TABLE 41.-RELATIVE DECLINE IN DEPRESSION YEARS OF THE IMMIGRATION OF SELECTED OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS

In these four depression years, including both mild and severe employment slumps, the greatest drop in each case is evidenced in the number of unskilled workers, while the other groups in some instances even show an increase.

A more complete picture of the relative fluctuations in the several occupational groups is given in Chart 29, covering the fiscal years 1899 to 1914 and 1920 to 1924.

The effect of the minor depressions of 1901, 1904, 1911, and 1914 are evidenced in most of the occupational groups by a decline, or at least a slackening of the rate of increase; all series declined sharply in 1908 and some series continued this decline in 1909; all series rose in the boom of 1913. After the war, a strong upward movement is evident in all groups through 1919, 1920, and 1921, followed by a sharp decline in 1922, with a decided recovery in 1923 and 1924, despite the restrictive influence of the quota law.

While similarities in the movements of the several groups are more striking than differences, yet on close examination of the separate curves in Chart 29 exceptions from the general tendencies do become apparent. The "no occupation" and professional groups evidence relatively less complete and less prompt reaction to depression conditions than the other groups. For example, in 1908 these groups decline, but not so much as the general decline, and they continue to decline in 1909. The skilled and servant groups show somewhat greater responsiveness than the two just mentioned, but also do not reach bottom until 1909. The farm laborers, general laborers, and farmers appear to move more nearly in accord with industrial ups and downs.

CHART 29

RELATIVE FLUCTUATIONS IN IMMIGRATION, BY OCCUPATION: 1899-1924.

For a more complete discussion of the method of constructing the above chart, see footnote (b) to Chart 27.

TABLE 42.-NUMBER OF IMMIGRANTS, BY SELECTED OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS 1899-1924

Compiled from the annual reports of the Commissioner General of Immigration, U. S. Bureau of Immigration.

Emigration of Various Occupational Groups.

A study of the fluctuations in the number of emigrants of the principal occupation groups (Chart 30) leads to conclusions similar to those obtained from the study of immigration. On the whole, the emigrant groups of laborers and farmers show the most marked tendency to be large in depression years and low in boom years, though the differences are not completely uniform or very striking. The professional group shows relatively the least adjustment to industrial conditions.

For a more complete discussion of the method of constructing the above chart, see footnote (b) to Chart 27.

150

That the volume of emigration, like that of immigration, of unskilled laborers is more dependent upon industrial conditions than is the "no occupation" group is further indicated by comparing the fluctuations in the monthly data for these two series corrected for seasonal variation (Chart 31). The curve for the "no occupation" group follows a fairly steady course, while that for the unskilled element shows an erratic tendency. The depression of 1911, for

TABLE 43.-NUMBER OF EMIGRANTS, BY SELECTED OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS 1908-1924

Compiled from the annual reports of the U. S. Commissioner General of Immigration.

example, is marked by a sharp rise in the emigration of unskilled laborers.

The post-war emigration movement is peculiar in several respects. In the prosperous year 1920, emigration, ordinarily at a low ebb in boom periods, reached the peak in all groups except the skilled classes. This large emigration is probably in part at least due to the previous interference of war and early post-war conditions with the normal emigrant movement. Then, in 1921 and 1922, despite depression in industry, emigration declines, this decline becoming even more decided in 1923 and 1924. The primary reasons for the