Wages: How Russia Ranks

For the first time since 1937, the Soviet Government has published absolute figures (instead of just percentage increases) on the average pay of Russian workers. The figure: 54 kopeks, or 600, an hour.

Where does the Russian worker stand among the workers of the world? Meaningful comparisons are difficult because statistics on pay scales do not take into account the variable purchasing power of wages. Moreover, in computing wages, some nations figure in fringe benefits, while others don't. Still, the U.S. Department of Labor last week released estimates in dollars comparing the average hourly earnings of manufacturing employees in representative...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!