LABOUR POSITION

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20917, 23 September 1939, Page 8

LABOUR POSITION

MINISTRY’S REVIEW WARTIME CONDITIONS STEADY ADJUSTMENT (Official Wireless) (Received Sept. 25, 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 22 The Ministry of Labour has issued a preliminary statement on the level of unemployemnt on September 11. The outbreak of war created new demands for labour, but at the same time caused a dislocation affecting the employment of workpeople in many directions. In the case of male workers, however, the net effect to September 11 was a reduction of about 76,000 in the number registered as unemployed compared with August. The number of females on the registers was swollen by the addition of many evacuated women and of others offering their services as well as by discharges from employment, and the total was increased by about 175,000. Over the greater part of the country there was a reduction in unemployment among males roughly equivalent to the increase in the number of females on the registers. In London and the south-eastern counties there w’as an increase both among males and females. Industries Affected The industries mainly contributing to the increase in numbers of unemployed included hotel and boardinghouse service, distributive trades, entertainers and sports industries, and the fishing trade. in some districts a decline in employment was also reported in the furniture trades, also the tailoring, dressmaking and millinery trades, some of the textile Industries, motorcar manufacture, and dock and similar services. Un the other hand, improvements in employment were reported in the coalmining industry, iron and steel manufacture, and the engineering and shipbuilding industries. The number of persons receiving assistance from the Unemployment Assistance Board under the permanent scheme at September 15 was about 37i5,000, or some 80,000 fewer than in August. In addition, between 62,000 and 63,000 persons were being assisted by the board under the emergency scheme for the relief of distress due to war, and of these about 4-6,000 were evacuated persons. The Ministry adds that while a complete adjustment of industry to war conditions is bound to take some little time, it may be anticipated that any person thrown out of work will soon find fresh opportunities, for the momentum of national effort will call upon all the resources of our man and woman power.