Occupational Changes

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Occupational Changes In Utah and in the United States During Forty Years

By Dr. F. S. Harris, Director Utah Agricultural Experiment Station

The economic welfare of mankind is dependent on the production of the world's workers. This means that our entire civilization is very closely bound up with the efficiency of those who are engaged in gainful occupations. If their production is large, the goods of the world are available in sufficient quantity to give comforts and luxuries to the people; while if the production is small, there may be only enough produced to meet the bare necessities of existence. Vocational subjects should therefore be of interest to everyone not alone because of their personal appeal but also because of their relation to the advancement of civilization and the prosperity of mankind. The constant change in occupation that is steadily going on is of considerable interest in this connection. The writer has prepared summaries of the United States census reports covering the last forty years to show what proportion of the total population of the United States and of Utah is engaged in gainful occupations, as well as the distribution of these workers among the major vocations: Percentage of Population — Male and Female—Engaged in Gainful Occupations during Forty Years

1880 1890 1900 1910 In the United States Males 29.4 30.0 31,2 32.7 Females 5.3 6.3 7.1 8.9

Total 34.7 36.3 38.3 41.6

In UtahMales 25.8 29.4 26.7 30.2 Females 2.0 3.4 3.9 4.9

Total 27.8 32.8 30.6 35.1

The table shows the percentage of the people who were actually earning money has steadily increased during the last forty years. In the total United States it grew from 34.7 to 41.6 per cent, and in Utah from 27.8 to 35.1 per cent. It is particularly noteworthy that the number of female

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wage earners has very decidedly increased. In Utah, although the percentage of women workers has more than doubled during this period, the proportion is only about half that for the entire country. These figures do not include women working at home, but only those having some outside occupation at which they earn a living.

Manufacturing and Mechanical Industries a Trade and Transportation Domestic and personal Service — V7777A Professional Service. giU Agricultural Pursuits. .

Distribution by percentage of those engaged in gainful occupations in Utah and in the United States, during Forty Years

The diagram shows how the workers have been distributed in the various occupations during four census periods. The solid black portion of each column shows the relative number engaged in agricultural pursuits of all kinds. The dotted porprofessional tion directly above indicates the number engaged in including teachers, authors, editors, physicians, civil service, and mining engineers, etc. The diagonal lines represent the proportion of the workers engaged in domestic and personal service such as waiters, barbers, hotelkeepers, and servants. includThose who devote their time to trade and transportation, banking, insurance, railing such activities as merchandising, and street car service, are represented by the roading, express horizontal lines. In the manufacturing and mechanical indusbuilders, stationary entries group are included mechanics, gineers, and manufacturers of all kinds. the An analysis of this diagram shows that in generaltaken a whole have also changes occurring in the country as

place in Utah, although there are a number of distinct ditterthe gradual Probably the most conspicuous change has been

342 IMPROVEMENT ERA

decline in the relative number engaged in agriculture. In 1880, 44 per cent of all the workers of the country were occupied with some phase of farming, while in 1910 this number had been re« duced to 32.9 per cent. The decrease for Utah during this period was from 36.8 to 28.4 per cent. The only .other occupation showing a decrease was that including domestic and personal service. The greatest increase has been in trade and transportation, in which group the relative number of workers was practically doubled in forty years. In the small class including those engaged in professional service, the relative number has nearly doubled in Utah, while the increase was only slightly less for the entire country. The number engaged in manufacturing and the mechanical pursuits has decidedly increased, but not so much as in some of the other occupations. These figures would probably not be explained in the same way by everyone. To the writer they indicate a very wholesome progress in civilization. Some might disagree with this, for some people believe that all should be farmers, and they look with a great deal of apprehension on the inevitable decrease in the relative number of those engaged in agriculture. As a matter of fact, the farmer is primarily a producer of raw materials and the fewer individuals required to supply the needs of mankind for these products, the larger will be the number available to convert these materials into finished commodities. An increased output of the latter is conducive to the comfort and welfare of the people, which in turn allows a greater opportunity for the development of the arts and sciences which make possible a more advanced civilization. The discoveries in agricultural scienceand the development of improved farm equipment have made it possible for a farmer in modern times to produce much more than one could a generation ago. This means that fewer farmers are necessary, which is a good thing not only for the farmers but also for the rest of the people. It is probably a desirable condition that the relative number engaged in domestic and pergonal service is decreasing. This decrease has been made possible by the development of all kinds of mechanical aids and conveniences. Water supplies and modern plumbing, improved heating and lighting systems, and all such developments have released many of the workers required for such service. This has allowed them to become available for the industries that contribute more productively to wealth, or for professional services such as education and medical aid. By thus attending to the more specialized needs of mankind and giving greater comfort and contentment the worker becomes of more use to the world.