TABLE 17.—AVERAGE WAGES FOR FULL-TIME WORKING WEEK FOR SIMILAR WORKERS,
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CLOTHING, CLEVELAND, 1915[TableList]
| Workers | Men's clothing | Women's clothing |
| Hand sewers, women Section operators, women Examiners, women Section operators, men Pressers, under Forewomen Pressers, upper Cutters, cloth Examiners, men Foremen | $9.50 9.25 7.00 16.50 12.00 11.00 18.50 18.75 17.75 29.25 | $10.00 11.25 13.50 15.25 15.75 16.25 19.50 20.00 25.00 30.00 |
Regularity of Employment
The making of women's clothing is seasonal, to meet a seasonal purchasing demand. Most people purchase their summer clothes in April and May, and their winter clothes in October and November. During the months previous to these purchasing seasons a large number of workers are needed, but after the height of the purchasing period employment becomes less and less steady until the first demands of the new season are felt. During the rush season a greater number of workers is employed, or the output may be augmented by increasing the speed at which the work is performed or the number of hours in the working day. A combination of these methods is frequently used. During dull periods the workers may be busy from a few hours a week to full working time; while in rush periods they may work not only the regular working hours, but in addition a good deal of over-time.
Compared with other manufacturing industries as regards regularity of employment men's clothing makes an excellent showing while women's clothing ranks low. In Diagram 10 the average number of unemployed among each 100 workers is shown for men's and women's clothing and for 15 other large manufacturing industries in the city. Men's clothing leads the list, with an average unemployment of four among each 100 workers, while women's clothing ranks 14th, with 15 among each 100.
Training and Promotion
Designers learn their work through apprenticeships to custom tailors and cutters and by taking supplementary courses in drafting and grading of patterns in a designing school. Most designers in Cleveland have had training in designing schools in New York or Chicago.
