Two comments may be made about these data. First, the effects of the present District of Columbia minimum wage standards are apparent. It may be noted, for example, the bunching of the rate for private employees in retail trade in the $1.05, under $1.10 wage interval, reflecting the present District of Columbia minimum of $1.05 an hour (table 4-1), and the building service employees at the $1.20 to $1.25 interval, reflecting the $1.20 legal rate for this industry (table 4-6).

Second, there are several instances of wages for men being lower than wages for women in the same industry. Real estate operators are a good example (table 4-3)-almost half of the men in this industry received less than $1.15 and hour, whereas less than one-third of the women fall in this group.

A less obvious but more important instance is in eating and drinking places (table 4-2). In this industry more than half of the employees earning less than $1,25 an hour were reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to generally receive tips. Of the men, 37 percent were reported paid less than $1 an hour and 46 percent of the women received less than $1. However, far more men than women are employed in nonservice jobs in restaurants, such as dishwashing and kitchenwork, where no tips are received.

One traditionally low-paying industry, hospitals, appears in the Bureau of Labor Statistics study as paying relatively good wages (table 4-7). Although 40 percent of the employees received less than $1.25 an hour, only 4 percent were paid under $1. Comparable figures for hotels, motels, and rooming and boarding houses were 60 percent under $1.25 and 19 percent under $1 (table 4-4).

HOURS OF WORK IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

As the District of Columbia has a law limiting the hours of work of females and minors under 18 to 8 hours a day and 48 a week, the small number of females reported working over 48 hours was to be expected. In fact, the near 500 females reported working over 48 hours represent a rather substantial number of apparent violations of the law (table 5-3).

TABLE 5-3.-Hours of work of female nonsupervisory employees, selected industries, District of Columbia, summer 1962

NOTE.-Columns and lines may not total exactly, due to rounding in making computations. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Recomputed from data in "Earnings in Selected Industries in the District of Columbia, Summer 1962," table 3.

Relatively and absolutely hours of work are longest in retail trade where 20 percent of the men were employed longer than 48 hours in the week studied (table 5-2). Restaurants and taverns were a close second with 17 percent. There appears little justification for such long hours in industries where the hours of the female work force are substantially less.

TABLE 5-1.-Hours of work of nonsupervisory employees, selected industries, District of Columbia, summer 1962

NOTE.-Columns and lines may not total exactly, due to rounding in making computations. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Recomputed from data in "Earnings in Selected Industries in the District of Columbia, Summer 1962," table 3.

TABLE 5-2.-Hours of work of male nonsupervisory employees, selected industries, District of Columbia, summer, 1962

NOTE.-Columns and lines may not total exactly, due to rounding in making computations. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Recomputed from data in "Earnings in Selected Industries in the District of Columbia, Summer, 1962," table 3.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics study also reveals another aspect of the situation surrounding long hours of work. In numerous instances hours worked and average weekly earnings show a strong negative relationship— the longer the employee works the less he or she earns (table 6).

tations.

A better example of the exploitation of labor, would be difficult to find. Part of the differences in earnings reflect a correlation between occupation and hours, with the shorter hours being often associated with white-collar work. However, the fact remains that with wages in these industries as inadequate as they are, the need for an overtime standard as well as a minimum wage standard is obvious.

On the other hand, there is a serious problem with substantial amounts of part-time work and very inadequate earnings. As table 5–2 shows in industries like building services and theaters, part-time work (15, under 35 hours) among men is very common. Also a substantial number of part-time employees are found in other industries. In retailing, restaurants, and real estate over 6,000 men were afforded only 15 to 35 hours of work in the week studied (table 5-2).

S. 860 continues the authority of the District of Columbia Minimum Wage Board to recommend part-time rates and minimum daily rates. It is felt that a greater use might be made of these provisions, to assure part-time workers a more adequate wage. However, the overtime standard imposed should have some effect in redistributing work, cutting overtime beyond 40 hours, and building up short workweeks (table 6).

PRESENT MINIMUM WAGE AND HOURS OF WORK STANDARDS

The present minimum wage law of the District of Columbia may be applied to any occupation where investigation shows that a substantial number of women workers are receiving "wages inadequate to supply them with the necessary cost of living to maintain them in health and protect their morals." However, the wage standards fixed under the present law may be applied only to women and minors, defined as persons of either sex under 18 years of age.

The only major limitation in the law as to the occupations within its scope is the exclusion of domestic service.

The seven orders in effect at present are estimated by the Minimum Wage Board to apply to about 80 percent of the women employed in the District. Table 7, which I order incorporated in the hearing record at this point, presents in a simplified manner the present wage standards, in order to make possible a rough comparison with the standards proposed under S. 860. Such standards include those currently in effect and those scheduled to become effective at some future date.