240.5
Chops .......................................................................................
208.7
221.8
224.1
225.1
223.1
217.0
212.4
206.8
222.4
224.4
224.7
221.3
216.2
211.0
Ham other than canned (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .............................
107.8
102.0
105.3
106.8
109.4
108.9
109.1
105.7
100.4
103.7
105.6
107.5
106.6
106.3
300.7
298.7
298.1
299.1
287.2
293.4
298.6
302.3
302.1
299.2
300.0
164.3
Sausage ..................................................................................
285.6
289.7
297.2
Canned ham
...........................................................................
238.4
233.0
234.9
127.6
133.6
135.0
135.4
134.1
131.1
130.0
127.4
134.5
136.3
242.9
136.7
244.7
Other pork (12/77 = 100) ...................................................
Other meats ................................................................................
134.5
130.9
129.2
262.8
258.4
261.4
260.7
261.6
260.5
260.6
259.4
255.6
259.6
258.7
260.5
259.9
259.7
F ra n k fu rte rs .............................................................................
259.8
256.4
261.2
259.9
260.4
259.1
262.4
260.9
260.0
239.5
241.9
243.1
244.3
242.6
234.4
238.0
247.0
247.7
264.0
251.8
261.0
263.4
251.9
..............
149.1
145.9
147.0
147.5
147.6
146.7
146.4
145.2
144.6
145.7
144.8
146.9
145.9
Other lunchmeats (12/77 = 100) .......................................
129.9
129.1
130.6
131.8
131.8
132.1
132.6
127.7
126.5
128.8
129.5
130.2
130.6
130.6
Lamb and organ meats (12/77 = 100) .............................
P o u ltry ..............................................................................................
146.6
147.6
146.8
144.4
143.4
141.7
140.7
148.5
148.9
148.3
146.0
145.0
144.6
143.9
202.7
204.8
202.0
196.6
192.3
191.7
201.1
203.1
201.2
198.1
194.7
190.6
189.5
Fresh whole c h ic k e n ...............................................................
206.9
206.9
201.4
197.3
194.0
190.9
190.1
202.2
202.9
199.6
194.0
189.9
1885
187.8
Fresh and frozen chicken parts (12/77 = 100)
..............
131.6
133.0
131.8
130.5
129.2
127.3
128.1
132.3
133.3
131.6
130.1
129.7
126.5
126.3
Other poultry (12/77 = 100) ..............................................
Fish and seafood ...........................................................................
126.6
130.0
129.7
129.9
127.2
122.2
120.7
126.2
129.3
129.9
129.6
126.1
121.5
119.8
360.8
358.9
359.6
343.1
353.5
356.4
358.6
358.6
Bologna, liverwurst, and salami (12/77 = 100)
Eggs
199.7
146.3
346.9
356.9
356.8
362.6
358.2
356.6
Canned fish and seafood (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ...........................
136.4
140.6
139.8
140.9
140.5
141.5
140.7
133.7
139.0
138.5
139.4
140.3
141.0
Fresh and frozen fish and seafood (12/77 = 100) ..........
129.6
133.1
133.6
136.5
135.6
133.9
134.7
128.8
131.9
134.1
134.9
134.0
132.7
134.4
........................................................................................................
206.6
174.2
177.6
188.8
185.9
194.7
198.0
206.6
175.0
177.7
189.5
187.2
196.7
198.8
245.5
243.9
244.1
Dairy p ro d u c ts .....................................................................................
140.2
238.0
244.2
243.8
244.3
244.6
245.0
.......................................
131.9
134.9
134.5
134.7
134.7
134.9
135.2
132.2
134.4
134.3
134.3
134.4
134.6
134.6
Fresh whole m i l k .........................................................................
216.2
220.7
220.2
220.0
220.2
220.8
221.2
216.5
219.9
219.8
219.4
219.5
220.1
220.2
Fresh milk and cream (12/77 = 100)
238.8
243.9
244.2
244.7
244.9
Other fresh milk and cream (12/77 = 1 0 0 )...........................
131.4
Processed dairy products (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..................................
B u tte r ......................................................................
138.2
142.5
142.5
143.0
143.3
143.5
143.9
139.2
143.1
143.3
143.4
143.6
144.0
144.2
241.0
245.8
246.2
247.1
247.2
248.0
248.7
244.1
247.7
248.5
249.9
249.7
250.2
251.3
Cheese (12/77 = 100) ............................................................
137.0
140.7
140.8
140.8
140.9
141.1
141.0
137.4
141.3
141.5
140.9
140.7
141.1
141.3
Ice cream and related products (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ...................
141.4
147.6
147.9
148.7
149.9
149.3
150.3
143.2
148.0
147.9
149.1
149.9
149.4
149.4
Other dairy products (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .......................................
132.4
136.6
135.6
137.3
137.0
138.7
139.7
133.1
137.2
137.2
137.6
138.1
140.2
140.5
272.6
Fruits and vegetables
............................................................
134.9
134.2
135.4
135.2
134.9
135.3
131.9
134.5
134.4
135.3
135.2
134.9
134.9
255.6
284.4
286.1
281.6
275.2
272.0
276.4
253.9
281.7
282.5
276.3
270.8
268.1
Fresh fruits and vegetables ..........................................................
262.0
294.0
295.8
267.8
274.9
260.2
290.2
290.4
278.2
267.2
261.9
251.8
292.1
306.9
286.9
306.4
273.5
Fresh f r u i t s ..................................................................................
291.4
276.1
269.6
248.6
285.5
298.4
293.7
279.5
266.0
260.5
A p p le s .......................................................................................
218.8
251.9
282.1
262.9
237.0
248.7
261.2
216.9
253.1
284.6
261.8
236.5
249.1
261.2
252.8
269.4
Bananas ................................................................................
244.1
240.6
245.2
250.7
254.9
249.4
254.9
239.2
233.8
239.9
251.3
253.3
248.3
Oranges
..................................................................................
299.3
327.8
353.7
346.2
328.5
314.0
280.6
287.0
307.0
325.1
314.6
128.6
160.4
163.5
168.4
160.9
144.7
141.0
129.2
158.9
160.5
161.5
299.9
154.7
286.0
Other fresh fruits (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .........................................
139.7
252.8
136.7
271.5
295.9
285.5
268.6
256.8
260.1
279.8
270.9
294.4
283.2
264.4
256.1
258.2
277.6
Fresh v e g e ta b le s .........................................................................
Potatoes ..................................................................................
297.7
414.9
375.1
329.1
286.3
286.8
298.0
404.2
362.8
316.8
287.7
281.5
280.0
Lettuce ....................................................................................
255.3
261.3
290.6
293.5
258.3
257.1
343.1
253.8
259.2
290.0
292.9
257.2
247.4
342.7
Tomatoes
206.1
194.0
209.9
193.9
207.3
206.9
204.6
204.5
195.5
211.0
191.3
206.4
209.7
207.8
.............................
156.3
154.5
143.6
137.9
139.6
145.0
150.4
156.2
155.8
144.1
136.6
140.0
145.8
149.1
................................................
250.9
276.4
277.9
278.3
279.4
279.2
280.6
249.0
274.6
276.2
276.7
277.2
277.3
278.4
Processed fruits (12/77 = 100) ..............................................
129.0
143.1
143.4
143.7
144.9
145.1
145.0
129.1
142.8
143.4
143.7
144.2
144.6
144.5
Frozen fruit and fruit juices (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ........................
120.6
144.0
143.5
143.6
144.7
144.9
142.3
119.9
142.9
142.8
142.8
143.4
144.1
141.2
Fruit juices other than frozen (12/77 = 100)
...................
131.6
146.8
147.4
147.5
148.4
148.6
149.5
132.2
146.1
147.1
147.8
147.6
147.4
148.3
Canned and dried fruits (12/77 = 100) .............................
133.1
138.4
139.1
139.8
141.2
141.6
142.6
133.3
139.1
139.8
140.1
141.1
141.8
143.0
Processed vegetables (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ....................................
123.1
134.6
135.7
135.9
135.9
135.4
136.9
121.5
133.6
134.6
134.8
134.9
134.7
135.7
Frozen vegetables (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .......................................
122.1
133.2
134.9
135.7
136.9
137.4
139.1
121.2
134.1
135.7
136.6
137.5
139.2
140.2
...........................................................................
Other fresh vegetables (12/77 = 100)
Processed fruits and vegetables
78
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
290.4
23.
Continued— Consumer Price Index— U.S. city average
[ 1 9 6 7 = 1 0 0 un le ss o th e rw is e specified]
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (revised)
All Urban Consumers
General summary
1981
1980
Sept.
1981
1980
Oct
Nov.
Dec.
Dec.
July
Aug.
Sept
Oct
Nov.
Dec.
Dec.
July
Aug.
...
124.5
136.0
137.4
Other canned and dried vegetables ( 1 2 / 7 7 - 1 0 0 ) ..............
122.9
134.6
135.4
135.6
134.6
133.1
134.8
121.0
132.8
133.7
133.8
133.3
131.8
133.2
326.4
326.0
325.6
317.8
324.2
326.1
326.2
327.1
327.0
326.4
359.1
359.3
388.9
362.8
362.7
363.1
360.2
359.0
359.3
147.3
FOOD AND BEVERAGES-Continued
Food — Continued
Food at h om e— Continued
Fruits and vegetables— Continued
Cut corn and canned beans except lima (1 2 /7 7 = 1 0 0 )
136.8
137.7
138.3
138.9
122.8
134.8
135.4
135.1
135.5
136.0
136.5
Other foods at h o m e .....................................................................................
317.1
323.3
325.1
325.7
Sugar and s w e e ts ..................................................................................
386.3
360.0
361.3
361.4
359.9
....................................
136.9
145.9
146.1
146.8
148.8
149.3
149.9
137.4
147.4
147.6
148.7
148.9
Sugar and artificial sweeteners ( 1 2 / 7 7 - 1 0 0 ) ..........................
230.3
164.6
164.3
163.0
157.1
155.2
153.4
231.4
166.6
165.3
164.9
158.4
157.0
154.6
133.1
141.8
142.9
143.8
144.0
143.1
144.2
Candy and chewing gum (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 )
149.9
.......................................................
133.7
142.9
145.0
145.3
145.2
144.9
146.1
.................................................................
251.9
269.0
269.2
268.5
268.5
262.2
261.1
252.6
269.0
268.7
267.4
268.1
263.1
261.0
.......................................................................................
253.6
255.9
258.2
256.7
256.6
255.2
255.7
254.6
256.6
255.7
254.5
255.9
254.9
254.9
Nondairy substitutes and peanut butter (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 ) ............
139.6
181.0
179.8
178.5
176.5
163.0
160.1
139.9
179.4
178.8
177.2
175.2
163.0
129.1
129.4
129.6
129.2
130.3
130.4
130.1
415.2
414.7
416.0
415.2
414.2
296.6
296.1
295.7
Other sweets (12/77 -1 0 0 )
Fats and oils (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 )
Margarine
158.5
129.1
129.4
129.4
129.6
130.5
129.8
129.7
......................................................................
405.2
410.3
413.1
413.7
414.8
413.4
412.5
407.4
411.3
Cola drinks, excluding diet c o l a ...................................................
285.2
294.7
298.2
298.9
298.1
284.0
290.8
295.6
297.7
Carbonated drinks, including diet cola ( 1 2 /7 7 = 1 0 0 ) ..............
134.8
139.6
141.5
142.4
142.3
141.4
139.3
133.5
138.3
138.9
140.3
139.6
139.3
137.2
341.0
344.4
386.2
346.6
342.8
340.5
338.9
337.3
340.1
330.8
332.0
358.1
334.9
333.8
331.4
332.7
333.2
331.6
Other fats, oils, and salad dressings (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 ) .................
Nonalcoholic beverages
301.1
298.8
.............................................................................
389.7
351.4
346.0
345.1
343.1
Freeze dried and instant c o ffe e ..................................................
Other noncarbonated drinks ( 1 2 / 7 7 - 1 0 0 ) ...............................
356.5
334.3
333.3
330.8
329.9
127.5
134.2
134.9
134.9
135.6
136.4
137.0
127.7
134.0
135.0
134.6
135.5
136.4
137.1
Other prepared foods ...........................................................................
242.4
256.3
257.9
259.0
260.5
262.7
262.8
242.8
257.9
259.7
260.5
262.3
264.5
264.4
133.7
128.0
134.5
134.8
136.4
135.6
136.1
135.7
Roasted coffee
Canned and packaged soup ( 1 2 / 7 7 - 1 0 0 ) ...............................
127.2
133.2
133.6
134.9
133.1
133.4
Frozen prepared foods ( 1 2 /7 7 - 1 0 0 ) .........................................
137.6
143.7
143.5
144.8
144.1
146.5
145.9
134.8
142.3
142.5
142.7
142.8
145.1
145.3
Snacks ( 1 2 / 7 7 - 1 0 0 ) ....................................................................
138.6
147.5
148.8
149.6
152.0
152.5
152.2
140.1
150.0
151.5
152.6
155.3
155.6
154.2
134.2
148.9
148.8
142.0
144.4
144.4
146.2
133.4
141.4
142.8
142.7
144.8
147.4
147.7
133.5
142.3
142.9
143.3
143.5
145.0
144.6
136.3
144.4
145.6
145.3
145.5
146.5
146.2
...........................
133.8
140.7
142.0
142.3
144.5
144.8
145.8
133.5
141.0
142.1
142.8
143.9
145.2
145.8
Other canned and packaged prepared foods (1 2 /7 7 = 1 0 0 ) . .
130.3
139.0
139.5
139.9
140.5
141.8
142.5
130.2
139.8
140.8
141.1
141.9
143.0
143.9
Food away from h o m e .........................................................................................
277.7
292.4
293.7
294.8
296.2
297.2
297.7
281.8
295.2
296.4
297.6
299.0
299.6
300.7
142.6
143.2
143.6
143.9
144.4
144.6
137.3
143.6
144.2
144.6
145.3
145.6
146.3
Dinner (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 ) ....................................................................................
135.7
134.4
141.3
141.9
142.4
143.2
143.6
144.0
136.7
143.0
143.7
144.3
144.8
145.1
145.6
Other meals and snacks ( 1 2 / 7 7 - 1 0 0 ) .....................................................
133.7
141.6
142.1
143.1
143.9
144.6
144.7
135.6
142.7
143.1
143.9
144.8
145.1
145.4
Alcoholic beverages ..........................................................................
191.6
200.5
201.4
202.5
201.4
202.3
202.7
193.7
202.8
203.8
204.6
204.3
204.6
204.9
Seasonings, olives, pickles, and relish ( 1 2 / 7 7 - 1 0 0 ) ..............
Other condiments (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 )
................................................
Miscellaneous prepared foods (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 )
Lunch (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 )
....................................................................................
124.9
130.1
130.6
131.4
130.5
131.2
131.4
126.5
131.9
132.4
132.8
132.5
132.8
132.8
Beer and a l e ...................................................................................................
192.9
201.8
202.6
203.6
202.5
204.0
204.1
192.9
202.4
203.2
203.5
203.1
203.6
203.5
Whiskey ..........................................................................................................
W in e .................................................................................................................
138.9
217.6
143.7
227.5
144.7
227.4
145.4
144.0
144.7
228.2
145.0
230.0
140.2
229.7
144.8
227.5
227.2
236.9
145.6
235.5
146.2
237.6
146.4
238.1
146.2
237.4
145.9
238.0
Other alcoholic beverages ( 1 2 /7 7 - 1 0 0 ) ...................................................
112.7
116.3
117.0
117.5
116.3
117.3
117.3
112.1
155.9
117.0
117.1
115.7
116.8
117.4
Alcoholic beverages away from home ( 1 2 /7 7 - 1 0 0 ) .......................................
125.8
134.1
134.7
135.4
135.5
135.7
135.8
126.2
134.0
135.4
136.2
136.4
136.6
137.3
HOUSING............................................................................................
276.9
297.0
299.7
303.7
303.5
304.2
305.2
277.1
297.0
299.6
303.6
303.3
303.8
304.7
Shelter................................................................................................
298.5
318.5
322.0
326.9
326.6
327.2
328.0
300.4
320.2
323.6
328.6
328.1
328.5
329.3
Rent, re s id e n tia l.....................................................................................................
199.6
207.8
210.3
211.9
213.6
215.0
216.5
199.4
207.4
209.9
211.5
213.2
214.5
216.0
Other rental costs
................................................................................................
267.7
293.6
298.5
308.1
308.7
305.3
306.3
267.3
293.3
299.0
308.0
308.4
305.0
305.3
Lodging while out of t o w n .............................................................................
282.6
318.3
325.7
326.3
324.2
318.6
319.9
281.0
316.3
324.4
325.3
323.3
317.9
318.0
Tenants’ insurance (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 ) ...............................................................
126.9
133.3
133.9
135.9
140.0
140.4
140.7
127.2
133.7
134.5
136.4
140.1
140.3
140.6
H om oow nership.....................................................................................................
334.2
358.0
361.8
367.8
366.7
367.2
367.8
337.5
361.2
364.8
371.0
369.7
369.8
370.4
Home p u rc h a s e ..............................................................................................
267.2
274.5
271.2
268.7
Alcoholic beverages at home ( 1 2 / 7 7 - 1 0 0 ) .....................................................
271.4
272.6
272.5
270.2
270.5
268.0
272.3
273.8
271.4
268.6
.................................................................
429.4
480.0
488.3
501.8
501.8
505.6
506.3
436.0
486.9
495.3
509.0
508.3
511.9
512.9
Property insurance ................................................................................
365.8
387.1
389.0
389.7
392.5
393.3
394.1
369.0
388.3
390.5
391.9
394.7
395.5
396.5
Property taxes .......................................................................................
194.5
201.4
205.2
206.2
207.4
208.0
210.7
196.4
203.2
208.0
209.2
Contracted mortgage interest c o s t .....................................................
555.5
630.1
641.3
662.0
661.3
666.8
666.6
558.7
632.6
643.8
664.4
662.5
667.7
668.1
239.2
240.5
245.3
245.3
319.2
319.8
321.0
Financing, taxes, and insurance
207.1
210.0
212.5
Mortgage interest ra te s .................................................................
205.1
299.4
232.4
238.2
239.5
244.1
243.9
205.5
230.3
233.3
Maintenance and repairs .............................................................................
Maintenance and repair services .......................................................
296.8
319.3
320.5
321.6
320.8
322.8
324.1
294.2
316.2
315.8
321.5
349.0
350.6
352.5
351.1
353.8
355.4
320.3
350.5
349.5
318.1
352.5
354.2
354.9
356.5
Maintenance and repair commodities ................................................
239.1
249.3
249.5
248.7
249.3
249.7
250.3
236.2
242.4
243.1
244.1
244.0
244.5
244.9
equipment (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 ) ..........................................................
139.2
146.7
146.9
146.2
146.7
146.5
147.3
134.9
138.2
139.2
139.1
139.9
140.0
140.5
Lumber, awnings, glass, and masonry ( 1 2 /7 7 - 1 0 0 ) ..............
123.2
125.0
124.2
125.0
124.4
124.1
124.3
122.9
123.0
122.0
123.2
122.3
121.8
121.6
133.1
131.5
124.9
130.1
130.6
131.7
132.1
132.4
131.6
132.5
126.3
132.5
133.3
134.3
133.7
134.2
134.7
Paint and wallpaper, supplies, tools, and
Plumbing, electrical, heating, and cooling
124.8
132.7
132.0
131.2
132.4
............
124.2
129.2
130.5
131.2
131.7
131.6
Fuel and other utilities........................................................................
289.9
325.1
327.8
331.1
330.1
329.8
331.8
290.7
326.4
328.7
332.3
330.9
330.9
332.7
Fuels
364.7
417.2
419.5
422.4
419.0
417.6
420.0
364.5
417.0
418.7
422.2
418.4
417.4
419.6
Fuel oil, coal, and bottled g a s ......................................................................
585.3
677.9
674.6
673.4
672.7
676.1
682.5
587.0
681.1
677.9
677.0
675.9
679.3
685.5
Fuel o i l .....................................................................................................
610.0
711.0
707.3
705.7
704.3
706.8
713.5
610.9
713.8
710.2
709.0
707.1
709.6
716.0
167.7
169.4
150.1
165.4
165.1
165.3
166.4
169.1
170.8
358.3
359.9
313.4
356.7
359.4
363.6
359.3
357.5
358.8
supplies ( 1 2 / 7 7 - 1 0 0 ) ...............................................................
Miscellaneous supplies and equipment (12/77 -1 0 0 )
......................................................................................................................
100) ....................................................................
148.4
164.0
163.6
163.8
165.0
Gas (piped) and electricity ...........................................................................
313.9
357.6
360.8
364.5
360.6
Other fuels (6 /7 8 -
E le c tric ity .................................................................................................
262.3
305.2
311.9
309.8
303.0
298.6
300.3
262.1
306.2
312.1
309.9
302.7
297.7
299.3
Utility (piped) gas ..................................................................................
381.5
418.6
416.2
431.7
434.5
437.0
438.2
379.7
415.8
411.2
428.5
430.8
436.0
436.4
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
79
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Consumer Prices
23.
Continued— Consumer Price Index— U.S. city average
[1 9 6 7 = 100 un le ss o th e rw is e sp e cified]
All Urban Consumers
General summary
1980
Dec.
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (revised)
1981
July
Aug.
Sept
1980
Oct
Nov.
Dec.
Dec.
1981
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct
Nov.
Dec.
HOUSING — Continued
Fuel and other utilities— Continued
Other utilities and public services
........................................................................
170.6
180.8
183.7
187.4
189.4
190.7
191.9
170.7
181.3
184.3
187.8
Telephone services .........................................................................................
140.3
147.2
149.2
152.5
154.3
155.6
156.8
140.3
147.5
149.5
152.7
154.5
155.8
156.9
Local charges (12/77 = 100) ...............................................................
110.5
116.7
117.3
120.5
121.5
123.5
124.4
110.6
116.9
117.6
120.7
121.8
123.8
124.6
Interstate toll calls (12/77 = 100) ........................................................
Intrastate toll calls (12/77 = 100) ...................................................
Water and sewerage maintenance .....................................................
Household furnishings and operations ..............................
Housefurnishings ....................................................................................
101.8
109.1
113.4
114.9
189.8
191.0
192.2
116.6
116.7
116.7
101.8
109.6
113.8
115.1
116.6
116.8
116.8
100.9
101.5
101.8
103.9
105.5
105.3
107.1
100.7
101.3
101.6
103.7
105.3
105.0
106.9
267.8
294.0
299.2
304.1
305.2
306.1
307.4
268.7
295.8
301.4
306.0
307.3
307.9
309.4
211.6
222.4
222.9
224.5
225.6
227.2
227.7
209.0
219.1
219.8
221.2
222.2
223.6
224.2
178.3
186.0
186.2
187.9
188.7
189.4
189.2
176.9
184.1
184.5
185.7
186.6
187.3
187.1
Textile housefurnishings..................................................................................
193.2
202.9
203.4
207.7
210.4
211.7
211.2
196.6
206.2
207.3
213.0
214.1
214.7
213.9
Household linens (12/77 = 100) ..........................................................
117.2
123.3
124.6
127.7
130.1
130.8
128.8
122.7
126.0
126.8
129.7
132.0
131.9
129.9
Curtains, drapes, slipcovers, and sewing materials (12/77 = 100) .
123.8
129.8
129.1
131.4
132.2
133.1
134.7
122.4
131.5
132.1
136.3
135.2
136.1
137.4
197.0
206.0
205.4
207.7
207.9
209.2
209.7
194.4
202.3
201.4
202.7
203.8
205.3
206.0
........................................................
129.2
135.0
135.9
137.6
137.4
139.6
138.6
125.7
130.7
132.2
132.9
132.3
135.2
135.2
Sofas (12/77 = 100) .............................................................................
115.3
117.6
116.0
118.6
119.3
118.7
119.4
114.7
116.2
115.0
117.4
119.0
118.8
119.5
Furniture and bedding
....................................................................................
Bedroom furniture (12/77 = 100)
Living room chairs and tables (12/77 = 100) ....................................
113.1
117.9
116.7
116.8
117.0
118.8
119.0
115.2
119.5
116.9
117.2
118.5
118.9
119.1
Other furniture (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ...............................................................
Appliances Including TV and sound equip m e n t............................................
127.8
142.4
136.2
147.1
135.9
147.3
137.3
147.7
137.3
147.8
137.1
148.2
138.4
147.9
124.7
142.0
132.9
146.3
132.2
146.6
132.3
146.7
133.0
147.2
133.1
147.7
134.0
147.5
Television and sound equipment (12/77 = 100) ...............................
Television .........................................................................................
107.2
108.8
108.6
108.7
109.1
109.0
108.9
106.1
107.7
107.8
107.8
108.1
108 3
108.0
105.2
105.6
105.0
104.6
105.0
104.8
104.7
103.7
104.5
104.2
103.6
103.8
103.6
103.3
110.1
112.7
112.8
113.4
113.8
113.9
113.7
109.2
111.4
111.9
112.4
112.8
Sound equipment (12/77 = 100)
................................................
113.4
112.9
Household a p p lia n c e s .............................................................................
165.9
174.2
174.9
175.7
175.3
176.1
175.9
166.3
173.6
174.1
174.4
175.1
175.9
176.0
Refrigerators and home fre e z e rs ...................................................
166.5
174.2
175.8
177.5
177.0
178.7
179.9
170.9
178.1
178.9
180.6
181.6
182.7
185.3
Laundry equipment (12/77 = 100) ..............................................
123.4
128.1
129.2
129.7
130.5
130.7
130.5
121.4
128.3
129.1
128.8
129.8
130.8
130.3
Other household appliances (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ...............................
113.1
119.6
119.5
119.7
118.9
119.4
118.7
112.8
117.1
117.0
117.1
117.1
117.4
116.8
112.0
119.2
118.5
118.8
118.2
118.7
117.9
113.9
117.1
116.4
116.0
115.9
116.8
116.2
114.3
120.1
119.8
111.5
117.1
117.7
118.3
118.4
118.1
117.3
133.1
134.2
120.1
134.4
119.6
131.2
120.6
131.7
120.8
124.8
134.0
123.1
129.8
131.0
131.6
132.4
132.4
131.9
124.6
132.4
133.4
134.8
135.4
136.1
135.9
118.4
127.1
129.3
129.6
129.6
129.7
128.3
121.7
125.0
125.8
128.2
128.7
129.5
128.4
118.8
122.9
122.5
123.8
124.5
125.2
124.7
Stoves, dishwashers, vacuums, and sewing
machines (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ........................................................
Office machines, small electric appliances,
and air conditioners (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).......................................
Other household equipment (12/77 = 1 0 0 )................................................
Floor and window coverings, infants’, laundry,
cleaning, and outdoor equipment (12/77 = 100) ..........................
Clocks, lamps, and decor items (12/77 = 100)
...............................
Tableware, serving pieces, and nonelectric
kitchenware (12/77 = 100) ...............................................................
130.8
139.5
138.9
140.4
141.1
141.2
141.0
127.6
136.4
137.0
137.8
137.9
137.5
137.1
Lawn equipment, power tools, and other hardware (12/77 = 100) .
118.7
122.7
124.0
124.5
127.2
126.9
126.3
122.3
126.7
128.8
129.2
131.2
131.6
131.5
Housekeeping s u p p lie s ............................................................................................
257.7
271.5
272.0
273.3
274.3
275.4
277.4
256.0
267.9
268.6
270.4
271.2
271.9
274.1
Soaps and detergents ..................................................................................
254.0
266.5
267.0
268.9
269.3
269.7
271.6
252.3
263.1
263.6
265.6
265.3
265.2
268.0
Other laundry and cleaning products (12/77 = 100) ...............................
127.6
134.8
134.8
135.7
136.7
137.3
138.8
127.6
133.6
134.7
135.8
136.6
137.0
Cleansing and toilet tissue, paper towels and napkins (12/77 = 100) . .
136.1
138.8
138.4
139.9
141.8
143.6
144.5
137.6
139.0
138.7
140.4
142.4
143.9
144.4
Stationery, stationery supplies, and gift wrap (12/77 = 100)
.................
119.5
126.6
126.6
127.2
128.1
128.5
128.8
120.0
127.9
128.2
128.7
130.8
131.3
131.6
Miscellaneous household products (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ....................................
132.5
128.4
140.5
141.7
142.8
142.8
143.0
145.4
129.5
136.6
136.9
138.1
137.8
137.4
140.4
138.8
139.2
137.8
136.6
136.8
136.7
122.5
131.7
131.8
131.1
129.0
129.6
129.4
Lawn and garden supplies (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..................................................
Housekeeping s e rv ic e s ................................................................................
137.5
277.1
295.3
296.9
298.3
300.5
305.2
306.9
273.8
293.4
295.1
296.9
298.9
303.9
305.4
257.3
308.0
308.0
308.0
308.0
337.5
337.5
257.3
308.1
308.1
308.1
308.1
337.5
337.5
........................................................
134.4
143.1
143.9
144.7
145.5
147.0
147.8
131.8
142.8
143.8
144.9
145.2
146.7
147.6
Appliance and furniture repair (12/77 = 100) ...........................................
121.4
127.8
128.5
129.0
131.3
132.2
133.0
120.6
126.4
127.2
128.3
130.5
131.2
131.6
APPAREL AND UPKEEP........................................................
183.9
184.7
187.4
190.7
191.5
191.3
190.5
182.9
185.5
187.9
190.5
190.6
190.5
189.4
Apparel commodities........................................................
176.0
175.1
178.0
181.4
182.1
181.8
180.7
175.3
176.6
179.0
181.6
181.5
181 5
180.1
Postage ........................................................................................................
Moving, storage, freight, household laundry, and
drycleaning services (12/77 = 100)
Apparel commodities less fo o tw e a r..........................................................
172.5
171.2
174.3
178.0
178.4
177.9
176.6
171.6
172.8
175.2
178.1
177.7
177.3
Men’s and boys’ .............................................................................
174.3
175.6
177.6
181.1
183.6
183.6
181.6
174.4
176.9
178.4
181.4
182.9
183.2
181.7
Men's (12/77 = 100) ............................................................
109.8
110.3
111.7
114.3
115.9
115.9
114.5
109.9
111.6
112.8
115.0
115.8
115.9
115.0
103.5
102.5
108.8
109.8
102.1
102.0
Suits, sport coats, and jackets (12/77 = 100) ...........................
105.6
109.9
106.4
97.4
99.7
Coats and jackets (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ................................................
99.7
96.7
97.7
101.0
102.4
102.8
101.4
101.9
100.8
102.4
106.1
104.9
105.1
104.1
Furnishings and special clothing (12/77 = 100) ........................
123.9
129.6
129.5
132.7
134.3
133.6
134.2
120.0
124.8
125.3
128.5
130.0
129.8
130.6
Shirts (12/77 = 100) ......................................................................
119.7
120.6
125.3
115.5
117.9
98.2
175.6
102.0
99.5
123.0
123.0
122.7
120.7
118.8
122.1
123.9
125.5
125.4
........................
103.4
106.5
106.6
107.8
109.2
109.8
108.5
108.1
113.2
112.5
113.5
114.7
115.5
.............................................................................
113.1
115.1
115.8
116.4
118.1
118.0
117.2
112.6
113.6
113.8
114.8
116.4
116.5
115.4
Coats, jackets, sweaters, and shirts (12/77 = 100) .................
108.6
107.0
109.2
111.3
111.9
111.6
109.9
111.8
107.6
109.5
112.3
113.5
112.8
110.9
Dungarees, jeans, and trousers (12/77 = 100)
Boys’ (12/77 = 100)
Furnishings (12/77 = 100) ............................................................
118.7
124.5
124.3
125.0
125.6
114.1
127.0
127.5
116.2
120.6
120.3
120.9
121.8
123.3
123.5
..........
114.3
117.7
117.5
117.0
119.9
119.3
118.8
112.0
115.6
114.7
114.4
116.6
116.9
115.9
W omen’s and girls’ .........................................................................................
157.4
153.5
157.8
162.9
161.2
160.6
157.9
162.7
Suits, trousers, sport coats, and jackets (12/77 = 100)
Women's (12/77 -
1 0 0 ) ........................................................................
Coats and jackets
...........................................................................
159.6
158.2
161.2
164.9
104.4
101.2
104.4
108.1
106.8
106.3
105.8
105.3
104.5
107.1
109.8
108.1
107.6
107.1
161.4
153.9
162.1
170.8
167.3
164.0
161.8
172.2
159.0
154.1
168.7
177.8
171.4
166.3
167.3
153.4
162.1
160.7
Dresses ..............................................................................................
163.8
162.2
166.9
165.0
164.0
151.5
151.9
149.5
95.1
101.1
100,4
100.7
99.1
101.1
103.3
102.3
101.9
101.3
120.0
121.2
122.8
123.0
101.1
124.1
154.3
102.4
155.5
101.4
116.8
166.2
97.4
170.8
Separates and sportswear (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..................................
124.8
116.6
120.1
121.0
122.7
123.4
124.0
124.5
91.9
78.6
87.0
95.4
92.4
89.5
87.7
98.2
100.6
109.8
115.0
110.2
108.5
106.0
Underwear, nightwear, and hosiery (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ...................
Suits (12/77 = 1 0 0 )........................................................................
Girls' (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ...........................................................................
106.1
107.9
109.7
Coats, jackets, dresses, and suits (12/77 = 1 0 0 )......................
101.3
100.0
101.6
103.3
99.8
100.3
98.4
98.6
98.9
101.5
103.3
99.8
99.9
96.1
Separates and sportswear (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..................................
106.1
106.1
106.5
108.7
111.0
112.0
111.3
108.9
106.6
108.9
108.9
110.0
110.6
110.2
107.5
113.8
117.6
117.0
117.9
119.6
120.0
120.7
112.2
116.3
115.1
115.5
118.5
119.0
119.5
109.2
109.2
107.7
104.9
106.9
107.6
108.8
108.4
108.4
106.0
Underwear, nightwear, hosiery, and
accessories (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .......................................................
80
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
23.
Continued— Consumer Price Index— U.S. city average
[1 9 6 7 = 100 u n less o th e rw ise specified]
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (revised)
All Urban Consumers
General summary
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
255.4
272.9
279.3
279.8
281.6
274.1
270.6
204.4
204.8
206.1
206.0
206.2
206.1
203.2
118.3
110.0
113.6
115.3
116.4
116.3
116.4
116.2
147.5
147.4
142.3
141.0
141.4
140.9
141.1
141.0
138.4
204.2
205.4
205.7
196.7
199.2
200.8
202.3
204.1
206.2
205.9
129.3
130.3
130.7
126.0
129.5
129.8
129.7
130.3
132.3
132.5
132.1
127.8
128.7
130.4
130.7
132.2
134.0
134.8
Nov.
Dec.
Dec.
266.4
268.5
264.9
259.4
213.3
216.2
214.8
214.5
117.5
118.3
118.1
118.6
146.6
147.2
146.2
149.0
196.6
199.0
200.0
202.4
124.6
128.0
128.3
128.8
July
Aug.
Sept.
Infants’ and toddlers’ ....................................................................................
250.1
259.8
263.6
Other apparel commodities
213.3
212.4
214.0
100) ..................................
110.6
115.3
100) ................................................
149.5
..................................................................................
APPAREL AND UPKEEP
July
Oct.
Dec.
1981
1980
1981
1980
Continued
Apparel commodities — Continued
Apparel commodities less footwear — Continued
........................................................................
Sewing materials and notions (12/77 Jewelry and luggage (12/77 -
Men’s (12/77 -
100)
.................................................................
126.6
130.1
129.1
129.7
131.1
132.1
Women's (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .............................................................................
120.0
118.7
120.6
123.5
124.9
125.2
125.4
117.5
117.8
118.9
121.2
122.5
122.9
121.6
Apparel services ................................................................................
243.4
258.9
260.2
262.0
263.2
264.6
266.4
242.2
256.3
258.2
260.0
262.1
262.3
264.4
Laundry and drycleaning other than coin operated (12/77 -
1 0 0 ) ..............
143.5
153.8
154.7
155.7
157.1
158.2
159.2
143.2
153.1
153.9
155.0
156.4
156.3
157.8
............................................................
130.5
136.7
137.2
138.2
137.5
137.9
139.1
129.9
135.1
136.5
137.4
138.3
138.6
139.6
TRANSPORTATION ............................................................................
261.1
282.6
283.7
285.2
287.2
289.1
289.8
261.9
283.9
285.1
286.6
288.9
290.8
291.5
Private................................................................................................
259.4
279.6
280.5
281.9
283.9
285.8
286.5
260.8
281.6
282.6
284.1
286.4
288.3
289.0
184.5
192.5
191.9
191.3
192.5
195.3
197.0
184.6
192.9
192.1
191.4
192.7
195.2
196.9
234.4
260.3
266.9
272.8
278.2
281.4
281.9
234.4
260.3
266.9
272.8
278.2
281.4
281.9
Boys’ and girls’ (12/77 = 100)
Other apparel services (12/77 = 100)
Automobile maintenance and re p a ir...................................................................
Body work (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ...........................................................................
373.3
412.9
411.7
411.2
409.9
409.5
408.4
374.4
414.0
412.9
412.4
411.3
410.9
409.8
280.1
293.5
295.5
298.7
301.3
302.8
304.1
280.6
293.4
296.1
299.3
301.8
303.4
304.8
136.8
144.1
145.8
147.4
148.7
149.9
150.6
136.7
143.3
145.4
146.1
147.2
148.3
148.9
Automobile drive train, brake, and miscellaneous
134.0
139.9
140.9
143.1
144.0
144.2
144.7
135.6
141.4
142.6
145.5
146.5
147.3
148.5
..............................................
131.6
137.4
137.8
138.9
140.3
140.9
141.5
131.7
137.3
138.2
139.2
140.3
140.5
141.0
............................................................
132.7
139.9
141.2
142.6
144.0
144.9
145.6
132.2
139.1
140.5
141.9
143.5
144.7
145.1
................................................................................
231.0
242.9
243.0
244.2
247.5
249.5
250.6
233.2
246.0
245.6
246.9
250.6
253.0
254.2
................................................
203.6
208.8
212.1
212.6
212.7
213.4
214.5
205.7
210.8
213.4
215.5
216.1
216.8
216.9
100) ...................
138.8
144.8
146.8
147.7
148.0
148.5
148.7
139.0
143.4
144.1
145.3
144.8
146.7
147.2
1 0 0 ) .............................
130.6
133.6
135.7
136.0
136.0
136.4
137.2
132.0
135.2
137.0
138.4
138.9
139.2
139.2
182.1
185.6
189.3
189.7
189.4
189.7
191.5
184.7
188.4
191.5
194.1
194.6
195.1
195.2
mechanical repair (12/77 = 100) ..........................................................
Maintenance and servicing (12/77 Power plant repair (12/77 = 100)
Other private transportation
100)
Other private transportation commodities
Motor oil, coolant, and other products (12/77 Automobile parts and equipment (12/77 -
132.9
133.2
134.3
134.1
133.9
.............................
127.6
131.7
132.4
133.9
127.8
132.2
Other private transportation s e rv ic e s ..........................................................
240.6
254.3
253.6
255.0
259.1
261.5
262.6
242.9
257.7
256.6
257.7
262.2
265.1
266.6
262.0
264.6
265.4
266.0
252.0
259.6
260.1
261.8
264.3
265.0
265.5
189.9
Other parts and equipment (12/77 -
100)
132.8
133.4
134.1
Automobile insurance ...........................................................................
Automobile finance charges (12/77 - 100) ....................................
252.5
259.8
260.3
159.4
180.9
177.3
178.0
184.4
188.7
190.5
157.9
179.9
176.3
176.5
183.1
187.6
Automobile rental, registration, and other fees (12/77 = 100) . . .
115.8
118.0
119.5
120.1
120.2
120.7
120.8
117.5
118.4
119.5
119.8
120.0
121.1
121.4
148.0
149.0
149.0
State registration ...........................................................................
146.9
147.9
Drivers’ licenses (12/77 - 100) ................................................
Vehicle inspection (12/77 - 100) ..............................................
Other vehicle-related fees (12/77
100) ...............................
105.3
124.3
132.7
105.9
128.6
Public...................................................................................................
280.1
=
147.9
147.9
147.9
149.0
149.0
147.0
147.9
148.0
148.0
106.2
109.6
109.9
110.4
105.1
105.6
105.9
109.5
109.8
110.3
111.9
<’ )
(’ )
(’ )
111.9
128.3
129.3
143.1
( 1)
145.8
(M
145.9
( 1)
146.5
( 1)
148.6
129.0
149.2
136.6
( 1)
140.0
140.9
141.2
141.3
141.6
125.1
142.0
323.1
326.5
329.1
330.8
333.2
333.8
271.8
317.7
320.9
324.5
326.6
328.2
328.6
327.4
367.3
371.4
372.5
372.0
374.5
374.7
325.7
365.6
370.0
371.8
372.9
373.1
372.8
310.1
343.5
347.5
351.4
361.3
362.2
365.2
309.8
343.6
347.3
351.7
362.1
362.9
366.1
304.4
304.6
236.5
291.0
293.9
299.2
301.3
303.6
303.9
237.1
290.7
294.0
298.6
301.7
269.7
287.1
288.1
288.6
289.3
291.3
294.7
275.9
295.7
296.7
297.1
298.1
300.4
304.1
Intercity train f a r e ...................................................................................................
270.1
304.6
304.6
305.0
315.0
319.2
319.2
270.3
304.9
305.0
305.2
314.9
318.9
318.9
MEDICAL CARE ..................................................................................
275.8
295.6
299.3
301.7
304.8
308.2
310.2
277.6
295.4
298.6
300.9
304.0
307.1
309.1
Medical care commodities..................................................................
175.1
187.7
189.4
190.8
192.1
193.1
194.9
175.6
189.2
190.6
191.9
192.9
193.8
195.4
160.7
173.7
175.4
176.5
178.6
179.6
181.0
161.5
175.0
176.5
178.0
179.4
180.3
181.9
124.7
133.9
138.4
134.8
136.5
136.8
136.3
137.8
126.4
135.8
137.0
139.2
139.6
138.9
139.7
139.6
140.0
141.9
143.6
144.8
128.6
137.6
138.8
139.7
141.3
143.3
144.4
119.1
126.5
127.6
127.8
129.5
130.4
131.9
120.2
127.9
128.6
129.0
130.5
131.0
131.8
100) .......................................
142.3
158.1
160.4
160.6
161.9
163.3
164.6
141.7
158.2
160.3
161.4
162.8
164.1
165.9
100) ....................................
126.9
139.1
140.2
141.7
144.1
144.9
145.9
129.6
141.8
142.7
143.8
144.2
145.4
147.3
122.4
131.8
133.1
134.1
136.8
137.5
138.1
123.1
132.5
133.9
134.6
136.1
136.8
138.0
........................
126.2
134.5
135.6
136.7
137.8
135.8
136.7
137.4
137.9
138.5
120.8
125.8
126.3
126.9
139.2
128.4
126.5
........................................................................
137.0
127.4
Intracity mass transit
............................................................................................
Anti-infective drugs (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ............................................................
Tranquilizers and sedatives (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..............................................
Circulatories and diuretics (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ................................................
130.2
Hormones, diabetic drugs, biologicals, and
prescription medical supplies (12/77 Pain and symptom control drugs (12/77
-
Supplements, cough and cold preparations, and
respiratory agents (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..........................................................
Nonprescription drugs and medical supplies (12/77 = 100)
Eyeglasses (12/77 = 100)
Internal and respiratory over-the-counter drugs .......................................
Nonprescription medical equipment and supplies (12/77 = 1 0 0 )..........
Medical care services ........................................................................
127.8
139.7
120.4
125.0
125.3
126.0
126.0
126.7
127.1
217.5
218.9
219.5
220.2
222.8
198.1
213.1
215.5
217.8
217.3
218.6
221.6
198.0
215.4
122.5
129.9
130.4
131.4
132.7
133.7
134.6
123.7
132.2
132.3
132.6
133.8
134.7
135.2
329.7
333.7
335.7
300.0
318.5
322.1
324.7
328.3
332.0
334.0
297.9
319.2
323.4
326.1
261.7
280.4
282.9
284.3
286.4
288.4
290.0
265.0
280.8
282.7
284.5
286.2
288.2
290.3
280.3
300.7
302.7
304.9
307.9
311.3
313.0
285.7
304.7
306.7
308.6
310.9
314.1
316.0
248.6
266.5
269.9
270.8
271.6
272.3
273.9
251.3
264.6
266.6
268.4
269.5
270.1
272.3
Other professional services (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..............................................
128.5
136.8
137.3
137.7
138.9
139.5
140.3
126.6
132.7
133.6
134.3
134.9
136.2
137.2
Other medical care s e rv ic e s ................................................................................
341.6
366.1
372.5
376.5
382.1
388.4
390.9
342.9
364.6
370.6
374.1
380.3
386.2
388.1
141.7
151.7
154.7
156.6
159.0
161.9
162.7
141.3
150.3
153.1
154.8
157.9
160.6
161.1
519.3
443.1
472.2
482.6
488.5
498.9
509.6
512.6
159.6
140.6
149.4
151.8
153.4
156.1
158.3
158.4
Hospital and other medical services (12/77 -
1 0 0 ) ...............................
Other hospital and medical care services (12/77 = 1 0 0 )...............
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
443.7
478.0
4894
494.6
503.0
515.4
141.4
150.4
152.9
155.0
157.2
159.2
81
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Consumer Prices
23.
Continued— Consumer Price Index— U.S. city average
[1967=100 unless otherwise specified]
All Urban Consumers
General summary
1980
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (revised)
1981
1980
1981
Dec.
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
ENTERTAINMENT..........................................
212.0
221.1
222.3
224.0
225.5
226.8
227.3
210.1
218.7
219.9
221.5
223.4
224.3
224.4
Entertainment commodities..................
215.3
225.5
226.5
227.9
228.9
230.3
230.6
210.9
221.1
222.2
224.0
224.2
225.5
225.4
Reading materials (12/77 = 1 0 G )..................................
Nov.
Dec.
Dec.
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
128.2
136.0
136.0
138.1
138.7
139.8
139.6
127.6
135.9
135.9
137.8
138.3
Newspapers ....................................
139.3
139.1
246.2
265.0
265.5
266.3
267.1
267.6
267.7
245.5
265.0
265.4
266.2
266.9
267.5
267.6
Magazines, periodicals, and books (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..................................
131.5
137.3
137.2
141.1
141.9
143.9
143.5
131.5
137.4
137.1
141.2
141.9
143.7
143.4
Sporting goods and equipment (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ....................................
122.9
127.0
127.2
127.3
128.3
130.2
130.0
117.8
120.6
120.8
121.3
121.4
122.8
122.4
124.0
129.0
128.6
128.4
129.4
116.5
118.5
118.3
118.7
118.6
116.2
117.7
118.2
119.1
119.2
( 1)
119.6
132.1
Indoor and warm weather sport equipment (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ...................
119.9
113.4
117.0
116.7
117.2
117.3
( 1)
118.2
B ic y c le s .................................................................
117.9
184.7
191.0
192.2
193.2
194.4
194.3
193.9
184.9
192.1
193.5
193.9
195.9
196.3
195.2
Other sporting goods and equipment (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .............................
120.4
122.7
124.1
125.0
126.6
126.7
126.2
119.3
122.9
124.9
125.8
126.2
126.9
126.3
Toys, hobbies, and other entertainment (12/77 = 1 0 0 )..................................
123.5
Sport vehicles (12/77 = 100)
....................................
129.3
120.2
130.5
131.0
131.3
131.3
132.0
121.8
128.5
129.6
130.6
130.5
130.8
130.9
121.3
127.9
129.3
129.4
129.6
129.7
130.1
118.5
125.3
126.6
127.1
126.2
126.7
126.9
Photographic supplies and equipment (12/77 = 1 0 0 ).............................
122.0
125.7
126.0
126.4
126.0
125.5
125.2
122.4
127.0
127.1
127.7
127.8
127.5
Pet supplies and expenses (12/77 = 100) .......................................
126.3
128.4
134.5
136.2
137.2
138.3
138.3
140.2
127.6
135.1
136.6
138.8
139.9
140.1
140.9
Entertainment services ..........................................
207.8
215.2
216.7
218.9
221.0
222.3
223.0
209.7
215.8
217.0
218.3
223.3
223.4
223.9
Fees for participant sports (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .......................................
125.7
131.6
132.0
134.3
136.4
137.3
137.6
125.9
131.6
132.4
134.0
138.9
139.1
Admissions (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..............................................
Other entertainment services (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ....................................
139.3
123.1
119.4
125.9
121.7
128.1
121.7
128.0
122.5
128.3
123.1
128.9
123.4
129.7
123.7
124.0
121.8
125.7
123.2
126.9
123.1
127.3
122.7
128.2
124.2
128.3
124.1
128.7
124.3
Toys, hobbies, and music equipment (12/77 = 100)
..........................
OTHER GOODS AND SERVICES..............................
224.6
234.4
235.6
243.0
245.2
245.9
246.7
223.0
232.4
233.5
239.3
241.4
242.5
243.5
Tobacco products ..........................................
210.8
219.3
219.9
221.7
225.3
226.2
226.8
210.4
218.4
219.1
220.9
224.5
225.4
225.9
C ig a re tte s ...................................................................
213.5
221.6
222.2
224.2
228.1
228.9
229.7
213.2
220.7
221.4
223.4
227.2
228.1
228.7
Other tobacco products and smoking accessories (12/77 = 100) . . .
124.9
132.5
132.9
133.1
134.0
134.7
134.4
124.5
133.4
133.9
134.4
134.7
135.0
134.7
Personal care ........................................
220.9
233.4
235.1
236.3
236.9
237.7
239.1
220.0
231.2
232.4
233.6
234.1
235.5
237.1
Toilet goods and personal care a p p lia nces...........................................
215.2
228.7
230.1
231.2
231.6
232.5
234.7
214.3
228.4
229.4
231.1
231.4
233.1
235.4
135.8
Products for the hair, hairpieces, and wigs (12/77 = 100) ...................
125.2
133.9
134.1
134.1
134.9
135.4
136.5
125.3
131.7
132.5
133.3
131.8
133.3
Dental and shaving products (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) ..........................
128.4
139.0
140.0
140.0
139.8
140.5
141.2
125.4
137.1
137.6
138.0
138.0
139.3
139.8
122.6
127.7
128.9
130.7
131.2
131.8
133.2
121.4
128.3
128.9
130.4
131.6
132.2
133.7
124.8
133.0
133.9
134.2
133.7
134.3
136.0
126.8
135.9
136.4
137.4
138.2
139.1
139.1
226.8
238.4
240.3
241.5
242.3
243.1
243.9
225.8
234.4
235.7
236.3
237.1
238.1
239.2
228.7
240.5
241.9
243.0
243.9
244.8
245.2
227.5
235.1
235.7
236.1
236.7
237.8
238.8
126.4
132.7
134.4
135.3
135.6
135.9
136.8
126.0
131.8
133.3
133.9
134.5
134.9
135.7
251.5
259.2
260.4
281.5
284.6
284.9
285.1
251.7
260.1
261.7
281.8
284.8
285.6
285.9
Cosmetics, bath and nail preparations, manicure
and eye makeup Implements (12/77 = 100) .......................................
Other toilet goods and small personal care appliances (12/77 = 100)
Personal care s e rv ic e s ........................................................
Beauty parlor services for w o m e n ..................................
Haircuts and other barber shop services for men (12/77 = 100)
Personal and educational expenses ............
Schoolbooks and supplies
...............................
Personal and educational s e rv ic e s ...........................
Tuition and other school fees .............................
College tuition (12/77 = 100) .............................
Elementary and high school tuition (12/77 = 100)
Personal expenses (12/77 = 1 0 0 ) .............................
..........
___
222.1
231.3
231.4
252.1
254.5
254.6
254.5
225.8
235.2
235.2
255.9
258.3
258.3
258.5
258.2
265.8
267.2
288.5
291.7
292.1
292.3
258.1
266.4
268.4
288.5
291.6
292.5
292.8
132.2
133.5
134.2
147.4
149.0
149.1
149.1
132.4
133.7
134.7
147.7
149.3
149.4
149.4
148.3
148.3
131.5
132.9
133.1
146.1
148.1
148.1
148.1
131.5
133.0
133.2
146.3
148.2
134.4
135.3
137.8
151.5
151.6
152.0
152.0
134.3
135.4
138.7
152.1
152.2
152.7
152.7
133.4
147.9
148.7
150.0
152.3
152.8
153.4
132.2
146.6
147.6
148.5
150.4
152.1
152.7
Special indexes:
Gasoline, motor oil, coolant, and other p ro d u c ts ..................................
Insurance and finance
368.3
407.1
405.9
405.4
404.3
403.9
402.8
369.4
408.0
406.9
406.5
405.4
405.1
404.0
364.5
402.7
408.1
417.6
419.0
422.2
423.1
364.7
402.4
407.3
416.4
417.6
Utilities and public tra n s p o rta tio n .........................................
420.9
422.1
255.8
286.5
289.7
293.3
292.7
292.6
293.9
254.4
285.6
288.5
292.4
291.6
291.5
Housekeeping and home maintenance services .................
292.6
308.4
332.3
334.0
335.7
335.9
339.6
341.3
306.6
322.8
333.0
335.5
337.3
339.9
341.5
.......................................
Digitized 82
for FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
24.
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Cross classification of region and population size class by expenditure
category and commodity and service group
[D e c e m b e r 1977 = 1 0 0 ]
Size class A
(1.25 million or more)
Category and group
Oct.
Dec.
Aug.
|
Oct.
1981
1981
1981
1981
Aug.
Size class D
(75,000 or less)
Size class C
(75,000-385,000)
Size class B
(385,000-1.250 million)
Aug.
Dec.
Oct.
Dec.
Aug.
Oct.
Dec.
Northeast
EXPENDITURE CATEGORY
All Items .............................................................................
Food and beverages ....................................................
Housing ......................................................................
Apparel and upkeep ....................................................
Transportation..............................................................
Medical care................................................................
Entertainment ..............................................................
Other goods and services ............................................
146.2
147.8
148.0
160.4
117.6
118.9
117.5
118.3
154.5
156.3
157.9
161.3
164.0
137.6
140.0
142.0
139.2
143.6
COMMODITY AND SERVICE GROUP
Commodities......................................................................
Commodities less food and beverages ..........................
Services ............................................................................
143.5
150.7
142.1
143.8
144.2
150.5
152.3
152.9
156.2
159.2
147.7
149.2
139.4
139.7
139.6
139.9
139.9
139.6
142.3
142.6
142.8
137.6
137.4
137.0
161.4
161.9
170.4
170.1
176.3
155.2
156.6
159.3
124.8
123.1
123.5
124.8
125.9
125.7
126.5
125.4
165.4
160.5
162.0
162.7
158.3
159.7
161.8
146.6
140.8
146.5
146.3
138.9
142.3
133.2
134.3
137.5
138.5
147.2
155.3
143.0
131.8
131.9
129.1
129.6
131.0
127.8
129.5
133.7
131.7
127.2
134.6
135.4
132.2
138.0
138.7
135.8
141.5
142.0
129.5
141.0
142.1
141.8
148.6
149.6
149.6
149.1
149.8
151.1
146.0
146.4
142.0
143.7
143.2
152.7
154.3
154.5
152.3
153.1
154.9
150.0
150.7
152.1
146.0
147.3
153.6
156.5
158.0
165.4
166.7
172.5
150.5
153.5
156.1
129.3
North Central region
EXPENDITURE CATEGORY
All items ............................................................................
Food and beverages ....................................................
Housing ......................................................................
Apparel and upkeep ....................................................
Transportation..............................................................
Medical care................................................................
Entertainment ..............................................................
Other goods and services ............................................
COMMODITY AND SERVICE GROUP
Commodities......................................................................
Commodities less food and beverages ..........................
Services ............................................................................
152.3
152.6
152.6
148.1
148.8
149.2
145.4
145.9
147.4
145.3
146.7
147.6
139.4
139.7
139.8
139.2
139.3
139.3
140.8
140.3
140.7
142.4
143.3
143.4
165.9
164.4
163.3
154.7
153.6
153.8
148.5
147.5
150.0
147.0
148.3
149.1
112.9
115.5
113.7
120.2
127.2
128.0
116.9
123.4
122.4
121.6
123.1
123.6
162.3
157.6
158.6
160.1
147.7
146.9
147.7
151.2
158.9
161.2
162.9
158.4
159.5
160.8
159.3
161.2
141.3
142.8
144.6
144.5
145.6
' 146.8
143.9
145.3
130.9
132.2
134.1
188.4
123.8
124.4
129.8
131.3
132.6
128.1
128.4
129.2
131.2
136.0
137.0
136.5
142.4
142.9
131.5
135.1
135.6
133.6
140.4
141.7
145.7
145.7
145.1
142.9
142.9
142.9
141.7
141.4
142.2
139.4
140.7
140.7
148.7
148.5
147.6
144.5
144.4
144.4
142.1
141.9
142.8
138.1
139.6
139.5
154.8
156.2
158.7
162.1
162.9
163.7
156.4
158.3
159.5
151.6
153.3
156.1
South
EXPENDITURE CATEGORY
All items ............................................................................
Food and beverages ....................................................
Housing ......................................................................
Apparel and upkeep ............ ....................................
Transportation..............................................................
Medical care................................................................
Entertainment..............................................................
Other goods and services ............................................
COMMODITY AND SERVICE GROUP
Commodities......................................................................
Commodities less food and beverages ..........................
Services ........................ , ..................................................
148.2
150.9
152.0
151.6
153.4
155.9
147.2
149.4
150.8
140.2
141.2
141.4
141.7
141.1
141.3
141.6
141.2
141.9
143.9
144.0
143.4
155.3
154.7
159.7
150.9
153.5
156.2
115.1
118.3
118.2
108.6
111.8
110.4
160.2
162.3
148.5
149.2
152.3
154.9
158.6
160.3
160.5
162.5
166.7
121.9
124.4
123.5
120.6
122.6
123.7
158.9
160.6
161.9
160.3
162.3
164.1
158.6
159.1
160.6
161.6
138.3
141.6
143.2
141.6
145.9
147.6
145.6
148.8
153.0
149.9
156.3
160.1
132.1
132.7
134.8
138.5
136.4
139.9
138.6
138.8
138.4
134.8
139.5
140.5
125.3
135.3
127.1
139.2
127.4
139.7
132.2
134.6
133.4
139.5
137.1
139.5
143.5
145.0
145.9
144.7
145.7
147.5
143.1
143.6
145.3
143.2
144.1
145.1
144.9
146.6
147.9
146.0
147.7
150.1
143.8
144.6
146.7
143.0
144.2
145.8
154.9
159.3
160.5
161.9
164.9
168.6
156.9
157.9
163.1
153.1
157.4
159.5
West
EXPENDITURE CATEGORY
All items .............................................................................
Food and beverages ....................................................
Housing ......................................................................
Apparel and upkeep ....................................................
Transportation..............................................................
Medical care................................................................
Entertainment ..............................................................
Other goods and services ............................................
COMMODITY AND SERVICE GROUP
Commodities......................................................................
Commodities less food and beverages ........................
Services ..........................................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
152.4
156.3
156.1
151.2
155.0
155.1
146.4
149.2
149.4
147.7
152.1
149.1
140.3
140.3
140.8
144.6
144.9
145.4
141.2
141.4
140.1
145.2
145.5
145.8
153.8
145.6
153.9
146.1
160.6
167.1
165.5
156.6
162.6
161.6
148.9
153.5
121.2
121.8
121.9
124.5
127.6
127.1
114.6
116.5
117.1
134.4
135.9
135.6
159.3
161.8
162.9
161.1
163.5
165.0
160.8
162.1
149.4
162.8
161.0
151.1
162.5
150.4
152.8
155.7
146.1
148.1
151.3
147.0
149.9
164.6
149.2
150.5
130.2
133.0
133.6
130.1
132.5
133.9
130.8
131.4
129.4
145.4
144.4
145.6
136.4
140.1
141.0
137.3
141.4
142.8
131.3
136.1
136.8
141.0
145.5
148.0
143.4
145.1
144.9
145.2
147.0
147.2
142.6
144.4
143.7
144.5
146.2
145.5
144.7
147.1
146.6
145.5
147.8
148.0
145.6
145.1
144.2
146.5
145.4
164.3
171.2
170.9
159.4
166.0
166.0
143.2
151.7
156.1
157.5
152.5
160.9
154.6
83
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Consumer Prices
25.
Consumer Price Index— U.S. city average, and selected areas
[ 1 9 6 7 = 1 0 0 un le ss o th e rw is e sp e cified]
All Urban Consumers
Area1
U.S. city average 2 ....................................
Anchorage, Alaska (1 0 /6 7 = 1 0 0 )
1980
1981
Dec.
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Dec.
July
Aug.
Sept
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
258.4
274.4
276.5
279.3
279.9
280.7
281.5
258.7
274.6
276.5
279.1
279.7
280.4
281.1
282.2
260.3
.............................
Atlanta, Ga......................................................
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (revised)
1981
1980
246.1
258.3
250.5
276.1
253.7
281.5
241.7
245.9
278.1
249.3
283.0
284.1
Baltimore, Md........................................
272.5
279.9
280.7
Boston, Mass...........................................
273.7
281.6
280 9
266.3
272.8
274.2
266.5
273.6
274.3
Buffalo, N.Y....................................
246.5
Chicago, lll.-Northwestern Ind......................
260.3
Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind............................
275.8
273.3
Cleveland, O h io ....................................
266.5
Dallas-Ft. Worth, Tex................................
269.5
Denver-Boulder, C olo....................................
Detroit, Mich............................................
269.7
262.5
276.9
292.5
284.2
264.3
245.2
273.9
258.9
281.6
266.7
295.1
268.2
276.6
298.9
283.5
277.0
282.8
288.2
283.1
276.1
275.2
284.4
294.2
Honolulu, Hawaii
...........................................
260.3
272.7
279.6
278.3
265.5
236.1
256.6
259.3
258.3
237.0
274.8
294.7
300.0
302.7
272.1
Kansas City, Mo.-Kansas ...............................
259.1
Los Angeles-Long Beach, Anaheim, C alif.................................
258.7
Miami, Fla. (1 1 /7 7 = 1 0 0 )
........................
274.8
146.1
Milwaukee, W is..........................................
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis.................................
New York, N.Y.-Northeastern N.J.........................
271.3
Northeast, Pa. (S c ra n to n ).........................................
262.5
250.5
Pittsburgh, Pa...............................................
262.0
Portland, Oreg.-Wash.............................................
267.8
268.8
274.4
277.7
273.5
257.2
282.3
262.2
298.7
267.9
260.6
247.2
267.8
274.7
274.1
277.7
278.9
279.1
252.3
281.8
262.9
268.5
278.2
276.4
298 8
272 0
271 3
284.9
151.0
285.5
291.5
291.6
267.8
271.6
274.5
298.3
267.0
266.9
275.2
274.5
275.0
278.1
278.4
278.7
279.2
St. Louis, Mo.-Ill............................................................
288.8
276.3
269.4
273.4
273.8
269.2
San Diego, Calif..................................................
273.0
273.0
305.4
313.9
321.3
300.5
308.0
315.1
287.9
297.0
294.0
255.7
287.2
295.6
292.7
Seattle-Everett, Wash........................................
282.3
288.6
289.2
277.8
284.3
Washington, D.C.-Md.-Va.....................................
285 7
267,1
271.8
275.5
271.4
275.7
279.3
'T h e 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
84FRASER
Digitized for
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Area is used for New York and Chicago.
2 Average of 85 cities.
274.1
282.6
291.1
254.9
266.9
275.2
280.8
San Francisco-Oakland, Calif.......................................
286.1
154.7
292.1
264.0
275.1
259.3
295.9
282.9
287.0
262.3
291.0
302.8
259.1
291.8
269.0
274.9
280.2
274.4
281 ?
288.8
270.2
278.6
277 3
279.0
304.2
256.6
276.3
276.3
262.7
282 3
285.1
291.2
272.2
275.8
277.1
143.7
287.5
291.6
268.0
271.5
270.5
281.8
153.6
286.9
286.6
264.8
266.0
Philadelphia, Pa.-N.J.......................................................
281.3
150.2
285.6
259.0
247.3
272.6
279.3
261.2
283.0
299.9
Houston, Tex............................................................
272.2
274.6
276.3
297.8
281.5
259.4
271.7
26.
Producer Price Indexes, by stage of processing
[1 9 6 7 = 100]
1982
Annual
average
1981
Jan.
Feb
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.1
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Finished g o o d s ..................................................................................
269.8
260.9
263.3
266.0
268.5
269.6
270.5
271.8
271.5
r 271.5
274.0
274.5
275.3
277.4
Finished consumer g o o d s ........................................................
271.2
262.5
265.0
268.2
270.6
271.5
272.3
273.5
273.0
'273.1
274.7
274.9
275.6
277.4
Finished consumer f o o d s .....................................................
253.5
251.0
251.3
252.6
251.9
252.8
253.8
257.6
256.3
'256.2
253.7
252.7
253.0
256.4
256.9
'253.5
253.3
259.5
273.4
280.1
Commodity grouping
1981
FINISHED GOODS
263.6
257.9
265.6
279.7
279.3
263.1
258.9
262.7
250.6
248.4
247.9
248.1
247.4
249.8
251.3
255.0
254.2
'254.4
251.7
250.0
249.1
252.2
...........................................
319.4
302.7
308.4
316.0
320.4
321.0
322.0
322.5
322.1
'324.2
323.8
325.0
325.9
328.1
Durable goods ......................................................................
Consumer nondurable goods less food and energy . . . .
218.5
214.9
215.1
214.0
216.6
218.1
218.2
218.1
218.3
'215.8
224.3
224.3
225.0
225.8
208.6
201.9
203.5
204.8
207.3
207.7
208.4
209.5
210.4
'211.8
213.3
213.4
216.2
Capital equipment ....................................................................
264.3
254.6
256.7
258.1
260.8
262.5
263.8
265.4
265.8
'2 65.3
212.2
271.4
272.9
274.1
276.1
Intermediate materials, supplies, and c o m p o n e n ts......................
306.0
296.1
298.3
302.0
305.8
306.7
307.2
308.5
310.1
'3 09.7
309.3
309.0
309.6
311.3
Materials and components for m a n u fa ctu rin g ......................
286.2
279.6
281.6
284.1
285.1
289.8
290.2
290.3
289.7
290.8
Materials for food manufacturing .......................................
260.9
280.7
273.2
267.5
263.1
259.0
262.4
260.5
261.0
'254.6
252.7
249.2
247.3
252.9
279.4
284.3
287.0
287.7
289.2
291.0
291.2
290.8
289.7
289.5
289.4
314.4
316.0
'317.1
317.1
315.1
314.4
314.2
Nondurable goods less foods
INTERMEDIATE MATERIALS
280.3
285.8
287.9
289.6
..........................
285.9
274.0
276.5
Materials for durable m anu fa ctu rin g ..................................
312.2
306.9
305.4
306.9
310.6
311.2
310.7
Components for manufacturing
259.2
250.3
253.0
254.2
255.4
256.3
257.3
259.5
261.8
'263.8
264.7
266.3
267.7
269.7
288.0
288.5
289.6
290.4
290.7
'2 90.0
289.8
289.9
290.8
291.9
602.0
Materials for nondurable manufacturing
.........................................
........................
287.5
279.2
280.3
282.7
Processed fuels and lubricants ..............................................
595.0
551.9
569.8
598.3
608.5
608.7
605.7
607.8
'601.4
595.1
594.2
597.7
605.7
Manufacturing industries .....................................................
498.2
469.5
482.8
503.9
509.0
510.7
505.4
500.3
508.3
'500.5
495.6
495.4
498.6
507.7
694.3
692.0
695.6
'690.5
683.1
681.5
685.3
692.0
Materials and components for construction
..............................................
680.5
624.7
646.7
681.6
696.2
695.2
C o n ta in e rs..................................................................................
276.2
264.6
268.2
270.9
274.3
276.4
277.2
278.8
280.3
'2 8 0 .6
281.1
280.7
280.6
282.2
258.9
262.4
264.0
264.6
266.0
266.1
266.1
267.1
267.4
268.7
269.8
261.5
262.5
Nonmanufacturing industries
257.8
257.8
Manufacturing industries .....................................................
253.2
242.5
244.8
246.8
250.6
252.3
253.4
255.0
256.0
'2 56.8
258.9
259.5
Nonmanufacturing industries ..............................................
269.6
265.7
264.6
265.2
268.7
270.2
270.5
272.0
271.6
'271.1
271.5
271.7
272.7
273.9
215.2
263.9
Feeds ..................................................................................
230.4
252.0
237.5
231.7
239.2
242.9
235.4
232.8
229.1
'2 21.3
216.3
212.0
214.7
278.7
279.3
'2 80.7
282.5
283.9
284.4
285.8
276.4
265.6
268.3
270.6
272.9
273.8
276.3
Crude materials fo r further p ro c e s s in g .........................................
329.1
328.0
336.5
334.2
336.3
334.4
335.4
337.3
333.0
'3 27.4
320.3
314.1
311.6
318.2
Foodstuffs and fe e d s tu ffs ........................................................
257.4
270.7
267.1
262.1
263.5
260.6
264.3
267.2
261.8
'253.4
245.6
238.3
233.7
242.5
480.5
476.9
479.1
481.1
Other s u p p lie s ...................................................................
CRUDE MATERIALS
Nonfood materials ....................................................................
481.6
450.1
484.9
488.4
492.1
492.4
487.4
487.2
485.3
'486.0
418.1
413.1
413.9
Nonfood materials except fuel ...........................................
413.9
391.0
427.9
430.9
432.5
428.3
'410.2
405.5
396.4
399.7
Manufacturing in d u stries...................................................
429.6
405.1
445.5
448.6
450.2
445.5
434.2
428.7
429.6
'425.4
420.0
412.2
409.9
413.2
261.7
262.6
262.6
263.1
'2 63.6
266.7
266.7
267.1
269.6
254.8
257.2
259.2
261.5
398.5
Construction ......................................................................
262.4
676.5
677.4
697.7
703.6
716.6
738.4
759.2
781.2
766.7
'7 88.7
779.7
792.6
814.7
810.0
Manufacturing in d u stries...................................................
865.4
771.9
798.1
805.8
821.9
850.6
877.2
902.6
883.0
'9 11.4
635.0
678.5
698.1
687.8
'704.8
944.5
725.3
936.3
662.2
899.1
698.4
915.8
645.8
Nonmanufacturing in dustries...........................................
674.3
614.9
630.6
708.4
723.6
SPECIAL GROUPINGS
Finished goods excluding foods .....................................................
Finished consumer goods excluding f o o d s ...........................
273.2
262.4
265.5
268.7
272.1
273.3
274.1
274.7
274.6
'274.7
278.7
279.7
280.6
282.3
276.3
265.1
268.5
272.5
276.1
277.0
277.7
277.9
277.7
'277.9
281.3
282.0
282.8
284.4
Finished consumer goods less e n e r g y ..................................
233.9
233.8
229.5
230.2
231.8
232.8
233.4
235.0
235.0
'234.9
236.8
237.0
237.3
239.8
310.1
298.0
301.0
305.4
309.5
310.7
311.2
312.7
314.5
'3 14.6
314.5
314.3
315.1
316.6
285.2
278.3
279.1
280.5
283.7
284.7
285.5
287.2
288.5
288.7
288.9
288.6
289.0
290.1
251.1
250.2
'2 43.5
240.6
236.9
236.4
240.4
Intermediate materials less foods and fe e d s ...............................
Intermediate materials less energy
.......................................
250.7
270.9
261.3
255.6
254.9
253.1
253.2
..................................
545.8
504.0
547.6
551.8
556.0
557.5
551.3
550.6
549.1
'5 51.4
544.3
540.9
544.1
545.7
Crude materials less e n e rg y ...................................................
254.0
266.0
262.6
259.6
261.1
257.9
259.7
261.8
258.0
'2 50.4
243.6
235.9
231.6
239.2
Intermediate foods and feeds
........................................................
Crude materials less agricultural products
1 Data for September 1981 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
2 Not available,
r=revised.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Producer Prices
27.
Producer Price Indexes, by commodity groupings
[1 9 6 7 = 1 0 0 u n less o th e rw is e sp e cified]
Code
Commodity group and subgroup
All commodities ............................
All commodities (1957-59 = 100) . .
Farm products and processed foods and feeds
Industrial commodities..............
Annual
average
1981
1981
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
1982
Aug.
Sept. 1
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
298 2
293.4
284,8
287.6
290.3
293.4
294.1
294.8
296.2
296.4
r 295.7
296.0
295.5
295 9
311.3
302.2
305.1
308.0
311.3
312.0
312.8
314.3
314.5
r 313.7
314.1
313.5
313.9
316.4
251.5
257.9
255.1
253.5
253.8
252.9
254.3
256.8
254.2
'250.3
246.1
242.7
241 2
246 2
304.1
291.5
295.7
299.6
303.5
304.7
305.1
306.2
307.2
'307.4
308.8
309.1
310.1
311.7
FARM PRODUCTS AND PROCESSED FOODS
AND FEEDS
01
01-1
Farm products
...............................
254.9
264.5
262.4
260.7
263.3
259.6
260.7
263.3
257.9
Fresh and dried fruits and vegetables . . .
G ra in s ........................
'251.1
243.3
237 4
234 5
242 1
267.0
248.4
258.7
271.5
292.8
286.1
275.3
263.3
265.6
258.1
'252.8
247.9
253.2
279.8
288 3
277.7
267.5
261.8
264.7
257.7
257.1
Livestock
257.4
242.7
227.0
227.6
226.5
213.6
225.2
248.0
244.3
244.6
239.3
246.6
251.8
263.0
266.5
262.0
257.3
244.4
231.1
213.1
220.8
213.5
195.4
207.2
210.0
215.3
210.3
196.7
185.7
175.0
225.0
171 4
236.8
201.2
242.0
284.1
268.4
270.1
274.2
258.3
259.6
251.3
232.5
206.5
211.7
198.5
188.4
198.2
287.4
288.4
289.5
289.5
287.2
283.6
284.3
285.0
287.3
286.7
.............................
Live p o u ltr y .............................
01-5
Plant and animal fib e rs ........................
Fluid milk
.............................
285.0
186 8
E g g s ..........................................................................................................
294.3
288.2
187.1
185.7
184.8
180.4
196.2
165.0
01-8
174.6
185.1
180.7
Hay, hayseeds, and oilseeds
193.2
193.8
209.7
195 5
187 0
274.1
311.8
295.0
289.5
296.3
299.0
01-9
285.3
290.0
284.3
Other farm products
267.2
230.4
221.1
2188
218 4
274.3
296.1
295.1
295.9
295.9
259.7
242.7
250.2
263.9
268.9
267.8
275.8
280.2
280.1
'248.9
02
....................................
...............................
287.6
Processed foods and f e e d s ..................................
248.7
253.3
250.2
248.5
247.6
248.2
249.9
02-1
252.2
251.2
Cereal and bakery p ro d u c ts ........................
255.5
251.5
252.1
252.2
253.9
256.3
02-2
256.4
258.3
Meats, poultry, and fish
257.7
'258.5
256.6
257.5
255 9
256 6
246.2
248.1
243.6
242.0
239.1
245.2
248.6
257.1
254.4
'253.3
246.6
240.0
236.3
244 2
....................................
246.6
244.7
244 0
247 4
02-3
Dairy p ro d u c ts ..............................................
02-4
02-5
Processed fruits and v e g e ta b le s .................
Sugar and confectionery ...............................
245.7
261.1
244.7
238.4
245.0
243.7
245.1
255.2
245.4
2 580
244.6
2594
245.2
262.5
245.1
265.9
245.3
267.3
'245.5
'270.0
247.4
271.3
246 9
270.1
247 2
271 4
247 7
276.8
344.6
323.7
302.0
284.5
262.8
02-6
274.8
266.0
267.3
246.8
Beverages and beverage m a te ria ls .................
Fats and o i l s ...................................................
250.0
249.0
250 9
260 8
247.5
243.0
244.8
245.4
246.0
247.6
248.1
249.4
'249.1
248.3
250.8
251.5
253.5
227.5
230.2
228.2
229.8
232.4
02-8
228.2
227.3
234.8
229.5
Miscellaneous processed foods ......................
Prepared animal f e e d s ..........................
'224.3
223.6
221 7
2193
21 7 0
250.1
244.2
248.0
249.2
249.9
251.1
251.5
252.2
252.1
253.0
249.8
250.1
250.1
250 5
230.3
248.9
235.9
231.1
237.7
241.0
234.3
232.2
228.9
'222.9
218.4
214.6
217.2
217.7
200.1
203 7
02-9
249.0
INDUSTRIAL COMMODITIES
03
Textile products and apparel ......................
193.1
193.9
195.2
03-1
197.6
199.2
201.3
202.4
Synthetic fibers (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) . . .
'2 02.9
203.0
203.2
203 1
156.7
146.5
147.1
148.9
151.5
156.4
03-2
157.9
159.7
161.2
Processed yarns and threads (12/75 = 100)
Gray fabrics (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) .................
'1 61.0
163.5
162.5
162 4
163 7
137.8
129.8
130.3
134.6
135.0
138.6
139.3
140.3
142.0
'142.3
142.0
140.3
139 8
135 3
146.7
143.6
144.0
144.7
146.6
145.8
147.4
148.2
149.0
'149.1
147.8
147.9
147 7
148 3
03-3
03-4
03-82
04
04-4
05
Finished fabrics (12/75 = 100)
199.6
..
125.2
122.2
122.9
123.2
124.9
125.7
126.0
A p p a re l...........................................
126.8
'126.8
126.1
126.5
125.8
126.7
185.5
179.9
180.7
181.4
184.3
185.2
186.2
187.2
Textile h ousefurnishings.............................
187.8
'188.0
187.9
188 7
189 1
190 1
228.2
219.8
221.3
221.3
222.1
224.0
223.9
125.6
227.1
228.8
'232.2
237.4
237.9
238.1
241.9
261.5
258.2
257.7
261.2
263.5
263.7
261.6
261.1
261.3
'261.7
262.7
261.7
262.7
264.5
Hides, skins, leather, and related products ............
Leather ..............................................
319.5
332.6
310.0
322.5
337.8
330.0
Footwear .......................................
321.0
319.0
313.7
'313.2
312.1
311.3
311.9
241.2
238.4
240.7
240.4
241.1
241.4
241.5
242.4
Other leather and related p ro d u c ts ..............
242.5
'2 4 2 9
241 6
241 1
241 7
320.3
241 4
243.5
230.1
236.9
238.4
238.5
244.2
244.3
242.9
245.1
' 245.0
250.1
250.5
250.5
252.7
Fuels and related products and power ............
C o a l..............................................
694.4
634.6
05—3
Electric p o w e r ........................
667.5
696.5
707.2
709.0
707.6
704.9
704.3
'703.5
697.2
702.7
705.8
477.8
480.8
481.1
486.1
487.3
491.7
505.5
507.0
'5 10.2
511.1
513.1
515.6
526.1
430.1
430.1
430.1
430.1
467.9
469.7
469.7
469.7
'4 69.7
470.3
470.3
939.8
857.1
881.6
889.9
907.8
933.9
954.6
969.4
949.3
'9 76.6
964.7
470.3
981.4
1007.7
990.2
366.8
341.4
346.2
351.2
355.5
360.4
366.6
374.6
385.8
'383.8
375.9
377.6
383.8
392 5
786.0
797.9
787 4
787 4
798.3
802.9
292 7
293 4
05—61
Crude petroleum 4 ........................
803.6
704.4
842.7
842.8
05-7
842.5
839.9
815.9
798.9
Petroleum products, refined5 ...............
796.8
'796.8
788.4
805.8
736.9
769.6
825.5
840.9
835.3
828.1
816.3
813.4
'806.1
802.0
06
06-3
Chemicals and allied p r o d u c ts ...............
06-7
07
287.8
274.3
277.6
280.4
286.0
290.5
Industrial chemicals 6 ......................
291.3
293.3
293.3
292.8
363.8
344.5
352.1
354.5
362.4
368.5
369.7
370.4
371.5
'371.8
3694
365.6
364.6
249.9
242.9
246.6
246.6
248.1
250.0
250.0
Paint materials
250.7
250.7
'250.7
251.0
254.8
256.7
259.3
300.2
284.0
287.0
290.5
295.4
300.3
300.8
304.5
308.5
'308.0
308.0
307 4
307 9
308 7
.......................................
Drugs and pharmaceuticals
07-13
07-2
08
....................................
..............
Agricultural chemicals and chemical products
Plastic resins and materials ......................
Other chemicals and allied products
Rubber and plastic products
07-1
......................
.
288.6
292.5
363 8
193.4
184.7
187.3
189.3
191.0
192.4
295.6
310.7
289.7
295.7
312.7
312.1
303.1
290.9
305.6
285.6
277.7
282 5
280 4
200 9
272 8
284.8
267.6
271.6
275.8
277.8
279.1
288.9
288.9
293.4
'292.6
292.3
295.4
294 5
295 8
193.2
195.5
195.0
'197.8
198.1
198.1
198.7
289.2
274.7
276.1
279.4
285.1
287.9
290.0
295.9
297.5
' 296.8
297.6
290 9
297 0
293 8
254.4
244.4
245.1
248.3
255.3
254.8
256.3
254.8
257.3
'2 57.4
258.0
260.9
260.2
262.8
232.8
224.8
226.4
228.4
230.8
231.8
233.4
Rubber and rubber products . . .
232.1
234.1
'2 35.7
237.7
238.7
239 0
239 5
256.7
246.2
248.5
252.1
253.0
254.4
Crude rubber
256.8
254.7
256.9
'260.3
264.3
266.2
266.4
267.3
281.7
279.1
281.9
281.2
..........................
279.8
283.2
285.2
284.2
284.7
Tires and t u b e s ...............................
'283.1
280.5
250.9
240.9
243.5
248.6
250.7
251.2
251.2
246.8
Miscellaneous rubber p r o d u c ts ..........
249.9
256.5
257.7
257 5
255 9
256 6
252.4
238.6
240.4
243.5
243.8
245.7
250.9
251.4
253.1
'253.9
263.4
269.5
271 4
272 6
130.1
130.3
130.5
Plastic products (6/78 = 100) .................
Lumber and wood p ro d u c ts ......................
L u m b e r.........................................
08-4
470.3
Prepared p a in t....................................
Fats and oils, inedible
06-5
697.5
497.3
456.5
Other wood p ro d u c ts .................
See footnotes at end of table.
Digitized 86
for FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
278.9
280.7
281 8
128.4
125.0
125.5
126.0
128.2
128.6
129.1
128.7
129.8
'129.9
130.0
292.8
296.5
294.7
294.4
299.4
298.4
298.1
296.5
294.5
'289.3
284.4
'320.2
'271.4
312.0
308.8
309.7
310.6
271.2
272.0
273.6
276.8
283.0
285.2
285.7
325.2
331.3
326.9
326.2
333.6
332.4
329.9
273.6
273.8
275.7
276.5
336.3
274.8
335.8
273.4
272.2
273.6
272.3
245.7
251.1
251.2
248.8
256.0
248.3
251.5
247.8
245.6
'240.8
234.4
233.0
239 2
236 8
239.2
238.5
238.1
236.9
238.3
238.2
239.8
240.7
239.8
'240.5
240.0
239.7
239.5
239.4
27.
Continued— Producer Price Indexes, by commodity groupings
[ 1 9 6 7 = 1 0 0 un le ss o th e rw is e specified]
Commodity group and subgroup
Code
1982
Annual
average
1980
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.1
Oct
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
283.9
1981
INDUSTRIAL COMMODITIES - Continued
Pulp, paper, and allied p ro d u c ts ...............................................................
273.7
264.4
267.2
269.0
271.4
272.1
272.9
274.9
275.9
r 277.8
279.1
280.2
280.7
09-1
Pulp, paper, and products, excluding building paper and board . . .
271.0
260.9
264.5
266.8
268 6
269.9
271.2
272.3
273.7
r 274.8
276.5
276.3
276.2
276.1
09-11
W o o d p u lp .................................................................................................
398.1
390.2
390.2
390.2
394.1
394.2
394.2
394.2
394.2
r 394.2
404.7
417.0
417.0
412.8
143.4
135.2
09
09-12
W astepaper
............................................................................................
175.7
191.5
186.1
185.1
184.2
182.7
182.9
182.1
182.1
178.5
165.1
144.5
09-13
Paper ........................................................................................................
280.0
271.7
272.9
273.8
275.2
275.9
278.5
279.7
282.1
r 285.9
288.6
287.1
287.5
288.8
09-14
P a p e rb o a rd ..............................................................................................
258.2
250.2
252.8
255.1
255.7
258.8
259.2
259.4
260.6
'261.6
262.6
261.6
259.3
259.7
09-15
Converted paper and paperboard p ro d u c ts .......................................
259.0
246.9
252.1
255.3
257.3
258.8
259.9
261.2
262.4
'262.8
263.9
263.9
263.9
263.9
231.5
227.7
233.2
303.6
09-2
Building paper and b o a r d ......................................................................
10-1
10-13
Iron and stool
219.7
225.7
227.9
232.5
237.3
237.4
235.5
234.2
'234.2
232.5
305.1
......................................................................
300.4
294.0
294.0
296.4
298.8
299.1
298.4
302.0
304.1
'3 04.9
305.5
303.9
.........................................................................................
333.8
323.0
323.2
328.2
331.0
330.4
330.1
338.8
339.9
'3 39.8
341.5
339.8
339.7
343.1
350.8
275.4
Metals and metal products
10
231.3
Steel mill p ro d u c ts ..................................................................................
337.6
322.6
322.9
328.7
331.8
331.8
332.2
344.9
344.9
345.3
348.7
348.6
348.9
282.8
287.3
'2 89.4
286.8
281.4
277.5
286.0
292.1
287.7
284.5
10-3
Metal containers .....................................................................................
315.9
311.4
313.8
314.1
314.1
314.1
314.1
315.2
318.7
'3 18.8
319.0
318.2
318.2
323.4
10-4
H a r d w a r e .................................................................................................
262.4
254.5
258.0
258.6
258.5
259.4
259.7
263.8
265.3
'267.8
267.5
268.9
269.4
271.3
10-5
Plumbing fixtures and brass fittin g s .....................................................
267.4
256.7
259.2
259.5
265.3
266.2
268.9
270.9
271.2
'271.6
272.8
273.0
273.9
274.4
10-6
Heating e q u ip m e nt..................................................................................
223.9
216.6
217.6
219.5
219.8
222.3
223.5
226.4
227.9
' 228.5
228.4
227.6
229.2
232.2
10-7
Fabricated structural metal p ro d u c ts ...................................................
295.4
283.1
285.4
289.4
293.1
294.0
295.0
297.9
299.3
'300.0
302.2
302.2
302.7
303.1
10-8
Miscellaneous metal p ro d u c ts ...............................................................
270.8
260.5
263.1
264.7
267.2
269.7
269.4
272.0
272.9
'273.7
276.2
277.5
281.4
284.3
Machinery and equipment ........................................................................
263.1
253.3
255.3
257.5
259.6
260.7
262.1
264.8
266.2
'268.1
268.8
270.0
271.6
273.5
Agricultural machinery and e q u ip m e n t................................................
287.7
276.4
278.4
279.8
282.5
285.7
286.8
288.1
290.3
'2 92.8
292.1
298.7
301.3
302.2
11-2
Construction machinery and e q u ip m e n t..............................................
320.8
305.9
310.0
312.8
317.0
318.4
320.1
323.8
325.0
'326.5
329.0
329.6
332.0
337.0
11-3
Metalworking machinery and equipment
...........................................
301.2
289.7
291.6
294.9
298.7
299.9
301.3
302.9
303.5
305.3
306.5
307.5
312.2
313.7
292.3
'293.9
294.4
295.6
297.2
299.6
310.3
'312.8
314.7
315.2
316.5
319.5
10-2
11
11-1
Nonferrous m e ta ls ..................................................................................
287.4
286.5
288.4
General purpose machinery and e q u ip m e n t.......................................
288.5
278.6
280.2
282.3
284.4
285.9
287.0
290.6
11-6
Special industry machinery and equipment
308.0
295.6
299.2
301.0
303.2
307.2
308.8
311.0
11-7
Electrical machinery and equipment ...................................................
220.1
211.9
213.7
216.0
217.4
217.5
219.2
221.1
222.8
'224.2
225.0
226.0
226.9
228.3
11-9
Miscellaneous m a c h in e ry ......................................................................
252.3
243.3
245.2
247.0
248.5
248.8
250.1
254.0
256.0
'258.5
258.3
259.1
259.8
261.3
11-4
.......................................
..........................................................
198.4
194.0
195.2
195.8
196.4
197.4
197.3
199.5
199.6
'2 01.0
201.4
201.6
202.2
202.7
12-1
Household furniture ................................................................................
219.4
212.9
213.8
214.5
216.5
216.4
218.6
220.0
220.7
'222.2
224.1
225.4
227.0
228.2
12-2
Commercial fu r n itu re .............................................................................
257.6
246.7
251.6
253.4
254.5
257.7
257.9
258.7
259.1
'2 61.6
262.5
263.2
264.1
266.6
181.5
180.8
180.7
179.6
189.5
189.7
190.2
192.0
Furniture and household durables
12
12-3
12-4
Floor c o v e rin g s .......................................................................................
Household appliances ...........................................................................
178.6
172.3
171.9
174.1
175.3
179.5
180.7
182.8
181.9
'1 81.7
188.9
182.2
183.5
184.2
185.1
185.5
186.1
188.8
189.1
'190.1
12-5
Home electronic equipment .................................................................
89.1
91.1
91.3
91.4
90.9
90.8
86.7
87.4
87.6
87.8
88.3
88.0
87.8
87.5
12-6
Other household durable goods ..........................................................
280.8
278.9
280.8
278.1
275.3
276.7
276.4
282.1
280.9
'285.8
285.3
284.6
285.5
282.8
Nonmetallic mineral p ro d u c ts ...................................................................
309.5
296.6
297.9
300.9
310.8
312.0
313.6
314.3
314.1
'313.2
313.1
313.5
313.6
315.1
13-11
Flat glass .................................................................................................
212.9
203.9
204.3
204.8
210.2
210.2
210.3
218.3
218.3
'218.3
218.5
218.5
218.5
216.0
13-2
Concrete ingredients .............................................................................
296.3
290.0
291.4
292.6
297.4
297.5
297.5
297.7
298.0
'298.5
298.3
298.3
13-3
Concrete p ro d u c ts ..................................................................................
291.2
286.2
286.6
286.9
289.9
291.2
293.5
293.4
293.4
292.9
293.3
293.2
293.5
294.8
250.1
250.7
250.9
250.9
'255.3
255.6
255.9
257.1
257.1
304.0
407.4
307.1
428.5
307.1
421.9
307.1
420.9
'307.1
'4 01.6
308.8
401.3
309.8
408.9
252.9
252.4
251.3
309.8
404.2
249.7
315.4
399.7
255.3
334.7
13
13-4
Structural clay products excluding re fra c to rie s ..................................
249.7
302.5
239.5
282.6
239.8
293.5
244.6
296.1
246.0
296.4
Asphalt roofing
407.0
394.8
389.5
390.5
415.9
13-5
13-6
.......................................................................................
298.5
305.9
250.4
13-7
Gypsum products
..................................................................................
256.2
257.3
257.6
256.8
261.1
260.7
13-8
Glass containers ....................................................................................
328.5
259.6
311.4
259.7
311.4
311.4
326.7
335.3
335.3
335.5
335.5
'335.5
334.8
334.8
334.8
13-9
Other nonmetallic m in e ra ls ...................................................................
463.9
418.7
424.7
441.7
479.1
477.6
476.8
476.2
475.3
'474.3
473.2
473.5
475.4
474.9
233.6
234.3
235.0
'231.8
244.4
246.2
246.7
248.3
235.4
227.4
14-1
Motor vehicles and equipment ............................................................
237.5
229.0
230.9
229.5
233.9
236.0
236.7
237.4
235.9
238.4
'232.8
247.5
248.6
249.2
250.4
14-4
Railroad equipment ................................................................................
338.2
332.5
332.5
333.9
335.7
331.2
331.4
338.1
338.7
'338.7
345.0
347.5
346.3
352.4
268.4
Transportation equipment (12/68 = 1 0 0 ) ..............................................
14
229.1
228.1
231.9
Miscellaneous p ro d u c ts .............................................................................
265.6
264.3
264.9
264.0
266.0
266.9
266.3
263.2
262.6
'267.0
268.0
267.2
267.3
15-1
Toys, sporting goods, small arms, a m m u n itio n ..................................
212.2
208.4
210.5
211.1
211.3
211.4
211.2
213.2
212.7
'2 13.6
213.7
213.4
213.8
15-2
Tobacco products ..................................................................................
268.3
254.8
256.1
256.3
268.7
268.7
268.7
268.8
268.8
'274.5
278.0
278.0
277.9
277.9
269.7
270.5
210.3
15
219.3
15-3
N o tio n s .....................................................................................................
259.6
227.2
247.3
247.3
248.4
267.8
268.0
267.5
267.7
267.8
267.3
269.7
15-4
Photographic equipment and supplies ................................................
210.1
207.4
209.6
211.2
212.4
212.5
212.5
211.4
207.1
'2 08.7
209.1
209.1
209.5
(2)
346.9
153.0
153.1
155.0
'1 58.7
158.6
158.8
159.0
159.1
351.3
( 2)
346.9
158.3
358.1
( 2)
349.4
158.1
363.3
( 2)
349.0
333.1
334.6
'3 45.5
346.7
343.4
343.2
341.9
15-5
Mobile homes (12/74 = 1 0 0 )...............................................................
15-9
Other miscellaneous products
............................................................
1 Data fo r September 1981 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.
2 |vjot available.
3 Prices for natural gas are lagged 1 month.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
4 Includes only domestic production.
5 Most prices for refined petroleum products are lagged 1 month.
6 Some prices for industrial chemicals are lagged 1 month.
r=revised.
87
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Producer Prices
28.
Producer Price Indexes, for special commodity groupings
[1 9 6 7 = 1 0 0 u n less o th e rw is e sp e cified]
Annual
1981
Commodity grouping
Jan.
198Í
All commodities— less farm products .
All foods
Processed foods
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
1982
July
Aug.
Sept.1
298.7
r 298.5
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
295.7
c 285.6
288.8
291.9
251.9
c 255.6
253.7
253.4
251.4
250.3
252.2
255.2
253.7
251.7
249.4
247.8
248.0
252.0
252.2
c 256.8
253.9
252.3
250.3
250.5
253.1
256.0
255.0
252.8
250.6
248.2
246.9
251 0
c 255.8
257.2
258.6
261.8
262.9
263.5
265.0
270 9
Industrial co m m o d itie s less f u e l s ...........
295.0
296.1
296.7
298.0
299.4
299.3
300.0
301.9
266.1
S e le c te d te x tile m ill p ro d u c ts (D ec. 1975 = 100) .
H o s ie ry ...........................................
'2 66.4
268.6
268.9
2694
135.9
131.8
132.5
132.2
134.5
135.7
135.9
136.8
137.2
M38.1
138.5
138.6
138.3
134.3
129.5
130.3
130.5
134.2
134.6
135.7
135.8
135.3
U n d e rw e a r a n d n ig h tw e a r
135.5
136.5
136.5
136.7
137 0
203.5
199.2
200.9
202.0
202.1
202.3
203.5
204.7
204.7
'204.7
C h e m ic a ls and allie d p ro d u cts, including syn th e tic rubber
an d fib e rs an d y a r n s ...................................
205.0
206.0
206.6
212.4
278.6
264.8
268.3
271.0
276.1
P h a rm a ce u tica l p re p a ra tio n s
284.0
186.8
177.1
179.7
182.1
184.0
185.7
186.6
189.0
188.4
'1 91.6
192.7
1924
193 0
284 9
195 5
303.1
c 309.0
306.0
304.8
312.3
311.5
312.2
308.7
306.2
'2 98.0
290.3
287.7
290 4
...........................
........................................
L u m b e r and w o o d p ro d u c ts , e xclu d ing m illw o r k ................
279.0
281.2
282.3
284.0
284.4
284.2
283.8
139.3
290 2
S p e cia l m e ta ls a n d m e ta l p r o d u c t s .............................
279.4
271.8
272.7
273.5
276.8
277.9
277.9
280.2
281.9
280.1
F a b rica te d m e ta l p r o d u c t s .....................
286.6
286.4
286.6
288 0
280.0
c 270.0
272.5
274.7
277.0
278.5
279.0
281.7
283.1
' 283.9
C o p p e r an d c o p p e r p ro d u c ts
285.6
286.2
287.9
2 90 0
204.0
207.4
205.0
204.8
207.7
206.6
203.7
202.5
206.2
'205.1
203.8
199.3
1959
195 1
256.7
0 247.5
249.4
250.2
253.1
254.4
255.6
257.4
258.6
'2 57.7
264.0
265.5
266.7
268.5
294.4
.............................
M a ch in e ry and m otive p ro d u cts
........................
M a ch in e ry and eq u ip m e n t, e x c e p t e le c tr ic a l................
288.3
c 277.5
279.7
281.9
284.3
285.9
287.3
290.4
291.7
'2 93.8
A g ric u ltu ra l m a ch in e ry, including t r a c t o r s ........................
2 958
297 8
296.2
285.0
287.3
288.3
289.6
293.7
294.8
295.6
298.2
M e ta lw o rk in g m a ch in e ry
'3 01.6
300.4
309.1
312 4
313 7
329.4
c 319.2
320.5
323.5
325.9
327.1
328.3
330.1
331.4
'333.9
335.6
338.1
339 8
342 1
241.8
240.5
................................
N u m e ric a lly co n tro lle d m a ch in e to o ls (Dec. 1971 = 100)
239.4
234.6
235.0
235.7
235.7
237.3
241.4
241.7
300 1
'241.8
242.1
242.5
242.3
324.0
305.8
311.1
311.8
316.8
322.0
322.5
325.5
327.8
'330.7
332.9
A g ric u ltu ra l m a ch in e ry and e q u ip m e n t less p a r t s ..............
340.4
3404
346 2
289.0
278.0
280.2
281.5
283.2
286.7
287.9
288.6
291.1
'294.0
F a rm and g a rd e n tra c to rs less p a r t s ...................
293.1
300.6
303 9
298.9
284.4
287.2
287.6
289.3
297.7
298.0
298.0
301.4
'3 05.5
A g ric u ltu ra l m a ch in e ry exclu d in g tra c to rs less parts . . . .
In dustrial va lve s ................................
Industrial fittin g s ...........................................
305.0
3 165
3 165
305 3
318 5
285.7
300.7
287.7
305.5
289.1
310.1
290.2
314.0
290.8
314.3
292.5
315.3
293.9
314.8
302.1
317.5
295.8
319.8
'298.7
'322.7
297.0
319.0
303.3
320.0
309 3
321.9
298.6
296.0
298.9
302.7
303.0
303.0
303.0
303.0
C o n s tru c tio n m a t e r ia ls .............................................
304.3
304.1
304.1
304 1
325 2
304 1
283.0
c 276.6
277.2
279.0
283.9
284.2
285.0
285.7
285.5
284.4
284.5
284.1
285.1
286.4
June
July
Aug.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
T o ta l tra c to rs
........................................
294.4
1 Data for September 1981 have been revised to reflect the availability of late reports and corrections
r = revised,
by respondents. All data are subject to revision 4 months after original publication.
29.
3100
c=corrected.
Producer Price Indexes, by durability of product
[1 9 6 7 = 1 0 0 ]
Commodity grouping
T o ta l d u ra b le g o o d s
.............................
T o ta l n o n d u ra b le g o o d s .....................
T o ta l m a n u f a c t u r e s ...........................
N o n d u r a b le ................................
Annual
average
1981
Jan.
Feb.
269.8
262.7
312.4
302.6
1981
1982
Mar.
Apr.
263.8
264.9
267.8
268.6
269.1
270.8
271.9
'2 71.8
274.9
275.2
275.9
2774
306.8
310.9
314.2
314.8
315.7
316.8
316.2
'3 1 5 .0
312.7
311.5
311.6
314.7
May
Sept.1
Jan.
285.9
277.3
279.3
282.3
285.3
286.2
286.9
288.0
288.6
' 288.3
289.7
289.6
290.0
291.8
269.6
262.3
263.4
264.4
267.2
268.2
268.9
270.6
271.7
'271.7
274.9
275.5
276.3
277.8
303.6
293.5
296.4
301.7
304.9
305.7
306.4
306.9
306.9
'306.3
305.4
304.6
304.5
306.8
334.6
334.2
335.4
337.9
335.8
323.8
329.0
T o ta l ra w o r s lig h tly p ro c e s s e d g o o d s . . .
D u ra ble .............................................
330.7
322.9
330.3
331.2
271.4
275.9
275.5
281.7
286.0
280.4
272.4
N o n d u r a b le ........................................
271.2
275.9
'270.4
264.3
253.8
248.4
254.4
334.0
325.3
333.3
333.8
337.1
337.1
338.9
341.8
339.1
'336.3
329.7
327.3
328.3
333.4
Oct
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
1 Data for September 1981 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.
30.
332.7
326.2
323.2
r=revised,
Producer Price Indexes for the output of selected SIC industries
[1 9 6 7 = 1 0 0 u n less o th e rw ise sp e cified]
1972
SIC
code
Industry description
Annual
1981*
1981
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
1982
July
Aug.
Sept.1
MINING
1011
Iron ores (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) ......................
1092
Mercury ores (12/75 = 100)
1211
Bituminous coal and lignite
........................
....................................
167.3
155.8
168.1
168.1
168.1
168.1
168.1
168.1
168.1
168.1
168.1
346.0
297.9
324.5
335.4
354.1
347.9
354.1
354.1
343.7
347 9
478.1
478.5
483.5
484.5
358.3
502.1
364.5
476.1
352.0
488.4
365.4
493.9
503.4
'5 06.0
506.6
508.2
510.7
521.3
168.1
171.3
171.3
1311
Crude petroleum and natural gas
898.8
786.5
897.9
901.7
908.6
919.7
1442
713.7
911.5
Construction sand and gravel .............................
900.3
'9 13.6
901.0
907.4
922 6
9176
277.3
270.1
272.3
275.2
278.0
278.4
1455
278.4
278.4
278.2
Kaolin and ball clay (6 /7 6 = 1 0 0 ) ..............
'2 79.2
279.6
279.6
280.4
287 0
138.7
137.1
137.1
137.1
137.1
137.1
137.1
137.1
137.1
137.1
143.4
143.4
143.4
147.1
.................
MANUFACTURING
2011
201 3
Meatpacking plants
..........................
243.1
244.7
237.8
243.6
245.9
252.6
250.9
'2 5 2 .7
244.3
236.9
234.5
236.6
235.3
237.2
232.9
236.1
Sausages and other prepared m e a ts ........................
Poultry dressing p la n t s .................
241.3
230.4
227.5
230.4
201 6
238.1
246.0
254.0
'253.9
252.0
248.6
246.7
245 7
192.0
201.9
208.3
203.9
186.7
2021
196.2
198.3
Creamery b u tte r....................................
203.6
201.2
188.8
175.5
172.8
166.7
NA
274.8
273.6
273.5
273.6
273.4
273.4
273.5
273.8
273.7
275.0
279.2
279.5
275.0
275.0
See footnotes at end of table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
88
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
30.
Continued— Producer Price Indexes for the output of selected SIC industries
[1 9 6 7 = 100 u nless o th e rw ise specified]
1972
SIC
code
Annual
average
1981
Industry description
MANUFACTURING
1982
1981
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.1
Oct
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Continued
2022
Cheese, natural and processed (12/72 -
215.8
215.9
215.6
215.7
216.2
216.2
216.1
213.8
214.5
r 215.0
215.6
215.9
217.1
218.6
2024
Ice cream and frozen desserts (12/72 -
.................
211.9
210.1
210.6
210.6
211.4
212.4
212.4
212.7
212.7
212.7
212.5
212.5
212.8
212.8
2033
Canned fruits and v e g e ta b le s ................................................
248.5
233.3
237.4
241.5
244.0
245.9
248.9
251.6
252.9
r 254.3
256.1
255.6
258.8
259.6
2034
Dehydrated food products (12/73 -
177.6
182.1
184.0
2041
Flour mills (12/71 -
1 0 0 ) .................
100)
1 0 0 ) ...........................
100) .....................................................
2044
174.1
171.3
172.9
174.2
175.3
175.0
180.5
178.7
183.4
182.3
181.6
191.0
r 195.3
190.6
191.5
189.3
191.4
284.3
268.2
247.3
235.4
215.1
205.9
r 119.6
195.9
203.8
198.4
195.1
201.5
199.4
199.3
196.5
277.2
289.6
289.6
298.0
300.9
300.3
300.3
297.4
2048
Prepared foods, n.e.c. (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) ..................................
124.6
132.6
129.3
126.6
128.5
129.8
127.5
125.9
124.8
116.4
116.4
2061
Raw cane sugar ......................................................................
273.5
418.0
367.1
318.8
275.7
224.8
263.3
272.2
254.6
212.3
219.9
224.3
230.8
247.6
r 270.7
272.2
262.1
272.4
292.5
303.2
303.2
303.2
303.2
303.3
167.2
182.3
184.9
221.5
222.6
2063
2067
Chewing gum
...........................................................................
320.6
414.5
398.1
370.7
350.5
334.4
339.7
274.1
287.5
309.8
323.0
323.0
323.1
323.1
303.1
303.1
303.1
303.2
117.5
116.6
2074
Cottonseed oil m i l l s .................................................................
199.0
221.2
193.7
204.4
218.4
216.6
212.3
212.0
206.0
182.3
172.0
2075
Soybean oil m ills ......................................................................
24518
272.0
252.5
253.2
259.1
258.1
248.4
253.7
245.8
'234.2
230.1
221.1
2077
Animal and marine fats and oils ...........................................
288.1
310.8
287.2
284.2
301.7
304.3
291.3
288.8
294.1
'281.2
274.1
272.3
266.6
260.3
2083
282.5
286.1
286.1
286.1
286.1
286.1
286.1
286.1
286.1
275.4
275.4
275.4
275.4
267.1
2085
Malt ............................................................................................
Distilled liquor, except brandy (12/75 - 100) ...................
134.7
129.2
133.9
133.9
133.9
134.3
134.6
134.6
135.5
135.5
135.5
137.9
137.9
140.1
2091
Canned and cured seafoods (12/73 -
100) ......................
187.8
187.3
187.1
187.6
187.7
187.3
187.5
187.4
188.4
188.8
188.2
188.3
188.5
187.2
2092
Fresh or frozen packaged fish
..............................................
369.6
374.9
366.7
385.2
393.5
378.2
375.5
367.6
347.1
'3 53.5
358.4
362.3
371.1
398.3
2095
Roasted coffee (12/72 = 1 0 0 )..............................................
238.0
238.2
238.3
238.3
238.5
238.6
238.6
236.4
235.7
'237.3
238.6
239.4
240.4
245.0
2098
Macaroni and spaghetti ..........................................................
252.0
243.6
243.6
243.6
243.6
246.6
246.6
259.5
259.5
259.5
259.5
259.5
259.5
259.5
264.2
278.3
278.3
278.3
278.3
278.3
284.2
288.4
288.4
288.4
288.4
171.6
171.6
171.6
2111
C ig a re tte s ..................................................................................
277.7
263.6
264.1
2121
Cigars
.......................................................................................
169.1
165.1
165.3
167.0
168.5
168.5
168.5
169.7
169.7
'174.5
171.6
2131
Chewing and smoking to b a c c o ..............................................
320.9
298.7
320.7
320.7
320.8
320.8
320.8
321.0
321.3
327.6
327.6
326.0
326.0
234.1
227.9
230.9
232.3
235.3
233.5
234.3
234.7
237.4
'325.3
'2 36.0
236.1
236.3
235.2
227.5
136.6
131.9
132.3
133.3
134.9
135.7
137.1
138.0
139.3
'1 39.5
139.1
139.2
139.5
115.3
115.6
2211
Weaving mills, cotton (12/72 -
2221
Weaving mills, synthetic (12/77 -
100)
..................................
2251
Women's hosiery, except socks (12/75 -
100)
.............................
1 0 0 ) .................
113.5
109.1
109.2
139.8
108.9
114.1
114.2
115.6
115.5
115.0
'1 15.0
115.2
115.2
210.0
210.0
210.7
210.8
'2 10.9
210.8
212.7
212.9
228.7
2254
Knit underwear mills
...............................................................
210.2
205.6
208.7
209.7
209.8
2257
Circular knit fabric mills (6/76 = 1 0 0 ) ..................................
110.8
109.3
109.6
109.1
110.8
110.5
110.4
111.0
112.0
'1 11.9
112.3
112.1
111.7
111.8
2261
Finishing plants, cotton (6/76 = 100) ..................................
144.9
142.4
144.5
144.6
146.9
147.0
146.2
146.3
146.2
'145.4
144.9
143.4
141.4
140.5
2262
Finishing plants, synthetics, silk (6/76 -
126.5
129.1
128.6
129.3
2272
Tufted carpets and r u g s ..........................................................
154.3
148.1
147.8
150.2
151.5
154.5
155.6
2281
Yam mills, except wool (12/71 -
221.8
216.9
218.1
220.7
220.9
224.1
225.8
142.7
100) ...................
100)
...............................
121.7
123.1
124.3
125.2
126.6
126.6
129.0
127.8
129.0
158.3
157.4
'157.3
157.9
156.4
156.3
155.1
225.1
225.4
'223.8
222.3
220.1
217.9
216.0
146.8
'148.0
148.0
145.5
146.0
135.3
127.1
2282
Throwing and winding mills (6/76 = 100) ...........................
138.6
123.2
123.2
131.5
139.1
139.3
2284
Thread mills (6 /7 6 = 1 0 0 ) .....................................................
151.4
144.1
144.3
148.4
150.8
150.9
151.1
151.1
151.1
154.8
157.0
156.9
2298
Cordage and twine (12/77 -
1 0 0 ) .......................................
134.8
129.3
129.3
130.9
132.7
134.3
134.3
134.3
134.3
139.3
139.3
139.3
140.7
141.0
2311
Men’s and boys' suits and c o a ts ...........................................
223.9
230.7
218.2
219.7
131.3
220.1
220.3
220.4
156.8
156.8
224.6
225.9
226.2
'226.5
227.0
227.1
230.7
210.6
'2 11.5
210.2
210.4
211.2
190.9
2321
Men’s and boys' shirts and n ig h tw e a r..................................
208.8
206.3
207.3
207.1
207.6
207.1
207.5
210.5
2322
Men's and boys’ u n d e rw e a r...................................................
230.6
224.9
229.1
231.0
231.0
231.0
230.7
230.8
230.8
'230.8
230.8
232.9
233.0
237.6
2323
Men’s and boys’ neckwear (12/75 -
100) ........................
114.6
115.4
115.4
115.4
115.4
115.4
115.4
113.9
113.9
113.9
113.9
115.3
Men’s and boys' separate tro u s e rs .......................................
186.1
185.3
185.3
185.3
186.0
186.1
186.1
186.4
186.4
113.9
186.4
113.9
2327
186.6
186.6
186.8
187.0
2328
2331
Men’s and boys' work clothing ..............................................
W omen’s and misses' blouses and waists (6/78 = 100)
248.4
242.2
116.3
242.2
116.3
242.3
116.4
247.0
118.3
248.2
118.4
248.3
118.5
250.8
251.1
121.2
'251.2
'121.3
252.4
121.0
123.6
252.5
123.8
252.5
123.9
251.9
123.8
122.3
122.5
123.0
124.3
'123.5
122.5
123.6
122.5
122.6
169.2
170.5
170.6
170.6
'1 70.6
171.2
172.2
172.2
175.3
2335
W omen’s and misses’ dresses (12/77 -
2341
W omen’s and children’s underwear (12/72 -
119.8
121.1
116.5
116.9
118.5
118.4
100) ..........
169.9
165.5
167.5
168.8
169.0
1 0 0 ) ...................
139.2
139.3
140.5
145.5
2342
Brassieres and allied garments (12/75 -
100) .................
136.8
131.7
132.8
138.8
'138.8
2361
Children's dresses and blouses (12/77 -
1 0 0 ) .................
120.3
118.1
118.9
119.2
120.7
120.5
120.5
121.6
121.7
'1 21.7
120.9
121.3
119.6
122.0
289.1
289.1
289.1
292.1
292.1
289.2
289.2
289.2
289.2
289.2
289.2
293.8
2381
Fabric dress and work g lo v e s ................................................
2394
Canvas and related products (12/77 -
2396
Automotive and apparel trimmings (12/77 -
1 0 0 )......................
2421
Sawmills and planing mills (12/71 -
2436
Softwood veneer and plywood (12/75 -
2439
Structural wood members, n.e.c. (12/75 -
1 0 0 ) ............
289.3
284.9
134.9
135.0
136.9
135.0
138.8
'1 34.6
138.1
138.1
140.3
145.5
132.1
126.8
126.8
127.8
129.3
130.0
130.1
130.1
133.1
131.0
131.0
131.0
131.0
131.0
131.0
131.0
131.0
131.0
131.0
131.0
131.0
131.0
131.0
219.7
217.7
218.3
218.5
228.2
232.3
229.6
228.6
233.3
234.8
234.8
233.5
231.2
'2 25.2
1 0 0 ) ...................
142.0
149.8
149.3
147.2
152.6
145.7
148.1
143.8
139.6
'1 35.4
129.4
128.6
134.1
132.0
100) ..............
156.6
157.1
157.0
157.1
158.3
158.2
158.2
157.6
156.9
'156.6
154.6
154.7
153.0
153.2
1 0 0 )...........................
149.8
2448
W ood pallets and skids (12/75 -
1 0 0 ) ...............................
152.5
153.8
152.8
152.7
153.1
153.1
153.0
153.1
152.9
'152.8
152.0
150.7
150.2
2451
Mobile homes (12/74 -
1 0 0 )................................................
156.8
153.1
153.2
155.0
155.8
155.9
156.1
158.1
158.3
'158.7
159.1
159.0
160.1
160.2
2492
172.8
2511
Particleboard (12/75 - 100) ................................................
W ood household furniture (12/71 - 100) ...........................
171.3
197.4
191.2
192.1
193.3
195.4
203.3
2512
Upholstered household furniture (12/71 -
1 0 0 ) .................
174.9
169.8
170.1
170.1
171.8
2515
Mattresses and bedsprings.....................................................
193.7
186.3
188.3
189.5
190.5
2521
Wood office furniture ...............................................................
254.6
244.1
250.4
253.5
254.5
255.4
254.6
254.7
254.7
2611
Pulp mills (12/73 -
253.2
246.9
246.9
246.9
251.2
251.3
251.3
251.3
251.3
1 0 0 ) ........................................................
163.9
170.3
172.3
180.9
182.3
179.6
173.6
'170.5
166.8
165.7
164.7
196.2
197.5
198.6
199.2
'200.1
201.6
200.9
201.9
169.7
173.9
175.1
175.1
'175.3
178.3
182.3
190.4
190.5
191.3
194.6
'1 95.2
199.4
201.8
202.2
207.5
'257.1
258.1
258.0
258.6
262.9
'251.3
257.2
265.5
265.5
260.9
159.6
159.8
161.8
184.5
184.9
184.1
2621
Paper mills, except building (12/74 -
1 0 0 ) ........................
156.3
152.0
152.6
153.3
153.9
154.3
155.7
157.0
157.4
'158.8
159.8
2631
Paperboard mills (12/74 = 100)
.........................................
151.8
148.2
149.2
150.8
151.0
152.1
152.3
151.7
152.4
'153.7
153.7
153.8
152.7
152.6
2647
Sanitary paper p ro d u c ts ..........................................................
343.8
338.3
342.5
343.0
343.2
344.3
344.4
344.2
344.3
'344.3
345.3
345.3
345.8
345.6
2654
Sanitary food containers ........................................................
Fiber cans, drums, and similar products (12/75 = 100) . .
245.3
232.0
235.2
237.9
239.2
239.2
242.2
246.0
252.9
'253.2
254.8
254.7
254.7
255.3
163.0
157.7
160.6
160.7
160.8
160.9
160.9
163.2
163.2
163.2
167.8
167.8
169.1
175.3
299.2
295.6
294.4
302.2
309.3
306.2
310.4
'3 16.0
314.5
317.0
323.9
329.3
2655
2812
Alkalies and chlorine (12/73 -
1 0 0 ) ....................................
305.3
277.9
2821
Plastics materials and resins (6 /7 6 -
1 0 0 ) ........................
150.8
142.4
143.5
144.8
148.1
149.7
150.7
155.0
155.6
'1 56.0
155.5
152.3
155.7
154.2
2822
Synthetic rubber ......................................................................
292.9
275.9
280.7
283.9
288.1
293.3
296.3
297.3
299.4
'2 99.3
299.9
301.1
302.7
304.0
163.6
162.5
161.9
161.0
144.4
141.3
142.4
2873
O rganic fiber, n oncellulosic.....................................................
Nitrogenous fertilizers (12/75 - 1 0 0 ) ..................................
2874
Phosphatic fertilizers ...............................................................
2824
2875
2892
155.7
144.0
144.7
147.4
149.9
156.2
156.8
159.2
160.3
'1 60.6
142.7
135.0
138.1
141.7
147.1
148.5
143.4
143.5
143.9
'142.1
143.1
254.1
247.9
248.2
253.5
251.6
251.5
250.9
249.4
260.0
'259.4
259.0
258.9
259.0
261.4
270.2
255.8
266.8
270.0
271.1
273.6
273.1
275.3
273.0
'272.0
271.2
271.6
268.5
269.1
312.0
288.8
295.4
303.9
324.8
314.5
312.6
315.7
319.8
'316.5
318.3
316.4
318.0
315.6
294.4
268.3
279.5
299.0
306.0
304.1
302.6
299.1
297.5
295.8
294.5
293.2
293.2
293.5
196.1
196.4
196.8
197.2
2911
Petroleum refining (6/76 = 100)
2951
Paving mixtures and blocks (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) ........................
194.3
183.1
185.4
189.1
198.1
198.8
198.4
197.1
196.3
'196.0
2952
Asphalt felts and coatings (12/75 -
1 0 0 ) ...........................
176.7
172.4
170.0
169.7
180.4
176.3
185.7
182.8
182.3
'174.3
174.2
177.6
175.5
173.5
3011
Tires and inner tubes (12/73 -
..................................
215.9
207.0
209.3
213.8
215.5
216.2
216.2
213.1
215.5
'220.6
221.3
221.2
221.5
222.0
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
.........................................
100)
I
89
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Producer Prices
30.
Continued— Producer Price Indexes for the output of selected SIC industries
[1 9 6 7 = 1 0 0 u n less o th e rw is e sp e cified]
1972
SIC
code
3021
Annual
average
1981
Industry description
1981
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
1982
Aug.
Sept.1
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Rubber and plastic footwear (12/71 = 1 0 0 ) . . . .
184.4
182.8
183.4
183.6
183.6
184.0
184.1
185.0
185.4
3031
' 185.3
185.0
Reclaimed rubber (12/73 =100) . .
185.0
185.2
193.4
190.4
190.4
187.6
187.7
187.7
187.7
192.9
3079
200.3
'200.3
198.1
198.1
198 1
198 1
128.8
125.4
125.4
126.3
128.7
129.6
129.2
130.2
r 130.3
130.5
130.5
130.8
130.9
150.6
157.0
145.5
151.4
158.6
129.1
154.7
148.5
3143
= 100)
Leather tanning and finishing (12/77 = 100)
Men's footwear, except athletic (12/75 = 100) . .
'148.3
169.1
164.8
166.5
167.6
168.7
168.9
169.6
170.7
171.4
3144
'170.9
169.6
170.6
Women's footwear, except a th le tic ...................
171.5
172.6
217.8
217.8
220.2
218.7
218.7
219.3
218.5
218.9
217.8
'2 1 8 2
217.0
214.5
214.6
213.8
3111
Miscellaneous plastic products (6/78
150.7
151.3
147.5
146.9
147.3
186 1
150.7
3171
W omen’s handbags and purses (12/75 = 100)
158.4
3211
158.4
158.4
158.4
Flat glass (12/71 = 100)
............
158.4
158 4
175.6
167.1
167.5
168.1
174.5
174.5
174.6
180.0
180.0
3221
'1 80.0
180.1
Glass c o n ta in e rs .............................
180.1
180.1
177 3
328.4
311.4
311.4
311.4
326.6
335.2
335.2
335.4
335.4
'335.4
334.7
334.7
3348
334.7
3241
Cement, h y d ra u lic ......................
328.5
324.3
324.3
324.4
332.4
332.3
331.0
331.6
331.6
'332.0
327.2
327.2
327.2
336 4
296.9
286.6
286.1
291 4
3251
Brick and structural clay t i l e ......................
155.5
149.5
149.5
149.7
149.7
158.4
158.4
158.4
2953
296.0
297.4
298.5
298.9
298.9
3253
'299.9
300.8
301.4
Ceramic wall and floor tile (12/75 = 100)
301.8
132.5
127.1
127.1
127.1
129.6
132.1
132.1
132.1
132.1
3255
'140.4
137.7
137.7
Clay re fra c to rie s ................................................
137.8
136.8
310.4
291.5
305.2
308.1
308.6
311.0
312.2
312.3
312.3
3259
'312.5
315.7
317.0
317.1
Structural clay products, n.e.c................................
327.0
222.7
209.5
212.8
213.0
212.7
223.9
223.9
223.9
223.9
3261
'227.5
232.2
232.2
Vitreous plumbing fixtures ..........................
254.9
244.7
248.9
249.4
252.0
252.5
255.8
258.7
259.6
3262
'259.0
258.9
259.3
Vitreous china food u te n s ils ...........................
260.1
261.1
335.0
327.4
327.4
328.0
328.2
336.6
336.6
336.6
336.6
336.8
336.8
344.7
344.7
347.7
298.6
309.6
309.6
309.6
313.3
314.4
314.4
314 5
..........
237.0
196.4
3263
Fine earthenware food u te n sils............................................
308.9
309.6
3269
'3 13.8
Pottery products, n.e.c. (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) .............................
160.1
155.5
155.5
158.5
158.6
160.6
160.7
160.7
160.7
3271
'1 61.8
161.7
163.6
Concrete block and b r ic k ..................................
163.6
164 2
270.4
264.1
265.0
263.2
267.4
271.2
271.2
271.2
274.0
274.2
274.0
274.5
275.3
274.8
298.7
294.8
301.1
3273
Ready-mixed c o n c re te ..............................................
298.6
307.9
308.2
295.4
296.0
298.5
299.4
301.7
300.7
300.0
3274
'2 99.2
299.7
299.2
Lime (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) ...............................
2995
172.5
165.7
171.7
172.6
172.4
172.6
173.0
173.1
173.9
'173.7
3275
173.9
173.8
Gypsum products ...................................................
174.0
179.1
257.3
259.9
257.6
257.9
257.1
261.4
260.9
261.8
258.9
3291
3297
'252.9
251.5
252.5
Abrasive products (12/71 = 1 0 0 ) ......................
Nonclay refractories (12/74 = 1 0 0 ) ...................
250.6
250.9
232.5
185.3
222.8
172.4
221.7
177.5
223.1
178.9
232.7
178.9
233.2
186.6
234.1
189.7
235.0
189.7
235.1
189.7
'237.3
'189.7
3312
237.5
189.8
239.6
190.2
240.0
190.2
Blast furnaces and steel mills
239.9
191.1
342.8
328.7
328.9
334.0
336.7
337.3
338.2
350.1
350.0
350.3
353.1
352.9
353.2
354 9
..........................
3313
Electrometallurgical products (12/75 = 100)
121.8
119.9
120.0
120.0
120.8
120.6
120.7
121.2
121.5
3316
125.4
125.4
Cold finishing of steel s h a p e s ........................
Steel pipes and tubes ...........................................
125.3
125 3
316.2
302.8
303.1
306.1
308.2
308.2
309.5
325.0
325.7
326.2
326.4
326.4
326.7
327.0
341.5
315.5
316.3
326.1
333.1
334.1
336.3
348.2
350.6
3321
'350.5
362.0
362.3
Gray iron foundries (12/68 = 1 0 0 ).............................
363.1
363.8
299.5
295.2
296.1
295.6
297.0
298.4
298.4
298.8
299.9
'302.0
304.6
303.9
304.7
308.0
3333
Primary z i n c ............................................................
326.5
300.3
300.0
299.7
311.9
332.7
335.1
335.4
353.8
'355.9
3334
332.9
337.5
Primary a lu m in u m ..............................................
327.3
308.0
333.5
331.7
332.3
332.2
332.8
334.2
332.5
334.2
334.4
'333.6
3351
335.8
Copper rolling and drawing
332.5
332.8
332.4
212.4
218.7
215.3
211.8
213.1
212.6
210.6
209.4
212.9
'214.1
212.9
209.4
208.6
205.6
3317
3353
..........
....................................
Aluminum sheet, plate, and foil (12/75 = 100) . . . .
175.9
121.4
169.3
170.7
172.1
173.8
174.4
176.1
177.3
177.4
3354
'1 78.0
180.7
179.9
180.9
181 5
Aluminum extruded products (12/75 = 100) . . . .
180.1
176.8
177.1
177.3
180.6
180.7
180.8
181.2
181.3
3355
181.2
181.3
181.4
181.1
180 7
159.1
155.3
157.1
157.2
157.3
157.4
157.3
157.2
3411
Aluminum rolling, drawing, n.e.c. (12/75 = 100) ..............
Metal c a n s .........................................
157.2
'157.7
163.3
166.2
305.3
302.1
303.0
304.7
304.7
304.7
304.7
305.5
306.7
'306.8
3425
307.2
306.6
306.6
Hand saws and saw blades (12/72 = 100)
310.3
201.3
195.4
196.3
198.0
198.1
200.2
200.2
204.1
204.2
'204.6
204.5
204.6
205.6
211.0
270.9
............
166.1
166.1
3431
Metal sanitary w a r e .........................................
265.0
256.0
256.4
258.5
262.8
264.8
265.2
269.2
269.7
'270.2
3465
267.7
270.6
272.0
Automotive stampings (12/75 = 100)
............
146.4
143.0
143.9
144.2
145.0
145.0
145.2
146.2
146.4
'146.9
147.7
149.7
153.7
154.6
3482
Small arms ammunition (12/75 = 100)
....
160.5
157.9
157.8
157.2
157.8
157.8
157.8
157.8
159.9
'159.9
165.3
165.3
165.3
173.2
245.1
238.4
3493
Steel springs, except wire ..................................
239.2
239.5
241.2
241.7
241.9
243.7
248.9
3494
'252.4
249.6
2538
Valves and pipe fittings (12/71 = 1 0 0 ) ..........................
254.3
256.4
248.4
240.2
242.1
244.8
247.6
247.9
248.5
250.0
251.0
3498
'2 52.7
251.4
Fabricated pipe and fittings
251.9
361.4
335.7
335.7
338.5
358.8
359.9
361.6
364.6
3519
370.0
'375.1
379.1
378.8
253.8
379.4
Internal combustion engines, n.e.c..............................
378.6
311.0
298.2
299.4
302.6
306.0
306.2
307.2
312.0
314.2
3531
'322.1
321.6
322.4
Construction machinery (12/76 = 100)
321.5
327.3
157.0
150.0
151.4
152.6
154.4
155.3
156.9
159.0
159.5
3532
'160.1
161.5
Mining machinery (12/72 = 1 0 0 ) ......................
161.6
162.1
164.8
282.3
272.5
273.5
276.2
279.5
280.0
280.8
282.7
285.3
'2 86.9
3533
288.7
290.3
Oilfield machinery and e q u ipm ent........................
291.8
293.9
395.4
367.0
374.2
378.2
401.3
406.5
'411.3
...............................
.................
382.2
384.6
390.3
413.3
418.3
420.1
255.8
427.1
3534
Elevators and moving s ta irw a y s ........................
253.5
250.3
250.3
250.3
251.2
251.2
251.2
252.1
3542
252.8
254.6
257.1
259.9
261.4
Machine tools, metal forming types (12/71 = 100)
268.0
306.4
297.5
298.0
301.9
303.0
304.5
305.7
307.6
309.5
312.0
312.3
312.3
313.0
313.5
148.4
245.4
148.6
148.8
148.7
149.3
153.3
'248.2
248.1
247.9
250.0
249.8
3546
Power driven hand tools (12/76 = 1 0 0 ) ...................
147.1
142.6
144.9
145.2
146.4
147.0
147.1
148.2
3552
Textile machinery (12/69 = 1 0 0 ) ..............
243.4
235.7
235.0
240.0
240.4
241.2
244.4
246.2
3553
Woodworking machinery (12/72 = 100) . . .
224.5
222.5
223.1
224.7
225.5
219.1
219.7
224.0
225.4
3576
'228.9
226.9
229.0
Scales and balances, excluding laboratory ...............
229.0
2294
226.2
220.5
221.1
224.2
230.2
230.2
230.3
226.6
226.6
3592
226.1
226.1
226.1
226.4
Carburetors, pistons, rings, valves (6/76 = 1 0 0 ) ............
228 2
177.9
168.9
170.9
171.5
172.0
172.0
176.5
180.8
181.3
3612
'182.1
185.2
Transformers .........................................
187.0
187.1
185.0
209.7
194.9
197.1
204.3
206.0
207.8
209.6
210.7
3623
212.8
'214.5
216.2
Welding apparatus, electric (12/72 = 1 0 0 ) ............
221.5
219.8
220.3
227.2
218.9
220.9
222.1
224.3
225.9
227.2
228.3
229.6
'231.6
231.8
232.4
234.7
235.9
3631
Household cooking equipment (12/75 = 1 0 0 )..
3632
Household refrigerators, freezers (6/76 = 100)
3633
Household laundry equipment (12/73 = 1 0 0 ) ..............
....
3635
Household vacuum cleaners
3636
Sewing machines (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) ...............................
Electric la m p s ..................................
3641
....................................
141.1
140.1
140.5
140.7
141.0
140.5
141.5
'141.6
141.6
142.0
142 6
144 6
127.5
141.0
127.5
141.1
132.3
127.6
129.4
129.5
130.8
135.5
135.5
'136.4
136.4
136.4
136.4
138.6
174.2
169.8
170.2
170.9
173.5
173.9
173.6
174.1
174.6
'177.2
176.8
178.5
178.8
179.8
156.8
159.1
156.3
158.5
158.4
158.5
158.6
158.8
'1 58.8
154.5
154.2
154.0
158.7
146.6
130.3
130.3
131.9
131.8
153.8
153.8
153.8
153.8
'1 53.8
155.4
155.4
155.4
155.4
277.5
265.8
271.2
272.6
275.5
275.1
276.5
158.6
275.2
280.0
'283.1
285.9
286.6
282.7
282.0
250.4
233.1
236.3
240.6
242.6
242.8
251.5
253.3
253.8
'2 58.5
261.2
264.6
264.6
261 5
154.4
145.1
148.0
151.4
156.1
156.2
156.2
154.4
155.5
'1 57.6
156.8
157.3
158.4
159.9
3644
Noncurrent-carrying wiring devices (12/72 = 100)
3646
Commercial lighting fixtures (12/75 = 100)
3648
Lighting equipment, n.e.c. (12/75 = 100) .............................
155.7
146.3
146.8
152.7
153.2
153.3
153.7
153.8
3671
161.3
'1 61.7
161.4
162.0
Electron tubes receiving t y p e .............................
162.7
162.7
309.7
284.3
284.4
285.0
285.0
285.1
312.5
327.4
3674
327.5
327.5
327.6
327.8
Semiconductors and related devices
........................
342.3
371 8
90.4
91.1
90.8
91.3
91.2
90.6
90.3
89.2
89.2
'91.4
3675
89.2
91.0
91.9
90.9
Electronic capacitors (12/75 = 100)
............
170.3
170.3
171.1
173.2
168.7
168.5
171.2
171.4
178.8
'172.4
3676
172.4
169.2
168.0
166.4
Electronic resistors (1 2 /7 5 = 1 0 0 ) ...................
141.3
139.0
139.9
139.9
140.0
140.8
141.2
142.1
142.5
'142.7
142.6
142.8
142.5
142.9
3678
Electronic connectors (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) ..........
154.8
152.2
153.5
154.5
154.4
153.7
154.3
155.0
155.8
'156.5
156.3
155.8
Primary batteries, dry and w e t ......................
156.6
157.2
3692
..
............
183.3
184.2
182.6
181.0
181.0
181.6
182.7
'182.7
182.7
182.7
182.7
182.1
Motor vehicles and car bodies (12/75 = 100). . .
182.2
150.2
179.0
3711
145.3
145.7
144.2
148.4
149.6
150.3
150.3
150.1
'143.4
3942
158.3
158.5
158.9
Dolls (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) .........................................
159.5
131.1
130.7
132.3
132 4
132.4
130.9
130.9
130.9
3944
'130.9
130.6
130.6
Games, toys, and children’s vehicles
130.6
134 9
220.5
213.9
220.2
221.2
221.8
221.9
220.1
220.5
221.5
225.8
Carbon paper and inked ribbons (12/75 = 100) . .
Burial caskets (6 /7 6 = 100) ...............................
138.6
133.0
136.4
136.9
136.9
140.4
222.0
140.4
'222.2
3955
221.2
136.4
130.9
222.0
140.6
140.6
140.6
140.6
140.7
140.3
139.5
Hard surface floor coverings (12/75 = 1 0 0 ) ..........
151.8
135.0
148.6
135.0
148.6
138.0
148.7
138.1
151.5
138.3
151.5
138.3
151.5
138.3
153.3
140.6
153.6
143.4
153.7
143.4
153.7
143.4
153.7
142.7
153.7
142.7
155.1
3995
3996
...............................
1 Data fo r September 1981 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.
90
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
r= revised.
PRODUCTIVITY DATA
P
r o d u c t i v i t y d a t a are compiled by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics from establishment data and from estimates of com
pensation and output supplied by the U.S. Department of
Commerce and the Federal Reserve Board.
The use of the term “man hours” to identify the labor component
of productivity and costs, in tables 31 through 34, has been discontin
ued. Hours of all persons is now used to describe the labor input of
payroll workers, self-employed persons, and unpaid family workers.
Output per all-employee hour is now used to describe labor productiv
Definitions
ity in nonfinancial corporations where there are no self-employed.
Output is the constant dollar gross domestic product produced in a
given period. Indexes of output per hour of labor input, or labor pro
ductivity, measure the value of goods and services produced per hour
of labor. Compensation per hour includes wages and salaries of em
ployees plus employers’ contributions for social insurance and private
benefit plans. The data also include an estimate of wages, salaries, and
supplementary payments for the self-employed, except for nonfinancial corporations, in which there are no self-employed. Real com
pensation per hour is compensation per hour adjusted by the
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.
Unit labor cost measures the labor compensation cost required to
produce one unit of output and is derived by dividing compensation
by output. Unit nonlabor payments include profits, depreciation, in
terest, and indirect taxes per unit of output. They are computed by
subtracting compensation of all persons from the current dollar gross
domestic product and dividing by output. In these tables, unit
nonlabor costs contain all the components of unit nonlabor payments
except unit profits. Unit profits include corporate profits and invento
ry valuation adjustments per unit of output.
The implicit price deflator is derived by dividing the current dollar
estimate of gross product by the constant dollar estimate, making the
deflator, in effect, a price index for gross product of the sector reported.
31.
Notes on the data
In the private business sector and the nonfarm business sector, the
basis for the output measure employed in the computation of output
per hour is Gross Domestic Product rather than Gross National
Product. Computation of hours includes estimates of nonfarm and
farm proprietor hours.
Output data are supplied by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S.
Department of Commerce, and the Federal Reserve Board. Quarterly
manufacturing output indexes are adjusted by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics to annual estimates of output (gross product originating)
from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Compensation and hours data
are from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
Beginning with the September 1976 issue of the Review, tables 3134 were revised to reflect changeover to the new series— private busi
ness sector and nonfarm business sector— which differ from the
previously published total private economy and nonfarm sector in
that output imputed for owner-occupied dwellings and the household
and institutions sectors, as well as the statistical discrepancy, are
omitted. For a detailed explanation, see J. R. Norsworthy and L. J.
Fulco, “New sector definitions for productivity series,” M onthly Labor
Review, October 1976, pages 40—42.
Annual indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices, selected years, 1950-81
[1977=100]
1950
Item
Private business sector:
Output per hour of all persons
Compensation per hour
1955
1960
1965
1970
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
»100.4
.............................
50.3
58.2
65.1
78.2
86.1
92.7
94.8
97.9
100.0
99.8
99.5
99.3
.........................................
20.0
26.3
33.9
41.7
58.2
78.0
85.5
92.9
100.0
108.4
119.3
131.5
»96.4
Real compensation per h o u r ..................................
50.4
59.6
69.4
80.0
90.8
»144.6
95.9
96.3
98.8
100.0
100.7
99.6
96.7
84.2
90.2
100.0
108.6
119.9
132.4
»144.1
Unit nonlabor payments .........................................
43.5
47.8
50.8
57.8
63.4
78.9
90.7
94.8
94.4
100.0
105.1
110.9
118.3
P 130.0
Implicit price deflator
41.0
46.1
51.7
54.8
66.2
82.4
90.4
94.7
100.0
107.4
116.9
127.6
»139.3
93.1
95.0
98.1
100.0
99.8
99.1
98.8
»99.7
93.0
100.0
108.5
119.0
130.8
»143.9
Unit labor c o s t ..........................................................
..............................................
39.8
45.2
52.1
53.3
67.6
Nonfarm business sector:
.............................
56.2
62.7
68.2
80.4
86.7
.........................................
21.8
28.3
35.6
42.8
58.6
78.4
86.0
Real compensation per h o u r ..................................
55.0
63.9
73.0
91.5
96.4
96.8
99.0
100.0
100.7
99.3
96.2
Unit labor c o s t ..........................................................
38.8
45.1
52.3
53.2
67.6
84.3
90.5
94.8
100.0
108.7
120.0
132.4
»144.4
64.0
76.1
88.9
94.0
100.0
103.6
108.5
117.6
»129.8
66.4
81.6
89.9
94.5
100.0
107.0
116.2
127.4
»139.6
100.4
100.4
101.0
( 1)
Output per hour of all persons
Compensation per hour
82.2
Unit'nonlabor payments .........................................
42.8
47.9
50.5
58.2
Implicit price deflator
40.2
46.0
51.7
54.9
..............................................
Nonfinancial corporations:
Output per hour of all employees
Compensation per hour
........................
.........................................
Real compensation per h o u r ..................................
Unit labor c o s t ..........................................................
Unit nonlabor payments .........................................
Implicit price deflator
..............................................
»95.9
(’ )
( 1)
66.3
79.9
85.4
91.3
94.4
97.4
100.0
n
(’ )
36.3
43.0
58.3
77.6
85.5
92.5
100.0
108.2
118.7
130.7
(’ )
c i
( 1)
74.2
82.6
91.0
95.4
96.3
98.5
100.0
100.5
99.1
96.2
(’)
<’ )
(’)
54.7
53.8
68.3
85.1
90.6
95.0
100.0
107.8
118.2
129.4
(’ )
100.0
103.8
108.3
117.3
( 1)
( 1)
54.6
60.8
63.1
75.7
90.9
95.0
(M
( 1)
54.7
56.2
66.5
81.8
90.7
95.0
100.0
106.4
114.8
125.2
( 1)
(’ >
Manufacturing:
.............................
49.5
56.5
60.1
74.6
79.2
90.9
93.5
97.7
100.0
100.9
102.0
101.7
»104.4
.........................................
21.5
28.8
36.7
42.9
57.6
76.4
85.5
92.4
100.0
108.2
118.8
131.6
»146.2
Real compensation per h o u r ..................................
54.1
65.2
75.1
82.3
89.9
93.9
96.3
98.3
100.0
100.5
99.2
r 96.8
»97.4
Unit labor c o s t ..........................................................
43.4
51.0
61.1
57.4
72.7
84.1
91.4
94.6
100.0
107.3
116.5
129.4
»140.0
108.7
C)
123.4
(’ )
Output per hour of all persons
Compensation per hour
.........................................
55.1
59.4
62.0
70.3
66.0
70.4
88.5
95.1
100.0
104.7
105.7
..............................................
46.8
53.4
61.3
61.2
70.7
80.1
90.6
94.7
100.0
106.5
113.4
Unit nonlabor payments
Implicit price deflator
1 Not available.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
r -
revised.
91
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW March 1982 • Current Labor Statistics: Productivity
32.
Annual changes in productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices, 1971-81
Annual rate
of change
Year
Item
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1950-81
1960-81
Private business sector:
Output per hour of all persons ..................................
3.6
3.5
2.7
- 2 .3
2.3
3.3
2.1
-0 .2
- 0 .3
- 0 .2
»1.0
p 2.4
»2.1
Compensation per hour ..............................................
6.6
6.5
8.0
9.4
9.6
8.6
7.7
8.4
10.1
10.2
P10.0
p 6.2
»7.2
Real compensation per h o u r .......................................
2.2
3.1
-1 .1
- 2 .9
1.7
- 1 .4
2.7
1.2
0.7
p - 0 .3
p 2.3
»1.7
Unit labor c o s t ...............................................................
2.9
2.9
5.2
11.9
7.2
5.1
5.5
8.6
10.4
10.4
p 8.9
p 3.6
»5.0
Unit nonlabor p a y m e n ts ..............................................
7.6
4.5
5.9
4.4
15.0
4.1
5.9
5.1
5.5
6.6
p 9.9
»3.3
»4.5
Implicit price d e f la t o r ...................................................
4.4
3.4
5.4
9.4
9.7
4.7
5.6
7.4
8.8
9.2
p 9.2
p 3.5
»49
3.3
3.7
2.5
-2 .4
2.1
-0 .2
0.4
Nonfarm business sector:
Output per hour of all persons ..................................
Compensation per hour ..............................................
3.2
2.0
6.6
6.7
7.6
9.4
9.6
8.1
7.6
8.5
9.7
9.9
p 10.1
p 5.9
Real compensation per h o u r .......................................
»7.0
2.2
3.3
1.3
-1 .4
0.4
2.2
1.0
0.7
-1 .4
- 3 .2
p - 0 .3
»2.0
»1.5
2.8
4.9
4.7
5.5
8.7
10.4
»5.0
Unit labor c o s t ...............................................................
3.1
12.1
7.4
-0 .7
- 0 .3
p 0.9
p 2.1
»18
10.3
p 9.1
p 3.7
Unit nonlabor p a y m e n ts ..............................................
7.4
3.2
1.3
5.9
16.7
5.7
6.4
3.6
4.8
8.4
p 10.4
p 3.3
»4.4
Implicit price deflator ...................................................
4.5
3.0
3.7
10.1
10.3
5.1
5.8
7.0
8.6
9.7
»9.5
»3.6
»48
-3 .4
3.4
3.2
2.7
0.6
(’ )
V)
»2.1
9.7
10.1
8.2
8.1
8.2
9.7
10.1
( 1)
( ')
»6.7
0.9
2.3
1.5
0.5
- 1 .4
-3 .0
Nonfinancial corporations:
Output per hour of all e m p lo y e e s .............................
4.8
3.0
2.6
Compensation per h o u r ..............................................
6.5
5.8
7.7
Real compensation per h o u r .......................................
2.1
2.5
1.4
-1 .1
0.4
-
0.0
1.6
( 1)
2.8
( 1)
4.9
13.6
6.5
4.9
5.3
7.8
9.7
9.5
2.7
V)
<1 )
»4.6
7.4
1.5
7.1
20.1
4.6
5.2
3.8
4.4
8.3
2.8
3.8
11.4
10.9
4.8
5.2
6.4
7.9
9.1
( 1)
(’)
( ')
»3.8
3.5
( 1)
p43
6.1
5.0
5.3
- 2 .4
2.9
4.4
2.4
0.9
1.1
- 0 .3
p 2.7
»2.6
»2.6
Manufacturing:
Output per hour of all persons ..................................
Compensation per h o u r ..............................................
6.1
5.4
7.2
10.6
11.9
8.0
8.3
8.2
9.8
10.7
p 11.1
»5.8
Real compensation per h o u r.......................................
Unit labor c o s t ...............................................................
1.8
2.0
0.3
0.9
1.7
- 0 .3
2.1
3.4
- 2 .5
p 0.7
»2.0
5.7
0.5
7.3
-1 .3
13.3
2.5
8.8
1.7
0.0
8.6
11.0
p 8.2
»3.1
»4.1
Unit nonlabor p a y m e n ts ..............................................
11.2
0.8
-3 .3
-1 .8
25.9
7.4
5.2
4.7
0.9
2.9
Implicit price deflator ...................................................
3.1
( 1)
0.5
0.3
9.0
13.1
4.6
5.6
6.5
6.4
8.8
( ')
p ( 1)
P( i )
p ( 1)
p( i ,
1 Not available.
33.
»1.5
Unit labor c o s t ........................................................
Unit nonlabor p a y m e n ts ..............................................
Implicit price d e f la t o r ...................................................
»6.9
1.4
p
r = revised.
Quarterly indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices, seasonally adjusted
[1 9 7 7 = 1 0 0 ]
Item
Quarterly indexes
Annual
average
1979
1980
1980
1981
II
III
IV
99.3
131.5
96.7
132.4
118.3
127.6
»100.4
»144.6
»96.4
»144.1
»130.0
»139.3
99.7
118.1
100.3
118.5
110.4
115.8
99.4
120.7
99.2
121.4
111.5
118.1
99.1
123.2
98.0
124.3
112.2
120.2
98.8
130.8
96.2
132.4
117.6
127.4
»99.7
»143.9
»95.9
»144.4
»129.8
»139.6
99.1
117.7
98.9
120.2
98.8
121.5
109.2
117.4
101.0
130.7
96.2
129.7
129.4
130.2
90.2
125.2
(’ )
( 1)
(’ )
<1)
( 1)
( 1)
( ')
( 1)
115.3
116.8
111.2
100.7
113.7
100.5
120.1
98.7
118.2
119.5
114.6
97.5
115.9
102.3
118.6
100.7
115.9
102.0
119.8
98.5
117.5
1
1981
II
III
IV
1
II
III
IV
99.5
126.4
96.7
127.0
115.2
123.0
99.1
130.1
r 96.6
131.3
116.0
126.1
99.4
133.1
96.9
133.9
119.7
129.1
99.1
135.9
96.0
r 137.1
122.7
132.2
100.3
r 139.8
96.1
139.4
127.6
135.4
r 101.2
r 143.3
'96.9
141.6
129.3
137.5
100.9
r 146.5
'96.3
r 145.2
r 132.4
r 140.9
»99.0
»148.5
»95.8
»150.0
» 130.6
»143.5
98.8
123.0
97.8
124.4
110.1
119.7
98.9
126.0
96.4
127.4
113.9
122.9
98.2
129.4
96.0
131.8
115.1
126.3
99.0
132.3
96.3
133.6
119.2
128.8
99.0
135.4
r 95.7
136.8
122.0
131.9
100.0
r 139.2
95.7
139.1
127.8
135.3
100.4
142.4
96.3
141.9
128.7
137.5
99.9
r 145.7
r 95.8
r 145.8
r 132.2
r 141.2
»98.0
»148.0
»95.5
»151.0
»130.9
»144.3
99.9
122.7
97.5
121.3
122.8
117.2
92.2
118.1
100.2
125.7
96.2
124.2
125.4
120.9
95.5
121.0
100.1
129.3
95.9
129.2
129.1
129.3
83.4
124.1
101.8
132.5
96.5
131.1
130.2
133.8
89.1
126.4
101.8
135.5
95.7
134.1
133.1
136.9
92.4
129.5
103.3
139.2
95.7
136.0
134.7
139.5
106.8
132.7
103.9
142.3
96.2
138.7
137.0
143.6
102.8
134.7
r 103.8
' 145.5
95.6
142.2
140.2
r 147.7
r 106.7
r 138.2
( 1)
(’ )
( 1)
102.1
122.3
97.2
119.8
102.0
125.4
r96.0
122.9
100.7
130.0
r 96.5
r 129.0
100.7
133.9
97.5
133.0
103.2
137.3
97.0
133.0
r 104.2
r 141.1
r 97.1
r 135.5
r 105.2
' 144.8
r 97.9
r 137.6
105.5
'148.0
'97.3
'140.3
»102.4
»150.7
»97.2
»147.1
Private business sector:
Output per hour of all persons ..................................
Compensation per h o u r ..............................................
Real compensation per h o u r.......................................
Unit labor c o s t ..........................................................
Unit nonlabor p a y m e n ts .........................................
Implicit price deflator ................................................
Nonfarm business sector:
Output per hour of all persons .............................
Compensation per h o u r ...............................
Real compensation per h o u r ..........................
Unit labor c o s t .........................................
Unit nonlabor p a y m e n ts .............................
Implicit price d e f la t o r ....................................
100.0
118.7
107.7
115.1
Nonfinancial corporations:
Output per hour of all e m p lo y e e s .............................
Compensation per hour ....................................
Real compensation per h o u r ........................
Total unit costs .........................................
Unit labor cost .........................................
Unit nonlabor c o s t s .........................................
Unit profits
............................................................
Implicit price deflator .......................................
100.7
117.6
99.9
Manufacturing:
Output per hour of all persons .............................
Compensation per h o u r .......................................
Real compensation per h o u r ..........................
Unit labor c o s t ...................................................
1 Not available.
Digitized92
for FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
101.7
131.6
'96.8
129.4
»104.4
»146.2
»97.4
»140.0
r = revised
n
( ')
(’ )
( 1)
( 1)
34. Percent change from preceding quarter and year in productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices,
seasonally adjusted at annual rate
[1 9 7 7 = 1 0 0 ]
Percent change from same quarter a year ago
Quarterly percent change at annual rate
Item
III 1980
to
IV 1980
IV 1980
to
11981
11981
to
I11981
II 1981
to
III 1981
III 1981
to
IV 1981
I
I11980
to
III 1980
III 1979
to
III 1980
IV 1979
to
IV 1980
I 1980
to
11981
I11980
to
I11981
III 1980
to
III 1981
IV 1980
to
IV 1981
Private business sector:
........................
1.3
'4 .7
3.5
' —1.1
CVJ
0.0
0.0
'0 .8
2.1
1.5
....................................
9.5
8.6
'11.9
10.4
'9 .3
p 5.7
10.3
10.3
'1 0 .6
10.1
'10.1
»9.3
Real compensation per h o u r .............................
1.6
-3 .8
'0 .5
3.2
'- 2 . 3
P - 1 .9
-2 .3
-2 .0
' -0 .6
0.3
' -0 .6
P -0 .2
»9.5
Output per hour of all persons
Compensation per hour
-1 .1
P - 0 .1
Unit labor costs ...................................................
8.1
9.8
6.9
6.6
'1 0 .6
»14.0
10.3
10.3
9.7
7.8
'8 .5
Unit nonlabor payments ....................................
13.7
10.2
'17.1
5.3
'10.1
» -5 .3
7.4
9.3
10.8
11.5
'1 0 .6
»6.5
.........................................
9.8
9.9
10.0
6.2
'10.4
»7.5
9.4
10.0
10.1
9.0
'9.1
»8.5
P -1 .0
Implicit price deflator
3.6
-0 .2
'4 .4
'0 .2
1.1
'2 .3
0.9
9.0
9.8
'11.7
9.6
'9 .5
»6.5
10.1
10.1
'1 0 .5
10.0
'1 0 .2
»9.3
Real compensation per h o u r .............................
1.2
-2 .7
'0 .3
'2 .5
'- 2 . 2
P - 1 .2
- 2 .5
-2 .2
'0 .3
-0 .6
P -0 .2
Unit labor costs ...................................................
5.3
10.1
7.0
8.1
'1 1 .5
»15.2
9.9
9.9
9.2
7.6
'9 .2
P10.4
Unit nonlabor payments ....................................
15.0
9.9
20.3
3.0
'1 1 .3
» - 4 .0
9.1
10.8
12.2
11.8
'1 0 .9
»7.3
8.2
10.0
11.0
6.5
'11.4
»8.9
9.6
10.2
10.1
8.9
'9 .7
»9.4
...................
6.7
0.0
6.3
2.2
' -0 .5
( 1)
1.3
1.9
3.1
3.8
'2 .0
( 1)
....................................
10.2
9.4
11.4
9.3
'9 .2
(’ )
10.3
10.4
10.8
10.1
9.8
<1)
2.2
-3 .1
-0 .5
0.3
Implicit price deflator
.........................................
1.4
' —1.8
P - 7 .6
'0 .2
O
Output per hour of all persons
Compensation per hour
1
........................
....................................
<1
Nonfarm business sector:
Nonfinancial corporations:
Output per hour of all employees
Compensation per hour
2.1
-2 .5
(’ )
-2 .2
-1 .9
-0 .9
( 1)
6.2
9.4
5.6
8.4
'1 0 .3
<1 )
11.0
10.5
9.5
7.4
8.4
<’ )
..............................................
3.2
9.4
4.8
7.0
9.7
(’ )
8.9
8.4
7.4
6.1
7.7
(’ )
Unit nonlabor c o s t s .........................................
14.7
9.5
7.9
12.3
'11.8
(’)
16.8
16.8
15.4
11.1
'10.4
<1)
Unit p ro fits ............................................................
30.3
15.7
77.9
-1 3 .9
'15.7
<’ )
- 8 .6
0.3
11.8
23.3
'1 9 .7
(’ )
7.9
9.9
10.4
6.2
'1 0 .7
( 1)
9.1
9.6
9.7
8.6
'9 .3
( 1)
'1 .2
'4 .8
» - 0 .8
Real compensation per h o u r .............................
Total unit costs
...................................................
Unit labor costs
Implicit price deflator
.........................................
0.0
Manufacturing:
Output per hour of all persons
Compensation per hour
........................
....................................
'- 0 . 1
12.7
'10.3
'3 .8
4.1
P - 1 1 .3
' —1.2
1.1
2.1
'4 .5
10.5
'1 1 .6
10.8
'9 .3
»7.5
'11.8
'1 2 .3
'1 2 .5
'11.4
'1 0 .5
» -0 .3
-1 .0
'- 0 . 2
'1.1
'1 .5
'- 0 . 2
»0.2
»21.1
13.2
10.2
6.6
'5 .5
»10.6
Real compensation per h o u r .............................
4.5
-2 .2
' - 0 .2
3.5
'- 2 . 4
Unit labor costs ...................................................
'12.8
0.1
7.5
'6 .5
'8 .0
1 Not available.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
11.0
»9.8
r=revised.
93
LABOR-M ANAGEM ENT DATA
M a j o r c o l l e c t i v e b a r g a i n i n g d a t a are obtained from
contracts on file at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, direct
contact with the parties, and from secondary sources. Addi
tional detail is published in Current Wage Developments, a
monthly periodical of the Bureau. Data on work stoppages
are based on confidential responses to questionnaires mailed
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to parties involved in work
stoppages. Stoppages initially come to the attention of the
Bureau from reports of Federal and State mediation agencies,
newspapers, and union and industry publications.
the agreement. Changes over the life of the agreement refer to total
agreed-upon settlements (exclusive of potential cost-of-living escalator
adjustments) expressed at an average annual rate. Wage-rate changes
are expressed as a percent of straight-time hourly earnings, while wage
and benefit changes are expressed as a percent of total compensation.
Effective wage-rate adjustments in major bargaining units measure
actual changes during the reference period, whether the result of a
newly negotiated increase, a deferred increase negotiated in an earlier
year, or a cost-of-living adjustment. Average adjustments are affected
by workers receiving no adjustment, as well as by those receiving in
creases or decreases.
Definitions
Data on wage changes apply to private nonfarm industry agree
ments covering 1,000 workers or more. Data on wage and benefit
changes combined apply only to those agreements covering 5,000
workers or more. First-year wage settlements refer to pay changes go
ing into effect within the first 12 months after the effective date of
35.
Work stoppages include all known strikes or lockouts involving six
workers or more and lasting a full shift or longer. Data cover all
workers idle one shift or more in establishments directly involved in a
stoppage. They do not measure the indirect or secondary effect on
other establishments whose employees are idle owing to material or
service shortages.
Wage and benefit settlements in major collective bargaining units, 1976 to date
[In p e rc e n t]
Annual average
Quarterly average
Measures and industry
1979
1977
1978
1979
1980
1980
1981 p
1981 p
IV
I
II
III
IV
lr
IIr
nr
IV
W age and benefit settlements, all industries:
First-year settlements
.........................................
9.6
8.3
9.0
10.4
11.3
8.5
8.8
10.2
11.4
8.5
10.5
11.6
12.3
11.1
6.2
6.3
6.6
7.1
9.2
6.0
6.7
7.4
7.2
6.1
9.4
10.8
9.3
5.6
.........................................
7.8
7.6
7.4
9.5
10.1
6.3
8.2
9.1
10.5
8.3
7.2
11.8
11.8
9.3
Annual rate over life of c o n t r a c t ........................
5.8
6.4
6.0
7.1
8.1
5.3
6.5
7.3
7.4
6.5
6.5
9.7
9.4
5.6
First-year s e ttle m e n ts....................................
8.4
8.3
6.9
7.4
7.3
5.6
7.2
6.7
8.4
7.8
6.7
8.1
9.4
6.0
Annual rate over life of contract
5.5
6.6
5.4
5.4
6.3
4.2
5.7
5.1
5.6
5.8
6.0
6.6
7.9
5.0
First-year s e ttle m e n ts....................................
8.0
8.0
7.6
9.5
10.2
7.8
9.4
10.3
9.5
8.2
7.9
11.7
10.3
9.8
Annual rate over life of contract
.................
5.9
6.5
6.2
6.6
7.5
7.4
7.6
8.5
5.9
6.8
7.2
9.0
8.6
5.5
First-year se ttle m e n ts ....................................
6.3
6.5
8.8
13.6
13.5
7.5
10.8
12.2
15.4
14.3
11.4
12.9
16.4
11.4
Annual rate over life of contract
6.3
6.2
8.3
11.5
11.3
7.6
9.1
10.4
13.0
12.0
10.3
11.1
12.4
11.7
Annual rate over life of c o n tr a c t......................
W age rate settlements, all industries:
First-year settlements
Manufacturing:
.................
Nonmanufacturing (excluding construction):
Construction:
r=revised.
94
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.................
36.
Effective wage adjustments in major collective bargaining units, 1976 to date
[In percent]
Average quarterly changes
Average annual changes
Measures and industry
1979
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981 p
8.0
8.2
9.1
9.9
Current s e ttle m e n t..........................................................
3.0
2.0
3.0
Prior s e ttle m e n t...............................................................
3.2
3.7
3.0
Total effective wage rate adjustment, all industries .................
1981 p
1980
IV
1
II
III
IV
lr
II'
lllr
IV
9.1
1.6
1.6
3.3
3.5
1.3
1.6
3.0
3.2
1.3
3.6
2.5
1.0
1.7
.5
.4
1.1
.6
.4
3.8
.5
.4
.4
3.5
.5
1.4
1.2
.3
.6
1.3
1.5
.4
.8
.7
.6
.6
.7
1.1
.4
Change resulting from —
Cost-of-living adjustm ent c la u s e ..................................
Manufacturing
.........................................................................
Nonmanufacturing
.................................................................
1.7
2.4
3.1
2.8
2.8
.7
.7
8.4
8.6
9.6
10.2
8.9
2.4
2.0
3.4
2.9
1.7
2.2
2.1
3.0
1.6
7.6
7.9
8.8
9.7
9.2
1.0
1.3
3.2
4.0
1.1
1.1
3.7
3.4
1.1
Note: Because of rounding and compounding, the sums of individual items may not equal totals.
37.
r = revised.
Work stoppages, 1947 to date
Number of stoppages
Month and year
Beginning in
month or year
In effect
during month
Days idle
Workers involved
Beginning in
month or year
(thousands)
In effect
during month
(thousands)
Number
(thousands)
Percent of
estimated
working time
.3 0
1947 ...................
3 ,6 9 3
2 ,1 7 0
3 4 ,6 0 0
1948 . . .
3 ,4 1 9
1 ,9 6 0
3 4 ,1 0 0
.28
1949 .
3 ,6 0 6
3 ,0 3 0
5 0 ,5 0 0
.44
1950 . . .
4 ,8 4 3
2 ,4 1 0
3 8 ,8 0 0
.3 3
1951 . .
4 ,7 3 7
2 ,2 2 0
2 2 ,9 0 0
.18
1952 . . .
5 ,1 1 7
3 ,5 4 0
5 9 ,1 0 0
.48
1953
5 091
2 ,4 0 0
2 8 ,3 0 0
.22
..
1954 ..........................................................................................................
3 ,4 6 8
1 ,5 3 0
2 2 ,6 0 0
.18
1955
4 ,3 2 0
2 ,6 5 0
2 8 ,2 0 0
.22
3 3 ,1 0 0
1 ,9 0 0
.24
.................................................................................................
3 ,8 2 5
1957 ..........................................................................................................
3 ,6 7 3
1 ,3 9 0
1 6 ,5 0 0
.1 2
1958
3 ,6 9 4
2 ,0 6 0
2 3 ,9 0 0
.18
1956
1959
........................................................................................................
3 ,7 0 8
1 ,8 8 0
6 9 ,0 0 0
.5 0
1960
.
3 ,3 3 3
1 ,3 2 0
1 9 ,1 0 0
.14
3 ,3 6 7
3 ,6 1 4
1 ,4 5 0
1 ,2 3 0
1 6 ,3 0 0
1 8 ,6 0 0
.11
.1 3
1 9 6 1 ..........................................................................................................
1962
...........................................................................
941
3 ,6 5 5
1 ,6 4 0
2 2 ,9 0 0
.1 5
3 ,9 6 3
1 ,5 5 0
2 3 ,3 0 0
.1 5
.1 5
1963
1 6 ,1 0 0
.11
3 ,3 6 2
1964 . . .
1965
4 ,4 0 5
1 ,9 6 0
2 5 ,4 0 0
1967
. .
4 ,5 9 5
2 ,8 7 0
4 2 ,1 0 0
.25
'9 6 8
........................................................................................................
5 ,0 4 5
2 ,6 4 9
4 9 ,0 1 8
.28
1966
........................................................................................................
1969
5 ,7 0 0
2,481
4 2 ,8 6 9
.24
1970
5 ,7 1 6
3 ,3 0 5
6 6 ,4 1 4
.37
.2 6
1971
........................................................................................................
5 ,1 3 8
3 ,2 8 0
4 7 ,5 8 9
1972
..
5 ,0 1 0
1 ,7 1 4
2 7 ,0 6 6
.1 5
1973
5 ,3 5 3
2,251
2 7 ,9 4 8
.14
1974 ..........................................................................................................
6 ,0 7 4
2 ,7 7 8
.24
1975 . . .
5,031
1 ,7 4 6
4 7 ,991
3 1 ,2 3 7
3 7 ,8 5 9
.1 6
.1 9
5 ,6 4 8
2 ,4 2 0
1977 . . .
5 ,5 0 6
2 ,0 4 0
3 5 ,8 2 2
.1 7
1978
4 '2 3 0
1 ,6 2 3
3 6 ,9 2 2
.1 7
4 ,8 2 7
1 ,7 2 7
1976 ..........................................................................................................
.
1979 . . .
1980*
.........................................................................................
1981p
..
1980:
December ................................................................................
J u l y ............................................................................................
Note:
3 4 ,7 5 4
.1 5
3 ,8 8 5
1 ,3 6 6
3 3 ,2 8 9
.1 4
2 ,5 7 7
1 ,0 8 2
2 4 ,6 7 0
.11
90
380
19
77
1 ,2 2 8
.0 6
187
3 8 .8
9 4 2 .4
.0 5
213
4 1 .5
7 6 9 .9
.0 4
285
2 4 3 .7
1 ,6 9 7 .5
.0 8
286
8 0 .3
4 ,8 8 4 .5
.2 4
301
1 2 3 .7
5 ,3 0 7 .6
.28
302
2 4 1 .0
3,52 1 .1
.17
286
1 2 0 .5
2 ,4 7 2 .6
211
6 8 .5
1 ,7 0 4 .3
.09
225
5 8 .5
1 ,4 7 9 .3
.08
166
3 6 .0
1 ,2 0 7 .9
.0 6
82
2 1 .0
3 9 5 .2
.02
33
8 .2
2 8 7 .6
.01
.12
The preliminary data for 1981 have been revised.
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