UNEMPLOYMENT DECLINES

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28537, 17 March 1958, Page 16

UNEMPLOYMENT DECLINES

Report On Trend In Australia I (N.Z Pvpy* qß’jnrtnrinn { CANBERRA, March I|. | Federal Government measutei i to counter unemployment wofftd 1 probably include an early budont | the Minister for Labour, Harold Holt, told the House of | Representatives ,on Thursday. « Observers in Canberra believe the Budget may be introduced on 1 August 5 or 12. Mr Holt said that unemplqy. | ment figures in February showed i a “useful, although not spec- I tacular, downward trend. ’ oa* i cial figures showed that at Maieh ■ 1 there were 26.879 persons receiving unemployment benefits—a decline of 2976 during Feb* ruary. Mr Holt said that the number ‘ of registered applicants for employment was down 4736 to 70,029. But the number of vacancies wag 5177 lower at 20,747. These figures did not show the effect of the Loan Council’s grant! to the States and local authorities or the release of £lsm to the trading banks, he said. Mr Holt spoke after a former Australian Council of Trade Unions, 1 president, Mr p. J. Clarey (Labour, Victoria) had criticised the gradual decline in The work force, despite an increase of 220,000 a year in population. The work force which should be growing by 50,000 or 60,000 this year, would appear to be increasing by only 4000, Mr Clarey said.