The garment industry is labor-intensive; the production of garments requires the employment of a relatively large number of people. The auto industry is capital-intensive; a large amount of money is invested in elaborate equipment run by a relatively small number of people. If fringe benefits are not considered, a typical United States garment worker in 1979 earned 46 percent of a typical auto worker's wages.

Which of the following, if true, is likely to be among the factors that account for the disparity between auto workers' and garment workers' wages?

(A) There is generally less variation among the wages of garment industry workers than among those of auto industry workers.
(B) Wage increases in the auto industry have a smaller effect on manufacturers' total costs than do wage increases in the garment industry.
(C) The fringe benefits that automakers provide for their employees are more comprehensive than are those provided for garment workers.
(D) The auto industry faces more competition from companies outside the United States paying low wages than does the garment industry.
(E) The auto industry employs a larger total number of workers than does the garment industry.