Statistics: Where the Jobs Are

The U.S. Census Bureau last week reported that during the '50s the number of U.S. agricultural workers dropped by 37%, or from 7,047,000 to 4,415,000, while manufacturing employees jumped by 21%, from 15,306,000 to 18.535.000. During that same decade, the whole structure of U.S. employment changed. The number of workers in professional and related services soared by 58%. those involved in finance and real estate increased by 41%, and those in public administration by 27%. At the same time, the number of workers in coal mining dropped by 56%, those in railroad and railway express by 31%, and those in textile product industries by 21%.

For experienced men. the highest median wage was $7.547 in the legal and engineering and other professional services. Following closely were median earnings of $6,521 in petroleum and coal products, $6,373 in communications and $6,018 in aircraft and parts manufacturing. For women the highest median wage was in railroads and railway express with $4,435, while petroleum and coal products followed with $4,111 and the motor vehicle and equipment industry offered $4,083.