JOBS IN AMERICA.

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18806, 30 November 1932, Page 3

JOBS IN AMERICA.

ROSE IN SEPTEMBER.

AVERAGE EARNINGS INCREASED.

- LIVING COST OFF SLIGHTLY. NEW YORK, October 20. September showed an advance over August all along the line in employment, weekly hours of work and average weekly earnings, with a ■slight decline in the cost of living, according to a statement Issued yesterday by the National Industrial Conference Board. Among the twenty-five industries for which reports were available only -six failed to show any improvement m employment. These were automobiles, electrical manufacturing, iron and steel, rubber and two branches of foundries and machine shops. The statistics show a greater advance in average hours than in employment. This, it was said, was to be expected. Unemployment implies idle machines and part-time employment implies incomplete utilisation of machines in operation. Therefore, an increase in output is more economically obtained by a fuller utilisation of machines in operation than by putting additional, machines into use. Increase In Hours of Work. The report shows an increase of 2.6 hours in the average hours of work per week. Twenty-three industries showed increases, while only two industries—printing of newspapers and magazines and foundries —showed a slight decrease, which in both cases was less than a half hour a week. By ' reason of this increase in working 'hours, average weekly earnings rose in face of a decrease in average hourly earnings. In this increase of average weekly earnings only four industries failed to share. They were iron and steel, newspaper and magazine printing, rubber and foundries. Despite these improvements, average hourly earnings decreased, which seems to indicate, according to the report, that the policy of wage cutting so much in evidence in recent months has not yet spent its force. A diminution, in many cases very small, appears in average hourly earnings in sixteen of the twentylive industries enumerated. In eight of these the reduction amounted to 1 cent or more an hour.

Stop In Right Direction. “However small the general improvement, the evidence of its presence is seen in nearly every figure printed in these, tables,” the conference hoard said. “No one can doubt that it marks a step in the right direction, and all will hope, though none can positively affirm, that it may he Ihe first of a series of similar steps.” The index of the purchasing value of the dollar stood in September at 130.5 cents, compared with 100 cents in 1023. or three-tenths of a cent more than in August.