1 Weekly salaries 1 of women stenographers in private industry in 13 cities-Continued 1 Excluding pay for overtime. Information refers to January-March 1949 except for Denver and San Francisco, where it refers to January-February 1948. 2 Insufficient number of workers to justify presentation of distribution. 3 Less than five-hundredths of one percent. • Insufficient number of workers to warrant presentation of information. Hon. RUSSELL B. LONG, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, United States Senate, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR SENATOR LONG: In accordance with your request at the hearing May 9 on reclassification of Federal positions proposed by S. 1762, the average annual salary of Federal classified employees who were working in the respective periods August 1939 and July 1948 rose from $1,994 to $3,352, or by 68.1 percent. This increase reflects the shift from a preponderance of low-grade clerical jobs in 1939 to a much higher proportion of jobs in highly paid scientific and technical work in 1948 as well as the salary-rate increases of 1945, 1946, and 1948. The increase of 46.6 percent which I quoted in my testimony eliminates the influence of occupational shifts and reflects only the salary-rate increases. The 68.1-percent increase is a better figure for computing the increase in aggregate pay-roll costs, but the 46.6-percent increase reflects more accurately the salary-rate increases granted to the individual employee. I am always glad to be of service and hope you will not hesitate to call upon me at any time I may be of assistance. Very truly yours, EWAN CLAGUE, Commissioner of Labor Statistics. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, Washington, May 18, 1949. Mr. GROVER W. ENSLEY, Technical Adviser to Senator Flanders, DEAR MR. ENSLEY: As requested in your letter of May 9 addressed to Harry Ober, of my staff, we are enclosing two tables bringing up to date the data shown on the table prepared for Senator Flanders last year. Table 1 shows Federal salary rates in 1939 and at present, and those proposed by S. 1762. The stub items necessarily were changed because of the differences between the legislation proposed last year and that proposed this year. For 1939 and recent periods, table 2 shows the average salary of Federal employees and of employees in selected private industries. Federal salaries are shown on this table on two bases: (1) the average for employees on the rolls as of July 1948, which reflects only salary-rate increases and eliminates the influence of occupational shifts; (2) the average for employees who were working in the respective periods, which reflects the shift from a preponderance of low-grade clerical jobs in 1939 to a higher proportion of jobs in high-paid scientific and technical work in 1948 as well as the salary-rate increases. You will recall that the latter average was requested of me by the subcommittee during my testimony. Data for two additional private industries, bituminous-coal mining and electric light and power, are shown. Wholesale trade, however, has been substituted for retail trade because of the problem of extensive part-time employment in retail trade and the resultant unrepresentativeness of fluctuations in average earnings. The conversion of private employees' earnings to an annual full-time basis is omitted, as data are unavailable beyond 1947. To a considerable extent, the average weekly earnings shown reflect the under-employment in each period as the averages were computed from aggregates which include part-time employment and wages. A comparison of Federal and private stenographic salaries is in preparation for the subcommittee. When available, a copy will be sent to you. If you have any questions, or if we may be of assistance at any time, please do not hesitate to let us know. Very truly yours, EWAN CLAGUE, Commissioner of Labor Statistics. TABLE 1.-Salary rates for classified Federal services as of 1939, the present, and as proposed by S. 1762 1 Employees now at the minimum for SP-1 would be placed at the $2,180 level. Employees now at the minimum of P-8 and CAF-15 would be placed at the proposed middle salary for this grade, $10,500. 3 CPC-1 originally was intended to be used for girls and boys under age 18 who were hired as messengers. It is used almost exclusively by the Office of Indian Affairs for teachers' spouses who cook and do clean-up work. S. 1762 proposes that this grade be retained. Source: U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 17, 1949). TABLE 2.-Federal pay compared with pay in private industry 1 Present period is March 1949 for all manufacturing industries and February 1949 for other private in dustries. 2 Covers employees in the professional and scientific; subprofessional; clerical, administrative, and fiscal; and crafts, protective, and custodial services under the Classification Act of 1923 as amended. 3 Not available. Source: U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 17, 1949). Senator LONG. Are there any further questions? I have no further questions. Senator FLANDERS. I have no further questions. Senator LONG. Then that will be all for the day. 91564-49-- |