Understanding the Gender Gap among Piece-Rate Workers: Weavers in 1883

Joyce Burnette, Wabash College

This paper examines whether we observe gender differences in pay among piece-rate workers. Specifically, I examine weavers working in Mill 3 of Pepperell Mfrg Co., Biddeford, Maine in 1883. On a typical day about 175 weavers were at present, but turnover was high enough that 478 different individuals worked there at some point during the year. Wages were paid 12 times during the year, for either 4-week or 5-week pay periods. The majority of the workers (81%) were women. I know total earnings, number of days worked, and (for those on piece-rates) number of pieces produced by each weaver during each pay period. I calculate average daily earnings by dividing earnings for the pay period by the number of days worked. On average men had higher average daily earnings than women, though the difference is small realtive to the overall variance in earnings. About nine precent of the weavers were paid time-rate wages, and they had lower average earnings. Many workers worked on time-rate wages their first pay period, and then switched to piece-rate wages. I explore whether assignment to different cloths affected earnings. Generally higher prices per piece of cltoh are associated with lower output per day, and thus no change in average daily earnings. Two rates (the highest ones, 65 and 70 cents per cloth) are associated with higher earnings. Male weavers were more likely to work at the 70 cent rate, but were slightly less likely to work at the 65 cent rate. I matched 68 weavers to the 1880 census, providing information on age and marital status. Married men earned more than either single men or married women, though this result is based on a small number of workers. Among single workers there was no gender gap, and among women there was no family gap.

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 Presented in Session 136. Pay, Productivity and Discrimination