WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 88, 14 April 1930, Page 13

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

CONTINUOUS EXPANSION

THIRTY YEARS' PROGRESS

In the last thirty years the number j of'women in industry has shown an, almost continuous expansion, record-: ing an increase between 1896 and 1926 of, over 130 per.cent., states the Government Statistician (Mr. Malcolm Fraser), iii his latest report on the results of the last Census. Each Census' evidenced, considerably larger numbers, particularly between 1916 and 1921, but1 with ' a slight retrogression between 1931 and 1926. >' • ' . In 1896 53,070 women, or' 23.8 per cent., were recorded as.being engaged iii industry. Succeeding- Censuses showed a slight increase until in 1921, with 126,405 engaged, the percentage was 31.1. A fall was revealed by the last Census to a total, of 122,772, or. 28. per cent. At the 1926 Census there were some 140,000. unmarried women between the ages of 16 and 55 (assumed as covering the working period), and. of these 83,000, or 60 per cent., were breadwinners. The absorption of women has proceeded at a somewhat greater rate than that of men, with a period of accentuation due to circumstances arising out of the war. Had the proportion of women workers, to men been the same in 1926 as in' 1896 there would have been over 18,000 fewer women in industry. THE TYPIST BOOM. The infiltration of female labour 'has not proceeded uniformly in the divergent fields of industry. The most considerable expansion has taken place in the commercial, governmental, and professional groups. The influence of the introduction of mechanical appliances is also .emphasised, There were, for instance, 18 women typists in 1896 to 6486 in 1926. The comparatively low rates of growth of, the domestic group, of which tho domestic servant is the principal element, says Mr. Eraser, is normally ascribed to less attractive conditions of remuueratichi, living, otc, and the diminished social, status.. • SLOWER TO MARRY. Apart from the various economic causes directly affecting the entry of women into industry, such as the desire for financial independence, careers, inability of parents to maintain, etc., the gradual rise of the marriage ago has its effect. The mean age of brides is now twelve months greater than in 1896, with the result that some thousands annually remain at work a year longer than they otherwise would. In addition, if it be assumed that the ages at which the great majority marry arc,'roughly 20-34 years for women and. 20-30 years for mon, the proportion of the spinsters to bachelors was under 63 per cent, in 1896 and 67 per cent, in 1926, indicating diminished probabilities of marriage and consequent withdrawal from industry. This would bo even more, marked a few years ago, during the period of greatest eft'ecf! of the war upon the male age-constitution.