From 1978-79 incidence of long hours among full-time wage and salary workers dropped for the first time since the 1974-75 recession. Of those who worked long hours, about 43% received premium pay (time and one-half the regular wage for hours worked in excess of forty per week). Employers used overtime hours to cope with disequilibrium phenomena…

Recent years of inflation and recession held real earnings of wage and salary workers below 1973 levels; the pay gap between Black and White full-time employees narrowed after 1967, but the wide earnings disparity by sex remains. (Author)

Factors contributing to the low average earnings of workers in the southern states include interregional differences in urbanization, and differences in the racial composition, training, and union status of the work force. (CT)