MORE MEN UNEMPLOYED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22437, 5 June 1936, Page 10

MORE MEN UNEMPLOYED

The number of unemployed increased by 1993 in the four weeks ended on May 9, according to the return supplied by the Minister of Labour and published this morning. The unfavourable trend is seasonal and was recorded in the autumn of each of the previous three years. The only difference is that the rate of increase this autumn is higher than in 1933, 1934 or 1935. This result will be disappointing to those j who expected the Labour Government to effect a more rapid improve- | ment in employment than the ] National Government. Mr. Armi strong claims that the figures show I a reduction of 2830 compared with | those- of a year ago. Even -so, the ! gain is not impressive considering j the all-round recovery that has ! taken place in the meanwhile. The i reduction is even smaller when comj pared with the total out of regular i work in May, 1934. Mr. Armstrong must be conscious of the weakness of the Government's record in this department, otherwise he would not have compared the figures for November with those for May. Employment in New Zealand usually begins to recover in November after its slackest period, while the first marked decline commences in May after the four busiest months of the year. Mr. Armstrong, speaking in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, criticised the manner in which his predecessors in office presented the unemployment returns. They were to blame, in fact, for presenting them in a manner calculated to create the worst possible impression, by including in the total of " unemployed " the number of men working full time under* subsidy. This enumeration was belatedly stopped by the National Government and it is notable that Mr. Armstrong, after omitting to publish any returns for March and April, has adopted the same practice. But, however the figures are shown, they do not conceal the fact that the Government has not begun to redeem its pledge to end unemployment. The total is not much below what it was two years ago, the latest rate of increase is rapid and, if the Government persists in its policy of creating artificial labour conditions, the position may be expected to deteri orate still further.