THE
TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT
OF
WHITE COLLAR AND SKILLED
NEGRO WORKERS
OF
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON
A SUMMARY
*********
STATE OF WASHINGTON
WORKS PROGRESS AbMINIS TRATION
DISTRICT NUMBER ONE
OFFICIAL PROJECT NUMBER
65 - 93 - 364
A STUDY
TO ASCERTAIN THE AMOUNT AND TYPE OF TRAINING
SKILLED AND "WHITE COLLAR NEGRO WORKERS
HAVE RECEIVED
FUNDS FOR THIS STUDY WERE FURNISHED BY THE
STATE OF WASHINGTON WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION
GEORGE W. GANNON, ADMINISTRATOR
JOSEPH 0. OTT, ADMINISTRATOR
DISTRICT NUMBER ONE
OFFICE SPACE AND EQUIPMENT WERE PROVIDED BY THE
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE, SPONSOR
CHARLES F. ERNST, DIRECTOR
DATE OF OPERATION: NOVEMBER 6# 1935 to APRIL 3, 1936
HAWTHORNE SCHOOL, SPOKANE, WASHINGTON
IN APPRECIATION
We are happy at this time, to publicly tender thanks to
the local branch of the Works Progress Administration for
its contribution of funds for the operation of this project,
and to the State Department of Public Welfare for its spon¬
sorship. Much credit and thanks is also due the Negro citi¬
zens of Spokane for their kindly r oception of the inter-
vierrors, ana for their fine cooperation in carefully and con¬
scientious lyfanswcring the questions contained in the two
schedules used in the study,
The great fund of useful information obtained through the
processes of the Study will benefit not only the Negro commun¬
ity of Spokane, but may be of service to the community as a
whole Statistics resulting from this Study call attention to
tho existence of a situation tending to lower standards generally c
among the Negro group as a unit of the community. This situation,
if allowed to continue, may in time tend to lower the standards of
the community as a wh olo.
Figures obtained from this Study clearly indicate solutions
for some of the vital problems effecting economic status of the
Negro in Spokane. With continued cooperation frbm local and
federal organizations, we feel, that many of those problems can
and will be worked out to the greater good of the whole of
Spokane.
Wo should like to express our thanks to the members of the
working staff, particularly to Miss Marjoric Mac Boyd, Miss Sybil
C. Stafford, and W. Vernon Scott, to whose untiring efforts and
painstaking labor we ov/e tho success of this Study. Their loyalty,
and that of tho other members of the staff cannot be. lauded too
highly. Each gave of his or her best, and all worked together to¬
ward a common goal.
We are greatly indebted to Mr. R. S. Lawrence, Assistant
Supervisor of Professional and Vomens Projects, and to Mr. Ed. Hall
of the local WPA, for their personal interest and assistance, and
also to Mr. J. S. Jackson of the Seattle Urban League, for techni¬
cal advice and valuable suggestions.
Special thanks arc extended to Mr. J. 0. Ott, Administrator,
District One, for his fine spirit of cooperation and his friendly
attitude toward the project throughout its duration.
DEFINITIONS OF TERMINOLOGY
For the purpose of making the material in this booklet
mere clear and understandable, certain technical terms which we
will use are here defined.
SCHEDULE: A questionnaire used by the interviewers to ascertain
certain social facts.
HOUSEHOLD: Refers to the total numbers *f persons living to¬
gether as a unit at a given address.
AN EMPLOYED PERSON is one working at an occupation yielding an
income of any amount. This class includes persons working on
odd jobs and part time workers even though they work ohly a few
hours or a few days a week.
AN UNEMPLOYED PERSON is one who is able and'willing to work,
desirous of and actually seeking employment, but who is not work¬
ing at any occupation yielding any income whatsoever.
PERSONS DISQUALIFIED FOR OR NOT SEEKING WORK ARE: (l) those per¬
sons willing to work who would be employed or looking for Yfork at
some occupation yielding some income, if they -were not handicapped
by age, physical or mental illness, or other factors; (2) persons
not ordinarily employed at a gainful occupation from which they
receive any income, such as students over fifteen years of age,
housewives, who remain at home caring for their own households and
persons who because of choice or ciroum stances do not have to work.
OCCUPATION: Refers to the actual job at whioh the worker is or has
been employed, in terms of the activity.
INDUSTRY: Refers to the field of employment.
PRESENT OCCUPATION: Refers to the job at which the person is em¬
ployed at the time of the interview.
USUAL OCCUPATION: Refers to the usual trade or occupation at which
the person customarily works and which he looks upon as his usual
occupation.
ALTERNATE:OCCUPATION: Refers to an occupation for which the person
is trained and at which he or she has at times been employed.
OCCUPATION FOR WHICH BEST TRAINED: lefers to the occupation for
which the person has had the greatest amount of formal training and
of experience.
WHITE COLLAR WORKERS are those persons employed in professional,
proprietary, official, managerial «r clerical pursuits and such other
occupations as are characterized chiefly by the exercise of mental
p»ise ©r ingenuity.
SKILLED WORKERS: are those persons employed at occupations in
which a long period of training or apprenticeship is usually
necessary and which in their pursuance ©alls for a high degree
of judgement and of manual dexterity.
SALARY OR WAGES: Refers to income from present employment of
any kind.
RELIEF: Refers to the money value of cash or direct relief.
OTHER: Refers tc income from any source other than salary,
wages and relief.
4 TALLY * SHEET: is a preliminary table in rough form in which
the facts are entered directly from the schedules by means of
tallies, which are then counted and entered into the final
table.
A FINAL TABLE: is the complete selection and reorganization of
the total tallies of the tabular runs, reorganized in their com¬
parative relationships so as te point out the facts found in the
Study.
DEFINITIONS OF ABBREVIATIONS
Female - F.
Male - M.
Married - M.
Single - S.
Separated - Sep.
Divorced - D.
Widowed - Wi.
Native Bern - N. E.
Foreign Born - F. B.
Not Ascertainable - N. A.
Not Stated - N. S.
The ab©ve mentioned abreviations are used on the two
schedules. A copy of each schedule properly designated may be
found on pages 10 and 11 - 12.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
In the following pages we will present a few of the more im¬
portant tables and charts in an attempt to illustrate the findings
of the Study.
Owing to the limited amount of space provided by this small book¬
let, one may -readily see that it will not be possible to go injfcro
minute details concerning the work at which we have been engaged
during the past few months. We will, however, attempt to give a
fairly clear, if somewhat brief outline of our general activities.
ccmresition and employment status of households
taele i
Households
351
Total persons
719
Persons under 15
110
Persons ever 15
609
Employed persons
299
Employed men
226
Employed women
73
Unemployed men
76
Unemployed women
67
Table I shows that the 719 Negro residents of Spokane are divided
into"351 family -units. 609 or 84.29 per cent of that number are over
15 years of age. 110 «r 15.29 per cent are under 15 years of age.
299 persons «r 49.03 perrceiit of the 609 persons are gainfully em¬
ployed, and 226 or 75.84 per cent of this number are men, and 73 or
24.38 per cent are women. It further shows that 143 or 47.76 per
cent are classified as unemployed, with 76 or 48.16 per cent men and
67 or 22.37 per cent women shown as unemployed. There is a balance
of 310 persons or 50.84 per cent of the total 609 over 15 whw are
either disqualified for or are not seeking work.
The most important findings indicated in this table are as follows:
(l) the males of the community are the principal wage earners, with
the females for the most part remaining in the home* (2) the rate of
unemployment in Spokane is comparatively high, there being less than
50 per cent of the total persons over 15 years of age shown as gain¬
fully employed. (3) the Negr'. community in Spokane is apt to remain
small unless there is a considerable migration of Negroes
from other sections of the country, since less than 16 per
cent of the total number of 719 persons are children bet¬
ween the ages of 1 and 15 years.
"WHITE COLLAR AND SKILLED NEGRO WORKERS DISTRIBUTED
BY, SEX EMPLOYMENT STATUS AND MARI1AL STATUS
TABLE
II
MARITAL
STATUS
Sex, Occ.
Emp. Status Total
Married
Single
Widowed
Sep.
Div.
Total
132
71
42
12
4
3
Total Male
90
48
30
7
3
2
■ White Collar
58
19
6
2
1
1
Employed
53
27
18
5
2
1
Unemployed
4
3
1
*
Disqualified
1
1
Skilled
32
18
11
1
1
1
Employed
28
17
9
1
1
Unemployed
3
1
2
Disqualified
1
1
Total Female
42
23
12
5
1
1
"White Collar
23
15
5
1
1
1
Employed
13
7
4
1
1
Unemployed
4
2
1
1
Disqualified
6
6
Skilled
19
8
7
• 4
Employed
9
1
5
3
Unemployed
5
2
2
1
Disqualified 5 5
TRAINING - EMPLOYMENT
Space does not permit us to show more than five of the final
tables in this bookie*, but we will attempt to describe a few of
the more interesting bindings of the Study.
SOf a total of 5»Male White Collar Negro workers 32 or 55 per
cent are at present employed on jobs for which they arc best trained.
In this group wo find, 3 ministers, 5 barbers, 2 managers, 1 veterin¬
arian, 1 printer, 1 artist, 5 musicians, 3 entertainers, 3 postal
clerks, 2 masseurs, 3 proprietors, 1 chiropodist, 1 pugilist and 1
tailor. Among those whoso present occupation is not that for'which
they are best trained, wo find a janitor -who has had formally, train¬
ing and past cxpcriencoRas a school principal, a pugilist who is new
employed as a manager, and two cmbalmers. One of the latter is at
present employed as an interviewer, and the other is at present em¬
ployed at "edd jobs". One entertainer, one bartender, one fireman
arc now working as proprietors in their own places of business. Two
barbers, one musician and three entertainers are without present
occupationeSf any kind. Only one of the total of 58 workers is
listed as disqualified for or not seeking work.
Four of the 23 White Collar Female workers cr 17.39 per cent
wore found to be employed on jobs for which they wore best trained.
In this group wo find, one teacher, one masseuress, one entertainer
and one socrctary. Four of the total were shown as unemployed,and
six or 26.04 per cent were found to be disqualified for or not seek¬
ing employment. Five of those listed as disqualified were house¬
wives, and one as a student.
Cf a total of 32 Skilled Male Nogro workers, nino or 28.06 per
cent wore employed on jobs for which they had received the greatest
amount of training. Two were shown as unemployed, and one as dis¬
qualified#
In 19 Skilled Female Negro workers only fivo, or 27.20 per cent
employed on jobs for which thoy arc best trained. Sovon, or 37.08
per cent arc shown as disqualified for or not seeking work. All
seven of those disqualified are listed as housewives. 3 or 16 per
cent were as unemployable.
Another interesting point brought by these tables on Occupat¬
ional Status was that 82, or 67 per ccht of the total of 132 White
Collar and Skilled Male and Female workers have an alternate occup¬
ation at which they can and do work when the type of work for which
they have received the greatest amount of training i£ not available.
58,0 per cent of the total White Collar and Skilled Negro
workers have completed their basic schooling; 26.48 por
cent have attended Normal, Trade, or Business schools;
12.86 per cent-have attended college; 3.77 por cent have
attended professional school. 38.60 per cent have attended
a Negro grade school; 25.49 per cent have attended Negro
high schools; 11.35 per cent attended Ncgrc trade schools;
4.64 per cent attended Nogro colleges; only one worker
attended a Negro professional school.
Cf the total of 132 Yfhite Collar and Skilled Male and
Female Negro workers in Spokano, 15 cr 11.25 per cent wore
bcrn in Spokane; 5 or 3.75 per cent were born in the state cf
Washington other than Spokane; 111 or 84,2 per cent were born
in States other than Washington, and one was foreign born.
90 of the 132 Skilled and White Cellar workers wore Males
while 42 were Females.
The 131 native born workers wore bcrn in urban and rural
communities; 112 ort-85.5 per cent and 19 or 14.5 por cent res¬
pectively. 14.3b por cent of the total White Collar and.Skilled
Negro workers are between the ages of 16-24; 3.77 per cent over
65 years cf age.
53.7 pen cent, of the total wcrkcrs are married; 31.8 per
cent are single; 9.0 per cent are widewod; 3.0 per cent are sep¬
arated; 2.2 per cent are divorced.
11.25 per cent of the total Negro Skilled and White Collar
workers were working under Negro Supervisors or employers; 20.50
per cent were working under white mpTqyor-g. d* 'forkeem 'in ^r-iVa^tc
industry and 21.25 por cent under Municipal or Federal Super¬
vision. 25.0 per cent were found working in private business est¬
ablishments cf their even.
11.3 por cent of the total workers wore registered at the
local N. R. S. office as White•Collar workers; 8,3 per cent were
registered for Skilled jobs; 2,2 per cent were registered as com¬
mon laborers; 76.4 por cent were shown as not registered with the
local N. R. S. office. Various reasons were given for the small
number of registerations: some did not know of the office: others
gave such reasons as: "I hear they don't hire Negroes", or
"They only assign Negroes to common laborer jobs".
12 Males and 10 Females were employed by the WPA: 10 were
White Collar workers and 9 were Skilled workers. 3 were listed
as common laborers.
EMPLOYED NEGRO "YORKERS DISTRIBUTED BY CLASS OF OCCUPATION
TABLE III
Class of Occupation
Total
•Male
' Female
No,
P.C,
No.
: P.C.
• ft*.
P. C.
Total 299
100.0
226
I 100.0
* 73
100.0
"White Collar 60
20.0
48
! 21.25
: 12
16.50
Ski3led 46
15.25
30
13.25
1 16
32.00
Unskilled 78
26.00
78
34.50
Domestic & Per. 115
38.75
70
31.00
f 45
61.50
are classified as "white collar" workers; 21 per cent of the males
and 16 per cent of the employed females are thus classified. 15 per
cent of the total number of employed persons are classified as "skilled"
workers. 13 per cent of the males and 32 per cent of the total em¬
ployed females fall under this classification. 34.5 per cent of the
total employed males are classified as "Unskilled", with 38 per cent ®f
the total shown in Domestic and Personal Service. Of the last named 31
percent are men, and 61-g; per cent are women.
UNEMPLOYED NEGRO WORKERS' DISTRIBUTED BY CLASS OF OCCUPATION
Occupational
Total
Males
Females
Groupinf
No.
P.C.
No.
P.C.
No. P.C.
Total
310
100.
121
100.
189 100.
White Collar
35
11.25 :
18
15.
17 9.
Skilled
37
12.
27
22.
10 5.
Unskilled
54
17.50 j
52
43.
2 11
Pers. Serv.
137
44.25 ]-
137 72.
Not Stated
47
15.00 !
24
20.
23 13.
as unemployed, 11 per cent are classified as "white collaf": 15 per cent
of the total unemployed malos and 9 percent of the total unemployed fe¬
males. 12 per cent are classified as "skilled"; 22 per cent of the males
and 5 per cent of the females. A total of 17.5 per cent are shown as "un¬
skilled; 43 per cent males and 1 per cent of the females. 44-5- per cent of
the total number had been in domestic and personal service, while the
past employment status of 15 per cent was not stated.
TAiiLl^ V
WHITE COLLAR MJD SKILLED NEGRO
BY SEX, EMPLOY" HIT ST.'.IDS
1935
YORKERS DISTRIBUTED
^ '7EEKL"r EARUIRGS
Sex, Class
of
Occupation
and
Employment
Total
Total Male
'"White Collar- 1
Employed
Unemployed
Disqualified
Skilled
Employed
Unemployed
Disqualified
Total Female
TJhite Collar
Employed
Unemployed
Disqualified
Skilled
Employed
Unemployed
Disqualified
os
-p
o
en
152
90
58
52
5
1
32
30
1
1
42
23
13
4
6
19
9
5
5
o
0
•
LQ '
1
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•ro¬
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m i
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r~*\
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LQ
cd
CD
•
cm
8,
o'
cm
251 21
41
11
It
1
10 18! 15
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5
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5
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2
2
2
10! 6
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JffiTHOD OF SECURING BASIC TRAINING IN OCCUPATION
FOR TJHICH BEST TRAINED
TABLE VI
Males Famalos
Tot.
Tot.
c.
Sk. Tot.
W. C.
Sk.
\ 132
90
58
32 42
23
19
Formal Education
Only 8
3
1
2 5
3
2
Apprenticeship
Only 5
5
4
1
Expcricencc Only 7
7
5
2
Formal Education
and Apprenticeship 3
2
1
1 1
1
Formal Education
and Exporioneo 63
43
34
9 20
10
10
Appr on't i c oship
and Experience 17
16
5
11
1
1
Formal Education
Experience and
Apprenticeship 29
14
8
6 15
10
5
Ifot Stated
SCHEDULE #1
City State
1* Household Name 2,Address_
3.Persens in Household:
Under 15 Over 15
Total Total Total
Male Male Male
Female Female Female
4.Employment Status of Fersons 15 years and over:
Number Employed No. Unemployed No. Disqualified
T T T
M M M
F F F
5. Occupational Status of Employed Fersons (List usual and Present
Occupation)
Name Sex Age
(a) USUAL , (b) PRESENT
wr.
2.
4.
6.(ccupational Status of Unemployed Persons (List usual Occupation)
Name
Sex Age
(a) USUAL
(b) PRESENT
1.
2.
3.
4.
Date cf Completion
Interviewer
SCHEDULE #2
I. Name 2. Address 3.State 4. Citjr
3. (Check one group)
Age 15-24 () 45-54 () 4. Sex M () F ()
25-34 () 55-65 () 5. Marital Status (Cheok one)
35-44 () 65- 0 S() M() Wi() D() Sep()
6. BIRTHPLACE: City State 6a. (Check one) UrbanQ Rural
N.3. () F.B.
7. SCHOOLING: (Circle highest grade or number of years completed in each
0IB34567891Q 11 12 125456 1234 123456
Basic Nor, Tra, Bus College Professional School
8. RACIAL TYPE OF SCHOOLS FROM MUCH GRADUATED OR WHICH LAST ATTENDED
(Circle either "A" or "B" for each type attended)
9. METHODS OF SECURING BASIC TRAINING IN USUAL OCCUPATION.
a. Formal educatioh only ( ) e. Formal education and experience .
b. Apprenticeship only ( ) f. Apprenticeship and experience.
c. Experience only ( ) g. Formal education, apprenticeship
d. Formal Ed. and Appr.( ) and experience ( )
10. PRESENT EMPLOYMENT STATUS: (Check one)
a. Employed ( ) b. Unemployed ( ) c. Disqualified and not seeking
Work
II. OCCUPATION (Fill in a, b, c, d.)
a. Present occupation Industry
b. Usual Occupation Industry
c. Alternate Occupation Industry
d. Occupation for which best trained Industry
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY (Covers job at which person worked longest
during year specified.)
" Yea^ Occupation Industry Employer Average weekly
earnings on this
N W P S Job
1^9 *
1954 ~~
Present
13. During 15*34 or 1935 did person register with the (local Public Em¬
ployment agency?
(Check one ) Yes ()$()
ScheduX# #2 (Continued)
Typo of jobs for which registered (Check one or more)
White Collar () Skilled () Other ()
Specific occupation for which registered?
First choice_
Second choice
Was applicant given employment?
(Check one) Yes ( ) No ( )
Specific occupation in which placed (Fill in both)
Occupation
Industry
Sources and amounts of income during week nearest m:
month t
(a) Salary «r wages $ (c) Other ^
(b) Relief $ Specify SotfS
(d"5 Total $
Comments remarks and interpretations of Interviewer
Schedule Completed
Day Month 193
Signature
Interviewer
STAFF PERSONNEL
SUPERVISOR............................J. S • Jaokson
ASS'T SUPERVISOR Robin Stokes
STATISTICIAN 17. Vernon Scott
EDITOR. Marjorie Mae Boyd
SECRETARY.... Sybil C. Stafford
TIMEKEEPER Alta Finley
INTERVIEWS Nellie W. Reynolds
9. SI* .....Ella Hollcway
a. Formal edv- David L. Petway
b. Apprentices.... Avance A. Bass
c. Experience or. Yfillabelle Thomas
d. Formal Ed. c ....Frances Mitchell
10. PRESENT EMPLf
a. Employed
11. OCCUPA""
a. Prast
b. Us
c. Alt*
d. Occi
"£&« MI
Ye;
1925
1929
1954
Present
13. Dur