GATHERING SPEED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26027, 15 December 1945, Page 4

GATHERING SPEED

PEACE-TIME PRODUCTION POSITION IN BRITAIN (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent) LONDON, Dec. 13. Britain’s reconversion from war to peace-time production is slowly gathering speed. The latest figures issued by the Ministry of Labour show’ that the return of men and women from the forces, civil defence, and munitions work to civilian industries and manufacture for export is gradually rising and that by the end of this year over 2,250,000 workers will have made the change. During October the number of people employed in civilian industry increased by 341,000, compared with 246,000 a month during the previous three months. ' , ■: The Ministry’s figures also show that men and women are leaving the forces and munitions work faster than peacetime industry is increasing. Some released people will retire from work, and it is estimated that of nearly 267 000 unemployed on November 12 nearly 54,000 were married women who will seek no further employment . Unemployment has increased by 33,000 since the middle of October and will, it is expected, reach 300.000 by the end of the year. ; . The explanation of this rising trend at a time when there are reports of a general shortage of workers is that much of the released labour is in or returning to areas where there is delay in developing new peace-time chances of work. >■ , . . Another 29 Government factories have been handed over to civilian industry, bringing the total to I<o. It is estimated that they will employ between 300,000 and 400,000 workers. In addition, 300 new factories are to be built in development areas.