CHAPTER III.

ECONOMIC STATUS.

Industrial condition abroad of members of immigrant households studied-Principal occupation of immigrant employees before coming to the United States-General occupation of males at the present time, in the households studied-General occupation of women at the present time, in the households studied-The first and second generations compared-Occupations entered in the industry-Weekly earnings Relation between period of residence and earning ability-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 the earnings of husbands and the practice of wives of keeping boarders or lodgersSources of family income-Relative importance of the different sources of family income [Text Tables 21 to 47 and General Tables 10 to 25].

INDUSTRIAL CONDITION ABROAD OF MEMBERS OF IMMIGRANT HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

Before an intelligent conception of the economic status in this country of the foreign-born employees can be formed, or a comparison made with their condition abroad, it is necessary to understand the general industrial condition of the immigrant leather operatives and the members of their households before they came to the United States. In this connection, the first table submitted shows the industrial condition before coming to the United States.

TABLE 21.-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.]

Of the 722 foreign-born males for whom information was obtained, only 1.4 per cent were without occupation, while by far the largest proportion, or 73.3 per cent, worked without wages, the proportion

working for wages and for profit before coming to t being 17.2 and 8.2 per cent, respectively. None Slovaks, less than 1 per cent each of the Poles and 5 and 7.9 per cent of the Germans and South Italia were without occupation abroad. As regards the wages, the Germans, with 75 per cent, show a v proportion than do any of the other races, the Tur smallest proportion, or 5 per cent. The Turks, on report 90.9 per cent who work without wages. Th will be noted, is considerably in excess of the pr by the Slovaks, Irish, or Poles, and largely in exce Italians or Germans. As regards those working fo the South Italians report a considerably larger propor Slovaks or Poles, and a much larger proportion th Germans, or Turks.

The following table analyzes further the general in in the one immediately preceding and shows, by rad the occupations while abroad of foreign-born males holds studied, who were 16 years of age or over at ti

TABLE 22.-Occupation before coming to the United States of foreign16 years of age or over at time of coming, by race of ind (STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more males reporting. The total, howeve

Per e

wag

The above table shows that of 722 foreign-born m 16 years of age or over at the time of coming to the 10.9 per cent were farm laborers, 0.7 per cent were ge 1.8 per cent were leather factory operatives, 1.4 per cen trades, and 2.4 per cent were in other occupations. industries just enumerated were working for wages, the tion thus engaged being 17.2 per cent. Seventy-two an per cent were farm laborers and 1 per cent were in oth working for wages, while 6.4 per cent were farmers an were in other occupations working for profit. Of born male employees who were working for wages bef the United States the South Italians, Poles, and Slovak

and the Turks only 4.8 per cent who were farm laborers. The Irish show the highest percentage who were general laborers, the German and South Italian employees show 45 per cent and 4.8 per cent, respectively, as contrasted with no employees of other specified races who were leather factory operatives, the Germans the highest percentage who were in hand trades, and the Poles the highest percentage who were in other occupations. Of the employees who were working without wages, the Turks show the highest percentage and the Germans the lowest percentage who were farm laborers, and the South Italians the highest percentage who were in other occupations, while none of the Poles, Slovaks, and Turks were thus engaged. Of the foreign-born male employees who were working for profit before coming to the United States, the South Italians and Slovaks show the highest percentage who were farmers and the South Italians the highest percentage who were engaged in other occupations. The South Italians also show the highest percentage who were without occupation before coming to this country.

In the table next presented, the industrial condition while abroad of foreign-born females, in the households studied, who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming to the United States is set forth, according to race of individual.

TABLE 23.—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.]

profit.

41882

o were

States, borers. a hand

in the proportenths ations

r cent ›reigning to 19 per cent,

Irish

Italian, South
Polish.

Total.

195

23

21

20

15

94

34

3224

223

82.1

7.1

10.7

0.0

80.8

49

65

The above table shows that of the 195 foreign-born females for whom information was obtained, 48.2 per cent were without occupation, 17.4 per cent worked for wages, 33.3 per cent without wages, and 1 per cent for profit before coming to the United States. compared with the Irish and South Italians, the proportion of Poles without occupation before coming to the United States is very low. On the other hand, the Poles show that a slightly larger proportion worked for wages and a very much larger proportion without wages than is shown by either the Irish or South Italians. None of the Irish and only a very small proportion of South Italians and Poles worked for profit. As between the Irish and South Italians it will be noted that the proportions without occupation and those working for wages and without wages are similar.

The following table shows, by race of individua abroad of foreign-born females in the households 16 years of age or over at time of coming to the Un

TABLE 24.-Occupation before coming to the United States of for were 16 years of age or over at time of coming, by race of

Eight and two-tenths per cent of the total nu laborers and 9.2 per cent were employed in domestic for wages, while 33.3 per cent of the total number wo working without wages; the proportion 1.0 per cent c ber were employed other than as farmers working apparent from the above table that not one of the Iris or Polish females had had previous knowledge of the in they are now employed. All of the Irish who wo abroad were in domestic service. Equal proportio Italians were employed in this occupation and as while the proportion of Poles employed as farm exceeds the proportion employed in domestic service working without wages, none of whom were employe farm laborers, it will be noted that the proportion of Italians as compared with the proportion of Poles is Of those working for profit the South Italians and small proportion each in occupations other than as fa