was nearly 3 times as great as the low point recorded in August 1932. Dyeing and cleaning plants reported a seasonal gain of 2.1 percent, or 1,000 workers, and year-round hotels also reported a seasonal rise, 1.5 percent, or 3,800 employees. Among the nonmanufacturing industries in which declines in employment were reported, the largest decreases were 1.2 percent in crude-petroleum producing and 1.9 percent in brokerage. Employment in the pri vate building-construction industry declined 0.7 percent, while laundries and quarries and nonmetallic mines reported seasonal losses of 0.5 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively. Insurance companies reported a slight decrease (0.2 percent) in number of workers over the month interval.

TABLE 1.-Employment, Pay Rolls, and Earnings in All Manufacturing Industries Combined and in Nonmanufacturing Industries, September 1937 (Preliminary Figures)

A reduction in the number of workers on pay rolls was again reported by class I railroads. According to a preliminary tabulation by the Interstate Commerce Commission, they employed 1,120,883 workers,

exclusive of executives, officials, and staff assistants, in September as against 1,150,389 in August, a decrease of 2.6 percent. Pay-roll figures were not available for September at the time this report was prepared. For August, the wage payments totaled $169,379,107, while for July they amounted to $164,047,159, a gain of 3.3 percent over the month interval.

Hours and earnings.-Factory wage earners worked 37.4 hours per week in September, according to reports from cooperating establishments covering full- and part-time workers combined. This represented a decline of 3.4 percent since August. The average hourly earnings of these workers stood at the same level as in August (65.8 cents) and average weekly earnings ($24.92) showed a decline of 3.4 percent over the month interval. Compared with September of last year, average hours worked per week were 3.6 percent lower in the current period, but average hourly earnings were 15.9 percent higher, and average weekly earnings were 12.0 percent higher.

Of the 14 nonmanufacturing industries for which man-hour data are available, 5 showed gains over the month interval in average hours worked per week and 6 showed increases in average hourly earnings. Average weekly earnings were higher for 6 of the 16 nonmanufacturing industries covered.

Table 1 presents a summary of employment and pay-roll indexes and average weekly earnings in September 1937 for all manufacturing industries combined, for selected nonmanufacturing industries, and for class I railroads, with percentage changes over the month and year intervals except in the few industries for which data are not available.

Public Employment

Employment on construction projects financed from Public Works Administration funds was 167,000 in September, a decrease of 21,000 or 11.1 percent compared with August. Decreases occurred in the number of workers employed on Federal and non-Federal projects financed from funds provided by the National Industrial Recovery Act and on projects financed from funds provided by the Emergency Relief Appropriation Acts of 1935 and 1936. Pay-roll disbursements for the month amounted to $14,309,000.

The number of workers employed on construction projects financed from regular Federal appropriations totaled 207,000 in September. This was an increase of more than 2,000 compared with August. Increases in employment occurred on all types of projects with the exception of forestry, public roads, streets and roads, and miscellaneous projects. For these four types of projects the level of employment was somewhat lower than in the preceding month. Pay-roll disbursements totaling $21,668,000 were $2,096,000 greater than in August.

There was a decrease in the number of workers employed on projects financed by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. During the month over 4,000 employees were working on this program. Small increases on building construction and miscellaneous projects were offset by a marked decrease in employment on water and sewerage projects. Pay rolls on all types of projects totaled $541,000 for the month, $120,000 less than in the preceding month.

The number of wage earners on projects financed by The Works Program during September was 1,887,000, a decrease of 54,000, or 2.8 percent, compared with August. Of this total, 193,000 were working on Federal projects, 1,536,000 on projects operated by the Works Progress Administration, and 158,000 on work projects of the National Youth Administration and Student Aid. Pay-roll disbursements for all projects totaled $95,084,000.

Of

In the regular agencies of the Federal Government small increases were reported in the judicial and legislative services. Decreases, on the other hand, occurred in the executive and military services. the 836,000 employees in the executive service in September, 112,000 were working in the District of Columbia and 724,000 outside the District. Approximately 91.4 percent of the total number of employees in the executive service were paid from regular appropriations and 8.6 percent from emergency funds. The most pronounced increases in the number of workers in the executive departments of the Federal Government occurred in the War Department and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Among the departments reporting decreases were the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, the Labor Department, and the Works Progress Administration.

Employment in the Civilian Conservation Corps reached the lowest level of the year, 289,000, in September. This was a decrease of more than 38,000 compared with August and was due to the end of an enlistment period. Decreases were registered for all groups of workers. Pay rolls for all workers amounted to $14,943,000, a decrease of $1,437,000.

In September 194,000 employees were working on the construction and maintenance of roads financed whoily from State funds, a gain of 5,000 compared with the preceding month. There was an increase of 7,000 in the number employed on maintenance work and a decrease of 2,000 on new construction. Of the total number employed 13.8 percent were engaged on new road construction and 86.2 percent on maintenance work. Pay rolls for the month totaled in excess of $12,843,000.

A summary of Federal employment and pay-roll statistics for August and September is given in table 2.

TABLE 2.-Summary of Federal Employment and Pay Rolls, September 1937 1 (Preliminary Figures)

DETAILED REPORTS FOR INDUSTRIAL AND

BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT, AUGUST 1937

THIS ARTICLE presents the detailed figures on volume of employment, as compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the month of August 1937. The tabular data are the same as those published in the Employment and Pay Rolls pamphlet for August, except for certain minor revisions or corrections.

Monthly reports on employment and pay rolls in industrial and business industries are now available for the following groups: 89 manufacturing industries; 16 nonmanufacturing industries, including building construction; and class I steam railroads. The reports for the first two of these groups-manufacturing and nonmanufacturing— are based on sample surveys made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and in virtually all industries the samples are large enough to be entirely representative. The figures on class I steam railroads are compiled by the Interstate Commerce Commission and are presented in the foregoing summary.

Employment, Pay Rolls, Hours, and Earnings in August 1937

The indexes of employment and pay rolls, average hours worked per week, average hourly earnings, and average weekly earnings in manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries in August 1937 are shown in table 1. Percentage changes from July 1937 and August 1936 are also given.

TABLE 1.-Employment, Pay Rolls, Hours, and Earnings in Manufacturing and Nonmanufacturing Industries, August 1937

MANUFACTURING

[Indexes are based on 3-year average 1923-25-100 and are adjusted to 1933 Census of Manufactures]

Iron and steel and their products, not including

Machinery, not including transportation equip