VACANCIES IN INDUSTRY

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26856, 8 October 1952, Page 10

VACANCIES IN INDUSTRY

PARLIAMENT

MIGRATION BLAMED FOR TREND OPPOSITION PREDICTION OF UNEMPLOYMENT (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 7. If the present trend in the reduction of vacancies in industry continued, there would be unemployment in the country in the next eight or nine months, said Mr P. Kearins < Opposition, Waimarino), in the House of Representatives tonight, when discussing the vote on the estimates for the Department of Labour and Employment. Mr Kearins said that in one month Vacancies had been reduced by 2000. It was time the Government took some notice of what Opposition members had been saying for some time. People coming into the country had caused reduction of vacancies in industry. Mr Kearins said that pressure groups had been working on the Government not to reduce immigration. The Minister of Labour (Mr W. Sullivan): That’s not correct. Mr A. H. Nordmeyer (Opposition, Brooklyn) said that in the Opposition’s view the scale of immigration was too intensive. Recent events had supported that view, and the Government had decided to taper off its immigration plans. 'The whole question was at what rate immigrants could be brought into the country, and at what rate they could be absorbed.

Mr Nordmeyer said that the vacancies in industry could disappear very quickly, and if there was fear of a recession then inevitably the tendency to employ more and more labour would diminish, and overfull employment would give way to unemployment. If immigration continued at the present rate, then in the off season there would pe a drift into unemployment, and if immigration was maintained or intensified it would inevitably decrease that portion of the national income for capital development. Vacancies Put at 16,000 Mr Sullivan said that so far as the department knew there were at present 16,000 vacancies in industry. With the new season beginning there was a consequent decrease in the number of vacancies. The Government would not want to bring people into the country unless they could be given jobs and

Mr A. McLagan (Opposition. Riccarsaid that the vacancies for unskilled labour had almost completely dried up, and notice should be taken of that. The employment of married women had to a very large extent ceased Many secondary industries had s t o \P ed ™ orkin g overtime and had shortened hands, and some were makuig proposals for rationing work Mr Sullivan said that the immigration position was being watched very carefully, and if any further readjustme^ ts were required they would be ™ as ? duty to strengthen New Zealand by bringing the right to the coun try. No unskilled workers were being brought

At the Opposition (Mr Nash) said that there had not been the same number proportionately employed id April this year compared with April