WARTIME JOBS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 148, 20 December 1943, Page 4

WARTIME JOBS

POSITION IN AUSTRALIA

O.C. SYDNEY, November 23. The number of employees in Australian factories increased irom 542,000 before the war to 733,400' in August this year, according to the Commonwealth Statistician (Mr. R. S. Carver). On the other hand, the number of rural workers decreased from 500,000 before the war to 360,000 last March. In the same period women rural workers increased from 20,000 to 60,000, leaving a deficiency of 100,000 workers. The figures include farm owners, lessees", paid employees, and unpaid relatives.

The number of workers in other industries increased from 1,727,000,^, including 421,000 women, in Ju1y.T.939, to 1,890,000, with 611,000 women, last August. Retail store employees decreased from 150,000 at the outbreak of war to 128,000 last August, 56,000 of these being men and 72,000 women. Since July, 1941, transport employees have increased from 172,000 to 191,800 last August, while building and construction workers decreased from 52,000 to 40,800, and miners from 47,000 to. 37,900,

Mr. Carver also released a summary of price index numbers. Compared with a base figure of 1000, representing the average for three years ended June, 4939, the indices last September were: Primary products, 1189; export prices, 1147; wholesale prices, 1398; retail prices, 1278; company shares on Stock Exchange, 1014. Government building permits issued last September in the six capital cities were worth £321,000, compared with £1,807,000 in September, 1939. Only 26 permits were issued for private dwellings in the six capitals in September, compared with 1057 in September, 1939.