Daily AncestorPW
PW in the 1940 census class of worker column means a wage or salary worker for a private employer.
The 1940 census split employees into two groups. PW meant a person who worked for wages, salary, piece rates, commission or tips for a private, non-government employer, from a factory hand to a salaried bank president.
Its partner code GW marked government workers. The other 1940 codes were E for employer, OA for own account and NP for unpaid family worker. In 1950 the census shortened PW to a plain P.
As seen in a recordOccupation columns of the 1940 census
Shoe cutter, Shoe factory, PW
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "PW." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/abbreviations/census-pw. Last checked 2026-10-10.