UNEMPLOYED IN AUSTRALIA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 18 June 1913, Page 3

UNEMPLOYED IN AUSTRALIA.

The unemployed question has given rise to some anxiety in Australia of late, and the latest official reports on the subject are not of a very encouraging character. At the end of March last returns were received from 451 trades unions, possessing a total membership of 237,216 and it was shown that 15,234 of that number were out of work. On a percentue basis the figures represented a slight increase over those of the final quarter of last year. . The present percentage of 6.4, however..is the highest since 1906, when it was 6.7. Tfie-lbwest year, since that date was 1911, when the percentage reached 4.7. but in the following year it jumped to 5.5. The increase of last quarter occurred mainly, in the building and timber and"wood trades, and in the mining industry, the States chiefly affected being New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. The building industry has been particularly affected, 9.1 per cent, of the members of the unions connected with it being unable to find occupation. Miners and quarrymen coma next in misfortune and food, drink and tobacco employees were third on the list, their proportion of unemployment, being 7.7, as against the former's 8.1. The printing trade appears to be in aj fairly flourishing condition, but land transporters are the best off of all, with a prcentage of only 2.1 of their number unable to gain a livelihood at thencalling. Of the total amount of unemployed 84.3 per cent, was set down as due to "lack of work," 12.5 per cent, to "sickness and accidents," and 3.2 to "other causes."