Unemployment Slightly Reduced In June

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28979, 21 August 1959, Page 25

Unemployment Slightly Reduced In June

Unemployment in New Zealand fell slightly in June after the • post-war peak recorded in May. The number of vacant jobs fell even further, though, and by the end of June the “excess demand" for labour had reached a postwar “low.” These tentative conclusions emerge from a study of Department of Labour Statistics given in the latest Abstract of Statistics. They are tentative because the statistics are given in slightly different terms from those used above. “Vacant jobs" comprise vacancies notified to district offices of the Department of Labour in their capacity as a placement service. Total vacancies, as recorded in half-yearly surveys by the department, are considerably higher. For instance, the April, 1959, figure of 6352 vacancies notified to the department in its capacity as a placement service compares with the total of 12,516 vacancies revealed by the department’s survey of employment at April 15. No more recent figure of total vacancies is available. “Disengaged Persons” The only guide to unemployment trends published monthly is the department’s series showing “disengaged persons at end of month.” This series therefore includes . workers who are not actively seeking work who would not necessarily accept offers of work made to them. This total always exceeds the number of unemployment benefits in force; at the end of March this year there were 803 “persons disengaged," but only 341 unemployment benefits in force. No later figure of unemployment benefits is available. The “excess demand for labour" referred to above is merely the difference between the number of vacancies notified to the department as a placement service, and the number of “persons disengaged.” It is necessarily a very approximate measure, but probably indicates the trend in the labour market fairly well. In a note to the May and June vacancies, the Abstract of Statistics says that the reduction between April and May this year was due largely to a substantial

reduction in vacancies notified by the Railways Department following a reassessment of its staffing requirements. Two Years Compared Trends in the number of vacancies, persons disengaged, and in the "excess demand for labour” in the first six months of this year, compared with the same period of last year, are shown in the following table:—

PLEASANT POINT STOCK SALE

I From Our Own tieporter) TIMARU, Aug. 19. The medium yarding of fat cattle offered at Tuesday’s Pleasant Point sale was of very mixed weight and quality, but under steady competition values held firm on recent rates. The medium-sized yarding ot fat sheep comprised mainly wethers The sale began well, but as it progressed the demand slackened and values receded fully 8s tor woolly wethers. Fat ewes, which were in short supply, held extra firm. A more than average yarding of store sheep included a few pens of useful ewe and wether hoggets. The inquiry from farmers was keen, and values, especially for hoggets, appreciated on recent sales. Values were: Fat Cattle.—Prime steers, £45 12s 6d to £53 12s 6d; prime heifers. £42 2s 6d to £49 2s 6d; light to medium heifers. £2B ?s 6d to £33 2s 6d; prime cows, £3B 2s 6d to £43 12s 6d; light to medium cows, £22 2s 6d to £32 12s 6d

Fat Sheep.—Fat wethers (wool). 54s Id to 81s Id: fat wethers (shorn), 45s Id to 56s Id; fat ewes (wool). 49s Id to 64s Id; fat ewes (shorn). 27s Id to 41s Id; hoggets (shorn), to 35s Id; hoggets (woolly), to 53s Id Store Sheep—Full-mouth ewes, to 58s 6d; failing-mouth ewes. 26s to 40s; good wether hoggets. 47s 6d to 51s: medium wether hoggets. 35s to 40s; good ewe lambs, 54s to 68s 6d.

1958 — 1 Vacancies 2 Disengaged 3 1 -2 Jan. .. 8518 378 8140 Feb. .. 8281 327 7954 Mar. .. 8293 338 7955 Ap. .. 8270 442 7828 May .. 7700 588 7112 June .. 7429 708 6721 1959 — Jan. .. 6799 806 5993 Feb. .. 6670 753 5917 Mar. .. 6132 •803 5629 Ap. .. 6352 1190 5162 May .. 4523 1541 2982 June .. 4478 1519 2958