LABOUR MARKET.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 907, 6 January 1917, Page 12

LABOUR MARKET.

REPORT FOR DECEMBER. Thi' monthly labour report for Christchurch shows an upward trade tendency. The building and allied trades all report improved conditions, the exceptions being sawmilling. Metal workers and engineers are very busy, and men are short for fitting, turning, and brass-finish-ing. Textile trades report a very busy month, and good prospects for the ensuing year. The retail business is very good, groceries and useful lines showing an increased turn-] over on previous Christmas trailed The increased demand for fancy lines of drapery and furniture has been more marked than is usual at this season, Christmas gifts taking the shape of useful and serviceable articles. Details are as follow: Building Trades. Bricklaying; good, all available labour employed. Carpentry and joinery very busy, all hands being employed and more could be placed in work. Painting very good. Plastering busy, only one man on union hooks. Plumbing and gas-fitting show ah improvement during the month; one or two men j out of work. Stonemasonry busy, all hands being employed. Woodworking Trades. Boxmaking busy. Cabinetmaking and upholstering report a falling off on last month's report, but all hands are fully employed. Coopering still busy. Sash and door factories report an improvement on last month; hands can be placed. The sawmilling trade quiet in most mills. Woodturning, etc., same as last month. Engineering Trades.—Agricultural implement making good December month, and improvement on last year. Boilermaking busy; good men are short. Brass and coppersmithing very busy; overtime still being worked; hands can be placed. Electrical engineering very busy: skilled labour short. Fitting and turning very busy; overtime being worked. Men not available. Iron and brass-moulding very busy; overtime being worked. The rangemaking trade good, but stove-making very quiet. Leather Trades!—Boolmaking (fac-

Tories) very busy and working overlime. Boolmaking (repair shops) busy; steady trade. Saddlery and harness-making trade normal; fair local business being done. Clothing Trades. Dressmaking and millinery very busy, Christmas trade exceptionally good. Shirtmaking still very busy. Tailoring (factories) working to full capacity; very busy; .short-handed. Tailoring (order) trade reported very good. Woollen milling same as lasl month. Retail Trades.—Clothing reported good. Boots very busy; returns ahead of last December trade. Drapery very busy Christmas trade reported. Groceries exceptionally busy; much better than last Christmas trade. Printing Trades. Bookbinding busy; an improvement on last year. Printing still report busy, but liiho work somewhat slower. Meat Freezing, etc.—Tanning and currying very busy. Fellmongering normal for December. Preserving works are busy. Coachbuilding Trades. Blacksmithing fairly busy. Coach and carriage building quiet, but tramcar building very busy. Motor repair work busy, but new work slow. Cycle and Motor Trades.—Normal for December. Agricultural operations.—Panning, dairying, etc., report the same as last month. The long spell of warm, dry weather has brought Ihe crops on to Ihe ripening stage earlier than was expected, and harvest should be general before the end of January. Miscellaneous.—Brushmaking very j busy. Tinsinjthing and sheet-melal workers normal. Biscuit and con-; feclionery working to fullest capacity. Toymakers report very busy month. L'nskilled Labour.—During the month all available labour has been absorbed, plenty of work being available, and 18 married and 150 single men with 10 dependents have been assisted to positions, 2!) to private and 19 lo Government employment.