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Friday, March 6, 2020

Farm Wages Highest In History Last Year, But Haven't Kept Up With Inflation, March 5, 1920

From The Independent, Elizabeth City, N.C., March 5, 1920

Farm Wages Highest in History Last Year. . . Department of Agriculture Indicates They Will be Higher Yet

Farm wages were the highest in the history of the United States last year, the department of agriculture announces. For labor hired, by the month with board, the average for the country as a hole was $39.82, without board was $56.29. Harvest wages per day with board reached the top figure of $4.48 in the North Central states west of the Mississippi River. The lowest farm wages are in the South Atlantic states, with the South Central states next lowest. Monthly wages with board were highest in the western states including the mountain and Pacific states, where the average was $62.96 while without board it was $87.12.

Farming operations of 1919 produced crops that had a value at the farm that was 11.8 per cent. above 1918, and animal products 9.9 per cent above, but the gain in wages of farm labor was relatively greater. Wages by the month with board increased 14 per cent, without board 15.3 per cent, and day wages in harvest, 18.9 per cent.

These figures indicate that the farm laborer is still regaining the ground he lost, relatively, early in the rapid upward movement of prices of farm products after 1915. This wage recovery was evident in 1918 as well as in 1919, but full recovery has not yet been accomplished.

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