Labour Shortage Beside British Unemployment

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27914, 10 March 1956, Page 9

Labour Shortage Beside British Unemployment

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON. March 9. In spite of the recent increase in short-time working and unemployment in certain industries —notably motor-cars and accessories, radio and television equipment, pottery, furniture, hosiery and domestic appliances —the general picture throughout Britain is still of a substantial excess cf vacancies over unemployed says the “Financial Times.” It says that serious labour shortages still exist in coal mines, railways, bus services, agriculture and many forms □f distribution. Large sections of manufacturing industry are still short □f workers, especially of skilled grades. "Between mid-December and midFebruary. unemployment increased by 50,000 to 1.3 per cent, of insured

population—the same ratio as a year ago. Some increase in unemployment is normal at this time of the year. “There are no official figures for short-time working, but it is estimated that the number is about 60,000 compared with 34,000 last November. “Short-time working in cotton textiles has dropped by 6.000 since November, but in motor and ancillary industries has risen by more than 20.000. There are probably about 10.000 laid off or on short time in pottery, furniture, radio and television manufacture, hosiery, and domestic appliances. “On the other hand, British Railways still has a labour shortage estimated at 20.000 and the National Coal Board has a shortage of about 13,000 men,”, said the newspaper.