Of 21,903 employees for whom information was secured, 62.2 per cent are of foreign birth, 19.7 per cent are native-born of foreign father, 17.2 per cent are native-born whites of native father, and 0.9 per cent are negroes native-born of native father. Of the employees who are native-born of foreign father, those whose fathers were born in Germany show 11.3 per cent, while no employees whose fathers were of other specified races show over 2 per cent of the total number for whom information was secured. Of the employees whose fathers were born in Austria-Hungary, Germany, Ireland, and Russia, information was secured from a larger percentage of females than males. Of the employees of foreign birth, the Poles show 21.2 per cent, followed by the Germans with 10.6 per cent and the Swedes with 7.3 per cent, while none of the other foreign-born races show over 4 per cent of the total number for whom information was secured. The Bohemians and Moravians, Lithuanians, Russians, Servians, and Slovenians show a higher percentage of females than of males. The table further shows that information was secured for a considerably higher percentage of females than of males who are native-born of foreign father, while the proportion of females is slightly higher than that of the males who are of foreign birth. The percentage of males who are native-born whites of native father is considerably higher than that of the females, while no information was secured from any females who are native negroes born of native father.

CHAPTER III.

ECONOMIC STATUS.

Principal occupation of immigrant employees before coming to the United StatesWeekly earnings-Relation between period of residence and earning abilityEmployers' opinion of the recent immigrants-[Text Tables 91 to 97 and General Tables 56 to 61.]

PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION OF IMMIGRANT EMPLOYEES BEFORE COMING TO THE UNITED STATES.

Before entering upon a discussion of the economic status in this country of employees and members of their households in this industry the principal occupations of immigrant workers and members of their households while abroad are considered. The following table presented in this connection shows, by race, the per cent of foreign-born male employees who were in each specified occupation before coming to the United States:

TABLE 91.-Per cent of foreign-born male employees in each specified occupation before coming to the United States, by race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 80 or more males reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]

Upon information obtained for 10,394 foreign-born male employees of this industry it will be noted that a larger proportion, or 49.2 per cent, were engaged in farming or employed as farm laborers than were any other occupation prior to coming to the United States. The next largest proportion, or 15.9 per cent, were employed in hand trades. This, it will be noted, is slightly above the proportion

in

employed in manufacturing, general labor, and occupations other than specified, the proportions engaged in trade and employed in domestic service amounting to but 2.2 and 0.8 per cent, respectively. With the exception of the Bohemians and Moravians, English, and Norwegians, a larger proportion of each race was engaged in farming or employed as farm laborers than in any other occupation before coming to the United States. In the majority of instances the proportion so employed is in excess of the proportions in all other occupations combined. The statement immediately preceding applies only to the more recent immigrants, the older immigrants, with the exception of the Irish, having been more extensively employed in manufacturing and other occupations before coming to the United States. By way of illustration, the English show the smallest proportion, or 3.7 per cent, who were engaged in farming or employed as farm laborers in their native land, and the largest proportion, or 40.2 per cent, employed in manufacturing. The next largest proportion employed in manufacturing is shown by the Norwegians. This, it will be noted, is slightly above the propor tion as shown by the Bohemians and Moravians or Germans, and considerably above the proportion shown by the Danes or Swedes. Of the other races so employed the proportions range from 11.6 per cent of the Poles to 1.8 per cent of the Greeks. In general labor and in hand trades the proportion of the various races employed therein range from 17.3 per cent of the Dutch to 1.9 per cent of the Slovenians in the former, and from 26.8 per cent of the Bohemians and Moravians to 4.7 per cent of the Irish in the latter. In occupations other than specified the Norwegians, with 27.8 per cent, show a slightly larger proportion than the English, a considerably larger proportion than the Bohemians and Moravians, Germans or Dutch, and a much larger proportion than is shown by any other race, the smallest proportion, or 2.6 per cent, being shown by the Magyars. As regards those employed in domestic service and those who are engaged in trades it will be noted that no North Italians, Servians, Slovaks, or Slovenians are employed in the former and no Servians are engaged in the latter. With these exceptions the proportions in each instance are relatively small.

In the table next presented the percentage of foreign-born female employees who were in each specified occupation before coming to the United States is set forth, according to race:

TABLE 92.—Per cent of foreign-born female employees in each specified occupation before coming to the United States, by race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 80 or more females reporting. The total, however, is for all foreignborn.]

Of 371 foreign-born female employees reporting, 3.2 per cent were engaged in manufacturing, 3.5 per cent were in sewing, embroidering, and lace-making industries, 78.7 per cent were engaged in farming or were farm laborers, 10.8 per cent were in domestic service, 0.3 per cent were teaching, 0.8 per cent were in trade, and 2.7 per cent followed other occupations before coming to the United States. The Polish female employees show a smaller percentage who were engaged in manufacturing, sewing, embroidering, and lace making, in trade, and in other occupations than is shown in the total for all foreignborn female employees reporting. The percentage of Polish females who were enagaged in farming or were farm laborers and who were in domestic service before coming to the United States is larger than the percentage shown in the totals for all female employees who were thus engaged. No Polish females before coming to the United States were teaching.

WEEKLY EARNINGS.

The following table shows, by general nativity and race, the percentage of male employees 18 years of age or over who were earning each specified amount each week:

TABLE 93.-Per cent of male employees 18 years of age or over earning each specified amount per week, by general nativity and race.*

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 80 or more males reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.] Per cent earning each specified amount per week.

Number

Average reporting earnings per week.

*This table shows wages or earnings for the period indicated, but no account is taken of voluntary lost time or lost time from shutdowns or other causes. In the various tables in this report showing annual earnings allowance is made for time lost during the year

Of the 16,824 male employees of this industry for whom information was obtained less than 1 per cent earn under $7.50, 81.5 per cent earn $10 or over, 51.6 per cent $12.50 or over, and 36.3 per cent $15 or over, while 12.5, 3.9, and 1.3 per cent earn $17.50 or over, $20 or over, and $22.50 or over, respectively. It will be noted from the preceding table that the proportions of native-born of foreign father, foreign-born, and native-born of native white father earning each specified amount per week vary only slightly from the proportions shown in the total for all employees. The native negroes born of native father, however, while reporting their entire number earning $7.50 or over, show much smaller proportions earning each of the other specified amounts than do the native whites born of native father. Among the foreign-born the proportions of the various races earning under $10 per week are vary nearly the same, while among those earning $10 or over the proportions range from 93.3 per cent of the Danes to 56 per cent of the Slovaks. This difference is still more marked among those earning $12.50 or over per week, the Canadians other than French and the Norwegians, each with 76.4 per cent earning this amount, show the largest proportion, while the Slovaks, with 20.6 per cent, show the smallest proportion. The Canadians other than French, with 57.3, again show the largest and the Slovaks, with 12.6 per cent, the smallest proportion earning $15 or over per week. In fact, the Canadians other than French show the largest proportion earning each of the remaining specified amounts, the lowest proportion earning $17.50 or over being shown by the North Italians, while less than 0.5 per cent of the Magyars earn either $20 or over or $22.50 or over per week. Among the native-born of foreign father the proportions earning $10 or over per week range from 90.6 per cent of those whose fathers were born in England to 75.7 per cent of those whose fathers were born in Russia. Those whose fathers were born in England and those whose fathers were born in Russia again show the largest and smallest percentages earning $12.50 or over, $15 or over, and $17.50 or over per week, respectively, there being no very great difference in the proportions of those whose fathers were born in other countries earning each of these specified amounts. Only very small proportions of those who were brought into this country by foreign-born parents earn $20 or over per week, and none whose fathers were born in Austria-Hungary or Russia earn as much as $22.50 per week.

In the table following the percentage of female employees 18 years of age or over who were earning each specified amount each week is set forth according to general nativity and race.