EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 May 1946, Page 6

EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

589 MEN WANTED FOR FACTORIES FEMALE SHORTAGE 2,208 (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 31. The first half-yearly survey of employment had met with the widespread support of the employers in returning forms promptly to the National Service offices, the Minister of Employment, Mr. McLagan, stated to-day. Mr. McLagan said that the survey carried out in October, 1945, had enabled his department to study the changes in employment and the growth of industry. During the last six months there had been a falling off in the female labour force, accompanied by the employment of a larger proportion of males. The net result of this had been a considerable shortage of labour available to staff the expanding industries of the Dominion and a detailed investigation of the whole position would be necessary before adequate steps could be taken to ease the position.

It was estimated that female labour made up 30-40 per cent-, of the total labour force in the Dominion. The Minister added that in nine industries surveyed, 11 per cent, of males and 25 per cent, of ' females were under 21. The highest percentage of juvenile males was in paper and pulp manufacturing and of juvenile females in grain milling, the percentages being 1.4 and 46 respectively. The survey showed that there were 589 vacancies foi' males and 2208 for females, that being 5 per cept. of the total employed in the case of males and 30 per cent, in the case of females.