THE UNEMPLOYED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23930, 4 October 1939, Page 8

THE UNEMPLOYED

POSITION IN BRITAIN INCREASE FOR LAST MONTH (British Official Wireless) (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) RUGBY. Oct. 2. The Ministry of Labour announced that on September 11 the total of the registered unemployed numbered 1,330.928, comprising 1,052,218 wholly unemployed, 227,099 temporarily laid off, and 51,611 normally in casual employment. This is an increase of 99,236 compared with the month before, but is 467,690 fewer than a year ago. Contrary to general expectations the unemployment figures show only a moderate increase. Indeed, at the end, of the first week of the war unemployment increased to a smaller extent than often occurs in norma] times owing to seasonal causes. The 99,000 increase comoares very favourably with the peace-time increase of 208,000, while last vear the increase between August and September was 39,000. It is interesting to compare the position now with 1914. Between July and August of that year the trade union percentage of unemployment rose from 2.8 to 7-1 per cent. From the point of view of maintaining the fullest possible employment of the country's resources the experience at the opening of the present war is therefore much better than in the last war. , ■ Nearly three-quarters of the increase in September is due to persons coming on the register as applicants for work and not those who lost previous work. The employment position revealed by these figures is thought to be much more satisfactory than if it had shown that all the' country's resources in man and woman power had been already fully absorbed and stretched out to the utmost by long hours of work. But the total reserves of man and woman power for carrying the nation's effort to a successful conclusion vastly exceed the unemployed reserve. It is known that the total population between the ages of 16 and 64 is now about 5,500,000 greater than it was in 1914. A very considerable expansion of output is still possible before the peak of the nation's effort is in sight.