BASIC WAGE RATES OF NORTH KOREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700200181-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 31, 2011
• Sequence Number: 181
• Publication Date: October 25, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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''?a,.
MAR 19"" 51-4C
52
SUBJECT
HOW
PUBLISHED
WHERE
PUBLISHED
DATE
PUBLISHED
CLASSIFICATION C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY R
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD
Economic - Industry, wage rates
Monograph, yearbooks, newspapers
Pyongyang, Haeju, Peiping, Hong Kong
1 Jan 1950-24 Apr 1954
or,rx.ouxir IT. III. nr.ox ,xcxunx. r nns ...
cnox scr
.x ?. or ,.s .. . .... ? ....em. 11, n.x si or o... .
unox ar irs co -" ro ....nv..I .. x...1....11. .uor n
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1950-1954
DATE DIST. 73 Oc t 1954
NO. OF PAGES 9
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
BASIC WAGE RATES OF NORTH KOREA
Nodongja Imgump' o (Labor Wage Rates), published 25 February 1950 by the
Ministry of Labor of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, lists the basic
wage rates of North Korean factory workers and those in nonprofessional trades.
According to this document, the North Korean wage system is divided into three
broad categories according to working conditions, namely, light work, heavy work,
and underground and hazardous work. Higher wages are paid to workers in the sec-
ond category than to those in the first, and to the workers in the third category
than to those in the second. The first category (light work) includes light
industries, general trade, and the printing industry. The second category (heavy
work) includes the railway, manufacturing, electrical construction and construc-
tion materials, communications, agriculture, forestry, fishery, and salt indus-
tries. The third category (hazardous work) includes mining, chemical,and metal
industries and also the hazardous phases of industries in the first and second
categories.
(Numbers in parentheses refer to appended sources.]
Nodongja Imgumn'yo also showed that in addition to occupational wage
differentials, there are qualificational differentials as determined by the skill
and experience of the workers. The general wage scale is divided into eight
grades, ranging from grade 1, which is the lowest paid, to grade 8, the highest
paid. The wage scale shows the rates for timcwork and for piecework, as shown in
Table 1 below.(1) These rates had remained unaltered since 1949, for the Choson
Chungang Nyongam 1953 (Korean Central Yearbook, 1953) republished these rates in
their original form as announced on 27 December 1949 under Cabinet Decision 196. (2)
The wage coefficients determine how much more a worker of a given grade is
paid than one in the first, or the lowest-paid grade.(l) According to Hwdmghae
Nodong Sinmun (Hwanghae labor Newspaper) of 1 January 1950, the wage rating com-
mittees formed in factories and unions determine and assign grades to individual
workers, based on the committees' appraisal of the workers' skill and experience.
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The paper said that the committees, upon discovering improved skill on the part
of worker, must raise the workers' wage according to the established wage scale."
However, the paper also said that, "when a worker produces unacceptable goods his
wage will be reduced."(3)
According to the Choson Chungang Nyongam 1950 (Korean Central Yearbook,
1950), a piecework bonus system was adopted to stimulate production. For example,
workers in hazardous occupations received bonuses in the form of extra ration
coupons: 100 grams of ration per day for production from 110 to 130 percent of
norm; 175 grams for 131-150 percent, and 250 grams for production above 150 per-
cent.(4) The 1953 yearbook reported that the total value of bonuses that North
Korean workers received during 1950 reached 261,042,000 won. Also, according to
this yearbook, North Korean workers received 515 million won worth of "labor
subsistence" handouts during that year.(2)
The newspaper Ta Kun Pao published in Hong Kong reported that the North
Korean cabinet decreed on 23 February 1954 that workers should receive a labor
subsistence subsidy up to 25 percent of their basic wage.(5)
The 1950 yearbook stated that the average earnings of workers had been
increasing steadily since 1947? The average earning in 1948 was
higher than 1947; in 1949, 14.3 percent above 1947(4) The 1
ove 3'7 Pork st
that the average earning as of March 1950 was 38. 5 showed
Jen-min Jih-nao 5 percent above 1947.(2) The
, published in Peiping, reported that in early 1954 the government
of the Democratic People's Republic of z,ore:, had announced a ,, percent average
increase in wages.(6) Other Chinese papers stated that besides increasing the
basic wage, the government had maintained the policy reducing official commodity
prices to increase the real income of workers.(7, 8, 9)
Tables 2 through 4 appended below, which were taken from theNodongja
IM -
m ' o, show the range of grades and the monthly wage rates for the timeworkers
of selected occupational groups, as of 25 February 1950.
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Grades
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Wage Coefficients
1.00
1.10
1.30
1.55
1.85
2.20
2.60
3.10
Types of Work Types of Pay
Timework
Hourly
2.40
2.64
2.83
3.41
4.08
4.85
5.76
6.87
Light work Daily 19.23 21.15 23.07 27.30 32.69 38.84 46.15 5_.00
Monthly . 500.00 550.00 600.00 710.00 850.00 1,010.00 1,200.00 1,430.C0.
Hourly 2.50 2.74 3.12 3.70 4.42 5.28 6.25 7.45
Heavy work
Underground
and hazard-
ous work
g
Heavy work
Underground
and hazard-
ous work
Daily
20.00
21.92
25.00
29.61
35.38
42.30
50.00
59.61
Monthly
520.00
570.00
650.00
770.00
920.00
1,100.00
1,300.00
1,550.00
7-hour day
(hourly)
8-hour day
;(hourly)
2.59
2.23
3.41
4.03
4.80
5.72
6.73
8.02
Daily
20.76
22.69
27.30
32.30
38.46
45.76
53.84
64.23
Monthly
54o.oo
590.00
710.00
840.00
1,000.00
1,190.00
1,400.00
1,670.00
Piecework
Hourly
2.45
2.69
3.17
3.79
4.51
5.38
6.39
7.59
IIa1
i y
Monthly
19 61
510.00
21 53
560.00
25 32
669.00
30 38
790.00
36 15
940.00
43 07
1,120.00
51.15
1,330.00
60.76
1,580.00 50X1-HUM
Hourly
2.64
2.88
3.41
4.08
b.85
5.81
6.87
8.17
Daily
21.15
23.70
27.30
32.69
38.84
46.53
55.00
65.38
Monthly
550.00
.600.00
710.00
650.00
1,010.00
1,210.00
1,430.00
1,700,. CC
7-hour day
(hourly)
3.24
3.55
4.23
5.05
5.98
7.14
8.40
10.05
8-hour day
(hourly)
2.83
3.07
3-70
4.43
5.24
6.25
7.35
8.79
Daily
22.69
24.61
29.61
35.30
41.92
50.00
58.84
70.38
Monthly
590.00
640.00
770.00
920.00
1,090.30
1,300.00
1,530.00
1,830.00
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Range of
Monthly Wage
Light Industries Grades
in Won
Scalemakers and repairmen 8
- 4
1,430 - 710
Ginseng processers 8
- 3
1,430 - 600
Cotton weavers, silk processers, rubber
products makers 7
- 2
1,200 - 550
Paint manufacturing, rayon dyers 6
- 3
1,010 - 600
Makers of knitted goods, pulp,
starch, rayon 6
- 2
1,010 -550
Wool inspectors 5
- 1
850 - 500
General Trade
Sanitation workers, butchers, papermakers 6
- 3
1,oio - 60o
Watchmakers, undertakers, stone carvers 6
- 2
1,010 - 550
Barbers, beauticians, hairdressers,
handicraftsmen, engravers
Store clerks, warehousemen, laundry
workers, cooks,'guards, and doormen 5
- 1
850 - 500
Waiters, day laborers 4
- 1
710 - 500
Elevator operators 3
- 1
6oo - Soo
2
- 1
550 - 500
Printing and Publishing
Artists
Offset printing machine operators,
offset lithographers
Matrix engravers 7 - 2
1,200 - 550
Proofreaders;; printers 6 - It
1,010 - 710
Lithograph machine operators
Type-pickers, typesetters and compositors,
type-printing machine operators, papier-mache
moldmakers, bookbinders 6 - 2
1,010 - 550
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Table 3. Basic Wage Scale for Heavy Work
Railroad and Other Trsas ortation Facilities
Locomotive engineers, locomotive inspectors,
navigators and engineers for motor schooners
and freighters
Electric locomotive engineers
Internal-combustion, engine mechanics
Automobile drivers
Train conductors
Locomotive firemen
Railroad freight attendants,
signalmen, and safetymen; ship crews
Railroad track inspectors, switchmen
Railroad communications men
Streetcar conductors, railroad station clerks
Manufacturing
Wooden-vessel builders, engine assemblers,
general me'c'hanics, boiler tenders
Plumbers,, pipe fitters
Electric and gas welders, lathe operators
Riggers, grinding lathe operators, ball bearing
polishers
Electrical Industry
Electric generator operators, outdoor linesmen
Distributor tenders
Generator and transformer repairmen,
indoor linesmen
General electricians
Electricity bill collectors
8 - 6
1,550
7 - 5
1,300
7 - 4
1,300
6 - 5
1,100
6 - 4
1,100
6 - 3
1,100
- 1,100
_ 920
- 770
- 920
- 770
- 650
920 -
920 -
770 -
770 -
8 - 3 1,550 - 650
7 - 4 1,300 - 770
7 - 3 1,300 - 650
770
650
570
520
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Construction and Construction Materials
Range of Mont
Grades in
hly Wage
Won
Refractory brickmayers, stone layers
'
7 - 4 1,300
- 770
Gl
assmakers, 6arpenters, stonemasons,
plasterers, ferroconcrete workers
7 3 1,300
- 650
Pavement-roller. operators, slate
workers, cement workers
6 - 4 1,100
- 770
Electric shovel operators, asphalt workers,
concrete, workers, bricklayers, crane
operators, slate makers and bricklakers
6 - 3 1,100
- 650
Tile layers, tilemakers, adobe workers
5 - 3 920
- 650
Communications
Radio operators
8 - 4 1,550
- 770
Telegraph operators
7 - 4 1,300
- 770
Radio repairmen
7 - 3 1,300
- 650
Telephone repairmen, telephone linesnen
7 - 2 1,300
- 570
Telegraph machine repairmen
communications
,
inspectors
Communications clerks
Forestry
Forest clearers, cable-car operators, log
transporters driving oxcarts
7 - 5
1,300 - 920
Raftmen (deep rivers)
, railroad tie makers
7 - 4
1,300 - 770
Sawmen
7 - 3
1,300 - 650
Raftmen (shallow rive
milling machine opera
rs), firewardens,
tors, charcoal makers
6 - 4
1,100 - 770
6 - 3
1,100 - 650
Veneer',mill workers, l
man saw operators
Fishery, Agriculture
umber selectors, two-
and Salt Industries
Fishing boat navigators
8 - 6
1,500 - 1,000
Saltmakers, fishing-boat engineers, tractor
drivers
7 - 4
1,300 - 770
Cocoon selectors
7 - 3
1,300 - 650
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Herb. growers
Farm and orchard workers
Oil extractors, silkworm eggs selectors
Agar-agar makers, fishpowder makers, salt
field laborers,. herdsmen, nurserymen
Dieticians (animal food)
Rabbit and poultry raisers
Range of Monthl Wage
Grades in Won
6 - 3 1,100 - 650
6 - 2 1,100 - 570
5-3 920-650
5 - 2 920 - 570
4-2 770-570
4-1 770-520
Table 4. Basic'Wage Scale for Underground and Hazardous work
Mining
Coal and ore miners, strutters
8 - 4
1,670 - 840
Hand truckers
7 - 5
1,400 - 1,000
Dynamite handlers, mine eafetymen
7 - 4
1,400 - 840
Surveyors
. ' Y
7 - 3
1,400 - 710
Rail-truck maintenance men, open-mine
haulers
ore
6 - 4
1
190 - 840
Underground mechanical equipment operators,
"mining shaft maintenance men
6 - 3
,
- 1,190 - 710
Pneumatic drillers, briquette makers
6 - 2
1,190 - 590
Underground general laborers
5 - 4
1,000 - 840
Mining-railway-engineers, placer miners,
cableway operators, stone crushers
5 - 2
1,000 - 590
Coal selectors
Chemical
Workers in plants manufacturing sulfuricscid,lead,
carbides, caustic soda, bleaching powder,
nitrogen fertilizers; repairmen for sulfuric
acid apparatus, sulfide crushers, nitrogen
separators, high-pressure compressors;
electric furnace tenders for manufacturing
phosphoric acid
C-0-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
4-3 840-710
8 - 4 1,670 - 840
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Workers in plants smnufhc
aaJ, acid, calcium
chloride,. methanol, ammoninum, t
_tic
synthetics; air compressor ape atb a 8lundum
'furnace tenders, aluedum crushers,- electrode
furnace tenders
Workers in slants manufacturing mercury, oxygen,
chemical salt, nitric acid h
dr
y
acid, Oxide ' mAterials,'ammonium?sulfatefertilizers,
soap; operators of nitrogen separators,
ammonium mixers;?repairmen for electrolysis
apparatus and methanol manufacturing machines
Workers in'plants manufacturing alcohol, solid
caustip soda, hydrogenated oil, lypolitic
enzymey glycerin, urotropin, celluloid, nitro-
glycerin, asbestos; gas mixers; sulfuric materials
transpgrters; phosphate sintering furnace tenders;
oxidization machine operators, electrode materials
crushers
Oils and fats,-end ether?,manufacturing workers
Workers.in plants manufacturing magnesium sulfate
Workers-in plaq~s manufacturing electrode carbon
and black gunpowder
Range of Monthly Wage
Grades
in Won
7 - 4
1,400
- 840
6 - 4
1,190
- 840
6 - 3
1,190
- 710
6 - 2
1,190
- 590
V l in, and smokeless gunpo der
5 - 2
1,000 - 590
Workers in plants manufacturing pig iron and
rolled steel; open-hearth, electric furnace,
and blast furnace tenders; furnace installers
8 - 4
1,670 - 840
Ferroalloy electric furnace, sintering
furnace, and sherardizin
fur
g
nace tenders;
carbon-arc welders; makers of converter
steel-and special steel
7 - 4
1,400
- 840
Thick-steel-plate cutters, steel pipe makers,
pentlandite sorters, roasting furnace tenders,
operators of "cottre?11"..:precipitators
? -- - _ - =
6 " 4
1,190
- 840
Thin-steel-Plate cutters, steel wire
cutters,.crane operators, scrap-iron workers
5 - 2
1,000
- 590
Light Industries
Staple fiber and rayon "projector" operators;
projector" repairmen; sodium sulfide and
carbon disulfide manufacturing workers
7 - 4
1,400
- 840
-8-
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Construction and Construction Materials;,.
Range of
Grades
Monthly Wage
in Won
Divers, plate glass workers
8 - 4
1,670
- 840
Cement kiln tenders
7 - 3
1,400
- 710
Lime kiln tenders; magnesium bakers
6 - 4
1,190
- 84o
Printing
Copperplate handlers
7 - 3
1,400
- 170
Typemakers
6 - 2
1,190
- 590
Stereotype..1orkers
5 - 2
1,000
- 590
2. P'yongyang, Choson Chungang Nyongam 1953 (Korean Central Yearbook,
1953), Choson Chungang T'ongsin-sa, 11 Nov 52
3. Haeju, Hwanghae Nodong Sinmun (Hwanghae Labor Newspaper), Hwanghae-do
Labor Party, I Jan 50
4? P'yongyang,.Choson Chungang Nyongam 1950 (Korean Central Yearbook, 1950),
Choson Chungang T'ongsin-sa, 20 Feb 50
SOURCES
1. Demong
ratic yang,PNodongjauImgump^yoc(Labor Wage Rates), Ministry of Labor,
5? Hong Kong, Ta Kung Pao, 2 Mar 54
6. Peiping, Jen-min Jih-pao, 24 Apr 54
7. Peiping, Kung-Jen Jih-pao, 20 Oct 53
8. Kung-jen Jih-pao, 3 Jan 54
9. Ta Kung Pao) 13.Apr 54
-9-
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