Unemployment Figures

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 53, 26 November 1930, Page 13

Unemployment Figures

Sit.-r-In this morning’s issue df your paper there is a letter from Mr. Arthur C. Foddy, of Palmerston North, in which he states, “Per capita New Zealand’s army of unemployed now exceeds that of Great Britain.” , He quotes figures as follow: Great Britain, population 47,000,000, unemployed 2,000,000; New Zealand, population 1,500,000, unemployed over 7000. ... , Taking Mr.-Foddy’s figures as correct the propertion of unemployed works out as one to. twenty-three and a-half -of--the population in Great Britain, and one to two hundred and ten of the population in New Zealand. Mr. Foddy has evidently dropped a nought in his calculations. As a matter of fact, in proportion to population there are few countries in the world With so few unemployed as New Zealand.—l am, etc., “WATCH YOUR NOUGHTS.” Wellington, November 22. . , J i ;• , . “ .<■' ' . . - • - Sir,—ln a letter signed Arthur C. Foddy, which appeared in the “Dominion” on Saturday last, appears the following sentence: “It is significant to note that per capita, New Zealand’s army of unemployed now exceeds that of Great Britain.” This statement is, of course, entirely contrary to fact, and taking your correspondent’s own figures, we find that per capita New Zealand is about eight times better off than Great Britain. Furthermore, New Zealand has about ten times less unemployed on a per capita basis than the United States. Australia, according to the latest figures, is much worse off than New Zealand, but not so bad as great Britain. Thus Mr. Foddy’s letter loses its point.—l am, etc., ELEVEN PLUS. Wellington, November 24. =