Salaries

Salaries of women in the office jobs studied in St. Louis ranged from $17.50 to over $85 a week in January 1949, but over half of these salaries fell within a $10 range-$32.50 to $42.50. Nearly three-fourths of the women employees earned between $30 and $45. Men's salaries varied more than those of women. These variations in earnings are traceable to differences in salary level among industries and among different-sized establishments, as well as to differences in the earnings of individual workers because of length of service and other factors. This was a reflection in part of the large proportion of offices with salary structures based on individual determination.

On an occupational basis, average salaries for women ranged from $30 for office girls to $47.50 a week for workers performing the functions of hand bookkeepers by machine (class A bookkeeping-machine operators). Women general stenographers, numerically the most important occupational group studied, earned $41 a week, on the average. Half of the women in this job received weekly salaries of between $37.50 and $45.

Other numerically important groups were clerk-typists, with an average of $36 a week, accounting clerks at $40.50, and Comptometer operators at $42. In half of the jobs studied, average salaries for women fell between $38.50 and $42.50.

Information could be presented for men in nine of the clerical classifications studied. Average salaries of men in these jobs ranged from $30.50 for office boys to $63.50 for hand bookkeepers. Accounting clerks, the largest group numerically, had average salaries of $51.50.

Although salaries for clerical workers are generally expressed in monthly or weekly terms, hourly rates also are presented here. On an hourly basis, the occupational averages for men workers ranged from 76 cents to $1.62; among women the range was from 75 cents to $1.18.

and in transportation, communication, and other public utilities had, on the average, higher salaries than those in the other industry groups studied. The variations in occupational averages between industries were not consistent, however.

There was little consistent variation in weekly salaries with size of establishment. However, the large manufacturing and wholesale trade establishments generally paid somewhat higher salaries than the other establishments in these industries.

Work Schedules

Women office employees in St. Louis typically worked a 5-day, 40-hour week, although there was variation by industry. In all industries combined, 4 out of 5 employees were on a 40hour week and 9 out of 10 worked 5 days a week. In service industry offices, two-fifths of the women were scheduled to work 371⁄2 hours or less a week. Over one-third in the finance, insurance, and real estate group had a scheduled workweek of less than 40 hours. While the 5day week was most typical in all industries, about 13 percent of the women workers in wholesale trade and finance, insurance, and real estate worked a 512-day week.

Paid Vacations

Virtually all office employees in the St. Louis industries studied were provided with at least 1 week's paid vacation after 1 year's service. About half of the workers received a week's vacation annually after 6 months' service. After 1 year of service, over two-thirds of the workers were provided 2-weeks' annual vacations.

Vacation practices varied considerably among industries. The proportion of office employees receiving 2-week vacations with pay after a year of service varied from 9 out of 10 in finance, insurance, and real estate to 1 out of 3 in transportation, communication, and other public utilities. Annual vacation benefits increased to 3 weeks after 15 years of service in

Paid Holidays

Paid holidays were typically provided for St. Louis office workers. Ninety-six percent of them received at least 6 holidays a year. Holiday practices were found to vary by industry. The greatest number of paid holidays was generally provided in finance, insurance, and real estate offices and in transportation, communication, and other public utilities. Seven out of 10 workers in finance, insurance, and real estate establishments were employed in offices providing at least 8 holidays a year and over 4 out of 5 transportation, communication, and other public utilities office employees received at least 7 holidays

a year.

Nonproduction Bonuses

About two-fifths of the office workers in the industries studied in St. Louis are employed by firms that reported the payment of nonproduction bonuses. Most of the bonuses were in the form of Christmas or year-end payments. Among industry groups, bonus payments were least common in transportation, communication, and other public utilities and most widespread in retail trade.

Paid Sick Leave

In the industries studied in St. Louis, estab

lishments employing 3 out of 10 office workers had formal provisions for paid sick leave after 1 year of service. Sick leave with pay was provided workers with 2 years' service in establishments with almost two-fifths of all office workers. The length of sick leave allowed varied greatly among establishments and industries.

Insurance and Pension Plans

Some form of life or health insurance or retirement pension plan, financed in whole or in part by the employers, was provided in firms with over four-fifths of St. Louis office workers. Over one-third were employed in establishments that provided a retirement pension. Life insurance was provided in offices with about twothirds and health insurance in firms with over three-tenths of the employees.

There was considerable difference in the insurance and pension benefits provided among industries. For example, in transportation, communication, and other public utilities, life insurance was less common than in other industries, but nearly 90 percent of the office workers were entitled to retirement pension benefits. In manufacturing, three-fourths of the workers were entitled to life insurance benefits, but only 16 percent to retirement pension benefits provided in addition to Federal Old-Age and Survivors insurance benefits.