On January 5, 1914, Henry Ford announced he was raising salaries to $5 a day for 8 hours of work, starting June 12.
It was an effort to prevent turnover (close to 400% in 1913) and to ensure that his employees could afford to buy the cars they made. The previous wage was $2.34 for nine hours of work.
The news prompted more than 10,000 people to show up at the company’s Highland Park plant to apply for jobs – some came as early as 3 a.m. the next day.
Men 22 years and older were eligible.
Sources :
Zlati Meyer, This Week in Michigan History, January 4, 2009, B.4.
Michigan Historical Calendar, courtesy of the Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University.
John Gallagher, “Henry Ford’s $5 Day creates modern Detroit, causes shift in U.S. society”, Detroit Free Press, January 5, 2013
Ford’s Five Dollar Day, Henry Ford Blog, January 3, 2014.