THE LABOUR MARKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 173, 22 July 1903, Page 6

THE LABOUR MARKET.

The "Journal of the Department of Labour,"' just issued, gives the following information with respect to conditions of employment in the four chief centres of the colony:— Auckland.—Building trades: Steadily busy, local tradesmen in fair employment. Engineering trades: Quiet, especially blticksmithing and fitting. Some pretty large tenders now accepted, but will not come into force for a couple of months. Boot trade: Brisk, better than for some considerable time. Clothing trade: Season starting \ery brisk, workers very much in demand. Retail trade (general): Steadily fair, and seasonable. Miscellaneous: .Saddlery, very busy for season. Coachbulld[ng very busy. Unskilled labour: A number of applicants for ordinary work, each steamer from Australia increasing the number. Really good all round bushmeu scarce. Wellington.—Building trades: Busy in all branches, and every prospect o£ its continuance. Engineering trades: 2s'ot very busy, with the exception of boilermakers. Boot trade: All hands making full time. Clothing trade (tailoring): Order shops rather quiet, factories fairly busy. Retail trade (general;: Apparently good business in all branches. Miscellaneous: lirlckmakors, carriage builders. and tanners are all busy; fellmongei'S not making full time; saddlers slack; other trades are in their normal condition. Unskilled labour: As is usual tit this time of the year, applicants for employment have slightly increased, the majority of them beiug single men. Where capable of bushfclliiig and willing , to undertake that employment, work is readily obtainable. Christchurch. —Building trades: Remarkably good for this season of the your, and there is every prospect of it remaining so for some time; few, if any, idle men. Plasterers have all they can do to overtake the work they have In baud. Engineering trades: One or two tirms are rather quiet In the engineering branch. One firm has all it can do to overtake its orders, "lucksmithiug. range-making , , and moulding are all busy. Boot trade: This trade remains good, but shows signs of slackening oil a little. Clothing trade: Full time Is being mude in tailoring and dressmaking. , Some of the clothing factories cannot get ahead of their orders. Retail trade (general): A very .satisfactory business in nearly every branch of the retail trades. Unskilled labour: The number of applicants for work have considerably increased this month: however, work on the whole is more plentiful tutiu previous years at this season. Dunedin. —Building and engineering trades: No material change from last month. Boot trade: No improvement on last month, although a steady business is being done. Clothing trade: All factories working steady. Retail trade (general): A good all-round business is being done. Miscellaneous: Tanning and fellniongering has been fairly good for some time. Harness and saddlery trades still keep rjuiet, although there are no men out of employment. Blacksmlthing very busy. Unskilled labour: There is still a demand for coal miners, but they must be first class men. • I