The New York herald., 1921-06-16
WHITE COLLAR MEN
JOIN JOBLESS ARMY
High Class Executives and Of
flee Employees Among Those
Hit by Depression.

The ranks OF the army OF unemployed
as well as unskilled Industrial workers.
The present business depression Is laying
off in increasing numbers also all grades
of office employees from the higher sal
secretarial and clerical forces.
Scores of high class executives who
are numbered among the jobless in this
city and elsewhere are seeking through
regular agencies employment much less
remunerative than they easily have
earned IN the past In other words. the
hardship of unemployment mas hit the
white collar class, as well as the legion
of industrial artisans. and has hit 1t
hard.
Dr. David +. FLYNN. VINO is i'm charge
Of the New York city office of the State
Industrial Commission. 124 East Twenty
eighth street. said yesterday he had
noted increasingly within the last few
months the same conditions as those
commented upon by H. M. Cooibaugh.
superintendent of the Pennsylvania State
Employment Bureau in Philadelphia.
who said:
"The depression OF the last six months,
as reflected in the men applying at this
office show that 1t has affected men in
all walks of life. The salaried executive
and office employee Is affected as well
as the skilled and the common laborer."
"The failure of general contracting to
cpen up this spring" said DR.. Flynn.
has thrown out of profitable employ
ment many engineers and other high
grade men. Office forces, too. are benig
depleted rather than recruited, which
rs a natural consequence of the slacken-
ing of the industrial engine all along the
line. Unfortunately this particular con-
6itior in its influence upon the fortunes
of the mere highly skilled employees is
not likely 10 show Improvement. l fear,
a. least before next autumn.
Producers In many industries are
either closing down or operating or
short time. The railroads are doing
practically nothing IN the way of con-
struction, which leaves unemployed a
large class of highly skilled men, Even
the building industries have not doomed
as il was hoped they would with tax
/ exemption and other State encourage
ment And building will not begin to
boom again until the costs of structural
material come down Iou cannot start
building boom merely by the cutting
down OF wages. The cost of supplies
also must drop"
Miss Henrietta Rothstein superinten-
dent Of the woSnen's department Of the
! local office OF the State Industrial Com
mission said:
\ Unemployment among all grades or
/ women office workers has been growing
/ for the las, nine months. During the
\ last two or three months the number
of applications for employment which
come to use for positions of this kind has
doubled as compared with a like period
/ OF last year whereas the number OF
available jobs for this increasing army
of applicants has been cut down so per
cent This is true of persons who are
qualified to rank as Office managers.
/ Il Is true of women trained to fill skilled
secretarial posts, as well as of the less
highly accomplished clerks stenogra-
pliers and others.
1T has become now extremely diff
cult In the State employment agencies
to find employment for applicants
! qualified to fill posts that usually pay
salaries from s35 and $40 a week. and
! from that inward. For tho $50 or s25
week clerk or stenographer the case
/ Is not quite so hopeless but II is be-
coming difficult. We are hoping the
summer vacation period may open up
improved opportunity for some in the
last named class for temporary II not
permanent employment"