The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-18
UNEWPIOYED ~ 1903.
improvement ne Compared Win 1905
Increase ia aiOa Membership.

ALBANY. April IL The March quar-
terly bulletin of the State Labor Depart
ment traces the course 20 unemployment
during the year 1879 based on monthly
returns from l0D representative trade
unions in which are " go. or nearly one
fourth. of the organized wage sarnsrs in
this state In thsSs unions the percent
age Of members unemployed AZ thu he
ginning of the year was -. From then on
there was a continuous decline from
month to month until AT the snd Of August
the percentage had reached II .. In Sep
tember the downward movement was In
terrupted by a ri-s to las. due chiefly 10
exceptional circumstances in . single
union. In October and November the
percentage again decreased 60 ISS az the
end Of November. followed by the usual
increase in December accompanying the
-etting in u winter The percentages at
the end Of each month In 1879 were from
seven 90 fifteen points below thoss for
the same dates in IDS. and the mean per-
Centage in 1910 was Is5. a. against 20 7
in 1913 and y : In 1897 A. the end Of the
year the percentage 81 idlensss wAs 20 9.
an compared with ~ at thu clOss Of
i0Ds and s2.7 at ths end 81 1891.
The percentage 81 idlene-s in repre-
sentative unions at the end % December
was lower in New York city than in the
remainder u this STATE. A. l. usually the
ca-s. although tbs reverse was true
"a the midst oG the depression immedi-
ataly following the panic - 1877.
Returns a. 10 earnings Of organised
wage WORKERS ia the third quarter Of 1909
from all unions in the stats show an aver
ass oI s.sa for aIe. TSt men reporting
ind
tho corresponding months az 1905 when
the average earnings for 2ss, ISL men re-
porting was only t3O7. IL h also some
what above the corresponding average
for 1877. which was s227 or the highest
then on record. for q total Of S7s. rs msn
reporting.
Previous bullstins have noted n ooutin-
nous decreas. la the number u Organi ned
wage workers in the state since the
financial PANIC ~ October. 1907. up to
the end 81 March 1900. In the siz mOntha
after March 20 last year, however. the
decline came IN an end. and there was
an lncTenss in union membership amount
ing Co {. on. making the total membership
Al the end ~ September J72. 20 In 3as
unions There was. however "A decrease
81 ~ in the number Of organizations during
the six months, ~ old unions having dis
banded aud II having amalghmAted with
other unions. making a gross decrease
Of ~ unions. against which there were
0O'nsw unions formed In the period. The
increase u 800 in the union membership
for the six months may be compared with
a decrease Of over 20 600 in tho corre-
spending period Of 1905. Tho increase in
memberuhip in 1909 was 20 a considerable
degree localized both geographically aud
as 20 industries. Thus the bulk % the
gain Is found % have been in New York
city. where the Increase amounted TO
ga which u equal To per cent. u the
membership there at the end q March.
Considerably higher propOrtiOnate Rains
were made In Rochester. Syracuse and
Schenectady. though the absolute Eains
In those places amounted % only between
SOO and 100. A rather heavy loss Of per
cent. occurred in Albany.