The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-09-06
AVERAGE WORK
WEEK DECLINES
Cut Down So Minutes h Last
I've Years Domestic Sery-
ants Have Long Hours.

New York. The length of the
working week of the average Ameri
can employe has declined SO minutes
In the last two years, according to
statement by the National Bureau
Of Econouic Research, summarizing
the results Of a nationwide investi-
CATION which was undertaken for the
business cycle committee Of. President
Hardings conference on unemploy-
ment. Outlining the results Of the In
vestigation, DIR. Wiilford L King, of
the staff Of the national bureau of
economic research, under whose SUI
pervision the facts were gathered, said:
According to some historians. our
greatgrandfather thought twelve
hours reasonable days work. For
more than hundred years, however,
the length Of the working day has
been declining steadily until the av-
erage American in the first quarter OF
1922 was expected by his employer
TO work only sos hours a week, just a
trifle more than the eight hours for six
days set forth as an ideal by re-
formers Of generation or two ago.
The detailed figures covering all in
dustries in the United States show
that the length Of the working week
declined 80 minutes during the two
years covered by the study"
Dowestlcs Work Loncest Hours.
OF all classes of employers report
ing, those engaged in rendering do
nestle and personal service record
the longest full-tirne hours for those
working under their direction, the av-
erage being slightly more than eight
hours daily for seven-day week.
Farmers and retail merchants each
require over fffty-three hours Of work
per week from their employees. En-
ployers In a considerable group of In
dustries usually call for less than forty
eight hours per week from their
workers. This group includes build
ing and construction, finance. public
and professional service, paper and
printing establishments, and factories
making textiles. clothing, leather and
leather goods.
The figures presented in the re-
pOrt," continued DIR. King. indicate
the man who Is anxious to have .
steady job in dull times as well as
In good times should seek position
with small employer. However, IL he
followed this course during the last
few years, he may have discovered
that he gained less than he expected
by the choice, for the tables show
ports are available. he was asked to
work fifty-three hours each week ir
the small enterprise instead OF the ATS
that the large. establishment on ,the
average. required him to serve This
difference is partly accounted for by
the fact that farmers form so large
portion of small employers.
Big Firms, Shorter Hours.
However, the farmers are not the
only ones Of this class that call fol
longer hours than the average In
nine out of seventeen industries, EN-
ployers hiring fewer than twenty one
workers required their employees te
work over fifty-four hours per week
in the first quarter of 1922. In the
group employing twenty.one to 1O(
workers. long hours for employees
proved to be even more common thar
IN the smaller enterprises at the sans
date. for twelve out Of seventeen In
dustrial groups had full time hours
Of more than fifty per week. Only
in concerns employing over 100 mer
were shorter hours the rule. In tina,
group only seven Of the reventeeI
Industries expected their men to worf
as much as fifty hours per week"