Day Labourer
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Le Journalier | The Day Labourer
"Day Labourer", painting by László Mednyánszky, Wikimedia Commons.
The journalier, or day labourer, was a worker employed by the day, typically in the agricultural sector. He usually only worked during the summer months, for low wages, which meant that day labourers were among the poorest of the inhabitants of New France. Due to the seasonal nature of their work, they often struggled to feed themselves during the winter months.
For a regular day’s work, the labourer could earn 30 to 40 sols. When hired for a short contract or a month’s work, he could earn between 12 and 15 livres. After purchasing bread from the baker, and paying for his monthly rent, the day labourer didn’t have much disposable income left over. His situation was worse if he had a family to feed.
In New France, many people had more than one occupation, however. One could therefore supplement their primary income by also being a day labourer.
Source: “Les pauvres en Nouvelle-France”, Histoire du Québec (http://histoire-du-quebec.ca/les-pauvres-au-quebec/).