CLERICAL WORK

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25345, 29 October 1945, Page 6

CLERICAL WORK

JOBS HARD TO OBTAIN POSITION OF EX-SOLDIERS Returned soldiers in Auckland are already finding that positions as salesmen and clerks are fairly difficult to obtain. Applications to the National Service Department and the Services Commercial Contact Centre in recent weeks have shown' returned msn that the demand for labour in these occupations has fallen away greatly and that there appears to be no immediate prospect of an improvement, Two main factors caused the present shortage of positions for salesmen and male clerks, it was stated at the National Service Department. One was that industry had not yet returned to normal peacetime operation and the jobs which some of the men occupied before their entry into the forces wore now non-existent. It was expected that the position would correct itself as busin ess OS which hud been restricted during the war were able to return to normal. Women at Work The second factor affecting the employment of men in clerical positions was stated to be tho great increase in the number of Women employed Al- - a groat deal had been said about it this factor was not regarded as having as much bearing on the present position as the trade situation did. The employers who had so far shown a reluctance to dispense with the services of women who had filled wartime vacancies and re-employ male clerks returning from tho forces, were still a verv small minority. The steady demobilisation of servicemen would result in numbers of women leaving industry to be married. . The present shortage of male clerical positions would have been much more acute bad it not been for the fact that many ox-servicemen clerks have not attempted to return to their former occupations. It has been estimated that about 50 per cent of the former clerks have sought other forms of employment. This has been offset to a certain extent bv returning men who wish to enter clerical work without previous experience but there is no demand, for them by employers. It is hoped by tho authorities that the Government's subsidy scheme will induce firms to employ and train men who entered the services without previous experience, and disabled men without training who wish to become clerks.

Most Employers Assist Of those who wished to resume clerical work and could not find positions, a number have taken jobs_ as storomen. The position is-now being reached where those jobs are difficult to obtain. National Service Department officials said that the number of cases in which employers had paid a returned soldier six months' wages rather than reemploy him was very small. In most cases," employers had co-operated with the returning men and had made a definite effort to assist with their rehabilitation.