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THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY
the entire year and those engaged for only short periods, also piece workers. The average annual earnings is also affected by the difference in the pro- portion of these different classes of employe's, as well as by the condition prevailing in the different industries and in the different localities, some industries requiring a larger proportion of skilled and high-paid employes than others. With these cautions in accepting the figures, the following statement is presented which shows for the United States the average annual earnings for all employes for each class, and for the males, females, and children in each class."
AVERAGE ANNUAL EARNINGS BY CLASSES.
AGGREGATE
MALES ABOVE 16
Classes
Number
Wages
Average Annual Wages
Average Number
Wages
Average Annual Wages
Total
4,712,612
$2,283,216,529
$484
3,745,123
$2,031,403,924
$542
Officers, firm
members, and
clerks
461,009
391,988,208
850
418,081
372,169,441
90
Operatives,
skilled and
unskilled
3,492,029
1,590,516,997
455
2,831,795
1,436,482,387
498
Piece workers
759,584
300,711,324
396
445,247
222,752,096
500
Classes
FEMALES ABOVE 15 YEARS
CHILDREN
Average
Number
Wages
Average Annual Earn'gs
Average Number
Wages
Average Annual Earn'gs
Total Officers, firm members, and clerks Operatives, skilled and unskilled Piece workers
846,614 42,928
595,712 297,974
$235,186,742 19,818,767
139,329,719 76,038,257
$278 4 62
2 7 6
255
120,885
$16,625,802
$138
104,522 16,363
14,704,891 1,920,971
141 117
From the remark that the average obtained was for employes working for short periods as well as for the whole year, it might be inferred that the average annual earnings shown are less than would be the earnings for one employe the whole year, which would be the fact if the aggregate earnings were, as Colonel
