H.—ll

1934. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR (REPORT OF THE).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

EE POET. The Acting-Secretary, Department of Labour, to the Hon. the Minister of Labour. Sir, — Department of Labour, Wellington, sth July, 1934. I have the honour to present herewith the forty-third annual report of this Department for the information of His Excellency the Governor-General, and to be laid before Parliament, in compliance with the Labour Department Act, 1908, and the Factories Act, 1921-22. The report covers the financial year Ist April, 1933, to 31st March, 1934. Owing to the continued need for economy the report has again been made as brief as possible. I have, &c., Henry E. Moston, Acting-Secretary of Labour. The Hon. the Minister of Labour.

UNEMPLOYMENT. The activities of this Department, so far as unemployment is concerned, are mainly restricted to the registration of unemployed men and the placing of such men in employment, and the unemployment figures given below are therefore confined to " registrations " and " placements." Details as to the total number of men employed under the various schemes of the Unemployment Board or being assisted from the Unemployment Fund and other information on the question of unemployment may be obtained from the annual report of the Commissioner of Unemployment. On the Ist April, 1933, there were 51,529 applicants registered at the Department's employment offices throughout the Dominion. With slight fluctuations, the number gradually increased to 57,352 on the 22nd July, 1933, thereafter decreasing steadily until the 24th March, 1934, when it stood at 44,408. The number on the Department's registers on the 31st March, 1934, was 44,441. This number is 7,088 less than the number on the registers at the close of the previous year. (Note. — Since the Ist April the number of registered unemployed has continued to increase, the maximum figure up to the present being 48,393 on the 30th June, 1934—-i.e., 8,959 less than the peak figure for last year.) During the year 24,343 men were placed in employment, 2,698 on Government works (being mainly relief works under arrangement with the Unemployment Board), and the balance in private employment, inclusive of those placed under the Unemployment Board's schemes (but apart from those employed on the Unemployment Board's No. 5 Scheme). In addition, 375 were assisted by advances of railway fares or otherwise. (Figures for the previous year were 2,041, Government works ; 27,901, otherwise : total, 29,942.) Of the 44,441 men on the Department's registers at the 31st March, 39,993 were employed under No. 5 Scheme, which provides temporary employment according to each man's circumstances. This figure varies slightly from week to week, the maximum number securing relief during the year being 52,384 on the 2nd September, 1933, when the total number of unemployed on the register was 56,901. The men employed under No. 5 Scheme are not regarded as " placements," and are not therefore included in the figure 24,343 (supra).

1— H. 11.