H—ll

(3) The percentage of women employed in factories, after falling to a low level in 1949, has risen above the 1948 level, while the actual number employed is higher than in any previous year except 1945. The number of males employed increased by 2*6 per cent, in the past year. Over the ten years ended 31st March, 1950, the number of males employed in factories registered under the Factories Act has risen by more than 34 per cent, and the total number of employees by 32 per cent. The number of registered factories reached a new record level during the year, and is now more than 2,000 higher than ten years ago. (4) The number of workers and of factories in the North and South Islands over the past three years is as follows :

(5) Size of Factories. —There is a tendency for the size of the factory unit and the percentage of all factory workers employed in factories of different sizes to vary in harmony with general economic conditions. There has been no substantial variation in business activity over the past two years, and it would accordingly be expected that there would be little change in the structure of the Dominion's manufacturing industry. This in fact is the case. The percentage of workers employed in factories of different sizes and the percentage of factories in each of the corresponding groups for each of the years 1948-49 and 1949-50 are given in the table below: —

From the above table it can be clearly seen that there is no typical size of factory unit in the Dominion. Although more than 90 per cent, of all factories are contained in Groups I and 11, a greater number of workers is employed in Groups 111 and IV, while factories employing more than 100 workers each, comprising only 1 per cent, of all factories, employ over one-quarter of all employees. (6) The most important industrial groups covered by the Factories Act are food, drink, and tobacco (35,870 workers, 2,456 factories) ; textiles, clothing, and leather (36,002 workers, 2,827 factories); and engineering and metal-working (37,493 workers, 5,088 factories). These three groups, covering 10,371 factories and 109,365 workers, comprise 51 per cent, of all factories, and 64 per cent, of all employees.

20

1948. 1949. 1950. Number. Percentage. Number. Percentage. Number. Percentage. Factories North Island South Island 12,547 6,555 65-2 34-8 12,999 6,701 66-0 34-0 13,370 6,876 66-3 33-7 Employees North Island South Island 107,428 55,374 65-9 34-1 109,151 55,533 66-3 33-7 113,110 57,467 66-0 34-0

Factories Employing I. 1 to 5. II. 6 to 20. III. 21 to 100. IV. 101 and Over. Percentage of all factory workers — 1948-49 20 26 27 27 1949-50 21 25 27 27 Percentage of all factories in each group— 1948-49 72 21 6 1 1949-50 72 21 6 1