TABLE 15.-Hours and earnings of persons employed on Works Progress Administration projects, by types of projects, cumulative through Nov. 30, 1936-Con.

2 Includes projects classifiable under more than one of the headings above.

TABLE 16.-Hours and earnings of persons employed on Works Progress Administration projects, by States, cumulative through Nov. 30, 1936

TABLE 16.-Hours and earnings of persons employed on Works Progress Administration projects by States, cumulative through Nov. 30, 1936—Continued

AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS OF PERSONS EMPLOYED ON WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION PROJECTS

Mr. HOPKINS. During the 17 months of project operation prior to December 1936, a total of $1,701,411,475 had been received by W. P. A. workers in payment for 3,744,598,546 hours of work, or the equivalent of nearly half a billion 8-hour days. Average hourly earnings for this over-all 17-month period were slightly over 45 cents. Approximately a third of total payments went to workers on highway, road, and street projects, and roughly 13 percent to persons employed on each of two other types of projects-those involving parks and other recreational facilities, and white collar projects. Workers on public buildings and workers on goods projects earned almost equal shares of approximately 10 percent of the total accumulated earnings. The only other type of project whose workers received more than 5 percent of the total earnings was the group comprising sewer systems and other utilities, which accounted for over 8 percent of total pay roll costs. Average hourly earnings for the country as a whole, during the early months of the program when employment was concentrated chiefly in New York City and a few other urban areas where higher wage rates prevailed, ranged from 45 to 46 cents per hour. By January, however, average hourly rates had declined to 41 cents as

a result of expansion of the program in rural areas where lower rates are paid. Hourly rates rose steadily for several months thereafter as upward adjustments in wage rates became more widespread. In July 1936, with the beginning of operations under the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1936, hourly wage rates were determined in accordance with prevailing rates in each locality and the net effect of this change in public policy meant an increase in average hourly earnings to slightly over 50 cents per hour. The average hourly rate has remained substantially the same during subsequent months. Considerable variations in the hourly earnings of workers exist according to types of projects on which they are employed and according to States in which they work. Average hourly earnings for each State and each major type of project for the entire period of W. P. A. operations through October 31, 1936 are provided in a table I wish to submit.