EMPLOYMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 5 September 1934, Page 5

EMPLOYMENT

INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR ACTIVITY IN COALMINING INDUSTRY (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, 3rd September. The Ministry of Labour estimates that at 20th August there were approximately 10,170,000 insurance persons aged from 16 to 64 in employment in Great Britain. This was 34,000 more than the month before and 364,000 more than the year before Improvement in employment is most marked in thq coal mining industry, and there is also some improvement in the building, and woollen worsted industries.

In the shipbuilding, ship-repairing industry and in shipping services, the improvement recorded in previous months lias continued.

In the jute hidustry, following termination of local holidays, there is substantial reduction in the numbers registered as temporarily stopped. On the other hand there is a further decline in employment in the tailoring, boot and shoe, cotton and motor vehicles industries.

A slight setback has also occurred in the iron and steel, pottery and hosiery industries and in the distributive trades.

At 20th August, the numbers of unemployed persons on the registers of employment exchanges in Britain were 1,598,338 wholly unemployed, 456,841 temporarily, and 81,399 normally in casual employment, making a total i f 2,136,578. This is 10,318 more than the number on the registers on 23rd July L 934 and 274,559 less than the year before.

The net increase, compared with a month ago is accounted for by unemployed boys and girls who have just left school.

An increase in the number of boys and girls registering for employment ordinarily occurs in the months of July, and August, but the number registering this year is higher than usual and has resulted in an increase of 310,088 in the number of unemployed boys and girls compared with the previous month. On the other hand,' there is a decrease of 20,770 in the number of men and women on the registers, compared with a month earlier.

The total number of unemployed comprised 1,692,319 . men, 68,715 boys; 321,603 women, and 53,941 girls.

Mr Ernest Brown, M.P., Minister of Alines, recently gave the following figures of coal output in the House of Commons: 1 For the quarter ending September, 7933, 47,121,000 tons, an increase of 810,500 tons over the corresponding quarter of the previous year; for the quarter ending December, 1933. 56.692.100 tons, an increase of 1,120,900 tons; for the quarter ending March, 1934. 59.668,800 tons, an increase of 3,491,900’ tons over the corresponding quarter of the previous year; for the quarter ending June, 1934, 52,412,900 tons, an increase of no less than 4.297.100 tons over the corresponding period of last year. “It means two things. The increase for the half-year of 1934 over the halfyear of. 1933 has been no k less than 7,789,000 tons, and the increase for tli.e four quarters lias been no less than 9,702,400 tons.. “That, I 1 venture to say, is a very pleasant statement for any Minister of Mines to make after the depressing . experience wo’ have'been through during successive years 'since the great slump began in 1930.” T-x.<>