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Puerto Rico in the Great Depression
Wages, Puerto Rico (1937)
Publishing Information
Table showing general averages of weekly wages and working hours and of earnings per hour of workers in 1411 establishments and farms in various industries in the island of Puerto Rico, during the fiscal year 1936-37, but without regard to occupations, together with a statement of the total number of employees and of establishments and farms investigated in each industry.
| Industries | Number of establishments and farms under consideration | Number of employees | Average | Percentage of full time actually worked in one week | Average |
| Starts per week | Full time hours per week | Hours actually worked per week | Earnings per hour | Full time earnings per week | Actual earnings per week |
| Bakeries: |
| Males | 120 | 1,037 | 6.4 | 51.8 | 47.0 | 90.8 | .181 | 9.37 | 8.53 |
| Females | 2 | 3 | 7.0 | 56.0 | 56.0 | 100.0 | .1508 | 8.45 | 8.45 |
| All | 120 | 1,040 | 6.4 | 51.8 | 47.1 | 90.8 | .181 | 9.37 | 8.53 |
| Blacksmith shops: |
| Males | 3 | 14 | 5.6 | 48.0 | 44.6 | 92.8 | .159 | 7.63 | 7.07 |
| Building trades: |
| Males | 55 | 1,016 | 5.7 | 49.0 | 46.0 | 93.8 | .188 | 9.21 | 8.66 |
| Button factories: |
| Males | 3 | 335 | 5.1 | 48.0 | 39.8 | 82.9 | .189 | 9.07 | 7.51 |
| Females | 2 | 345 | 5.6 | 48.0 | 43.6 | 90.8 | .107 | 5.13 | 4.66 |
| All | 3 | 480 | 5.2 | 48.0 | 40.9 | 85.3 | .162 | 7.77 | 6.65 |
| Cigar factories: |
| Males | 26 | 436 | 5.3 | 47.5 | 41.9 | 88.3 | .203 | 9.64 | 8.52 |
| Females | 8 | 528 | 4.5 | 47.8 | 34.2 | 71.6 | .171 | 8.17 | 5.8 |
| All | 26 | 964 | 4.9 | 47.6 | 37.7 | 79.2 | .187 | 8.90 | 7.07 |
| Cigarette factories: |
| Males | 1 | 33 | 3.4 | 48.0 | 26.7 | 55.7 | .351 | 16.85 | 9.40 |
| Females | 1 | 11 | 3.6 | 48.0 | 28.1 | 68.5 | .192 | 9.22 | 5.39 |
| All | 1 | 24 | 3.5 | 48.0 | 27.4 | 57.0 | .276 | 13.25 | 7.56 |
| Coffee crushing mills: |
| Males | 6 | 83 | 4.9 | 48.0 | 38.9 | 81.0 | .131 | 6.29 | 5.08 |
| Females | 5 | 283 | 2.5 | 48.0 | 17.9 | 37.4 | .086 | 4.13 | 1.55 |
| All | 11 | 366 | 3.0 | 48.0 | 22.7 | 47.3 | .104 | 4.99 | 2.35 |
| Coffee growing: |
| Males | 106 | 1,170 | 4.9 | 48.0 | 36.0 | 74.9 | .072 | 3.45 | 2.60 |
| Females | 36 | 278 | 4.3 | 48.0 | 31.3 | 65.3 | .067 | 3.21 | 2.11 |
| All | 106 | 1,448 | 4.8 | 48.0 | 35.1 | 73.1 | .071 | 3.45 | 2.51 |
| Daries: |
| Males | 58 | 524 | 6.8 | 54.8 | 53.9 | 98.3 | .097 | 5.31 | 5.26 |
| Electric plants: |
| Males | 4 | 217 | 6.5 | 53.0 | 51.7 | 97.6 | .266 | 14.10 | 13.77 |
| Fruit canning plants: |
| Males | 4 | 177 | 4.1 | 52.3 | 30.0 | 57.3 | .112 | 5.86 | 3.36 |
| Females | 4 | 614 | 3.8 | 50.5 | 28.4 | 56.2 | .08 | 4.04 | 2.29 |
| All | 4 | 791 | 3.9 | 50.9 | 28.7 | 55.4 | .088 | 4.48 | 2.53 |
| Fruit planting: |
| Males | 21 | 551 | 4.7 | 48.0 | 36.3 | 75.7 | .093 | 4.46 | 3 39 |
| Females | 5 | 50 | 5.2 | 48.0 | 40.6 | 84.6 | .057 | 2.74 | 2.33 |
| All | 21 | 601 | 4.7 | 48.0 | 36.7 | 76.5 | .09 | 4.32 | 3.30 |
| Liquor manufacturing & bottling establishments: |
| Males | 18 | 415 | 5.3 | 50.9 | 41.0 | 80.4 | .15 | 7.63 | 6.15 |
| Females | 12 | 134 | 5.6 | 48.4 | 42.4 | 87.5 | .135 | 6.53 | 5.72 |
| All | 18 | 549 | 5.4 | 50.3 | 41.3 | 82.1 | .146 | 7.34 | 6.05 |
| All in the several branches of the needlework industry: |
| Males | 125 | 1,330 | 4.7 | 46.9 | 36.5 | 77.9 | .132 | 6.19 | 4.83 |
| Females | 151 | 8,483 | 4.5 | 46.2 | 34.4 | 74.3 | .101 | 4.67 | 3.49 |
| Boys | 1 | 1 | 6.0 | 48.0 | 48.0 | 100 | .0208 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| All | 138 | 9,814 | 4.5 | 46.3 | 34.7 | 74.8 | .106 | 4.91 | 3.67 |
| Sugar cane planting: |
| Males | 109 | 20,143 | 3.8 | 49.1 | 28.4 | 58.0 | .128 | 6.28 | 3.65 |
| Females | 1 | 8 | 1.6 | 48.0 | 10.5 | 21.9 | .082 | 3.94 | 0.86 |
| Boys | 4 | 45 | 5.3 | 49.2 | 41.2 | 83.6 | .095 | 4.67 | 3.93 |
| All | 109 | 20,396 | 3.8 | 49.1 | 28.5 | 58.0 | .128 | 6.28 | 3.64 |
| Sugar factories: |
| Males | 41 | 12,230 | 5.3 | 55.6 | 44.2 | 79.5 | .175 | 9.73 | 7.73 |
| Females | 3 | 10 | 2.9 | 48.8 | 23.0 | 47.1 | .088 | 4.29 | 2.03 |
| Boys | 1 | 1 | 7.0 | 56.0 | 56.0 | 100.0 | .0178 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| All | 41 | 12,241 | 5.5 | 55.6 | 44.2 | 79.4 | .175 | 9.73 | 7.73 |
| Tobacco-growing fields: |
| Males | 112 | 1,515 | 4.6 | 47.9 | 36.3 | 75.7 | .073 | 3.50 | 2.68 |
| Femals | 76 | 676 | 4.0 | 48.0 | 31.4 | 65.5 | .05 | 2.40 | 1.56 |
| Boys | 4 | 13 | 5.6 | 48.0 | 44.9 | 93.6 | .045 | 2.16 | 2.01 |
| All | 112 | 2,204 | 4.4 | 47.9 | 34.8 | 72.6 | 0.066 | 3.16 | 2.32 |
| Tobacco stripping: |
| Males | 50 | 1,492 | 5.7 | 45.0 | 45.0 | 93.7 | .122 | 5.86 | 5.50 |
| Females | 50 | 13,033 | 5.2 | 47.2 | 40.4 | 85.6 | .08 | 3.78 | 3.26 |
| Boys | 1 | 23 | 6.0 | 48.0 | 48.0 | 100.0 | .0897 | 4.32 | 4.30 |
| All | 50 | 14,548 | 5.3 | 47.3 | 40.9 | 86.5 | .085 | 4.02 | 3.49 |
| Transportation by Land (Railroads): |
| Males | 12 | 1,621 | 6.1 | 54.7 | 48.1 | 87.9 | .196 | 10.72 | 9.44 |
| Females | 4 | 64 | 8.9 | 65.0 | 51.3 | 91.6 | .062 | 3.47 | 3.18 |
| All | 12 | 1,685 | 6.0 | 54.8 | 48.2 | 88.0 | .191 | 10.47 | 9.20 |
| All in the various industries: |
| All | 1,411 | 80,834 | 4.6 | 49.8 | 35.4 | 71.1 | .134 | 6.67 | 4.76 |
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