THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM 
154 
Weekly and Daily Earnings, According to Race, Age, 
Sex and Industry 
The rates of pay and earnings, therefore, of south 
ern and eastern European industrial workers, roughly 
correspond to the prevailing rates of remuneration and 
earnings of unskilled workmen. In some branches of 
mining and manufacturing they are paid on a piece- 
rate basis, and consequently the most satisfactory ex 
hibit of their industrial efficiency or earning ability 
may be presented in the shape of weekly earnings.* 
The following statement shows, by general nativity, 
the average weekly earnings of 220,390 male indus 
trial workers, eighteen years of age or over, during 
a normal industrial week of 1909: 
Total 
Number 
Native-Born of Native Father— 
White 41,933 
Negro 6,604 
Native-Born of Foreign Father-. 32,242 
Total Native-Born 80,780 
Total Foreign-Born 139,610 
Grand Total 220,390 
Average Amount of 
Weekly Earnings 
$14.37 
10.66 
13.91 
13.89 
11.92 
12.64 
It is seen that the average weekly earnings for the 
native-born white employees of native father or, in 
other words, native white Americans, were $14.37, as 
contrasted with $13.91 for those of native birth but 
of foreign father, and $11.92 for the total number of 
employees of foreign birth. The earnings of the Brit 
ish and northern European immigrants of former 
years are also higher than those of the newly arrived 
southern and eastern Europeans. 
* See Appendix C for a detailed presentation of earnings according to 
general nativity and race.