Prices and Wages by Decade: 1930-1939
Links to government documents and primary sources listing retail prices for products and services, as well as wages for common occupations.
Wages in the United States, 1930-1939
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WAGES -- GENERAL SOURCES
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Federal Minimum Wage chart, 1938-2009Chart from the U.S. Dept of Labor shows the first federal minimum wage law enacted in 1938 (25 cents), and all subsequent increases through 2009.
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Common laborers - Wages, 1931-1935
- Starting wages for common laborers, 1931-1934Also breaks out the wage data by industry and geographic region.
- Starting wages for common laborers, 1935Scroll through this chapter to see numerous tables with averages and breakdowns by industry and by region.
- Starting wages for common laborers employed by cities, 1935Shows starting wage data broken out by states. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 627.
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Wages, hours and earnings by occupation and sex
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Wages and hours before and after World War ICompares pre- and post-WWI wages, union rates, farm wage rates, hours of work, and average weekly earnings by industry. Compares the years 1914-23 with 1939-44.
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Executive earnings, 1937The book Salary Directory... lists annual earnings of of highly paid executives. Click "More..." to see one year's income for selected individuals (p. 99).
Wages by race, 1930s
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Negro workers, weekly earnings in 1930 and 1936Source: The Urban Negro Worker in the United States, 1925-1936, published by the federal government as a WPA project.
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Teacher salaries by state and race, 1939-1940Table 7 shows average salary for instructional staff in elementary and secondary schools by race in the states of AL, AR, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, YX, VA, WV.
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Teacher wages by race in AL, MD and NC - 1930sShows pay rates for white and "colored" teachers for the states of Alabama, Maryland and North Carolina.
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Wages of Negroes in the District of Columbia, 1931Tells the average or median pay for African-Americans in a variety of occupations and industries. Source: Handbook of Labor Statistics (1936) pp. 574-576.
WOMEN'S WAGES by RACE
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Black women - Earnings by occupation, 1938Wages and earnings are listed and discussed throughout the report "The Negro Woman Worker," U.S. Women's Bureau Bulletin #165.
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Household workers' wages by race - Chicago, 1930Shows wages for domestic workers employed in private homes, with breakouts by race for cooks, kitchen helpers, housekeepers, chamber maids, parlor maids, governesses, child's nurses, laundresses, and those who did "heavy cleaning." Source: U.S. Women's Bureau Bulletin #106.
Wages by occupation and industry (A to Z), 1930s
- Actors with membership in the Chorus Equity Association in New York City - minimum pay shown in Union Scales of Wages and Hours...1930 (source)
- Agricultural wages
- Farm workers' wages and income - 1909 to 1938
Farm wage rates are broken out by year and geographic location. Wages for farm workers are compared to that of factory workers. Article starts on page 59 of the BLS Monthly Labor Review, July 1939 issue. - Farm labor wages 1866-1935
Average yearly wage, reported with and without board (meals). Taken from the 1936 Statistical Abstract of the United States. - Farm Labor wages, 1930-1939
The monthly USDA periodical Farm Labor showed farm labor wages with and without room and board, and broken out by geography. - Farmer's earnings by state, 1934-1935
Although farm owners don't earn wages, they did have earnings through sale of farm products. See average prices received by farmers for crops, by state and average prices paid for livestock in Chicago, Kansas City and Omaha. Source: USDA Crops and Markets.
- Farm workers' wages and income - 1909 to 1938
- Air transportation workers - Wages, 1931
Wages and earnings for pilots, co-pilots and ground personnel engaged in passenger service or mail delivery. Crop dusters, sight-seeing tour operators, mappers and surveyors, and office workers were not included in these figures. See data for 1933 here. - Asbestos workers in building construction - 1930 wages reported in Union Scales of Wages.... p. 88.
- Automobile and vehicle industry job wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages and Hours..., pp. 238-245 (source)
- Bakers' pay for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages..., pp. 78-87.
- Barbers' earnings for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages..., pp. 311-312.
- Beauty shop wages and working conditions. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, Aug 1935.
- Book publishing industry - Union job wages in 1930, pp. 174-205 (source)
- Brewery and soft-drink workers' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages..., p. 290 (source)
- Brickmakers' wages in 1930 in Union Scales of Wages...
- Broom and whisk makers' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages...
- Building trades wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages.... For wage data beyond 1930, see Union wages for construction workers, 1936-1961. Choose a decade, then a publication, then click the "View" button.
- Asbestos workers' wages
- Bricklayers' wages
- Building laborers' wages
- Carpenters' wages
- Cement finishers' wages
- Composition roofers' wages
- Elevator constructors' wages
- Engineers, portable and hoisting' wages
- Glaziers' wages
- Hod carriers' wages
- Inside wiremens' wages
- Lathers' wages
- Marble setters' wages
- Mosaic and terrazo workers' wages
- Sheet-metal workers' wages
- Slate and tile roofers' wages
- Steam and sprinkler fitters' wages
- Stone masons' wages
- Structural-iron workers' wages
- Building trades
- Hourly wages for construction workers by occupation, state and town, 1938
Shows hourly wages paid to workers employed through the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA), a program to put the unemployed back to work. Shows wage detail for each construction occupation (carpenter, painter, electrician, etc.) by state and then by town. See sections for California, Texas and New York state for example. - Construction - Wages and hours, mid 1930s
This U.S BLS source, “Trend of Employment” shows average wages and hours of work by industry, mainly for manufacturing industries and for construction jobs. Also shows average pay for PWA jobs.
- Hourly wages for construction workers by occupation, state and town, 1938
- Bus drivers
- Butchers, meat cutters etc. wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages..., pp. 289-295 (source)
- Carpenters' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages..., pp. 93-97.
- Chain store employee wages, 1931
Table shows average 1929 and 1931 weekly wages of full-time store employees, managers, and supervisors by kind and size of chain and location. Source: Chain Stores (U.S. Congressional Serial Set 9783) - Chauffeurs' pay in 1930 in Union Scales of Wages and Hours... pp.142-159 (source)
- Cigar makers pay for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages and Hours..., pp. 289-295 (source)
- Clerical workers' earnings, North Atlantic region, 1934-36
Income and expenditures for white and Negro races. Click a publication, then the "View" button. Next, click the magnifying glass and search for the word "earnings" in the text. - Clothing manufacturing wages, 1930
- Ladies' garment workers, pp. 279-280 of Union Scales of Wages and Hours... (source)
- Men’s clothing production, pp. 281-284 of Union Scales of Wages and Hours... (source)
- Miscellaneous clothing production, pp. 284-288 of Union Scales of Wages and Hours... (source)
- Coal mining
- Coal mining - Hours and earnings, 1919-1933
- Coal mining, pp. 272-275 of Union Scales of Wages and Hours...1930 (source)
- Congressional salaries, 1789-present
- Cooks' and chefs' pay by city is shown in Union Scales of Wages and Hours..., pp. 291-292. (source)
- Cooks on passenger ships based in Boston, 1929-1930
This chart of union wages shows the significant differences in pay for chief cooks, second cooks and night cooks for first class ship passengers, compared to pay earned by cooks for second class passengers on the same vessel.
- Dentists' income, 1929-1948
Nine-page article includes breakouts by state, by size of community, by source of income, and more. - Doctors (physicians and dentists) income, 1939-1976
Shows median net income of office-based, non-salaried physicians and dentists.
- Education professions
- Instructional staff salaries by state and race, 1939-1940
Table 7 shows average salary for instructional staff in elementary and secondary schools by race in the states of AL, AR, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, YX, VA, WV. - Rural teacher salaries by state, 1925-1935
Shows median salaries of teachers and principals by state. Tables run from pages 10-14. - Minimum wage for teachers by state and race, 1930s
By the late 1930s, twenty states had minimum wage laws for teachers. See greater detail for each state in the section Abstracts of minimum salary laws starting on page 23. - Instructional staff salaries by state, 1929-1946
Table 8 shows average salaries of instructional staff (principals, supervisors and teachers) for every state in every year from 1929-1946. Source: U.S. Biennial Survey of Education.
- Instructional staff salaries by state and race, 1939-1940
- Electrical workers' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages and Hours..., pp. 310-324 (source)
- Elevator operators' pay in Union Scales of Wages and Hours...1930 (source)
- Engineers' earnings, 1929-1934
Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 682 - Entertainers' earnings - The 1938 edition of Salary Directory...(not yet online due to copyright) lists annual earnings of of highly paid individuals in the entertainment industry. Here are examples of one year's income for selected individuals (pp. 100-103):
- Gary Cooper, $370,214
- Claudette Colbert, $350,833
- Greta Garbo, $332,500
- Mae West, $323,333
- Bing Crosby, $318,907
- Charlie Chaplin, $260,000
- Charles Boyer, $249,145
- Paul Whiteman, $242,372
- Fred Astaire, $211,666
- Katherine Hepburn, $206,928
- Marlene Dietrich, $200,000
- Carole Lombard, $156,083
- Barbara Stanwick, $151,979
- Stan Laurel, $135,167
- Ginger Rogers, $124,770
- Shirley Temple, $121,422
- Cecil B. de Mille, $100,000
- Farm wages
- Farm workers' wages and income - 1909 to 1938
Farm wage rates are broken out by year and geographic location. Wages for farm workers are compared to that of factory workers. Article starts on page 59 of the BLS Monthly Labor Review, July 1939 issue. - Farm labor wages 1866-1935
Average yearly wage, reported with and without board (meals). Taken from the 1936 Statistical Abstract of the United States. - Farm Labor wages, 1930-1939
The monthly USDA periodical Farm Labor showed farm labor wages with and without room and board, and broken out by geography.
- Farm workers' wages and income - 1909 to 1938
- Firemen - Salaries, late 1930s (link to library item)
The Municipal Yearbook shows the salaries of firemen and fire chiefs for all U.S. cities over 30,000 in population. This work is still in active copyright and unavailable online. However, we would be happy to look up a salary for you if you contact us. - Fishing wages, pp. 269-271 of Union Scales of Wages and Hours...1930 (source)
- Foundry and machine shop wages, 1931
Trends of hours and earnings. Earnings by occupation. Overtime and bonuses. - Furniture store salaries, 1930
Shows average salaries at about two dozen furniture stores, broken out by occupation: sales, delivery, administration, etc. Source: Domestic Commerce Series no. 68, p. 100.
- Gasoline filling stations and motor-vehicle repair garages - 1931
Days, hours and earnings by occupation and city. - Government workers, federal - Pay scales, 1930-1949
Table shows the basic annual pay rates for federal employees of various services and grades (GS-1 through GS-18, P, SP, CAF and CPC). These are not salary averages. - Government jobs - Salaries by occupation - 1938
Tables show average wages for 117 occupational groups employed in the federal government, including architects, librarians, entomologists, chemists, accountants, postmasters, cooks, supply clerks, kitchen workers, electricians and more. Tables span pages 83-85 in this source, the Jan 1941 issue of Monthly Labor Review. - Government - Congressional salaries, 1789-present
- Granite and stone trades, pp. 165-168 of Union Scales of Wages and Hours...1930 (source)
- Hotel and restaurant worker wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages and Hours..., pp. 291-292 (source)
- Hotel employee minimum wages, Nov 1933-1935 set by federal law, pp. 4-6 (source)
- Household worker wages - Philadelphia, 1928
Shows wages for domestic jobs typically occupied by males (chauffeurs, gardeners, butler, etc.) and females (housekeepers, children's nurse, chambermaids, etc.)
- Iron and steel industry wages and hours, 1907-1931
- Janitors' pay in Union Scales of Wages and Hours...1930 (source)
- Jewelry makers' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages and Hours..., pp. 309-310 (source)
- Laundry workers, pp. 169-170 of Union Scales of Wages and Hours...1930 (source)
- Lawyers' income, 1929-1948
Shows lawyers' incomes by regions and states, by size of community served, by the age of the lawyer and number of years in practice, by WWII veteran status, and more. Source: "Income of Lawyers, 1929-1948" in the August 1949 issue of Survey of Current Business. - Leather workers' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages and Hours..., pp. 309-310 (source)
- Library salaries for employees of public libraries in the U.S. and Canada, 1937 (source: Monthly Labor Review, June 1938)
- Linemen, pp. 171-172 of Union Scales of Wages and Hours...1930 (source)
- Lithographers' pay for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages and Hours..., p. 275-279 (source)
- Longshoremen pp. 172-173 of Union Scales of Wages and Hours...1930 (source)
- Lumber industry job wages and hours, 1921-1932
- Mail carrier salaries in 1932
Pay range for city mail carriers, rural mail carriers, railway postal clerks, and more. Source: ad in Popular Mechanics, Jan 1932, p. 33. - Manufacturing wages - SEE box below (scroll down this page)
- Medical personnel - Income of physicians, dentists and [other health workers], 1939-1976
Median net income of office-based nonsalaried physicians, dentists and male professional workers in health professions. Covers 1939, 1947, 1951, 1955, 1963, 1965, 1967, and 1970-1976. - Metals and machine trades, pp. 238-245 of Union Scales of Wages and Hours...1930 (source)
- Military pay charts (US), 1908-present
This website does a good job of organizing a complex topic. - Mining metals - Wages and hours, 1924 and 1931
Bulletin of the United States BLS, no. 573. - Mining bituminous coal - Wages, 1933
Average days, hours and earnings. Has some comparison data. - Musicians' pay in Union Scales of Wages and Hours...1930 (source)
- Newspaper industry - Editorial staff salaries, 1930-1934
Tells average weekly salaries of newspaper reporters, photographers, artists, clerks, stenographers, newspaper executives, deskmen and errand boys. Source: 1936 U.S. BLS Handbook of Labor Statistics, p, 987-988. - Newspaper publishing - Union job wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages and Hours, pp. 205-236 (source)
- Office workers' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages and Hours..., pp. 310-324 (source)
- Painters' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages...
- Physicians, non-salaried - Average income, 1929-1949
Table shows average gross and net incomes for non-salaried physicians for each year from 1929-1949. - Plasterers' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages...
- Plumbers and gas fitters' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages...
- Police salaries, late 1930s (link to library item)
The Municipal Yearbook shows the salaries of police patrolmen and police chiefs for all U.S. cities over 30,000 in population. This work is still in active copyright and unavailable online. However, we would be happy to look up a salary for you if you contact us. - Politicians - State governor salaries, 1935
The Congressional Record reported annual salaries for governors of U.S. states and territories. - Postal worker salaries in 1932
Show pay range for railway postal clerks, city mail carriers, rural mail carriers and more. Source: ad in Popular Mechanics, Jan 1932, p. 33. - Postmaster salaries in U.S. cities and towns, 1930
- Printing Trades - Union wages and hours
- Printing and publishing books, Union Scales of Wages and Hours...1930, pp. 174-205 (source)
- Printing and publishing newspapers, Union Scales of Wages and Hours...1930, pp. 205-236 (source)
- Railway employees - Earnings, 1932
Source: U.S. Dept of Labor, Earnings and standard of living of 1,000 railway employees during the depression. - Railway transportation occupations, pp. 245-269 of Union Scales of Wages and Hours...1930 (source)
- Car men
- Locomotive engineers
- Locomotive firemen
- Conductors and trainmen
- Railroad signalmen
- Railway, express, and steamship clerks
- Maintenance of way employees
- Railroad telegraphers
- Railroad car porters, maids, etc.
- Sleeping and parlor car conductors
- Train dispatchers
- Harbor boatmen
- Marine workers
- Teamsters and drivers
- Restaurant workers pay is shown for chefs, cooks, bakers, waiters, waitresses and other jobs in 1930. Source: Union Scales of Wages and Hours..., pp. 291-292. (source)
- Ship and marine industries
- Deep-sea ship transportation occupations, wage structure - 1935
Wages for chief officers, first mates, second mates etc., radio operators, boatswains, carpenters, electricians, engineers, quartermasters, wheelsmen, petty officers, seamen, cadets, deck boys, engineers, firemen, chefs, cooks, butchers, bakers, scullions, waiters, countermen, salon stewards, deck stewards, cabin stewards, smoking room stewards, wine stewards, bellboys, deck patrol watchmen (security guards), stewardesses, messmen, messboys, porters, laundrymen, clerks, food service workers such as pantrymen and buffet attendants, musicians, orchestra leaders, pursers, ships’ surgeons. Separate tables by type of ship including passenger vessels, freighters, tankers, and all types of ships combined. - River towboats, wages and hours -1937
- Ship carpenters' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages...
- Deep-sea ship transportation occupations, wage structure - 1935
- Shop owner's salaries, 1939
Dun & Bradstreet conducted a survey of retail shops to obtain data on their costs of operation. The results included data on salaries drawn by shop owners, and were reprinted in U.S. Department of Commerce publications. - Slaughtering and meat-packing industry - Wages and hours, 1931
Includes tables that give the information by gender and occupation. - Store clerks' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages and Hours..., pp. 310-324 (source)
- Streetcar employee wages
- Street-railway employees - Union wages, 1937 and 1938
Wages by the hour, shown by job title and by city of employment. - Motormen and conductors
- Street-railway employees - Union wages, 1937 and 1938
- Teachers
- Instructional staff salaries by state and race, 1939-1940
Table 7 shows average salary for instructional staff in elementary and secondary schools by race in the states of AL, AR, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, YX, VA, WV. - Rural teacher salaries by state, 1925-1935
Shows median salaries of teachers and principals by state. Tables run from pages 10-14. - Minimum wage for teachers by state and race, 1930s
By the late 1930s, twenty states had minimum wage laws for teachers. See greater detail for each state in the section Abstracts of minimum salary laws starting on page 23. - Instructional staff salaries by state, 1929-1946
Table 8 shows average salaries of instructional staff (principals, supervisors and teachers) for every state in every year from 1929-1946. Source: U.S. Biennial Survey of Education.
- Instructional staff salaries by state and race, 1939-1940
- Telegraphers' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages.., pp. 310-324 (source)
- Telephone workers' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages..., pp. 310-324 (source)
- Theatre tech occupations such as stage hand, props assistant, set carpenter, lamp operator, flymen and others, see wage rates on p. 302 of Union Scales of Wages...1930 (source)
- Tile layers in building construction, 1930
- Textile workers' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages..., pp. 288-289 (source)
- Transportation occupations for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages..., pp. 245-269 (source)
- Railway carmen
- Locomotive engineers
- Locomotive firemen
- Conductors and trainmen
- Railroad signalmen
- Railway, express, and steamship clerks
- Maintenance of way employees
- Railroad telegraphers
- Car porters, maids, etc.
- Sleeping and parlor car conductors
- Train dispatchers
- Motormen and conductors, street railways, and bus drivers
- Harbor boatmen
- Marine workers
- Truck drivers - Union wages and hours, 1939. Source: BLS Bulletin #676.
- Upholsterers' wages in 1930 in Union Scales of Wages and Hours..., pp. 298-299 (source)
- Window cleaners' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages, p. 314.
- Woodworkers' wages for 1930 in Union Scales of Wages, p. 297.
- WPA worker wages in 1939 - The wage depended both on the worker's skill class and the geographic location. See pay briefly discussed on pages 549-550 of this issue.
- Writers (women) - Salaries in early 1930s shown in Careers for women in journalism, starting p. 69.
Manufacturing wages, 1930-1939
WAGES in FOOD MANUFACTURING, 1930s
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Bakery workers - Wages by city and state, 1931Average wages and hours of work by occupation and gender.
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Bread and cake baking wages, 1931Similar data as above but printed in a different government source. Lists wages and hours in the baking industry broken out by occupation, gender, and city.
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Bakeries - Union wages, hours and working conditions, 1939Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), No. 673
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Bread-baking industry - Wages, hours and working conditions, 1934Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin, No. 623
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Cane-sugar refining industry wages, 1930Average wages, hours and earnings by occupation and sex and by sex and district.
WAGES in CLOTHING MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Boot and shoe industry workers' wages, 1910 to 1930Hours and earnings by industry and occupation. Average hours and earnings by sex and state. Bulletin U.S. BLS, No. 551
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Hat manufacturing industries, earnings and hours - 1939Average hourly earnings. Variations by sex and skill, and type of plant.
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Shoe and allied industries - Wages and hours, 1939Average hourly earnings, variations by sex and skill.
WAGES in TEXTILE MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Rayon and synthetic yarn manufacturing, 1930Average wages and hours by occupation and districts. Overtime and bonuses.
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Rayon and synthetic yarn manufacturing, 1932Include tables that break down the information by gender, occupation, and give average hourly and weekly earnings for workers.
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Silk and rayon goods manufacture - Wages and hours, 1931Source: BLS Bulletin, No. 568
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Silk and rayon weavers wage rates - 1934Shows the rates of pay of weavers in silk and rayon mills in certain cities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
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Woolen and worsted goods manufacturing, 1910 to 1932Average earnings and hours worked for workers in woolen and worsted goods manufacturing in 15 states.
WAGES in LEATHER MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Leather industry wages, 1932Average days, hours and earnings by occupation; sex and state; and by kind of leather, sex and state.
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Leather Industries, earnings and hours - 1939Average hourly earnings, hours, comparisons.
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Leather glove industry, hours and earnings -1934Includes tables which give the percentage of people earning within wage ranges.
WAGES in FURNITURE MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Furniture manufacture - Wages and hours, 1910-1931Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 571
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Furniture manufacturing industry - Wages and hours, 1937Average earning, differences by product and community.
WAGES in AMMUNITION and EXPLOSIVES MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Ammunition industry - Average hourly earnings, 1937Details of workers' hourly and weekly earnings in the ammunition industry in October 1937. Hourly earnings are given by gender, occupation, and skill level.
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Explosives manufacture, earnings and hours - 1937Details the wages earned in the explosives industry (dynamite, TNT, etc.) in October 1937. Includes tables which give the hourly earnings in regards to skill type, occupation, and plant type ("Big Three" or other). Weekly earnings are given by skill level, and as a percentage of employees earning a range of weekly rates.
WAGES in MISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTURING, 1930s
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Cigarette manufacturing - Wages and hours, 1930Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 532
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Drugs and toiletries manufacturing - Wages and hours, 1938Wages in manufacturing medicines and personal grooming products mostly in factories located in IL, IA and NJ plus thirteen additional states. Source: U.S. Women's Bureau Bulletin #171.
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Paper box manufacturing - Wages and hours, 1933-1935Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin, No. 633
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Radio manufacturing, hourly earnings - 1937Tables with the hourly earnings by skill type, gender, branch of industry, type of plant, and as a percentage of employees earning a range of hourly rates.
WAGES in MULTIPLE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, 1930s
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Manufacturing - Average weekly earnings, 1919-1960Very simple table shows average hours and earnings for all production workers in manufacturing for each year from 1919-1960.
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Manufacturing jobs - Earnings and hoursPart of the U.S. BLS Employment and Payrolls series, this source provides average wages by industry, not occupation. The industries however are specific, such as radio and phonograph manufacture, jewelry making, ship building and carpet/rug weaving. Click on any of the following dated reports: 1932: November, December; 1933: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December; 1934: January, February.
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Manufacturing wages, 1929-1939Mainly covers cotton textiles, shoes and paper industries. Source: Investigation of Concentration of Economic Power, Monograph no. 5.
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Manufacturing - Average hours and wages, 1929-1936Source shows wage rates and average hours for workers in manufacturing on page 16. Wages for workers with specific kinds of manufacturers -- automobiles, cigars and cigarettes, telephone and telegraph, etc. -- appear on pages 17-24
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Construction - Wages and hours, mid 1930sThis U.S BLS source, “Trend of Employment” shows average wages and hours of work by industry, mainly for manufacturing industries and for construction jobs. Also shows average pay for PWA jobs.
Women's wages, 1930-1939
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Women's wages compared to men in same occupationsSource: "Women in the economy of the USA: a summary report," Women's Bureau Bulletin, #155.
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Wages, hours and earnings by occupation and sexThe BLS' Handbook of labor statistics editions each have hundreds of pages of statistical tables.
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Writers, salaries of women - 1930sSource: Careers for women in journalism, starting p. 69.
Wage reports for individual states, 1930-1939
Wages in MULTIPLE STATES, 1930s
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Building / Construction wages by state and town, 1938Shows prevailing wage rates for 24 different construction occupations in 1,415 localities across the United States. Data is arranged by state and then by locality. This document showed how much workers were paid in the federal WPA program.
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Union wages and hours by city, 1929-1930Covers a wide variety of occupations, such as railroad sleeping car conductors, boat captains, music engravers and musicians, hatters, actors, barbers, turkish bath attendants, artists, office workers, store clerks, enbalmers and many more. See below for direct links to occupations:
Wages in ALABAMA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Alabama by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p.1-2.
Wages in ARKANSAS, 1930s
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Construction wages in Arkansas by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 5-7.
Wages in ARIZONA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Arizona by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 3-4.
Wages in CALIFORNIA, 1930s
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Construction wages in California by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 8-14.
Wages in COLORADO, 1930s
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Construction wages in Colorado by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 15-16.
Wages in CONNETICUT, 1930s
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Construction wages in Conneticut by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 17-18.
Wages in the DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 1930s
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Motion-picture theater jobs wages in Washington DC, 1931When the movie industry transitioned away from silent films around 1928-1930, it had a big impact on wages, especially for musicians. This 1931 article from the U.S. BLS Monthly Labor Review shows average weekly wages for all movie theater jobs, including ushers, projectionists, musicians, electricians, poster artists, pages, doormen, cashiers, watchmen, cleaning personnel, and elevator boys. Wages are broken out by theaters for white and colored (Negro / African American) audiences.
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Construction wages in District of Columbia by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p. 20.
Wages in DELAWARE, 1930s
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Construction wages in Delaware by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p. 19.
Wages in FLORIDA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Florida by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 21-23.
Wages in GEORGIA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Georgia by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 24-25.
Wages in HAWAII, 1930s
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Hawaii wages - 1939Earnings for day and piece-rate workers. Earnings by type of work and race.
Wages in IOWA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Iowa by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 40-42.
Wages in IDAHO, 1930s
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Construction wages in Idaho by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 26-27.
Wages in ILLINOIS, 1930s
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Construction wages in Illinois by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 28-35.
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Household workers' wages by race - Chicago, 1930Shows wages for domestic workers employed in private homes, with breakouts by race for cooks, kitchen helpers, housekeepers, chamber maids, parlor maids, governesses, child's nurses, laundresses, and those who did "heavy cleaning." Source: U.S. Women's Bureau Bulletin #106.
Wages in INDIANA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Indiana by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 36-39.
Wages in KANSAS, 1930s
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Construction wages in Kansas by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 43-44.
Wages in KENTUCKY, 1930s
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Construction wages in Kentucky by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 45-46.
Wages in LOUISIANA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Louisiana by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 47-49.
Wages in MASSACHUSETTS, 1930s
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Massachusetts - Wages and hours, 1935Extensive tables run from page 1-74 in this state document, showing wages and hours for hundreds of detailed occupations, including building trades, food service, hospitality industries, brewing & bottling, printing, trucking, woodworking, manufacturing, theatrical employment, public utilities jobs, telephone operators, public transportation, barbers, engineers, radio telegraph operators, tobacco workers in cigar factories, and many more.
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Construction wages in Massachusetts by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 53-56.
Wages in MARYLAND, 1930s
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Construction wages in Maryland by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 51-52.
Wages in MAINE, 1930s
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Construction wages in Maine by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p. 50.
Wages in MICHIGAN, 1930s
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Construction wages in Michigan by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 57-60.
Wages in MINNESOTA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Minnesota by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 61-63.
Wages in MISSOURI, 1930s
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Missouri work relief projects - Wage rates by county, 1934-1935Wages for common labor in the Work Relief Program were originally set at thirty cents an hour, but were later changed to better align with prevailing wage rates in the counties. This two-page table shows the rates by county, expressed in cents per hour. Source: Work Relief in Missouri, 1934-1935, a Missouri state publication.
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Civilian Conservation Corps wages in MO, late 1930sShows monthly wages of boys enrolled in CCC camps. Source: MO State Social Security Commission Biennial Report, 1939-1940.
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Construction wages in Missouri by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 67-69.
Wages in MISSISSIPPI, 1930s
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Construction wages in Mississippi by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 64-66.
Wages in MONTANA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Montana by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 70-72.
Wages in NORTH CAROLINA, 1930s
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North Carolina - Average earnings in the principal industries, 1938-1940North Carolina state government publication shows average hours and wages for employees in all the major industries, including furniture manufacture, tobacco factories, retail establishments, textile mills, and more.
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Construction Wages in North Carolina by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 89-92.
Wages in NORTH DAKOTA, 1930s
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Construction wages in North Dakota, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p. 93.
Wages in NEBRASKA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Nebraska by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 73-74.
Wages in NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1930s
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Construction wages in New Hampshire by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p. 76.
Wages in NEW JERSEY, 1930s
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Construction wages in New Jersey by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 77-80.
Wages in NEW MEXICO, 1930s
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Construction wages in New Mexico by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 81-82.
Wages in NEVADA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Nevada by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p. 75.
Wages in NEW YORK, 1930s
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Actor's pay in New York, 1932See typical actor's pay listed in the book The Business of the Theatre
prepared on behalf of the New York Actors' Equity Association. Chorus workers made a minimum of $30 a week in New York City. -
Construction wages in New York by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 83-88.
Wages in OHIO, 1930s
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Ohio - Average annual wages and salaries by occupation, 1916-1932The "Service Industries" chapter in this source breaks out wages paid to workers in hospitals, hotels, bowling alleys, theaters, parks, churches, country clubs, athletic clubs and yacht clubs, advertising agencies, banks, laundries, schools/colleges, and restaurants (making no distinction between waiters, cooks or bus boys). Lists wages paid to auto mechanics, office workers, window cleaners, barbers and hairdressers, bartenders in saloons, domestic servants, people working in social agencies, and more. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin, No. 613. Check the Table of Contents page for even more wages in manufacturing and construction industries and for people working in retail trades and in transportation.
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Construction wages in Ohio by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 94-98.
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Monthly earnings of full time women workers in ClevelandBreakdowns by occupation and marital status.
Wages in OKLAHOMA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Oklahoma by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 99-101.
Wages in OREGON, 1930s
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Construction wages in Oregon by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 102-105.
Wages in PENNSYLVANIA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Pennsylvania by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 106-110.
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Household workers' wages by sex - Philadelphia, 1928Shows wages with breakouts for type of household duty: chambermaid, waitress, cleaner, cook, housekeeper, laundress, children's nurse, seamstress, and more.
Wages in RHODE ISLAND, 1930s
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Construction wages in Rhode Island by county and town, 1928Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 111-112.
Wages in SOUTH CAROLINA, 1930s
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Construction wages in South Carolina by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 113-116.
Wages in TENNESSEE, 1930s
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Construction wages in Tennessee by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 117-118.
Wages in TEXAS, 1930s
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Texas - Average weekly wages, 1931-1932Shows average weekly wages and hours worked per week by men, women and boys in a variety of job settings, including barbershops, beauty parlors, laundries, hospitals, hotels and cafes, mercantile establishments, printing, manufacturing and more. Source: Texas state Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Construction wages in Texas by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 119-123.
Wages in UTAH, 1930s
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Construction wages in Utah by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 124-125.
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Monthly earnings of full time women workers in UtahBreakdown by occupation and marital status.
Wages in VIRGINIA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Virginia by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 127-130.
Wages in VERMONT, 1930s
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Agriculture - Farm labor wages in Vermont, 1780s-1937Table 26 shows wages for laborers with board for every year from 1780-1937; the explanation begins on page 43. Source: Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station.
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Construction wages in Vermont by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p. 126.
Wages in WASHINGTON, 1930s
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Construction wages in Washington by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 131-134.
Wages in WISCONSIN, 1930s
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Construction wages in Wisconsin by county and towns, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 138-142.
Wages in WEST VIRGINIA, 1930s
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Construction wages in West Virginia, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 135-137.
Wages in WYOMING, 1930s
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Construction wages in Wyoming by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 143-144.
International wages by country, 1930-1939
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Wages in 16 European countries by city and occupation, 1931Shows data in 71 cities across 16 European countries plus Canada and the U.S., for occupations in the building trades, manufacturing, transportation, printing and more. Wages are shown in American dollars, citing conversion rates for all other currencies.
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Wages and hours in Europe and Canada, 1938-1947Gives wages in Great Britain, France, and Austria beginning in 1938, and Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada beginning in 1939. To find actual wages and not just inflation (price indexes) look for tables that specifically mention units of money, such as schillings and pence for Great Britain, francs for France, Swedish kronor, or look for symbols like $ in the tables. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 934
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Wages in the Netherlands, Yugoslavia, and the Baltic countries, 1929-1932Wages in the countries of Estonia, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands and Yugoslavia are discussed in a chapter on pages 1153-1208. Source: Monthly Labor Review, May 1932.
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Wages of seamen on American and European vessels, 1932Shows wages and hours by occupation those on boats under the flags of Great Britain, Denmark, Holland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden. Indicates wages for jobs such as mates, engineers, radio operators, cooks and more.
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Wages of seamen in the principal maritime countries, 1935Tables shows the average monthly wages for seamen in countries including Australia, Great Britain, Norway, the Netherlands, Greece, India, China, France, Germany, the United States and others. Source: Monthly Labor Review, May 1936, p. 1202.
Wages in ARGENTINA, 1930s
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Wages and hours in Argentina, 1930sArticle includes many data tables and extends from page 456-470.
WAGES in AUSTRALIA, 1930s
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Minimum wage in Australian cities and provinces, June 1937Shows basic wage established by law in Australian cities and provinces in pounds, shilling and pence. Exchange rate to American dollars is provided. Source: Monthly Labor Review, Sep 1937, p. 699.
WAGES in AUSTRIA, 1930s
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Wages in Austria, 1930-1931Extensive article titled "General Survey of Wages in Austria" shows minimum wages by sex, occupation and industry on pp. 669-673. Actual hourly wages are shown in a chart on pp. 675-678. Source: Monthly Labor Review, March 1932.
Wages in CANADA, 1930s
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Farm workers' earnings by Canadian province, 1929-1939Shows annual and summer earnings data for male and female workers. Source: Monthly Labor Review, July 1940, pp. 192-193.
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Teacher salaries in Canada, 1939Shows average salaries paid to Canadian teachers with breakouts by province, type of school, and sex of teacher. Source: Monthly Labor Review, Nov 1940, pp. 1252-1253.
Wages in FRANCE, 1930s
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Wages in France, 1929-1930Shows wages in October of 1929 and 1930 for about 50 occupations on p. 192; dressmaker's earnings on p. 193, domestic servants on p. 194, etc.. Source: Monthly Labor Review, Sep 1931.
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Wages in France, 1930-1931Shows much detail by occupation and industry. Source: Monthly Labor Review, Jan 1932, pp. 169-187.
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Wig and toupee makers' wages in France, 1931This short article describes the prices of hairpieces in France and describes the varying wages paid to workers based on items sold.
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Wages in France, 1932Provides much detail on wages a variety of occupations and industries. Source: Monthly Labor Review March 1933, pp. 624-643.
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Wages in Paris, 1935-1938Shows average hourly wages in francs for various occupations including brewers, tailors, watchmakers, dressmakers, milliners and more.
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Wages in France, 1938Shows montlhy wages paid in various French manufacturing industries including brewers, textile workers, cigarette makers, and buscuit makers. Source: Monthly Labor Review, September 1938, pp. 624-643.
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Wages in France, 1938Source: Monthly Labor Review, Oct 1944, pp. 713-716.
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Wages and retail prices in France, 1938-47Lists wages in various industries as well as allowances for children. Shows wage rates alongside a price index of common items.
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French wages and wage supplements - 1938, 1946, 1947Tables show wages for military, industry, and commerce workers, and describes how their wages changed throughout the war.
Wages in GERMANY, 1930s
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Labor Conditions in Germany, 1930s-1945Tells wage averages by industry and sex. Includes a chart showing the trend of wages in Germany, 1929-1942. Published in the U.S. Dept of Labor's Monthly Labor Review, April 1945 issue, pages 498-524. (For additional context, see the Nov 1945 issue discussing price controls in Germany, 1936-1945).
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General survey of wages in Germany in 1931Each industry is handled separately in this extensive article from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Monthly Labor Review, June 1932 issue. The following list points to most (but not all) industries covered.
- Agricultural worker wages (hourly for full time work, by district, broken out by sex)
- Boot and shoe manufacturing wages
- Building trades wages (masons, carpenters, painters, roofers, etc.)
- Chemical industry wages (dyes, drugs, explosives, etc.)
- Chocolate factory wages
- Tobacco product manufacturing (cigars, cigarettes, snuff, etc.)
- Bakers and confectioners wages
- Flour milling wages
- Furriers' wages
- Glass factory wages
- Iron and steel worker wages
- Jewelers wages
- Lace making pay in the textile industry
- Lumber industry wages
- Metal working industry wages (machine construction, heating apparatus, shipbuilding, aircraft, railway rolling stock, scientific instruments, etc.)
- Mining coal and copper
- Musical instrument manufacturing
- Paper industry wages
- Printing trades and lithographic work wages
- Shipbuilding wages
- Spinners' and weavers' wages in the textile industry,.
- Woodworking and furniture making wages
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Wages established by collective agreements in Germany, 1931-1932Depicts the hourly wages of various German industries sorted by industrial or textile occupations and sorted by skill-level.
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Furniture making job hours wages in Germany, 1893-1932Shows wages in both German and American currencies.
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Machine-building industry wages in Germany, 1931Shows wage rates, hours and weekly earnings for males of various skill levels, and female workers.
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Building trades earnings in Germany, 1932Chart shows wages for masons, carpenters, helpers and underground workers.
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Wages rates in principle industries in Germany, 1933Shows the average hourly wages by sex, skill level, and city, for industries such as coal, paper, textiles, confectionery, railroad, and all industries, in general.
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Hours and earnings by industry in Germany, 1934-35Several tables provide hours worked and earnings of workers in industries such as brewing, musical-instrument manufacturing, woodworking, and baking. Charts feature breakouts by skill of worker.
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Average hourly and weekly gross earnings for German workers, 1935Describes the average wages earned per hour and week and is divided by industry and class of worker.
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Average hourly and weekly gross earnings of German workers, 1936Describes the average wages earned per hour and week and is divided by industry, including woodworking, metal, and textiles, and class of worker.
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Wages in Germany in 1938Extensive, 17-page article includes many charts and wage detail for all the major Germany industries, and covers some of the years leading up to 1938.
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Average wage rates in Germany by industry, 1938Table shows average hourly wage rates for male and female workers of various skill levels, by industry. This is part of an extensive article, "Labor Conditions in Germany," on pp. 498-524 of this source.
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Labor policy in Germany, 1939The German government issued a decree establishing a complete war economy on September 3, 1939 (Kriegsverpflichteten Wirtschaft). This involved lowering wages, increasing hours and preventing employees from quitting their jobs. Although this article does not tell the post-decree wage rates, we include it here because of the important context it provides. Source: U.S. BLS Monthly Labor Review, June 1940.
Wages in GREAT BRITAIN, 1930s
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Wages by industry in London and Glasgow, 1930Shows wages for vehicle builders, millers, streetcar workers and more. Source: Monthly Labor Review, April 1933, pp. 874-876
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Wages in Great Britain, 1931Source: Monthly Labor Review, April 1932, pp. 928-942.
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Truck driver wages in Great Britain, 1934Shows weekly waged paid to truck drivers of different weight classes and experience and their subsistence allowance. Source: Monthly Labor Review, October 1934, p. 990
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Wages in Great Britain, 1935-1938Shows wages by occupation and industry. Minimum wages are listed on pp. 891-894. Source: Monthly Labor Review, October 1938, pp. 869-895.
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Agricultural worker wages, hours and earnings in Great Britain, 1936Shows minimum wage rates and hours of agricultural workers in England and Wales in 1936, by sex and geographic district. Also shows the weekly earnings of Scottish shepherds, plowmen, cattlemen, farm hands and dairy workers are also listed, along with the value of the job perquisites (board and lodging).
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Wages in Great Britain, 1937Extensive article spanning pages 868-895 includes many tables showing wages by industry in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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Wartime wage changes in Great Britain, 1939-1940Short article describes the general trend of wages in Great Britain at the start of World War II. Source:Monthly Labor Review, Nov 1940, pp.1083-1085
Wages in INDO-CHINA, 1930s
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Wages in French Indo-China, 1931-1937This article describes the daily wages paid to workers in French-occupied Indo-China, including breakouts for the cities of Hanoi and Saigon. Table shows wages by class, sex, and location of worker.
Wages in JAPAN, 1930s
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Wages in Japan, 1933-1934Shows average wages by industry, occupation and sex in Japan, with separate tables listing wages in Tokyo and the Kobe consular district and Taiwan (Formosa). Wages are expressed both in yen and in dollars. Source: Monthly Labor Review, June 1934, pp. 1468-1472.
Wages in MEXICO, 1930s
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Wages in Mexico, 1937-1938Extensive, 20-page article includes many data tables and detailed discussion of Mexican wages by industry.
Wages in PALESTINE, 1930s
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Union wages in Palestine, 1931Union wages reported in the U.S. Department of Labor publication, Monthly Labor Review, March 1932, pp. 561-562.
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Wages in Palestine, 1936Tells wages in agriculture, manufacturing and construction jobs with breakouts by sex and Arab/Jewish. Includes wages for child labor in cigarette factories.
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Wages in Palestine, 1938Includes wage data for Jewish and Arab workers, with breakouts by sex in Sep 1937 and March 1938.
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Wages in Palestine, 1939Article includes tables showing wage breakouts for Jewish and Arabian laborers in Palestine, working in agricultural industry, manufacturing and construction. Article also includes tables showing union daily wage rates in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Wages in the SOVIET UNION, 1930s
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Average yearly wages in the Soviet Union, 1929-1932This table provides average yearly wages per industry or trade type, including transportation, education and agriculture, among others.
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Payments-in-kind earnings of peasants on Kolkhoz farms, 1935-1937This short article describes the Soviet Government process for redistribution of farm products to collective farm workers. It describes the average changes to earnings of grain per working day during the given time period.
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Fixed wages for agricultural workers, 1935This article lists specific fixed daily wages in combinations of rubles and grain in kilograms. Wages are divided by type of machine operated and amount of work completed.
Family income, 1930s
"It should be emphasized that income tax returns are frequently but erroneously used as an indication of the number of families at different income levels..... only about 4 million persons file returns whereas there are 30 million families in the United States." -- Daniel Starch, Ph.D., writing in 1930 (Source)
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Distribution of family income in the US, 1935-1936Reports family income regardless of source (rental income, investment income, etc.) Families could have more than one member in the labor force. Source: Consumer Incomes in the U.S.
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Income of the American family, ca. 1930The author (former university professor Daniel Starch) presents a methodology and estimates the average American family income as of 1930.
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Median household income by race in southeast Missouri, 1935"In 1935, the median gross income for white [home] owners was $1,269; for white renters is was $854; for white share-croppers it fell to $415; and for white farm laborers the median was $264. When Negro households are considered, the median gross income is still lower, $251." This study covered the Missouri counties of Pemiscot, Dunklin and New Madrid only. Source: Study of Levels of Living in Three Southeast Missouri Counties by Grace Edith Hart (1937), page 103.
Prices in the United States, 1930-1939
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Food prices, 1923-1936The link above provides prices averaged across 51 U.S. cities on pages 77-94 in the source. Click "more..." for links to prices for specific foods by city.
Pep Flakes cost 12¢ in 1930. See more prices for name brands -
Food prices, 1937-1938Average retail prices for 63 foods in 51 large U.S. cities combined. Scroll forward in the source for price breakouts by city.
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Food prices - 1939Average retail prices for 63 foods in 51 large U.S. cities combined. See also data for November 1939.
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Alcohol - Retail prices, 1937Shows retail alcohol prices in Virginia by brand name and by type of wine and liquor. Source: congressional hearing "Concentration of Economic Power," part 6, starts on p. 2721. Prices for other dates are also in this volume.
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Prices for name brand, packaged grocery items, 1930-1931Compares average retail prices for "warehoused" name brand grocery items at independent stores and chain stores in Detroit and Memphis.
- Memphis grocery prices in October 1930. Source: Chain Stores
- Detroit grocery prices in Jan-Feb 1931. Source: Chain Stores
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Food prices paid by farmers, 1939Average prices paid for groceries by farmers in rural areas. The U.S. Dept of Agriculture recorded how much they paid for a pound of coffee, butter, rice, bacon or lard, as well as other foods, clothing, supplies and more.
Farmers paid these prices for groceries in 1939 -
Milk prices by city and state - May 1935Gives the price for home delivery and for sale at retail stores. Milk prices were reported monthly in the U.S. government publication Crops and Markets. Click on any issue and search for the phrase "fluid milk market" to get milk prices for other dates.
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Restaurant food and drink prices, 1930sSite has nearly 2,000 scanned restaurant menus from the 1930-1939 decade, mostly from the New York area.
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Sears mail order catalog, 1936This link leads to the first page of the index to the 1936 Sears Catalog. Find the item desired in the index and enter the page number in the "Jump to" box in HathiTrust.
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Sears Christmas catalog, 1937This link leads to WishbookWeb.com, a site that features historic mail order catalogs in color. Find retail prices for clothing, jewelry, toys, household decor and furnishings, gift items and more.
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Clothing and household goods prices, 1937-1938Source: U.S. Senate investigation into prices. Click "More..." for detail.
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Clothing prices paid by farmers, 1935-1939 averageShows average prices for men's wool suits, trousers, overalls, work shirts, socks, work shoes and rubber boots, as well as women's hose, house dresses, underwear and shoes. Prices for sheets and fabrics are also provided. Source: Agricultural prices, USDA.
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Farm tool and implement prices, 1937Prices are listed in the Sears Complete Line of Modern Farm Operating Equipment catalog dated 1937. Not a government document.
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Median home value by state and owner's race, 1930Median values for owned (not rented) homes. Source: 1930 Census.
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Median monthly rent by state and renter's race, 1930Shows median monthly rent by state, with further breakouts for urban/rural rented homes, race of occupants, and by native and foreign-born whites. Source: 1930 Census.
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Cost to rent, and value of owner-occupied homes - early 1930sRents and home values are listed in the chapter "Housing Conditions in American Cities, 1934" on page 241 of the 1936 Handbook of Labor Statistics. There are special sections that discuss low-cost apartment rentals and tenements in New York City, and housing costs (including rentals) in Philadelphia (pp.246-247).
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Weekly rent for affordable housing in NYC, 1937Details on Harlem River Houses, a low-rent housing community, built by the Housing Division of the Public Works Administration and the New York Housing Authority in 1934-1936.
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Sears home plans with estimated costs to build, 1908-1939The Sears Archive site has digitized some pages from their home plan catalogs. Shows drawing of the home, floor plan, and estimated cost to build. For detail on labor costs, see Estimating Construction Costs by G. Underwood (1930).
FARM HOUSE and LAND VALUES, 1930s
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Average value of farm land and buildings per acre, 1930Average dollar value per acre for farm land (along with any buildings on the land), broken out by U.S. region. Source: 1930 Census of Agriculture.
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Farm values (land and structures) by state and selected counties, 1935Chart shows average farm acreage and average value of land with all structures as of 1935. Source: U.S. Farm housing survey, Table 8. Note: this report also contains a great deal of interesting detail on the size, material, condition and amenities available in farm homes.
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Farm houses - Cost to build per square foot, 1934See cost data on pages 5-6 of the USDA Farmer's Bulletin #1738, titled Farmhouse plans.
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Farm real estate values in the 48 contiguous states, 1912-2019Figures include both land and buildings. Table shows price per acre for each year. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.
HOUSEHOLD UTILITIES - RATES, 1930s
Tip: Table 5 of the U.S. Farm Housing Survey (1935) shows the % of rural homes with electric or gas lights, central heating, refrigeration, cooking stoves and power washing machines.
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Electricity - Average monthly bill, 1930-1939One-page table shows the average amount billed for residential electricity service on October 1 or January 1 of each year for cities over 50,000 population. Source: Federal Power Commission.
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Electricity, average monthly bills for residential service, by city - 1936Gives the price per kilowatt hour and total net monthly bill for households having various electrical appliances in 1936.
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Electricity prices by region, 1936-1938Calculates the retail price change and percent change based on standard electricity usage. Includes Dec. 1936 - Mar. 1937 and Dec. 1937 - Mar. 1938. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, May 1937 and May 1938
Source: BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 275. -
Changes in retail prices of [natural] gas, 1923-36In residences, natural gas was mainly for cooking and water heating. Source: BLS Bulletin, no. 628
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Coal for household use, 1931-1932Average retail price of coal by city for April and May of 1931 and 1932.
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Hospital room rates, 1930Tells the rates to stay in a hospital room but not other charges such as lab work, x-rays, surgery and other professional services. Source: BLS Handbook of Labor Statistics, 1931 edition.
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Drug and remedy prices, 1930-1931Compares average retail prices for drug-store items at independent stores and chain stores in Detroit and Memphis.
- Detroit, MI prices in Feb 1931. Source: Chain Stores (Serial Set 9783).
- Memphis, TN prices in Oct-Nov 1930. Source: Chain Stores (Serial Set 9783).
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Cost of medical care in the 1930sPublished in 1937, The cost of adequate medical care is a thorough investigation into the costs of medical care in the 1930s. In includes the 1933-34 Fee table of the Chicago Medical Society, expected fee schedules and unit costs for services with breakdowns based on type of practitioner and disease category, and more.
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Physicians' services, 1935-1936The average cost of a house call was $2.39 as compared with $1.54 for a visit to a physician in their office. Source: Family expenditures for medical care, five regions, page 14.
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Health items at drug stores - Average retail prices, 1930s
- 1931 -- Prices for common drug store items. Source: Congressional hearing.
- 1936 and 1939 -- Drug store prices by state and region. Source: Fair trade and the retail drug store
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Cost to mail a letter or postcard, 1863-presentSource: the Historian of the U.S. Postal Service.
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Mailing packages, 1939It cost $4.80 to ship a 5-pound package from Boston to San Francisco using air mail. Source: Story of aircraft, p. 397.
See transportation prices below.
COST of a COLLEGE EDUCATION, 1930s
In the 1930s decade, 12% to 14% of people aged 18-21 were enrolled in college. Source: U.S. Bureau of Education.
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Cost of attending college, 1933-1934Lists average college tuition, student fees, room and board for 1933 and 1934. Turn to specific pages to see breakouts:
-Table 1. Summary of Averages.
-Table 2. State-controlled universities and colleges. Pages 11-14
-Table 3. Municipal Colleges and Universities Page 15
-Table 4. Privately Controlled Colleges and Universities. Pages 15-18.
-Table 5. Denominationally Controlled Institutions. Pages 19-22
-Table 6. Independent Technological Institutions,Including all that are publicly controlled and/or accredited by the Association of American Universities. Page 23. -
College expenses by field of study, 1930-1934The U.S. Office of Education published Guidance Leaflets listing college expenses as well as typical compensation earned by graduates of various degree programs.
- Architecture, Leaflet #10, pp. 4-7
- Art, Leaflet #20, pp. 7-12
- Chemistry and chemical engineering, Leaflet #19, pp. 8-13
- Dentistry, Leaflet #7, pp. 5-10
- Engineering, Civil, Leaflet #11, pp. 4-7
- Engineering, electrical, Leaflet #12, pp. 5-11
- Engineering, mechanical, Leaflet #13, pp. 5-11
- Forestry, Leaflet #16, pp. 6-10
- Home economics, Leaflet #21, pp. 8-13
- Journalism, Leaflet #8, pp. 3-6
- Law, Leaflet #5, pp. 5-13
- Librarianship, Leaflet #9, pp. 4-9.
- Medicine, Leaflet #6, pp. 7-14
- Music, Leaflet #17, pp. 7-13
- Nursing, Leaflet #15, pp. 7-9
- Optometry, Leaflet #22, pp. 7-9
- Osteopathy, Leaflet #23, p. 6
- Pharmacy, Leaflet #14, pp. 8-15
- Veterinary medicine, Leaflet #18, pp. 7-8
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College costs by institution, 1938Shows tuition, fees, room and board charged at individual colleges and universities. List arranged by state. Source: Working your way through college, pp. 144-163 (published 1941).
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College tuition and fees by major, 1939Shows estimated average tuition and other required fees for higher education in 1939 and 1947. Does not include living expenses (room and board). Source: President's Commission on Higher Education. See percent of the population ages 18-21 who were enrolled in college each year, according to the Biennial Survey of Education in the U.S., 1944-46, chapter IV, p. 5
Transportation costs, 1930-1939
NEW CAR PRICES
- New Chevrolet car prices, 1930-1939 Price data on page 6. See full page images and detailed descriptions of each model on pages 14-58 (source).
- Automobile prices, 1934
Source: Price of automobiles, a report prepared for use by the U.S. government.
1938 car advertisement
from Collier's Magazine - Selected automobile prices, 1936
Buick and Packard prices shown in congressional report. - New car prices according to NADA
Manufacturer suggested retail prices (MSRP) for 1930s cars and trucks are available on the NADA website. Choose a make, year, and body type. Click "Get Base Values" to see the original suggested retail price.
1938 car advertisementUSED CAR PRICES
- Used car values, 1930 Chart shows the values of used Hudson and Packard automobiles in the year 1930. Source: Appraisers and assessors manual, p. 478.
- Used car prices by age, make and model - 1938
Shows retail sales value in 1938 for used 4-door sedans manufactured 1933-1937. Location: Cleveland OH. See table 10, pp. 61-68 of source. - Used car price modeling, 1938
Chapter titled "How much to pay for a used car" provides an abbreviated chart and detailed discussion on how used cars were priced. Source: How to buy a used car, pp. 24-26.
- Average retail price of gasoline, 1929-2011
Reported annually. Source: U.S. Department of Energy website. - Retail gasoline price and gas taxes, 1919-1938
Monthly price and tax data for a group of 50 U.S. cities on p. 284 of source. - Gasoline prices paid by farmers, 1910-1943
Under the heading "Supplies" in the table on page 21, this source shows the average gasoline price per gallon for 1910-1914 (five year average), 1919, 1929, 1939, and 1943. - Gasoline prices in California, 1929-1935
Retail prices were discussed in a regular column titled "California Refinery Market," in National Petroleum News.
- Bus fares between selected cities, 1930
Source: Coordination of Motor Transportation, pp. 29-33. - Greyhound bus fares from Washington DC, 1931
Newspaper advertisement shows fares to South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. - Intercity bus fares before 1935
The Motor Carrier Act of 1935 imposed standards on intercity bus fares. Describes the unpredictable nature of fares before Congress passed the law.
- Passenger train fare in the U.S., 1871-1933
Average railroad passenger fare expressed in cents per mile. - Railway passenger ticket prices - 1930-1933
Fares were generally calculated on a cents-per-mile basis. See fare overview in the section titled "Carrier Price," in the U.S. document "Passenger Traffic Report" on pages 38-39. Also shows average price per guest for compartments, upper berths, lower berths, bedrooms, drawing rooms, and private sections on reserved railway cars in the year 1933. - Railway passenger fares, 1933-1940
Fares shown in cents per mile. Further discussion and explanation begins on page 107 in this study by the Association of American Railroads. - RR ticket prices between NYC and Chicago, 1910-1944
Source: Association of American Railroads' Passenger traffic study, p. 395.
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Nonstop airfares - Aug 1930This is a partial list of passenger airfares listed in The Official aviation guide, Aug 1930 issue, as reprinted in Birth of an industry...a nostalgic collection of airline schedules from 1929 through 1939. Contact us for a specific lookup.
Find fares in timetables
- Air fares in timetables, 1930s
Fine fares listed in timetables, usually after the flight schedules. Source: TimetableImages.com - Los Angeles to New York airfare, 1939
A one-way flight on a 14-passenger plane cost $140. Flight time was just over 15 hours with three stops. Source: The Story of aircraft, p. 407.
- Steamship fare from New York to Europe, ca. 1936
Shows summer rates. Source: AAA. For context on the differences between steamers and classes of travel, see Choice of Steamer in the book Planning a Trip Abroad (1931).
- Rail and bus, 1930
Compares rail and bus fares on routes involving Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, Jacksonville FL, Boston, Portland ME, Portland OR, San Francisco, Los Angeles on page 30, and Kansas City, Indianapolis, Texarkana, Minneapolis and New York on page 31 in Coordination of motor transportation, a report to the Interstate Commerce Commission (source). - Air and rail, 1932
Air passenger fares averaged 6.2 cents per mile in 1932, according to the U.S. Dept of Commerce. Source: Brookings Institution report, The American Transportation Problem. - Air, bus and rail, 1939
Single table shows bus, railway or airplane fares for easy comparison. Source: "The National Traffic Pattern," a congressional report published in 1944.
Cost of living and consumer expenditures in the U.S., 1930s
In addition to the links below, we recommend the book America's Capacity to Consume, published in 1934 by the Brookings Institution. It reports personal and household income as well as consumer expenditures in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
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Family expenditures for selected cities, 1935-36Provides an in-depth look at average family expenditures based on several factors.Includes city, family type, income, race, and in some cases, occupation type.
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College student expenditures - Ohio, 1933Data on the expenditures and buying activities of students at Ohio State University in the winter 1933. It included room, food, laundry, beauty shop services, clothing, and more. The list of tables may also help locate pages of interest.
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Family expenditure in Chicago, 1935-36Family income by occupational group, sources, by family composition.
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Family income and expenditure in west-central region, 1935-36Income from the west-central/Rocky Mountain region. BLS Bulletin no. 646.
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Medical care expenditures, 1935-1936The report Family expenditures for medical care, five regions has nearly 300 pages of discussion and data tables, with breakouts by race, income level and more. This is a USDA Bureau of Home Economics publication.
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Wisconsin farm families - Income and expenditures, 1929-1930A sample of 900 rural families revealed that average annual income was $1103, while the average cost of living was $1454. Also shows the average value of necessary things that could be produced on the farm. Source: Farm Family Living in Wisconsin, published 1933.
Money disbursement is the measurement of how much money people make as well as where and on what they spend that money.
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Money disbursements of wage earners and clerical workers, 1933-35Study covered 13 small cities, focusing on cost of living, expenditure patterns, expenditures for specific goods. Source: BLS
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Money disbursements of wage earners and clerical workers, 1934-1936Describes American cost of living, expenditure patterns, expenditures for specific goods. Summary volume is linked above. Source: BLS. Regional breakdowns are provided below:
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Cost of clothing for moderate-income families, 1935-44Bulletin of the US.. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), No. 789
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The farmer's share of the consumer's food dollar, 1937Includes annual consumption by family and prices on selected food items.
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Food diets at four levels of nutritive content and cost, 1934Describes four types of diets in November 1934, with regards to their nutritional information and costs at 1931-1932 retail prices. It breaks down cost by food product, such as milk, eggs, and fruits, as well as by city, including New York and St. Louis. Costs of food items starts on page 13. Paper copy available in Ellis Library.
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Wartime prices, 1939-1941Tracks price changes between the invasion of Poland (August 1939) and the attack on Pearl Harbor in December, 1941. The focus is on wholesale and commodity price fluctuations and the reasons behind the changes, and tracks profit margins for sellers. It does not give actual retail prices.
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Standard of living for minimum wage households, Detroit MI, 1929Ford Motor Company considered $7/day its "minimum wage" in 1929. This study shows the standard of living it provided for families of 4-5 people which were supported only by a husband earning that wage. Shows prices and annual expenditures for purchases in categories. Also details the quality of housing, typical home furnishings, etc. for these families. See pages 11-55 in the 1931 U.S. Dept of Labor Handbook of Labor Statistics.
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Standards of living in four southern Appalachian Mountain counties, 1938Part 10 of the Social Research Report,an overview of the average standard of living of families in four counties, two in North Carolina and two in Kentucky, in 1938. Provides average family expenditures on and values of commodities like housing, food, education, and automobiles.
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Standards of living in seven rural resettlement communities, 1938As a way to analyze the success of a handful of settlements established by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration for economically disadvantaged families in the 1930s, this report checked on family expenditures. Seven such communities were analyzed for this report. It is not meant to report on average prices so much as it is to show household expenditures of certain families.
International prices by country, 1930-1939
Prices in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES, 1930s
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Gasoline prices in foreign countries - 1936See gasoline prices by the gallon and motor oil by the quart in each of 65 countries. Source: American Automobile Association.
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World retail prices on gasoline, kerosene, and motor lubricating oilsReports prices in U.S. cents using exchange rates in effect at the time. Source: U.S. Department of the Interior.
Prices in EUROPE, 1930s
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Hotel prices in Europe, ca. 1930Hotel prices are discussed on pages 83-88 of the book "Planning a Trip Abroad," published in 1931.
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Retail prices in 16 countries, 1931Table compares the cost of a few dozen specific foods and household fuels (firewood, coal and electricity) across 18 countries. Amounts are expressed in American dollars with currency conversions cited for all foreign monies.
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Cost of "Food basket" in 19 countries, 1932For each of 19 European countries plus the US and Canada, this source shows the average cost of a "food basket" containing a standardized selection of grocery items consumed in a typical household.
Prices in CANADA, 1930s
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Cost of "Food basket" in Canada, 1932For each of 19 countries including Canada, this source shows the average cost of a "food basket" containing a standardized selection of grocery items consumed in a typical household.
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Retail prices in Canada, 1931Table compares the cost of foods and fuel across 18 countries including Canada. Amounts are expressed in American dollars with currency conversions cited for all foreign monies.
Prices in LATIN AMERICA, 1930s
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Movie admission prices in Central America and the Caribbean, 1931The U.S. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce reported motion picture ticket prices in Trade Information Bulletin #754 . See ticket prices for: British Honduras (Belize), Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvadore, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico.
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Prices of hosiery in Latin America, 1928-1930This 1931 Trade Information Bulletin from the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Latin American Markets for American Hosiery, contains retail prices of hosiery in a number of Latin American counties for the years 1928-1930, including British Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Colombia, British Guiana, Peru , Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil.
Prices in FRNACE, 1930s
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Paris, France prices listed in tourist guidebook published 1932See book Password to Paris: Advice for the Thrifty, published in the U.S. in 1932. Not a government document.
Prices in the SOVIET UNION, 1930s
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Prices of food and consumer goods in the Soviet Union, 1936-1940This article and accompanying table list retail prices of select foodstuffs and clothing in state retail stores for the years of 1936, 1939, and 1940.
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Cost of living and fixed food prices in the Soviet Union, 1934-1935This article discusses the abolition of the ration card system and implementation of fixed food prices with the economic implications for each. Tables include fixed prices for bread, flour, meat and other foodstuffs. Also included are fixed monthly wages for workers in the textile industry.
International cost of living by country, 1930-1939
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Cost to maintain standard of living in European countries, 1930Describes the cost of living for middle-class families in France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands compared to the cost of living in England. It also lists the estimated cost of items like food, rent, education and taxes.
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Typical income and cost of living in Chile, 1928-39Table shows the cost of living compared to monthly income for the average family in Chile between 1928 and 1939. Source: Monthly Labor Review, Oct 1940, pp. 1022-1023.
Buying power of historic wages expressed in today's dollars
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Calculator: Present-day purchasing power of a historic dollar amountThe MeasuringWorth.com website provides online calculators, guides and tutorials to help researchers understand the current-day value of historic money in the United States, Australia, Spain and the United Kingdom.
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Consumer Price Index Inflation CalculatorThis calculator allows you to compare the buying power of wages earned at different points in history. For example, a dollar earned in 2016 had the same buying power as 4 cents in 1913. Conversely, a dollar earned in 1913 had the same buying power as $24.24 in the year 2016.
Quotable facts for the 1930-1939 decade
In the United States...
- In July 1930, the average starting wage for common labor was 43¢ per hour. Source: U.S. Department of Labor
- In 1930, less than 10% of workers earned enough to be required to file a federal income tax return. Source.
- In 1930, milk cost an average of 56¢ per gallon. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- In 1930, eggs cost an average of 44¢ per dozen. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1930, coffee cost an average of 39¢ per pound. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1934, 92% of new automobiles sold for less than $825. Source: Price of Automobiles
- A gallon of gasoline cost an average of 18.6¢ in rural areas in 1939. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
- In 1930, elementary school teachers in large cities earned a median $2,118 annually. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1932, the median income for engineers at various ages and professional degrees was $2, 574. Source: U.S. BLS
Timeline -- Major economic events, 1930-1938
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
Ask a Question
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Marie Concannon, Government Information Librarian
Government Documents Department
106B Ellis Library (1st Floor East)
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Phone (573) 882-0748
