Abstract
Hokkaido played an important role, accepting part of an increasing number of those who had been repatriated or demobilized from overseas as well as developing and supplying resources for the postwar reconstruction of Japan. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the wage and income level of workers' households in Hokkaido soon after World War II. The author made use of some statistical data from the following publications : “Monthly Wage Survey” compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Ministry of Labor, and “Consumer Price Survey” (1946 onward), “Worker's Family Income Survey” (1948 onward) and “Family Income and Expenditure Survey” (1950 onward) compiled by the Bureau of Statistics of the Prime Minister's Office as well as other survey reports about Hokkaido. The results of this study are as follows : The total wage as well as the income level of workers' households in Hokkaido rose in the 1950's thanks to the economic policy enforced by the Administration and to the special procurements during the Korean War that tremendously helped Japan's post-war economic recovery. The “cold-district allowance” that was issued in summer raised the wage and income level of the residents in Hokkaido by about 10 percent. It should be noted, however, that the allowance was meant for the necessaries of winter life : renewing radiators, stocking vegetables for winter, and purchasing clothes for cold months, for instance. In other words, families were unable to live in comfort with the wage or salary earned by the head of the family alone; other family members had to earn income to supplement their family budget, working part-time or getting some homework.
