Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-17
GENERAL DECLINE
OF LABOR DEMAND
Employment Service Issues State
n1ent Showing Conditions
Throughout Country.

T\hlcs have been prepared by the
staff AicaI section of the United States
I'm, yment Service showing requests Tor
help from employers as compared with
registrations with the service tor Jobs tor
the l3 weeks ending November 30, which
indicate q general decline IN the demand
for labor throughout the United States.
In a number of sections this decline be-
raa carly in September, IN others there
VIZ m increasing demand up to the middle
of pctober, Immediately followed by a
sharp decline. -,
Employment Service show a gradual fall
inc off IN demands for labor of all kinds
for the past two months. At the present
time. the demand for skilled labor about
equals the supply, but there is a shortage
of unskilied labors amounting to about
1000.
In New England, Connecticut shows
the greatest demand. Early in September
there were approximately II applicants
for help wanted for every man registered
with the service. This excess of demand
over supply, kept up until the week of
October 10, when there was sharp de-
cline, showing the demand exceeded the
supply by about four to one. For the
week ending November 80, there were
requests for Al to every one which could
be supplied by the service. At the present
time, the supply about equals the de-
mand, with the exception of Stamford.
where there is a slig,t surplus of labor
Massachusetts shows but little fuctuation,
with a slight shortage particularly IN
Boston In October the demands made
by employers in Maine. were about Is to l..
At the present time demand and supply
are about equal.
In New York State, the records OF the
Federal Employment Service show that
the demand in October exceeded the
supply by about 23 to /, steadily de-
Ginning thereafter. Pennsylvania shows a
steady decline in excess of demand over
supply, although there is still a heavy
shortage of labor in large industrial
ccnters, such as Philadelphia, Pittsburg,
Harrisburg and the anthracite mining
region In Ohio the peak was reached dur
ing the week ending October 5, when there
was "A demand for "a men for every one
who could be supplied by the service
This declined 10 ] 9 to one the last week in
November For the week ending October
20. Maryland shows shortage of about
26 10 ono, which Immediately declined
10 surplus of registrations for jobs of 3.4
To one for the week ending November ,.
tfu .NONGIilEttl 1bs WIS tl4tS h1S iC-
duced to | IS to one. New Jersey report
ed an excess Of demand over registration
of about 1875 to one on October 26, which
declined to S IL to one for the week ending
November 80 At the present time, the
registration about equals the demands
The Southern States show the greatest
fluctuations. Florida ranges all the way
from ! 3 registrations to one help wanted
to a demand of l3,4 men 10 every one
who could be supplied. This latter con-
dition obtained on September II During
the week ending October 5, the shortage
declined TO slight surplus of labor, only
to Jump back again TO shortage of IL
Jobs for every man for the week ending
October IS. BY November so, this short
age was almost entirely wiped out. In
September, Georgia called for 1S.5 men
to every registration Of the service, which
declined to | i IN October, only to advance
TO 335 by November 30
The shortage IN North Carolina de-
clined from a ration OF 4 ~ to TO a sur
plus of labor Of SIS registrations to one
OF help wanted South Carolina shows 8
sharp advance in shortage from early In
September until late in October, and from