LABOUR IN NEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27675, 3 June 1955, Page 9

LABOUR IN NEW ZEALAND

SMALLER G}AIN LAST year IMMIGRATION DECLINES In the year ended October, 1954, the labour force in New Zealand increased by 14,600 workers, bringing the estimated total labour f orC e to 786,000. These figures are givo n j n the Labour and Employment Department’s latest “This latest annual inci.e ase wa9 4000 smaller than the increase during the year ended October, 1953, because of a falling off in the rate/of immigration,” says the article. . "‘The gain of 6800 workers (4700 rfiales and 2100 females) from immigration in the year up to October, 1954, W as only half of the immigration ga’ n during the previous year. On th e other hand, the increase in the rat% o f recruitment from local sources wat higher than expected and has offs e t the drop in immigration to some extent. Although the over-all rate of labour force increase fell during th* i as t 12 months, it was still high at J. 9 per cent, increase for the year. {

“The total labour force for October, 1954, was slightly smaller than the total labour- force for April in the same year. This is .the first time since half-yearly Employment statistics were introduced j n 1946 that the October total has b& e n lower than the April total for thjo same year, although it is a result might be expected, having ,regr ar d to the difference of levels in seasonal work between April and October. In recent years the steady infi ow o f immigrants into the labour force has been of sufficient size to offset the seasonal variation. In 1954 this w as not the case; “The refeent decline in immigration is expecteq to be only temporary. The future e» ce ss of arrivals over departures piay not reach the high figures of 1953, but it is expected to increase during the coming year or two. Immigraticjn, together with the slowlymcreasmg trend in recruitment from local sourc es , ca n be expected to provide about i si ooo to 16,000 additional workers fo<- the labour force during each of the next few years.”