If we combine the data presented in table 33 with previous estimates made by the Department of Labor for 1954, we may classify the various branches of retailing as follows: Limited price variety stores had the lowest average hourly earnings (an estimated 91 cents an hour). The general merchandise group as a whole was next in line ($1.15 an hour). This group includes limited price variety stores, dry goods, and department stores. Drug and propriety stores took third place in the group of lowest paying branches of retailing (an estimated $1.23 an hour). Department stores were fourth: they paid $1.29 an hour in 1954. Apparel and accessories stores were the fifth and last branch of retailing paying less than the retail trade average of $1.45 an hour in 1954. The following 5 branches of retailing paid above this average: Gasoline service stations (an estimated $1.47 an hour), furniture, furnishings, etc. ($1.51 an hour), lumber, building and hardware ($1.56 an hour), food and liquor stores ($1.58 an hour), and finally automotive and accessories stores paying the maximum of $1.68 an hour. 3. LIMITED PRICE VARIETY STORES (a) Average Hourly Earnings The data just presented give a first glimpse of the variation in earnings in various branches of retail trade. However, they are too broad to give an accurate picture of wage levels prevailing in those branches of retailing which are most likely to be affected by the proposed amendments of the Fair Labor Standards Act; namely, department stores and limited price variety stores. Unfortunately there are no recent nationwide wage data pertaining to these industries. The most recent survey of wages and hours in department and women's ready-to-wear stores dates back to 1950 and the most recent survey of limited-price variety stores was made in 1945. This survey covered over 4,000 establishments and almost 240,000 workers. Its results have been summarized as follows: See amending the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938: Hearings before the Subcommittee on Labor' Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, United States Senate, 1st sess., pt. 3. p. 1798. The Bureau of Labor Statistics describes the scope of this survey as follows: There were about 123,000 workers in the 1,441 establishments included in the current study, representing approximately half of the workers and one-third of the stores with 8 or more workers in the industry. These stores were selected to represent all stores in the industry (above the minimum size), in terms of employment, location, affiliation, and other characteristics. The data were obtained by field representstives of the Bureau from April 1945 payroll and other company records. Uniform job descriptions were used to assure interstore comparability of occupational wage rates. For further details see U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wage Structure, LimitedPrice Variety Stores, 1945, series 2, No. 21. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LIBRARIE Limited-price variety stores country, are frequently affilia Most of the stores have a sma fewer than 50 workers in Apri of the jobs in this industry a 4 percent of those studied, wer In April 1945 nearly a qua stores averaged 41 cents per ho in selected jobs were markedly of the labor force, earned 40 average. The exceedingly low the fact that 1 worker in 10 ea 25 received as much as 65 ce women of 25 cents an hour or studied, section supervisor, was employed on a full-time basis. Women retail sales clerks, wh paid 41 cents for full-time work acteristic of the relationship bet Nearly half the store workers w Average rates varied from 55 c Southeast. Only 1 percent of cents an hour against 12 percent in the New England, Middle At similar, and while lower in com upper wage levels in the industry Occupational wage rates tende large establishments." Table 35 documents this store employees in the limite hourly earnings. (For detai TABLE 35.-Percentage distributio Average hourly earnings: Less than 35 cents.. Less than 40 cents. Less than 50 cents. Source: Appendix table III. These data indicate that, in tively covered by the Fair L wage of 40 cents an hour-aln workers in limited-price varie hourly earnings of less than (79.2 percent) of the store wor at the end of World War II. Table 36 shows the percenta variety field earning less than t regions. See U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Stores, 1945, pp. 1, 2. in all BLE 36.-Percent of store workers in limited price variety stores earning less than 40 cents an hour by regions. force thegion: April 1945. Southeast.. 83.8 77.3 Middle Atlantic. 45. 4 41. 6 34. 8 33. 8 8 These percentages range from a fraction of 1 percent for the Pacific rea to a maximum of about 84 percent for the southeastern part of e United States. Graph 2 illustrates these results. GRAPH 2 PERCENTAGE OF WORKERS EARNING LESS THAN The data presented so far refer to all employees in limited price variety stores. As table 37 shows, there are significant differences between the earnings of men and women employees in this field of retailing. |