Evening star., 1923-07-29

\Nf District Of Columbians. are
" " the most industrious people
in the United States. That
may surprise you, but 1t is true. Sta
tistics of the bureau of the census
prove 1T. A higher percentage of per-
sons ten years of age and over In
the District of Columbia are engaged
in gainfuI occupations than In any
state Of the Union. The proportion OF
women in gaipful occupations here is
more than double the proportion for
the country as whole and far
larger than that of any state. AL
most one-half of the women fifteen
years of age and over in the District
are employed for salaries or wages
and of those about one-quarter are
married.
Married women employed in gain
full occupations in the District of
Columbia show a much higher per-
centage proportionately than for the
country as whole. In only one state
is the high proportion prevailing here
exceeded. That is in South Carolina.
There has been a constant increase
in the proportion of married women
engaged in gainful occupations in the
District during the last thirty years
The world war undoubtedly had an
effect on the increase from 1910 to
1920. In 1890 the proportion was 17.3
per cent of all the married women
living in the District; in 1900, 1t was
IFS per cent; in 1910, the proportion
was 21.3 per cent and there was an
increase of AS per cent in the en-
suing ten years. the 1920 proportion
having been 25.s per cent.
EMPLOYMENT of women in clerical
- work in the executive depart
ments of the government, which is a
fertile field for woman workers, is
responsible for the Districts large
proportion. The employment of negro
married women probably is the larg
est factor in raising the Districts
proportion. OF the 1855 married ne
gro women of fifteen years or over.
49.7 per cent were engaged in gain
full occupations, while of the 46,059
native white married women, 1876
per cent We're gainfully employed.
The proportion of native white mar
ried women working in the District
was larger than any state.
AS to the industriousness of the
people of the District of Columbia
here are the figures: We have in the
District-or did have on January l,
1920. and the number now is larger
total of 437.571 people. OF that
number there were 377,z95 persons
who were ten years of age or over.
Persons of ten years and over en-
gagged in gainful occupations num-
bered 236,027. which is 62.6 per cent
of the total ten or over. For the
country as a whole the proportion of
persons that age who were working
was only sos per cent. In no state
of that age gainfully employed 80
large as in the District Nevada was
the nearest state. with 5s.8 per cent.
while in New York state the proper
ton was 536 per cent, and in Illinois.
50.7 per cent. In our neighboring
states, Virginia's proportion was AT
per cent and Maryland's. sal per
cent.
The male population of the Dis
trict ten years of age and over on
January 1, 1920. was 1854. OF
these men, 14S,401. or S2s per cent.
were engaged in gainful occupations.
That was a higher proportion than
In any state. except Nevada, and ex-
ceeded the country as whole by
a. per cent. the proportion for all
the states having been 1872 per cent.
Nevada's proportion was S4.3 per
cent. and Illinois, 1873 per cent. In our
neighboring states .Maryland's proper
ton was so per cent, and Virginia's,
1874 per cent. OF the male population
gainfully employed in the District, there
were 1886 negroes. or S3.4 per cent of
the 42.97s male negroes ten years of
age or over.
n IATURALLY, the proportion of
~ women in the District gainfully
employed 10 not so large as that of
the men, but the Districts proper
ton Is twice as large as that of the
country as a whole. and far beyond
any states proportion. Women Of ten
years and over In tho District num-
bered 203,721. OF these women 92,s26
were engaged in gainful occupa-
tions. That makes the proportion
45.5 per cent. or almost one-half. For
the country as a whole the proportion
was only all per cent, q. decline of
l.3 per cent from 1910, when the pro-
portion was 23.4 per cent. The Dis
trict's proportion In the same ten
years, however. increased s.5 per cent,
1t having been 80 per cent in 1910.
South Carolina, next to the District
had the largest proportion of women
engaged in gainful occupations, with
33.A per cent New York's proportion
was 26.e per cent and Illinois 21.3. per
cent. while the lowest proportion pre-
vailed in West Virginia. where 1t was
liz per cent. In our neighboring
states, Virginia's proportion was 1s.1
per cent and Maryland's. 2s.s per cent.
OF the gainfully employed females in
the District. 2s,5ss were negroes.