CHAPTER III.

ECONOMIC STATUS.

Industrial condition abroad of members of immigrant households studied-General occupation of males at the present time in the households studied-General occupation of women at the present time in the households studied-Occupations of the second generation compared-Occupations entered by immigrants Annual earnings of male heads of families studied-Annual earnings of males 18 years of age or over in the households studied-Annual earnings of females 18 years of age or over in the households studied-Annual family income-Wives at work-Relation between earnings of husbands and the practice of wives in keeping boarders or lodgersSources of family income-Relative importance of different sources of family income—[Text Tables 104 to 121 and General Tables 97 to 106].

INDUSTRIAL CONDITION ABROAD OF MEMBERS OF IMMIGRANT HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

Preliminary to the discussion of the economic status of immigrants in this country, the industrial condition and principal occupations of foreign-born persons while abroad are set forth. The table first submitted in this connection shows, by race of individual, the industrial condition before coming to the United States of foreign-born males, in the households studied, who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming to this country.

TABLE 104.-Industrial condition before coming to the United States of foreign-born males who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming, by race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more males reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]

The above table shows that 63.5 per cent of the foreign-born males who were 16 years of age or over at the time of coming to the United States worked abroad for wages, that 29.2 per cent worked without wages, and that only a small proportion worked for profit or were without occupation. The proportion of individuals who worked for wages is largest for the South Italians and Swedes, in the order mentioned, and smallest for the Poles, while the proportion who worked without wages is largest for the Poles and French Canadians, in the order mentioned, and smallest for the South Italians.

The table next submitted shows, by race of individual, the occupation before coming to the United States of foreign-born males, in the households studied, who were 16 years of age or over at the time of their arrival in this country.

TABLE 105.-Occupation before coming to the United States of foreign-born males who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming, by race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more males reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]

Of the individuals who worked abroad for wages, a considerable proportion were farm laborers and a smaller proportion were in hand trades or were factory operatives, while of those who worked abroad without wages almost all were farm laborers. The proportion of individuals who worked abroad as farm laborers for wages is largest for the South Italians and smallest for the French Canadians, while the proportion who worked as farm laborers without wages is largest for the Poles, second largest for the French Canadians, and smallest for the South Italians. The French Canadians, Swedes, and Germans have a much larger proportion of individuals who were factory operatives abroad than have the South Italians and Poles, and the Swedes, Germans, and South Italians have a much larger proportion of individuals who were employed in hand trades than have the French Canadians and Poles.

The table next presented shows, by race of individual, the industrial conditions before coming to the United States of foreign-born females, in the households studied, who were 16 years of age or over at the time of coming to this country.

TABLE 106.-Industrial condition before coming to the United States of foreign-born females who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming, by race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more females reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]

Upon information obtained for 267 foreign-born females in this locality it will be seen that 67.4 per cent were without occupation before coming to the United States, 29.6 per cent worked for wages, and 3 per cent without wages, while none worked for profit. Comparing the several races, it will be noted that none of the South Itallans and only a small proportion of each of the other races worked without wages abroad, the proportions so employed ranging from 6.3 per cent of the French Canadians to 1.4 per cent of the Poles. Among those working for wages the South Italians, with 41.9 per cent, show a slightly larger proportion than the Germans, a considerably larger proportion than the Swedes, and a very much larger proportion than do the French Canadians or Poles, the last named reporting only 16.4 per cent. It will be seen, therefore, that a slightly larger proportion of Poles than French Canadians and a considerably larger proportion of Poles than Swedes, Germans, or South Italians were without occupation abroad.

The following table shows, by race of individual, the occupation before coming to the United States of foreign-born females, in the households studied, who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming to this country:

TABLE 107.-Occupation before coming to the United States of foreign-born females who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming, by race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more females reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]

The above table shows that a very large proportion of the foreignborn females for whom information was secured, who worked abroad for wages, were in domestic service, and that a very large proportion of those who worked without wages were farm laborers. The proportion of individuals who were employed in domestic service is largest for the Germans and Swedes, in the order mentioned, and smallest for the French Canadians. None of the South Italians or Poles and a much larger proportion of Swedes than of French Canadians or Germans worked as farm laborers without wages.

GENERAL OCCUPATION OF MALES AT THE PRESENT TIME IN THE HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

In the table next presented the general occupation of males, in the households studied, who were 16 years of age or over, is shown according to general nativity and race of individual.

TABLE 108.-General occupation of males 16 years of age or over, by general nativity and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more males reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

From the above table it appears that 8.8 per cent of the males 16 years of age or over for whom information was secured are employed in the manufacture of hardware and cutlery, that 55.3 per cent are employed in the manufacture of other metal products, that 33.5 per cent are otherwise employed, and that only a very small proportion are at home or at school. The proportion of individuals employed in hardware and cutlery is larger for the foreign-born than for the native-born of foreign father, and very much larger for the latter than for the native-born of native father; the proportion of individuals in employments not specified is largest for the nativeborn of native father, second largest for the native-born of foreign father, and smallest for the foreign-born, and the proportion of individuals employed in the manufacture of metal products other than hardware and cutlery is slightly larger for the foreign-born than for the native-born of native father and the native-born of foreign father. Of the foreign-born, the Germans have the largest proportion of individuals employed in hardware and cutlery, the Poles and French Canadians the largest proportion of individuals employed in the manufacture of other metal products, and the South Italians the largest proportion of individuals in employments not specified.

GENERAL OCCUPATION OF WOMEN AT THE PRESENT TIME IN THE HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

In contrast with the preceding tabulations, the series of tables next presented exhibit the industrial condition of persons in this country. The first table submitted shows, by general nativity and race of individual, the general occupation of females in the households studied, who were 16 years of age or over.

TABLE 109.-General occupation of females 16 years of age or over, by general nativity and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more females reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

Of the females in this locality 16 years of age or over for whom information was secured, 77.9 per cent are at home, 8.3 per cent are employed in the manufacture of metal products other than hardware and cutlery, 11.3 per cent are in employments not specified, and only a very small proportion are employed in the manufacture of hardware and cutlery, in domestic service, or at school. The proportion of individuals at home is much larger for the foreign than for either the native-born of foreign father or the native-born of native father; the proportion in employments not specified is very much larger for the native-born of foreign father and the native-born of native father than for the foreign-born; and the proportion employed in the manufacture of metal products other than hardware and cutlery is largest for the native-born of native father, second largest for the native-born of foreign father, and smallest for the foreign-born. Of the foreign-born, the Poles and South Italians have the largest and the French Canadians the smallest proportion of individuals at home.