In February 1944, 59.7% of POWs in America were employed. This was due to problems involved with setting a wage to not compete against nonprisoners and union opposition, as well as concerns about security, sabotage, and escapes. Given national manpower shortages, citizens and employers resented the idle prisoners. Efforts were made to decentralize the camps and reduce security enough that workers could be used. By the end of May 1944 employment was at 72.8%, and by late April 1945 it was 91.3%. The largest sector receiving POW workers was agriculture. There was more demand than supply (of prisoners) throughout the war, and 14,000 POW repatriations were delayed in 1946 so the prisoners could be used in the spring farming seasons, mostly to thin and block sugar beets in the west. While some in Congress wanted to extend POW labor beyond June 1946, President Truman rejected this, leading to the end of the program.