83.9 per cent are receiving more than $2 per day, about 22 per cent As regards persons native-born of foreign father, or the second As regards the races of foreign birth, the proportions earning $2 (STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.) [This table includes only races with 40 or more males reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.] Number General nativity and race. reporting earnings per day. *This table shows wages or earnings for the period indicated, but no account is taken of voluntary lost Upon examining the foregoing table, the comparatively small num- ing than among the native-born of native father or with the second. The numbers of the different races of foreign birth are too small to RELATION BETWEEN PERIOD OF RESIDENCE AND EARNING ABILITY. The following tables show the comparative earnings of foreign- TABLE 332.-Per cent of foreign-born male employees 18 years of age or over earning each (STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.) [By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes This table shows wages or earnings for the period indicated, but no account is taken of voluntary TABLE 332.-Per cent of foreign-born male employees 18 years of age or over earning each TABLE 333.-Comparative earnings per day of foreign-born male employees 18 years of age (STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.) [By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes *This table shows wages or earnings for the period indicated, but no account is taken of voluntary From the figures shown for the various races in the foregoing tables, there appears a tendency among the races of recent immigration for the earning ability to increase as the length of residence in the United States increases. For example, 95.5 per cent of the South Italians in the United States as long as ten years earn $2 or more per day, as compared to 93.6 per cent of those here from five to nine years and 84.3 per cent of those of less than five years' residence. Though none of the South Italians who have arrived within the past five years are earning as much as $3.50 per day, 14.9 per cent of those in this country ten years or more are earning that amount. The Russians appear creditably in the higher wage groups, and the proportions increase steadily with length of residence. The proportions earning as much as $3.50 a day are 5.1 per cent of those less than five years in the United States, 25.2 per cent of those here from five to nine years, and 35.7 per cent of those here at least ten years, the last figure being the highest shown for any race in this wage group. On the other hand, the earnings of the races of older immigration decrease as the length of residence increases. All of the English in the United States less than five years earn at least $1.50 a day, whereas 2 per cent of those here ten years or more are earning less than $1.25 a day; 27.9 per cent of those here less than five years earn at least $3.50 a day, in contrast with 20.9 per cent of those here ten years or more. This does not imply that the races of recent immigration become better mine workers than do those of older immigration; as has been stated, the recent immigrants remain in the mining industry, whereas a large majority of those of older immigration take up more remunerative employment, leaving, in most instances, the less efficient of their races to represent them in the mines. ANNUAL EARNINGS OF MALE HEADS OF FAMILIES STUDIED. In addition to the study of individual employees, an investigation was made of 163 families whose heads were of native or foreign birth and who were employed in or around the bituminous mines of the Middle West. The results of this family study, so far as they relate to the earnings of the husband, the family income and its sources, and the general economic condition of the families, are presented in the next series of tabulations. The extent to which the heads of families are regularly employed has an important bearing upon the economic condition of the family and tends to show the relative industriousness of the different heads. In this connection the table following shows the number of husbands, husbands at work, and per cent of husbands at work of the families studied in the Middle West. TABLE 334.-Husbands at work, by general nativity and race of individual. No comment upon the above table is necessary. It is apparent at a glance that the number of husbands equals the number of families and that all the husbands, both of native and foreign birth, are reported at work. The figures of the table, therefore, speak well for the industry of all employees having family responsibilities and for their ability to secure and retain work. The table immediately preceding also shows the average annual earnings of the heads of families, but the discussion of this column may be considered in a more satisfactory way by comparing it with the range of earnings of the heads of families. Such a comparison is furnished by the table showing the average earnings of the heads of families, together with the number and per cent earning specified amounts per year, by general nativity and race. TABLE 335.-Earnings per year of male heads of families, by general nativity and race of individual. (STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.) [This table includes only male heads of selected families. For selection of families, see Vol. II, p. 284.||| |