Full text of Monthly Labor Review : November 1939, Vol. 49, No. 5

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR • BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
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HUGH

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CONTENTS
Cover:

HANNA,

EDITOR

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NOVEMBER 193» Vol. 49 No. 5

DEC 1 6 1939

Workmen going off shift at Grand Coulee Dam.

Special articles:

Page

Adjustment of labor disputes____________________________________
Municipal labor boards of Toledo and Newark____________________
Industrial-relations machinery in democratic foreign countries______

1023
1045
1050

Unemployment and unemployment relief:
Extent of waste from depression unemployment___________________
Long-term unemployment in Philadelphia_________________________

Industrial and labor conditions:
Energy resources and national policy_____________________________
Output and productivity in bituminous-coal mining, 1936-38-______
British Cotton-Industry Reorganization Act, 1939_________________

1075
1079
1082
1086
1086

Wartime emergency controls:
Status of children evacuated from cities in Great Britain___________
Wartime control of food distribution and prices in France_________

1090
1091

Housing:
Regional differences in the cost of housing________________________

1094

Youth in industry:
Employment experience of eighth-grade graduates_________________
Prohibition of child labor in factories in India_____________________
Protection of child workers in Shanghai___________________________

1098
1102

1103

Migrant and farm labor:
Wage workers and sharecroppers on Mississippi plantations________
Migration into Oregon, 1930-37__________________________________
Occupational shifts of Maryland workers in depression_____________

1104
1106
1108

Industrial accidents:
Injury experience in the iron and steel industry, 1937 and 1938_____

1111

Health and industrial hygiene:
Industrial diseases in British factories, 1938_______________________

1121

Labor organizations:
Trade-union membership in Great Britain and Northern Ireland in
1938_________________________________________________________

1123

Labor conferences:
Meeting of State Labor Officials, 1939____________________________
Meeting of Industrial Accident Boards, 1939______________________
Annual conventions of A. F. of L. and C. I. O____________________

i

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Contents

II

Labor Jaws and court decisions:

Page

Pennsylvania law requiring registration of aliens___________________
Court decisions of interest to labor:
Wages and Hours Act held constitutional by district court_____
Steel wage determination held invalid by Court of Appeals_____
Incorporation of labor unions______________________
Suits against unincorporated labor unions_____________________
Secondary boycott held disorderly conduct____________________
Injunction in absence of employer-employee dispute___________
Constitutionality of Virginia insurance law____________________
Workmen’s compensation act not applicable to pilots__________

1136
1136
1137
1138
1138
1139
1139
1140

Trend of strikes_______________________________
Strikes in July 1939___________________________________
Activities of United States Conciliation Service, September 1939____

1141
1142
1151

Changes in cost of living in the United States, June 15, 1939_______
Estimated intercity differences in cost of living, June 15, 1939______
Cost of living in foreign countries______________________________

1153
1164
1167

Industrial disputes:

Costs and standards of living:

Minimum wages and maximum hours:

1135

Wage determinations under Public Contracts A ct_________________

1171

Hourly earnings in knit-goods industries (other than hosiery), Sep­
tember 1938______________________________________
Union scales of wages and hours in the building trades, June 1, 1939__
Wages and hours in British Columbia, 1938_______________________

1173
1203
1226

Labor turn-over in manufacturing, August 1939___________________

1228

Wages and hours of labor:

Labor turn-over:

Employment offices:
Placement work and unemployment compensation in September 1939.

Trend of employment and pay rolls:

1232

Summary of reports for September 1939:
Nonagricultural employment___________________________
Industrial and business employment__________________
Public employment__________________________________
Detailed reports for industrial and business employment, August
1939__________________________________ ________ _______ _______
#Unemployment in foreign countries, third quarter of 1939__________

1246
1262

Summary of building construction in principal cities, September 1939.

1266

Retail food prices in September 1939______________________
Electricity and gas: Price changes between June and September 1939..
Retail prices in Government stores in Moscow_____________________

1271
1272
1276

Wholesale prices in September 1939______________________________

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1284

Building operations:
Retail prices:

Wholesale prices:

Recent publications of labor interest___________________


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This Issue in Brief

Hourly Earnings in Knit-goods.
Hourly earnings of workers in the
knitted-underwear industry averaged
39.9 cents in August and September
1938, as compared with 45.8 cents in
the knitted-outerwear industry, 56.0
cents in plants making knitted cloth,
and 40.9 cents in glove-knitting estab­
lishments.
Approximately
threefourths of the employees in the under­
wear and outerwear industries and
four-fifths of those in glove plants
were women. In the knitted cloth
industry, on the other hand, threefourths of the workers were men.
Males received substantially higher
earnings than females in each industry
surveyed. These figures are based on
data secured in a survey by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics immediately pre­
ceding October 24, 1938, the date on
which the Fair Labor Standards Act
became effective. Page 1173.
Adjustment of Labor Disputes.
Various kinds of governmental and
private machinery exist in the United
States for the adjustment of labor
disputes. Most common among the
nongovernmental agencies are the
joint boards or impartial chairmen es­
tablished by employers and unions to
adjust grievances arising under collec­
tive agreements. Among the govern­
mental bodies are the National Labor
Relations Board, handling disputes
over questions of union recognition
and unfair labor practices; the Na­
tional Mediation Board, which handles
railroad disputes; and the Federal


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Conciliation Service, which intervenes
upon request in any dispute anywhere
in the country. Most of the States
and a few of the cities also maintain
conciliation and arbitration services.
These vary greatly both in their
mechanical and procedural arrange­
ments. For a description of these
various types of dispute-adjustment
machinery, see page 1023.
Waste from Depression Unemployment.
During the years 1930 to 1937, the
amount of potential real income not
produced because of unemployment
totaled more than $200,000,000,000,
according to estimates by the National
Resources Committee. The signifi­
cance of this vast amount is perhaps
more readily grasped in terms of the
statement that it is enough to build
a new $6,000 house for every family in
the country. Even these estimates
make allowance for the unemployment
of about 2,000,000 workers. Such
gigantic waste is serious in its effects
on individuals. The purpose of the
National Resources Committee in its
report on waste is to facilitate a demo­
cratic solution of the problem of waste
arising from the imperfect functioning
of the country’s economy. Page 1075.
Union Scales in the Building Trades.
The average union wage rate per
hour was $1,364 for all of the building
trades in the 72 cities covered in a
survey by the Bureau of Labor Sta­
tistics on June 1, 1939. This repre­
sented an increase of 0.6 percent
above 1938. The average for the
hi

IV

This Issue in Brief

journeyman trades was $1,468, and
for the helper and laborer trades
$0,866. Weekly hours as provided
for in the agreements of all trades
averaged 38.3. Comparatively few
changes in hour scales were reported
between 1938 and 1939. Forty hours
per week was the union scale for over
two-thirds of the total membership
covered in the study. Page 1203.
Industrial Relations Abroad.
Increased responsibility for mainte­
nance of equitable working standards
and settlement of industrial disputes
has been placed on organized employer
and employee groups, in a number of
democratically governed foreign coun­
tries, under recent legislation. This
is exemplified by widespread enact­
ment of laws extending the terms of
voluntary collective agreements nego­
tiated by groups within particular
industries to cover operations in a
whole district or industry. Another
noteworthy development is the greater
participation of governments in facili­
tating peaceful employer-employee
relations. National procedure in regu­
lating industrial relations, as it existed
in 11 countries just prior to the out­
break of war, is described in the article
beginning on page 1050. These coun­
tries are Canada, Great Britain, Ire­
land, Belgium, France, the Nether­
lands, the Scandinavian countries,
Australia, and New Zealand.
M unicipal Labor Boards.
Considerable success in settling and
even in preventing labor disputes has
been attained by the municipal labor
boards of Toledo, Ohio, and Newark,
N. J. The success of the former board,
established in July 1935, led in fact to
the formation of the Newark body


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some 2 years later. These two
organizations, without any powers of
compulsion, have handled several
hundred disputes and made a sub­
stantial contribution to industrial
peace in their respective areas of
operation. Their make-up and activi­
ties are described on page 1045.
Accidents in Steel Industry.
The number of disabling injuries per
million hours worked in the iron and
steel industry decreased from 14.93
in 1937 to 11.28 in 1938. This de­
crease in the frequency rate was
accompanied by a decrease of em­
ployee-hours worked of nearly 44 per­
cent in the 1,778 identical depart­
ments reporting for both years. The
favorable reduction in the frequency
rate, however, was offset in part by
an increase in the ratio of fatal and
permanent total disabilities, which
increased from 11 per 1,000 disabling
injuries in 1937 to 15 in 1938. The
ratio of permanent partial injuries
increased similarly from 65 to 82.
This change toward fewer but more
severe injuries was further indicated
by an increase in the average duration
of temporary total disabilities from
25 to 33 days. Page 1111.
Registration of Aliens.
Registration of aliens will be re­
quired under the terms of a law
recently adopted in Pennsylvania.
Among other things, the registration
must show the name, age, address,
occupation, and characteristics of
appearance of each alien coming
within the purview of the law. The
Pennsylvania Department of Labor
and Industry has been charged with
the administration of the law. Page
1135.

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
FOR NOVEMBER 1939

A D JU STM EN T OF LABOR D ISPU TES
By F lo r en c e P eter so n , Bureau of Labor Statistics

EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE disputes in a democratic, industrial
country fall into four general categories: (1) Those caused by con­
flicting interpretation or the nonobservance of the terms of an
employer-union agreement; (2) those concerning conditions of
employment—wages, hours, working rules, etc.—when such have
not already been agreed upon and the terms embodied in a collective
agreement; (3) jurisdictional disputes or controversies between two
or more unions as to which shall have jurisdiction over certain jobs
or kinds of work; (4) disputes concerning the rights of workers to
organize and to bargain collectively with their employer, including
such incidental issues as protest against discrimination for union
activity, etc.
Until very recently there was no legal acknowledgment in the United
States of any distinction in the kinds of disputes which arise between
employers and employees. The Railroad Labor Act in 1926, section
7 (a) of the National Industrial Recovery Act in 1933, and the
National Labor Relations Act in 1935 gave to workers certain statu­
tory rights and protections in their bargaining relations with their
employers. These laws thereby distinguished disputes arising over
union recognition and the right to bargain collectively from all other
kinds of employer-employee disputes. The laws established special
quasi-judicial agencies to make determinations on the basis of facts
revealed by investigations and hearings.
The National Labor Relations Board and the several State labor
relations boards which are patterned along similar lines cannot
strictly be called arbitration or conciliation agencies, although certain
phases of their work approximate that of conciliation and arbitration.
When a complaint is first made to a representative of the National
Labor Relations Board, he may, and frequently does, act as a medi­
ator in an attempt to get the parties to agree to obey the law.
While the terms of the law are explicit and cannot be compromised,
settlement of questions over specific application and adaptations
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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

necessarily have to be made. In such a capacity the representative
of the Board serves more as a peace officer than as a conciliator. If
the matter is not settled through mutual counsel and formal charges
are issued, then the agency must exercise its judicial powers and
make a decision on the basis of facts as related to the law. Insofar
as such decisions are final—subject to court review—they resemble
arbitration awards. However, the function of the Labor Relations
Board differs vitally from that of an industrial arbitrator, for the
Board makes its determinations solely on the legality or illegality of a
matter in dispute, while the industrial arbitrator bases bis decision on
the provisions of a contract which has been mutually accepted, or
upon conflicting proposed terms of a new agreement. In the latter
case, the arbitrator considers the economic interests of the several
parties, taking into account their relative bargaining strength, the
ability of either to carry on under given or proposed conditions, etc.
Since this article is concerned only with arbitration and conciliation,
the work of the National and State labor relations boards and similar
functions of the National Mediation Board will not be discussed
here. The conciliation activities of the latter will, however, be
referred to.
Disputes Which Are Subject to Arbitration and Conciliation
In general, it may be said that conciliation and arbitration are con­
cerned with disputes: (1) Where the collective-bargaining relationship
has been established but where there is a controversy over the inter­
pretation, application, or observance of certain terms in an agreement
already entered into by the employer and the union. (2) Where there
is a controversy over the terms of a new agreement under negotiation,
or where there is no collective bargaining but where the right to bar­
gain collectively is not the issue. The matter in dispute, as under a
collective-bargaining situation when a new agreement is under con­
sideration, is a question over particular issues such as wages, hours, or
other employment conditions. Such disputes are rare in an un­
organized plant, because it is difficult for a number of individuals
without leadership or financial backing to express their grievances in
an overt act of protest. (3) Over rights between two or more unions
to perform a certain job. There is a distinct difference between
jurisdictional disputes and disputes between rival unions. A dispute
between rival unions is likely to come under the jurisdiction of a
labor relations board, since it is a matter of determining which union
a majority of the workers in a certain trade or plant wish to have
represent them. In a jurisdictional dispute, it is a question of which
union has jurisdiction over a certain trade or kind of work, the
workers themselves already having chosen their bargaining agency.

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Adjustment of Labor Disputes

1025

Disputes arising over the interpretation, application, or enforce­
ment of an agreement already in force are more amenable to arbitra­
tion, since the basic terms of the employment relationship have been
negotiated and embodied in the collective agreement. The arbi­
trator’s sole duty is to clarify ambiguous clauses, to relate a general
rule to a specific situation, or to determine whether or not the accused
party has actually violated any of its terms. In theory, such disputes
would not be subject to conciliation, since conciliation implies com­
promise and a give-and-take kind of adjustment.1
Disputes arising over terms to be included in a new agreement are
of an altogether different nature. These are controversies over what
general wages, hours, and working rules should be adopted. They are
not controversies over rights accruing from the terms of a contract,
although each side may feel that “moral” or “natural” rights are at
stake. The union, for instance, may contend that the workers have
a moral right to what they consider to be a fair wage; the employer,
on the other hand, may contend that the wage asked for will interfere
with his natural right to engage in profitable business. The question
of what is “fair,” however, has not been mutually determined and
this is the basic cause of the dispute.
While either one or both parties may ask for the assistance of an
outside mediator in such a dispute, employers and unions are less
likely to have such questions arbitrated, especially at the beginning
of a dispute. Wlien one side finds its position relatively weak, it may
seek arbitration, but the other party is not likely to agree. If the
dispute has been prolonged into a stalemate, both sides may be willing
to have the matter arbitrated. In such instances, both sides have
given evidence that their bargaining strength, their withholding power,
is about equal, and an outsider’s decision is sought merely to bring to
a speedier conclusion a settlement which, it is assumed, would result
if the dispute were prolonged. It does not necessarily mean that a
strike or lock-out must take place before such arbitration is sought.
If both sides are aware that their bargaining strength is about equal,
they may seek arbitration in order to avoid a stoppage of work.
In the case of jurisdictional disputes, if both the unions concerned
belong to the same affiliated organization, this organization usually
attempts settlement. In many instances the city or national feder­
ation, such as the City Trades Council or Building Trades Depart­
ment of the American Federation of Labor, has established special
machinery for the adjustment of jurisdictional disputes. At the
request of one or both parties, Government agencies may intervene.
* In many of the European countries, which have had a longer experience with collective bargaining than
the United States has had, there are special legal and quasi-legal arrangements for the arbitration of disputes
arising over the interpretation of an agreement, called “disputes on rights,” and the conciliation or arbitra­
tion of disputes over terms of a new agreement, called “disputes on interests.”


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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

When they enter such disputes, however, they usually serve as con­
ciliators and not arbitrators, since organized labor has been averse to
having governmental agencies impose final awards in controversies
arising among its various groups.
Arbitration and Conciliation Agencies
There are two main channels through which labor disputes in this
country are adjusted: (1) Committees of private citizens or individual
arbitrators who are appointed directly by the parties concerned in the
disputes. These may be permanent joint boards or impartial chair­
men, who function continuously for an industry or area, or a person or
agency temporarily selected to mediate or act as arbitrator upon
specific occasion. (2) Governmental agencies, Federal, State, and
local. These may be permanent boards established by law, or they
may be ad hoc committees appointed by the President, governor, or
mayor in pursuance of a law which permits or requires such
appointment when certain occasions arise.
Nongovernmental Agencies
U N IO N -E M P L O Y E R A R R A N G E M E N T S

In industries where both the employers and workers are well organ­
ized there may be joint boards or an impartial chairman appointed
and financed by the employers and unions concerned. In some in­
stances a government agency may have helped to establish such a joint
board^ and even appointed its first chairman. Thereafter, however,
the joint board is what its name implies—an agency maintained by the
employers and the unions. The jurisdiction of such boards is usually
confined to the plants of an industry located in one city or market
area, although some function over an entire industry. Most frequently,
the impartial chairman is an economist or labor-relations specialist
who devotes his full time to the adjusting of disputes and ‘‘policing’’
the industry. In some instances he not only serves as umpire be­
tween the two factions but has become a consultant and research agent
for general problems affecting the industry. Illustrations of employerunion arrangements for handling disputes are found in the clothing,
printing, mining, and other industries.
Whenever disputes are referred to such joint industry boards or
impartial chairmen, it is expected that their decisions shall be final.
Through such machinery employers and unions voluntarily adopt a
means for mandatory adjustment of disputes. Obviously, such an
arrangement can exist only where there is collective bargaining, for
its functioning is contingent upon the presence of a collective agree­
ment. At the lapse of an agreement the arrangement automatically

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Adjustment of Labor Disputes

1027

ceases, although both sides may tentatively agree to continue the office
if there is a desire or hope that the terms of a new agreement can soon
be agreed upon. Indeed, the impartial chairman may be an important
factor in getting a new agreement signed. In this capacity, however,
he serves as a mediator and not as a referee or umpire. His decisions
are not binding and the parties concerned may decide to call a strike
or a lock-out rather than accept his suggestions for peaceable
settlement.
A common procedure under collective-bargaining arrangements is the
appointment of a disinterested private citizen or committee to arbi­
trate a particular dispute after it arises. As is the case with the per­
manent joint boards, it is usually only those disputes arising over
questions of interpretation or enforcement of an agreement which are
referred to such an impartial arbitrator. Very seldom is an outsider
given the responsibility of deciding the basic terms to be included in a
new contract. When such is done the arbitrator is usually hedged in
with certain limitations or restrictions as, for example, on the question
of a wage scale, when he is instructed to make a determination on some
such specific basis as the wages prevailing in the industry or area, or a
change in the cost of living, etc.
A M E R IC A N A R B IT R A T IO N A SSO C IA T IO N

Since 1937, when it established an Industrial Arbitration Tribunal,
the American Arbitration Association, a nonofficial agency, has arbi­
trated a number of employer-union disputes. The Tribunal offers a
panel of arbitrators from which the two parties make the selection.
Only disputes arising over the interpretation or application of a labor
contract are accepted. Either party may apply for arbitration if such
permission is already provided for in the collective agreement; other­
wise both parties must voluntarily submit the case. In contrast to
the joint boards in a particular industry, the Tribunal is not a per­
manent board of arbitrators to hear and determine any and all cases
which arise. It is a mechanism by which arbitrators are selected for
each dispute in accordance with its peculiar requirements. The
method in which hearings are held and evidence taken is more formal
than is usually the case with the joint boards, since it is intended that
the awards can be legally enforceable should either party resort to
such enforcement measures.
LOCAL COM M ITTEES

In a number of
committees whose
and improvement
munity. Usually

cities certain individuals or groups have organized
primary function has been the settling of disputes
of employer-employee relations within the com­
these committees have originated with some


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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

employer group—the local chamber of commerce, the manufacturers’
association—which has then asked labor to cooperate. Sometimes
the mayor has initiated the movement by calling together representa­
tives of employers, unions, and the public. In other cases an out­
standing citizen has assumed leadership. The urge for the establish­
ment of such local committees has usually come at a time when the
community has experienced a serious strike or a series of strikes.
The experience of local nongovernmental conciliation committees
has revealed that they function under some very severe handicaps.
Citizens having no direct interest in the dispute must of necessity
be represented on such committees, and it is frequently difficult to
get qualified persons who are willing to spend the time necessary for
the tedious task of mediation. Also, a private citizen is loathe to
enter into a dispute between two factions in his own community,
particularly if he himself is engaged in a local business. Persons
from outside the community are likely to have more prestige and
carry greater confidence, even though they may not be any better
qualified than local citizens.
In spite of these handicaps, local committees of private citizens in a
number of communities have proved very helpful in settling disputes,
particularly those which occur in the service and local transportation
industries.
Government Conciliation and Arbitration
Federal and State agencies for the adjustment of labor disputes
vary greatly in their mechanical arrangements—the type of personnel,
by whom appointed and to whom responsible, the formality or in­
formality of their investigations, etc. Much more significant, how­
ever, are the possible differences in degree of voluntarism or compul­
sion exercised throughout the progress of the dispute, from the first
threat to call a strike or lockout to the final termination or settlement.
A purely voluntary arrangement exists when the adjustment
agency has neither the power to compel the parties to the dispute to
submit the matter to it, nor to accept any decision it might make.
The agency exists for the convenience of either or both parties to use,
so long as they desire, but there is no compulsion or even implied
obligation to ask for its assistance. This is commonly referred to as
voluntary mediation.
A second type is a procedure which permits or requires the con­
ciliation agency to investigate any or all disputes, even though the
parties concerned have not asked for such intervention. The agency
may or may not have the power of subpoena. On the basis of this
investigation it may recommend terms of settlement. Neither
party, however, is obligated to accept its recommendations. This
procedure may be termed compulsory investigation and voluntary
acceptance. It implies the foregoing of strike action during a limited


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Adjustment of Labor Disputes

1029

time while investigation is under way. A variant of these two types
exists when neither party is obligated to refer the dispute to the
outside agency, but, after both parties have once submitted the
matter, acceptance of its recommendations is mandatory. This is
usually called voluntary submission with compulsory acceptance.
The most extreme form of procedure for the settlement of labor
disputes exists where a governmental agency is given the power to
investigate and to make an award which must be accepted. This is
compulsory arbitration and is generally accompanied by the require­
ment that there be no stoppage of work. Compulsory arbitration
usually implies, therefore, that strikes and lock-outs are illegal. It
must be noted that reference here is to compulsory arbitration estab­
lished by law, which is totally different from compulsory arbitration
established by agreement between employer and union. The latter
is voluntary acceptance of an arbitration process of settling certain
carefully defined kinds of disputes after basic terms in the working
contract have been mutually agreed upon.
Legal compulsory arbitration does not at present exist anywhere
in the United States. By court decision, as well as preponderance
of public opinion, it is held to be contrary to a free, democratic form
of government. In only rare instances have government agencies
been given the authority even to investigate or to make recom­
mendations if neither party has asked for such outside intervention.
Predominantly in this country legislation dealing with the settlement
of labor disputes has clearly indicated that any government interven­
tion shall be voluntarily agreed upon by the parties concerned, and
that acceptance of the findings or recommendations shall be optional
unless both parties have voluntarily agreed in advance to accept an
arbitrator’s decision.
W A R -T IM E A D J U S T M E N T O F D IS P U T E S

Even during the critical years of the World War, when the Govern­
ment adopted the general principle of “no strikes in wartime,”
there was no Federal legislation compelling either employers or
workers to submit their disputes to any Government agency.2 The
Government, however, could exercise certain pressures: Many of the
contracts let by the War Department contained a labor clause requir­
ing disputes to be submitted to any person or agency nominated by
the Secretary of War; through the powers conferred upon the War
Industries Board and the Fuel Administration, the Government could
shut off raw materials to a recalcitrant employer; the President might
3 One possible exception might be noted, that is, the Lever Act, passed October 10,1917, giving the Presi­
dent far-reaching powers over production and distribution of fuel and food products. The mandatory
features of this act were never applied to a labor dispute until after the close of the war. When the b'tuminous-coal miners in the fall of 1919 called a strike for a wage increase, the Federal Government obtained
an injunction restraining the union from calling such a strike and tying up the union’s funds so that no strike
benefits could be paid. The injunction, however, failed to keep the 400,000 men from going out on strike.
The President and the Secretary of Labor thereupon Intervened and obtained a compromise settlement.


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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

even take over the plant if there was a serious stoppage of work.3
In the case of the workers the Government could threaten to draft the
strikers, and refuse to them the assistance of the United States
Employment Service. All such powers and threats were used upon
only a very few occasions.
Chief reliance for the settlement of disputes during the war was
placed upon conciliation and mediation. A separate board was cre­
ated for each of the more important industries, and a National War
Labor Board was established for disputes in essential war industries
and as a supreme tribunal for appeals from the industry boards.
These boards settled many strikes and threatened strikes. Whatever
results they accomplished were due to their conciliatory efforts and
to the pressure of public opinion, which opposed serious stoppages
in production during the war. The boards had no legal power to
compel either employers or employees to submit any matter of dispute
to them, nor to compel either side to accept their decisions once they
had intervened. The prestige of the boards enabled them to obtain
compliance in most of the disputes in which they intervened during
the time the war was in progress. After the armistice was signed,
however, employers and employees refused to carry out their recom­
mendations. The industry boards soon ceased to function and in
August 1919 the National War Labor Board was formally dissolved.
K A N S A S C O U R T O F IN D U S T R IA L R E L A T IO N S

The only experience this country has had with compulsory arbi­
tration was that of the Kansas Court of Industrial Relations, which
functioned from 1920 to 1923. This court was given jurisdiction in
disputes arising in the public utilities, coal, food, and clothing in­
dustries, wherein strikes were altogether prohibited in Kansas. The 3man court, appointed by the Governor, had power to fix wages and
conditions of employment in these industries. Proceedings before
the court could be started by the court on its own initiative, by
employers, by unions, or by a specified number of unorganized work­
ers, or the public. Its decisions were binding and violations were
punishable as criminal offenses.
Labor, particularly the Kansas district of the United Mine Work­
ers, bitterly opposed the establishment of the court. Several of the
union leaders were given jail sentences when they defied the anti­
strike clause of the act by calling a number of strikes. Some em3 This happened in a few cases. When the Western Union, for example, refused to reinstate men whom it
had discharged for joining the union, the Government took over the wires. Labor contended, however,
that the company officials who had been opposed to the demands of the workers were put on the Govern­
ment’s Wire Control Board and that union discrimination continued.


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ployers also refused to put into effect its wage and hour decisions.
The United States Supreme Court sustained these employers, when
such cases were presented to it, by declaring the entire scheme of
compulsory arbitration to be unconstitutional for industries not
peculiarly affected with the public interest, thus depriving the Indus­
trial Relations Court of jurisdiction in manufacturing and trans­
portation industries. The Supreme Court held that the fixing of
wages and hours, rules and regulations by such an agency was
contrary to the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment in
that it “curtailed the right of the employer, on the one hand, and of
the employee, on the other, to contract about his affairs.
Before even the first of these Supreme Court decisions was rendered,
the Industrial Relations Court had practically ceased to function,
because of the increasing opposition and indifference of the employers,
workers, and public. In 1925 the court was abolished altogether.
The short-lived experiment of Kansas with compulsory arbitration
was one of the aftereffects of the war psychology. It was inaugurated
after the State had taken over the operation of the mines in order to
end a coal strike. The returning soldiers who filled the strikers’
places, as well as the general public, were prone to consider all strikes
as unpatriotic and to welcome a device which would make them
illegal. Within a few months many of the court’s most ardent sup­
porters began to question the implications of such legal compulsion in
the employer-employee relationship and to oppose specific actions and
decisions of the court.
COLORADO COM PU LSO R Y IN V E ST IG A T IO N

Except for the brief experiment in Kansas, no governmental unit
in the United States has passed legislation for the compulsory arbi­
tration of labor disputes. Before this experiment, however, Colorado
had provided for the compulsory investigation of disputes. The
Colorado Industrial Relations Act, passed in 1915 following the bitter
coal strike of the previous year, prohibits strikes and lock-outs in
industries affected with a public interest, pending investigation and
report by the Industrial Commission. Employers and employees are
required to give to the Commission 30 days notice of any intended
change affecting conditions of employment or with respect to wages or
hours.” It is “unlawful for any employer to declare or to cause a
lock-out, or for any employee to go on strike, on account of any dispute
prior to or during an investigation, hearing, or arbitration of such
dispute by the Commission.”
Although investigation is compulsory, the findings of the Commis­
sion are not binding unless the parties have agreed in advance to


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abide by the award. “Nothing in this act shall be held to restrain
any employer from declaring a lock-out nor any employee from going
on strike, in respect to any dispute, after the same has been duly
investigated, heard, or arbitrated under the provisions of this act.”
The Colorado Industrial Relations law, passed almost 35 years ago,
is still in effect. During the 4-year period 1934-38, the Commission
received 524 notices of changes in wages and hours and working
conditions. In only 74 instances were formal arbitration awards
made. Although the Commission’s reports do not indicate what
happened in the other cases, presumably they were settled through
conciliation or, if such failed, developed into a strike or lock-out.
During this period there were at least 41 strikes, involving 13,000
workers.4 A number of these, no doubt, were outside the jurisdiction
of the law as not being “affected with the public interest.” In some,
the law was not applied or enforced. During the general bituminouscoal stoppage in May 1939, over 7,000 Colorado miners participated,
with no legal action taken against them except the denial of unem­
ployment compensation.
R A IL R O A D M E D IA T IO N

Because of the importance of railroads in the Nation’s economic life,
the Government very early began to concern itself with railroad labor
relations. An arbitration act providing for the voluntary investiga­
tion of disputes was passed in 1888, but never used. The Erdman
Act of 1898 provided for mediation and arbitration by the Com­
missioner of Labor and the chairman of the Interstate Commerce
Commission. The Newlands Act of 1913 created a permanent, full­
time Board of Mediation and Conciliation. Under both of these acts,
if Government mediators failed to obtain a settlement, they were to
try to get the parties to agree to arbitration. Special tripartite
arbitration boards were appointed for each such dispute, the Govern­
ment appointing the neutral members if the others failed to come to an
agreement. Awards made by the arbitration boards were binding.
When, in 1916, the railroads refused to accede to the employees’
demand for an 8-hour day, the employees threatened a general strike
and refused to submit the matter to arbitration. The Railroad
Brotherhoods’ refusal was based on the belief that the public rep­
resentatives on previous arbitration boards, who actually determined
the cases, were unsympathetic toward labor and that such awards as
were favorable to labor were not obeyed by the railroads. This strike
was averted by the enactment of the Adamson Act establishing a basic
8-hour day.
During the Federal control of the railroads in 1917-20 railway
boards of adjustment were established, composed of an equal number
4 Id proportion to total working population, a number of States have had fewer workers involved In
strikes than Colorado, although many more States exceeded Colorado’s percentage.


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of management and employee representatives, which had authority to
make decisions in all disputes over the interpretation and application
of existing agreements.
When the railroads were returned to private ownership in 1920 a
Railroad Labor Board was established, composed of nine members
appointed by the President. This Board was to investigate all
disputes and to publish its findings and recommendations. Com­
pliance with its decisions, however, was not obligatory. The Railroad
Labor Board was never popular with railroad labor, especially after
the Pennsylvania Railroad was successful in ignoring the Board’s
decision that it should deal with the regular labor unions instead of
its company union. When the case was appealed to the Supreme
Court the court held that the act had provided for no stronger means
of enforcement than public opinion.
The 1926 act reestablished mediation as the basic method of
Government intervention. Although arbitration was not com­
pulsory, having once been accepted, awards were binding. Supple­
mentary to the central Board of Mediation were bipartisan boards of
adjustment for single systems or groups of lines to interpret and apply
agreements voluntarily entered into by carriers and employees.
Labor relations on the railroads at the present time are governed by
the 1934 amendments to the 1926 act. These created a 3-man
National Mediation Board, appointed by the President, and a National
Railroad Adjustment Board, consisting of 18 carrier representatives
and 18 union representatives. The Adjustment Board, with head­
quarters in Chicago, is divided into four separate divisions, each of
which has jurisdiction over a distinct class of employees, viz, train
and yard service, shop craft, etc.
In this arrangement for the handling of labor relations on the rail­
roads, a clear distinction is made with respect to the basic differences
in the character of labor disputes; that is, those over the interpretation
and application of existing agreements, and those over terms of a new
agreement—wages, hours and working conditions, and questions
concerning bargaining units and representation agencies.
The Adjustment Board handles disputes “growing out of grievances
or out of the interpretation or application of agreements concerning
rates of pay, rules, or working conditions.” The decision of the
Adjustment Board may be enforced by civil suits in Federal district
courts. If the bipartisan board is unable to agree it must appoint a
referee; if it cannot agree in a selection, the National Mediation Board
appoints such referee.
The National Mediation Board takes care of the other two classes
of disputes. Through holding elections or by other means it certifies
who shall represent the workers in their collective bargaining. On
request of either party to a dispute involving changes in pay, rules or

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working conditions, or on its own motion in cases of emergency, it
intervenes and through mediation attempts to bring about an agree­
ment. If its mediating efforts fail, the Board attempts to induce the
parties to submit their controversy to arbitration, the arbitration
board to be selected by the parties concerned. If they cannot agree
on the selection, the Mediation Board is authorized to name the
members of the board.
If arbitration is refused by either party, and the dispute should
“threaten substantially to interrupt interstate commerce to a degree
such as to deprive any section of the country of essential transporta­
tion service,” the Board is required to notify the President, who may
appoint an emergency board to investigate the facts and report
thereon within 30 days. During this time no change, except by
agreement, may be made by the parties to the controversy in the
conditions out of which the dispute arose. While the law does not
require compliance with the recommendations of the emergency
board, the publication of the findings of fact of such a board makes it
very difficult for either party not to follow its suggestions.
F E D E R A L C O N C IL IA TIO N SE R V IC E

The act passed in 1913, which created the United States Depart­
ment of Labor, provided among other things: “ * * * that the
Secretary of Labor shall have the power to act as mediator and to
appoint commissioners of conciliation in labor disputes whenever in
his judgment the interests of industrial peace may require it to be
done * * *.” Under this provision the present United States
Conciliation Service was established. This now has a staff of 60
commissioners actively engaged in efforts to settle questions in dis­
pute before strikes and lock-outs occur, or to bring them to a speedy
settlement if they have already started. The Conciliation Service
may enter a case at the request of either party to the dispute, or at
the request of some representative of the public—mayor, Governor,
Congressman. It may also intervene upon its own motion, but this
is done only in the more serious disputes when it is believed that a
public interest is involved.
Although the original act gave power to mediate in any kind of
dispute, the Conciliation Service has no power of coercion or means to
enforce its recommendations. When the National Labor Relations
Act was passed, giving to workers the legal right to organize and to
bargain collectively with their employers, the enforcement of this
act was turned over to the National Labor Relations Board which
exercises quasi-judicial power. When requested, however, the Con­
ciliation Service intervenes in union-recognition disputes to the
extent of supervising consent elections to determine the collective
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bargaining agency. Thus the responsibilities of the two Federal
agencies, the Department of Labor Conciliation Service and the
National Labor Relations Board, are clearly distinguished between
the judicial and enforcement function of deciding and maintaining
rights under a given law, and conciliation or mediation which implies
voluntarism and compromise.
The United States Conciliation Service is primarily concerned,
not with the rights and mechanics of collective bargaining as such,
but with the disputes which arise over the terms to be included in a
collective agreement, or the interpretation and application of the
provisions of the agreement after it is once made. Also, a conciliator
may intervene in a dispute in an unorganized plant where the Em­
ployees are seeking not collective-bargaining arrangements but only
a settlement of a specific question of wages, hours, and working condi­
tions. The Service is also frequently called upon to settle jurisdic­
tional disputes, most of these being in the construction industry.
A Commissioner of Conciliation has no set formula of procedure when
he is called in to help settle a dispute. Whenever possible he tries to get
the parties concerned to discuss their differences in conference, in
which case he acts as a conciliator. Frequently, especially during
the early stages, either or both parties refuse to meet together. He
then acts as a mediator, holding separate conferences with the re­
spective sides, adjusting the minor points of misunderstandings
or differences, and getting each to agree upon what major points
can be or shall be further negotiated. If either or both sides still
refuse to discuss together these major points, the commissioner
may draft a plan of settlement independently and submit it to the
parties as a recommendation, or he may obtain the approval of both
sides to have the matter arbitrated, in which case he assists in making
the plans and selecting the arbitrator. An increasing number of
union agreements specify that the Conciliation Service act as arbi­
trator or select an arbitrator when disputes arise which cannot be
adjusted by the parties concerned.
Whatever the exact procedure may be, only purely conciliatory
methods are used. Acceptance of the commissioner’s service is op­
tional, and his recommendations may or may not be adopted. The
results he obtains are dependent entirely upon the prestige of his
office, the assistance he can render by reason of his knowledge of the
facts involved in the dispute, his skill as a negotiator, and the willing­
ness of the opposing parties to come to terms of agreement.
M A R IT IM E L A BO R B O A R D

In pursuance to an amendment to the Merchant Marine Act, the
President, in July 1938, appointed a 3-member Maritime Labor
185451— 39 ------ 2


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Board. One of the duties of this Board is to act as mediator upon
request of either party in any dispute over the interpretation of an
agreement or over the terms of a new agreement. If mediation services
are unsuccessful, the Board is to use its best efforts to secure the assent
of both parties to arbitration.
Since its establishment the Maritime Board has intervened in a
number of disputes between shipping interests and maritime unions
on the Pacific, Gulf, and Atlantic coasts. It has followed much the
same procedure as the United States Conciliation Service. This
Board, however, is temporary and will cease to function after
unless legislative provision is made for its continuation. Ju n e
1941
ST A T E A R B IT R A T IO N A N D C O N C IL IA T IO N SE R V IC E S

State machinery for the adjustment of labor disputes antedates
Federal conciliation services, that in Massachusetts and New York,
for instance, having been created as early as 1886. The concern of
most State governments with employer-employee relations, however,
has fluctuated with the increase and decline of labor disputes. In
only a few States has there been any continuing, consistent program
for the prevention and settlement of strikes and lockouts. More gen­
erally, when there has been a sharp rise in union activity and workers
have shown a disposition to make known their discontent and desires,
the State government has hastily passed legislation in an attempt to
meet the situation. During periods when there have been few disputes,
such legislation has been all but forgotten and many agencies which
had been formed have become moribund through lack of interest and
financial support.
Around the turn of the century, when strikes trebled in number,
the majority of the States passed some kind of legislative provision
for the mediation or arbitration of industrial disputes. Thirty years
later most of these State agencies were inactive. Some States had
repealed the laws entirely. In others the original, independent board
was abolished but the duties were nominally turned over to another
department in the State government.
With the recent increase in union activity and industrial disputes,
many States again have interested themselves in employer-employee
relations. Following the example of the Federal Government, most
of the State legislation passed in 1935 and 1937 was concerned with
defining more clearly labor’s “rights” and providing means for the
protection of those rights. Five States, for instance, passed State
labor relations acts which more or less followed the pattern of the
National Labor Relations Act.5 Many more passed anti-injunction
* For a report on these State labor relations acts and elections held by the boards, see the February 1939
issue of the M onthly Labor Review.


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laws similar to the Norris-LaGuardia Act, which restricts court in­
junctions in labor disputes and makes “yellow-dog” contracts unen­
forceable in Federal courts.
Subsequent to the peak in strike activity in 1937, States which
had passed protective legislation for labor, as well as others which
had not already passed such legislation, turned their attention to
ways and means for settling strikes and lockouts. Inactive concili­
ation services were revived and new mediation and arbitration boards
created. At the present time the majority of the States have some
kind of legislative provision for the handling of employer-employee
disputes. Most of them have designated conciliation and arbitration
agencies. In some, however, there is merely enabling legislation per­
mitting the establishment of boards of conciliation and arbitration,
but no such boards have been appointed.
When discussing State mediation agencies, the role of the Governor
must not be ignored. With or without other formal State machinery,
the Governor is likely to be called in whenever a serious labor dispute
occurs. Sometimes his intervention follows a request by local officials
for the assistance of the State militia “to maintain law and order.”
Always reluctant to take such a drastic step, the Governor will per­
sonally intervene or appoint a “Governor’s committee” to attempt
settlement. When a threatened stoppage of work clearly threatens
the public interest, even though there is no request for calling the
militia, the Governor frequently appoints a temporary committee to
undertake settlement. Such intervention by the Governor is, neces­
sarily, limited to the larger and more important disputes. Even
though his services have proven valuable upon occasion, they do not
take the place of a permanent, trained staff of conciliators.
Different Types of State Conciliation Agencies

There is a great deal of variation among the several State mediation
agencies in their mechanical arrangements, legal powers, and the
financial and moral support which is given them. The most common
arrangement is for the conciliation service to be a part of the State
labor department or industrial commission, the conciliators usually
having other duties when not engaged in the work of settling disputes.
A number of States have tripartite boards appointed by the Governor.
While these may be permanent boards, the individual members in
some instances serve only upon occasion and are paid on a per diem
basis. In such cases the boards work in close cooperation with the
regular labor department, usually being called to service upon its
request. In only a few of the more important industrial States are


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there full-time 3-man conciliation and arbitration boards. Several
States have no permanent machinery but provide that the labor
department or the Governor shall appoint a conciliation committee
as the occasion arises or when there is a particularly grave dispute.
A few State laws provide that the State agency may appoint city
or county conciliation boards. So far as is known, no such local
boards have ever been appointed. When parties to a dispute wish
local persons to intervene, they seem to prefer to appoint their own
private committee rather than have the State board appoint a com­
mittee for them.
The procedure in three States (New York, Massachusetts, and
Pennsylvania) resembles the Federal arrangement by sharply differ­
entiating disputes arising over questions of union organization and
collective bargaining from those arising over questions of wages, hours,
and working conditions. The former are handled by State labor rela­
tions boards with quasi-judicial powers, while the latter come under
the State conciliation service. In four other States (Michigan, Wis­
consin, Minnesota, and Utah) which have labor relations laws 6 there
is no such distinction, and the same agency attempts to settle all kinds
of disputes, those arising from unfair labor practices and questions over
union organization as well as those over specific terms of employment
such as wages and hours.
Voluntary submission of disputes.—A typical provision establishing
a State conciliation service specifies: “The (name of agent or agency)
shall do all in his power to promote the voluntary arbitration, media­
tion, and conciliation of disputes between employers and employees.
It is his duty to endeavor to adjust disputes and, if necessary, to
persuade the parties to submit their differences to a board of arbitra­
tion. He may appoint temporary boards of arbitration, prescribe
rules of procedure for such boards, and conduct hearings and inves­
tigations.”
Most generally the State agency intervenes only upon the request
of one or both parties to the dispute, although a few of the laws specify
that the agency shall on its own motion investigate disputes wherever
“public interest is material.” The Connecticut Board of Mediation
and Conciliation is given power to enter any establishment to investi­
gate conditions where a strike or lock-out exists; otherwise it inter­
venes only upon the request of one or both parties. The Massa­
chusetts Board is required to undertake mediation whenever it learns
of any dispute.
6 W hile the Michigan, Minnesota. Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania laws are commonly referred to as labor
relations acts and specify certain unfair labor practices, they differ vitally from the National Labor Rela­
tions Act. The original State labor relations acts passed in 1937 in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania were very
similar to the National Labor Relations Act, but these were materially altered in 1939.


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Some of the laws require that a minimum number of persons,
usually 10, shall be involved in a dispute before the State agency shall
intervene. Others specify that there shall be State intervention only
when asked by a designated number of private citizens, the local
government officials, the employer, or a majority of the employees
involved in the dispute.
A few laws specify that it is the duty of the parties to a dispute or
threatened dispute to submit the matter to the State board for in­
vestigation. An early statute (1895) in Illinois, for instance, says
executives of labor organizations shall notify the State agency of any
strike or any threatened strike. When there is no penalty involved,
such as prohibition of strikes or lock-outs until after the notification,
such provisions can hardly be considered mandatory intervention.
Compulsory notification before stopping work.—Until very recently,
Colorado was the only State which forbade strikes and lock-outs
pending investigation and issuing of a report by the State Com­
mission. During the past year three States have adopted legislation
requiring notification to a State agency before stoppages of work
may take place. The Wisconsin law provides for 10 days’ notice
before a strike may be called in the agricultural, dairy, and canning
industries. Michigan requires 5 days’ and Minnesota 10 days’
notice before calling a strike against any employer, and 30 days’
notice in businesses “affected with the public interest.” When
notice has been given to these State boards they are instructed to take
immediate steps to effect settlement, the parties to the dispute being
obliged to attend any conferences which the conciliator may call during
the notification period. If mediation fails, the Board shall endeavor
to have the parties submit the controversy to arbitration.
None of these State laws makes arbitration mandatory. A strike
or lock-out may take place after the notification period if arbitration
is not acceptable to one or both parties and they are unable to settle
the controversy between themselves or with the assistance of the State
conciliator.
Voluntary acceptance of recommendations.—Since the Kansas experi­
ment, described previously, no State has attempted to compel the
parties to a dispute to accept the recommendations of the conciliation
agency unless the parties have agreed beforehand to abide by its
determinations.7 In some instances, a degree of pressure is exerted
by permitting or requiring the board to publish a written report
with recommendations. The Washington law goes further by
specifying that if conciliation fails and the parties refuse to arbitrate,
the director of labor and industry shall request a sworn statement
i There is one exception—a South Carolina statute which requires arbitration of street-railway disputes
in cities between 30,000 and 50,000 population if either party requests.


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from each party of the facts in dispute and their reasons for not
arbitrating, which statement shall be for public use. The Oregon and
Massachusetts laws go still farther by providing that the State board
shall prepare and publish its findings, placing the blame by desig­
nating which party is mainly responsible for the existence and con­
tinuance of the dispute.
Such provisions for the bringing of pressure of public opinion upon
the situation are as far as any of the existing State laws have gone to
compel acceptance of the recommendations made by their conciliation
agencies.
Compulsory acceptance of voluntary arbitration awards.—If the
parties to a dispute voluntarily agree to have the State board act as
arbitrator, then the law usually specifies that the awards shall be
binding. After arbitration is once accepted, strikes and lock-outs are
generally forbidden during the time of investigation and the board
is usually given power to subpena books and records and to require
desired persons to appear as witnesses. In practice it may be said
that this subpena power is very seldom used, even in the States
which have the greatest number of disputes^and the most active
arbitration agencies.
The law usually specifies that the board’s decision and award shall
be binding for 1 year, although some limit the enforcement to 3 months
or 6 months, or until 30 days or 60 days after notice is given that the
party will not be bound by the terms.
Conciliation in Massachusetts and New York

While the laws in the several States define the enabling features of
their conciliation and arbitration services, they do not measure the
actual endeavors of the various State governments to prevent and
settle employer-employee disputes. Some of the legislation is com­
paratively new and its effectiveness is yet unknown. Some has been
on the statute books for a number of years, but for various reasons
has not been utilized to a great extent.
Two States—Massachusetts and New York—have maintained con­
ciliation agencies for over 50 years. While there has been no formal
interruption in their activities, the character of the work has fluc­
tuated from time to time, due to the amount of public interest and
financial support and the type of personnel in charge. Recently both
boards have been strengthened by additional legislation and financial
support.
Both Massachusetts and New York have State labor relations boards
which hold elections to determine collective-bargaining representa­
tives and handle questions of union recognition and unfair labor
practices. The conciliation and arbitration boards, therefore, do not
usually concern themselves with disputes over collective bargaining,

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although upon occasion they may help to adjust such controversies
when both parties wish to avoid the formality and possible delay
incident to the filing of charges and holding of hearings necessary when
bringing cases to the labor relations boards. If conciliation is unsuc­
cessful, the case is then referred to the labor relations board.
Massachusetts.—The Board of Conciliation and Arbitration, com­
posed of three members appointed by the Governor, operates under a
law which requires the mayors of cities and selectmen of the towns to
notify the board of any existing or threatened strike or lock-out. It
is also the duty of the employers and unions to give notice to the board
before resorting to strikes or lock-outs. Upon notice from any source,
the board is required to intervene and endeavor to obtain an amicable
settlement. If conciliation is unsuccessful, the board attempts to
persuade the parties to submit the controversy to arbitration. If
they refuse arbitration, the board is required to hold open hearings,
to which it may summon witnesses, and publish its findings. In this
report the board is required to place blame or responsibility in order
that the public may be informed as to the causes of the dispute and
its continuance.
The Massachusetts board is unique in its willingness to serve as
arbitrator. In general, Government agencies prefer to confine their
activities to conciliation work. When conciliation fails they seek
to persuade the parties in dispute to let the agency appoint an arbi­
tration committee, or the neutral member of a 3-man arbitration
committee. While the Massachusetts board assists the disputants
in the selection of a private or local arbitration committee, if they so
desire, the board itself frequently assumes the role of arbitrator. Many
of the union agreements, particularly those in the shoe industry,
specify the Massachusetts board as the arbitrator for any dispute
occurring under the agreement. During recent years this board has
handled almost as many arbitration as conciliation cases.
Application for arbitration to the Massachusetts board must be
made in writing, accompanied by a promise to continue in business or at
work until the decision of the board is made, if such decision is rendered
within 3 weeks. If only one party to the dispute makes application,
the board must hold a public hearing on the application; if both
parties ask for arbitration, a public hearing is not mandatory although
it may be held if the board considers it advisable. The board has the
legal power to subpena witnesses to such hearings, but has not found
it necessary to do so within recent years.
A second unique feature of the Massachusetts board is its employ­
ment of experts on a per diem basis. Other State boards occasionally
make use of outside persons who are conversant with the industry
or the particular problem in dispute. Usually, however, such per­
sons serve on a voluntary basis or are paid by the parties in dispute.

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The Massachusetts board retains a number of experts who have been
approved by both the employers and the unions but who are paid by
the board. Many of these experts are former shoe workers or shoe
superintendents, since a majority of the cases coming before the
Massachusetts board deal with questions of piece prices for the
various operations in shoe manufacturing. In such disputes the
expert, after consulting with the union and employer representatives,
decides on a price which he recommends to the board. The board
usually adopts the expert’s decision and issues it as a formal award.
A number of the shoe centers have city-wide agreements, so that a
piece-price award is applicable to all shoes of like grade within the
city or district.
An arbitration award made by the Massachusetts board is auto­
matically binding for 6 months unless both parties have stipulated a
longer period in their application for arbitration.
New York .—The Bureau of Mediation and Arbitration, which has
been in existence many years, is now functioning as a unit of the
State Board of Mediation which was established July 1, 1937. The
latter is a five-man board, appointed by the Governor, which is
enabled by law to intervene in any dispute upon request of either
party or upon its own motion. While the board may subpena wit­
nesses to a hearing when both parties have voluntarily agreed that
such a hearing shall be held, the board by court ruling is not per­
mitted to subpena the principals to a dispute. In practice the board
has never exercised its power of legal compulsion, being of the opinion
that it can operate much more effectively on a voluntary basis.
As in Massachusetts, most of the requests for intervention come
from the unions. In New York about 30 percent come from the
employers, and in about 10 percent of the cases the board enters upon
its own initiative.
Over 90 percent of the cases handled are from New York City.
During the 2 years the present board has operated, only two em­
ployers and no unions have declined to cooperate after the board
decided to enter into negotiations.
Unlike the Massachusetts board, the New York board does not
usually act as arbitrator, although individual members of the board
occasionally serve as arbitrators upon request. Believing that its
work as a mediator, where no compulsion is used and no orders or
instructions are issued, might be impaired if it acted also as arbitrator
where a decision becomes binding upon all parties, the board has
chosen another method of handling arbitration cases. It has selected
a panel of about 75 outstanding public-spirited citizens who have
accepted the board’s invitation to act as arbitrator when designated
by it in specific cases. These persons are not paid from State funds,
as are the experts in Massachusetts, although the two parties to the

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Adjustment of Labor Disputes

1043

dispute sometimes reimburse the arbitrator. An increasing number
of union agreements, particularly in New York City, specify that
the board shall appoint the arbitrator for disputes which cannot
be settled through conciliation.
Most of the disputes which are referred to the board are over
questions of general wages, overtime, vacation allowances, and
seniority rights in lay-offs. In New York, as in Massachusetts, it is
only the shoe unions which regularly ask for arbitration of individual
piece rates. In other organized industries the board helps in the
negotiations for general wages or minimum wages, but the employers
and unions together work out the individual piece rates.
C ITY C O N C IL IA TIO N B O A R D S

While it would seem that city governments would be as concerned
as the State and Federal Governments in providing means for the
prevention and settlement of industrial disputes, few cities in the
United States have established any conciliation machinery. Prob­
ably one reason for the lack of formal arrangements is the tendency
to rely upon the mayor, especially in disputes in the service and trade
industries which are most likely to affect the comfort and convenience
of the public. Other disputes, such as those in manufacturing, are
more likely to be taken to higher Government agencies.
Although all mayors of necessity would intervene in disputes which
were likely to interrupt the public services, some individual mayors
have entered into the field of industrial relations much more than
others. If both sides feel that a mayor is unbiased and concerned
only with the public good, and if he is an astute mediator, a mayor
is in a position to accomplish a great deal in the prevention and
settlement of disputes. A public official who is dependent upon the
popular vote, however, is somewhat reluctant to intervene in disputes
when any decision which he might make may alienate certain portions
of his constituency.
For this and other reasons, the mayor usually prefers to appoint a
committee of private citizens instead of taking part in the negotia­
tions himself. Several cities at the present time have continuing
mayor’s committees to which disputes may be referred. Others have
been appointed, served for a short time, and then disbanded when
the number of disputes declined. Some have been created with a
distinctly partisan make-up and were, therefore, ineffective from the
start.
Two cities, Toledo, Ohio, and Newark, N. J.,8 now maintain labor
boards which can be considered a part of the regular municipal
government. The members of these boards are private citizens
1See p. 1045 for a detailed description of the operation of these two boards.

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1044

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

who serve without pay, an equal proportion representing employers,
the union, and the public. In each case the city maintains the paid
director and staff. The Toledo board has been in operation since
the summer of 1935; the Newark board was established in the spring
of 1937. They have handled hundreds of cases and have been
effective both in the prevention and in the settlement of employeremployee disputes.


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M U N IC IPA L LABOR BOARDS OF TOLEDO AND
N EW A RK
By

W il l ia m

L. N unn , University of Newark

ATTEMPTS by municipal officials to settle local labor controversies
are not new. It is axiomatic that strikes are likely to result in a
variety of contrary demands upon city halls, which cannot be ignored
even if they cannot be granted. Plant owners want extra police pro­
tection for property and workers; unions want their picket lines to
remain unmolested and sometimes even want assistance from public
officials in closing down all plant operations. Any decision as to
granting relief to strikers by public welfare agencies will please only
one side to the controversy. Losses of pay rolls and purchasing
power have repercussions throughout the entire business community
and affect both directly and indirectly the attitudes and decisions
made by city officials. Even where the mediation services of State
departments of labor and of the United States Conciliation Service
are available, the impact of these problems and demands on city
governments can be parried only to a limited degree.
The wave of labor organization beginning with the rise of the price
level and of industrial output in 1933 demanded that hard-pressed
mediation agencies already in existence give attention only to the
more serious strikes. Increasing amounts of time were spent by
mayors, police chiefs, city managers, and others upon industrial
problems. Here and there special panels of citizens were made up by
municipal officials to serve as mediators of these disputes; extra
personnel was added elsewhere to handle complaints and to assist in
determination of city policy and sometimes to settle controversies.
No formal machinery of a permanent type, however, came into
existence until the initiative was taken in Toledo, Ohio, by Edward
F. McGrady, at that time Assistant Secretary of the United States
Department of Labor. As early as June 1935, Mr. McGrady, who
for months had been in and out of Toledo in connection with the wave
of strike activity which was rapidly making Toledo a focal point in
labor’s campaign, took the initial steps which led to the creation of
the Toledo Industrial Peace Board. The plan was based on the
belief that when the proper machinery was at hand local communities
could settle, and sometimes prevent, industrial strife.
The board, when completed, was composed of 18 members—5
selected by the Toledo Central Labor Union (A. F. of L.) to represent
labor; 5 chosen by the Toledo Chamber of Commerce, to represent
management; and 8 (including a Jewish rabbi, a Catholic monsignor,
a merchant, 2 lawyers, 2 judges, and the county relief director)


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1045

1046

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

selected by Mr. Ralph A. Lind, director of the Eighth District Labor
Relations Board of the NRA, to represent the public. Mr. Lind was
requested by Mr. McGrady to assume the chairmanship of the board.
The first director of the board was assigned by Mr. McGrady from
the United States Department of Labor.
The success of the plan of settling local disputes by local men
caused the city of Toledo, in an ordinance passed in April 1936, to
take over in the name of the city the financial and administrative
direction of the existing board. Mr. Edward Ruffin was named as
the new director.
The Toledo plan received much publicity. It was generally con­
ceded that the better relations between management and labor in
1936 in Toledo were due in no small measure to the activities of the
director and his board. Among the several cities and towns which
looked with interest on the reports from Toledo was Newark, N. J.,
center of one of the most diversified industrial areas in the country.
Here the Toledo plan was studied carefully, a representative of the
mayor was sent to Toledo to get first-hand information, and the plan
was modified and adapted to meet the needs of the area.
The Newark ordinance, which was passed in April 1937, created a
board of 10 persons with a paid director and staff. All the 10 board
members were appointed by the mayor—3 to represent management,
3 to represent labor, and 4 (one of whom was to be elected by the
others as chairman) to represent the public.
These two boards have since their formation handled hundreds of
cases. The Toledo board alone, during the period July 5, 1935, to
December 1, 1938, assisted in the settlement of 212 disputes involving
35,735 employees. The Newark board, from October 1937 to July 1,
1939, handled 155 cases involving 8,956 workers.
Taken together, the activities of these boards are impressive.
Strikes and the accompanying loss of pay rolls and extra cost to the
community have either been prevented from occurring or have been
settled if prevention has not been possible. The mere existence of a
local agency known to all, which operates on a full-time basis, affords a
means for a speedy solution to problems which otherwise would tend
to be drawn out with accumulative harm and bitterness.
Comparison of the Two Boards
Significant differences appear between the two boards. In Toledo,
the ordinance merely accepted as a part of the municipal government
an already existing agency. Consequently the board is bound by little
other than its own rules and regulations. The Newark ordinance,
however, is a lengthy document and prescribes rules and procedure in
a fairly definite way. The Toledo board meets infrequently and its
members serve the director whenever he desires their assistance.

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Municipal Labor Boards

1047

In Newark, however, the board meets once a month for the purpose of
receiving reports from the director and from the standing committees.
It is a policy-making board and the director, in a real sense, is the
executive of the board. That the range of the Newark board is con­
siderably greater than that of the Toledo board is evident in its activi­
ties, involving arbitration, general research in industrial relations and
standards of living, special industry studies, joint labor-management
committees in special industries, etc. Kepresentation on the Newark
board includes both the American Federation of Labor and the Con­
gress of Industrial Organizations; whereas labor representation on the
Toledo board is limited to the American Federation of Labor.1 In
other particulars, however, the boards are rather similar, as indicated
by the following table.
T a b le 1.— Organization and Procedure of Toledo and Newark M unicipal Labor Board
I te m

N e w a r k L a b o r R e la tio n s B o a rd

T o le d o I n d u s tr ia l P e a c e B o a r d

C o m p o s i t i o n of
b oard .

10 m e m b e r s —
3 r e p r e se n tin g la b o r (1 A . P . o f L .; I C . I. O .;
1 N e w s p a p e r G u ild , w h ic h w a s A . F . o f L .
a t tim e a p p o in tm e n t w a s m a d e ).
3 r e p r e se n tin g m a n a g e m e n t...................................
4 r e p r e se n tin g p u b lic
...........................................
A p p o in te d d ir e c tly b y m a y o r w it h no p r o v isio n
for n e w m e m b e r s to b e re c o m m e n d e d for
a p p o in tm e n t b y b oard.

18 m e m b e r s —
5 re p r e se n tin g la b o r (a ll from
A . F . o f L .) .

M e th o d o f a p p o in t­
m e n t an d le n g th
o f se r v ic e .

A p p o in tm e n ts o f o rig in a l m e m b e r s for 1, 2, a n d 3
y ea r s. F u tu r e a p p o in tm e n ts for 3 yea rs.
C o m p e n s a tio n of
m e m b e r s.
M e e tin g s o f b o a rd S ta ff_________________
P la c e o f b oard in c it y
g o v e r n m e n t.

N one.
R e g u la r ly , o n c e a m o n t h ____________ ________ ____
1 e x e c u tiv e d ire cto r, 1 a s sista n t to d ire cto r, 1 office
sec r e ta r y .
B o a r d is d iv is io n o f d e p a r tm e n t o f p u b lic affairs,
n o w u n d e r co n tro l o f th e m a y o r . I r r e s p e c tiv e
o f w h ic h c it y co m m issio n e r c o n tr o ls th e d e ­
p a r tm e n t, in t h e fu tu r e b o a rd m e m b e r s w ill
c o n tin u e to b e a p p o in te d , u n d e r th e o rd in a n ce,
b y th e m a y o r .

P u r p o se s of t h e o r d i­
n a n c e an d of th e
b oard .

O r d in a n c e p r o v isio n s:
1. T o fo ster a n d m a in ta in in d u str ia l p e a ce
an d h a rm o n io u s re la tio n s b e tw e e n e m ­
p lo y e e s a n d e m p lo y e r s.
2. T o s e r v e as a n im p a r tia l m e d iu m b e tw e e n
m a n a g e m e n t a n d la b o r for a d ju s tm e n t
o f d is p u te s .
3. T o c o n d u c t r o u n d -ta b le d isc u ss io n s of
lab o r r e la tio n s.
4. T o se c u r e d is c o n tin u a n c e o f w a ste fu l
p ra ctices b y v o lu n ta r y a g r e e m e n ts b e ­
tw e e n la b o r a n d m a n a g e m e n t.
5. T o a s se m b le d a ta in th e field o f la b o r rela ­
tio n s; a lso d a ta o n a v a ila b le e m p lo y ­
m e n t , s u p p ly o f lo c a l la b o r, e x te n t o f u n ­
e m p lo y m e n t, e tc .
6. T o in v it e co o p er a tio n w it h th e c o u rt o f
c h a n c e r y in m a tte r s o f la b o r litig a tio n .
7. W h e n r e q u e ste d b y b o th p a r tie s, to s e r v e
in th e a r b itr a tio n o f la b o r d is p u te s .

P o w e r s o f th e b o a r d .

“ N o p o w e r to c o m p e l a n y b o d y t o do a n y t h in g .”
I ts p o w e r is lim ite d to t h e p r e stig e of th e b oard
a n d th is is c o n d itio n e d b y th e a b ilit y o f th e
b o a rd to a c t s p e e d ily in a n im p a r tia l m a n n e r in
p r e v e n tin g a n d s e cu rin g s e ttle m e n ts of d is ­
p u te s.

5 re p r e se n tin g m a n a g e m e n t.
8 r e p r e se n tin g p u b lic .
A p p o in te d o r ig in a lly b y A s s is t­
a n t S e c r e ta r y o f U . S . D e p a r t­
m e n t of L a b o r. A ll m e m b e r s
s u b s e q u e n tly r e a p p o in te d b y
m ayor.
F u tu r e a p p o in tm e n ts b y m a y o r
o n r e c o m m e n d a tio n o f t h e
b o a rd . N o s ta te d le n g th of
s e r v ic e .
N one.
I n fr e q u e n tly , a t ca ll o f d ire cto r.
1 d ire cto r, 1 sen io r s te n o g r a p h ic
clerk .
N o sp e c ific p la c e m e n t o f b o a rd in
th e o r d in a n c e . T h e b oard ,
h o w e v e r , a c ts a s a d e p a r tm e n t
o f th e d iv is io n o f w elfa re . T h e
d ire cto r, “ in so fa r as h e re p o r ts
to a n y o n e ,” re p o r ts to th e c it y
m a n a g er.
O r d in a n ce p r o v isio n s:
1. T o p r e se r v e a n d p r o m o te
in d u str ia l h a r m o n y .
2. T o a s sist t h e m u n ic ip a l
g o v e r n m e n t in m a in t e ­
n a n c e of la w a n d order.
3. T o s e r v e as a n a d v is o r y
b o d y to th e c ity ; to m a k e
in v e s tig a tio n s a n d rec­
o m m e n d a tio n s o n m a t
ters a ffe c tin g la b o r rela ­
tio n s .
N o t s p e c ific a lly c o v e r e d b y o rd i­
n a n ce:
1. T o m e d ia te in d u str ia l d is ­
p u te s.
2. T o a ssist in s e t t in g u p
a r b itr a tio n m a c h in e r y ,
w it h t h e c o n d itio n t h a t
n e ith e r b o a rd m e m b e r s
n o r th e d ire cto r s e r v e in
s u c h c a p a c ity .
S a m e as N e w a r k b oard .

' T h e C . I . O . w a s n o t in e x iste n c e a t t h e tim e o f t h e fo r m a tio n o f t h e T o le d o b o a rd .


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1048

Operations of the Toledo Board
The two boards have enjoyed considerable success in the areas which
they serve. As will be seen from table 2, the Toledo Industrial Peace
Board from July 5, 1935, to December 1, 1938, participated in the
settlement of 212 disputes involving a total of more than 35,000 em­
ployees. Of these disputes, 37 were strikes and 1 was a lock-out.
The others were settled before reaching the strike or lock-out stage.
The reports of the director to the board indicate that the director
has usually acted alone for the board, but that panels of board mem­
bers were effectively used in some cases. No information is available
as to the relative use of the board by C. I. O. and A. F. of L. unions,
but it is obvious that, throughout the history of the board, C. I. O.
unions, though without representation on the board, have brought
cases to the director and have made use of the board in reaching agree­
ments with employers.
T a b le 2. — Summary of Operations of Toledo Industrial Peace Board, Ju ly 5, 1935-

Dec. 31, 1938

T o ta l

D is p o s a l o f ca se
D is ­
p u te s

A ll ea se s h a n d le d —............................. —

1938

1937

1935:
J u ly 5 D e c . 31

1936

EmEmEmEm­
Emp lo y p lo y ­
p lo y lo y D i s ­ p lo y D is ­
D is ­ p ees
D is ­
ees
ee s
ee s
ees
p u te s
p u te s
p u te s
p u te s
in ­
in ­
in ­
in ­
in ­
v o lv e d
v o lv e d
v o lv e d
v o lv e d
v o lv e d

212 35, 735

D is p u t e s s e t t le d w it h o u t s tr ik e or
lo c k -o u t__________________________ « 134 27,852
37 5,309
S tr ik e s s e t t le d ---------- ----------------------1
100
D is p u t e s in w h ic h b oard p a r tic i­
2,474
40
p a te d b u t d id n o t s e t t le * . . . ..........

74

12.363

95

11,866

31

7 ,6 7 2

12

3,834

2 45
6

11, 241
367

3 66
14
1

7,797
2,450
100

4 16
12

5 ,7 1 2
1,760

47
5

3 ,102
732

23

755

14

1,519

3

200

1 In c lu d e s 36 th r e a te n e d str ik e s a v e r te d b y s e ttle m e n t.
2 I n c lu d e s 6 th rea ten ed s tr ik e s a v e r te d b y s e ttle m e n t.
3 In c lu d e s 24 th re a te n e d s tr ik e s a v er te d b y s e ttle m e n t.
4 In c lu d e s 3 th r e a te n e d str ik e s a v e r te d b y s e ttle m e n t.
1 N e a r ly all o f th e s e w ere s e t t le d b y t h e p a rtie s d ir e c tly in v o lv e d , w it h o u t o u tsid e a ssista n c e .

Operations of the Newark Board
In Newark, the board has been able to settle about 90 percent of
the cases brought before it. The remaining 10 percent of the cases
were referred to other agencies or became moot because of passage of
time or chancery court action. In several of the trades, notably in the
laundry, cleaning and dyeing, and trucking industries, a series of con­
ferences was sponsored by the Newark board between unions and
management for the purpose of reaching agreements on irksome
practices which were causes of continuous conflict between employ­
ers and employees.

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Municipal Labor Boards

1049

In numerous instances the collective agreements between manage­
ment and unions have been clarified as a result of the activities of the
Newark board. In addition, machinery for regular shop meetings of
employees and employer is frequently agreed upon and placed in the
contract at the insistence of the board. Likewise, arbitration machin­
ery to function for the duration of the contract is agreed upon when­
ever possible and in a concise way is made a part of the contract. The
advice of the director of the board is constantly being sought by em­
ployers and union officials on a wide variety of matters. Such activi­
ties cannot be evaluated in statistical terms but have demonstrated
in intangible ways the success of the Newark board, as well as the
Toledo board, in making for better industrial-relations policies.
The following table gives a statistical picture of the operations of
the Newark board.
T a b le 3. — Cases Mediated by Newark Labor Relations Board, October 1937-July 1,1939,

by Industry, K in d of Organization, and Major Issue
D is p u te s

C la ssifica tio n

<3
rO

a

&

S trik es
.9

i
«■g
®>
Mg
O í»

©
rQ

a3

o >

a3

&

¡3

*

¡3

C la ssific a tio n

U

©

©>

In d u stry

à
«g
®>
■â g
o ►
£

S trik es

fl
©

rO

a

3
3

©>
o- g>
£

O r g a n iz a t io n

A ll i n d u s t r i e s . . . .............. ............. 106 3,761
M a n u fa c tu r in g :
Iron an d s t e e l____________
N o n fe rro u s m e ta ls _______
M a c h in e r y ___ _____ ______
C h e m ic a ls —.............................
R u b b e r _______ ______ _____
L e a th e r ___________________
P a p e r a n d p r in tin g ...........

D is p u te s

3
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
4

B e v e r a g e s ________________
H a ts , ca p s, m illin e r y _____
C h ild r e n ’s c lo th in g ........... ..
2
W o m e n ’s c lo th in g _______
2
L u m b e r __________ _____ _
2
N o n m a n u fa c tu r in g :
4
T r a n s p o r ta tio n ___________
T rad e:
R e t a il________________ 23
W h o le s a le ____________ 11
D o m e s tic a n d p erson al
s e r v ic e __________________
4
R e s ta u r a n ts ______________ 29
C le a n in g an d d y e in g _____
7
P r o fessio n a l s e r v ic e ______
2
B u ild in g c o n s tr u c tio n ___
1
M isc e lla n e o u s ____________

3


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206
5
125
1
325
20
99
33
6
155
2
36
11
286

49 5,195
2

428

3
1
2

976
350
190

1

27

1

18

4

27

A ll t y p e s ____
A . P . o f L _______________
C . I . O _____
I n d e p e n d e n t ______

106 3,761

49 5,195

69 1,768
28 1,688
3
227
6
78

28 3,0 5 5
21 2,140

M a j o r is su e

106 3,761

W a g e in cr ea se, h o u r d ecrease _________________

4 2,232

49

5,195

9
5
i

438
95
3

4
2

304
241

3
1

30
9

5
4

599
259

19 1 485
5
126

4
5

57
372

U n io n o rg a n iz a tio n :
449
64

13
4

282
46

8
938
890
80

9
2

52
52

2
1

475
40

22

R e c o g n itio n a n d w a g e s .. .
R e c o g n itio n , w a g e s a n d

J u r is d ic tio n .........................
M is c e lla n e o u s ____________

5
40
3

906
128
132

1
14

20
439

9 2,974
14
375
1
6
1

8

IN D U STRIA L-RELA TIO N S M A C H IN ER Y IN
D EM O CRA TIC FO R EIG N CO UN TRIES
By M arga ret H. S c h o e n fel d , Bureau of Labor Statistics

Summary
LEGISLATION dealing with industrial relations, in democratically
governed foreign countries, has been greatly extended in recent years.
The object of the laws has been to place greater responsibility on the
organized employer and employee groups for maintaining equitable
working standards and settling industrial disputes without recourse
to strikes and lock-outs. A notable illustration is the passage of
legislation extending the terms of voluntary collective agreements
negotiated by groups within particular industries to cover opera­
tions in a whole district or industry. Also, the governments of these
countries are participating more directly than ever before in efforts
to facilitate peaceful relations between employer and employee.
The present article deals with the machinery of this type established
in several important industrial countries—Australia, Belgium, Can­
ada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, New
Zealand, Norway, and Sweden—and is based on reports from repre­
sentatives of the United States Foreign Service,1 official publications
of the countries concerned, and reports of the International Labor
Office. The conditions described are those which were in existence
just prior to the outbreak of war in September 1939.
The laws and national procedure of these countries are here ana­
lyzed to show the obligations and rights of employers and employees
and the degree to which the respective governments assist in main­
taining industrial peace through the operation of either compulsory or
voluntary machinery for settling disputes. For example, in Great
Britain, Ireland, and the Netherlands the Government intervenes in
industrial disputes only when its aid is solicited by one or both parties
and after other means of settlement have failed, and its decisions are
not enforceable at law. On the other hand, in Australia and New
Zealand compulsory arbitration is a long-established practice; and
in Denmark, France, and Norway compulsion has been applied oc­
casionally in individual industries and in periods of special stress.
As labor has become more effective in determining working stand­
ards it has had new obligations placed upon it. In many countries
unions are now registered or incorporated. Registration with the
government is usually on a voluntary basis, the advantages to laboi
in registering being sufficient to make compulsion unnecessary. Such
1 S ee n o te a t e n d of a rticlelfo r lis t of c o n s u ls.

1050

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Industrial Relations in Foreign Countries

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advantages range from the right to hold land to special benefits under
the terms of arbitration awards.
The right of private employees to organize for trade purposes is now
universal in the countries covered. This right was always recognized
in a few countries but in others was won only after a prolonged struggle
on the part of labor.
The legality of the strike is generally acknowledged; i. e., direct
action is recognized in principle as a legitimate weapon of labor to
obtain more favorable working conditions. However, to prevent
stoppages of work in essential services and strikes or lock-outs that
involve serious economic and social losses, a considerable volume of
legislation has been enacted whereby strikes are forbidden entirely for
certain groups or may be engaged in only after settlement of disputes
has been attempted through recourse to existing machinery. Also
it may be noted that many governments have found it necessary to
increase the availability of conciliation and arbitration facilities to
employers and employees. At present it is usual to find a special
government body, generally within the labor department or responsible
to its executive officer, attempting to compose differences between
employers and employees either before an open breach occurs or as an
impartial agency for settling a difference that has led to a stoppage.
In determining what form of legislation would be most satisfactory,
and in the administration of existing statutes, the governments have
looked to organized employers and employees for assistance. This
encouraged the formation of employer and employee organizations
and the federation of these respective bodies into central agencies
authorized and qualified to represent their members, in order that each
group might have a spokesman.
The legislation upon which this article is based is national in scope
for all countries except Australia and Canada. In these two British
Dominions, the legislation of the centralized Government applies only
in cases affecting more than one State; the individual States have
jurisdiction over internal affairs. It has therefore been necessary to
refer to the provisions of the local as well as the national statutes in
these two instances, in most cases excluding from discussion such
nonindustrial States and Provinces as Northern Australia and Prince
Edward Island.
Right to Organize
Although the right of workers to organize for trade purposes now
exists generally in the countries covered by this study, it was slow in
being recognized in some countries. This right was obtained by one
of three methods: (1) By natural or inherent right; (2) by constitu­
tional guaranty; or (3) by legislative action.
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Natural or inherent right.—Under the philosophy of personal freedom
accepted in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, the right to organize
was recognized early in the industrial development of these countries
without specific action on the part of the Government.
In Denmark, however, although the natural right to organize was
recognized, the purposes of meetings were restricted and limitations
were early placed on workers’ associations by government regulations.
They were prohibited in 1800, but were definitely recognized by the
terms of the constitution in 1849.
In contrast, the right of combination to obtain better conditions of
work was never disputed in Norway and no legislative obstacle was
placed in the way of the trade-unions. In 1894, the workers brought
pressure on the Storting to take a stand against dismissals resulting
from trade-union activities, and that body adopted a resolution dis­
approving such dismissals and confirming the stand that organization
is “the inviolable right of every citizen of the State.”
The Swedish Constitution did not mention the right to organize.
However, subsequent events and court decisions served to show clearly
that the right was regarded as self-evident and a law was passed late
in 1936, effective January 1, 1937, whereby the right of trade associa­
tion and negotiation was given statutory recognition. White-collar
workers were particularly desirous of having such a law in order to
clarify their position.
Constitutional guaranty.—A guaranty of the right to organize was
given in the original constitution of the Netherlands adopted in 1848.
It was there stated that the right of inhabitants to association and
assembly is recognized, and it was further provided that the law should
regulate and limit the exercise of this right in the interest of the pub­
lic peace. No distinction is made between trade-unions and societies
organized for education, recreation, or other purposes in the
Netherlands.
Legislative action.—In Great Britain and its Dominions the right to
organize was granted to labor by the terms of special legislation
which, in most cases, removed previous prohibitions against labor
organization. In Belgium and France recognition was also granted
by law following periods when organization for trade purposes was
forbidden.
In Great Britain two laws nullified the original provisions of the
criminal law with regard to association for trade purposes. The first
of these was in 1871 when labor was declared not to be liable for
joint action in restraint of trade. This law was followed in 1875 by
an amendment to the criminal law removing the stigma of illegality
from combinations of workers. It was not until 1906, however, that
labor’s immunity from legal action for conspiracy under criminal or
civil law was finally established.

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In Australia and Canada, the States and Provinces have given
labor organizations legal status. The various Australian States
guaranteed the right to organize in their early labor laws: South Aus­
tralia in 1876, New South Wales in 1881, Queensland and Victoria in
1886, Tasmania in 1889, and Western Australia in 1900 and 1902.
Thus, workers in the several States had secured recognition of the
organization principle before the Commonwealth was formed in 1901.
In Canada the Dominion granted this, right by the Trade Union Act,
1872, the provisions of which were practically identical with those of
similar legislation in Great Britain. The Provinces did not adopt
laws of this kind generally until, 1937 and 1938, when labor legislation
was greatly extended.
Originally the position of labor in Ireland was like that of British
labor. The Combinations Act of 1800 forbade organization for trade
purposes. This law was repealed in 1824, but it was not until 1871
that the right to organize was specifically recognized under the terms
of the Trade Union Act. The Irish Constitution adopted in 1937
confirms the existence of the right to form unions.
New Zealand legalized unionism under the Trade Union Act, of
1878.
In Belgium the right to organize was not fully recognized until 1921.
when a law was passed establishing the principle of trade-union
liberty. During the early history of the country all concerted action
with the object of influencing working conditions was forbidden. In
1866, under the influence of changed conditions and in order to deal
with existing organizations, certain sections of the Penal Code were
repealed and combination was no longer illegal, but as noted it was
not until 1921 that specific sanction for trade-unions was given by law.
Organization of workmen was forbidden in France by a law of 1791
and was punishable by imprisonment under the terms of the Na­
poleonic Code. A law of 1864 changed the situation by a declaration
that organization was not an offense, but full recognition was not
granted until 1884 by the Waldeck-Rousseau law. The position was
finally clarified in 1927, at which time a section definitely permitting
organization wds placed in the Labor Code.
Thus, with relatively few exceptions, the workers of the countries
here considered obtained the right to organize before the beginning of ,
this century and in some instances before the middle of the last century.
P O SIT IO N OF P U B L IC E M P L O Y E E S

The differing degree to which public employees are permitted to
form organizations is illustrated by a comparison of conditions in Great
Britain and Sweden.
In Great Britain, notwithstanding that privately employed labor
has complete freedom to organize, restrictions are placed on the right

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of public servants in this respect. By a law of 1919 police were for­
bidden to join a labor association. As a substitute, the Police Act of
that year provided for a state body, known as the “Police Federation,”
to deal with matters of welfare other than questions of discipline and
promotion affecting individuals on the police staff. By the Trade
Disputes and Trades Union Act of 1927, the Treasury was authorized
to issue regulations prohibiting civil servants from joining organiza­
tions of which the primary purpose is to effect changes in working
conditions and remuneration, unless the membership of such organiza­
tion is confined entirely to persons employed by or under the Govern­
ment. Organizations of civil servants were also required to sever
affiliation with the Trades Union Congress, the Labor Party, or any
other labor organization of noncivil-service membership, and to
forego political objectives. British labor has been working for many
years for the restoration of the right of civil-service unions to affiliate
with the Trades Union Congress, and sent a deputation to the Prime
Minister early in 1939 to urge an amendment to the existing law.
In contrast, the Swedish law of September 11, 1936, effective Jan­
uary 1, 1937, granted to public employees, as well as others, statutory
recognition of the right to organize. This right, as already stated,
has always been considered basic, but the legislation was enacted in
response to a desire of white-collar workers to have specific legal recog­
nition of their right to join unions. Organization is legalized for all
employees except government and municipal employees in positions
of official responsibility.
Employer and Employee Organization
Recently, in practically all countries,membership of employer and
employee organizations has been increasing, following the losses in
membership after a period of economic depression. The growth in
union membership in countries—New Zealand, for example—where
the labor program has been appreciably extended, has brought the
total for organized employees to a level far above that of any previous
time. Except where there has been a definite policy of encouraging
a special type of union, craft and industrial organizations exist
within the same country. In certain countries employers and em­
ployees are organized along social or political lines following longestablished practice. Another notable development is the movement
toward federation of employer and of worker bodies. Centralization
of power in a single national bargaining agency for country-wide
negotiations has been encouraged under recent labor legislation, as
governments often require consultants from both partners in indus­
try, and it is necessary for them to designate representatives to sit on
certain commissions and boards to represent employer and worker
views.

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IN C R E A S E S I N M E M B E R S H IP

Iii the absence of comprehensive membership statistics of employer
and employee organizations no inclusive statistical analysis is possible.
However, the scattered information available indicates that a material
growth occurred in the number of trade-unionists during the years from
1935 to 1938. Even so, membership totals do not approach in many
countries the totals registered in the post-war period of expansion in
the 1920’s.
Trade-union rolls in France accounted for 5,000,000 workers in the
spring of 1937 after the program of the Popular Front was under way,
as compared with 1,000,000 a year earlier. When the Labor Govern­
ment came into office in New Zealand, the trade-union membership
was estimated to be over 80,000, as compared with over 200,000 at
the end of 1937—2 years later. The Irish Trade Union Congress
reported a membership of 204,479 in 1937, and it was estimated that
the total had increased 85 percent in 5 years. Evidences of a less
spectacular, but steady, growth appear in the trade-union statistics of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland where enrollment increased
gradually from 4,868,000 in 1935 to 6,054,000 in 1938, and in Sweden
where the Confederation of Trade Unions reported 701,186 members
in 1935, 757,376 in 1936, and 905,723 in 1938. The highest member­
ship recorded in Great Britain was 8,346,000 in 1920. In contrast,
the Netherlands statistics showed a reduction in membership in the
principal labor organizations, both for 1936 as compared with 1935
and for 1937 as compared with 1936. In that country the peak of
enrollment in the two largest labor organizations occurred in 1933.
Trade-unionists in Canada at the close of 1937 numbered 384,619, an
increase of 62,146 over 1936. In Norway the membership has been
increasing for some years, and in the period January 1, 1938, to
January 1, 1939, rose from 323,156 to 340,031.
T Y P E S OF O R G A N IZ A T IO N

In Canada, where a large number of trade-unionists are members
of organizations affiliated with the American Federation of Labor,
craft unions are relatively more important than industrial organiza­
tions. In Belgium, industrial unions have recently tended to displace
craft unions. British, Dutch, and French workers’ organizations are
divided between craft and industrial unions; the kind of organization
is determined by conditions in particular industries and localities.
No pressure has been exerted to favor one type of union over another,
and both function side by side. Trade-union organization in Ireland
has developed much as in Great Britain, and the structure is on the
same pattern.
The arbitration courts in Australia and New Zealand recognize the
existence of industrial and craft unions equally in establishing awards


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governing working conditions. By recent amendments the arbitration
laws were clarified to permit the interpretation of “industry” to in­
clude any calling, service, employment, handicraft, or the occupation
of workers.
Industrial unions have been encouraged in Scandinavia in various
ways. In Sweden, for example, a special commission appointed to
plan reorganization of the trade-union structure recommended the
industrial over the craft union in 1912, and as a result unionism has
grown more rapidly on an industrial than on a craft basis. In Norway
the Trade Union Congress decided in 1923 on a change from craft to
industrial unionism.
F E D E R A T IO N S

In order to enlarge their effectiveness, many craft and industrial
unions combine in federations. These federations in turn are members
of one or more national confederations which represent varying pro­
portions of organized labor in the countries here considered. Political
adherence and religious belief are important in determining the
affiliation in several countries.
Belgium, France, and the Netherlands have federations of unions
in which membership is determined by the political and religious
adherence of the member groups. Although federations of labor
unions exist in Scandinavia, the majority of the workers are organized
without political or religious considerations and only minority groups,
including Christian and Syndicalist organizations, have their special
federations. Canada has not only federations of workers belonging
to different religions, but also a large segment of its workers are
affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. In the other
Dominions and in Great Britain the unions and federations are, on
the whole, free of political or religious influence.
The number of employer as well as employee confederations, formed
to represent their respective points of view on a national scale, is
increasing. Some of the central bodies have only recently been
organized, as in New Zealand where the first annual meeting of the
federation of labor was called in 1938. In Ireland the Federated
Employers, Ltd., was established in 1937 to protect the mutual
interests of employers. In certain other countries the powers of the
central bodies have been greatly extended in recent years. For
example, in France at the time the Matignon agreements were signed
in June 1936, the General Confederation of French Employers was
named as the sole bargaining agency for employers and the General
Confederation of Labor for employees. The British Trades Union
Congress does not have the extensive jurisdiction over labor that is
granted to central bodies in certain countries, but acts as a coordinat­
ing agency. Employer organizations in England are numerous and
active in negotiating agreements with large groups of employees.

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Legal Status of Trade-Unions
Formal registration of trade-unions with a designated governmental
agency is customary in the several countries, but registration is
optional in most cases. There is considerable variation in the character
of the information that the unions must report in order to become
registered organizations. There is likewise great variation in the
methods by which legal personality is bestowed on trade-unions.
Registration
In Great Britain and the Dominions registration of unions is not
required but is sufficiently advantageous to make compliance with
this formality quite extensive. For example, in Great Britain a
registered union is obliged to file annual reports with the Registrar
of Friendly Societies on membership, finances, and other details;
but, by reason of registration, a union is free from liability for damages
resulting from acts of its officers or agents in labor disputes, it may
hold land, enjoy remedies against fraud, may sue and be sued, and is
exempt from income taxes. In Australia and New Zealand, registra­
tion is also voluntary, but no union may benefit from an industrial
award unless it has registered. This provision is naturally important in
influencing unions to register, and in effect makes registration com­
pulsory. In addition, the several States of the Commonwealth of
Australia have laws on registration. Most Canadian unions have not
registered voluntarily as provided for by the national labor law, but
some relatively recent provincial legislation makes registration
compulsory.
Labor organizations in the Netherlands have the option of register­
ing either (1) for indeterminate periods or for periods of 30 years or
over, in either case an act of Parliament being necessary, or (2) for
shorter periods in which instance a decree of the Crown is sufficient.
As the decree of the Crown is readily obtainable, registration for the
shorter period is usual. Unions that are not registered may not take
civil action and their property is deemed by the courts to belong to
persons signing contracts.
The position of labor unions in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden is
somewhat different from that found elsewhere. In Scandinavia
recognition of the legal existence of an organization is not conditional
upon the observance of certain formalities. Nevertheless all Danish
organizations of labor are incorporated bodies. In Norway there is
no public supervision of unions, but they must supply any information
that may be required by the State conciliator, and must register.
Swedish unions are not obliged to register, to account for funds, or to
submit to Government supervision of elections, and are not subject
to any form of Government regulation.

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In Belgium workers are required to communicate the rules of their
organizations to the authorities but registration is optional. In
France, unions must register their bylaws, and the Labor Code pro­
vides that unions possess civil personality, may be sued, and may
acquire real or personal property.
Some governments have adopted regulations whereby trade-unions
may be deregistered for good and sufficient cause. Registration of a
union in Australia was recently withdrawn for giving illegal aid to a
strike. The court of conciliation and arbitration held that a registered
union, after having accepted arbitration and having secured an award,
was not free to aid a strike for claims refused by the court after
judicial inquiry.
L EG A L P E R S O N A L IT Y

Trade-unions in the countries covered by this article are endowed
with legal personality in different ways. There is a group of countries
where the mere fact of creation of the union gives legal personality;
another where registration confers this status; and in other instances
legal personality is taken for granted.
Regardless of the basis for legal personality, unions do not have
equal liability in all countries nor have they the same rights. As
already stated, registered unions in Great Britain are not liable for
damages resulting from acts of their officers or agents in labor dis­
putes. According to a study by the International Labor Office, unions
in Belgium and France having legal personality are responsible under
civil law to the full extent of their property. Independent of any
liability arising from the legal personality of organizations, the' Swedish
law governing collective agreements stipulates the legal consequences
of collective agreements and the responsibility of the parties for their
observance.
Government Encouragement to Union Membership
Of the 11 countries surveyed, 1 has made union membership com­
pulsory for a large portion of the working population. This is New
Zealand where, under the arbitration law as amended in 1936, it is
unlawful for employers in industries covered by awards or collective
agreements to employ adult workers of 18 years of age and over who
are not members of unions. Among the exceptions made is one allow­
ing employers to hire nonunionists if union workers cannot be obtained.
Union membership is indirectly encouraged in the remaining coun­
tries in a number of ways. Some laws provide that, other factors being
equal, organized workers will be given preference. A number of gov­
ernments subsidize trade-union benefit funds. In several countries
collective agreements affecting part of the workers in an industry are
made binding on groups which have not participated in the negotia
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tions. Finally, the principle of the closed shop is recognized in various
branches of industry.
U N IO N P R E F E R E N C E

Australia incorporated a provision, in legislation adopted in 1927,
whereby, other things being equal, union labor may be given pref­
erence in employment. Within these limits the court of arbitration
may grant preference to unionists in its awards. In practice, the
court has been reluctant to exercise this power. A subsequent law
of 1928-29, covering working conditions in the transport industry,
provides for priority to trade-unionists in filling jobs.
The several Australian States follow various policies with respect
to preference. The New South Wales law is framed in the same way
as that of the Commonwealth, permitting the court to prescribe
employment of union members, other things being equal. In South
Australia, however, the industrial court is forbidden to order that
preference be given in any circumstances to union members or
nonmembers. Awards in Queensland vary in this respect, some
providing for open and others for closed shops. If union preference
is specified in an industrial agreement or award, employment of
nonunionists is illegal. Preference is granted in every case subject
to the conditions approved by the court of arbitration of the State.
A ID TO U N IO N S

Voluntary trade-union unemployment funds receive Government
subsidy in Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway,
and Sweden. In thus rendering financial assistance to organized
labor the Governments indirectly encourage workers to join unions.
Expansion of trade-union membership is also encouraged by the
policy, adopted in many countries, of legalizing collective agreements
entered into by representative or majority groups in an industry and
making their terms compulsory upon all persons in the industry or
in a particular region. This has been done in various States of
Australia and Provinces of Canada, Belgium, France, Great Britain,
Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Under this system it
would seem that employers as well as employees would be inclined
to enter the organizations negotiating agreements if they are to be
blanketed under the terms established.
C LOSED SH O P

Industrial agreements negotiated by employers and employees
often make provision for the employment of union workers only.
Although closed-shop agreements are made in most countries here
discussed, they usually exist only in a restricted number of industries.
The extent to which closed-shop contracts are negotiated depends

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upon individual union strength, employer-employee relations, and
public reaction to the principle. For example, the British Govern­
ment has taken no position regarding labor’s obligation to join or
not to join unions, but, under collective agreements, union member­
ship is a prerequisite for employment in establishments as dissimilar
as the Yorkshire dyeing trade and the Cooperative Wholesale Society.
Legalization and Extension of Agreements and Awards
Australia and New Zealand.—Although the arbitration law of the
Commonwealth of Australia authorizes the Court of Conciliation and
Arbitration (section 38 (f)) to declare its awards binding upon all
branches of a given industry, the High Court has held that this
section is unconstitutional. Nevertheless, in disputes settled by
award there have been cases in which an entire industry, being
involved in a dispute, was subject to the terms of an award and was
therefore brought under a common rule.
However, the majority of the Australian States may, under their
laws, extend agreements and awards to entire industries.
In Queensland the terms of a collective agreement or award may
be declared binding upon all employers and employees (whether or
not members of an industrial union) engaged in the same industry
within the locality specified.
In South Australia, the law provides that an agreement entered
into by at least three-fifths of the employers and of the employees in
an industry may be confirmed by the court of arbitration and applied
to the entire industry (nonmembers of organizations included).
An award made by the court and not by agreement may also be made
the common rule for the industry. About 90 percent of the requests
for extension of the terms of agreements and awards come from
trade-unions. However, employers sometimes seek a common-rule
declaration because they are handicapped by competition with
firms hot subject to the award.
In Western Australia an award is a general rule unless otherwise
stated; and the court may make a voluntary collective agreement
applicable to an industry.
In New Spilth Wales awards of the court áre binding on persons
working in the same branch of industry aùuçL in the same district.
In New Zealand, the only other country having a national wage­
fixing system under a court of arbitration, agreements affecting the
majority of workers in an industry may be made binding , on all
employers in the industry whether or not they' aïe parties to the
agreement. Awards, when filed, are binding on, all the parties
concerned and apply not only to all the ,^fríoyers specified in the
award but also to all employees subsequently commencing business
in the district.

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Canada.—In Canada, extension of working standards beyond the
scope of the original agreement is legalized by the terms of recent
legislation adopted by several Provinces. The minister of labor in
Alberta may declare a collective agreement binding upon every em­
ployer and employee in the industry and zone. In Ontario the lieu­
tenant-governor in council may extend an agreement if the minister
of labor is satisfied that it has been adopted by a proper and sufficient
proportion of the employers and employees and recommends such
action. If these conditions are met it then becomes binding for the
entire industry within the Province. The law of Saskatchewan is
modeled on those of Alberta and Ontario. In Quebec a voluntary
collective agreement negotiated in a trade may be declared binding
for all persons engaged in the same kind of work in the district.
Belgium .—The Government of Belgium was empowered to issue a
Royal Order to extend to an entire industry, and to make binding
upon all concerned, the provisions of an agreement made by the appro­
priate joint commissions and providing for a shorter working week.
This power was granted by a law of 1936 providing for a progressive
reduction of the working week to 40 hours. Although bills have been
considered whereby wages established for special groups could be
made a common rule, no law has yet been adopted.
France.—France provided for extending the scope of collective
agreements in 1936. The terms of agreements voluntarily entered
into by employers and employees may be legalized, for all employees
engaged in the same industry or trade, by the Government. Before
taking such action the Minister of Labor must consult the National
Economic Council and allow trade associations to be heard. In
declaring agreements a common rule it is presupposed that they have
been concluded by the most representative bodies of employers and
employees.
( Great Britain .—The same principle is applied in one industry in
Great Britain, namely cotton weaving. Both employers and workers
recognized the need for maintaining standards during the recent de­
pression and supported the enactment of the Cotton Manufacturing
(Wage Agreement) Act of 1934. This law provides for general appli­
cation in this industry of the wage rates established by collective
agreement.
Ireland.—A registered collective agreement in Ireland is binding
upon all persons engaged in the form of industrial work, and in the
area to which the agreement relates. This provision applies only to
agreements covering industrial workers and excludes agriculture,
domestic employment, mining, and transport. The Minister of
Industry and Commerce may authorize exclusion of certain types of
industrial work. Only such agreements as the Minister believes are

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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

negotiated by representative groups of employers and employees are
registered.
The Netherlands.—Special legislation enacted in the Netherlands in
October 1937 provides for the extension of collective agreements to
entire industries. Under this law the Government is empowered to
declare a collective agreement the common rule for an entire industry,
if the agreement has been entered into by a majority of the workers
employed in the industry.
Legality of Strikes
Strikes and lock-outs are recognized as legal in the democratic
countries but exercise of the right of direct action is often restricted
in various ways.
C L A SSE S F O R B ID D E N TO ST R IK E

Great Britain is among those countries which forbid strikes of
workers engaged in essential industries and in the public service. In
addition, it is illegal for employees to carry on strikes that threaten
the public interest. Specifically, strikes are lawful when designed to
further a dispute within the industry to which the workers are attached.
In Ireland employees of the gas and water industry, and those
engaged in the 11 industries having joint industrial councils for settling
disputes, may not strike. In the Netherlands, strikes are forbidden
for railway and public employees and in Norway such a prohibition
applies to State or local-authority employees.
Government employees in Belgium have unusual freedom in the
use of the right to strike. When complete freedom to organize was
granted to Belgian labor in 1921, the question was raised as to whether
this implied complete freedom to strike. Following a serious stoppage
in 1923, involving postal, telegraph and telephone, railway, and
marine workers, penal sanctions were waived and in this way the
right of at least certain classes of Government workers to strike was
recognized. However, higher Government officials may be punished
for insubordination under the Penal Code and this provision of the
code may be invoked against such public employees for striking.
Strikes of French civil servants are neither forbidden nor recognized
as legal. Repeated efforts to secure legislation regulating their right to
strike have failed. The Government deals with cases as they arise
and sometimes takes or threatens punitive action against strikers in
the public service. The general strike of November 1938 is a case in
point. Organized labor stated that this stoppage was intended as a
protest against decree-laws imposing less favorable terms of employ­
ment than those existing under the Popular Front Government.
Public, semipublic, and private employees received the strike call for

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November 30. The French Government held that the purposes of
the strike were political and therefore illegal. It invoked the special
emergency powers provided by the law of July 11, 1938, permitting
workers to be requisitioned in time of national crisis. (Legislation of
this type was originally enacted in 1877.) In this way semipublic
services, such as transport, were maintained. At the same time
Government employees who failed to report for work were threatened
with discharge. When the strike was over, punitive action was kept
at a minimum.
Both Australia and New Zealand outlaw strikes for persons covered
by existing awards or agreements. In addition to the Commonwealth
law, the labor legislation of all but one State in Australia limits the
right to strike. In Queensland a strike must be authorized by vote of
all members of the union affected or by referendum held by the
registrar if the trade is unorganized. New South Wales forbids a
strike of Crown or city employees and those wholly or partially regu­
lated by court awards. South Australia unqualifiedly bans strikes
under its arbitration law. In Western Australia a reasonable time must
be allowed to elapse for reference of a case to the court before a strike
may take place. Of the two States where wage boards of employers
and employees establish working conditions, Tasmania forbids strikes
in industries for which a wage determination is in effect and in Victoria
the governor-in-council may suspend a determination for not to exceed
12 months, when a stoppage is impending, in this way legalizing the
strike.
The Danish arbitration law of 1938, providing for the continuance
and negotiation of collective agreements, forbids strikes and lock-outs
for the duration of agreements. Similar provision is made in the laws
of Norway and Sweden. Both of these latter countries have special
labor courts to interpret the clauses of collective contracts and
determine their validity, when controversy arises as to their meaning.
No appeal is permitted from the determinations of the labor courts in
such cases and no employer or employee may resort to direct action
pending a decision. Late in 1938 representatives of organized em­
ployers and employees drafted a basic agreement in Sweden, known
as the “Saltsjobaden agreement,” which if accepted by industry as
a whole will postpone the calling of strikes, upon expiration of collec­
tive agreements, when disagreement exists. Under its terms parties
to a dispute must try to reach a settlement and, if they fail, must
obtain approval from their trade federations before striking. This
agreement also forbids strikes against neutral third parties and
society.
P O ST P O N E M E N T O F ST R IK E A C TIO N

The New Zealand law goes beyond prohibiting strikes of persons
covered by awards or agreements, in providing that persons not so


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covered must give formal notice of their intention to strike and must
observe a waiting period.
In Canada, under a law adopted in 1907, strikes are illegal in the
coal industry and by labor engaged in public utilities, including rail­
roads, until the conciliation board has rendered a finding of fact on
the dispute. Most Canadian Provinces have also enacted laws
requiring a waiting period. The conciliation and arbitration laws of
British Columbia (1937) and Alberta (1938) forbid stoppages of work
during the period intervening between an application for conciliation
in a dispute and 14 days after the date fixed for voting on an arbitral
award. The Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and
Saskatchewan laws also require delay in striking until cases have been
considered by the special bodies established to settle disputes.
Under French law, no strike may be called before a case is submitted
to the proper authorities for settlement. This provision of the
legislation was upheld by a Paris court of the first instance, which in
1939 ruled that a strike without previous attempt to settle the differ­
ence in the prescribed manner, or involving occupation of a factory,
is illegal, and that those responsible for the strike are liable for damage
caused by it.
Machinery for Settling Labor Disputes,
Although most governments encourage employers and employees to
settle their differences by means of the special machinery they may
have established within industry, there is a growing tendency to
provide public bodies for conciliation and arbitration to which dis­
putants may submit their differences if they are unable to reach an
agreement. These services are usually available on the application of
ohe or both of the parties to a dispute.
In the United States the term arbitration is sharply distinguished
from conciliation. By arbitration is meant the procedure of hearing
and finally determining a controversy; by conciliation and mediation
(no distinction being made between the two terms) is meant the effort
of neutral parties to obtain the settlement of a dispute, without any
authority on the part of the conciliator or mediator to impose a
settlement. However, in certain countries covered by this survey, the
term arbitration is used where there is an element of compulsion to
siibm.it a case to an impartial agency for an opinion but no compulsion
to accept the findings unless this is agreed upon in advance by the
disputants. Also, in some cases, the individual or agency is called an
arbitrator, who interprets the terms of collective agreements in dis­
putes arising as to their meaning.
In the following discussion the terminology of the respective coun­
tries is used and reliance is placed on the description of the procedure
to show which are arbitration systems in the strict sense of the term.
Countries are grouped by points of likeness in the machinery provided.


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Australia .—In Commonwealth of Australia cases, i. e., those affecting
workers in more than one State, the law provides that the Court of
Conciliation and Arbitration of Australia may make an award in one
of three ways and, regardless of the means of arriving at a particular
schedule of working conditions, it is equally binding upon the parties
covered: (1) If employers and employees adopt a collective agreement
voluntarily the court may declare it binding upon them; (2) if a case
comes up for settlement the court may, in its discretion, appoint a con­
ciliation committee consisting of equal employer and employee repre­
sentation and a chairman, and endorse its determination when made;
and (3) if a case remains unsettled after either of these procedures has
been followed, or is heard by the court in the first instance, the deter­
mination of the court is binding. However, the High Court of the
Commonwealth has held that the second procedure prescribed under
the act is unconstitutional.
In a case proved to have an interstate character, appeal may be
made to the regular courts. Although the court may summon parties
to a dispute who are not covered by an award, in order to conciliate
their differences informally, it may initiate arbitration proceedings
only upon request of an organization, a registrar, a State industrial
authority, or a judge who has negotiated in an effort to conciliate a
case. However, when cases arise in industries already covered by an
award, any party to the award may request the court to make a
decision.
In addition to the Commonwealth machinery for settling disputes,
Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Aus­
tralia have their own systems for handling cases of an intrastate
character. They follow much the same procedure as the Common­
wealth, with minor differences in the composition of the respective
State bodies. Under the wages-boards system operative in Tasmania,
determinations of these boards remain in force until amended either
by the board or by the court of industrial appeals or unless suspended
by the governor-in-council. Determinations of Victoria’s wages
boards may be appealed to a special court.
New Zealand.—The New Zealand law provides for councils of con­
ciliation before which registered unions and employers may discuss
their differences informally. Membership in a council consists of a
commissioner (of whom there are two in 4he country, one for the
North and the other for the South) and representatives of both sides.
If the council fails to bring about an agreement between the parties it!
may make a recommendation. If a settlement is reached by either >
procedure the terms have the force of an award of the court of arbitra­
tion omapproval by-that body. Failing settlement by the council, a
case is Submitted direct to the court. The personnel of the court of

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arbitration consists of a judge, acting as chairman, and assessors rep­
resenting employers and employees. All awards made by the court
are binding on both parties. Persons who do not belong to registered
unions may submit their cases to conciliation councils for friendly
adjustment, but there is no penalty if agreement is not reached.
France and Norway.—France enacted a temporary arbitration law
at the end of 1936, which is still operative in a modified form. On
March 4, 1938, new legislation was adopted in order to speed up the
process of settling disputes, making provision for opening cases when
the cost of living rises, and establishing a High Court of Arbitration to
handle cases that are appealed. The law provides for settling dis­
putes in industries organized in such a way as to make it possible to
establish their own machinery under collective agreements, and also
in those industries lacking the facilities for establishing the necessary
bodies. Conciliation or arbitration is mandatory in every instance,
but industries with their own machinery may settle disputes without
submitting them to Government bodies. Every dispute must be settled
within 1 month and no one phase of the procedure may require over 8
days. Final decisions are binding and awards must be enforced pend­
ing an appeal. A decree of November 12, 1938, established penalties
for failure to comply with the terms of arbitration awards.
In industries operating under collective agreements, cases may be
submitted to specially organized conciliation commissions, if not
settled at the expiration of the time fixed by the agreement. The
commission presided over by the prefect or his representative hears
the case, submitted by either party to a dispute or the prefect, and if
agreement fails transmits to the arbitrators a statement covering the
subject of the dispute and the points to be acted on. Two stages of
arbitration are permitted: The case is heard by two arbitrators chosen
by the respective parties; and then, if settlement fails, it goes to an
umpire. The umpire is chosen by the two parties to the dispute or,
if they cannot agree, by the prefect or competent minister. Cases
appealed within 8 days of an award are heard by the High Court of
Arbitration, whose decisions are final.
For those industries which have no machinery for settling differ­
ences the law prescribes a different procedure. Both Department
and national conciliation machinery is established to take care of
disputes of local or national scope, respectively. Depending upon
the scope of a dispute, it is subject to review by the departmental or
the national body. Recourse is taken to this machinery if disputants
cannot reach a settlement. Either disputant may then appeal to the
prefect to refer a case to conciliators, the prefect determining the
appropriate conciliation agency. A departmental com mission has
equal numbers of employer and employee representatives and is
presided over by the prefect or his representative, with the divisional

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inspector of labor acting in a consultative capacity. Each national
commission is presided over by the competent minister or his repre
sentative and has equal numbers of employer and employee repre­
sentatives. If a commission brings about an agreement, a signed
statement is sent to the Minister of Labor. If agreement fails, a
report outlining the differences is submitted. Within 2 days the
parties must then nominate a single arbitrator or one for each side.
When these fail to bring about a settlement the parties must name an
umpire to make the final decision. No interruption is permitted in
these deliberations pending reference of a case to the High Court of
Arbitration to determine the competency of a commission.
Norway adopted compulsory arbitration for limited periods by
laws enacted in 1916, 1922, and 1927. However, the principle was
opposed by employers and workers and a bill embodying the com­
pulsory principle introduced in 1929 was defeated by their combined
efforts. In spite of this opposition a new compulsory arbitration
law was passed in 1938 to settle two disputes in which it had not been
possible to secure a voluntary settlement. It provided for establish­
ment of an ad hoc board to deal with disputes in the fish-marketing
and transport industries, respectively, and did not establish arbitra­
tion for industry generally. The court created had five members, of
whom two represented the Confederation of Trade Unions and two
the Employers’ Federation. The Norwegian Government again
resorted to compulsory arbitration in November 1938 to settle a dis­
pute in the forestry industry. This action was authorized by the
Cabinet Council and the resolution issued was essentially the same
as the ad hoc act adopted earlier in the year.
A special court, known as the Labor Court, was established under
legislation adopted in 1915 and amended in 1927. This court is
composed of seven members and has jurisdiction in cases brought
by either party to a dispute, involving a breach of a collective agree­
ment or an unlawful stoppage of work, and no appeal is allowed from
its decisions with the exception of a few cases that may be appealed
to the Supreme Court. Employers and employees having private
arbitration machinery may be excluded from the jurisdiction of the
court by agreement. Membership of the court consists of two repre­
sentatives each of employers and employees, three neutrals, and two
substitutes for each member.
The same laws provide for maintaining a permanent conciliator
appointed by the Crown and similar officials for each district in Nor­
way. Conciliation boards, consisting of one of these officials and an
employer and an employee representative, are maintained in each
district. Parties that are not subject to hearing before the Labor
Court are required to attempt to conciliate their differences, and the
conciliator or either party may initiate proceedings.
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Monthly Labor Review—.November 1939

Denmark and Sweden.—Owing to the failure of Danish employers
and employees to settle their differences on several occasions in
recent years, when the annual collective agreements expired, the
Government enacted a number of temporary laws to insure continu­
ance of industrial operations. In 1933 strikes and lock-outs were
forbidden for 1 year; in 1934 the voting system of labor unions was
changed, as a check on decisions that would induce strikes; in 1936
compulsory arbitration was imposed for 1 year; and in 1937 and 1938
the settlements proposed by the public arbitrator, whose function is
to frame a proposal acceptable to both parties, were enacted into law.
Although the Government declared itself averse to imposing a settle­
ment, it stated that the extensive labor conflicts would otherwise
seriously endanger the country’s economic situation. The law of
April 9, 1938, provides that the collective agreements legalized under
its terms shall continue in force for 2 years, subject to changes in
wages in accordance with fluctuations in the cost of living. Any
complaints of violations arising under the law may, upon request of
either party, be heard under the rules of the Permanent Arbitration
Court described below.
A dispute in the newspaper printing industry, which threatened to
result in a strike in March 1939, was settled by a vote of the legisla­
ture in a manner similar to that followed in 1938. It was voted to
make the public arbitrator’s decision legally binding on the parties
and to prohibit lock-outs and strikes for the period covered by the
arbitrator’s proposal.
The Permanent Arbitration Court, or Central Labor Court, is em­
powered to act in cases involving breaches of collective agreements
and is competent to decide as to the legality of strikes in violation of
collective agreements, arbitration awards, and previous decisions of
the court itself. Either party to a dispute may submit a case. The
court is not a court of appeal from the awards of arbitration boards
established in industry. Membership of the court consists of 6 lu m ­
bers and 16 substitutes, appointed in equal numbers from employer
and employee trade associations. The procedure is to attempt to
conciliate but, if this fails, judgments are made which aPe final and
enforceable in the same manner as the judgments rendered by the
regular judicial tribunals.
'
Most collective agreements in force in Denrhark provide for con­
ciliation under a voluntary system introduced in 1908. The procedure
is to submit disputes to permanent conciliation committees of which
there is one for each industry. If the appropriate committee fails to
bring about an agreement, the case is referred back to the parties for <
further negotiation. If they fail to reach a settlement, either party
h&s the right to demand that the case be submitted to an industrial
arbitration court having-Oqual numbers of employer and Employee

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Industrial Relations in Foreign Countries

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members, and a neutral chairman appointed by the disputants or by
the permanent arbitration court if agreement is not reached by the
disputants. The Government appoints a panel of conciliators whose
services are available to employers and employees in framing collective
agreements.
Swedish law recognizes the right of the Government to interpret
the validity and meaning of the terms of collective agreements and
for this purpose a labor court was created in 1929. The court has
jurisdiction in cases involving (1) determination as to whether actions
taken have been within the terms of the applicable agreement and
(2) the consequences of illegal action. Although there is compulsion
to accept the findings of fafct made by the court relative to existing
provisions, there is no attempt to introduce compulsion in the making
of collective agreements. The court has seven members of whom
the chairman and two members are appointed by the Government
and must be neutral, two of them are legal experts, and one is an
expert on labor questions. Two members each are appointed by
employers and employees. The court may impose fines, and its
decisions are without appeal except in cases of error or negligence on
the part of one of its members. If one party brings a dispute before
the court the other must appear and both must comply with the
decision reached. As collective agreements are general in Sweden,
the jurisdiction of the court is correspondingly wide.
A public conciliation system was introduced in Sweden by a law
of 1906, supplemented by legislation effective in 1920. Under' this
system the Government attempts to bring disputants together for
settlement of their differences, but it cannot declare its judgments
binding. If a serious stoppage is threatened, the representative of
the mediation office of the Ministry of the Interior who has jurisdic­
tion hi the district is required to exercise his good offices to bring
about a settlement. The mediator may request either party to
appear before him but he cannot exercise any compulsion. Recent
amendments to the conciliation law have been introduced in order to
strengthen it, but the system remains voluntary.
Belgium .—By royal decree of May 5, 1926, provision was made for
establishing official conciliation and arbitration committees in every
locality in Belgium. The Minister of Labor, who is responsible for
the operation of the system, is directed to create such committees as
he deems necessary and, in addition to the local bodies, has estab­
lished regional and national committees to take action in cases of
wider scope. Each local body has a president and secretary and not
less than three employer and employee representatives, respectively,
selected from lists submitted by employer and employee groups
The Minister may also designate a joint industrial council, of which
many are established for the handling of disputes within industry, to

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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

conciliate or arbitrate disputes. When a strike appears imminent
the party most concerned petitions the appropriate committee to call
a meeting within 5 days. If settlement is not brought about, both
parties are invited to state their case and proposals for settlement. A
second meeting is called and, if no agreement is then reached, a signed
statement is made by each party giving its reasons for refusal. The
committee invites the disputants to agree upon an arbitrator, and if
the suggestion is approved the terms of reference are drawn up. The
decision of the arbitrator is binding only if this is agreed to in advance.
If a strike takes place before the conciliation procedure is complete
the Minister of Labor volunteers to act as arbitrator.
A unique feature of the Belgian system is the enforcement of pen­
alties for causing a stoppage of work before an attempt is made to
settle the existing difference under the prescribed procedure. If the
employers are responsible the employees are entitled to unemploy­
ment benefit, if they belong to a fund, and when the employees strike
they forfeit for 1 year the right to receive benefit in periods of
unemployment.
Great Britain .—Joint machinery to settle disputes within the indus­
tries themselves is so extensive in Great Britain that the demand for
the Government facilities is not great. Nevertheless voluntary pub­
lic machinery for conciliation and arbitration is maintained. The
facilities are conciliation committees established by the Minister of
Labor, the industrial court, ad hoc boards of arbitration, individual
arbitrators, and special courts of inquiry which are created on rare
occasions. Settlement of differences within industry is encouraged
and the Government intervenes only upon request. The single excep­
tion to this procedure is that a court of inquiry may be established
by the Minister of Labor, in his discretion, to report on an existing or
threatened dispute that has serious implications for the nation. This
power is used only sparingly and as a means of informing the public
and Parliament, and these courts do not attempt to negotiate with
disputants.
The Minister of Labor is empowered to establish machinery for con­
ciliation and arbitration under laws of 1896 and 1919. A concilia­
tion staff is maintained, including staffs in the Ministry and in six
major industrial centers. When the Government services are re­
quested by either party in conciliating a difference, the Minister
must be assured that every effort has been made to settle differences
by the use of existing industrial machinery. He then intercedes in a
manner dictated by his best judgment, as no rules of procedure are
laid down by law.
In arbitration cases the Minister of Labor acts on invitation of
both parties to a dispute and then only if recourse to voluntary ma­
chinery has failed to bring about a settlement. The service of arbi
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tration may be performed by appointees of the Minister of Labor as
follows: (1) A single arbitrator, sitting with or without assessors
representing the disputants; (2) the industrial court, which is a stand­
ing arbitration tribunal having employer, employee, independent mem­
bers, and one or more women; and (3) ad hoc boards, usually having
three members consisting of a chairman, an employer member, and
an employee member, chosen from panels of these respective groups
established by the Minister under his statutory powers. Regardless
of the body hearing a dispute, the decisions are not binding. Accept­
ance depends upon the willingness of disputants or the force of public
opinion, unless the terms of reference include an agreement to abide
by the decision. Awards of the industrial court are published; other
awards are regarded as the property of the parties concerned. Civilservice cases are handled by a special tribunal having an impartial
chairman.
Ireland .—The Government machinery in effect for settling dis­
putes in Ireland is similar to that in Great Britain. It may be used
only after attempts at direct settlement have failed. Parties involved
in a dispute are not required to use the Government mediation and
arbitration facilities nor are they obliged to accept the decisions made
unless the terms of reference include such a provision. A court of
inquiry may also be established when necessity demands it.
The joint industrial machinery for handling disputes in Ireland
operates nationally. It consists of joint industrial councils, of which
there are 11, each having equal numbers of employer and employee
members elected by their respective groups. Each council is a con­
tinuing body which meets periodically to discuss matters of industrial
interest and at irregular intervals when special problems confront the
industry. Much of the work of the council is done by subcommittees
whose decisions are binding and carry equal authority with those of
the full council.
The Netherlands.—Government conciliation and arbitration proce­
dure in the Netherlands closely resembles that of Great Britain, in
that there are public facilities for conciliation, arbitration, and courts
of inquiry; there is no compulsion to accept the findings unless the
terms of reference specify acceptance; and recourse may be taken to
the Government machinery only after voluntary bodies have failed to
bring about a settlement. The systems of the two countries are unlike
in that the Netherlands Government may intervene in a dispute as
conciliator not only on request but also without invitation, if a strike
may result and if at least 50 persons are affected.
A Government staff of conciliators is maintained in the Ministry of
Labor, to operate in every district of the country and in particularly
important industries. The conciliator has the right to subpena parties
to a dispute, and they are bound to appear or send representatives

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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

under penalty of a fine. In his discretion he may recommend the
intervention of a conciliation board or special conciliator and may
make the necessary appointments on request. The board or con­
ciliator appointed also has the power to subpena witnesses and order
special inquiries if needed. If agreement fails or both sides refuse
to submit their case to arbitration the board may hand down an
opinion by majority vote, or the individual conciliator may render an
opinion on the disputed points and communicate it to both sides.
If the proffered settlement is refused, the decision may be published
in order to influence public opinion. ?■s t' t
Arbitration proceedings m ay.be ■instituted in the first instance or
after conciliation has been attempted. The Government conciliator
may not act as arbitrator but is required, to cooperate throughout
arbitral proceedings and may appoint; a, secretary in agreement with
the court or the arbitrator. The parties to a;dispute may apply to
the, Government conciliator in writing for arbitration. If the case is
suitable the conciliator draws up a minute of the proceedings, to be
signed by both parties, containing the terms of reference to arbitration,
nominating the arbitrator or chairman and members of the court, and
stating the duration and validity of the forthcoming award. All
members of the court are required to participate in the voting and a
decision must have majority approval to be valid. The Minister of
Labor may in his discretion cancel a decision and order another, or
he may require revision of a decision, but changes may not be made
retroactive.
Special inquiry may be made by the Government in disputes
seriously affecting public interest and involving not less than 300
workers. Committees appointed for this purpose are named by the
Minister of Labor. Decisions take into account existing circum­
stances and determine the extent to which the demands of either party
may be granted. Although conclusions are published in every case in
order to make conditions generally known, the report of proceedings
may be given out only with the consent of the parties affected.
Canada.—Laws of the Dominion of Canada provide for (1) a sys­
tem of governmental conciliation and arbitration to settle disputes
involving coal-mine labor and employees engaged in the operation
of public utilities (including railroads), which may be extended to
include other industries if employers and employees request it; (2)
machinery in the Ministry of Labor for conciliation in industrial
disputes; and (3) inquiry into any matter connected with the good
government of the couptry.
Under the terms of the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act of
1907, and of subsequent amendments, the Government attempts to
settle disputes in the coal industry and public utilities. Thirty days’
advance notice of changes in working conditions is required. The

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Minister of Labor is empowered to appoint a board of conciliation
and investigation on his own motion. However, recommendations are
not enforceable and the parties may accept or reject findings at their
discretion. The Minister may intervene in cases that affect more
than one Province or if the Province has declared that the dispute is
subject to Dominion legislation. With the exception of British
Columbia and Prince Edward Island, all the Provinces have delegated
to the Dominion Government the power of compulsory investigation.
The boards of conciliation have three members, one each being nomi­
nated by the employers and employees, respectively, and the third
chosen jointly. In case of failure to make the necessary nominations
the Minister of Labor may do so.
The Department of Labor maintains a permanent staff of concili­
ators in accordance with the terms of the Conciliation and Labor
Act, 1906. Members of this staff are stationed at Ottawa, Montreal,
Toronto, and Vancouver. Enabling legislation was first enacted in
1900, and under the 1906 law the Minister of Labor has authority to
inquire into the circumstances of an existing or threatened dispute
and arrange meetings of the parties with a view to bringing about an
amicable settlement. Upon application of either party the Minister
appoints a conciliator and on application of both parties an arbitrator.
No compulsion exists in the application of this procedure or in enforc­
ing findings.
Under the Inquiries Act, inquiries may be made into any matter
connected with the good government of Canada or the conduct of
any part of the public business of the Dominion. These inquiries
are held by the Governor-in-Council, or royal commissions or com­
missioners may be designated to carry on the work. Although this
legislation was not adopted for the express purpose of settling labor
disputes, in practice it has developed that certain types of cases lend
themselves to treatment under this procedure, such as those involving
recognition of trade-unions and disputes between more than one em­
ployer and union. As in Great Britain and the Netherlands, the
findings of the Governor-in-Council or the commissioners are not
binding.
There are as many jurisdictions for the settlement of labor disputes
that are not subject to Dominion legislation as there are Provinces
in Canada. All of the Provinces have laws whereunder the respective
governments may investigate disputes of employers and employees,
and all except Prince Edward Island have Government-sponsored
machinery established for the purpose of settling disputes within their
jurisdiction. This machinery, .has been greatly expanded under the
recent legislative program covering industrial relations in Canada.
It exists side by side with the private bodies established by employers
and employees to settle differences peacefully. Several ^Provinces,

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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

notably Alberta, British Columbia, and New Brunswick, provide
expressly that where there is a private arrangement for settling dis­
putes the provision of the Provincial statutes shall not apply.
Laws recently adopted in the four Provinces of Alberta, British
Columbia, Manitoba, and New Brunswick contain provisions giving
the local authorities much the same powers in disputes as the Domin­
ion has under the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act. For example,
the governments may intervene in an effort to settle disputes on
invitation of either party or on their own initiative, employer and
employee representatives are entitled to membership on investigating
boards, and the parties to a dispute may accept or reject the findings
of these boards. In the remaining Provinces, with the exception of
Quebec, much of the work of government conciliators is carried on
informally, according to procedure established in earlier years, and
the jurisdiction of the Provinces in settling differences is not delimited
by law.
Quebec adopted a law in 1937 known as the Fair Wage Act. It
provides for an arbitration tribunal, known as the “fair wage board,”
having the power to organize conciliation committees to determine
fair labor standards for employees who have not or are unable legally
to avail themselves of the provisions of other legislation to fix wages
and for employees who have not been able to make an agreement
with their employers. The board assumes jurisdiction in a case
on written application of either party. Employers and employees
are entitled to equal representation on conciliation committees insofar
as possible and each committee is presided over by a delegate of the
fair wage board. The decisions rendered are binding on both parties.
Sources: The officers who contributed material and the cities where they were stationed at the time the
reports were made are as follows: A u s t r a l i a . — Henry B. D ay and C. A. Hutchinson, American consuls,
Adelaide; Adrian B. Colquitt, American vice consul, Brisbane; Wales W. Signor, American vice consul,
Melbourne; Elbert G. Mathews, American vice consul, Sidney. B e l a i u m —William H. Beach, American
consul, Antwerp. C a n a d a . — Frederick C. Johnson, American vice consul, Fredericton; Hugh H. Watson,
American consul general, and William W. Heard, American consul, Halifax; Joseph I. Touchette, AmerL
can consul, William K. Ailshie, American vice consul, Montreal; Ray L. Thurston, American vice consul,
Toronto; Nelson P. Weeks, American vice consul, Vancouver; Robert W. Newcomb, American vice consul,
Victoria; and George D. Hopper, American consul general, and S. R. Lawson, American vice consul,
Winnipeg. D e n m a r k . — E. Gjessing, American vice consul, Copenhagen. F r a n c e — Edwin C Wilson,
Counselor of American Embassy, Benjamin M. Hulley and Robert D Murphy, American consuls,
Paris. G re a t B r i t a i n . — Harry E. Carlson, American consul, London. I r e la n d . —P. C. Hutton, American
consul, Dublin. N e t h e r la n d s . —J. P. Moffitt, American consul, Amsterdam. N e w Z e a la n d . —Glion Curtis,
Jr., American vice consul, Wellington. S w e d e n . —Hallett Johnson, American consul general, and Roy
E. B. Bower, American consul, Stockholm.


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Unemployment and Unemployment R elief

E X T E N T OF WASTE FROM D EPRESSIO N
U N EM PLO Y M EN T
THE unemployment of men and machines during the years 1930 to
1937 is estimated by the United States National Resources Com­
mittee to have caused a loss of real income of more than $200,000,000,000. This is the estimated amount of potential real income
not produced because of unemployment. The amount in 1932 alone
was about $37,100,000,000 and even in 1937, about $19,500,000,000.
These estimates do not assume that full employment would have been
required to produce the estimated additional amounts of income, for
allowances were made in the estimates for “residual unemployment”
of about 2,000,000 workers. Nor do the estimates assume a fuller
use of machines and equipment than was prevalent in predepression
years. The figures are based wholly on depression unemployment.1
(See accompanying table.) The real national income produced in
1937 was about the same as in 1929, but the extent of employment
of men and machines prevailing from 1923 to 1929 would have
produced a much larger income.
In discussing its estimate of potential real income not actually
produced because of depression unemployment, the National Re­
sources Committee states:
The significance of this figure of 200 billion dollars is hard to grasp, but some
idea can be obtained by considering what 200 billion dollars would mean in terms
of concrete goods. If all the idle men and machines could have been employed in
making houses, the extra income would have been enough to provide a new $6,000
house for every family in the country. If instead, the lost income had been used
to build railroads, the entire railroad system of the country could have been
scrapped and rebuilt at least five times over. Of such is the magnitude of the
depression loss in income through failure to use available resources. It meant a
lower standard of living for practically every group in the community.
1
U . S. N a tio n a l R e so u r c e s C o m m itte e . T h e S tr u c tu r e o f th e A m e r ic a n E c o n o m y : P a r t 1, B a s ic C h a r a c­
teristics; A rep ort p rep ared b y t h e In d u s tr ia l S e c tio n u n d e r th e d ir e c tio n o f G a r d in e r C . M e a n s . W a s h in g ­
to n , 1939. T h e rep ort w a s tr a n s m itte d to th e P r e s id e n t b y th e N a tio n a l R eso u r ces C o m m itte e o n J u n e 9,
1939. T h is a r tic le c o n s is ts o f s u m m a r ie s o f c e rta in p o r tio n s o f th e re p o r t a n d o f e x c e r p ts fro m p a ssa g es,

b ea rin g sp e c ific a lly o n th e p r o b le m o f w a ste .


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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1076

Loss in Potential Real National Income Resulting from Depression Unemployment of
Men and Machines, 1930-37

N a tio n a l
in c o m e
produced 1
(b illio n s of
cu rr en t
d o lla rs)

Y ea r

I n d e x of
p rice of
goods 2
(1 929= 100)

R eal n a­
tio n a l
in c o m e
prod uced

P o t e n t ia l
real
n a tio n a l
in c o m e 3

L o ss d u e to
d ep ressio n
u n e m p lo y ­
m e n t of
m en and
m a c h in e s 4

( B illio n s o f 1929 d ollars)
1919_________________________ _____
1920______________________________
1921_______________________________
1922_______________________________
1923_______________________________
1924_______________________________
1925_______________________________
1926______________________________
1927______ _________________________
1928_______________________________
1929_______________________________
1930_______________________________
1931_______________________________
1932_______________________________
1933_______________________________
1934______________________________
1935_______________________________
1 9 3 6 ..____________________________
1937_____ ____________________ _____

6 7 .5
68 .1
5 0 .7
5 8 .7
6 8 .0
6 7 .9
7 2 .8
7 4 .9
7 3 .8
7 7 .6
8 1 .1
6 8 .3
53 .8
4 0 .0
4 2 .3
50.1
5 5 .2
6 3 .5
6 9 .8

102.5
118.1
103 9
9 7 .2
9 9 .9
9 9 .9
102.0
102.7
100.9
9 9 .8
100.0
9 7 .3
8 9 .0
8 0 .4
7 6 .6
7 9 .8
81.1
8 2 .8
8 6 .2

6 5 .9
57. 7
48 8
6 0 .4
68 1
6 8 .0
7 1 .4
72 0
73 .1
77 .8
8 1 .1
7 0 .2
6 0 .4
4 9 .8
5 5 .2
6 2 .8
6 7 .5
7 6 .7
8 1 .0

T o t a l lo ss 3_______ _________

61 n
63 0
65 2
67 0
68 9
71 0
73 1
75 2
77 4
79 8
8 2 .0
8 4 .5
8 6 .9
8 9 .5
9 2 .3
9 4 .9
9 7 .7
100.5

1 1 .8
2 4 .1
3 7 .1
3 4 .3
2 9 .5
2 7 .4
2 1 .0
1 9 .5
2 0 4 .7

1 F rom 1919-28 b a se d o n n a tio n a l in c o m e as g iv e n in N a tio n a l In c o m e a n d C a p ita l F o r m a tio n , N a t io n a l
B u r e a u of E c o n o m ic R ese a r c h , p . 8. T h is w a s m a d e co m p a r a b le t o th e D e p a r tm e n t of C o m m e r c e e s t i­
m a te s (g iv e n in S u r v e y o f C u r ren t B u s in e s s , J u n e 1938) o f n a tio n a l in c o m e p ro d u c ed b y a d ju s tin g for n e t
im p u te d r e n t, n e t G o v e r n m e n t s a v in g s, d e p r e c ia tio n , a n d ch a n g e s in in v e n to r y .
2 N a tio n a l B u r e a u o f E c o n o m ic R ese a r c h , B u ll. 59; fig u res for la te r y e a r s fu r n ish e d b y th e B u r e a u (b a se d
o n p ric es of c a p ita l g o o d s w e ig h te d b y 1 a n d B u r e a u of L a b o r S ta tis tic s co s t-o f-liv in g in d e x w e ig h te d b y 9).
3 B a s e d on c o m p o u n d -in te r e s t c u r v e o b ta in e d from th e a v er a g e of real n a tio n a l in c o m e p ro d u c ed for th e
y ea r s of th e p eriod 1923-29 (cen ter ed a t 1926) a n d th e e s tim a te of p o te n tia l nations»' ¡u c o m e in 1938 of 103.2
b illio n s o f 1929 d o lla r s a sso c ia ted w ith a r e sid u a l u n e m p lo y m e n t o f 2 m illio n s.
4 P o te n tia l real n a tio n a l in c o m e less a c tu a l real n a tio n a l in c o m e p r o d u c e d .
3 D u e to d e p r e ssio n u n e m p lo y m e n t of m e n a n d m a c h in e s , 1930-37.

Complexities of the National Economy
This gigantic waste of resources, human and material, is a symptom
and a result of the imperfect operation of our highly complex national
economy. It is for this reason that the National Resources Com­
mittee undertook to analyze the country’s economic organization.
In this connection there is an illuminating description of the com­
plexity of the country’s economy.
The American economy is the organized activity through which the 130 million
people in this country obtain their daily living. Farmers raising food and fiber,
miners extracting ore and coal, industrial workers fabricating raw materials into
finished products, wholesale and retail distributors making goods available to
consumers, and a host of workers performing the other countless tasks required
by modern living—all of these are combined in a huge and highly complex pro­
ducing organization which constitutes the national economy. Through this
complex organization the Nation’s resources of manpower and materials are used
to satisfy human wants.
The complexity of this organization is apparent when a single activity such as
the provisioning of New York City is examined. It is estimated that in the
metropolitan area of New York there is seldom more than 60 days’ food supply on

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Unemployment and Unemployment Relief

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hand. The meeting of this most basic need of the community requires a tremen­
dously complex organization of farms and farmers, dealers and shippers, truckers
and railroads, warehousemen and distributors, telegraph operators and traffic
officers, financial institutions and inspection bureaus. To feed New York’s 8
million people there is required an organization of manpower and material
resources so complex as to be hard to visualize, yet running so smoothly that one ,
is seldom conscious of its complexity or of the fact that it constitutes a single
organization of activity, however independent the separate elements in that
organization may appear to be. Occasionally a flood, storm, or financial panic,
or a social or technical break-down in a basic service disrupts this organization,
and its complexity becomes apparent as mayor or governor or private citizen
attempts to readjust the organization of resources to meet the new conditions.
Similarly, for the Nation as a whole, the manpower and material resources are
organized in a highly complex, highly interrelated manner. New Yorkers make
clothing worn in Dakota; the Dakota wheat farmer supplies California with the
materials for bread; transient labor in California picks oranges eaten in Texas; a
Texan drills for oil which will operate automobiles in Maine; and a Maine farmer
raises potatoes which feed men in New York. It is through such interrelated
activity in many areas and many industries that the American community obtains
its livelihood.
This highly complex organization, built up over a long period of years with
constant readjustment to meet new conditions, is altogether too complex for any
individual or small group to grasp in all its ramifications and in every detail. Yet
it ties together, into an integral whole, individuals and corporations and govern­
ments, each of which performs functions that are necessary if the resources of the
Nation are to yield a satisfying standard of living to the national household of
130 million people.

Imperfect Operation of the National Economy
The National Resources Committee pointed out the fact that no
organization so complex as the American economy can function
perfectly.
Resources are wasted or used ineffectively as parts of the organization get out
of adjustment with each other, or as the organization fails to adjust to new con­
ditions; as individuals fail to find, or are prevented from finding, the most useful
field of activity; as material resources are unused, or as their effective use is
impeded by human barriers; and as the most effective technology is not used or
its use is prevented.
The waste of natural resources through misuse or ruthless exploitation is
thoroughly familiar. The cutting of forests in a manner which delays or prevents
reforestation; the farming of lands by methods which mine the soil of its fertility
and encourage soil erosion; the extraction of petroleum by methods which blow
into the air billions of cubic feet of natural gas daily; these are specific resource
wastes to which attention has already turned and which reflect inadequacies in
our organization of resources.
Equally important, but less often thought of as a waste of resources, is the idle­
ness of men and machines that could be productively employed. The power of
individuals to produce is a resource like unharnessed water power. It is gone if
it is not employed. It cannot be stored. If 10 million men are able and willing
to work, but are forced to be idle for a year by lack of jobs, the community has
wasted the valuable resources of manpower. And because of idleness, the indi­
viduals are likely to suffer a loss of skill and a break-down of morale. The Nation

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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

is poorer both by the goods that could have been produced and by the frustration
and loss of morale of the unemployed individual.
Idle machinery may also involve a waste of resources. When machinery is
idle and accumulating rust or losing usefulness through becoming obsolete, when
idle men are available to operate it and when its product would be useful to the
community, its idleness is likely to constitute ineffective use of resources. Digging
a large building foundation with pick and hand shovel and leaving an available
steam shovel idle may not be as wasteful of resources as keeping both men and
shovel idle, but it nevertheless involves waste. Waste is also involved when
obsolete equipment uses more manpower and materials in doing a particular job
than would be required if improved techniques were employed, or when production
is divided among so many plants in an industry that no plant can have enough
volume to run efficiently. In all of these cases, failure to use the best-known
technology consumes manpower or materials that might be released to be used
elsewhere.

Effects of National Waste on Individuals
In countries where there is a rigorous subordination of the individual
to the Nation or the group, the aggregate waste may seem of chief
significance. Even in a country where the emphasis is upon the
retention of freedom of individual action, waste in its national aspect
would have predominant importance in a struggle for national defense
or survival. Normally, however, in American society, the role of the
individual requires consideration of the effects of waste in defeating
the main objectives of individual fulfillment and freedom of thought
and action.
The full meaning of this failure to use resources effectively can only be realized
by considering its impact upon individuals. Practically every individual in the
community suffers as a result of these wastes. When the national income is 60
billion instead of 90 billion dollars, the worker suffers a lower income through
unemployment or partial employment or through wage rates lower than resources
make possible; the farmer receives a lower income because of a reduced home
market; the return on capital is reduced as a result of the partial use of equipment
and the resulting increase in unit costs. For each group in the community this
waste of resources means a lower standard of living than would clearly be possible.
Even more basically significant is the individual frustration resulting from the
inability to find an effective use for one’s skills. Without the satisfaction of useful
activity, without the sense of security in a job well done, most men lose some of
their self-reliance and some of their ability to be productive.
Moreover, as people become increasingly aware of the discrepancy between rich
resources and poor results in living, and as the ineffectiveness in the organization
of resources becomes more clear, a sense of social frustration must develop and be
reflected in justified social unrest and unavoidable friction. Individual frustra­
tion builds into social frustration. And social frustration is quite as likely to
work itself out in socially destructive as in socially constructive ways.

The American Opportunity
The study of the problem of waste by the National Resources Com­
mittee was more than a mere analysis of the nature and extent of
waste. The Committee’s report pointed out that the waste of re­
sources presents a tremendous opportunity.

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Unemployment and Unemployment Relief

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Such resources hold the promise of a much higher standard of living than is now
being obtained and present a challenge to this country, as a national household,
to work out their effective use. It is a surprising comment on a Nation that prides
itself on its skill in organization, in administration, and in management, that such
tremendous waste of resources can occur. The abundance of natural resources
and the continental pioneering that has been necessary for their development may
in part account for the past waste. With the continent spanned, the frontier
shifts from the bringing of new resources into control to the more effective use of
the resources already controlled. Here is the great challenge of today.

In attempting to take advantagq of the opportunity presented by
the resources now wasted, it is necessary to understand why the
national economy functions imperfectly, since this is in essence the
cause of waste.
Knowledge of structure becomes imperative when any organization or machine
fails to run properly. The characteristics of any machine can be roughly grouped
into its structural characteristics and its operating characteristics. So long as a
machine runs well, its operating characteristics are all important, and its structure
can be largely taken for granted. In order to drive an automobile it is enough to
know how to manipulate the operating controls such as the starter, throttle,
clutch, steering wheel, and brake. But when the machine fails to operate properly
a knowledge of its essential structure is necessary in order to make the appropriate
adjustments.
So also with the national economy; as long as it runs reasonably well, a knowl­
edge of its structure is of secondary importance. Individuals, enterprises, and
governments can continue to adopt the operating policies that have been found
to work successfully in the past. But when it fails to run well, knowledge of its
structure becomes of vital importance. Only as both its structure and the
operating policies being adopted are clearly understood can faulty functioning be
corrected.

Thus the National Resources Committee, in its analysis of the prob­
lem of waste and in its attempt to facilitate a solution of the problem,
undertook a study of the structure of the national economy particularly
in relation to operating policies. There is still opportunity, it is
pointed out, for a democratic solution of the problem of waste arising
from the imperfect functioning of the country’s economy; but this
opportunity may not remain indefinitely. The basis for a higher and
more dependable standard of living is so apparent, and the frustration
from failure to attain it is so real, that the time for solution by the
traditional democratic methods is not unlimited.
####+###
LO N G -TERM U N EM PLO Y M EN T IN

PH IL A D E L PH IA

EMPLOYABLE persons among the long-term unemployed in Phila­
delphia in August 1936 represented between 20 and 25 percent of the
total relief-case load in that city. From August 1934 to August 1936,
approximately 66 percent of these cases had been given some workrelief or Works Program employment. In a study of these long-term

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1080
|

V

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939
*

' !)

unemployed,1 the relief families were found to be larger than the
average Philadelphia family, and they had on the average fewer
employable members per family. They were also larger than the
average family in the May 1935 total relief-case load. Chief wage'
earners among the long-term unemployed in Philadelphia, were
similar to all chief wage earners on relief in that city in May 1935, in
sex, race, and general occupational distribution.
As compared with other unemployed workers, however, they included relatively
fewer women and many more Negroes'. The hard core had relatively greater
numbers of unskilled workers, and fewer skilled, semiskilled, and clerical or pro­
fessional workers. The chief wage earners in these long-term unemployed were
also older, on the average, than other unemployed workers for whom comparable
data were available. There was an especially heavy concentration in the age
group 30 to 55 years among the first priority workers in this study.

Of the long-term unemployed workers on relief, 28 percent had
lost their last jobs in private industry in 1933 and 1934, and 41 percent
in 1931 and 1932. They had been without employment for a longer
time than other jobless workers studied.
In a metropolitan community having varied commercial and
manufacturing interests, like Philadelphia, the existence of long-term
unemployed persons on relief, according to the report under review,
is unquestionably the consequence of the volume of general unemploy­
ment and its incidence in relation to the:composition of families, and
also of the volume and incidence of protracted unemployment in
relation to the race, age, and occupational characteristics of the
jobless workers.
<•
»■:
. <
Some of the chief wage earners among the long-term unemployed
in Philadelphia are there because of insufficient earnings in relation
to the size of their families. Others are in the group because the types
of employment in which they had been engaged were highly casual—
for example, longshore work, truck driving, and other kinds of un­
skilled labor. The skilled workers among the long-term unemployed
come, for the most part, from the building trades, and it is suggested
that possibly they have remained on relief in order that they might
have some income at a time when private construction jobs were
notoriously scarce. The scattered workers among the long-term
jobless who are from declining industries are of comparatively less
importance in a city like Philadelphia, although their special problems
of economic adjustment call for careful consideration. The dominant
fact concerning long-term unemployment in Philadelphia in 1936 was
the relatively large number of older persons and of unskilled workers.
Up to date, however, it is not known whether notable skill reduces
the general hazards of unemployment, whether there is a greater
' U n ite d S ta te s . W o rk s P r o g ress A d m in istr a tio n . N a tio n a l R e se a r c h P r o je c t (in co o p e r a tio n w it h
U n iv e r s ity o f P e n n s y lv a n ia , I n d u s tr ia l R esea rch D e p a r tm e n t). T h e L o n g -T e r m U n e m p lo y e d in P h ila ­
d e lp h ia in 1936. W a s h in g to n , 1939. (R e p o r t N o . P - 8 .)


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Unemployment and Unemployment Relief

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demand for skilled and semiskilled workers in recently expanded
industries, or whether the advantageous employment status of the
skilled and semiskilled is the result of the combination of both of
these factors. English studies, the Philadelphia labor-market studies,
and other National Research Project investigations indicate that “age
is no bar to the continued holding of a job but is a serious handicap
to reemployment once a worker becomes unemployed.” The passage
of time accentuates the problems of the unfortunates in the hard core
of the unemployed, not the least of these problems being the selfperpetuating character of protracted joblessness itself.


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Industrial and Lahor Conditions

E N E R G Y RESOURCES AND N A TIONAL PO LICY
IN PRESENTING to Congress a report of the National Resources
Committee on national policy relating to energy resources,1 the
President stated: “It is difficult in the long run to envisage a national
coal policy, or a national petroleum policy, or a national water-power
policy without also in time a national policy directed toward all of
these energy producers—that is, a national energy-resources policy.
Such a broader and integrated policy toward the problems of coal,
petroleum, natural gas, and water power cannot be evolved overnight.”
Extent o f Energy Resources
The most recent estimates of the Nation's energy resources are
summarized by the Committee as follows:
(а) Coal of all ranks, 3,000 billion tons or the equivalent of 2,500 billion tons of
bituminous coal, in comparison with 1937 production of about one-half billion
tons and accumulated production through that year of 23 billion tons.
(б) Petroleum in proven natural reservoirs, 15 billion barrels, in comparison
with 1937 consumption of 1% billion barrels. These proven reserves are equal to
about 4 billion net tons of equivalent bituminous coal;
(c) Proven natural-gas reserves, from 60 to 100 trillion cubic feet, in comparison
with 1937 consumption of about 2% trillion cubic feet. The reserve is equivalent
to 3 or 4 billion net tons of bituminous coal.
(d) Recoverable oil from oil shale has been estimated at 92 billion barrels, or
the equivalent of 21 billion net tons of bituminous coal. This oil, be it noted, is
recoverable only at a cost far above the present cost of natural reservoir oil. In
fact, it is probable from present techniques that coal will provide liquid fuels at
lower cost than shales;
(e) Feasible undeveloped water-power sites of the United States, when a
market for their output exists, are estimated to be capable of producing six times
as much energy as those now developed, but only a little more than twice the
electric energy produced in 1937 for public use by fuel and water-power plants
combined (64 percent by fuel plants and 36 percent by hydro plants). All our
water power, including both that already developed and that feasible of develop­
ment, could produce energy annually equivalent to only about one-fourth of the
energy contained in all mineral fuels consumed in the country in 1937 for all
purposes. Thus it can be seen that water power can supply only a fraction of our
energy requirements. The mineral fuels must, bear the main burden.
1 U . S . N a tio n a l R eso u r ces C o m m itte e . E n e r g y R eso u r ces a n d N a tio n a l P o lic y .
R eso u r ces C o m m itte e to t h e N a tio n a l R e so u r c e s C o m m itte e . W a s h in g to n , 1939.

1082

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R ep o rt o f E n ergy

Industrial and Labor Conditions

1083

Recognition of the Need for a National Policy
The report of the National Resources Committee describes the
various measures undertaken in the past by the Federal Government
and the States to conserve the country’s energy resources and to
assist in the wise use of these resources. It is pointed out, however,
that most of these measures were directed toward the problems of a
single field without a coordinated policy based on a recognition of the
interrelations of the several types of resources and of the industries
connected with them. The measures taken in the past have included
the protection of the public interest in water power; assistance to the
coal-mining industry and the relief of human distress in that industry;
and the correction of some of the more demoralizing and wasteful
practices and conditions in the industries connected with petroleum
and natural gas.
The Committee emphasizes the fact that although these measures
undertaken in the past were in many instances extremely serviceable in
protecting the public interest, it is now time to take a broader view.
It is necessary to recognize more fully than was formerly possible the
fact that each of these resources affects the others and that their inter­
dependence requires more careful consideration of conflicting interests
and points of view and of their effects on the public interest.
Coal, oil, natural gas, and water power are the principal sources from which we
have obtained the energy for the heat, light, and power essential to a growing
industrial civilization. Particularly in recent years the conservation of these
great natural resources, their orderly development, their readiness in case of need
for the national defense, and the preservation in economic health of the industries
that make them available have become matters of national concern. We have
realized that the abundance provided for our use by nature will not last forever.
We are beginning to realize that the welfare of millions of our people is bound up
in these great industries.

Recommendations of the National Resources Committee
Extensive study of the subject by many specialists both govern­
mental and nongovernmental led the National Resources Committee
to make a series of recommendations, summarized as follows:
The obvious fields of remedy with respect to conservation of energy resources
seem to lie (1) in promoting greater efficiency in the production of the fuel re­
sources from the standpoint of recovery; (2) in promoting greater economy in
the use of fuels; and (3) in placing a larger share of the energy burden on lower
grade fuels and water power. To serve these objectives, the following recom­
mendations are advanced:
1.
Coal.— We believe that the problems of the bituminous-coal industry are
too large for any one State to solve. The intensity of interstate competition
makes the ills of the industry a matter of national concern and Federal responsi­
bility. Some form of Federal regulation of bituminous coal is clearly necessary.
The particular form of regulation that has been written into the Bituminous Coal
185451— 39------ 5


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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

Act of 1937 undoubtedly represented the majority opinion within the industry as
the best approach to the problem, but a judgment on the effectiveness of the
measure must be withheld until the act has become fully operative. Every op­
portunity should be provided for conclusive experiment with the system of con­
trols which the law requires. It is well to bear in mind that although the act is
limited to 4 years, the problem with which it deals is not a short-lived emergency.
Whatever modifications the experience gained under the 4 years of life of the
present act may suggest, the need for public supervision of the coal industry will
remain permanently. Some means are required for effectively balancing pro­
duction against requirements, whether by control of prices, by control of distri­
bution, or by both. A less immediate but more fundamental need is to control
the opening of new mines and retard expansion of capacity beyond reasonable
requirements. Adequate safeguards must be provided for maintaining labor
standards and protecting the rights of consumers by Government supervision of
the system of regulation.2
2. Oil and gas.— We propose that a Federal oil conservation board or commis­
sion should be created within the appropriate Government department to adminis­
ter the Federal interest in the oil and gas industry and to make necessary rules
and regulations concerning the production of and commerce in oil and gas. It
should have the authority to require that oil and gas be extracted by such methods
as are adequate to avoid waste and to protect the interest of all producers drawing
from a common reservoir.
It is recognized that the development of minimum standards for the production
and transportation of oil and gas designed to further the national interest in con­
servation of these resources is a complex problem, and that such standards should
be developed in cooperation with the State regulatory agencies and the represen­
tatives of the industry. It is recommended, therefore, that the Connally Act be
extended for such time as may be necessary for the framing and enactment of an
adequate Federal oil and gas measure.3
3. Water power.—The committee wishes to emphasize— as it has in its previous
reports—that an active public policy of multiple-purpose development of water
resources is desirable, particularly in view of the pressing character of problems
related to flood control, public water supply, stream pollution, irrigation, and
navigation. An active policy of public development of water power is likewise
desirable under certain appropriate conditions. Both the development directly
for power purposes, where there is no conflict with more urgent water control,
and the best feasible use of the head made available by water storage for other
purposes, would contribute toward the attainment of three major national objec­
tives, namely: (a) Conservation of scarce fuel materials—petroleum, natural
gas, and the higher grade coals; (6) strengthening the national economy, through
making cheaper electric energy more widely available; (c) strengthening the
national defense, through assuring an ample supply of electric energy in time
of war.
Multiple-purpose plans for stream development which are aimed at the several
important purposes, including direct or incidental power production, should be
designed and executed in terms of plans for whole drainage basins or major sub­
basins. Design of the power system in any of the basin developments should
include the best practicable interconnection (a) of the several plants within a
basin system, (b) of neighboring basin systems (within the reach of economic
* T h e N a t io n a l R eso u r ces C o m m itte e d ir e c ts a tte n tio n to th e fa c t t h a t a fte r it s re p o r t w a s c o m p le te d th e
N a tio n a l B it u m in o u s C o a l C o m m is sio n w a s a b o lish e d u n d e r th e P r e s id e n t’s R e o r g a n iz a tio n P la n N o . 2,
it s p o w e r s, d u tie s , a n d fu n c tio n s b e in g tran sferred to th e S ecr eta ry o f th e In te rio r .
1 A fter th e C o m m it t e e ’s re p o r t w a s c o m p le te d , t h e C o n n a lly A c t, r e g u la tin g in te r sta te a n d foreign c o m ­
m erc e in p e tr o le u m , w h ic h w o u ld h a v e ex p ir ed o n J u n e 30 ,1 9 3 9 . w a s e x te n d e d b y C o n g r ess for a n in d e fin ite
p eriod .


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Industrial and Labor Conditions

1085

transmission), and (c) of the steam capacity built or acquired to balance capacity.
Federal policy should, in general, embrace eventual merging of private water­
power plants into the system covered by any basin plan.
Transmission of electric energy is in many social and economic essentials
closely akin to transportation of commodities. Particularly as the economic
limits of transmission are extended, we believe that the national interest will be
served best by coordinated systems of interconnections which will make available
in wider markets energy derived from the most economical sources, regardless of
whether they are large-scale hydro plants or efficient steam plants. Such coordi­
nated systems would make the Nation less vulnerable to attack in time of war
and less vulnerable to the emergencies of peace as well as better prepared for the
continuing problems of peacetime development.
4. Research.— Both the production and the use of the mineral fuels are accom­
panied by a large waste of some of the most valuable resources of the Nation.
Naturally, the fuels that are easiest to obtain and most convenient to use are
being depleted most rapidly, leaving for future generations fuels more difficult
of access, less suited to the uses for which they are required on the basis of presentday values, or lacking in the convenience that gives them form value. We
believe that the supplies of these high-grade fuels can be protected from unneces­
sary depletion by research (a) to promote greater efficiency in production from
the standpoint of the percentage of recovery, (6) to promote a greater economy
in use, and (c) to fill a larger part of the demand for energy by the use of lowergrade fuels.
Both fundamental and applied research should be stimulated and supported
by the Federal Government in the agencies concerned with the energy resources,
and this research work should be vigorously pointed in the direction of conserva­
tion of these resburces, i. e., toward the efficient use of our energy resources in
the interest of the national welfare, the avoidance of unnecessary waste in their
production and utilization, and the safeguarding in economic health of the indusdries and populations on which we rely for the development of these vital resources.
Much of this research function can be discharged only by the Federal Govern­
ment, although important parts of it have been and should be discharged by the
State governments, by educational and other quasi-public agencies, and by the
affected industries. Wherever conducted, however, this basic function of ex­
tending the frontiers of knowledge and application in this field requires and
merits continuing and vigorous stimulation by the Federal Government.
5. Continuous 'planning.— A widening interest and responsibility on the part of
the Federal Government for the wise conservation and utilization of the Nation’s
energy resources raises many perplexing questions of policy determination. In
essence, there must be continuous adequate planning and provision for studies
which will reflect the best technical experience available as well as full considera­
tion for both regional and group interests.
Better to provide for continuous planning and studies of policies, we recom­
mend the organization of an advisory planning group for the energy resources.
This group, however, should comprise only one unit in an over-all planning
agency specifically established within the Federal Government to serve the
President and the Congress in an advisory capacity on planning and policy
matters for all our national resources. Members of such an energy resources
planning group should include representatives from the Federal and State agencies
concerned, from the industries, and outside experts. The organization of such
an advisory planning group would not mean the abolishing of the planning func­
tions now carried on by existing agencies. To the contrary, planning in existing
agencies would have to be encouraged and strengthened; for without it the
over-all planning group would be left without background, experience, and
technical assistance.


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1086

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

O U TPU T AND PR O D U C TIV ITY IN BITUM INOUS-COAL
M IN IN G , 1936-38
OUTPUT per man per day was fractionally higher in 1937 than in
1936 in the bituminous-coal industry, according to figures published
by the United States Bureau of Mines.® Preliminary statistics show
that 83,500,000 tons of coal were mechanically loaded in 1937, and
that while sales of mobile loading machines, scrapers, and conveyors
decreased in 1938 as compared with 1937, the sales of pit-car loaders
increased by 334.4 percent, from 32 to 139 units, in this 1-year period.
Production of bituminous coal decreased 22.6 percent, to an estimated
total of 344,630,000 net tons in 1938, from 445,531,449 net tons in the
preceding year.
Some of the more important statistics of the bituminous-coal
industry are shown in the following table. Figures are given for 1936
and 1937 and also for 1938 insofar as preliminary estimates are avail­
able.
Salient Statistics of the Bituminous-Coal Industry, 1936, 1937, and 1938
I te m

T o ta l p r o d u c tio n ___________ _____ _____ _______________n e t t o n s . .
T o t a l n u m b e r of m in e s (o v er 1,000 n e t t o n s ) ..................... .................
A v e r a g e n u m b e r o f m e n e m p lo y e d a t m in e s a c t i v e . . . ..................

U nderground............................................................................
Surface, including strip pits............... .......................................
Average number of days mines operated_______ ____ ..d a y s ..
Nominal length of established full-time week *______ hours..
Capacity of mines with existing labor force:
Per year of 308 days (full-time before October 1933)
net ton s..
Per year of 261 days (5-day week basis)...................... do___
Output per man per day.........................................................do___
Output per man per year.............................................. .........do___
Underground output cut by machine............................percent..
Underground output mechanically loaded.................. . ..d o ___
Quantity mined by stripping____________________ net ton s..
Quantity cleaned by wet or pneumatic processes 3~ ........do___

1936

1937

439,087,903
6,875
477,204
399, 367
77,837
199
3 5 .1

445, 531,449
6,548
491,864
0
0
193
3 5 .1

680,00 0 ,0 0 0
5 76,000,000
4. 62
920
8 4 .8
16.3
2 8,125,857
53, 332,040

710,000,000
6 01,000,000
4 .6 9
906
0
2 0 .2
31, 750,853
0

1938
(p relim in a ry )
344,630,000
(')
435,000

0
0

0)
0
0

0)
«
0 )

0)

(0

0

0

1 N o t y e t a v a ila b le .
1 T h e figu res re p r e se n t th e fu ll-tim e w e e k a s r e p o r te d b y th e o p era to r, n o t th e h o u r s a c tu a lly w o r k e d b y
th e m en .
8 E x c lu s iv e o f c e n tr a l w a sh e r ie s o p e r a te d b y co n su m e r s.

B R IT IS H CO TTO N -IN D U STRY REO RG AN IZA TION
ACT, 1939
THE elimination of surplus machinery and the establishment of
minimum prices in the cotton industry of Great Britain are the chief
purposes of the Cotton Industry (Reorganization) Act which was given
royal assent on August 4, 1939.1 Under the terms of the law, the
effective date is 3 months after enactment, or such earlier date as the
• U . S . D e p a r tm e n t o f th e In te r io r . B u r e a u of M in e s. B itu m in o u s C oal: ch a p ter fro m M in e r a ls Y e a r ­
b o o k , 1939. W a s h in g to n , 1939.
1 G r eat B r ita in . P a r lia m e n t. A c ts : 2 a n d 3 G eo . 6, c h . 54, C o tto n I n d u s t r y (R e o r g a n iz a tio n ) A c t, 1939.
E c o n o m is t, L o n d o n , S e p te m b e r 2, 1939, p . 464.


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1087

Industrial and Labor Conditions

Board of Trade designates.2 Two months after the time fixed for appli­
cation of the legislation, no person may carry on business in the industry
unless registered in the general register established under the law.
This is the second regulatory law, covering the textile industry,
whereby machinery is established ¡for the reduction of excess capacity.
Under the Cotton Spinning Industry Act of 1936, provision was made
for the purchase and retirement of cotton-spinning mills and ma­
chinery, in order to reduce the redundancy existing in the spinning
section of the industry.3 The law which is here summarized relates
to the cotton industry as a whole and to certain related industries.
Among its provisions is one whereby the Board of Trade is authorized
to extend the period of effectiveness of certain sections of the Cotton
Spinning Industry Act of 1936.
Administration
The Board of Trade is the Government agency responsible for the
administration of the act. This body is empowered to constitute a
board, to be known as the cotton industry board, to administer sec­
tional schemes and perform such other functions as are prescribed
under the legislation. The cotton industry board is given discretion
as to the manner of promoting the interests of the industry. The
cotton industry advisory committee, consisting of three independent
persons appointed by the Board of Trade, is charged with the duty of
advising and assisting the latter body in matters relating to the
industry.
It is provided that within 6 months after the effective date of the
law, the joint committee of cotton trade organizations shall submit
proposals to the Board of Trade for constitution of a council to be
known as the representative advisory council. Before making its
recommendations, the joint committee is required to consult with
representatives of merchants and of employers and employees engaged
in the cotton industry and in the manufacture of rayon fiber, in the
United Kingdom. The Board of Trade may modify the proposals
and issue an order giving them effect. The representative advisory
council may, upon the Board’s request, advise the cotton industry
board with regard to the exercise of its powers.
A special committee, the export development committee, must be
appointed by the cotton industry board to make recommendations
for promoting the development of export trade in the products of the
industry.
i a C o tto n C o n tr o l B o a r d w a s e sta b lis h e d o n S e p te m b e r 17 “ t o c o n sid er m a tte r s a fle c t in g t h e c o tto n
tr a d e a r isin g o u t o f th e w a r a n d to m a k e r e c o m m e n d a tio n s to th e r e sp o n sib le M in iste r s o n s u c h m a tte r s as
m a y re q u ir e a c tio n .” T h e M a n c h e s te r G u a rd ia n , in its issu e o f S e p te m b e r 18, r e p o r te d fo rm a tio n o f th is
b o a rd , a n d s ta te d t h a t “ a lth o u g h th e w a r h a s m a d e it im p o s sib le to go o n w it h th e s c h e m e s u n d e r th e C o t­
to n I n d u s t r y (R e o r g a n iz a tio n ) A c t, th e es s e n tia l p r in c ip le of t h a t a c t, t h e cr ea tio n o f a c e n tra l b o a rd , is
r e ta in e d .”
s G r e a t B r ita in .

B oard of T rad e.

5579.)


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F ir s t A n n u a l R e p o r t o f th e S p in d le s B o a r d .

L o n d o n , 1937.

(C m d .

1088

Monthly Labor Revieiv—November 1939

Registration of Business
Persons carrying on business in the industry, and merchants, are
obliged to register and pay a fee within 2 months of the effective date
of the act. Failure to register is punishable by a fine, which is in­
creased for the second or any subsequent offense. The register must
show the place or places of business of the registrant. All registered
persons must supply the cotton industry board with such information
as it may require in performing its duties in the maintenance of the
register.
Redundancy and Price Schemes
Bodies which the cotton industry board deems to be substantially
representative of the interests of persons carrying on business in any
section of the industry may submit sectional schemes (1) for the
elimination or reduction of redundant plant, or (2) for the determina­
tion of prices or charges or both, in connection with the sale of products
of the industry or the subjection of such products or the raw materials
thereof to processes. These are known as the redundancy and price
schemes, respectively.
Each redundancy scheme is to be administered by a board of from
three to five persons appointed by the Board of Trade. Cotton mills,
in part or as a whole, may be acquired by agreement, if this is con­
sidered expedient by the board, in order to eliminate or reduce the
redundant plant. The board may dismantle and break up any plant
and dispose of any property acquired, but it may not cause any plant
to be acquired and removed from the United Kingdom.
The law prescribes that a price scheme shall be administered by
a board elected by persons registered under the scheme as carrying
on business in the section of the industry to which the scheme relates.
They are empowered to establish prices below which products shall
not be sold by persons registered under the scheme, and to fix the
minimum charges that may be made by registered persons for proc­
essing raw materials.
Rayon Committee
A special body, the rayon committee, may be constituted by the
Board of Trade if it is determined by the cotton industry advisory
committee, after consulting representative bodies in the rayon-fiber,
rayon-spinning, and rayon-weaving industries, that they desire to be
so represented. The rayon committee, if formed, shall consist of 10
members appointed by the Board of Trade on a basis prescribed by
the law. It is further prescribed that the rayon committee shall be
consulted on matters affecting that branch of the industry, and that
its reports shall be taken into consideration in establishing schemes.

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Industrial and Labor Conditions

1089

Financial Provisions
Operations under the act are financed by fees payable for registra­
tion, and annual contributions thereafter. In addition, Government
contributions may be made toward certain expenses of the cotton
industry board, and Government loans granted to boards adminis­
tering redundancy schemes.
Special Functions of Cotton Industry Board
When it appears that such action will benefit the industry, the
cotton industry board may conduct, promote, or encourage, by finan­
cial assistance or otherwise, research and experiments in matters
relating to the manufacture and consumption of products of the
industry. The board may also publicize the products of the industry,
collect and publish statistics, and negotiate with any person on any
matter appearing to affect or likely to affect the industry.


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Wartime Emergency Controls

STATUS OF C H IL D R E N EVACUATED FROM C IT IE S
IN G REAT B R IT A IN
OF THE 3,000,000 persons evacuated from cities to less congested
areas during the first days of September 1939, as a measure of safety
from air raids, approximately one-half were children of school age.
Those evacuated included children under 5 years old who were accom­
panied by their mothers, as well as expectant mothers, blind persons,
cripples, and invalids. The movement of priority classes was begun,
as a precautionary measure, before the declaration of war. This
action had previously been urged by the leader of the Labor Party
on the floor of the House of Commons. Although the mass move­
ment of these city dwellers to less congested areas taxed the transpor­
tation facilities of the country, the program was carried out in an
orderly manner according to a predetermined plan.
During the hours from 8 a. m. to 5:30 p. m. on the days set for
evacuation, the general population was asked to refrain from unneces­
sary journeys on railways, subways, busses, and streetcars. Children
were instructed to report at their schools at specified times. They
came supplied with hand luggage and sufficient food for the day, and
were sent away in groups, accompanied by their teachers. The
London children alone were escorted by 22,000 teachers.
The evacuation of their children was optional with the parents, and
on September 7 it was stated in the House of Commons that the
question of further arrangements, whereby parents who had decided
against sending their children might still do so, was under considera­
tion. Householders in the receiving areas were obliged to billet per­
sons assigned to them and were subject to a fine, imprisonment, or
both, for noncompliance.
Billeting allowances are made by the British Government to the
householder and are highest for unaccompanied children. If only one
child has been received the payment is 10s. 6d. per week, to cover
board and lodging. In the case of two or more unaccompanied chil­
dren the allowance is 8s. 6d. for each one. Payments for unaccom­
panied children who have reached the age of 16 years will be at the
rate of 10s. 6d. per week, regardless of the number of children billeted
in a household. When children are accompanied, payment is made
1090

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Wartime Emergency Controls

1091

for lodging only, the allowance being 5s. per week for the adult and
3s. for the child. For teachers assigned to receiving centers, 5s. per
week each, for board, is allowed.
Children who reach the school-leaving age of 15 while evacuated
may remain at school, in which case the billeting allowance will be
continued. If they choose, they may return home or accept employ­
ment in the reception qrea, but in either case the billeting allowance
will be withdrawn. Leaving school is also permissible at age 14, under
the same terms, if a certificate of beneficial employment is obtained,
as prescribed by the Education Act, 1936. Before an evacuated
child is allowed to leave school, the parents are to be consulted.
The authorities in the evacuated and receiving centers are jointly
considering the question of suitable arrangements in regard to the
fees payable for the education of the evacuated children. School
facilities in the receiving centers must be expanded sufficiently to take
care of all children in the respective areas. Registration is proceeding
in the usual manner, but records of evacuated children are kept apart
from those of the children normally on local school rolls.
The Minister of Health stated in the House of Commons on October
4 that the estimated initial cost to the Government of the evacuation
scheme for England, Wales, and Scotland, including the probable
cost of transport, was £2,000,000 and that the weekly expenditure
for billeting is approximately £450,000. Effective October 28, a
scheme was to be introduced for recovery from parents of at least
a part of the sum expended for billeting their children. The average
cost per child being roughly 9s. per week, parents are asked to pay the
full charge of 9s. if they can afford it. For other parents the standard
charge is 6s. per child per week, or less if they are unable to pay this
amount.
Sources: G r eat B r ita in , P a r lia m e n t, H o u s e of C o m m o n s , O fficial R e p o r t, D e b a te s (v o l. 351, N o . 165)
S e p te m b e r 7 ,1 9 3 9 , (v o l. 351, N o . 177) O c to b e r 4, 1939, a n d (v o l. 351, N o . 178) O c to b e r 5, 1939; L o c a l G o v e r n ­
m e n t C h r o n ic le , L o n d o n , iss u e s o f S e p te m b e r 2 a n d 9 a n d O c to b e r 7, 1939; E c o n o m is t, L o n d o n , S e p te m b e r
2, 1939; M a n c h e s te r G u a r d ia n , M a n c h e s te r , iss u e s o f S e p te m b e r 1 a n d 4 ,1 9 3 9 ; D a ily H e r a ld , L o n d o n , S e p ­
te m b e r 4, 1939; C h r is tia n S c ie n c e M o n ito r , B o s to n , S e p te m b e r 26, 1939.

*##**#*#
W A RTIM E CONTROL OF FOOD D IST R IB U T IO N AND
PR IC E S IN FRANCE
SEVERAL decree-laws passed in 1938 and 1939 in France provide
special powers for the Government in time of war and for the general
organization of the Nation on a war-time basis. A decree-law of
September 1, 1939,1 initiated by the Council of Ministers, provided
for control of the food supplies of the country by the Minister of
Agriculture, subject to certain provisions of these laws. A decree of
1Journal Officiel, Paris, September 2, and 6, 1939.

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1092

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

the same date provided for a secretary-general of provisioning in the
Ministry of Agriculture. The lav provides that the Minister of Agri­
culture shall, according to consumption requirements, assure the dis­
tribution of the various products held by the general provisioning
service. This may be done directly by the Minister or through the
medium of a committee formed of special groups of producers, dealers,
and consumers, which was authorized by the. law of July 11, 1938.
The Ministers of Agriculture and Finance will determine the pro­
cedures for making purchases and will organize a committee to in­
vestigate the conditions under which purchases and sales are made.
All financial operations are charged to a special account in the
Treasury, amounting to 8 billion francs, for the “general revictualing
of the nation in war time.” This account was available as of the first
day of mobilization or in the case of aggression by another country
which required the country to provide for defense. The Minister of
Agriculture in charge of provisioning, or his deputy, has control of
expenditures from the special account.
The law provides that administration shall be centralized under
the authority of the Minister of Agriculture, and that local adminis­
tration in each Department and in the large seaports, shall be under
the direction of the commissary of stores.
Prices for all products included in the provisioning program (unless
they are subject to existing laws and regulations), are to be fixed by
the Minister of Agriculture, subject to consultation with the consult­
ing committee, which shall consist of representatives of the ministries
concerned and of workers and employers in commercial, industrial, or
agricultural enterprises, as provided for in the law of July 11, 1938.
In case of requisitioning these prices cannot be exceeded. Wholesale
prices of agricultural and food products, with the exception of those
subject to existing laws and regulations, shall be fixed by decree of
the council of ministers upon the proposal of the Minister of Agricul­
ture. The decree will also fix the limits within which the prefects
may establish prices for middlemen and retailers. In fixing these
prices the prefect may take into account regulations applying to all or
part of the communes of a Department. Meat prices are fixed by this
procedure only on request of the mayors or upon their failure to exer­
cise the powers conferred on them by law. Sellers must post prices
in a conspicuous place, and must attach a price label to each article.
The Minister of Agriculture will regulate the choice of substitutes
and the proportion of substitutes to be used in food products.
Penalties, consisting of fines or imprisonment, which were fixed by
the law of July 11, 1938, are provided for violations of the decrees and
orders issued by the Minister of Agriculture and the local authorities.
Goods distributed illegally under this law are subject to confiscation
and violations are punishable by fine or imprisonment.

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Wartime Emergency Controls

1093

According to the earlier law, provision of the necessary food sup­
plies of the country is to be secured through friendly agreement or,
in default of that, by requisition. For agricultural products and all
other products which are ratable, prices are fixed on the basis of the
official price indexes of the last 5 years preceding mobilization or the
effective date of the law.
Persons owning, producing, or holding resources necessary to the
country are required to declare them, and failure to do so makes such
persons liable to fine or imprisonment.
The details covering the application of the present decree will be
fixed by decrees countersigned by the Minister of Agriculture and
the other ministries concerned.
The decree is applicable to Algeria and may be extended to the
other colonial possessions under the jurisdiction of the Minister of
Colonies, upon his recommendation.


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Housing

R EG IO N A L D IF F E R E N C E S IN T H E COST OF HOUSING
VARIATIONS in the average cost of residential buildings in cities of
different sizes and as between regions are discussed in a recent bulletin
of the National Bureau of Economic Research.1 The basic data are
taken largely from census materials used in a survey of residential
real estate to be published later by the same organization. The bulle­
tin here reviewed is concerned primarily with the measurement of
residential values and rents, as knowledge of the existing differences
is believed by the author of the report to be essential in order to deal
with many of the problems in the housing field.
Costs are treated in two sections, of which the first deals with varia­
tions according to geographic regions and density of population, and
the second describes other differences and considers the influence of
the more important factors that aid in their explanation and inter­
pretation, such as age of houses, land costs, and materials used. The
quantitive measures are primarily in terms of housing existing in 1930.
The differences in costs of housing revealed for 1930 are regarded as
still holding, in the main. In interpreting the data in the light of
present costs, the author points out that it should be remembered
that values in 1939, while probably not as low as in 1934, are un­
questionably lower—about one-fourth—than in 1929.
Geographic Variations
The regional differences in values of nonfarm dwellings in 1930 are
shown in table 1.
T

a ble

1.— Regional Differences in Values of Nonfarm Dwellings, 1930
A v e r a g e v a lu e of—

R e g io n
A ll
h o u se s

R e la t iv e v a lu e of—

O w n ero c c u p ie d
h o u se s

R e n te d
h o u se s

A ll
h o u se s

O w n ero c c u p ie d
h o u se s

R e n te d
h o u ses

U n it e d S t a t e s ______________________________

$5,022

$5,833

$4,347

100

100

100

N e w E n g la n d - ________ ___________________
M id d le A t la n t ic ____________________________
E a s t N o r t h C e n tr a l________________________
W e s t N o r t h C e n tr a l________ _______________
S o u th A t la n t ic ______ ______________________
E a s t S o u th C e n tr a l________________________
W e s t S o u th C e n tr a l . - ___________________
M o u n t a i n . ................... ..................................... ..........
P a c ific ____________ __________________________

4,8 8 5
7,205
5,376
3,5 4 9
3,3 9 7
2,712
2,9 6 7
2,8 8 6
4 ,918

6,748
7,824
5,9 2 7
4,253
4,8 8 3
3,8 4 6
3 ,7 1 2
3,2 5 9
5,765

3,4 6 7
6,7 5 9
4,803
2,7 6 5
2,4 0 6
1,960
2,4 1 2
2,5 4 7
4 ,169

97
143
107
71
68
54
59
57
98

116
134
102
73
84
66
64
56
99

80
155
110
64
55
45
55
59
96

1 W ic k e n s , D a v id L . D iffe r e n tia ls in H o u s in g C o sts .
s ea rch , S e p te m b e r 17, 1939. ( B u ll. 75.)

 1094
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N e w Y o r k , N a tio n a l B u r e a u o f E c o n o m ic R e ­

Housing

1095

Residential values vary markedly between regions, reflecting under­
lying economic, social, and physical differences arising from climate,
unequal natural resources, varying degrees of industrial and agri­
cultural development, differences in income, and the extent of urbani­
zation, as well as local custom and tradition. In dealing with dollar
value it is not possible fully to show qualitative differences, and the
regional values given here represent comparable housing facilities
only in part. Taking these factors into account, the figures in table
1 show that the most expensive residential area is in the Middle
Atlantic States—New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania—followed
by the industrial States of the East North Central Division—Michi­
gan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. The lowest regional
average is for the East South Central States—Kentucky, Tennessee,
Alabama, and Mississippi—for which the dollar value of a house is
slightly more than half as high as for the United States as a whole
and 63 percent lower than in the Middle Atlantic States. Owneroccupied and rented houses show the same geographic variations
except that the variation is much wider for owner-occupied dwellings.
As between cities of different size, except for exclusive residential
suburbs, housing becomes less costly as the size of towns decreases.
Farm dwellings, like those in small towns, are least costly. This is
true in all parts of the country. Moreover, rented houses are usually
valued at lower figures than those occupied by their owners. The
greatest contrast in rented and owner-occupied house values is between
large northern cities and small towns in the South and the Mountain
States.
Other Factors Affecting Variations
Site value is an important factor in determining differences in the
value of residential properties. On older properties it constitutes
fully 20 percent of total value and for new nonfarm properties 15
percent. Variations also exist in cities of different sizes and types.
The Federal Housing Administration experience with properties in­
sured during 1937 showed that land was a larger factor in new-house
costs in large cities than in smaller towns. The average was from
13 to 18 percent in cities of over 50,000 population, from 12 to 15 per­
cent in smaller towns. In cities outside metropolitan areas the site
represented 14 percent of the cost and in cities within these areas,
16 percent. The average value of property and land site and the
ratio between these values are shown by regions in table 2 for new
single-family houses for which mortgages were insured under the
FHA in 1937.


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1096

Monthly Labor Review—-November 1939

T a b le 2. —Average Value of Property and Land Site and Ratio of Site to Property,

Value, by Region
[ N e w s in g le -fa m ily h o u se s a c c e p te d for F H A -in s u r e d m o rtg a g e? in 1937]
A v e r a g e v a lu e
of—
R e g io n
P r o p e r ty

Land

A v e r a g e v a lu e
of—

R a tio
o f la n d
v a lu e to
p r o p e r ty

U n it e d S ta te s ....... .......... _

$6,097

$921

15.1

N e w E n g l a n d .,
_ __
M id d le A t l a n t i c . . . .
E a s t N o r th C e n t r a l___
W e s t N o r th C e n t r a l ...

6,409
6 ,8 2 6
7,038
5,354

833
1,154
1,021
680

1 3 .0
16.9
14.5
12.7

Property

Land

R a tio
of la n d
v a lu e to
property

$5,652
4,8 8 6
4,8 3 4
5,183
5,637

$842
728
744
539
896

14.9
14.9
15.4
10.4
15.9

R e g io n

S o u th A t la n t ic ................ ..
E a s t S o u th C e n tr a l____
W e s t S o u th C e n tr a l____
M o u n t a in ______ ________
P a c ific __________________

The chief determinant as to whether material cost is low or high is
whether construction is of wood or brick. Not only does brick con­
struction cost more than wood, but brick dwellings are usually larger
than wood and naturally size affects costs. The regional pattern for
costs by kind of material is generally similar to the variations in
cost for all dwellings, being highest in the Northeast and lowest in
the South and West.
Type of structure also accounts for variations in cost. In general,
apartments rent for more than one-family houses, and two-family
houses bring the lowest rent. Several reasons are given for this
difference, namely that large apartment buildings are highly con­
centrated in the larger cities of the Northern and Eastern States, a
larger proportion of these apartments are newer than the houses,
and they are usually built of brick or steel and concrete rather than
of wood. The average value of rented nonfarm dwelling units by
type and population group as of April 1, 1930, is shown in table 3.
These figures indicate that the average value of 3 or more family
apartments is higher than for 1- or 2-family structures in all cases.
T a b le 3. —Average Value of Rented Nonfarm Dwelling Units, by Type and Population

Group, A pril 1, 1930
P o p u la tio n grou p
T y p e o f b u ild in g
T o ta l

100,000
and
o v er

25.000
and
under
100.000

10,000
and
u n d er
25,000

5.000
and
u n d er
10.000

2,500
and
u n d er
5,000

A ll t y p e s ____ ______ _____________

$4,347

$5, 751

$4,416

$3,832

$3,347

$2,882

$1,987

1 -fa m ily _____________
2 -fa m ily ___________ .
3- or m o re f a m i l y .._____ _________

3,5 9 6
3,6 9 3
6 ,2 1 2

5,101
4, 539
6,7 4 4

4 ,4 7 5
3,849
4,891

3,9 4 0
3,3 1 6
4 ,1 4 6

3,4 0 9
2,9 1 3
3,6 8 6

2,924
2,5 3 7
3,2 1 0

2,048
1,663
2,1 1 5

U nder
2,500

Rents and values are also influenced by the absence or presence of
facilities such as heating, utilities, mechanical refrigeration, and ga­
rages. Data for 11 cities obtained in the Financial Survey of Urban
Housing, 1934, showed that 8.9 percent of the gross rent of 1-family

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Housing

1097

houses covered the cost of facilities as compared with 11.4 percent
for 2-family houses and 24.7 percent for larger apartments.
Community services, such as streets, paved walks, drainage sys­
tems, and other public improvements are not provided in the same
ratio in large and small cities, and the costs vary. The effects of
these improvements are not measurable from available information.
Age is among the most important factors determining the cost at
which housing may be bought or rented. In the Financial Survey
of 1934, new dwellings of all types built in 1930-33, inclusive, were
valued 40 percent above those built in 1890-99 and nearly 20 percent
over those erected in the 1920’s when construction costs were much
higher. If figures were available for 1939, the report reviewed states,
the contrast would be even greater.
The relative availability of credit for financing influences costs.
Location and homogeneity of properties may make it easier to obtain
mortgage loans. Farm properties are at the greatest disadvantage
in this respect.
In addition to being influenced by the same factors that affect
housing costs, new construction costs are affected by differences in
costs of materials and labor. Nearness to the lumber supply in
small towns, in the country, the Pacific Northwest, and parts of the
South probably accounts in part for relatively low material costs.
Labor costs are usually highest in large cities and therefore remote
areas also have an advantage in this respect.
Notwithstanding the differences in housing expenditures by fami­
lies within the same income group, the amount spent for shelter is
usually related to income. This accounts for the differences in hous­
ing costs between the North and the South. In all areas housing is
a substantial item in family budgets, varying at the lower income
levels from 15 to 25 percent of total expenditures. Therefore, dif­
ferentials such as those here summarized have an important bearing
in cost-of-living studies.


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Youth in Industry

E M PL O Y M EN T E X P E R IE N C E OF E IG H T H -G R A D E
GRADUATES
ONE of the most basic problems facing youth especially in a depression
is that of getting and keeping a job. The change from a student
status to a wage-earning status is quite difficult for some young people.
In the report1 of a recent Works Progress Administration investiga­
tion made at the request of the National Youth Administration,
attention is focused on the transition of urban young people from
school to industry.
To get an accurate sample of urban young people, eighth-grade
graduates of both public and parochial schools, for the scholastic years
1928-29, 1930-31, and 1932-33, were selected for analysis. The field
work was conducted in the summer and fall of 1938 in 7 cities (Bing­
hamton, N. Y., Birmingham, Denver, Duluth, St. Louis, San Fran­
cisco, and Seattle), as fairly representative of American cities with
populations ranging from 25,000 to 1,000,000. More than 40,000
youth were included and about 30,000 detailed work histories were
secured. Approximately 77 percent of all the young people inter­
viewed were employed or seeking work at the time of the survey.
According to these work histories, some youth had little difficulty
in making the transition from school to industry. Others, however,
after years of job seeking were still unemployed. Still others had
temporary jobs or “dead-end” employment, or were working for
substandard wages. Many of these employed youth were dissatisfied
and were seeking other work. These, as well as the young people
without any jobs, constitute a real problem in adjustment.
Education

Almost 40 percent of the young persons interviewed had not com­
pleted a high-school education. Only 62 percent had continued their
studies long enough to receive a high-school diploma; and only 17
percent had had 1 year or more of college. Nearly one-half (48 per­
cent) of the youth reported lack of funds as the major reason for
leaving school.
1 W o r k s P r o g ress A d m in is tr a tio n . D iv is io n o f R ese a r c h . U r b a n Y o u th : T h e ir C h a r a c te r istic s a n d
E c o n o m ic P r o b le m s — a P r e lim in a r y R e p o r t o f t h e S u r v e y o f Y o u t h a n d th e L a b o r M a r k e t. W a s h in g to n ,
1939. (S eries I , N o . 24.)

1098

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Youth in Industry

1099

Approximately nine-tenths of the children of professional persons
were at least high-school graduates, while only 44 percent of the
children of unskilled workers had completed high school, as shown in
table 1.
T a b l e 1.— Years of School Completed by Youth in 7 Cities, by Occupation of Father
P e r c e n t of y o u t h w h o h a d c o m p le te d sp e c ifie d
y e a r s o f sch o o l
N um ber
of y o u th

O c c u p a tio n of f a th e r

T o ta l

A ll o c c u p a tio n s ____________________________
P r o fe ssio n a l p e r s o n s ...............................................
P r o p r ie to r s, m a n a g ers, a n d offic ia ls, in ­
c lu d in g fa r m e r s__________ _____ __________
C le r k s a n d k in d r e d w o r k e r s ............... ...............
S k ille d w o rk ers a n d fo r e m e n ................ .............
S e m is k ille d w o r k e r s _____ _________________
U n s k ille d w o r k e r s _________________ _______
S e r v a n t c la s s e s --------------------------------------------F a th e r n o t f a m ily h e a d 3-----------------------------

8

9

11

10

12

13-15

16 or
m o re

i 29,966

100

11

8

10

10

44

14

3

1,323

100

2

2

3

5

36

41

11

5, 756
4,064
6,9 2 9
4,809
2,470
965
3,5 3 9
111

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
1Q0

7
4
11
16
18
10
14
15

5
4
9
10
12
11
9
11

8
6
11
13
15
14
12
14

8
9
11
10
11
11
11
12

44
50
47
44
39
43
41
40

23
23
9
6
5
10
10
8

5
4
2
1
(2)

1
3

1 E x c lu d e s 2 y o u t h w h o s e n u m b e r o f y ea r s o f sc h o o l c o m p le te d w a s n o t r e p o r te d .
! L e s s th a n 0.5 p e r c e n t.
3 F a th e r n o t in fa m ily for 10 y e a r s or m o r e .

Securing of Jobs
Friends, relatives, and personal applications were the sources of
information accounting for 65 percent of all jobs secured by the
young people surveyed. Friendship with a former employer was
cited as a source of information for 17 percent of the jobs which had
been held. Public, private, and school employment agencies were re­
ported as accounting for 8 percent, and newspaper ads and articles,
unions, and Government personnel offices for only 4 percent, of the
jobs obtained.
Lack of previous employment experience was the most important
factor reported by the young people who stated that they had special
personal difficulties in getting jobs. Sixty-three percent of the girls
and 44 percent of the boys who replied to the question regarding such
difficulties cited inexperience as an obstacle to employment.
Principal Occupations
In 1938, almost three-fourths of 24,517 youth in 7 cities were re­
ported in two broad occupational groups—“Clerks and kindred
workers” and “Semiskilled workers,” as shown in table 2.

185451-

39-

•6


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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1100

T a ble 2. —Percentage Distribution of Youth in Seven Cities, 1938, by Occupation at

Time of Last Employment
O c c u p a tio n a t t im e o f la s t e m p lo y m e n t

B o t h sex es

N u m b e r o f y o u t h w h o h a d h a d p r iv a te jo b s ______________________________
P r o p r ie to r s, m a n a g ers a n d o ffic ia ls, in c lu d in g fa r m e r s____________________
C le r k s a n d k in d r e d w ork ers^ . ____ ______________________________________
S k ille d w ork ers a n d fo rem e n . _____________________ _
_ _ _ ______ .
S e m is k ille d w o r k e r s______ ________________ _____________________________
S e r v a n t c la ss e s ______

_

________ __

_

. . . . ____ . . .

______ ___

M a le

F e m a le

24,517

12,440

12,077

3
3
44
3
30
6
11

3
4
35
6
35
12
5

4
1
54

100

100

(>)
24
(')
17
100

1 L e s s t h a n 0.5 p e r c e n t.

Unemployment
Variations in the definition of unemployment make the unemploy­
ment reported in the present study incomparable with that found by
earlier youth surveys, but it is evident that fewer young people were
unemployed in 1938 than in the period of deepest depression. The
1935 surveys by the United States Office of Education showed 32 per­
cent of persons 19 to 24 years of age unemployed, and the 1936 Mary­
land survey revealed 18 percent in that age group with the same
status. According to the 1938 inquiry here reviewed, 14 percent of
all young persons, and 20 percent of the labor-market youth, were un­
employed. Eleven percent of all the young people had had no work
at all and were actively looking for jobs; 2 percent were on Govern­
ment projects; and 1 percent had been temporarily laid off or were on
strike at the time of interview.
Earnings and Hours of Work
In 1938, young people at work in the 7 cities surveyed were paid on
an average of $17.19 per week, males averaging $19.66 and females
$14.88. These findings are based only on private employment of 15
or more hours a week which the young people had at the time of in­
terview, or, if they were not working at that time, on the last jobs
that they had held in 1938. The weekly earnings of approximately
72 percent of the young men and 97 percent of the young women were
under $25. Exclusive of part-time employment of less than 15 hours
per week, the young people when employed averaged 43 hours per
week.
Hours worked.— Employed youth were not in most cases working an excessive
number of hours per week. Excluding part-time employment of less than 15
hours per week, the workweek of youth, when employed, averaged 43 hours.
However, 43 percent of the young men and 34 percent of the young women who
had jobs in 1938 worked more than 44 hours per week, which has been designated
the maximum for industries covered by the Fair Labor Standards (Wage-Hour)
Act. Since nearly all of the youth were interviewed before the act became effec­
tive, this survey can offer no data on the effects of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

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Youth in Industry

1101

Youth Not in the Labor Market
Over two-fifths (44 percent) of all youth surveyed were outside of
private employment at the time of interview, some being unemployed,
but many being completely out of the labor market. Eleven percent
were in school, most of these being in college or in vocational schools.
Many of these students, however, were able to go on with their educa­
tion only through summer or part-time jobs, NYA earnings, or
scholarships. Another 11 percent of all the young people inter­
viewed (23 per cent of the girls interviewed) were housewives, who
were not in the labor market. Seven percent of those interviewed
were doing unpaid family work or assisting with housework at home,
were on unpaid vacations, were “loafing,” or were ill.
Comparison by Cities
Figures on the status of youth in each of the 7 cities included in the
survey are given in table 3. Seattle had the highest percentage of
youth who completed high school. The proportion of young people
unemployed in Denver at the time of interview was not so high as in
any of the other cities surveyed. The employed youth of San Fran­
cisco received higher wages than young people in the other cities.
Birmingham Negro youth were the hardest-hit group during the
depression, 71 percent having to leave school for financial reasons.
Only 11 percent of the young Negroes who had been continuously in
the labor market had escaped unemployment or periods when they
worked less than 15 hours per week. At the time they were inter­
viewed, the percentage without jobs was much higher than the per­
centage unemployed in the white Birmingham group. Whatever
the causes may be for these differentials, it is obvious that “Negro
youth are subject to tremendous handicaps.”
The St. Louis youth had less education and entered the labor
market younger than the young people in any other of the seven
cities. With the exception of the Birmingham Negro youth, the
Denver young people left school for financial reasons in the highest
proportion of cases. Both at the time of interview and in the past,
Duluth’s young people had more unemployment and lower wages
than any city group, with the exception of the Birmingham Negro
youth.


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1102

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

T a b le 3.— Intercity Differences in Education, Unemployment, and Earnings of Youth
P e r c e n t o f la b o r-m a r k e t y o u t h
w ho—

P e r c e n t o f y o u th
w ho—

F in is h e d
h ig h
sch o o l

Q u it
s c h o o l for
fin a n cia l
rea so n s

62

48

31

31

20

$17.19

52
60
46
67
68
43
69
80

46
50
71
51
44
50
38
48

31
26
38
31
19
53
24
15

35
31
11
44
24
30
28
31

17
22
31
16
26
19
19
22

16.99
16.14
7.9 1
16.59
15. 61
16. 32
2 0 .0 6
18. 57

C it y

A ll c it ie s _______________

_________

A verage
w e e k ly
W er e c o n ­
e a r n in g s
tin u o u s ly
of
e m p lo y e d
W e r e c u r­
a t p r iv a te r e n t ly u n ­ e m p lo y e d
y o u th
jo b s of 15 e m p lo y e d
h o u r s or
m o re per
w eek

E n te r e d
la b o r
m arket
a t 17 or
younger

Few of these depression youth experienced the more prosperous days of the
1920’s. Perhaps partly as a result of this fact, unemployment and low wages
have not caused widespread social unrest among youth. Continued insecurity,
however, may increase the dissatisfaction of youth and reduce their respect for
the economic system of this country. Unemployment and low wages, if long
continued, will certainly affect the attitudes of many youth toward the social
structure. Youth are unlikely to retain their respect for society if they continue
to receive so few opportunities to make use of their abilities, both for their own
welfare and for the best interests of the nation as a whole.

The investigators conclude that if lack of education, unemploy­
ment, and low wages are to continue to be the portion of youth, the
Nation will probably be handicapped in the future by a supply of
untrained labor and by an inadequately informed citizenry.
#######«

P R O H IB IT IO N OF C H ILD LABOR IN FA CTO RIES IN
IN D IA
THE employment of children under 12 years of age in certain in­
dustries in India has been prohibited by an act assented to by the
Governor General on April 8, 1939,1 amending the 1938 Employment
of Children Act. The act is not applicable to enterprises carried on
by the operator with the aid of his family only, nor to schools estab­
lished by or receiving aid or recognition from the goverment of a
Province.
The law also provides that before work is begun in any of the proc­
esses described, the employer interested must notify the inspector in
writing. If the employer and the inspector do not agree concerning
the age of a child who has no age certificate issued by a prescribed
medical authority, the case must be referred to such authority for a
ruling.
1 International Labor Office. Industrial and Labor Information, Geneva, August 28,1939, p. 286,


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Youth in Industry

1103

PR O T E C T IO N OF CH ILD W ORKERS IN SHANGHAI
THE elimination of child labor in the silk filatures of the International
Settlement of Shanghai 1 has been undertaken by the industrial
section of the municipal council of that city. In the silk filatures of
Shanghai, the “beating” of cocoons in water to separate the fibers is
ordinarily done by hand, and such work is assigned to children. In
establishments using this old method, the industrial section insists
that children under 4 feet 8 inches in height are not to be employed.
Its efforts met with some success in the year 1938, according to the
report.
Furthermore, the industrial section of the council emphasizes the
fact that children constitute a most unstable working force and that it
would be to management’s advantage to find some substitute for their
labor. When new filatures began to operate in the last 6 months of
1938, the section proposed that modern slow-reeling machinery be
installed and that automatic stirrers be used, thus doing away with
child labor. These efforts resulted in some progress in the early part
of 1939, slow-reeling machinery being set up in three plants and
automatic stirrers in two. Daily production in one plant using the
automatic stirrer was reported to be in excess of that in plants using
child labor.
* I n t e r n a t io n a l L a b o r O ffice.


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I n d u s t r ia l a n d L a b o r I n fo r m a tio n , G e n e v a , A u g u s t 28, 1939, p . 285.

Migrant and Farm Labor

WAGE W ORKERS AND SH A RECRO PPERS ON
M ISSISSIPPI PLA NTA TIO N S
HIRED farm workers are to a large extent concentrated on a com­
paratively few farms and these farms are located mainly in limited
areas of the country. However, recent trends in many sections of the
country indicate an increased use of hired workers in place of tenants.
In the plantation regions of the South, sharecroppers have formed a
distinctive group of farm workers, but in addition to sharecroppers in
these areas there have been considerable numbers of hired farm work­
ers. Evidence of a trend toward hired labor in one of the principal
areas of sharecropping is presented in a recent study by the United
States Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the Mississippi
Agricultural Experiment Station.1
In this region, the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta area, large cotton
plantations prevail, ranging in size from 400 to several thousand
acres. These plantations are operated largely by tenants. The
area comprises about 4,200,000 acres in northwestern Mississippi and
includes all of 10 counties and parts of 9 others. In 1934 about 69
percent of the farm land in the 10 counties wholly within the area was
in plantations of 400 acres or more, and 62 percent was operated by
tenants, only 13 percent of whom were white. Fluctuations in
cotton prices, the advantages of mechanization, and other influences
during the past decade led planters to make readjustments in planta­
tion organization and operation for maintenance of earnings. These
adjustments included an increased use of wage labor. Because of
the fact that all share-rental leases on plantations are verbal agree­
ments that may be terminated at the end of the year either by the
plantation operator or by the tenant, shifts from one employment
status to another are easily made.
During recent years, there has been indication that a plentiful supply of labor
and the increased use of large-scale equipment in production have been associated
with a rapid increase in the use of wage labor as compared with share labor.
The use of large-scale machinery in cotton production, associated with the
1 U . S . D e p a r tm e n t o f A g r ic u ltu r e . T e c h n ic a l B u lle t in N o . 682: P la n ta tio n O r g a n iza tio n a n d O p er a tio n
in t h e Y a z o o -M is s is s ip p i D e lt a A rea , b y E . L . L a n g sfo r d a n d B . H . T h ib o d e a u x .
W a s h in g to n , M a y 1939.
R e c e n t a r tic le s in th e M o n t h ly L a b o r R e v ie w d e a lin g in w h o le or in p a r t w it h t h is s u b je c t in c lu d e D is ­
tr ib u tio n of H ir e d F a r m L a b o rers in th e U n ite d S ta te s , S e p te m b e r 1937 (re p r in te d a s S erial N o . R . 625);
P o w e r F a r m in g a n d L a b o r D is p la c e m e n t in t h e C o tto n B e lt , 1937, M a r c h a n d A p r il 1938 (rep rin ted as
Serial N o . R . 737); a n d F a r m E m p lo y m e n t , 1909 to 1938, J u n e 1939 (r ep rin ted a s S eria l N o . R . 976).

1104

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Migrant and Farm Labor

1105

availability of a plentiful and relatively low-priced labor supply for hand opera­
tions like hoeing and picking, has proved much more remunerative to plantation
operators than production on a share basis. Together with this advantage in
large-scale production methods are the attendant reduction in the number of
laborers used and hence the decreased risks in furnishing credit advances to
tenants.

A study of 12 plantations on which detailed records were kept
indicates that the proportion of cropland operated with wage labor
rose from 30 percent in 1933 to 47 percent in 1936. The proportion
operated by sharecroppers fell from 52 percent in 1933 to 43 percent
in 1936, and the proportion operated with share tenants 2 fell from
18 percent in 1933 to 10 percent in 1936. A more intensive survey
of plantations in one county indicates an increase of cotton acreage
operated by wage labor from 27 percent in 1934 to 42 percent in 1936;
a decline of the acreage operated by sharecroppers from 58 to 48
percent; and a reduction of the acreage operated by share tenants
from 12 to 9 percent.
Census data for the 10 counties wholly within the area indicate a
similar trend between 1930 and 1935. The acreage in cropland
harvested per farm operator by full owners, part owners, and man­
agers increased from about 55 acres in 1930 to 81 acres in 1935. The
number of full owners, part owners, and managers increased from
4,084 in 1930 to 5,150 in 1935, and in contrast the number of share­
croppers and other tenants decreased from 75,988 in 1930 to 63,113
in 1935. The total farm land increased from 2,284,000 acres in 1930
to 2,459,000 acres in 1935, and the cropland harvested underwent a
slight reduction from 1,684,000 acres in 1930 to 1,658,000 acres in 1935.
The relative costs of the different types of labor to plantation opera­
tors, and the comparative incomes of sharecroppers, share tenants, and
wage workers, afford explanations of these changes.
In 1932, sharecroppers earned an average net return of 45 cents per workday.
In effect, this was the average rate, excluding perquisites furnished sharecroppers,
that the plantation operator paid for a day of sharecropper labor. If wage labor
had been used, the labor cost to the operator would have amounted to 60 cents
per day. Thus wage-labor rates were relatively high as compared with crop in­
comes in 1932, and the plantation operator benefited more that year from using
sharecroppers than wage laborers. This income-wage relationship was reversed,
however, during the next 4 years. In each of these years, the average net earn­
ings per day of sharecropper labor were substantially above the average rate per
day for wage labor; hence, on the average, the plantation operator benefited more
from using wage labor than sharecropper labor during these 4 years.

It is probable that the policy of substituting wage labor for share­
cropper and tenant labor will be continued and extended, for wage
2 I n th e s t u d y h ere r e v ie w e d a sha recro p p er is d e fin e d a s a te n a n t w h o fu r n ish e s a ll of th e la b o r, bears
o n e -h a lf of t h e e x p e n se s for fertiliz er, p o iso n , a n d g in n in g , a n d r e c e iv e s o n e -h a lf of th e cr o p . T h e sh a r e­
crop p er is s o m e tim e s lo c a lly referred to a s a “ h a lf h a n d ” or “ h a lf t e n a n t .” A sh a r e te n a n t is d e fin e d a s a
te n a n t w h o fu r n ish e s a ll of t h e la b o r, p o w e r a n d e q u ip m e n t, a n d s e e d , a n d b ea rs th ree-fo u rth s o f th e e x p en ses
for fertiliz er, p o iso n , a n d g in n in g , in re tu r n for th ree-fo u rth s of th e cro p. A lo c a l te r m for sha re te n a n t is
“ fo u r th te n a n t .”


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1106

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

labor can be adapted most readily and economically to mechanization
now in progress. The extent and rapidity of the change will depend
on the relative levels of crop incomes, labor costs, and power costs.
These in turn will be vitally affected by the degree of success attained
in mechanizing the hoeing and picking of cotton. Another factor of
unforeseeable importance is the bargaining power of the workers
regarding wages and the tenure status they prefer.

M IG R A TIO N IN TO OREGON, 1930-37
THE population of Oregon is expanding—mainly through interstate
migration. As many, if not more, new people seem to be entering
the State each year as were received in the decade 1920 to 1930. Some
200,000 migrants from other States probably went into Oregon in the
7K years from 1930 to June 30, 1937, according to a recent sample
study, covering 115,400 migrants for that period. The study was
sponsored by the Oregon State Planning Board with the cooperation
of the National Resources Committee and the Works Progress
Administration.1
Notwithstanding the slowing down of population growth in the
Nation as a whole, the movement into the Pacific Northwest seems
likely to continue for a considerable time. This migration has fluctu­
ated from year to year, but was notably heavy from 1920 to 1930 and
after 1934. People seemed to be more inclined “to take a chance,”
when economic prosperity was on the upgrade. Numerous migrants
went into Oregon from the States of the Northern Great Plains in
1935 and 1936. However, over two-thirds of the recent migration
covered in this survey was from other States.
The migration into Oregon appears to be the result of the follow­
ing four movements:
1. A remnant of the general westward population drift.
2. Waves or peaks caused by adverse climatic or economic conditions in other
regions.
3. Movement of migratory farm labor up and down the Pacific Coast.
4. Normal movements of people between adjoining States.

The general trend of the population on the Pacific Coast is ap­
parently from North to South. From 1920 to 1930, Oregon made
some gains in exchanges of natives with Washington, but these
were more than offset by exchanges with California. The turn-over
in the Oregon population is relatively high, one person leaving the
State for every two entering it. Since 1930, migrants into Oregon
have been from practically the same States as in the period from
1920 to 1930. Eighty-four percent of the recent migration was from
1 O regon . S ta te P la n n in g B o a r d . M ig r a tio n in to O reg o n , 1930-37: V o l. I I , S o u r ces a n d C h a r a cteristics
o f M ig r a n ts. B y V . B . S ta n b e r y . P o r tla n d , O r eg ., 1939.


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Migrant and Farm1Labor

1107

14 States—3 adjoining, 4 North Central, and 7 northern Great Plains
States.
The tendency is for people to move directly from east to west—the
shorter the distance, the greater the number moving. The newcomers
in Oregon are concentrated in certain sections, especially in the Willa­
mette Valley, Coastal, and Klamath areas.
Migrants are inclined to seek localities similar to the environment
they have left, or those especially desirable for particular reasons.
Newcomers to Oregon from the Great Plains States flocked to the hu­
mid regions in the western part of the State, while those from the
northeastern industrial States settled in the larger cities. Many
from the Southwestern States went to the irrigated sections in the
east of Oregon.
The recent heavy migration has not been merely a movement of families into
rural areas. More than one-half of the migrants have gone into Oregon’s cities
and towns. Most of those in Portland went directly to that city— only a few
attempted to settle elsewhere first.
Although no constant ratio between the size of a city and the number of mi­
grants could be found, in general, the larger the city the more persons it received.
In proportion to their size, Oregon’s smaller cities of Klamath Falls, Eugene,
Medford, Salem, Corvallis, Albany, Oregon City, and The Dalles have grown
more rapidly from migration since 1930 than Portland. Portland also is growing.

Characteristics of Migrants
The average number of children in migrant families who have
children in school is higher per family than in resident families.
Migrant families now on relief are also larger, on the average, than
relief resident families.
Because of the predominance of single workers among the migrants
registering for jobs in the larger cities of Oregon, their family-type
distribution was quite different from that in the State’s population.
In the cities, single persons registering for work constituted approxi­
mately 50 percent, and 2-person and larger families each 25 percent,
of the total.
The percentage of single migrants is on the increase, having been
higher in 1937 than in 1930. Unemployment relief, social security,
and like programs have apparently tended to reduce the number of
older migrants with larger families. Migrant registrants for employ­
ment in Oregon were mainly in the 20-44 age group. Approximately
85 percent were under 45 at the time they entered the State. Their
average age is considerably under that of the Oregon resident regis­
trants for employment, and this helps to retard the rapid aging of
the gainfully working population of the State. The age distribution of
the migrant workers also differed substantially from that of resident
Oregonians applying for jobs through the Employment Service of the

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1108

Monthly Lahor Review—November 1939

State. Single migrant workers, and those having only one dependent,
were not so old as those with two or more dependents. Migrant
workers in the cities of Oregon were on the average younger than those
who were outside of the cities.
The newcomers into the State are well distributed in the same occu­
pational groups as the resident workers. Probably less than 40 per­
cent had formerly followed strictly rural occupations. Consequently,
the opening up of additional farms through the development of the
land will not meet the requirements of those previously having urban
employment.
»
A high percentage of migrants in the 15 largest cities of the State
were professional workers and sales persons. Fifty percent of all mi­
grant workers covered in this study were in the following eight occu­
pations: Laborers, truck drivers, farm hands, salesmen, carpenters,
operators, farmers, and mechanics. The others were distributed
among various occupations.
Notwithstanding the great fluctuations in the number of migrants
annually entering the State, the age and occupational distributions of
those registering for jobs have remained constant each year for each
type of family.
Migration difficulties and problems are immediate, while the bene­
fits are, in general, “long range and cumulative, both for the individual
migrant and for the State.” At times Oregon may have a disad­
vantageous balance of trade in commodities and finance, but its bal­
ance in exchanges of population has always been strongly favorable.
* * * * * * * *

OCCUPATIONAL SH IFTS OF M ARYLAND W ORKERS
IN D EPR ESSIO N
DURING the depression there was a considerable shift in the occupa­
tions of heads of households in Maryland. The accompanying table
shows the shifts from the usual job to the one held during the first
week of July 1936. Many of the workers who reported types of
occupation at that time which differed from their usual occupations
were temporarily employed. Others reporting such changes may
have made permanent shifts into new fields of activity.1
1 U n iv e r s it y o f M a r y la n d . C o m p a r a tiv e S t u d y of C erta in R e lie f a n d N o n r e lie f H o u s e h o ld s in S ele cted
A re^ s o f R u r a l M a r y la n d . B y T h e o d o r e B . M a n n y a n d H a r r y G . C lo w e s. C o o p e r a tin g A g e n c ie s: U . S.
W o r k s P rogress A d m in istr a tio n a n d M a r y la n d W o rk s P r o g ress A d m in istr a tio n . C o lle g e P a r k , M d .,

1939.


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1109

Migrant and Farm Labor

Shifts During Depression From Usual Occupations of Heads of Households in Selected
Areas of Maryland, by Race
N u m b e r of h e a d s o f h o u s e h o ld s w h o s e u su a l o c c u p a tio n s 1 w ere—
U n s k ille d
w orkers

P r o p r ieto rs

P r e s e n t o c c u p a t io n 1

T o ta l

N ot
C lerk s
O th er w o r k ­
S k ille d S em iP ro­
and
u
n
­
in g
s
k
ill­
w
o
r
k
­
fe s­
k in ­
s k i ll­
or
ed
ers a n d
O ther
s io n a l
d red
W h o le ­
n
ever
ed
w
o
r
k
­
F
a
r
m
fore­
p
ro
­
p er­ F a r m ­
w ork ­
sa le
m en
ers la b o r ­ w o r k ­ w o r k ­
p rie­
so n s
ers
and
ers
ed
ers
ers
tors,
r e ta il
and
etc .
ser­
v a n ts

W hite

A ll h o u s e h o ld h e a d s . - .
P r o fe ssio n a l p e r s o n s ..........P r o p r ieto rs:
F a r m e r s (o w n e rs, t e n ­
a n ts, c r o p p e r s)______
W h o le s a le a n d r e ta il
d e a le r s_______ _______
O th e r p r o p r i e t o r s ,
m a n a g ers, o ffic ia ls___
C ler k s a n d k in d r e d w o r k ­
er s______________ _____ ____
S k ille d w o rk ers a n d fore*
m e n _____________________
S e m is k ille d w o r k e r s _______
U n s k ille d w ork ers:
F a r m la b o r e r s_________
O th er u n s k ille d w o r k ­
ers a n d s e r v a n ts _____
N o t w ork in g or n ever
w o r k e d ..________________

646

7

203

12

17

73

80

55

182

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0
0

5

0

197

1

180

1

2

2

3

0

5

3

9

0

0

8

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

13

0

0

■ 2

10

0

0

0

0

1

0

5

0

16

12

0

0

0

1

8

1

1

0

1

0

51
94

0
0

3
3

0
0

0
1

2
0

41
17

2
55

1
3

2
15

0
0

2

24

5

0

14

21

146

0

3

6

0

9

1

0

7

11

24

58

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

33

0

1

0

0

0

1

211

1

15

0

2

5

7

21

0

1

1

0

0

142

1

40

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

40

0

39

0

0

Negro

A ll h o u s e h o ld h e a d s . ____
P r o fe ssio n a l p e r s o n s_______
P r op r ietors:
F a r m e r s (o w n e r s, t e n ­
a n ts, c r o p p er s)______
W h o le s a le a n d r e ta il
d e a le r s ............ .. ............
O th er p r o p r i e t o r s ,
m a n a g ers, offic ials___
C ler k s a n d k in d r e d w o r k ­
e r s ............................................ ..
S k ille d w o r k e r s a n d fore­
m e n ______________________
S e m is k ille d w o r k e r s _______
U n s k ille d w ork ers:
F a r m la b o r e r s _________
O th e r u n s k ille d w o r k ­
ers an d s e r v a n ts ...........
N o t w o r k in g or n e v e r
w o r k e d _______ _________

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

6
1

0
10

0
0

0
2

0
0

6
13

0
0

0
0

0
0

0
0

0
0

11

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

10

1

0

67

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

14

51

0

4

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

3

0

i “ P r e s e n t o c c u p a tio n ” is d e fin e d a s th a t t y p e o f o c c u p a tio n in w h ic h th e p erso n w a s e m p lo y e d th e first
w e e k o f J u ly 1936, w h e reas “ u su al o c c u p a tio n ” d e s ig n a te d t h a t t y p e o f o c c u p a tio n in w h ic h th e p erson
w o r k e d th e lo n g e s t p eriod of t im e b e tw e e n J u ly 1, 1926, a n d J u n e 30, 1936.

Based on the number of household heads for which employment
throughout the decade 1926-36 is reported, farming was the most
stable occupation. Greater permanence in employment was a char­
acteristic of all farm operators (croppers, tenants, and owners) except
white farm laborers, among whom a considerable number of shifts
occurred. Such a condition may usually be expected in a section

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1110

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

where farm tenancy is not excessive and the number of depression
farm foreclosures is not great. Seventeen white heads of households
began to operate farms between 1926 and 1936, leaving what was
reported as their usual field of work. Relatively fewer farm laborers
continued to follow their usual occupations during the decade under
review, compared with farm laborers who engaged in other work.
Some heads of households became farm laborers.
A number of shifts are recorded among the household heads whose
usual employment was in the white-collar group, but whose present
occupations were not in that group. Most of the significant transfers
from the skilled-labor group were made to the semiskilled and un­
skilled occupations. Obviously, occupational shifts in periods of
depression are mainly in a downward direction.
The relatively small number of Negro household heads reported
proportionately fewer shifts.


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Industrial Accidents

IN JU R Y E X P E R IE N C E IN T H E IRO N AND STEEL
IN D U STR Y , 1937 AND 1938 1
Summary
INJURY rates of the iron and steel industry decreased in 1938, as
shown by reports to the Bureau of Labor Statistics from 1,778 iden­
tical departments of firms reporting in both years. The frequency
rate declined from 14.93 to 11.28, and the severity rate from 2.16 to
2.11.2 As indicated by the much greater decrease in the severity rate
than in the frequency rate, there was an increase in the proportion of
serious accidents. Thus, the ratio of fatalities and permanent total
disabilities per thousand injuries increased from 11 in 1937 to 15 in
1938. Similarly, the number of permanent partial disabilities per
thousand injuries rose from 65 to 82. The trend toward more serious
disabilities was also reflected in the increase of the average time loss
per temporary total disability, which rose from 25 days in 1937 to 33
days in 1938.
T a b le 1.— Summary of Injury Data for 1,778 Identical Departments in the Iron and

Steel Industry, 1937 and 1938
I te m

T o t a l e m p lo y e e -h o u r s o f ex p o su r e (in t h o u s a n d s ) ---------------------

1937

1938

602,620
6,797
1,2 7 0 ,9 9 3
11.28
2 .1 1

P e r c e n t of
ch a n g e ,
1937 t o 1938
-4 3 .7
- 5 7 .4
- 4 5 .0
-2 4 .4
-2 .3

1 ,0 6 9 ,6 3 8
15,974
2 ,3 0 8 ,9 8 3
14.93
2 .1 6

Although employee-hours decreased sharply in 1938, the total
number of disabling injuries declined more rapidly than did hours of
exposure, resulting in a decrease of 24.4 percent in the frequency rate.
Similarly, the total days of disability declined faster than did employeehours, resulting in a 2.3 percent decrease in the severity rate. The
summary of all departments combined shows a decrease in the total
i T h is a r tic le w a s p rep are d b y R o y F . F le m in g , B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , u n d e r t h e d ir e c tio n of S w e n
K jaer.
s T h e fr e q u e n c y ra te is th e a v er a g e n u m b e r o f d is a b lin g in ju rie s for e a c h m illio n e m p lo y e e -h o u r s w o r k e d .
T h e s e v e r it y r a te is th e a v er a g e n u m b e r of d a y s lo s t for e a c h th o u s a n d e m p lo y e e -h o u r s w o r k e d . T h e
sta n d a r d tim e -lo ss r a tin g s for fa ta litie s a n d p e r m a n e n t d is a b ilitie s are g iv e n in M e th o d o f C o m p ilin g
I n d u s tr ia l I n ju r y R a te s , a p p r o v e d b y th e A m e r ic a n S ta n d a r d s A sso c ia tio n , 1937.


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1111

1112

Monthly Lahor Review—November 1939

employee-hours worked from 1,069,638,000 to 602,620,000, in the
total disabling injuries from 15,974 to 6,797, and in the total days lost
from 2,308,983 to 1,270,993. Of 6,797 disabling injuries reported
in 1938 there were 94 deaths, 5 permanent total disabilities, 554 per­
manent partial disabilities, and 6,144 temporary total disabilities.

,

Injury Experience by Department
Table 2 gives, by departments grouped into four classes (melting
and rolling, finishing, service and maintenance, and those not else­
where classified), the detailed injury data and the resulting injury
rates of the industry in 1938 and 1937.
T able 2 .— Injuries and Injury Rates for 1,778 Identical Departments in the Iron and

Steel Industry, 1937 and 1938
ÎsTu m b e r o f in ju rie s

D e p a r tm e n t

R e s u lt in g in —
N um ­
Em­
b er
p lo y e e of d e­
D e a th
hours
P er­
p a r t­ (in t h o u ­
and
T em ­
T o ta l
m a­
m e n ts sa n d s)
p erm a­
p o ra ry
nen t
n en t
to ta l
p a rtia l
to ta l
d is a ­
d is a ­
d is a ­
b ilit y
b ili t y 1 b ili t y

T o ta l
tim e
lo s t
(d a y s)

Fre­
S e­
quen­
v e r it y
cy
r a te *
r a te *

1938
A ll d e p a r t m e n t s 3_________________

602,620 6, 797

(5) 99

554

6 ,1 4 4

1,270,993

11.2 8

2 .1 1

214, 562 2,0 0 0
3,249
30
571
20, 525
136
30
3, 255
62
69
27,815
200
17
4 ,1 8 9
31
11
8 ,0 8 7
60
16
5,294
107
50
27, 247
181
19
11,398
197
52
18; 463
197
23
8,9 3 9
65
3,979
23
23
36
2 0 ,984
206
18
12,144
90
38
38, 654
406
5
340
9
1
2
339
4
9

(1) 32

1,746
28

2 .1 4
.6 3
1 .8 0
79
2 .0 4
95
2.81
3. 81
3. 22
80
2 .2 6
1.99
. 57

(1) 2
1
7

24
19
33

459,892
2 033
37Ì 02Ö
2 580
56Ì 779
3 983
22Ì 689
20,183
87,821
9 148
4L 749
17, 806
2, 248
52,995
23,183
79, 572
103

9 .3 2
9 23

3
1

222
2
13
3
24
g
13
6
28
11
22
11

(4) 29

198
1
15

1,778

M e lt in g a n d r o llin g _____________ .
B e s s e m e r c o n v e r te r s _______
B l a s t f u r n a c e s __________ . .
E le c tr ic fu r n a c e s_______ .
__
O p e n -h e a r th fu r n a c e s _________
B a r m il ls ________________ . _
C o ld r e d u c tio n ____ __ ______
C o ld r o llin g ___________________
H e a v y -r o llin g m il ls _________
H o t m il ls _________ _________ __
L ig h t-r o llin g m il ls __________
P la t e m ills _____________________
R o d m il ls ___ _ _ ___________
S h e e t m ills ______________ ____
S tr ip m il ls ______ ____________
T u b e m ills ________________
M is c e lla n e o u s ________
______
C r u c ib le fu r n a c e s . _______
P u d d lin g m i l l s _______ _ __

476
12

F in is h in g _________________________
A x le w o r k s . _______ . .
______.
B o lt s a n d n u t s ___
C ar w h e e ls ___ _________ .
C o ld d r a w in g ,.. . . ___ . . .
F a b r ic a tin g s h o p s _____________
F o r g e s h o p s ___________ _______
F o u n d r ie s'. . . . _____________
G a lv a n iz in g a n d t in n in g ______
N a ils a n d s t a p le s ___________
S ta m p in g _
____________
W ir e d r a w i n g ________________
W ir e s p r in g s ___________________
W o v e n -w ir e fe n c e __________ . .

639
4
36
28
16
114
137
145
35
12
37
46
15
14

177,871 3,340
625
16
13,958
206
4 ,2 0 2
88
3; 257
52
30, 598
652
30,356
680
39, 517
966
17, 570
116
11
1,565
9; 928
177
2 i; 068
264
3, 281
66
1,946
16

2
4
2
2
8

5

1
1
6
l
(4) 16
2
1
Î

121

59
172
23
45
99

145
186
172
53
18
180
70
366
9
9

103

3,1 1 3
15
191
87

416,331
572
19 092
g’ 382
9; 929
81,696
4 5 ,816
157, 502
36, 712
614
16,1^0
29, 951
1, 740
8| 185

4

47

40
29
41
17
1
19
27
3
1

606
650
909
127
10
158
236
63
14

19 05
7 .1 9
7 40
7 .4 2
20. 21
6.6 4
17 28
10. 67
7 .2 7
5 78
9 .8 2
7.41
10. 50

18. 78
25 60
14 76
20 94
15.97
21.31
22 .4 0
24 .4 4
8.3 1
7 03
17 83
1 2 .5 3
20. h
8 .2 2

2 .5 3

1.91
2 .0 6

2. 34
92
1. 37
1 99
3 .0 5
2 .6 7
1.51
3 .9 9
2. 09
. 29
1 63
1.4 2
. 53
4. 2Ì

1 F ig u r e s in p a r e n th e s e s s h o w t h e n u m b e r o f p e r m a n e n t t o t a l- d is a b ilit y ca se s in c lu d e d .
1 T h e fr e q u e n c y r a te is t h e a v er a g e n u m b e r o f d is a b lin g in ju r ie s for e a c h m illio n e m p lo y e e -h o u r s w o r k e d .
T h e s e v e r it y r a te is t h e a v er a g e n u m b e r o f d a y s lo s t for e a c h th o u s a n d e m p lo y e e -h o u r s w o r k e d . T h e
s ta n d a r d tim e -lo s s r a tin g s for fa ta litie s a n d p e r m a n e n t d is a b ilitie s are th o s e a p p r o v e d b y t h e A m e r ic a n
S ta n d a r d s A ss o c ia tio n , 1937.
3 E x c e p t c o k e -o v e n a n d e r e c tio n d e p a r tm e n ts .


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1113

Industrial Accidents

T a b le 2. —Injuries and Injury Rates for 1,778 Identical Departments in the Iron and

Steel Industry, 1937 and 1938— Continued
N u m b e r o f in ju rie s

D ep a rtm en t

R e s u ltin g in —
Em­
N um ­
p lo y e e b er
D e a th
h ours
of d e ­
P er­
T em ­
and
p a r t­ (in t h o u ­ T o ta l
m a­
p orary
perm a­
m e n ts sa n d s)
nen t
to ta l
n en t
p a rtia l
d is a ­
to ta l
d is a ­
b ilit y
d isa ­
b ilit y
b ili t y

T o ta l
tim e
lo s t
(d a y s)

F re­
quen­
Se­
v e r ity
cy
ra te
r a te

1938-- C o n t i n u e d
110,899
19,489
12; 331
62, 536
277
4,016
12,249

619
22
49
442

22
5
9

74
2
7
59

523
20
37
374

224, 581
6,3 1 9
35, 545
119,171

5 .5 8
1.13
3. 97
7 .0 7

2 .0 3
.3 2
2 .8 8
1.91

P o w e r h o u s e s . . I , ...........................
Y a r d s a n d tr a n s p o r ta tio n -------

478
180
58
137
4
20
79

11
95

1
7

1
5

9
83

7,059
56,487

2 .7 4
7 .7 6

1 .7 6
4 .6 1

N o t e lse w h e r e c l a s s i f i e d . . . ----------C o k e o v e n s ________________________
E r e c tin g ___________________________

185
26
4

99, 288
11, 589
3,7 3 2

838
33
375

16
2
(1) 8

60
6
16

762
25
351

170,189
22, 246
87,898

S. 44
2. 85
100.49

1. 71
1 .9 2
23. 55

1,036

14,765

2,308,983

14.93

2 .1 6

332
6
21
5
38
7
21
5
36
7
34
16

3, 776
50
293
223
498
46
95
135
266
287
364
129
61
420
220
625
64
1
63

773, 263
40, 276
85. 595
29,882
156,038
10,675
39,170
11,855
86, 395
10,111
53,388
2 4 ,442
13.896
64, 622
63,788
82,099
1,031
18
1,013

10.91
10.37
8 .9 7
4 5 .2 8
11.16
7 .2 9
10.60
16. 58
5.9 3
12.77
13.03
8. 50
10.66
10.61
11.87
10.86

2 .0 3
6 .8 5
2. 38
5. 80
3 .1 5
1.47
3 .4 9
1.3 9
1 .6 6
.4 4
1.7 4
1.4 3
2 .1 5
1 .4 9
3 .0 3
1 .2 8

8,2 2 7
34
381
210
165
1,273
1,678
3, 247
233
15
438
370
150
33

781,723
504
29, 504
15,913
4 ,3 9 2
149, 273
122,370
331,106
31, 697
3,587
34,025
54,821
3,901
630

26.21
19.19
20.19
39. 57
31.2 0
22. 51
29.53
38.51
7 .6 4
7 .8 5
30.87
13.79
21.6 3
13. 75

2 .3 5
.2 8
1.4 4
2. 81
.81
2 .4 5
2 .0 6
3. 74
.9 4
1. 66
2. 25
1 .8 5
. 54
.2 6

1,199
19
97
824
2
36
221

484,802
873
75,014
242,472
1,285
4 5 ,658
119, 500

7 .6 4
.8 5
5 .8 7
9 .2 7
5 .6 8
7 .7 2
8 .6 2

2 .6 5
.0 4
3 .7 3
2 .3 6
2. 43
7. 83
4 .0 1

1, 563
64
437

269,195
30,358
118,754

9 .8 3
3 .8 7
93. 25

1 56
1. 55
23. 26

S e r v ic e a n d m a in te n a n c e _________
E le c tr ic a l______________________
M e c h a n ic a l____________________

1937
1.069,638 15,974 (12)173

A ll d e p a r t m e n t s 3----- -------- -------------

1, 778

M e lt in g a n d r o l lin g .----------- . . . .
B e s s e m e r c o n v e r t e r s .. _______
B la s t fu r n a c e s -------------- ----------E le c tr ic f u r n a c e s . . . --------------0 p e n -h e a r th fu r n a c e s ------- . . .

476
12
57
30
69
17
11
16
50
19
52
23
23
36
18
38
5
1
4

381,827 4,1 6 5
5,881
61
322
35,904
231
5,102
553
49, 574
53
7,2 6 8
119
H i 225
141
8, 506
309
52,069
294
23,029
400
30', 707
145
17,065
69
6', 474
460
43,349
21,066
250
694
63,930
677
64
1
5
672
63

(5) 57
(2) 5
8
3
17

1
3
4
3

37
26
66

639
4
36
28
16
114
137
145
35
12
37
46
15
14

332, 530
1,771
20, 553
5 ,6 6 0
5 ' 416
60,807
59, 537
88,506
33, 748
2 ,1 6 7
15', 097
29; 654
7. 214
2, 400

8 ,7 1 6
34
415
224
169
1, 369
1,758
3,4 0 8
258
17
466
409
156
33

(4) 43

446

182, 699 1,396
20
23, 606
20; 104
118
102,815
953
3
528
45
5,827
257
29, 817

(1) 51

P o w e r h o u s e s ." _________ ___
Y a r d s a n d tr a n s p o r ta tio n -------

478
180
58
137
4
20
79

7
(1) 15

146
1
11
110
1
2
21

N o t e lse w h e r e c la ss ifie d ___________
C o k e o v e n s _______ .
___________
E r e c tin g ______________________ _____

185
26
4

172,582
19,646
5,105

1,697
76
476

(2) 22
2
(1) 15

112
10
24

C o ld r e d u c tio n _______
______
C o ld r o llin g ----------------------------H e a v y -r o llin g m il ls ---------------L ig h t-r o llin g m il ls ------------- . . .
R o d m il ls _________________ . . .
S h e e t m il ls _________ ________ __
S tr ip m i l l s _____________ _____ _
T u b e m ills __________ _________

F in is h in g __________________________

F a b r ic a tin g s h o p s .
. ... ...
F o r g e s h o p s _______ _____ ____
F o u n d r ie s . ________ ________

W ir e d r a w in g _________________

S e r v ic e a n d m a in te n a n c e --------------E le c tr ic a l_____________ _____ __
M e c h a n ic a l. . _____ . ---------

3 E x c e p t c o k e -o v e n a n d e r e c tio n d e p a r tm e n ts .


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3
1
(1) 7
(2) 2

(1 )9
(1) 6
(2) 25

3

10
19

34
14
4
87
74
136
25
2
28
36
6

1114

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

Melting and rolling.—For all departments in the melting and rolling
class the employee-hours worked decreased from 381,827,000 in 1937
to 214,562,000 in 1938, while the total number of injuries decreased
from 4,165 to 2,000, declines of 43.8 percent and 52.0 percent, respec­
tively. As a result, the frequency rate decreased from 10.91 to 9.32.
The severity rate, however, increased slightly from 2.03 to 2.14.
The cold-rolling departments, with a frequency rate of 20.21 and a
severity rate of 3.81, ranked highest in both rates among the indi­
vidual department groups in the melting and rolling class in 1938.
These rates also represent substantial increases over those of
1937, which were 16.58 for frequency and 1.39 for severity. The only
other large increase in the frequency rate occurred in hot-mill depart­
ments, the rate rising from 12.77 to 17.28.
Of the 15 melting and rolling departments, 11 experienced lower
frequency rates in 1938 than in 1937. Probably the most noteworthy
decrease in both injury rates occurred in the electric-furnace depart­
ments. The frequency rate was more than halved, from 45.28 to
19.05. The severity rate fell from 5.86 to 0.79, due principally to
the absence of fatal injuries in 1938. Other departments having
substantially lower frequency rates in 1938 than in 1937 were blast
furnaces (8.97 to 6.63), open-hearth furnaces (11.16 to 7.19), cold
reduction (10.60 to 7.42), light-rolling mills (13.03 to 10.67), rod mills
(10.66 to 5.78), and strip mills (11.87 to 7.41).
The rod-mill departments ranked lowest in both injury rates in 1938,
with a frequency rate of 5.78 and a severity rate of 0.57. Very low
frequency rates were also experienced by blast furnaces, with a rate of
6.63, and heavy-rolling mills, with 6.64. Although the severity rate
increased for the melting and rolling class as a whole, the data reveal
no general rise among the individual department groups. The
bessemer-converter departments had the outstanding decrease in the
severity rate, which fell from 6.85 in 1937 to 0.63 in 1938.
Finishing .—The departments in the finishing class as a group
ranked highest in both frequency and severity of injuries. Neverthe­
less, the 1938 frequency rate of 18.78 represented a large reduction
from that of 26.21 in 1937. The severity rate of this class, however,
remained practically unchanged, 2.35 in 1937 and 2.34 in 1938.
All but 2 of the 13 finishing departments experienced decreases in
their frequency rates. For example, the frequency rate of the bolt and
nut departments dropped from 20.19 to 14.76, cold drawing from 31.20
to 15.97, forge shops from 29.53 to 22.40, foundries from 38.51 to
24.44, stamping from 30.87 to 17.83, and woven-wire fence from 13.75
to 8.22. The reduction of the 1937 frequency rate of car-wheel
departments from 39.57 to 20.94 was the outstanding decrease in this
class in 1938.

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Industrial Accidents

1115

Axle-work departments ranked highest in the frequency rate in 1938,
with a rate of 25.60, a substantial increase over that of 19.19 in 1937.
The only other increase in the frequency rate occurred in the galvaniz­
ing and tinning departments, from 7.64 to 8.31. Both of these de­
partments also had increases in their severity rates. Departments
ranking low in frequency rates in 1938 were nails and staples with 7.03,
woven-wire fence with 8.22, and galvanizing and tinning with 8.31.
The woven-wire-fence departments, however, with 4.21 days lost per
thousand hours worked, ranked highest in the severity rate in 1938.
Foundry departments ranked a close second with a rate of 3.99.
Changes in the severity rates for the finishing departments followed
no definite order. Increases and decreases occurred throughout the
departments with no regard to changes in frequency rates. For
example, the severity rate of the cold-drawing departments rose from
0.81 to 3.05 and that of the car-wheel departments dropped from
2.81 to 1.99, while the frequency rates of both departments decreased
almost to half the 1937 rates. Low severity rates were experienced
by nails and staples, 0.39, which ranked lowest, and wire springs, 0.53,
which ranked second lowest.
Service and maintenance.—The departments in the service and
maintenance class had fewer disabling injuries per million hours worked
in 1938 than had the other three classes. The frequency rate was
5.58 in 1938 as against 7.64 in 1937. The decrease in the severity rate
from 2.65 to 2.03 was the only sizable reduction registered in any class
as a whole. Employee-hours worked decreased from 182,699,000 to
110,899,000, disabling injuries from 1,396 to 619, and days of disability
from 484,802 to 224,581.
Ore dock and yard departments, with more than a quarter million
employee-hours, operated the entire year without a disabling injury.
In 1937 the frequency rate for this group was 5.68 and the severity
rate 2.43. The yard and transportation departments ranked highest
in both injury rates in 1938. The frequency rate decreased from 8.62
to 7.76, while the severity rate increased from 4.01 to 4.61. Low
frequency rates were experienced in 1938 by the electrical departments
with 3.97, powerhouses with 2.74, and clerical and sales departments
with 1.13.
Because coke-oven and erecting departments do not properly fall
within the iron and steel classification, although reported by several
iron and steel establishments, the figures for these two departments
are shown separately and are not included in the general industry data.
Attention is called to the extremely high injury rates of the erecting
departments, 100.49 for frequency and 23.55 for severity.

185451— 39------ 7


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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1116

Disability Distribution
In table 3 are shown the number of deaths, and permanent and
temporary disabilities for each thousand injuries, and the average time
loss per disability. For departments having a small total number of
injuries no computations are given.
T a ble 3. —Disability Distribution per 1,000 Injuries, and Average Days Lost, in the

Iron and Steel Industry, by Departments, 1937 and 1938
A v e r a g e d a y s lo s t p er
d is a b ility 1

N u m b e r p er 1,000 in ju rie s

D e p a r tm e n t

A ll d e p a r t m e n t s _________________
M e lt in g an d r o llin g

..

_ . .

____ . .

D ea th and
perm anent
to ta l
d is a b ility

P erm anent
p a rtia l
d is a b ility

T em p orary
to ta l
d is a b ility

Perm anent
p a r tia l
d is a b ility

T em p orary
to ta l
d is a b ility

1938

1938

1938

1938

1938

1937

1937

1937

1937

1937

15

11

82

65

903

924

860

865

33

25

16

14

111

80

873

906

891

933

40

32

B la s t f u r n a c e s .., - - - - - - - - - -

15

25

96

65

889

910

1,427

1,267

53

38

O p en -h earth fu r n a c e s __________ . - B a r m ills ». ________ ______ ______ .
C o ld r e d u c tio n ______________________
C old r o llin g ________________________

20

31

120

69

860

900

1,038

958

46

35

33
19
44
0
15

25
7
23
0
5

217
56
155
56
112

176
35
117
24
85

750
925
801
944
873

799
958
860
976
910

662
875
1,152
441
843

850
570
946
471
888

46
30
52
23
30

35
22
39
24
31

10
11
17

7
16
4

117
211
81

80
104
95

873
778
902

913
880
901

1,317
679
723

872
1,169
697

52
61
37

34
43
29

9

5

59

51

932

944

826

799

25

20

0

0

73

82

927

918

937

668

26

18

9
1
17
14

7
3
7
0

61
43
42
116

64
42
40
97

930
956
941
870

929
955
953
903

814
869
972
1, 200

744
768
860
1,006

22
22
24
34

24
18
20
28

0
4
0

0
7
0

107
102
45

60
88
38

893
894
955

940
905
962

695
452
300

955
675
400

19
50
13

17
34
10

36

37

120

105

844

858

935

922

45

37

102

20

85
20

143
133

93
115

755
847

822
865

407
847

914
913

73
41

51
34

Y a r d s an d tr a n s p o r ta tio n __________

74

58

53

82

873

860 2,020

969

53

41

N o t e lse w h e r e c la ss ifie d ............ ........ .............

19

13

72

66

909

921

852

37

27

H id m ills

________

... _

. . .

P la te m ills 8 _________________ ______
R o d m ills 2____ _______
.- -.
S h e e t m ills ______________ ________ _
S tr ip m il ls ____________ __________ _
T u b e m ills ________ _______________
M is c e lla n e o u s 8........... ............................
F in is h in g ________________________________
A x le w o r k s 8. _____________ ________
B o lls an d n u t s ______________________
C ar w h e e ls 8_____________ __________
C old d ra w in g 8 . . . ....... .... ................
F a b r ic a tin g s h o p s __________ _______
F or ge s h o p s .. ' ____________ _____ __
F o u n d r ie s . .
__________________
N a ils and s ta p le s 8______ _______ . . .
S t a m p in g - - ... . .
. . . ____ . .
W ir e d r a w i n g . ...........................................
W ir e sp r in g s . . . . _______________
W o v e n -w ir e fen ce 8 ______________ _
S e r v ic e an d m a in t e n a n c e ____________
E le c tr ic a l__________ __ _____________

768

i Each death or permanent total disability is charged with a time loss of 6,000 days.
8 Computations not given because of small number of total injuries.

There were 4 more deaths and permanent total disabilities, and 17
more permanent partial disabilities, per thousand injuries in the
industry as a whole in 1938 than in 1937. The ratio of fatalities in­
creased from 11 in 1937 to 15 in 1938, and the ratio of permanent
partial disabilities rose from 65 to 82. The average time lost per

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Industrial Accidents

1117

permanent partial disability remained practically unchanged, with
865 days in 1937 and 860 days in 1938. The average days lost per
temporary total disability, however, increased sharply from 25 to
33 days.
In nearly all respects each of the 4 classes of departments followed
the general industry trend. The service and maintenance class
ranked highest in 1938 in the number of deaths and permanent total
disabilities per thousand injuries, although it was the only class show­
ing a decrease in this type of disability, with a decline from 37 in 1937
to 36 in 1938. The other 3 classes of departments showed decided
increases in the ratio of fatalities and permanent total disabilities.
The ratio of the departments not elsewhere classified rose from 13 to
19 while that of the finishing class almost doubled, from 5 to 9.
All 4 classes of departments had increases in the number of perma­
nent partial disabilities per thousand injuries. The two outstanding
increases occurred in the melting and rolling and the service and
maintenance classes. The former rose from 80 in 1937 to 111 in 1938
and the latter from 105 to 120.
The average days lost per temporary disability increased sharply in
all classes in 1938 over 1937. The average for the industry as a whole
rose from 25 days per case in 1937 to 33 days per case in 1938. Sim­
ilarly, the average time loss per case for the melting and rolling class
rose from 32 days to 40 days, finishing from 20 days to 25, service and
maintenance from 37 to 45, and the departments not elsewhere classi­
fied from 27 to 37. These pronounced increases in the average days
lost per temporary total injury are significant when coupled with the
large decreases in the frequency rates, indicating that minor temporary
injuries, i. e., injuries terminating with only a few weeks of disability,
were less frequent in 1938 than in 1937.
Death and permanent total disability.—The 102 deaths per thousand
injuries in the electrical departments ranked highest among the
individual department groups in 1938, which also represented an
increase of 17 fatalities over the 1937 ratio of 85. Nevertheless, this
group was among the lowest in the rank of the frequency rate (5.87),
showing that the relatively few injuries per million hours that did occur
were of a serious nature. The yard and transportation departments
ranked second highest in the ratio of fatalities and permanent total
disabilities, with 74 in 1938, increasing from 58 in 1937. Other de­
partments with large numbers of fatalities per thousand injuries were
heavy-rolling mills with 44 in 1938 and 23 in 1937, cold reduction
with 33 and 25, and mechanical with 20 in each of the 2 years. The
open-hearth-furnace and the blast-furnace departments had note­
worthy decreases in the ratio of fatalities. The ratio of the openhearth furnaces dropped from 31 in 1937 to 20 in 1938, and that of the
blast furnaces decreased from 25 to 15. Outstanding for low numbers

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1118

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

of fatalities per thousand injuries were forge shops, wire drawing, hot
mills, bolts and nuts, and stamping departments. The last three
departments named had no disabilities of this type in either year.
Permanent partial disability.—Although the service and maintenance
class as a whole showed the highest number of permanent disabilities
per thousand injuries, individual departments with the highest ratios
are found in the melting and rolling class. Prominent among these
were the cold-reduction departments, which ranked first, with 217
permanent partial disabilities in 1938 as against 176 in 1937. The
largest numerical increase in permanent partial disabilities per thou­
sand injuries was experienced in the strip-mill departments. The ratio
increased by 107 such disabilities, from 104 in 1937 to 211 in 1938.
The average time lost per permanent partial injury, however, dropped
from 1,169 days per case to 679 days, indicating that on the average
permanent partial disabilities in 1938 were less severe than in 1937.
Large increases in the ratio of permanent partial disabilities in elec­
trical and stamping departments also were compensated to some
degree by decreases in the average days lost per permanent partial
disability. The ratio for electrical departments rose from 93 to 143
while the average time loss fell from 914 to 407 days. The ratio of
the stamping department increased from 60 to 107, but the average
time loss dropped from 955 to 695 days. The only other large increase
was for open-heartli-furnace departments. The ratio increased from
69 in 1937 to 120 in 1938, and was accompanied by an increase in the
average time loss from 958 to 1,038.
Temporary total disability.—A large number of temporary total dis­
abilities per thousand injuries generally reflect an injury experience
composed principally of minor disabilities and but few fatal and per­
manent injuries. Outstanding departments showing good records in
this respect in 1938 were cold rolling, hot mills, forge shops, foundries,
and wire springs. All of these departments but forge shops had
decreases in the temporary-total-disability ratio from those of 1937,
but all except hot mills had increases in the average days lost per
temporary total disability.
Unusually high average time losses per temporary total disability
were experienced throughout the departments in 1938. The most
prominent were 73 days per injury in the electrical departments, 61
days in strip mills, 51 days both in the electric furnace and the yard
and transportation departments, 52 days in heavy-rolling mills, and
50 days in the wire-drawing departments.


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Industrial Accidents

1119

Experience of a Select Group of Establishments
Table 4 and the accompanying chart give, by broad classifications
of injury causes, the frequency rate of injuries in a select group of
iron and steel establishments from 1913 to 1938.
In sharp contrast to the frequency rate of 11.28 for the industry as a
whole during 1938, the frequency rate of this select group was 5.7, or
less than half. These establishments have been prominent in accident
safety and prevention work since about 1906. The steady decline in
the frequency rate for this group definitely shows that many accidents
can be prevented when safety work is carried out as a managerial
policy.
FREQUENCY RATES FOR DISABLING INJURIES
IN A SELECT GROUP
OF IRON AND STEEL ESTABLISHMENTS
FREQUENCY
RATES


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BY

CAUSES

OF INJURIES

FREQUENCY
RATES

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1120

T a b l e 4. —Frequency Rates for Disabling Injuries in a Select Group of Iron and Steel

Establishments, 1913 to 1938, by Causes of Injuries
1913

1915

1920

1925

1930

1935

1936

1937

A ll ca u ses 1......................................... - ................................. 6 0 .3

4 1 .5

23.1

8 .2

7 .7

6 .3

7 .2

6 .8

5 .7

7 .3
3 .8
2 .5
.1
1 .2
3 .5
2 .8
.3
.4
2 .3
5 .4
.5
3 .6
1. 3
4 .5
.3
.2
.2
3 .8
1.2
26.7
11. 2
3 .4
1.9
2 .5
.2
3 .8
3 .7
12.9
.3

4 9
2 6
1 .7
.1
.8
2 .3
2 .0
.2
.1
1.6
3 .7
.2
2 .3
1.2
3 .5
.1
.2
.1
3. 1
.7
20. 6
7. 6
2 .6
1. 4
2 .5
.1
3 .8
2. 6
6. 5
.1

3 .4
1.5
1.0
.1
.4
1.9
1.5
.2
.2
1.1
2 .4
.3
1.7
*4
2 .5
.1
.2
.1
2 .1
.2
10.4
4 .4
1.3
.6
1. 1
.1
1 .5
1.4
3 .1
.1

1.6
.7
.5
(2)
.2
.9
.7
.1
.1
.3
.6
.1
.4
.1
1.1
.1
.1

1.5
.5
.4

1.7
.6
.5
(2)
.2
1. 1
.7
.3
.1
.2
.4
1
.3
.1
1. 0
.1
. 1

1.7
.7
.5
(2)
.2
1.0
.8
.2
.1
.3
.6

1.6
.7
.5

2. 5
1 .0
4
.1
.3
(2)
.4
.4
.5

1 7
.6
.4
(2)
.2
1. 1
.8
.2
.1
.2
.5
(2)
.3
.2
1.0
.1
.1
.1
.8
.1
2 8
1.2
.4
. 1
.4
(2)
.3
.4
.8

2. 5
1. 1
.4
.1
.3
(2)
.2
.4
.8

«

(>)

( 2)

.8
2 .9
.9
8 .0

.6
1.7
.4
3 .7

.3
1.1
.1
1.5

C a u se of in ju r y

M a c h in e r y _______ ______________________________
O th er th an c r a n e s. ------------ ------ ---------------C a u g h t in
__________________________
B r e a k in g . ___ _____ ___________________
S tru ck b y l o a d . . _______________________
H o is tin g a p p a r a tu s ________________________
O verh ead c r a n e s _______________ _______
L o c o m o tiv e c r a n e s. ___________________
O th e r __________________________________
V e h ic le s ____ __________________________________
H o t s u b s ta n c e s -------------- ----------------------------------E le c t r ic it y ________________________ _____ ____
H o t m e t a l ___________________________ _____
S te a m , h o t w a te r , e t c ---------------------------------F a lls of p e r s o n s. ------------ ----------------- ----------F rom la d d e r s ______________________________
F r o m s c a f f o ld s ________________________ . I n t o o p e n in g s . . . . . . _____________ ________
S lip p in g or s t u m b lin g _____
___________
F a llin g m a teria l, n o t h a n d le d b y in ju r e d -------H a n d to o ls an d h a n d lin g of o b je c ts-----------------O b jects d rop p e d in h a n d lin g ...........................
C a u g h t b e tw e e n m a te r ia l-------------------------11and tru ck s, e tc ................ ..................... .............
S tra in in h a n d lin g _________________________
O b jects fly in g from t o o ls ____________ ____
S liv e r s, sh ar p e d g es, e t c ___________________
H a n d t o o ls ------ ----------- ----------- --------------------M is c e lla n e o u s .
----------------- ----------------------------A s p h y x ia tio n _______________________________
O b jects fly in g fro m m a te r ia l, str ik in g
b o d y _________ _____ __________ _____ ______
O b jects fly in g from m a te r ia l, str ik in g e y e . .
H e a t ____________________________________________
O t h e r ...--------- ----------------------------- -----------------------

(2)

.1
1 .0
.7
.2
.1
.3
.4
m
.3
. 1

1 .0
( 2)

.1

( 2)

( 2)

.9
.1
3 .4
1.6
.4
.2
.3
.4
.5
1. 1

.9
.1
3 .6
1.9
.7
.2
.2
(2)
.2
.4
.8

(2)

(2)

(2)

.1
.2
(2)

.8

(2)
.2
.1
.5

(2)

.8
9)

.1
.1
( 2)

.3

.1
.2
(2)

.4

( 2)

(2)

.2
.9
.6
.3
.1
.2
.4
( 2)

.4
.2
.8
(2)

.

1938

1

( 2)

.6
(2)

3
.1
1 .0
.1
. 1
( 2)

.8
.1
1.9
.7
.4
.1
.3
(2)
.2
.3
.6
(2)

.1
.2
( 2)

.1
.1
( 2)

.5

1 Totals and subtotals are based on employee-hours rather than on totals of rounded individual figures.
1 Less than 0.05.


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.3

Health and Industrial Hygiene

IN D U STR IA L DISEASES IN B R IT IS H FA CTO RIES, 1938
THE industrial-disease record in Great Britain for the year 1938 was
improved over that of the previous year as regards a number of the
principal causes of industrial poisoning, according to the annual
report of the senior medical inspector of factories for that year.1
Fewer cases of poisoning from most of the principal industrial poisons
were reported than in 1937.
The number of cases of lead poisoning, which has been steadily
reduced from year to year, showed a still further reduction in 1938.
Although in 1900 there were over 1,000 cases, fewer than 100 cases
were reported in 1938. The number of cases of lead poisoning in ship­
breaking were the same as in 1937, but nearly half of them occurred
in one shipyard where a heavily loaded vessel was being broken up
and where difficulty had been experienced in getting the workers to
wear the respirators which had been provided. Although only 9
cases occurred in the manufacture of white lead, this was the largest
number reported in many years. Great improvement has taken place
in the pottery industry which now accounts for only a few cases,
most of which are in the tile industry. The decrease is mainly due to
substitution of a low-solubility glaze for raw lead glaze. Reporting
of lead poisoning in the painting of buildings was first required in 1927.
In that year 98 cases were reported, 21 of which were fatal; in 1938
there were only 22 cases, with 7 fatalities.
T! ere were reductions in the number of cases of poisoning from
m. rcury, arsenic, and aniline, and a reduction in the number of cases
of epitheliomatous ulceration but an increase in cases of chrome
ulceration. There were in 1938 the same number of cases of toxic
jaundice—4 cases with 1 death—as in the preceding year, and there
were no cases of manganese or chronic benzene poisoning. Anthrax
cases increased from 23 cases with 4 deaths in 1937 to 34 cases with
5 deaths in 1938. The number of cases of poisoning or disease reported
to the department for certain years from 1910 to 1938 is shown in the
following table.
Inhalation of fumes and gases was responsible for 190 cases with
27 deaths in 1938, as compared with 196 cases and 20 deaths in the
preceding year. The largest number of cases was caused by the
1 G r ea t B r ita in . H o m e D e p a r tm e n t.
L o n d o n , 1939. ( C m d . 6081.)


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A n n u a l R e p o r t of t h e C h ie f In s p e c to r o f F a c to r ie s for th e y ea r 1938.

1121

1122

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

inhalation of carbon monoxide, which accounted for 98 cases with 14
deaths. There were 17 cases of gassing from chlorine, 14 cases with
1 death from nitrous fumes, and 10 cases with 7 deaths from sulphu­
retted hydrogen. The remaining cases were caused by the inhalation
of the fumes or gases from a wide variety of agents.
Cases of Poisoning and of Industrial Disease Among Factory Workers in Great Britain
for Specified Years, 1910 to 1938
D is e a s e
L e a d p o iso n in g :
C a se s __________ __________
D e a t h s ________ ________
M e r c u r y p o iso n in g :
______
__ __ . _
C a se s ____________
D e a t h s __________ __________
A r s e n ic p o iso n in g :
C a se s _____________
D e a t h s _______________ _______
M a n g a n e s e p o is o n in g : C a se s ___ __________________ _____
A n ilin e p o iso n in g :
C a se s __________________ _____________ _______________
D e a t h s ______ _ ______ ___________ . . . _________
C h r o n ic b e n z e n e p o iso n in g :
C a se s ___________________ ___________ ______ _______
D e a t h s . . ____________ ________ . . .....................
T o x ic ja u n d ic e :
C a se s_____________________ . . . _ _________ .
D e a t h s ______________________ . . . . . . . . . _______
A n th r a x :
C a se s _____________________ __ . . . ____________ . . .
D e a t h s _____ ___________ _____ _____ . . . . . . . . . . .
E p it h e lio m a t o u s u lc e r a tio n :
C a se s _____________ _____ ______ . ______ . _
D e a t h s _______ ___________ ________________ _______
C h r o m e u lc e r a tio n : C a se s _________________________ . . .

1938

1937

1936

96
19

141
19

2

7

3

8

1930

163
13

1920

1910

265
32

289
44

505
38

3

5

10
1

1
1

1

3

7

10

7
1

24

1

1
1

1

9

4
1

4
1

34

23
4

30
1

43
6

48

165
21
115

183
31
101

142
27
84

194
36
95

45
1
126

6

6

11

51
9

Deaths from silicosis and asbestosis have been investigated by
the Department since 1929. There were 430 deaths from silicosis,
with or without tuberculosis, in 1938, 416 in 1937, 365 in 1936, and
392 in 1935. These totals include 48 cases occurring in the 4 years in
South African gold mines. In 1938, 177 deaths occurred among coal
miners and 49 among metal miners (12 in South Africa). Fifty-eight
deaths occurred among sandstone masons and 27 in sandstone quarry­
ing and dressing, 48 in the manufacture of pottery, and 25 in metal
grinding. The remaining 46 cases occurred in a miscellaneous group
of industries. There were 9 deaths from asbestosis and 503 deaths
from fibrosis of the lungs which were not all investigated but in which
the occupation of the deceased did not appear to have involved a risk
from silica or asbestos.
Keporting of cases of dermatitis is not required, but the number
of cases voluntarily reported continues to increase, 2,195 being reported
in 1938 as compared with 1,985 in 1937. The list of causative agents,
the report states, appears to be unlimited, and new items have to be
added to the list each year. The largest number of cases was found
among chemical workers, textile workers, dyers and calico printers,
metal platers and polishers, metal workers, painters and workers in
paint manufacture, and bakers and confectioners.

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Labor Organizations

TR A D E-U N IO N M E M B E R SH IP IN G REAT B R IT A IN
AND N O R T H E R N IR EL A N D IN 1938
TRADE-UNION membership in Great Britain and Northern Ire­
land increased 3.6 percent between the close of 1937 and the close of
1938, as compared with 10.3 percent in the preceding 1-year period.1
At the end of 1938 the number of unions was 1,021, the membership
totaled approximately 6,054,000, and about half of the members
belonged to 12 unions having 100,000 or more members each. The
accompanying table shows the number of unions in 1938, the member­
ship by industry groups for 1937 and 1938, and the percent of change
in membership.
Trade-Union Statistics for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1937 and 1938

I n d u s t r y gro u p 1

N um ber
of u n io n s
at end
of 1938

M e m b e r sh ip a t e n d o f—
1938

1937

P e r c e n t of
ch a n g e in
m em b er­
s h ip

A ll in d u s t r i e s 2______________________ _____ - .......... - ......................

1,021

6 ,0 5 3 ,6 2 4

5 ,8 4 3 ,0 4 7

+ 3 .6

A g r ic u ltu r e , h o r tic u ltu r e , e t c .3...........................................................
C o a l m in in g ------ ---------------- --------------------------------------------------P o t t e r y a n d g la s s .......................................................................................
M e ta ls , m a c h in e s, c o n v e y a n c e s, e tc .:
Iro n a n d s te e l, t in -p la te , tu b e , a n d w ir e m a n u fa c tu r e E n g in e e r in g , ir o n fo u n d in g , s h ip b u ild in g , o th er
m e ta lw o r k in g , a n d v e h ic le b u ild in g ___________ _____
T e x tile s :
C o tto n ____________________________ — .......... - ................... ..
F la x a n d j u t e ______________________________________ ____
H o s ie r y ___________ ______ _____ _____ ____ _____ — .......... ..
O th e r t e x t ile s (in c lu d in g w ool; a n d b lea c h in g , d y e in g ,
fin is h in g , e t c .) ------ ----------------- --------------------------- -------C lo th in g :
B o o t a n d s h o e __________________________________________
T a ilo r in g a n d o th e r c lo th in g ___________________________
W o o d w o r k in g a n d fu r n itu r e m a n u fa c tu r e :4
F u r n itu r e _______________________________________________
O th e r _____________________________________________ _____
P a p e r , p r in tin g , e t c . ------------ ----------------------------------------------B u ild in g , p u b lic -w o r k s c o n tr a c tin g , e tc .:
B r ic k la y e r s a n d m a s o n s __________________________ _____
C a rp en ters a n d jo in e r s _________________________________
P a in te r s a n d d e c o r a to r s________________________________
B u ild e r s ’ lab ore rs 3---------------------------------- --------------------O th e r ---------------------- -------------------------------------- -------------T r a n sp o r t a n d g e n e r a l lab or:
R a ilw a y s e r v ic e ________________________________________
W a te r tr a n s p o r t________________________________________
O th e r tr a n sp o r t (road, d o ck , e tc .) a n d g en era l la b o r ..

1
90
13

46,943
704,056
32,818

40, 767
703, 581
34,354

+ 1 5 .1
+ .1
- 4 .5

8

109,310

111,628

- 2 .1

80

743,156

687,740

+ 8 .1

164
19
6

256,763
19,276
22, 249

267, 712
20, 622
16, 504

-4 .1
- 6 .5
+ 3 4 .8

77

126,193

130, 641

-3 .4

6
13

98,126
104,653

97,068
97,275

+ 1 .1
+ 7 .6

9
20
25

33, 642
32,444
219,207

32,582
32,286
214,119

+ 3 .3
+ .5
+ 2 .4

4
1
5
4
17

73,602
137,853
56, 290
12, 267
62,018

69, 651
129, 214
52,423
11,584
58,103

+ 5 .7
+ 6 .7
+ 7 .4
+ 5 .9
+ 6 .7

7
11
19

487,07*9
75,168
1,192, 298

483,250
73,610
1 ,143,450

+ .8
+ 2 .1
+ 4 .3

See footnotes at end of table.
1 G r e a t B r ita in .

M in is t r y o f L a b o r G a z e tte , L o n d o n , S e p te m b e r 1939 (p p . 332, 333, 351).


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1123

1124

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

Trade-Union Statistics for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1937 and 1938—Con.

I n d u s t r y g ro u p 1

C o m m e r c e , d is tr ib u tio n , a n d fin an ce:
C o m m e r c e and d is tr ib u tio n *.................... ..........................
B a n k in g an d in s u r a n c e ...................................................
N a tio n a l G o v e r n m e n t .- ____ ________ _______ ____ _______ _
L ocal g o v e r n m e n t 6................. ..................................................
T e a c h in g . ____________ ________________________________ _____
E n te r ta in m e n ts an d s p o r t........... ......................................................
A ll o th e r _______________ __________________ ________

N um b er
of u n io n s
a t en d
o f 1938

12
20
246
33
25
13
73

M e m b e r s h ip a t e n d of—
1938

1937

279, 209
95,856
400.932
222,056
250, 359
34, 626
125,175

263,426
93,304
379,362
202, 270
248,090
30,353
118,078

P e r c e n t of
ch a n g e in
m em b er­
s h ip

+ 6 .0
+ 2 .7
+ 5 .7
+ 9 .8
+ .9
+ 1 4 .1
+ 6 .0

i T h e figures for th e in d iv id u a l g ro u p s are e x c lu siv e o f th e m e m b e r s h ip o f ce rta in large u n io n s, th e m e m ­
b e r sh ip o f w h ic h is sprea d o v e r a v a r ie ty of in d u str ie s; t h e w h o le m e m b e r s h ip o f t h e s e u n io n s is in c lu d e d
u n d e r “ O th er tr a n sp o r t a n d g en er a l la b o r” or “ C o m m e r c e a n d d is t r ib u t io n .”
’ T h e to ta l m e m b e r s h ip s h o w n for a ll tr a d e-u n io n s in c lu d e s th e m e m b e r s h ip o f b ra n ch es in E ir e a n d
o v er sea s (n u m b e r in g a b o u t 72,000 in 1938, of w h o m 38,000 w ere e n g in e e r s a n d o th e r m e ta lw o r k e r s, a n d
9,000 w ere r a ilw a y s e r v a n ts ), b u t w h o lly e x c lu d e s th e m e m b e r s h ip o f u n io n s w h o s e h ea d q u a rte rs are s itu a te d
o u tsid e G r ea t B r ita in a n d N o r th e r n I rela n d . T h e to ta ls in c lu d e a n u m b e r o f p erso n s w h o are m e m b e r s of
m o re th a n 1 u n io n , a n d are th erefo re c o u n te d m o re th a n o n ce in th e figures. T h e d u p lic a tio n is a lm o s t
e n tir e ly in th e “ N a tio n a l G o v e r n m e n t,” th e “ L ocal g o v e r n m e n t.” a n d th e “ T e a c h in g ” g ro u p s. W h ile
p r e c ise figures are n o t a sc e r ta in a b le , it is e s tim a te d th a t th e d u p lic a tio n in th e to ta l figures a m o u n ts to
a b o u t 25,000.
* T h e figu res for th is g ro u p a re e x c lu s iv e o f c o n sid e r a b le n u m b e r s o f w o r k p e o p le w h o are cla ssified u n d e r
“ O th er tra n sp o r t an d g en er a l la b o r .” ( S e e n o te 1.)
* E x c lu d in g c a r p e n ter s an d jo in er s, w h o are cla ssified u n d e r “ B u ild in g .”
* I n c lu d in g an im p o r ta n t u n io n (w ith a m e m b e r s h ip of o v e r 180,000 in 1938), w h ic h , in a d d itio n to a large
repr s e n ta tio n in th e d is tr ib u tiv e tra d es, has m e m b e r s in m a n y o th e r in d u str ie s , in c lu d in g so a p , p a in t
an d v a rn ish , fin e c h e m ic a l, se e d c r u sh in g , c lo th in g , food, to b a cco , tra n sp o r t, e tc .
8 A c o n sid era b le p ro p o rtio n of th e org a n ized m a n u a l w o rk ers in b oth th e tr a d in g a n d n o n tr a d in g s e r v ic e s
o f local a u th o r itie s are c la ssifie d u n d e r “ O th er tra n sp o r t a n d g en er a l la b o r .”


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Labor Conferences

M E E T IN G OF STATE LABOR OFFICIA LS, 1939
THE annual meeting of the International Association of Govern­
mental Labor Officials was held at Tulsa, Okla., September 7-9, 1939.
In his presidential address, Martin P. Durkin, Director of the
Illinois Department of Labor, pointed to the enactment of antilabor
legislation in a number of States, and the growing tendency to weaken
already existing labor standards.
The keynote of the committee reports was in similar vein. Many
of them emphasized the need to defend against encroachments or
lowering of existing standards so as to maintain the gains made during
recent years. The reports covered minimum wages, apprentice
training, women in industry, child labor (dealing with the activities
of United States Children’s Bureau under the provisions of the Fair
Labor Standards Act), wage-claim collections, home work, civil
service, and small-loans agencies.
It was pointed out that the loan-shark problem was worse west of
the Alleghenies than in the East, largely because the East had realized
the importance of controlling the evil and had passed regulatory
legislation. The 3 percent per month permitted in most of the
eastern States, high though that rate appeared to be, was reported
to be very much lower than the rates imposed and collected by loan
sharks in western States, which sometimes ran up to 1,300 percent
per year. Indicative of the size of the problem is the fact that in
1937 the total volume of small loans was estimated at about 450
million dollars.
Marshall E. Dimock, Assistant Secretary of the United States
Department of Labor, discussed the accomplishments and future of
that Department. Stressing the fact that the United States Depart­
ment of Labor had been the seedbed for many of the country’s major
programs, such as the CCC, the Social Security Law, the various
labor boards, the NRA, and part of the Public Works Program, Mr.
Dimock went on to point out that the Department, one of the smallest
in the Federal Government, was severely handicapped by a shortage
of funds. On the theory that the Federal Department of Labor should
be on the same level as the best State labor departments, he visualized
future expanded services to States and to the country at large if to the

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present activities of the Department were added workmen’s compensa­
tion, industrial-hygiene enforcement work, an augmented industrialrelations service, training and educational programs for workers, a
national employment service, social insurance, labor boards, railway
labor agencies, and a larger, well-trained general staff and an adequate
field organization.
Other addresses dealt with the work of labor-relations boards,
housing, the administration of unemployment compensation, enforce­
ment problems under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the work of the
International Labor Office, the function of State industrial-hygiene
units, and accident prevention.
The conference passed the following resolutions:
Centralized, Administration of Labor Laws
1. Whereas organized labor has largely through its own efforts secured the
enactment of the Wagner-Peyser Act and the Social Security Act; and
Whereas these laws and the institutions created under their provisions exist
for the purpose of affording some degree of protection to labor against the burden
of unemployment; and
Whereas labor properly regards these laws and the protection afforded by them
as labor’s rights and not as a dole bestowed on the basis of status; and
Whereas labor regards the departments of labor, both State and Federal, as
the proper agencies to protect and enforce its rights: Now therefore be it
Resolved, That the administration of the laws recognizing labor’s right to
employment security be vested solely in those agencies both State and Federal
charged with the enforcement and administration of laws to protect laboring
men and women; and be it further
Resolved, That where the administration of such laws is the responsibility of
other agencies, it should be returned to the departments of labor, whether State
or Federal.
International Labor Organization
2. Whereas the work carried out by the International Labor Office is non­
political; and
Whereas the work has demonstrated its usefulness to the member nations of
the International Labor Organization and to labor throughout the world:
Resolved, That the International Association of Governmental Labor Officials
hereby places itself on record as warmly urging the continued support of and
participation in the work of the International Labor Organization in time of war
as in time of peace.
Protection of Labor’s Rights in an Emergency 1
3. Whereas the International Association of Governmental Labor Officials is
strongly opposed to the participation by th s country in any foreign war; but
Whereas this association recognizes the possibility of emergency production
demands being placed upon labor and industry:
Resolved, That this association go on record as strongly urging that in the event
of such emergency:
(1) Labor be given adequate representation on all war industry and other
boards which affect labor’s interest.
(2) Labor standards built up over long periods of years be maintained and
safeguarded.
1 C a n a d ia n d e le g a te s a b sta in e d from v o tin g .


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(3)
The fundamental rights of collective bargaining, freedom of speech, freedom
of assembly, and peaceful persuasion be guaranteed just as in peace time.
4. In view of the appalling situation now facing the world:
Resolved, That the International Association of Governmental Labor Officials
recognizes the possibility of emergency production demands.
Resolved, That this association and its members will seek to recall to the
public mind:
(1) That the promotion of the general welfare is a foundation principle of our
Government;
(2) That many scientific studies have given repeated evidence that the well­
being of the workers is a primary condition of efficient production and of whole­
some national life;
(3) That previous war experience emphasized the importance of maintaining
adequate labor standards.
Resolved, That this association and its members will use every effort at their
command to maintain all standards in the labor field that have been built up both
by Federal and by State authorities, including those applying to all workers and
those applying especially to women.
Labor Relations
5. Whereas certain States have adopted anti-labor legislation which masquer­
ades under titles of Employment Peace Acts, and
Whereas such laws seriously infringe upon the civil rights of labor guaranteed
in the Constitution of the United States and formulated as substantive law by
the courts over the past 50 years; and
Whereas there appears to be a concerted effort now being made by those inter­
ests opposed to organized labor to enact similar legislation in other States: N ow
therefore be it
Resolved, That this association record itself as opposing the adoption of such
legislation by any State in which it may be proposed.
Child Labor
6. Whereas the report of the Committee on Child Labor has emphasized the
desirability of uniformity in State child-labor standards and the effectiveness of
Federal-State cooperation in the protection of young workers: Be it
Resolved, That the International Association of Governmental Labor Officials
reaffirm its support of:
(а) The amendment of State laws (1) to bring the State child-labor standards
for manufacturing and mining industries up to those of the Fair Labor Standards
Act; (2) to extend these standards to those types of employment not covered by
the Fair Labor Standards Act; (3) to provide for employment certificates for all
minors up to 18 years of age and for adequate supervision of the issuance of such
certificates by the State department of labor; (4) to regulate effectively the em­
ployment of children in street trades and in industrialized agriculture; and (5) to
extend State compulsory school-attendance laws to all children under 16 years of
age and to children between 16 and 18 years of age unless they are legally em­
ployed.
(б) The active cooperation of State labor departments with the Children’s
Bureau of the United States Department of Labor in the administration of the
child-labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
(c) An effective Nation-wide minimum standard for all child workers, to be
attained through the ratification of the pending Child Labor Amendment by
the necessary eight States.

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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

(.d) The development of more comprehensive State statistics on industrial
injuries and industrial diseases of young workers, with a view to providing sound
information as a basis for the determination of occupations hazardous for minors
under both State and Federal legislation; and be it further
Resolved, That in view of the present European conflict and regardless of
future development, that every effort be made to maintain existing child-labor
standards and to safeguard the rights of children to education, normal develop­
ment, and sane living.
7. Whereas the child-labor provisions of the Federal Fair Labor Standards
Act of 1938 provide that the Children’s Bureau may reimburse the States for
their assistance and in the enforcement of the child-labor provisions; and
Whereas many States are operating on curtailed appropriations which makes it
impossible adequately to enforce this added burden without Federal assistance:
Now therefore be it
Resolved, That the Children’s Bureau of the United States Department of
Labor rush to completion rules and regulations which will enable them to assist
the several States financially in the enforcement of the act above mentioned;
and be it further
Resolved, That the chairman of this convention appoint three (3) persons to
confer with officials of the Children’s Bureau and to assist in working out the
necessary procedure toward this end.
Minimum Wage Laws
8. Whereas this association has frequently gone on record as favoring the
extension of the benefits of minimum wage legislation; and
Whereas many of the States, which at present have minimum-wage laws, are
finding it difficult to bring under the protection of these laws all of the workers
eligible to their benefits, due to lack of funds properly to enforce additional wage
orders; and
Whereas due to unhappy world conditions, the cost of living of all workers will
undoubtedly increase during the next 12 months:
Resolved, That the International Association of Governmental Labor Officials
and its members will use every effort to secure adequate appropriations for State
minimum wage divisions, and where that is immediately impossible, will en­
deavor to secure such allocation of existing State labor department funds as will
enable the minimum wage divisions to expand their work so as properly to meet
the present crisis.
Safeguarding Machinery
9. Be it resolved, That this association places itself on record as strongly favoring
the full and complete safeguarding of machines by their manufacturers in the
process of manufacturing and further urges that all deterring conflicts in State and
other governmental safety codes, regulations, requirements, or practices be
resolved and eliminated; be it
Resolved, That the President appoint a committee of three to further this
movement among employers, manufacturers of machines, and governmental
agencies.
Extension of Social Security
10. Resolved, That the International Association of Governmental Labor
Officials favors the extension to the Territory of Puerto Rico of the provisions of
the Social Security Act providing for unemployment compensation and also of
the Wagner-Peyser Act relative to the establishment of an employment service.

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The officers elected for the following year are: President, Adam
Bell, Department of Labor,Victoria, British Columbia; first vice presi­
dent, Frieda S. Miller, Department of Labor, New York, N. Y.;
second vice president, Voyta Wrabetz, Industrial Commission, Madi­
son, Wis.; third vice president, E. I. McKinley, Department of Labor,
Little Rock, Ark.; fourth vice president, C. H. Gram, commissioner
of labor, Salem, Oreg.; fifth vice president, Morgan R. Mooney,
deputy commissioner, Hartford, Conn.; secretary-treasurer, Isador
Lubin, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, D. C.
M E E T IN G OF IN D U STR IA L A C C ID E N T BOARDS, 1939
THE twenty-sixth annual meeting of the International Association of
Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions was held at Milwaukee,
Wis., September 25-28, 1939.
The two keynotes discernible throughout most of the discussion
were (1) the desirability of accident prevention, and (2) the need for
adequate and comprehensive statistics to guide the administrators
of workmen’s compensation laws. In his opening address, President
V. Wrabetz, chairman, Wisconsin Industrial Commission, emphasized
that in spite of the great increase in the liberality of the Wisconsin
compensation law, insurance costs over a quarter century had risen
only 26 percent. This was attributed to effective accident preven­
tion. He also pointed out that the physical restoration of an injured
worker and his return to as nearly full earning capacity as possible
were of greater value to a worker than any amount of benefits he
might receive.
In tracing the developments under workmen’s compensation laws
to determine whether sight had been lost of the fundamental purposes,
V. A. Zimmer, secretary-treasurer of the organization and Director
of the Division of Labor Standards, United States Department of
Labor, concluded that present laws and administrative procedures
often failed to adhere to these fundamentals. For instance, permitting
employers to elect whether or not to come under the compensation
act often left injured workers or then- dependents unprotected in
cases of financially irresponsible employers who had elected not to
come under the act. Similarly, the speed of providing benefits to
injured workers in contested cases was often delayed by unnecessary
formal and legalistic procedures, for which courts were partly but
not entirely responsible.
In his paper on “What We Expect Under Workmen’s Compensa­
tion and What We Are Getting,” Joseph A. Padway, counsel, American
Federation of Labor, outlined the A. F. of L. attitude towards work­
men’s compensation. He advocated an expansion of coverage to
include professional workers as well as industrial workers, and the

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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

removal of numerical exemptions. Greater uniformity in State laws
was urged, with compensation at 70 percent of the weekly wage and
a maximum limit of $25 per week. Stress was also laid on the need
for removal of limitations on medical benefits to injured, and the
desirability of providing compensation for disabled workers being
rehabilitated in a new occupation.
Other papers dealt with the trends of minimum and maximum
benefit limitations, statistical aids for compensation administrators,
hazards of older workers, preemployment examinations for workers,
the control of medical fees, the participation of industrial commissions
in the setting of premium rates, and rehabilitation.
The officers elected for the following year are: President, W. H.
Nickels, Jr., of the Industrial Commission of Virginia; vice president,
C. K. Newcombe, of the Workmen’s Compensation Board of Manitoba,
Canada; secretary-treasurer, V. A. Zimmer, of the Division of Labor
Standards, United States Department of Labor.

ANNUAL CONVENTIONS OF A. F. OF L. AND C. I. O.
American Federation of Labor
THE keynote of the fifty-ninth convention of the American Federation
of Labor, held in Cincinnati on October 3 to 13, was supplied by the
report of the executive council of the federation indicating a further
large increase in the paid-up membership of the unions affiliated with
the federation. The total membership of the American Federation
of Labor, as reported to the convention, advanced from 3,623,087 in
August 1938, to 4,006,354 in August 1939. This was an increase of
383,267 members in 1 year. Since the suspension of the C. I. O.
unions, the membership of the American Federation of Labor is re­
ported to have increased by over 1,566,000. In August 1939 it was
only slightly smaller than the peak of 4,078,740 registered in 1920.
The largest increase (about 40,800) in the paid-up membership was
reported by the teamsters’ union. The 1939 membership of this union
(350,000) was nearly five times as large as its reported membership
in 1933. Other international and national unions reporting increases
of 10,000 or more members were:
E s tim a te d , in cre a se
i n m e m b e r s h ip ,
1938 to 1939

Bakery and Confectionery Workers’ International Union______________
Retail Clerks’ International Protective Association____________________
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers______________________
International Union of Operating Engineers__________________________
Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen________________________________
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees_________________

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10,
18,
25,
28,
10,
14,

900
600
000
800
800
200

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The federation received a letter from President Roosevelt, urging
peace in the labor movement. Mr. Green’s reply, approved by the
convention, stated that the committee appointed by the A. F. of L.
to negotiate peace with the C. I. O. was ready to resume negotiations
whenever a conference should be called by the C. I. O.
The convention reiterated its decision of last year with regard to
the National Labor Relations Board. By a large majority the con­
vention voted to oppose the Board and to favor the amendments to
the Labor Relations Act sponsored by the A. F. of L. at the last session
of Congress.
By resolution the convention requested that labor be given repre­
sentation on all boards appointed by the Administration to deal with
the emergency created by the European crisis. The convention also
heard an extensive report on the unemployment situation in the United
States. Several important resolutions were adopted, including those
favoring a shorter workweek, improvement of the civil-service system,
greater representation of labor on State and Federal Government
boards, and extension of the benefits of the Social Security Act to
agricultural workers.
Among the major problems confronted by the convention was the
status of the International Typographical Union. In 1938 the
delegates of that union were seated by the convention in spite of the
fact that the I. T. U. had not paid the assessment of 1 cent per month
imposed on the membership of the A. F. of L. since the Denver
convention in 1937. This year, however, because of the continuous
refusal by the I. T. U. to pay the assessment, the convention refused
to seat its delegates and at the meeting following the close of the
convention the Executive Council announced the suspension of that
union from the federation.
Another problem before the convention was the dispute between
the teamsters and brewery workers on jurisdiction over brewery
drivers. In 1933 the convention directed the brewery workers to
transfer the brewery drivers to the teamsters’ organization. The
brewery workers in 1939 obtained an injunction from a Federal
court restraining the teamsters’ union and the executive council of
the American Federation of Labor from interfering with the brewery
workers’ jurisdiction over brewery drivers. At this year’s convention
the executive council recommended the suspension of the Brewery
Workers’ Union unless it complied with the 1933 decision. After
prolonged debate, President Green was authorized to appoint a special
committee to study the situation and report its findings to the January
session of the executive council. If no decision is made by that time,
the executive council has been authorized to proceed with the sus­
pension of the Brewery Workers’ Union.
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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

Probably the most dramatic event of the convention was the sudden
announcement by secretary-treasurer Frank Morrison that he was
not a candidate for reelection for the ensuing year. Mr. Morrison,
who is 80 years old, has held office since 1897, first as secretary and
then as secretary-treasurer of the federation. The convention
voted to elect him as secretary-treasurer emeritus with an annual
income of $6,000. George Meany, president of the New York State
Federation of Labor, was elected to succeed Mr. Morrison.
Mr. Morrison’s resignation was followed by the resignation of
Frank Duffy as first vice president of the federation, also on grounds
of age. The convention elected as his successor William Hutcheson,
president of the Carpenters and Joiners’ Union. The other members
of the executive council were reelected to their respective offices.
The 1940 convention of the American Federation of Labor will
meet in November in New Orleans, La.
Congress of Industrial Organizations
“Organizing the unorganized” was the slogan of the C. I. O con­
vention held at San Francisco, October 10-13, just as it was in 1935
when the C. I. O. was first organized. The proceedings of the con­
vention as well as the policy and plans of action for the coming year
were largely motivated by this position.
No figures of membership or of the financial status of the C. I. O.
were released this year. This was done upon the advice of counsel
because the C. I. O. is defendant in court proceedings against a number
of affiliated unions. It was reported, however, that the combined
membership of the C. I. O. affiliates was approximately 4,000,000.
As an indication of progress in the organization work of the C. I. O.,
the report of President John L. Lewis stressed the success of the
United Mine Workers of America in establishing the union shop
throughout the bituminous-coal and anthracite industries; the ex­
pansion of activities and the strengthening of the organization work
of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers; and the further extension of
collective bargaining in the steel industry by the Steel Workers’
Organizing Committee, which now has over 600 contracts covering
more than half a million steel workers. Substantial progress in organi­
zation work was reported by several other unions.
The C. I. O. convention, like that of the A. F. of L., was concerned
with the possible dangers to organized labor because of the war crisis
and resolved to demand labor representation on emergency war boards
appointed by the Administration.
Following his letter to the A. F. of L., President Roosevelt sent a
similar communication to the C. I. O., requesting it to renew negotia­
tions looking toward peace in the labor movement. President Lewis
instructed the secretary of the convention to make an appropriate

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reply to this letter. The convention adopted a resolution on labor
unity, recommending “that the negotiation committee be continued
and authorized to exercise its discretion in any future negotiations.”
There was no debate from the floor on this question.
The attitude of the C. I. O. toward the National Labor Relations
Board was considerably different from that of last year, when it
adopted a resolution against amending or in any way interfering with
the act or the Board. The report of President Lewis and several
delegates to the convention strongly criticised recent decisions of the
Board and urged that the C. I. 0. unions abstain as much as possible
from using its services. The debate made it clear, however, that the
convention did not favor amendment of the National Labor Relations
Act but was merely calling for adjustments to define the objectives
of the act and to modify the policy of the Board with reference to the
unit rule in collective bargaining.
The United States Department of Labor was also criticised in a
resolution, on the ground that “it has failed to make itself the vigorous
champion of the wage earners but has instead assumed the role of
adjuster and compromiser in contravention to its original purposes.”
Among the important resolutions adopted by the C. I. O. was one
in favor of political action through Labor’s Non-Partisan League,
another against the recent antilabor legislation in certain States,
notably Oregon, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, and by the
Congress of the United States (as represented by the W. P. A. Appro­
priation Act). Technological unemployment, the rise in the cost of
living, problems of social security and civil liberty, and discrimination
against the Negro workers in the South were the subject matter of
some of the other resolutions.
The constitution of the C. I. O. was amended, authorizing the elec­
tion of six vice presidents instead of two. It was also decided to place
the office of secretary-treasurer on a regular annual salary to be paid
by the C. I. O. The six vice presidents elected were: Sidney Hillman,
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America; Philip Murray, Steel
Workers Organizing Committee; R. G. Thomas, United Automobile
Workers; Sherman H. Dalrymple, United Rubber Workers; Reid
Robinson, Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers’ International Union;
Emil Rieve, Textile Workers’ Union of America. John L. Lewis, of
the United Mine Workers, and James B. Carey, of the Electrical
Radio and Machine Workers of America, were reelected president
and secretary-treasurer, respectively, of the C. I. O.
Common Ground
In spite of the apparently irreconcilable position taken by the
two organizations on such problems as the National Labor Relations

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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

Board and political action by labor, the attitude and the decisions
of the A. F. of L. and C. I. O. on a large number of other important
labor problems were very similar. Both organizations regarded the
unemployment situation in the United States as labor’s number one
problem. The committee on the shorter workweek, appointed by the
American Federation of Labor, submitted an analysis of unemploy­
ment in the United States since the depression. Its report dealt with
national income, purchasing power of the workers, and technological
unemployment, and recommended that the American Federation of
Labor concentrate its energies on obtaining the establishment of a
5-day, 30-hour week, as the only practical solution for the unemploy­
ment situation in the United States. Another resolution called for a
thorough study of labor productivity and costs of production in indus­
try, in order to determine the facts on technological displacement of
labor. The C. I. O. was also greatly concerned with the unemploy­
ment situation, particularly technological unemployment, and one of
its resolutions called for a thorough study of the problem and for a
gradual shortening of the workweek without reduction in the weekly
pay, with a view to the ultimate establishment of a national 5-day,
30-hour workweek.
The two conventions took a uniform position with regard to the
recent State antilabor legislation; both called for the extension of labor
representation on State and Federal boards and particularly on boards
dealing with the question of war; both passed resolutions in favor of
improving the civil-service system; and both condemned the system of
poll taxes used in the South to disfranchise Negro workers. The
C. I. O. appointed a committee of appeals to deal with jurisdictional
problems. The A. F. of L. had before it a resolution favoring the
appointment of a special tribunal to adjust jurisdictional disputes,
although this resolution failed of passage.
It is significant to note that the principal present-day problems
confronting American labor and outlined by the C. I. O. were precisely
the same problems which also received serious consideration by the
A. F. of L. These were to the effect—
1. That organized labor is emphatically opposed to any involvement of the
United States in the European war.
2. That labor demands the right of adequate representation on all governmental
boards and agencies set up to cope with the war situation and to mobilize national
defense.
3. That the real wages of American workers must not be allowed to suffer from
rising living costs, and that every effort must be made to stop profiteering and to
adjust wage levels to rising prices.
4. That preoccupation with foreign affairs must not be allowed to detract
attention from unemployment and other pressing problems of internal economic
insecurity.
5. That more than usual viligance must be exercised to guard existing labor
and social legislation and democratic rights against curtailment under the pretext of
emergency considerations.


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Labor Laws and Court Decisions

PENNSYLVANIA LAW R E Q U IR IN G
OF ALIENS

R EG ISTR A TIO N

AT THE 1939 session of the Pennsylvania Legislature, a law was
enacted (No. 304) which requires the registration of certain aliens with
the department of labor and industry. This act is one of the first
of its kind in the United States. In 1931, a measure was passed in
Michigan which, among other things, required aliens to obtain a
certificate of residence. The act was held unconstitutional by a
district court of that State shortly after its enactment. Also, in
Connecticut and Florida the governor has been authorized under
certain circumstances to require the registration of aliens. A bill
similar to the Pennsylvania statute was introduced recently in the
New Jersey Legislature, but failed of passage.
The Pennsylvania act provides that during the month of December
1939, and of each year thereafter, aliens 18 years of age or over,
residing in the State, must register with the department of labor and
industry. The act does not apply, however, to an alien whose son or
daughter has served in the service of the United States during any
war, or who has filed an application declaring his intention to become
an American citizen. In the case of an alien who has made an applica­
tion, but has failed to become naturalized within 3 years thereafter,
the act is applicable. An alien is not required to register who has
resided continuously in the United States since December 31, 1908,
and has never been convicted of any criminal offense in a court of
record. Every alien becoming a resident of Pennsylvania after
January 1, 1940, must register with the department within 30 days.
The registration must show the name, age, address, occupation,
name of employer, characteristics of appearance, name of the wife or
husband, if any, names of all children under 18 residing with the alien,
and such other information and details as the department of labor and
industry may direct. For each registration, the person registered
must pay a fee of $1, and will receive an alien identification card,
which must be carried at all times and exhibited upon demand by
any police officer or agent of the department.
Again, no alien, unless he is exempted under the provisions of the
act, may be given a license to operate a motor vehicle or have a motor
vehicle registered in his name, unless he first exhibits an alien identifi
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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

cation card for the current registration period. The department of
labor and industry is required to classify registrations and furnish
copies to the Pennsylvania motor police. All records must be retained
for a period of 3 years. The department is empowered to make and
enforce rules and regulations to carry into effect and enforce the pro­
visions of the act.
For failure to register or to carry the identification card, the act
provides a penalty. Anyone who comes within the purview of the
law and who fails to register within any of the periods required shall,
upon conviction, pay a fine of not more than $100 or be subject to
imprisonment for not more than 60 days, or both. An alien who is
required to be registered and fails to carry his alien identification
card, or fails or refuses to exhibit the card when required to do so,
shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than
$10 or be imprisoned for not more than 10 days, or both.
*#######
COURT D EC ISIO N S OF IN T E R E S T TO LABOR
Wages and Hours Act Held Constitutional by District Court
IN A CASE involving the applicability of the Fair Labor Standards
Act to sugar producers, the United States District Court of Puerto
Rico held that the wage and hour provisions of the act are constitu­
tional. The court declared that these provisions are valid, as they
are not beyond the power of Congress under the commerce clause of
the Constitution. In connection with sugar producers, it was pointed
out that the act does not “regulate the intrastate activity of the
preparation of sugar cane for the market,” since the producers pro­
duce raw sugar for interstate commerce.
The court was also of the opinion that the wage and hour provisions
of the act, as applied to sugar producers, do not violate the due-process
clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
It was contended that the operations of the sugar producers under the
wage and hour provisions of the act would result in a net loss, but the
court, in response to this contention, declared that such loss would
not be sufficient to establish a lack of due process. It was observed
in this connection that the price of sugar fluctuates, and that “the
price of sugar, more than the provisions of this act, would account for
operating losses or profits.” {Bowie v. Claiborne.)
Steel Wage Determination Held Invalid by Court of Appeals
A wage determination by the Secretary of Labor under the Public
Contracts Act (Walsh-Healey Law) has been held invalid by the United
States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. This law
requires that certain labor standards be maintained on Government

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work. It provides for the payment of not less than the prevailing
minimum wage as determined by the Secretary of Labor for similar
work in the “locality” where the work is to be carried on.
An order had been issued applicable to the iron and steel industry,
effective as of March 1, 1939, establishing a wage rate in six localities of
the United States. One such locality comprised 14 States and the
District of Columbia, extending from Maine to Ohio and Kentucky.
The Secretary of Labor fixed a minimum wage of 62V2 cents an hour in
this “locality.” Several companies with plants in this area attacked
the order. They were denied relief in the lower court, but the Court
of Appeals for the District of Columbia reversed this decision and
held that an injunction should have been granted. The opinion
recently rendered by a 3-judge court, although divided, upheld the
contention of the complaining companies. The court said that the
order was not only unwarranted but “incongruous,” and that such an
order was calculated to defeat rather than to accomplish the purposes
of the act. The decision was based on the ground that the word
“locality” as used in the act did not mean large geographical areas
with widely diverse interests. It was pointed out that the word
“locality” in ordinary usage was similar to “place, vicinity, neighbor­
hood, and community,” and that it was a word of limited meaning.
It was contended by the Secretary of Labor that the determination
was valid because the word “locality” was of somewhat indefinite
meaning, and its interpretation involved the exercise of discretion by
the Secretary, not subject to the control of the courts. In answer to
this argument, the court said: “It is true that within the proper limits
of the meaning of ‘locality/ the Secretary is required by the statute
to exercise judgment and discretion; but the determination in this case
goes so far beyond any proper application of the word as to defeat
its meaning and to constitute an attempt arbitrarily to disregard the
statutory mandate.”
In the dissenting opinion it was thought that the suit should have
been dismissed on the ground that it was in substance one against
the United States, and therefore not maintainable without the consent
of the Government. The dissenting opinion also pointed out that
statutes in regard to the making of Government contracts were in­
tended for the benefit of the Government, and not the contractors or
bidders, and therefore a bidder could not complain of the failure of a
public officer to comply with the statutes relative to the making of
contracts. (Lukens Steel Co. v. Perkins.)
Lncorporation of Labor Unions
A newly organized labor union had the right to incorporate in New
York, according to a decision of the State Supreme Court for Albany
County. This decision was based on the ground that the union was

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1138

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

composed of workers who were not dominated nor influenced by em­
ployers and that the certificate of incorporation on its face disclosed
no purpose in conflict with the public policy of the State.
In holding that the State board of standards and appeals should
have approved the certificate of incorporation, the court ruled that the
board had no right to withhold approval on the ground that other
labor unions opposed incorporation as “harmful to existing labor
units.” After pointing out that “labor organizations may be freely
organized in this State and freely incorporated if their purpose is not
in conflict with the public policy as expressed by the legislature,” the
court declared that “existing labor organizations have no such vested
interest in the field as by opposition to exclude the organization of new
units free from the interference or domination of employers.” {Purdy
v. Picard.)
Suits Against Unincorporated Labor Unions
An unincorporated labor union was recently held to be subject to
suit for wrongful death alleged to have been caused by an employee of
the union. The Maryland Superior Court of Baltimore City ruled
that such an action could be brought either against the individual
members of the union or against the union as an entity, under a State
statute which provides that every unincorporated association having a
recognized group name may sue or be sued. It was also held that the
members of an unincorporated trade-union or other association are
liable for the wrongful acts of an agent performed within the scope of
his authority, and this even as to members having no knowledge of
such acts nor directing or approving them.
The court declared that this right of action existed at common law
against the individual members, but that a judgment could be satisfied
only out of the common property and not out of the other property of
the members. The Maryland statute “did not destroy such commonlaw right of action,” it was said, but “the injured person has the option
to sue either the members of the association, or the association itself.”
In this connection, the court observed that “the statute was enacted
because the procedure under the common-law rule of proceeding
against the members and collecting the judgment out of the common
property had proved cumbersome and troublesome.” (State oj Mary­
land v. Amalgamated Clothing Workers oj America.)
Secondary Boycott Held Disorderly Conduct
The New York Court of Appeals held in a recent decision that
picketing which constituted a “secondary boycott” was unlawful, and
that the pickets were guilty of disorderly conduct. In this case store
owners had electric signs erected by members of one union. Members

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Labor Laws and Court Decisions

1139

of another union picketed the store, carrying signs which stated that
the maintenance of the electric signs on the premises was unfair to
their union. The court declared that “there was no more right to
picket their store than to picket the home or store of any other person
who happened to buy nonunion material or goods from a rival union,”
and that these acts constituted disorderly conduct, in spite of the fact
that a lower court had held the picketing to be peaceful and free from
disorder. (People v. Bellows, 22 N. E. (2d) 238.)
Injunction in Absence of Employer-Etnployee Dispute
The Anti-Injunction Act of Washington has been held by the State
supreme court not to bar the issuance of an injunction against a labor
union engaged in picketing for the purpose of coercing an employer to
compel the employees to join the union. In this case a husband and
wife owned and operated a small business establishment with the aid
of two employees, who were not members of the union. The owners
had previously contracted with the union, but as a result of a dispute
under the contract, the union had picketed their place of business.
Such picketing, however, had been discontinued and the contract
had expired prior to the commencement of the picketing involved in
this case.
In its decision, the court observed that there was no dispute between
the proprietors of the business and the employees, and therefore no
labor dispute existed. It was not clear from the record, the court
said, whether the purpose of the picketing was to coerce the husband
and wife to compel their two employees to join the union, or whether
its purpose was to punish them for failing to live up to the terms of the
contract while it was in effect. “In either event,” the court declared,
“the picketing was not lawful.” This conclusion was predicated on a
prior decision holding that in the absence of a controversy between an
employer and his employees, a third party could not picket the busi­
ness for the purpose of coercing the employer to induce or persuade the
employees to become members of the union. (Fornili v. Auto Me­
chanics’ Union, 93 Pac. (2d) 422.)
Constitutionality of Virginia Insurance Law
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Vir­
ginia recently held constitutional the statute of that State requiring
that insurance contracts, with certain exceptions, be made through
registered resident agents, who shall not pay more than one-half of
the commission to licensed nonresident brokers. This decision is of
importance in connection with the workmen’s compensation act, as
in many cases large concerns will have to pay an increased cost for
workmen’s compensation insurance.

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1140

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

In upholding the validity of this statute, the court pointed out
that prior to the enactment of this law, Virginia casualty and surety
companies not doing business on a national scale could not compete
with large foreign corporations, since the small domestic companies
were unable to offer reduced premiums on interstate contracts with
Virginia coverage included. Virginia merchants, industrialists, and
business men were discriminated against, it was said, as they were
required to pay more for their Virginia insurance than their large
competitors “who buy hotchpotch policies outside the State.” For
these reasons, the court concluded that “the requirements imposed
by the act of 1938 upon the plaintiffs with regard to contracts of insur­
ance made outside of Virginia are not beyond the jurisdiction of the
State,” and that “the provisions of the act are not arbitrary and
unreasonable or in violation of the Federal Constitution.” (Osborne
v. Ozlin, 29 Fed. Supp. 71.)
Workmen's Compensation Act Not Applicable to Pilots
The Workmen’s Compensation Act of Washington was held by the
supreme court of that State not to be applicable to airplane pilots,
copilots, stewardesses, and other employees of an air-transport com­
pany engaged in actual flying. The court declared that the extrahazardous employments listed in the act do not include such oc­
cupations.
In support of this ruling, the court discussed the history of the
statute, and pointed out that when it was originally enacted in 1911 it
was not applicable to airplane pilots and other persons engaged in
flying, since transport by air at that time had not reached the com­
mercial stage. In 1923, however, the act was amended to include air­
plane pilots and instructors. In 1937 the act was again amended,
and this classification was omitted, but the classifications of airplane
manufacturing, and teaming, truck driving, and motor delivery were
added. It was the opinion of the court that this omission of the classi­
fication of airplane pilots and instructors required a holding that such
employees were no longer covered by the act, and that neither the
classification of airplane manufacturing nor the classification of
“motor delivery” included employees engaged solely in flying. In
an Oklahoma case compensation was granted to a pilot, but the
court observed, in this connection, that the employee in that case
was both a mechanic and an instructor in flying, whereas the instant
case involved employees whose duties were exclusively confined to
flight operations. (State ex rel. Northwest Airlines , Inc. v. Hoover,
93 Pac. (2d) 346.)


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Industrial Disputes

T R E N D OF STRIK ES
PRELIMINARY estimates indicate a substantial drop in strike
activity in September 1939 as compared with August. There were
about 175 new strikes in September and around 235 in August—a
reduction of 20 percent. The number of workers involved in Septem­
ber strikes was smaller than in any preceding month of the year,
about 45 percent fewer than in August. The reduction in man-daysidle (17 percent) was less, due to the fact that several fairly large
strikes which began in August continued into September.
Trend of Strikes, 1933 to September 1939 1
W o rk ers in v o lv e d in
str ik e s

N u m b e r o f str ik e s

Y e a r a n d m o n th

C on­
tin u e d
from
p rec ed ­
ing
m o n th

B e g in ­
n in g in
m o n th
or year

In prog­
ress
d u rin g
m o n th

E n ded
in
m o n th

M a n -d a y s
id le d u r ­
in g m o n th
In effect B e g in n in g In p rogress
or y ea r
d a r in g
a t end of in m o n th
m o n th
or y ear
m o n th

19S8

J a n u a r y ..------- ------------F e b r u a r y ---------------------A p r i l _________________
J u lv __________ _____
A u g u s t ___________ _____
S e p te m b e r -------- ----------O c to b e r _______________
N o v e m b e r ____ ________
D e c e m b e r ...........................

120
129
147
175
195
205
179
172
162
150
165
133

168
198
274
281
300
219
208
262
222
256
207
177

288
327
421
456
495
424
387
434
384
406
372
310

159
ISO
246
261
290
245
215
272
234
241
239
190

129
147
175
195
205
179
172
162
150
165
133
120

35,329
53,175
56, 759
78, 666
83,029
52, 801
50, 193
48,378
96, 399
52, 703
43, 128
37,816

55,850
77,486
105,962
110,950
124,682
95,854
85,672
81,052
133,357
113,074
75,445
62,160

473,289
514,111
767, 856
838,158
1 ,174,052
871,002
776, 237
830, 987
989, 916
842,202
557,903
512, 560

120
126
122
138
148
138
116
136
155

178
179
196
226
221
203
188
235
175

298
305
318
364
369
341
304
371
300

172
183
180
216
231
225
168
216
200

126
122
138
148
138
116
136
155
130

49,963
66,853
41,824
391,129
92, 603
57, 633
170,186
65.000
36.000

71,231
86,168
62,336
419,495
452, 564
122, 340
204,757
95.000
90.000

513,150
536,010
600, 527
4 ,876,744
3, 515, 731
936,335
1,1 3 7 .0 2 5
900.000
750.000

1939

J a n u a r y _______________
F e b r u a r y ______________
M a r c h ............. ........ .............

J u ly ___________________
A u g u s t i ______________
S e p te m b e r 1___________

16,872,128
19, 591,949
15, 456,337
13,901,956
28,424,857
9 ,1 4 8 ,2 7 3

1,168. 272
1,466, 695
1,117,213
788,648
1,860, 621
688,376

1,695
1.856
2,014
2,172
4, 740
2,7 7 2

1933
1924

1 S tr ik e s in v o lv in g few er th a n 6 w o rk ers or la s tin g less th a n 1 d a y are n o t in c lu d e d in th is ta b le nor in
th e fo llo w in g ta b le s. N o t ic e s or le a d s regard in g strik es are o b ta in e d b y th e B u r e a u from m o re th a n 650
d a ily p apers, labor p apers, an d tra d e jo u rn a ls, a s w e ll as from a ll G o v e r n m e n t la b o r b o a rd s. B e tte r s are
w r itte n to r e p r e se n ta tiv e s of p a rtie s in th e d is p u te s a sk in g for d e ta ile d a n d a u th e n tic in fo r m a tio n . S in ce
a n sw e r s to s o m e of th e se le tte r s h a v e n o t y e t b een re ceiv e d , th e figu res g iv e n for th e la te m o n th s are n o t
fin a l. T h is is p a r tic u la r ly tr u e w it h regard to fig u res for th e la s t 2 m o n th s , a n d th e s e sh o u ld be co n sid ered
as p r e lim in a r y e s tim a te s .
. . . .


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1141

1142

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

As compared with September a year ago, the figures for September
1939 indicate reductions of 21 percent in number of strikes, 63 percent
in number of workers involved, and 24 percent in man-days of idleness.
Figures given for August and September in the preceding table are
preliminary estimates based on newspaper reports and other informa­
tion available as this goes to press. An analysis of strikes in each of
these months, based on detailed and verified information, will appear
in subsequent issues of the Monthly Labor Review.

ST R IK ES IN JU LY 1939 1
DETAILED information has been obtained concerning 187 strikes
which began in July in private industry, involving about 47,000
workers. In addition to these disturbances, there were about 123,000
workers involved in stoppages on WPA projects. These stoppages
are counted in this report as one unit, making a total of 188 strikes
beginning in July, involving 170,000 workers. These strikes, plus
116 which continued into July from preceding months, made a total
of 304 strikes in progress during the month. Approximately 205,000
workers were involved in these strikes and they were idle for a total
of about 1,137,000 man-days during July.
W P A stoppages.—The widespread stoppages on WPA projects
were in protest against the abandonment of the prevailing wage
policy in the new relief appropriation bill passed by Congress for the
fiscal year 1939-40. The building trades unions were especially
opposed, as they felt that abandonment of the prevailing-wage prin­
ciple would affect union wage scales on private construction as well
as on WPA projects. In many of the cities the protest stoppages of
work on WPA projects were led by the local building trades councils.
Immediately after the stoppages occurred, the Work Projects
Administration announced that it would enforce its regulation that
all workers who absented themselves from work for 5 days would be
dropped from the WPA rolls. The result was that many workers
were out only a short time, returning to work within the 5-day limit.
Thousands of others remained away more than 5 days and were
dropped from the rolls. As workers returned in some places, new
protest stoppages developed in others so that the demonstrations
continued until after the middle of July.
Some violence developed in connection with the protests in Min­
neapolis, and all WPA projects in the city were closed indefinitely
July 14. With the protests at an end in most of the other cities,
work was resumed July 21 on Minneapolis projects with the underi D e ta ile d in fo r m a tio n o n a fe w s tr ik e s h a s n o t y e t b e e n r e c e iv e d .
D a t a o n m is s in g s tr ik e s w ill b e in c lu d e d in th e a n n u a l r e p o r t.


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(S e e fo o tn o te to p r e c e d in g ta b le .)

1143

Industrial Disputes

standing that all workers previously employed, even though they had
been away from their jobs 5 days or more, would be assigned to work
as quickly as possible, provided that they had not engaged in any
violence or illegal activities in connection with the demonstration,
and would individually sign affidavits to that effect.
The number of WPA workers who were idle for 1 or more days in
connection with these stoppages was about 123,000. Many more
than this were idle for a part of a day due to various mass meetings
and short demonstrations which were held in protest against the
new WPA regulations.
Excluding the WPA stoppages, there were more strikes (30) in
July on building and construction projects than in any other industry
group. There were 25 in the textile industries. 17 each in the lumber
and allied products group, the food industries, and transportation,
and 13 in retail and wholesale trade.
Aside from the WPA stoppages, the greatest number of workers
involved in the July strikes were in the textile industries (15,700),
automobile manufacturing (9,300), and building and construction
(5,400); the most man days of idleness because of strikes were in
automobile manufacturing (171,000), textiles (110,000), and mining
(82,000). The strike of C. I. O. tool and die makers in several plants
of the General Motors Corporation accounted principally for the
high figures in automobile manufacturing. This strike began July 5
and was settled by agreement August 3.
T

able

1.— Strikes in Ju ly 1939, by Industry
B e g in n in g in
J u ly

I n d u s tr y

A ll in d u s tr ie s ................... . ............................................. - -----------------------Iro n a n d s t e e l a n d th e ir p r o d u c ts, not in c lu d in g m a c h in e r y ...

O th er

......................... .............................................................


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I n p rogress
d u r in g J u ly

M and a y s id le
d u r in g
J u ly
N u m ­ W o r k e r s N u m ­ W o rk er s
in v o lv e d
ber
in v o lv e d
b er
170,186

304

204,757

1137, 025

5
1
1
1

904
240
255
16

1

353

1,795
240
255
16
28
492
9
755

11, 847
1,200
765
48
700
3,4 4 4
45
5,645

188

1

40

9
1
1
1
1
2
1
2

5
1
2
2

493
106
255
132

16
5
7
4

2,837
919
832
1,086

30,444
12,281
9,4 0 0
8,7 6 3

4

9,319

4

9,3 19

6
1
5

11,050
765
10,285

183,223
12, 000
171,223

2

1,183

1
1

23
1,160

8
1
1
1
2
1
1
1

2,336
554
400
18
83
1,160
21
100

34, 693
11,080
6,096
360
1,522
13,920
315
1,400

1144

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939
T a b le 1.— Strikes in July 1939, by Industry— C on tin u ed
B e g in n in g in
J u ly
I n d u s tr y

L u m b e r an d a llie d p r o d u c ts ____
F u r n itu r e ........................................
M ill w ork a n d p l a n i n g . . ........
S a w m ills an d log g in g c a m p s
O th e r _________________ _______
S tone, clay, an d g la ss p r o d u c ts ................. ...............
B r ic k , t ile , an d terra c o tta ............ ................... ..
M a r b le , g r a n ite , s la te , a n d o th er p r o d u c ts
O th e r ...... ............................................................. ..........
T e x tile s a n d th e ir p ro d u c ts_________
F ab rics:
C o tto n g o o d s ...........................
C o tto n sm a ll w a r e s ............
S ilk an d ra y o n g o o d s ______
W o o le n a n d w o r ste d go o d s.
O th e r ..............................................
W e a r in g apparel:
C lo th in g , m e n ’s ........ ...............
C lo th in g , w o m e n ’s . . ............
M e n ’s fu r n is h in g s_________
H a ts , cap s, and m il lin e r y ..
S h ir ts an d c o lla r s __________
H o s i e r y . . .............. .....................
O th e r ................... ..........................
L eath er a n d its m a n u fa ctu res.
B o o ts a n d sh o e s __________
L e a th e r .......... ....................... . .
O th er le a th e r g o o d s ...........

I n p rogress
d u r in g J u ly

Man-

d a y s id le
d u r in g
N u m ­ W o rk ers N u m - W ork ers
J u ly
in v o lv e d
ber
ber
in v o lv e d
17
4
5
5
3

2,155
633
284
697
541

25
7
7
5

4, 439
676
884
2,042
837

62, 234
6,985
13,950
33, 247
8,0 5 2

5
3
1
1

462
330
65
67

6
3
1
2

596
330
65
201

7, 328
2,390
715
4, 221

6

25

15, 761

42

19, 190

110,126

4

2,873

9

5,039

44,665
105
10, 645
3,542
4,5 3 0

1

21

1

21

4
3
3

2,059
1,366
426

6
3
4

2,186
1,366
434

3 6,102
2 1,035
2
950
1
25
1
762
1
142

6
5
3
1
1
2
1

6,342
1,092
956
25
762
367
600

20, 280
3,410
8,818
75
5,334
2, 722

4
3

6
4

897
824
62

7 ,5 1 6
6,564
930

804
793

1
1

1

11

Food an d k in d r e d p r o d u c ts .................
B a k in g .....................................................
B e v e r a g e s _______________________
B u t t e r ......... ............................................
C a n n in g an d p r e s e r v in g ..............
C o n fe c tio n e r y . ...................................
F lo u r an d grain m ills ___________
S la u g h te r in g an d m e a t p a ck in g .
O t h e r . . . . _____________ _______ _

17

1,812
251

23

8

2

1
1
3
2

190
32
1,213
87

4
3

P a p e r a n d p r in tin g .......... ..........................
B o x e s, p a p e r ........................................
P a p e r an d p u lp ______ _____ _____
P r in tin g an d p u b lis h in g N e w sp a p e r s a n d p erio d ica ls.
O th e r _________ _____ _____________

4

165

5

1

48

1

2
1

C h e m ic a ls a n d a llie d p r o d u c ts.
C h e m ic a ls ....................................
F e r t iliz e r s ................................
P a in ts a n d v a r n is h e s .............
P e tr o le u m r e fin in g ________
R a y o n a n d a llie d p r o d u c ts.
S o a p ____ _____ ______ _____
O th e r ____ ________ _________

3

6,000

11

22

2,186
251
82
31
132
190
129
1,238
133

15, 234
2,096
1,616
31
2,400
3,800
646
3,168
1,477

1

844
679
48

18,810
16,975
576

39
78

2

39
78

713
546

1
1

253
45
15

1

193

8
1
1
1
2
1
1
1

1,811
45
15
44
1,030
206
193
278

19,429
90
150
880
9,600
5,150
3,281
278

2
2

260
260

5.200
5.200

8

1
1

31

R u b b e r p r o d u c ts_______
O th er ru b b e r good s.

8

1
1

2

2

1

M is c e lla n e o u s m a n u fa c tu r in g .
F u rr iers an d fur fa cto ries.
O th e r ...... ............................ ........

8

1
7

684
60
624

14
2
12

1,145
178
967

9,051
1,355
7,696

E xtraction of m in e r a ls ________
C oal m in in g , a n t h r a c it e ..
C oal m in in g , b itu m in o u s.
M e ta llife r o u s m in in g ____

7
3
2
2

2,846
1,742
550
554

9
3
3
3

16,463
1,742
14,080
641

81,711
12,500
57,050
12,161

1.414
395
541
128
350

23
7
8
3
4
1

T ran sportation an d com m u n ica tio n .
W ater tr a n s p o r ta tio n ....................
M o to r tr u c k tr a n sp o r ta tio n ____
M o to r b u s tr a n s p o r ta tio n -...........
T a x ic a b s an d m is c e lla n e o u s ___ .•
A ir tr a n s p o r ta tio n .................... ..


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2,1 1 6
991
541
208
350
26 1

14,157
8,364
1, 765
2,451
1,525
52

1145

Industrial Disputes
T

able

1.— Strikes in July 1939, by Industry — Continued
B e g in n in g in
J u ly

I n p ro g ress
d u r in g J u ly

M and a y s id le
d u r in g
J u ly
N u m ­ W o rk ers N u m ­ W o rk er s
ber in v o lv e d
ber in v o lv e d

I n d u s tr y

W h o le s a le _________________________ ______ - -------------------------R e t a il.................................. ................. ................. .....................
..........

13
2
11

1,017
44
973

28
8
20

4,049
1,254
2,795

62,444
20,434
42,010

D o m e s tic a n d p e r s o n a l s e r v ic e --------- —
------- - - H o te ls , r e sta u r a n ts , an d b o a r d in g h o u s e s ----------------------- L a u n d r ie s__________________________________________________
D y e in g , c le a n in g , an d p r e s s i n g . . ...................... ...........................

11
4
3
4

1, 524
156
1,162
206

15
5
4
6

1,696
168
1,308
220

31,437
4, 594
25,112
1,731

P r o fe ss io n a l s e r v ic e . ------------ ---------------- --------- ------------------------R e c r e a tio n a n d a m u s e m e n t------------------- ------- -------------------

3
3

278
278

3
3

278
278

3,406
3,406

B u ild in g a n d con stru ctio n ----- --------------- ------------------------- --- B u ild in g s , e x c lu siv e o f P W A _______
. --------------- ------A ll o th e r c o n s tr u c tio n (b rid g es, d o c k s, e tc ., a n d P W A
b u ild in g s )..................................................................................................

30
15

5,422
1,492

43
23

6,418
2,048

52,463
16,860

15

3,930

20

4,3 7 0

35,603

A g r ic u ltu r e ............................ ..................................- ..........................- .............-

3

500

3

500

3,6 5 0

W P A , r e lie f, a n d r e se ttle m e n t p ro jects-------------

1

123,062

2

123,178

369,766

4

128

8

673

2,8 5 8

--------------------

Of the 188 strikes beginning in July, 33 were in New York, 25 were
in Pennsylvania, 13 in Massachusetts, 12 in California, and 10 in
Indiana. Of the 170,000 workers involved in July strikes, 135,000
were in the stoppages which extended into two or more States, as
shown at the end of table 2. The WPA stoppage, which accounted
for most of these workers, extended into 37 States and the District of
Columbia, with the largest numbers of workers out in Illinois, Wis­
consin, New York, and Minnesota. In this group of interstate
disputes also was the strike of automobile workers affecting some of
the General Motors Corporation plants in Michigan and Ohio.
In the strikes confined to the individual States, there were 10,900
workers involved in New York, 4,600 in Massachusetts, 4,000 in
Pennsylvania, and 1,900 in California. The most man-days idle
because of local strikes were in New York (78,200), California (61,500),
and Kentucky (57,400). In the last-named State a strike of Harlan
County coal miners who had been idle since April continued until
July 19.


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1146

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939
T

able

2 .—

Strikes in July 1939, by States
B e g in n in g in J u ly

I n p rogress d u r in g J u ly

S ta te
W o rk ers
in v o lv e d

N um ber

A ll S ta te s ______________

_ .

A la b a m a ______ ________ . . . .
A r iz o n a . _____________
C a lifo r n ia ___________ ____ ______
C o lo r a d o ____________ . . . . . . . . .
C o n n e c tic u t_______ _________
D e la w a r e ______ ________
D is t r ic t o f C o lu m b ia __________ __ .
F lo r id a . ______ ___________ _
G e o rg ia __________ _____ ________
I llin o is ___________
I n d ia n a _________
_ _______ __ .
______ .
I o w a ____
K e n t u c k y ___________________ . .
L o u is ia n a _______ _________
M a in e ___________ .
M a r y l a n d . . ___ ______ . . .
.
M a s s a c h u s e tts ________ ________
M i c h i g a n _________________
M in n e s o t a . ____. . . _ _
M is s o u r i______ . . . ______
.
N e b r a s k a ___. . . . . . .
N e w H a m p s h ir e ___
...
.
N e w J e r s e y ______________ _______ __
N e w M e x ic o .
___________________
N e w Y o r k ___________ ___ ______ _
N o r t h C a r o lin a _______________ __
O h io .
______ ______ . .
O k la h o m a ___________ .
O r e g o n __________ __________
P e n n s y lv a n ia _________________
R h o d e I s la n d ____ _______
S o u th C a r o lin a _____________ . .
S o u th D a k o t a . . . __________
T e n n e s s e e ______ __________________
T e x a s _____ ______ ________ __
U t a h __________ _______ __ _
V ir g in ia . __________
W a s h in g to n . ______ . . . .
.
W is c o n s in ___ ________ __
I n t e r s t a t e .. _______________

N um b er

W ork ers
in v o lv e d

M a n -d a y s
id le d u r in g
J u ly

188

170,186

304

204,757

1 ,137,025

1

112

12
2
2
1
1
2
2
8
10
7
3
1
1
2
13
3
4
3
1
2
9
3
33
1
5
2
4
25

1,884
585
261
10
121
1,306
537
RfiQ
834
192
563
15
12
145
4,645
475
241
165
500
1,200
1,155
294
10,924
205
975
192
825
3,958

2
1
22
2

612
87
4,914
585
356
10
121
1,406
1,573
1,791
2,568
396
14,133
150
12
145
4,766
475
241
1,079
500
1,200
2,701
294
12,487
745
2,9 9 4
922
915
4,7 3 0
960
430
41
408
816
84
357
2,5 9 8
603
1135,552

10, 224
2,088
61,493
7,955
5,2 7 8
30
363
22,832

1
2
3
5
2
2
3
1
6

340
41
121
399
84
357
412
36
1 135,266

4
14
15

1
15

1
2
18
62
2
12
35
3
2
2

12

25,371
4,9 3 0
57,409
2,805
192
1,590
12,983
2,020
1,092
16,000
7,500
2,535
41,819
4,1 0 9
78,224
11,620
27,886
5,958
6,143
35,394
11,130
1,450
186
2,6 2 2
3,455
4 ,6 1 2
2,757
U , 412
553,235

1 I n c lu d e s 123,062 w o r k e r s in v o lv e d in t h e W P A sto p p a g e s .

As stated before, the number of workers involved in the WPA
stoppages in July was about 123,000. The average number of workers
involved in the 187 strikes in private industry was 252. About 56
percent of the July strikes involved fewer than 100 workers each,
39 percent involved from 100 up to 1,000 workers each, and in each
of 9 strikes (5 percent) 1,000 or more workers were involved. (See
table 3.)


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1147

Industrial Disputes

T a b le 3. — Strikes Beginning in July 1939, Classified by Number of Workers Involved
N u m b e r o f s tr ik e s in w h ic h th e n u m b e r
o f w o rk ers in v o lv e d w a s—

I n d u s tr y g rou p

A ll in d u str ie s .

To­
ta l

6
an d
un­
der
20

20
and
un­
d er
100

100
and
un­
d er
500

188

37

69

62

5
5
4
2
17
5
25
4
17
4

1
1

3
3
2

2
5
i
i
i

1
1
1
1
8
3
7
1
8
3
1
5

5
5

6
5

500
and
un­
der
1,000
11

1,000 5.000
a n d a n d 10,000
and
un­
un­
d er
over
d er
5,000 10.000
6

2

1

M a n u fa c tu r in g

Iron an d s te e l an d th e ir p r o d u c ts , n o t in c lu d in g m a c h in e r y .
M a c h in e r y , n o t in c lu d in g tr a n sp o r ta tio n e q u ip m e n t ---------T r a n s p o r ta tio n e q u ip m e n t — .........— ..............................................
N o n fe r r o u s m e ta ls an d th e ir p r o d u c ts .............................. ...............
L u m b e r an d a llied p r o d u c t s ................. ................................................
S to n e , c la y an d glass p r o d u c t s . . . .............. .................................. ..
T e x tile s a n d th e ir p r o d u c t s ....................................................................
L e a th e r a n d its m a n u fa c tu r e s ............. ................................................F o o d an d k in d red p r o d u c t s . . . .............................................................
P a p er a n d p r i n t i n g .............. ......................................................................
C h e m ic a ls a n d a llie d p r o d u c t s ........................... .................................
M is c e lla n e o u s m a n u f a c t u r in g ...........................................................

3

8

1

Ì
1

8
2
9
3

4
1
1

3

1

1
2

N o n m a n u fa c tu r in g

E x tr a c tio n o f m i n e r a l s ................. ...............
T ra n sp o r ta tio n a n d c o m m u n ic a tio n ----T r a d e .......................................................................
D o m e s tic a n d p erso n a l s e r v ic e ................. .
P r o fessio n a l s; r v ic e ___________ ______ —
B u ild in g an d c o n s t r u c t io n .................. ..........
A g r ic u ltu r e .............................................- .............
W P A , re lief, a n d r e se ttle m e n t p ro jects.
O th er n o n m a n u fa c tu r in g in d u s tr ie s ------

7
17
13
11

2

3
30
3

7

2
11

4

i

3

1

5
6
2
3
i
9
3

2
1
1
2

1
1

Union-organization matters were the major issues involved in 52
percent of the strikes beginning in July, wages and hours were the
major issues in 28 percent, and in 20 percent the major issues were
jurisdiction, rival union or factional disputes, sympathetic action,
and miscellaneous grievances over conditions of work.
Due principally to the WPA stoppage, about 78 percent of the work­
ers involved were concerned with the disputes over wages and hours.
Eleven percent of the workers were involved in strikes over unionorganization matters, and the same proportion in strikes over miscel­
laneous issues. Excluding the WPA stoppage, about 20 percent of
the remaining workers were involved in the wage-and-hour strikes,
40 percent in the union-organization strikes, and 40 percent in the
disputes over miscellaneous issues. (See table 4.)
A total of 168 (55 percent) of the 304 strikes in progress during July
were terminated during the month. The average duration of this
group of strikes was 22 calendar days. About 39 percent of them
were terminated in less than a week after they began, 39 percent
lasted from a week up to 1 month, 18 percent had been in progress
from 1 to 3 months, and 7 strikes (4 percent) had been in progress for
3 months or more. The largest among this latter group was the strike
at the Singer Manufacturing Co. which began April 11 and was ter185451— 39 ------ 9


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1148

minated about July 22, with no very definite agreement except that
the idle employees were to be reinstated as soon as possible without
discrimination. (See table 5.)
T a b le 4. —Major Issues Involved in Strikes Beginning in July 1939
W o rk ers in v o lv e d

S tr ik e s
M a jo r is s u e
N um ber

W ages a n d h o u r s_________________________________________
W a g e in c r e a s e___________ - ................................. ...................
W a g e d e c r e a se_____ ________ ________________ _____ _ _ _
H o u r in c r e a s e ________________________________________
R e c o g n it io n .. _________ ______ _______________________
C lo sed or u n io n s h o p _________________________________
D is c r im in a tio n ____ . . . . _____________________________
O th e r ..................................................................... ..............................
S y m p a t h y ___
. . . _________________________________
R iv a l u n io n s or fa c tio n s ______________________________
J u r is d ic tio n 2______________ _______ ______ _____________
O th e r .............. .......................................................................... ...........

Percent
o f to ta l

N um ber

Percent
o f to ta l

188

100.0

170,186

100.0

52
42
5
3
«1
1
98
16
13
21
32
10
6
38
6
8
9
15

2 7 .7
2 2 .4
2 .7
1 .6
.5
.5
52.1
8 .5
6 .9
1 1 .2
17.0
5 .3
3 .2
20 .2
3 .2
4 .3
4 .8
7 .9

132, 596
7,7 1 6
1,121
297
i 123,062
400
18, 699
2,5 2 5
7 ,3 2 2
856
5, 341
2,047
608
18, 891
769
13,446
1,598
3 ,078

77.9
4 .5
.7
.2
7 2 .3
.2
11.0
1 .5
4 .3
.5
3 .1
1 .2
.4
11. 1
.5
7 .9
.9
1 .8

1

T h is w a s t h e w id esp r ea d W P A sto p p a g e .
2 It is p ro b a b le t h a t t h e figures h ere g iv e n d o n o t in c lu d e all j u r isd ic tio n a l s tr ik e s.
o f th e s e d is p u te s , it is d iffic u lt for t h e B u r e a u t o fin d o u t a b o u t a ll o f th e m .

D u e to t h e lo c a l n a tu r e

T a b le 5. —Duration of Strikes Ending in July 1939
N u m b e r o f s tr ik e s w it h d u r a tio n of—

I n d u s t r y gro u p

A ll in d u str ie s ___________ ______ _______________ ______

1 w eek
A
an d 1 a n d
2 and
3
T o t a l L ess
and
m o n th s
le ss
th a n
le ss
less
le ss th a n 1 th a n 2 th a n 3
or '
1
w eek t h a n H m o n t h m o n t h s m o n t h s m o re
m o n th
168

65

35

31

20

10

7

7
10
1
3
11
2
20
4
15
2
2
7

2
2
1

1
1

1
1

2
3

2

1
1

5
1
9
1
6

3

1
1

4
1

2
2
1
3
2
4
1

2

1

1
4
3

1
5

2
5
1

1
10

5

2

1
1

1
1

M a n u fa c tu r in g

Iron a n d s te e l a n d th e ir p r o d u c ts , n o t in c lu d in g
m a c h in e r y _____ _____________________
M a c h in e r y ,'n o t in c lu d in g tr a n s p o r ta tio n e q u ip m e n t T r a n s p o r ta to n e q u ip m e n t ______ ___________________
N o n fe r r o u s m e ta ls a n d th e ir p r o d u c ts . __________
L u m b e r a n d a llie d p r o d u c t s .* .............
T e x tile s a n d th e ir p r o d u c ts _________________________

1
3

4

1

2

1
1
1

1
1

N o n m a n u fa c tu r in g

E x tr a c tio n o f m in e r a ls__________________________ _____


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

4
15
19
5
2
29
2
2
6

2
8
2
3
1
12
2
4

1
2
1

2

1149

Industrial Disputes

Government officials or boards assisted in negotiating settlements
of 39 percent of the strikes ending in July and about the same pro­
portion were settled through negotiations directly between employers
and representatives of organized workers. About 17 percent of the
strikes were terminated without formal settlement. In the case of the
WPA stoppage, included in the latter group, part of the workers
returned to their projects after a few days of idleness, while others,
who remained away 5 or more days, were dropped from the WPA
rolls. Most of the other strikes in this group were terminated when
the employees returned to work without settlement of the disputed
issues or when they lost their jobs through replacement or through
removal or liquidation of the employer’s business.
T a ble 6. —Methods of Negotiating Settlements of Strikes Ending in Ju ly 1939
W o rk er s in v o lv e d

S tr ik e s
N e g o t ia t io n s to w a r d s e t t le m e n t s carried o n b y —
P e r c e n t of
to ta l

N um ber

N um b er

P e r c e n t of
to ta l
100.0

T o t a l ............................................................... ...........................................

168

100.0

168,379

E m p lo y e r s a n d w o rk ers d ir e c t ly _______________ ________ E m p lo y e r s a n d r e p r e se n ta tiv e s of o rg a n iz ed w o rk ers
d ir e c t ly ................................................. ................................................G o v e r n m e n t o fficials or b o a r d s __________________ ______ P r iv a t e c o n c ilia to r s or arb itrato rs
______________ ______
T e r m in a te d w it h o u t fo r m a l s e t t le m e n t ---------------------------

2

1 .2

85

.1

65
66
6
29

38.7
3 9 .2
3 .6
17 .3

15,996
21, 241
4,295
i 126, 762

9 .5
12 .6
2 .6
75 .2

1 I n c lu d e s 123,062 w ork ers in v o lv e d in th e W P A sto p p a g e .

Approximately 36 percent of the strikes ending in July were suc­
cessful from the workers’ point of view, 34 percent resulted in partial
gains or compromise settlements, and 20 percent resulted in little or
no gains to the workers.
About 76 percent of the workers involved, due principally to the
WPA stoppage, obtained little or no gains as a result of their strikes.
Excluding the workers involved in the WPA stoppage, about 28
percent of the workers involved substantially won what was de­
manded, 52 percent obtained partial gains or compromise settlements,
and only 10 percent gained little or nothing.
T a b le 7.—Results of Strikes Ending in July 1939
W o rk er s in v o lv e d

S trik es
R e s u lts
N um ber

T o t a l_____________________________________________________
S u b s ta n tia l g a in s t o w o r k e r s -----------------------------------------P a r tia l g a in s or c o m p r o m ise s ------------------------------------------L it t le or n o g a in s to w o r k e r s . . ------------------------------------J u r is d ic tio n , r iv a l u n io n , or fa c tio n s e t t l e m e n t s . . . ..........
I n d e te r m in a te .................................................................. - ......................
i I n c lu d e s 123,062 w o rk ers in v o lv e d in th e W P A s to p p a g e .


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

168
60
57
33
16
2

P e r c e n t of
to ta l

N um b er

P e r c e n t of
to ta l

100.0

168, 379

100.0

3 5 .8
3 3 .9
19 .6
9 .5
1 .2

12,480
23,652
1 127, 659
4,4 0 8
180

7 .4
14 .0
75 .9
2 .6
.1

1150

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

In terms of number of strikes, the disputes over wages and hours
were more successful from the viewpoint of the workers than those
primarily over union-organization matters. About 41 percent of the
wage-and-hour strikes were substantially won, the same number com­
promised, and 18 percent lost, as compared with 42 percent of the
union-organization strikes which were substantially won, 32 percent
compromised, and 26 percent lost.
T a b le 8. —Results of Strikes Ending in Ju ly 1939 in Relation to Major Issues Involved
Strik es r e su ltin g in —

M a jo r issu e

T o ta l

S u b s ta n ­
tia]
g a in s to
w o rk ers

P a r tia l
g a in s or
co m p r o ­
m is e s

L it t le
or no
g a in s to
w o rk ers

J u r isd ic ­
tio n , rival
u n io n , or
fa ctio n
s e t t le ­
m e n ts

I n d e te r ­
m in a te

N u m b e r o f strik es
A ll is s u e s ________________

168

60

57

33

W ages a n d h o u r s ... . . . .
W a g e in crease ________
W a g e d ec r e a se ............................
W a g e in cr ease, h o u r d e c r e a s e .. .
W a g e d ecrease, h o u r in c r e a s e ..................
w
H o u r in c r e a s e ................
U n ion organ ization
R e c o g n itio n ___ __
.
R e c o g n itio n an d w a g e s ______
R e c o g n itio n , w a g e s a n d h ours . . .
C lo sed or u n io n s h o p . . . . .
D is c r i m in a t io n .. . .
O th e r .................. ..
.
M isc e lla n e o u s .
S y m p a t h y __________
R iv a l u n io n s or fa c tio n s ...........
J u r is d ic t io n ................
.
O th e r ......................................

51
40
3
6
1
1
79
5
15
17
30
7
5
38
4
9

21
19

21
15
1
4

9
6
2

16

2
—

2

1
33
7
8
13
2
3

6

1
25
3
5
5
8
3
1
11
1

21
3
4
9
2
1
3
*

7

18

6

10

1

1

N u m b er o f w orkers involved

All issues_________________ ____

168, 379

12,480

23,652

127,659

Wages and hours._______________

131,602
4,6 7 7
852
2,611
123,062
400
28,365
1,130
7, 773
593
16,883
1,312
674
8,412
689
3,4 3 2
976
3,315

2,349
2,289

4, 657
1, 643
63
2,551

124, 596
745
789

W a g e i n c r e a s e . . ..............................
W age d ecr ea se____ ____ ________
W a g e in crea se, h o u r d e c r e a se ..
W a g e d ecrea se, h o u r in cr ea se l .
H o u r in cr ea se.....................................

Union organization______________
R e c o g n itio n ____________________
R e c o g n itio n a n d w a g e s ________
R e c o g n itio n , w a g e s an d h o u r s..
C lo sed or u n io n s h o p __________
D is c r im in a tio n ........ ......................~.
O th er__________ __________

Miscellaneous.______ __________

.......IIIIIIII!

S y m p a t h y ............
R iv a l u n io n s or fa c tio n s_______
J u r is d ic tio n ___ _____ ___________
O th e r ____ __________ _________ _

60

4,408

180

4, 408

180
150

123, 062
8,704
6,182
353
1,802
33
334
1,427

400
16, 887
172
1,147
183
13,950
1,185
250
2,108
400

2, 774
958
444
57
1,131
94
90
289
139

3,4 3 2
976
1,427

1,708

150

30

1 W o rk er s in v o lv e d in t h e W P A sto p p a g e .

The proportion of workers obtaining successful or partially success­
ful settlements of their strikes, however, was larger in the unionorganization disputes than in the wage-and-hour strikes. In fact,
nearly 95 percent of the workers involved in wage-and-hour disputes,

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1151

Industrial Disputes

counting the WPA stoppage, gained little or nothing. Excluding the
WPA stoppage, 27% percent of the workers involved in wage-and-hour
strikes substantially won their demands, 54% percent obtained com­
promise settlements, and 18 percent gained little or nothing. In the
union-organization strikes, 31 percent of the workers substantially
won their demands, 59 percent obtained compromise settlements, and
10 percent gained little or nothing.
»######**
A C TIV IT IES OF U N IT E D STATES CO N C ILIA TIO N
SERV ICE, SE PT E M B E R 1939
THE United States Conciliation Service, in September disposed of
225 situations involving 86,551 workers. The services of this agency
were requested by the employees, employers, and other interested
parties.
Of these situations, 139 were strikes, threatened strikes, lock-outs,
and controversies, involving 71,581 workers. The remaining situations,
involving 14,970 workers were services rendered, such as filling re­
quests for information, adjusting complaints, holding conferences
regarding labor conditions, etc.
The facilities of the Service were used in 23 major industrial fields,
such as building trades and the manufacture of foods, iron and steel,
textiles, etc. (table 1), and were utilized by employees and employers
in 40 States and the district of Columbia (table 2).
T a b le 1.— Situations Disposed of by U. S. Conciliation Service, September 1939, by

Industries
O th er s itu a tio n s

D is p u t e s
I n d u s tr y

A ll In d u s tr ie s ______________ ______ _________

N um ber

W o rk ers
in v o lv e d

N um b er

W o rk ers
in v o lv e d

N um b er

139

71,581

86

14,970

225

7
9
4
1

947
842
763
26

10
16
7
1
6
9
2
3
2
5
3

625
31,965
1,065
600
1,064
4,0 8 2
185
1,308
1,035
'823
167

2
6
7
15
1
9
13
1

2
2,2 2 0
5,828
14,488
30
2,5 2 4
950
42

H o t e ls , r e sta u r a n ts, a n d o th e r s (d o m e s tic

U n c la s s if ie d ________________________________


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

T o ta l

T

7

21

5
4
1
1
4
2
2

8
10
65
1
4
14
3,501

1
2
2

38
41
3,001

2
10
2
3
8
30

201
284
151
4
557
7,069

W o rk er s
in v o lv e d
86, 551

16
4
1

947
863
763
26

10
21
11
2
7
13
4
5
2
5
4
2
4
6
9
25
3
12
21
31

625
31,973
1,075
665
1,065
4,086
lh9
4 ,8 0 9
1,035
823
205
41
3,003
2, 220
6.0 2 9
14,772
181
2, 528
1,507
7,111

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1152

T a b l e 2. — Situations Disposed of by U. S. Conciliation Service, September 1939, by

States
D is p u t e s

O th er s itu a tio n s

T o ta l

S ta te s
W o rk er s
in v o lv e d

N um b er

W o rk er s
in v o lv e d

N um ber

W o rk ers
in v o lv e d

N um b er

A ll S ta te s ___________________________________

139

71,581

86

14,970

225

86,551

A la b a m a _____ _____________
___________ A r k a n s a s ................... .. ................................. _ .
A r iz o n a ___ _______ __________
- .............. ..
C a lifo r n ia ___________________________________
C o lo r a d o _____________________ _______ ______
..............
C o n n e c tic u t - ..........- ............... .............

2
1
1
10
1

194
500
6
3, 556
223

10
3
1
1
13
3
2

5,846
' 192
600
9
26,453
3,3 4 7
2,6 3 0

2

185

2
4
4
3
3

500
9,4 8 3
3, 792
405
275

4
1
12
1
12
1
9
1

327
29
2,7 8 9
276
1,916
50
2,6 5 6
' 550
197
2,3 0 0

2
1
1
13
2
1
15
4
1
1
26
6
2
1
3
1
2
4
7
6
3
2
8
1
14
2
20
4
18
1

194
500
6
3,5 7 3
255
2
8,9 0 0
342
600
9
31,398
3,4 0 6
2,630
1
186
199
500
9,4 8 3
3,861
761
275
2
331
29
2,791
278
2,1 0 8
53
6,371
550
197
2,3 0 5
271
300
709
471
743
114
1,536
310
1

F lo r id a _______________ . . . . _ . . . _______
G e o rg ia ____________ _____ _____________ ____
I llin o is ................................................................ .............
I n d i a n a . . . ......................... . . . . . . _________
I o w a ......................................... . . _____________
K a n s a s ______________________ . _________ __
K e n t u c k y ___________________ _____________
L o u is ia n a ___________________________________
M a s s a c h u s e tts ......................... ................. . . . . .
M ic h ig a n ______________ ____________________
M in n e s o ta ____ _____ . . . . _________________
M iss o u r i* _____________ ______ ______ ________
N e w J e r s e y . . . . _______________ ______

.....
O r e g o n _________ __________ . . . . .
P e n n s y lv a n ia __________________________ . . .
R h o d e I s la n d _________ . . . _______________
T e x a s _________ ______________________ . . . .
U t a h .................................. ..............................................
V ir g in ia ______ _____________ _______________
W e s t V ir g in ia ________________ ___________


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

3
10
1
4
4

3
4
1

2

3
1
1
6
1

17
32
2
3,0 5 4
150

13
3

4,9 4 5
59

1
1
1

1
1
199

3
3

69
356

2
4

2
4

2
1
8
3
9

2
2
192
3
3,7 1 5

4

3

5
271

300
708
245
593
114

1
7
1

1
226
150

25

4

1,511

5
2

1

1

1

3
14

3
1

310

5
11
4
4

Cost and Standards o f Living

CHANGES IN COST OF LIV IN G IN T H E U N IT E D
STATES, JU N E 15, 1939
THE cost of living for families of wage earners and lower-salaried
workers in the 32 large cities of the United States surveyed by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics was three-tenths of 1 percent lower on
June 15, 1939, than on March 15.
Fuel and light costs showed the largest decrease over the quarter,
reflecting the lowered cost of coal usual at that season of the year.
Changes in the cost of food, clothing, and rentals contributed slightly
to the general decline, while the cost of the housefurnishing goods and
the miscellaneous groups remained virtually unchanged.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ index of the cost of all goods pur­
chased by wage earners and lower-salaried workers, based on costs in
1923-25 as 100, was 81.7 on June 15 as compared with 82.0 on March
15. Living costs were 1.9 percent lower than they were a year earlier
and 18.0 percent below their level at the peak point in December 1929.
They were 9.8 percent higher than at the low point of June 1933.
Average living costs declined over the quarter in 19 of the 32 cities
and increased in 13 of the cities included in this survey. The largest
percentage change was reported from Birmingham where living costs
decreased 1.0 percent.
Food costs were higher on June 15 than they had been 3 months
earlier in 20 of the cities for which indexes of total living costs are
regularly prepared, and lower in 12 of these cities. The average drop
of 0.2 percent reflected changes ranging from a 2.0 percent decline
in New York to a 1.9 percent advance in Pittsburgh and Portland,
Maine.
Average clothing costs and rents each declined 0.1 percent over the
quarter. In no city was there a change in either of these groups that
exceeded one-half of 1 percent.
Fuel and light costs in the 32 cities averaged 3.4 percent below the
March 15 level. All cities except 2 reported declines. Portland,
Maine, and San Francisco reported that fuel and light costs remained
unchanged. In most of the cities in which fuel costs decreased, the
seasonal slump in coal prices was the chief cause. In others, how­
ever, notably Houston, Seattle, and Portland, Oreg., lowered wood
prices represented the primary reason for the declines.

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1153

1154

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

On the average, the cost of housefurnishing goods and of the mis­
cellaneous group remained unchanged at the March 15, 1939, level.
Increases reported for 12 cities were offset by decreases for 20 cities.
No city reported a change of as much as 2.0 percent in the quarter.
For the miscellaneous group, which showed an average change of less
than one-half of 1 percent, the number of cities showing increases and
the number showing decreases were equal. In 2 cities there was no
change in the cost of items in this group.
Percentage changes in the cost of goods purchased by wage earners
and lower-salaried clerical workers from March 15, 1939, to June 15,
1939, are shown in table 1 for the 32 large cities of the United States,
separately and for these cities combined.
T

able

1 . —Percentage

Change from Mar. 15,1939, to June 15,1939, in the Cost of Goods
Purchased by Wage Earners and Lower-Salaried Workers

C it y

A v e r a g e : 32 lar ge c it ie s ..................

A ll ite m s

F ood

C lo th in g

R ent

F u el and
lig h t

H o u sefu r n is h ­
in g g o o d s

M is c e l­
la n e o u s

- 0 .3

• -0 .2

- 0 .1

- 0 .1

- 3 .4

(J)

( 3)

N e w E n g la n d :
B o s t o n ________
P o r tla n d , M a in e ____

- .2
+ .6

+ 1 .9

(3)
+ .1

-.1
-.1

-3 .5
(0

+ 0 .3
(3)

(3)
(3)

M id d le A tla n tic :
B u ffa lo _________
N ew Y ork . . . .
P h ila d e lp h ia _____
P it t s b u r g h _____________
S c r a n t o n ____

- .5
-.9
+ .1
+ .5
-.3

+ .8
- 2 .0
+ .6
+ 1 .9
+ .5

- .3
-.4
- .2
- .1
- .2

- .3
+ .1
(2)
+ .1
- .5

- 2 .1
- 3 .4
- 4 .2
- .4
-5 .2

-.6
(2)
+ 1 .9
- 1 .2
- .1

-1 .5
(3)
+ .4
(2)
(3)

-.3
-.3
-.2
- .5
(2)

+ 1 .1
- .8
- .7
-1 .5
+ .9

(2)
(2)
-.5
+ .2
- .5

- .5
- .1
+ .1
- .2
(2)

-7 .2
- 1 .1
- .7
- 2 .2
-3 .7

+ .1
- 1 .0
+ .6
+ .5
(2)

(2)

W e s t N o r th C en tra l:
K a n s a s C i t y ______
M in n e a p o lis _______
S t. L o u is _________

+ .1
+ .2
- .6

- .6
+ 1 .6
- 1 .5

-.3
(3)
- .1

-. 1
+ .2
-.1

- .9
-2 .2
- 5 .4

(2)
+ .6
- .2

S o u th A tla n tic :
A t la n t a ______
B a ltim o r e ____
J a c k s o n v ille ________
N o r f o lk ___
P i c h m o n d ______
S a v a n n a h ____
W a s h in g to n , D . C

-.5
- .2
+ .1
-.1
- .5
+. 3
(2)

+ .3
+ .4
+ .8
+ .5
-.9
+ 1 .5
+ .4

- .2
- .2
-.4
+ .1
- .1
-.3
-.1

-. 1
(3)
- .2
(2)
(3)
(3)
- .2

-7 . 5
- 5 .5
- .6
- 2 .6
- 2 .9
-.4
- 2 .9

- .2
4-, 6
- .2
-.4
- 1 .3
+ .7
+ .2

E a s t S o u th C en tral:
B ir m in g h a m .. .
M e m p h is ________
M o b ile ____ . .

-1 .0
(3)
+ .1

- 1 .0
- .2
+ 1 .0

- .1
(2)
(3)

- .1
-.4
-.2

- 1 1 .4
-.3
- 2 .4

—.1
(3)
- .3

(3)

+ .4
- .7

- .1
+ .1

+ .4
+ .4

-5 .6
- 1 .6

- .2
- .3

(3)

(2)

- 1 .6

- .2

-.9

-.3
- .3
+ .2
(3)

-. 1
- 1 .4
(<)
- 1 .8

- .1
-.3
- .6
- 1 .6

—. 1
+ .3
-1 .2
+ .8

E a s t N o r th C en tra l:
C h ic a g o _____________
C in c in n a ti_______
C le v e la n d
D e t r o it ________
I n d ia n a p o lis ________

W e s t S o u th C en tral:
H o u s t o n ______ __
N e w O r le a n s.
M o u n ta in : D e n v e r
P a cific:
L o s A n g e le s _______
P o r tla n d , O reg_______
S an F r a n c isc o ______________
S e a ttle _____________
1 In c lu d e s 51 c itie s.
2 In c rease le ss th a n 0.05% .
3 D e c r e a se le ss t h a n 0.05% .
* N o ch a n g e.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

-. 1
- .2
(2)
- .6
+ .2
-.9
+ .2

+ 1 .3
- 1 .9
+ .9
- 1 .7
+ .6

(3)
- .1
- .2
-.2
+ .2

(3)
+. 1
+- 2
+ .3
+ 1 .2
- .6
+ .6
—. 3
o)
f2)
(3)
(<)

+■ 1
+ .3

+ .3
-.2

+ .4

Cost and Standards of Living

1155

Percentage changes in the cost of goods purchased by wage earn­
ers and lower-salaried workers from a peak point in June 1920, from
December 1929, from the low point June 1933, and from June 15,
1938, to June 15, 1939, in 32 cities, are presented in table 2.
T a b le 2.—Percentage Change in Cost of All Goods Purchased by Wage Earners and

Lower-Salaried Workers for Specified Periods
P e r c e n ta g e ch a n g e fro m —
C it y

J u n e 1920
to J u n e 15,
1939

D e c . 1929
to J u n e 15,
1939

J u n e 1933
J u n e 15,
to J u n e 15, 1938 to J u n e
1939
15, 1939

A verage: 32 large c i t i e s .: ....................................................

- 3 2 .6

-1 8 .0

+ 9 .8

- 1 .9

N e w E n g la n d :
B o s t o n ____________________
P o r tla n d , M a i n e ____
_ .

- 3 3 .2
- 3 3 .3

- 1 9 .7
- 1 6 .5

+ 6 .3
+ 6 .6

- 1 .9
- 1 .5

M id d le A tla n tic :
B u ffa lo . ________ _______
N e w Y o r k _______
P h ila d e lp h ia .........................
P it ts b u r g h ...........................
S c r a n to n ................

- 3 0 .9
- 2 9 .8
- 3 1 .6
- 3 2 .7
-3 3 .9

- 1 7 .7
-1 8 .3
- 1 8 .6
-1 9 .2
- 2 0 .9

+ 9 .3
+ 6 .2
+ 1 0 .6
+ 6 .1

- .5
- 1 .6
- 2 .2
-2 .3
- 2 .0

E a s t N o r th C en tral:
C h ic a g o ..........................................
C in c in n a t i.. . . .
C le v e la n d .. .
D e t r o it ........ .............
I n d ia n a p o lis - .........................

- 3 3 .1
- 3 2 .7
-2 8 .9
- 3 7 .8
-3 6 .3

- 2 1 .5
- 1 9 .1
- 1 2 .3
- 1 8 .5
- 1 7 .6

+ 1 0 .6
+ 7 .9
+ 1 4 .1
+ 2 0 .2
+ 1 1 .2

-2 .8
- 3 .2
- .7
- 3 .2
- 1 .6

W e s t N o r th C en tral:
K a n sa s C i t y _______ ______
M in n e a p o lis ........ .............
S t. L o u is _______________
.

-3 7 .6
-3 1 .2
-3 4 .0

- 1 5 .5
- 1 4 .8
- 1 9 .0

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

- 1 .3
—1.5
- 1 .9

S o u th A tla n tic :
A t la n t a ____________
.
B a ltim o r e ._
J a c k s o n v ille .. .
N o r fo lk _______________
R ic h m o n d ____________
S a v a n n a h _________
.
W a s h in g to n , D . C ___

- 3 9 .7
- 2 9 .2
- 3 6 .6
-3 6 .1
- 3 4 .8
- 3 8 .1
- 2 9 .9

- 1 9 .0
- 1 5 .0
- 1 8 .0
- 1 6 .8
-1 6 .7
-1 8 .9
- 1 3 .1

+ 1 0 .7
+10 0
+ 1 0 .6
+ 1 0 .2
+ 8 .6
+ 7 .4
+ 1 0 .0

- 1 .7
-1 .4
- 1 .3
- .9
- 1 .1
- 1 .2
- 1 .4

E a s t S o u th C en tral:
B ir m in g h a m _________ _________
M e m p h is _______ ________
M o b ile _____ ______ _________

- 4 0 .3
- 3 5 .1
- 3 5 .5

- 2 1 .2
- 1 7 .1
- 1 9 .1

+ 1 2 .7
+ 9 .6
+ 9 .8

- 2 .0
-1 .8
- 1 .3

W e s t S o u th C en tral:
H o u s t o n ______ _____ ______ _________
N e w O r lean s____________ _______

- 3 4 .2
-2 8 .0

-1 7 .5
- 1 5 .8

+ 1 3 .6
+ 1 0 .5

- .8
+ .1

M o u n ta in : D e n v e r _____

- 3 4 .2

- 1 4 .7

+ 1 0 .7

-2 .3

P a c ific:
L o s A n g e le s ......................................................................................
P o r tla n d , O reg _________________ _____________________
S a n F r a n c isc o ....... ....................................................
........
S e a t t le ..........................................

-3 0 .0
- 3 5 .1
-2 6 .7
- 3 0 .8

- 1 7 .3
- 1 3 .5
- 1 3 .5
- 1 2 .6

+ 1 1 .3
+ 1 4 .0
+ 1 0 .3
F 1 1 .4

- 1 .1
- 1 .0
-1 .7
- .5

.

Indexes on 1923-25 Base
Indexes of the average cost of all goods purchased by families of
wage earners and lower-salaried workers are constructed for each of the
32 cities surveyed and for these cities combined, using an average of
the years 1923-25 as the base.1 These indexes, from 1913 through
June 15, 1939, for the 32 cities combined, are shown in table 3. The
charts on pages 1156 and 1157 present these data in graphic form.
1
Indexes of food costs based on costs in 1923-25 as 100 are computed monthly for 51 cities (including the 32
cities in this report). Percentage changes from month to month are calculated for 7 additional cities. These
data will be sent upon request.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1156

C OS T OF G O OD S PU RC H A S E D BY WAGE E A R N E R S
AND LO W E R -S A LA R IE D WORKERS
AVERAGE FOR ALL ITEM S- 3 2 CITIES
1923 - 25*100

in d e x

INDEX

M o n th ly L a b o r R e view — N o vem b er 1 9 39

UNITED

STATES

BUREAU


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

OF LABOR STATISTICS

COST OF GOODS P U RC H AS ED BY WAGE E A R N E R S
AND L O W E R - S A L A R I E D W O R K E R S
AVERAGE

OF 3 2

LARGE

CITIES

C ost a n d S ta n d a rd s o f L iv in g


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1157

UNITED STATES BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Monthly

1158

L a b o r R e view — N o vem b er 1939

T a ble 3. —Indexes of Cost of Goods Purchased by Wage Earners and Lower-Salaried

Workers in 32 Large Cities Combined, 1913 through June 15, 1939
[A v e r a g e 1 9 2 3 -2 5 = 100]

D a te

A ll ite m s

Food i

C lo th in g

R en t

F u el and
lig h t

H o u se fu r n ish ­
in g g o o d s

M is c e l­
la n e o u s

1913— A v e r a g e ..................- .............. .
1914— D e c e m b e r ________________
1915— D e c e m b e r ------------------------1916— D e c e m b e r ________________
1917— D e c e m b e r ____ _____ ______
1918— D e c e m b e r ---------- --------------

57 .4
5 8 .9
6 0 .1
66 .9
79 .4
9 5 .8

6 3 .1
66 .3
66 .3
79 .5
99.1
118.2

5 5 .7
5 6 .3
5 8 .3
6 6 .9
8 3 .1
118.9

61 .4
6 1 .4
6 2 .3
6 2 .8
6 1 .5
6 4 .7

5 3 .9
54 .5
5 4 .5
5 8 .5
6 6 .9
7 8 .7

4 7 .7
4 9 .6
5 2 .8
6 1 .0
7 1 .8
9 7 .8

5 0 .1
5 1 .6
5 3 .9
56 .8
7 0 .4
8 1 .9

1919— J u n e _____________________
D e c e m b e r ________________
1920—J u n e ______________________
D e c e m b e r ________________
1921— M a y ______________________
S e p te m b e r _______________
D e c e m b e r ________________

9 8 .2
109.8
121.2
112.2
102.8
101.7
100.3

117.3
126.4
146.1
115.7
9 5 .8
102.1
9 9 .7

128.8
159.5
168.6
151.0
129.8
112.2
107.2

6 7 .3
7 3 .1
7 9 .4
8 7 .5
9 2 .7
9 3 .3
9 4 .8

7 7 .8
8 2 .6
9 1 .3
103.7
9 8 .4
9 8 .2
9 9 .1

104.0
123.0
137.0
132.8
114.3
103.2
100 .4

8 4 .3
9 2 .9
9 9 .2
103.2
103.2
102.5
102.0

1922— M a r c h ____________________
J u n e ______________________
S e p te m b e r _______________
D e c e m b e r ________________
1923— M a r c h _____________ ______
J u n e _____________________
S e p te m b e r _______________
D e c e m b e r .................................

9 6 .8
9 7 .0
9 6 .4
9 7 .7
9 7 .6
9 8 .7
9 9 .9
1 0 0 .2

9 3 .5
9 5 .6
9 3 .3
9 6 .7
9 4 .6
9 7 .7
100 .0
9 9 .5

102 .4
1 0 0 .4
9 9 .3
9 9 .4
100 .8
101.1
101.9
101.8

9 4 .6
9 5 .0
9 5 .2
9 5 .8
9 6 .3
9 7 .3
9 8 .2
9 9 .7

9 6 .3
9 5 .9
100.9
102.2
101.5
9 8 .7
9 9 .8
101.1

9 5 .0
9 3 .2
9 3 .4
9 6 .3
100.7
102.8
102.9
10 2 .9

100.4
9 9 .5
9 9 .2
98 .9
9 9 .0
99 .1
9 9 .6
100.0

1924— M a r c h _________ ________ . .
J u u e ______________________
S e p te m b e r _______________
D e c e m b e r ________________
1925— J u n e ____________ _________
D e c e m b e r -------------------------

9 9 .0
9 8 .9
9 9 .2
100 .0
101.4
104.0

9 5 .9
9 5 .9
9 7 .3
9 9 .5
104.2
111.1

1Q1.5
100.6
9 9 .5
9 8 .9
9 8 .5
9 7 .9

100 .2
101.3
101.4
101.7
101.4
101.3

9 9 .9
9 7 .6
9 8 .9
9 9 .5
9 7 .9
105.8

102.1
9 9 .4
9 8 .6
99 .1
9 7 .9
9 7 .8

9 9 .7
99 .8
9 9 .8
10Q.2
100.8
101.1

1926— J u n e ______________________
D e c e m b e r ________________
1927— J u n e ______________________
D e c e m b e r ..- ----------------1928— J u n e --------------------------------D e c e m b e r ________________

10 2 .5
1 0 2 .3
101.9
10 0 .4
9 9 .2
9 9 .4

108 .9
108.1
108 .7
104.7
1 0 2 .5
103 .2

9 7 .1
9 6 .2
9 5 .3
9 4 .0
9 3 .8
9 3 .3

100.4
1 0 0 .0
9 9 .0
9 7 .9
9 6 .5
9 5 .5

10 0 .0
103.4
9 9 .4
10 0 .6
9 7 .7
9 9 .7

9 5 .8
9 4 .7
9 3 .4
9 3 .0
91.1
9 0 .5

101.0
101.4
101.7
102 .1
102.1
102.8

1929—J u n e ___________ __________
D e c e m b e r ________________
1930—J u n e . . . ....................................
D e c e m b e r ......... ........................
1931— J u n e .............................................
D e c e m b e r ------------- -----------

9 9 .1
9 9 .6
9 7 .7
9 3 .8
8 8 .3
8 5 .1

103.7
105.7
101.2
9 2 .1
8 0 .6
7 6 .2

9 2 .8
9 2 .2
9 1 .5
88.1
8 3 .4
7 7 .6

9 4 .3
9 3 .3
9 2 .0
9 0 .1
8 7 .3
8 3 .9

9 7 .0
99.1
9 5 .9
9 8 .1
9 3 .7
9 5 .3

9 0 .2
8 9 .9
8 8 .8
85.1
7 9 .3
7 4 .9

103.0
103.4
103.7
103.4
102.8
101.8

1932— J u n e ___________ ______ ____
D e c e m b e r ------------------------1933— J u n e . . . _________________
D e c e m b e r ________________
1934— J u n e ------- -------------------------N o v e m b e r 1 5 ____________

7 9 .7
7 6 .6
7 4 .5
7 7 .2
7 8 .4
79 .1

6 7 .6
6 4 .7
6 4 .9
6 9 .6
7 3 .4
7 5 .3

7 3 .5
6 9 .5
6 8 .4
7 6 .2
77.9
77 .8

78 .5
72 .7
66 .8
6 3 .9
6 2 .7
6 2 .7

8 8 .8
8 9 .8
8 4 .9
9 0 .0
8 7 .7
8 9 .0

6 8 .4
6 5 .6
65 .8
7 3 .5
7 5 .0
7 5 .5

100 .4
9 8 .8
9 6 .4
9 6 .8
9 6 .6
9 6 .7

1935— M a r c h 15_________________
J u ly 15___________________
O c to b e r 15______________
1936— J a n u a r y 15_______________
A p r il 15__________________
J u ly 15_____________ _____ _
S e p te m b e r 1 5 ____________
D e c e m b e r 15_____________

8 0 .6
8 0 .4
8 0 .7
8 1 .3
8 0 .6
8 2 .0
8 2 .4
8 2 .4

7 9 .8
8 0 .2
8 0 .2
8 1 .6
7 9 .4
8 4 .0
8 4 .3
8 2 .9

7 8 .0
7 7 .8
7 8 .0
78.3
7 8 .6
7 8 .4
7 8 .6
7 9 .6

6 2 .6
6 2 .7
63 .3
6 3 .5
6 3 .7
6 4 .2
6 4 .6
6 5 .4

8 9 .3
8 4 .9
8 7 .7
8 8 .3
8 8 .0
86 .1
8 7 .4
8 7 .8

7 6 .0
7 6 .2
7 7 .0
7 7 .0
7 7 .3
7 7 .5
7 8 .2
7 9 .2

9 6 .8
9 6 .7
9 6 .6
9 6 .6
9 6 .5
9 6 .4
9 6 .5
9 6 .8

1937— M a r c h 15_________________
J u n e 15________ ______ ____
S e p te m b e r 1 5 .......................
D e c e m b e r 15_____________
1938— M a r c h 15_________________
J u n e 15___________________
S e p te m b e r 1 5 . __________
D e c e m b e r 15.................. ........
1939— M a r c h 1 5 . ................................
J u n e 15_________ _________

8 3 .8
8 4 .5
8 5 .0
8 4 .5
8 3 .0
8 3 .3
8 2 .7
8 2 .7
8 2 .0
8 1 .7

8 5 .4
8 6 .3
8 5 .8
8 2 .6
78 .6
8 0 .2
7 8 .7
7 8 .6
7 6 .4
7 6 .3

8 0 .9
82 .1
8 4 .0
8 4 .0
8 2 .8
8 2 .3
8 1 .7
8 1 .6
8 1 .1
8 0 .9

6 5 .9
67 .5
6 8 .1
6 9 .3
6 9 .4
6 9 .7
6 9 .6
6 9 .6
6 9 .6
6 9 .5

8 8 .1
8 4 .9
8 6 .0
8 7 .3
8 8 .0
8 5 .5
8 6 .8
8 8 .0
8 8 .4
8 5 .4

8 3 .1
85.1
8 6 .7
8 7 .5
8 5 .4
84 .6
8 3 .4
8 3 .3
8 3 .2
8 3 .2

9 7 .3
9 7 .7
9 8 .1
9 8 .6
9 8 .5
9 8 .7
9 8 .6
9 8 .6
9 8 .5
9 8 .5

» C o v e r s 51 c it ie s s in c e J u n e 1920.


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Cost and Standards of Living

1159

The indexes of the cost of goods purchased by wage earners and
lower-salaried workers prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
show relative costs as of particular dates. For various purposes,
however, it is often necessary to have estimates of annual average
indexes. These estimates are, therefore, presented in table 4, for 32
cities combined, from 1913 through 1938. The annual average
indexes have been computed as follows: The annual average food
index is an average of the indexes (monthly, most years) falling within
each year; the annual average indexes for clothing, rent, fuel and light,
housefurnishing goods, and miscellaneous items are indexes of the
weighted average of the aggregates for each pricing period affecting the
year, the weights representing the relative importance of each pricing
period. When these goods were priced only twice a year, in June and
again in December, it is evident that prices in December of the
previous year were more indicative of prices in the next month,
January, even though it fell in a new year, than were the prices of the
succeeding June. Therefore, costs in December of the preceding year
and in June and December of the given year are all considered in
arriving at an average cost for the year. The relative importance of
each of these costs is expressed for December of the previous year by
2y2, for June of the given year by 6, and for December of the given
year by 3%. Weights for years in which pricing was done at other
intervals will be furnished on request.
T a ble 4. — Estimated 1 Annual Average Indexes of Cost of Goods Purchased by Wage

Earners and Lower-Salaried Workers in 32 Large Cities Combined, 1913-38
[A v era g e 1923-25=1001

Y ear

F u el and
lig h t

H ou se­
fu r n is h ­
in g g ood s

61 .4
6 1 .4
6 1 .9
6 2 .6
62.1

5 3 .9
54.3
5 4 .5
5 6 .6
6 3 .0

4 7 .7
4 9 .0
5 1 .3
5 7 .2
6 6 .9

50 .1
5 1 .2
52.8
55.5
6 4 .2

102.5
135.7
161.6
124.4
101.0

6 3 .2
68.4
8 0 .4
9 2 .4
95 .1

73 .3
7 9 .4
9 3 .1
9 9 .3
9 8 .6

8 5 .9
108.2
132.8
111.8
9 4 .8

7 6 .7
86.3
99.1
102.8
9 9 .7

9 7 .9
9 7 .0
105.0
108.5
104.5

101.2
100.4
98 .4
9 7 .0
95.1

9 7 .5
101.0
101.5
100.5
9 8 .9

100.3
9 9 .1
100.6
102.2
100.6

101.8
100.1
98 .1
9 5 .9
9 3 .6

9 9 .3
9 9 .9
100.8
101.1
101.7

9 9 .5
99.5
9 7 .0
8 8 .6
7 9 .8

103.3
104.7
9 9 .6
8 2 .0
6 8 .3

9 3 .7
9 2 .7
9 0 .7
8 2 .7
7 3 .2

9 6 .5
94.3
9 1 .7
8 6 .9
7 8 .0

9 8 .9
9 8 .2
9 7 .2
9 5 .1
9 0 .4

9 1 .3
9 0 .2
8 7 .9
7 9 .2
6 8 .9

102.3
103.1
103.5
102.7
100.2

7 5 .8
78.6
8 0 .7
8 1 .6
84 .3
8 3 .0

66 .4
74.1
8 0 .5
82 .1
85 .1
7 8 .9

7 0 .9
7 7 .5
77.9
78.7
8 2 .4
8 2 .3

6 7 .2
6 2 .9
6 2 .9
6 4 .2
67.4
6 9 .5

8 7 .4
8 8 .6
87.5
87 .5
8 6 .6
8 7 .0

6 8 .0
7 4 .9
76.4
7 7 .8
8 4 .9
8 4 .5

9 7 .0
9 6 .7
9 6 .7
9 6 .5
9 7 .8
9 8 .6

A ll ite m s

F ood 1

C lo th in g

1913_____________________________
1914_____________________________
1915_____________________________
1916_____________________________
1917_____________________________

57.4
58 .2
58.8
63 .2
74.4

6 3 .1
6 4 .6
6 3 .9
7 1 .7
9 2 .4

55 .7
56.1
57.4
6 2 .9
75.6

1918_____________________________
1919______________ _______________
1920_____________________________
1921_____________________________
1922_____________________________

8 7 .2
101.1
116.2
103.6
9 7 .2

106.2
120.2
133.1
101.6
9 5 .0

1923_____________________________
1924_____________________________
1925_____________ ________ _______
1926___________ _____ ____________
1927_____________________________

9 9 .0
9 9 .2
101.8
102.6
100.6

1928_____________ _______ ________
1929______________ _______________
1 9 3 0 - . . . ____ ____________ ______ _
1931_____________________________
1932___________ ______ ___________
1933............................................................
1934___________ _______ __________
1935.................. ................. ........................
1936....................................... ...................
1937...........................................................
1938_____________________________
F o r e x p la n a tio n o f m e th o d
Digitized for* FRASER
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

u se d , see a b o v e .

R en t

> C o v ers 51 c itie s sin o e J u n e 1920,

M is c e l­
la n eo u s

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1160

Table 5 presents June 15, 1939, indexes of living costs for families
of wage earners and lower-salaried workers based on average costs in
the years 1923-25 as 100, for each of the 32 cities, by groups of items.
T a b le 5.—Indexes of Cost of Goods Purchased by Wage Earners and Lower-Salaried

Workers, by Groups of Items, June 15, 1939
[A v e r a g e 1923-25=100]

C it y

A ll ite m s

Food

C lo th in g

R en t

F u e l and
lig h t

H ou sefu r n ish ­
ing
goods

M is c e l­
la n e o u s

A v era g e: 32 large c it ie s _________

8 1 .7

l 7 6 .3

8 0 .9

6 9 .5

8 5 .4

8 3 .2

9 8 .5

N e w E n g la n d :
B o s t o n _____________________
P o r tla n d , M a i n e ____ _____ _

8 1 .5
8 3 .8

73.1
7 6 .3

8 5 .2
8 2 .4

7 5 .2
76 .3

8 4 .4
7 9 .2

8 1 .5
8 9 .8

98.1
103.0

M id d le A tla n tic :
B u f f a lo ______ _______________
N e w Y o r k __________________
P h ila d e lp h ia _______________
P it t s b u r g h __________________
S c r a n to n ___________________

83.7
8 3 .0
8 1 .3
8 1 .0
8 0 .4

77.5
77.4
7 8 .3
74.1
7 3 .5

8 0 .3
7 8 .6
76.1
8 0 .7
8 2 .9

73.4
7 7 .8
69 .3
7 0 .6
7 1 .7

9 5 .8
8 4 .3
78 .7
100.6
72 .4

90.3
77.3
8 1 .4
8 2 .7
8 5 .5

9 7 .8
9 9 .6
9 7 .6
9 5 .9
96 .4

E a s t N o r th C en tra l:
C h ic a g o ____________ ________
C in c in n a t i__________________
C le v e la n d __________________
-D etro it______ _______ _______
I n d ia n a p o lis _______ ________

7 8 .2
8 4 .5
8 5 .7
7 8 .9
81.1

77.1
7 5 .4
7 8 .4
74.1
7 7 .5

74 .2
8 0 .6
8 4 .0
8 2 .0
7 9 .0

6 0 .5
7 6 .5
690
6 6 .4
6 6 .1

8 9 .1
9 3 .4
112.2
7 7 .5
8 2 .5

74 .3
9 3 .1
79 .6
8 2 .7
8 9 .1

9 9 .8
101. 2
104.2
9 5 .3
9 3 .5

W e s t N o r th C en tra l:
K a n s a s C i t y _______________
M in n e a p o lis ________________
S t . L o u is ____________ _____

8 1 .5
8 4 .3
8 2 .2

7 8 .0
8 4 .5
8 0 .8

8 0 .7
79.1
8 2 .0

6 1 .5
72 .3
58.1

7 9 .9
8 8 .7
8 3 .7

7 9 .0
8 8 .4
9 0 .1

101.7
9 6 .1
102.1

S o u th A tla n tic :
A t la n t a ______________ ______
B a ltim o r e ___ _____ _________
J a c k s o n v ille ________________
N o r f o lk _____________________
R ic h m o n d __________________
S a v a n n a h ____________ ______
W a s h in g to n , D . C ...................

7 8 .9
8 5 .5
78 .8
8 3 .6
8 2 .2
8 0 .2
8 6 .0

7 0 .7
8 2 .0
74 .3
73 .8
6 8 .8
7 5 .6
7 8 .3

8 3 .3
8 1 .8
8 0 .2
8 7 .5
8 9 .5
8 3 .6
8 2 .6

6 5 .2
76.1
59 .5
6 4 .8
73.3
6 4 .2
8 6 .6

6 8 .2
79.1
8 7 .5
7 9 .5
8 0 .9
8 2 .7
8 2 .2

8 8 .9
8 3 .1
8 1 .2
8 5 .2
9 0 .4
8 7 .1
8 9 .7

9 4 .9
103.8
9 0 .3
104.0
9 9 .2
9 1 .4
9 9 .9

E a s t S o u th C e n tr a l:
B ir m in g h a m ________ _____
M e m p h is ........ ..............................
M o b ile ______ ______ ________

7 5 .7
8 0 .2
8 2 .2

6 5 .0
71 6
7 4 .2

8 6 .6
8 7 .0
8 8 .5

5 9 .4
6 2 .4
6 7 .4

7 3 .4
8 5 .3
6 9 .4

8 1 .3
9 3 .5
8 8 .8

9 3 .9
95 .3
9 7 .9

W e s t S o u th C e n tr a l:
H o u s t o n ____________________
N e w O r le a n s______________

8 1 .3
8 3 .3

75.1
8 1 .7

7 6 .7
8 0 .5

7 4 .5
7 3 .6

73 .4
73 .4

9 2 .3
9 3 .4

9 4 .6
9 3 .0

M o u n ta in : D e n v e r ____________

8 2 .4

8 2 .3

7 7 .8

6 4 .4

7 5 .2

8 8 .7

9 8 .8

P a c ific :
L o s A n g e le s ____ ___________
P o r tla n d , O reg— - ....................
S a n F r a n c is c o ................ ..........
S e a t t le ______________________

7 7 .7
8 2 .8
8 6 .7
8 7 .1

70 .0
79.1
7 8 .2
7 8 .6

8 5 .8
8 1 .4
92 0
8 9 .0

55 .0
6 1 .6
7 3 .9
7 0 .9

8 1 .5
8 2 .7
7 8 .9
9 5 .8

8 2 .8
8 4 .9
8 8 .8
90.1

9 4 .7
100.1
105.1
101.8

1 I n c lu d e s 51 c itie s .

Table 6 presents indexes of the cost of all goods purchased by wage
earners and lower-salaried workers in each of the 32 cities, for each
date from June 1926 through June 15, 1939, on the 1923-25 base.
It is planned to publish these indexes for each group of items in each
December report, and to publish only the indexes of the cost of all
goods in the March, June, and September [reports. Mimeographed
tables of indexes for individual cities are available upon request.

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Cost and Standards of Living

1161

T a b l e 6 . — Indexes

of Cost of all Goods Purchased by Wage Earners and Lower-Salaried
Workers in Each of 32 Large Cities, June 1926 through June 15, 1939
[A v era g e 1923-25=100]

N e w E n g la n d

E a st
N o r th
C en tra l

M id d le A tla n tic

D a te
B o s to n

P o r t­
la n d ,
M a in e

B u ffa lo

1926—J u n e ........................................
D e c e m b e r _____________
1927—J u n e ............................
D e c e m b e r ................ ........

102.5
103.5
101.9
102 .2

102.0
101.8
101.7
100.4

104.6
103.7
103.3
101.7

1928—J u n e ..................
D e c e m b e r ___________
1929—J u n e
D e c e m b e r _____________

9 9 .5
100.9
9 9 .6
101.4

9 8 .9
100.0
9 9 .7
100.4

1930—J u n e ________
D e c e m b e r _____________
1931— J u n e _______
.
D e c e m b e r _____________

9 8 .7
9 5 .9
8 9 .4
8 7 .2

1932—J u n e _________ _________
D e c e m b e r . ___________
1933—J u n e .
D e c e m b e r ____________ _

N ew
Y o rk

P h ila ­
d e lp h ia

P itts ­
burgh

S cra n ­
to n

C h ica g o

102.4
102.7
101.8
102.5

104.8
104.5
103.3
102.2

103.6
103.2
103.0
101.3

104.1
103.8
103.5
102.4

102.9
102.9
102.6
100.2

101.5
101.0
101.3
101.7

100.3
101.1
100.7
101.5

101.0
9 9 .6
9 9 .2
9 9 .9

9 9 .9
101.0
100.8
100.2

101 .7
101.9
101.4
101.6

9 9 .0
9 9 .3
9 8 .9
9 9 .7

9 8 .4
9 5 .4
9 0 .9
88 .1

100.3
9 5 .6
9 0 .0
8 5 .7

9 8 .8
9 6 .5
9 1 .2
88 .1

9 7 .6
9 4 .3
8 9 .7
8 6 .3

9 8 .6
9 3 .8
8 8 .4
8 4 .7

9 9 .0
9 5 .2
8 8 .7
8 5 .5

9 7 .8
9 3 .5
8 8 .0
8 4 .4

8 0 .5
7 8 .6
7 6 .6
7 9 .7

8 3 .5
79.9
78.6
8 2 .5

8 2 .3
7 8 .4
7 6 .6
7 8 .8

8 4 .2
8 1 .0
78.1
8 0 .5

8 0 .4
76 .8
7 4 .9
78 .4

7 8 .7
76 .0
7 3 .2
7 6 .0

80 .1
7 8 .0
75 .8
8 0 .0

77.1
73 .4
7 0 .7
7 2 .4

1934—J u n e ________
N o v e m b e r 15____ _____
1935— M a r c h 15______________
J u ly 15________________
O c tob e r 15___________

8 1 .3
8 2 .0
8 2 .9
8 2 .7
8 2 .9

8 3 .6
8 4 .4
84 .6
85.3
8 5 .0

8 0 .2
79 .9
8 1 .6
8 2 .0
8 1 .6

8 1 .8
8 2 .1
8 3 .6
83 .1
8 3 .4

79 .9
79 .6
8 0 .4
8 0 .4
8 0 .9

7 7 .7
77 .8
7 9 .2
79.1
7 9 .6

8 0 .8
8 0 .6
8 1 .9
8 2 .1
8 2 .8

7 2 .7
7 3 .5
7 6 .2
76 .0
76.1

1936—J a n u a r y 15____________
A p r il 15________________
J u ly 1 5 . . . ____________
S e p te m b e r 1 5 . . . _____
D e c e m b e r 15.................

8 3 .0
8 2 .6
8 4 .2
8 3 .5
8 3 .3

85.3
8 4 .7
86 .5
8 5 .7
8 5 .8

8 2 .5
8 1 .8
84 .1
8 3 .3
8 3 .8

8 4 .2
8 3 .0
8 3 .8
8 4 .4
8 4 .3

8 1 .9
81 .3
8 2 .1
82 .1
8 2 .5

7 9 .9
79.1
8 0 .7
8 0 .8
8 0 .8

8 3 .2
8 1 .8
8 3 .2
8 3 .2
8 3 .7

7 6 .7
7 6 .2
77 .6
7 8 .4
7 8 .5

1937— M a r c h 15________
J u n e 15_______
S e p te m b e r 15________
D e c e m b e r 15_________

8 4 .2
8 5 .1
8 6 .5
8 4 .5

8 6 .6
8 7 .6
8 7 .7
8 6 .4

8 4 .9
8 7 .1
8 6 .4
8 6 .5

8 5 .1
8 4 .9
8 6 .7
8 6 .5

8 3 .4
8 4 .0
8 4 .3
8 3 .2

8 2 .1
8 4 .6
8 4 .9
8 3 .5

8 4 .0
8 4 .9
8 4 .2
8 2 .9

8 0 .0
8 1 .2
8 1 .3
8 0 .8

1938— M a r c h 1 5 . . . .
J u n e 1 5 .. _______
S e p te m b e r 15__________
D e c e m b e r 15______

8 2 .4
8 3 .0
8 2 .9
8 2 .3

8 5 .0
85.1
84 .6
8 4 .1

8 5 .0
84.1
8 3 .6
8 4 .6

8 4 .0
8 4 .3
8 4 .3
8 4 .8

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

8 2 .4
8 2 .9
8 2 .6
8 2 .3

8 2 .0
8 2 .1
8 0 .7
8 1 .3

7 9 .4
8 0 .5
7 9 .7
79 .3

1939— M a r c h 15 .
J u n e 15_______________

8 1 .6
8 1 .5

8 3 .3
8 3 .8

84 .1
8 3 .7

8 3 .7
83 .0

8 1 .2
8 1 .3

8 0 .6
8 1 .0

8 0 .6
8 0 .4

7 8 .5
7 8 .2

E a s t N o r th C e n tr a l— C o n tin u e d

¥

W e s t N o r th C{m tra l

D a te
C in c in n a ti

C lev e la n d

1926—J u n e __________ ________
D e c e m b e r _____________
1927— J u n e _____ . . .
.
D e c e m b e r _____________

105.4
104.6
106.5
102.3

102.6
101.8
102.0
9 9 .4

1928— J u n e ____________
D e c e m b e r _____________
1929—J u n e ____ ____________
D e c e m b e r ............................

102.8
102.0
103.4
104.4

1930—J u n e ________ _____ _____
D e c e m b e r ..........................
1931— J u n e ___________________
D e c e m b e r ...........................
1932—J u n e _____________
D e c e m b e r _____________
1933—J u n e .____ _______ _____
D e c e m b e r ............................


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

S o u th
A tla n tic

In d ia n a p o lis

K a n sa s
C it y

M in n e a p o lis

101.4
100.4
100.6
9 7 .5

101.9
101 .2
102.3
9 8 .4

101.5
9 9 .6
9 9 .5
9 6 .1

102.5
100.9
101.1
9 8 .2

10 4 .2
103.7
104. 1
100.8

102.7
100.9
103.1
9 8 .1

9 9 .2
98 .1
9 8 .6
9 7 .8

9 6 .2
9 6 .3
97 .1
9 6 .9

9 8 .0
9 7 .4
9 7 .4
9 8 .4

9 6 .2
9 5 .6
9 5 .5
9 6 .5

9 8 .5
9 7 .6
9 7 .9
9 9 .0

100 .2
9 9 .8
100.8
101.6

9 9 .0
9 8 .7
9 7 .6
9 7 .4

103.0
9 8 .8
9 2 .8
8 9 .3

9 7 .8
9 3 .3
8 7 .3
8 4 .3

9 4 .6
8 8 .3
8 2 .4
7 7 .2

9 7 .1
9 1 .9
8 5 .3
8 1 .7

95 .1
9 2 .6
8 8 .9
8 5 .1

9 8 .0
9 4 .0
8 9 .6
8 6 .6

9 9 .5
9 4 .7
8 8 .5
8 4 .0

9 4 .0
8 9 .9
8 4 .4
7 9 .8

8 2 .9
7 9 .7
78 .3
8 0 .5

8 0 .5
76 .4
7 5 .2
7 7 .2

7 1 .6
6 7 .9
6 5 .7
6 9 .1

7 7 .0
73 .9
7 3 .0
75 .5

7 9 .0
76 .9
7 5 .5
7 6 .7

8 0 .9
7 8 .2
7 4 .6
7 8 .2

7 9 .5
7 6 .4
75.1
7 7 .0

7 5 .9
7 1 .9
7 1 .3
7 4 .7

S t.
L o u is

A tla n ta

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1162
T

6 . — Indexes of Cost of all Goods Purchased by Wage Earners and Lower-Salaried
Workers in Each of 32 Large Cities, June 1926 through June 15, 1939—Continued

able

[A v e r a g e 1923-25= 100]

E a s t N o r th C e n tr a l— C o n tin u e d

W e s t N o r th C e n tr a l— C o n .

D a te

S o u th
A tla n ­
tic— C on.

C in c in ­
n a ti

C le v e ­
la n d

D e t r o it

I n d ia n ­
a p o lis

K a n sa s
C it y

M in n e ­
a p o lis

1934—J u n e ___________________
N o v e m b e r 15__________
1935— M a r c h 15______________
J u ly 15 _________ _ .. . .
O c tob e r 1 5 ...
_______

8 1 .7
8 2 .2
85.1
8 4 .0
8 4 .5

7 8 .6
788
8 1 .3
8 1 .4
8 1 .5

7 1 .5
7 1 .9
74 .2
75. 1
7 5 .9

7 7 .0
7 6 .5
7 8 .9
7 8 .8
79.1

7 7 .9
7 9 .2
8 0 .4
79 .5
80 .1

7 9 .2
79 .6
8 1 .3
8 1 .5
8 1 .3

7 8 .7
7 9 .4
81 .4
8 1 .6
8 1 .2

75.8
77.1
78.4
78.3
79 .6

1936—J a n u a r y 15_ __________
A p r il 15 ______________
J u ly 15________________
S e p te m b e r 15_________
D e c e m b e r 15__________

8 5 .2
8 4 .3
8 7 .2
8 7 .4
86 2

8 1 .7
8 1 .7
8 3 .4
8 4 .3
8 3 .8

76 .7
77 .0
78.9
79 .0
78 .8

7 9 .8
7 9 .2
81.4
8 1 .8
8 1 .5

80. 2
7 9 .6
8 1 .9
8 2 .9
8 2 .0

82 6
8 1 .8
8 3 .9
8 4 .5
8 4 .7

82 1
8 1 .4
8 2 .8
8 3 .8
8 2 .9

79 9
7 9 .0
80 .6
81 .5
81 .3

1937— M a r c h 15______________
J u n e 1 5 _______________
S e p te m b e r 15__________
D e c e m b e r 15__________

8 8 .6
8 9 .0
89.1
8 8 .3

8 5 .4
8 6 .5
8 6 .9
8 7 .0

8 0 .9
8 2 .5
8 2 .3
8 3 .3

8 3 .5
84. 5
8 3 .6
83.1

8 4 .1
8 5 .3
8 4 .5
8 3 .2

8 6 .8
86 6
8 6 .0
8 5 .9

8 4 .7
8 5 .4
8 5 .8
8 4 .8

8 2 .4
8 3 .0
8 3 .9
8 2 .3

1938— M a r c h 15______________
J u n e 15_____ ________
S e p te m b e r 15__________
D e c e m b e r 15__________

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

8 6 .0
8 6 .3
8 5 .8
8 5 .8

8 1 .9
8 1 .5
8 0 .0
7 9 .8

8 1 .9
8 2 .4
8 1 .5
8 1 .4

8 2 .0
8 2 .6
8 1 .8
8 1 .9

8 4 .8
8 5 .6
8 3 .9
8 4 .2

83 5
8 3 .8
83. 2
8 2 .9

8 0 .5
80 .3
8 0 .0
80 .3

1939— M a r c h 15. _ .
____
J u n e 15________________

8 4 .8
8 4 .5

8 5 .9
8 5 .7

7 9 .3
7 8 .9

81 .1
81 .1

8 1 .5
8 1 .5

8 4 .2
8 4 .3

82 7
8 2 .2

79.3
78 .9

Savan­
nah

W ash ­
in g to n ,
D . C.

S t.
L o u is

A tla n ta

S o u th A t la n tic — C o n tin u e d
D a te
B a lt i­
m o re

Jack son ­
N o r fo lk
v ille

R ic h ­
m ond

B ir m in g ­
ham

M em ­
p h is

1926— J u n e ___________________
D e c e m b e r __________ __
1927— J u n e _________________
D e c e m b e r _____________

103.4
102.5
102.1
100.1

109.0
107.7
104.8
102.0

101.7
101.4
102.3
100.3

104.7
102.9
103.0
9 9 .7

102.4
101.6
101.1
100.0

103.2
102.5
100.5
9 9 .5

103.0
102.1
100.7
100.0

100.8
100.0
9 9 .9
97 .1

1928— J u n e ____ _______________
D e c e m b e r _____________
1929— J u n e ____ __ . . . _____
D e c e m b e r _________ . . .

100.1
99.1
9 9 .7
100.5

9 8 .7
9 8 .2
9 7 .2
9 6 .1

9 9 .6
9 9 .9
9 9 .7
100.6

100.0
9 8 .5
9 7 .7
9 8 .6

9 9 .2
9 9 .8
9 9 .0
9 8 .9

99 .1
9 8 .6
9 9 .0
9 8 .9

9 8 .2
9 7 .5
9 6 .9
9 6 .1

9 6 .5
97 .0
97.1
96 .7

1930—J lin o _ _ _ ___________
D e c e m b e r _____________
1931— J u n e .____ ___________
D e c e m b e r _____________

9 9 .5
9 5 .8
9 0 .8
87 .9

9 4 .1
9 0 .6
8 5 .4
8 1 .2

9 8 .8
9 5 .4
89 .8
8 6 .2

98 .1
9 3 .5
8 8 .2
8 5 .6

9 6 .9
9 3 .2
8 9 .3
8 4 .3

9 7 .4
94 .7
89 .6
8 7 .0

9 4 .2
8 9 .3
80 .7
7 6 .9

9 6 .0
91 .3
85 .3
82 .1

1932— J u n e ____ . . . ______
D e c e m b e r .. . _______
1933—J u n e ___________________
D e c e m b e r __________ __

8 2 .7
79 .9
7 7 .7
8 1 .4

7 6 .3
7 3 .5
7 1 .3
7 5 .5

8 1 .2
78 .7
75 .9
8 0 .9

8 0 .3
77.1
75.7
79 .9

79.1
7 6 .7
7 4 .6
7 8 .3

8 2 .0
79.1
78.1
8 1 .8

70.9
68 .5
6 7 .2
7 0 .2

77 .0
7 3 .8
73.1
7 6 .1

1934—J u n e ____ ________ . . .
N o v e m b e r 15. ________
1935— M a r c h 15______________
J u ly 15_______________
O c tob e r 15_____ _______

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

7 6 .6
7 7 .2
7 7 .8
78 .6
7 8 .9

8 2 .5
8 2 .9
83 .7
83 .3
8 4 .1

8 0 .9
8 1 .7
8 2 .9
8 2 .7
8 3 .6

7 8 .9
7 9 .4
8 0 .0
8 0 .2
8 1 .2

8 3 .0
8 3 .9
8 5 .3
8 5 .6
8 6 .3

7 1 .0
7 3 .4
7 3 .4
7 3 .9
7 5 .3

77.0
78.8
79.5
78.6
78.7

1936—J a n u a r y 15____________
A p r il 15_________ ______
J u ly 15__________
___
S e p te m b e r 15____ _____
D e c e m b e r 15_______

8 5 .6
8 5 .0
8 6 .0
8 6 .4
8 6 .4

7 9 .4
7 8 .5
8 0 .2
80. 1
8 0 .4

84 .9
8 3 .7
8 4 .8
8 5 .2
8 5 .7

8 3 .6
82 .8
8 4 .3
8 5 .5
8 6 .0

8 1 .2
79 .4
8 0 .7
8 1 .0
81.1

8 6 .7
8 5 .5
8 7 .0
8 7 .4
8 7 .6

7 5 .0
7 3 .9
7 6 .0
7 6 .5
7 6 .4

7 9 .4
7 9 .3
8 0 .5
81.1
81. 5

1937— M a r c h 15__________ . .
J u n e 15_________
S e p te m b e r 15_______ ._
D e c e m b e r 15__________

8 7 .0
87 .4
8 8 .2
8 7 .7

8 1 .5
82.1
8 2 .4
82 .0

8 6 .5
8 6 .8
8 6 .9
8 6 .3

8 6 .5
8 6 .3
8 6 .9
8 5 .4

SI. 8
8 2 .5
8 3 .3
8 2 .8

8 7 .8
8 8 .7
8 9 .7
8 8 .8

7 8 .7
79.6
7 9 .5
79.0

8 2 .8
8 3 .0
8 2 .9
8 2 .9

1938— M a r c h 15______________
J u n e 15____ __________
S e p te m b e r 1 5 _ ............... ..
D e c e m b e r 15__________

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

80 .0
7 9 .8
79 .9
7 9 .2

8 5 .1
8 4 .4
8 4 .5
8 4 .5

8 4 .0
83.1
8 3 .5
8 3 .3

8 1 .4
8 1 .2
8 0 .8
8 0 .9

87 .1
8 7 .2
8 7 .0
8 6 .8

7 7 .6
7 7 .2
7 7 .2
7 6 .8

SI. 7
8 1 .7
8 1 .5
81 0

1939— M a r c h 1 5 . . ..............
J u n e 15___________

8 5 .7
8 5 .5

7 8 .7
7 8 .8

8 3 .7
8 3 .6

8 2 .6
8 2 .2

7 9 .9
8 0 .2

8 5 .9
8 6 .0

7 6 .5
7 5 .7

8 0 .2
8 0 .2


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

..

1163

Cost and Standards of Living
T

6 . — Indexes of Cost of all Goods Purchased by Wage Earners and Lower-Salaried
Workers in Each of 32 Large Cities, June 1926 through June 15, 1939— Continued

able

lA v e r a g e 1923-25=100]
E ast
S o u th
C e n tr a l—
C on.

W e s t S o u th
C en tra l

M oun­
ta in

P a c ific

D a te
M o b ile

H o u sto n

N ew
O rleans

D enver

L os
A n g e les

P o r t­
la n d ,
O reg.

San
Fran­
cisco

S e a ttle

D e c e m b e r ____________
1927— J u n e _________ ______ D e c e m b e r _________ -

103.8
104.0
103.6
102.4

9 9 .9
100.4
9 8 .3
9 8 .6

100.0
101.0
101.2
9 9 .9

101.2
100.2
100. 7
9 6 .4

9 6 .7
9 6 .9
9 7 .0
9 5 .5

9 9 .4
9 9 .1
9 8 .9
9 7 .3

101.0
101.1
101.3
100.5

101.2
100.6
101.6
9 8 .8

1928— J u n e .. -- . .
D e c e m b e r ________
1929— J u n e --- ______________
D e c e m b e r .- _________

101.4
101.8
101.0
101.6

96 .7
9 7 .6
97 .4
9 8 .6

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

9 5 .9
96 .3
96 .6
96 .7

9 3 .8
95.1
94.1
9 4 .0

9 5 .7
9 6 .3
95 .1
9 5 .8

9 9 .5
100.8
100.0
100.3

9 8 .4
9 8 .6
9 9 .2
9 9 .6

9 9 .9
9 5 .5
8 8 .9
8 5 .3

96.1
9 1 .3
8 6 .0
8 3 .4

9 6 .7
9 2 .6
85.1
8 4 .5

9 5 .5
91 .1
8 6 .5
82 .9

9 1 .7
8 8 .1
82 .4
8 0 .7

9 5 .0
8 9 .6
8 5 .5
8 2 .9

9 8 .2
9 4 .9
8 9 .7
8 6 .8

9 8 .8
9 3 .4
9 0 .4
8 7 .3

79.1
77 .0
74 .9
7 9 .2

76 .2
72 .2
71.6
75.1

79 3
7 7 .6
7 5 .4
79.1

78 .2
75.5
74 .5
76.1

7 5 .5
73 .1
6 9 .8
7 2 .5

7 7 .4
7 5 .2
72 .7
7 4 .4

8 2 .3
8 0 .6
7 8 .6
8 1 .8

8 2 .0
7 8 .6
78 .1
7 9 .2

79 .1
8 1 .0
8 2 .2
81 .7
8 2 .1

7 5 .8
7 8 .3
79.3
78 .2
79 .4

79.1
8 1 .0
8 2 .0
8 1 .9
8 1 .4

7 7 .8
7 9 .0
8 1 .2
8 1 .2
8 0 .8

72.1
7 4 .2
7 5 .5
7 4 .6
7 4 .8

7 5 .5
7 7 .2
7 8 .8
7 8 .8
7 9 .3

8 2 .5
8 4 .4
8 4 .8
83. 2
8 4 .0

7 9 .6
8 0 .9
82 .1
8 2 .2
8 2 .2

8 1 .7
8 1 .0
8 2 .7
8 2 .2
82 .1

80 .3
79.5
8 0 .9
8 1 .5
8 1 .9

8 1 .7
8 0 .8
8 2 .2
8 2 .6
8 3 .0

8 1 .5
8 1 .1
8 3 .0
83 .4
83 .1

7 5 .4
7 4 .7
7 5 .2
7 6 .3
77.1

8 0 .7
8 0 .8
8 2 .0
8 1 .9
8 2 .5

8 4 .5
8 4 .0
8 4 .5
8 4 .8
8 4 .9

8 3 .6
83. 2
84 .1
8 4 .5
8 4 .8

8 4 .2
8 4 .9
85 .1
84 .1

83 .2
82 .8
8 4 .0
83 .9

8 4 .0
8 4 .2
8 5 .2
8 4 .4

8 5 .0
8 5 .9
8 5 .8
8 5 .4

7 9 .8
7 9 .4
7 9 .5
7 9 .2

8 5 .0
8 5 .6
8 5 .9
8 5 .0

8 6 .8
8 7 .5
8 8 .6
8 9 .2

8 7 .3
8 8 .1
8 8 .6
88. 5

S e p te m b e r 15....... ..........
D e c e m b e r 15 _________

8 3 .5
8 3 .4
8 2 .6
8 2 .3

8 2 .6
8 2 .0
8 2 .0
8 2 .2

8 3 .9
8 3 .2
8 3 .7
8 3 .6

8 4 .0
84 .4
8 2 .8
8 2 .8

78.1
7 8 .6
7 8 .3
78 .9

8 4 .3
8 3 .7
8 2 .9
8 3 .3

8 7 .8
8 8 .2
8 8 .3
8 8 .3

8 7 .6
8 7 .5
8 6 .8
8 7 .0

1939— M a r c h 15 _______ - - J u n e 15_______________

8 2 .2
8 2 .2

81 .4
81 .3

8 3 .4
8 3 .3

8 2 .4
8 2 .4

7 8 .2
7 7 .7

8 2 .7
8 2 .8

8 7 .5
8 6 .7

8 6 .8
8 7 .1

1930—J u n e . _______________
D e c e m b e r . ____ __
D e c e m b e r ____________
1932— J u n e ___ ______ ________
D e c e m b e r . ___
D e c e m b e r ____________
1934— J u n e --- - - - ________
N o v e m b e r 15_________
1935— M a r c h 15_____________
O ctober 15____________
1936— J a n u a r y 15-------------S e p te m b e r 15_________
D e c e m b e r 15-------------1937— M a r ch 15_____________
S e p te m b e r 15_________
D e c e m b e r 15-------------1938— M a r c h 15_____________

Description of the Indexes

A summary discussion of the method of preparing these indexes and
of their uses in showing temporal changes in the cost of goods and ser­
vices purchased by wage earners and lower-salaried workers in each
of 32 large cities of the United States and in these cities combined
is presented in the March and July 1938 issues of the Monthly Labor
Review. In that discussion, it is pointed out that the only com­
parison between cities that can be drawn from the Bureau’s indexes
is a comparison of the extent of change in living costs in different
cities over given periods. Thus, the index of the cost of all items as
of June 15, 1939, based on costs in 1923-25 as 100, was 87.1 in Seattle
185451— 39------------10


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

1164

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

and 75.7 in Birmingham. A comparison of these two indexes indi­
cates that on June 15, 1939, living costs in Birmingham were 24.3
percent lower than the average for the years 1923-25, but that in
Seattle, costs on this date were only 12.9 percent lower. This com­
parison does not indicate that costs on June 15, 1939, were 15 per­
cent higher in Seattle than in Birmingham. In order to secure
' figures showing a comparison of actual living costs between cities,
expenditures serving as the weights for items priced in the different
cities would have to be representative of identical levels of living.
Differences between the average costs from which the Bureau of
Labor Statistics indexes are computed in different cities are due to
differences in standards and in purchasing habits in those cities as
well as to varying prices for goods of given grades. Differences
between the indexes of costs from time to time in the various cities
at any particular date are due entirely to differences in the percentage
of change in living costs in each city.
The comparison of the cost of the same level of living from one part
of the country to another presents serious technical difficulties for
which wholly satisfactory techniques have not yet been developed.
This is particularly true in attempting to measure differences in living
costs from large to very small cities or from urban to rural communi­
ties, where consideration must be given not only to differences in such
factors as climate and consumption habits, but also to differences in
housing, the fuels available, and the means of transportation.
WWW
EST IM A T E D IN T E R C IT Y D IF F E R E N C E S IN COST
OF LIV IN G , JU N E 15, 1939
IN March 1935, the Division of Social Research of the Works
Progress Administration conducted a study of comparative living
costs in 59 cities. The purpose of this study was to determine the
cost of a uniform level of living in these cities at a given time, and
how its cost compared from one city to another. Quantity budgets
were constructed by the Works Progress Administration to represent
the needs of families at two levels of living, the “basic maintenance”
level and “emergency” level. An identical budget for each of these
levels of living, with certain adjustments in the fuel, ice, and trans­
portation lists to take account of climatic and other local conditions,
was used in each city. The Bureau of Labor Statistics cooperated
with the Division of Social Research of the Works Progress Adminis­
tration in obtaining the prices necessary to compute the costs of the
two* budgets, using descriptive specifications to facilitate pricing
identical commodities and services from city to city. Insofar as
possible, prices for identical commodities were obtained in each city.

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Cost and Standards of Living

1165

Details of this study and a description of the goods and services in­
cluded in each budget can be found in the report “Intercity differ­
ences in costs of living in March 1935, 59 cities,” Research Mono­
graph XII, a copy of which may be obtained from the Division of
Research, Work Projects Administration, Washington, D. C.
Between March 1935 and the spring of 1939, no attempt was made
to price these budgets. In order to bring the intercity comparison
of costs up to date, estimates of the cost of the “maintenance” budget
were made, however, for the 31 cities covered by both the Works
Progress Administration study and the Bureau of Labor Statistics
studies of changes in the cost of goods purchased by wage earners
and lower-salaried workers. By applying the Bureau of Labor Sta­
tistics indexes of living costs, which show changes in costs from time
to time, to the Works Progress Administration data on intercity
differences in costs in March 1935, approximate intercity comparisons
of costs were obtained. Since the cost-of-living indexes of the Bureau
of Labor Statistics are based on a budget weighted differently from
the budget used in the Works Progress Administration study, when
the two sets of figures were combined, the resulting estimates of inter­
city differences in costs were merely approximations.
Early in 1939, the Bureau of Labor Statistics made a study of
comparative living costs in 10 small cities. This study of “Differ­
ences in living costs in northern and southern cities” was made at
the request of the Wage and Hour Division. Reprints of an article
which appeared in the July 1939 Monthly Labor Review describing
the survey are available on request to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In connection with this study of comparative living costs in 10
small cities, the Works Progress Administration “maintenance” bud­
get was, in part, priced again for 31 large cities, using prices obtained
as of December 15, 1938, and February 14, 1939.
The cost of the clothing, housefurnishings, fuel and light, and mis­
cellaneous groups were recomputed on the basis of prices of 55 articles
of clothing, 16 articles of furniture and furnishings, 5 items of fuel
and light, and 37 miscellaneous items on December 15, 1938, and
weighted by the quantities provided in the “maintenance” budget.
The food cost budget was entirely recomputed in terms of the “ade­
quate diet at minimum cost” of the United States Bureau of Home
Economics (a somewhat more varied diet than that originally used in
the “maintenance” budget). The cost of this budget was computed
for 31 large cities with prices of the 89 foods priced by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics for its indexes of changes in food costs. Average
rents in each of the 31 cities were estimated by applying the Bureau’s
time-to-time indexes of rental costs to the Works Progress Adminis­
tration’s figures for March 1935.

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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1166

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has prepared approximations for
June 15, 1939, by applying the Bureau’s indexes of living costs which
show changes in cost from time to time, to the costs estimated by
the Bureau as of December 15, 1938, for all items other than food.
The food data were recalculated as of June 13, 1939. Table 7 shows
estimated cost of living for a four-person manual worker’s family, at
the “maintenance” level as defined by the Works Progress Adminis­
tration in 31 large cities, as of June 15. Table 8 presents these data
as indexes on a base of the cost in Washington, D. C., as of that date
as 100.
T a b le 7.—Estimated1 Cost of Living for a 4-Person Manual Worker's Family at “M ain­

tenance” Level, as Defined by the Works Progress Administration,2 in 31 Large Cities,
as of June 15, 1939

C it y

T o ta l

A t la n t a __________________ $ 1 ,3 1 7 .7 5
B a ltim o r e _______________
1, 322.46
B ir m in g h a m _________ _ 1, 257.40
B o s t o n __________________
1 ,4 0 3 .5 6
B u f f a lo .____ ____________
1, 277.55
C h ic a g o _________________
1 ,4 2 5 .6 6
C in c in n a t i______________
1,3 1 1 .3 3
C le v e la n d _______________
1 ,3 7 8 .3 7
D e n v e r __________ . . . . . .
1, 296. 54
1 ,4 0 5 .2 2
D e t r o it _________________
H o u s to n ______ _________
1 ,2 9 2 .0 0
I n d ia n a p o lis ____________
1, 265. 70
J a c k s o n v ille _____________
1, 284.23
K a n s a s C i t y ______ _____
1, 257.92
L o s A n g e le s _____________
1 ,3 1 5 .0 6
M e m p h is _______________
1, 287.42
M in n e a p o lis ____________
1, 397.66
M o b ile ____ _____ ________
1,178. 65
N e w O r lean s____________
1, 257.11
N e w Y o r k ____________
1, 471.45
N o r fo lk __________________
1 ,3 1 4 .3 0
P h ila d e lp h ia ____________
1, 325.05
P it t s b u r g h ______________
1, 346. 95
P o r tla n d , M a in e ________
1 ,331.91
P o r tla n d , O reg__________
1,3 1 9 .8 7
R ic h m o n d ______________
1 ,3 1 8 .1 2
S t. L o u i s . _______ ______
1, 356. 74
S a n F r a n c is c o ___________
1 ,4 4 1 .9 8
S cra n to n . . . . _________
1 ,3 4 1 .1 7
S e a t t le ________ _________
1,364. 08
W a s h in g to n , D . C .......... ..
1 ,4 7 8 .0 5

Food

$471.08
474.12
452.66
467. 79
443.67
450. 56
431.81
439. 72
449. 36
437.98
442.08
431.97
476.11
453.93
427.27
429.65
463. 79
463. 76
453.29
492.44
470. 52
470. 52
454. 94
488.19
470. 35
440.61
451. 52
473.27
463.41
476.80
476.89

C lo th in g

H o u s in g

F u el and
lig h t

$157.09
165.29
168.93
167.38
168.25
158. 74
173. 95
174.10
161.27
168. 60
156.87
156.65
146.67
170.54
167. 26
170.86
159.27
154.17
159. 81
163.69
106. 25
166.27
166.10
162.14
157. 27
164.89
160.01
170. 58
160.45
169. 72
170.19

$286.54
247.71
225. 75
259. 77
240.06
291.20
270.11
283. 68
237.45
307.14
246. 20
238.34
217. 97
209.58
246.01
260.68
304. 55
175.03
205.16
309.21
245. 55
255.14
285. 57
200. 51
191. 34
251.81
284. 39
285.08
266. 50
196.03
351.86

$81. 79
98.4 6
69.1 9
128.40
105.02
127.48
91.9 8
112.04
113.70
112.31
84. 77
91 .6 8
99. 55
101.98
74.73
82.10
136.36
77. 98
74.42
115.18
95.6 5
98.2 8
88.0 7
139. 33
135.89
102.11
103. 75
8 6 .6 7
92.38
126.16
112.42

F u r n itu r e ,
fu r n is h ­
in g s,
h o u se h o ld
e q u ip m e n t
$30.43
35.14
32 .8 8
32.83
3 2 .2 2
31.48
35.34
32.76
32. 77
32. 35
34.90
32.51
32.4 6
33.35
34.91
35. 51
32. 24
34.02
36. 71
34. 40
33.19
32. 74
33. 77
32.61
33. 90
34.53
37. 25
37.06
31.37
35.23
35.8 2

M is c e l­
la n e o u s

$290.82
301.74
307.99
347. 39
288.33
366. 20
308.14
336.07
301.99
346.84
327.18
314.55
311.47
288.54
364.88
308.62
301.45
273.69
327. 72
356.53
303.14
302.10
318. 50
309.13
331.12
324.17
319. 82
389.32
327.06
360.14
330.87

1 S ee e x p la n a tio n o f m e th o d g iv e n o n p p . 1165 a n d 1166.
2 S ee t h e W o rk s P rog ress A d m in istr a tio n p u b lic a tio n “ I n te r c ity d iffer en ces in c o sts o f liv in g in M a r ch
1935, 59 c it ie s ,” R esea rch M o n o g r a p h X I I , for th e ite m s in c lu d e d in th e “ m a in te n a n c e ” b u d g e t.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Cost and Standards of Living

1167

T a b l e 8 . —Estimated

1 Indexes of Cost of Living for a 4-Person Manual Worker's Family
at “ Maintenance” Level, as Defined by the Works Progress Administration 2
[W a sh in g to n co sts a s o f J u n e 15, 1939=100]

C it y

T o ta l

B ir m in g h a m ____________

P h i l a d e l p h i a ............ .......

S an F r a n c i s c o . . . _______
W a s h in g to n , D . C ______

8 9 .2
8 9 .5
85 .1
9 5 .0
8 6 .4
9 6 .5
8 8 .7
9 3 .3
8 7 .7
95 .1
8 7 .4
8 5 .6
8 6 .9
8 5 .1
8 9 .0
87 .1
9 4 .6
79 .7
85.1
9 9 .6
8 8 .9
8 9 .6
91.1
90 .1
8 9 .3
8 9 .2
91. 8
9 7 .6
9 0 .7
9 2 .3
100 .0

Food

98 .8
9 9 .4
9 4 .9
98.1
9 3 .0
9 4 .5
9 0 .5
9 2 .2
9 4 .2
9 1 .8
9 2 .7
9 0 .6
9 9 .8
9 5 .2
8 9 .6
90 .1
9 7 .3
9 7 .2
95.1
103.3
98 .7
98 .7
95 .4
102.4
98 .6
9 2 .4
94. 7
99 .2
97 .2
100.0
100.0

C lo th in g

92. 3
97.1
9 9 .3
9 8 .3
98 .9
9 3 .3
102.2
102.3
9 4 .8
99.1
9 2 .2
9 2 .0
8 6 .2
100. 2
9 8 .3
100.4
9 3 .6
9 0 .6
9 3 .9
9 6 .2
9 7 .7
9 7 .7
97 .6
9 5 .3
9 2 .4
96 .9
94. 0
100.2
94 .3
99 .7
100.0

H o u s in g

F u e l and
lig h t

8 1 .4
70 .4
6 4 .2
73 .8
68. 2
8 2 .8
76 .8
8 0 .6
6 7 .5
87. 3
7 0 .0
6 7 .7
6 1 .9
5 9 .6
6 9 .9
74.1
8 6 .6
4 9 .7
5 8 .3
87 .9
69 .8
72 .5
8 1 .2
5 7 .0
54.4
71.6
80. 8
8 1 .0
75.7
55 .7
100.0

72 .8
8 7 .6
6 1 .5
114.2
93. 4
113.4
8 1 .8
9 9 .7
101.1
9 9 .9
75.4
8 1 .6
8 8 .6
9 0 .7
6 6 .5
7 3 .0
121.3
6 9 .4
6 6 .2
102. 5
85 .1
8 7 .4
7 8 .3
123.9
120.9
9 0 .8
9 2 .3
77. 1
8 2 .2
112.2
100.0

F u r n itu r e ,
fu r n ish ­
in g s,
h o u se h o ld
e q u ip m e n t

M is c e l­
la n e o u s

8 5 .0
9 8 .1
9 1 .8
9 1 .7
8 9 .9
8 7 .9
9 8 .7
9 1 .5
9 1 .5
9 0 .3
9 7 .4
9 0 .8
9 0 .6
9 3 .1
9 7 .5
99. 1
9 0 .0
9 5 .0
102.5
9 6 .0
9 2 .7
91 .4
9 4 .3
9 1 .0
9 4 .6
96. 4
104. 0
103.5
8 7 .6
98 .4
100.0

8 7 .9
91. 2
9 3 .1
105.0
87 .1
110.7
93. 1
101.6
91 .3
104.8
98 .9
95.1
94 .1
87. 2
110.3
9 3 .3
91 .1
8 2 .7
99. 0
107.8
91 .6
9 1 .3
9 6 .3
93. 4
100. 1
9 8 .0
96. 7
117. 7
9 8 .8
10S. 8
100.0

1 See e x p la n a tio n o f m e th o d g iv e n o n p p . 1165 a n d 1166.
2 S ee th e W o rk s P rogress A d m in istr a tio n p u b lic a tio n “ I n te r c ity d ifferen ces in co sts o f liv in g in M a r ch
1935, 59 c it ie s ,” R esea rch M o n o g r a p h X I I , for th e ite m s in c lu d e d in th e “ m a in te n a n c e ” b u d g e t.

COST OF LIV IN G IN FO R EIG N C O U N TRIES 1
THE principal index numbers of the cost of living (official and un­
official) published in the different countries are given in the following
table. A brief discussion of these indexes has been presented in earlier
issues of this pamphlet.
1 T a b le from I n te r n a tio n a l L a b o r R e v ie w , G e n e v a , J u ly 1939, p p . 121-121.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1168
T able

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939
9.— Indexes of Cost of Living for Specified Periods for the United States and
Certain Foreign Countries 1

[S eries r e c a lc u la te d b y I n te r n a tio n a l L a b o r O ffice on b a se 1929=100; 2 a = f o o d : 6 = h e a t in g a n d lig h tin g c = c lo t h in g ; d = r e n t ; e = m is c e lla n e o u s ]
6'

C o u n tr y .

T o w n s and
lo c a litie s ___

O r igin al b a se

(=100)__

A rgen
t in a

A u s­
tra lia

A u s tr ia

B e l­
g iu m

B u e­
n os
A ire s

30

V ie n n a

59

O c t.
1933

192327

B ra­
zil

B u l­
garia

B u r­
ma

C an­
ada

C h ile

C h in a

12-67

R an­
goon

60

n eiro

San­
tia g o

P e ip ­ S h a n g ­ T ie n ­
in g
hai
ts in

192829

1931

1926

M ar.
1928

E io d e

J u ly
1914

1921

Ja­

1927

1926

C o m p o s it i o n
o f in d e x ____
1930.
1931.
1932.
1933.
1934.
1935.
1936..
1937.
1938.

1926

a -d

101
87
78
83
78
83
91
93
92

95
85
81
78
80
81
83
85
87

100
96
97
95
95
95
95
95
94

‘86
*88
‘88

1938—

M a r . . .92
.
J u n e ___
94
‘ 87
S e p t ____
91
D e c ..
92
1939—
M a r ________
»91
*89
June.

94
94
93
92

104
93
84
83
79
80
85
92
94

91

88
88
87
94
99
114

94
94
94
95
93
91

92
80
73
68
64
60
57
58
60
60
60
61
61
61
»61

99
90
81
78
79
79
81
83
84

99
98
104
130
130
132
144
162
169

84
84
84
84
83
«83

165
171
171
168
« 161

(3)

100
98
90
87
89

88
89

88
88
87
87
85
83

103
90

86
76
75
81
94

113
117
110
99
98
99
105

103
98
91
80
78
86
98

122
139
139
132
143
134
140
« 143

G r ea t
B r it ­
a in
G er­
m a n y 8 and
N.
Ir e ­
la n d

C o u n tr y _____

C o­
lo m ­
b ia

T o w n s and
lo c a litie s ___

B o­
g o ta

San
J o se

P rague

D an­
zig

100

C airo

T a l­
lin n

36

P a r is

45

72

24-509

O rig in a l b a se

Feb.
1937

1936

J u ly
1914

J u ly
1913

1931

Jan.
1913J u ly
1914

1913

1935

1914

1930

19131914

J u ly
1914

1930..
. . ..................
(3)
(3)
1931
..........................
..........................
(3)
(3)
1932
__________________________
(3)
(3)
1933 . . . ............
(3)
(3)
1934
..........................
..........................
(3)
(3)
1 9 3 5 ..
. ..
(3)
(3)
1936
__
100
(3)
1937
..........................
100 ..........................
106
1938
__
113
107

95

100

100
100

105
102
95
94
93
87
91

105
108

126

117

124
124
124
130

*113
* 115
‘ 117

(= 100)....... .

C o sta C z e c h o ­ D a n ­
s lo ­
R ic a
zig
v a k ia

D en ­
m a rk

E g y p t E sto ­
n ia

F in ­
la n d

France

C o m p o s it io n
o f in d e x ____

1938—

M a r ________
110
J u n e ___
12 2
S e p t ___
110
D e c .........
1939—
M a r . .1.2. 6
J u n e ___
«

m

108
107
107
108
107
108

S ec fo o tn o te s a t e n d o f ta b le,


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

97
98
99

102
104
« 106

88
80
77
76
85
93
97
97
97
97
98
97
98
«98

96
»90
90
92
96
99
101
104
106
107
105
106
106
106

89
91
87
83
84

86
86
85
87
86
87

86
87
85

«86

86
80
75
74
75
84
89
94
95
94
93
93
94
«94

(3)
(3)
(3)
(3)
(3)

1« 1 0 7

1« 1 0 6
101 0 9
101 0 9

10109

111
‘
‘
‘
‘

97
91
87
83
78

86
102

4 120

*122

96
90

88

78
77
79
80
81
81
82

87
90
94
95

81
82
82
81
82
7 82

94
97
95
95
93
7 93

85

86

1169

Cost and Standards of Living

T a b l e 9.—Indexes of Cost of Living for Specified Periods for the United States and

Certain Foreign Countries—Continued
G r eece

Hungary

44

O rig in a l b a se
( = 1 0 0 ) _____

D ec.
1914

C o m p o s itio n
o f in d e x ____

a -e

50

24

13

Tokyo

R ig a

M ar.
21,
1936M ar.
20,
1937

J u ly
1914

June
1928

J u ly
1937

J u ly
1914

J u ly
1914

1930

,*

a -e

a -e

a -e

a -e

a -e

a -c , e

a -e

90
77
78
74
73
73
73
78
73

107
93
81
75
69
69
70
83
95

(3i

73
73
73
74
70

‘ 90
4 93
4 96
4 97
‘ 96

a -d

a -e

a- e

1S1
128
IS O
IS O
129
« 129

88
87
88
87
86
«86

107
106
106

104

L ith u an ia

L ux-

N eth -

T ow n s and
lo c a litie s ___

104

9

O rigin al b a se
( = 1 0 0 ) ____

1913

1914

O c t.
1923S e p t.
1924

C o m p o s it i o n
o f in d e x ____

a -e

a -c , e

a -e

1938— M a r ____
J u n e ___
S e p t ____
D e c ____
1939— M a r ____
J u n e ___

105

1913

m
116
117
121
1S1
IS O

106

7

A ug.
1926J u ly
1927

m
(3)
(3)
100
n 99

88
• 100

I t a ly

J u ly
1933June
1934

91
86
83
77
76
78
82
87
88

1930___________
1931
1 9 3 2 ....................
1933___________
1934___________
1935 __________
1936......................
1937........... ...........
1938......... .............

Ire­
la n d

A h­
m e d ­ S a ig o n
abad

Buda­ B om ­
pest
bay

T o w n s and
lo c a litie s ____

100
101
106
106

10S
10S

1925

a, i

(3)
(3)
(3)
(3)
(3)
(3)
(3)
100

‘ 98
‘ 97
‘ 98
‘ 100
‘ 99
‘ 98

98
98
97
99
99
•1 0 0

107
109

«137

110

ns
U S
116

100

10S
106
110
US
118
126

86
75
75
80
82
84
88
96
110

124
126
129
129
» IS O

106
109
113
117
« 118

81
93
87

(3>
98

100

91
79
76
72
7S
7S
79
87

86
86

789

« 116

N ew
Z ea la n d

N orw ay

P a le s tin e

P eru

Pola n d

P o r»
tu g a l

B a ta ­
v ia

4-25

31

3

L im a

W ar­
sa w

W h o le
coun­
tr y

1913

Jan.
1929

192630

J u ly
1914

Jan.
1922

1913

1928

June
1914

o, b , e

a -e

a -e

a -e

a, b, e

a, c - e

a -e

o, b , e

1930
1931
1932__________
1933 .
1934
1935.....................
1 9 3 6 ....................
1937.......... ..........
1 9 3 8 ............... ..

89
83
71
61
57
50
51
56
57

102
91
79
79
76
74
75
79
81

96
90
84
83
83
81
79
82
83

97
65
48
39
39
41
38

1938—M a r . . . .
J u n e ___
S e p t ___
D e c ____
1939— M a r ___
J u n e ___

57
57
57
58
58
«58

81
82
81
82
81
1 81

82
84
83
82
82

46


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97
87
83
80
76
77
83
91
98

116
1S1
1S6
IS O
IS O
1SS

Japan

97
91
81
86
87
89
91
97
9Í

0)

ÍO
(3>
(«)
(3)
100

N e th e r la n d s

Java
A m ste r ­
and
dam
M a d u ra

See footnotes at end of table.

L a t-

Ira n

Indo­
c h in a

In d ia

44
44
44
43
43
42

n 52
n 49
52
53

98
90
84
79
81
83
86
92
95

97
92
90
89
89
91
93
100
103

89
80
82
79
80
79
84
88
85

96
90
86
83
85
86
90
96
98

92
82
74
67
62
60
58
62
61

95
84
83
83
83
84
86
89
86

53
52
53
53
53
«53

94
95
95
96
96
«97

103
104
102
102
102
7103

86
83
85
86
83
« 82

98
99
96
95

60
60
60
60
60
»61

86
86
85
83
80
•8 2

» 62

95
»95

1170

Monthly Labor Revieiv—November 1939

T a ble 9. —Indexes of Cost of Living for Specified Periods for the United States and

Certain Foreign Countries—Continued
C o u n t r y ____

Pun­ R u­
jab m an ia

T o w n s and
L a­ B u ch ­
lo c a lit ie s __ h ore arest

S o u th ­
ern
S p a in
R ho­
d esia

U n io n U n ite d
S w e ­ S w it ­ T u n i­ T u r ­
of
S ta te s
zer­
d en
sia
k
e
y
S o u th
la n d
A frica B . L . S

6

M a­
d rid

49

49

T u n is

Ista n ­
bul

9

32-51

J a n .June
1914

1914

1923-25

1929

a -e

a -e

a -e

0 r i ginal
1931b ase
( = 1 0 0 ) . . . . 1935

1933

1914

1914

J u ly
1914

June
1914

J u ly
1914

Composi­
tio n of in ­
d e x _______

a -e

a -c

a, b, d

a, b, e

a -e

a -e

a -e

0

g)
(3)
(3)
100

100
96
92
87
86
85
85
88
89

103
107
103
100
102
99

1930_________
1931_________
1932_________
1933_________
1934_________
1935. _______
1936_________
1937_________
1938_________
1938— M a r . .
J u n e ..
S ep t.
D e c ...
1939— M a r . . 3
J u n e ..

(9
(3)
(3)
(s)
100

98
98
102
112
m

115
m
109
108
10i
108
122
118

12i
126
123
126
126
6 125

1

U rn guay

89
90
88
89
89

97
94
8 92
91
91
92
93
95
98

98
93
86
81
80
80
81
85
85

97
98
98
98
99

85
85
85
85
84
7 85

a -e

100
96
83
76
74
69

92
87
85
76
75
69

111

70
72
70
70
70

4 108
4 112
4 116
4 114

98
94
90
87
89
88

—

Y u g o s la v ia

M o n te ­ B e l­
v id e o grade

1926

a -c ,

e

3 (C r o ­
a tia
and
S la ­
v o n ia )

J u ly
1914

a -e

98
89
80
76
79
81

100
100
99
93
93
96

92
87
81
79
75
74

92
85
77
66
61
60

94

83

98

87

12 69

94
94
93
94
100

83

inn
« 104

«88

« 69

82
82

1 T a b le from In te r n a tio n a l L a b o r R e v ie w , G e n e v a , J u ly 1939, p p . 121-124.
2 E x c e p t for series in ita lic s , w h ic h are o n o rig in a l b a se , or r e c a lc u la te d o n n e a r e st p o ss ib le y ea r to 1929.
3 N o in d ex es c o m p u te d .
4 In d e x e s c o m p u te d as o f F e b r u a r y , M a y , A u g u s t, a n d N o v e m b e r .
I F ebruary.
8 A p r il.
7 M ay.
* T e r r ito r y b efore 1938.
8 N e w or r e v ised series b e g in n in g th is y ea r .
10 I n d e x e s c o m p u te d as of J a n u a r y , A pril, J u ly , a n d O c to b e r.
II A v e r a g e c a lc u la te d for a p erio d o f le ss th a n 1 y ea r .
18 C o rrec ted figure.


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Minimum Wages and Maximum Hours

WAGE D ET E R M IN A T IO N S U N D E R PU BLIC
CONTRACTS ACT
THE Secretary of Labor determined the prevailing minimum wages to
be paid workers engaged on Government contracts in the paper and pulp
industry on September 26, and in the manufacture of small-arms
ammunition, explosives, and related products industries on October 4,
1939, bringing the total number of determinations under the WalshHealey law to 30.1 In addition, the definition of the men’s raincoat
industry was clarified on September 18, 1939, and that for the luggage
and saddlery industry was extended, on September 26, 1939, to include
carrier’s tie straps and leather pouches. These determinations are
summarized below.2
Paper and pulp .—For the purposes of the determination, the Secre­
tary of Labor defined the paper and pulp industry as including the
manufacture or furnishing of pulp and other fiber, and the primary
conversion of pulp and other fiber into paper and paperboard, and in
addition, the manufacture and conversion of primary paper into
toilet paper and paper towels, coated book paper, and paper shipping
sacks.
Effective October 15, 1939, the wages in the industry for work on
Government contracts subject to the jurisdiction of the Walsh-Healey
Act were fixed at from 35 to 50 cents an hour, or $14 to $20 per week
of 40 hours, arrived at on either a time or piece-work basis. In the
States of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama,
Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma,
Florida, and Texas, the hourly rate is 35 cents; for the States of Maine,
New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode
Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland,
West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri,
Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas,
New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona,
Nevada, and the District of Columbia, 39 cents; and in Washington,
Oregon, and California, the prevailing minimum rate of pay was
determined to be 50 cents an hour.
1 F o r earlier d e te r m in a tio n s se e M o n t h ly L a b o r R e v ie w , J u ly a n d D e c e m b e r 1938 a n d F e b r u a r y , M a r c h ,
J u n e , S e p te m b e r , a n d O c tob e r 1939.
2 U . S . D e p a r tm e n t o i L a b o r. D iv is io n of P u b lic C o n tr a c ts .


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P r e ss re lea ses N o s . 914, 932, 935, a n d 940.

1171

1172

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

Small-arms ammunition, etc.—In the determination for the smallarms ammunition, explosives, and related products industries, which
became effective on October 19, wages of from 42.5 to 57.5 cents an
hour, or $17 to $23 a week of 40 hours, were established for different
branches of manufacture. The 42.5-cent rate applies in the manufac­
ture and supply of ammunition and parts thereof for small arms, and
such related products as saluting primers and aircraft engine starters;
for persons employed in the manufacture and supply of blasting and
detonating caps, the applicable rate is 47.5 cents an hour; and for
those employed in the manufacture and supply of explosives, including
dynamite, permissible explosives (those approved by the United
States Bureau of Mines for use in mines where dust and gas explosions
are likely to occur), nitroglycerine, black blasting powder, pellet and
fuse powder, and smokeless gun powder, it is 57.5 cents an hour.
Men’s raincoats.—In the determination for the men’s raincoat
industry, dated July 28, 1937,3 the word “Cravenette” appeared as a
term of common usage. As “Cravenette” is a registered trade-mark
and should have been so designated, the Secretary of Labor on Sep­
tember 18, 1939, changed the wording of the determination to provide
that the 40-cent minimum wage already established should apply for
work in the manufacture of men’s raincoats, including vulcanized and
rubberized raincoats and raincoats made from material known under
the registered trade-mark of “Cravenette” or from fabric chemically
or otherwise treated so as to render it water-resistant (except oiled
cotton). Learners and handicapped and superannuated workers, not
to exceed 10 percent of the employees in the establishment concerned,
may be paid 25 cents an hour or $10 a week, but not less than the
piece rates paid to other workers in the same establishment.
Carrier’s tie straps and leather pouches.—The luggage and saddlery
industries determination of July 12, 1938,4 was extended by order of
September 26, 1939, to cover the manufacture of carrier’s tie straps
and leather pouches (consisting of a leather pouch or pocket of holster
type with belt loop used for carrying pliers and knife), effective October
11, 1939. Under the terms of this determination the hourly rate of
pay on work to fulfill Government contracts is 40 cents an hour or $16
a week, in the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massa­
chusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho,
Nevada, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and New
Mexico, and 37.5 cents an hour, or $15 per week, in the other 26
States and the District of Columbia.
* See Monthly Labor Review, July 1938 (p. 113).
* Iden, December 1938 (p. 1358).


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Wages and Hours o f Labor

HOURLY EA R N IN G S IN K NIT-GOODS IN D U ST R IE S
(O TH ER TH A N H O SIERY ), S E PT E M B E R 1938
By H. E.

R i l e y a n d J a c o b P e r l m a n , B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s 1

Sum m ary

HOURLY earnings of workers in the knitted-underwear industry
averaged 39.9 cents in August and September 1938, according to a
report recently prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For the
same period, average hourly earnings in the knitted-outerwear in­
dustry amounted to 45.8 cents, while the average for the knitted-cloth
industry was 56.0 cents. The earnings of employees in glove-knitting
establishments averaged 40.9 cents per hour.
The survey revealed that three-fourths of the employees in the
knitted-underwear industry were women, who averaged 36.8 cents an
hour, as against 48.9 cents for men. In the knitted-outerwear estab­
lishments, also, women constituted three-fourths of the working force.
The average hourly earnings of all male employees was 62.2 cents, as
against only 39.8 cents for females. In the knitted-cloth industry, on
the other hand, three-fourths of the workers were males, who averaged
60.1 cents an hour. The hourly earnings for females in these plants
averaged 41.8 cents. Nearly four-fifths of the workers in the knittedglove plants were women. The hourly earnings of women averaged
34.5 cents, which was 24.0 cents less than the average (58.5 cents) for
male employees.
Scope of Survey
Recently the Bureau of Labor Statistics made a survey of earnings
and hours in the knit-goods industries, which included establishments
manufacturing the following products: Hosiery (full-fashioned and
seamless), knitted underwear, knitted outerwear, knitted cloth, and
knitted gloves and mittens. A common characteristic of these indus­
tries is that all of their establishments employ knitting machines in
the manufacturing operations. The yarns consumed are made of
cotton, rayon, silk, wool, or other fibers, or of any mixture of fibers.
1E d w a r d B . M o r ris a n d G eorge E . V o ta v a a ssiste d in th e c o lle c tio n a n d ta b u la tio n o f t h e d a ta .
1173

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1174

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

A report covering earnings and hours in the full-fashioned and
seamless hosiery industries has already been published by the Bureau.2
The present report covers knitted underwear, outerwear, cloth, gloves
and mittens. Although these four industries resemble each other in
some respects, each is essentially a distinct entity, possessing special
characteristics that necessitate a separate treatment of the data.
While the manufacturing processes in knitted underwear and outer­
wear mills are similar in a general way, it is found that there are sig­
nificant differences between the two industries with respect to such
characteristics as geographical location, size of establishment, and
composition of the labor force. These variations arise from differences
in their products.
The outstanding feature of the knitted-cloth industry lies in the
fact that it includes only the first step in a process that is carried to
completion in another industry. The knitted-underwear and the
knitted-outerwear mills both knit the fabrics and make them up into
garments. The knitted-cloth mills, however, knit flat or tubular
fabrics for sale to cutting and sewing establishments, which have no
knitting equipment. The cloth-knitting mills produce fabrics for
outerwear, underwear, and gloves and mittens.
The production of knitted gloves and mittens requires a certain
amount of specialized equipment, and is influenced by different fac­
tors of style and seasonal demand from those affecting the other knitgoods industries.
Although the Bureau’s classification of the knit-goods industries
conforms to that used by the Census of Manufactures, the treatment
of individual plants by the two organizations differs in one important
respect. In case an establishment makes products belonging to two
or more industries, the Census of Manufactures classifies the entire
employment of the plant in accordance with the product representing
over 50 percent of the total value of its output. The Bureau practice,
however, is to allocate the employment covering each product, if pos­
sible, to the proper industry. Tins difference in procedure is very im­
portant in connection with the knit-goods industries, in view of the
fact that a number of the large establishments covered by the survey
manufacture products that come within the scope of more than one of
the industries composing the knit-goods group. In every instance,
moreover, where the secondary products constituted a significant pro­
portion of the plant’s output, it was found that each product was
made in a special department. These departments, therefore, have
been scheduled separately, and the data classified under the proper
industry.3
* S ee B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s S erial N o . R . 955, E a r n in g s a n d H o u r s in th e H o s ie r y I n d u s tr y , 1938,
w h ic h h a s b een re p r in ted from a rticles co v e r in g t h e fu ll-fa sh io n ed a n d s e a m le ss h o sie r y in d u str ie s t h a t a p ­
p e a r e d , r e s p e c tiv e ly , in th e M a y a n d J u n e 1939 issu e s of t h e M o n t h ly L a b o r R e v ie w .
s I n e a c h o f th e s e e s ta b lis h m e n ts , th e in d ire ct or n o n p r o d u c tiv e w o rk ers w e r e a llo c a te d to th e v a r io u s d e ­
p a r tm e n ts in a c c o rd a n c e w it h th e p r o p o r tio n o f d ir e c t w o rk ers e m p lo y e d .


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Wages and Hours of Labor

1175

Another difference between the Bureau’s survey and the Census of
Manufactures lies in the fact that the former excluded from each of the
knit-goods industries the yarn departments in integrated plants.4
The Census of Manufactures, however, includes wage earners in these
departments in the total coverage for each industry. It should also
be pointed out that the Bureau excluded from its survey any depart­
ments making garments of woven fabrics. By contrast, such de­
partments were covered by the Census of Manufactures, provided
their output represented less than 50 percent of the plant’s total value
of product.
Because of these differences in procedure, it is impossible to make a
comparison of the coverage in the Bureau’s survey with that of the
Census of Manufactures.
Nature of Data Collected
The survey of the knit-goods industries was conducted in the early
fall of 1938. The information was collected by field representatives of
the Bureau, who called upon the various establishments and copied
data from pay-roll records, which were supplemented by information
secured through interviews with plant officials.
The survey was made on the basis of a representative sample, which
was selected with great care to assure adequate coverage with respect
to all significant characteristics of the various branches, including
geographical distribution, size of establishment,5 size of community,
product, corporate affiliation, and unionization.
In the knitted outerwear, cloth, and glove and mitten industries, the
survey included all wage earners in each plant covered, with the
exception of higher supervisory and central office employees and
workers in departments not falling within the scope of the survey. In
the survey of knitted underwear, however, it was necessary to take a
sample of the wage earners in most of the larger mills. This was done
in order to avoid overweighting the industry sample with employees
of large establishments, as well as to secure an adequate geographical
representation. The sample in each of these mills was selected by
taking a proportionate number of workers from each sex and occupa­
tional group.
For each individual, the Bureau obtained the occupation, sex, color,6
method of wage payment, number of hours actually worked, and total
earnings during one pay-roll period.7 Descriptions of occupations
and estimates of the degree of skill required were secured from the
< T h e m a n u fa c tu r e o f y a r n is u s u a lly in c lu d e d b y th e B u r e a u in s u r v e y s o f th e c o tto n , s ilk a n d r a y o n ,
a n d w o o le n a n d w o r ste d in d u s tr ie s .
8 N o e s ta b lis h m e n t w it h less th a n 10 w a g e earners w a s in c lu d e d in th e s u r v e y .
8 T h e r e w a s n o t a s u ffic ie n t n u m b e r of colored w o rk ers to ju s tify sep a ra te ta b u la tio n .
7 In case th e p a y -ro ll p eriod e x c eed ed 1 w e e k , th e B u r e a u a lso o b ta in e d th e n u m b e r o f h o u r s w o r k e d d u r in g
1 c o n tin u o u s w e e k w ith in th e p a y -ro ll p erio d .


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1176

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

plant supervisors. This information was used as a basis for deter­
mining the occupational groupings used in this report, including the
classification of occupations as to degree of skill. The data collected
also included annual earnings for the calendar year 1937, wherever
available, for employees who were on the plant’s pay roll at the time
of the survey.8
For most of the plants in the survey, the information covered a
pay-roll period in August or September 1938. The monthly indexes of
employment in knit-goods mills, as compiled by the Bureau’s Division
of Employment Statistics, indicate that the general level of activity
during that period was fairly normal as compared with the year as a
whole. As the data cover a pay-roll period prior to October 24, 1938,
it should be borne in mind that the earnings under 25 cents shown in
the report have been largely readjusted in compliance with the FanLabor Standards Act, which became effective on that date.
The hourly earnings computed in this survey include in some
instances both regular wages and extra earnings due to overtime rates
of pay. However, the number of employees who received higher rates
of pay for overtime work was insignificant. For all practical pur­
poses, therefore, it may be assumed that the hourly earnings shown in
this report are based on regular wage rates.
The establishments covered by the survey have been classified
according to size of plant, size of community, and unionization.
The size of each establishment was determined by its total employ­
ment, including not only the wage earners scheduled but also the
workers in departments not falling within the scope of the survey.
Some companies have two or more separate but closely coordinated
plants located within one community, in which case the employment
in all plants combined was used.
The method of determining size of community or metropolitan area
is similar to that employed by the Bureau of the Census. For places
having populations of 100,000 or more, the census areas were used.
The size of the smaller communities was determined by counting, not
only the population of the principal city, but also that of adjacent
areas which appeared to form part of the same homogeneous urban
locality.
Only those establishments having agreements with national or
international labor organizations have been classed as union plants.
In most instances, the union contract covered virtually all of the
employees in the plant.
T h e a n n u a l ea r n in g s d a ta w ill b e p r e s e n te d in a s u b s e q u e n t rep o rt.


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Wages and Hours of Labor

1177

P A R T 1.---- K N IT T E D U N D E R W E A R

Description of Industry
SIZ E OF IN D U S T R Y

Based on the definition of the Census of Manufactures, the knittedunderwear industry included 179 establishments in 1937, with 39,923
wage earners (average for the year). The census covers only plants
having an annual product valued at $5,000 or more.
The 1937 output of the industry, including receipts for contract
work, was valued at $117,766,627 at the factory, while the value added
by manufacture amounted to $54,347,574. The wage bill totaled
$28,560,353, which was 52.6 percent of the value added by manu­
facture and 24.3 percent of the total value of product.
According to the Census of Manufactures, over one-half of the
output of the industry, as measured by value of product, consists of
underwear for men, youths, and boys. Garments for women, misses,
children, and infants make up a substantial proportion of the product
value, but the output also includes a small amount of miscellaneous
products, most of which are not identified by the census. Cotton is
the most important fiber consumed by the industry, being used alone
or in combination with wool and rayon or other fibers for the bulk
of the products.
A N A L Y S IS OF SA M PL E

The coverage of the survey includes 61 establishments and 12,545
wage earners. An analysis of the sample shows that the knittedunderwear industry is widely distributed geographically. Very little
production is found west of the Mississippi River, however, except
in the State of Minnesota. New York is the leading State, including
32.3 percent of the workers covered by the survey. Pennsylvania
ranks second in importance, with 17.4 percent of the wage earners.
A substantial proportion of the industry is located in the Southern
States, 23.9 percent of the employees being found in that region.
In common with other textile industries, underwear manufacturing
has been shifting into the Southern States in recent years. Although
Tennessee and North Carolina are the leading States in that area,
some mills are also found in other Southern States.
The knitted-underwear industry contains relatively few very small
plants. Of the 61 establishments included in the survey, 17 with 6.1
percent of the workers scheduled had under 100 employees, 13 with
14.4 percent of the wage earners had 101 to 250, 21 with 47.6 percent
of the workers had 251 to 500, and 10 with 31.9 percent of the wage
earners had over 500 employees.
Relatively few plants in the industry were found in the largest
metropolitan areas. Of the 49 establishments covered in the Northern

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1178

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

States, 11 plants, with 20.1 percent of the employees scheduled in that
territory, were located in metropolitan centers having a population
of about 750,000 and over. The remainder of the coverage was
divided between communities of 100,000 to 500,000 and those of less
than 60,000, the former accounting for 17 establishments with 41.3
percent and the latter for 21 plants with 38.6 percent of the total
wage earners. By contrast, the southern sample showed 6 establish­
ments, with 56.2 percent of the workers scheduled in that area,
located in places of 75,000 to 175,000, while 6 plants, with 43.8 percent
of the wage earners, were found in communities of under 25,000.
Although the practice of collective bargaining between employers
and employees was found in only 6 of the 61 establishments included,
the number of workers affected amounted to about one-sixth of the
total scheduled. All of the union plants in the sample were located
in Northern States. The agreements in the 6 plants were with several
labor organizations.
A considerable degree of specialization exists in the industry with
respect to the types of underwear produced by various plants. Thus,
19 establishments, with 41.8 percent of the workers scheduled, were
making garments for men or for men and boys only, and 15 plants,
with 19.5 percent, made underwear for women or for women and chil­
dren only. In addition, 8 establishments, with 8.4 percent of the wage
earners, were making various types of underwear for infants and chil­
dren. Several of the latter mills produced specialty garments.
Of the remaining plants, 8 made underwear for men, women, and
children, 8 for men and women, and 3 for men and children.
C O M PO SITIO N OF L A BO R FO RC E

Most of the knitted underwear produced in the United States is
made by first knitting a flat or tubular cloth, which is then marked
according to a pattern and cut up into the garment parts. The parts
are assembled, hemmed, and trimmed to form the completed article.
These are largely sewing-machine operations.
In the opinion of a majority of the supervisors, the sewing-machine
operations in underwear manufacture are principally semiskilled in
nature. This is in contrast to the knitted-outerwear industry, where
the sewing-machine operators were placed in the skilled category.
Due to the fact that stitching contributes much to the appearance of
the garment, it is_a more exacting operational outerwear than in
underwear.
As women are usually employed for sewing-machine operations,
they constitute a large majority of the workers in the knitted-under­
wear mills. According to the sample, over three-fourths (76.9 per­
cent) of the wage earners in the industry were women.

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Wages and Hours of Labor

1179

Four-fifths (80.3 percent) of the employees were classed as semi­
skilled, one-eighth (11.9 percent) as skilled, and only 7.8 percent as
unskilled. Over four-fifths (86.5 percent) of the semiskilled workers
were women. On the other hand, males predominated in the skilled
occupations, amounting to more than two-thirds (69.6 percent) of
the total in this group. The proportions of males and females were
about equal among the unskilled workers.
Average Hourly Earnings
M ET H O D S O F W A G E P A Y M E N T

A large majority of the workers in the knitted-underwear industry
are paid on a straight piece-rate basis. Of the 61 plants covered by
the survey, 56 employed this method for at least part of their wage
earners. Production-bonus systems were in effect for some employees
in only 9 mills. Of the 12,545 workers included, 3,139 (25.0 percent)
were paid on a time basis, 6,750 (53.8 percent) received straight
piece rates, and 2,656 (21.2 percent) were subject to productionbonus systems.
Considerable variation was found among the several sex and skill
groups with respect to methods of wage payment. A majority of
the male employees in each skill were paid on a time basis, the pro­
portions being 62.7 percent for skilled, 64.0 percent for semiskilled,
and 87.3 percent for unskilled. Among the females, on the other
hand, a majority in each case were paid on either a straight piecerate or production-bonus basis, the respective percentages being 57.4,
91.2, and 54.4.
Few establishments followed a policy of paying extra rates for
overtime work. In the northern region, 6 plants paid time and onehalf for time worked beyond 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week. In
two instances, however, the payment of an extra rate was made only
to the hourly employees. Only 2 of the southern mills paid extra
overtime rates. One paid time and one-half after 8 hours daily or
48 hours weekly, and one paid time and one-half to hourly employees
only for work beyond 55 hours a week.
In 10 establishments, workers on extra shifts received higher rates
than those employed on regular day-time operation.9 One plant
allowed a differential of 10 percent over the base rate for the second
and 50 percent for the third shift. In two mills, only the employees
on the third shift received extra pay, the rates being 5 percent higher
in one and 25 percent higher in the other instance. Two plants
granted a 10 percent differential to workers" on extra shifts, while
• There were 21 additional plants with extra-shift operation that did not pay higher rates to the workers
on the extra shifts.
185451— 39-------11


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1180

one allowed only 5 percent additional pay. In one establishment,
the helpers received 7% cents an hour more on the night than on the
day shift. In contrast, the night-shift foremen in this plant received
5 cents an hour less than the day foremen, presumably because the
night foremen had fewer employees to supervise. Of the remaining
3 mills paying extra rates, one paid 9% cents an hour extra for work
on the second and third shifts, one allowed knitters 4 % cents and
fixers 4 cents an hour more on the second shift, and one paid about
3 cents an hour extra to the second-shift workers.
These additional payments for extra-shift operation had virtually
no effect on the averages, however, as the number of employees
affected amounted to less than 1 percent of the total scheduled.
H O U R L Y E A R N IN G S O F A L L W O R K E R S

According to table 1, the hourly earnings of all workers covered by
the survey of the knitted-underwear industry averaged 39.9 cents in
August and September 1938. The distribution in table 2 reveals,
however, that this average covers a wide range of individual earnings,
extending from under 17.5 cents to over $1.20 an hour.
T

able

1.—Average Hourly Earnings in Knitted-Underwear Industry, by Wage Area,
Skill, and Sex, August and September 1938
U n s k ille d
w o rk ers

S e m isk ille d
w orkers

S k ille d w o rk ers

A ll w o rk ers
W a g e area
T o ta l M a le

F e­
m a le

T o ta l M a le

F e­
m a le

T o ta l M a le

F e­
m a le

T o ta l M a le

F e­
m a le

A verage h o u rly earnings
U n it e d S ta te s ................ ........... $0.399 $0.489 $0.368 $0.549 $0.603 $0.417 $0. 383 $0. 449 $0.371 $0.320 $0.366 $0.266
N o r th e r n w a g e area _______
N e w E n g la n d S ta te s 1
and N e w Y o r k 2____
P e n n s y lv a n ia _______,
M iddle Western
S ta te s 3......................... ..

.422

.528

.386

.581

.6 4 2

.437

.4 0 4

.488

.390

.337

.395

.2 7 4

.423
.3 7 9

.5 2 0
.503

.383
.3 5 2

.5 9 4
.5 1 5

.6 6 0
.5 4 8

.431
.396

.4 0 2
.3 7 2

.481
.475

.3 8 4
.3 6 3

.3 4 8
.2 6 2

.378
.371

.2 9 8
.2 3 3

.4 7 5

.5 8 2

.4 4 2

.6 1 3

.7 2 3

.4 7 0

.4 5 4

.5 2 3

.4 4 2

.4 3 0

.4 6 7

.3 4 8

S o u th e r n w a g e a r e a 4______

.3 3 0

.381

.3 0 9

.4 4 5

.481

.3 2 7

.3 1 9

.3 5 0

.3 1 3

.271

.2 9 3

.2 3 9

1,356

8, 711

979

503

476

990

6, 665

733

362

371

677 3, 657
124 1, 613

412
201

243
39

169
162

N u m b er o f w orkers
U n it e d S ta te s _____________ 12,545

2,9 0 2

9,643

1,499

1,043

N o r th e r n w a g e are a _______
N e w E n g la n d S ta te s 1
a n d N e w Y o r k 2____
P e n n s y l v a n i a ________
M iddle W estern
S ta te s 3______________

9,548

2,141

7,407

1,160

789

371

5,403
2,182

1,377 4,0 2 6
352 1, 830

657
244

457
189

200 4, 334
55 1,737

1,963

412

1, 551

259

143

116 1, 584

S ou th e r n w a g e area4 _____

2,997

761

2,2 3 6

339

254

1 I n c lu d e s
2 I n c lu d e s
3 In c lu d e s
4 I n c lu d e s

456 10,067

85

7,655

2,4 1 2

C o n n e c tic u t, M a s s a c h u s e tts , R h o d e I sla n d , a n d V e r m o n tN e w J ersey .
Illin o is, I n d ia n a , M ic h ig a n , M in n e s o ta , O h io , a n d W is c o n s in .
A la b a m a , G eo rg ia , N o r th C a ro lin a , T e n n e s se e , a n d V ir g in ia .


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1, 395

120

80

40

366 2,0 4 6

189

246

141

105

1181

Wages and Hours of Labor

The distribution for all workers shows a well-defined central tend­
ency. 4 In terms of 5-cent class intervals, the greatest concentration
(22.0 percent) occurs between 35 and 40 cents an hour. Over twofifths (42.4 percent) of the workers averaged 40 cents or more, but
only 7.7 percent received as much as 57.5 cents or more. On the
other hand, over one-third (35.6 percent) averaged under 35 cents,
6.7 percent receiving less than 25 cents.
a b l e 2 . —Percentage Distribution of Workers in Knitted-Underwear Industry in the
United States, by Average Hourly Earnings, Skill, and Sex, August and September 1938

T

A ll w o rk ers

S e m is k ille d
w o rk ers

S k ille d w o rk ers

U n s k ille d
w o rk ers

A v era g e h o u r ly ea r n in g s
( in ce n ts)
T o ta l M a le

U n d e r 1 7 .5 ...............................
1 7 .5 a n d u n d e r 2 0 .0 _______
20. 0 an d u n d e r 22. 5 _______
22. 5 an d u n d er 2 5 .0 _______
2 5 .0 a n d u n d er 2 7 .5 _______
2 7 .5 a n d u n d er 30. 0 _______
3 0 .0 a n d u n d e r 3 2 .5 ............
32 5 an d u n d er 3 5 .0 _______
3 5 .0 an d u n d er 37. 5 _______
37. 5 an d u n d e r 40. 0 _______
40. 0 an d u n d er 42. 5 ______
42. 5 an d u n d e r 47. 5 _______
47. 5 a n d u n d e r 52. 5 _______
52. 5 an d u n d er 57. 5 _______
57. 5 an d u n d e r 62. 5 ______
6 2 .5 an d u n d e r 6 7 .5 _______
67. 5 an d u n d e r 7 2 .5 _______
7 2 .5 an d u n d e r 77. 5_______
77. 5 an d u n d er 82. 5 ______
87. 5 an d u n d er 9 2 .5 _______
92. 5 an d u n d e r 100. 0 _____

0 .8
1 .2
2 .3
2 .4
5 .4
6 .8
9 .2
7 .5
12.2
9 .8
8 .6
12.8
8 .5
4 .8
2 .4
1 .6
1 .0
.8
.5
.3
.4
.2
.2
.2
.1

T o t a l............................. .. 100.0

0 .8
.2
1 .0
.7
2 .2
1 .9
6 .5
4 .9
8 .6
6 .2
8 .8
12 .5
10.5
9 .8
5 .8
5 .2
3 .7
3 .3
2 .0
1 .2
1 .7
.6
.8
.6
.5

F e­
T o ta l M a le
m a le
0 .8
1 .5
2 .7
2 .9
6 .3
8 .2
10.0
8 .3
13.3
11.0
8 .6
13.1
7 .9
3 .3
1 .3
.5
.2
.1
(i)
(')
(i)
(>)
(')

100 0. 100.0

N u m b e r o f w o r k e r s _______ 12,545 2,9 0 2

9,643

0 .3
.1
.7
.4
1 .4
1 .4
2 1
4 .0
5 .6
7 .4
7 .9
1 2 .0
1 0 .6
9 .8
7 .1
7 .2
4 .6
4 .9
2 .8
2 .1
2 .9
1 .1
1 .5
1 .2
.9

0 .3
.1
.4
.1
.5
.6
1 .2
2 .4
3 .3
3 .0
6 .7
1 0 .9
9 .9
11.9
8 .2
9 .9
6 .2
6 .8
3 .9
2 .9
4 .1
1 .6
2 .1
1 .7
1 .3

100.0

100.0

1,499

1,043

F e­
m a le
0 .2
1 .3
1.1
3 .5
3 .3
4 .4
7 .7
11.0
17.5
10.5
14.8
12.5
5 .0
4. 4
1.1
.9
.4
.2
.2

T o ta l M a le

0 .7
.9
1 .9
2 .5
5 .3
7 .7
10.0
8 .0
13.0
10.3
9 .0
13.8
8 .6
4 .3
1 .8
.9
.6
.3
.2
.1
.1
0)

1 .0
.1
.6
.7
2 .0
2 .1
8 .3
5 .6
9 .7
6 .7
9 .9
15.4
11.8
10.6
5 .4
3 .2
2 .9
1 .8
1 .3
.4
.4
.1

100.0

456 10,067

0 .7
1 .0
2.1
2 .8
5 .8
8 .5
10.3
8 .4
1 3 .5
10.9
8 .9
13.5
8.1
3 .4
1 .3
.5
.2
.1
( l)
(i)
(i)
(0

T o ta l M a le

F e­
m a le

2 .8
6 .3
9 .4
4 .3
12.5
5 .7
1 1 .4
7 .2
13 3
8 .0
6 .0
5 .6
4 .5
1 .5
.8
.4
.3

1 .4
.6
3 .4
1 .8
6 .4
3 .8
1 2 .9
8 .2
16.5
11.7
10.1
8 .9
8 .5
3 .0
1 .6
.6
.6

4 .2
12.4
15 .8
6 .9
18 .8
7 .8
9 .9
6 .1
9 .9
4 .0
1 .7
2 .1
.2

100.0

100.0

100.0

.2

0)

(')

100.0

F e­
m a le

100.0

100.0

1,356 8,711

979

503

476

1 L e s s t h a n a t e n t h o f 1 p e r c e n t.

R E G IO N A L D IF F E R E N C E S

In view of the wide geographical dispersion of the industry, any
generalizations with respect to regional differences in hourly earnings
can be made for the most part only on the basis of broad areas. An
examination of the distribution of plant averages, as shown in table 3,
reveals a pronounced difference in wage levels between the Northern
and Southern States. For example, 6 of the 12 southern establish­
ments had averages under 32.5 cents an hour, whereas only 1 of the
plants in the northern region averaged less than that figure. On the
other hand, 37 of the 49 northern establishments, as against only 1
plant in the southern area, averaged 37.5 cents or more.
This conclusion is confirmed by the data covering the average
hourly earnings of individual employees. The average for all workers

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Monthly Lahor Review—November 1939

1182

in the Northern States was 42.2 cents an hour, which may be com­
pared with 33.0 cents in the southern region.
T

able

3 . —Distribution

of Plants in Knitted-Underwear Industry According to Average
Hourly Earnings, by Wage Area, August and September 1938
N o r th e r n w a g e area

A v e r a g e h o u r ly ea r n in g s

U n it e d
S ta te s

N ew
E n g la n d
S ta te s

T o ta l

T o t a l______ ______________________

1
1
3
2
8
8
11
6
9
6
4
2

5
6
11
5
9
6
4
2

3
1
2
2

61

49

9

N ew
Y ork 1

1

Penn­
s y l­
v a n ia

M id d le
W estern
S ta te s

1
1
2
2
3
2

1
2
1
4
2
2
3
1

3
5
3
2
2

16

16

1

S o u th er n
w age
area

1
1
3
1
3
1
9

12

1 I n c lu d e s 1 p la n t in N e w J er sey .

A comparison of the distributions shows that seven-tenths (69.0
percent) of the workers in the southern establishments averaged
under 35 cents an hour, while only one-fourth (25.1 percent) in the
northern plants received less than that figure. By contrast, 15.1
percent of the northern wage earners, as compared with only 3.6
percent in the southern establishments, averaged as much as 52.5
cents and over. (See table 4.)
Substantially higher hourly earnings are found in the northern
than in the southern wage region for every skill and sex group. Thus,
males averaged 52.8 cents in the North, as compared with 38.1 cents
in the South. The respective averages for females were 38.6 cents
and 30.9 cents. The differences ranged from 16.1 cents for skilled
males to 3.5 cents for unskilled females.
Differences in hourly earnings are also found within the northern
wage area, although the variations are less pronounced than shown
between the northern and southern wage regions as a whole. The
distribution of plant averages indicates that the general level of
wages is lower in Pennsylvania than in the other Northern States,
while that for the Middle Western States is the highest. The dis­
tributions for the New England States and New York occupy a
middle position, with the bulk of the plant averages in each falling
between 37.5 and 47.5 cents. In view of this fact, the data for these
two areas have been combined for further analysis.10
10 T h e a v er a g e h o u r ly ea r n in g s o f a ll w o rk ers in N e w Y o r k a n d t h e N e w E n g la n d S ta te s are a lm o s t
id e n tic a l.


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Wages and Hours of Labor
T

able

1183

4 . —Percentage Distribution of Workers in Knitted-Underwear Industry According
to Average Hourly Earnings, by Skill and Sex, August and September 1938
N O R T H E R N W AGE AREA

A ll w o rk ers

S e m is k ille d w o r k ­
U n s k ille d w o rk ers
ers

S k ille d w ork ers

A v e r a g e h o u r ly ear n in gs
(in ce n ts)
T o ta l M a le

U n d e r 17.5________________
17.5 an d u n d e r 20.0_______
20 0 an d u n d e r 22.5_______
22.5 an d u n d er 25.0_______
25.0 an d u n d e r 27.5_______
27.5 an d u n d e r 30.0_______
30.0 an d u n d e r 32.5_______
32.5 an d u n d e r 35.0_______
35.0 an d u n d e r 37.5______
37.5 an d u n d e r 40.0_______
40.0 an d u n d e r 42.5______
42.5 an d u n d e r 47.5_______
47.5 a n d u n d e r 52.5 _ „ . . .
52.5 an d u n d e r 57.5_______
57.5 a n d u n d e r 62.5_______
62.5 a n d u n d e r 67.5____ _.
67.5 an d u n d e r 72.5_______
72.5 an d u n d e r 77.5___ . . .
77.5 an d u n d e r 82.5___ . . .
82.5 an d u n d e r 87.5_______
87.5 an d u n d e r 92.5_______
92.5 an d u n d er 100.0______
100.0 an d u n d e r 110.0___ .
110 0 an d u n d e r 120.0_____
120.0 a n d o v e r _____________

F e­
m a le
0 .4
1 .4
2 .1
2 .2
4 .3
5 .2
7 .3
7 .2
15 .0
12.3
10.0
15.8
9 .9
4 .1
1 .7
.7
.3
.1
(i)
(i)
(i)
0)

T o ta l M a le

0 .3
1.1
1 .7
1 .8
3 .6
4 .3
6 .1
6 .2
13.4
10.9
9 .9
15.2
10.4
5 .8
2 .9
1.9
1 .3
1 .0
.6
.4
.5
.2
.2
.2
.1

0)
0 .1
.4
.5
1 .0
1 .1
1 .8
2 .7
8 .2
5 .8
9 .4
13.4
12.2
1 1 .8
7 .1
6 .3
4 .8
4 .2
2 .6
1 .5
2 .0
.8
.9
.7
.7

T o t a l_______________ 100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

N u m b e r of w o r k e r s . . ___ 9, 548 2,141

7,407

1,160

F e­
m a le

T o ta l M a le

F e­
m a le

0 .3
.8
1.1
1 .9
1 .9
4 .3
11.3
2 0 .0
12.4
16 4
14.8
6 .2
5 .1
1 .3
1 .1
.5
.3
.3

0 .4
.7
1 .2
1 .9
3 .4
4 .7
6 .9
6 .8
14.4
11.5
10.4
16.5
10.8
5 .4
2 .3
1 .1
.7
.4
.3
.1
.1
0)

0 .4
.8
1 .3
2 .1
3 .8
5 .2
7 .6
7 .4
15.4
12.3
10.3
16.4
10.2
4 .2
1 .6
.7
.2
.1
0)
(l)
(l)
(>)

T o ta l M a le

F e­
m a le

0 .4
7 .4
9 .5
3. 8
10.4
5 .0
6 .3
6 .4
16 .2
9 .8
7 .8
7 .1
5 .9
2 .0
1 .1
.5
.4

0 .3
.3
1 .9
1. 4
3 .0
2 .2
4 .7
6 1
2 0 .5
15 .0
13 .5
11.6
11 .6
4 .1
2 .2
.8
.8

0 5
34 3
1 7 .0
fi 2
17 .4
7 .8
7 .8
6 .7
1 1 .9
4 .9
2 .2
2 .7
.3

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

990 6,665

733

362

371

9.8
3.3
8.9
5.7
18.7
7.7
26.9
9.3
4.9
2.4
.8
1.2
.4

4.3
1.4
7.1
2.8
14.9
7.8
34.1
13.5
6.4
3.5
1.4
2.1
.7

17.1
5.7
11.4
9.5
23.9
7.6
17.1
3.8
2.9
1.0

T otal........................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

100 0

(>)

0 .1
.3
.4
.8
.9
2 .1
5.1
7 .2
7 .6
11.2
10.7
11.2
8 .2
8 .2
5 .5
5 .9
3 .4
2 .4
3 .2
1 .4
1 .7
1 .3
1 .2

0 .1
.3
.5
1 .0
2 .2
1 .3
5 .3
8 .7
8 .7
1 3 .8
9 .6
11.4
7 .6
8 .4
4 .8
3 .4
4 .7
2 .0
2 .5
1 .9
1 .8

0)

100.0 100.0
789

0 .1
.1
.5
1 .0
1 .3
1 .7
2 .7
8 .5
6 .1
11.2
18 .2
15 .2
13.1
6 .9
4 .1
3 .9
2 .4
1 .8
.5
.6
.1

371

100.0
7,655

.3

0)
100.0

SO U TH ER N W AGE AREA

Under 17.5______________
17.5 and under 20.0______
20 0 and under 22.5______
22.5 and under 25.0______
25.0 and under 27.5______
27.5 and under 30.0______
30.0 and under 32.5______
32.5 and under 35.0______
35.0 and under 37.5.............
37.5 and under 40.0-..........
40.0 and under 42.5______
42.5 and under 47.5...........
47.5 and under 52.5______
52.5 and under 57.5______
57.5 and under 62.5______
62.5 and under 67.5______
67.5 and under 72.5______
72.5 and under 77.5______
77.5 and under 82.5______
82.5 and under 87.5______
87.5 and under 92.5______
92.5 and under 100.0_____
100.0 and under 110.0____
110.0 and under 120.0.. . .

2.5
1.5
4.3
4.2
11.1
14.7
19.1
11.6
8.1
6.3
4.7
5.7
2.6
1.3
.6
.6
.3
.2
.1
.1
.2
0)

.1
.1

Number o f workers_____ 2,997

2.9
.5
2.8
1.3
5.5
4.1
19.7
11.2
9.7
7.5
7.0
10.0
5.9
3.9
2.0
2.1
.8
.7
.4
.4
.8
.1
.3
.4

2.3
1.8
4.8
5.2
13.0
18.4
18.9
11.8
7.6
5.9
3.9
4.2
1.4
.5
.1
.1
.1
0)

761 2,236

1.2
.3
2.7
.9
4. 7
3.5
6.2
10.5
7.4
8.0
8. 7
15.1
10.6
4.8
3.2
3.8
1.5
1.5
.9
.9
1.8
.3
.6
.9

339

1.2
.4
1.6
.4
1.6
1.6
3.1
6.7
6.7
8.3
10.9
17.6
13.4
6.3
3.9
5.1
2.0
2.0
1.2
1.2
2.4
.4
.8
1.2

254

1.2
5.9
2.4
14.0
9.4
15.2
22.3
9.4
7. 1
2.4
7.1
2.4
1.2

1.9
1.5
4.1
4.6
11.2
17.0
20.0
12.0
8.6
6.5
4.5
4.7
1.7
1.1
.3
.2
.1
(0

85 2,412

3.6
.3
1.9
1.4
4.6
4.4
25.9
13.3
13.1
8.5
6.3
7. 7
2.7
3.8
1.4
.8
.3

1.6
1.7
4.4
5.1
12.4
19.3
19.1
11.7
7.8
6.2
4. 2
4. 2
1.5
.5
.1
.1
.1
0)

366 2,046

246

141

105

1 L e ss th a n a te n th o f 1 p e r c e n t.

The average hourly earnings of all workers in the New England
States and New York amounted to 42.3 cents, which is 4.4 cents
higher than the average (37.9 cents) for Pennsylvania and 5.2 cents

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1184

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

lower than the average (47.5 cents) for the Middle Western States.
The same order prevails for each of the skill and sex groups. Table 5
shows the distribution of workers in the various districts in the
northern wage area according to average hourly earnings.
It is interesting to compare the average hourly earnings in Penn­
sylvania with those shown for the southern wage area. The average
for all employees in Pennsylvania was 4.9 cents higher than that
found in the southern wage region. Higher averages in the former
over the latter are also found for each of the skill and sex groups,
except for the small group of unskilled females, who averaged slightly
more in the southern than in the Pennsylvania plants.
Among the factors that may be responsible for the geographical
variations in hourly earnings are differences in unionization, size of
community, product, and size of establishment. Due to the small
coverage resulting from a further break-down of the data, however, no
definite conclusions can be reached regarding the influence of these
factors.
T a b l e 5 . —Percentage Distribution of Workers in Knitted-Underwear Industry in the
Northern Wage Area, by Average Hourly Earnings and Sex, August and September 1938

New England States
and New Y o rk 1
Average'hourly earnings

0.1
.1
.3
.6
.9
1.4
1.7
2.8
10.3
7.0
9.4
14.1
10.0
11.4
7.7
5.0
4.0
4.6
2.2
1.5
1.8
.9
.9
.7
.6

T otal.............................. ................

100.0

100.0

Number of workers................................

5,403

1,377

30.0 and
32.5 and
35.0 and
37.5 and
40.0 and
42.5 and
47.5 and
52.5 and
57.5 and
62.5 and
67.5 and
72 5 and

under 32.5 cents___________
under 35.0 cents___________
under 37.5 cents___________
under 40 0 c en ts.....................
under 42.5 cents__________ _
under 47.5 cents......................
under 52.5 cents___________
under 57.5 cents___________
under 62.5 cents___________
under 67.5 cents.......................
under 72.5 cents.__________
under 77.5 cents___________

Middle Western
States

All
All
All
Fe­ work­
Fe­
Fe­ work­
Males males
Males males
work­ Males males
ers
ers
ers
0.4
.9
1.4
2.0
3.5
4.5
6.2
5.3
15.7
10.5
10.5
16.1
7.9
5.4
3.2
1.8
1.2
1.2
.6
.4
.5
.3
.2
.2
.1

25.0 and under 27.5 cen ts.-...................

Pennsylvania

0.5
1.2
1.8
2.5
4.3
5.5
7.7
6.1
17.8
11.8
11.0
16.7
7.2
3.2
1.7
.6
.3
.1
0
(2)
(2)
(2)

0.5
2.7
3.8
3.0
6.2
6.3
9.8
11.0
12.1
9.2
8.2
10.7
7.6
4.1
1.3
1.6
.6
.6
.3
.2
0

1.1
.6
2.3
1.1
4.0
4.3
4.8
4.3
8.2
12.2
15.5
14.5
5.1
9.7
3.4
3.4
2.0
1.4
.3

0.5
3.2
4.3
3.4
7.0
7.3
10.9
12.3
13.4
10.2
8.1
10.3
6.0
2.2
.6
.1
.1
.1

0.2
.2
.9
1.5
1.7
3.4
8.5
13.7
10.0
17.7
20.3
9.1
3.8
2.7
2.1
1.0
1.0
.4
.9
.2
.2
.2
.3

.2
.7
4.4
3.2
10.4
12.9
16.5
10.7
6.8
7.5
8.5
3.6
4.6
1.5
4.1

0.2

0.2
.2
1.1
1.9
2.1
4.1
9.5
16.5
9.9
19.0
21.5
8.6
3.0
1.4
.5
.3
.1
.1

1.0

.1
.1

.9
.6
.3

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

4,026

2,182

352

1,830

1,963

412

1,551

(2)
0

1.0
1.0
1.2

1 Includes New Jersey.
8 Less than a tenth of 1 percent.
V A R IA T IO N S B Y S E X A N D SK IL L

In the northern wage area, the average hourly earnings of males
exceeded those of females by 14.2 cents. The difference amounted to

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Wages and Hours of Labor

1185

20.5 cents for skilled, 9.8 cents for semiskilled, and 12.1 cents for
unskilled workers. Semiskilled females, who constituted over twothirds of the total labor force, averaged 39.0 cents. The unskilled
males averaged about the same, namely 39.5 cents. The average of
semiskilled females, however, was 4.7 cents less than that of skilled
females, 9.8 cents less than that of semiskilled males, and as much as
25.2 cents less than that of skilled males. It was 11.6 cents higher
than the average of the unskilled females.
The hourly earnings of males in the southern wage region averaged
38.1 cents, which is 7.2 cents higher than the average for females. The
differences are 15.4 cents for skilled, 3.7 cents for semiskilled, and 5.4
cents for unskilled workers. In the South, as in the North, the semi­
skilled females constituted over two-thirds of the total labor force.
The hourly earnings of this group averaged 31.3 cents, which may be
compared with 48.1 cents for the skilled males, 35.0 cents for the semi­
skilled males, and 32.7 cents for the small group of skilled females.
In comparison with the earnings of unskilled workers, however, the
semiskilled females averaged 2.0 cents more than the males and 7.4
cents more than the females.
E A R N IN G S I N

R E L A T IO N TO F A IR

LA BO R S T A N D A R D S ACT

Under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the 25-cent
minimum wage rate for plants engaged in interstate commerce became
effective on October 24, 1938. At the time of the survey (August and
September 1938), only 6.7 percent of all workers in the knittedunderwear industry were averaging below 25 cents an hour. This total
included 2.7 percent of the males and 7.9 percent of the females. In
the northern wage region, the number of workers paid under 25 cents
amounted to only 1.0 percent of the males and 6.1 percent of the
females. The respective proportions in the South, however, were
much larger, namely 7.5 percent and 14.1 percent.
In August and September 1938, nearly one-fifth (18.9 percent) of
the wage earners in the country as a whole averaged less than 30
cents an hour, the minimum in effect on October 24, 1939. This
total included only 6.8 percent of the males, however, as compared
with 22.4 percent of the females. In the North, the proportions
were 3.1 percent for males and 15.6 percent for females, while the
respective percentages in the southern wage area were 17.1 and 45 .5 .
Considerably over one-half (57.6 percent) of the workers in the
industry were averaging under 40 cents an hour, which is the highest
minimum permitted to be fixed under the provisions of the Fair
Labor Standards Act. One-third (33.0 percent) of the males, as
compared with nearly two-thirds (65.0 percent) of the females,
were included in this category. One-half (49.4 percent) of the workers

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Monthly Lahor Review—November 1939

1186

in northern plants received below 40 cents. The proportions in this
region were 21.6 percent for males and 57.4 percent for females.
In the southern wage area, over four-fifths (83.4 percent) of the
workers (65.2 percent of the males and 89.7 percent of the females)
averaged less than 40 cents.
O C C U PA T IO N A L D IF F E R E N C E S

According to table 6 , which presents occupational averages for the
country as a whole, working foremen had the highest hourly earnings
in the knitted-underwear industry, amounting to 79.0 cents. The
average of skilled male machine fixers was 71.5 cents, while the hourly
earnings of the remaining male skilled occupations, outside of the
miscellaneous groups, ranged from 48.4 cents for hand cutters to
54.7 cents for flat knitters. The most important male skilled occu­
pation numerically is that of circular knitters, who averaged 51.4
cents.
T a b l e 6 . —Average

Hourly Earnings, Weekly Hours, and Weekly Earnings in KnittedUnderwear Industry, by Skill, Sex, and Occupation, August and September 1938
S k ill, sex , a n d o c c u p a tio n

A verage
w eeklyea r n in g s

N um b er
of w ork ­
ers

A verage
h o u r ly
ea r n in g s

A verage
w e e k ly
h ours

61
172
102
349
43
166
19
21
110

$0. 484
.5 2 5
.7 9 0
.514
.5 4 7
.715
.7 5 0
.681
.6 5 4

4 0 .4
39.7
4 4 .6
3 7 .5
3 7 .7
42 .3
3 6 .0
4 4 .8
45. C

$19. 52
20.83
35.2 2
19. 31
20. 61
30.23
26.98
30. 51
29.41

162
38
41
114
10
48
41
2

.3 6 5
.4 0 0
.5 2 6
.4 1 5

3 5 .6
3 5 .9
4 1 .9
3 7 .2

22.02

S k ill e d w o rk e rs

M a le :
C u tte r s , h a n d *................................................................................
C u tte r s , m a c h in e 2.....................- ....................................... ..........
F o r e m e n , w o r k in g * . . . .................. .........................................
K n itte r s , c ir c u la r 3........................................................................
K n itte r s , fla t A - .......................... .......... ....................................... .
M a c h in e fixers 4___________ _____ ______________________
M is c e lla n e o u s s k ille d w o rk ers, k n it t in g d e p a r tm e n t.
M isc e lla n e o u s s k ille d w o rk ers, d ir e c t, o th e r ................. .
M isc e lla n e o u s s k ille d w o rk ers, i n d i r e c t - . . ......................
F e m a le :
C u tte r s , h a n d 2--------------------- -------------------------------------C u tte r s , m a c h in e 2__________ _________ ________ _______
F o r e w o m e n , w o r k in g 4______________________________ _
K n itte r s , c ir c u la r 3..................... ......................................... .........
K n itte r s , f l a t 3................. ............... ............................ ....................
L oop ers 2_________________________ ___________________ _
M isc e lla n e o u s sk ille d w o rk ers, k n it t in g d e p a r tm e n t.
M isc e lla n e o u s s k ille d w o rk ers, d ir e c t, o th e r _________

(0

15.45

0)

(')

.4 0 8
.4 7 3

12 .9 9
14.39

Of .

3 8 .2

(')

15.20
18.08

(0

S e m is k ille d w o rk e rs

M a le:
B r u sh -m a c h in e op era to rs 3_ ..............................................................
C lerk s, fa cto ry 4___________________________ ______ _________
D y e -m a c h in e op era to rs 4________________________ _________
F i r e m e n ,.____ ____________________ __________________ ______
L a y e r s-u p 2. ------------ --------------------- ----------------------------- -------M a c h in e o p erators, m isc e lla n e o u s 4______________ ________
M a r k e r s, sta m p e r s , a n d la b elers 2________________________
P a c k e r s 4. ------- -------------- --------- -------------------------------------------S tea m ers a n d p ressers 4_________________ _____ _______ _____
S to ck h a n d le r s 4 _______________________ ___________________
S u b fo r e m e n , w o r k in g 4___________ _______ _________________
W a sh e r an d b leach er t e n d e r s 3.........................................................
W in d e r s ................................................................................ - .....................
M isc e lla n e o u s se m is k ille d w o rk ers, k n ittin g d e p a r tm e n t.
M isc e lla n e o u s s e m is k ille d w o rk ers, d ire ct, o th e r ...................
M isc e lla n e o u s se m is k ille d w o rk ers, in d ir e c t ...........................

See fo o tn o te s a t end o f tab le.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

39
144
51
64

112
138
33
199
154
43
87
57
31
41
70
90

.3 7 6
.4 8 0
.4 2 7
.4 3 4
.5 0 9
.4 2 7
.4 2 8
.4 2 0
.4 3 4
.4 2 0
.5 5 8
.4 3 2
.4 4 2
.4 6 0
.4 1 5
.4 4 1

4 0 .3
43 .3
4 1 .7
52 .9
3 8 .2
3 9 .9
3 5 .0
41.1
3 9 .5
42 .6
4 2 .9
3 9 .8
3 0 .2
3 9 .2
3 6 .0
4 3 .9

15.15
20.80
17.80
22.99
19 44
17.06
14.98
17. 28
17.13
17.91
23.95
17.2 0
13.3 7
18. 01
14.97
19.32

Wages and Hours of Labor

1187

T a b l e 6 . —Average

Hourly Earnings, Weekly Hours, and Weekly Earnings in KnittedUnderwear Industry, by Skill, Sex, and Occupation, August and September 1938—Con.
S k ill, sex, a n d o c c u p a tio n

S e m i s k i l l e d w o r k e r s — C o n tin u e d
F e m a le :
B u tto n h o le -m a c h in e o p erato rs »— ............. _...............................
B u t t o n s e w in g -m a c h in e o p era to rs 2__................ ............."
C le r k s, factory *...................................................
E d g e r s 2............................................................... .......... .................
F in ish e r s, m is c e lla n e o u s *............ ............................ ........ 1111111
F o ld e r s, w ra p p e rs, a n d b oxers *.............................................I I
H e m m e r s 2__________________ _________ ______ _______ 1 . 1 . ”
In sp e c to r s a n d e x a m in e rs 4.......... ..................................
Iron ers, h a n d 2.............. ................................................... I ____”” ” "
L a y e r s-u p 2______
IIIIIIIIII
M a c h in e op erators, m is c e lla n e o u s * ____________ I I I I I I I I I I
M a r k e rs, s ta m p e r s, a n d la b elers 2..................................
M e n d e r s, h a n d 2................... .................................................................
R ein fo rcers 2................... .............................. ..........................
S e a m ers 2.............................................................................
S te a m e r s an d p ressers 4______________ ______ ____
S u b fo re w o m e n , w o r k in g 4............................... .’_________
T a p e s t r in g e r s 2_____________ _____ ______ _______
T r im m e r s, h a n d 2________ ______ __________________
W in d e r s 2_______
"” ” 11”
M isc e lla n e o u s se m is k ille d w o rk ers, k n it t in g d e p a r tm e n t
M isc e lla n e o u s s e m is k ille d w o rk ers, d ir e c t, o th e r .............. ..

N um b er
of w ork ­
ers

A verage
h o u r ly
ea r n in g s

A verage
w e e k ly
hours

208
226
74
599
237
874
265
720
57
133
77
128
144
434
3,617
130
78
66
180
236
24
204

$0. 372
.353
.3 6 7
.3 7 0
.3 8 7
.361
.364
. 345
.379
.3 7 9
.3 5 7
.3 7 2
.358
.3 9 3
.371
.379
.436
.361
.3 4 8
.4 3 0
.387
.3 6 3

3 1 .3
3 2 .9
4 0 .7
3 4 .9
3 5 .3
3 6 .5
35 .9
3 3 .3
31 .4
40 .5
3 5 .8
33 .3
36.3
3 1 .0
3 5 .4
34 .9
4 1 .5
3 0 .2
33 .7
29 .6
3 8 .6
3 4 .6

$11.64
11.60
14.93
12. 92
13.67
13.18
1306
11.49
11. 92
15.37
12.78
12.41
13. 00
12.18
13.14
13.24
18.09
10.91
11. 72
12.73
14.96
12.56

75
26
85
204
48
65

.341
.2 8 2
.3 6 2
.3 7 0
.4 1 8
.381

4 2 .8
3 8 .2
4 9 .0
3 8 .6
4 3 .7
4 3 .2

14. 59
10. 77
17. 74
14.26
18.28
16.44

27
314
131
4

.294
.2 3 7
.3 2 9
(>)

4 0 .0
3 7 .9
38.1
0)

11. 77
8 .9 6
12. 53
0)

A verage
w e e k ly
ea r n in g s

U n s k ille d w o rk e rs

M a le :
J a n ito rs an d c le a n e r s____________ __________
L earners a n d a p p r e n tic e s 4_________________
W a tc h m e n ................ ....................................................
W ork d istr ib u to r s 4__________ _____________
M isc e lla n e o u s , u n s k ille d w o rk ers, d ir e c t.
M isc e lla n e o u s , u n s k ille d w o rk ers, in d ir e c t
F e m ale:
J a n itr e sse s a n d c le a n e r s...................................... ..
L earners an d a p p r e n tic e s 4______________” _
W ork d is tr ib u to r s 4________________________
M isc e lla n e o u s u n s k ille d w o rk ers, in d ir e c t.

1 N o t a s u ffic ie n t n u m b e r of w o rk ers to p e r m it th e p r e s e n ta tio n o f a n a v er a g e.
2 S e w in g -d e p a r tm e n t o cc u p a tio n .
3 K m ttin g -d e p a r tm e n t o c c u p a tio n .
4 E m p lo y e e s in th is grou p m a y w o r k in b o th s e w in g a n d k n ittin g d e p a r tm e n ts .

Among the skilled females, the working forewomen received the
highest earnings, averaging 52.6 cents an hour. The lowest average
was 36.5 cents for hand cutters. The remaining occupations, outside
of the miscellaneous groups, averaged 40-42 cents. It will be observed
that three important skilled occupations contained substantial numbers
of both males and females. In each case, however, the average hourly
earnings of males exceeded those of females, the differences amounting
to 12.5 cents for machine cutters, 11.9 cents for hand cutters, and 9.9
cents for circular knitters .11 It is also interesting to note that for both
males and females the average hourly earnings for hand cutters were
lower than those for machine cutters.
For the semiskilled males, the average hourly earnings ranged from
55.8 cents for working subforemen to 37.6 cents for brush-machine
operators. The layers-up averaged 50.9 cents and the factory clerks
12 I d m a k in g co m p a r iso n s o f h o u r ly ea r n in g s b e tw e e n m a le s a n d fem a les in a g iv e n o c c u p a tio n , h o w e v e r , it
m u s t b e b orn e in m in d th a t in m a n y in sta n c e s th e d u tie s o f fe m a le e m p lo y e e s v a r y fro m th o se o f m a le s e v e n
th o u g h t h e s a m e o c c u p a tio n a l d e s ig n a tio n is u se d .


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1188

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

48.0 cents. Hourly earnings in the remaining occupational classes
covered a fairly narrow spread, namely from 40.0 to 44.2 cents.
The working subforewomen were the highest paid among the semi­
skilled females, averaging 43.6 cents an hour, while the lowest hourly
earnings were received by inspectors and examiners, who averaged
34.5 cents. The seamers, who made up over one-fourth (28.8 percent)
of the total labor force, had an average of 37.1 cents.
Both males and females are employed in four of the semiskilled
occupations for which separate figures are shown. In each case, the
average hourly earnings of males exceeded those of females, the
differences amounting to 1.2 cents for winders, 5.5 cents for steamers
and pressers, 5.6 cents for markers, stampers, and labelers, and as much
as 13.0 cents for layers-up.
Among the unskilled males, outside of learners and apprentices, the
occupational averages ranged from 34.1 to 41.8 cents an hour. Male
learners and apprentices averaged 28.2 cents, as compared with 23.7
cents for female learners and apprentices.
PART 2 —KNITTED OUTERWEAR

Description of Industry
SIZ E O F IN D U S T R Y

As defined by the Census of Manufactures, the knitted-outerwear
industry in 1937 included 669 plants having a product valued at
$5,000 or more. The average number of wage earners for the year
was 26,139.
The total value of products, including receipts for contract work,12
was $106,836,039, while the value added by manufacture was
$47,311,118. The wages paid by the industry totaled $21,553,531,
which was 20.2 percent of the total value of products and 45.6 percent
of the value added by manufacture.
A very large proportion of the products of the knitted-outerwear
industry consists of sweaters, sweater coats, and jerseys. Among the
other items accounting for a substantial part of the total product
value are bathing suits, dresses, and suits, infants’ wear, polo or sport
shirts, and knit headwear.
A N A L Y S IS OF SA M PL E

The sample in this survey covered 105 establishments and 7,230
wage earners. Although the manufacture of knitted outerwear is
heavily concentrated in the Middle Atlantic States, significant portions
of the industry are found in other parts of the country. In terms of
the survey’s coverage, NewYork is the leading State, including 20.2
» T h e in d u s tr y r e p o r te d 164 e s ta b lis h m e n ts , w it h 2,715 w a g e ea rn ers, c la ssed a s c o n tr a c t fa cto ries, w h ic h
are e n g a g e d in m a n u fa c tu r in g k n it t e d o u te r w e a r o u t o f m a te r ia ls o w n e d b y o th ers.


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Images and Hours of Labor

1189

percent of the total workers. Pennsylvania ranks second with 15.4
percent of all wage earners, and Massachusetts is next with 15.1 per­
cent. Other important States are Ohio, Wisconsin, and California.
Less than 10 percent of the employees were found in the South.13
Most of the establishments in the knitted-outerwear industry are
small, with very few employing over 500 workers. An analysis of the
coverage in this survey shows that 17 plants had between 10 and 20
wage earners, 37 between 21 and 50, 24 between 51 and 100, 17 be­
tween 101 and 250, and 10 over 250 employees.
Another outstanding feature of the industry is the marked concen­
tration of establishments in the large metropolitan centers, particularly
in New York City. Of the plants surveyed, 81 with 4,248 workers
were found in communities with a population of about 750,000 and
more, including 40 establishments with 1,390 wage earners in the
New York metropolitan area. Only 13 plants with 1,634 employees
were located in places of about 50,000 population and under, while 11
establishments with 1,348 workers were in communities of about
175,000 to 500,000.
Judged on the basis of the survey’s coverage, labor organization is
important, although not dominant, in the industry. Of the total in
the sample, 33 plants, with about one-third of the wage earners, had
either oral or written agreements with national unions. A majority of
the agreements were with the International Ladies’ Garment Workers
Union, but several other labor organizations, including the United
Textile Workers and the American Federation of Hosiery Workers,
were represented.
On the basis of product, the establishments covered may be classi­
fied in several groups. Of the total, 72 plants were engaged primarily
in making sweaters, 10 manufactured women’s suits and dresses, 4
headwear, and 4 bathing suits, while the remaining 15 mills could not
be classified because of the miscellaneous nature of their products.
These categories are by no means precise, however, as the type of
product in many establishments changes in accordance with seasonal
demands. For example, some of the sweater mills make bathing suits
during certain periods of the year. Likewise, the dress and suit plants
also produce light sweaters occasionally. Many of the sweater m i l l s
also make other knitted garments, such as headwear, gloves and mit­
tens, and scarfs.
Industrial home work is found in the knitted-outerwear industry.
Because of the almost complete absence of records as to the hours of
work and production of individual home workers, however, it was not
possible to include these employees within the scope of the survey.
13Among the other States included in the survey are Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, New
Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.


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1190

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939
C O M PO SITIO N O F L A BO R FO RC E

The equipment used in the manufacture of knitted outerwear in­
cludes circular and flat knitting machines, ribbers, brushers, calenders,
pressers, cutters, and several types of sewing machines, some of which
are highly specialized. In general, two methods of production are
employed. Certain garments, such as heavy sweaters and bathing
suits, are usually made on flat knitting machines, which shape the
articles during the knitting process by means of various controlling
devices. Polo shirts, light sweaters, and suits and dresses, on the other
hand, are commonly made of tubular or flat knit cloth, which is marked
and cut according to a pattern, the parts thus produced being sewed
together to form a garment.
These manufacturing processes require a large number of skilled
workers. According toTable 7, 62.9 percent of the 7,230 wage earners
included in the survey were classed as skilled. On the other hand, the
number of unskilled workers amounted to only 4.8 percent of the total.
In fact, this number is too small to justify a separate analysis. The
unskilled employees were, therefore, combined with the semiskilled
in all tabulations except those showing occupational averages. Of the
total workers, three-fourths (75.4 percent) were females, who were
chiefly employed in the various sewing-machine operations. The
proportion of women was approximately the same in both the skilled
and the semiskilled and unskilled groups.
T a b le 7. —Average Hourly Earnings in Knitted-Outerwear Industry, by Skill and Sex,

August and September 1938
W o rk er s
S k ill a n d sex
N um ber

P ercent

A verage
h o u r ly
ea r n in g s

A ll w o r k e r s _________ ________________________ . _______________
M a le _________________________________________________________
F e m a le _________________________________________ ______ ______

7,2 3 0
1,778
5,4 5 2

100.0
2 4 .6
7 5 .4

$0.458
.6 2 2
.3 9 8

S k ille d w o r k e r s__________ _______ ________________________________
M a l e ___________ ________ ____________________________________
F e m a le ________
________________________
_______________
S e m is k ille d a n d u n s k ille d w o r k e r s .- _______________ _________
M a l e _________________________________________________________
F e m a le _______________________________________________________

4,5 4 9
1,098
3, 451
2,681
680
2,001

6 2 .9
1 5 .2
4 7 .7
37.1
9 .4
27.7

.5 0 2
.741
.4 1 8
.3 8 2
.435
.3 6 2

Average Hourly Earnings
M ET H O D S O F W A G E P A Y M E N T

The straight piece-rate method of wage payment is used extensively
in the knitted-outerwear industry. Of the 105 establishments sur­
veyed, 83 paid all or part of their employees on that basis, while 22
plants paid straight time rates to all workers. About one-half (49.7
percent) of all employees in the industry were paid on a piece-rate

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Wages and Hours of Labor

1191

basis. Only 3 establishments had production-bonus systems, which
covered 390 workers, or 5.4 percent of the total included in the
survey. Piece rates and production-bonus plans commonly apply to
the important direct occupations, such as the knitters, cutters, and
various sewing-machine operators.
The method of wage payment varied considerably among the
several skill and sex groups. For male employees, the proportion of
piece workers amounted to 32.9 percent of the skilled, 28.6 percent of
the semiskilled, and 2.3 percent of the unskilled workers. For the
females, on the other hand, the proportions were respectively 59.3,
54.2, and 29.4 percent.
At the time of the survey, a majority of the establishments covered
paid only the regular rates for overtime work.14
Of the 72 nonunion plants, 58 paid the regular rates for overtime.
Among the remaining 14 nonunion establishments, 3 paid time and a
half and 4 time and a third for overtime. Two mills paid time and a
fourth and four time and a third for overtime by hourly workers, while
the piece-rate employees received only the regular rates. One plant
paid time and a half to hourly workers, while piece workers received
only the regular rates for overtime.
Among the 33 trade-union establishments, 8 paid the regular rates,
6 time and a half, 7 time and a third, and 2 time and a fourth for over­
time. In nine plants, hourly workers received overtime rates of time
and a third, while the piece workers were paid only the regular rate.
Overtime rates for both hourly and piece-rate employees in one
establishment varied from time and a third to time and a half, depend­
ing upon the amount of overtime worked.
H O U R L Y E A R N IN G S O F A L L W O R K E R S

The hourly earnings of all workers included in the survey averaged
45.8 cents in August and September 1938. The hourly earnings of
the individual employees, however, varied considerably, according to
the distribution in table 8 . For example, the earnings of all but 3.1
percent of the wage earners covered a spread from 17.5 cents to
$1.20 an hour.
The distribution does not exhibit a pronounced central tendency.
Thus, about one-eighth of the employees are found in each of the
four 5-cent intervals from 27.5 to 47.5 cents an hour. It will be
observed that approximately one-third (34.5 percent) averaged 47.5
cents and over, but only 3.5 percent received $1.00 or more. The
number paid under 27.5 cents amounted to 14.9 percent of the total
labor force.
i* Three establishments paid higher rates for extra-shift operation, but the number of workers involved
was negligible.


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1192

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939
V A R IA T IO N S B Y S E X A N D SK IL L

The average hourly earnings for all male employees was 62.2 cents,
which may be compared with only 39.8 cents for all females, a differ­
ence of 22.4 cents.
Nearly two-thirds (65.2 percent) of the males, as compared with
one-fourth (24.5 percent) of the females, received 47.5 cents or more
an hour. One-eighth (12.6 percent) of the males, as against less than
1 percent of the females, averaged $1.00 or over. The number paid
under 27.5 cents amounted to 6.7 percent of the males and 17.7
percent of the females.
Skilled males averaged 74.1 cents an hour, or 30. 6 cents more than
the average received by the group of semiskilled and unskilled males.
The difference by skill was considerably less in the case of females,
the skilled group averaging 41.8 cents, as against 36.2 cents for the
semiskilled and unskilled workers.
T a ble 8.—Percentage Distribution of Workers in Knitted-Outerwear Industry According

to Average Hourly Earnings, by Skill and Sex, August and September 1938
A ll w o rk ers

S e m is k ille d a n d u n ­
s k ille d w o rk ers

S k ille d w o rk ers

A v e r a g e h o u r ly ea r n in g s
T o ta l

M a le

U n d e r 17.5 c e n t s ______________________
17.5 a n d u n d e r 20.0 c e n t s ...........................
20.0 an d u n d e r 22.5 c e n t s .........................
22.5 an d u n d e r 25.0 c e n t s _____________
25.0 an d u n d e r 27.5 c e n t s ...........................
27.5 an d u n d er 30.0 c e n ts _____________
30.0 an d u n d e r 32.5 c e n t s . . ___________
32.5 an d u n d e r 35.0 c e n t s ____ ________
35.0 an d u n d er 37 5 c e n ts _____________
37.5 a n d u n d e r 40.0 c e n ts _____________
40.0 a n d u n d e r 42.5 c e n t s _____________
42.5 a n d u n d e r 47.5 c e n ts _____________
47.5 a n d u n d e r 52.5 c e n t s _____________
52.5 an d u n d e r 57 5 c e n ts _____________
57.5 an d u n d e r 62.5 c e n ts ____________
62.5 an d u n d e r 67.5 c e n t s _____________
67.5 an d u n d e r 72.5 c e n t s _______
72.5 an d u n d e r 77.5 c e n t s ....... ...................
77.5 an d u n d e r 82.5 c e n t s .............. .............
82.5 an d u n d er 87.5 c e n t s . . .......................
87.5 an d u n d e r 92.5 c e n t s .........................
92.5 an d u n d e r 100.0 c e n t s ____________
100.0 an d u n d e r 110.0 c e n t s _________
110.0 an d u n d er 120 0 c e n t s ___________
120.0 c e n ts a n d o v e r . . . .............. ...............

1 .8
2 .3
2 .8
2 .7
5 .3
5 .9
6 .5
5 .4
7 .7
6 .2
6 .7
1 2 .2
8 .5
5 .8
3 .9
2 .9
2 .7
2 .3
1 .5
1 .5
.8
1.1
1 .4
.8
1 .3

0 .3
.6
1 .8
1 .4
2 .6
1 .7
3 .1
3 .4
4 .6
2 .8
3 .3
9 .2
8 .5
7 .1
6 .4
4 .9
4 .9
6 .0
4 .7
3 .9
2 .5
3 .7
5 .1
2 .7
4 .8

T o t a l . . ___________ ______________

100.0
7,230

N u m b e r o f w o r k e r s ___ __

________

F e­
m a le

T o ta l

2. 3
2 .9
3 .2
3 .1
6 .2
7 .3
7 .6
6 .1
8 .6
7 .3
7 .9
13.0
8 .3
5 .4
3 .1
2 .3
2 .0
1 .2
.5
.6
.3
.3

1 .3
1 .8
2 .0
1 .9
4 .0
5 .5
5 .6
4 .5
6 .6
6 .0
6 .4
12 .3
8 .9
6 .4
4 .6
3 .4
3 .4
3 .1
1.9
2 .1
1 .2
1 .7

.2
.2

2.2

M a le

0 .1
.5
.5
.6
.5
1 .4
1 .5
2 .0
1 .6
1 .5
6 .1
8 .3
7 .5
6 6
5 .6
6 .3
8 .1
5 .9
6 .0
3 .7
5 .6
8 .1
4 .3

F e­
m a le

T o ta l

1 7
2 .4
2 .5
2 .4
5 .1
7 .1
7 .0
5 .5
8 .1
7 .4
7 .9
14.1
9 .1
6 .0
3 .9
2 .7
2 .4
1 .5

2 fi
3 .1
4 .2
4 .0
7 .5
6 .7
8 .1
7 .0
9 .4
6 .5
7 .3
12.0
7 .4
4 .8
2 .9
2 .2
1 .7
1 .0

.9
.4
.4
.3
.3

.3

.7

M a le

.1
.1
(•)

1 .3
3 .8
2 .9
5 .9
3 .7
6 .0
6 .5
8 .8
4 .7
6 .0
14.4
9 .1
6 .5
5 .9
3 .8
2 .6
2 .5
2 .6
.6
.6
.6
.1
.1
.1

.7

.2
.2

F e­
m a le

3 .7
4 .3
4 .4
8 .1
7 .8
8 .8
7 .2
9 .7
7 .0
7 .8
11.2
6 .9
4 .3
1 .8
1 .6
1 .3
.5
.1

.2

.1

(')
(i)
(0

.1

1 .2
2 .0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

1,778

5. 452

4, 549

1,098

3,451

2,681

680

2,001

7.7

.2

1 Less than a tenth of 1 percent.

Among the skilled employees, over four-fifths (83.7 percent) of the
males and over one-fourth (28.8 percent) of the females received 47.5
cents or more an hour. The numbers averaging $1.00 or over amounted
to one-fifth (20.1 percent) of the males and less than 1 percent of the
females. Only 1.7 percent of the skilled males, as compared with
14.1 percent of the skilled females, were paid under 27.5 cents.
In th e group of sem iskilled and unskilled workers, 35.1 percent of
the m ales and 16.8 p ercent of the fem ales received 47.5 cents or more

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Wages and Hours of Labor

1193

an hour. The number receiving under 27.5 cents amounted to 14.8
percent of the males and 23.7 percent of the females.
E A R N IN G S I N R E L A T IO N TO F A IR L A B O R S T A N D A R D S A C T

At the time of the survey, one-tenth (9.6 percent) of the workers
averaged under 25 cents an hour, which was the minimum established
by the Fair Labor Standards Act on October 24, 1938. Only 4.1
percent of the males, as compared with 11.5 percent of the females,
received less than this amount. The proportions were only 1.1 per­
cent for skilled males and 9.0 percent for skilled females. In the semi­
skilled and unskilled group, 8.9 percent of the males averaged under
25 cents, while 15.6 percent of the females were paid below that figure.
In August and September 1938, one-fifth (20.8 percent) of all em­
ployees received under 30 cents an hour, the minimum effective on
October 24, 1939. The proportion amounted to 8.4 percent of the
males, as against exactly one-fourth of the females. Among the
skilled workers, only 2.2 percent of the males and 21.2 percent of the
females received less than 30 cents. Substantial proportions of males
and females in the semiskilled and unskilled group were paid less
than 30 cents, the respective figures being 18.5 and 31.5 percent.
The number of employees averaging under 40 cents an hour
amounted to 46.6 percent of the total labor force at the time of the
survey, the proportions being 22.3 percent for males and 54.6 percent
for females. Only 8.7 percent of the skilled males averaged less than
40 cents, while half (49.2 percent) of the skilled females were paid
below that figure. Among the semiskilled and unskilled workers,
the proportions amounted to 44.5 percent and 64.2 percent.
O C C U PA T IO N A L D IF F E R E N C E S

Table 9 shows average hourly earnings in the knitted-outerwear
industry for the principal occupational classes.
The most important occupations numerically among the skilled
males were the circular and flat knitters, who averaged 64.1 and 65.9
cents an hour, respectively. With one important exception, namely
hand cutters, these were the lowest occupational averages shown for
skilled males. The hand cutters received 56.5 cents, which may be
compared with 71.4 cents for machine cutters. The highest hourly
earnings were received by working foremen, who averaged 97.1
cents. The next highest-paid occupations were those of seamers
(96.4 cents) and machine fixers (90.4 cents).
Among skilled women, seamers were by far the most important
occupation numerically, comprising over one-half of all skilled females
and over one-fourth of the total labor force. The average for this
class was 41.8 cents an hour. The highest hourly earnings were re­
ceived by the small group of miscellaneous skilled direct workers, who
averaged 58.8 cents. This group is made up principally of designers.


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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1194

The loopers averaged 51.8 cents, or slightly higher than the hourly
earnings (51.5 cents) of working forewomen. Among the remaining
occupations, the average hourly earnings ranged from 44.1 cents for
hemmers to 36.3 cents for circular knitters. As in the case of males,
machine cutters averaged more than hand cutters, the respective
figures being 44.0 and 39.5 cents.
T a b le 9. —Average Hourly Earnings, Weekly Hours, and Weekly Earnings in Knitted

Outerwear Industry, by Skill, Sex, and Occupation, August and September 1938

S k ill, sex , a n d o c c u p a tio n

M a le .

A verage
w e e k ly
hours

SI
113
87
237
219
89
119
88
48
25
22

$0. 565
.7 1 4
.971
.641
.6 5 9
.9 0 4
.7 6 5
.9 6 4
.7 1 7
.8 4 9
.6 3 9

4 2 .6
4 0 .0
4 2 .2
4 4 .7
4 2 .6
4 3 .5
3 9 .9
3 9 .2
3 3 .9
39. 5
4 3 .3

$24.09
28.5 5
40.94
28.6 6
28. 06
3 9 .3 6
30. 56
37.85
24 .3 0
33. 57
27.66

76
224
50
143
80
151
338
92
14
112
186
1, 943
18
24

.4 0 0
.3 9 5
.4 4 0
.4 2 3
.5 1 5
.4 4 1
.3 6 8
.3 6 3
C)
.5 1 8
.4 1 3
.4 1 8
0)
.5 8 8

4 0 .7
4 0 .4
4 0 .3
3 8 .7
4 3 .2
3 4 .8
3 7 .6
4 0 .9
(>)
3 6 .9
38 .5
37 .3
(>)
4 2 .5

16.28
15.98
17.71
16.38
22.24
15. 35
13.84
14. 85
0)
19.10
15.87
15.60
0)
24.9 7

77
59
77
155
18
32
62
23

.5 5 7
.4 6 0
.3 9 5
.4 6 7
(')
.4 0 9
.4 8 6
.4 5 5

4 3 .3
4 1 .9
45 .9
4 1 .0
0)
4 3 .4
4 0 .6
4 8 .0

2 4 .1 2
19.27
18. 14
19.11
0)
17.76
19. 71
21.84

51
35
68
304
42
54
475
57
209
216
36
284

.3 7 8
.4 0 3
.421
.3 5 5
.3 6 2
.314
.3 6 3
.3 4 6
.3 2 8
.4 2 6
.4 1 3
.3 7 8

3 7 .0
40 .1
35 .6
38 .8
3 8 .0
4 0 .0
3 6 .3
4 2 .2
3 5 .8
37.1
41. 1
3 9 .0

13.99
16. 16
14.99
13.80
13.74
12.57
13. 15
14.58
11.74
15. 82
17.00
14.75

37
52
88

.3 4 4
.3 5 8
.349

43 .3
4 1 .1
4 6 .0

14.89
14.74
16.05

.233
.3 6 1

37.5
34 .9
(')

8 .7 4
12.59
0)

U n s k ille d w o rk e rs

L e a r n e r s an d a p p r e n tic e s 4___________________________ ______ _________
M is c e lla n e o u s u n s k ille d w o rk ers , d ir e c t ___________ ______________
M is c e lla n e o u s u n s k ille d w o rk ers, in d ir e c t ..................... ..........................
F e m a le:
L earn ers an d a p p r e n tic e s 4___________________________________________
M isc e lla n e o u s u n s k ille d w o rk ers, d ir e c t ______________ ______ _____
M isc e lla n e o u s u n s k ille d w o rk ers, in d ir e c t ______ __ _ . . . . .

115
48
7

0)

1 N o t a s u ffic ie n t n u m b e r o f w o rk ers to p e r m it th e p r e s e n ta tio n of a n a v er a g e.
* S e w in g -d e p a r tm e n t o c c u p a tio n .
* K n ittin g -d e p a r tm e n t o c c u p a tio n .
* E m p lo y e e s in th is g ro u p m a y w o r k in b o th s e w in g a n d k n it t in g d e p a r tm e n ts .


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

A verage
w e e k ly
ea r n in g s

S e m is k ille d w o rk e rs

C ler k s, fa c to r y 4 ________________________ _____________ __________________
M a c h in e op erators, m isc e lla n e o u s 4________________________________
P a c k e r s 4_____ _________________________ _______________________________
S tea m ers an d p ressers 4___________ . . . _ _______________ . . --------W in d e r s 3__________________ ____ _______________________________________
M isc e lla n e o u s s e m is k ille d w o rk ers, k n it t in g d e p a r tm e n t ___
M isc e lla n e o u s se m is k ille d w o rk ers, d ir e c t___ _________ ________
M isc e lla n e o u s s e m is k ille d w o rk ers, in d ir e c t
.........................
F e m a le :
B u tto n s e w in g -m a c h in e o p era to rs 2__________________________
C ler k s, fa c to r y 4_________ __________ __________ _______ ___________ ______
E d g e r s 2_________________ ________ ______________ ________________ _______
F o ld e r s , w r a p p e r s a n d b o x ers 2 .................... ................................................
M a c h in e o p erators, m is c e lla n e o u s 4 _______________________________
M a r k e r s 2. _______________________________________ ________________ ______
S ew ers, h a n d 2. . _____________ _________________ ___________________ . .
S te a m e r s a n d p ressers 2___________________ ____________ _______
T r im m e r s , h a n d 2. . . ___________ _______________________ . . . .
W in d e r s 3______________________ _____ . . . ________________ ______
M is c e lla n e o u s s e m is k ille d w o rk ers, k n ittin g d e p a r tm e n t ____
M is c e lla n e o u s s e m is k ille d w o rk ers, d ir e c t ................................................
M a je .

A verage
h o u r ly
ea r n in g s

S k ille d w o rk e rs

C u tte r s , h a n d 2 ____________________________________________ C u tte r s , m a c h in e 2---------------------------------------------------------------- F o r e m e n , w o r k in g 4----------------------------------------------------------------K n itte r s , circu lar 3_______________________________ __________
K n itte r s , f l a t 3---------------- -----------------------------------------------------M a c h in e f ix e r s 4_____ ______ _______________________________ - P r esser s, g a r m e n t 2-------------------- ------------------- --------------- - -S e a m e r s 2- - . . .
.
. . -----------------------------------------------M isc e lla n e o u s s k ille d w o rk ers, k n it t in g d e p a r t m e n t --------- .
M isc e lla n e o u s s k ille d w o rk ers, d ir e c t ________________________
M isc e lla n e o u s s k ille d w o rk ers, in d ir e c t---------------------------------F e m a le :
B u tto n h o le -m a c h in e o p era to rs 2---------------------------------------------C u tte r s , h a n d 2----------------------------- ---------------------------------------C u tte r s , m a c h in e 2---------------------------------- --------- ---------------------F in ish e r s, m is c e lla n e o u s 2_____________ ________________________
F o r e w o m e n , w o r k in g 4---------------------- ----------- ---------------------------- . . .
H e m m e r s 2--------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------I n s p e c to r s a n d e x a m in e r s 4. . .
_________________ ______ _______
K n itte r s , circu lar 3______________________ ______ ___________________
--------------------- -------------------------------------K n itte r s , f l a t 3-------- ------------L o o p e r s 2_________________________________________________ - M e n d e r s, h a n d 2------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------________________________
__________
___________
S e a m e r s 2. —
M isc e lla n e o u s sk ille d w o rk ers, k n i t t in g d e p a r tm e n t _________
M isc e lla n e o u s sk ille d w o rk ers, d ir e c t ____________________________
j ^ a je .

N um ber
of
w o rk ers

Wages and Hours of Labor

1195

It will be observed that, with the exception of miscellaneous direct
workers, all of the occupational averages reported for skilled females
fall below the hourly earnings shown for skilled males. For all occupa­
tions in which significant numbers of both men and women are em­
ployed, a substantial differential is found in favor of males, ranging
from 17.0 cents for hand cutters to as much as 54.6 cents for seamers.
Factory clerks showed the highest earnings among semiskilled
males, averaging 55.7 cents an hour. Packers had the lowest average,
39.5 cents, and miscellaneous semiskilled workers in the knitting
department averaged 40.9 cents. The averages of the remaining
occupations ranged from 48.6 to 45.5 cents, with steamers and pressers,
who constituted the largest class among semiskilled males, receiving
46.7 cents. The unskilled occupational classes for males averaged
about 34-36 cents. Male learners and apprentices, with an average
of 34.4 cents, occupied the bottom of the scale.
The occupational averages of semiskilled females ranged from 42.6
cents for winders to 31.4 cents for markers. It will be seen that there
is considerable overlapping between the averages of semiskilled and
skilled occupations among females, which is evidence of the difficulty
in classifying female occupations according to skill. In fact, the mis­
cellaneous direct unskilled females averaged more than a number of
semiskilled occupations. The average for learners and apprentices
amounted to only 23.3 cents.
OTHER FACTORS INFLUENCING HOURLY EARNINGS

Thus far, the analysis has been confined to an examination of vari­
ations in hourly earnings in the outerwear industry arising from differ­
ences in the sex, skill, and occupation of the workers. Another im­
portant aspect of the industry’s wage structure, however, concerns
various factors related to the establishments in the industry. Among
these factors are geographical location, size of community, unioniza­
tion, size of company, and type of product.
That some of these factors are related to the wage structure in the
various establishments is indicated by the fact that the plant averages
cover a fairly wide range, namely from 18.7 cents to $ 1. Of the 105
establishments included in the survey, about one-fourth averaged
under 40 cents an hour, one-fourth between 40 and 50 cents, onefourth between 50 and 60 cents, and the remaining fourth 60 cents
and over.
An examination of the data reveals little evidence of geographical
differences in average hourly earnings in this industry. It is true
that the 3 southern establishments included in the survey had averages
of 30 cents an hour or less, which is probably indicative of the wage
level in the small part of the industry located in that region. More­
over, very few establishments in the other regions averaged 30 cents
185451— 30------ 12


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1196

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

or lower. It will be observed, however, that the data cover a fairly
wide range in each of the other regions. In New York State, for
example, the plant averages varied from 24.2 cents (and from 35.9
cents if the lowest-paid establishment is omitted) to $ 1. The distribu­
tion for Pennsylvania covered a spread from 29.2 to 63.4 cents for all
but one[ plant, which averaged as high as 81.0 cents. On the Pacific
coast, the average hourly earnings varied from 36.5 to 69.9 cents.
This indicates that other factors than mere geographical location are
responsible for the wide differences in wages.
On the other hand, an analysis of the data shows that hourly earn­
ings vary in accordance with size of community. The average hourly
earnings of all employees in establishments located in places of about
50.000 population and under amounted to 34 cents. This group of
plants includes the 3 southern establishments but even with the latter
excluded the average is only 40 cents. By contrast, the hourly earn­
ings of workers in plants found in communities between 175,000 and
500.000 averaged 45 cents. Practically the same average was found
in metropolitan areas with 750,000 and over, excluding Philadelphia
and New York City, which averaged respectively 55 and 61 cents.
An examination of the figures also shows the relationship between
unionization and hourly earnings. On the basis of the sample, union
plants in this industry were confined entirely to the larger communi­
ties, as none of the establishments covered in places of about 50,000
population and under was found to have agreements with unions.
With the exception of New York City, there appears to be little
difference between wage levels in the union and nonunion plants
located in the same communities. If a comparison is made between
the union and nonunion establishments in the larger cities, other
than New York and Philadelphia, it is found that the averages in
both cases are about 45 cents an hour. Philadelphia, however, in
which all but 4 of the 13 plants covered are union plants, has an
average of 55 cents an hour. There is little, if any, difference in the
earnings in union and nonunion plants. In the New York metro­
politan area, however, average hourly earnings were substantially
higher in the 16 union than in the 24 nonunion plants, the figures
being 75 and 55 cents, respectively.
The average hourly earnings of all establishments in Philadelphia
was considerably higher than the average covering the plants in other
communities of about 750,000 and over, outside of New York City.
This difference is probably due to the element of unionization. On
the other hand, the higher average found in New York City, as com­
pared with other metropolitan areas of about 750,000 and over, is due
to the elements of unionization and size of community. This is
indicated by the fact that the average of the nonunion establishments

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Wages and Hours of Labor

1197

in New York City was almost identical with that for ail plants in
Philadelphia.
It has previously been pointed out that very few establishments in
this industry employ more than 500 wage earners. A comparison of
the averages for plants of various sizes under that limit fails to reveal
any significant relationship between size of establishment and hourly
earnings.
Whether or not there is any relationship between type of product
made and average hourly earnings cannot be determined on the
basis of data secured in this survey, due to the thinness of the sample
with respect to plants making products other than sweaters.
P A R T 3 — K N IT T E D CLOTH

Description of Industry
The Bureau’s survey of the knitted-cloth industry was confined to
22 establishments, in which 1,715 wage earners were scheduled.15
In accordance with the Census of Manufactures, the industry has
been defined here to include the making of “jersey cloth, rayon tubing,
corset cloth, etc., made for sale,” and all other machine-knit goods
not classified as hosiery, underwear, outerwear, or gloves and mittens.
The distribution of establishments included in the survey according
to product was as follows: 5 made fabrics for gloves, shoe linings, and
similar products; 4 manufactured heavy knitted blanket and over­
coating materials; 6 made tubular fabrics, chiefly for underwear;
and 2 manufactured cleaning and polishing cloths. For the remaining
5 plants, the exact nature of the product was not reported.
A classification of the mills according to size (as measured by total
employment) shows that a majority are relatively small. One-half
of the establishments had less than 100 employees, 6 between 100 and
250, and 5 over 250 workers. Included in the latter group, however,
are several commercial cloth-knitting departments of plants that
were also engaged in manufacturing other products, not a part of
this industry.
In view of the fact that the cloth-knitting mills sell most of their
products to the garment cutting and sewing establishments, it is not
surprising that the knitted-cloth industry should be concentrated in
or near New York City, which is the center for that type of production.
The survey included 10 plants in New York and 3 in New Jersey,
all but 1 of which were in the New York metropolitan area. Of the
remaining establishments, 4 were in Massachusetts and 1 each in
Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia.
15 A s d e fin e d b y th e C e n su s o f M a n u fa c tu r e s , th e in d u s tr y in 1937 in c lu d e d 213 e s ta b lis h m e n ts (h a v in g
an a n n u a l p r o d u c t v a lu e d a t $5,000 or m o re) a n d 11,360 w a g e earners (a v era g e for y e a r ). A s u b s ta n tia l n u m ­
b er o f th e s e p la n ts , h o w e v e r , h a d le ss th a n 10 e m p lo y e e s , w h ic h w e r e ex c lu d e d fro m th e sc o p e o f t h is s u r v e y .


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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1198

Labor organization is important in this industry. In 8 plants, the
employers had contracts or understandings with national unions,
namely the Textile Workers’ Union of America and the International
Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union.
Average Hourly Earnings
M ET H O D S O F W A G E P A Y M E N T

A large majority of the wage earners included in the survey were
paid on a time-rate basis. Although 10 of the 22 plants had some
piece workers, the number of employees on straight piece rates
amounted to 8.5 percent of the total. None of the establishments
reported the use of production-bonus plans.
Only 9 of the plants surveyed paid extra rates for overtime work
ranging from time and one-fourth to time and one-half. The extra
rates usually took effect after from 40 to 45 hours a week.
A V E R A G E H O U R L Y E A R N IN G S O F IN D IV ID U A L P L A N T S

The average hourly earnings of individual establishments ranged
from 32.5 to 82.7 cents. Of the 22 plants surveyed, 2 averaged under
40 cents, 4 from 40 to 50, 6 from 50 to 60, 4 from 60 to 70, and 6
70 cents and over.
Due to the small size of the industry, it is impossible to make an
analysis that would reveal the relation between average hourly
earnings and such factors as geographical location, size of plant, size
of community, and type of product, without revealing data pertaining
to individual establishments.
V A R IA T IO N S B Y S E X A N D SK IL L

The hourly earnings of all workers in the knitted-cloth industry
averaged 56.0 cents in August and September 1938. (See table 10 .)
Although the distribution, which is shown in table 11, extends from
under 17.5 cents to over $ 1.20 an hour, it will be observed that over
one-half (53.6 percent) of the total labor force averaged between 35
and 52.5 cents. One-tenth (10.1 percent) received less than 35 cents.
On the other hand, over one-third (36.3 percent) earned 52.5 cents or
more, and over one-tenth (11.4 percent) 87.5 cents or more.
The labor force of the industry is made up largely of males, who
constituted 75.7 percent of the total wage earners. The skilled males
amounted to one-third (33.9 percent) of all workers, while the semi­
skilled and unskilled males made up 41.8 percent of the total. There
were too few females in the skilled and unskilled categories to justify
an analysis of this group on the basis of skill.


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W ages

1199

and Hours of Labor

T a b le 10.—Average Hourly Earnings, Actual Weekly Hours, and Weekly Earnings in

Knitted-Cloth Industry, by Sex and Skill, August and September 1938
W o rk er s
S ex a n d s k ill
P ercen t

N um b er

A verage
h o u r ly
e a r n in g s

A verage
a c tu a l
w e e k ly
hours

A verage
w e e k ly
e a r n in g s

T o t a l......... - --------- ---------------------------------------------------

1,715

100.0

$0. 560

4 4 .2

$24.74

S k ille d ____ _______
- ------------------S e m is k ille d a n d u n s k ille d -----------------------------

1,2 9 8
582
716

7 5 .7
3 3 .9
4 1 .8

.6 0 1
.7 7 9
.4 6 5

4 5 .2
4 3 .7
4 6 .4

27.1 8
34.0 5
21. 59

F e m a le s ------------------ ------------------- --------------------------

417

24 .3

.4 1 8

4 1 .0

17.16

T a b le 11. —Percentage Distribution of Workers in Knitted-Cloth Industry According to

Average Hourly Earnings, by Sex and Skill, August and September 1938
M a le s

A v e r a g e h o u r ly ea r n in

A ll
w o rk ers
T o ta l

27.5 a n d u n d e r 30.0 c e n t s __________________ ___________
30.0 a n d u n d e r 32.5 c e n t s — .............. - .......................................
35.0
37.5
40.0
42.5
47.5
52.5
57.5
62.5
67.5
72.5

and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and

u nder
under
u n d er
u n d er
u n d er
u nder
u nd er
u nder
u nder
under

37.5 c e n t s --------------------------------- ------------40.0 c e n t s ------------------------------- -------------42.5 c e n t s ------------------ , ..................................
47.5 c e n t s . . .............................................. ...........
52.5 c e n t s ------------------------------- -------------57.5 c e n t s . . ------- -----------------------------------62.5 c e n t s -------------------------------------------- 67.5 c e n t s .............................................................
72.5 c e n t s . . . ------- ----------------- ---------------77.5 c e n t s ----------------------- ----------- -----------

92.5 a n d u n d e r 100.0 c e n t s ------ ------------------------------------100.0 an d u n d e r 110.0 c e n t s ------------------ ------------------------

T o t a l____________________________________________
N u m b e r o f w o r k e r s .----------------------------------- ------------------

0 .1
.1
.4
.4
2 .9
1 .6
3 .3
1 .3
6 .4
4 .1
8 .5
22.6
12.0
5 .2
1 .7
4 .1
2 .0
4 .4
6 .0
1 .5
3 .1
1 .8
3 .9
.9
1 .7

S k ille d

S e m i­
s k ille d
and un ­
s k ille d

F e m a le s

0 -2
.2
1 .6
.3
2 .4
3 .2
4 .2
1. 0
8 .9
4 .6
1 1 .9 '
23.3
2 1 .6
5. 6
2.1
3 .6
2 .1
1 .3
1 .3
.4
.6
.1
.1
.1
.3

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

0 .2
.2

5 .3
3 .2
7 .8
19.3
13.0
5 .5
1 .8
4 .7
2 .4
5 .3
7 .9
2 .0
4 .2
2 .3
5 .1
1 .2
2 .3

.9
1. 4
2 .7
14.3
2 .4
5. 3
1. 5
6 .0
2 .7
1 0 .3
16.1
4 .0
8 .6
5 .0
1 1 .2
2 .4
4 .8

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100 .0

1,715

1,298

582

716

417

1 .2
7 .7
.7
6 .0
3 .8
9 .8
7 .0
10 .7
3 3 .4
8 .6
4 .3
1 .4
2 .2
1 .0
1 .4

.2
.2

The hourly earnings of all males averaged 60.1 cents. The average
for the skilled males was 77.9 cents, which was 31.4 cents more than
the average (46.5 cents) for the group of semiskilled and unskilled
males. The females received 41.8 cents, or 4.7 cents less than the
average for semiskilled and unskilled males.
None of the skilled males earned less than 25 cents an hour in
August and September 1938, while only 1.3 percent of the group of
semiskilled and unskilled males and 1.6 percent of the females were
included in this category. Only 0.2 percent of the skilled males, 6.9
percent of the group of semiskilled and unskilled males, and exactly

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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1200

one-tenth of the females averaged below 30 cents. One-fifth (20.6
percent) of all workers received under 40 cents, which is the highest
minimum permitted to be fixed under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
This total includes only 2.7 percent of the skilled males, however, as
compared with one-fourth (25.6 percent) of the group of semiskilled
and unskilled males and over one-third (36.6 percent) of the females.
OCCUPATIONAL DIFFERENCES

Because of the small size of the industry, separate figures can be
presented for only a few of the occupations commonly recognized in
knitted-cloth mills. (See table 12.)
T

able

1 2 . —Average H o u r l y Earnings, Weekly Hours, and Weekly Earnings in KnittedCloth Industry, by Sex, Skill, and Occupation, August and September 1938

S e x , s k ill, a n d o c c u p a tio n

N um b er
of w ork­
ers

A verage
h o u r ly
ea r n in g s

A verage
w e e k ly
h ours

45
343
45
94
15
40

$0.954
.7 4 7
1.026
.7 4 9
)
.6 3 4

0

4 4 .9
43.1
4 5 .0
43 .6
)
45.1

0

$42.85
32. 22
4 6 .1 2
32. 68
(’)
28 56

57
49

-513
.5 5 4
.4 9 6
.453
.3 9 5
.4 6 2
.4 5 0
.5 1 2
(i)

5 1 .0
4 7 .0
47 2
4 7 .5
48 .5
44.1
4 7 .2
4 8 .1
(l)

26.19
26.04
23. 43
21.53
19.16
20 36
. 26
24 fin
Co

.4 4 2
.3 7 4

4 1 .7
45. 6

18 41
17 06

! 404

4 1 .8

16.87

.431
.3 9 4

4 0 .2
4 2 .5

17. 36
16. 77

A verage
w e e k ly
ea r n in g s

M a le s

S k ille d w ork ers:
F o r e m e n , w o r k in g _________ ____________ ____________________
K n it t e r s _______________________________________________________
M a c h in e fix e r s________________________________________________
M isc e lla n e o u s s k ille d , k n it t in g d e p a r tm e n t________________
M isc e lla n e o u s s k ille d , d ir e c t_________ ______ ________ _______
M is c e lla n e o u s s k ille d , in d ir e c t_______ _____ _________________
S e m is k ille d w orkers:
B r u s h -m a c h in e o p e r a to r s____________________________________
C ler k s, fa c to r y _________________________ ______________________
D y e-m & ch in e o p e r a to r s_______________________________________
M a c h in e o p era to rs, m is c e lla n e o u s __________ _______________
P a c k e r s ______________ . . . ----------------------------------------------------S te a m e r s a n d p re sse r s____
. _________________________
M is c e lla n e o u s s e m is k ille d , k n it t in g d e p a r tm e n t.............. ...........
M isc e lla n e o u s s e m isk ille d , d ir e c t__________ _____ __________
M is e e lla n e o u s s e m is k ille d , in d ir e c t- - _________ __________
.
U n s k ille d w ork ers:
W a t c h m e n ___ _____________________ _____ _________ _ . .
W ork d is tr ib u to r s _____________ _____ ______________________
M isc e lla n e o u s u n s k ille d , d ir e c t...................................
M isc e lla n e o u s u n s k ille d , in d ir e c t__________ ________________

121
37
52
105
70
64
16

20

46
57

22

21

F e m a le s

K n it t in g d e p a r tm e n t— .............. ........ .............................................
O th er d e p a r tm e n ts -_________________ _____________________ ______

273
144

1Not a sufficient number of workers to permit the presentation of an average.

Male machine fixers received the highest earnings, amounting to
$1,026 an hour on the average. This was substantially higher than
the earnings of working foremen, who averaged 95.4 cents. The
knitters, who made up three-fifths (58.9 percent) of the skilled males,
received 74.7 cents.
Among the semiskilled males, the highest earnings were received
by factory clerks, who averaged 55.4 cents an hour. The dyemachine operators and steamers and pressers are the most numerous
of the semiskilled males and averaged 49.6 and 46.2 cents, respectively.
The lowest hourly earnings for the semiskilled males, 39.5 cents,
were received by the packers,

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and H o u rs of Labor

1201

Only two occupations among the unskilled males had enough workers
to justify a separate analysis. Of these, the watchmen had the
higher average, 44.2 cents an hour, while work distributors earned
37.4 cents on the average.
PART 4.—KNITTED GLOVES AND MITTENS

Description of Industry
The survey of the knitted gloves and mittens industry covered
only 6 establishments, with 805 wage earners.16 Of these, 4 were
located in New York State. A classification of the plants according
to size (in terms of total employment) indicates that 2 had less than
100 wage earners, 2 between 100 and 250, and 2 between 250 and 500
workers.
Nearly four-fifths (78.6 percent) of the workers in the industry
were females. About two-thirds (65.6 percent) of the females and
less than one-half (47.7 percent) of the males were classed as skilled.
The number of unskilled workers in each sex group was too limited
to permit a separate analysis; hence, the figures are shown for the
semiskilled and unskilled combined. (See table 13.)
T a b le 13.—Average Hourly Earnings, Actual Weekly Hours, and Weekly Earnings in

Knitted Gloves and Mittens Industry, by Sex and Skill, August and September 1938
W o rk er s
S ex a n d s k ill
N um ber

P ercen t

A verage
h o u r ly
ea r n in g s

A verage
a c tu a l
w e e k ly
hours

A verage
w e e k ly
ea r n in g s

T o t a l_____________________________________________
S k i lle d ______________________ _____ ______ _____
S e m is k ille d a n d u n s k ille d ___________________

805
497
308

100 .0
6 1 .8
3 8 .2

$0. 409
.4 3 2
.3 7 9

3 3 .3
3 0 .6
3 7 .6

$13.62
13.23
14.25

M a l e s ________________________ ____________________
S k ille d _______________________________________
S e m is k ille d a n d u n s k ille d ___________________

172
82
90

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

.5 8 5
.7 1 9
.4 7 4

4 1 .6
3 9 .4
4 3 .5

24. 32
28.3 5
20. 64

F e m a le s __________________________________________
S k i lle d _______________________________________
S e m is k ille d a n d u n s k ille d ___________________

633
415
218

7 8 .6
5 1 .6
2 7 .0

.3 4 5
.3 5 5
.3 3 0

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

10. 71
10.24
11.6 2

Average Hourly Earnings
All of the plants included in the survey employed a considerable
number of piece workers, although some employees on a time basis
were found in each establishment. The number of workers on straight
piece rates amounted to 63.2 percent of the total labor force. Virtually
all piece workers were found among the skilled and semiskilled
females.
The average hourly earnings in 3 establishments amounted to about
40 cents. One plant had an average of about 35 cents, while the re­
maining establishments averaged over 40 and less than 45 cents.
16 A c co rd in g to th e C e n su s o f M a n u fa c tu r e s , in 1937 th is in d u s tr y in c lu d e d 15 e s ta b lis h m e n ts (h a v in g
an a n n u a l p r o d u c t v a lu e d a t $5,000 or m o re) a n d 3,182 w a g e earners (a v era g e for t h e y e a r ).


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Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

The hourly earnings of all workers averaged 40.9 cents in August
and September 1938. The total distribution of individual earnings,
according to table 14, covers a relatively wide range, with significant
limits at 20.0 and 82.5 cents, within which are included 97.5 percent
of all employees. Over two-fifths (43.3 percent) averaged between
32.5 and 42.5 cents. The number paid under 32.5 cents amounted to
27.5 percent. Three-tenths (29.2 percent) averaged 42.5 cents or over,
but only 9.1 percent received as much as 62.5 cents or more.
The hourly earnings of the males averaged 58.5 cents, which was
24.0 cents higher than the average (34.5 cents) for the females. The
skilled males averaged 71.9 cents, as compared with 47.4 cents for the
group of semiskilled and unskilled males. Among the females, on the
other hand, the hourly earnings of the skilled workers differed from
those of the semiskilled and unskilled group by only 2.5 cents, the
respective averages being 35.5 and 33.0 cents.
Approximately one-eighth (11.9 percent) of the workers in the
industry averaged below 25 cents an hour in August and September
1938, while about one-fifth (21.2 percent) earned under 30 cents.
About three-fifths (61.6 percent) averaged below 40 cents. However,
the number of males paid less than 40 cents amounted to only 14.5
percent of the total in that group, which is of little importance due to
the small number of males covered in the survey. Among the females,
14.2 percent averaged under 25 cents, one-fourth (25.4 percent) less
than 30 cents, and nearly three-fourths (74.1 percent) below 40 cents.
T a b le 14.—Percentage Distribution of Workers in Knitted Gloves and Mittens Industry

According to Average Hourly Earnings, by Skill and Sex, August and September 1938
S e m is k ille d a n d
u n s k ille d w o rk ers

S k ille d w o rk ers

A ll w o rk ers
A v e r a g e h o u r ly ea r n in g s
T o ta l

M a le

0 .9
.7
7 .6
2. 7
4 .5
4 .8
6 .3
1 0 .9
13. 3
9 .9
9. 2
8 .4
6 .5
2. 7
2 .5
1 .4
.9
.7
5. 2
.9

2. 3
1. 7
4 .7
4. 7
9 .3
1 3 .4
6 .4
1 1 .6
5 .8
3. 5
2. 9
2 3 .8
4 .1

T o t a l___________________________

100.0

N u m b e r o f w o r k e r s ....................................

805

25.0 a n d u n d e r 27.5 c e n t s —- ................ ..

37.5 a n d u n d e r 40.0 c e n t s _____________
42.5 an d u n d e r 47.5 c e n t s _____________
47.5 an d u n d e r 52.5 c e n ts _____________
52.5 an d u n d e r 57.5 c e n t s _____________

82.5 c e n ts a n d o v e r ____________________


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F e­
m a le

M a le

F e­
m a le
1 .0
.5
3 .9
3 .1
5 .5
7 .0
8 .4
1 5 .0
1 7 .2
9 .9
11. 3
9 .9
5 .3
1 .4

T o ta l

F e­
m a le

.2
.2
.2
.2
.2

2 .4
8 .5
4 .9
4 .9
8 .5
4 .9
4 .9
5 0 .2
7 .2

.3

1.1

100.0

100.0

100.0

100 .0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

172

633

497

82

415

308

90

218

1 .7
.6

1 .2
1 .2
1 .2

.2
.2
.2

1 .0
1. 3
1 4 .6
2 .9
3 .9
3 .2
5 .2
7 .8
1 1 .4
1 2 .3
8 .8
8 .1
7 .5
3 .9
5 .2
1 .3
1 .0
.3

M a le

0 .8
.4
3 .2
2. 6
4 .8
5 .8
7 .0
12. 7
1 4 .3
8 .5
9. 5
8 .7
5 .8
2 .0
.8
1 .4
.8
1 .0
8. 5
1 .4

3 .5

1 .1
.9
8. 7
3 .5
5 .2
6 .0
8 .1
13 .0
16.2
11.4
10 .4
8. 2
4 .6
1 .7

T o ta l

6 .7
2 .2
1 .1
3 .3
3 .3
7 .8
8 .9
1 5 .6
17 .8
7 .8
17 .8
3 .3
2 .2
1 .1

1 .4
1 .8
1 8 .0
4 .1
4 .6
4 .1
7 .3
9 .6
1 4 .7
14 .2
8. 7
5 .0
3 .2
2 .3
.5
.5

Wages and Hours of Labor

1203

U N IO N SCALES OF WAGES AND HOURS IN T H E
B U IL D IN G TRA D ES, JU N E 1, 19391
Summary
THE average union wage rate per hour was $1,364 for all of the
building trades in the 72 cities covered in a survey by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics on June 1, 1939. The average for the journeyman
trades was $1,468, and for the helper and laborer trades, $0,866.
The hourly-wage rate index for all building trades advanced to
107.4 (1929 = 100), a rise of 0.6 percent above 1938. Increases in
wage scales were reported in 14.6 percent of the quotations com­
parable with 1938 and applied to about 10 percent of the total buildingtrades union membership included in the study.
Weekly hours as provided for in the agreements of all trades
averaged 38.3 in 1939. The journeymen averaged 38.1 hours, and
helpers and laborers, 39.5 hours. Comparatively few changes in
hour scales were reported. The index of union scales of hours de­
clined 0.1 percent to 88.5 (1929 = 100). Forty hours per week was
the union scale for 68.8 percent of the total membership covered in
the study. Less than 40-hour scales were specified for 27.1 percent
of the members. Only 4.1 percent had a basic workweek of over
40 hours.
Scope and Method of the Study
Union scales of wages and hours in the building trades have been
collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics each year since 1907.
The early studies were made in 39 cities and included 14 journeyman
trades and 4 helper and laborer trades. The study has been gradually
extended to cover 72 cities, and now includes 28 journeyman trades
and 9 helper and laborer trades. These cities are located in 40
States and the District of Columbia.
As far as possible, the scales collected were those actually in force
on June 1. The collection of the data was made by agents of the
Bureau who personally visited some responsible official of each local
union included in the study. Each scale was verified by the union
official interviewed, and was further checked by comparison with the
written agreements when copies were available. Interviews were
obtained with 1,551 union representatives and 2,729 quotations of
scales were received. The union membership covered by these con­
tractual scales of wages and hours was approximately 444,000.
i P r ep a red b y F r a n k S . M c E lr o y , o f th e B u r e a u ’s I n d u s tr ia l R e la tio n s D iv is io n , u n d e r t h e d ir e c tio n o f
F lo r e n c e P e te r s o n , ch ie f.


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1204

CHART I .

UNION WAGE RATES AND HOURS IN BUILDING TRADES

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1907

1910

U .S . BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

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1915

1920

1925

1930

1935

1940

Wages and Hours of Labor
LIST OF CITIES COVERED
[N u m e r a ls in d ic a te th e p o p u la tio n g rou p in w h ic h th e c it y w a s in c lu d e d in ta b le 7]

North and Pacific
Baltimore, Md. 2
Boston, Mass. 2
Buffalo, N. Y. 2
Butte, Mont. 5
Charleston, W. Ya. 5
Chicago, 111. 1
Cincinnati, Ohio. 3
Cleveland, Ohio. 2
Columbus, Ohio. 3
Davenport, Iowa, included in Rock
Island (111.) district.
Dayton, Ohio. 4
Denver, Colo. 3
Des Moines, Iowa. 4
Detroit, Mich. 1
Duluth, Minn. 4
Erie, Pa. 4
Grand Rapids, Mich. 4
Indianapolis, Ind. 3
Kansas City, Mo. 3
Los Angeles, Calif. 1
Madison, Wis. 5
Manchester, N. H. 5
Milwaukee, Wis. 2
Minneapolis, Minn. 3
Moline, 111., included in Rock Island
(111.) district.
Newark, N. J. 3
South and
Atlanta, Ga. 3
Birmingham, Ala.
Charleston, S. C.
Charlotte, N. C.
Dallas, Tex. 3
El Paso, Tex. 4
Houston, Tex. 3
Jackson, Miss. 5
Jacksonville, Fla.
Little Rock, Ark.

3
5
5

4
5


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New Haven, Conn. 4
New York, N. Y. 1
Omaha, Nebr. 4
Peoria, 111. 4
Philadelphia, Pa. 1
Pittsburgh, Pa. 2
Portland, Maine. 5
Portland, Oreg. 3
Providence, R. I. 3
Reading, Pa. 4
Rochester, N. Y. 3
Rock Island (111.) district.
St. Louis, Mo. 2
St. Paul, Minn. 3
Salt Lake City, Utah. 4
San Francisco, Calif. 2
Scranton, Pa. 4
Seattle, Wash. 3
South Bend, Ind. 4
Spokane, Wash. 4
Springfield, Mass. 4
Toledo, Ohio. 3
Washington, D. C. 3
Wichita, Kans. 4
Worcester, Mass. 4
York, Pa. 5
Youngstown, Ohio. 4
Southwest
Louisville, Ky. 3
Memphis, Tenn. 3
Nashville, Tenn. 4
New Orleans, La. 3
Norfolk, Va. 4
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Phoenix, Ariz. 5
Richmond, Va. 4
San Antonio, Tex. 4.

3

1206

Monthly Lahor Review—November 1939
DEFINITIONS

A union scale is a wage rate or schedule of hours agreed to by an
employer (or group of employers) and a labor organization for per­
sons who are actually working or would be working if there were work
to be done in that locality. A union scale usually fixes a limit in one
direction, that is, a minimum wage rate and maximum hours of work
with specific provisions for overtime.
The union may be (1) either an independent local union, (2) one
affiliated with a national or international federation, (3) an organiza­
tion embracing one craft or more than one craft, or (4) have a
contract with only one employer or more than one employer.
A collective agreement is a mutual arrangement between a union
and an employer (or group of employers) regarding wages and hours
and other working conditions. Collective agreements are usually
written and signed by both parties, although oral agreements may be
equally binding. The Bureau has included scales set under oral
agreements only in those cases where there was clear evidence that the
rates were actually in effect.
Apprentices and foremen .—A young person working in a trade for a
definite number of years, for the purpose of learning the trade, and
receiving instruction as an element of compensation, is considered an
apprentice. Scales for apprentices have not been included. Scales
for helpers in a number of trades were collected. In some trades the
work of helpers is performed at least in part by apprentices. When­
ever it was found that helpers’ work was done largely by apprentices,
the scales for such helpers were omitted.
No rates were collected for strictly supervising foremen nor for
individuals who were paid unusual rates because of some personal
qualification as distinct from the usual trade qualifications.
Union rates and actual rates.—As mentioned above, the rates of
wages and hours included in this report were obtained from union
business agents, secretaries, and other officials of local unions in the
72 cities visited. A large majority of the rates were recorded in
written agreements, copies of which in most cases were given to the
agents for the Bureau’s files. Where no written records were on file
in the union office, the Bureau representative listed the scales on a
schedule which the union official then signed. If the Bureau represent­
ative had any reason to doubt the accuracy of these scales, he made
further inquiry from persons who might be informed about the
situation. It is believed that the scales collected in this survey ac­
curately represent the union scales in effect on June 1, 1939.
It does not necessarily follow, however, that these scales are in all
cases the actual wages paid or hours worked. The union agreement
usually fixes the minimum wages and maximum hours. More experi­
enced and skilled workers may command more than the union rate.

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Wages and Hours of Labor

1207

This is especially true during periods of prosperity, when a plentiful
supply of jobs creates competitive bidding for the better workmen.
In periods of depression, in order to spread or share available work,
actual hours worked are sometimes less than those provided in the
union agreement. Where such a share-the-work policy was formally
adopted by the union and in effect for a majority of the members, the
adjusted scale of hours is used in this report rather than the theoretical
scale appearing in the written agreement.
Union rates and prevailing rates.—This report is concerned only with
the contract scales for union members on union jobs. No attempt has
been made to discover what proportions of all the workers in the
different occupations are members of the unions. Inasmuch as union
strength varies from city to city and between trades, the prevailing
scale for any occupation in any one city may or may not coincide with
the union scale. Where practically all the workers of a particular
trade belong to the local union, the union scale will be equivalent to
the prevailing scale in that community. On the other hand, where the
proportion of craftsmen belonging to the union is small, the union
scale may not be the actual prevailing scale.
Averages.—The averages for each trade given in this report are
weighted according to the number of members in the various local
unions. Thus the averages reflect not only the specific rates provided
in the union agreements but also the number of persons presumably
benefiting from these rates.
Index numbers.—In the series of index numbers the percentage
change from year to year is based on aggregates computed from the
quotations of the unions which furnished reports for identical occupa­
tions in both years. The membership weights in both of the aggre­
gates used in each year-to-year comparison are those reported for the
second year. The index for each year is computed by multiplying the
index for the preceding year by the ratio of the aggregates so obtained.
The index numbers were revised on this basis in 1936 in order to
eliminate the influence of changes in union membership which obscure
the real changes in wTages and hours.
For the trend of union rates, the table of indexes should be consulted;
for a comparison of wage rates between trades or cities at a given
time, the table of averages should be used.
Trend of Union Wage Rates and Hours, 1907 to 1939
The index of union hourly wage rates for all building trades rose
to 107.4, on June 1, 1939. The advance from the preceding year,
however, amounted to only 0.6 percent, the smallest percentage
increase recorded in any year since the present upward movement of
the index began in 1934.
The relative stability of union wage rates in the building trades
during the year covered by this study contrasts strongly with the up-


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1208

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

ward movement which has characterized their previous advance from
the depression lows of 1933. In 1934 the index rose 0.7 percent
above 1933; in 1935 it advanced 1.1 percent over 1934. The years
1936 and 1937 recorded increasingly greater percentage advances over
the preceding years, and the advance of 8.9 percent in 1938 surpassed
all previous annual increases since 1923.
While the journeymen’s wage-rate index of 106.8 represents the
highest thus far obtained, it is only 0.6 percent above that for 1938.
The helpers and laborers’ index of wage rates advanced considerably
more rapidly than that of the journeymen in 1936, 1937, and 1938,
and maintained a greater relative increase in the past year, although
at 112.6 it was only 0.8 percent above the 1938 index.
T a ble 1 —Indexes of Union Hourly Wage Rates and Weekly Hours in A ll Building

Trades, 1907 to 1939
Index numbers (1 9 2 9 = 1 0 0 )
Y ea r

A ll b u ild in g tr a d e s
W a g e r a te

H ours

Journeym en
W a g e r a te

H ours

H e lp e r s a n d la b o rers
W a g e r a te

H ou rs

1907.
1908.
1909..
1910..
1911..
1912..
1913..

3 1 .5
33. 5
35.1
36. 5
37.1
37. 9
3 8 .8

110.0
108 .3
106.8
10 5 .5
105.1
104.8
104.6

3 1 .7
3 3 .8
3 5 .5
3 7 .0
3 7 .6
3 8 .5
3 9 .4

1 0 9 .3
107. 7
106.4
105 .2
104.8
104.5
104.2

3 0 .7
32.1
3 3 .2
3 4 .3
3 4 .5
3 4 .8
3 5 .8

113.1
‘ 110.8
108. 5
106. 6
106. 4
106.1
106.1

1914.
1915.
1916.
1917.
1918.
1919..
1920..

3 9 .6
3 9 .9
4 1 .2
4 3 .8
4 8 .6
55. 7
7 5 .2

104.2
104. 1
103. 7
103.5
102.9
102.4
101. 9

4 0 .3
4 0 .6
4 2 .0
44. 3
4 9 .0
5 6 .0
7 4 .9

103.9
103.8
103.4
103 .2
102.6
102.2
101. 7

3 6 .2
36. 5
37. 7
4 1 .4
4 8 .0
5 5 .5
8 0 .5

105. 5
105.4
105.1
104.7
104.3
103.3
102 .7

1921..
1922..
1923..
1924..
1925..
19261927-

76 .6
71 .8
7 9 .4
85. 7
8 9 .0
9 4 .8
9 8 .1

101.8
101 .8
101.9
101.9
101.9
1 0 1 .7
101.5

7 6 .3
7 1 .9
7 9 .2
8 5 .6
8 8 .8
9 4 .7
9 7 .9

101.6
101. 7
101.8
101 .8
101.8
101.6
101.4

8 1 .3
7 4 .0
7 8 .5
8 4 .9
87. 7
9 5 .6
97. 3

102. 7
102.4
102 .6
102. 6
10 2 .4
102. 2
10 2 .2

1928..
1929..
1930..
1931..
1932..
1933..
1934..

9 8 .7
100.0
104. 2
104. 5
89. 3
8 6 .8
8 7 .4

100 .9
10 0 .0
9 7 .2
9 6 .0
94 .3
9 4 .0
9 0 .5

98. 7
100.0
104.1
104.5
8 9 .3
8 6 .9
8 7 .4

100 .7
100.0
97 .1
95. 8
94 .1
9 3 .8
9 0 .3

9 8 .3
100.0
105.1
104.5
8 9 .2
8 5 .2
87. 7

102.1
100.0
9 7 .8
9 7 .0
9 4 .8
9 4 .4
9 1 .4

1935..
1936..
1937..
1938..
1 939..

8 8 .4
91. 6
9 8 .0
106 .7
107.4

8 9 .8
8 9 .8
9 0 .2
8 8 .7
8 8 .5

8 8 .4
9 1 .3
9 7 .6
106.1
106 .8

8 9 .6
8 9 .6
9 0 .0
8 8 .4
8 8 .3

8 8 .2
9 3 .4
101.5
111.7
11 2 .6

9 0 .8
9 1 .0
91.3
8 9 .9
8 9 .7

.
.

The indexes of union scales of hours per week continued to move
downward, but in each case the decline was relatively slight. For all
building trades combined, the index of 88.5 showed a decrease of 0.1
percent over the year. The journeymen’s index of hours (88.3) also
dropped 0.1 percent and the helpers and laborers’ index (89.7) declined
0.2 percent. The complete series of annual index numbers from 1907
to 1939 is shown in table 1.

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1209

Wages and Hours of Labor
TRENDS IN INDIVIDUAL TRADES

The wage-rate index of every trade included in the survey rose
somewhat between 1938 and 1939 (table 2). In most cases the rise
was small, the majority moving less than a full index point. The
largest advance in the journeyman group was that of the lathers’
index, which is 3.3 percent higher than in 1938, bringing the current
index to 116.4. The elevator constructors’ helpers also had a 3.3
percent increase in their index, which rose from 104.5 in 1938 to 107.9
in 1939.
The 1939 indexes of wage rates represent all-time highs for all
trades except the bricklayers, granite cutters, painters, sign painters,
and stonecutters. Only the granite cutters, sign painters, and stone­
cutters’ indexes were lower in 1939 than 10 years previously in 1929.
The steam and sprinkler fitters’ helpers had the greatest advance
above the 1929 level, the index now being 122.5. Three other indexes,
those of the engineers (117.4), the lathers (116.4), and the composition
roofers (115.2), are all more than 15 percent above 1929.
T

able

2 . — Indexes

of Union Hourly Wage Rates and Weekly Hours in Each Building
Trade, 1907 to 1939
[1929=100]

A s b e s to s
w ork ers

B r ic k la y e r s

C a r p e n te r s

C e m e n t fin ­
ish e r s

E le c tr ic ia n s
(in s id e w ire m en )

E le v a t o r c o n ­
s tr u c to r s

W age
r a te

H ou rs

Y ear
W age
ra te
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913

H ours

.

W age
r a te

H ours

W age
ra te

H ours

W age
r a te

H ou rs

W age
r a te

H ours

3 7 .9
3 8 .9
3 9 .7
4 0 .4
4 0 .4
4 1 .0
4 1 .7

112.0
109. 6
1 0 7 .3
105.3
104.9
104.9
104.7

3 2 .0
3 4 .0
3 5 .9
3 7 .6
3 8 .1
3 8 .9
3 9 .5

107.2
105.6
104.4
103.1
102.6
102.5
102.4

3 8 .5
3 8 .4
3 9 .6
4 0 .0
4 1 .5
41. 5
4 2 .5

109.1
108.1
108.9
108.7
107.7
107.7
106.5

3 1 .3
3 4 .2
3 5 .3
3 6 .3
3 6 .7
37 .1
3 7 .9

110.3
109.5
108.8
108.2
108.0
107.6
107.2

1914___________
1915
______
1916___________
1917___________
1918___________
1919— ..........—
1920___________

4 0 .0
42.1
47.1
57.3
74.5

103.0
102.6
102.0
101.0
100.9

4 2 .8
4 2 .9
43. 3
4 4 .8
48 .1
5 3 .4
7 2 .8

104.2
104.1
103.9
103.6
103.6
103.4
103.3

4 0 .1
4 0 .6
4 1 .8
4 5 .5
50 .5
5 8 .2
7 7 .8

102.0
102.0
102.0
102.0
100.9
100.3
100.4

4 2 .9
4 3 .3
4 3 .7
4 6 .2
5 1 .0
5 7 .2
7 7 .7

105.8
105.8
104 .2
103.0
102.5
101.7
101.2

3 9 .1
3 9 .9
4 0 .7
4 3 .3
4 8 .2
5 5 .2
7 2 .8

106 .8
1 0 6 .2
105.3
104.9
104.2
103.3
103.0

4 1 .8
42 .1
4 3 .1
4 6 .2
4 9 .2
5 7 .3
7 3 .6

102.7
10 2 .2
102.1
101.6
101.6
1 0 0 .9
10 0 .8

1921___________
1922___________
1923___________
1924___________
1925___________
1926___________
1927___________

7 5 .5
7 0 .3
7 2 .9
8 1 .4
8 4 .6
9 0 .5
9 5 .0

101.1
101.1
100.9
101.0
101.0
101.0
100.9

7 2 .3
7 0 .4
7 9 .7
8 4 .3
8 9 .2
9 4 .7
9 7 .0

103.3
103.3
103.3
103.2
103.1
103.2
102.7

7 8 .4
7 2 .7
8 1 .0
8 6 .7
8 8 .5
9 5 .0
9 8 .1

100.3
100.4
100.7
100.6
100.6
100.6
100.6

8 0 .3
7 4 .5
8 1 .5
9 0 .1
9 0 .6
9 6 .7
101.0

101.2
101.1
101.1
101.1
100.8
100.8
100.5

7 5 .4
7 1 .1
7 3 .8
8 2 .4
8 6 .7
9 1 .3
9 5 .1

103.0
103.0
103.0
102.9
102.9
102.9
102.9

7 7 .4
7 2 .4
7 6 .9
8 6 .3
9 0 .5
9 5 .3
9 8 .8

100.7
100.4
100.5
100.5
100.4
100.4
100.4

1928___________
1929___________
1930___________
1931___________
1932___________
1933___________
1934___________

9 5 .6
100.0
105.8
106.8
8 9 .0
8 8 .7
8 8 .6

100.9
100.0
9 6 .3
9 4 .0
9 2 .8
9 1 .8
9 1 .7

9 7 .8
100.0
102.4
102.2
8 7 .5
8 5 .2
8 4 .5

102.7
100.0
9 7 .6
96 .1
9 3 .9
9 4 .9
9 3 .3

9 8 .4
100.0
104.0
104.2
8 5 .4
8 5 .2
8 6 .7

100.0
100.0
9 6 .9
9 5 .4
9 3 .0
9 1 .6
9 0 .8

100.0
100.0
106.6
107.0
9 3 .4
• 9 1 .2
9 2 .1

9 9 .9
100.0
9 6 .1
9 5 .0
9 3 .9
9 5 .7
9 2 .2

9 6 .0
100.0
101.8
103.2
9 8 .5
8 9 .9
9 0 .1

102.4
100.0
9 7 .6
9 6 .6
9 4 .3
9 4 .3
8 8 .7

9 9 .8
100.0
104.7
105.2
9 7 .9
9 1 .0
9 1 .2

100.4
100.0
9 6 .8
9 5 .0
9 5 .0
9 3 .0
9 2 .2

1935___________
1936___________
1937___________
1938___________
1939___________

8 9 .8
9 3 .4
100.6
110.3
110.8

9 1 .0
9 1 .3
9 1 .0
8 9 .5
8 9 .5

8 4 .2
8 4 .7
9 0 .6
100.1
100.6

9 3 .2
9 3 .2
9 4 .1
9 1 .0
9 1 .1

8 7 .8
9 2 .3
9 8 .3
107.1
107.3

9 0 .4
9 0 .5
9 0 .3
8 8 .6
8 8 .6

9 2 .6
9 5 .0
101.9
111.3
111.7

9 2 .0
9 1 .6
9 1 .7
8 8 .9
8 8 .9

9 4 .4
9 6 .9
101.1
111.4
112.0

8 5 .1
8 5 .4
8 9 .6
8 9 .1
8 8 .8

9 1 .3
9 2 .4
9 6 .0
107.7
109.5

9 1 .9
9 2 .6
9 2 .4
9 1 .7
8 9 .5


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

1210

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

T a b le 2. —Indexes of Union Hourly Wage Rates and Weekly Hours in Each Building

Trade, 1907 to 1939—Continued
Y ear

E n g in e e r s
(p o r ta b le a n d
h o is tin g )
W age
[H o u rs
r a te

G la zie rs

W age
r a te

H ours

G r a n ite cu tters

L a th e r s

W age
ra te

H ours
102.5
102.3
102.3
101.9
101.6
101.2
100.0

3 9 .4
4 0 .3

W age
ra te

M a r b le s e tte r s

W age
r a te

H ou rs

104.0
104.0

3 8 .4
3 8 .8
3 9 .0
39. 5
3 9 .9
40.1
4 2 .7

102. 6
102. 6
101.5
101.3
100.9
100.9
100. 9

H ou rs

M o s a ic a n d
te r r a z z o
w o rk ers
W age
ra te

H ou rs

1907___________
1908___________
1909___________
1910___________
1911___________
1912___________
1913___________

4 1 .8
4 3 .0

105.6
104.1

3 6 .6
3 6 .8
3 7 .4
3 7 .6
3 7 .7
38 .1
4 0 .1

1914___________
1915___________
1916___________
1917___________
1918___________
1919___________
1920___________

4 3 .6
4 3 .6
44.1
4 6 .5
5 3 .2
58.3
7 5 .5

104.0
103.5
103.1
102.4
100.8
100.3
9 9 .8

4 5 .9
49.1
7 1 .0

101.6
101.6
101.2

4 0 .3
4 0 .5
4 2 .2
4 3 .8
5 2 .2
6 1 .7
7 6 .0

100.4
100.4
100.3
100.3
100.3
100.3
100.3

4 1 .0
4 1 .5
42. 7
4 4 .4
4 7 .9
53 .3
7 6 .0

104.0
103.5
103. 5
103.0
103.0
102.7
102.1

4 3 .2
43. 6
43 8
43. 8
46.1
5 1 .2
6 7 .7

100.7
100. 7
100 5
100. 4
100.4
100.0
100.0

37 7
39* 7
4 2 .9
4 6 .1
6 8 .2

100.2
100.2
100.2

1921___________
1922___________
1923___________
1924___________
1925___________
1926___________
1927___________

7 6 .7
7 2 .2
7 9 .8
8 4 .8
8 8 .5
9 3 .4
9 6 .4

9 9 .4
99 .1
9 8 .7
9 8 .7
9 9 .0
9 9 .2
1 0 0 .8

7 2 .2
7 2 .4
7 6 .7
8 0 .9
9 0 .0
9 1 .2
9 7 .4

101.6
101.7
101.2
101.2
100 .8
101 .2
101.5

8 3 .7
8 3 .5
85.1
8 5 .8
8 6 .8
9 7 .7
9 7 .1

100.1
9 9 .3
9 9 .9
100.2
1 0 0 .3
100 .3

7 7 .2
7 2 .5
8 0 .1
8 6 .4
9 4 .2
9 6 .6
100.5

101.9
102.0
102.3
102.1
1 0 1 .8
101.5
101.0

6 8 .8
6 7 .4
7 6 .2
7 9 .7
8 1 .4
9 1 .0
9 2 .9

100.1
100.1
100.1
100.1
100.1
100.1
100.0

6 9 .4
6 7 .4
6 9 .0
8 1 .5
8 5 .7
8 7 .5
91 .1

100.2
100.2
100.2
100.3
1 0 0 .2
100 .2
9 9 .9

1928__________
1929___________
1930___________
1931___________
1932___________
1933___________
1934___________

1 0 0.4
100.0
107.7
107.7
100.7
9 9 .6
101.4

9 9 .7
100.0
95 .1
9 3 .7
9 2 .6
9 1 .7
8 9 .7

9 8 .5
100.0
104.6
105.3
8 8 .2
8 8 .0
9 3 .2

101.1
100.0
9 6 .8
95 1
9 2 .9
9 2 .9
8 8 .1

9 8 .2
100.0
105.1
105.2
9 4 .2
9 0 .7
9 0 .6

100.3
100.0
9 5 .2
9 4 .4
9 4 .8
9 3 .6
92 .1

100 .8
100.0
104.3
103.7
9 3 .1
8 9 .7
9 2 .1

100.5
100.0
9 4 .3
9 3 .8
9 3 .3
9 2 .9
8 7 .5

9 3 .4
100.0
100.3
100.8
9 2 .3
8 9 .2
8 8 .8

1 0 0 .0
100.0
9 4 .7
9 3 .0
9 2 .0
9 1 .9
9 0 .9

9 5 .3
100.0
104.7
105.6
9 7 .2
8 9 .5
9 0 .8

9 9 .9
100.0
9 4 .5
9 3 .6
8 9 .8
9 1 .0
9 0 .9

1935___________
1936___________
1937___________
1938___________
1939_____ _____

103. 1
104.2
112.6
116.0
117.4

8 9 .2
8 9 .7
8 9 .5
8 9 .3
8 9 .2

9 4 .1
9 5 .5
104.6
112.2
113.0

8 7 .5
8 7 .8
8 7 .9
8 6 .3
8 6 .1

9 0 .5
9 0 .5
9 1 .0
9 6 .3
9 7 .7

9 2 .1
9 1 .5
9 1 .9
8 5 .3
8 5 .3

93 .1
9 5 .5
101.8
112.7
116.4

8 7 .4
8 6 .5
8 7 .7
86 .1
8 5 .4

8 9 .4
8 9 .9
95 .1
103.2
103.5

9 0 .9
9 0 .8
9 0 .8
9 0 .8
9 0 .8

9 0 .8
9 1 .1
9 5 .4
106.0
107.5

9 0 .3
8 9 .4
9 0 .0
8 7 .7
8 7 .7

100. 1

P lu m b e r s a n d
g a s fitte r s

R o o fers—
c o m p o s itio n

R o o fers—
s la te a n d tile

1907___________
1908___________
1909___________
1910___________
1911__________
1912___________
1913___________

2 7 .5
3 0 .5
3 2 .6
3 4 .6
3 5 .3
3 5 .7
3 7 .3

114.1
112.3
110.7
109.3
108.6
108.5
107 .9

3 9 .9
3 9 .8
4 0 .1
4 0 .5
4 0 .8
4 1 .6
4 2 .0

108.8
108.3
108.3
108.2
108.8
107 .5
107 .5

3 7 .8
3 8 .2
3 8 .8
39.1
4 1 .4
4 1 .6
4 3 .0

104.7
104.8
104.8
104.6
104.3
103.5
103.5

1914___________
1915___________
1916___________
1917___________
1918___________
1919___________
1920___________

3 8 .5
3 8 .7
4 2 .3
4 3 .6
4 8 .1
5 6 .3
7 6 .7

107.6
107.6
106.9
106.8
106.3
106 1
103.0

4 2 .2
4 2 .4
4 3 .9
4 5 .2
4 7 .6
5 4 .9
7 1 .7

107 .4
106.9
105.8
105 .7
105. 4
105.4
105.2

43 .6
4 3 .9
4 4 .3
4 5 .8
5 0 .6
5 7 .2
7 4 .0

103.1
103.1
102 .6
102.5
101.6
101.3
101.3

3 6 .2
37 .1
3 7 .4
3 9 .5
4 4 .8
4 9 .8
7 0 .8

103.7
10 3 .7
10 3 .7
103.0
102 .5
102 .5
102.5

3 7 .0
3 8 .4
3 9 .5
4 2 .1
46 .1
5 2 .5
6 7 .9

1921__________
1922___________
1923___________
1924___________
1925___________
1926___________
1927___________

7 8 .9
7 3 .8
8 1 .0
8 5 .3
9 0 .0
9 5 .4
9 8 .6

103.1
103.9
103 .6
103.5
103. 8
103.4
103.0

7 5 .6
7 2 .7
8 1 .0
9 0 .6
92 .1
9 8 .9
101.0

104 .9
105.0
105 .5
105 .6
105.3
1 0 2 .2
101.8

7 7 .4
7 1 .9
7 9 .4
8 6 .6
8 8 .4
9 5 .2
9 7 .2

101.1
101.1
101.1
101.1
101.1
101.1
100.9

7 4 .2
7 1 .0
7 1 .9
8 3 .3
8 5 .8
9 3 .3
9 5 .9

1 0 0 .6
100.6
1 0 0 .6
1 0 0 .6
100 .6
100.6
100 .6

1928___________
1929___________
1930___________
1931___________
1932___________
1933___________
1934____ ______

100.2
100.0
105.6
106.1
8 9 .6
8 7 .8
8 6 .4

100.3
100.0
9 8 .9
9 8 .0
9 7 .9
9 7 .7
8 5 .6

101.2
100.0
105.0
104 .7
87 .1
8 3 .7
8 4 .6

10 0 .9
100.0
9 7 .7
9 7 .0
9 5 .2
9 7 .2
93 .1

9 9 .2
100.0
103.9
105.1
9 1 .4
9 0 .6
9 1 .4

100.9
100.0
9 5 .4
94 .1
9 3 .7
93.3
9 2 .4

98 .1
100.0
106.0
106.7
9 3 .2
9 1 .2
9 3 .0

1935___________
1936___________
1937___________
1938___________
1939......................

8 6 .7
91.1
9 7 .7
1 0 4.2
105.0

8 5 .5
8 5 .9
8 5 .9
8 6 .0
8 5 .7

8 5 .6
86 .1
9 4 .9
106.1
10 7 .0

9 1 .6
9 0 .1
9 0 .2
8 6 .5
8 6 .5

9 2 .8
9 5 .2
100.4
112 .5
113 .5

9 1 .8
9 0 .6
91 .1
8 6 .5
8 6 .8

9 5 .6
9 6 .2
103.7
114.8
115 .2


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

S h e e t-m e ta l
w o rk ers
3 3 .8
34. 5
34. 7
35 7
36 8
37 6
39 3

105.
105
105.
105
105
103
103

4
3
3
3
0
7
5

104 .0
104 .0
103.6
101 .8
101.8
101.5
101.5

4 0 .7
4 1 .3
4 2 .0
4 3 .8
51.3
5 6 .6
7 5 .9

103.4
103 .2
102 .8
102 .7
101.6
101 .2
100.8

7 3 .9
7 0 .7
7 8 .8
8 7 .3
9 1 .3
9 4 .3
9 8 .8

101.4
101.3
101.6
101.2
101 .2
101 .2
1 0 1 .2

78 7
73 .0
7 8 .6
8 6 .3
8 9 .2
9 5 .3
9 8 .2

100.8
100.7
100 .7
100 .7
100.7
100.7
100.4

100.5
100.0
9 6 .1
9 4 .9
9 3 .9
95 .1
9 2 .6

9 9 .0
100.0
103.1
103 .5
8 9 .9
8 7 .7
8 7 .2

101 .2
100.0
9 5 .7
94 .1
94 .1
94 .1
9 3 .8

9 6 .3
100.0
104 .6
106 .2
9 2 .1
8 9 .4
8 9 .7

100.1
100.0
9 6 .3
9 4 .7
9 3 .3
9 3 .2
9 1 .9

9 2 .5
93 .1
9 3 .2
9 1 .5
9 1 .6

8 9 .5
90. 2
9 6 .9
103.4
104.4

9 2 .6
9 3 .4
9 3 .3
9 2 .2
9 2 .2

9 0 .4
9 2 .2
9 8 .9
108.8
110.4

9 2 .0
9 1 .9
9 2 .0
9 0 .1
9 0 .1

1211

Wages and Hours of Labor

T a ble 2. — Indexes of Union Hourly Wage Rates and Weekly Hours in Each Building

Trade, 1907 to 1939— Continued
S te a m an d
s p r in k le r
fitte r s

S ig n p a in te r s
Y ea r
W age
r a te

H ou rs

W age
ra te

S to n e c u tte r s

S to n e m a so n s

S tr u c tu r a lir o n w o rk ers

H ours

W age
ra te

H ours

W age
ra te

H ours

W age
ra te

H ours

105.9
105.9
105.6
105.0
104.9
104.2
103.8

38 .1
3 8 .2
3 8 .2
38 .4
3 8 .5
3 8 .6
3 9 .6

101.2
101.2
101.2
101.2
101.2
100.9
100.8

34 .7
3 5 .2
3 5 .3
3 5 .6
3 6 .0
3 6 .4
3 7 .6

106.8
106 .8
106 .8
105.2
104.5
104.5
104.4

3 1 .8
3 4 .7
3 7 .2
3 9 .5
4 0 .5
4 1 .2
4 2 .5

T il e la y e r s
W age
ra te

H ours

108.1
105.9
104.5
103.4
103.2
102.1
101.7

4 2 .7
4 4 .8

102.8
102.3

1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912___________
1913___________

3 9 .9

106.7

3 3 .8
3 4 .2
3 8 .9
36 .1
37. 3
3 7 .9
3 9 .3

1914___________
1915___________
1916_____ _____
1917_____ _____
1918__________
1919__________
1920___________
1921___________

4 0 .1
40.1
4 0 .9
4 2 .7
4 6 .7
56.1
75.7
7 8 .5

106.3
106.0
106.1
105.6
105.5
105.4
105.3
105.4

4 0 .0
4 0 .9
4 1 .7
4 3 .3
47 .3
53 .2
7 0 .2
71.1

102.5
102.5
102.2
102.1
101.1
101.0
100.9
100.8

41.1
41 .4
41 .8
43 .8
4 6 .7
55 .5
7 2 .7
74.7

100 .8
100 .8
100.4
100.3
100.3
100.3
100.2
100.2

3 8 .7
39.1
3 9 .7
4 1 .2
4 5 .2
5 0 .7
7 0 .7
7 2 .4

104.4
104.3
104.1
104.0
104.0
103.4
103.4
103.5

4 3 .3
4 3 .3
4 4 .0
4 6 .6
5 3 .4
60.1
7 6 .2
7 7 .6

101.5
101.5
101.2
101.0
100.7
100.5
100.5
100.5

4 5 .0
4 5 .3
4 5 .9
4 8 .2
4 9 .6
54.1
7 2 .8
7 2 .2

102.3
101.9
101.4
101.1
101.1
100.7
100.4
100.5

1922__________
1923__________
1924___________
1925___________
1926__________
1927___________

7 7 .8
8 4 .0
9 5 .7
9 6 .7
9 6 .2
9 8 .9

105.4
103.4
101.6
101.6
103.7
101.8

6 9 .5
7 2 .9
8 3 .6
8 8 .0
9 5 .3
9 8 .0

100.8
100.8
100. 8
100.8
100.7
100. 5

7 1 .7
7 8 .2
8 4 .0
8 7 .5
9 5 .4
95.1

100.2
100.1
100.1
100.3
100.1
100.1

6 7 .4
7 9 .7
8 4 .5
86.1
9 4 .9
96.1

103.4
103.4
103.1
103.1
103.3
103.1

7 0 .5
7 5 .1
8 5 .0
8 5 .9
9 2 .4
9 9 .0

100.5
100.5
100.5
100.2
100.5
10 0 .5

71 .0
7 7 .6
88.1
9 0 .2
9 4 .6
9 9 .0

100.3
100.6
100.6
100.6
100.6
100.5

1928____ ______
1929___________
1930___________
1931__________
1932___________
1933___________
1934___________

99.0
100.0
9 9 .9
9 9 .8
90.1
8 3 .2
82.9

101.7
100.0
99.1
98.1
9 7 .6
9 7 .8
95.1

9 9 .4
100.0
104.9
105.5
90 .9
8 8 .2
8 9 .2

100.5
100.0
9 5 .5
9 4 .5
9 3 .6
93.1
9 2 .5

9 5 .5
100.0
100.7
101.0
9 3 .7
84 .7
8 5 .1

100.2
100.0
9 6 .9
9 6 .4
9 4 .3
9 4 .3
9 3 .0

9 7 .3
100.0
101. 5
102.0
9 0 .5
8 4 .5
8 4 .4

103.0
100.0
9 6 .6
9 4 .9
9 4 .5
9 3 .8
9 3 .4

9 9 .2
100.0
105.5
106.5
9 2 .3
91 .3
9 2 .5

100.4
100.0
9 6 .9
9 5 .8
9 3 .4
93.1
9 1 .8

9 8 .9
100.0
104.5
105.6
91 .1
8 8 .3
8 8 .3

10 0 .2
100.0
9 4 .8
9 3 .6
9 2 .6
9 2 .4
8 6 .2

1935___________
1936___________
1937___________
1938___________
1939__________

8 5 .6
8 7 .6
9 6 .8
9 7 .7
9 7 .9

9 3 .1
9 2 .9
9 2 .9
9 2 .0
9 1 .9

9 0 .7
9 3 .7
9 8 .8
111.4
112.2

9 2 .2
9 2 .4
9 2 .5
8 7 .6
8 8 .0

85.1
8 6 .3
8 8 .3
96 .1
9 6 .5

9 2 .7
9 2 .8
9 2 .8
9 1 .7
9 1 .8

8 4 .2
85. 2
94 .1
102.1
102.4

9 3 .3
9 3 .3
9 3 .3
9 0 .2
9 0 .2

9 3 .2
9 5 .6
104.4
113.2
114.5

9 0 .7
9 0 .6
9 0 .2
8 9 .5
8 9 .4

8 9 .0
9 0 .7
9 7 .1
106.4
106.5

8 6 .2
86 .1
8 9 .8
8 9 .8
8 9 .8

B u ild in g
lab orers
Y ea r

H o d carriers
(m a s o n s ’
ten d ers)

P la ste r e r s ’
lab orers

E le v a to r
c o n str u c to r s’
h elp er s

M a r b le
s e tte r s ’
h elp er s

S te a m a n d
sp r in k le r fit­
te r s ’ h elp er s

T ile la y e r s ’
h elp er s

W age
W age
W age
W age
W age H ours W a g e H ou rs W age H ou rs
H o u rs
H ours
H ou rs
H o u rs
ra te
ra te
rate
ra te
rate
ra te
ra te

102.9
102.2
102.2
101.7
101.7
100.9
100.7

38.1
38.1
38.1
4 0 .6
4 2 .5
4 8 .6
8 2 .0

100.1
100.1
100.1
100.1
100.1
100.0
100.0

3 1 .6
3 2 .5
3 3 .0
35.1
4 0 .5
4 8 .6
7 0 .4

102.0
102.0
101.7
101.7
100.3
100.2
100.2

37.1
38 .4
3 9 .8
4 0 .8
4 2 .1
51.0
8 3 .5

102.5
100.9
100.6
9 9 .8
9 9 .8
9 9 .5
9 9 .5

77 .5
73 .8
77 .3
85. 2
8 9 .2
96.1
9 9 .0

100.5
100.6
100.6
100.6
100. 5
100.5
100.5

81 .9
7 6 .2
82 .3
8 9 .2
8 4 .6
9 3 .9
9 3 .3

100.2
100.2
100.2
100.2
100.2
100.2
100.0

7 2 .2
74.1
7 8 .7
8 7 .2
8 9 .7
9 5 .0
9 9 .3

100.2
100.3
100.3
100.3
100.3
100.2
100.4

84 .4
79 .3
81 .1
8 8 .3
9 0 .8
9 8 .4
9 9 .5

9 9 .6
9 9 .6
100.5
100.5
100.5
100.5
100.5

100.1
100.0
97 .4
96 .6
96 .3
9 4 .7
9 1 .8

100.9
100.0
105.4
105.7
9 6 .9
8 8 .9
8 8 .4

100.5
100.0
9 6 .2
94 .7
94 .7
9 2 .5
9 1 .8

94 .3
100.0
101.7
101.8
9 3 .2
9 0 .7
9 0 .9

100.1
100.0
9 5 .9
9 4 .2
9 3 .8
9 4 .0
9 2 .3

101.4
100.0
109.3
109.3
9 4 .3
9 1 .6
9 1 .9

100.0
100.0
92.1
9 1 .8
9 1 .7
9 1 .6
91 .1

101.5
100.0
108.5
108.5
9 5 .8
9 1 .4
9 1 .5

100.5
100.0
9 3 .6
9 2 .6
9 1 .4
9 1 .5
8 7 .6

9 0 .7
8 9 .2
8 9 .2
85 .1
8 4 .8

8 8 .6
8 9 .5
9 1 .8
104.5
107.9

9 1 .5
92 .1
9 1 .7
91 .1
8 6 .8

9 1 .5
9 1 .6
9 7 .0
105.4
105.9

9 2 .3
9 2 .2
9 2 .2
9 2 .2
9 2 .2

9 3 .0
9 3 .2
100.0
121.8
122.5

9 1 .1
9 1 .5
9 1 .8
8 2 .3
8 2 .2

9 4 .6
9 6 .0
101.2
111. 6
111.9

7 6 .3
76 .3
8 1 .6
8 1 .6
8 1 .6

33.1
3 3 .2
33.3
3 3 .8
34.1
34.3
34. 8

110. 5
110.5
110.1
109. 2
108. 6
107.8
107. 8

34.1
35. 6
3 6 .0
36. 2
36. 2
3 6 .6
37. 5

106. 6
106. 2
105.9
105.9
105.8
105.3
105 3

1914._
1 9 1 5 -.
1916-1 9 1 7 ..
1 9 1 8 ..
1 9 1 9 .1 9 2 0 -.

3 9 .2
3 9 .4
4 1 .2
4 5 .5
53.4
6 0 .5
8 7 .7

105.2
105.2
104.6
103.5
103.0
101.1
100.0

3 5 .2
35.4
36.5
4 0 .7
4 7 .5
5 5 .6
8 0 .8

106.4
106.4
106.4
106.3
106.3
105.9
105.7

3 8 .3
38 .4
39 .4
42 .1
4 8 .5
55 .3
80.1

105.4
105.4
104.4
104.2
104.2
103.8
103.8

3 7 .5
3 7 .8
3 8 .8
4 0 .9
4 3 .6
5 2 .9
74.1

1 9 2 1 ..
1 9 2 2 ..
1 9 2 3 ..
1 9 2 4 ..
1 9 2 5 ..
1 9 2 6 ..
1 9 2 7 ..

8 8 .2
8 2 .8
8 4 .4
9 3 .9
8 9 .7
9 8 .7
99.1

100.0
9 9 .3
100.0
9 9 .7
9 9 .8
100.0
100.2

8 1 .2
6 7 .3
73.5
7 6 .8
8 5 .8
9 3 .5
9 5 .7

105.7
105.9
105.9
105.8
105.7
105.8
105.8

8 2 .7
7 2 .6
8 0 .0
8 6 .0
9 1 .7
97.1
9 8 .0

103.4
103.4
103.5
103. 4
103.3
9 9 .9
9 9 .8

1 9 2 8 .. 9 9 .5
1 9 2 9 .. 100.0
1 9 3 0 .. 105.5
1 9 3 1 .. 103.9
1 9 3 2 .. 89.4
1 9 3 3 .- 8 4 .2
1 9 3 4 .. 8 7 .3

100.1
100.0
98.1
9 7 .0
9 3 .6
9 3 .2
8 9 .1

9 5 .8
100.0
103.8
103.5
8 5 .8
8 4 .7
9 0 .3

105.8
100.0
9 9 .3
9 8 .8
9 6 .6
96 .1
9 4 .3

9 9 .6
100.0
106.0
105.6
8 7 .6
8 2 .5
8 4 .8

1 9 3 5 -, 8 8 .6
1 9 3 6 .. 9 6 .2
1 9 3 7 .. 105.3
1 9 3 8 .. 112.9
1939.. 113.6

8 9 .0
8 9 .5
8 9 .7
89.3
8 9 .2

8 7 .4
9 2 .1
9 9 .1
109.1
109.4

9 4 .2
9 4 .0
9 4 .3
9 3 .2
9 2 .9

8 6 .2
8 8 .0
9 5 .8
108.1
109.0

-13

103.0
102.5

iÖO. 5
100. 5

108. 5
108. 5
108.1
105. 5
105.5
105.5
105. 5

1 8 5 4 5 1 — 39-

36.1
3 6 .8

35 .8

3 5 .0
3 5 .2
3 5 .3
3 6 .7
3 6 .8
3 7 .2
3 8 .8


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103.1
103.0
102.8
101.8
101.7
101.6
101.3

26 .4
2 6 .8
26 .9
29 .1
29 .3
3 0 .2
31.0

1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1 9 1 2 ..
1913

1212

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

Five journeyman trades had slight increases in their indexes of
weekly hours between 1938 and 1939. Eight of the journeyman
hour indexes and five helper and laborer indexes declined during
the year. None of the hour index changes except those of the ele­
vator constructors and their helpers amounted to as much as 1 percent
of the 1938 values. The elevator constructors’ hour index, however,
decreased 2.4 percent from 91.7 in 1938 to 89.5 in 1939, while their
helpers’ index dropped from 91.2 in 1938 to 86.8 in 1939, a decrease
of 4.8 percent. In relation to the base year, the hour index for tile
layers’ helpers (81.6) declined more than that of any other trade.
The hod carriers’ index (92.9) had the least decline. Among the
journeyman trades the index for granite cutters (85.3) declined most
and that for slate and tile roofers (92.2) decreased least from the
1929 level.
Since data for boilermakers, machinists, paperhangers, and rodmen
were not collected in 1929, it is impossible to present index numbers
for these crafts comparable to those for the other crafts. The changes
over the previous year, as shown in comparable quotations for each
year in which data have been collected for these trades, are as
follows:
Percentage Change From Previous Year
1937

Boilermakers:
Wage rates_________________________________ + 2 . 4
Hour scales________________________________
—. 1
Machinists:
Wage rates________________________________ + 1 4 . 7
Hour scales________________________________
—. 4
Paperhangers:
Wage rates.
Hour scales
Rodmen:
Wage rates.
Hour scales.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1938

1939

+ 10. 4
-5 . 0

+ 0. 6

+ 6. 5
-. 5

+. 2

+ 1. 7
-. 6

+. 5
+ .2

+ 9. 8

0. 0

0. 0
1

+ 1.

0

— . 1

Wages and Hours of Labor

1213

Changes in Union Scales Between 1938 and 1939 2
Increased wage rates were reported in 372, or 14.6 percent, of the
1939 quotations which were comparable with 1938 (table 3). The
great bulk of the comparable quotations, 2,176 of the total of 2,556,
indicated that no change had been made during the past year. The
decreases in wage rates reported were negligible, there being only 8
reductions among all quotations obtained.
Approximately 1 in every 10 union members in the building trades
participated in the benefits of the increased scales. Proportionately
the increases were about evenly divided between the journeymen and
the helpers and laborers. Some increases were reported in every trade
group, but no one trade had an outstanding volume of raises.
The bricklayers had only 7 increases among 75 quotations, but
they led all the other journeyman trades in the proportion of their
total membership affected (29 percent). Four other journeyman
trades, the elevator constructors, granite cutters, lathers, and sheetmetal workers, reported that their raises benefited over 20 percent
of their total memberships. In 8 of the 28 journeyman classifications,
however, over 95 percent of the total memberships had no changes in
their wage scales during the year.
The elevator constructors’ helpers had 11 increases among 87 com­
parable quotations, exceeding all of the trade groups in the proportion
of members affected (42.1 percent). The plumbers’ laborers reported
only 4 raises in 29 quotations, but those increases applied to 22.2
percent of the members in this classification. The distribution of the
wage rate changes and of the members affected are shown in table 3.
2 C erta in a n o m a lie s e n te r in t o a c o m p a r iso n o f a v er a g e ra tes b e tw e e n 2 y e a r s w h e n s u c h a v e r a g e s reflect
n o t o n ly t h e a c tu a l r a te s p r o v id e d for in th e a g r e e m e n ts b u t th e n u m b e r o f u n io n m e m b e r s for th a t y e a r in
e a c h loc a l u n io n c o v e r e d b y t h e re p o r te d ra tes. B y a n d la rg e, it w o u ld b e e x p e c te d t h a t a g en er a l in cr ea se
in a c tu a l ra te s w o u ld b e a c c o m p a n ie d b y a c o r r e sp o n d in g in c r e a se in th e a v er a g e r a te p a id to u n io n m e m ­
b ers, b u t if u n io n m e m b e r s h ip in c r e a se s m o s t (or d ecrea ses le a st) in th e lo w e r -p a id cra fts or in areas w it h
le ss-th a n -a v e r a g e r a te s, th e a v er a g e o f t h e r a tes p a id to a ll u n io n m e m b e r s m a y n o t in cr ea se c o r r e sp o n d in g ly
or m a y e v e n s h o w a d ecr ease . C o n v e r s e ly , t h e a v er a g e r a te m a y in cr ea se in s p ite o f a d o w n w a r d s w in g in
a c tu a l ra tes, if u n io n m e m b e r s h ip d e c lin e s s u ffic ie n tly in th e lo w e r -p a id c r a fts or in areas w h e r e lo w er -th a n a v er a g e ra tes are p a id .
B e c a u s e th e a v er a g es d o n o t a c c u r a te ly reflect ch a n g e s fro m y e a r to y ea r , n o ta b le c o m p a rin g 1938 a n d 1939
av er a g es is in c lu d e d in t h is re p o r t. F o r th e tr e n d of a c tu a l u n io n ra tes, th e ta b le of in d e x e s (ta b le 1) s h o u ld b e
c o n s u lte d , s in c e th e s e are so c o m p u te d a s to e lim in a te th e effec t of flu c tu a tin g m e m b e r s h ip s a t v a r io u s ra tes.
T h e cu r r e n t a v er a g e s, o n th e o th er h a n d , b e st s erv e for co m p a riso n o f t h e g eneral le v e l o f w a g e ra tes b e tw e e n
tr a d e s, or b e tw e e n c itie s a n d re g io n s a t th e t im e t h e s u r v e y w a s m a d e .


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1214

T a ble 3.—Number of Changes in Union Wage-Rate Quotations and Percent of Members

Affected, June 1, 1939, Compared With June 1, 1938
N um ­
b er of
q u o ta ­
tio n s
com ­
p arab le
w it h
1938

T ra d e

N u m b e r o f q u o ta tio n s
sh o w in g —

P e r c e n t of u n io n m e m ­
b ers a ffected

In ­
crease

In ­
crease

D e­
crease

0 .2

D e­
crease

No
ch ange

No
ch a n g e

A ll b u ild in g tr a d e s _________ ___________________

2, 556

372

8

2,176

1 0 .4

......... ........................

2,079

294

4

1, 781

10.3

52
36
75
96
70
89
113
239
65
30
83
30
64
56
102
59
73
75
64
69
45
61
66
96
70
66
71
64

7
6
7
7
9
16
13
48
10
10
16
4
5
7
16
11
13
6
13
8
4
9
3
21
6
6
11
2

45
30
68
89
61
73
100
189
55
20
67
25
58
49
86
48
60
69
51
61
41
52
63
75
64
60
60
62

7 .6
7 .3
2 9 .0
3 .0
4 .5
7 .5
2 8 .9
12.5
1 3 .8
2 4 .4
21 .1
3 .2
4 .5
17.4
14.8
7 .1
12.1
13.0
12.1
4 .9
7 .2
2 1 .5
3 .4
9 .2
8 .3
3 .6
15.1
1.1

477

78

4

395

11.0

1 .0

8 8 .0

69
25
87
73
42
65
29
43
44

10
2
11
10
6
12
4
18
5

1

58
23
76
61
36
52
25
25
39

9 .6
3 .1
42.1
10.8
6 .7
11.4
2 2 .2
10.5
2 .7

.6

8 9 .8
96 .9
57.9
85.1
93 .3
8 8 .4
77 .8
8 9 .5
9 7 .3

Jo urneym en

E n g in eer s, p o rta b le a n d h o is t in g __________ __

M a c h in is t s _____________________________________
_______________________
M a r b le s e tte r s _______
P a in te r s ___ _______ -

H e l p e r s a n d l a b o r e r s _____________

B u ild in g la b o re rs______________________________
C o m p o s itio n roofers’ h e l p e r s _____ __ . . .
E le v a to r c o n str u c to r s’ helpers^ _
__ ___
H o d carriers (m a s o n s ’ t e n d e r s ) _____ ________
M a r b le s e tte r s ’ h e lp e r s_____________________ __
P la ste r e r s ’ la b o re rs_______________ _________ _
....
P lu m b e r s ’ la b o r e r s___________ _ _ . . .
S te a m a n d s p r in k le r fitte r s ’ h e lp e r s ___ _______
T ile la y e r s ’ h e lp e r s____________ ________________

2

1
1

2
1

8 9 .4
8 9 .7

0)

0)

1 .2
.2

4 .1
.2

9 2 .4
92 7
7 1 .0
9 7 .0
9 5 .5
9 2 .5
71.1
8 7 .5
8 6 .2
7 5 .6
7 8 .9
9 5 .6
95 .3
8 2 .6
8 5 .2
9 2 .9
8 7 .9
8 7 .0
87 .9
9 5 .1
9 2 .8
7 8 .5
9 6 .6
9 0 .8
9 1 .7
9 6 .4
8 4 .9
9 8 .9

1 L e ss th a n a t e n t h of 1 p e r c e n t.

Over half of the wage raises reported in 1939 were for less than 10
percent, and nearly one-third represented increases between 10 and 15
percent.
Of the total membership benefited by increased scales, less than
one-tenth had their rates raised by 15 percent or more. The greatest
percentage increase reported was that for rodmen in Little Rock,
Ark., which was an advance from $0.65 to $1.00 per hour. Table 4
shows the distribution of the wage-rate increases according to the
percent of increase.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Wages and Hours of Labor

1215

T a b le 4. —Number of Increases in Union Wage-Rate Quotations and Percent of Members

Affected, by Percent of Increase, June 1, 1939, Compared With June 1, 1938
N u m b e r o f q u o ta tio n s s h o w in g
in cr ea ses of—

T rad e

A ll b u ild in g tr a d e s ____________________
Journeym en

_________ _____ _______

A sb e s to s w o r k e r s______ __________
B o ile r m a k e r s ________ __
..
B r ic k la y e r s - . -_ ______
C a r p e n te r s _______________ .
C e m e n t fin is h e r s _______ __________ _
E n g in eer s, p o r ta b le a n d h o is t in g _____
G la z ie r s..............................
G r a n ite c u t t e r s . _
L a t h e r s . __________ _______
M a c h i n i s t s ...............
.
M a r b le s e t t e r s __________ _____
P a in t e r s __________
P la ste r e r s . ........................... . .

H e l p e r s a n d l a b o r e r s _____________

S te a m a n d s p r in k le r fitte r s ’ h e lp e r s . __

P e r c e n t of to ta l m e m b e r s a ffecte d
b y in cr ea ses of—

10
15
20
25
10
15
25
20
L e s s and and and and
30 L e s s a n d a n d a n d a n d
30
t h a n u n ­ u n ­ u n ­ u n ­ p er­ t h a n u n ­ u n ­ u n ­ u n ­ p er­
10
der d er d er der c e n t
10
der der d er der c e n t
p er­
15
and
20
25
30
15
25
an d p er­
20
30
c e n t p er­ p er­ p er­ p er­ o v er c e n t p er­ p er­ p e r ­ p er­ o v e r
cen t cent cent cen t
cen t cen t cen t cent
193

109

13

25

19

13

7 .2

2 .3

0 .2

0 .4

0 .2

0 .1

138

96

10

21

17

12

7 .2

2 .1

.3

.3

.2

.2

5
4
3
4
3
5
12
19
6
8
6
2
1
2
10
5
4
3
4
8
2
6
2
2
3
2
6
1

2
1
2

5 .5
5 .6
26 .9
2.1
1 .3
3 .7
2 8 .7
5 .6
11.8
2 1 .8
6.1
1 .7
2 .8
7 .1
12.7
5 .1
5 .5
3 .3
6 .5
4 .9
1 .3
19.8
3 .3
.4
5 .2
2 .1
1 1 .4
.7

2 .1
1 .5
1 .0
.7

1 .1
.1
.1

.3

1 .2

.3

.5

1. 5
.1
1 .4
1 .2

9 .7

2 .0
1 .4

1
1

4
9
1
11
3
1
4

3
1
1
1

i
3

1

13
3
2
1
2
2
1
o

1
1

6

4

5

2
1
2
1

3

1
1

2

1
1
1
1

1

17
3
2
3
1

7
1
11
7
3
9
3
15
1

1

1

1
3
5
4
6
2
7

55

2
1
1

3

1
1
1

i

Ï
1

i
i

1
1

4

2

1
1

1

1
1

1
1
1

1

2 .8
3. 7
.2
4 .3
.8
2 .5
1 .8
.1
8 .5
1 .7
1 .2

.1

.1
.6
1. 2
.1
.2

0)

.6
.4
.5
.3

.6
9 .4
3 .9
2 .5
1 .7

3 .0

5 .3
1 2 .6
42.1
9 .5
3 .4
9 .0
.3
5 .7

1. 3

.4
.4
.6

1 .1
3 .4

8 .4
3.1
1 .2
2 .7
.4

6 .6

1

.2

.1

.2

.1
.2

.2
.8

.1
.2

1.1

.2

(')
.5

1.1
1 .0
.9
1 .9
1 .4
1.0

.5

1 .8

1 .6
.4

2 0 .0
1 .8
1.1

.2
1 .5

1 L ess th a n a te n t h of 1 p e r c e n t.

Hours .-—Changes in hour scales between 1938 and 1939 were very
few. Only 51 reductions and 14 increases in weekly hours were
reported among the 2,555 quotations showing comparable hours for
both years. The decreases applied to 1.6 percent of the total member­
ship and the increases to 0.4 percent.
All of the increases and 43 of the decreases applied to the journey­
man group. The helpers and laborers reported 8 reductions in weekly
hours among 477 comparable quotations.
The elevator constructors and their helpers were the only trades
that had as many as 10 percent of their members affected by hour


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1216

CHART. 2 .

DISTRIBUTION OF UNION BUILDING TRADES WORKERS
ACCORDING TO HOURLY WAGE RATES
J UNE I, 1 9 3 9
PE R C E N T

PER C EN T

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

,7 0

.8 0

.9 0

1.00

1.10

1.20

HOURLY WAGE RATE
U. S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1.30
IN DOLLARS

1.40

1.50

1.60

1.70

1.80

1217

Wages and Hours of Labor

changes. Reductions in New York, Newark, and Duluth affected
19.6 percent of the journeyman elevator constructors and 32.7 percent
of their helpers.
The distributions of the changes in weekly hours between 1938 and
1939 and the percent of members affected are shown in table 5.
T a b le 5. —Number of Changes in Union Hour Quotations, and Percent of Members

Affected, June 1, 1939, Compared With June 1, 1938
N um ­
b er of
q u o ta ­
tio n s
com ­
p arab le
w it h
1938

T rad e

A ll b u ild in g tr a d e s ____________________________
Journeym en. .

____________ _______________

P a in t e r s ________________________________________
P a p e r h a n g e r s. _____________ ________________
P lu m b e r s a n d gas fit t e r s ____

_______________

S ig n p a in te r s______________________________ . .
S te a m a n d s p r in k le r fitte r s ____ _______________

2,555
2,078
52
36
75
96
70
89
113
239
65
30
82
30
64
56
102
59
73
75
64
69
45
61
66
96
70
66
71
64

N u m b e r of q u o ta tio n s
s h o w in g —

P e r c e n t o f u n io n m e m ­
b ers a ffecte d

In ­
crease

No
ch a n g e

In ­
crease

D e­
crease

D e­
crease

14

51

2,490

0 .4

1 .6

14

43

2,021

.5

1 .5

1
1
4
2
3
3
5
2
1
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
2
1

2
2
2
5
1

3
4
1

52
35
74
92
68
86
110
234
63
30
81
28
64
56
98
56
71
69
63
68
44
60
61
91
68
65
70
64

.2
.4
.4
.4
2 .4
19.6
.5
2 .1
8 .0
1 .2
.8
2 .9
2 .7
.3
.9
.3
3 .5
2 .8
.4
.3

3 .9
1 .6
.7
2 .2
.6

4 .5
1 .0
.2

No
ch a n g e

9 8 .0
9 8 .0
100.0
9 9 .8
9 9 .6
9 9 .6
9 9 .6
9 7 .6
80.4
9 9 .5
9 7 .9
100.0
9 2 .0
9 8 .8
100.0
100.0
9 5 .3
9 5 .5
9 9 .3
9 5 .1
9 9 .4
9 9 .7
99 .1
9 9 .7
9 2 .0
9 6 .2
9 9 .6
9 9 .7
9 9 .8
100.0

477

8

469

1 .7

9 8 .3

69
25
87
73
42
65
29
43
44

1

68
25
84
71
42
64
29
42
44

.9

99.1
100.0
6 7 .3
9 7 .9
100.0
9 7 .7
100.0
9 9 .5
100.0

3
2
1

____

1

1

3 2 .7
2 .1
2 .3
.5

Average Union Wage Rates, 1939
The average union rate per hour for all building trades in the 72
cities studied on June 1, 1939, was $1,364. The journeyman average
was $1,468 and that of the helpers and laborers $0,866 (table 6).
The plasterers’ average of $1,686 was the highest for any trade.
The bricklayers ($1,662), lathers ($1,625), and boilermakers ($1,602)
were next in line. Nine additional journeyman trades had average

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1218

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

hourly rates above $1.50 per hour. The lowest journeyman average
was $1.27 for composition roofers.
The elevator constructors’ helpers had the highest average, $1,144
per hour, among the helper and laborer trades. Four other helper and
laborer trades had averages of over $1 per hour. The lowest average
was that of the building laborers, $0.79 per hour.
Among the journeyman trades the hourly wage rates ranged from
$0.60 for composition roofers in Louisville to $2.50 for bucket-hoist
operators on superstructure work in New York City. Generally the
journeyman rates ranged between $1.10 and $1.80 per hour. Scales
above $1.80 were reported for 9.2 percent of the journeyman members
and scales below $1.10 for 5.4 percent. Only 1.1 percent of the
journeymen had rates of less than $1 per hour. The rates of $2 and
over applied to a considerable number of workers, 5.1 percent of the
total journeymen, but they occurred in only 10 of the 72 cities cov­
ered—Birmingham, Butte, Chicago, Cleveland, Newark, New York,
Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Washington, D. C. In
many cases these high rates were not the scales for the general work
of the trades, but applied to specialty work such as spray painting or
work under air pressure. Sixteen of the trades had some quotations
in these higher brackets.
Sixteen journeyman trades had over half their total membership
in wage brackets above $1.50 per hour. Five trades had no scales
exceeding $1.80 per hour. On the other hand, 11 trades had no rates
of less than $1. The boilermakers and structural-iron workers
reported no rates below $1.20 and the marble setters reported none
below $1.10.
The helper and laborer rates ranged from $0.40 per hour for building
laborers in Atlanta, El Paso, Jackson (Miss.), Jacksonville, and Nash­
ville, and for plumbers’ laborers in Dallas, to $1,517 per hour for plas­
terers’ tenders in Brooklyn. The proportions of the helper and laborer
membership having the various scales were not definitely concen­
trated but were widely distributed over the entire range of rates. Over
half of the total, however, had rates of $0.85 per hour or higher, and
over 35 percent had rates of $1 or more.
The building laborers and the hod carriers were the only trades
which did not have a considerable proportion of tlieir membership in
the $1.20 and over bracket. A majority of the elevator constructors’
helpers, plasterers’ tenders, and steam- and sprinkler-fitters’ helpers
had hourly rates of $1 or better. The elevator constructors’ helpers
had no scales lower than $0.75 per hour. Only the building laborers,
hod carriers, and plasterers’ tenders reported rates of under $0.60 for
any substantial proportion of their members.
The average rates by trades and the distribution of the memberships
reported, according to hourly wage rates, are shown in table 6.

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1219

Wages and Hours of Labor

T able 6.—Distribution of Union Members in the Building Trades, by Hourly Wage

.

Rates, June 1, 1939
P e r c e n ta g e of u n io n jo u r n e y m e n w h o s e r a te s (in c e n ts ) p er h o u r
w ere—
age
r a te
p er
hour

T rad e

100
and
under
110

110
and
und er
120

1.1

4 .3

8 .4

19.1

11.6

1.458
1.602
1.662
1.401
1.441
1.532
1.531

5 .4

2 .1

2 .5

.8
.4
.6

.9
5 .9
2 .9
3 .4
.8

12.0
3 .2
11.0
2 .1

13.6
7 .9
2 .0
25 .9
35.1
13.0
12.2

3 4 .2
9 .4
4 .6
11.8
9 .4
12.5
13.8

1.561
1.404
1.279
1.625
1.459
1.586
1.442
1.365
1.337
1.686
1.526
1.470
1.270
1.397
1.427
1. 568
1.589
1.364
1.544
1.596
1.497

.7
4 .8

J o u r n e y m e n ____________________ $1.468

C e m e n t f in is h e r s -------- -------------E le c tr ic ia n s , in s id e w ir e m e n . .
E n g in e e r s, p o r ta b le an d h o istin g ......... .................................. _
G la zie rs____ ____________________

M o s a ic a n d terr azzo w o r k e r s - ..
P la s t e r e r s - ______________________
P lu m b e r s a n d gas f itte r s _______
R oofers, c o m p o s itio n ________ ._
R o o fers, s la te a n d t i l e __________
S h e e t-m e ta l w o r k e r s ..................
S ig n p a in te r s ---------- ---------------S te a m a n d s p r in k le r fitte r s ____
S to n e c u t t e r s _______ _______
. -

130
and
und er
140

U nd er
100

.1
.8
2 .3
1 .6
.2
12.7
4 .5
.5
(>)
.2
10.3

4 .0
10.7
19.1
.8
4 .4

4 .8
18.8
17.0
2 .0
.5
.2
2 .3
1 .7
5 .6 14.0
8. 5 12.2
.8
.1
1.1
2 .2
2 .7
8 .0
8 .5
15.3
7 .2
9 .4
3 .3
8 .3
5 .9
5 .6
1 .9
1 .6
7 .5
5 .6
.3

(>)

Ï .8

120
and
under
130

10.6 10.8
17.3
8 .9
5 .7 5 0 .0
7 .2
7 .5
4 .1
31 .7
5 .0 15.9
29 .2 19.9
8 .8
23 .5
33 .2 14.0
9 .4
6 .3
20 .2 11.3
23.8 10 .2
2 1 .9 11.1
18.8 13.3
2 5 .0 2 5 .0
8 .6
13.1
4 .4 19 .5
4 .9
3 2 .0
4 .2
21 .0
7 .7 14.7
18.0 15.3

150
and
und er
160

160
and
und er
170

170
an d
und er
180

16.1

13.2

14 .2

7 .3
4 2 .2
1 .5 27 .4
8 .3
3 .7
9 .5
4 .4
1 .1 13.9
12.2 25 .7

8 .5
5 .9
13.9
11.4
15.7
10.7
8 .2

9 .6
6 .6
2 0 .6
2 0 .2
17.7
12.9
4 .3

140
an d
und er
150
2 .8
4 .3

180
and
und er
190
1 .4

190
and
und er
200
2 .7

200
and
over

5.1
12.5

2 .4
Ï .2
1.1
2 0 .7

2 8 .0
2 5 .6
.4

LÏ
.1
19 .8

2 .9
3 .5 16.1
9 .0
24 .3 1 0 .2
13.1 16.0
2 .0
5 .2
2 .8
.4
.1
.7
14.2
2 3 .8 13.9 2 7 .4
4 .6
7 .4 4 6 .5
1 .5
4 .6
.9 12.3 59 .6
8 .3 21 .5
1 .3 15.8
.2
.1 2 3 .9 21 .6
(*)
3 .0 2 7 .5
.8
.4 3 0 .2
. 5 18 .2 16.4 16.9
15.7
1 .9 16.5
9 .3 2 1 .6
2 .3
2 .3 3 2 .3
2 .5 15.9
1 .4
8 .6
3 .4
5 .8 11.3
—
5 .7 —
2 .0 12 .2 14.0 12.9
—
8 .0 16 .8 —
2 .0
. 7 10.4
7 .7
9 .3
4 .4 12 .5
8 .3 24 .6
17 .4
—
5 .8 2 5 .0 —
4 .6 19.6
.3
9 .2
1 .1
5 .9
8 .2 1 5 .0
7 .9
8 .6
7 .7 13.0
10.6 2 6 .7
5 .7
9 .5
2 .0 2 4 .1 17.8 18.5
3 .1 19 .8 4 2 .0
3 .1
3 .2
4 .2
3 .1

__ __
__ __
__

P e r c e n ta g e of u n io n h elp er s a n d laborers w h o s e ra te s (in ce n ts ) per
h o u r w ereage
ra te
p er
h o ur

1 0 .7

H e lp e r s a n d la b o r e r s 2. . ................
B u ild in g la b o r e r s .--------------------H o d carriers (m a s o n s ’ t e n d e r s ) .
M a r b le s e t t e r s ’ h e lp e r s -------------P la s te r e r s ’ la b o r e r s_____ _____ __
S te a m a n d s p r in k le r f it t e r s ’
T il e la y e r s ’ h e lp e r s ....... ...................

U nder
60

60
and
und er
65
8 .5

65
an d
und er
70
3 .7

.7 9 0
1.144
.8 8 6
1.038
1.094

14.3

12 .5

4 .2

8 .1
1.0
5 .0

3 .0
2 .2
1 .7

3 .3
1 .5
1 .5

1.109
1.001

.6
1 .3

2 .4
1 .4

1 .4
.8

75
and
und er
80

70
and
und er
75

80
and
und er
85

85
and
und er
90

90
and
under
95

7 .6

6 .8

1 1 .9

3 .5

1 2 .4 ~ 6 M
.9
1 1 .3
7 .0
.4
9 .5
2 .7
3 .1

8 .3
1 .7
6 .8
5 .9
2 .3

15 .4
4 .8
11 .0
4 .7
.9

T i

17.2
15.7

9 .0
1 .2

4 .4
1 1 .7

9 .9

4 .1
1 .5

2 .9
4 .2
1 0 .0
4 .6
5 .8
12.8

95
an d
und er
100
1 .8

100
and
under
110

110
and
und er
120

1 5 .4

1 3 .4

120
and
o v er

6 .8

7 .9 0)
1 6 .6
1 1 .4 29 .1 1 3 .4 3 5 .8
2 .5
5 .1 1 5 .6 2 2 .1
7 .1 3 3 .4
8 .6 15 .7
4. 5 1 2 .2 2 9 .9 31. 6
1 .3
7 .7

7 .1
4 .7

6 .4
1 0 .7

4 0 .3
3 0 .5

> L e s s th a n a t e n t h o f 1 p e r c e n t.
,
, ,
, , .
2 I n c lu d e s a lso p lu m b e r s ’ lab o re rs a n d c o m p o s itio n roofers’ h e lp e r s, n o t s h o w n s e p a r a te ly b e c a u se o f t h e
s m a ll n u m b e r o f q u o ta tio n s o b ta in e d for th e s e tr a d e s.
AVERAGE

RATES

IN

EACH

C IT Y

Averages of the combined journeyman rates and of the combined
helper and laborer rates in each city, grouped according to population,
are presented in table 7. The averages used were weighted according
to the number of members in each local union covered by the reported
rates. Thus the averages reflect not only the specific rates provided

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1220

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

for in the union agreements, but also the number of persons presum­
ably benefiting from these rates.3
Not all the trades had effective union scales in all the cities. This
was especially true among the helper and laborer trades. Average
rates of helpers and laborers are shown only for those cities in which
there were effective scales for a considerable number of building
laborers and at least one other helper trade.
Six cities had averages of over $1.50 per hour for the journeyman
trades. New York City’s average was $1.76; Newark, with an average
of $1,699, was second; Chicago was third with $1,653; while Wash­
ington, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis followed with averages of $1.59,
$1,559, and $1,528, respectively. Butte, although one of the cities
in the smallest population group, had the seventh highest average for
journeymen ($1,494).
Union organization varies considerably more in the helper and
laborer trades than in the journeyman trades among the different
cities. In many of the smaller cities no union scales were reported
for the more unskilled occupations. This tended to raise their
averages higher than they would be had all of the helper and laborer
trades been included. Likewise, since no city averages are given in
the absence of union rates for at least one helper trade and a substan­
tial number of laborers, a number of cities are missing entirely from
the listing for groups 4 and 5. The remaining list thereby tends to
include only those cities which have higher rates for their least skilled
trades (table 7).
T a b l e 7 . —Average

Union Hourly Wage Rates in the Building Trades, by Cities and
Population Groups, June 1, 1939

C it y a n d p o p u la tio n g ro u p

.verage
h o u r ly
ra te

Jo u rn eym en

P o p u la tio n grou p 1 (o v er 1,000,000):
N e w Y o r k , N . \ . ____ _______________
C h ic a g o , 111________ _____ ____________
A v e r a g e f o r g r o u p 1 ___________________
D e t r o it , M ic h ___ ______ ______________
P h ila d e lp h ia , P a _____________________
L o s A n g e le s, C a lif___________________
P o p u la tio n grou p 2 (500,000 to 1,000,000):
P itts b u r g h , P a ._ ________ ____________
S t. L o u is , M o ________________________
C le v e la n d , O h io _____________________
B o s to n , M a s s .................................................
A v e r a g e f o r g r o u p 2 ___________________
B u ffa lo , N . Y _ _ ______________________
B a ltim o r e , M d _______________________
S a n F r a n c isc o , C a lif_________________
M ilw a u k e e , W is _ _ ..................................

C it y a n d p o p u la tio n g rou p

Journeym en—

$1. 760
1. 653
1 .5 9 7

1. 347
1. 280
1.192
1.559
1.528
1.435
1.401
1 .S 9 5

1.352
1.314
1. 309
1.217

A verage
h o u r ly
ra te

C o n tin u e d

P o p u la tio n g ro u p 3 (250,000 to 500,000) :
N e w a r k , N . J . ___________ . . . ____
W a s h in g to n , D . C ______ __________ __
C in c in n a ti, O h io _____________________
T o le d o , O h io __________ . . . . _____
D e n v e r , C o lo _________ __ ________ .
K a n s a s C it y , M o _______ ___________
A v e r a g e f o r g r o u p 3 . . . ______________
I n d ia n a p o lis, I n d . _____ ______________
R o ch ester, N . Y ______ _____________
S e a ttle , W a s h ______ _ ______________
M in n e a p o lis , M i n n . . . _ _ ___
..
S t. P a u l, M i n n ..
_ ...
_________
C o lu m b u s , O h io ________ _________ .
H o u s to n , T e x ___________
...
..
L o u is v ille , K y ____________________
B ir m in g h a m , A la ____________________

$1. 699
1.590
1.440
1.4*39
1. 42.3
1.404
1 .3 7 3

1.366
1.357
1. 333
1.309
1. 294
1.284
1.270
1.265
1.251

* W h ile a co m p a r iso n o f a v er a g e ra tes b e tw e e n c itie s w h e r e a v er a g es in c lu d e t h e in flu e n c e o f th e m e m b e r ­
sh ip factor m a y b e s o m e w h a t m is le a d in g w h e r e m e m b e r s h ip is u n u s u a lly la rg e or sm a ll in co m p a r iso n to
t h e s a m e tr a d e in o th e r c itie s , a w e ig h te d a v er a g e o f t h is k in d is o b v io u s ly m o r e r e a lis tic th a n a s im p le a v e r ­
age o f sp e c ific ra tes. I n th e la tte r ca se a w a g e ra te in a tra d e in c lu d in g h a lf a d o z e n m e m b e r s w o u ld b e g iv e n
t h e s a m e im p o r ta n c e a s t h a t of a tr a d e in c lu d in g s e v e r a l th o u s a n d m e m b e r s.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

W ages
T a b l e 7 . —Average

1221

Union Hourly Wage Rates in the Building Trades, by Cities and
Population Groups, June 1, 1939— Continued

C it y a n d p o p u la tio n gro u p

Journeym en—

and Hours of Labor

A verage
h o u r ly
ra te

C o n tin u e d

P o p u la tio n gro u p 3— C o n tin u e d .
P r o v id e n c e , R . I ________ ________ ___
P o r tla n d , O r e g ............................................
D a lla s , T e x ___ 1 _____________________
M e m p h is , T e n n ________ _______ ____
N e w O rleans, L a_......................................
A tla n ta , G a __________________________
P o p u la t io n grou p 4 (100,000 to 250,000):
D a y t o n , O h io ________________________
P e o r ia , 111_____ . . . _____ _____________
Y o u n g s to w n , O h io _______________ . . .
S p o k a n e , W a s h ................... .........................
S p r in g fie ld , M a s s ________ __________
D e s M o in e s , I o w a , . ____ ____________
E r ie , P a _____________________________
R o c k I sla n d (111.) d i s t r i c t 1_________
S c r a n to n , P a _____________ __________
S o u th B e n d , I n d . . . _________________
E l P a s o , T e x ................................. ............ . .
A v e r a g e f o r g r o u p 4 __________________
O k la h o m a C it y , O k la ______________
N e w H a v e n , C o n n __________________
R e a d in g , P a ________ _____ ___________
G ran d R a p id s , M i c h _______________
S an A n to n io , T e x . ......................... ..........
W o rc este r, M a s s __________ _________
S a lt L a k e C it y , U t a h _______________
D u l u t h , M i n n . .................................. ........
N a s h v ille , T e n n _________ _____ ______
O m a h a , N e b r _____________ _________
R ic h m o n d , V a ____________ _________
W ic h ita , K a n s _ ...........................................
J a c k s o n v ille , F l a .............. ................... —
N o r fo lk , V a . . . ------- -------------------------P o p u la tio n gro u p 5 (40,000 to 100,000):
B u t t e , M o n t ____________ ________ _
C h a r le sto n , W . V a __________________
M a d is o n , W is _______________________
P h o e n ix , A r iz ...................................... ........
A v e r a g e f o r g r o u p 5 __________________
J a c k so n , M i s s ....... ............................ ...........
M a n c h e ste r , N . H ---------------------------L it t le R o c k , A r k . . . ..................................
C h a r lo tte , N . C ----------------- --------------C h a r le sto n , S . C ____________________
P o r tla n d , M a i n e . . .............. ................... ..
Y o r k , P a ____________________________

H e l p e r s a n d la b o r e r s —

$1.234
1.200
1.198
1.195
1.167
1.126
1.421
1.388
1.353
1.328
1.312
1.265
1.264
1.258
1. 258
1.243
1.241
1 .2 3 2

1.208
1.206
1.194
1.192
1.192
1.187
1.161
1.144
1.138
1.134
1.116
1.088
1.047
1.028
1.494
1. 218
1.213
1.211
1 .1 6 5

1.148
1.118
1.063
1.022
1.014
.9 9 0
.9 4 5

H e lp e r s a n d la b o re rs

P o p u la tio n grou p 1 (o v e r 1,000,000):
N e w Y o r k , N . Y -----------------------------C h ic a g o , 111___________ _____ —............
A v e r a g e f o r g r o u p 1 ................. ...................
D e tr o it, M i c h ________________ ______
L o s A n g e le s , C a lif........... .........................
P h ila d e lp h ia , P a ___________________
P o p u la tio n grou p 2 (500,000 to 1,000,000):
S t. L o u is , M o _______________________
C le v e la n d , O h i o . . . ......... ..........................
S a n F r a n c isco , C a lif________________
B o s to n , M a s s ................ ............ .................

C it y a n d p o p u la tio n g rou p

1.152
1.039
1 .0 1 1

.7 7 6
.7 1 5
.665
.971
.9 2 2
.9 1 0
.8 8 9

A verage
h o u r ly
r a te

C o n t ’d.

P o p u la tio n g ro u p 2— C o n tin u e d .
M ilw a u k e e , W is _____________________
P itts b u r g h , P a _______ . . . ____ . - A v e r a g e f o r g r o u p 2 _______
_____
B u ffa lo , N . Y ________________________
B a ltim o r e , M d ____
___
.
P o p u la tio n g ro u p 3 (250,000 to 500,000):
N e w a r k , N . J __ . . .
___
S e a ttle , W a sh . . ___________________
K a n sa s C it y , M o
M in n e a p o lis, M in n ______ - . ------C in c in n a ti, O h i o . . _______ _
T o le d o , O h io _________________________
S t. P a u l, M in n ______ ______________
P o r tla n d , O reg________________ - - - I n d ia n a p o lis, I n d ______ ______________
D e n v e r , C o lo ________________________
W a s h in g to n , D . C . _ _______________
A v e r a g e f o r g r o u p 3 ___________________
R o ch ester, N . Y _ _____________ . . .
P r o v id e n c e , R . I _____________________
M e m p h is . T e n n
__________ ______
C o lu m b u s, O h io __________ - - - ------H o u s to n , T e x ________________________
N e w O rlean s, L a __________ - _______
L o u is v ille , K y _______________________
D a lla s , T e x _______ ________________
A tla n ta , G a ___ ____________________
B ir m in g h a m , A la --------- --------------------P o p u la tio n g rou p 4 (100,000 to 250,000):
S p o k a n e, W a s h . . _ ____________ - - P e o ria , 111____________________________
W o rcester, M a s s _________________ . . .
S a lt L a k e C it y . U t a h _______________
S o u th B e n d , I n d ____________________
D e s M o in e s, I o w a ------ -------- -----------N e w H a v e n , C o n n .- . . . . .
.
-S cra n to n , P a ---------- --------- -------------R o c k I sla n d (111.) d i s t r i c t 1__________
A v e r a g e f o r g r o u p 4 __
. . . ________
R e a d in g , P a . . ____
___ _______
D a y t o n , O h io ________________ _____
Y o u n g s to w n , O h io ____________ ______
D u lu t h , M i n n _______________________
S p r in g field , M a s s _________ _________
O k la h o m a C it y , O k la _______________
San A n to n io , T e x ------------------ --------E l P a s o , T e x _________________________
G r a n d R a p id s , M i c h . . . ____________
N a s h v ille , T e n n ____ _________________
J a c k s o n v ille , F l a _____________________
P o p u la tio n g rou p 5 (40,000 to 100,000):
B u tte , M o n t.
_______ ____ ______
P h o e n ix , A r iz - . . . ___
Y o r k , Pa_
_________ - . . . --------A v e r a g e f o r g r o u p 5 _______ ___________
M a d is o n , W is__ __________ . . . - M a n c h e s te r , N . H - _____________ -P o r tla n d , M a in e ------- -------C h a r le sto n , W . V a _ .
------- --------J a ck so n , M is s _____ ________________

$0.882
.8 6 7

.862
.6 9 0
.6 3 2
1.073
.9 2 7
.901
.8 8 7
.8 3 6
.8 1 8
.8 0 7
.7 9 8
.7 8 8
.7 8 5
.7 4 9
.7 4 «
.7 0 9
.6 7 5
.6 5 6
.654
.5 8 6
.5 5 0
.5 4 2
.5 2 6
.4 7 2
.468

1.001
.878
.808
.771
.765
.761
.751
.7 2 5
.7 2 4
.

7 10

.7 0 9
.6 7 8
.6 7 6
.6 4 5
.6 3 8
.6 1 5
.5 8 4
.581
.5 4 2
.5 2 7
.4 8 8
.4 4 9
.8 9 4
.7 4 3
.7 2 2
.6 9 1

.686
.6 6 9
.6 4 4
.5 4 6
.4 5 0

i I n c lu d e s R o c k I sla n d , 111., D a v e n p o r t, I o w a , a n d M o lin e , 111.

Wage Rates for Special Types of Work
Most of the building trades’ agreements provide only one rate
of wages, which applies to all work of the specified crafts regardless
of the type of construction involved. Penalty rates for work con
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1222

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

sidered particularly dangerous or difficult, such as spray painting,
work on high scaffolds, or work under air pressure, are sometimes
provided.
Agreements for elevator constructors generally specify a 10-percent
differential in favor of maintenance or repair work. Similar main­
tenance differentials are occasionally found in the agreements for a
few other crafts, particularly electricians, plumbers, and carpenters.
These differentials are sometimes based upon the full weekly employ­
ment of the workman and may not be invoked on part-time work.
This principle of a differential in favor of full-time employment is
applied in a few of the agreements for engineers, which provide full­
time weekly rates of approximately 10 percent under the broken-time
hourly rates, applying to all types of work.
Home building.—Differentials favoring dwelling construction, as
opposed to public and commercial work, are contained in a few agree­
ments. The electricians reported such differentials in 10 cities, the
carpenters in 4 cities, and the plasterers in 3 cities. The asbestos
workers, cement finishers, lathers, painters, plumbers, roofers, sheetmetal workers, steam fitters, and tile layers each had dwelling differ­
entials in one or two cities.
The most extensive development of dwelling differentials was
reported in Philadelphia, where the Building Trades Council has exe­
cuted a general agreement with the Home Builders’ Association of
Philadelphia and Suburbs, which covers the “operative building” of
dwelling units. It provides wage scales for the trades involved at
rates generally about 20 percent below those specified in the regular
commercial agreements. By the definition in the agreement, these
provisions are restricted to “the erection or alteration, upon ground
purchased by operative builders, of buildings, anticipating the sale of
the completed structures at a profit.” Building work under contract
awarded after competitive bidding is specifically excluded from the
benefits of this agreement.
Most of the local unions that are customarily concerned with
dwelling construction in Philadelphia have ratified this agreement and
are participating in the work under its terms. Generally the partici­
pating unions have placed restrictions upon their members who are
permitted to work under this agreement, customarily either classifying
such members within the local or organizing them into subordinate
locals. These members then are prohibited under normal conditions
from accepting work on any jobs which are covered by the regular
commercial agreements.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Wages and Hours of Labor

1223

Overtime Rates
Double time was specified as the initial overtime rate in agreements
covering 63.3 percent of the total building-trades membership in the
cities surveyed. Time and one-half was reported for 35.9 percent of
the membership. A small number of reports showed time and onethird or specific monetary rates which were not multiples of the regular
rates. In 41 instances no provision was made in the agreements for
any penalty rate for overtime. Most of these cases were in localities
where oral agreements prevailed and it was explained that overtime
work was so seldom required that no consideration of a penalty rate
had been necessary. Two other agreements prohibited overtime work
entirely.
The overtime sections of the agreements frequently provided that
the initial overtime rate should apply only for a limited number of
hours after the regular quitting time, and that a further increased
scale should apply thereafter. This was particularly true of those
agreements which specified time and one-half as the initial overtime
rate. These agreements frequently required the payment of double
time for work continuing after 6 p. m. and also for any overtime work
on Saturday.
Double time was more generally specified for excess hours among the
journeyman trades than among the helpers and laborers. In the
journeyman group the double time rate applied to 70.9 percent of the
membership, while 28.6 percent had a time and one-half rate. The
helpers and laborers had a time and one-half rate for 70.7 percent of
their members and double time for 27.1 percent.
A slight modification of the overtime provisions was allowed under
some of the helper and laborer agreements whereby serving laborers
were permitted to begin work before the regular starting time in order
to have the materials prepared and distributed before the journeymen
were ready to start work. The limited periods allowed for this pre­
paratory work were not usually classed as overtime nor made subject
to penalty rates.
The distribution of the initial overtime rates and the percentages
of the memberships to which each applied are shown in table 8.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1224
T

a ble

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939
8 . —Overtime

Rates Provided in Building-Trades Union Agreements, June 1, 1939
N u m b e r o f q u o ta tio n s s h o w in g
in itia l o v e r tim e r a tes of—

T rad e
T im e
and
o n eh a lf

A ll b u ild in g t r a d e s . . . ____________ . . ... 1,254
Journeym en-

__ . . .

A s b e s to s w o r k e r s ________
______ .
B o ile r m a k e r s ____________________ _
B r ic k la y e r s- ____________________ ____
C a r p e n te r s_________________________
C e m e n t f in is h e r s ... ____________
_ .
E le c tr ic ia n s , in s id e w ir e m e n _______ . . .
E le v a to r c o n s tr u c to r s ____________
.
E n g in e e r s, p o r ta b le a n d h o is t in g .. ____
G la zie rs___ __________ __________
G r a n ite c u tte r s __________________________
L a t h e r s .. ____________________
M a c h i n i s t s ....................... .............
M a r b le s e tte r s __________ _____________
M o s a ic a n d terrazzo w o r k e r s ____________
P a in te r s ____ _________________
P a p e r h a n g e r s ___________________________
P l a s t e r e r s ... _______________
P lu m b e r s a n d gas fitte r s _____________
R o d m e n __________________
R o ofers, c o m p o s itio n ____________
R oofers, s la te an d t i l e _________
S h e e t-m e ta l w o r k e r s_____________
S ig n p a in t e r s ..__________________
S te a m a n d s p r in k le r fitte r s _________
S to n e c u tte r s ______________
S to n e m a so n s ___________
S tr u c tu r a l-ir o n w o r k e r s _________
T ile l a y e r s . . ____ ___________ .
H e l p e r s a n d l a b o r e r s __________

B u ild in g la b o re rs__________ _____
C o m p o s itio n roofers’ h e lp e r s .
E le v a to r c o n s tr u c to r s ’ h e lp e r s___
H o d carriers (m a s o n s ’ t e n d e r s ) ..
M a r b le s e tte r s ’ h e lp e r s_______
P la ste r e r s ’ la b o re rs....................
P lu m b e r s ’ la b o re rs_______ .
S te a m a n d s p r in k le r fitte r s ’ h elp er s
T ile la y e r s ’ h e lp e r s __________

O v e r­
O ther
D ou­
p e n ­ tim e
b le
p ro ­
a lt y
h ib ­
tim e
sca le s
ite d

P e r c e n ta g e o f u n io n m e m b e r s
h a v in g in itia l o v e r tim e ra tes
of—

No
p e n ­ T im e
a lt y
and
onera te
sp e c ­ h a lf
ified

D ou­
b le
tim e

O ver­
O ther
p e n ­ tim e
p ro ­
a lt y
h ib ­
sca le s
ite d

No
p en­
a lt y
ra te
sp e c ­
ified

1,419

13

2

41

3 5 .9

6 3 .3

0 .1

(')

0 .7

958

1,208

13

2

19

2 8 .6

7 0 .9

.2

(>)

.3

27
7
22
43
46
38
25
119
50
14
13
16
24
28
89
51
23
26
1
56
35
12
57
29
53
19
1
34

31
34
54
59
25
52
90
133
14
18
72
23
41
31
17
10
52
50
66
20
19
51
7
67
18
48
73
33

3 7 .9
2 .0
15 .0
18 5
55.4
35 0
10. 3
33. 5
04 2
19.4
4 2
10 2
17.6
4 5 .5
59 .7
88 0
Q0
11 .6
1 .9
70 7
54 2
9 .0
55 7
31. 5
22 4
11 Q
1 .0
32 0

6 2 .1
98 0
85 0
81 5
44 0
02 0
8 9 .7
65. 7
80 6
qn 8
8q 8
82 4
54. 5
3 9 .0
113
87 2
88 2
98.1
22 2
40 0
91 .0
42 7
68. 4
01 2
88 1
99 0
08 0

296

211

22

70. 7

27.1

62
23
14
57
30
42
23
10
35

8
5
76
17
17
24
11
40
13

6
4

87 3
79. 6
6 .6
74. 2
33.1
35 0
22 3
7 .7
4 5 .3

10 1
12 5
9 3 .4
23 4
00 8
04 2
70 4
9 2 .3
5 3 .6

1
1

1

1
2

2
6

2

1
1

i
i

1
1
2
1
1

2
1
1
4

5
1
2
1
3

6
J2

.2
J)

J)
5 .0

.5

.3

.5
3 .2

.2
7
5'. 6
.1
6 .4

2 2

7 .9

2 4

1 .3
1 .1

1 L e s s th a n a te n th o f 1 p e r c e n t.

Union Hours, 1939
The average maximum workweek for all building trades was 38.3
hours. The journeyman trades averaged 38.1 hours per week and
the helper and laborer trades averaged 39.5 hours (table 9).
The plasterers’ average of 35.3 hours per week was the lowest of any
trade. The highest average among the journeyman trades was that
of the engineers, 40.2 hours. This high average was due to the fact
that a number of the agreements for engineers specify a 48-hour week
for street or road work.
The average for steam and sprinkler fitters, 35.7 hours per week,
was the lowest in the helper and laborer group. The building la­
borers had the highest average of all the trades, 40.5 hours per week.

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1225

Wages and Hours of Labor

The basic workweek for 68.8 percent of the building-tracles members
was 40 hours. Thirty-five hours was specified for 17.5 percent of
the total membership, and 9.5 percent were limited to 30 hours per
week. Only 3.7 percent were allowed 44 hours and less than half of 1
percent were permitted to work 48 hours in any week without over­
time.
The 40-hour week predominated for both the journeyman and the
helper and laborer groups. The unskilled and semiskilled trades,
however, had longer workweeks for 17 percent of their members as
compared with 1.4 percent of the journeyman group. Less than 40hour weeks prevailed for 29.2 percent of the journeymen and for 16.5
percent of the helpers and laborers.
T a b le 9. —Distribution of Union Members in Each Building Trade, by Weekly Hours,

June 1, 1939
A verage
h o urs
p er
w eek

T rade

P e r c e n ta g e of u n io n m e m b e r s w h o se h o u r s
p er w e e k w ere—
30

32

35

40

44

48

A ll b u ild in g t r a d e s ..........................—.............- ........................

38 .3

9 .5

0 .1

17.5

6 8 .8

3 .7

0 .4

--------------------------------

38.1

9 .9

.1

19.2

6 9 .4

1 .0

.4

38 .7
38.4
38.4
3 8 .7
3 8 .9
3 7 .6
39 .5
40 .2
38 .3
37.1
3 7 .0
3 9 .9
3 9 .9
3 8 .8
3 6 .4
36 .7
35.3
37 .9
3 9 .7
39 .6
39.5
38.9
3 8 .2
3 7 .8
39 .5
3 8 .8
3 9 .0
3 9 .8

14.7
2 .1
1 .6
2 .2
F1 .2
22 .6
1.4
4 .5
1.1

76 .3
6 9 .8
6 7 .9
75 .5
73 .0
7 2 .5
63.1
8 3 .3
65 .2
4 2 .9
6 8 .5
93.1
98 .1
7 4 .9
4 5 .7
60.1
4 8 .9
7 4 .6
9 5 .6
8 2 .9
83 .3
7 9 .9
5 3 .9
7 4 .4
8 6 .8
7 6 .2
8 4 .0
9 6 .6

6 .7

1.1
4 .0
1 .3

2 .3
28.1
29 .5
2 1 .6
22 .9
►4 .0
19.9
1 .8
3 2 .3
57.1
1 .4
4 .6
1.3
23.1
3 5 .0
10.4
3 .2
7 .2
2 .2
i 11.4
12.4
17.8
4 0 .7
5 .8
1 1 .2
2 2 .5
11.5
1 .4

39.5

7 .3

9 .2

66 .5

16.4

40 .5
38.4
39 .3
3 9 .9
36.4
35 .7
4 0 .0

.8
1.1
1 .7
1 .0
35 .4
4 0 .3
1 .1

8 .7
32 .5
16.5
.9
4 .4
5 .8
1 .2

6 5 .5
5 4 .8
74 .4
9 7 .7
56 .5
53 .7
95 .9

2 4 .2
11.6
7 .1
.4
3 .5
.2
.5

Jo u rn eym en

2 9 .6
.4
1.1
18.8
2 8 .4
4 2 .4
1 7 .6
1 .7
.7
.5
2 .2
19.4

4 .0

1 .0
.7
2 .5
.6
15.6
2 .4
1 .4
.2
2 .3
.2
.9
.5
1.1
1 .5
.6
.5
3 .6
3 .0
.1
5 .4
.4
2 .0
.2
.5
.7

.4
.3
8 .0
.3

1 .4
.8

3.6
3.8
3.3
.2
1 .3
■

1

I n c lu d e s 3/io

o f 1 p e r c e n t h a v in g a 36.9-hour sca le , a m o u n tin g to le ss th a n H o o f 1 p e r c e n t in t h e jo u rn ey -

> I n c lu d e s also p lu m b e r s ’ la b o rers a n d c o m p o s itio n roofers’ h e lp e r s, n o t s h o w n se p a r a te ly b e c a u se of th e
s m a ll n u m b e r o f q u o ta tio n s o b ta in e d for th e se tra d es.
3 O n e -te n th o f 1 p e r c e n t o f t h e b u ild in g lab orers a n d H o of 1 p e r c e n t o f th e h o d carriers h a d 4 9-hour sca les,
a m o u n tin g to a t e n t h o f 1 p e r c e n t o f t h e g ro u p to ta ls .


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1226

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

A majority of the members in each of the trades, except the granite
cutters, painters, and plasterers, had 40-hour scales. Every trade
reported some members as having 35-hour scales and nearly all
reported a few 30-hour and 44-hour scales. The plasterers had the
greatest proportion of members (42.4 percent) with 30-hour scales,
and the building laborers had the largest proportion (24.2 percent)
with 44-liour scales. Relatively few 48-hour weeks were reported.
Only the engineers, composition roofers, and tile layers’ helpers had
as many as 1 percent of their members working on a 48-hour basis.
w w ##
WAGES AND HOURS IN B R IT IS H COLUMBIA, 1938
IN 1938 the average weekly wage for adult male industrial employees
in British Columbia was $26.70—an increase of $0.06 as compared
with the weekly wage reported for 1937, but $2.50 below that for 1929,
according to the annual report of the department of labor of that
Province for the year 1938.
The average wage of adult males in the week of greatest employ­
ment ordinarily means a full week’s wage. In 1938 these wages
ranged from $13.00 in the cigar and tobacco industry to $34.19 in
the printing and publishing and $38.95 in jewelry manufacturing.
Many industries were employing substantial numbers of men in
1938 at less than $19.00, food products reporting 29.39 percent of
10,182 adult males in that wage group; contracting, 11.26 percent of
11,650 men; and the lumber industries, 6.47 percent of 26,257 men.
Only 2.20 percent of the 8,783 men engaged in metal mining, how­
ever, were reported as receiving such low wages.
The average weekly working hours for all industrial employees
covered in 1938 were 46.84, as compared with 47.25 in the preceding
year, and 48.25 in 1929.1
Of 96,188 employees reported by employers, 88.67 percent worked
48 hours or less per week in 1938, 5.29 percent between 48 and 54
hours per week, and 6.04 percent, over 54 hours per week. In five
industries—coast shipping, food-products manufacture, metal mining,
oil refining, and smelting—the average weekly hours in 1929 were
over 51, reaching almost 54 in metal mining. In 1938 in only 1
industry were the average weeldy hours 50 or more—metal mining,
in which 50.3 hours were reported.
The table following gives average weekly wages of adult males for
the week of greatest employment, and average weekly hours of work,
by industries, in British Columbia for 1929, 1937, and 1938.
1 F ig u r e s for 1929 from B r itis h C o lu m b ia , D e p a r tm e n t of L a b o r, A n n u a l R e p o r t for t h e F isc a l Y e a r E n d e d
D e c e m b e r 31, 1932, V ic to r ia , 1933. (S ee M o n t h ly L a b o r Review, N o v e m b e r 1937, p . 1230.)


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

W ages

and Hours of Labor

1227

Average Weekly Wages and Hours of Work of Adult Males in British Columbia, 1929,
1937, and 1938
A v e r a g e f u ll w e e k ’s
w age
I n d u s t r y g ro u p
1938
B r e w e r ie s ___ _____ ____________________
B u ild e r s ’ m a te r ia ls_____________________
C ig a rs a n d to b a c c o _______________
C o a l m i n i n g . . .............. ........ .... . . .
C o a st s h ip p in g _______________________
C o n tr a c tin g
_________ . . . . . . .
E x p lo s iv e s a n d c h e m ic a ls __________ _ .
F o o d p r o d u c ts __________________________
G a r m e n t m a k i n g . . ______________ __ .
H o u s e f u r n is h in g s ____ _____ ________
J e w e lr y m a n u f a c t u r in g ............ .................
L a u n d r ie s, cle a n in g a n d d y e i n g ______
L e a th e r a n d fu r-good s m a n u fa c tu r in g . . .
L u m b e r in d u str ie s:
L o g g in g . -------------------------------------------------------L o g g in g r a ilw a y s ___________________ __
L u m b e r d e a le r s____ ________
P la n in g m i l l s . ......................................
_______________
S a w m ills
S h in g le m ills ____ ________
M e ta l m in in g ___ __ . . .
M e ta l tr a d e s_____ ________________
O il r e fin in g _____________
. . . _.
P a in t m a n u fa c tu r in g _____________ _
P r in tin g a n d p u b lis h in g ___________ .
P u lp a n d p a p e r m a n u fa c tu r in g __________ . . .
S h ip b u ild in g ______________
S m e lt in g ..........................................
S tr e e t r a ilw a y s, g a s, w a te r , p o w e r , e t c _____
W o o d m a n u fa c tu r in g (n o t e lse w h e r e sp e cified )

19291

1938

1937

$27.42 $26.18 $27. 70 44.5 3
22.8 2
28.04
22.31
44.6 3
13.00
15.50
26. 58 3 24.00
28. 20
27.46
30.1 8
47.9 3
32.8 4
32.93
31.99
48.5 4
25.81
25. 61 30. 57 43.8 5
24. 20
24.58
24.61
4 7 .2 0
23.70
23.85
26.56
47.4 3
23.15
22 .97
26.68
4 3 .2 2
22.25
26.74
20.80
44.3 3
38.95
34. 60
36.61
42.01
22.89
23.33
23.16
44.1 4
21.23
29.03
22.23
44. 31
26.5 9
26.54
26.81
48 38
49. 51
44 67
48. 37
47.99

4 4 .6 0
45.1 5
42 .7 3
47.91
46. 93
44.11
46 .7 0
49 .0 5
44.3 9
45.61
44. 30
45.2 0
45.33

46. 77
46.9 6
44.4 0
48.0 3
51.05
45.1 6
46. 04
51.01
4 4 .8 7
45. 53
4 4 .2 4
46.6 2
46.7 0

45 77
48 45
48 23

47
48
47
49
49.

50.2 5
45.46
4 6 .7 0
44.1 6
44. 37
47.95
43.85
4 7 .9 2
45. 36
46. 72

53.96
4 5 .8 7
51. 61
45.0 0
45. 44
48. 35
44.1 5
5 2 .7 2
44.61
47.03

30.48
25. 09
28.68
22.78
34.19
26. 36
28.76
24. 80
27.78
22.6 8

1937

A v e r a g e w e e k ly
hours

30.34
24. 77
27.9 2
23.0 8
3 3 .69‘
26.75
27.88
25.08
27.2 0
21.97

35.2 4
29.5 0
30.50
25. 58
40.81
27.87
30.2 5
33.09
30.70
25.49

50.30
45 .0 0
48.81
44.11
43. 55
44. 29
44.0 5
47.95
45.2 3
46.2 9

1929 i

31
61
63
14
12

1 1929 figu res from B r itis h C o lu m b ia D e p a r tm e n t o f L a b o r, a n n u a l re p o r t for th e y e a r e n d e d , D e c . 31.
1932, V ic to r ia , 1933.
* A s g iv e n in rep ort— p r o b a b ly s h o u ld b e 42.00.

185451— 39-

-14


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Labor Turn-Over

LABOR TU RN -O Y ER IN M AN U FACTURIN G ,
AUGUST 1939
A FURTHER increase in the number of workers hired or rehired
and a sharp decrease in the lay-off rate in factories was indicated by
reports on labor turn-over received by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
for August. The accession rate at 5.06 per 100 employees was
higher than for any month since October 1938. With the exception
of February 1939, fewer lay-offs were reported than in any month
since June 1937. The quit rate increased from 0.70 per 100 employees
to 0.82, and the discharge rate from 0.12 to 0.14. Total separations
declined from 3.36 in July to 3.01 in August.
As compared with August of last year, the quit and discharge rates
were considerably higher. The lay-off and total separation rates
were lower. The number of accessions was slightly lower than a
year ago.
In August, voluntary separations (quits) accounted for approxi­
mately 27 percent of the total separations. In July, 21 percent of
the total were reported as quits. Discharges represented approxi­
mately 4 percent of the total in both months. Lay-offs constituted
69 percent of the total in August and 75 percent in July.
All Manufacturing
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ survey of labor turn-over covers
approximately 5,500 representative manufacturing establishments,
which in August employed nearly 2,350,000 workers. The rates
represent the number of changes in personnel per 100 employees on
the pay rolls during the month.
The rates shown in table 1 are compiled from reports received
from representative plants in 144 industries. In the 30 industries
fox which separate rates are shown (see table 2) reports were received
from representative plants employing at least 25 percent of the
workers in each industry.
Table 1 shows the total separation rate classified into quit, dis­
charge, and lay-off rates and the accession rate for each month of
1937 and 1938 and the first 8 months in 1939 for manufacturing
as a whole. The average of the monthly rates for 1937 and 1938
are also presented.
1228


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T U R N -O V E R

RATES

PER I OO ON

THE

PAY

IN MANUFACTURING
ROL L
RATE

12

10

Labor Turn-Over

1229


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

LABO R

1230
Table

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939
1.—Monthly Labor Turn-Over Rates in Representative Factories in 144 Industries 1

C la s s of tu r n -o v e r J a n u ­ F e b ­ M a r ch A p r il
ary ru a ry
a n d y ea r

S e p a r a tio n s:
Q u its
1939
1938_______
1937_______
D isc h a r g e s
1939
1938_______
1937_______
L a y -o ffs 2
1938_______
1937_______
T o ta l
1938_______
1937_______
A ccessio n s:
1938_______
1937_______

M ay

June

J u ly

A u­
gu st

S ep ­
tem ­
b er

N o­
O cto ­ v e m ­
b er
ber

D e­
A ver­
cem ­
age
b er

0 85
.5 2
1.27

0. 64
.4 9
1.19

0 .8 2
.6 1
1. 43

0. 76
.5 9
1. 38

0. 68
.6 2
1.37

0 .7 3
.6 1
1.89

0. 70
.5 9
1.2 5

0. 82
.6 5
1.23

0 .8 2
1.59

0 .7 8
1 .0 5

0 .6 0
.7 2

0 .5 8
.6 0

0 .6 2
1. 25

10
. 11
.2 1

10
.1 1
.2 2

. 13
.1 1
.2 4

. 10
.1 0
.2 3

. 13
.1 3
.2 1

.1 2
. 11
.1 0

. 12
.0 9
.2 1

. 14
.1 0
.1 9

. 12
.1 9

.1 2
.1 9

.1 0
.1 6

.0 9
.1 4

.11
.2 0

5.4 5
1. 90

1 87
3.7 9
1.44

2. 23
3.7 4
1. 53

2. 60
3.8 5
1. 48

2. 67
3 .8 2
1.79

2. 46
3 .6 9
1.9 4

2. 54
3 .1 3
2 .0 6

2 .0 5
2. 33
2. 57

2 .6 2
2 .8 4

2 .4 0
4. 45

2 .4 4
5.9 9

3. 21
7 .7 7

3. 37
2.9 8

3 19
6.0 8
3. 38

2. 61
4 .3 9
2 .8 5

3.1 8
4 .4 6
3 .2 0

3.46
4. 54
3.0 9

3. 48
4 .5 7
3.3 7

3. 31
4.4 1
4 .0 2

3. 36
3.81
3. 52

3.01
3 .0 8
3.9 9

3. 56
4 .6 2

3.3 0
5.6 9

3 .1 4
6.8 7

3.8 8
8. 51

4 .1 0
4 .4 3

4 09
3. 78
4 .6 0

3 .0 6
3 .1 3
4 .7 1

3 .3 4
3.1 3
4 .7 4

2 .9 5
2 .5 8
4 .0 4

3. 29
2 .8 4
3. 56

3 .9 2
3 .4 4
3.6 9

4 .1 6
4.8 1
3 .3 6

5.0 6
5.2 9
3 .3 6

4.5 1
3 .7 8

5 .1 9
2 .8 4

4 .2 4
1.79

3 .2 2
2 .1 2

3 .8 5
3 .5 5

1 T h e v a r io u s tu r n -o v e r r a te s re p r e se n t t h e n u m b e r o f q u it s , d isch a rg es, la y -o ffs, to ta l s e p a r a tio n s, a n d
ac c e ssio n s p er 100 e m p lo y e e s .
2 I n c lu d in g te m p o r a r y , in d e te r m in a te , a n d p e r m a n e n t la y -o ffs.

Selected Industries
Detailed turn-over rates for 30 selected manufacturing industries
are listed in table 2, which gives the number of quits, discharges,
and lay-offs, total separations, and total accessions per 100 em­
ployees in reporting firms in August and July 1939 and August 1938.
T a ble 2. —Monthly Turn-Over Rates (per 100 Employees) in Specified Manufacturing

Industries
C la s s of r a te s


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

A u­
g u st
1939

J u ly
1939

A u­
g u st
1938

A u to m o b ile s a n d b o d ie s
0 .6 1
.1 1
6 .0 6
6 .7 8
35. 72

0. 66
.0 8
24.0 2
24. 76
6 .3 5

0 .3 4
.0 5
9 .9 7
10. 36
20. 50

Au­
g u st
1939

0. 64
.1 7
3 .4 6
4 .2 7
3 .8 9

0 .6 6
.1 2
2. 51
3 .2 9
16.65

1 .2 8
.1 9
1.27
2 .7 4
4. 49

0. 59
.2 2
9 .6 8
10. 49
6 .9 2

0 .4 4
.0 9
3. 79
4 .3 2
18.20

0 .4 6
.1 2
4. 05
4 .6 3
7 .3 4

1.13
.1 9
1. 78
3 .1 0
6 .1 7

0 .3 7
.0 9
2.1 8
2 .6 4
1 .5 6

0 .3 9
.0 6
1.6 0
2 .0 5
3 .6 3

0 .3 6
.1 0
5.7 8
6 .2 4
3.1 0

E le c tr ic a l m a c h in e r y

0. 75
.0 8
1.1 5
1. 98
3. 85

0.6 1
.0 6
.6 6
1. 33
3 .2 5

A u­
g u st
1939

J u ly
1939

A u­
g u st
1938

B o o ts a n d sh o e s
0 .8 7
.1 5
1. 84
2 .8 6
2 .1 9

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

0 .9 8
.1 6
1 .0 2
2 .1 6
3 .5 9

C ig a rs a n d cig a r e tte s

C em ent

C o t t o n m a n u fa c tu r in g

1 .5 3
.2 6
1 .3 7
3 .1 6
4 .4 9

A u­
gu st
1938

A u to m o b ile p a r ts

B r ic k , t ile , a n d
terr a c o tta
0 .7 7
.3 4
2 .4 5
3. 56
5. 55

J u ly
1939

0 .5 3
.0 7
1.34
1. 94
3.41

1.4 3
.2 3
.7 8
2 .4 4
6 .2 5

1 .0 8
.0 7
1.50
2. 65
2. 61

1.1 5
.1 4
.5 5
1.84
5.7 5

F o u n d r ie s a n d m a c h in e
shop s
0 .4 9
.1 0
1. 68
2. 27
3 .1 2

0 .4 0
.0 7
1. 34
1.81
2 .6 5

0 .3 5
.0 8
2. 38
2.81
3. 61

1231

Labor Turn-Over

T a b le 2. — Monthly Turn-Over Rates (per 100 Employees) in Specified Manufacturing

Industries— Continued
C la ss o f ra tes

A u­
g u st
1939

J u ly
1939

A u­
g u st’
1938J
1 1

Au­
gu st
1939

F u r n itu r e

Q u it -------------------------------------D i s c h a r g e __________________
L a y -o ff______________________
T o ta l s e p a r a t io n . _ -------------A c c e s s io n ___________________

0 .8 7
.2 4
1.6 8
2. 79
5 .6 2

0 .7 6
.2 1
1 .4 7
2 .4 4
4. 81

0 .4 0
.0 6
.5 6
1.02
2.31

0.3 1
.0 4
.6 9
1.0 4
1 .6 9

0 .6 2
.2 2
1.72
2 .5 6
6.0 7

0 .8 6
.1 2
1.64
2. 62
3.4 3

0.8 0
.0 8
1.19
2.0 7
4 .7 8

A u­
g u st
1939

J u ly
1939

0 .3 6
.2 7
3 .4 3
4. 06
2 .6 7

0 .3 3
.0 3
1. 22
1.5 8
2 .2 7

0 .3 5
.0 4
1.0 6
1.45
2 .1 6

1.00
.1 4
1.53
2 .6 7
2 .9 4

1 .0 3
.1 5
1 .4 4
2 .6 2
2 .8 0

0. 54
.0 9
1. 25
1 .8 8
7 .4 8

0 .8 0
.0 8
.8 8
1.76
1.9 7

0 .8 0
.1 8
.4 0
1. 38
2 .0 9

0.6 1
.1 9
.5 4
1.3 4
3 .1 5

0 .4 4
.0 9
1 .3 7
1.9 0
1. 52

0 .4 3
.0 7
1 .4 9
1.99
4. 28

M a c h in e to o ls
0 .8 3
.11
1.72
2. 66
4 .3 6

P a in t s a n d v a r n is h e s
0 .7 6
.0 6
1.50
2 .3 2
6.8 1

A u­
g u st
1938

H a r d w a rc

K n it g o o d s

M e n ’s c lo th in g
Q u it _________________________
D is c h a r g e ___________ _______
L a y - o f f ____________________
T o t a l s e p a r a tio n ------------------A c c e s s io n ____________________

Au­
gu st
1938

G la ss

Ir o n a n d s te e l

Q u it ___________ - - - ------- D is c h a r g e _________________ -L a y -o ff--------- --------T o t a l s e p a r a tio n - - ---------A c c e s s io n -----------------------------

J u ly
1939

0 .4 9
.0 8
1.05
1.6 2
2.2 3

0 .7 9
.1 0
.3 6
1 .2 5
3 .3 5

0. 61
.1 0
.2 8
.9 9
3.8 1

0 .3 5
.0 3
1 .3 6
1.74
1.8 8

P a p e r a n d p u lp
0 .6 4
.1 0
1.01
1.75
2. 73

0. 51
.1 1
1 .4 8
2 .1 0
1.81

0. 53
.1 8
.9 4
1.65
1. 77

P r in tin g a n d p u b lis h in g
P e tr o le u m re fin in g
B o o k a n d jo b

Q u it _________________________
D is c h a r g e -------- ----------------L a y - o f f -------- . - ----------T o t a l s e p a r a tio n --_ - A c c e s s io n _________ _ ----------

0 .6 8
.1 0
1.74
2. 52
2 .1 8

0 .3 8
.0 7
1.85
2 .3 0
2 .3 6

0 .4 5
.0 5
1.76
2 .2 6
2. 52

R a d io s a n d p h o n o graphs

D is c h a r g e .---------------------------L a y - o f f -------- - - --------- . . .
T o t a l s e p a r a tio n ______ ___
A c c e s s io n ___________________

2 .2 5
.3 2
2 .9 8
5. 55
8 .1 6

1.10
.1 5
1.81
3 .0 6
6.51

1.11
.0 8
2. 22
3.41
5 .3 6

0 .4 3
.1 4
3.91
4 .4 8
4 .1 5

0 .4 8
.0 5
.8 6
1.39
3 .4 7

0.3 9
.0 7
.8 4
1.30
3.0 0

0 .6 5
.1 4
.4 5
1.24
2.4 1

A c c e s s io n ___ _____ __________


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

0 .5 3
.1 6
5 .8 6
6. 55
5.9 6

0 .5 5
.1 7
4. 31
5.03
7.4 2

0.7 1
.1 4
.3 5
1 .2 0
3 .3 0

1 .0 6
.1 2
.6 0
1.7 8
6 .5 7

0 .4 5
.0 5
1.52
2 .0 2
6 .2 5

0 .6 2
.1 4
6. 00
6. 76
6 .3 5

1.48
.1 8
2.9 3
4.5 9
5.93

1.14
.1 8
2 .2 3
3 .5 5
5 .0 5

1.55
.2 2
3 .7 0
5. 47
7 .9 4

S te a m a n d h o t-w a te r
h e a tin g a p p a r a tu s
0 .9 5
.1 3
.9 8
2 .0 6
3 .4 9

0 .4 8
.0 9
.5 7
1 .1 4
2 .7 6

0. 39
.0 9
1.35
1.83
2 .4 7

0 .4 0
.0 4
1.3 4
1.78
1 .2 7

0. 33
.0 6
' 1 .5 6
1 .9 5
2 .8 9

R u b b e r b o o ts a n d
sh o e s
0. 85
.0 8
1.61
2 .5 4
4 .0 8

0 .6 4
.0 8
.6 3
1. 35
3.1 0

0 .7 3
.0 1
.2 4
.9 8
3 .8 6

S ilk a n d r a y o n g o o d s

S a w m ills

S la u g h te r in g a n d m e a t
p a c k in g
Q u it ___________ ______________
D is c h a r g e .____ ______________
L a y -o ff________ ____________

0 .5 8
.1 2
2 .7 3
3.4 3
4 .7 2

R a y o n a n d a llie d
p r o d u c ts

R u b b e r tires
Q u it _________________________
D is c h a r g e ___________________
L a y -o ff___________ - - - - - - T o t a l s e p a r a tio n ____________
A c c e s s io n ------------------ -----------

0 .4 8
.1 6
3. 57
4.2 1
3 .7 8

N ew sp a p ers

0.7 1
.2 3
.6 8
1 .6 2
3 .8 1

1 .1 3
.1 4
3 .8 8
5 .1 5
4 .7 4

1.2 9
.0 6
1 .3 3
2 .6 8
8 .5 7

0 .9 5
.0 8
1.2 0
2 .2 3
5 .5 9

W o o le n a n d w o r s te d
goods
1 .1 4
.2 0
6 .2 0
7 .5 4
3 .8 0

0 .9 6
.2 0
1.8 4
3 .0 0
6 .8 5

0 .9 3
.0 9
3 .8 3
4 .8 5
7 .3 8

Employment Offices

PL A C E M E N T W ORK AND U N E M PLO Y M EN T
CO M PEN SA TIO N IN SE PT E M B E R 1939
PLACEMENTS in private industry by the Public Employment
Services set another new all-time high as business activity expanded
during September. Although there were fewer working days than
in August, over 287,000 private jobs were filled, an increase of 13
percent over the preceding month. The active file of job seekers was
reduced about 110,000, a decline of 2% percent from the preceding
month.
Over 352,000 complete placements were made during September,
with nearly 82 percent representing placements in private industry.
The 287,000 private placements represented a 42-percent increase
over September 1938, and a 20-percent gain over the corresponding
month in 1937. Gains were widespread, the sharpest increases
being reported for the East South Central and the Mountain areas.
Private placements almost quadrupled in New Mexico and more than
doubled in Mississippi and Arkansas. These extreme expansions
reflect for the most part increased activity in agricultural placements.
The States which showed the most pronounced decreases in Sep­
tember—North Dakota, North Carolina, and Virginia—had experi­
enced the sharpest gains in the previous month. Placements of men
in private jobs totaled 164,000, a gain of nearly 20 percent over
August, while placements of women numbered approximately 123,000,
an increase of 5.6 percent over the preceding month. Regular place­
ments—jobs lasting more than 1 month—comprised nearly half of
the total private placements made. They were 4.7 percent higher
than in August, and were 46 percent higher than a year ago. During
the first three quarters of 1939, placements in private industry aggre­
gated 1,884,000 as compared with 1,339,000 and 1,855,000, respec­
tively, for the corresponding periods of 1938 and 1937.
In addition to the private placements, 65,000 public placements
were made. Supplemental placement activities expanded, with over
205,000 jobs being filled in this manner. Texas accounted for more
than two-thirds of such placements, most of which were agricultural.
Although the employment offices were not entirely responsible for
making these placements, the State services aided in bringing the
worker and employer together.
1232

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1233

Employment Offices
T able

1.— Summary of Placement Operations, United States, September 1939
P e r c e n t of c h a n g e fro m —
A c t iv i t y

N um b er
A u gu st
1939

S e p te m b e r
1938

S e p te m b e r
1937

T o ta l a p p lic a tio n s ________________________________________
N e w a p p lic a tio n s ___________________________________
R e n e w a ls _______________
_________ ________ ______

1 ,2 8 7 ,0 0 0
566,147
720,853

- 0 .8
+ 1 .4
- 2 .5

+ 2 0 .2
+ 8 .3
+ 3 1 .6

+ 1 1 5 .1
+ 1 0 3 .0
+125. 8

T o t a l p la c e m e n ts -_______ ________________________________
P r iv a te _____________________ _____ __________ ______
R e g u la r ____________________________________ _____ .
T e m p o r a r y ___________ __________ _____ __________
P u b lic .......... ................. ............................ .......................................

352,535
287,290
140,998
146, 292
65,245

+ 4 .8
+ 1 3 .2
+ 4 .7
+ 2 2 .9
-2 1 .0

+ 2 5 .4
+ 4 1 .8
+ 4 6 .2
+ 3 7 .9
- 1 7 .0

+ 1 .9
+ 1 9 .9
+ 3 7 .0
+ 7 .0
-3 8 .7

A c t iv e file (e n d of m o n t h ) ................................................................

5 ,6 8 0 ,3 1 0

- 2 .5

- 2 8 .7

+ 2 2 .5

As the number of private placements continued to increase, the
number of persons actively seeking work through employment offices
declined again, making a new low since December 1937. The active
file, however, was still about 806,000 higher than in December 1937,
but about 2,439,000 below August 1938, the high month of last year.
All areas of the country showed declines in the number of persons
actively seeking work, with the exception of the East South Central
region, which showed a slight increase as a result of gains of 5.6 per­
cent and 10.8 percent in Kentucky and Mississippi, respectively.
Increases in the active file were reported by 12 other States and
Alaska and Hawaii. The largest relative declines occurred in the
South Atlantic and the West South Central areas, each of which
showed a decrease of 5.7 percent. At the close of September there
were 5,680,000 active applicants for work on file at the offices of the
public employment services. This figure represented a decline of
2 % percent from the previous month, and about 29 percent fewer
than in September 1938. Applications for 4,275,000 men and about
1.405.000 women were on file.
About 1,287,000 applications for work were received at the employ­
ment offices, with nearly 904,000 being received from men and 383,000
from women. The largest increases were reported for New Mexico,
New York, and Hawaii.
About 12,000 placements of veterans were completed, with over
8.000
being made in private industry. The number of veterans
actively seeking work through the facilities of the employment
service approximated 239,000.


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1234

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939
T a ble 2. — Summary of Veterans'1Activities, September 1939
P e r c e n t o f c h a n g e fro m —
N um b er

A c t iv i t y

A ugu st
1939

S e p te m b e r
1938

S e p te m b e r
1937

T o ta l a p p lic a tio n s ________ .
_ ____________ ________
N e w a p p lic a tio n s ____________________________________
R e n e w a ls _______________________ _______ - . . . . . .

40,882
13, 340
27, 542

- 5 .7
+ 6 .0
- 1 0 .5

- 4 .1
- 1 3 .4
+ 1 .2

+ 4 1 .7
+ 5 2 .5
+ 3 7 .0

T o ta l p la c e m e n ts
. ___ _____ _______________ _______
P r iv a t e ____________________________
--------- ------R e g u la r ________ __________ __________ _____ _ T em p orary
...
. . . ------------ --------P u b lic _______________ . ------------ ---------- ----------------

12,030
8, 494
3,0 2 6
5,4 6 8
3, 536

- 6 .1
+ 5 .4
- 2 .9
+ 1 0 .7
-2 5 .6

-4 .3
+ 1 5 .0
+ 1 9 .5
+ 1 2 .6
- 3 1 .8

-3 5 .6
-2 0 .5
-1 8 .5
- 2 1 .6
-5 5 .7

238,873

- 6 .7

- 4 2 .5

- 2 .5

A c t iv e file (e n d o f m o n t h ) ____________ _______

. ................

Primarily as a result of the sharp expansion in business activity,
benefit payments to unemployed workers declined 24.0 percent to a
total of $33,806,000. Only 9 States showed increases, the largest
being reported by Florida, where further declines in employment in
seasonal industries occurred. The most pronounced reduction oc­
curred in Michigan, where payments amounted to about half of the
total paid out in August. Reemployment in the automobile industry
contributed to this decrease. Decreases ranging between 20 and 40
percent were reported by 15 States. The majority of the more in­
dustrialized States showed decreases of 25 percent or more. The
total amount paid out represented the smallest disbursement for any
month since April of this year, despite the fact that more States are
now paying benefits than at that time. (See table 4.)
Coincident with the decline in payments, initial and reopened
claims, as well as continued claims, received in local offices decreased
almost as much as the amount of benefits. Increases were reported
by relatively few States. As of the close of September 1939, about
$739,000,000 in benefits have been issued since the initiation of benefit
payments, with over $343,000,000 paid since January 1, 1939.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1235

Employment Offices

T a b le 3. —Activities of Public Employment Services in the United States, September 1939
TOTAL

P la c e m e n ts 1

A p p lic a tio n s

P r iv a te

D iv is io n an d
S ta te
T o ta l

Sup­
p le ­
m en ta l
P e r­
P u b ­ p la c e ­
c e n t of R e g u ­
m e n ts
lic
N u m ­ ch a n g e
lar
b er
from
(o v e r 1
m
o
n
t
h
)
Au­
gu st

F ie ld
v is it s
T o ta l

N ew

A c t iv e
file,
S e p t.
30,1939

P er­
so n a l
v is it s

U n it e d S t a t e s ____ 352, 535 287,290

+13

15,865
2 , 23C
2,003
1,843
3, 63C
1,077
5,082

12,321
1,414
1,398
1,504
2,919
833
4,253

+16
— IE
-1 4
+95
+34
-8
+24

7,525 3, 544
1,025
816
860
605
545
339
1,826
711
607
244
2,662
829

M id d le A t la n t ic ..
N e w Y o r k ____
N e w J e r se y . . .
P e n n s y l v a n i a ..

47.809
24,983
11,149
11,677

39, 282
20, 411
10, 693
8,178

+13
+20
+3
+13

22,085 8, 527
10,459 4,5 7 2
6,018
456
5, 608 3,499

2,4 1 7 33,095
997 13,305
421 10,356
9,4 3 4
999

E . N . C e n tr a l___
O h io ___________
I n d ia n a ________
I l l i n o i s . . . ____
M ic h ig a n ______
W is c o n s in ______

59,698
16,177
9,293
12, 591
13,116
8, 521

53,313
14, 655
8,805
12,379
10,673
6,801

+15
+27
+26
+11
00
+16

29, 383 6,385
7,804 1, 522
5,065
488
6,094
212
6, 459 2,443
3, 961 1,720

6,884 38, 658 237, 984 89, 043 1,080,901
2,143 14, 201
72, 282 21, 209 294,446
3,242
2,639
33, 681 14, 513 186,958
6,194
415
54,180 28,638 190,021
266 13,105
50, 508 16,164 241,018
818
2, 519
27, 333
8,519 168,458

W . N . C e n tr a l___
M in n e s o t a . . . .
I o w a _________
M is s o u r i_______
N o r th D a k o ta .
S o u th D a k o ta «.
N e b r a s k a .............
K a n s a s ................

39,013 29, 284
8,195
5,833
6,261
8, 657
8,921
9,864
3,695
4,661
108
145
4, 214
1,834
2,632
3,277

+8
+12
+30
+78
-5 6

11,425 9, 729
2,845 2, 362
2,491 2,396
3,036
943
1,036
966
31
37
927 2,380
1,059
645

1, 509 22, 348
836 7,849
136 4,211
44 4,2 9 7
902
109
0
37
82
2,129
302 2,923

104,004 42,959
18,355
6, 574
15, 581
5,646
41,177 20, 708
5,638
2,325
496
227
9,2 3 4
2,691
13,523
4,7 8 8

530,440
157, 297
87,116
133,969
28, 288
33,134
50,528
40,108

649,139
193,341
119,389
184,336
33,991
2,0 9 5
50,724
65,263

S o u th A t l a n t i c .. .
D e la w a r e ___ .
M a r y la n d ____
D is t . o f C o l____
V ir g in ia . _____
W e s t V ir g in ia ..
N o r th C a ro lin a .
S o u th C arolin a
O e o r g ia _______
_.
F lo r id a ___

47,104 33,800
1, 743
1,497
3, 781
2,993
3,43 4
3,833
7, 327
5,078
3, 978
3,068
10, 580
6,582
3,135
2,159
7,219
10,159
2,568
1,770

20,839
1,062
1,751
1,660
3, 674
1,971
4,326
1,602
3, 553
1,240

2,481
53
47
36
297
969
617
24
294
144

14, 657
274
1,347
279
2,290
1,404
1,894
1,294
4,866
1,009

143, 489 62,354
4,323
1,048
17, 286 6,035
10,153
3,941
21,454
8,246
17,784
4,055
25,863 11,386
8,9 5 8
4,115
24,314 14, 030
13,354
9 ,4 9 8

657,449
13,662
55,886
35, 615
47,155
69, 205
100, 249
96, 718
177,273
61, 686

1,026,614
21, 593
80,206
61,138
111, 172
112,050
210, 467
104,954
153,893
171,141

E . S . C e n tr a l. _
K e n t u c k v .. . . .
T e n n e s s e e ___ .
A la b a m a ___
M is s is s ip p i___

23, 778
3,412
8,036
5,142
9,188

16, 766
2,317
5, 076
4,155
5,218

+66
+64
+54
+35
+123

10,516 7,012 24, 632
896
1,440 1,095
2,390
960 21,217
612
2,245
987
4,441 3,970
1,907

8,318
1,435
3,000
2,416
1,467

423,282
88, 276
130,811
121.539
82,656

494,295
93,310
136,464
155, 714
108,807

W . S . C e n tr a l___
A r k a n s a s ______
L o u is ia n a .
..
O k la h o m a . . .
T e x a s ______ .

44,527 37, 789
5,006
5,860
4,348
5, 241
5, 610
6,726
26, 700 22,825

+22
+114
+16
+92
+4

13,295 6,738 146, 513 28,524
1,876
854
3,770
2,268
1,363
4, 536
3,027
893
1,114 1,116
612
2,772
7, 278 3,8 7 5 140,768 18,948

94,456 45,029 488,279
7, 701
4, 517
71,915
21,425
7, 555 100, 589
18, 604
7,584
54, 795
46, 726 25,373 260,980

868, 243
93, 539
142,275
133,645
498, 784

M o u n t a in .. ._ .
M o n t a n a ______
Idaho
_____
W y o m i n g .. _ .
C o lo r a d o _______
N e w M e x ic o
A r iz o n a . _____
U t a h ________
N evad a. . . .

26,533 21, 791
1,021
1,830
2,282
3, 702
1,550
903
7,124
6,407
5, 815
5,566
2,917
3,341
1,740
1,999
1,172
955

+48
+2
+20
+8
+16
+379
+78
-1
+2

9,030 4,7 4 2
628
809
857 1,420
566
647
1,847
717
1,875
249
2,075
424
619
259
563
217

5,656
280
511
52
487
1,324
2,379
559
64

11,070
1,365
1,531
350
3. 252
2,119
1,040
886
527

53,003
4,611
6,278
3,055
14, 704
7, 359
6,782
7,732
2,482

P a c ific ___________
W a s h in g to n ___
O r eg o n _________
C a lifo r n ia ______

47,137
11,701
8,473
26,963

42,375
10, 620
7,019
24, 736

-4
-1 6
-1 1
+5

16,734 4,7 6 2
2, 035 1,081
3,089 1,454
11,610 2, 227

14, 307
682
8,615
5,010

15, 090
2,579
2,5 7 5
9,9 3 6

337
734

223
346

+19
+2

114
388

40
110

156
129

N e w E n g la n d ___
M a i n e ___ ____
N e w H a m p s h ir e
V e r m o n t _______
M a s sa c h u se tts^ .
R h o d e I s l a n d ...
C o n n e c tic u t___

A la sk a
_______
H a w a ii .. _____
j

+35
+21
-2
+21
+13
-2 5
+41
-3 1
+24
+24
+23

140,998 65, 245 205, 266 177,147 1,287,000 566,147 5,680,310 9,349,093

43
123

13,304
246
788
399
2,249
910
3,9 9 8
976
2,9 4 0
798

> P r e lim in a r y .
2 L e s s th a n a h a lf o f 1 p e r c e n t in crea se.
3 E s t im a t e d .
4 O p e r a tio n s su s p e n d e d from J u ly 27 to S e p te m b e r 27.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

717
6C
124
20
166
116
231

5,102
912
819
392
1,168
637
1,174

68,598 27, 793 441,397
8, 342 2,172
30,078
5,875
1,501
25,430
2,902
970
15,056
28,097 14,926 249,153
7, 050 3,1 9 0
39, 602
16,332
5,034
82,078

634,346
49, 290
35,661
15,361
328,167
89,807
116,060

356, 222 181,317 1,358,754 2,200,667
202, 778 133, 256 534, 354 31,124,290
42,930 19, 849 275,200
256,774
110, 514 28,212 549, 200
819, 603

85,866
23, 639
13,136
20, 876
28, 215

45,197
14,195
7,743
8,873
14,386

2,028,936
582,723
209, 673
620,454
470,895
145,194

16,494
1,291
1,938
791
5,355
1,508
2,976
1,641
994

191,831
28,009
13,387
7,861
60,280
33,859
21, 708
21, 255
5,472

339, 840
43,167
48,940
21,204
99, 626
30,749
43, 444
35,074
17, 636

140, 730 54,156
24, 689
6,329
15,342
4,5 8 2
100, 699 43,245

497,112
88, 286
26, 872
381,954

1,083,480
129, 527
114,845
839,108

1,744
9,121

6, 573
16,957

679
1,969

293
1,512

D a t a c o v e r four d a y s , S e p te m b e r 27-30.

1236

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

T a ble 3.— Activities of Public Employment Services in the United States, September

1939— Continued
M EN

)

A p p lic a tio n s

P la c e m e n ts 1

T o ta l
N um ­
b er

A c t iv e
file,
S ep tem ­
b er 30,
P er­
1939
N u m ­ ce n ta g e
ch an ge
b er
from
A u gu st
N ew

P r iv a te
D iv is io n a n d S ta te
Per­
P u b lic
c e n t a g e R e g u la r
c h a n g e (o v e r l
from m o n t h )
A u gu st

T o ta l

362,959

-1

4, 275, 470

15, 218
1,207
832
634
8,0 9 5
1,886
2,564

-2
-1
-1 5
-5
+4
-4
-1 1

291, 576
22,339
17,405
10,950
162, 795
23,037
55,050

8 ,4 3 4 247,779 119,154
4, 539 141,302
92, 234
444
27, 2C5 11,012
79, 272
3, 451
15,908

+24
+37
-2
-1 1

991,932
365,112
198, 682
428,138

13,814
3, 649
2,056
3,041
3,183
1,885

6,115
1,493
446
174
2, 365
1,637

168,882
53, 297
21 ,8 3 9
37, 533
37,605
18,608

54,529
12,481
9 ,0 5 0
18,501
9,696
4,801

-2 0
-2 0

850,256
226,762
145,044
145,440
195,417
137, 593

9,493
2,351
2,2 5 0
925
942
35
2, 351
639

73,478
12, 217
10,742
28, 244
4, 420
359
7,174
10,322

26, 752
3, 643
3,417
12,951
1,620
156
1,680
3,285

-1 1
-2
-1 2
+12
-6 6

+62
+18

5,468
1,304
1,342
1,377
541
14
440
450

-2 9
-1 0

405, 753
124,328
65,463
94,421
22,498
26, 408
40,340
32, 295

18,072
597
1,877
1,325
2,761
1,555
2,8 6 8
1,462
4, 562
1,065

+19
+7
+7
-4
+76
-2 1
+44
+31
+27

10,203
477
1,120
585
1,862
1,083
1,563
1,063
1,746
704

13, 205
246
788
389
2,2 4 4
904
3,9 5 7
1966
2,920
791

98, 669
2,791
11, 756
5,883
13,994
13, 719
16,874
6,4 0 6
17, 690
9 ,5 5 6

39,785
567
3, 560
2,1 9 2
4,8 9 4
2,4 8 7
7,123
2,4 9 5
9, 699
6,768

-8
-1 7
-2 1
+1
-7
-1 3
+16
-2 0
-1 3
-1 0

477,657
8,781
42, 664
22,977
32,762
57,078
65, 753
74,100
128, 212
45,330

17,345
2,319
3,471
3,8 3 9
7, 716

10,383
1,2 3 2
2,533
2,861
3, 757

+81
+75
+85
+35
+144

6,430
829
842
1,564
3,195

6,962
1,087
938
978
3, 959

63,887
17,951
8,0 1 7
15, 716
22,203

31,844
10, 632
4,421
6,3 2 2
10, 469

+3
-3
-4
+4
+14

336,705
70,964
100,973
97,035
67,733

W e s t S o u th C e n tr a l________
A r k a n s a s ________________
L o u is ia n a _______________
O k la h o m a ______________
T e x a s _____ ______________

29,361
4,3 0 2
3,1 0 6
4, 554
17,399

22, 696
3,4 6 3
2,239
3,4 4 5
13,549

5,936
1,034
1,389
335
3,178

6, 665
839
867
1,109
3,850

65, 768
5,243
15,592
14,054
30,879

29,177
3,059
5,000
5,297
15,821

-1 3
0
+3
-2 5
-1 4

387,286
60,942
80,271
45,197
200,876

M o u n t a in ___________________
M o n t a n a _________ ______
I d a h o ......................................
W y o m in g ______ ________
C o lo ra d o _______________
N e w M e x ic o __________
A r iz o n a ______ __________
U t a h ______ ______________
N e v a d a ...................... .............

20,423
1,549
2,888
1,366
5,464
4,8 0 7
2,4 3 6
1,053
860

15, 754
760
1,4 7 7
728
4,760
4,567
2,015
800
647

+29
+177
+34
+162
+1
+59
+4
+14
+15
+28
+454
+87
-2 5
+13

5,7 0 4
471
366
488
927
1,242
1,540
241
429

4,669
789
1,411
638
704
240
421
253
213

41,151
3,911
5,024
2,4 4 6
10,753
6,223
5,1 7 2
5 ,676
1,946

11,042
891
1,384
534
3,5 2 4
941
2,081
968
719

-5
-1 6
-7
-4 4
+6
-2
+28
-3 4
-6

156,342
23,340
11,675
6,131
48,024
28,244
17,644
16,946
4, 338

P a c ific _______________________
W a s h in g to n ____________
O r e g o n __________________
C a lifo r n ia _______________

33,433
8,854
7, 209
17,370
292
591

28,780
7,816
5,761
15,203
179
211

+2
-6
-7
+11

9 ,5 0 6
930
2 ,2 3 5
6,341

4, 653
1,038
1 ,4 4 8
2,1 6 7

99, 681
18,825
1 2 ,397
6 8 ,459

34.168
3.783
3 ,3 5 7
27,028

-1
-9
-4

369,080
71, 239
20, 705
277,136

+17
-1

31
44

113
380

601
1,456

241
1,049

+8
+57

1,533
7,350

64,198 903,882

163,996

+20

70,025

N e w E n g la n d ____________ . .
M a i n e . ____ _____________
N e w H a m p s h ir e ________
V e r m o n t________________
M a s s a c h u s e tts __________
R h o d e I s la n d _________ __
C o n n e c tic u t____________

10, 201
1,481
1,484
1,500
2,082
565
3.0 8 9

6,692
665
895
1,161
1,379
328
2, 264

+22
-2 8
-1 9
+184
+43
+30

3,703
400
500
353
789
240
1,421

3, 509
816
589
339
703
237
815

M id d le A t la n t ic ____________
N e w Y o r k ________ ____
N e w J e r se y _____________
P e n n s y lv a n ia _____ _____

24,196
13, 749
3,798
6,6 4 9

15, 762
9, 210
3,354
3,198

+18
+22
+12
+14

9,1 8 6
4,7 6 6
2, 272
2,148

E a s t N o r th C e n t r a l.._ . . .
O h io _________ __________
I n d ia n a ....................................
Illin o is __________________
M ic h ig a n _______________
W is c o n s in ______________

34,058
9,285
4 ,5 9 4
6, 594
8, 449
5,136

27,943
7, 792
4,148
6,420
6,084
3, 499

+24
+46
+39
+22
(2)
+23

W e s t N o r th C e n tr a l________
M in n e s o ta ______________
I o w a ____________________
M is s o u r i________________
N o r th D a k o t a __________
S o u th D a k o t a 3____ . .
N e b r a s k a .____ _________
K a n s a s __________________

27,017
5,300
5,908
6 ,3 2 0
3,7 7 4
107
3 ,4 4 9
2,159

17, 5 24
2,9 4 9
3, 658
5,395
2,832
72
1,098
1,520

-1
+2
+43
+124
-6 4

S o u th A t la n t ic ......... ...............
D e la w a r e _______________
M a r y la n d _______________
D is t r ic t of C o lu m b ia ___
V ir g i n i a .. _____________
W e s t V ir g in ia ___________
N o r th C a r o lin a _________
S o u th C a r o lin a _________
G e o r g ia ________________
F lo r id a ____________ _____

31, 277
843
2, 665
1,714
5,005
2,4 5 9
6,825
2,428
7,4 8 2
1,856

E a s t S o u th C e n t r a l ____ .
K e n t u c k y ______________
T e n n e s s e e ______________
A l a b a m a _______________
M is s is s ip p i_____________

U n it e d S ta te s _______________ 228,194

A la s k a _______________________
H a w a ii_______________ ______

1 P r e lim in a r y .
2 D e c r e a se of le s s th a n a half^of 1 p e r c e n t.
3 O p er a tio n s s u s p e n d e d from J u ly 27 to S e p te m b e r 27.
< In c r e a se o f le s s th a n a .h a lf o f 1 p e r c e n t.


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

42, 530
5,827
3,648
1,974
16, 742
4, 368
9, 971

-3 0
-1 9
-1 4

0

D a t a c o v e r 4 d a y s , S e p te m b e r 27-30.

Employment Offices

1237

T a b le 3. —Activities of Public Employment Services in the United States, September

1939—Continued
W OM EN

P la c e m e n ts 1

A p p lic a tio n s

P r iv a te

N ew

D iv is io n an d S ta te
T o ta l
N um ­
ber

U n it e d S t a t e s ______ ______

Per­
R egu­
c e n ta g e
lar
ch a n g e (o v er 1
fro m
m o n th )
A u gu st

T o ta l
N um ­
b er

Per­
c e n ta g e
change
fro m
A ugu st

A c tiv e
file,
S e p t.
30,
1939

124, 341

123, 294

+6

70, 973

383,118

203,188

+5

5, 664
749
519
343
1,548
512
1,993

5,629
749
503
343
1,540
505
1,989

+9
-1 0
-2
-6
+27
-1 4
+18

3,822
625
360
192
1,037
367
1,241

26,068
2, 515
2, 227
928
11, 355
2,6 8 2
6, 361

12, 575
965
669
336
6,831
1, 304
2,470

' +3
+20
+11
-2 6
+6
-2 0
+6

M id d le A t la n t ic
___
N e w Y o r k ___ ______ __
N e w J e r s e y ____
___
P e n n s y lv a n ia _____

23, 613
11, 234
7,351
5,0 2 8

23, 520
11, 201
7, 339
4,980

+10
+17
-1
+11

12, 899 108, 443
61, 476
5, 693
3, 746
15, 725
31, 242
3, 460

62,163
41,022
8, 837
12, 304

+14
+18
+15
+3

366, 822
169, 242
76,518
121,062

E a s t N o r th C e n tr a l____
O h io
___________
___
I n d ia n a
I llin o is _____________
M ic h ig a n . ____ ._
W i s c o n s i n ________

25, 640
6,892
4,6 9 9
5,997
4, 667
3, 385

25, 370
6, 863
4, 657
5,959
4,589
3, 302

15, 569
4,155
3,009
3,053
3, 276
2,076

69,102
18, 985
11,842
16, 647
12, 903
8, 725

34, 514
8, 728
5,463
10,137
6, 468
3, 718

-7
-1 2
-2
-1 2
(2)
+7

230, 645
67, 684
41,914
44, 581
45, 601
30, 865

W e s t N o r th C e n tr a l . . .
M i n n e s o t a ____
Iow a.
__ _________
M is s o u r i. ___ . .
N o r th D a k o t a _______
S o u th D a k o t a 3. _
N e b r a s k a ______ _
K a n s a s ___ . __

11, 996
2,895
2,749
3, 544
887
38
765
1,118

11, 760
2, 884
2,603
3, 526
863
36
736
1,112

+36
+24

30, 526
6,1 3 8
4, 839
12, 933
1,218
137
2,060
3,201

16,207
2, 931
2, 229
7, 757
705
71
1,011
1,503

+5
+13
+5
+4
+10

+26

5,957
1, 541
1,149
1,659
495
17
487
609

-9
-1

124, 687
32,969
21, 653
39, 548
5,790
6 726
10,188
7,813

S o u th A t la n t ic ______
D e la w a r e
__ . .
M a r y la n d ____ __
D is tr ic t o f C o lu m b ia . ___
V ir g in ia _________
W e s t V ir g in ia . . . .
N o r th C a r o lin a .
S o u th C a r o lin a .. . .
G eorgia
_ ..
F lo r id a _______
.

15, 827
900
1,116
2,119
2,322
1,519
3,755
707
2, 677
712

15, 728
900
1,116
2,109
2, 317
1, 513
3, 714
697
2, 657
705

-1 5
+23
-2
+17
-4 1
+17
-3 7
-3
+15
+17

10,636
585
631
1, 075
1,812
888
2,763
539
1, 807
536

44,820
1,532
5, 530
4, 270
7. 460
4,0 6 5
8,9 8 9
2, 552
6,624
3, 798

22, 569
481
2,475
1, 749
3, 352
1, 568
4. 263
1,620
4,331
2,730

+7
-2 4
+8
+7
+31
+3
+9
+5
+2
+2

179, 792
4, 881
13, 222
12,638
14, 393
12,127
34, 496
22,618
49,061
16,356

6,433
1,093
2, 565
1,303
1,472

6,383
1,085
2,543
1,294
1,461

+46
+54
+32
+36
+84

4 ,0 8 6
611
1,548
681
1,246

21,979
5,688
5,119
5,160
6,012

13,353
3, 563
3,3 2 2
2, 551
3, 917

+24
+26
+19
+17
+31

86, 577
17, 312
29, 838
24, 504
14,923

15,166
1,558
2,135
2,172
9,301

15,093
1, 543
2,1 0 9
2,165
9,2 7 6

+13
+42
+35
+8

7, 359
842
1 638
779
4,1 0 0

28,
2,
5,
4,
15,

688
458
833
550
847

15,852
1,458
2, 555
2,2 8 7
9,5 5 2

+4
+9
+4
-3
+5

100, 993
10, 973
20, 318
9, 598
60,104

6,110
281
814
184
1,660
1,008
905
946
312

6,037
261
805
175
1,647
999
902
940
308

+26
-3
+33
-1 4
-7
+196
+63
+36
-1 5

3, 326
157
491
78
920
633
535
378
134

11,852
700
1. 254
609
3, 951
1,136
1,610
2, 056
536

5,452
400
554
257
1,831
567
895
673
275

(2)
-1 3
+4
-1 4

35,489
4, 669
1,712
1,730
12, 256
5,615
4, 064
4, 309
1,134

13, 704
2,847
1,264
9, 593

13, 595
2,8 0 4
1,258
9,533

-1 4
-3 5
-2 6

-3

7,228
1,105
854
5,269

41,049
5, 864
2,9 4 5
32, 240

45
143

44
135

+26
+6

12
79

78
513

N e w E n g la n d ________ _______
M a i n e ________ ____
N e w H a m p s h ir e ______
V e r m o n t .. . _
M a s s a c h u s e tts _____
R h o d e I s la n d ____
C o n n e c tic u t___

E a s t S o u th C en tral________
K e n t u c k y .. _ _____
T e n n e s se e . . . .
A la b a m a _____ ___
M is s is s ip p i_______ ____
W e s t S o u th C e n tr a l ____
A r k a n s a s ___________
L o u is ia n a .. . . . . . .
O k la h o m a _______
T e x a s ____________
M o u n t a in .. ______ ___
M o n t a n a _______________
Idaho
_____ . . .
W y o m in g ________ .
C o lo r a d o . __ _________
N e w M e x ic o ___________
A r iz o n a ____
U t a h ____
___
N e v a d a __________
P a c ific
________ _ _ ______
W a s h in g to n ________________
O r eg o n . . . . _ . . .
________
C a lifo r n ia ______ _________
A la s k a _______________________________
H a w a ii__________ __________________

+10
+16
(2)
+9
+24
+24

149, 821
7, 739
8,0 2 5
4,1 0 6
86,358
16, 565
27,028

T

19, 988
2,546
1,225
16, 217

+21
+44
-3 1
+1
-4
-1 6
-1 2
-1

128, 032
17,047
6.167
104,818

52
463

+33
+71

211
1, 771

1
P r e lim in a r y .
3 In c rea se o f le ss th a n a h a lf of 1 p e r c e n t.
3 O p er a tio n s su s p e n d e d fr o m J u ly 27 to S e p te m b e r 27. D a t a c o v e r 4 d a y s , S e p te m b e r 27-30.


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

1,404. 840

Benefits Paid, by States, September 1939

1238

T a ble 4. — Unemployment Compensation— Initial and Reopened, and Continued Claims Received in Central Offices, and Number and Amount oj

[P r e lim in a r y d a ta re p o r te d b y S ta te a g e n c ie s, co r recte d t o O c t. 10,1939]

I n itia l a n d r e o p e n e d
c la im s re c e iv e d

C o n tin u e d c la im s
re c e iv e d

A v e r a g e w e e k ly b e n e ­
fit p a y m e n t s b y t y p e
of u n e m p lo y m e n t

B e n e fits p a id

S ta te
N um ber

P e r c e n t­
age
ch a n g e
fro m
A ugu st

N um b er

P e r c e n t­
age
ch a n g e
fro m
A u gu st

N um ber
A ll p a y m e n ts

P e r c e n t­
age
ch an ge
fro m
A ugu st

T o ta l
u n e m p lo y ­
m en t

P a r tia l
u n e m p lo y ­
m en t 1

—24. 6

3, 310, 530

- 2 3 .2

3,2 2 8 ,1 4 3

$33,805,568

-2 4 .0

5,6 7 2
472
1,6 9 9
3, 463
30,117
3,0 3 5
9,8 4 6
1,090
1,560
6,3 8 2

-3 8 .0
+ 4 3 .0
-3 7 .6
- 2 7 .5
-1 5 .2
- 9 .6
-2 5 .6
-2 8 .9
- 2 .3
- 4 0 .7

57, 225
1,540
10,997
21, 666
252,320
17,322
44,019
6 ,6 4 7
15,521
8 7 ,698

- 1 4 .8
-5 .7
- 1 9 .1
- 2 2 .1
- 1 5 .9
- 3 2 .3
- 2 4 .4
-8 .2
- 1 1 .0
+ 8 .4

55,416
1,060
10, 525
21,055
233,479
16,758
48,888
6,501
12, 239
84,438

387,949
15,150
114,966
127,103
2,4 9 5 ,7 8 1
170,031
465,196
53, 586
96,752
732,543

-1 0 .2
- 1 5 .4
- 1 1 .1
-1 9 .8
-2 3 .7
-3 6 .8
-1 2 .6
-1 5 .5
- 7 .5
+ 2 7 .5

$7.32
15.44
11.08
6.3 3
11.48
10.50
(2)
9. 28
8 .1 0
9 .2 3

$5.88
5. 21
7.6 8
4 .0 0
6.30
7. 77
(2)
4.31
6 .6 5
7.85

I d a h o _____________ _________ . _____ . .
I llin o is ___________________________________
I n d ia n a ______________ ___ _________
..
I o w a . . . ________________________________
K a n s a s . _____________ . _______
. ..

8,3 9 2
'8 6 7
776
42,300
6,877
6, 217
3,7 0 2
3 13,150
9; 839
4 ,0 6 9

- 2 1 .0
+88 5
- 1 3 .3
-2 9 .8
- 5 0 .3
- 1 .4
- 1 8 .5
+133. 6
-1 3 .1
- 5 .8

46, 815
2 ,8 4 0
4 ,0 8 6
331,376
56, 762
27,072
14, 051
42, 081
59,384
25, 503

- 1 8 .5
+ 1 2 .7
-2 0 .1
+ 7 .8
-3 8 .6
- 2 9 .3
- 1 .4
- 1 5 .0
- 8 .6
- 4 .4

45,947
2,839
5,484
334,670
56,453
30,796
14,104
40, 713
56,727
22,383

318,438
25,712
53,227
3 ,9 2 4 ,1 2 8
529, 224
308,988
129,443
337,898
454,476
151,516

- 1 2 .4
+ 8 .3
- 2 3 .9
+ 2 1 .4
- 4 2 .0
+ 4 .9
+ .7
- 1 7 .6
- 3 .1
- 4 .7

7. 21
9.43
10.39
12.85
10.78
10. 22
9 .8 3
8 .4 0
8 .3 5
7 .1 2

3,6 4 4
38’ 465
16, 757
4,0 6 4
4,0 0 6
12, 023

- 5 6 .4
- 6 .3
- 6 0 .7
- 1 9 .4
- 2 4 .5
- 1 6 .0

57,393
148,822
262; 189
35.424
15,941
56,801

- 3 0 .2
- 2 6 .8
- 5 1 .0
- 1 7 .2
- 2 0 .0
- 1 2 .0

46,800
166,485
28i; 227
3 34,039
14,964
54.080

444,364
1,620, 587
3,744; 499
349, 550
86,887
496,366

-1 4 .0
-1 6 .0
-5 2 .0
-1 4 .0
-1 3 .4
- 4 .7

9. 79
9 .7 4
6 1 3 .5 6
10. 61
5 .8 9
9 .5 9

M ic h ig a n ____
. . . ____________________
M i n n e s o t a .. __________ ___________ _____
M is s is s ip p i______________________________
M is s o u r i____________ _______ ____________
FRASER

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

A m o u n t of
p a y m en ts
s in c e b e n e ­
fits fir st
p a y a b le

$739,023,304

474,903
A la b a m a _______________________________
A la s k a ___________________ ___________ A r i z o n a ...
___ . . .
--------------------- . . .
A r k a n s a s ____________ __ . . . ----------------C a lifo r n ia ________ ______________________
C o lo r a d o .
_______________ _______ . . .
C o n n e c t ic u t ______ __ . . _______________
D e la w a r e . . . ______ ___________________
D is tr ic t o f C o lu m b ia ___________________
F lo r id a __________________________________

L o u is ia n a _____________________ _________

D a te b en e­
fits fir st
p a y a b le

1938
1939
1938
1939
1938
1939
1938
1939
1938
1939

11, 577,594
278,437
3 ,1 0 4 ,9 6 2
1,4 5 6 ,0 5 7
5 2 ,4 85,739
2 ,9 0 5 ,6 0 8
16, 507,624
572,837
2 ,8 2 0 ,8 3 8
2, 363,313

3.91
5 .6 9
8.74
7.69
4.93
6.31
5.92
* 6.27
6.23
5.37

____ d o .
____ d o .
_______
S e p te m b e r 1938
1939
J u ly
1938
A p r il
J u ly
1938
January
1939
____ do_
.
January
1938
____ do_ __

2,503, 528
167,754
2,364, 592
7,528, 288
24,933,673
7,1 9 8 ,8 9 9
1 ,905,026
4, 228,711
8,8 9 7 ,8 4 7
6 ,9 7 0 ,8 0 2

6.69
( s)
6 ? 7.34
7.41
5 4.6 7
5 .8 8

____ do_
______
____ d o .
_____ __
1938
J u ly
January
1938
1938
A p r il
January
1939

14,904,670
42, 206,502
7 1 ,8 18,298
14, 532,875
2,5 7 9 ,8 7 5
4,1 1 9 ,1 3 4

January
Jahuary
January
January
January
January
January
January
January
January

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

A m ount

Montana_____
Nebraska_____
Nevada_______
New Hampshire

2, 223
1,700
755
3,5 6 6

+ 1 0 .2
- 1 5 .9
- 1 9 .0
+ 9 .9

12,626
7,581
5,087
12, 204

+ 1 5 .4
-1 2 .4
-4 .0
- 5 .8

11, 537
6,9 5 9
4,9 3 5
12,130

131,864
59,894
60, 938
97,038

+ 6 .5
- 1 3 .9
+ .6
- 2 .2

11.43
8. 70
8 13.31
8 .6 6

New Jersey____
New Mexico___
New York____
North Carolina.
North Dakota. .
Ohio........ .........
Oklahoma____
Oregon___ ___
Pennsylvania__
Rhode Island__

14,700
1,182
57, 957
18,193
301
15,141
6, 522
3, 570
42, 447
9,763

- 1 2 .3
- 2 4 .9
- 1 4 .7
+ 2 1 .0
- 1 7 .1
- 1 4 .4
- 1 7 .5
+. 8
- 3 8 .0
- 2 0 .4

93, 284
11,462
8 424,106
75, 948
2,379
198,889
25,473
22, 372
334,139
64,523

-3 0 .7
- 1 0 .6
- 2 6 .1
- 2 5 .7
-2 2 .0
-1 8 .8
-8 .7
- 1 9 .9
- 2 9 .8
-4 .8

95, 616
10,828
405, 574
53, 261
1,952
170, 213
22,919
16,429
366, 777
64, 523

949, 685
110, 597
4 ,8 8 3 ,9 6 8
286, 968
18,185
1, 602, 362
220,935
184, 979
4,1 3 6 , 863
600, 512

- 2 9 .8
- 7 .1
-2 5 .5
- 2 5 .5
-3 4 .4
-2 8 .0
-1 2 .9
- 2 7 .4
-3 2 .3
-5 .9

9. 97
10. 59
8 12.04
5.6 1
9 .5 2
10.46
10. 08
12.19
11.64
8 10. 08

South Carolina..
South Dakota 10.
Tennessee_____
Texas........ ........
Utah_________
Vermont______
Virginia______
Washington___
West Virginia..
Wisconsin____
Wyoming_____

7,634
146
7,285
17, 543
1,975
1,825
5,4 5 6
4, 262
5,685
H 5, 626
962

- 3 5 .8

26, 538
474
76,011
63,643
11,240
5,148
39,454
28, 785
35, 586
26, 583
5, 500

- 3 7 .9

30, 567
422
53, 578
50,997
10, 953
4,9 7 7
38,146
27, 578
37, 269
27,584
4,349

171, 462
3,603
395, 541
819, 061
120, 083
36,583
305, 497
326,935
309, 687
288,441
51, 527

+ 1 2 .2

6 .4 4
8. 53
7. 65
(» )
8 12 10. 95
7. 95
8 .3 5
12.36
7 .8 8
11.22
13.45

( 10)

- 1 5 .3
- 2 1 .3
- 1 6 .1
- 1 5 .4
-2 3 . 9
- 1 4 .1
- 7 7 .2
- 1 8 .5
- 1 1 .2

( 10)

-7 .8
- 7 .9
- 2 5 .4
+ 1 3 .6
- 2 3 .9
- 2 1 .8
- 3 4 .9
-2 0 .4
- 1 9 .6

( 10)

- 1 1 .0
- 5 .3
- 2 0 .6
+ 1 3 .1
- 2 5 .7
- 2 1 .3
- 3 3 .5
-6 .0
- 2 4 .9

(5)
7 .0 6
« 10. 21
4. 58

1939
J u ly
January
1939
____ d o - __
January
1938

271,525
1 ,0 5 8 ,1 2 4
605,157
3 ,8 8 9 ,0 7 9

(5)

January
D ecem ber
January
___ d o ____
January
____ d o ____
D ecem b er
January
____ d o ,
____ d o . __

1939
1938
1938

12, 367,989
977,931
152, 097,180
12, 024, 582
454, 280
18, 709,629
3, 540,857
9, 326, 758
118, 487,809
13, 946,380

8. 08
(5)
3 .6 3
7. 69
4. 97
6 .7 6
7 .4 6
( 8)

« 4 . 56
3 .8 7
5. 51
4 .8 9
(“ )
8 12 11.39
4 .5 0
5.1 4
8 .1 4
( 13)

5.31
8. 37

J u ly
January
January
____ d o ____
____ d o .
___ d o _____
____ d o ____
January
January
J u ly
January

1939
1938
1938

1938
1939
1938

1939
1938
1936
1939

2 ,3 0 2 ,4 6 0
312,817
9, 683, 008
1 7 ,6 7 1 ,1 2 2
3,8 5 9 , 817
1, 283, 721
9, 397, 050
4, 771, 610
1 5 ,7 0 1 ,3 1 7
14,394, 490
9 5 5 ,129

1 Includes payments for part-total unemployment except where otherwise noted.
2 Break-down not available.
8 Includes 9,164 initial claims for miners. The filing of these claims was delayed due to labor disputes.
* Part-total unemployment only.
Provision for payment of benefits for partial unemployment becomes effective January 1940.
5 The following States have no provision in their State laws for the payment of benefits for partial unemployment: Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, N ew Jersey, N ew York,
and Pennsylvania. All the above, with the exception of Mississippi, have no provision for the reduction of the full-time weekly benefit amount for total unemployment resulting from
some earnings, i. e., “part-total” unemployment.
6 Includes irregular payments.
7 Includes payments for partial unemployment made on a monthly basis.
8 Represents number of compensable weeks for which 30,767 cheeks were issued.
8 Compensable continued claims only.
10 State agency not operating in August. Operations were suspended from July 28 to September 27, 1939. September data cover the last 4 days of the month.
11 Checks written bi-weekly.
12 Payments for part-total unemployment included with payments for total unemployment.
18 West Virginia makes payments for partial unemployment on a quarterly basis.
14 Excludes claims for partial unemployment.

o

1239


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

,0

Trend o f Employment and Pay Rolls

SUM MARY OF REPO R TS FOR SE PT E M B E R 1939
Total Nonagricultural Employment
MORE than 500,000 workers were returned to employment in non­
agricultural occupations between August and September. The major
portion of this increase was in manufacturing industries, although
there were also substantial gains in wholesale and retail trade, mining,
and transportation. Compared with September a year ago, there
were approximately 1,150,000 more workers employed in September
1939 in nonagricultural industries. These figures do not include
emergency employment which decreased 123,000 in September.
Decreases of 116,000 on projects operated by the Work Projects
Administration and 21,000 in the Civilian Conservation Corps were
partly offset by an increase of 14,000 on work projects of the National
Youth Administration, leaving a net decrease of 123,000.
Industrial and Business Employment
Employment gains from August to September were reported for
73 of the 90 manufacturing industries surveyed by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics and for 11 of the 16 nonmanufacturing industries
covered. Increases in pay rolls were shown by 67 manufacturing
and 11 nonmanufacturing industries.
Factory employment rose 3.8 percent from August to September, a
gain of nearly 300,000 wage earners, and weekly pay rolls increased
4.3 percent, or $7,300,000. The usual seasonal increases for Septem­
ber are 1.2 percent in employment and 1.0 percent in pay rolls. The
September factory employment index of 100.0 (taking the 3-year
average 1923-25 as 100) was 8.7 percent higher than September 1938
and above the level of any month since November 1937. Although
the recovery in recent months has been unusually pronounced and
the employment index has equaled the 1923-25 average level for the
first time in 22 months, factory employment in September of this year
was still approximately 10 percent below the levels reached in July
and August of 1937. The current factory pay-roll index (93.6) was
14.7 percent higher than a year ago and above the level of any month
since October 1937.
1240

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Trend of Employment and Pay Rolls

1241

As in July and August, most of the employment gains were larger
than seasonal, particularly in the durable goods industries. Among
the industries showing such increases were automobiles (106,700
workers); steel (16,700 workers); electrical machinery (9,800 workers);
cottonseed oil, cake, and meal (8,200 workers); rayon and allied prod­
ucts (7,200 workers); foundries and machine shops (6,400 workers);
furniture (5,500 workers); wirework (5,200 workers); brass, bronze,
and copper products (4,900 workers); fertilizers (4,500 workers);
machine tools (4,500 workers); shipbuilding (4,100 workers); lighting
equipment (3,500 workers); millinery (3,200 workers); beet sugar
(2,700 workers); chemicals (2,600 workers); and flour (1,500 workers).
Gains of about seasonal proportions were reported for cotton goods
(9,700 workers), paper boxes (2,600 workers), and dyeing and finish­
ing textiles (1,700 workers). Confectionery establishments and
women’s clothing firms reported smaller-than-seasonal employment
increases of 8,000 workers and 5,700 workers, respectively. The 3.8
percent increase in aircraft manufacturing employment continued the
unbroken succession of monthly gains which began in October of last
year and raised the employment level for this industry to an all-time
high, which was nearly three times the 1929 level.
The principal employment declines from August to September were
largely seasonal and were shown in shoe factories (8,000 workers),
woolen mills (7,300 workers), hosiery firms (2,500 workers), beverage
plants (2,200 workers), ice-cream plants (1,600 workers), and canesugar refineries (1,200 workers). The decline in the cane-sugar
refining industry was due to labor difficulties.
Retail stores reported a slightly better-than-average September
employment gain of 5.8 percent, or 186,000 workers. General mer­
chandising concerns increased their forces seasonally by 11.4 percent
and apparel stores by 20.9 percent. In food stores and in firms deal­
ing in fuel, the September increases of 1.2 percent and 5.7 percent,
respectively, were larger than the average September gains of the pre­
ceding 5 years. Employment in retail automobile establishments
showed about the usual autumn employment decline (0.6 percent)
preceding the showing of new models. In the remaining important
groups of retail trade, employment changes followed the usual seasonal
trend.
Employment in wholesale trade showed a greater-than-seasonal
expansion of 1.6 percent, or 22,000 workers, virtually all lines of whole­
sale activity reporting gains. The September employment level for
this industry (90.4 percent of the 1929 average) was above that
registered during any of the preceding 18 months.
Coal mines continued to recall more workers in September, anthra­
cite mines increasing their forces by 1,200 wage earners and bituminouscoal mines by 19,000. In each of these industries, pay rolls rose more

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1242

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

sharply than employment, reflecting increased production. Metal
mines also reported an employment gain (3,000 workers), while
quarries and nonmetallic mines reported a smaller-than-seasonal
decline of 0.5 percent. Oil wells reduced their forces, reflecting cur­
tailed operations in a number of States. Public utilities reported
little change in employment, while brokerage firms, responding to
increased market activity in mid-September, showed a large employ­
ment gain.
Employment in private building construction showed an increase of
0.6 percent from August to September, according to reports from
14,106 contractors employing 145,605 workers, and the volume of pay
rolls increased 1.5 percent. There were employment gains in five of
the nine geographic divisions. The South Atlantic States and the
New England States showed the most marked employment improve­
ment with gains of 2.8 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively. In­
creases of 1.0 percent, 0.7 percent, and 0.4 percent were reported for
the West North Central, East North Central, and the East South
Central States, respectively. A continued recession in all Mountain
States except Montana, Idaho, and Utah resulted in a net reduction
of 3.0 percent for this area. Employment in the Middle Atlantic
States fell 0.5 percent, slight decreases in New York and New Jersey
nullifying a small gain in Pennsylvania. In the West South Central
States, employment decreased 0.2 percent, and in the Pacific States,
0.1 percent. The reports on which the figures are based do not cover
construction projects financed by the Works Progress Administra­
tion, the Public Works Administration, and the Reconstruction Fi­
nance Corporation, or by regular appropriations of the Federal, State,
or local Governments.
A preliminary report of the Interstate Commerce Commission
showed an employment gain by class I railroads from August to
September of 1.4 percent, the total number at work in September
being 1,019,063. Corresponding pay rolls were not available when
this report was prepared. For August they were $160,315,811, an
increase of 3.5 percent over the July figure of $154,856,716.
Hours and earnings.-—The average hours worked per week by wage
earners in manufacturing industries were 37.9 in September, a decrease
of 0.3 percent since August. The average hourly earnings of these
workers were 64.3 cents, a gain of 0.7 percent as compared with the
preceding month. Average weekly earnings of factory workers
climbed 0.5 percent to $24.69.
Of the 14 nonmanufacturing industries for which man-hours are
available, 7 showed increases in average hours worked per week and
11 showed gains in average hourly earnings. Twelve of the 16 non­
manufacturing industries surveyed reported higher average weekly
earnings.

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1243

Trend of Employment and Pay Rolls

Employment and pay-roll indexes and average weekly earnings in
September 1939 for all manufacturing industries combined, for selected
nonmanufacturing industries, and for class I railroads, with percentage
changes over the month and year intervals, are presented in table 1.
T

a b l e 1 . —Employment, P ay Rolls, and Earnings in A ll Manufacturing Industries
Combined and in Nonmanufacturing Industries, September 1939 (Preliminary Figures)

P e r c e n ta g e
c h a n g e fro m —

I n d u s tr y
In d ex,
S e p te m ­
b er 1939

A u­
g u st
1939

S ep ­
te m b e r
1938

( 1922-25
= 100)

A ll m a n u fa c tu r in g in d u str ie s
c o m b in e d 7___________________
C la ss I s te a m railro a d s 2_______

C o a l m in in g :
A n th r a c ite 8__________ _____
B it u m in o u s 4_____ _______
M e ta llife r o u s m in in g __________
Q u a rr y in g a n d n o n m e ta llic
m in in g ______ ___ _
__ _
C r u d e -p e tr o le u m p r o d u c in g ___
P u b lic u tilitie s :
T e le p h o n e a n d te le g r a p h _
E le c tr ic lig h t a n d p o w e r
a n d m a n u fa c tu r e d g a s___
E le ctric -ra ilro a d a n d m o ­
to r b u s o p e r a tio n an d
m a in t e n a n c e ____________
T rad e:
W h o le s a le __________ ______
R e t a il___________ _________
G eneral m e r c h a n d is in g .
O th er t h a n
gen eral
m e r c h a n d is in g . _
H o t e ls (y ea r-r o u n d ) 47_________
L a u n d r ie s 4____________________
D y e in g a n d c le a n in g 4__________
B r o k e r a g e ______________________
I n s u r a n c e ___________ ___ ___
B u ild in g c o n s tr u c tio n _________

100.0
57.1

A v e r a g e w e e k ly
ea r n in g s

P a y ro lls

E m p lo y m e n t

In d ex,
S e p te m b e r 1939

A ver­
P e r c e n ta g e
ch a n g e fro m —
age
in
S ep ­
S ep ­
tem ­
A u­
te m ­
ber
g u st
ber
1939
1939
1938

P e r c e n ta g e
c h a n g e fro m —
A u­
g u st
1939

S ep­
tem ­
ber
1938

(1 9 8 3 -2 5
= 100)

+ 3 .8
+ 1 .4

+ 8 .7
+ 5 .8

9 3 .6
(3)

+ 4 .3
(3)

+ 1 4 .7
(3)

$24. 69
(3)

+ 0 .5
(3)

+ 5 .5
(3)

(1 9 2 9 =
100)

(1 9 8 9 =
100)

4 9 .4
8 5 .6
63.1

+ 1 .9
+ 5 .1
+ 4 .5

+ 6 .4
+ 2 .6
+ 1 4 .3

4 0 .0
8 1 .0
5 5 .2

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

+ 3 6 .2
+ 1 2 .6
+ 1 9 .8

26.8 6
25. 56
27. 46

+ 1 6 .1
+ 3 .0
+ .1

+ 2 8 .0
+ 9 .8
+ 4 .8

4 8 .0
6 5 .0

- .5
- 2 .6

+ 7 .7
-9 .2

4 2 .8
6 0 .8

- .4
- 2 .0

+11. 5
- 8 .6

22. 26
34.33

(•)
+ .7

+ 3 .5
+ .6

75 .3

-.3

+ .5

9 4 .8

+ .5

+ 2 .4

«30. 77

+ .9

+ 1 .8

9 3 .8

+ (*)

+ 1 .5

101.2

+ .1

+ 2 .8

» 3 3 .96

+ .1

+ 1 .3

+ 2 .9

« 3 2 .91

- .9

+ 2 .1

-4-4.8 »30.00
+ 4 . 2 « 2 0 .95
4-3. 5 « 17.62

+ .5
- 1 .5
- 2 .3

+ 2 .5
+ 1 .2
+ .3

- 1 .1
- .2
- .3
+ 4 .7
+ 4 .6
+ .3
+ .8

+ 1 .4
+ 2 .7
+ 2 .4
- 1 .8
+ 4 .3
+ 1 .4
+ 5 .0

6 9 .9

+ .1

+ .8

7 0 .4

- .8

9 0 .4
87 .3
100.1

+ 1 .6
+ 5 .8
+ 1 1 .4

+ 2 .2
+ 3 .1
+ 3 .2

7 7 .8
7 2 .3
8 8 .3

+ 2 .1
+ 4 .2
+ 8 .9

8 3 .9
9 1 .2
9 7 .7
105. 2
(3)
(3)
(3)

+ 4 .1
+ 1 .5
-1 .4
+ 2 .4
+ 6 .0
- .4
+.6

+ 2 .9
- .7
+ 1 .3
- 2 .4
- 1 .0
+ .9
+ 8 .0

6 9 .0
8 0 .4
8 4 .4
78 .3
(3)
(3)
(3)

+ 2 .9
+ 1 .3
- 1 .8
+ 7 .2
+ 1 0 .9
- .2
+ 1 .5

+ 4 .3
+ 2 .0
+ 3 .7
-4 .2
-j 3 .2
+ 2 .4
+ 1 3 .5

«23. 77
« 1 5 .15
17.67
20.3 5
«36.81
«34.10
31.05

1 R e v is e d in d exes; a d ju s te d to 1937 C e n su s o f M a n u fa c tu r e s .
2 P r e lim in a r y source— I n te r s ta te C o m m erce C o m m is sio n .
3 N o t a v a ila b le .
4 I n d e x e s a d ju ste d to 1935 c e n su s. C o m p a r a b le series b a ck to J a n u a r y 1929 p r e se n te d in J a n u a r y 1938
is s u e of th e p a m p h le t, E m p lo y m e n t a n d P a y R o lls .
8 L e ss th a n h a lf of 1 p erc en t.
6 A v e r a g e w e e k ly ear n in gs n o t s tr ic tly c o m p a ra b le w it h fig u res p u b lis h e d in iss u e s o f t h e M o n t h ly L a b o r
R e v ie w d a te d earlier th a n A p r il 1938 (e x c e p t for th e J a n u a r y figu res a p p e a r in g in t h e M a r c h is s u e ), a s t h e y
n o w e x c lu d e cor p o r a tio n officers, e x e c u tiv e s , a n d o th er e m p lo y e e s w h o s e d u tie s are m a in ly s u p e r v is o r y .
7 C a sh ’ p a y m e n ts o n ly ; th e a d d itio n a l v a lu e o f b o a rd , ro o m , a n d t ip s c a n n o t b e c o m p u te d .

Public Employment
Because the 1935, 1936, and 1937 Public Works Administration
construction programs are rapidly nearing completion and because
there were few new contract awards on the 1938 program, employment
on construction projects financed from PWA funds declined from
263,000 in August to 247,000 for the month ending September 15.
During September, 225,000 workers were employed ^on projects
185451— 39------ 15


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1244

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

financed from 1938 funds and 22,000 on projects financed from
National Industrial Recovery Act and Emergency Relief Appropria­
tion Acts of 1935, 1936, and 1937 funds. Pay-roll disbursements
for the month were $22,986,000, or $833,000 less than in August.
Employment on United States Housing Authority low-rent housingprojects continued to rise with an increase of 4,000 for the month
ending September 15. Employment for the month was 22,000 and
pay rolls amounted to $2,518,000. These figures cover new construc­
tion and demolition and pertain only to those projects started under
the USHA; those formerly under the Public Works Administration
are shown under the PWA building-construction projects in this
report.
Increases on almost all types of construction projects financed from
regular Federal appropriations brought employment up to 287,000,
an increase of 11,000 over August. Sizable increases were reported
on the construction of naval vessels; nonresidential building con­
struction; locks and dams; reclamation projects; and dredging, dyke,
and revetment projects. Pay-roll disbursements for the month
ending September 15 were $30,677,000.
Employment on construction projects financed by the Reconstruc­
tion Finance Corporation showed a slight increase during the month
ending September 15. Approximately 2,600 men were employed and
wage payments amounted to $314,000.
Employment on projects operated by the Work Projects Admin­
istration continued to decline when the number at work dropped
from 1,835,000 in August to 1,719,000 in September. Pay-roll dis­
bursements of $90,355,000 were $17,485,000 less than in August.
A decrease was also reported in Federal agency projects financed by
the Work Projects Administration. The number at work in Sep­
tember was 81,000 and pay rolls were $3,921,000.
Employment on work projects of the National Youth Administra­
tion increased from 211,000 in August to 225,000 in September, an
increase of 14,000. The Student Aid program, after being inactive
for 2 months, employed 62,000 students during September. Pay rolls
on the work projects were $4,222,000 and on the Student Aid program,
$268,000.
Decreased employment in the Civilian Conservation Corps was
attributed to the fact that many enrollees resigned to accept private
employment. The decrease amounted to 21,000, and of the 312,000
remaining on the pay roll, 274,100 were enrollees; 1,700, reserve
officers; 1,600, educational advisers; 300, nurses; and 34,300, super­
visory and technical employees. Pay rolls for the whole group were
$14,146,000.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1245

T re n d o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d P a y R olls

Increased employment was reported in all four of the regular
services of the Federal Government. Of the 940,000 employees in
the executive service, 126,000 were working in the District of Columbia
and 814,000 outside the District. Force-account employees (em­
ployees who are on the Federal pay roll and are engaged on construc­
tion projects) were 10.3 percent of the total number of employees in
the executive service. Increased employment was reported in the
War and Navy Departments, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and
The Panama Canal; while decreases were reported in the Department
of Agriculture and the Federal Works Agency.
Employment on State-financed road projects increased 5,000 in
the month ending September 14 as compared with August. Of the
161,000 at work in September, 26,000 were on new road construction
and 135,000 on maintenance. Pay rolls for both types of road work
were $11,621,000, a decrease of $285,000 from August.
A summary of Federal employment and pay-roll data for September
is given in table 2.
T able 2. — Summary of Federal Employment and P ay Rolls, August and September

1939 1 (Preliminary Figures)
P a y ro lls

E m p lo y m e n t

S e p te m ­
b er

F e d e r a l serv ices:
939,876
E x e c u t iv e 2--------- -------------------------2,282
J u d ic ia l- .- _____________________ - 5, 551
L e g is la t iv e ----------376,480
M ilit a r y
_______ - ------------ --C o n s tr u c tio n p rojects:
247,422
F in a n c e d b y P W A 5-_ --------------21,958
U S H A lo w -r e n t h o u s in g ________ 2,646
F in a n c e d b y R F C 6---------- -F in a n c e d b y regular F e d e r a l ap286, 652
p r o p r ia tio n s
. . . . ------F e d e r a l a g e n c y p ro jects fin a n c e d b y
81,319
t h e W o r k P r o je c ts A d m in is t r a t io n ..
1, 718,896
P r o je c ts o p e r a te d b y W P A — N a tio n a l Y o u t h A d m in istr a tio n :
225,477
W o r k p rojects __ . . ---------------61,844
311,910
C iv ilia n C o n s e r v a tio n C o r p s----------- ---

P er­
cent
age
ch a n g e

A ugu st

P er­
c e n t­
age
ch a n g e

S e p te m b e r

A u gu st

3 933, 386
2,162
5, 532
372, 853

+ 0 .7
+ 5 .6
+ .3
+ 1 .0

$141, 629,861
568,434
1,247, 594
2 9,165,321

3 $141, 733, 064
554,291
1,250, 506
29,1 5 2 ,9 2 7

- 0 .1
+ 2 .6
- .2
+ (4)

263,036
17,930
2,555

- 5 .9
+ 2 2 .5
+ 3 .6

22,9 8 5 ,5 1 3
2, 517, 739
314,061

23,8 1 9 ,0 7 5
2, 097,061
288, 736

- 3 .5
+ 2 0 .1
+ 8 .8

275, 506

+ 4 .0

30, 677, 007

28, 094,698

+ 9 .2

93,809
1,834, 686

- 1 3 .3
- 6 .3

3 ,9 2 1 ,4 9 4
90, 354, 584

3, 671,127
107,840,110

+ 6 .8
- 1 6 .2

211,195

+ 6 .8

+ 1 .7

- 6 .4

4 ,2 2 1 ,7 5 9
268,452
14,145,853

4 ,1 5 0 ,9 7 3

333,121

14,816,914

- 4 .5

C lass

1 I n c lu d e s d a ta o n p ro jects fin a n c e d w h o lly or p a r tia lly fro m F e d e r a l fu n d s .
2 I n c lu d e s fo rce -a cco u n t a n d su p e r v is o r y a n d te c h n ic a l e m p lo y e e s s h o w n u n d e r o th er c la ssific a tio n s to th e
e x te n t o f 132,695 e m p lo y e e s a n d p a y -r o ll d is b u r se m e n ts o f $16,253,503 for S e p te m b e r 1939, a n d 126,570 e m ­
p lo y e e s a n d p a y -r o ll d is b u r se m e n ts of $16,095,375 for A u g u s t 1939.
s R e v is e d .
4 L e s s t h a n a t e n t h o f 1 p e r c e n t.
„
, _
_ .. .
6 D a t a co v e r in g P W A p rojects fin a n c e d fro m N a tio n a l I n d u s tr ia l R e c o v e r y A c t fu n d s , E m e r g e n c y R e lie f
A p p r o p r ia tio n A c ts o f 1935, 1936, a n d 1937 fu n d s , a n d P u b lic W o rk s A d m in is tr a tio n A p p r o p r ia tio n A c t o f
1938 fu n d s are in c lu d e d . T h e s e d a ta are n o t s h o w n u n d e r p ro jects fin a n c e d b y t h e W o r k P r o je c ts A d m in is ­
tr a tio n . I n c lu d e s 15,213 w a g e earners a n d $1,451,935 p a y ro ll for S e p te m b e r 1939; 17,773 w a g e earners a n d
$1,757,377 p a y roll for A u g u s t 1939, c o v e r in g P u b lic W o rk s A d m in is tr a tio n p ro jects fin a n c e d fro m E m e r ­
g e n c y R e lie f A p p r o p r ia tio n A c ts of 1935,1936, a n d 1937 fu n d s . I n c lu d e s 225,560 w a g e earners a n d $20,688,881
p a y roll for S e p te m b e r 1939; 239,071 w a g e earners a n d $21,261,831 p a y ro ll for A u g u s t 1939, co v e r in g P u b lic
W o rk s A d m in is tr a tio n p rojects fin a n c e d fro m fu n d s p r o v id e d b y t h e P u b lic W o r k s A d m in is tr a tio n A p p r o ­
p r ia tio n A c t of 1938.
„
,
____ „ „
.
.
6 I n c lu d e s 603 e m p lo y e e s a n d p a y -r o ll d is b u r se m e n ts of $56,200 for S e p te m b e r 1939; 573 e m p lo y e e s a n d
p a y -r o ll d is b u r se m e n ts o f $58,401 for A u g u s t 1939 o n p ro jects fin a n c e d b y t h e R F C M o r tg a g e C o .
7 S tu d e n t A id p rogram n o t in o p era tio n d u r in g A u g u s t 1939.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1246

M o n th ly L a b o r R e view — N o vem b er 1939

D E T A IL E D R EPO R TS FOR AUGUST 1939
A MONTHLY report on employment and pay rolls is published as a
separate pamphlet by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This gives
detailed data regarding employment, pay rolls, working hours, and
earnings for the current month for industrial and business establish­
ments and for the various forms of public employment. This pam­
phlet is distributed free upon request. Its principal contents for the
month of August, insofar as industrial and business employment is
concerned, are reproduced in this section of the Monthly Labor
Review.
Industrial and Business Em ploym ent
Monthly figures on employment and pay rolls are available for
the following groups: 90 manufacturing industries; 16 nonmanufac­
turing industries, including private building construction; and class I
steam railroads. The reports for the first two of these groups—
manufacturing and nonmanufacturing—are based on sample surveys
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The figures on class I steam rail­
roads are compiled by the Interstate Commerce Commission and are
presented in the foregoing summary.
E M P L O Y M E N T , P A Y R O L L S, H O U R S , A N D E A R N IN G S

The indexes of employment and pay rolls as well as average hours
worked per week, average hourly earnings, and average weekly earn­
ings in manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries in August
1939 are shown in table 1. Percentage changes from July 1939 and
August 1938 are also given. For the manufacturing industries, 2
series of indexes are shown. One series (the new series) has been
adjusted to the 1937 Census of Manufactures and the other is a
continuation of the previously published indexes which have been
adjusted only to the 1935 Census of Manufactures. The percentage
changes over the month and year intervals relate to the new series of
indexes.
The revised series of employment and pay-roll indexes, as well as
average hours worked per week, average hourly earnings, and average
weekly earnings for June, July, and August 1939, where available,
are presented in table 2. The June and July figures, where given,
may differ in some instances from those previously published, because
of revisions necessitated primarily by the inclusion of late reports.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

T ren d o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d P a y R o lls

1247

The average weekly earnings shown in tables 1 and 2 are computed
by dividing the total weekly pay rolls in the reporting establishments
by the total number of full- and part-time employees reported. As
not all reporting establishments supply man-hours, average hours
worked per week and average hourly earnings are necessarily based
on data furnished by a smaller number of reporting firms. The size
and composition of the reporting sample varies slightly from month to
month. Therefore the average hours per week, average hourly earn­
ings, and average weekly earnings shown are not strictly comparable
from month to month. The sample, however, is believed to be suffi­
ciently adequate in virtually all instances to indicate the general
movement of earnings and hours over the period shown. The
changes from the preceding month, expressed as percentages, are
based on identical lists of firms for the 2 months, but the changes
from August 1938 are computed from chain indexes based on the
month-to-month percentage changes.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1248

T able 1.— Employment, P a y Rolls, Hours, and Earnings in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing Industries, August 1939
MANUFACTURING
[In d ex e s are b ase d on 3-year a v er a g e, 1 9 23-25= 100.

N e w series a d ju ste d to 1937 C e n su s o f M a n u fa c tu r e s for a ll in d u str ie s e x c e p t a u to m o b ile s .
in J u ly or earlier is s u e s of p a m p h le t. C o m p a r a b le series a v a ila b le u p o n re q u est]

E m p lo y m e n t

I n d e x e s, A u g u s t
1939
O ld
series

A ll m a n u fa c tu r in g ______ _______________________ ____
D u r a b le g o o d s .. ________________________________
N o n d u r a b le g o o d s______________________________

N ew
series

A v e r a g e w e e k ly
ea r n in g s 1

P a y ro lls

P e r c e n ta g e
ch a n g e fro m —
J u ly
1939

A u g u st
1938

I n d e x e s, A u g u s t
1939
O ld
series

N ew
series

P e r c e n ta g e
ch a n g e from —
J u ly
1939

A v erage hours
w o r k e d p er
w eek i

P e r c e n ta g e
ch a n g e from —

A ugu st
1939
A ugu st
1938

J u ly
1939

Per­
c e n ta g e
A u g u st ch an ge
1939
from
A u gu st
J u ly
1938
1939

A v e r a g e h o u r ly
e a r n in g s 1

A ugu st
1939

P er­
c e n ta g e
change
from
J u ly
1939

C e n ts

93.1
83.3
102.5

9 6 .4
84. 1
108.1

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

+ 8 .6
+ 1 6 .2
+ 3 .5

89.2
82.3
97.0

89.8
81 .6
99.0

+ 6 .4
+ 7 .2
+ 5 .7

+ 16.2
+ 2 9 .3
+ 6 .2

$24. 53
27.94
21.60

+ 3 .1
+ 5 .7
+ 1 .0

+ 7 .1
+ 1 1 .2
+ 2 .6

38 .0
38 .3
3 7 .7

+ 3 .7
+ 6 .1
+ 1 .8

6 3 .9
71.6
57.9

-0 .5
- .2

89.2
9 3 .5
9 1 .7
7 0 .0

92.3
9 7 .0
9 6 .9
7 5 .3

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

+ 12.4
+ 1 1 .7
+ 1 7 .4
+ 1 1 .1

85.7
8 9 .8
94 .2
63 .8

87.8
9 2 .5
104.0
67 .9

+ 1 1 .7
+ 1 2 .8
+ 2 5 .1
+ 3 .2

+ 3 1 .2
+ 3 7 .6
+42. 1
+ 2 0 .4

28.13
30.13
26.17
21.81

+ 8 .6
+ 1 0 .8
+19. 8
+ 2 .2

+ 1 6 .7
+ 2 3 .1
+ 2 0 .8
+ 8 .2

37 .0
3 5 .6
3 8 .0
37. 4

+ 8 .0
+ 1 0 .8
+19. 3
+ 1 .8

75.6
8 4 .4
6 8 .9
5 8 .0

- .3
- .7
+ .5
+ .2

8 5 .0
49 .1
71 .8
7 6 .7
138.9

9 2 .1
55 .6
7 5 .6
77 .8
151.9

+ 6 .5
+ 2 .1
+ 9 .6
+ 1 .5
+ 5 .7

+14. 1
+ 1 8 .2
+ 1 8 .5
+ 4 .9
+ 2 1 .7

74.9
48 .6
77 .2
71 .4
137.2

7 9 .5
5 9 .4
79 .8
71.1
152.8

+ 4 .4
+ 8 .4
+ 2 1 .9
+ 8 .9
+ 1 1 .2

+ 2 3 .0
+41. 0
+ 3 4 .0
+ 2 4 .6
+ 2 4 .8

22. 34
29.1 0
26.03
26. 43
23.51

- 2 .0
+ 6 .1
+ 1 1 .3
+ 7 .4
+ 5 .1

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

3 8 .1
3 8 .3
3 9 .0
3 8 .9
3 8 .6

+ 1 .0
+ 6 .0
+ 4 .2
+ 6 .2
+ 6 .5

5 9 .8
7 6 .0
6 6 .7
6 8 .0
60.5

- 2 .3
+ .3
+ 6 .9
+ 1 .2
-1 . 5

72.3
8 5 .2
72 .2
102. 1

7 8 .4
9 0 .2
7 1 .5
107.4

+ 3 .6
+ 5 .5
+ 3 .9
+ 7 .1

+ 4 .7
+ 1 2 .1
+ 2 0 .7
+ 2 .7

63 .5
71. 1
66.2
113.2

67.9
7 7 .7
64.2
114.9

+ 1 3 .2
+ 6 .8
+ 8 .9
+ 1 1 .7

+ 1 4 .5
+ 1 5 .5
+29. 3
+ 5 .8

26. 47
24. 78
28.79
24.2 0

+ 9 .2
+ 1 .3
+ 4 .7
+ 4 .3

+ 9 .1
+3. 1
+ 7 .2
+ 3 .1

37 .9
3 7 .7
3 9 .6
3 9 .9

+ 8 .1
+ 1 .7
+ 4 .0
+ 4 .6

6 9 .9
6 6 .0
7 2 .8
6 0 .8

+ 1 .1
- .3

8 3 .8
122.9
96. 7
109.5

8 3 .5
116.1
9 6 .8
114.4

+ 4 .8
- 7 .8
+ 1.1
+ 1 .3

+ 1 6 .6
+ 1 5 .7
+ 15.2
+ 9 .7

8 1 .4
127.0
97.9
115.8

7 9 .4
115.5
96.9
124.0

+ 1 0 .0
- 6 .9
+ 3 .1
+ 1 .1

+ 2 9 .1
+ 2 7 .3
+ 2 8 .9
+ 2 1 .2

23. 97
24. 76
28. 07
29.11

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

+ 1 1 .1
+ 10.1
+ 1 1 .8
+10. 6

3 8 .6
3 6 .8
3 9 .0
3 7 .4

+ 4 .9
+ 2 .1
+ 2 .5
+ .2

6 2 .3
6 7 .4
72.1
78.1

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

126.6
87.1

124.6
8 7 .8

- 2 .1
+ 1 .1

- 6 .2
+ 1 7 .6

118.4
8 9 .7

119.4
9 3 .4

-3 .0
+ 2 .6

- 1 .8
+ 3 2 .5

30.23
28.50

- 1 .0
+ 1 .5

+ 4 .8
+ 1 2 .5

3 7 .0
3 8 .8

-1 .4
+ 2 .7

8 2 .2
7 3 .7

+ .4
- .8

9 7 .4
8 6 .7

9 6 .8
8 4 .1

+• 6
+ 1 .8

+ 1 7 .9
+ 1 2 .4

116.7
84.1

113.5
78.4

+ 3 .0
+ 4 .8

+ 2 9 .8
+ 2 5 .0

31.01
27.78

+ 2 .3
+ 3 .0

+ 9 .9
+ 1 1 .1

40 .1
3 8 .8

+ 2 .4
+ 3 .1

7 7 .8
7 1 .5

0
-. 1

D u r a b le g o o d s

Iron an d s te e l a n d th e ir p r o d u c ts, not in c lu d in g
m a c h in e r y _____________ ______ _________________
B la s t fu rn aces, s te e l w o r k s, a n d r o llin g m i l l s . .
B o lt s , n u t s , w a sh er s, a n d r i v e t s _______________
C ast-iron p ip e _________________________________
C u tle r y (n o t in c lu d in g s ilv e r a n d p la te d c u t­
le r y ) an d e d g e t o o l s . ______ ___________________
F o r g in g s, iron a n d s t e e l________________________
H a r d w a r e ____ ________________________ _______
P lu m b e r s ’ s u p p lie s _______ _____________________
S ta m p e d a n d e n a m e le d w a r e __________________
S te a m an d h o t-w a te r h e a tin g a p p a r a tu s a n d
s te a m f it t i n g s .. ___ _____ ____________________
S t o v e s ___________ ____________________________
S tru ctu ra l an d o rn a m e n ta l m e ta lw o r k ___ _____
T in ca n s a n d o th er tin w a r e .
___
... . ...
T o o ls (n o t in c lu d in g ed g e to o ls, m a c h in e to o ls,
files, an d s a w s ) _____ __________________ _____ _
W ir e w o r k ___ ______ ____________________ ______
M a c h in e ry , not in c lu d in g transportation e q u ip m e n t .
A g r ic u ltu r a l im p le m e n ts (in c lu d in g t r a c t o r s ) ..
C ash registers, a d d in g m a c h in e s , a n d c a lc u la t­
in g m a c h i n e s .................................................................
E le c tr ic a l m a c h in e r y , a p p a r a tu s, a n d s u p p lie s .
E n g in e s , tu r b in e s , w a te r w h e e ls , a n d w in d ­
m il ls ............................... ......................................................
F o u n d r y an d m a c h in e -sh o p p r o d u c ts __________


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

+ .2

M o n th ly L a b o r R e view — N o vem b er 1939

I n d u s tr y

N o t c o m p a r a b le to in d e x e s p u b lis h e d

- 4 .9
+ 4 .8
+ .6
- 2 .3
-4 . 5
+ 1 .0
-6 . 1
- .4
+ 1 .3
- 2 .4
+ 3 .6
+ 2 .8
+ 3 .6
+ 3 .8
+ 8 .2
+ 3 .5
+ 1 0 .0
- 1 .8
+ 3 .0
+ 3 .8
+ 2 .8
+ 2 .6
+ 1.4
+ .4
+ 2 .3
- 1 .8
+ 3 .5

160.9
122.8
74 .6
116.5
79.2
1, 380. 9
76 .2
27 .2
2 7 .2
12S.3
89 .8
164.1
113.4
8 5 .0
76 .9
5 8 .3
59 .3
7 0 .8
62 .9
7 5 .5

+ 5 2 .8
-3 .0
+ 8 .1
+48. 2
- .2
+ 5 2 .9
+ 2 .8
+ 2 0 .7
+ 3 .4
+ 59.4
+ 3 .2
+ 9 4 .7
+ 4 .6
+ 6 2 .3
+ 10. 1 + 2 9 . 2
+ 2 . 5 + 106.3
- 2 .5
+ 3 8 .5
+ 7 .7
+25. 1
+ 1 0 .8
+ 3 4 .0
+ 6 .2
+ 3 0 .6
+ 11.2
+ 2 6 .3
+ 1 2 . 1 + 1 4 .9
+ 9 .0
+ 2 0 .5
+ 2 4 .3
+ 1 6 .5
+ .4
+ 1 3 .0
+ 8 .6
+ 11.7
+ 1 1 .0
+ 1 4 .5

3 1 .7 2
22.38
26. 47
’ 24. 24
33.3 8
30. 59
34. 77
26.90
28. 72
31.6 9
26.2 4
25. 62
28. 76
22.8 8
22.89
26. 06
25.03
26.64
21.21
20. 90

+ 2 .0
+ 3 .1
- .8
+ 5 .2
+ 8 .1
+ 2 .2
+ 1 1 .4
+ 1 0 .5
+ L2
-. 1
+ 3 .9
+ 7 .7
+ 2 .5
+ 7 .2
+ 3 .6
+ 5 .3
+ 5 .9
+ 2 .2
+ 8 .5
+ 7 .0

+ 2 3 .3
+ 7 .2
+ 16.7
+ 2 1 .4
+ 8 .2
+ 6 .7
+ 8 .4
+ 7 .3
+ 2 2 .9
+ 5 .0
+ 9 .3
+ 4 .7
+ 1 3 .8
+ 18.7
+ 1 .9
+ 5 .6
+ 7 .4
+ 3 .1
+ •7
+ 5 .4

4 2 .6
3 8 .9
40.1
3 7 .8
38.1
41.7
3 7 .7
36. 2
3 7 .6
38. 1
39.4
3 8 .5
4 0 .5
3 9 .2
3 9 .7
37 .6
3 9 .0
3 8 .2
39 .5
3 9 .7

+ 1 1 .6
+ 6 .8
+ 1 2 .8
+ 15.2
+ 3 .3
+ 17.0
+ 8 .9
+ 9 .0

50 .6
5 2 .8
68.1
46. 2
71.3
9 8 .0
3 7 .0
71.1

4 9 .5
56. 8
7 1 .7
50. 1
6 9 .9
102.9
40 .3
75.1

+ 9 .1
+ 10.9
+ 12. 7
+ 5 .1
+ 8 .8
+20. 5
+ 8 .0
+24. 2
+ 2 .6
+ 8 .9
+12. 4 ' +24. 7
+ 1 .8
+ 15.7
+ 14.5
+ 2 1 .3

22. 75
20.95
24.26
21.17
27. 32
25. 53
26. 54
22. 25

+ 6 .1
+ 9 .7
+ 7 .3
+ 7 .5
+ 2 .4
+ 9 .9
-j-3. 6
+ 10.0

-.5
- 1 .7
+ 6 .7
+ 7 .7
+ 5 .4
+ 6 .0
+ 6 .5
+ 11.2

+ 5 .3
+ 7 .0
+ 2 0 .3
+ 7 .4
+ 15. 1
+ 9 .2

86.0
79. 1
71.5
7 4 .7
78 .6
94 .3
85 .4
157.0
78. 5
68 .9
129.8
49 .6
6 7 .2
9 6 .6
83 .9
129.3
104.6
122.3
60 .0
105.6

88.3
8 0 .2
6 3 .5
7 4 .8
7 5 .6
103.3
84.1
161. 1
63 .8
6 8 .0
116.6
5 2 .0
7 1 .5
9 8 .4
8 6 .5
132.9
112.2
120.2
66.8
102.5

+ 11.3
+ 4 .8
+ 1 0 .7
+ 3 .2
+ 3 .6
+ 5 .8
+ 3 .1
+ 11. 5
+ 1 2 .8
+ 5 .2
+2. 3
+ 8 .0
- 1 .6
+23. 5
+ 1 0 .3
+ 3 7 .2
- 1 .0
+ 13.9
+82. 1
+ 1 2 .4

+ 7 .3
+7. 7
+ 2 9 .0
+9. 1
+ 2 0 .2
+ 7 .9
- 2 .0
+ 1 .8
+ 2 0 .4
+ 1 9 .6
+ 2 .9
-1 .1
4 -8 .3
+ 6 .7
+ 12.8
+■ 9
+ 2 1 .9
+ 11.7
+ .7
+ 1 3 .1

17. 22
16.66
23. 34
14.03
18.18
20. 56
24. 24
19.14
17. 45
14.92
18. 86
15. 71
19.18
18. 80
20.29
20. 14
16.27
14.27
24.05
13. 63

+ 5 .6
+ 2 .5
+ 8 .0
+ 1 .2
+ 1.7
+ 3 .3
- .7
+ 9 .0
+ 4 .1
-. 1
- .9
+ 3 .4
-1 .5
+ 1 0 .7
+ 5 .2
+ 1 3 .4
- 3 .0
+ 7 .6
+ 3 0 .2
+ 1 0 .1

+ 1.9
+ .0
+ 7 .3
+ 1 .5
+ 4 .6
- 1 .3
-1 .0
-3 .1
+ 6 .9
+ 5 .5
- 1 .8
+ .6

+ 5 .0
+ 8.3
+ 2 .4
+ 1 0 .9
+ 1 0 .4
+ 1.1
+ 1 .2
+ 4 .3
+ 8 .5
+ 2 .5
+ 7 .9
+ 5 .5
+ 4 .9
+ 5 .0
+ 1 .8
+ 7 .2
+ 6 .2

7 4 .6
5 7 .6
66. 1
64.1
88.8
74.3
9 3 .5
74.4
7 6 .4
82.9
66.8
6 6 .4
7 1 .2
5 8 .4
56.8
69.3
64.1
6 9 .8
54.1
5 2 .9

- .2
_ (2 )
+ .1
+ .2
+ .4
+ .9
+ .8
+ .1
+ .1
- .4
- .3
- .5
~ ( J)
- .5
. -1 .5
+ .5
+ .7
+ .4
+ 1.1
+ .2

4 2 .2
3 8 .7
3 7 .7
3 9 .2
38 .9
3 5 .7
3 7 .6
3 8 .0

+ 5 .9
+ 8 .0
+ 7 .2
+ 6 .2
+ 2 .4
+ 10.7
+ 5 .3
+ 8 .1

53.9
5 4 .8
64.7
5 3 .9
70.3
71. S
71.1
6 1 .8

+ .2
+ 1 .8
+ .2
+ 1 .7

36. 1
3 6 .7
3 5 .8
3 6 .0
3 8 .6
3 8 .5
3 4 .3
3 6 .0
3 8 .7
3 7 .0
3 9 .3
3 7 .0
3 6 .4
3 5 .2
3 4 .6
3 4 .8
3 5 .2
35 .9
35 .9
3 5 .8

+ 2 .8
+ 2 .2
+ 5 .4
+ 1 .2
+ 1 .0
+ 2 .3
- 1 .3
+ 7 .1
+ 4 .6
- .7
-.1
+4. 5
- .8
+ 4 .4
+ 3 .8
+ 2 .7
- 5 .3
+ 4 .8
+ 1 8 .7
+ 1 0 .4

4 7 .9
4 5 .8
65. 3
38.3
4 7 .7
5 2 .9
70.1
53.3
4 4 .8
4 0 .4
4 6 .9
4 2 .2
5 2 .7
51.3
5 8 .0
52.4
45.8
38.9
62.4
3 8 .5

+ 2 .2
+ 3 .2
-

1.0

-.1

- .3
-1 .4

N o n d u r a b le goods

T ex tile s a n d th eir p ro d u c ts...................................................
F a b r ic s _________________________________________
C a r p e ts an d r u g s ................................ .......... ..........
C o tto n g o o d s ___ _____ ______________________
C o tto n sm a ll w a r e s ______________________
D y e in g an d fin is h in g te x tile s ............................
H a ts , fu r-felt_____________________ _________
H o s ie r y ____________ _____________________ _
K n it t e d o u te r w e a r ...................................... ............
K n it t e d u n d e r w e a r ______________ __________
K n itte d c l o t h ______________________________
S ilk an d r a y o n g o o d s ___________________ ....
W o o le n a n d w o r ste d g o o d s ________________
W ea r in g a p p a r e l_____________________ ______ ___
C lo th in g , m e n ’s . ..................................................... .
C lo th in g , w o m e n ’s _________________ _____ _
C o rsets an d a llied g a r m e n ts ...............................
M e n ’s f u r n is h i n g s ................................................
M illin e r y __________ _________ ___________ _
S h ir ts an d c o lla r s.............................. ...................
S e e f o o t n o t e s a t e n d o f ta b le .


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

100.1
91. 2
8 1 .3
8 7 .3
8 3 .0
111.3
8 7 .2
145. 2
8 3 .7
7 7 .4
158. 2
0 0 .3
8 1 .3
118.5
107.5
167.6
107.6
131.9
6 6 .8
117.0

103.5
93. 1
75.6
87.3
80 .9
122.2
93 .7
152.4
78. 1
77. 1
140.4
6 2 .8
8 6 .2
122. 1
110.2
174.3
114.0
131.2
7 8 .2
119.9

+ 5 .5
4-2. 2
+ 2 .5
+ 1 .9
+ 1 .8
+ 2 .5
+ 3 .9
+ 2 .4
+ 8 .3
+ 5 .3
+ 3 .3
+ 4 .5
-, 1
+ 1 1 .5
+ 4 .8
+21. 1
+ 2 .0
+ 5 .8
+ 3 9 .9
+ 2 .1

-

1 .0

+ 5 .2
+ 12.5
+ 13.2
-}-5. 2
- 1 .0
J -8 .4
+ 1 .9
+ 3 .0
+ 1.0
+ 1 3 .6
+ 3 .7
- 2 .2
-.3

- m

+ 4 .7
+ 9 .4
-, 1
+ 7 .4
+ 7 .8
+ 2 .9
+ 1 3 .3

+

1. 6

-. i
+ 2 .5
- .2
+ .6
+ .6
-1 .1
+ .8
- .8
+ .6
- 1 .2
- .9
- .7
+ 3 .7
+ 1 .3
+ 6 .8
+ 2 .0
+ 2 .4
+ 5 .1
+ .2

1249

+ 2 3 .9
148.8
111.9
+ 3 8 .3
76 .7
+ 3 0 .7
118.1
- .6
79.4
+ 4 7 .3
+ 8 2 . 1 1, 393.0
+ 4 9 .6
7 6 .2
+ 2 0 .6
2 8 .8
+ 6 7 .7
27.0
+ 3 1 .8
124.7
+ 14.4
92.7
+ 2 8 .2
168.5
+ 1 4 .6
108.9
+ 6 .5
8 8 .8
+ 1 2 .8
8 0 .5
+ 14.1
70.1
6 0 .2
+ 1 5 .8
+ 9 .8
65 .5
+ 8 .0
63.3
71 .6
+ 8 .9

T re n d o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d P a y R o lls

140.3
132.7
M a c h in e t o o ls ......................................................................
123.0
135.9
R a d io s an d p h o n o g r a p h s_______________________
7 5 .4
7 7 .6
T e x tile m a c h in e r y an d p a r ts _____________ _____
117.9
117.0
T y p e w r ite r s an d p a r ts ...................................................
76.3
75.4
T ransportation e q u ip m e n t __________________________
A ir c r a ft-------------------- ------------------------------------------ 1, 390. 2 1 ,4 1 3 .5
71 .8
71 .8
A u to m o b ile s ______________________ _____ - ...............
3 1 .9
29 .3
C ars, electric- a n d ste a m -r a ilr o a d -...........................
3 0 .2
29.1
L o c o m o tiv e s ________________________ ___________
117.4
121.5
S h ip b u ild in g .................... ........................................... ........
95 .2
94 .6
N o n fe rro u s m e ta ls a n d th e ir p r o d u c ts_____ ______ —
164.7
153.7
A lu m in u m m a n u fa c tu r e s ._____ _______________
102.0
107.7
B r a ss, b ro n ze, an d co p p er p r o d u c ts ----------------8 2 .8
8 2 .8
C lo c k s a n d w a tc h e s a n d tim e -r eco r d in g d e v ic e s
9 7 .8
9 4 .2
J e w e lr y ....................................................................................
78 .0
7 3 .0
L ig h tin g e q u ip m e n t______________ _______ ______
6 6 .6
68.9
S ilv e r w a r e a n d p la te d w a r e ___________ ______
6 9 .2
74 .6
S m e ltin g an d re fin in g— co p p er, le a d , a n d z in c
69 .2
6 8 .7
L u m b e r a n d a llie d p r o d u c ts............ ....................................
8 2 .7
8 7 .5
F u r n itu r e .................................... ........ ................... ..............
L u m b e r:
M ill w o r k .______ ______________________ _____
6 1 .4
5 9 .0
S a w m ills ___________________________________
5 6 .0
6 2 .7
74 .7
80 .8
S ton e, clay, a n d g la ss p r o d u c ts...........................................
5 7 .5
61 .8
B r ic k , tile , an d terra c o t t a _______________ ______
7 2 .2
72 .6
C e m e n t .____ ___________________________________
9 8 .5
9 2 .6
G l a s s ______ ____________________________________
53 .2
47. 1
M a r b le , g ra n ite , sla te , a n d o th er p r o d u c ts____
7 8 .8
8 4 .7
P o t t e r y _________________________ _____ _____ _____

able

1.—Employment, P ay Rolls, Hours, and Earnings in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing Industries, August 1939— Continued
MANUFACTURING— Continued

E m p lo y m e n t

I n d u s tr y

I n d e x e s, A u g u s t
1939

A v e r a g e w eeklyea r n in g s

P a y rolls

P e r c e n ta g e
ch a n g e fro m —

I n d e x e s, A u g u s t
1939

P e r c e n ta g e
c h a n g e from —

N ew
series

J u ly
1939

A u gu st
1938

O ld
series

N ew
series

J u ly
1939

A u gu st
1938

9 4 .8
9 5 .2
8 4 .2
140.0
146.2
262.7
107.0
248.1
7 5 .0
79 .1
9 1 .5
9 8 .5
8 2 .7
9 1 .2
85.2
59. 1
6 6 .0
105.7
105.1
107.0

100.8
100.4
8 5 .5
147.1
146.9
295 .4
102.9
2 8 9 .3
7 8 .5
7 9 .9
8 9 .4
100.2
8 8 .3
9 8 .6
66 .6
60.7
6 7 .3
110.9
114.3
107.0

+ 1 .1
+ 1 .3
-. 1
+ 9 .0
- .6
- 1 .9
- 1 .0
+ 4 6 .9
+ 1 1 .9
-3 .0
- 3 .6
- .5
+ 5 4 .3
+ .7
+ 1 .8
+ 2 .6
+ 1 .9
+ .7
+ 4 .2
+ 1 .1

+ 2 .0
+• 7
+ 8 .8
+ 1.1
+ 1 .2
+ 1 .0
-2 .8
- 1 .8
+ 4 .8
+ 1 .6
- 1 .7
+ 4 .7
+ 1 0 .8
+ 1 .2
+ 1 .4
-2 .2
+ 1 .9
+ 3 .1
+ 1 0 .9
+ 4 .1

79.4
7 5 .8
8 5 .5
136.1
142.2
326.1
9 2 .1
232.2
76.0
7 9 .7
7 8 .9
108.8
7 9 .6
7 8 .0
60 .7
67 .9
59 .7
102.3
111.8
107.6

85.1
8 3 .5
8 3 .1
135.1
135.3
350 .2
8 6 .7
251.1
76 .7
7 6 .8
7 4 .2
105.8
8 5 .7
8 0 .8
6 2 .7
6 7 .3
62.1
103.7
124.6
107.7

+ 1 .8
+ 1 .9
+ 1 .4
+ 5 .1
- 2 .7
- 2 .4
- 2 .4
+ 6 3 .4
+ 1 9 .5
- 4 .6
- 3 .6
- 3 .1
+ 5 9 .9
+ .3
+ 1 .5
- ( 3)
+ 1 .9
+ 1 .7
+ 6 .9
+ 6 .4

+ 2 .8

9 9 .3
103. 7
107.8
121.5
104.5
117.0
49 .3
106.0
8 9 .4
6 5 .9
117.2
266.1
9 6 .5

9 8 .3
112.0
109.1
122.7
105.7
119.1
56 .7
107.3
93 .3
7 3 .9
122.1
255.1
8 6 .0

- .8
+ .1
- 1 .2
+ .8
- 1 .8
+ 1 .7
+ 1 4 .9
+ 1 .4
+ 2 .3
+ .6
_ (2 )
- 1 4 .1
+ 4 .9

+ 1 .2
-.2
-.3
-.3
+ 6 .1
- 2 7 .9
- 2 .0
+ 9 .1
- 4 .4
+ 6 .0
- 9 .5
+ 6 .4

88 .4
103.5
119.5
135.8
114.5
133.6
4 2 .8
119.2
104.2
6 2 .4
123.2
269.4
9 8 .3

8 3 .4
102.2
118.9
135.9
113.6
136.1
4 7 .5
118.9
109.1
6 2 .7
125.6
246.6
102.3

-2 .5
+ ( 2)
+ .9
+ 3 .4
0
+ 4 .1
+ 1 3 .9

P e r c e n ta g e
ch a n g e fro m —
A u gu st
1939

J u ly
1939

A ugu st
1939
A u gu st
1938

A v e r a g e h o u r ly
ea r n in g s

P er­
c e n ta g e
A ugu st
ch a n g e
1939
from
J u ly
1939

P er­
c e n ta g e
ch a n g e
from
J u ly
1939

N o n d u r a b l e g o o d s — C o n tin u e d

L eath er a n d its m a n u fa c tu r e s........... ................... ...............
B o o ts an d s h o e s .............................
L e a th e r ____________________________ ___________
Food an d k in d r e d p r o d u c ts................ ..................................
B a k in g _______________________________ ________ _
B e v e r a g e s ...___________________________ ________
B u t t e r .............. .......... .......... .............................................
C a n n in g and p r e s e r v i n g ..._____________________
C o n fe c tio n e r y ______________ _____ ____________ __
F lo u r .................... ............................................. .................
Ic e c r e a m _________________________ ___________
S la u g h te r in g an d m e a t p a c k in g ________________
Sugar, b e e t___ _____ ________ ______ ______ _____ _
S ugar refin in g, c a n e ________________ ______ _ .
T obacco m a n u fa c tu r e s.........................................................
C h e w in g an d s m o k in g to b a cco a n d s n u ff______
C igars an d c ig a r e tte s ______________ ____________
P a p e r a n d p r in tin g .....................................................................
B o x e s, p a p e r ______________
P a p e r an d p u l p ........................................
P r in tin g a n d p u b lish in g :
B o o k a n d j o b . ____________________
N e w sp a p e r s an d p e r io d ic a ls____________ . .
C h e m ic a l, p e tr o le u m , an d co a l p r o d u c t s . . ..................
P e tr o le u m r e fin in g ............
O th er th a n p e tr o le u m r e fin in g _______________
C h e m ic a ls ________ _________
C o tto n s e e d — o il, ca k e, a n d m e a l . .
D r u g g is ts ’ p r e p a r a tio n s____________________
E x p lo s iv e s ________ __
F e r tiliz e r s _______ _____ _______________
P a in t s a n d v a r n is h e s ___________________
.
R a y o n an d a llied p r o d u c t s . . . .......................
S o a p ___________ _____ ____


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

C e n ts

+ 6 .2
- 1 .2
+ 1 .2
-1 2 .9
+ 3 .3

+ 9 .8
+ 4 .0
+ 1 .7
+ 1 .3
-2 .4
+13. 6
+ 9 .5
+ 1 .3
- 1 .7
+ 3 .8
+ 17.6
-2 .7
+ 2 .6
+ 2 .7
+ 2 .9
+ 4 .5
+ 1 4 .9
+ 5 .6

$19.65
18.54
24.29
23.93
25.49
34. 74
22.57
17.20
18.93
25. 95
29. 29
27.77
25.22
23. 05
17.43
18.04
17. 30
28. 04
21.71
24.65

+ 0 .6
+ .7
+ 1 .5
- 3 .7
-2 . 1
- .5
-1 .4
+ 1 1 .3
+ 6 .8
-1 .6
-. 1
-2 .7
+ 3 .6
- .4
- .4
-2 .6
0
+ 1.0
+ 2 .6
+ 5 .2

+ 2 .6
+ 2 .4
+ 2 .5
- 1 .6
+ 4 .0
+ 1 0 .5
- 2 4 .9
+ 1 .7
+ 1 1 .8
- 4 .5
+ 1 0 .8
- 6 .8
+ 7 .8

29.78
36. 75
29. 64
34.76
27.17
31.63
13.69
23.84
32.20
17. 26
28.47
24. 81
28.98

- 1 .7
-.1
+ 2 .2
+ 2 .6
+ 1 .8
+ 2 .4
- .9
—. 5
+ 3 .8
- 1 .7
+ 1 .3
+ 1 .4
- 1 .5

+ 0 .7
+ .2
+ .8
+ 2 .8
+ .6
+ 2
+ 1 5 .4
+ 4 .5
-.4
- .1
-.7
+ 6 .3
- 3 .8
+ 1 .2
+ 4 .9
+ 1 .0
+ 1 .4
+ 3 .5
+ 1 .5

37.4
3 7 .5
3 8 .6
40 .5
41.1
4 0 .4
4 7 .2
3 9 .4
3 7 .9
4 2 .4
46 .8
4 0 .4
40.1
3 6 .6
3 6 .9
34.9
37. 1
38. 1
4 0 .2
3 9 .9

- 0 .4
- .8
+ 1 .5
+ .9
- 2 .5
- .5
- 1 .6
+ 1 1 .3
+ 1 0 .8
- 1 .6
- 1 .8
- 2 .9
+ 2 1 .0
+ 1 .2
-.4
- 1 .3
- .2
+ 1 .8
+ 3 .3
+ 5 .0

52.6
4 9 .3
63.3
59.5
6 2 .4
8 6 .8
47.9
4 4 .7
5 0 .6
60. 5
6 2 .3
6 8 .8
63.8
6 3 .0
4 7 .2
5 1 .7
4 6 .7
76.4
5 4 .4
6 1 .8

+ 1 .0
+ 1 .3
+ .2
-2 .9
+ ( J)
- .1
+ (2)
_ (2 )
- 2 .4
- .2
+ 2 .6
'+ . 1
- 1 5 .7
-1 .7
- .6
- 1 .4
- .6
- .7
- .5
+■ 1

+ 2 .3
+ 1 .0
+ 2 .7
-1 .4
+ 4 .4
+ 4 .1
+ 4 .1
+ 3 .9
+ 2 .5
- .2
+ 4 .6
+ 3 .0
+ 1 .3

3 7 .8
3 5 .7
3 8 .5
3 5 .8
3 9 .6
4 0 .1
4 2 .3
3 9 .9
4 0 .2
3 5 .8
4 0 .3
3 8 .6
3 9 .6

-1 .2
+ .7
+ 1 .6
+ 3 .3
+ 1 .1
+ 2 .1
+ .1
- 1 .1
+ 4 .7
- 1 .5
+ .7
+ .8
-.1

79.7
9 9 .8
77.0
9 7 .5
6 8 .6
7 8 .9
3 1 .0
5 9 .9
8 0 .2
4 8 .3
70.7
64.3
73.3

- 1 .0
-.4
_ (2 )
- .9
+ .1
+ .3
- .2
- .2
- .8
—. 1
+ .5
+ .6
- 1 .5

M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w — N o vem b er 1939

O ld
series

A v e r a g e h ou r s
w o r k e d p er
w eek

1250

T

R u b b er p r o d u c ts................. ......................................................
R u b b e r b o o ts an d s h o e s ______ _____ ___________
R u b b e r tir e s a n d in n er t u b e s _____________ _____
R u b b e r go o d s o th e r . _ ________________________

82.8

82.6

+ 5 .0

+14.2

88.3

86.0

+ 5.5

+27.0

28.44

+ .5

+ 11.2

36.9

+ 1 .4

58 .5
68 .3
132.9

77.1

-.8

6 0 .5
68 .9
131.1

+ 2 9 .6
+ 2 .6
+ 1 .7

+ 1 1 .9
+ 1 3 .7
+ 1 5 .8

6 0 .6
80.6
129.7

5 8 .4
78 .5
127.1

+ 3 7 .4
+ 1 .9
+ 4 .7

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

22.9 2
33. 73
23.23

+ 6 .1
- .7
+ 2 .9

+ 6 .4
+ 1 7 .0
+ 3 .9

37 .3
35 .2
3 8 .8

+ 4 .3

6 1 .5
9 6 .2
6 0 .5

+ 1 .6

-1 .0
+ 3 .2

-. 1
+ .2

N O N M A N U F A C T U R IN G
[In d ex e s are b a se d o n 12-m on th a v er a g e, 1929=100]
E m p lo y m e n t

C oal m in in g :
A n th r a c ite *______ _____ ___________ _____ _______
B itu m in o u s 3________ __________________ _____
M e ta llife r o u s m in n g _____ _____ ____________________
Q u arr yin g a n d n o n m e ta llic m in in g ______ _______
C r u d e -p e tr o le u m p r o d u c in g _____________ _________
P u b lic u tilitie s :
T e le p h o n e a n d te le g r a p h 4___ ________________
E le c tr ic lig h t an d p o w e r a n d m a n u fa c tu r ed
gas 4----------------------------------------------------------------E le ctric -ra ilro a d a n d m o to r b u s o p e r a tio n an d
m a in te n a n c e 4- _____________ __________________
T rad e:
W h o le s a le 4_____________ _________ _____ _____
R e t a i l 4____________________ ___________________
G eneral m e r c h a n d isin g 4............ ..................... ..
O th er t h a n g en era l m er c h a n d isin g 4_______
H o te ls (y ear-r ou n d ) 3 4 5____ ______ _________________
L a u n d r ie s 3_________________________________________
D y e in g a n d cle a n in g 3_______________ ___________ _
B rok erage 4............... ....................... .............................. ..............
In su r a n c e 4_____ _______ _______ _____________________
B u ild in g c o n s tr u c tio n ..............................................................

Ind ex,
A ug u st
1939

P e r c e n ta g e
c h a n g e fro m —

In d e x ,
A ug u st
1939

J u ly
1939

A ugu st
1938

4 8 .6
81 .5
6 0 .2
48 .2
6 6 .6

+ 8 .8
+ 2 .6
- .3
+ 1 .3
-1 .0

+ 2 9 .2
+ 1 .6
+ 1 7 .1
+ 8 .1
- 8 .0

75 .6

+ .2

+ 1 .1

9 5 .2

93.8

+ .6

+ 1 .2

101.0

P e rcen ta g e
ch a n g e from —
J u ly
1939

A u gu st
1938

+ 3 2 .2
+ 1 6 .1
+ 9 .7
+ 4 .9
-.3

+ 6 6 .3
+ 1 6 .6
+ 2 1 .8
+ 9 .5
- 7 .5

+ .6
+ 1 .0

Au­
g u st
1939

P e r c e n ta g e
c h a n g e fro m —

A verage hours w orked
p er w e e k

Au­
g u st
1939

J u ly
1939

A ugu st
1938

$22.96
24. 96
27.0 6
22.38
33.87

+ 2 1 .5
+ 1 3 .2
+ 1 0 .1
+ 3 .6
+ .7

+ 2 8 .6
+ 1 4 .7
+ 4 .0
+ 1 .3
+ .6

2 3 .8
2 7 .7
3 9 .3
4 0 .6
3 8 .5

+ 4 .3

30.20

+ .4

+ 3 .2

+ 2 .1

33.87

+ .4

+ .9

P e r c e n ta g e
ch a n g e fro m —

A v e r a g e h o u r ly e a r n in g s

A u­
gu st
1939

J u ly
1939

A ugu st
1938

+ 1 7 .0
+ 1 4 .0
+ 9 .8
+ 4 .3
+ 2 .1

+ 2 4 .4
+ 1 6 .1
+ 1 .0
- 2 .0
-4 .2

9 3 .3
8 9 .4
6 9 .5
5 5 .0
8 8 .2

3 9 .2

+ .6

+ 2 .3

8 0 .3

39 .9

+ 3 .3

- .8

85.1

P e r c e n ta g e
c h a n g e fro m —
J u ly
1939

A ugu st
1938

- 0 .2
- .2
+ .5
- .6
-1 .3

+ 2 .5
-.9
+ 3 .2
+ 3 .6
+ 4 .7

-2 .5

+1. 6

C e n ts

33 .3
74.9
5 3 .2
43 .0
61 .8

+ .4

6 9 .8

+ .2

+ .5

70.9

+ .5

+ 2 .1

33.20

+ .3

+ 1 .6

4 6 .0

+ .6

+ 1 .8

71.4

- .3

8 9 .0
82.5
8 9 .8
80 .6
8 9 .9
9 9 .2
102.6
(•)
(«)
(•)

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

+ 1 .5
+ 3 .1
+ 3 .9
+ 2 .9
-.4
+ 1 .7
- 2 .3
- 8 .0
+ 1 .1
+ 6 .9

76.1
6 9 .4
81.1
67 .0
79.4
86 .0
73.0
(9)
(9)
(«)

+ .4
- 2 .1
- 3 .2
- 1 .7
+ .4
- 2 .3
-5 .2
- 1 .7
-.6
+ 1 .2

+ 3 .3
+ 3 .9
+ 2 .9
+ 4 .1
+ 2 .6
+ 3 .5
- 1 .6
- 8 .3
+ 2 .0
+ 1 1 .7

29. 76
21.39
18.07
23. 99
15.13
17.60
19. 45
35.17
34. 43
30.91

- .8
- .7
- 1 .1
- .6
+ .9
- 1 .5
-1 .6
- 1 .8
- .7
+ .5

+ 1 .7
+ .7
- 1 .0
+ 1 .2
+ 3 .1
+ 1 .8
+ .6
-.4
+ .9
+ 4 .0

4 1 .9
4 2 .8
3 8 .5
4 4 .0
46.9
42 .9
4 1 .6
(«)
( 9)
3 3 .5

+ 1 .4
+ .3
-.1
+ .4
+ .6
- 1 .5
- 1 .6
(6)
(6)
-.3

- .8
- .4
- .8
- .3
- .1
- .8
- 2 .0
(6)
(6)
+ .5

7 1 .0
5 5 .3
50.1
5 6 .8
3 2 .3
4 1 .3
4 8 .3
( 6)
(6)
9 2 .4

- 2 .4
- .8
+ (2)
- 1 .0
+ .2
1
+ .2
(«)
(«)
+ .7

—.2
+ 2 .7
+ 1 .1
+• 3
+ 1 .4
+ 2 .4
+ 2 .2
+ 2 .1
(6)
(6)
+ 3 .7

3 In d e x e s a d ju s te d to 1935 c e n s u s. C o m p a r a b le series b a c k to J a n u a r y 1929 p r e s e n te d
in J a n u a r y 1938 issu e o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d P a y R o lls p a m p h le t.
4 A v e r a g e w e e k ly e a r n in g s, h o u r ly e a r n in g s , a n d h o u r s n o t s t r ic tly c o m p a r a b le w it h
figures p u b lis h e d in p a m p h le ts p rio r to J a n u a r y 1938 a s t h e y n o w e x c lu d e co r p o r a tio n
officers, e x e c u tiv e s , a n d o th e r e m p lo y e e s w h o s e d u tie s are m a in ly s u p e r v is o r y .
3 C a sh p a y m e n ts o n ly ; th e a d d itio n a l v a lu e of b o a rd , ro o m , a n d t ip s c a n n o t b e c o m ­
p u te d .
9 N o t a v a ila b le .

1251

» A v e r a g e w e e k ly ea r n in g s are c o m p u te d from figures fu r n ish e d b y all re p o r tin g e s ta b ­
lis h m e n ts . A v e r a g e h o u r s a n d average h o u r ly ea r n in g s are c o m p u te d from d a ta s u p p lie d
b y a sm a lle r n u m b e r o f e s ta b lis h m e n ts, as n o t all re p o r tin g firm s fu r n ish m a n -h o u rs.
T h e figu res are n o t s t r ic tly co m p a ra b le fro m m o n th to m o n th b e c a u se o f c h a n g e s in th e
size a n d c o m p o s itio n of th e re p o r tin g sa m p le . H o u r s a n d ea r n in g s for a ll m a n u fa c tu r in g
in d u str ie s r e la te to 90 in d u str ie s in ste a d of 87 w h ic h w ere co v e r e d in t h e J u ly a n d prior
issu e s of t h e p a m p h le t, d u e to th e sep a ra tio n of th e k n it g o o d s in d u s tr y in to its four c o m ­
p o n e n t d iv is io n s .
2 L e ss th a n H o of 1 p erc en t.


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

A v e r a g e w e e k ly ea r n in g s

T ren d o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d P a y R o lls

I n d u s tr y

P a y rolls

1252

T able 2. —Employment, P ay Rolls, Hours, and Earnings in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing Industries, June, July, and August 1939
M A N U F A C T U R IN G
(I n d e x e s are b a se d o n 3 -y ea r a v e r a g e , 1923 -2 5 = 1 0 0 , a n d are a d ju s te d t o 1937 C e n su s o f M a n u fa c tu r e s for a ll in d u str ie s e x c e p t a u to m o b ile s .
J u ly or ea r lier is s u e s o f p a m p h le t. C o m p a r a b le series a v a ila b le u p o n re q u e st]

E m p lo y m e n t in d e x

A v e r a g e w e e k ly e a r n ­
in g s 1

P a y -r o ll in d e x

N o t c o m p a r a b le to in d e x e s p u b lis h e d in

A verage hours w orked
p er w e e k 1

A v e r a g e h o u r ly e a r n ­
in g s 1

In d u str y

A ll m a n u fa c tu r in g .._________ _______________________
D u r a b le g o o d s _______ ____ ______________________
N o n d u r a b le g o o d s . ........................................ ..............

J u ly
1939

June
1939

A ugu st
1939

J u ly
1939

June
1939

A u gu st
1939

J u ly
1939

June
1939

A u gu st
1939

J u ly
1939

June
1939

A u gu st
1939

J u ly
1939

June
1939

C e n ts

C e n ts

C e n ts

9 6 .4
84.1
108.1

93 .5
83.0
103.5

9 3 .4
84.6
101.8

8 9 .8
81.6
99.0

84.4
76.1
9 3 .7

86.5
80 .7
93.0

$24. 53
27. 94
21.60

$23.71
26.44
2 1.27

$24.23
27.36
21.33

3 8 .0
38.3
3 7 .7

36 .6
36.1
37.0

3 7 .2
3 7 .4
37.1

6 3 .9
7 1 .6
5 7 .9

64.3
71. 8
58.1

6 4 .8
7 2 .4
58.2

92 .3
9 7 .0
9 6 .9
7 5 .3

89 .7
9 5 .3
9 2 .9
7 4 .6

90 .4
9 5 .7
9 3 .2
7 3 .0

8 7 .8
9 2 .5
104.0
6 7 .9

78.6
8 2 .0
83. 1
65 .8

82.6
85 .9
9 0 .4
6 5 .7

28.13
30.13
26.17
21.81

25.82
2 7 .1 2
21.79
21.28

26. 89
28.3 0
23.59
21. 73

37 .0
35 .6
3 8 .0
3 7 .4

34.2
32.1
31.8
36. 6

35.6
3 3 .6
34. 0
37. 2

75.6
8 4 .4
6 8 .9
58. 0

76
84.
68.
57.

75.
84.
69.
58

92. 1
5 5 .6
7 5 .6
77 .8
151.9

8 6 .5
5 4 .4
6 9 .0
7 6 .7
143.7

9 0 .4
5 4 .4
72 .1
7 5 .8
147.3

7 9 .5
5 9 .4
79.8
71. 1
152.8

76.1
5 4 .8
6 5 .4
65 .3
137.4

8 2 .4
5 5 .8
7 3 .8
6 7 .5
146.4

22. 34
29. 10
26. 03
26.43
23. 51

22. 66
27.43
23. 38
24. 70
22.68

23.56
27.9 5
25. 21
25. 56
23.4 4

38.1
3 8 .3
3 9 .0
38 .9
3 8 .6

3 7 .6
3 6 .2
3 7 .4
36.8
36.4

38 .8
3 6 .5
3 8 .5
38.1
3 7 .3

5 9 .8
7 6 .0
66. 7
68. 0
60. 5

61. 2
7 5 .8
62. 5
67. 3
62. 8

6 1 .4
7 6 .6
65. 5
67.1
62. 5

7 8 .4
90. 2
7 1 .5
107.4

7 5 .7
8 5 .5
68 .8
100.2

7 5 .0
8 7 .5
67. 1
9 7 .7

6 7 .9
7 7 .7
6 4 .2
114.9

6 0 .0
7 2 .7
59 .0
102.8

62.9
7 6 .9
5 8 .8
103.2

26. 47
24.78
28. 79
24.20

24.23
24.43
27. 56
23.1 2

25. 66
25. 20
8 8 .1 3
23. 82

3 7 .9
37. 7
39 .6
3 9 .9

35.1
3 7 .0
3 7 .9
.38.1

3 6 .9
3 7 .9
3 9 .1
39. 4

6 9 .9
66. 0
7 2 .8
60. 8

69. 1
66.1
7 2 .8
60 5

6 9 .6
66. 6
72.1
60. 4

83. 5
116. 1
96.8
114.4

7 9 .7
125.9
9 5 .7
113.0

8 3 .7
136.3
95 .6
118.7

79 .4
115.5
9 6 .9
124.0

7 2 .2
124.0
94.0
122.7

7 9 .4
133.4
95 .4
127.3

23.97
24. 76
28. 07
29.11

22. 88
24. 54
27.55
29. 20

24. 05
25. 26
27. 97
2 8 .8 5

3 8 .6
3 6 .8
39.0
3 7 .4

36.8
35.9
38.0
37.4

3 9 .0
37. 6
3 8 .6
37.1

6 2 .3
6 7 .4
72.1
78.1

62. 3
68. 4
7 2 .4
78. 5

6 1 .8
67. 3
72.5
7 8 .0

124.6
87 .8

127. 2
8 6 .8

128.3
8 6 .5

119.4
93. 4

123.0
91 .0

124.5
9 1 .6

30.23
28. 50

30.52
28 .0 5

30. 62
28. 42

3 7 .0
3 8 .8

37. 5
37.8

37. 6
3 8 .3

82. 2
73. 7

8 1 .8
74. 3

82.1
74. 4

9 6 .8
84.1
140.3
135.9

96. 2
8 2 .6
147. 4
129.6

9 9 .0
8 2 .6
144.8
119.9

113.5
78. 4
160.9
122.8

110.2
7 4 .8
165.7
113.6

114.3
76.9
165.6
104.5

31.01
27. 78
31.72
22.38

30.36
25. 95
31. 23
21.71

30.57
27.71
31.7 8
21. 63

40. 1
3 8 .8
42. 6
3 8 .9

3 9 .2
37.6
41.8
37 .7

3 9 .2
3 8 .7
42. 4
3 7 .2

7 7 .8
7 1 .5
7 4 .6
5 7 .6

77. 9
7 1 .6
74. 8
57 6

7 8 .2
7 1 .6
7 5 .0
5 8 .3

D u r a b le goods

Iron a n d s te e l a n d th e ir p ro d u c ts, not in c lu d in g
m a c h in e r y .______ _______________________ _____ ____
B la s t fu rn a ces, s te e l w o r k s, a n d r o llin g m i l l s . . .
B o lt s , n u t s , w a sh e r s, a n d r iv e t s ________________
C a st-iro n p ip e ________________________________
C u tle r y (n o t in c lu d in g s ilv e r a n d p la te d
c u tle r y ) a n d ed g e t o o ls . . _______________
F o r g in g s, ir o n a n d s t e e l. . . _______________
__
H a r d w a r e __________________________________ _.
P lu m b e r s ’ s u p p lie s ________ _______ ________ __
S ta m p e d a n d e n a m e le d w a r e _____________ _____
S te a m a n d h o t-w a te r h e a tin g a p p a r a tu s a n d
s te a m f it t in g s _______ __________ __ . . . . . _
S t o v e s ________________ . . . ____________
S tr u c tu r a l a n d o r n a m e n ta l m e ta lw o r k ____ __
T in ca n s a n d o th e r t i n w a r e ... . . . . . . . . .
T o o ls (n o t in c lu d in g e d g e to o ls , m a c h in e to o ls,
files, a n d s a w s ) ___ _____________________ . . .
W ir e w o r k _______ . . . . .
M a c h in e r y , not in c lu d in g tra n spo rta tio n e q u ip m e n t.
A g r ic u ltu r a l im p le m e n ts (in c lu d in g tractors) _.
C ash re gisters, a d d in g m a c h in e s , a n d c a lc u la t­
in g m a c h in e s .. ______________________________
E le c tr ic a l m a c h in e r y , a p p a r a tu s, a n d s u p p lie s .
E n g in e s , tu r b in e s , w a te r w h e e ls , a n d w in d ­
m ills ___________________________ . . . .
F o u n d r y a n d m a c h in e -s h o p p r o d u c ts __________
M a c h in e t o o l s . . . _________ ____________ ________
R a d io s an d p h o n o g r a p h s _______________________


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

0
9
5
8

7
2
5
0

M o n th ly L a b o r R e view — N o vem ber 1939

A ugu st
1939

26.47
24.24
33.38
30.59
34.77
26.90
28.72
31. 69
28.24
25. 62
28.76
22. 88
22.89
26.06
25.03
26.64
21.21
20. 90

26.63
23. 05
31.06
29.94
31.50
24.36
28. 38
31.71
25.39
24.20
28.31
21. 34
22.20
24. 66
23. 44
26.05
19.62
19.47

26. 70
22.13
31.73
31.17
31.94
26.94
29.01
32.53
25.52
26. 65
27. 32
21.30
23.12
24. 79
24.53
26.34
20.96
19. 91

40.1
37.8
38.1
41.7
37.7
36.2
37.6
38.1
39.4
38.5
40.5
39.2
39.7
37.6
39.0
38.2
39.5
39.7

40.5
36.0
35.1
40.7
34.0
32.8
37.2
37.6
37.8
35.7
39.7
36.3
37.7
35.8
37.0
37. 5
36.8
37.1

40.5
34.5
36.3
42.0
34.3
36.5
37.7
38.5
38.2
39.1
38.8
36.4
38.8
35.6
38.5
38.1
39.1
38.0

66.1
64.1
88.8
74.3
93.5
74.4
76.4
82.9
66.8
66.4
71.2
58.4
56.8
69.3
64.1
69.8
54.1
52.9

65.8
64.0
88.4
73.7
92.8
74.2
76.3
83.2
67.1
67.7
71.7
58.7
57.9
68.9
64.0
69.5
53.7
52.8

66.1
64.0
89.3
73.6
93.3
73.8
77.0
83.2
67.0
68.0
70.7
58.5
59.1
69.7
64.0
69.1
54.3
52.7

91.5
39.6
65.6

47.5
55.9
70.6
50.1
68.4
100.8
39.8
73.0

22.75
20. 95
24. 26
21.17
27.32
25.53
26. 54
22. 25

21.41
19.16
22.60
19.58
26.84
23.26
25.83
20.30

22.45
21.26
23.94
21.25
27.31
24.86
26.76
21.59

42.2
38.7
37.7
39.2
38.9
35.7
37.6
38.0

39.7
35.9
35.3
36.6
38.0
32.5
35.7
35.8

41.4
39.2
37.2
39.5
39.1
35.0
37.5
36.2

53.9
54.8
64.7
53.9
70.3
71.8
71.1
61.8

54.0
54.0
64.6
53.1
70.6
71.6
72.9
61.7

54.3
55.2
64.7
53.8
69.6
71.1
71.8
63.1

79.3
76.5
57.3
72.5
73.0
97.6
81.6
144.4
56.6
64.7
114.0
48.1
72.7
79.7
78.4
96.8
113.4
105.5
36.7
91.2

79.6
75.6
57.4
70.9
70.3
97.1
73.5
147.8
55.8
67.2
110.5
47.6
71.0
82.3
73.9
106.0
117.0
111.4
45.2
98.0

17.22
16.66
23.34
14.03
18.18
20.56
24.24
19.14
17.45
14.92
18. 86
15.71
19.18
18.80
20.29
20.14
16.27
14.27
24.05
13. 63

16.47
16. 24
21.61
13.83
17. 78
19. 87
24.35
17.63
16.76
14.90
18. 34
15.15
19.42
17.14
19.07
17.71
16.73
13.19
18.06
12.38

16.51
16.20
21.77
13.69
17.75
20.29
23.24
17.95
18.96
15.13
17. 87
15.38
19.32
17.46
19.04
18.06
17.09
13.83
18.43
13.33

36. 1
36.7
35.8
36.6
38.6
38.5
34.3
36.0
38.7
37.0
39.3
37.0
36.4
35.2
34.6
34 8
35 2
35.9
35.9
35.8

35.2
35.9
33.9
36.1
38.5
37.6
34.6
33.7
36.9
37.1
39.2
35.3
36.8
33.7
33.4
34.1
37.1
34.5
30.4
32.5

35.4
35.9
34.3
35.8
37.9
37.4
33.4
34.3
36.7
37.5
38.3
35.4
36.7
34.6
33.8
35.6
38.0
35.7
23.8
34.2

47.9
45.8
65.3
38.3
47.7
52.9
70.1
53.3
44.8
40.4
46.9
42.2
52.7
51.3
58.0
52.4
45.8
38.9
62.4
38.5

47.1
45.8
63.7
38.3
47.1
52.4
71.1
52.8
45.3
40.2
46.1
42.5
53.0
49.5
55.5
48.6
44.9
37.5
59.8
38.3

47.2
45.8
63.6
38.3
47.4
53.7
70.9
52.0
46.1
40.5
45.8
43.0
52.6
49.8
56.8
47.8
45.1
37.7
63.0
39.4

45.3
50.4
65.9
46.4
68.1

N o n d u r a b le goods

Textiles and their products...............
Fabrics_______ ___ ___ ___ _
Carpets and rugs_________
Cotton goods__________
Cotton small wares_______
Dyeing and finishing textiles.
Hats, fur-felt......................
Hosiery.................................
Knitted outerwear................
Knitted underwear...........
Knitted cloth.....................
Silk and rayon goods______
Woolen and worsted goods...
Wearing apparel.................... —
Clothing, men’s....................
Clothing, women’s________
Corsets and allied garments..
Men’s furnishings..............
Millinery........................—
Shirts and collars........... .......
S e e f o o t n o t e s a t e n d o f t a b le .


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

103.5
93.1
75.6
87.3
80.9
122.2

93.7
152.4
78.1
77.1
140.4
62.8
86.2

122.1
110.2

174.3
114.0
131.2
78.2
119.9

98.1
91.1
73.8
85.7
79.5
119.2
90.2
148.9
72.1
73.2
135.9
60.1
86.3
109.5
105.1
143.9
111.8
123.9
55.9
117.5

98.0
89.6
73.4
84.1
77.0
116.8
85.7
148.7
70.5
74.5
135.2
58.7
84.5
112.6
100.4
157.9
112.9
127.4

88.3
80.2
63.5
74.8
75.6
103.3
84.1
161.1
63.8

68.2

65.8
102.5

118.5

68.0

116.6
52.0
71.5
95.4
86.5
132.9
112.2
120.2

1253

73.4
74.7
112.7
113.4
88.9
76.6
l, 337.9 1,299. 2
88.6
72.9
30.0
24.7
24.5
26.5
136.2
131.5
84.0
83.4
156.9
148.1
103.1
106.8
76.4
76.4
69.7
68.6
55.7
53.5
57.6
50.8
71.8
70.6
60.
1
56.3
68.0
68.0

Trend of Employment and Pay Rolls

74.6
77.1
75.3
77.6
T e x t ile m a c h in e r y a n d p a r ts ----------------------------116.5
120.6
124.9
117.9
T y p e w r ite r s a n d p a r ts ----------------------------- --------79.2
79.9
76.3
90.8
T ran sp or tation e q u ip m e n t----------------- ---------------------A ir c r a ft............ ...............— ------------------------------------- 1, 413. 5 1,398.9 1, 304.8 1,380.9
76.2
76.4
91.6
71.8
A u t o m o b ile s ______________ - .........................................
27.2
32.0
35.1
31.9
O ars, e le c tr ic - an d stea m -ra ilro a d ------- -------------27.2
26.0
28.7
29. 1
L o c o m o t iv e s ________________________ ___________
128.3
124.4
121.5
125.7
S h ip b u ild in g _________ . . . . ------------- --------------------89.8
91.3
91.3
94.6
N o n fe rro u s m e ta ls a n d th e ir p r o d u c ts..-. ........................
164.1
149.5
144.4
153.7
A lu m in u m m a n u fa c tu r es-------------------------- -------113.4
104.2
104.0
107.7
B r a ss, b o n z e , a n d co p p er p r o d u c ts ................. ........
85.0
79.8
79.9
82.8
C lo c k s a n d w a tc h e s a n d tim e -r eco r d in g d e v ic e s .
76.9
84.5
87.0
94.2
J e w e l r y .......................... .................................. - .......... ........
58.3
71.2
70.5
73.0
L ig h tin g e q u ip m e n t.........................................................
59.3
62.6
67.8
68.9
S ilv e r w a r e a n d p la te d w a r e .--------------------- ------70.8
76.0
76.5
74.6
S m e lt in g a n d refin in g — co p p er, le a d , a n d z i n c ..
62.9
66.7
66.3
68.7
L u m b e r a n d a llie d p r o d u c ts .............. ................... ...............
83.2
75.5
84.3
87.5
F u r n i t u r e . . . .............. ..................... - ................... ...............
L um ber:
49.5
59.7
61.4
59.6
M i l l w o r k . . ................................. ................................
56.8
61.1
60.9
62.7
S a w m ills _________________ _____ - ........................
71.7
79.7
80.8
80.5
S to n e , c la y , a n d g la s s p ro d u c ts----------------------- --------50.1
61.5
61.3
61.8
B r ic k , t il e , a n d terra c o t t a . . .............. .......... .............
69.9
72.5
72.6
71.6
C e m e n t .--------------- --------------------------- ........................
102.9
96.3
99.0
98.5
G l a s s . ......................... ..................... ............ - ----------------54.1
40.3
53.2
51.8
M a r b le , g r a n ite , s la te , a n d o th e r p r o d u c ts ------75.1
81.8
85.5
84.7
P o t t e r y ------ -------------- ------------------------ ------------------

Rolls, Hours, and Earnings in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing Industries, June, July, and August 1939— C o n tin u e d
MANUFACTURING— Continued

E m p lo y m e n t in d e x

A verage hours w ork ed
per w eek

A u gu st
1939

J u ly
1939

June
1939

A u gu st
1939

J u ly
1939

June
1939

A u g u st
1939

J u ly
1939

June
1939

100.8
100.4
8 5 .5
147.1
146.9
295.4
102.9
289.3
7 8 .5
7 9 .9
89 .4
100.2
8 8 .3
9 8 .6
6 6 .6
6 0 .7
6 7 .3
110.9
114.3
107.0

9 9 .7
99.1
85.5
135.0
147.8
301.1
103.9
197.0
70 .2
8 2 .5
9 2 .7
100.7
5 7 .2
97 .9
65.4
59.1
66.1
110.1
109.7
105.8

94.1
9 2 .5
84 .8
127.2
147.4
298.0
103.1
141.2
72 .0
79 .2
9 2 .2
99 .4
5 4 .2
9 1 .0
6 5 .2
6 0 .8
6 5 .7
109.8
108.2
106.1

85.1
8 3 .5
83.1
135.1
135.3
35 0 .2
8 6 .7
251.1
7 6 .7
7 6 .8
7 4 .2
105.8
8 5 .7
8 0 .8
6 2 .7
6 7 .3
62.1
103.7
124.6
107.7

83.6
81 .9
8 2 .0
128.6
139.1
359.0
8 8 .8
153.7
6 4 .2
8 0 .4
7 7 .0
109.2
53 .6
8 0 .6
61 .8
6 7 .3
6 1 .0
102.0
116.5
101 .2

7 4 .6
70.4
8 2 .2
123.8
138.1
355.3
87 .3
110.3
69.1
74.3
7 5 .2
106.7
5 9 .2
77. 2
61 .5
65 .1
6 0 .4
103.5
117.6
104.5

$19.65
18.54
24.29
23.93
25.49
34.74
22.57
17.20
18.93
25.95
29.2 9
27. 77
25.22
23.05
17.43
18.04
17.30
28.04
21.71
24.65

$19.72
18.74
23.96
24.61
26.05
34. 93
22.96
15.49
17. 66
26.28
29.03
28.54
23.96
23.15
17.48
18. 52
17.26
27. 57
21.19
23.40

$18.65
17.28
24.30
25.13
25.96
34. 78
22. 63
15.54
18. 52
25.4 0
28.42
28.25
27.89
23.87
17.19
17.25
17.17
28.10
21.7 5
24.13

37 .4
37 .5
3 8 .6
4 0 .5
41.1
4 0 .4
4 7 .2
3 9 .4
3 7 .9
4 2 .4
4 6 .8
4 0 .4
4 0 .1
3 6 .6
3 8 .9
34 .9
37.1
38.1
4 0 .2
39 .9

37.5
37 .7
38 .0
40.1
42.1
4 0 .7
48 .0
3 4 .6
3 4 .0
4 3 .3
4 7 .5
4 1 .6
32.5
36.1
37.0
35.3
3 7 .2
37 .5
3 8 .9
3 8 .0

35.1
3 4 .5
3 8 .7
40.5
4 2 .2
4 0 .8
4 7 .7
3 4 .2
3 6 .6
4 2 .0
4 7 .1
4 0 .9
4 1 .1
3 7 .0
3 6 .6
3 3 .9
3 6 .9
3 8 .1
3 9 .8
3 9 .0

9 8 .3
112.0
109.1
122.7
105.7
119.1
5 6 .7
107.3
9 3 .3
7 3 .9
122.1
255.1
8 6 .0

9 9 .1
111.9
110.4
121.8
107.6
117.1
4 9 .3
105.9
91 .1
7 3 .4
122.2
297 .0
8 1 .9

9 6 .5
114.0
109.8
120.5
107.2
116.5
54.3
108.3
8 9 .7
78 .9
124.3
2 8 6 .2
7 9 .6

8 3 .4
102.2
118.9
135.9
113.6
136.1
4 7 .5
118.9
109.1
6 2 .7
125.6
246.6
102.3

8 5 .6
102.2
117.8
131.5
113.6
130.8
41 .7
117.9
102.8
6 3 .4
124.0
2 8 3 .2
9 9 .0

8 3 .7
105.7
118.7
134.4
113.9
131. 5
4 5 .4
118.7
100.9
6 4 .9
128.9
271.8
9 7 .3

29.78
36. 75
29.64
34.7 6
27.17
31.63
13.69
23.84
32.2 0
17.26
28.47
24.81
28 .9 8

30.1 6
36 .7 8
28.99
33.91
26.71
30. 74
13. 55
23. 92
30. 97
17.65
28.14
24.4 7
29.4 2

30. 28
37.28
29.37
34.99
26. 79
31.0 7
13.37
24.95
30. 92
16.79
28.62
24 .3 8
29.74

3 7 .8
3 5 .7
38 .5
3 5 .8
3 9 .6
4 0 .1
4 2 .3
3 9 .9
4 0 .2
3 5 .8
4 0 .3
3 8 .6
3 9 .6 1

38 .3
35 .5
37.9
34 .7
39.1
39.3
41.1
4 0 .5
3 8 .4
3 6 .4
40 .0
38 .3
39 .6

38 .1
3 6 .0
3 8 .5
36.1
3 9 .5
4 0 .0
4 2 .2
3 9 .8
3 8 .4
3 5 .4
4 1 .1
3 7 .9
4 0 .0

A u gu st
1939

J u ly
1939

June
1939

A v e r a g e h o u r ly e a r n ­
in g s
A u gu st
1939

J u ly
1939

June
1939

C e n ts

C e n ts

C e n ts

52.6
4 9 .3
63.3
59.5
62.4
8 6 .8
4 7 .9
4 4 .7
5 0 .6
6 0 .5
62.3
6 8 .8
6 3 .8
6 3 .0
4 7 .2
51.7
4 6 .7
76.4
5 4 .4
6 1 .8

52.1
4 9 .8
6 2 .9
61.5
6 2 .4
8 6 .8
4 8 .0
4 4 .5
5 1 .9
60.4
60.4
6 8 .7
7 5 .7
64.1
4 7 .6
5 2 .4
4 7 .0
77.0
5 4 .8
6 1 .6

52.7
5 0 .5
6 3 .0
62.2
6 1 .8
8 5 .5
4 7 .3
4 6 .4
5 0 .5
60.3
59.9
6 9 .1
7 0 .0
6 4 .5
4 7 .4
5 1 .2
4 7 .0
77.0
55.1
61. 8

7 9 .7
9 9 .8
77.0
9 7 .5
6 8 .6
7 8 .9
3 1 .0
5 9 .9
8 0 .2
4 8 .3
7 0 .7
6 4 .3
73.3

8 0 .2
100.1
77.0
9 8 .5
6 8 .5
7 8 .3
3 1 .3
5 9 .5
8 0 .7
4 8 .5
7 0 .4
6 3 .9
7 4 .4

8 0 .9
9 9 .9
76.2
9 7 .2
6 8 .0
7 7 .7
3 0 .5
59.2
8 0 .6
47. 5
6 9 .7
6 4 .3
7 4 .6

C o n tin u e d

L ea th er a n d its m a n u fa c tu r e s............................................
B o o ts an d s h o e s ____________ _
L e a t h e r . , . .................... ................. ..
Food a n d k in d r e d p r o d u c ts .__________ _____________
B a k in g ____________________ __________
B e v e r a g e s ___________ ________________________
B u t t e r ________________________________ _____
C a n n in g an d p r e se r v in g _______________________
C o n f e c t io n e r y ..____ ___________ _____ _
______
F lo u r .....................................................
I c e c r e a m ___________ ____________
___________
S la u g h te r in g an d m e a t p a c k in g ________________
S ugar, b e e t__________________ ________________
S ugar refin in g, c a n e .................... .......... ..
..............
T obacco m a n u fa c tu r e s____________ ____________
C h e w in g an d sm o k in g to b a cco a n d s n u f f ____
C igars an d c ig a r e tte s .................... .......... .......... .............
P a p e r an d p r in tin g .........................................................
B o x e s , p a p e r ...................................................................... ..
P a p e r an d p u l p . . . _________________ _________
P r in tin g an d p u b lis h in g :
B o o k a n d j o b . ____________ _________________
N e w sp a p e r s an d p e r io d ic a ls.............................
C h e m ic a l, p e tr o le u m , an d coal p r o d u c ts ........ ...............
P e tr o le u m r e fin in g ________________ ____________
O th er th a n p etr o le u m r e fin in g ______ __________
C h e m ic a l s .. ___________ ______ __ ______
C o tto n s e e d — o il, ca k e , a n d m e a l_____ _____
D r u g g is ts ’ p rep a ra tio n s________ _______ ____
E x p lo s iv e s ________ _________________________
F e r tiliz e r s ________________________________ _
P a in t s an d v a r n is h e s .......................................... ..
R a y o n an d a llie d p r o d u c t s ._______ ________
S o a p ________________________________________


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

A v e r a g e w e e k ly ea r n ­
in g s

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

N o n d u r a b le go o d s—

P a y -r o ll in d e x

1254

T a b l e 2 . —Employment, P ay

82 .6
58 .5
6 8 .3
132.9

7 8 .7
4 5 .2
6 6 .6
130.7

80.1
56 .1
6 6 .2
129.3

86.0
58 .4
78 .5
127.1

81.5
4 2 .5
77.1
121.4

82.1
5 5 .4
7 4 .8
121.9

28.44
22.9 2
33.73
23.23

28.22
21.61
33.8 4
22 .4 7

27. 88
22.6 9
33.0 6
22.77

36.9
37 .3
3 5 .2
3 8 .8

36.4
3 5 .7
3 5 .6
3 7 .6

3 6 .5
3 7 .3
3 4 .9
3 8 .1

77.1
6 1 .5
9 6 .2
6 0 .5

77.3
6 0 .5
9 5 .6
6 0 .4

76.5
6 0 .8
9 4 .7
6 0 .3

NONMANUFACTURING
[In d ex e s are b a se d o n 12 -m o n th a v er a g e, 1929=100]

4 8 .6
8 1 .5
6 0 .2
4 8 .2
66 .6

4 4 .7
79.4
60 .4
4 7 .5
67.3

5 1 .2
7 8 .3
6 1 .6
4 7 .3
6 7 .0

33 .3
74 .9
5 3 .2
4 3 .0
6 1 .8

2 5 .2
64 .5
48 .5
40 .9
61 .9

36 .1
66 .5
5 3 .8
4 1 .7
6 2 .5

22.9 6
24.96
27.06
22. 38
33. 87

18.65
22.03
24.91
21.69
33.8 2

23.30
22. 75
27.2 6
22.15
34.3 8

2 3 .8
2 7 .7
3 9 .3
4 0 .6
3 8 .5

2 0 .2
2 4 .4
3 6 .4
3 9 .0
3 7 .7

2 5 .4
2 5 .2
3 9 .4
40.1
3 8 .8

9 3 .3
8 9 .4
69.5
5 5 .0
8 8 .2

9 3 .1
8 9 .2
6 8 .8
5 5 .5
8 8 .0

9 2 .8
8 8 .6
6 9 .5
5 4 .9
8 6 .7

75 .6
9 3 .8

75 .4
93 .2

7 5 .3
9 2 .3

9 5 .2
101.0

9 4 .6
100.0

9 3 .7
100.2

30. 20
33.8 7

31.0 6
33.4 8

30. 79
33.8 9

3 9 .2
3 9 .9

39 .4
38 .7

3 9 .1
4 0 .2

8 0 .3
85.1

8 1 .5
8 6 .4

8 1 .4
8 4 .4

6 9 .8

6 9 .7

69.9

70.9

7 0 .6

71.2

33.20

33. 02

33. 21

4 6 .0

4 5 .8

4 6 .2

7 1 .4

7 1 .4

7 1 .1

7 1 .0
5 5 .3
50.1
5 6 .8
3 2 .3
4 1 .3
48.3
(8)
(8)
9 2 .4

7 2 .6
5 5 .7
4 9 .9
5 7 .5
3 2 .0
4 1 .6
4 8 .2
(8)
(6)
9 2 .0

7 1 .5
5 5 .1
4 8 .7
57.1
3 2 .6
4 1 .9
49.1
(8)

8 9 .0
8 2 .5
8 9 .8
8 0 .6
8 9 .9
9 9 .2
102.6
+ .1
+ .2
+ .8

8 7 .9
8 3 .6
9 1 .7
8 1 .5
9 0 .3
100.0
106.5
- 1 .5
+ .6
+ 4 .5

88.1
8 6 .4
9 7 .4
8 3 .5
9 2 .8
9 8 .7
110.1
- 2 .0
+ .4
+ 1 -4

76.1
6 9 .4
81.1
6 7 .0
79.4
8 6 .0
7 3 .0
- 1 .7
- .6
+ 1 .2

7 5 .8
70.9
8 3 .8
6 8 .2
79.1
88 .0
77.1
- 2 .1
-1 .2
+ 4 .6

1 A v e r a g e w e e k ly ea r n in g s are c o m p u te d from figu res fu rn ish e d b y a ll r e p o r tin g e s ta b ­
lis h m e n ts . A v e r a g e h o u r s a n d a v er a g e h o u r ly ea r n in g s are c o m p u te d fro m d a ta s u p p lie d
b y a sm a lle r n u m b e r o f e s ta b lis h m e n ts , as n o t a ll re p o r tin g fir m s fu r n ish m a n -h o u rs.
T h e figu res are n o t s t r ic tly c o m p a ra b le from m o n th to m o n th b eca u se of c h a n g e s in th e
size a n d c o m p o s itio n o f th e re p o r tin g s a m p le . H o u r s a n d ea r n in g s for a ll m a n u fa c tu r in g
in d u str ie s r e la te to 90 in d u str ie s in s te a d o f 87 w h ic h w ere co v e red in th e J u ly a n d prior
iss u e s o f th e p a m p h le t, d u e to th e s ep a ra tio n of th e k n it g o o d s in d u s tr y in to it s four c o m ­
p o n e n t d iv is io n s .

29. 76
21.39
18.07
23.99
15.13
17.60
19.45
35.1 7
34.43
30.91

29.92
21. 58
18. 25
24 .1 6
15.15
17. 85
19.81
35. 78
36. 20
3 0 .8 5

29.90
21.36
18.05
24. 00
15. 30
17.95
21.00
35.71
36. 75
30.8 7

41.9
4 2 .8
3 8 .5
4 4 .0
4 6 .9
4 2 .9
4 1 .6
(8)
(8)
3 3 .5

41.3
4 2 .6
3 8 .5
43 .9
4 6 .8
4 3 .3
42 .1
(8)
(»)
3 3 .6

4 2 .0
4 2 .7
3 9 .2
4 3 .8
4 6 .8
4 3 .2
4 3 .4
(8)
(8)
3 3 .4

m

9 2 .8

2 I n d e x e s a d ju s te d to 1935 c e n s u s. C o m p a r a b le series b a c k to J a n u a r y 1929 p r e s e n te d
in J a n u a r y 1938 is s u e o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d P a y R o lls p a m p h le t.
3 A v e r a g e w e e k ly ea r n in g s, h o u r ly ea r n in g s, a n d h ours n o t str ic tly c o m p a r a b le w it h figu res
p u b lis h e d in p a m p h le ts p rio r to J a n u a r y 1938 a s t h e y n o w e x c lu d e co r p o r a tio n officers,
e x e c u tiv e s , a n d o th er e m p lo y e e s w h o s e d u tie s are m a in ly s u p e r v is o r y .
* C a sh p a y m e n ts o n ly ; th e a d d itio n a l v a lu e o f b o a rd , ro o m , a n d tip s c a n n o t b e c o m p u te d .
3 In d e x e s of e m p lo y m e n t a n d p a y ro lls are n o t a v a ila b le , p e r c e n ta g e c h a n g e s fro m p r e ­
c e d in g m o n th s u b s titu te d ..
8 N o t a v a ila b le .

1255


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

7 5 .8
7 2 .5
8 8 .1
69 .3
8 2 .0
8 6 .9
8 4 .2
-2 .4
+ .5
- .7

Trend of Employment and Pay Rolls

C oal m in in g :
A n t h r a c it e 2_____________ _____________________
B it u m in o u s 2------------- -------------- -------------------------M e ta llife r o u s m in in g ______________ _________ _______
Q u a r r y in g a n d n o n m e ta llie m in in g - ----------------------C r u d e -p e tr o le u m p r o d u c in g --------- --------------------------P u b lic u tilitie s :
T e le p h o n e a n d te le g r a p h 3-._
----------------------E lectric lig h t and p ow er an d m a n u fa c tu r ed g a s 3—
E le c tr ic -r a ilr o a d a n d m o to r b u s o p e r a tio n a n d
m a in t e n a n c e 3. . ............- ................................................
T ra d e:
W h o le s a le 3______ _____ - .......... .....................................R e t a i l 3_______________________ __________ - .............
G e n e ral m e r c h a n d isin g 3___________________
O th e r t h a n gen eral m e r c h a n d is in g 3_______
H o te ls (y ea r-r o u n d ) 2 3 4 ______________ _________ ___
L a u n d r ie s 2. - ------- - ----------------------------------------------D y e in g a n d c l e a n in g 2____________________________ —
B r o k e r a g e 3 s . . ------------ -------------- ------------------------------I n s u r a n c e 35------------------ -------------------------------- ----------B u ild in g c o n s tr u c tio n 5_-.................. ........ ............................

1256

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939
IN D E X E S OF EM PLO Y M EN T A N D P A Y ROLLS

General indexes of factory employment and pay rolls, adjusted
to the 1937 Census of Manufactures, are given in table 3 for the
months January 1919 to August 1939. They supersede the pre­
viously published series, which was adjusted only to 1935 census
figures. The accompanying chart indicates the trend of factory
employment and pay rolls from January 1919 to August 1939 as
shown by the adjusted indexes and by the former series of indexes.
Indexes of employment and pay rolls are given in table 4 for all
manufacturing industries combined, for the durable- and nondurablegoods groups of manufacturing industries, and for each of 13 non­
manufacturing industries, including 2 subgroups under retail trade,
by months, from August 1938 to August 1939, inclusive. The accom­
panying chart indicates the trend of factory employment and pay
rolls from January 1919 to August 1939.
The indexes of factory employment and pay rolls are based on the
3-year average 1923-25 as 100. They relate to wage earners only
and are computed from reports supplied by representative manu­
facturing establishments in 90 manufacturing industries. These
reports cover more than 55 percent of the total wage earners in all
manufacturing industries of the country and more than 65 percent
of the wage earners in the 90 industries included in the monthly
survey of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The indexes for the nonmanufacturing industries are based on the
12-month average for 1929 as 100. Figures for mining, laundries,
and dyeing and cleaning cover wage earners only, but the figures for
public utilities, trade, and hotels relate to all employees except
corporation officers, executives, and other employees whose duties
are mainly supervisory. For crude-petroleum production they
cover wage earners and the clerical field force. The coverage of the
reporting samples for the various nonmanufacturing industries ranges
from approximately 25 percent for wholesale trade and dyeing and
cleaning to approximately 80 percent for quarrying and nonmetallic
mining, anthracite mining, and public utilities.
Data for both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries
are based on reports of the number of employees and amount of pay
rolls for the pay period ending nearest the 15th of the month.


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

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

s?

Si­

's,

!

.s(6

«s
3a

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iss
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1258

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

T a ble 3. —General Indexes of Factory Employment and P ay Rolls by Months, January

1919 to August 1939
[1923-1925 = 100]

Employment
Y ear
and
m o n th

Janu­
ary

Feb­
M arch
r u a ry

A pril

M ay

June

J u ly

A u­
g u st

1 9 1 9 ...
1 9 2 0 ...
1 9 2 1 ...
1 9 2 2 ...
1 9 2 3 ...
1 9 2 4 ...
J925__
1 9 2 6 ...
1 9 2 7 ...
1 9 2 8 ...
1 9 2 9 ...
1 9 3 0 ...
1 9 3 1 ...
1 9 3 2 ...
1 9 3 3 ...
1 9 3 4 ...
1935—
1 9 3 6 ...
1 9 3 7 ...
1 9 3 8 ...
1 9 3 9 ...

104.5
114.3
7 9 .5
8 2 .4
100.2
100.1
9 6 .6
101.0
9 8 .6
9 5 .3
101.7
9 8 .2
80.1
7 0 .0
6 3 .3
7 8 .8
8 6 .7
9 2 .3
104.7
9 0 .6
9 2 .2

101.2
113.3
8 1 .7
8 4 .5
102.4
101.7
9 8 .3
102.0
100.2
9 7 .2
104.1
9 8 .3
8 0 .8
7 1 .2
6 4 .7
8 3 .7
8 9 .6
9 2 .7
107.6
9 1 .1
9 3 .6

101.9
114.0
8 2 .3
8 5 .7
105.1
100.1
9 9 .1
101.8
100.3
9 7 .8
106.7
97 .3
8 1 .2
6 7 .8
6 3 .9
8 8 .8
9 1 .2
9 5 .5
111.3
8 8 .5
9 4 .1

102.6
111.1
8 2 .0
8 7 .9
105.2
9 6 .8
9 8 .6
100.8
9 9 .6
9 7 .8
106.5
9 5 .6
8 0 .6
6 5 .2
6 6 .8
8 9 .0
8 9 .9
9 6 .4
111.5
86 .1
9 3 .0

103.9
110.1
8 1 .2
8 9 .6
105.7
9 3 .8
9 8 .4
100.8
9 9 .7
9 8 .5
106.8
9 3 .6
78 .8
6 3 .2
7 1 .6
8 7 .8
8 8 .3
9 7 .0
110.3
8 4 .3
9 3 .4

106.6
107.5
7 9 .7
9 0 .5
104.6
9 0 .6
9 8 .3
9 9 .7
9 8 .6
9 8 .4
107.3
9 0 .4
7 7 .7
6 1 .0
76 .2
8 6 .3
8 8 .7
9 8 .4
110.9
8 4 .7
9 3 .5

109.3
107.4
81.1
9 3 .1
104.8
9 2 .0
100.0
101.8
9 9 .9
101.1
109.2
8 9 .7
7 7 .9
6 2 .7
8 1 .3
8 7 .4
9 1 .7
101.2
112.3
8 8 .8
9 6 .4

101.7
120.6
7 3 .6
84 .1
103.1
8 9 .1
100.1
103.8
102.5
104.6
113.5
8 3 .8
6 6 .4
4 1 .4
5 8 .6
65 .1
7 4 .0
8 7 .3
108.7
77 .3
8 9 .8

101.7
115.6
8 2 .9
8 5 .8
104. 6
101.9
9 9 .2
102.5
100.9
9 8 .2
105.4
9 7 .9
8 1 .2
70.1
62 .3
8 7 .2
9 1 .0
9 3 .9
110.1
9 0 .6
9 4 .3

S ep­
O c­
te m b e r to b e r

N o­
vem ­
b er

D e­
cem ­
ber

111.3
106.1
8 3 .0
9 5 .1
105.3
9 4 .2
101.9
104.0
101 .2
103.3
110.3
9 0 .7
78.3
66 .1
8 5 .0
8 3 .5
9 3 .9
103.8
112.3
9 2 .0

110.9
102.1
8 3 .7
9 6 .6
104.0
9 5 .0
102.6
103.6
100.2
103.5
109.0
8 8 .7
75 .5
6 7 .2
8 4 .6
8 5 .9
9 5 .2
104.9
110.3
9 2 .4

112.1
9 5 .6
8 3 .7
9 8 .0
102.8
9 4 .5
102.2
101.6
9 8 .0
102.6
104.6
8 5 .4
7 2 .7
66 .3
8 1 .2
8 4 .3
9 4 .6
104.9
104.1
9 3 .3

113.9
8 8 .0
8 2 .7
99.1
101.1
96.1
101.8
100.3
9 6 .5
102.1
100. 7
8 2 .9
7 2 .0
65.1
7 9 .5
8 5 .6
9 4 .2
106.4
9 7 .4
9 4 .0

106.3
118.9
73.3
8 7 .0
103.8
9 2 .4
9 9 .4
105.1
102.1
106.2
114.4
8 4 .8
6 3 .8
4 4 .0
6 1 .3
6 0 .8
76 .8
8 7 .2
104.9
8 1 .6

103.6
114.4
71.9
8 8 .7
105.9
9 4 .6
105.3
108.0
102.7
109.5
113.7
8 2 .9
6 1 .8
4 5 .8
61.1
6 4 .0
7 9 .5
9 2 .9
104.9
8 4 .2

A v erage

106.7
107.1
8 2 .0
90. 7
103.8
9 6 .4
9 9 .8
101.7
9 9 .5
9 9 .7
106.0
92 .4
78.1
6 6 .3
73. 4
8 5 .7
91. 3
9 9 .0
108.6
8 9 .7

P a y ro lls
1 9 1 9 ...
1920__
1 9 2 1 ...
1 9 2 2 ...
1 9 2 3 ...
1 9 2 4 ...
1 9 2 5 ...
1 9 2 6 ...
1 9 2 7 ...
1 9 2 8 ...
1 9 2 9 ...
1 9 3 0 ...
1 9 3 1 ...
1 9 3 2 ...
1933 . .
1 9 3 4 ...
1 9 3 5 ...
1 9 3 6 ...
1 9 3 7 ...
1 9 3 8 ...
1 9 3 9 ...

9 3 .8
119.1
8 0 .6
6 9 .6
9 3 .9
9 8 .9
9 6 .0
101.6
9 8 .6
9 6 .6
103.8
9 6 .5
70.3
5 4 .0
4 0 .3
56.1
6 7 .5
76.9
9 4 .6
75.3
8 3 .7

8 9 .3
117.4
80.1
72.5
9 7 .8
104.5
101.0
105.7
104.8
102.0
110.8
9 9 .6
74.4
55.4
4 1 .4
6 2 .9
72.6
76.6
100.1
77.5
8 6 .0


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

9 0 .0
125.4
8 1 .0
7 4 .4
102.6
104.5
102.8
107.2
106.6
103.5
113.0
9 9 .7
75.9
53 .6
3 8 .3
6 7 .2
7 4 .4
8 0 .5
105.9
7 7 .6
8 7 .6

8 9 .2
122.3
78 .8
73.6
103.8
102.0
100.4
104.9
105.0
101.3
114.1
9 8 .5
7 4 .7
4 9 .6
4 0 .4
6 9 .6
74.6
8 2 .6
109.7
74 .9
8 5 .5

9 0 .1
123.0
7 7 .4
7 7 .0
107.3
9 7 .6
101.4
103.5
104.8
102.3
114.3
9 6 .1
7 3 .6
4 6 .8
4 4 .4
6 9 .7
71 .8
8 4 .0
110.1
7 3 .2
8 5 .0

9 2 .7
124.4
7 5 .6
8 0 .0
107.2
9 1 .9
9 9 .2
103.7
103.2
102.7
112.7
9 2 .9
6 9 .9
4 3 .7
49.1
6 7 .4
6 9 .8
8 4 .2
107.6
71.1
8 6 .5

9 5 .6
120.0
71 .6
8 0 .2
102.9
8 5 .3
9 7 .5
9 9 .4
9 9 .1
100.2
108.6
8 5 .0
6 6 .6
4 0 .4
5 2 .7
6 2 .8
69.1
8 3 .5
105.2
71.1
8 4 .4

107.8
115.4
105.0
9 5 .5
70.9
7 2 .7
9 2 .2
9 4 .5
103.9
102. 7
9 3 .1
9 7 .6
105.1
105.5
104.3
103.6
9 8 .9
10 0 .0
106.2
106.9
104.9
101.2
77 .3
75.4
5 8 .3
5 7 .8
4 3 .6
4 2 .4
57 .3
56 .5
6 2 .5 . 6 6 .2
78 .6
8 0 .5
9 4 .4
9 9 .2
9 3 .3
8 4 .6
8 4 .4
87 .1

9 8 .0
117.2
75.6
8 1 .2
102.9
9 6 .0
101.1
104.2
102.4
103.5
110.4
8 9 .4
6 7 .8
4 6 .7
50.1
64 .5
74.1
8 5 .8
102.5
77.9

1259

Trend of Employment and Pay Rolls

T a b le 4.— Indexes of Employment and P ay Rolls in Selected Manufacturing 1 and N on­

manufacturing 2 Industries, August 1938 to August 1939, Inclusive
Employment
I n d u s tr y

1938

1939

A v.
1938
A u g . S ep t. O ct. N o v . D e c . Jan.

F e b . M a r . A p r . M a y J u n e J u ly A u g .

M a n u fa c tu r in g

A ll in d u s tr ie s ______________ 8 9 .7 8 8 .8 9 2 .0 9 2 .4 9 3 .3 9 4 .0 9 2 .2 9 3 .6 9 4 .3 94 .1 9 3 .0 9 3 .4 9 3 .5 9 6 .4
D u r a b le g o o d s 3_______ 77 .9 7 2 .4 75.9 79 .7 8 2 .9 8 3 .8 8 2 .3 8 3 .3 8 4 .1 8 4 .8 8 4 .0 8 4 .6 8 3 .0 84. 1
N o n d u r a b le g o o d s 4___ 100.9 104.4 107.3 104.6 103.1 103.8 101.7 103.5 104.0 103.0 101.6 101.8 103.5 108.1
N o n m a n u fa c tu r in g

A n th r a c ite m in in g ________
B itu m in o u s -c o a l m i n i n g . . .
M e ta llife r o u s m in in g ______
Q u a r r y in g an d n o n m e ta llic
m in in g ____________
C r u d e -p e tr o le u m p r o d u c in g -----------------------------------T e le p h o n e a n d t e l e g r a p h ..
E le c tr ic lig h t a n d p o w e r,
an d m a n u fa c tu r e d g a s . . .
E le c tr ic -r a ilr o a d a n d m o to r b u s o p e r a tio n an d
m a in te n a n c e ____________
W h o le s a le t r a d e .. . ______
R e ta il t r a d e . . .
G e n e ra l m e r c h a n d is in g _________ _________
O th er t h a n gen er al
m e r c h a n d is in g ______
Y ea r-ro u n d h o t e ls _________
L a u n d r ie s .
_. .
D y e in g a n d c le a n in g ______

52 .3
8 6 .7
59 .0

3 7 .6
80.1
51 .4

4 6 .4
8 3 .4
5 5 .2

5 2 .4 51 .0
8 7 .2 8 8 .6
57 .9 6 1 .9

51.3 50 .0
8 9 .3 8 8 .7
6 2 .3 6 2 .6

5 3 .0
25.9
6 1 .5

52 .6
4 7 .9
61.9

5 1 .2
78.3
6 1 .6

4 4 .7
79.4
60.4

4 8 .6
8 1 .5
6 0 .2

42 .3

4 4 .6

4 4 .6 4 4 .4

4 4 .4

41 .4

38.3

3 7 .9

40.1

43 .0

4 5 .6

4 7 .3

47 .5

4 8 .2

72.1
75.1

72 .4
74 .8

7 1 .5 69 .5
74 .9 7 4 .7

6 8 .3
7 4 .4

67.8
74.3

67 .0
74.1

66 .4
7 3 .3

6 6 .2
7 3 .4

65 .8
74.1

66 .1
7 4 .7

67 .0
7 5 .3

67.3
75 .4

6 6 .6
7 5 .6

9 2 .3

9 2 .7

9 2 .5

9 1 .9

9 1 .4

9 0 .0

8 9 .6

8 9 .5

9 0 .3

9 1 .0

9 2 .3

9 3 .2

9 3 .8

70 .3
88 .8
8 5 .2

6 9 .5
8 7 .6
8 0 .0

6 9 .3 69 .9
8 8 .5 8 9 .1
8 4 .7 8 5 .9

6 9 .6 69 .9
8 7 .2 88 .1
8 5 .7 8 6 .4

6 9 .7
8 7 .9
8 3 .6

6 9 .8
8 9 .0
8 2 .5

9 8 .0

8 6 .4

9 6 .8

9 7 .4

9 1 .7

8 9 .8

8 2 .8 8 3 .5
9 3 .9 9 2 .8
9 5 .5 9 8 .7
107.0
.1

8 1 .5
9 0 .3
100.0
106.5

8 0 .6
8 9 .9
9 9 .2
102.6

8 1 .8 78.3
9 2 .7 9 0 .4
9 5 .7 9 7 .5
104.3 105.0

9 7 .0

9 2 .5

6 9 .5 6 9 .4
8 9 .8 9 0 .0
86 .9 98.1

6 9 .2 69 .3
8 8 .3 87.9
8 2 .2 8 1 .5

9 9 .4 104.5 144.1 9 0 .7

8 1 .5 82 .3 8 2 .3 8 6 .0
9 1 .8 9 2 .9 9 2 .5 9 2 .0
9 6 .5 9 4 .4 9 3 .7 9 3 .4
107.8 106.8 102.5 9 7 .9

6 9 .5 69.1
87 .4 8 7 .3
8 3 .8 8 5 .5

8 8 .8 9 3 .2

9 6 .9

8 0 .0 7 9 .6 8 1 .3 8 2 .5
9 1 .8 9 2 .6 9 2 .7 9 3 .2
9 3 .3 9 2 .8 9 2 .9 9 3 .5
9 4 .2 92 .1 9 5 .4 102.2

110

Pay rolla

M a n u fa c tu r in g

A ll in d u s tr ie s ______ ______
D u r a b le g o o d s 3 ______
N o n d u r a b le g o o d s 4___

5 2 .2 51 .7
8 8 .6 8 7 .4
6 0 .9 6 1 .0

7 7 .9
6 7 .6
8 9 .6

77 .3 8 1 .6 8 4 .2
63.1 68.1 7 4 .6
9 3 .2 9 6 .7 9 4 .9

8 4 .4 87.1 8 3 .7 8 6 .0 8 7 .6
7 7 .6 7 9 .6 7 6 .0 77 .7 79.4
9 2 .1 9 5 .4 9 2 .4 9 5 .3 9 6 .7

8 5 .5 8 5 .0
7 9 .5 78 .8
9 2 .2 9 1 .9

3 8 .2
67.9
50 .4

20 .0
6 4 .2
4 3 .7

2 9 .4 4 3 .4
71.9 78 .3
46.1 4 9 .2

3 6 .2
8 1 .4
52 .3

42 .5
80 .9
54.1

3 8 .0
7 8 .2
55 .3

35.1

3 9 .2

38 .4

3 7 .2

33 .7

66 .5
92 .1

66 .8 66 .5 63 .7 63.3
9 1 .3 9 2 .6 9 5 .3 9 3 .0

9 8 .5

9 8 .9

6 9 .7
7 4 .7
70 .4

8 6 .5 84 .4 8 9 .8
8 0 .7 76.1 8 1 .6
9 3 .0 93 .7 9 9 .0

N o n m a n u fa c tu r in g

A n th r a c ite m in in g . . .
B itu m in o u s -c o a l m i n i n g . . .
M e ta llife r o u s m in in g _____
Q u a r r y in g a n d n o n m e ta llie m in in g _____
C r u d e -p e tr o le u m p r o d u c i n g . ______________________
T e le p h o n e a n d t e l e g r a p h ..
E le c tr ic lig h t a n d p o w e r ,
a n d m a n u fa c tu r e d g a s _
E le c tr ic -r a ilr o a d a n d m o to r b u s o p e r a tio n a n d
m a in te n a n c e ___
W h o le s a le tr a d e ______
R e ta il tr a d e ______
G e n e r a l m e r c h a n d is in g ----------------------------O th e r th a n g en er a l
m e r c h a n d is in g ___
Y e a r -r o u n d h o t e ls ______ __
L a u n d r ie s . . . . ________
D y e in g a n d c le a n in g ____

3 9 .2

4 5 .2
8 1 .2
5 3 .4

3 4 .2
77 .8
53 .6

43 .4
1 7 .6
5 2 .6

5 7 .0 36 .1
20.4 6 6 .5
54.1 5 3 .8

2 5 .2 3 3 .3
6 4 .5 7 4 .9
4 8 .5 5 3 .2

3 9 .7

4 0 .9

3 0 .2

2 9 .7

33.1

3 5 .9

62.5 60 .9
9 2 .5 9 2 .0

6 2 .7
9 1 .7

61.3
9 1 .9

60 .8 6 1 .2 62 .5 61.9 61.8
9 2 .1 9 3 .7 9 3 .7 9 4 .6 9 5 .2

9 8 .4 9 9 .9

9 8 .6 9 8 .2 9 5 .9

9 6 .4

9 6 .7

9 6 .9 9 8 .8 100.2 100.0 101.0

6 9 .5
7 3 .7
6 6 .8

6 8 .4
7 4 .3
6 9 .4

68.9
75.1
70.8

6 8 .8 6 9 .7
75 .4 75 .7
71 .5 7 9 .2

71.1
7 5 .5
6 9 .7

6 9 .9
7 4 .6
6 8 .4

7 0 .5
74 .7
6 9 .6

6 9 .6
7 4 .8
71 .3

70.1
74 .9
7 1 .5

7 1 .2 70 .6 70 .9
7 5 .8 7 5 .8 76.1
7 2 .5 7 0 .9 6 9 .4

8 7 .8

78 .8

8 5 .3

8 8 .3

9 1 .8 122.9

8 4 .0

8 1 .0

8 3 .4

8 6 .6

8 6 .7

88 .1

66 .8
8 0 .3
8 0 .6
7 5 .3

6 4 .3 66.1
77 .4 78.9
8 3 .1 81 .4
74 .3 8 1 .7

6 6 .7 6 5 .8 6 6 .8
8 0 .2 8 2 .8 8 1 .1
7 9 .6 7 8 .6 79.3
65.8 6 3 .2 67 .7

68.1
8 1 .9
79.9
73.3

68 .3 6 9 .3 6 8 .2 6 7 .0
8 2 .4 8 2 .0 79.1 7 9 .4
8 3 .9 86 .9 8 8 .0 8 6 .0
8 3 .0 8 4 .2 77.1 7 3 .0

6 7 .2 6 7 .3 70.1
8 0 .8 8 1 .3 81.1
7 9 .5 7 9 .3 8 0 .0
7 8 .0 7 3 .9 68.3

41 .7

8 3 .8

4 3 .0

8 1 .1

1 3-year a v er a g e, 1923-25= 100— a d ju s te d to 1937 C e n su s o f M a n u fa c tu r e s .
* 12-m on th a v er a g e for 1929= 100. C o m p a r a b le in d e x e s are in N o v e m b e r 1934 a n d s u b s e q u e n t iss u e s of
E m p lo y m e n t a n d P a y R o lls , or in F e b r u a r y 1935 a n d s u b s e q u e n t iss u e s of M o n t h ly L a b o r R e v ie w , e x c e p t
for a n th r a c ite a n d b itu m in o u s-c o a l m in in g , y e a r -r o u n d h o te ls , la u n d r ie s , a n d d y e in g a n d c le a n in g . In d e x e s
for t h e s e in d u str ie s fro m J a n u a r y 1929 forw ard h a v e b e e n a d ju s te d to t h e 1935 c e n su s a n d a re p r e se n te d
in t h e J a n u a r y 1938 a n d s u b s e q u e n t iss u e s o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d P a y R o lls .
3 I n c lu d e s: Ir o n a n d s t e e l, m a c h in e r y , tr a n sp o r ta tio n e q u ip m e n t, n o n fe rro u s m e ta ls , lu m b e r a n d a llie d
p r o d u c ts, a n d s to n e , c la y , a n d g la ss p r o d u c ts.
4 I n c lu d e s: T e x tile s a n d th e ir p r o d u c ts, le a th e r a n d it s m a n u fa c tu r e s, fo o d a n d k in d r e d p r o d u c ts, to b a c c o
m a n u fa c tu r e s , p a p e r a n d p r in tin g , c h e m ic a ls , p e tr o le u m , a n d co a l p r o d u c ts, ru b b e r p r o d u c ts, a n d a n u m ­
b er o f m is c e lla n e o u s in d u s tr ie s n o t in c lu d e d in o th e r g ro u p s.

185451— 39----- 16


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1260

M o n th ly L a b o r R e view — N o vem b er 193 9

TREND OF INDUSTRIAL AND R U SIN ESS EMPLOYMENT, RY STATES

A comparison of employment and pay rolls, by States and geo­
graphic divisions, in July and August 1939 is shown in table 5 for all
groups combined and for all manufacturing industries combined based
on data supplied by reporting establishments. The percentage
changes shown, unless otherwise noted, are unweighted—that is, the
industries included in the manufacturing group and in the grand
total have not been weighted according to their relative importance.
The totals for all manufacturing industries combined included
figures for miscellaneous manufacturing industries in addition to the
90 manufacturing industries presented in table 3. The totals for all
groups combined include all manufacturing industries, each of the
nonmanufacturing industries presented in table 3 (except building
construction), and seasonal hotels.
Similar comparisons showing only percentage changes are available
in mimeographed form for “All groups combined,” for “All manu­
facturing,” for anthracite mining, bituminous-coal mining, metalli­
ferous mining, quarrying and nonmetallic mining, crude-petroleum
producing, public utilities, wholesale trade, retail trade, hotels,
laundries, dyeing and cleaning, and brokerage and insurance.
T able

5.— Comparison of Employment and P a y Rolls in Identical Establishments in
August 1939, by Geographic Divisions and by States

[F ig u r e s in ita lic s are n o t c o m p ile d b y th e B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , b u t are ta k e n fro m re p o r ts issu e d
b y co o p er a tin g S ta te org a n iza tio n s]
T o ta l— a ll g ro u p s

G e o g r a p h ic d iv i­
s io n a n d S ta te

P er­
A m ount
N um ­ N um ­
ce n t­
of p ay
b e r of b er o n
age
roll
e s ta b ­ p a y roll ch a n g e (1 w e e k )
A
u
g
u
s
t
from
lis h ­
A ugu st
1939
m e n ts
J u ly
1939
1939

M a n u fa c tu r in g
P er­
c e n t­
age
ch a n g e
from
J u ly
1939

P er­
N um ­
N um ­
c e n t­
b er o f b er o n
age
e s ta b ­ p a y roll c h a n g e
lis h ­
A ugu st
from
m e n ts
1939
J u ly
1939

D o lla r s

P er­
A m ount
c e n t­
of pay
age
roll
ch a n g e
(1 w e e k )
from
A ugu st
J u ly
1939
1939
D o l la r s

812, 089
58, 263
35, 876
16, 505
418, 680
86, 669
196,096

+ 1 . 3 18, 583, 436
+ 2 . 5 1,157, 236
719,168
+ 2 .0
356,125
-.8
+ 1 . 0 9, 712,675
- 3 . 1 1,781,111
+ 3 . 7 4, 857,121

+ 1.2
+ 2 .5
+ 2 .1
- 2 .8

30, 759 2, 023, 344
889,141
19, 294
786,029
7, 774
3,691
348,174

+ 1.6 53,691,886
+ . 9 24, 673, 535
+ 1 . 6 20,011,161
+ 3 . 1 9 ,0 0 7 ,1 9 0

E ast N orth C en tra l. 25,669 1, 996, 639
513, 913
O h io _____________
7, 571
2,8 1 6
248,251
I n d ia n a __________
60S, 494
I l l i n o i s __________ * 6, n o
388, 249
M ic h ig a n ________
4, 211
242, 732
W is c o n s in _______ » 4,331

+ 1.6 54, 841,014
+ 1 . 9 13,934, 828

+ 3 .9
+ 6 .3
6,664 1,239, 803
+ 3 . 2 32,411,620
+ 5 .8
+ 1 . 2 2 2,698
443, 945
+ 4 - 2 12,216,875
+ 7 .4
2 ,3 5 8
502,411 3 + 1 . 8 1 2 .610,687 3 + 7 . 3
293, 447
+ 5 .1
1.608
+ 3 . 8 7, 584,058
+ 4 .1
+ 5 .4
+ 6.8
8, 299 1,482, 930
+ 2 . 4 4 1,701,667
+ 8 .3
+ 6 .8
2,363
393,939
+ 2 . 9 11,008,576
5 ,0 8 5 ,0 5 2 3 + 8 . 2
+ 6 .8
1,051
196, 738 3 + 6 . 1

N e w E n g la n d ........... 10, 648
792
M a i n e ____- - - - - N e w H a m p s h ir e .
581
449
V e r m o n t - _______
M a s s a c h u s e t t s .. . i 5, 639
838
R h o d e I s la n d ___
2,349
C o n n e c tic u t_____
M id d le A tla n tic ____
N e w Y o r k ___. _
P e n n s y lv a n ia ___
N e w J e r s e y ______

W est N orth C en tra l. 11, 845
M i n n e s o t a . . .......... i 2, 789
1,729
I o w a . . . ________
M is s o u r i_________
3,011
455
N o r th D a k o t a ___
392
S o u th D a k o t a ___
N e b r a s k a _______
1,031
K a n s a s . . . .............. .. » 2 , m

436, 260
139,891

59, 265
145, 629
4, 550
5,939
26,031
54 ,9 55

S e e f o o t n o t e s a t e n d o f t a b le .


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

6,258, 971
+ 4 -3
+ 2 . 3 16,1 90 ,6 8 3

- 6 .3
+ 6 .0

634, 625
49,057
29, 880
9,911
310,113
72, 800
162,864

- 1 . 3 12,186, 762

+ 5 .6

+ 1 .3

+ 4 -7

2, 404
1,026
0 1,4 5 5

403,213
3 2 2,185
166,855

6 ,2 6 9 ,7 7 0

- . 1 10,697, 125

+ 3 .9

3,657
282
193
143
1,900
425
714

+ 1 . 8 14, 038, 047
952,149
+ 3 .0
582,241
+ 2 .5
- 2 .1
208,032
6,934,
440
+ 1 .5
- 3 . 7 1,441, 529
3
,9
1
9
,6
56
+ 4 .8

+ 3 . 1 10, 815,788
- . 6 10, 471, 435
4 ,3 2 0 ,8 1 6

3 + .9

+ 1 .9
+ 3 .1
+ 2 .6
- 3 .9
+ 1 .1
- 7 .6
+ 7 .4

+ 5 .5
+ 6 .2

3 + 5 .8

+ .4

2,454

219,580

+ .3

5, 277, 973

3 ,7 4 5 ,3 4 7

+ 1 .8

647

5 6 ,8 06

+ 5 .3

1 ,4 1 2 ,2 3 2

+ 2 .6

1,433, 303
3,387, 315
113,419
141, 300
- 1.0
595,863
10- 8 . 0 1 ,2 8 0 ,5 7 8

+ 3 .9
- 2 .0
+ 1 .4
- 3 .4
+ 1 .1
3 -, 9

357
793
28
29
139

36,336
88, 769
510
2,420
9,315

+ 1 .9
- 3 .2
- 1 .7
-2 .5
+ 2 .0

889, 640
2,020,461
13,162
61,128
236, 612

+ 5 .4
- 2 .6
+• 1
- 9 .3
+ 1 .8

461

2 5 ,4 25

-.2

644,738

+ 1 .9

+ 1 .3
- 2 .7
_ (8 )

+ .2

- 3 .2

Trend of Employment and Pay Rolls

1261

T a b le 5. — Comparison of Employment and P ay Rolls in Identical Establishments in

August 1939, by Geographic Divisions and by States— Continued
M a n u fa c tu r in g

T o ta l— a ll g ro u p s

G e o g ra p h ic d iv i­
sio n a n d S ta te

P er­
A m ount
c e n t­
N um ­ N um ­
of p ay
age
b e r of b e r on
roll
e s ta b ­ p a y roll ch a n g e (1 w e e k )
from
A ugu st
lis h ­
A ugu st
1939
J u ly
m e n ts
1939
1939

P e r­
c e n t­
age
ch a n g e
from
J u ly
1939

Per­
P er­
A m ount
c e n t­
c e n t­
N um ­ N um ­
of pay
age
b er of b er on
age
roll
e s ta b ­ p a y roll c h a n g e (1 w e e k ) c h a n g e
from
from
A ugu st
lis h ­
A u g u st
1939
J u ly
J u ly
m e n ts
1939
1939
1939
D o lla r s

D o lla r s

+ 0 . 7 10,366,409

2,872

575,682

3 ,3 3 6 ,5 6 9

+ 3 .0
-1 .0
- 3 .8

80
641

11, 034
9 2 ,3 8 1

+ 5 .5
3 - 6 .4

2 4 1 ,1 1 8
2 ,3 3 1 ,6 2 0

- 1 .9
3— . 3

-1 .7
+ 3 .5
+ 1 .6
+ 2 .8
+ 1 .7
+ 1 .9
- 1 .6

918,026
2,164, 514
3,369, 569
2, 604,932
1,189, 291
1 ,784,349
703,957

-.6
+ 4 .0
+ 1 1 .8
+ 5 .4
+ 2 .5
+ 1 .4
- .2

40
442
205
662
241
385
176

3,163
80,386
49,677
152,920
76,860
89, 578
19,683

- 2 .1
+ 2 .7
+ 2 .7
+ 1 .6
+ 1 .9
+ 2 .4
+ 2 .7

109, 672
1 ,483,246
1,220, 551
2,328, 720
1 ,070,009
1, 256,585
324,888

-1 .1
+ 3 .7
+ 1 2 .9
+ 4 .9
+ 3 .0
+ 1 .6
+ 5 .0

5, 129, 792
1, 568,938
1,763,759
1, 506,422
290, 673

+ 3 .1
+ 4 .8
+ 1 .7
+ 3 .4
+ 2 .0

1,011
280
361
279
91

180,657
31, 305
75,023
61,648
12,681

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

3,145, 570
657,438
1,305,464
1,01 2 ,5 1 8
170,150

+ 2 .6
+ .7
+ 2 .5
+ 3 .4
+ 6 .3

211,276

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

4, 722, 148

106, 025

+ 1 .8

2, 284, 521

+ 3 .9

+ 2 .5

4 1 8 , 091

251

1 7 ,4 3 7

+ 2 .9

2 6 9 ,9 1 8

+ 4 -8

53,738
36, 559

223
140

29,307
10,964

530,776
268,364

+ 4 .3
+• 8

+ 2 .2

620

4 8 ,3 1 7

+ 6 .1
- 2 .4
3 + .7

1 ,2 1 5 ,4 6 3

3 + 5 .9

113, 745
16, 316
9, 753
8,130
36, 607
5,996
13,003
21, 732
2,208

+ 3 . 9 1 ,045,497
922, 696
- 1 .2
2 ,3 3 5 ,8 6 4
- ( !)
- . 4 2,876,410
+ 2 .9
453, 303
249,206
- 1 .0
230, 741
+ 1 .8
918,490
-. 1
128, 533
+ 2 .5
348,840
- 2 .9
486, 300
- 3 .5
+ 3 .4
60,997

+ 2 .0
+ 3 .8
+ 2 .3
+• 2

1,234

2 5 ,9 6 6

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

544
67
61
37
196
31
38
99
15

35, 058
4,4 7 5
3,236
1,407
14, 782
964
2, 618
7, 236
340

- 3 .4
+6M
- 7 .1
+ 3 .8
- 1 .4
+ 1 0 .8
- 1 .1
-1 3 .6
+ .9

881,624
114, 213
84,304
45,639
389,696
18,173
61,890
157,582
10,127

+ 3 .4
+ 6 .8
+ 1 .5
+ 1 2 .9
+ 4 .9
+ 1 6 .7
+ 1 .4
- 4 .8
+ 1 6 .4

500,248
86,818
48,037

+ 5 . 4 14, 299,022
+ 4 .1 2, 309, 899
+ 5 . 0 1 ,228,920

+ 1 0 .1
+ 9 .2
+ 1 1 .6

2,651
531
288

284, 395
55, 563
31,863

+ 1 0 .0
+ 5 .4
+ 7 .6

7, 955,632
1,497,425
809,141

+ 19.3
+ 1 3 .1
+ 1 8 .4

3 6 5 ,3 9 8

+ 5 . 7 10, 7 6 0 , 2 0 3

+ 1 0 .1

1 ,8 3 2

1 9 6 ,9 6 9

+ 1 1 .7

5 , 6 4 9 ,0 6 6

+ 2 1 .2

S outh A tla n tic ............
D e la w a r e ________
M a r y la n d _______
D is t r ic t o f C o ­
l u m b i a . . . ...........
V ir g in ia __________
W e s t V ir g in ia ___
N o r th C a r o lin a --.
S o u th C a r o lin a —.
G e o r g ia __________
F lo r id a __________

9,657
236

829, 686
15,190

+ 0 . 9 16,422, 681
351,474
+ 4 .0

1 ,5 8 2

1 3 3 ,0 U

- i.6

524
1, 719
1,116
1,444
745
1,418
873

34,159
113, 560
129, 343
169, 290
83,323
114,458
37,319

E ast S outh C en tral.
K e n t u c k y ________
T e n n e s s e e _______
A la b a m a . ________
M is s is s ip p i______

4,417
1,364
1,328
1,152
573

278, 733
72,240
100, 312
86,875
19,306

W est S outh C en tral.
A r k a n s a s ________
L o u is ia n a ________
O k la h o m a _______
T e x a s ____________

5, 263
ii 8 5 8
991
1,215
2 ,2 0 i

9 5 ,0 1 3

M ou n ta in ......................
M o n t a n a ________
I d a h o ____________
W y o m in g ________
C o lo r a d o _________
N e w M e x ic o _____
A r iz o n a __________
U t a h _____________
N e v a d a ....................

3,801
577
470
313
1,118
279
375
540
129

P a c ific ______________ 10,009
W a s h in g to n _____
2,352
O r eg o n ___________
1,125
C a lifo r n ia ________ 12 6 , 5 3 2

+ 2 .5

1 I n c lu d e s b a n k s an d tr u s t co m p a n ie s; c o n s tr u c tio n , m u n ic ip a l, a g r ic u ltu r a l, a n d office e m p lo y m e n t ,
a m u s e m e n t a n d re creation ; p ro fessio n a l serv ices; a n d tr u c k in g a n d h a n d lin g .
2 I n c lu d e s la u n d e r in g a n d c le a n in g ; a n d w a te r , lig h t, a n d p o w e r.
3 W e ig h te d p erc e n ta g e c h an ge.
4 I n c lu d e s a u to m o b ile a n d m is c e lla n e o u s ser v ic e s; re sta u ra n ts; a n d b u ild in g a n d c o n tr a c tin g .
5 I n c lu d e s c o n str u c tio n b u t n o t p u b lic w o rk s.
8 D o e s n o t in c lu d e lo g g in g .
.
,
7 I n c lu d e s b a n k s; re a l e s ta te ; p ip e lin e tr a n s p o r ta tio n ; m o to r tr a n s p o r ta tio n (o th e r t h a n o p e r a tio n a n d
m a in te n a n c e ); w a te r tr a n s p o r ta tio n ; h o sp ita ls a n d clin ics; a n d p e r so n a l, b u s in e ss , m e c h a n ic a l re p a ir, an d
m is c e lla n e o u s s erv ices.
8 L e s s t h a n H o o f 1 p e r c e n t.
2 I n c lu d e s fin a n c ia l in s t it u t io n s , m is c e lla n e o u s s e r v ic e s , a n d r e sta u r a n ts.
10 W e ig h te d p erc e n ta g e ch a n g e , in c lu d in g h ire d farm labor.
11 I n c lu d e s a u to m o b ile d ea le rs a n d garages; a n d sa n d , g r a v e l, a n d b u ild in g s to n e .
12 I n c lu d e s b a n k s , in s u r a n c e , a n d o ffice e m p lo y m e n t.

INDUSTRIAL AND B U SIN E SS EMPLOYMENT IN PRINCIPAL METRO­
POLITAN AREAS

A comparison of employment and pay rolls in July and August
1939 is made in table 6 for 13 metropolitan areas each of which had
a population of 500,000 or over in 1930. Cities within these areas, but
having a population of 100,000 or over, are not included. Footnotes
to the table specify which cities are excluded. Data concerning them
have been prepared in a supplementary tabulation which is available
on request, The figures represent reports from cooperating estab
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1262

lishments and cover both full- and part-time workers in the manu­
facturing and nonmanufacturing industries presented in table 1,
with the exception of building construction, and include also miscel­
laneous industries.
Revisions made in the figures after they have gone to press, chiefly
because of late reports by cooperating firms, are incorporated in the
supplementary tabulation mentioned above. This supplementary
tabulation covers these 13 metropolitan areas as well as other metro­
politan areas and cities having a population of 100,000 or more,
according to the 1930 Census of Population.
T a b l e 6 . — Comparison

of Employment and P a y Rolls in Identical Establishments in
Ju ly and August 1939, by Principal Metropolitan Areas

M e tr o p o lita n area

N u m b e r of
e s ta b lis h ­
m e n ts ,
A u gu st
1939
13,879
4,3 7 6
2,025
1,442
2,797
1,508
1,338
1,143
2,831
1,049
1,537
777
987

1 D oes
2 D oes
3 D oes
4 D oes
3 D oes
8 D oes

not
not
not
not
not
not

in c lu d e
in c lu d e
in c lu d e
in c lu d e
in c lu d e
in c lu d e

N um ber
on
p a y ro ll,
A u gu st

587,058
419,329
199,519
249,488
148,945
104,352
113,543
106,530
173,986
166,025
79,919
62, 706
94,727

P e r c e n t­
age
change
from
J u ly
+ 1 .0
+ 1 .0
+ .5
- 4 .1
+ .5
+ 2 .5
- 1 .3
+ .7
+ 2 .2
+ 2 .7
+ 1 .5
- .8
+ 2 .2

A m ou n t of
p a y roll
(1 w e e k ),
A u gu st

$15,941, 580
1 1,792,834
5 ,4 8 0 ,0 7 0
8, 694,514
4, 397,719
2 ,9 4 1 ,4 3 2
2 ,7 9 5 ,1 6 3
2 ,6 7 9 ,9 9 6
4,319, 631
4 ,6 9 7 ,6 6 8
2,43 8 ,8 2 4
1 ,711,597
2,674, 623

P e r c e n t­
age
ch ange
from
J u ly
+ 1 .0
+ 1 .6
+ 1 .2
+ 3 .4
+ 2 .5
+ 8 .8
- .2
+ 1 .3
+ 1 .5
+ 1 1 .1
+ 7 .5
+ .8
+ 5 .1

E liz a b e th , J e r se y C it y , N e w a r k , or P a te r so n , N . J ., or Y o n k e r s, N . Y .
G ary, In d .
C a m d e n , N . J.
L o n g B e a c h , C a lif.
C a m b r id g e , L y n n , or S o m e r v ille , M a s s .
O a k la n d , C a lif.

U N E M PLO Y M EN T IN FO R EIG N CO UN TRIES, T H IR D
QU A RTER OF 1939
MANY of the unemployment series given below showed a materially
better situation with respect to numbers out of work in the late
summer of 1939 as compared with the same period in 1938 and earlier
months of this year. It was too early to obtain data showing the
effect of the war upon the level of unemployment in most countries.
However, registration in Great Britain increased in September to
1,330,928 after having fallen to a 10-year low in the preceding month.
This reverse movement was accounted for in large part by the inter­
ruption of normal activities in the service trades, as for example in
restaurants and motion-picture theaters.
The table following gives statistics of unemployment in foreign
countries as officially reported, by years from 1933 to 1938, and by
months beginning with August 1938 and including the latest month
for which figures are available. Bejmnd comparisons of the figures in
a single series for different periods it is not possible to use these unem-


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Trend of Employment and Pay Rolls

1263

ployment statistics to measure volume of unemployment in a single
country or to compare conditions in one country with those in an­
other, owing to the fact that the coverage is not always complete.
For example, only insured persons may be reported in some instances,
while in other instances certain classes of workers, such as agricul­
tural labor, may be entirely excluded.
Statement of Unemployment in Foreign Countries
A u s tr a lia

Y e a r a n d d a te (e n d of m o n th )

1933.
1934.
1935.
1936.
1937.
1938.

T r a d e u n io n is ts
u n e m p lo y e d

N um ber

Percent

104,035
8 6 ,865
71.823
53,992
41.823
40,526

25.1
2 0 .5
16.5
12.2
9 .3
8 .7

43,092

9 .2

42,077

l.T

46, 611

9 .8

46,249

9 .7

A u s tr ia

B e lg iu m

C o m p u l­
so r y in s u r ­
a n ce, n u m ­
b er of u n ­
e m p lo y e d
in r e c e ip t
o f b e n e fit

U n e m p lo y m e n t-in s u r a n c e so c ie tie s
W h o lly u n e m ­
p lo y e d

P a r tia lly u n e m ­
p lo y e d

N um b er

P ercent

N um ber

328,844
287,528
261,768
259,185
231,313
174,048

168,033
182,855
165,469
122, 256
104,785
132, 708

1 7 .0
19 .0
1 7 .9
13.4
11.5
13.9

170,023
166, 229
118,754
91,451
89,281
163,651

1 7 .2
1 7 .2
1 2 .8
1 0 .0
9 .8
1 6 .4

i
'
i
i
i

91,511
73,488
69, 617
72,051
76,621

118,750
124,010
135,847
150,892
167,145

12 .5
13.0
14.1
15 .5
16.9

149,096
144,076
154,827
156,470
232,788

1 5 .7
15.1
16.1
16.1
2 3 .6

108,407

173,299
166,851
152, 735
144,932
150,021
144,188
144,651

17.4
1 6 .7
15.1
14.3
1 4 .8
14 .2
1 4 .3

218,334
178,051
148,688
145,062
157,655
146,928
156,804

2 1 .9
1 7 .8
1 4 .7
14.3
1 5 .6
14 .5
15.4

P ercent

19S8

A u g u s t .........
S e p te m b e r .
O c to b e r ___
N ovem b er.
D e c e m b e r ..
1939

J a n u a r y ...
February.
M a r c h ___
A p r il...........
M a y ...........
J u n e ............
J u ly ...........

86,000

Y ea r a n d d a te (e n d of m o n th )

1933_______ _____ _______________
1934____ _______________________
1935____________________________
1936____________________________
1937____________ ________________
1938____________________________

62,127
49,102

C anada

D a n z ig ,
F ree
C it y of

Percent
of tra d eu n io n is ts
unem ­
p lo y e d

N um b er
of u n em ­
p lo y e d
re g istered

2 2 .3
18.2
15.4
13.3
10.7
13.1

31,408
20, 326
17,983
13,553
8,009
3,499

97,417
81,756
76,195
78,669
95,103
97,076

11.6
10.4
12.3
13.7
1 6 .2

1,048
1,200
1,757
1,985
4 ,6 1 2

15.9
16.4
15.7
13.9
11.7
11.6
11.1
10.9

2,6 0 2
1,812
1,492
654
524
246
136

D enm ark

E s to n ia

F in la n d

T r a d e -u n io n unem ­
p lo y m e n t f u n d s —
u n e m p lo y e d

N um b er
unem ­
p lo y e d re­
m a in in g on
liv e re g is­
te r

N u m b e r of
unem ­
p lo y e d
re g istered

2 8 .8
2 2 .2
19; 8
1 9 .3
2 1 .9
2 1 .4

8,210
2,9 7 0
1,779
1,276
1,158
1,243

17,139
10,011
7,163
4,7 9 6
3,763
3,602

76,659
76,739
86,188
103,701
146,533

16.9
16.8
18.8
2 2 .7
3 1 .6

522
607
999
1,719
1,831

2,747
3,1 9 2
4,041
5,172
4 ,2 9 4

139,225
126,592
108,316
80,242
55,180
53,341
53,296
46, 097
>61,211

2 9 .9
2 7 .1
2 2 .8
16 .9
11.5
11.1
11.0
9 .5
1 2 .6

2 ,2 5 2
1,996
1,769
1,476
708
582
460

5,006
4,412
4,331
3,509
2,985
2,091
2,0 7 2
2 ,2 9 9

N um ber

Percent

19S8

A u g u s t .......... ................... ...................
S e p te m b e r _____________________
O c to b e r _________________ ____
N o v e m b e r _______________ _____
D e c e m b e r .______ _____________
1939

J a n u a r y _______________________
F e b r u a r y _______ ____________ _
M a r c h _________ __________ __
A p r il......................................................
M a y ________________ _______ __
J u n e ___ ________ _______________
J u l y . . _________________ _____ _
A u g u s t . _________________ _____
S e p te m b e r _____________________

1 R e v is e d series— in c r e a se d co v e ra g e.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

8 P r o v is io n a l figure.

758

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1264

Statement of Unemployment in Foreign Countries— Continued
G r ea t B r ita in a n d N o r th e r n I r e la n d

France

G erm any

C o m p u ls o r y in su r a n c e

G r ea t
B r ita in

1933_________________________
1934_________________________
1935_________________________
1936_________________________
1937
1938_________________________

T e m p o r a r y s to p ­
p ages

W h o lly u n e m ­
p lo y e d

Y e a r an d d a te (en d o f
m o n th )
N um ber
of u n em ­
p lo y e d in
r e c e ip t o f
b e n e fit

N um ber
of u n em ­
p lo y e d
re g iste r e d

276, 033
345,033
426,931
432,120
350,458
375,742

4, 733,014
2, 718, 309
4 2 ,1 5 1 ,0 3 9
4 1, 592, 630
3 912,312
429,461

338,383
338,409
361,724
367,106
404,730
415,987
414,756
400, 075
386,158
375, 522
348,985
320,367
302,479

N um ber
o f p erso n s
re g istered
w it h e m ­
p lo y m e n t
exchan ges3

N um ber

P er­
cent

N um ber

P er­
cent

2 ,1 1 0 ,0 9 0
1,801,913
1, 714,844
1,4 9 7 ,5 8 7
1, 277,928
1,423, 662

16.4
13.9
13.2
11.3
9 .4
10.3

456, 678
368,906
312, 958
251, 379
204,020
378,918

3 .5
2 .9
2 .3
1 .9
1 .5
2 .8

178,762
155,996
163,941
152,430
455, 656

1 ,3 3 3 ,0 8 2
1,759, 242
1,3 8 7 ,0 8 7
1, 798, 618
51,
516,467
1, 781,227
1,8 2 8 ,1 0 3
1,5 6 8 ,8 8 3
1,5 9 1 ,1 2 8
1,831, 372

9 .7
10.1
10.2
10.6
1 0 .7

447,161
419,695
5 314,161
311, 562
299,831

3 .3
3 .1
2 .1
2 .1
2 .0

301, 897
196, 770
134,018
93,933
69, 555
48,840
38,379

2 ,0 3 9 ,0 2 6
1,896, 718
1, 726, 929
1, 644, 394
1,492, 282
1,349, 579
1, 256, 424
1, 231, 692
1,330,928

1 ,7 1 1 ,0 8 7
1, 660,654
1, 550,785
1,439, 426
1, 333, 063
1,199, 560
1,113, 536
1, 058,989
1 ,0 9 8 ,0 5 3

11.5
1 1 .2
10.5
9 .7
9 .0
8 .1
7 .5
7 .1
7 .4

385,995
297, 601
238,046
245,821
203,413
200,031
196,992
216,372
231,138

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

2,520, 616
2,159,231
2 ,0 3 6 ,4 2 2
1, 754,975
1 ,790,681

1938

A u g u s t _____________________
S e p te m b e r ... -------------------O c to b e r ____________________
N o v e m b e r __________________
D e c e m b e r __________________
1939

J a n u a r y ,. ------------------------F e b r u a r y ___________________
M a r c h ______________________
A p r il_____
____ ________
M ay.
_______ . ------- . .
J u n e ________________________
J u ly ________________________
S e p te m b e r . . .

. ______ __

Y e a r a n d d a te (e n d o f
m o n th )

1933_________________________
1934_________________________
1935_________________________
1936_________________________
1937_________________________
1938

H u ngary

Irela n d

Japan

L a tv ia

T r a d e -u n io n is ts
E m p lo y ­
u n e m p lo y e d
m e n t ex ­
c h a n g es,
a p p lic a ­ C h r istia n
S o cia l
tio n s for
D em o­
(B u d a ­
w o rk
p e st)
c r a tic

C o m p u l­
so r y in ­
su r a n c e—
num ber
unem ­
p lo y e d
re g istered

O fficial e s tim a te s ,
u n e m p lo y e d

N um ber
unem ­
p lo y e d
re m a in in g
o n liv e
reg ister

N um ber

Percent

60, 595
52,157
52,048
52,114
48,359
47,426

1,085
996
967
800
945
1,093

26,716
22,291
18,315
15, 637
14, 279
16, 703

72,255
103, 671
«11 9 ,4 9 8
99, 834
82,425
88,714

408, 710
372,941
356,103
338,365
295,443

5 .6
5 .0
4 .6
4 .3
3 .7

8,156
4,9 7 2
4,825
3,851
3,014
2,164

47,659
47,413
45,328
43,631
49, 216

1,115
946
891
990
1,041

15, 534
12,889
12,664
12,953
16,103

70,552
70,411
91, 280
93, 223
88, 380

230,163
230,203
226, 798
221,030
216,227

3 .0
2 .9
2 .9
2 .7
2 .6

604
663
1,060
2,132
3,737

54,262
57, 418
58,107
53’ 795

1,087
1,090
1,146
884
807
842
827
726

20,965
20,929
20', 122
19,899
18, 664
16,924
15, 842
U , 064

105,012
105, 457
106,859
104,945
96,477
70,470
70,784
70, 961
77.888

212, 254

2 .6

4,330
4,487
4,055
2,967
1,254
727
638
446

1938

A u g u s t ______ _____________
S e p te m b e r _______ _________
O c to b e r _______________ ___
N o v e m b e r . _____ _________
D e c e m b e r ____ ______________
1939

J a n u a r y ____________________

46’ 876
44,876

3 N e w series from S e p te m b e r 1937.
4 I n c lu d e s th e Saar.
6
I n c lu d e s ag ricu ltu ra l a n d d o m e s tic la b o r.
* R e g is tr a tio n area e x te n d e d ; in c o m p le te r e tu r n s, J u ly to S e p te m b e r 1938.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Trend of Employment and Pay Rolls

1265

Statement of Unemployment in Foreign Countries— Continued
N e th e r la n d s

Y e a r a n d d a te (en d of
m o n th )

N orw ay

U n e m p lo y m e n t
in su r a n c e so ­
cie tie s— u n e m ­
p lo y e d
N um ber

1933.
1934.
1935.
1936
1937.
1938.

N e w Z ea­
la n d

N um b er
T r a d e u n io n is ts
unem ­
(10 u n io n s) u n ­
p lo y e d
e m p lo y e d
reg istered
b y e m p lo y ­
m e n t ex ­
Percent changes 7 N u m b er P ercen t

P o la n d

N um ber
unem ­
p lo y e d
re m a in in g
o n liv e
re g ister

N um ber
unem ­
p lo y e d
re g istered
w it h e m ­
p lo y m e n t
offices

163,000
160, 400
173,673
168, 668
137, 700
134,181

3 1 .0
32.1
36.3
36.2
29.2
27.3

46,971
39,235
38,234
36,890

16, 588
15,963
14, 783
13, 267
16, 532
19, 230

3 3 .4
30 .7
25.3
18.8
20 .0
2 2 .0

35,591
35,121
36,103
32,643
28, 520
28,923

249, 660
342,166
381, 935
367, 327
375,088
347, 509

118, 894
118, 383
119,397
126,613
155,434

23 .9
23.8
26 .6
25.3
30.8

2,154
1,575
1,245
1,026
917

14, 504
15,683
16,940
18, 519
23,426

16.4
17.7
18.5
20 .7
2 6 .2

21, 068
26,105
30,085
33, 861
34, 873

211,076
213, 781
234,534
316,474
455, 470

158,085
145,145
124, 739
115, 299
103, 598
98,247
97,873
2 96,918
2110,221

31.3
28.5
24 .3
22.4
2 0 .0
1 8 .9
18.8
18.9
19.6

1,036
1,143
726

24, 584
24,045
22, 355
18, 981
14, 050
12, 108
10, 996

27 .6
26 .9
2 4 .9
21. 1
15.5
13. 1
11.8

34,122
34, 713
33,194
30,212
25,037
20,802
17,643
18,009
22', 672

542,120
539, 512
496,324
390, 308
296, 674
241,464
211, 775

1938

A u g u s t __________
S e p te m b e r ______
O c to b e r__________
N o v e m b e r _______
D e c e m b e r ____ _
1939

J a n u a r y _________
F e b r u a r y .......... ..
M a r c h . . .............. ..
A p r il____________
M a y . . . ....................
J u n e _____________
J u ly _____________
A u g u s t ................
S e p te m b e r _______

R u m a n ia

Y ea r an d d a te (en d of
m o n th )

N um ber
unem ­
p lo y e d
r e m a in ­
in g on
liv e
re g ister

Sw eden

S w itz e r la n d

T r a d e u n io n is ts
u n e m p lo y e d

U n e m p lo y m e n t fu n d s

W h o lly u n e m ­
p lo y e d
N um ber

P a r tia lly u n e m ­
p lo y e d

P ercen t
N um ber

1933.
1934.
1935
1936.
1937.
1938

Y ugo­
sla v ia

P ercen t N u m b er

29,063
16,871
13, 852
13,549
10, 851
7,271

97, 316
80, 216
81,385
71,552
67, 351
74,255

23.7
18.9
16.1
13. 6
11.6
11. 8

4,807
5,493
5, 290
5,382
8,6 6 8

50, 461
51,557
62,137
75, 289
122, 357

8. 1
8. 2
9 .8
11.9
19. 1

33, 600
34, 264
38,400
46, 500
74,689

6 .0
6 .3
6 .8
8 .2
13.7

10,876
9, 349
7, 424
5,716
4,091
4,0 1 7

101,179
91, 456
85, 994
69,376
50, 713
44, 214
39, 074
40,106

15.0
13.3
12. 4
10. 1
7 .3
6 .4
5 .6
5 .8

76,000
65,100
56, 518
36,200
28,800
23,947
22, 900

13.3
11.4
10.4
6 .4
5 .1
4 .4
4.2

10.8
9 .8
11 .8
13.2
10.0
8 .6

N um b er
of u n e m ­
p lo y e d
re g is­
tere d

Percent
8. 5
6 .1
5 .9
5 .3
2. 5
4. 5

15, 997
15, 647
16,752
19,436
21, 650
22, 517

23, 800
23,502
22,000
22, 700
26,178

4 .4
4 .3
4. 1
4 .2
4 .8

10,973
10,926
12,103
14, 739
23,590

23, 300
23,100
21,069
16,900
15, 800
14,717
13,100

4 .3
4 .3
3 .9
3 .0
2 .8
2. 7
2 .4

32,831
36, 699
33,508
27,965
21, 751
19,788
17, 509
15, 952

1938

A u g u s t -------------S e p te m b e r ..........
O c to b e r ________
N o v e m b e r _____
D e c e m b e r ______
1939

J a n u a r y ________
F e b r u a r y _______
M a r c h __________
A p r il......................
M a y ___________
J u n e ........... .............
J u l y ____________
A u g u s t _________
7

N e w series from 1933 th r o u g h S e p te m b e r 1937; re v ised in O c to b e r 1937.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Building Operations

SUM MARY OF B U IL D IN G CO NSTRU CTIO N IN
P R IN C IP A L C IT IE S, SE PT E M B E R 1939 1
THE level of building activity in September, as measured by the
value of permits issued, was 9.7 percent higher for all classes of
building construction than in September 1938. New nonresidential
permit valuations were 19.8 percent higher, largely because of in­
creased permit activity in factory, public-utility, and commercial
buildings. Permit valuations of new residential buildings increased
3.4 percent and additions, alterations, and repairs, 11.3 percent.
As compared with August, September permit valuations for new
nonresidential buildings showed a gain of 30.0 percent, but decreases
of 24.7 and 12.3 percent occurred in permit valuations of new resi­
dential buildings and additions, alterations, and repairs, respectively.
The decline in building activity was caused primarily by a decrease
in the value of contracts awarded for USHA projects. The value of
these awards in August was $28,583,000 while in September it
amounted to only $9,328,000. The permit valuation of all classes
of building construction was 10.0 percent less than in September a
year ago.
Comparison of September 1939 with August 1939 and
September 1938
A summary of building construction in 2,049 identical cities in
September 1939, August 1939, and September 1938 is given in table 1.
T

able

1.—Summary of Building Construction for Which Permits Were Issued in 2,049
Identical Cities, September 1939
N u m b e r o f b u ild in g s

P e r m it v a lu a tio n

P e r c e n ta g e ch a n g e
fro m —

C la ss o f co n str u c tio n

P e r c e n ta g e c h a n g e
fro m —
S e p te m b e r
1939

S e p te m b e r
1939
A ugu st
1939

S e p te m ­
b er 1938

A ugu st
1939

S e p te m ­
ber 1938

A ll c o n s tr u c tio n _______________ ______ __

66,265

-7 .7

+ 4 .6

$174,009, 436

-1 0 .0

+ 9 .7

N e w r e s id e n tia l__________________________
N e w n o n r e s id e n tia l__________ _ ________
A d d it io n s , a lte r a tio n s , a n d re p a irs______

16,043
12,723
37,499

-1 4 .6
+ .1
- 7 .0

+ 6 .8
+ 7 .2
+ 2 .8

8 7 ,2 6 7 ,7 8 2
57,9 5 3 ,5 5 2
2 8 ,7 8 8 ,1 0 2

- 2 4 .7
+ 3 0 .0
-1 2 .3

+ 3 .4
+ 1 9 .8
+ 1 1 .3

i M o r e d e ta ile d in fo r m a tio n b y g eo g r a p h ic d iv is io n s a n d in d iv id u a l c itie s is g iv e n in a s e p a r a te p a m p h le t
e n t it le d “ B u ild in g C o n s tr u c tio n , S e p te m b e r 1939,” c o p ie s of w h ic h w ill b e fu r n ish e d u p o n r e q u e st.

1266

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1267

Building Operations

A summary of permit valuations of housekeeping dwellings and the
number of families provided for in new dwellings in 2,049 identical
cities, having a population of 1,000 and over, is shown in table 2 for
September 1939 as compared with August 1939 and September 1938.
T

able

2 .—Permit

Valuation of Housekeeping Dwellings and Number of Families
Provided for in 2,049 Identical Cities, September 1939
P e r m it v a lu a tio n o f h o u s e k e e p ­
in g d w e llin g s

S e p te m b e r
1939

S e p te m b e r
1939
A u gu st
1939

S e p te m ­
b er 1938

- 2 4 .5

+ 3 .6

-1 3 .8
+ 5 .3
1f a m il y __ ________ _________
5 7,442,195
+ 1 3 .2
2fa m ily i ____ __________________________
- 7_____________
.7
3 ,1 1 4 ,9__________
38
M u lt if a m ily 2_______________ _____ _______
- 4 1 .7
- .8
25,992,109

_ .

P e r c e n ta g e c h a n g e
fro m —

P e rcen ta g e ch a n g e
from —

T y p e o f d w e llin g

A ll t y p e s _______________

N u m b e r o f fa m ilie s p r o v id e d
for in n e w d w e llin g s

_________

$86,549,242

A ugu st
1939

S e p te m ­
b er 1938

23,443

- 2 3 .9

+ 0 .1

14,802
1,142
7,499

- 1 2 .6
-1 0 .1
- 4 0 .5

+ 4 .9
+ 1 2 .7
-9 .5

’ I n c lu d e s 1- a n d 2 -fa m ily d w e llin g s w it h stores.
* In c lu d e s m u ltifa m ily d w e llin g s w it h stores.

Construction During First 9 Months, 1938 and 1939
Cumulative totals for the first 9 months of 1939 compared with the
same months of the preceding year are shown in table 3. The data
are based on reports received from cities having a population of 1,000
and over.
T

able

3 . —Permit

Valuation of Building Construction in Reporting Cities of 1,000
Population and Over, First 9 Months, 1938 and 1939
P e r m it v a lu a tio n o f b u ild in g co n ­
str u c tio n , first 9 m o n th s of—

C la ss of co n str u c tio n
1939

P e r c e n ta g e
ch ange

1938

$1 ,5 7 9 ,7 5 8 ,7 2 6

$1,271, 215,305

+ 2 4 .3

858,071, 289
458, 298,804
263,388,633

641,910,456
389,045,733
240,259,116

+ 3 3 .7
+ 1 7 .8
+ 9 .6

Table 4 presents the permit valuation of housekeeping dwellings
and number of family-dwelling units provided in cities with a popula­
tion of 1,000 and over for the first 9 months of 1938 and 1939.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1268

M o n th ly L a b o r R eview — N o vem b er 1 939

T a ble 4. —Permit Valuation of Housekeeping Dwellings and Number of Family-Dwelling

Units, First 9 Months of 1938 and of 1939, by Type of Dwelling
P e r m it v a lu a tio n o f h o u s e ­
k e e p in g d w e llin g s , first
9 m o n th s of—

T y p e o f d w e llin g

1 -fa m ily ________ ________ _
2 -fa m ily i ____ _______ . . .
M u lt i f a m i l y 2
________ _ ____

1939

1938

$ 8 4 6 ,896,061

$635,861,881

536,99 6 ,1 9 9
26,2 3 5 ,0 3 9
283, 664,823

41 6 ,7 7 2 ,3 9 8
2 5 ,2 9 9 ,9 2 6
193, 789, 557

P er­
c e n ta g e
ch a n g e

N um b er
o f f a m ily ­
d w e llin g u n i t s , first
9 m o n t h s of—

Per­
ce n ta g e
ch a n g e

1939

1938

+ 3 3 .2

232, 572

174,958

+ 3 2 .9

+ 2 8 .8
+ 3 .7
+ 4 6 .4

135,876
10,102
86, 594

105,068
9,543
60,347

+ 2 9 .3
+ 5 .9
+ 4 3 .5

1 I n c lu d e s 1- a n d 2 -fa m ily d w e llin g s w it h sto res.
2 I n c lu d e s m u lt if a m ily d w e llin g s w it h sto r e s.

Analysis by Size of City, September 1939
Table 5 shows the value of permits issued for building construction
in September 1939 compared with August 1939 and September 1938.
by size of city and by class of construction.
T a b le 5.—Permit Valuation of Building Construction in 2,049 Identical Cities, by Size

of City, September 1939
T o ta l c o n str u c tio n

S ize o f c it y

T o t a l, a ll r e p o r tin g c it ie s ____
500,000 an d o v e r .. _ __________
100,000 a n d u n d e r 500,000____
50,000 a n d u n d e r 100,000_____
25,000 a n d u n d e r 50,000___
_
10,000 a n d u n d e r 25,000. . _ _
5,000 a n d u n d e r 10,000_______
2,500 an d u n d e r 5,000_________
1,000 a n d u n d e r 2,500_________

N um b er
o f c itie s

P e r m it v a lu ­
a tio n , S e p ­
te m b e r 1939

P e r c e n ta g e ch a n g e
fro m —
A u gu st
1939

$174,009,436

- 1 0 .0

+ 9 .7

$87, 267, 782

- 2 4 .7

+ 3 .4

14
79
96
158
422
379
449
452

58,9 5 3 ,4 0 6
3 6,289, 555
14,932,893
15,50 3 ,6 8 0
29, 247,254
10,362, 219
5 ,3 5 6 ,6 3 9
3 ,3 6 3 ,7 9 0

- 1 8 .7
- 9 .1
-2 9 .0
- 1 1 .0
+ 4 2 .0
-1 2 .7
-2 6 .0
+ 2 1 .7

- 2 .3
+ 2 5 .2
- 1 .8
+ 8 .8
+ 3 2 .0
+ 1 9 .6
- 1 7 .6
+ 3 1 .8

3 2 ,9 8 2 ,1 8 7
17, 269,180
7,173, 509
6, 578,932
11,771,484
5,872, 271
3, 297,816
2 ,3 2 2 ,4 0 3

- 2 3 .7
-2 8 .4
- 3 6 .0
-3 6 .9
- 1 1 .5
- 2 7 .5
- 1 2 .0
+ 2 2 .2

- 1 2 .8
+ 3 1 .3
- 2 .0
+16. 5
+ 1 0 .3
+ 6 .9
+ 1 2 .4
+ 7 0 .7


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

A d d itio n s , a lte r a tio n s , a n d
repairs

P e r c e n ta g e ch a n g e
P e r c e n ta g e c h a n g e
fro m —
fro m —
P e r m it v a l­
P e r m it v a l­
u a tio n ,
u a tio n ,
S e p te m b e r
S e p te m b e r
1939
1939
A u g u s t S e p te m ­
A u g u s t S e p te m ­
1939
1939
b er 1938
b er 1938

T o ta l, a ll r e p o r tin g c it ie s _____ $57,953, 552
500.000 a n d o v e r . ___ . . . .
100.000 a n d u n d e r 500,000. . .
50.000 a n d u n d e r 100,000_____
25.000 a n d u n d e r 50,000_______
10.000 a n d u n d e r 2 5 ,0 0 0 ... .
5.000 a n d u n d e r 10,000. ____
2,500 an d u n d e r 5,000________
1.000 a n d u n d e r 2,500_________

P e r c e n ta g e c h a n g e
fro m —
P e r m it v a lu ­
a tio n , S e p ­
S e p te m ­ te m b e r 1939 A u g u s t S e p te m ­
b er 1938
1939
b er 1938

2,049

N e w n o n r e s id e n tia l b u ild in g s

S ize o f c it y

N e w r e sid e n tia l b u ild in g s

1 6,759,030
11,948, 796
4 ,1 1 8 ,2 5 6
5,890, 527
14,177, 500
2 ,9 9 8 ,7 9 1
1 ,4 1 5 ,0 6 9
645,583

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

+ 1 9 .8
+ 2 0 .4
+ 2 0 .6
+ 4 .1
- 3 .5
+ 6 1 .5
+ 5 2 .1
-5 2 .6
-1 6 .6

$28,788,102
9, 212,189
7 ,0 7 1 ,5 7 9
3 ,6 4 1 ,1 2 8
3 ,0 3 4 , 221
3, 298, 270
1,49 1 ,1 5 7
643,754
3 9 5,804

P o p u la tio n
(c e n su s of
1930)

- 1 2 .3

+ 1 1 .3

59,890,085

- 2 3 .3
- 6 .7
- 9 .2
- 1 .5
- 1 0 .2
-1 .8
- 2 .9
+ 3 6 .7

+ 6 .7
+ 1 9 .5
- 7 .4
+ 2 1 .4
+ 2 2 .2
+ 2 4 .6
+ 1 0 .7
—5. 0

21,449,853
15,017,880
6,39 7 ,4 2 7
5 ,579,840
6 ,4 4 4 ,9 2 0
2 ,6 7 4 ,7 2 7
1, 610,475
714,963

1269

Building Operations

The permit valuation of housekeeping dwellings in the 2,049 identical
cities reporting for July and August 1939, together with the number of
family-dwelling units provided in new dwellings, by size of city, is
given in table 6.
6 . —Permit Valuation of Housekeeping Dwellings and Number of Families
Provided for in 2,049 Identical Cities, by Size of City, August and September 1939

T able

P e r m it v a lu a tio n of h o u s e ­
k e e p in g d w e llin g s

N u m b e r o f fa m ilie s p r o v id e d for in —

A ll ty p e s
S ize o f c it y
S e p te m ­
b er 1939

T o t a l, a ll
c i t ie s ........

A u gu st
1939

P e rc e n tage
ch a n g e

re p o r tin g
....... ............. $86, 549,242 $114,631,630
32,681,187

500,000 a n d o v e r _______
100,000
and
u n d er
500,00________________ 17, 254,180
50,000
and
und er
7,135, 509
100,000_______________
6, 542,432
25,000 a n d u n d e r 50,000
10,000 a n d u n d e r 25,000 _ 11, 599,484
5,000 an d u n d e r 10,000. _ 5, 733,931
3, 281, 816
2,500 a n d u n d e r 5,000. .
2,320 ,7 0 3
1,000 a n d u n d e r 2 ,5 0 0 ...

S ep ­
tem ­
ber
1939

A u­
g u st
1939

1 -fa m ily
d w e llin g s
S ep­
tem ­
b er
1939

A u­
g u st
1939

2 -fa m ily M u ltifa m ily
d w e llin g s i d w e lli n g s 2
S ep­
S ep ­
A u ­ tem ­ A u ­
tem ­
g u st ber g u st
b er
1939
1939
1939
1939

- 2 4 . 5 23,443 30,809 14,802 16,929 1,142 1,270 7,499 12,610

4 3,171,265

-2 4 .3

8,490 10, 479 3, 111 4,0 8 7

297

309 5,082 6,0 8 3

23,939,427

- 2 7 .9

4,813

6,721

3,540

315

419 1, 215 2,7 6 2

11,176,056
10,244,065
13,207,338
7, 380,097
3 ,7 1 2 ,5 7 7
1 ,800,805

- 3 6 .2
- 3 6 .1
- 1 2 .2
- 2 2 .3
- 1 1 .6
+ 2 8 .9

2,135
1,792
3,120
1, 571
882
640

3,264 1,460 1,613
3,075 1,582 1,744
3, 653 2, 716 2, 930
2,048 1, 364 1,566
916
816
1,011
533
470
558

136
141
115
74
46
18

168
99
151
72
40
12

3,283

539 1,483
69 1,232
572
289
410
133
55
20
152
13

1 I n c lu d e s 1- a n d 2 -fa m ily d w e llin g s w it h sto res.
2 I n c lu d e s m u lt if a m ily d w e llin g s w it h sto res.

The information on building permits issued is based on reports
received by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2,049 identical cities
having a population of 1,000 and over.
The information is collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from
local building officials, except in the States of Illinois, Massachusetts,
New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, where the State departments of labor
collect and forward the information to the Bureau. In New York
and North Carolina the information from the smaller cities is col­
lected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from local building officials
and the information from the larger cities is collected and forwarded
to the Bureau by the State departments of labor. The permit valua­
tions shown in this report are estimates made by prospective builders
on applying for permits to build. No land costs are included. Only
building projects within the corporate limits of the cities enumerated
are included in the Bureau’s tabulation. The data collected by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics show, in addition to private and municipal
construction, the value of buildings for which contracts were awarded
by the Federal and State Governments in the cities included in the
report. For September 1939 the value of these buildings amounted
to $17,859,000, for August 1939 to $31,914,000, and for September
1938 to $18,051,000.

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

1270

Construction from Public Funds
The value of contracts awarded and force-account work started
during September 1939, August 1939, and September 1938 on con­
struction projects financed wholly or partially from various Federal
funds is shown in table 7.
T a b l e 7.— Value o f Contracts Awarded and Force-Account Work Started on Projects

Financed from, Federal Funds, September 1939 1
C o n tr a c ts a w a r d e d a n d fo rce -a cco u n t w o rk s ta r te d —
F ederal a gen cy
S e p te m b e r 1939
T o t a l____ . . . _______ ________
P u b lic W o r k s A d m in istr a tio n :
F e d e r a l____ ____ _________________
. . .
N o n -F e d e r a l:
N . I . R . A __________________________________
E . R . A . A _________________________________
P . W . A . A ., 1938__________________________
F e d e r a l p rojects u n d e r T h e W o r k s P r o g ra m
___
R e g u la r F e d e r a l a p p r o p r ia tio n s ________________ _ _
U . S . H o u s in g A u t h o r i t y . ________________________

A u g u s t 1939 1

S e p te m b e r 1938 1

$107, 310,652

$141,484,283

$215,951,906

453,121

1, 213, 358

14,243,805

1 ,6 3 4 ,9 7 8
547,452
2 2,727,207
2, 304,315
70, 577, 569
9 ,0 6 6 ,0 1 0

512, 421
963,234
28,6 5 5 ,4 5 6
16,855, 595
6 7,838,584
2 5,445,635

822,687
4,932, 268
67,068, 554
12, 349,891
108, 500,001
8,034, 700

1 P r e lim in a r y , s u b je c t to r e v isio n .
R e v is e d .

1

The value of public-building and highway construction awards
financed wholly from appropriations from State funds, as reported
by the various State governments for September 1939, August 1939,
and September 1938 is shown in the following statement:
P u b lic b u ild in g

September 1939_________________ $551, 859
August 1939____________________ 2, 014, 975
September 1938_________________ 1, 871, 096


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

H ig h w a y c o n ­
s tr u c tio n

$9, 494, 756
7, 191, 527
9, 717, 212

Retail Prices

R ET A IL FOOD PR IC ES IN SE PT E M B E R 19391
RETAIL food costs for 51 cities combined increased 5.2 percent
between August and September. Higher costs reported for all of the
cities contributed to this advance. Price increases were shown for
43 of the 62 priced items, the greatest of which were 25 percent for
sugar and 35 percent for lard.
The September index was 79 percent of the 1923-25; average. It
was less than 1 percent higher than in the corresponding month of
1938 when the index stood at 78.7. Compared with preceding years,
it was lower than in any other September since 1934.
Details by Commodity Groups
The cost of cereals and bakery products increased 1.0 percent
between August and September. The price of flour advanced 10.6
percent and white bread remained unchanged. Other items in the
group showed little price change.
Meat costs rose 6.1 percent. Price increases for all items in the
group, except roasting chickens, ranged from 2.4 percent for sliced
ham to 14.7 percent for pork chops.
The index for dairy products advanced 6.0 percent. The increase
of 11.0 percent in the price of butter was largely seasonal. Milk
averaged 4.2 percent higher as a result of increased prices in 11 cities.
A seasonal advance for eggs increased the cost 16.3 percent during
the month and reached a point about 9 percent below the level of
September 1938.
The cost of fresh fruits and vegetables showed little change and price
movements were in the main seasonal. Prices rose slightly for all of
the canned items but were below the level of September 1938. Navy
beans increased 20.3 percent.
The price of coffee in September 1939 remained unchanged at the
level reported for the 4 preceding months.
The price of lard rose 34.7 percent. Shortening sold in cartons
increased 8.6 percent, while that sold in tin containers declined 1.0
percent to the lowest level for the year.
1 M o r e d e ta ile d in fo r m a tio n o n fo o d p ric es is g iv e n in t h e R e ta il P r ic e p a m p h le t a n d w ill b e fu rn ish e d
u p o n r e q u e st.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1271

1272

M o n th ly L ah or R e v ie w --N o v e m b e r 1939

Sugar prices advanced 24.8 percent to the highest point reached
during the past 10 years.
Indexes of retail food costs for September and August 1939, together
with indexes for August 1938, 1932, and 1929, are shown in table 1.
1.— Indexes of Retail Food Costs in 51 Large Cities Combined, by Commodity
Groups, September and August 1939, and September 1938, 1932, and 1929

T able

[1923-25 = 100]
1938

1932

1929

S e p t. 13

S e p t. 15

S e p t. 15

1939
C o m m o d ity g rou p
S e p t. 19 i

A u g . 15

A ll f o o d s . . - -------------------------------------------------------------

79 .0

75.1

78 .7

6 6 .7

108.0

C ereals an d b a k e r y p r o d u c ts ________ . . . . . . ------M e a t s __________________________________________________
D a ir y p r o d u c ts ______ _____
.
-----. . . -----E g g s ------------------------------------------------------------------------------F r u its a n d v e g e t a b l e s .. . . . . . - -------------------- . . . .
F r e s h ______________________________________________
C a n n e d ------------------ ------- -------------- -------------- —________ ____ D r ie d . ___________ _________
B e v e r a g e s a n d c h o c o la te . . ---------. --------F a ts a n d o ils ______ . . . . . ___
._ . .
------- --S u gar a n d s w e e t s ________________
..
-------------- .

85 .6
9 7 .4
7 7 .9
74 .4
58 .3
5 6 .5
74 .9
62.3
6 5 .5
67 .6
77 .8

8 4 .4
9 1 .9
7 3 .6
6 4 .2
5 7 .9
5 6 .4
7 4 .0
56.7
65 .3
61.1
6 2 .3

8 8 .2
9 8 .2
7 7 .2
8 2 .2
5 4 .8
52 .6
76 .3
59 .5
6 6 .4
6 7 .7
62 .3

74.3
7 5 .8
6 5 .4
6 2 .4
5 2 .8
51.3
6 9 .2
5 4 .4
7 4 .6
5 1 .3
5 8 .2

9 8 .6
124.7
103.0
108.9
107.6
108.6
9 6 .3
107.1
110.2
93 .4
75 .9

i P r e lim in a r y .

The number of priced foods has been reduced from 84 to 62. An
analysis of the Bureau’s price data indicated a high degree of corre­
lation in price movements for certain related items, notably among
meats and cereals. Others of the dropped items are relatively unim­
portant in the food budget.
The quantity weights have been adjusted to maintain compara­
bility in the indexes.
Prices of 43 of the 62 foods were higher in September than in August,
8 were lower, and 11 showed no change. Compared with September
1938, prices of 20 foods were higher, 38 were lower, and 4 showed no
change.
The average increase of 5.2 percent in food prices for the 51 cities
was fairly evenly distributed. The extremes were Omaha with an
increase of 9.7 percent and Fall River, with an increase of 2.7 percent.
E L E C T R IC IT Y AND GAS
Price Changes Between June and September 1939
RESIDENTIAL rates are secured quarterly from 51 cities for elec­
tricity and from 50 cities for gas. These cities are those included in
the composite indexes for all foods. The rates are used in the com­
putation of series of prices both for electricity and for gas. The blocks
of consumption which have been selected as the bases of these prices
are representative of average conditions throughout the country.

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1273

Retail Prices
Electricity

Prices of electricity are based upon the monthly use of 25 kilowatthours for lighting and small energy-consuming appliances; 100 kilo­
watt-hours for greater use of lighting and small appliances, and an
electric refrigerator; and 250 kilowatt-hours for a still greater use of
lighting, a larger number of small appliances, and both an electric
refrigerator and an electric range.
Reductions in residential rates between June and September 1939
occurred in 7 of the 51 cities, and a reduction between March and
June was reported in September for 1 city. Price decreases under
the new rates to customers using 25, 100, and 250 kilowatt-hours per
month are shown in table 4.
T able 4 .—Percentage Decrease in Retail Prices of Specified Monthly Consumptions of

Electricity, June 15 to Sept. 15, 1939, by Cities
P e r c e n ta g e d ecr ea se in
p r ic e of—

P e r c e n ta g e d ecrea se in
p ric e of—
C it y

C it y

25 k ilo ­ 100 k ilo ­ 250 k ilo ­
w a ttw a ttw a tthours
hours
hours

25 k ilo ­ 100 k ilo ­ 250 k ilo ­
w a ttw a ttw a tth ou r s
hours
hours
C le v e la n d (C o . 2 ) ________
C h a r le s to n , S . C ________
S a v a n n a h . _ ____ __
N e w O r le a n s ..
........

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

5 .4
6 .5
8 .2
8 .3

2 .7
2 .2
12.9
4 .7

S a lt L a k e C i t y ___________
S a n F r a n c is c o ____________
S e a t t le ... . . .
.
___
M o b ile ___ _____________

15 .6
5 .8
10.0
1 7 .2

0
3 .4
6 .3
1 1 .4

0
1 .8
7 .4
6 .8

Lower prices for customers served by the Cleveland municipal
plant were due to decreases in rates for the first two blocks of 50
kilowatt-hours each. Customers using 50 kilow>att-hours or less per
month received the greatest benefits.
New rate schedules became effective in Charleston and New Orleans,
both of which resulted in decreases for most of the customers using
more than 15 kilowatt-hours. In Charleston the reduction amounted
to 3.2 percent for the average monthly consumption of 25 kilowatthours. The reduction was cumulative up to the monthly use of 65
kilowatt-hours, where it amounted to 12.8 percent. For greater
consumption the decrease was less. In New Orleans the decrease
for the customers using 25 kilowatt-hours monthly amounted to 4.8
percent, with a still greater reduction for consumption up to 90 kilo­
watt hours.
An initial charge rate schedule was introduced in Savannah which
was in effect a service charge. However, to customers using 25
kilowatt-hours monthly the new schedule brought a reduction of
10.8 percent. For greater monthly consumption the decreases varied,
with the greatest relative reduction shown at 200 kilowatt-hours.
Salt Lake City reported a rate change which provided lower prices
up to 60 kilowatt-hours per month, but were not effective for higher
blocks of consumption.

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1274

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

All residential customers in San Francisco pay a fixed service
charge. The new rate schedule was of the greatest benefit to the
small consumer using up to and including 35 kilowatt-hours.
A rate reduction in Seattle for the first 40 kilowatt-hours and a
decrease in the number of kilowatt-hours in the second block provided
a 10-percent reduction for customers using from 15 to 40 kilowatthours per month, and lesser decreases which varied for different
amounts of electricity in excess of 40 kilowatt-hours. This change
was equivalent to a 7.4-percent reduction for a monthly consumption
of 25.0 kilowatt-hours.
In Mobile the objective rate plan which provides a lower rate for
customers who have increased their consumption of current above
that of some specified former date was discontinued as of May 1.
The lower rate schedule was made available to all customers. The
result was a considerable reduction in the cost of electricity to about
35 percent of the customers. This change was not reported to the
Bureau in time for inclusion in June Retail Prices.
Gas

The prices of gas as computed by the Bureau are based upon 10.6
therms for the use of a range; 19.6 therms for range and manual type
water heater; 30.6 therms for range and automatic-storage or instan­
taneous type water heater; and 40.6 therms for range, automatic
water heater, and gas refrigerator.
Rate reductions between June and September were reported for
four cities, two of which (Los Angeles and San Francisco) are served
with natural gas, and two (St. Louis and Washington, D. C.) with
mixed manufactured and natural gas. Price decreases under the new
rates to customers using 10.6, 19.6, 30.6, and 40.6 therms per month
are shown in table 5.
T a ble 5.—Percentage Decrease in Retail Prices of Specified Monthly Consumptions of

Gas, June 15 to Sept. 15, 1939, by Cities

C it y

L o s A n g e le s ___________________
S a n F r a n c is c o _____________ ___
S t. L o u is ____________ ________

K in d of
gas 1

N
N
X
X

H e a tin g v a lu e
P e r c e n ta g e o f d ecr ea se in p r ic e of—
p er c u b ic fo o t
in B r itis h
th e r m a l u n its 10.6 th e r m s 19.6 th e r m s 30.6 th e r m s 40.6 th e r m s
1,100
1,150
800
604

4 .2
3 .0
.4

6 .5
4 .3
4 .4
.9

6 .8
5 .7
11.0
1 .2

6 .5
6 .1
12.5
1 .9

i N in d ic a te s n a tu r a l g a s, a n d X , m ix e d m a n u fa c tu r e d a n d n a tu r a l g a s.

Price decreases were effective for residential customers in Los
Angeles and San Francisco whose use of gas was in excess of that
covered by the initial charge, namely, 300 cubic feet in Los Angeles

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Retail Prices

1275

and 200 cubic feet in San Francisco. In both cities the change
lowered the price to the average residential customer, with a greater
decrease in Los Angeles than in San Francisco. Under the new rate
schedules customers in these two cities pay approximately the same
price. New customers in Los Angeles using gas for central or space
heating only were billed at the old rates for the first 10 months after
which the lower rates became available.
In St. Louis rate reductions and changes in the number of therms
included in the various blocks lowered the cost for all customers using
more than the two therms included in the initial charge. Benefits
gradually increased as the consumption increased, thereby providing
the greatest reductions to commercial or industrial customers. Price
decreases for the four domestic services ranged upward from 0.4
percent for 10.6 therms to 12.5 percent for 40.6 therms.
Washington, D. C., reported a reduction for customers using more
than 3,000 cubic feet of gas (about 18 therms) per month. Decreases
were made in the number of cubic feet included in the two blocks
covering gas used in excess of the 800 cubic feet included in the initial
charge. The greatest decrease, a little more than 3 percent, was for
the monthly use of 8,000 cubic feet or more, which is above the usual
residential consumption.
Changes in prices of natural gas reported for Pittsburgh since June
1938 have been due to slight variations from time to time in the heating
value of the gas served in that city. The increase between prices
based on the heating value of the gas in June 1938, and prices based on
the average heating value of the gas since that date, ranged between
1 and 2 percent.
Houston reported an increase in the B. t. u. with a corresponding
reduction in price in June, which was not shown in Retail Prices for
June. This change lowered the cost to the small consumer by a
little more than 2 percent.
The following is a clarification of the statement in Retail Prices for
June which reported an increase in the price of gas in Cincinnati.
In November 1938 the city of Cincinnati entered into an agreement
with the utility company which resulted in an increase in the heating
value of the gas served in that city from an average of 865 B. t. u. to
930 B. t. u. for the 8 months from October to May, inclusive, and of
875 B. t. u. for the remaining months. This increase in heating
value produced an average annual decrease of 6.6 percent in the cost
of gas to the citizens of Cincinnati. The decrease averaged about 5
percent for the services for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics
computes prices. The cost of gas for house heating is not included
in the Bureau’s reports. The Bureau computes its quarterly prices
of gas as of March, June, September, and December, using the
B. t. u. effective in those months. The prices in June and September
185451— 30------ 17


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1276

M o n th ly L a b o r R eview — N ovem ber 1 939

on a heat-value basis with the present seasonal changes in B. t. u.
of gas furnished will, therefore, be somewhat higher than the prices
in March and December, although in all 4 months the prices are
lower than those effective before the agreement of November 1938.

R E T A IL PR IC E S IN G O V ER N M EN T STORES
IN MOSCOW 1
THE First Five-year Plan (1928—32) of the Soviet Union was in­
tended primarily for production of capital goods—factories, machines,
railroads, ships, etc. The Second Five-Year Plan (1933-37) empha­
sized the production of consumers’ goods, such as food, clothing, foot­
wear, dwellings, etc. The goal set under this second plan was not
fully reached, however, as a considerable part of the productive facili­
ties of the Soviet Union was diverted for war preparations. The Third
Five-Year Plan (1938-42) provided again for an increased produc­
tion of consumers’ goods, but again war preparation intervened.
Also, the Soviet Government collected and stored up a considerable
amount of consumers’ goods, especially foodstuffs, against the event
of war.
The threat of war and the withdrawal of consumers’ goods explain,
in part, the scarcity of these goods, and their inordinately high prices,
which have resulted in a tendency toward lowering the standard of
living in the Soviet Union.
The table following shows a considerable rise in the retail prices of
goods in the Soviet stores in Moscow since 1936. On an average,
prices on July 1, 1939, had increased about 13 percent over prices on
the same date in 1936. Prices of meats and fish and their products,
however, rose 23.9 percent.
The average monthly wage in the Soviet Union also rose from 238
rubles a month in 1936 to 287 rubles in 1939, that is, an increase of
about 20 percent. The rise in prices accompanied by this increase in
wages would indicate at first glance a rise in the standard of living.
But the fact that some 129 kinds of foodstuffs were available in the
Soviet stores on July 1, 1936, whereas only 84 kinds were available on
July 1, 1939, would indicate a probable deterioration in the living
standard.
There was also a decline in available clothing in the Moscow stores.
Moreover there was a considerable increase (38 percent) in the prices
of those articles of clothing available in 1936, which may still be pur­
chased in Moscow. The current scarcity of the clothing supply is
evidenced by the fact that second-hand suits for men in Moscow cost
about 600 rubles, and second-hand rayon shirts about 60 rubles.
’ D a t a are from rep ort of S tu a r t E . G r u m m o n , A m e r ic a n ch a rg e d ’affaires a d in te r im , M o s c o w .


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1277

Retail Prices

Bread lines and the long lines for the purchase of various consumers’
goods have been accompanied by an increase of underground private
trade prohibited by the Government. It was disclosed for instance,
that private traders were selling sugar for a price twice as high as
they had paid in the Soviet stores and that they were demanding 6
rubles for a cake of laundry soap which they had bought for 1.50
rubles in the Government store.
In this connection it should he kept in mind that Moscow, as the
capital of the Soviet Union, is far better supplied with foodstuffs and
other consumers’ goods than other cities, especially distant ones, in
the Soviet Union. In many cases to increased scarcity should be added
increased transportation cost, which owing to the insufficiency of
facilities, is rather high in the Soviet Union.
Both prices and wages given are quoted in paper rubles, the actual
value of which is rather obscure. The value of the former Imperial
ruble amounted to 51.5 cents (United States currency) on the gold
basis. The Soviet paper ruble (100 kopecs) is quoted by the Soviet
State Bank at about 19 cents ($1 = 5 rubles 30 kopeks). This, how­
ever, is considered to be merely a bookkeeping value.
The exportation and importation of paper rubles are prohibited by
the Soviet Government. Therefore the Soviet paper ruble is not
quoted on any regular money exchange abroad. However, on the
irregular, so-called “black exchanges” (i. e., “in the street”) in some
boundary States—Finland, Estonia, and Poland—the Soviet paper
ruble was quoted at from 4 to 8 cents in the summer of 1939.
Retail Prices of Principal Consumers’’ Goods in the Soviet Union, July 1, 1936, 1938,
and 19391
R e t a il p r ic e s (in
ru b le s) o n J u ly 1—

R e ta il p rices (in
r u b le s) o n J u ly 1—
C o m m o d ity

C o m m o d ity

U n it2
1936

B r e a d , b la c k , r y e ______ K g . . .
B r e a d , w h it e , w h e a t ___ K g_ _ .
F r en ch lo a f ___________ 200 gm
C h o c o la te (M ig n o n ) — 100 gm
C a n d y (b o n b o n s ), 1st
q u a lit y _______________ K g . . .
C h o c o la te c a n d y , b e s t _ K g . . .
C o c o a _________________ 250 gm
K g ...
C o ffee, ro a ste d 3_______
T e a _____________________ 400 gm
P e p p e r , b la c k , g r o u n d .. 100 gm
S u n flo w e r o il___________ K g . . .
K g ...
O liv e o i l _______________
K g ...
S ugar, g r a n u la te d _____
K g ...
S u g a r , lu m p ___________
W h e a t, m e a l___________ K g . . .
B a r le y g r its, f in e _______ K g . . .
S h e lle d o a ts , g r it s ______ K g .
R o lle d o a t s _____________ 250 gm
B u c k w h e a t g r i t s _______ K g . . .
S h e lle d m ille t g r its ____ K g . . .

1938

U n it2
1936

1939

0. 85
1. 70
1.08
5.4 5

0.85
1. 70
1.20
7. 50

0. 85
1.70
1. 20
7. 50

16.80
29. 60
15. 55
53.8 0
40. 00
8 .0 0
13. 50
40. 00
3.8 0
4. 10
4. 50
1. 40
.9 0
.6 2
4. 30
2.1 0 ,

17.80
44. 40
14. 75
(A
36. 00
8. 00
15. 92
25. 00
3.8 0
4.1 0
4. 50
1.30
1.20
.5 7
3. 50
2 .1 0

16. 80
44. 40
15. 55
48. 20
40. 00
8. GO
15. 65

(A
3 .8 0
4 .1 0
4 .5 0
1.60
1.20
.5 7
4 .3 0
3 .0 0

V e r m ic e lli___ _________
M a c a r o n i. . . . .
. _ .
N o o d le s
.
. . . ..
F lo u r , 72 p e r c e n t ___ .
F lo u r , 30 p e r c e n t ______
R ic e ______ _____ _____ S a lt _____________________
L a u n d r y s o a p __________
G ly c e r in e s o a p .. . ------M a t c h e s .. . . .
. . ...
K e r o se n e .
B e e f s t e a k ...
B e e f r o a s t ___ . . .
..
B e e f, for s o u p .
B e e f c h o p s ________
V e a l____________________
P o r k c h o p s. __ ______ __
P o r k r o a s t . . _ _______
H a m , fr e s h ___ . . . . _
M u tto n c h o p s ----- --------M u t t o n --------------- . . . -

K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
C ake.
B o x ..
L ite r .
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...

1 A s r e p o r te d b y t h e U n it e d S ta te s E m b a s s y a t M o s c o w , S o v ie t U n io n , J u ly 10 ,1 9 3 9 .
2 K ilo g ra m s (1,000 gram s) = 2 .2 0 4 p o u n d s; lite r = 0 .9 0 8 q u a rt; m e te r = 39.37 in c h e s .
3 F o r e ig n orig in .
3 XTo t a v a ila b le .


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1938

3. 00
5. 30
5 .0 0
4 .0 0
3. 00
5. 30
2. 90
2.9 0
4. 60 4 .6 0
8. 00
6. 50
.0 5
.0 5
3 .0 0
3 .1 0
1.5 5
1.35
.0 3
.0 2
.4 7
.4 7
12. 50 12. 50
9. 60
9.6 0
8 .0 0
7. 60
10. 60 11.50
10. 00 10. 00
9. 00 10. 60
10. 60 9. 50
10. 60 10. 00
9 .6 0
9 .6 0
8 .0 0
8. 00

1939
5. 30
6 .1 0
5. 30
2. 90
4. 60
(A
.0 5
3 .1 0
1 .6 0
.0 3
.6 5
14. 00
10. 50
8. 00
12.00

(A
14. 40
(A

(A
(A

(A

1278

Monthly Labor Review—November 1939

Retail Prices of Principal Consumers' Goods in the Soviet Union, Ju ly 1, 1936, 1938,
and 1939— Continued
R e ta il p r ic e s (in
r u b le s) o n J u ly 1—
C o m m o d ity

1936

1938

1939

K g—
K g—

10. 00
7. 50

13.00
«

11. 00
7. 50

K g ...
K g—
K g ...
K g__.
K g—
K g ...
K g—
K g—

10. 00 11.00
7. 60 (4)
11.00 13.00
13. 00 13. 00
4 .0 0
(4)
5.40
3. 80
8. 00 (4)
3. 40 (4)

11.00
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)

K g—
K g—

18. 00
15. 00

C h ic k e n :
G eese:

S a lm o n , f r o z e n ________

S a lm o n , cored :
F ir s t q u a lit y ______
S eco n d q u a lit y ____
S tu r g e o n , cu red:
F ir s t q u a l i t y --------S econ d q u a lit y ----C a v ia r , g r a n u la te d ------C a v ia r , c o m p r e s s e d ____
H e rrin g, s a l t e d -----------H a m , s m o k e d __________
B a c o n ____
__________
S a u sa g e, o r d in a r y _____
S a u sa g e, H a m b u r g e r __

K g ...
K g—
K g—
K g—
K g ...
K g—
K g ...
K g—
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...

S a l a m i - ,. ____________
S a lt p ork , fa t....................L ard:
F ir s t q u a lit y _______ K g —
S eco n d q u a lit y ____ K g —
C a n n e d goods:
P o r k an d b e a n s . - 500 gm
400 gm
G reen p e a s_________ 500 gm
500 gm
T o m a t o e s . ________ K g —
S a rd in es in o il_____ 250 gm
F is h in t o m a t o 500 gm
sa u c e.
A n c h o v v ( “ k i l k i ” )_ 400 gm
A n c h o v y ( “ s h p r o - 200 gm

23.00
(4)

(4)
(4)

20 .0 0
15. 00
40.00
32. 00
7. 00
18. 00
15. 00
10. 00
10.00
16. 00
14 00
28.00
22. 00

(4)
(4)
(4)
60.00 60. 00
52 90 52.90
6. 60
5.5 0
18. 00 18. 00
16. 00 16.00
10. 00 10. 00
12.00 12. 00
16.00
(4)
14. 00 O)
30.00 30.00
22.00
(4)

20. 00
14. 00

(4)
13. 00

2. 80
8 .0 0
2. 40
1.00
3. 50
3.0 0
3 .0 0

2.11
7. 10
(41
1. 00
(4)
3. 25
6.2 0

2. 80
7. 10
2.68
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)

4. 30
4 .5 0

(4)
(4)

(4)
C4)

(*)

(4)
(4)

ty ” ).

K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
K g ...
C u c u m b e r s_____________ 1 0 - . . .
C u c u m b e r s, p ic k le d ___ K g . . .
O n io n s _________________
K g—
G reen o n io n s . - ___
K g ...
K g ...
B e e t s . . ________________ K g . . .
C a r r o ts_________________ K g . . .
M u s h r o o m s, p ic k le d _ K g . . .
K g ...
K g ...
Kg___
K g„.
H a z e ln u ts (filb e r ts )____ K g . . .
K g ...
W a ln u t s _____ ________ _
K g ...
A lm o n d s _____________
R a is in s ________________ K g . . .
K g ...
K g—
D r ie d m ix e d f r u it s _____ K g . . .
P o t a t o e s _______________

4 N o t a v a ila b le .


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

R e t a il p r ic e s (in
ru b les) o n J u ly l —
C o m m o d ity

U n it

.3 0
.4 0
.6 0
1.60
1. 50 2 .0 0
.5 7
.4 0
(4)
1.00
1.50
1.60
6. 00
5.00
6. 50
2.0 0
(4)
(4)
1.00
1.50
(4)
1.60
1.50
.6 0
(41
35.00
(4)
.6 0
.2 6
(4)
.4 0
.8 0
.8 0
2. 50 (4)
(4)
6.0 0
(4)
(4)
8 .0 0
(4)
(41
23. 00 17. 50 (4)
1<)
8. 00 (4)
9 .0 0
(4)
(4)
9. 00 10. 50
10.60
15.00 15.00 15. 00
10.00
8. 00 (4)
6. 60
8. 00 (4)
14.00 12. 00 17. 50
8. 50 7.5 0
(4)

U n it
1936

1938

1939

H o n e y . . ............................. ..

K g ...

C rea m , so u r _____

K g ...
Kg
Kg
Kg ..
K g—

6.0 0
4. 50 10. 40
1. 30 1. 60
1 70
5. 50 6. 80 fi 80
8. 00 8. 00
8! 00
22.00 24. 80 24 80
22.0 0 22. 20 22 20
12. 50 14. 80 14. 80
14. 80 (4)
19.40

Kg .
K g__.
10

19. 50 20. 00 21 00
16. 00 17. 50 17 50
4. 00
6 50
7. 50

____

C h e ese, H o l la n d . ___
C h e e se , H o lla n d _____
B u tte r :
F ir s t q u a lit y . . . .
S eco n d q u a lit y ___
S u it o f m a n ’s clo th e s:
S o v ie t w o o l c lo t h . __
B e s t S o v ie t w o o l
c lo t h _________ . .
C om m on q u a lit y .._
O v erco a t:
S o v ie t w o o l c l o t h ...
C o m m o n q u a l it v ..
U n d er w e a r, c o tto n ,
k n it.
U n d e r w e a r , w o o le n ,
k n it.
S o ck s, r a y o n . . _______
S o ck s, w o o le n . _
S o ck s, c o tto n
L a d y ’s sto c k in g s, co tto n .
L a d y ’s sto c k in g s, ra y o n
L a d y ’s sto c k in g s, s i l k . .
M a n ’s sho es:
L e a th e r ____
B e s t q u a l it y ______
R u b b e r so les . .
L a d y ’s sho es:
B e s t q u a l it y .
C o m m o n q u a lity
M a n ’s ru b b e r o v er sh o e s.
L a d y ’s ru b b e r o v er sh o e s.
S h ir t, c o t t o n ______ .
S h e e t, c o tto n , sin g le
b ed .
T o w e l, lin e n _.
N e c k tie , r a y o n .
S w e a ter:
W o o le n , k n it ____ __
C o tto n , k n i t . . . .
H a t, felt
.
C a p , w o o le n . __
F u r ca p , A str a k h a n _ _
C lo th :
W o o le n , li g h t . . . .
W o o le n , h e a v y ..
S a tin e tte ___

______

M ix e d w o o l a n d c o tto n
c lo th .
L ig h t w o o le n c lo th (for
d r e s s e s ).
C rep e d e C h i n e ..

P ie c e . 650. 00

(4)

900.00

P ie c e . 850. 00
P iece. 325. 00

(4)
(4)

(4)
450. 00

P ie c e . 700.00
P ie c e . 300. 00
P a i r .. 25.00

(4)
(4)
(4)

(4)
460. 00
(4)

P a i r .. 140. 00

(4)

(4)

P a i r ..
P a i r ..
P a ir
P a i r ..

7.00
16.00
3. 00
3. 20

(4)
(4)
(4)
4 .0 0

7. 50
(4)
3 60
4. 50

P a i r ..
P a i r ..

19.00
40. 00

4.5 0
(4)

(4)
f4)

P a i r .. 180. 00 163.00 175.00
P a i r .. 250. 00
(4)
(4)
60. 00 (4)
P a ir
75. 00
P a ir 250. 00
P a i r .. 60. 00
P a i r .. 25. 00

(4)
(4)
85.0 0
C4)
18. 70 19.6 5

P a ir .

25.00

18.70

19. 65

P ie c e .
P ie c e .

50.00 35.00
18. 00 (4)

65 .0 0
(4)

40. 00 25. 00 45 00
7. 50 17. 50 ( 4)
12. 00 18. 80 19 00
P ie c e . 150. 00 (4)
(4)
P ie c e . 29.00
(4)
(4)
35. 00 40. 00 40. 00
22. 00 25. 70 35. 00
P ie c e . 200.00 250.00
(4)
M e te r 110. 00
(4) 210.
200. 00 125. 00 250.
5 50
7 50 7
6. 50 (4)
7.
3. 20 3 32 3.
M e te r 50.00
75.
C4)
M e te r 120. 00

(4)

00
00
50
50
50
00

180. 00

45. 00 75. 00 90. 00
6. 50 8. 90 (4)

Wholesale Prices

W HOLESALE PR IC ES IN SE PT E M B E R 1939 1
FOLLOWING the outbreak of war in Europe, commodity prices at
wholesale rose to the highest level reached since the spring of 1938.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ index rose from 75.0 for August to
79.1 for September, a gain of 5.5 percent. Compared with September
of last year, the all-commodity index rose 1 percent.
Each of the 10 major group classifications advanced during the
month. The increases ranged from 0.3 percent for fuel and lighting
materials to about 12 percent for farm products and foods.
After dropping to the lowest point of the past 5 years in August,
prices of raw materials reacted and rose over 9 percent in September
to the highest level reached in the past year and a half. Semimanu­
factured commodity prices advanced nearly 10 percent and finished
products increased 3.5 percent. The index for “All commodities
other than farm products,” reflecting the movement in prices of nonagricultural commodities, rose 4.4 percent and the index for “All
commodities other than farm products and foods,” marking the trend
in prices of industrial commodities, gained 2.5 percent.
Sharp increases in grains, livestock, poultry, eggs, apples, lemons,
oranges, hay, hops, milk, flaxseed, beans, onions, potatoes, and wool
■caused the farm products group index to advance 12.6 percent.
Grain and hog prices rose from 20 to 30 percent; cattle, from 10
to 15 percent; eggs, over 16 percent; apples, from 8 to 36 percent;
hops, nearly 28 percent; milk at Chicago and New York, about 10
percent; beans, more than 50 percent; potatoes, from 10 to 20 percent;
and wool, from 20 to nearly 40 percent. The advances brought the
farm products group index to 68.7 percent of the 1926 average, the
highest level reached since July a year ago.
Average wholesale prices of foods rose 11.8 percent as a result of
advances of about 19 percent for “Other foods” ; nearly 10 percent
for dairy products, cereal products, and meats; and 7 percent for
fruits and vegetables. Butter and cheese prices rose 13 percent;
flour increased over 20 percent; most dried fruits, from 30 to 50 per­
cent; canned fruits, about 5 percent; fresh pork, 16 percent; beef,
i
M o r e d e ta ile d in fo r m a tio n o n w h o le s a le p ric es is g iv e n in t h e W h o le s a le P r ic e p a m p h le t a n d w ill b e
fu r n is h e d u p o n r e q u e s t.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1279

1280

M o n th ly L abor R e view — N o vem b er 1939

about 11 percent; cocoa beans and copra, 32 percent; lard, 38 per­
cent; oleo oil, 54 percent; pepper, 43 percent; sugar, 28 to 30 per­
cent; tallow, 61 percent; and vegetable oils, 18 to 40 percent. The
foods group index, 75.1, was 0.8 percent above the corresponding
month of last year.
An increase of 26 percent in hides and skins, together with an ad­
vance of 9 percent for leather and 1 percent for shoes, caused the
hides and leather products group index to rise 6.3 percent during
September. Average wholesale prices of other leather manufactures
such as luggage, belting, and gloves were steady.
Pronounced advances in prices of cotton goods, hosiery and under­
wear, silk and rayon, woolen and worsted goods, and “Other textile
products” such as burlap, hemp, thread, and cordage brought the
textile products group index up 5.8 percent. This is the highest
point reached in the past 2 years, the index being 9 percent higher
than it was for September 1938.
Advancing prices for gasoline, kerosene, Kansas-Oklahoma crude
petroleum, and coal were responsible for an advance of 0.3 percent in
the fuel and lighting materials group index.
Largely as a result of sharp advances in prices of nonferrous metals,
scrap steel, and pig iron, the metals and metal products group index
rose 1.7 percent. Average wholesale prices of agricultural implements
and plumbing and heating fixtures were steady.
The building materials index rose 1.5 percent during September,,
principally because of higher prices for concrete building blocks,
paint materials, lumber, prepared roofing, lead pipe, copper and
zinc sheets, and copper wire. No changes were reported in prices of
brick, cement, and structural steel.
Higher prices for fats and oils, together with sharp advances in
prices of alcohol, camphor, strychnine, and tankage, contributed
largely to an increase of 3.6 percent in the chemicals and drugs group
index.
The housefurnishing goods group index rose 1.2 percent largely
because of higher prices for bedding, floor covering, and office chairs.
During September, prices of crude rubber and cattle feed advanced
over 36 percent, paper and pulp increased 2.3 percent, and cylinder
oil and paraffin wax prices rose sharply.
Index numbers for the groups and subgroups of commodities for
August and September 1939 and September 1938 are shown in table 1


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1281

Wholesale Prices

T able 1.— Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices by Groups and Subgroups of Commodities
[1928=100]

A u­
g u st
1939

S ep ­
tem ­
ber
1938

79.1

75 .0

78.3

68. 7
65.1
76 .3
64 .6

6 1 .0
51 .5
6 6 .0
60. 1

68.1
5 3 .0
81 .0
6 3 .2

75. 1
74 .5
78 .8
6 2 .8
8 1 .0
7 1 .7

6 7 .2
6 7 .9
7 1 .9
5 8 .5
73.7
6 0 .3

74 .5
71. 1
76.1
55 .5
8 7 .3
6 9 .5

H id e s and le a th e r p r o d u c ts____ 98. 5 92 .7
S h o e s _______________________ 101.8 100.8
7 7 .2
H id e s a n d s k i n s ___________ 97 .4
84 .0
L e a th e r ____________________ 92 .0
O th er le a th e r p r o d u c ts.
97. 1 97 .1

92 .0
100.8
75.7
82 .4
9 6 .9

G r o u p a n d su b g r o u p

S ep ­
te m ­
ber
1939

A ll c o m m o d itie s ...................... ...........
F arm p r o d u c t s ,.................................
G r a in s _____________________
L iv e s to c k a n d p o u l t r y _____
O th er farm p r o d u c ts _______
F o o d s .._________________________
D a ir y p r o d u c ts ____________
C erea l p r o d u c ts _________. . .
F r u it s a n d v e g e ta b le s _____
M e a t s _____________________
O th er fo o d s ________________

67 .8
81 .5
6 5 .5
61 .5
39 .5
75 .5
6 3 .7

65 .8
8 1 .6
64.1
59.9
2 9 .5
76.3
6 5 .0

F u e l a n d lig h tin g m a te r ia ls____ 72. o
A n t h r a c it e _________________ / 2. 5
B it u m in o u s c o a l___________
C o k e _______________________ 104.2 104.2
E le c t r ic it y _________________
75.8
o
G a s .. ______________________
0)
P e t r o le u m __________________ 53. 3

104.2
8 1 .8

0?, ?
9 3 .5
94. 7
95. 1

95. 5
95. 5
9 6 .9
9 7 .3

T ex tile p r o d u c ts............... .................
C lo th in g ____________ _____ _
C o tto n g o o d s ______________
H o s ie r y a n d u n d e r w e a r ___
S ilk a n d r a y o n _____________
W o o le n a n d w o r ste d g o o d s.
O th er t e x tile p r o d u c t s ____

M etals a n d m e ta l p r o d u c ts ..........
A g r ic u ltu r a l im p l e m e n t s ...
F a r m m a c h in e r y ______
Ir o n a n d s t e e l______________

71.7
81.7
70 .4
6 2 .8
43.4
84 .0
6 9 .8

9 4 .8
9 3 .5
94. 7
9 5 .5

S ep­
tem ­
b er
1939

G ro u p a n d su b g r o u p

A u­
g u st
1939

S ep ­
tem ­
b er
1938

9 2 .5
7 4 .6
7 9 .3

9 6 .2
7 3 .5
7 8 .5

M eta ls— C o n tin u e d .
92 .1
M o to r v e h ic le s 2______ N o n fe r r o u s m e t a l s .. . ------- 8 4 .7
P lu m b in g a n d h e a t i n g , . . _ 7 9 .3
B u ild in g m a te r ia ls _____________
B r ic k a n d t ile .
____
C e m e n t 3___________________
L um ber . . . .
. ...
P a in t a n d p a in t m a te r ia ls .P lu m b in g a n d h e a t i n g ___
S tr u c tu r a l s te e l - _ ________
O th er b u ild in g m a te r ia ls . __

9 0 .9
9 1 .0
9 1 .3
9 3 .7
8 4 .7
7 9 .3
107.3
9 0 .3

8 9 .6
9 0 .5
9 1 .3
9 1 .8
82 .1
7 9 .3
107.3
8 9 .5

8 9 .5
9 0 .9
9 0 .7
9 0 .4
8 0 .4
78 .5
107.3
9 1 .3

C h e m ic a ls a n d d r u g s .. _______
C h e m ic a l s .. . . ._ _.
D r u g s a n d p h a r m a c e u tic a l s ___ __________________
F e r tiliz e r m a te r ia ls
..
.
M ix e d f e r t iliz e r s .__________

77. 3
8 1 .2

74 .6
77 .5

7 7 .3
8 1 .0

7 2 .8
6 9 .2
72 .6

71 .7
6 7 .2
7 2 .9

7 4 .8
6 7 .2
7 3 .4

IT o usefu rn ish in g goods _______
F u r n is h in g s ____ . . . . . .
F u r n itu r e ___ _____________

8 6 .6
9 1 .7
8 1 .3

8 5 .6
9 0 .0
8 1 .1

86. 2
9 0 .2
82. 1

M isc e lla n e o u s ______ .
. ...
76.6
A u to m o b ile tir e s a n d t u b e s . 6 0 .5
C a ttle fe e d _________________ 93 .4
P a p e r a n d p u l p . . . _______ 8 1 .8
R u b b e r , c r u d e .. _________ 4 7 .7
O th er m is c e lla n e o u s _______ .8 2 .8

73 .3
6 0 .5
6 8 .4
8 0 .0
3 4 .9
8 1 .3

72 .4
5 7 .4
6 7 .6
8 1 .9
33. 3
81.1

7 2 .6
8 1 .8
8 1 .9

6 6 .5
74 .5
79.1

72 .0
74 .7
81 .8

R aw m a te r ia ls _____ ___ . . . .
S e m im a n u fa c tu r e d a r tic le s ----A ll c o m m o d itie s o th er th a n
farm p r o d u c ts________________
A ll c o m m o d itie s o th er th a n
farm n ro d u c ts a n d fo o d s_____

81 .3

77 .9

8 0 .4

82 .1

80.1

8 1 .3

1 D a t a n o t a v a ila b le .
2 P r e lim in a r y r e v is io n .
P r e lim in a r y r e v isio n ; se e p p . 11 a n d 12 of M a r c h 1939 W h o le s a le P r ic e s.

3
Important percentage increases in subgroup indexes from August
to September are shown in table 2.
T able 2. — Important Percentage Increases in Subgroup Indexes from August to

September 1939
.p
t
P e r c e n t­
a g e in ­
crease

C o m m o d ity grou p

W o o le n a n d w o r s te d g o o d s

C h e m i c a l s ___


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

. . . . ____

___ . . . .

36. 7
36. 5
26 .4
26. 2
18.9
15. 6
13. 5
11.3
9 .9
9. 9
9. 7
9 .6
9. 6
9. 5
7. 5
7. 5
7 .4
4. 8

P e r c e n t­
age i n ­
crea se

C o m m o d it y g rou p

F e r tiliz e r m a t e r i a l s . ___

_______ . . . .

O th er m is c e lla n e o u s ... . _______________
D r u g s a n d p h a r m a c e u tic a ls . _____ ___
O th er b u ild in g m a te r ia ls . ______________

F u r n itu r e _________

.

_______

.

.

3. 2
3 .1
3 .0
2 .3
2 .1
2 .1
1 .9
1 .8
1 .5
1 .0
.9
.7
.6
.6
.4
.2
.2

1282

M o n th ly L a b o r R e view — N o vem b er 1939

Index Numbers by Commodity Groups, 1926 to September 1939
Index numbers of wholesale prices by commodity groups for selected
years from 1926 to 1938, inclusive, and by months from September
1938 to September 1939, inclusive, are shown in table 3.
T able 3.— Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices, by Groups of Commodities
[1926=100]

Y e a r a n d m o n th

B y years:
1926_________ _____
1929_________ _____
1932..................... ..
1933_____ _____ _
1936.......... ...................
1937.......... ...................
1938_______ _______
B y m o n th s :
1938:
S e p te m b e r ___
O c to b e r ______
N ovem ber . . .
D e c e m b e r ___
1939:
J a n u a r y ______
F e b r u a r y ____
M a r c h _______
A p r il. _______
M a y _________
J u n e _________
J u l y . . ..............
A u g u s t _______
S e p te m b e r ___

H o u se F u e l M e ta ls B u ild ­ C h e m ­
furand
in g
and
ic a ls
m e ta l
n ish and
lig h t ­
m a te ­
p ro d ­
in g
in g
d ru g s
ria ls
u c ts
goods

M iscella n eous

A ll
com ­
m o d i­
tie s

100.0
9 0 .4
54.9
6 4 .8
7 1 .5
76.3
6 6 .7

100.0
8 3 .0
7 0 .3
6 6 .3
7 6 .2
7 7 .6
7 6 .5

100.0
100.5
8 0 .2
7 9 .8
8 7 .0
9 5 .7
9 5 .7

100.0
9 5 .4
71 .4
7 7 .0
8 6 .7
9 5 .2
9 0 .3

100.0
9 4 .2
7 3 .5
7 2 .6
8 0 .4
8 3 .9
7 7 .6

100.0
9 4 .3
75 .1
7 5 .8
8 1 .7
8 9 .7
8 6 .8

100.0
8 2 .6
6 4 .4
6 2 .5
70. 5
7 7 .8
7 3 .3

100.0
9 5 .3
6 4 .8
6 5 .9
8 0 .8
8 6 .3
7 8 .6

9 2 .0
9 3 .4
9 4 .6
9 3 .1

6 5 .8
66. 2
66. 2
6 5 .8

7 6 .6
7 5 .4
73 .7
7 3 .2

9 5 .5
9 5 .3
9 4 .9
9 4 .6

8 9 .5
8 9 .8
8 9 .2
8 9 .4

7 7 .3
77.1
7 6 .6
7 6 .7

8 6 .2
8 5 .7
8 5 .8
8 6 .0

7 2 .4
7 2 .6
7 3 .0
7 3 .1

7 8 .3
7 7 .6
7 7 .5
7 7 .0

7 1 .5
7 1 .5
7 0 .2
6 8 .6

6 5 .9
66 .1

66.6

68.2

9 3 .1
9 1 .9
9 1 .8
9 0 .9
9 1 .6

6 6 .9
6 7 .5

7 2 .8
7 3 .0
73.1
7 3 .4
7 3 .9

9 4 .4
9 4 .3
9 4 .3
9 4 .0
9 3 .5

8 9 .5
8 9 .6
8 9 .8
8 9 .6
8 9 .5

7 6 .7
7 6 .3
7 6 .5
7 6 .0
7 5 .9

8 5 .4
8 5 .2
8 5 .2
8 5 .4
8 5 .5

7 3 .2
7 3 .5
74.1
7 4 .4
7 4 .2

7 6 .9
7 6 .9
76 .7
7 6 .2
7 6 .2

6 7 .6
6 7 .5
67. 2
7 5 .1

9 2 .3
9 2 .5
9 2 .7
9 8 .5

6 7 .3
67 .6
67 .8
71 .7

7 3 .0
7 2 .8
7 2 .6
7 2 .8

9 3 .2
9 3 .2
9 3 .2
9 4 .8

8 9 .5
8 9 .7
8 9 .6
9 0 .9

7 5 .7
7 5 .0
7 4 .6
77 .3

8 5 .6
8 5 .6
8 5 .6
8 6 .6

73 .8
7 3 .4
73 .3
7 6 .6

7 5 .6
7 5 .4
7 5 .0
79 .1

F arm
p rod­
u c ts

H id e s
T ex­
and
tile
F o o d s le a th e r
p rod ­
p rod ­
u c ts
u c ts

100.0
104.9
4 8 .2
5 1 .4
8 0 .9
8 6 .4
6 8 .5

100.0
9 9 .9
6 1 .0
6 0 .5
82. 1
8 5 .5
73 .6

100.0
109.1
7 2 .9
8 0 .9
9 5 .4
104.6
9 2 .8

6 8 .1
6 6 .8
6 7 .8
6 7 .6

7 4 .5
7 3 .5
7 4 .1
7 3 .1

6 7 .2
6 7 .2
6 5 .8
6 3 .7
6 3 .7
6 2 .4
62 .6
6 1 .0
6 8 .7

The price trend for specified years and months since 1926 is shown in
table 4 for the following groups of commodities: Raw materials, semi­
manufactured articles, finished products, commodities other than farm
products, and commodities other than farm products and foods. The
list of commodities included under the classifications “Raw materials,”
“Semimanufactured articles,” and “Finished products” was given in
the December and Year 1938 issue of the Wholesale Price pamphlet.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1283

W h olesale P ric e s

T a b l e 4 . — Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices, by Special Groups of Commodities
[1926=100]

Y e a r a n d m o n th

S em im an F in ­
R a w ufacish e d
m a te ­ tu r e d
prod­
rials a r ti­
u c ts
cles

B y years:
1926____________ 100.0
1929____________ 9 7 .5
1932____________ 55.1
1933____________ 56.5
1936____________ 79.9
1937____________ 8 4 .8
1938____________ 72.0
B y m o n th s:
1938:
S e p te m b e r ___ 7 2 .0
O c to b e r . ___ 70.9
N o v e m b e r ___ 7 1 .5
D e c e m b e r ___ 70.9

A ll
A ll
com ­
com ­ m od ­
m o d ­ itie s
itie s o th er
o th er th a n
th a n
farm
farm p ro d ­
p ro d ­ u c ts
u c ts
and
foods

100.0
93.9
59.3
6 5 .4
75.9
85.3
75.4

100.0
9 4 .5
7 0 .3
7 0 .5
8 2 .0
8 7 .2
8 2 .2

100.0
93 .3
68 .3
6 9 .0
80 .7
8 6 .2
8 0 .6

100.0
9 1 .6
7 0 .2
7 1 .2
7 9 .6
85 .3
8 1 .7

7 4 .7
75.9
7 6 .2
7 5 .2

81 .8
81.1
8 0 .5
8 0 .2

8 0 .4
79 .9
79 .5
79 .0

8 1 .3
81.1
8 0 .6 '
' 8 0 .3

Y ea r a n d m o n th

S em im anR aw
ufacm a te ­
tu r e d
rials
a r ti­
cles

B y m o n th s — C o n ­
tin u e d .
1939:
J a n u a r y ___
F e b r u a r y ____
M a r c h , ____
A p r il_________
M a y _______
J u n e - _______
J u ly __________
A u g u s t _______
S e p te m b e r ___

70 .9
70 .9
70 .1
68 .5
68 .9
67 .7
67 .8
66 .5
72.6

7 4 .9
7 4 .4
74 .6
7 4 .4
74 .3
74.1
74 .4
74 .5
81 .8

A ll
com ­
m od­
F in ­
itie s
ish e d
o th er
prod­
th a n
u c ts farm
p rod ­
u c ts

8 0 .0
8 0 .2
8 0 .2
8 0 .1
79 .9
79 .6
7 9 .2
79 .1
8 1 .9

7 8 .9
7 8 .9
7 9 .0
7 8 .8
7 8 .8
7 8 .4
78 .1
77 .9
8 1 .3

A ll
com ­
m od­
itie s
o th er
th a n
farm
p rod­
u c ts
and
food s

8 0 .2
8 0 .2
8 0 .4
8 0 .5
8 0 .6
8 0 .2
8 0 .2
8 0 .1
8 2 .1

Weekly Fluctuations
Weekly fluctuations in the major commodity group classifications
during August and September are shown by the index numbers in
table 5.
T able 5. — Weekly Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices by Commodity Groups, August

and September 1939
[1926=100]

C o m m o d ity grou p

S e p t.
30,
1939

A ll c o m m o d it ie s ______________________

7 9 .5

7 9 .5

F a r m p r o d u c ts __________________ _____
F o o d s ______________ _
___________
H id e s a n d le a th e r p r o d u c ts ______
T e x t ile p r o d u c ts ___________ __________
F u e l a n d lig h tin g m a te r ia ls __________

69 .3
74 .4
104.1
73 .4
7 4 .4

6 9 .5
75 .1
100.4
7 2 .3
7 4 .2

M e ta ls a n d m e ta l p r o d u c ts ________ B u ild in g m a te r ia ls ____________________
C h e m ic a ls a n d d r u g s _______________ _
H o u s e fu r n is h in g g o o d s _____________
M is c e lla n e o u s ________________
_

9 5 .2
9 1 .2
78 .5
89.1
76 .7

9 5 .3
9 1 .0
7 7 .9
8 8 .8
7 6 .6

R a w m a te r ia ls ________________________
S e m im a n u fa c tu r e d a r tic le s ___________
F in is h e d p r o d u c ts ____________________
A ll c o m m o d itie s o th e r th a n fa rm
p r o d u c t s ____________________________
A ll c o m m o d itie s o th e r t h a n farm
p r o d u c ts a n d fo o d s_________________

73 .1
83 .7
8 2 .4

7 3 .0
8 3 .3
8 2 .5


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

S e p t.
23,
1939

S e p t.
16,
1939

S e p t.
9,
1939

S e p t.
2,
1939

79 .3

7 8 .4

7 5 .3

6 9 .7
75.5
9 8 .3
71 .4
74.1

6 8 .1
7 4 .5
9 6 .0
68 .4
7 4 .0

6 2 .7
68 .5
9 2 .7
6 7 .2
7 3 .2

9 4 .9
9 0 .7
7 7 .1
8 7 .1
76.1

9 4 .6
9 0 .1
7 5 .9
8 7 .0
76 .1

9 3 .5
8 9 .7
7 4 .4
8 7 .0
7 3 .2

7 3 .0
8 2 .0
8 2 .3

71 .8
7 9 .7
81 .9

67.1
7 4 .6
7 9 .7

A ug.
26,
1939

A ug.
19,
1939

A ug.
12,
1939

7 4 .8

7 4 .6

7 4 .8

75 .1

61 .1
66 .7
9 2 .6
67 .4
7 3 .2

6 0 .4
6 6 .2
9 2 .8
6 7 .4
7 3 .6

6 1 .4
6 6 .7
9 3 .5
6 7 .2
7 3 .5

6 2 .5
6 7 .2
9 3 .7
6 7 .4
7 3 .4

9 3 .5
8 9 .7
7 4 .2
8 7 .0
7 3 .1

9 3 .5
8 9 .5
7 4 .2
8 7 .0
7 3 .0

9 3 .5
9 0 .1
74 .3
8 7 .0
7 3 .0

9 3 .4
9 0 .1
7 4 .5
8 7 .0
7 3 .0

6 6 .2
7 4 .4
7 9 .3

6 6 .2
74 .3
79 .0

66 .8
7 4 .4
7 9 .1

6 7 .6
7 4 .5
7 9 .2

A ug.
5,
1939

8 1 .8

8 1 .7

81 .4

8 0 .7

7 8 .1

7 7 .8

7 7 .7

7 7 .8

7 7 .9

8 3 .3

8 3 .0

82 .4

81 .7

8 0 .4

8 0 .4

8 0 .4

8 0 .5

8 0 .5

Recent Publications o f Labor Interest

OCTOBER 1939
Coal-Mining Industry
The coal-mining industry— an international study in planning.

B y J. H. Jones, G.
C artw rig h t, P. H. G u6nalt. London, Sir Isaac P itm a n & Sons, L td ., 1939.
394 pp., charts.
Survey of th e o rganization of cap ital in th e coal in d u stry of different countries
in an effort to offset depression.

Fifty-seventh coal report of Illinois, 1988.

Springfield, D e p a rtm e n t of M ines a n d
M inerals, 1939. 280 pp.
In fo rm atio n is given on seam conditions, m ech an izatio n of m ines, w orking time,,
em ploym ent, accidents, a n d o th e r su b jects of lab o r in terest.
Statistische übersieht über die kohlenwirtschaft im fahre 1938. Berlin, Reichsk ohlenrat, 1939. 157 p p ., charts.
C ontains a sta tistic a l review of th e coal in d u stry th ro u g h o u t th e w orld during
1938, including am o u n t m ined, prices, a n d in te rn a tio n a l tra d e ; th e n u m b er of
w orkers engaged in G erm an coal m ines, th e ir p ro d u c tiv ity , wages, a n d hours
of labor; and th e degree of m echanization in G erm an m ines.

Cooperative Movement
Cooperative societies throughout the world. (In In te rn a tio n a l L ab o r Review, G eneva,
A ugust 1939, pp. 254-271; S eptem ber 1939, pp. 375-419; also rep rin te d .)
S tatistics, w ith e x p lan a to ry tex t, of num ber, m em bership, a m o u n t of business,
etc., of various ty p es of societies, covering for th e m ost p a r t th e y e a r 1937.
Cooperative purchasing in Washington. B y E. F . D um m eier. P ullm an, S ta te
College of W ashington, A gricultural E x p erim en t S tatio n , 1939. 28 pp.
(B ulletin No. 371.)
R esults of a su rv ey of cooperative p urchasing by b o th farm er a n d n o nfarm er
groups th ro u g h o u t th e S ta te of W ashington. T he d a ta relate, for th e m ost p a rt,
to th e y ear 1936.

Farmers' business organizations in Canada, 1936-37.

By A. E. R ichards. O ttaw a,
[D ep artm en t of A griculture, A gricultural Econom ics Branch?], 1938. 3 p p .
Includes inform atio n on p u rchasing as well as m ark etin g associations.
The consumers’ cooperative as a distributive agency. By O rin E. B urley. New
Y ork, M cG raw -H ill Book Co., Inc., 1939. 338 pp.
A guide for members of cooperatives. W ashington, U. S. R u ral E lectrification
A dm inistration, 1939. 48 pp., illus.
Q uestions an d answ ers on cooperation, w ith special reference to cooperativesof electric pow er, created u n d er th e R ural E lectrification Act.

Employment and Unemployment
Census of manufactures: Wage earners, by months, 1937.

W ashington, U. S.
B ureau of th e Census, 1939. 15 pp.
T he d a ta show th a t th e average n u m b er of wage earners in th e m an u factu rin g
industries in 1937 was 8,569,231, w hich was 188,695 above th e average for 1929.
Industrial change and employment opportunity— a selected bibliography. W ash­
ington, U. S. W orks Progress A d m inistration, 1939. xv, 254 pp. (N atio n al
R esearch P ro ject R ep o rt No. G -5.)
1284

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

R ecen t P u b lic a tio n s o f L a b o r In terest

1285

Survey of Employment Service information: Analysis of characteristics of more than
7,250,000 applicants in active file inventory, A pril 1938, and of placements dur­
ing period from January through September 1938. W ashington, U. S. E m ploy­
m en t Service, 1939.

153 pp.

Wasted manpower: The challenge of unemployment.

B y C orrington Gill. New
Y ork, W. W. N o rto n & Co., Inc., 1939. 312 pp.
D escribes th e seriousness of th e u nem ploym ent problem , th e com plexities of
its causes, an d th e num erous m ethods of dealing w ith it. A ccording to th e au th o r,
g ettin g th e idle m anpow er of th e co u n try back to w ork depends upo n th e upsurge
of real investm ent. H e holds th a t a public in v estm en t pro g ram should be ener­
getically p ushed an d a t th e sam e tim e every o p p o rtu n ity for p riv a te in v estm en t
be encouraged.

Arbejdsljshedsproblemet i Danmark, 1930-1938.

C openhagen, Socialm inisteriet,
1939. 377 pp., ch arts.
T ex tu al a n d sta tistic a l in fo rm atio n on th e unem p lo y m en t problem in D enm ark,
an d m easures for relief, during 1930-1938.

Health and Industrial Hygiene
The building of a nation’s health.

By Sir George N ew m an, M. D . London, M ac­
m illan & Co., L td., 1939. 479 pp.
Review s th e grow th of th e public-h ealth m ovem ent in E ngland, including school
m edical service, m atern al a n d child care, in d u strial h ealth activities, n u tritio n of
th e people, h e a lth insurance, a n d m edical research.
Medicine at the crossroads. B y B ertram M. B ernheim , M. D. R ahw ay, N. J.,
Q uinn & Boden Co., 1939. 256 pp.
T he case for an d ag ain st socialized, m edicine is described by presen tin g th e
m inus an d plus factors in p riv a te practice.
Medical jurisprudence and toxicology. B y W illiam D. M cN ally. P h ilad elp h ia r
W. B. Saunders Co., 1939. 386 pp., illus.
Concise p resen tatio n of m odern know ledge of m edical ju risp ru d en ce and
toxicology, w ith a com prehensive su b ject index. Some of th e in d u stria l poisons
an d th e ir effects are stressed, a n d th ere is a ch a p te r on silicosis a n d asbestosis.
Medicolegal phases of occupational diseases— an outline of theory and practice. By
C. O. Sappington, M. D. Chicago, In d u stria l H e a lth Book Co., 1939. 405 pp.
T he volum e is divided in to four sections dealing, in th e first, w ith various
causes of occupational diseases, control of o ccupational exposure, a n d cost of
occupational diseases; and in th e second, third., a n d la st sections w ith insurance,
m edical, an d legal problem s, respectively. A ppendixes contain a b stra c ts of S ta te
law s dealing w ith th e definition of o ccupational in ju ry a n d disease, a suggested
schedule of com pensable occupational diseases, a n d a digest of w orkm en’s com ­
p ensation laws b y States.
Occupational-disease legislation of 1939. W ashington, U. S. B ureau of L abor
S tatistics, 1939. 4 pp. (Serial No. R. 965, re p rin t from Ju ly 1939 M onthly
L abor Review.)

M iners’ welfare, 1938: Seventeenth annual report of M iners’ Welfare Committee,
Great Britain. L ondon, 1939. 124 pp., illus.
C overs th e h e a lth a n d recreational facilities p rovided by a n d th e financial
condition of th e M iners’ W elfare Fund.
Silicosis and lead poisoning among pottery workers. W ashington, U. S. Public
H ealth Service, 1939. 178 pp., ch arts, illus. (Public h ealth b u lletin No. 244.)
N ine p o tte ry factories in W est V irginia were covered in th is in vestigation, which
included an engineering survey of th e m an u factu rin g processes an d th e lead and
d u st hazards, an d a m edical study. T he m edical re p o rt gives th e resu lts of th e
physical exam inations of th e w orkers a n d th e findings regarding th e incidence of
lead poisoning an d silicosis. T he volum e contains an a n n o ta te d bibliography
and a definition of occupations,


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M o n th ly L a b o r R e view — N o vem b er 1939

Housing
Mousing of dependent aged.

W ashington, U. S. B ureau of L ab o r S tatistics, 1939.
(Serial No. R . 977, re p rin t from A ugust 1939 M on th ly L ab o r Review.)
Longshoremen and their homes. B y E lizab eth Ogg. N ew Y ork, Greenwich
H ouse, 1939. 64 pp., ch arts, illus.
R esults of a survey conducted u n d er th e auspices of G reenwich House. In ’Come, living, a n d social conditions of longshorem en are covered.
Three-thirds ill housed. B y F red Swan. (In T h e T echnocrat, Los Angeles,
Ju ly -A u g u st 1939, pp. 3 -7 ; ch art, illus.)
In d ic a te s th a t sellers of m aterials a n d lab o r organizations block th e A m erican
people from securing satisfacto ry housing, a n d p red icts th a t p refab ricatio n will
Tsolve th e housing problem w hen artificial price curbs are rem oved.
Land, materials, and labor costs. W ashington, U. S. N a tio n a l Resources Com ­
m ittee, 1939. 101 p p ., ch arts. (H ousing m onograph series No. 3.)
T echnical m onograph on housing, in cluding d a ta on lab o r a n d m a te ria l costs.
Planning neighborhoods for small houses. W ashington, F ed eral H ousing A dm inis­
tra tio n , 1939. 33 pp., diagram s. (T echnical b u lletin No. 5, revised.)
D eals w ith th e im p o rtan ce of p lan n ed neighborhoods a n d general principles of
planning.
7 pp.

Planning profitable neighborhoods.

W ashington, F ed eral H ousing A dm inistration,
1938. 35 pp., plans, illus. (Technical b ulletin No. 7.)
O utlines th e fu n d a m e n ta l principles a n d sta n d a rd s in plan n in g th a t m ake
•comm unities m ore desirable places in w hich to live.
Tax exemption of public housing. W ashington, U. S. H ousing A u th o rity , [1939?].
8 pp.
A calculation of th e cost of ta x exem ption on a low -cost housing p ro ject to th e
tax p ay e rs in an im ag in ary ty p ic a l large city.

The book of the modern house— a panoramic survey of contemporary domestic de­
sign. E d ited by P a tric k A bercrom bie. London, H o d d er & S toughton, 1939.
x, 378 pp., plans, illus.
C ontains inform atio n on read y -b u ilt houses a n d housing fo r w orking people.
Memoria de hacienda [Colombia], 1989. B ogotá, M inisterio de H acien d a y
C rédito Publico, 1939. 222 pp.
T his rep o rt of th e M in istry of F inance a n d Public C red it of C olom bia for 1939
has a section on th e cam paign for th e im p ro v em en t of ru ra l housing conditions in
th a t country.

Income and Wealth
National income and its distribution, 1919-1938: A comparison of long-term national
income estimates. B y R o b e rt F. M artin . (In Conference B oard Econom ic
R ecord, N atio n a l In d u s tria l Conference B oard, Inc., N ew Y ork, S eptem ber
8, 1939, pp. 81-92.)
G eneral incom e figures are given by S ta te s for th e y ears 1919 to 1938, w ith a
m ore detailed analysis for 1938. T h e general estim ates by th e N a tio n a l In d u stria l
Conference B oard, extending back to 1850, ar.e com pared to th e estim ates m ad e by
W illford I. K ing, N atio n al B ureau of E conom ic R esearch, B rookings In s titu tio n ,
a n d U. S. B ureau of F oreign a n d D om estic Comm erce.
State income payments, 1929-37. B y R o b e rt R. N a th a n a n d Jo h n L. M artin .
W ashington, U. S. B ureau of Foreign a n d D om estic Com m erce, 1939. 22 pp.
T he tables give e stim a te d to ta l incom e p ay m e n ts by S tates w ith index num bers,
p e r ca p ita pay m en ts, and p ay m e n ts item ized u n d er (1) salaries a n d wages, (2)
o th er lab o r incom e, (3) e n trep ren eu rial w ithdraw als, a n d (4) dividends, in terest,
n e t rents, a n d royalties.
Income in counties of Alabama, 1929 and 1985. B y W. M. A dam son. U niversity,
Ala., U niversity of A labam a, B ureau of B usiness R esearch, 1939. 122 pp.,
charts. (M u ltilith ed series No. 1.)
T h e a u th o r describes th e volum e as a pioneer a tte m p t a t local incom e analysis
in A labam a. A u th en tic in fo rm atio n a b o u t local incom e is increasingly significant,
i t is held, in facilita tin g solution of th e problem s of g o v ern m en tal aid, social plan
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ning, economic control, and m a rk e t analysis. T h e figures include farm , nonfarm ,
fam ily, an d p er cap ita incom e, an d com bined estim ates of wages a n d salaries by
m ajo r in d u strial sources.

New estimates of the national wealth and of its State distribution, 1922-1937.

By
R oland P. F alkn er. (In Conference B oard Econom ic R ecord, N atio n al
In d u s tria l C onference B oard, Inc., N ew Y ork, O ctober 5, 1939, p p 117-127charts.)
’

The statistical 'pattern of installment debt.

By R. A. Y oung a n d B lanche B ernstein.
N ew Y ork, N atio n a l B ureau of Econom ic R esearch, O ctober 15, 1939
22pp., charts. (B ulletin 76-7.)
. T he stu d y covers th e y ear 1935-36. E stim a te s are m ad e of th e fam ilies in
different incom e groups h aving a n et change in in stallm en t d eb t. T h e stu d y also
indicates how in stallm en t-b u y in g h a b its v ary in different ty p es of com m unities.
an d different regions.

Industrial Accidents and Workmen’s Compensation
Accidents to window cleaners [in New York State] in 1938, analyzed by cause.

(In
In d u stria l B ulletin, N ew Y ork D e p a rtm e n t of L abor, A lbany, Ju ly -S e p te m ber 1939, p. 330.)

Cumulative loose-leaf index to proceedings of International Association of Industrial
Accident Boards and Commissions. P rep ared by J. W illiam O’Connell, Jr.
W ashington, U. S. D e p a rtm e n t of L abor, D ivision of L ab o r S tan d ard s, 1939’
40 pp.
Covers th e proceedings of th e association from th e th ird convention in 1916 to
th e tw en ty -fifth in 1938, inclusive. S upp lem en tary pages bringing th e index down
to d ate will be provided from tim e to tim e by th e D ivision of L abor S tan d ard s.
A statistical approach to accident prevention. B y M ax D. K ossoris. (In Jo u rn al
of A m erican S tatistic a l Association, W ashington, S eptem ber 1939, pp. 524532.)
A discussion of a new m eth o d of accident-cause analysis leading to statistics
which are of p ractical value in th e p rev en tio n of in d u strial accidents. T he
m ethod of analysis is essentially th a t contained in th e so-called H einrich Cause
Code now being fo rm u lated u n d er th e auspices of th e A m erican S tan d ard s
Association.

The organization of safety services in industrial undertakings in Hungary. (In
Industrial Safety Survey, International Labor Office, Geneva, July-August
1939, pp. 93-98.)

J

B

Safety provisions for underground work in coal mines: Volume 1, National legisla­
tion; Volume I I , Draft recommendations. G eneva, In te rn a tio n a l L abor
Office (A m erican b ranch, 734 Jackson Place N W ., W ashington, D . C.), 1939.
444 an d 112 pp.
T his rep o rt was assem bled for th e P re p a ra to ry T echnical Conference on safety
in coal m ines, scheduled for O ctober 1939 b u t postponed to a la te r d ate.

Progress of State insurance funds under workmen’s compensation— a quarter century
of American experience. By John B. Andrews. W ashington, U. S. D e p a rt­
m en t of L abor, D ivision of L abor S tan d ard s, 1939.
30.)

42 pp.

(B ulletin No

Commentaire de la loi du 1er Juillet 1938 sur les accidents du travail et les maladies
professionnelles. S upplém ent a la huitièm e édition du tra ité d ’A drien Sachet.
Paris, L ibrairie du R ecueil Sirey, 1939. 586 pp.
Analyzes th e F rench law of Ju ly 1, 1938, dealing w ith in d u strial accidents an d
diseases.

Industrial Relations
Administrative adjudication of contract disputes: The Walsh-Healey Act.
W alter G ellhorn an d Seym our L. Linfield.
A rbor, A pril 1939, pp. 841-873.)

By
(In M ichigan Law R eview , Ann

The collective labor agreement— how to negotiate and draft the contract.

B y E lias
L ieberm an. New Y ork, H a rp e r & B rothers, 1939. 233 pp., bibliography.
T he first p a rt of th e volum e gives th e historical b ack g ro u n d of collective b a r­
gaining, its operation un d er federal legislation, its legal sta tu s, a n d m ethods of'
negotiating an agreem ent. T he second p a rt offers sam ple clauses, w ith notes om

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problem s and legality a n d on th e num erous item s contained in agreem ents, including
hiring and discharge of w orkers, dism issal com pensation, v acations, overtim e, sick
leave, seniority rights, union shop, p referen tial shop, closed shop, check-off
system s, and m an y o th e r provisions.
The economics of collective bargaining. By M. B ronfenbrenner. (In Q uarterly
Jo u rn al of Econom ics, C am bridge, M ass., A ugust 1939, pp. 535-561.)
Freedom of association and the law. B y J. F inkelm an. [Toronto], 1939. 14 p p.;
m im eographed. (P ublications of In d u stria l Law R esearch C ouncil p re­
p ared for L abor R esearch In s titu te , volum e 4, No. 1.)
A discussion of th e w o rk ers’ rig h t to organize a n d to b arg ain collectively in
G reat B ritain, in th e U nited S tates, an d in C anada, w ith an analysis of th e bill,
which has been referred to as an “ O ntario W agner a c t” , sponsored by th e T rades
and L abor Congress of C an ad a for th e Province of O ntario.

The organization and functioning of industry committees under Fair Labor Standards
Act. B y Z. C lark D ickinson. (In Law an d C o n tem p o rary Problem s,V ol.
V I, No. 3, D u rh am , N. C., 1939, pp. 353-367; also reprinted.)
One of th e articles in th e sym posium on th e wrage a n d ho u r law com prising th e
sum m er 1939 issue of Law a n d C o n tem p o rary Problem s.

Elections and certifications of labor organizations conducted by New York State
Labor Relations Board, Ju ly 1, 1937, to June 30, 1939. By Louis Goldberg.
N ew Y ork C ity, S ta te L abor R elations B oard, 1939.

31 p p .; m im eographed.
B y H e rb e rt V. E v a tt.
(In U niversity of Chicago Law Review, Chicago, Ju n e 1939, pp. 529—551.)
H istorical review of legislative regulation of lab o r relatio n s in A u stralia and.
discussion of th e resu lts of th e system , w ith a com parison of conditions in A u stralia
w ith those in th e U n ited S tates u n d er th e N a tio n a l L abor R elations Act, by th e
Justice of th e H igh C o u rt of A ustralia.
Two strikes and out. E d ite d by W illiam E. M cM ahon. G arden C ity, N. Y.,
C o u n try Life Press C orporation, 1939. 156 pp.
An account, edited by a legal ex p ert w ith first-han d know ledge of th e course of
events, of th e developm ent in Mexico of close relationship betw een G o vernm ent
an d labor, an d th e p a rt p layed by lab o r in th e expro p riatio n of foreign-ow ned
petroleum properties in 1938.

Control of labor relations in Commonwealth of Australia.

Labor and Social Legislation
Digest of State and Federal labor legislation enacted Ju ly 1, 1938, to July 1, 1939.
W ashington, U. S. D e p a rtm e n t of L abor, D ivision of L ab o r S tan d ard s, 1939.
51 pp. (B ulletin No. 32.)
Labor legislation in Canada, 1938. O ttaw a, D e p a rtm e n t of L abor, 1939. 112 pp.

Manuel de législation ouvrière.

By R oger P icard e t A ndré C hoquet. Paris,
L ibrairie D elagrave, 1939. 341 pp.
M anual of F ren ch lab o r legislation for th e use of tech n ical a n d o th er schools.
Handbook to the Factories Act and Truck Acts [Great Britain], By Joseph
Owner. L ondon, Sir Isaac P itm a n an d Sons, L td ., 1939. 151 pp.
Sim ple sta te m e n t of th e provisions of th is legislation.
Principles and problems of Indian labor legislation. By R ajan i K a n ta Das.
C alcu tta, U niv ersity of C alcu tta, 1938. 281 pp.
T he a u th o r discusses th e h istorical back g ro u n d a n d social significance of labor
legislation in In d ia ; legislative procedure; fu n d am en tal principles; a n d th e p rin ­
cipal problem s, w hich he classifies u n d er developm ent of labor policy, developm ent
of in d u strial labor, a n d organization of th e S ta te function.

Labor Organization and Activities
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. By A. Jo h n sto n .

(In L abor In fo rm atio n
B ulletin, U .'S . B ureau of L abor S tatistics, W ashington, S eptem ber 1939,
pp. 1-4; illus.)
The rise and fall of Austrian labor. By E rn st K arl W inter. (In Social Research,
N ew Y ork, S eptem ber 1939, pp. 316-340.)
A footnote to th e article sta te s th a t it “ expresses th e opinion of an observer who
was in close co n tac t w ith th e ev en ts discussed,” an d also th a t “ it is n o t intended

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to deal w ith all th e im plications of th e subject, a n d p artic u la rly it has in ten tio n ally
disregarded th e in tern atio n a l background of A u stria’s dow nfall.”

Registered trade unions [in Great Britain ], statistical summary, 1928-38

London
R egistry of F riendly Societies, 1939. 5 pp.
S tatistical analysis show ing n u m b er an d m em bership of registered trad e-u n io n s
a n d th e ir financial operations.

Proceedings and reports of General Federation of Trade Unions from Ju ly 1938 to
June 1939. London, G eneral F ed eratio n of T rad e U nions, 1939. V arious
paging.

Le categorie commerciali nell’ordinamento corporativo fascista.

Bv R iccardo del
Giudice. (In II A ssistenza F ascista, C assa N azionale M a la ttie p er gli A ddeti
al Comm ercio, Rom e, M arch -A p ril 1939, pp. 137-150.)
A ccount of th e organization of th e personnel of com m ercial u n d ertak in g s in
Italy , w ith inform ation on collective lab o r con tracts, m u tu a l sickness-benefit p ro ­
visions, andatile larger aspects of th e organization an d ad m in istra tio n of com m er­
cial w orkers’ associations.

Legal-Aid Work and Small-Claims Courts
Frontiers of legal-aid work. E d ite d by John S. Bradw^av.

(In A nnals of A m erican
A cadem y of Political an d Social Science, Volume 205, P hiladelphia, S eptem ber
3939, pp. 1-140.)
Sym posium designed to show th e progress m ade a n d th e ty p es of problem s w ith
w hich th e organized legal-aid m ovem ent is now engaged. T he p ap ers presen ted
include: Legal aid an d th e p rom otion of ju stice; S urveying th e need for legal-aid
w ork; Legal aid as p a rt of a com m unity pro g ram ; N a tio n a l aspects of legal aidB enefits of regulating th e sm all-loan business; T he sm all w age earn er in legal
trouble; Legal-aid service to injured w orkm en; Sm all claim s an d conciliation
courts.

The work of legal-aid committees of bar associations. By Jo h n S. B railw ay. Chicago
A m erican B ar Association, Standing C om m ittee on Legal Aid W ork Í1938]’
228 pp.
R ecords th e increasing in te re st of th e b ar in legal-aid work, an d ev alu ates th e
work of th e legal-aid com m ittee of th e A merican B ar Association and of th e legal-aid
com m ittees of S tate an d local bar associations.

Wage-earner receiverships.

(In U niversity of Chicago Law Review, Chicago, A pril

Analysis of th e ch ap te r of th e n a tio n al b a n k ru p tc y law (C h an d ler Act) w hich
provides aid for wage earners in a d ju stin g an d liq u id atin g th e ir debts.

Work of District of Columbia Small-Claims Court. B y E d w ard M. C arr. W ashing­
to n , U. S. B ureau of L abor S tatistics, 1939. 13 pp.
re p rin t from A ugust 1939 M onthly L abor Review.)

(Serial N o R

975

Migration of Labor and Industry
Factories in the field: The story of migratory farm labor in California.

By C arey
M cW illiam s. B oston. L ittle, B row n an d C om pany, 1939. 334 pp., bibli­
ography.
. T races th e developm ent of large-scale, diversified, an d m echanized ag ricu ltu re
m California, arid sets fo rth w h at th e a u th o r believes are th e reasons for th e rise
of w hat he calls “farm fascism ” in th e S tate, a n d discusses th e possibility of its
extension. A ccording to th e report, some 200,000 hom eless an d d e stitu te m ig ra­
to ry w orkers are “ tra p p e d ” in C alifornia an d in tim id a te d by th e ir em ployers.
Migi atory cotton pickers in Arizona. B y M alcolm Brow n an d Orin Cassm ore.
W ashington, U. S. W orks Progress A d m inistration, Division of R esearch,
1939. 104 pp., charts, illus.
A nalyzes the^ fu n d am en tal causes of th e insecurity a n d need existing am ong
refugees from T exas and O klahom a who follow m ig rato ry jobs on th e large-scale
in dustralized farm s of th e Southw est.


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1290

Rural migration in the United States.

B y C. E. L ively a n d C o n rad T aeu b e r.
W ashington, TJ. S. W orks Progress A dm in istratio n , D ivision of .Research,
1939. xxi, 192 p p ., bibliography, ch arts, illus.
J
....
, ,
A stu d y of th e m ovem ents of th e ru ra l p o p u latio n before a n d a fte r 1930 a n d of
th e relation of th is m ig ratio n to such im p o rta n t facto rs as q u a lity of lan d , eco­
nom ic statu s, p o p u latio n grow th, d ro u g h t, unem ploym ent, a n d th e need for
public w orks an d relief.

Final report of Commission on Interstate Cooperation [Massachusetts] to General
Court concerning migration of industrial establishments from Massachusetts.
B oston, 1939.

79 pp.

(H ouse No. 2495.)

M inim um Wage
M inim um wages, September 1, 1988, to September 1, 1939.

A re p o rt to an n u al
m eeting of In te rn a tio n a l A ssociation of G o v ern m en tal L ab o r Officials,
S eptem ber 7-9, 1939, T ulsa, Okla. S u b m itte d by Louise S titt. W ashing­
to n , U. S. D e p a rtm e n t of L abor, 1939. 8 p p ., m im eographed.
The prevailing m inim um wage standard. B y O. R. S trackbein. W ashington,
G raphic A rts Press, 1939. 187 pp.
.
S tu d y of th e wage sta n d a rd established by th e U n ited S tates G overn m en t for
th e purchase of its supplies, u n d er th e Public C o n tra c ts [W alsh-H ealev] Act
of 1936. A brief read in g list is appended.
State minimum-wage orders for beauty-culture occupations. W ashington, U. S.
W om en’s B ureau, 1939. 51 pp., m im eographed.

A nnual report of M inim um Wage Board of District of Columbia, for period January
1, 1938, to December 31, 1938. W ashington, [1939]. 58 pp.

Negro Labor and Social Conditions
The Negro fam ily in the United States.

B y E. F ra n k lin F razier. Chicago, U ni­
versity of C hicago Press, 1939. xxxii, 686 p p ., bibliography
T races th e evolution of th e N egro a n d his fam ily m th is c o u n try from slavery
to th e p resen t day. In u rb a n com m unities w here th e bou n d aries of caste te n d
to becom e blurred, N egroes a n d w hites in th e sam e occupational groups have
closer co n tac ts th a n in th e p a st, th e a u th o r p o in ts ou t. T hese contacts, he states,
are now facilitatin g th e assim ilation of “ only th e m ore form al aspects ol w hite
civilization.”
The Philadelphia M ain Line Negro— a social, economic, and educational survey. By
M arvin E. P orch. P hiladelphia, 1938. 125 pp.
In 1930 th e p o p u latio n of th e M ain Line, a su b u rb a n resid en tial section on th e
M ain Line D ivision of th e P en n sy lv an ia R ailro ad as it leaves P hilad elp h ia on th e
w est, was 81,488, of w hom 6,073, or 7.45 p ercent, were N egroes. Am ong th e
m an y subjects re p o rte d on in th is stu d y are th e occupations, businesses, profes­
sions, an d housing of th e N egroes residing in th is area.

Biennial report of Bureau of Negro Welfare and Statistics, West Virginia, 1937 38.
C harleston, [1939?]. 89 p p ., ch arts, illus.
. . . . . . .
,
N egro population, edu catio n , illiteracy, occupations, business in stitu tio n s, an d
organizations are am ong th e su b jects covered.
Special problems of Negro education. B y D oxey A. W ilkerson. W ashington,
U. S. A dvisory C om m ittee on E d u catio n , 1939. xvi, 168 pp. (Staff stu d y
T he p a rtic ip a tio n of th e N egro in vocational edu catio n , vocational re h a b ilita ­
tion, a n d em ergency ed u catio n p rogram s is discussed.

Occupations
Create your own job ; A constructive plan for guiding relief clients into self-support.
B y W. A. M cK eever.

O klahom a C ity , School of Psychology Press, 1939.

Liste5270' em p lo y m en t projects, w ith suggestions for m ak in g th e m serviceable.


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Highway jobs: A study of employment in highway construction and maintenance.
B y R. E. R oyall. Chicago, Science R esearch A ssociates, 1939. 48 pp.,
illus. (O ccupational m onograph 8.)
P resen ts d a ta on back g ro u n d , tra in in g , qualifications, a n d salaries a n d wages
for engineering jobs.
Public housing creates a new profession. By B eatrice G reenfield R osahn. (In
N atio n al M unicipal R eview , New Y ork, A ugust 1939, pp. 573-578.)
T his article is devo ted to th e d em an d for tra in e d m anagerial staffs to m an
th e large-scale low -rent housing pro jects.

Occupational outlook for Georgia youth: Volume I, Savannah; Volume I I , Columbus;
Volume I I I , Albany; Volume I V , Griffin; Volume V, Atlanta. A tlan ta,
N atio n al Y o u th A d m in istratio n of Georgia, 1939. V arious paging.
In fo rm atio n is included on wages, hours, edu catio n al req u irem en ts, a n d oppor­
tu n itie s in business, in d u stry , an d professional a n d o th e r services.
A n occupational classification for research workers: College graduates— men. By
P hilip J. R ulon an d R o b e rt J. B lanton. C am bridge, M ass., H a rv a rd U niver­
sity, G rad u ate School of E d u catio n , 1939. 47 pp.

Personnel Management
The human factor in business: Further experiments in industrial democracy.

By
B. Seebohm R ow ntree. London, L ongm ans, G reen & Co., 1938. 244 p p .,
illus. 3d ed.
T re a ts of th e program a n d experience of th e R ow ntree Cocoa W orks, w here
dem ocratic m ethods of m an ag em en t are th e practice.

Personnel administration: Analysis of modern employment procedures, present
personnel practices in Kansas, and merit systems in other States. P relim inary
rep o rt. [Topeka?], K ansas L egislative Council, 1938. 47 p p .; m im eo­
graphed. (P ublicatio n No. 89.)
Personnel enhancement in school and industry. By Jo h n D: B e a tty . P ittsb u rg h ,
P itts b u rg h Personnel Association, 1939. 22 pp.
R ep o rt on cu rren t activ ities being carried on in school an d in d u stry , w hich are
prom oting th e developm ent of effective personalities. Such developm ent, th e
au th o r holds, will n o t only m ake for th e production of im proved goods an d se rv ­
ices b u t te n d to form b e tte r citizens, m ore capable of enjoying life th ro u g h th e
intelligent use of tim e.

A list of references on civil service and personnel administration in the United States,
Federal, State, and local (supplementary to mimeographed list of 1936). Com ­
piled by A nn D uncan Brown. W ashington, L ib rary of Congress, Division
of B ibliography, 1939. 55 pp.; m im eographed.
Company plans for employee promotions. P rinceton, N . J., P rin ceto n U niversity,
In d u stria l R elations Section, 1939. 48 pp.
C overs m ethods used by 25 com panies for p rom oting th e ir em ployees to
higher positions, including an analysis of job classifications an d personnel records,
a description of train in g program s, a n d an ev alu atio n of th e various m eth o d s used.

Relief Measures and Statistics
America builds; the record of the P W A .

W ashington, U. S. P ublic W orks A dm inis­
298 pp., charts, illus.
Analysis of civil works program statistics. W ashington, U. S. W orks Progress
A dm inistration, 1939. 35 pp., ch arts.
One section of th e re p o rt covers em ploym ent an d earnings on CW A projects.
tra tio n , 1939.

The community welfare picture in 29 urban areas, 1938: A summary of expenditures
for health and welfare activities and of reports of cases dealt with in the fields
of relief and child care. W ashington, U. S. C hild ren ’s B ureau, 1939. 69 pp.,
charts.

A list of references on the United States Civilian Conservation Corps (supplementary to
mimeographed list of June 1937). C om piled b y A nn D u n can B row n. W ash­
ington, L ib rary of Congress, D ivision of B ibliography,
m im eographed.
185451— 39------ 18


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1939.

14 p p .;

1292

M o n th ly L a b o r R e view — N ovem ber 1939

Standards of eligibility and selection for junior enrollees [in the Civilian Conservation
Corps]. W ashington, U. S. C ivilian C o nservation Corps, 1939. 34 pp.
Aiding needy persons in Missouri. A re p o rt on p ro g ram s of th e S ta te Social
Security C om m ission a n d th e d ev elopm ent of public relief. Jefferson C ity,
S ta te Social Secu rity Com m ission, 1939. 180 pp., charts.
S tatistics on o p eratio n of old-age assistance an d aid to d ep en d en t children,
an d d a ta on th e Civilian C o nservation Corps.

Provisions for old age assistance in New Jersey: A guide for applicants and recipients.
T ren to n , N ew Jersey D e p a rtm e n t of In s titu tio n s a n d Agencies, D ivision of
Old Age A ssistance, 1939. 11 pp.
Q uestions an d answ ers on po in ts on which ap p lican ts for old-age assistance
need inform ation.

Las instituciones de prevision social de Buenos Aires.

B y M arcos Flores A.
(In R ev ista T rim e stra l del I n s titu te de Jubilaciones y Pensiones del U ruguay,
M ontevideo, Ju ly 1, 1939, pp. 30-40.)
T he second a n d final p a r t of a re p o rt on th e social-w elfare in stitu tio n s of Buenos
Aires, w ith a résum é of b o th p a rts of th e rep o rt. T his second p a r t contains a
full acco u n t of operatio n a n d some sta tistic s of th e retire m en t a n d pension fund
for b an k employees.

Wages and Hours of Labor
Wage rates and earnings in cotton weaving.

B y E . M. G ray. (In T ran sactio n s
of M anchester [E ngland] S ta tistic a l Society, session 1938-39; 22 p p ., charts.)
T h e article discusses changes in earnings a n d rates of wages in th e L ancashire
d istrict of E ngland from 1886 to 1937, an d gives sta tistic s of earnings a n d rates
for each year from 1906 to 1929 an d of earnings as of Ju n e 12, 1937.
Wages and hours in drugs and medicines and in certain toilet preparations. By
A rth u r T . S u th erlan d . W ashington, U. S. W om en’s B ureau, 1939. 19 pp.
(B ulletin No. 171.)

Wage differentials: A study of wage rates in Philadelphia metal plants.

By C.
C anby B alderston. P hiladelphia, U niv ersity o f P ennsylvania, W harton
School of F inance an d Comm erce, 1939. 39 pp., ch arts. (In d u strial
R esearch D e p a rtm e n t m onographs, W age series N o. 1.)
D efinitions of occupations are given in a n appendix to th e rep o rt.

Earnings and hours in shoe and allied industries, during first quarter of 1939.
W ashington, U. S. B ureau of L ab o r S tatistics, 1939.
No. 670.)

86 pp.

(B ulletin

Youth Problems
L ’avenir des jeunes. B y P ierre C hassing.

P aris, É d itio n s Spes, [1938?]. 173 pp.
D escribes th e serious situ a tio n confronting y o u th fu l job seekers in F rance, an d
proposes som e solutions for th e ir difficulties.

The needs of youth. By A. E . M organ.

L ondon, O xford U niv ersity Press, 1939.
434 pp., illus.
A p ictu re of th e various p ublic an d p riv a te services concerned w ith th e b e tte r
care of y o u th in G reat B rita in , a n d a n analysis of th e possibilities of co ordinating
such services to th e g reater a d v a n ta g e of these young people.

Youth in European labor camps. B y K e n n eth H olland.

W ashington, A m erican
Council on E d u catio n , A m erican Y o u th Comm ission, 1939. 303 p p ., illus.
Since several n atio n s in E u ro p e h ad h ad experience w ith lab o r cam ps for y o u th
previous to th e organ izatio n of th e C C C in th e U n ited S tates, th e A m erican Y o u th
C om m ission felt th a t a su rv ey of th e foreign p rogram s w ould be an im p o rta n t
supplem ent to th e stu d y of such cam ps in th e U n ited S tates.
T he p resen t volum e is b ased to considerable e x te n t on th e experiences of th e
a u th o r in visiting, a n d in c e rta in cases w orking, in lab o r cam ps in th e U n ited S tates
a n d nine o th er countries over a period of 7 years.


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