In the United States there are some 30,000 commercial bakers of whom about 3,000 to 4,000 have an output of 70 to 75 per cent of the baking business of the country. Besides these commercial bakers, found in every city of any size in the country, bakeries are also to be found in many large hotels and restaurants, and these number many thousands more. These bakeries are of such size, indeed, that a head baker and an assistant baker, besides many workmen, are engaged in the different occupations.

There are many bakeries in this country who make daily from 50,000 to 100,000 loaves of bread. This requires the use of approximately 170 to 340 barrels of flour every day. Some bakers use five times that amount of flour. One of the largest bakeries in France, in connection with the American Expeditionary Forces, was said to be capable of turning out 1,000,000 loaves per day. The number of bakeries in the United States making over five thousand one-pound loaves per day is very large, and these are the ones which especially require the services of a master baker as well as of several other trained employees.

Value of Bakery Products

At the time of the last census there were over 120,000 men employed in the baking industry and the total output of the product from all kinds of bakeries was estimated to be valued at $400,000,000. Since that time, however, the output of the commercial labor has increased by leaps and bounds. To-day the commercial baker makes fully one-half of the bread consumed in the country, which is a relatively much larger amount than was made even 10 years ago. During the war, bread was advertised as was no other commodity. Besides this, the housewife found very great difficulty in making a satisfactory bread with the use of such a large amount of flour substitutes as the Food Administration required. This compelled many housewives to buy baker’s bread—housewives who had never before used baker’s bread. The habit thus formed has in many cases proved permanent, and thus has resulted in a largely increased demand for baker’s bread.

These facts show the importance of the baking industry, and show furthermore that the need for bakers is constantly growing and indeed is most urgent. It should not be difficult for any returning soldier who desires to make a specialty of baking to find employment near his own home, particularly if he lives in a large city.

Where do Bakers Work?

Bakers formerly almost universally worked in basements, many of them dark and unsanitary. The basement bakery is, in fact, not entirely done away with yet, but such as remain are small and unimportant. To-day the bakers of each city are vieing with each other to see who can put up the most attractive, the most “sunlit,” and sanitary bakery. The consequence is that practically all large important bakeries are built high up, with abundance of air and sunlight. This makes the work much more attractive, agreeable, and healthful than was formerly the case. The conditions of work for bakers are thus improving rapidly and are fully on a par with, if indeed they are not better than, those of other important industries.

Description of Occupations in a Bakery

There are a number of occupations connected with the baking industry, among which may be mentioned truckers, blending-machine tenders, mixers, machine hands, bench hands, oven men, packers, and shipping clerks, salesmen, clerks, and the engineers. The classification in the following table shows the character of occupations, the work required, the qualifications, wages, hours of labor, physical requirements, and training of the men:

Occupation.Character
of
occupation.		Work
requires.		Qualifications.Wages
per
week.		Hours
of
work.		Physical
requirements.		Training
required.
1.Heavy labor.Handling flour, trucking, miscellaneous handling heavy material, blending-machine tenders, machine hands.Walking, bending, lifting heavy weights, climbing, pushing or pulling heavy trucks. All work done on feet.Unusual bodily strength and agility.[47]$38Both legs, both arms, hands with thumbs and fingers enough to do the work; one eye; good hearing not essential.None.
2.Light labor.Moving bread racks and pan racks; loading wagons, cleaning and greasing pans and machinery; sweeping.Walking, bending, lifting ordinary weights, manipulation of cleaning and greasing machines; pushing and pulling loaded racks. Usually all work done on feet.Some familiarity with bakery practice.[47]38Two legs, one hand with at least thumb and two fingers, if good artificial hand; one eye; good hearing not essential.Do.
3.Dough mixers and assistants.Mixing dough; running mixing machines; weighing and measuring ingredients.Walking, bending, lifting, operating machinery, manipulation of scales and measures. Sitting part of time.Common-school education, good knowledge of doughs and dough batch ingredients. Familiarity with bakery practice.25-408One hand, if good artificial hand, one foot, with good artificial leg; one eye; fairly good hearing.3 to 4 months in baking establishment.
4.Operators of fermentation.Turning and timing doughs; pushing troughs; keeping room at constant temperature.Walking, bending, lifting, pushing heavy troughs.Common-school education; somewhat familiar with baking practice.25-358do.3 months.
5.Bench hands, dividers, rounders, molders.Running baking machines which divide, round, and mold the dough; sometimes performing these operations by hand.Standing at bench, some walking; loading, light lifting, rapid hand movements.Common-school education, thoroughly familiar with baking practice.25-358Two hands with thumb and at least one finger on each hand; one foot; one eye; fair hearing.Do.
6.Peelers, oven men.Putting pans into and taking bread from the oven; transferring pans from peels to racks, etc.Standing at oven, bending, light lifting, rapid motions of hands and body.Common school education, thoroughly familiar with baking practice; agility and dexterity.25-408One hand, if good artificial hand; one foot, if able to stand well on artificial foot; one eye, fair hearing.3 months.
7.Sorters, checkers, workers in bread room, shipping clerks, packing clerks, clerical office force.Sorting bread; checking bread into wagons, making out bread slips, etc.Largely desk work. No physical exertion except that involved in handling records. Very little walking; can use crutches.Business education; some knowledge of office practice.208-9One eye (good eyesight), one hand; legs not essential; fair hearing.6 months.
8.Salesmen.Making deliveries of bakery products; driving horses or automobile; working out routes; keeping up trade, making collections and adjustments of money.Walking, bending, lifting, climbing in and out of wagon or automobile constantly.Business education, knowledge of bakery products: knowledge of salesmanship; pleasing personality.25-758-9Both feet; one hand, with good artificial hand; one eye; good hearing essential.6 months.
9.Shop foreman.Immediate supervision of shop operations.Walking; physical exertion only in helping in shop operation; much climbing.Common-school education; thorough familiarity with all lines of bakery work; ability to handle men.35-508-12do.1 year.
10.Superintendent or manager of bakery.General supervision of entire plant; determination of methods of manipulation; supervision of all business activities.Largely desk work; but must be able to get around plant, to control operations.Thorough business education; intimate knowledge of manufacturing processes, cost accounting; great executive and directing ability; ability to deal with men.50-200[48]Good eyesight, good hearing; able to get around plant. |2 years.
11.Buyer, purchasing agent.Purchasing of raw material and equipment.Largely desk work.Intimate knowledge of trade and marketing conditions and costs; also of raw materials and equipment used by bakers.50-100[48]Good eyesight and hearing; able to walk.1 year.
12.Engineers.Running power plant.Mostly sitting.Common-school education, training and experience in engineering.25-508do.Do.
13.Machinists.Repairing and installing machinery.Walking, bending, lifting, climbing.Common-school education, training and experience with machinery.25-358Both feet, one hand, one eye, fair hearing.Do.