United States Steel Corporation (X), Ford Motor Company (F): A Revolution in the American Labor Force

From 1919 through 1929, total-factor productivity in manufacturing rose 76% — more than three times the 22% increase experienced by the economy as a whole. Output per man-hour in the manufacturing sector, which had been rising at an annualized rate of 1.5% through the early years of the 20th century, leapt to an annualized growth rate of 5.1% for the entirety of the Roaring ’20s.

Never rust
The steel industry entered a different phase of its modernization exactly one decade before transitioning to the eight-hour workweek: On Aug. 13, 1913, English metallurgist Harry Brearley forged the first weather- and acidity-resistant steel alloy, popularly known as “stainless steel.” Although Brearley was the first to forge this alloy, he was only the final link in a decades-long chain of metallurgical developments. As early as the 1870s, English and French researchers began to put together the compositional requirements for properly stainless steel, and this “recipe” would go through many revisions over the next few decades. Brearley’s forging was not even the final word in stainless-steel development, but it marked the first time that the term was applied to a corrosion-resistant alloy.

After nearly a century in production, stainless steel has become a vital part of the global metals industry. In its 99th year as a workable product, stainless steel was produced in quantities totaling more than 35 million metric tons.

The article A Revolution in the American Labor Force originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Alex Planes.

Fool contributor Alex Planes holds no financial position in any company mentioned here. Add him on Google+ or follow him on Twitter @TMFBiggles for more insight into markets, history, and technology.The Motley Fool recommends Ford. The Motley Fool owns shares of Ford.

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