I. Employment of Adult Workers according to Branch of Industry, 1914-1918 (March 1914 = 100)
Branch of Industry | Sept. 1914 | March 1915 | Sept. 1915 | March 1916 | Sept. 1916 | March 1917 | Sept. 1917 | March 1918 | Sept. 1918 |
Natural Stone, Gravel, Sand and Concrete | 67.2 | 67.4 | 67.0 | 74.6 | 83.6 | 82.8 | 89.7 | 87.0 | 77.3 |
Metal Industry | 58.3 | 117.4 | 289.5 | 492.4 | 596.7 | 745.5 | 783.5 | 846.7 | 777.0 |
Machine Building | 83.2 | 309.8 | 572.7 | 1414.8 | 2316.8 | 3381.7 | 3308.7 | 3520.4 | 3637.9 |
Electrical Industry | 57.1 | 102.3 | 245.4 | 299.7 | 665.5 | 856.4 | 972.2 | 813.8 | 691.4 |
Chemicals | 84.9 | 92.7 | 112.3 | 171.8 | 209.6 | 31.4 | 392.2 | 436.2 | 467.7 |
Textiles | 89.0 | 108.1 | 85.1 | 66.9 | 55.8 | 66.9 | 68.5 | 62.6 | 59.9 |
Paper | 53.8 | 78.9 | 90.6 | 101.3 | 132.5 | 136.7 | 131.1 | 149.8 | 159.4 |
Leather and Rubber | 67.7 | 57.3 | 61.8 | 57.8 | 55.8 | 89.1 | 112.3 | 96.8 | 96.6 |
Wood and Woodcarving | 24.6 | 89.9 | 110.8 | 148.5 | 123.9 | 109.5 | 112.2 | 115.7 | 124.9 |
Gastronomy/ Groceries | 139.7 | 133.2 | 166.9 | 155.7 | 162.5 | 159.0 | 153.5 | 146.5 | 161.0 |
Clothing | 66.3 | 74.7 | 95.2 | 83.4 | 72.5 | 58.1 | 51.6 | 55.5 | 54.3 |
Printing | 62.7 | 82.5 | 83.2 | 84.9 | 86.1 | 82.1 | 87.1 | 90.1 | 96.5 |
II. Index of Employment in Germany, 1916-1918 Health insurance members subject to obligatory insurance minus those who are disabled or unfit for work
(June 1, 1914 = 100)
Date | Women | Men | Combined |
June 1, 1914 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
December 1, 1916 | 108.1 | 60.5 | 77.3 |
January 1, 1917 | 107.5 | 60.1 | 76.9 |
April 1, 1917 | 109.9 | 60.1 | 77.7 |
July 1, 1917 | 115.1 | 61.1 | 80.2 |
October 1, 1917 | 116.6 | 60.9 | 80.7 |
December 1, 1917 | 118.5 | 61.3 | 81.7 |
January 1, 1918 | 116.5 | 60.4 | 80.4 |
April 1, 1918 | 115.2 | 60.3 | 79.8 |
July 1, 1918 | 116.7 | 60.8 | 80.8 |
October 1, 1918 | 116.0 | 60.2 | 80.1 |
December 1, 1918 | 108.7 | 59.3 | 76.8 |
Source: Stefan Bajohr, Die Hälfte der Fabrik. Geschichte der Frauenarbeit in Deutschland 1914-1945 [Half of the Factory: The History of Women’s Employment in Germany, 1914-1945]. Marburg: Verlag Arbeiterbewegung und Gesellschaftswissenschaft, 1979, pp. 119, 125. Reprinted in Rüdiger vom Bruch and Björn Hofmeister, eds., Kaiserreich und Erster Weltkrieg 1871-1918 [Wilhelmine Germany and the First World War, 1871-1918]. Deutsche Geschichte in Quellen und Darstellung, edited by Rainer A. Müller, vol. 8. Stuttgart: P. Reclam, 2000, pp. 419-22.
Translation: Jeffrey Verhey